A long time ago, for the beggars who were begging for a living on the streets, the "King's House" located several blocks away and at the end of the avenue was like an unreachable legend, mysterious, majestic and hazy.
And thick.
They can only understand how this legendary palace, which shares the title of the Revival King, (under the protection of Ming Ye) has an extraordinary origin, countless experiences, and remains standing in the Ming Ye Temple's exaggerated and comical to the point of being inaccurate drama.
shake.
Or you can get a little understanding from the uneven remarks of drunkards like "I tell you, I know so-and-so, and he has a friend who works in Fuxing Palace. That place is like this..."
, a glimpse of the leopard in the tube.
Or, when you are out begging, you timidly poke your head out of a strange and neat street, and catch a glimpse of the huge silhouette of the palace among the hurried pedestrians, leaving you with a breathless shock and unshakable envy.
This feeling lasted until six years ago.
Continues until Thales' fate turns.
Duke Xinghu slowly closed his eyes.
but……
But even if he became a prince and the nominal heir of this palace, Thales discovered that he still didn't understand Fuxing Palace.
Six years ago, when he first entered the Fuxing Palace, he was assassinated and was carried into the palace wall while unconscious.
Six years ago, he left Fuxing Palace, but he left the palace in a carriage in a trance as he was about to go north.
As for now...
Under the steady gaze of the guards on both sides, and surrounded by the neat steps of the guards behind him, Thales came back to his senses when he opened his eyes and realized that the group of them had already passed through the heavily guarded palace gate and even walked through the palace wall.
The wide flat ground with the inner hall leads directly into the inner gate of this mottled ancient temple.
It wasn't until they entered the narrow and deep darkness without stopping, locking the vast and lofty sky and the endless horizon outside the thick and old palace door, that Thales suddenly woke up:
Six years later, when he stepped here in person...
As long as there is no accidental assassination and no going abroad as a hostage...
But he still couldn't see clearly...
What the Fuxing Palace looks like.
Leaving the streets and carpets, the touch under the boots begins to become hard and crisp.
Kick, kick, kick.
Footsteps rang out from under Thales' feet, echoing in the quiet air and then reaching his ears.
In the sudden dim light, the young Duke of Xinghu took a deep breath, but his nose was filled with coldness and dampness.
Stone.
Cold.
rough.
dim.
And...silence.
This made the Duke, who had gradually become accustomed to the dryness of the North and the scorching heat of the desert, instinctively uncomfortable.
In the almost silent and dim stone corridor, they walked through the interior of Fuxing Palace, walking through small halls one after another and walking up the stone steps one after another.
The few windows and lights were the only sources of light that could guide them.
Thales suppressed his unnecessary thoughts and raised his head in this historic but quiet and solemn palace, in this classic and low-key but tasteful stone corridor, and looked at the back of Mallos in front of him.
The watchman's face was expressionless, his eyes were not squinting, and he led the way calmly and gracefully.
Gilbert was one step behind Thales, his footsteps were slightly shallower and his steps were steady.
Glover, Doyle and others further behind did not make a sound and seemed to disappear into the air.
It seems that they have become accustomed to this ancient palace with dark colors and suffocating air, and don't think it's strange.
But Thales could only follow silently.
The group of people was not alone. On the way, they passed many guards on duty, servants in a hurry, cautious officials, and well-behaved nobles.
In the quiet air, these people were silent, but seemed to have known about it for a long time. They all stopped respectfully and stepped aside, silently but accurately bowing to the young man in the crowd.
The newly appointed Duke of Star Lake subconsciously cleared his throat and wanted to respond, but Gilbert beside him tapped his arm and shook his head.
In the Fuxing Palace, the king preferred silence.
Thales was stunned for a moment.
After understanding what was going on, Duke Xinghu could only nod and smile in response to these people.
When he was in the Palace of Heroes in Longxiao City, no matter where Prince Star went, the palace guards of the Northlanders (especially the former White Blade Guards) and the Exeter nobles always stared at him with eyes full of hostility and vigilance.
, even after six years of facing each other day and night, those eyes have just changed from "gnashing teeth" to "disdain".
But in Fuxing Palace, it was different.
Thales could feel that whether servants or guards, nobles or officials, they all had extraordinary interest and curiosity in the newly arrived Duke. However, when they passed by the young man, their eyes when they looked at the Duke were respectful and careful, polite and polite.
control.
When the Duke looked back at them, the latter often immediately lowered their heads or turned their eyes away, looking elsewhere.
It's divided when you touch it, and it stops when you click it.
Quite deliberately.
Like...like a peek hiding in the corner.
As if afraid of waking up something.
Coupled with the sense of deathly silence and chill that was carefully created and maintained...
Duke Xinghu couldn't help but take another breath and exhale slowly.
For some reason, Thales always felt that the cautious, polite and restrained looks in the Fuxing Palace brought him no less discomfort than the unabashed, hostile and estranged looks from the people of the North in the Palace of Heroes.
A feeling of irritability came over him.
There was even a moment when the young man wanted to ask the royal guards around him to come closer.
Surround him a little tighter.
Block those eyes.
It's best... to isolate everything and make it airtight.
Just like...the thick city wall that blocks Fuxing Palace and the city.
The almost deathly quiet journey came to an end soon.
When they went up another level and came to a large corridor, several figures suddenly appeared in front of a stone door.
Mallos' footsteps were the first to stop.
Thales, who was following him, took an extra step and then subconsciously took it back.
But he soon noticed that, except for Gilbert, who was still smiling, the guards behind him, including Doyle and Glover, all held out their chests and raised their heads, looking more solemn, like a tense Lu.
Teqin.
The figures in front of the stone gate have similar styles of clothing and equipment to Mallos and others, but they only wear light leather armor that is convenient for indoor movement. However, their faces are serious and their eyes are majestic. They do not want to say hello to the prince's fellow escorts.
mean.
When Thales began to guess the identity of this group of people, a strange figure stepped out, holding the long sword on his waist, and approached them.
This is a middle-aged man with both majesty and vicissitudes. He is in his fifties. His body is slightly bulky, but his back is strong and straight. His beard and hair are gray and mixed, but they are well organized. There are vertical wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, but a pair of
His eyes are bright and sparkling.
His clothes are obviously different from others, his equipment is exquisite and meticulous, and his steps are extremely steady.
The middle-aged man with gray beard and hair stopped, but did not look at Thales.
He just looked straight at the leader, Mallos, and spoke slowly:
"Who is coming?"
The words are serious and the tone is cold.
Thales was stunned when he said this and once again confirmed that this was the Fuxing Palace where his father lived.
And he is really... going back to his home?
But no one else, including Gilbert, showed any signs of confusion. Instead, they waited quietly and solemnly, holding their breath and not even uttering a breath.
It seems like there is a big event in front of you.
Mallos took a step forward expressionlessly and said in an indifferent tone:
"Tormund Mallos."
"The Royal Guardsmen, in the name of the King, escort His Excellency the Duke of Xinghu back."
The middle-aged guard in his fifties looked at Mallos and nodded.
Under Thales' curious eyes, Mallos finished his answer calmly, and instead looked at the middle-aged guard in front of him with a compelling look:
"Who is asking?"
The middle-aged man was silent for a while. He still didn't look at Thales, and his right hand was still on the sword at his waist.
I saw the other party taking an upright step forward with a serious attitude.
"Fabio Adrian."
A middle-aged man named Adrian said softly:
"The chief commander of the royal guard, in the name of the king, welcomes the return of His Excellency the Duke of Xinghu."
Thales swore that he could feel Doyle behind him taking a suppressed breath.
Royal Guard.
Chief...commander?
Thales recalled the "Six Wings of the Imperial Guard". Mallos was also silent for a while, and then nodded to Adrian, who had gray beard and hair but had a stern expression.
The next second, Adrian turned his head and looked at Thales, who was a head shorter than Mallos, for the first time.
Not sure whether he was affected by the atmosphere or the pressure from the other person's gaze, Duke Xinghu subconsciously raised his chest and abdomen to accept the other person's gaze.
But just like everyone else, Adrian's eyes only touched and separated, and the latter turned back to Mallos.
"Knight Marius, you have fulfilled your duty."
Adrian said calmly:
"Will your mission end?"
Do your duty...
The mission ends...
Thales was startled and remembered something in a daze.
Marius answered calmly but seriously:
"Knight Adrian, I have fulfilled my duty."
The watchman narrowed his eyes:
"Yet my sword is not broken."
After hearing the other party's answer, Adrian nodded to him, his eyes a little softer and no longer sharp:
"Then your mission is not over yet."
Mallos also nodded slightly and raised the corners of his mouth:
"Then my mission is not over yet."
Thales frowned and recognized his memory more and more.
Sure enough, the conversation in front of me...
Full of a sense of ritual that he was familiar with.
The air was still quiet and the atmosphere was still serious. The Duke had to cast a doubtful look at Gilbert, but the latter just told him to be calm.
Finally, Adrian smiled.
The middle-aged commander took off his gloves and stretched out his hand to Mallos:
"Then, welcome back, knight."
Mallos also showed a long-lost, shallow but restrained smile, took off his gloves, stepped forward and held Adrian's right hand:
"team leader."
Adrian smiled, nodded, and called out Mallos' name:
"Tormund."
While Thales was wondering whether this was the tradition of the Royal Guards, Adrian let go of Mallos' hand and coughed:
"Okay, the task handover is over, relax."
The next second, Thales heard the royal guards behind him sigh, as if they all breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.
It's like the end of a leadership meeting that you had to sit still and listen to the whole thing carefully.
Adrian walked up and smiled at Gilbert:
"Count Castle."
Gilbert also smiled and stepped forward to shake hands with him happily:
"Lord Adrian."
Lord Adrian smiled:
"It seems I was right, you were really refreshed when you came back."
"Thank you, Lord."
After finishing the greetings, Gilbert turned around and looked at Thales.
"Welcome to the council chamber, Your Majesty the Duke."
The Foreign Minister proudly stretched out his hand toward the stone door behind Adrian:
"This is the place where His Majesty usually receives envoys and foreign ministers."
Looking at the confusion on the Duke's face, Gilbert added:
"This is an important place for state affairs. As the Duke of Xinghu, you will be familiar with it in the future."
Thales responded politely and looked at the stone door.
meeting hall.
Receive envoys and foreign ministers...
etc.
Thales was suddenly stunned.
He looked at the stone gate guarded by Adrian's guard, remembered something, and recognized something.
"I remember."
"Meeting Hall."
"I've been here," Thales said in a daze:
"Been here once."
Gilbert was stunned by these words.
But Thales knew that the meeting hall in Fuxing Palace...
He did come.
Thales looked at the stone door in a daze, imagining the scene after it opened.
That's right.
right here.
Six years ago, it was here that he saw the arrogant Exeter envoy using threats and threats without scruples, forcing King Kessel to make a difficult choice between going to war and ceding territory.
Six years ago, it was here that he saw Duke Arend hysterically venting his anger and unwillingness, revealing his political conspiracy that affected the two major countries and tried to reverse the situation but failed.
Six years ago, it was here...
Thales thought in trance.
It was here that he saw King Kessel V waving his scepter with unparalleled majesty and unquestionable authority. Amidst nervous and stunned breaths, he decided the second prince of the Kingdom of Stars, and the future for the next six years...
destiny.
"Oh? Oh, my memory is bad." Gilbert seemed to have remembered something, his face darkened, and he dropped the topic with a slight embarrassment.
On the other side, Adrian coughed slightly, interrupting the conversation between Gilbert and the Duke.
Lord Adrian turned around first and patted Mallos on the arm:
"Weah and Gaitan are waiting for you in the watch room, you know...paperwork."
Mallos put away his smile and frowned slightly.
Adrian nodded to him and urged slightly:
"Go ahead."
But the watchman turned back and looked in the direction of Thales, his eyes unclear.
Duke Xinghu didn't know what was going on and could only show a decent smile.
Adrian followed Mallos and looked at His Excellency the Duke.
The middle-aged man seemed to understand something. He smiled and gestured to Mallos:
"give it to me."
"And Count Castle."
Mallos turned back and gave Adrian a half-hearted look.
"Okay," the watchman said calmly:
"I'm leaving."
Under Adrian's encouraging eyes and Thales' doubtful eyes, Mallos turned around and left without hesitation, heading towards the other exit of the corridor.
Doyle and Glover, who were closest to him, were also startled, and together with the others, subconsciously followed him.
But Mallos stopped immediately:
"It's not you."
Mallos, who turned around, frowned and looked at Doyle and Glover, who were puzzled:
"You stay."
"Yes, sir." Glover nodded without hesitation and stepped back behind Thales.
Doyle blinked before being pulled back into the queue by Flag Officer Fubi.
Commander Adrian smiled as he watched this scene.
Mallos nodded to him, glanced at Thales again, and then Shi Shiran left.
Gilbert cleared his throat, friendly and gentle.
"Your Highness, allow me to introduce you to Lord Fabio Adrian, the captain and chief commander of the Royal Guard, who is also the person in charge of the Fuxing Palace and His Majesty's security.
First, the Adrian family of Swan County, Central Territory..."
Adrian turned around and bowed respectfully to Thales.
Thales nodded to him in flattery, feeling suddenly enlightened.
really.
Fabio Adrian.
He is... the supreme commander of the entire royal guard in Fuxing Palace.
Including all the 'six wings'...the captain of the guard.
And he is one of the seven servants of the Bright Star.
"The introduction and pleasantries will be reserved for later."
While Thales was thinking, Adrian caught the gap in Gilbert's words and interrupted appropriately and timely:
"Your Highness, Count."
"His Majesty is in the council chamber."
Adrian gestured towards the stone door behind him:
"Why don't you keep him waiting too long?"
His Majesty.
At that moment, Thales felt that all the blood in his body had solidified.
"Your Majesty is here...has he finished today's imperial meeting?" Gilbert suddenly became excited.
"No."
Adrian responded politely:
"In fact, His Majesty ended the meeting early."
"He was interrogating the messenger crow from the Western Wasteland yesterday."
His Majesty.
Thales breathed in a daze.
He suddenly understood where the discomfort and the lingering strangeness that had been tormenting him had come from since he stepped into Fuxing Palace, or even Yongxing City.
It is not the environment and decoration of Fuxing Palace.
It’s not the noise and old things in Yongxing City.
But...
Thales' fists tightened spontaneously.
"Of course," Gilbert looked at Thales excitedly:
"Your Majesty must also be looking forward to this moment."
Adrian did not answer, but made a "please" gesture to Thales and Gilbert, and walked towards the stone door of the chamber.
His Majesty.
Thales felt his footsteps moving forward, following Adrian.
Gilbert followed closely behind, never leaving.
One after the other.
let him……
There is nowhere to escape.
The royal guards who were standing in front of the stone gate and didn't know which wing they belonged to bowed together and pushed open the stone gate respectfully and professionally.
Revealing the endless depth inside.
Only a few lights illuminate the road ahead.
Adrian stepped aside and politely signaled to the Duke of Star Lake to invite him first.
No longer one after the other.
But Thales found that he would rather the other person go ahead of him.
but……
Then, Thales saw his steps rising again, falling, rising again, and falling again.
Until he passed by Adrian's side, until he stepped through the thick stone door, until he stepped into the endless depths.
"It's not you!"
Adrian's voice suddenly tightened and became stern and cold, contrary to his kindness to the prince and earl.
Thales stopped subconsciously.
But he soon realized that Adrian was not talking to him.
"You stay."
The guard captain's voice was very deep.
But it has an unquestionable meaning.
"Yes...yes, Ai, Ed...sir, sir." A few seconds later, Doyle's nervous and trembling reply came from behind.
With a low friction sound, the thick stone door that separated the corridor and the meeting hall slowly closed.
Shut out Doyle's murmurs.
Behind him, the footsteps of Adrian and Gilbert slowly approached.
It seemed like he was urging something.
A stream of air rose from Thales' chest and was forced out of his mouth and nose.
He found that he started to move forward again.
Just like six years ago, the conference hall is long, narrow and deep. From the entrance on one side, the end of the other end shrinks to a small point.
Blurred.
Once upon a time, dense crowds of ministers stood on both sides of the meeting hall, listening to the negotiations between the stars and the dragon.
The difference from six years ago is that there are fewer lights in the conference hall and many of the light-transmitting windows are closed.
It looks darker.
Now, the platforms on both sides are empty, and you can hear a pin drop.
But as he moved forward, Thales soon saw it.
At the other end of the line of sight, the solitary peak protrudes, higher than the ground, and falls on several steps...
throne.
Thales' breathing slowly tightened.
A strong but lonely figure appeared in the throne on the steps.
The figure bowed its head deeply, arched its back, and entrenched itself in the throne.
His right elbow rests on the seat arm, and his right hand holds the scepter in front of his knees.
His forehead rested on the back of his hand, immersed in shadow and his face was invisible.
Thales' footsteps stopped.
He stared blankly at the figure he hadn't seen for six years.
Emotions are difficult to distinguish.
The prince's pause forced Gilbert to stop as well, but the Foreign Minister quickly reacted. He raised his voice and spoke enthusiastically to the figure above the throne:
"Your Majesty, I am honored to bring you the new Duke of Star Lake, your..."
Boom!
The bottom of the scepter lightly hit the ground, and the dull sound echoed in the meeting hall.
It also choked Gilbert's words.
Soon, a heavy, thick, majestic voice that sounded like thunder came from the throne and echoed throughout the hall:
"Gilbert..."
The voice on the throne paused:
"Thank you."
Compared to six years ago, this voice seemed hoarse, long, and dim.
It seems that there is still unspeakable fatigue.
Thales listened to the other party's words in a daze, his eyes fixed on that figure.
Gilbert frowned and took a deep breath:
"His Royal Highness the Prince has been tired all the way. Your Majesty, on his way from Longxiao City to the desert..."
But he was interrupted again by the voice echoing in the hall from the throne:
"my friend."
"I said," the voice on the throne was calm at first, but gradually became firm and short: "Thank you."
"I'll see you later."
Gilbert was stunned.
However, Captain Adrian understood what the king meant.
Adrian stretched out his arm toward the hall door behind him and gestured politely to Gilbert:
"Count Castle?"
Gilbert looked at the shadow on the throne, and then glanced at Thales with a worried look.
But he didn't say anything in the end. He just gave Duke Xinghu an encouraging look, bowed, and turned around angrily.
Thales reluctantly smiled and nodded, but suddenly realized that the back of the Foreign Minister was so old.
"The same to you."
The voice on the throne sounded again:
"Yodel."
Thales was so excited.
Gilbert's footsteps also paused for a moment, then resumed their rhythm and slowly faded away.
Nothing happened around me.
As if Lord Adrian didn't hear this, he accompanied Gilbert and left.
But Thales knew that there was something different in the surrounding air.
This made him particularly frightened.
The footsteps became farther and farther, became smaller and smaller, and finally disappeared completely at the end of the hall with the sound of the stone door opening and closing.
Only Thales and the shadow on the throne were left, silently facing each other in the dead silence hall.
"Come forward."
The young man trembled slightly.
Thales has experienced hundreds of battles, from bloody battlefields to insidious schemes, and he is well-informed.
But for some reason, when he heard this sentence, he still clenched his fists involuntarily.
Thales raised his head and stared at the figure on the throne. He slowly moved forward to a distance where he could clearly see the steps to the throne.
But before his eyes, the figure on the throne was still blurry, flickering back and forth in the eternal lamp behind him.
"Closer."
The shadows on the throne slightly increase the volume.
The young man was silent for a while and then moved again.
This time, he walked close enough and could even see clearly the pair of boots under the throne, leaning against the bottom of the scepter.
"Closer."
The voice on the throne seemed a little impatient. He prolonged his tone, causing the flame of the eternal lamp to sway slightly.
Thales took a deep breath.
So, the next moment, the prince resolutely raised his steps and continued to move forward.
Until he saw that the shadow on the throne was also slowly moving.
Thales froze.
Under the dim light, the 39th-generation Supreme King of the Stars, King of Iron Fist, Kessel Bright Star V, who seemed to be more than six years old, raised his eyes from the scepter and faced the prince.
Thales had to raise his head to look at him, and his breathing began to speed up involuntarily.
Unable to control.
Bearing the gaze that he had seen many times in his dreams but always woke him up, a title blurted out from Thales' mouth:
"His Majesty."
As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Thales subconsciously added:
"Father, father?"
The man on the throne supported his chin and frowned slightly.
He lost weight.
This was Thales' first feeling.
Although the opponent's figure under the leather robe is still strong, although the scepter in the opponent's hand is still steady, and although the pair of eyes still exude a faint cold light.
But he could tell:
King Kessel's face is much thinner, his eye sockets are slightly sunken, and his cheekbones are slightly raised.
And more wrinkles have appeared on the king's face.
The opponent's knuckles holding the scepter were more protruding and looked quite sharp.
Compared with six years ago, the only thing that remains the same or even worse is probably the silence, dullness, suffocation, but unnerving feeling that the other party exudes, like the eve of a storm.
The silence seemed to last for a long time, but Thales just looked at the king quietly, feeling that he could not look away.
Finally, the king's expression changed:
"anxiety."
The voice was as steady and thick as before.
This is especially obvious in the long and empty meeting hall.
Thales came back to his senses and cleared his throat:
"Feel sorry?"
King Kessel snorted six years later.
"How you feel now."
The king said slowly:
"anxiety."
anxiety?
Thales frowned, not knowing why:
"I……"
But the king continued speaking on his own, regardless of the young man's doubts:
"Anxiety, it's weird."
"It's neither panic nor panic - these feelings often arise when you are caught off guard, leaving you at a loss but unable to do anything."
The boy's breath hitched.
King Kessel’s voice echoed in the hall, feeling like it was coming from all directions without any gaps:
"For example, you are about to face a certain big test, accept a certain judgment, and do something big..."
"Another example is that you are about to become the heir of an ancient kingdom and bear a burden that is much heavier and more tiring than ever before."
The king snorted loudly, as if the whole hall was shaking:
"However, you know that you are not qualified at all, you know that you cannot bear it, and you know that you are destined to fail."
"At that moment, you are extremely afraid and don't want to face it. You just want to escape, desperate."
"This feeling is panic and panic."
Facing those eyes that seemed to see through something, Thales tried his best to maintain a decent expression and posture.
He felt that the movement of raising his head was getting more and more tiring.
But there seemed to be some force supporting him, not looking away or bowing his head.
King Kessel slowly exhaled:
"But once there is that moment..."
"Before the final moment, an opportunity, a method, and a turning point appeared."
"It makes you feel that there is still a glimmer of hope in the situation, that the consequences may come later, that the trial may be delayed for a moment."
"And you can delay it for a little longer without facing the ending that you fear the most."
King Kessel raised his chin from the back of his right hand, revealing the faint blue light of the Star Staff.
"For example, you can face the test a few days later, bear the consequences a few weeks later, and accept your inevitable... identity a few years later."
Thales stared at the king's calm face and listened to his profound words:
"At that moment, it was salvation."
"It's happiness, numbness, ecstasy and relief after surviving a catastrophe."
"It makes you feel like 'the end is far away' and 'I can still be saved'."
Hearing this, the young man couldn't help but tremble.
"But when all this passes, when the probation period given to you by God has expired," the king chuckled, his eyes deep, but still expressionless:
"These are the illusions that make you think you're relieved."
"They will... all disappear."
Thales listened blankly, his palms cold.
On the throne, the Supreme King slowly straightened up. Under the dim light, it seemed as if dark clouds were over his head:
"And those lucky moments that escaped disaster will be poured back into our eyes again, coupled with regret and uneasiness, self-blame and panic of 'I knew this'."
"In the end, it turned into something that was well understood but irresistible..."
"anxiety."
Thales and the king looked at each other, feeling an inexplicable emptiness in their hearts.
There is no way to fill it up.
Kessel, on the other hand, coldly stroked the scepter in his hand and stared at the strange blue light emitting from its top:
"It is this annoying anxiety that will make you understand, through the pain of scratching your head and being restless, that the escape, luck, procrastination, and illusion in the past six years are actually meaningless."
Six years.
Thales breathed in a daze and listened to the king's words:
"It's like a damned but useless whip, forcing you to face things that you know early on will eventually come, but in the end you can't do anything about..."