At the long table of the Dukes, Prime Minister Cullen sighed with lingering fear, Zhan En sneered lightly, the one-eyed dragon was expressionless, and Duke Val continued to drink by himself, as if no one else was watching.
Banquet speech, banquet speech...
Thales kept reciting it silently, but unfortunately his mind went blank.
It's like the deadline for handing in homework is at midnight, but until 11:50 p.m., the document in your hand is still empty.
etc.
The speech at the banquet is not without reference, is it?
The next second.
"Adults, welcome, welcome to Mindis Hall."
Thales held the wine glass in one hand, walked slowly, and walked out of his seat so that everyone could see him.
Out of courtesy, the guests stood up one after another.
He looked around the hall slowly and calmly ("Quick, quick, what should I say next..." - Thales' inner monologue), and his voice echoed and was clearly audible:
"The house is full of distinguished guests and the house is full of distinguished friends."
"Since I was a child, I have only attended such a big banquet once."
Thales lowered his head, as if recalling, and paused for a few seconds.
He raised his head and smiled:
"You know, in Longxiao City."
"King Nun wanted to thank me for...well, killing his son."
There was laughter in the banquet hall.
Except for the guests from the North, they all looked livid.
Thales shrugged helplessly.
banquet.
At that moment, the heroic and rough look of King Nun holding the wine glass inevitably emerged from the young man's mind.
Also present at the Northland-style welcome banquet was the powerful and shocking voice of the born king:
【Come on! Eat! Drink! Hit! Fuck! Do whatever you want!】
[Until you are lying, rolling, soft, and crawling, and are carried out of my palace!]
【Bastards!】
Thales raised the corner of his mouth and silently glanced at the well-mannered star guests.
Decisively kick the roaring Nun King out of his mind.
"Trust me, you don't want to be there."
Thales sighed:
"The food in Longxiao City is terrible, and the wine is not good either. It's simply a torture."
Some guests were chuckling and laughing.
Thales shrugged and beamed:
"I guess that's why he wanted to thank me for killing his son."
The laughter in the hall started again, one after another.
Elise glanced at Thales with a strange expression, worried about his boldness.
Mallos comforted the nervous Gilbert in a low voice, telling him that this was the Duke's way of complaining over the past few months, and he would just get used to it.
Jorge made an unhappy sound.
"Yes, that's why, when the Duke of Black Sand sat on the throne and drank the terrible special wine from Longxiao City..."
Thales swung his wine glass.
"He regretted it."
Laughter in the hall became normal.
"King Charman hated me and imprisoned me for six full years..."
Thales looked at everyone, quite puzzled:
"But I really can't help him, I mean..."
Duke Xinghu shrugged toward the hall and spread his hands, with a helpless expression:
"I can't kill every King of Exeter, can I?"
The laughter in the hall became louder and louder. Unexpectedly, Duke Val was among them. He stared at his wine glass, his laughter undisguised.
King Kessel narrowed his eyes.
Thales took a deep breath, reached out and pressed it to stop the laughter in the banquet hall.
"Well, many of you here may know me."
Many people at the Dukes' table had mixed reactions.
"That's right, I just ended a six-year journey," Thales faced the guests seriously, and was satisfied to see that they were also sitting upright, and raised his glass and said:
"Civilized, elegant, peaceful and peaceful."
Some guests couldn't help laughing.
But Thales' tone immediately changed sharply:
"And my return must have brought surprise to many people, because I can see it in your eyes: doubt, vigilance, alienation, and hostility."
The last word made the originally relaxed and happy atmosphere in the banquet hall cool down.
The One-Eyed Dragon and Duke Iris stared closely at Thales, thoughtfully.
Thales turned around half-way, not looking at the king's expression:
"What has become of this prince who suddenly appeared six years ago after returning from the enemy country? What will he bring to you? What will he bring to the kingdom? Is it stability or turmoil, stability or change?"
"It's understandable because I have the same suspicion."
Thales looked solemn:
"Some are happy, some are confused, some are waiting and watching, some are hesitant, and of course, some may not want to see me appear."
The entire hall became completely silent.
"But I remember that six years ago, when I was about to leave the country and go north, an adult warned me," Thales looked at the wine glass in his hand with a serious expression:
"Go to Exeter, go between the children of the North Wind and the Dragon, go see another star from another angle, another world, maybe I can gain something."
The way Duke Nantry looked at him changed.
"I did gain something."
Thales raised his head and raised his eyebrows:
"The most important thing...don't drink from the Exeters."
The guests burst into laughter again.
But Thales quickly got back on track:
"But I'm still confused."
This time, there was no teasing in Duke Xinghu’s eyes:
"All joking, but there is no doubt that Nun VII was a great king."
"He is decisive, far-sighted, generous, heroic, and resourceful. However, even a born king like him could not avoid his own misfortune, failed to save the disaster of Longxiao City, and failed to stop Exeter
The decline of.”
Many guests began to whisper.
Thales's expression seemed to be deep in thought.
"That made me suspicious."
"How do we, who live next to them, live, rule, and move forward so that we don't become like this and leave no regrets?"
Thales paused for a few seconds to let the guests' comments ferment, and then he raised his head seriously:
"Honestly, I don't know."
Thales said loudly:
"But when I stepped into this hall, I thought, at least I know where the answer is."
Thales raised his wine glass:
"Today is not just about me..."
"Three thousand years ago today, all the armies of the ancient kings marched northward, making a desperate move against the orcs, chasing the saints thousands of miles away."
Thales recalled Errol's world history class:
"Not just King Anset of the Rock Ridge, but King Ludor, Chauvin, Northland, Thornland, Far Mountain, Kelunsa, Saltland... He was the king of countless peoples, countless countries, and countless city-states in that era.
Only when human beings are united and selfless and fearless can they create miracles and write epics."
Thales raised his voice:
"They stand on the glacier, stepping on the skulls of orcs, and declare to the world: As long as we work together, humans are invincible!"
Many guests looked serious, raised their glasses and saluted from a distance.
"opposite of this……"
Thales lowered his expression and looked at each guest carefully: Duke Cullen with an innocent look on his face, Zhan with a gloomy look on his face, Coste who was thoughtful, Val who was silently dazed...
"Division leads to weakness, internal strife leads to weakness, selfishness leads to despicability, and fratricide leads to ruin."
Thales' voice became thicker. He looked around and there was no doubt:
"Believe me, I have witnessed how the descendants of the hero Nekaru live: King Nun's tyranny brings suspicion from above and below, King Charmaine's tyranny makes him countless enemies, the unruly ambitions of the princes make the kingdom turbulent, and
The people of the North have been fanatical, blind and self-righteous since ancient times, which has caused the situation to deteriorate repeatedly and become irreversible."
He said seriously:
"So I understand, whether it is the battle of chasing saints or today's kingdom, only by overcoming these weaknesses, only by working together as one, and only by uniting and uniting can we stand on the earth and look up to the sky."
Thales said loudly:
"Just like today, just like yesterday, just like tomorrow's countless days and nights, I and you all here will be united and unwavering in our ambition!"
Gilbert and several friends had strange expressions, seeming to be surprised by the prince's improvisation.
The next second, Thales raised the wine glass above his head and shouted angrily:
"Honor the stars!"
Just listen to Thales' long voice:
"We have been bathing in her light for seven hundred years, grateful for her greatness, sheltering her wings, and sharing her glory!"
A second of silence.
Until the shackled Duke of the North, Val Arend unexpectedly raised his glass and shouted decisively:
"Honor the stars!"
The one-eyed Duke of Cliffland, Coste Nantriste, smiled and raised his glass in the same manner:
"Honor the stars!"
Immediately afterwards, Queen Keya also raised her wine glass expectantly and cooperatively, leading a large number of guests who were not used to it to raise their glasses.
Soon, under the urging of the queen's eyes, the king also hummed softly and raised his wine glass nonchalantly.
With the precedent set, the guests were aroused. They all raised their glasses and responded:
"Honor the stars!"
The hall suddenly boiled with excitement, and the sound shook the ceiling.
Jorge and Levi Trudida, who were sitting in the corner, looked around and awkwardly raised their wine glasses in order to join the group.
Thales took a deep breath and got rid of the anxiety in his heart:
"To the King!"
Thales turned to King Kessel, raised his wine glass, and tried not to read the extremely complicated meaning in the latter's eyes:
"He turned the tide when he was in danger. He worked hard for decades and guarded the kingdom with perseverance!"
The guests in the hall gradually got used to it and echoed in unison:
"To the King!"
Thales' words became smoother and smoother. He turned around, looked at the entire hall, and turned the wine glass in a circle:
"Honor ourselves!"
"For all the gentlemen here and our ancestors, for hundreds of years we have worked together to carry forward the great cause of mankind's most glorious past! And we will continue to be unstoppable!"
The guests raised their glasses and responded like a flash flood:
"Honor ourselves!"
Thales breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and looked to the north again:
"besides--"
Thales roared sincerely:
"Fuck you! Charmaine Rumba!"
There was no need to remind anyone, and no one seemed to think about it. Many people followed without hesitation and shouted:
"Fuck you! Charmaine Rumba!"
After shouting this sentence, many people were stunned for a moment, then realized and burst into laughter.
This time, it was rare for the guests with different backgrounds at different seats to agree. Including Northlanders like Jorge and Levi, they all shouted sincerely and without any grudges.
But at this moment, a different shout penetrated the crowd and sounded loudly:
"To Duke Thales!"
Thales was slightly startled.
It was a young nobleman with ordinary clothes and unspectacular appearance. He stood among the guests from other places, raised his glass resolutely and shouted:
"For his open-mindedness, wisdom, mind, courage - and youth!"
Everyone was startled again, but soon, many people responded one after another:
"To the Duke of Star Lake!"
"To Prince Thales!"
"Honor the bright star!"
The echoes in the hall were loud and loud, but many people were regretful:
Why didn't you speak first?
Thales listened to the echoes in the hall, ignored the expression of the king behind him, and took a deep breath.
"Gentlemen!"
Thales had a firm look on his face, his gaze did not waver, he raised his glass and shouted the last protracted toast:
"If the stars are there——"
Without anyone's reminder, all the emotionally aroused guests reacted in unison and shouted out the second half of the sentence they knew by heart:
"——The empire lives on forever!"
Thales struck while the iron was hot, raised his head to drink the cup, and even spilled a lot of it for the heroic effect of drinking it all in one gulp.
Fortunately, it's not rye distilled from the North.
It is grape wine produced in Xingchen.
Thales lowered his head and saw that all the guests were almost drunk, and then he laughed and said:
"Very well, then let the banquet -"
The next second, Thales instinctively lowered the wine glass:
"let's start!"
But this time, Thales did not hear the powerful and uplifting sound that he had become so familiar with in the past few years when the Northland's thick wooden wine glass collided with the dining table or stone bricks.
But...
"Crack-"
Thales trembled all over!
This sound...
Crisp, sweet, pure...
Let people...
Heartbroken.
Everyone was stunned.
There was a sudden silence in the banquet hall.
Duke Xinghu lowered his head with difficulty and looked at the precious glass wine glass at his feet that had been shattered into pieces.
Shet.
Thales immediately realized: he was in trouble.
He moved his steps expressionlessly, trying to leave the scene of the crime, but his boots made a heart-stopping sound when he stepped on shards of glass.
This caused more eyes to come in and focus on the prince.
The guests at the royal banquet looked at each other.
Many people were still holding glasses of wine they had just finished drinking.
They looked at the Duke of Star Lake who had just committed such a major crime as murdering the wine glass in front of the entire kingdom, and were at a loss.
Until at a remote seat, Jorge, an official from Elk City, finished his drink and smashed it down without any hesitation!
"Crack-"
The sound of breaking glass shocked everyone again.
But the next moment, it was Gilbert who reacted fastest. He spilled the endless wine without hesitation and also threw it on the ground with his hand!
"Crack!"
Next to him, Thales's personal guard captain, Lord Mallos, had no expression on his face, but he also slammed his wine glass!
"Crack!"
Zhuyu was in front, and many starry guests with eyes reacted one after another, and came one after another. I saw people who were skilled or unskilled, used to it or not used to it, liked it or disliked it, raised their hands high and smashed their glasses!
"Crack! Crack! Bang! Hiss..."
For a moment, the banquet hall was like ice cracking, silver bottles exploded, and crisp and sharp cracking sounds came and went, echoing one after another, like a whole marching concerto.
Even the aloof Queen Keya raised her hand enthusiastically and watched the queen's special wine glass fly out in an arc and fall to the floor...
The body was broken into pieces.
Not only that, Gilbert winked hard at the palace steward.
The latter reacted and waved quickly.
Musicians, clowns, and minstrels came forward one after another to play music and dance.
The servants were shouting to each other in a hurry, their thick soles stepping on the broken glass on the floor, and they all came forward to serve the meal with a rustling sound.
The banquet begins.
With music and performances, meals and wine, the atmosphere in the banquet hall finally came alive again.
The guests' conversations, discussions, and laughter finally broke out unbridled.
It overshadowed the uproar and consternation, suddenness and embarrassment caused by Thales' "smooth move".
Only then did Gilbert exhale.
The Foreign Minister touched his forehead and was already covered in cold sweat.
His Highness...
The culprit and instigator, the noble Duke Thales of Star Lake, walked helplessly on the broken glass on the ground, and mechanically returned to his seat amidst the double "music" played by his ears and feet.
"Tiles,"
Elise dragged her legs calmly and swept aside the half of the wine glass that she had just smashed into pieces due to lack of skill, and asked hesitantly and doubtfully:
"About just now..."
"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's my fault," Tailspi said with a smile. Although he was filled with shame and embarrassment after remembering his aunt's teachings, his face was calm and calm, as if he was born to do it.
in this way:
"I just……"
"got used to."
At the highest table, King Kessel had no expression on his face and just gently put down the intact wine glass in his hand.
In the entire hall, in addition to the banquet opening ceremony, many guests were also discussing, such as the seats for the Seven Shining Stars.
"Is this the stars or Exeter's banquet?" Baron Straw frowned.
Viscount Patterson snorted lightly and looked at Prince Thales with a half-smile, as if nothing happened:
"Does it matter?"
"Haha, so lively," old Baron Doyle said with a smile:
"People love you only if you are lively!"
The others were silent.
But some people don't think so.
As the palace steward, Baron Quentin, who came to the Mindis Hall to help arrange the banquet, was stunned and tremblingly ordered the servants: "beat...clean..."
"Also, send a message and send a new batch of royal glasses..."
But he reacted quickly and called the servant.
"etc!"
"Remember, double the quantity."
Baron Quentin gritted his teeth in grief and indignation. He looked at the debris in the hall and said to the puzzled servant:
"spare."
Just when the atmosphere of the banquet became more and more lively, and everyone was immersed in the food and wine or chatting and laughing, and had no time to care about anything else, at a remote seat where no one noticed, a serious guest looked in a daze, crossing his arms every now and then.
Goose meat on a dinner plate.
The next second, his ribs moved.
The guest's expression changed slightly and he wanted to turn around, but a familiar and mature voice slowly slipped into his ears, making his movements stagnant.
"Don't look back."
The mature voice said slowly:
"You should know how difficult it is to bring this thing in."
The guest was stiff, but he still put down his right hand and calmly took the other person's "things" under the table.
"Why?" the guest asked doubtfully.
The mature voice seemed to have nothing to do with it, as if he didn't care:
"I know what you are trying to do, but obviously, this is more effective."
"If you really make up your mind."
The guest's thoughts became tense.
He looked at the fork on the table and said with difficulty: "Why?"
But the mature voice did not answer, but said slowly:
"Remember, find the target."
"You only have one chance."
The customer gritted his teeth:
"I don't understand why he clearly rejected me..."
But the mature voice no longer answered.
It's like it never appeared.
The guest took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and stuffed the things under his ribs into his clothes.
Find the target?
The guests slowly raised their heads and looked above the banquet hall, where the king's head was lowered.
There, sitting is a calm but extraordinary person...
juvenile.
The guest was breathing in a trance, and his eyes gradually changed from pain, suffering, anger, jealousy, and hesitation to unshakable perseverance and fierceness.
He stared closely at the high-spirited young duke and gently pressed the stranger's gift under his clothes.