Indeed, Thales has not thought of this name for a long, long time.
Serena Corleone.
He even had to admit that many times, he deliberately blocked it in the depths of his memory.
I don't want to think about it, and I hate thinking about it.
But when it sounded again, he still felt the discomfort from inside.
【Betrayal is the true meaning of alliance.】
As the memory became clearer, just when that face was about to reappear in his mind, Thales suddenly raised his head and focused his attention in front of his eyes.
"what you up to?"
The prince looked at Zhan suspiciously:
"Why mention her?"
In the center of the hall, the canonization ceremony was still going on. From time to time, nobles walked up the steps and knelt in front of the king's seat.
Duke Iris smiled slightly and raised his glass to signal to the young man:
"Your Highness, you might as well regard this as one of my... banquet gifts."
Thales remained motionless, his eyes cold.
Zhan En waited for a long time, but the boy had no intention of raising his glass in response.
He didn't feel dissatisfied, so he smiled and put down his wine glass.
But Zhan immediately frowned and looked around:
"Is this my imagination, or are your guards really more nervous than usual?"
"Why, do you suspect that I will murder His Highness the Prince?"
Thales's heart tightened, but his expression did not change:
"My personal guard captain works seriously and has strict requirements."
Thales smiled at Marius and Glover, and repeatedly signaled to their people not to be nervous:
Duke Xinghu turned around, his eyes burning:
"As for doubting you...well, I really can't blame them."
"You know, I haven't digested the gift you gave me as a farewell six years ago."
Zhan raised the corners of his mouth:
"Then you need this gift even more - it will help you digest the last one."
"How about it?"
Thales snorted sarcastically.
With emotions that are indescribable to outsiders, they stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.
Finally, Thales said faintly:
"So, Serena, where is she?"
Jenn smiled.
He raised his hand gracefully, summoned a waiter, and ordered a piece of beef under Thales' displeased gaze. Then he spoke unhurriedly amidst the clatter of cutlery and plates:
"Since he caused huge losses to you and me six years ago, that ruthless careerist from the Kingdom of Night has been recuperating in the realm of stars for a period of time."
As if this was just an ordinary chat.
Thales thought for a moment.
"What a talent."
"She has caused so much trouble and provoked so many people," Thales said coldly, thinking of the threats and harm she had brought to him:
"She actually dares to stay in Xingchen?"
But Thales immediately paused.
He raised his head and stared at Zhan in disbelief.
Zhan picked up a piece of beef and looked back at him with a smile.
Thales understood something.
"you."
With slight surprise, Thales frowned and said:
"I guess, after you completely broke with the Corleone family, Ugly Face—I mean, Serena Corleone, who left the family, became your natural ally?"
Zhan only tasted two pieces and stopped. He maintained a smile and wiped the corners of his lips with a napkin.
"After Ms. Serena was driven away by you, I did, um, provide her with some shelter."
really.
The surprise on Thales' face slowly faded.
"I still remember someone told me," the young man looked at him disdainfully:
"If you are in a boat with a jackal, you will be in danger of capsizing."
At that moment, Zhan En's expression stagnated for a moment.
"Especially before you and Serena Corleone fell in love with each other."
But in just a few tenths of a second, Duke Iris raised his head and replied with a decent smile.
"Well, it's absolutely true," he nodded politely, "I later discovered this myself."
There was a slight chill in Zhan's eyes:
"Especially after she broke free from her shackles, sucked a few of my men dry, and left without saying goodbye."
Break free from the shackles...
Thales said with a clear face:
"It seems that the protection you gave her is limited."
But, since it’s Serena, let’s put shackles on her...
Well, little Jenn.
The prince silently gave him a thumbs up:
Well done.
In the hall, the canonization ceremony finally came to an end.
The music started again, the performers returned to the stage, and excitement and noise once again became the main theme of the banquet. Perhaps due to the passage of time and the onset of drunkenness, the guests either called friends or in small groups, becoming more and more unrestrained and free.
Thales also saw many male and female guests disappearing into the same place one after another and not returning for a long time.
King Kessel returned to his seat, but the queen had already left, and he looked a little lonely.
The king's eyes briefly glanced at Thales and then looked away.
The royal guards around him remained serious as before, but Thales, who knew the inside story, could clearly feel that they breathed a sigh of relief.
The assassin did not appear.
It's a good thing.
It's also a bad thing.
Zhan raised his wine glass, with a subtle look, pulling Thales back to the current conversation.
"The sea routes in the Eastern Continent are very profitable," Duke Iris said lightly smelling the smell of wine:
"Since the misfortune six years ago, the Kevin Deere family has been looking for opportunities to repair relations with the Corleone family and reconcile."
"So I think the important family criminal they are looking for may be a breakthrough."
Thales raised his eyebrows.
"Reconciliation? After you tried to kill the Prince of the Stars with the help of the Queen of Night?"
The prince told the truth without any psychological burden, with a sarcastic tone:
"I'm afraid it's not that easy."
"You have to try," Zhan En smiled again, perfectly and elegantly:
"It's better to be friends than to die because of enemies."
Thales shook his head disapprovingly.
But there was a small voice in his heart:
No.
If the Kevin Deere family really tied up that ugly old witch and sent it to her sister as a gift...
Thales looked back at Zhan and frowned.
Maybe, they really might reconcile.
Fortunately, Serena broke free from the shackles and was not caught by Zhan En.
Yeah, ugly face woman.
Thales secretly nodded for the enemy of life and death:
Well done.
The prince thought as he put a piece of lettuce into his mouth:
"But you said you have the latest news about her."
Zhan nodded:
"Anyway, after that, we paid special attention to Ms. Serena's whereabouts."
"In the past six years, the exiled leader of the Kingdom of Night has been elusive. She has been seen everywhere from Lewall City to Sunrast. Until a few days ago, someone saw her in the Freedom Alliance.
"
since……
Thales was stunned for a moment, then raised his head.
"where?"
Jenn smiled.
"Yes, the Freedom Alliance, which is in dire straits, is trying every possible means to survive, regardless of dignity or cost, regardless of origin or past. It urgently seeks people with lofty ideals from all sides to join in the just struggle."
"From criminals to mercenaries, from gangsters to thugs, they accept and want everyone to resist the unjust invasion from Exeter."
"And Ms. Serena is one of them, and she is even treated as a distinguished guest."
The ugly woman is in...the Freedom Alliance?
Help fend off Exeter?
The news brought by Gilbert that Exeter was defeated and the coach's whereabouts were unknown flashed through his mind.
Selma forced herself to endure, and her resolute and unyielding face also appeared in front of his eyes.
But what followed was an increasingly clear image of Serena Corleone, who was both serious and cute, beautiful and vicious, with two faces, one big and one small.
Thales's heart sank, and his chest was in turmoil.
No way?
Old witch, is it you again?
There was a strange feeling again in his neck, his wrist, and the parts that had been bitten by the vampires.
"Of course, it involves Exeter. Maybe you know more than me. What do you think?" Zhan En took a sip of wine.
Thales stared at the other person's wine glass and shook his head in disdain.
"Drink poison to quench thirst."
"Anything that old witch has been involved in, no matter what, is bound to be up to no good."
Zhan raised his eyebrows and did not deny it.
Thales was lost in thought, Zhan remained silent, and the two sat in silence for a while.
Until Thales came back to his senses:
"That's it? Nothing more?"
Zhan looked up at him:
"that's it."
Thales pursed his lips and nodded, as if to say goodbye:
"So……"
At this moment, Zhan En raised his arm and pointed at a nobleman in the crowd whose nose was red from drinking, but who was in high spirits and accepted everyone's congratulations:
"Look, that's the Rocinante family. It's been run by two generations, and they finally became hereditary vassals."
Zhan En's tone was a bit long:
"I just don't know how long it will last?"
Thales frowned slightly, thinking about the other party's intentions.
But the next moment, Duke Iris' words surprised him.
"Tiles," Zhan En looked at Lord Rocinante in the crowd, his eyes were deep and his tone was faint:
"Do you know how the relationship between a lord and a vassal comes about?"
Thales was slightly surprised.
This was the first time tonight that the other party called Thales by his first name without any title.
The prince looked at the other person doubtfully.
The guardian duke of the South Bank seemed to be lost in thought and said to himself:
"When mankind had just emerged from the age of ignorance, when kings stood side by side and empires were not born, the world was not peaceful."
"In times of war and chaos, weak people would rely on them and submit to the powerful kings who had soldiers and land to seek protection."
"In exchange, the protected people must go to the land that belongs to the king, lead their family and friends to farm, herd, work and produce, and be used by him in exchange for safety."
Zhan turned his eyes and looked at the guests who came forward to see the king:
"Chawen, Northland, Rock Ridge, Ludor, Yuanshan, Thornland... all ancient human kingdoms were established in this way, with few exceptions."
Zhan narrowed his eyes and looked at King Kessel in the distance:
"Safety is the king's obligation and the vassal's right."
Safety.
Thales suddenly remembered the oath he swore in the Palace of Heroes when King Charman was crowned:
[As a Northlander, I will shoulder this important responsibility. As the king of the entire territory, I will rely on my magnanimity and wisdom to stand at the forefront of the kingdom. ]
As the king of the whole realm.
Standing at the forefront of the kingdom...
Is it.
Thales thought of that day when Charmaine put on the bloody crown and looked down at the crowd shouting long live.
"Serving is the obligation of the vassal and the right of the king."
Zhan En smiled lightly, seeming to be disdainful:
"Look, the essence of the order of kings and ministers is actually just transactions."
"I work for you, and you protect me."
He stared closely at the drunken guests below the banquet hall.
"If the vassal can no longer work, serve, and pay taxes, the king has the right to expel the vassal and take back the land."
He turned his head again and looked at Kessel V, who was looking down indifferently at the top of the banquet.
"If the king can no longer defend himself against foreign enemies and ensure safety, the vassals have the right to abandon the king and find another master."
Thales frowned fiercely.
He knew what the other person was going to say.
Zhan En turned around and stared at the prince silently.
"This matter is a matter of course and established by convention."
Thales had the illusion that the Duke of South Bank, who was originally friendly and approachable, actually showed his sharpness at this moment.
"This is true for vassals and their vassals, lords and their people. This is the cornerstone of our rule, a contract, and a covenant."
Zhan said softly:
"Dual, two-way, two sides, both sides of the scale, both ends of the road."
"But when the balance is tilted."
"You have to add weight to one side and return to balance."
Zhan stared at Thales closely. His tone was calm and his eyes were indifferent, but for some reason, Thales still felt like he was firmly locked.
The prince looked at the bustling banquet hall, listened to the melancholy sounds in his ears, and breathed in slowly.
"I can't say you're wrong."
Thales looked back at Zhan and said seriously:
"At least, it's not entirely wrong."
Zhan En looked at him for several seconds and then chuckled. He didn't know whether he was laughing at this sentence or Thales himself.
Duke Kevin Deere, who had a strict manner and a good reputation, turned his head, raised his glass, and his attitude gradually became casual and casual:
"What's interesting is that compared to us, in many places in the East, from Hanbul to Suye, from Ligur State to the Dacheng Khanate, the rulers there truly wielded great power. To put it simply, one monarch is supreme."
"Almost divine."
He took a sip of wine and said quietly:
"Better than the Empire."
Thales breathed out:
"I remembered that you said that you once traveled to the Eastern Continent."
Well, he is a returnee from overseas.
Zhan snorted softly and shook the glass.
Looking at Zhan's unusual casual look, Thales raised his eyebrows:
"so what?"
Zhan En's eyes sparkled and he continued:
"From what I have seen and heard, the people there are simple and kind-hearted, but insensitive and tolerant. From top to bottom, they are trembling with fear, full of awe, and even worship and appreciation for the supreme power."
"From life to death, they believed that the king who ruled them was extremely sacred, and that it was important to obey the traditions of their ancestors. As servants, throughout their lives, they only had the obligation to obey - or should I say, honor?"
Zhan’s fingers clenched tightly on the wine glass:
"Among them, the widely respected morality is to hope that the superior monarch will be virtuous and benevolent, and hope that the bureaucrats who rule all over the world will know everything. If the superior is not benevolent, the ministers will at most die to remonstrate with him, which will move the world and change his mind.
——Their books are full of such stories, which they regard as models.”
"Someone told me that this is determined by their history and tradition, nature and habits, and it makes sense. Although I think most of the time, it is just powerless self-deception."
Thales said nothing.
Zhan turned his head.
This time, he left his distant memories and looked seriously at Prince Thales in front of him:
"During my travels, I couldn't help but think that in that kind of place, once the king's rebellious behavior reaches the extreme, and once the government becomes increasingly dark and filthy, the dissatisfaction of the people and servants will be due to tradition, and the reasons will not be correct, and thus become
Mild, weak and non-threatening?"
His tone became colder:
"Or has it become more violent and bloody due to long-term suppression and no place to express it, leaving no room for it?"
Thales was stunned.
At this moment, he seemed to have returned to the Ghost Prince Tower, and the person in front of him was the abominable Falkenhausz.
[A fierce horse will not succumb to the iron whip, nor will the driver give up the whip.]
"Is it better than us?"
"Or worse?"
Zhan En stared at him closely, as if he must give an answer from the prince:
"Us, and them."
“Which one is more in line with the future of the world?”
Thales was silent for a long time.
During this period, he even forgot that he was still at the banquet, and the king was still at the table. His loyal subordinates were still trying to investigate a possible assassin, and thousands of miles away, the girl he had shared life and death with
You might even end up in jail.
Zhan En just waited for him quietly, his eyes deep and his intentions unclear.
Finally, Thales took a deep breath and spoke slowly:
"I think we are neither qualified nor necessary to judge and compare."
"Not to mention the future."
Zhan frowned, seeming a little disappointed.
But Thales raised his head, looked at the blurry banquet hall in front of him, and said seriously:
"But I believe that everything happens for its own sake."
"I also believe that everything is subject to change."
"I also believe that everything has its own shape."
Zhan's eyebrows wrinkled tighter and tighter.
"I believe even more, no matter when, where, or who," Thales looked at him with firm eyes:
"History itself will choose the future that is best for itself."
Zhan thought for a moment and then smiled.
"history?"
"You make it sound as if it is a person and can decide for himself."
Thales raised his eyebrows:
"Isn't it?"
Zhan En seemed puzzled.
But Thales just gently picked up a piece of lettuce and looked at it carefully:
"The age of ignorance is in the past, and the history of kings and empires has long since become a thing of the past."
He seemed to say casually:
"When there are more and more vassals attached to them, the land they rule becomes wider and wider, and the basic government affairs become more and more complicated, no matter how powerful the king is, it will be beyond his reach, let alone cover everything."
Thales suddenly remembered King Nun.
But he is not the powerful, mature and ruthless natural king.
But after the duel, the old man who was sitting on the steps with him, holding a glass of old wine, his family was ruined, he was lonely and frustrated.
"So for many things on the land, vassals have to put down their hoes and make their own decisions."
Thales said silently:
"And after the vassal died, the king did not have the energy to take back every piece of land, large and small, and seal it out again."
The prince raised his head and gradually became serious:
"As a result, the land that was originally just entrusted to vassals gradually became inherited from father to son, passed down from generation to generation. The affairs on the fiefdom were decided by themselves, and it gradually became a tradition."
"The property of the fief becomes the private property of the lord and cannot be easily expropriated by the monarch or taken by others."
Thales looked at Duke Iris:
"Vessal lords like you have stepped onto the stage and become the protagonists of history. They are competitive and enterprising."
"As a result, the kingdom developed, its jurisdictions were layered, civilization expanded, and its rule increased."
Thales said seriously:
"Then there are today's stars."
Zhan En's expression also became serious.
But the Duke of Nan'an didn't know that at this moment, Thales was not thinking of the Kingdom of Stars.
He thought of Exeter.
If back then, when the hero Nekaru founded the country, he had not given the power to rule the country to the remaining nine knights who were both talented and ambitious, so that they could raise their flags and go out to fight in different directions.
Expand the territory and spread the reputation of the Northland...
Then will the Kingdom of Exeter still have the vast territory and great reputation it has today?
Will there even be a kingdom?
Zhan snorted lightly.
"Interesting, so you think that the autonomy and self-reliance of us vassals are natural and reasonable?"
He looked at Thales with interest.
Thales came back to his senses and smiled.
"I'm not finished yet."
"When the private ownership of fiefdoms becomes a consensus, the rights of vassals will reach its peak," Thales said slowly:
"The worst of them are even worthy of competing with the king of a country."
The image of King Charmaine when he was crowned appeared before his eyes again. The parricide king stood with his head erect, his eyes were like ice, but there was fire burning inside.
The dragon scale crown stood firmly on his head.
but……
Thales raised his head and pursed his lips.
In that scene, the person standing quietly in front of Charmaine Lombard was not the former King of Nun.
It is the towering tower on the top of Longxiao Mountain, which has survived thousands of years of wind and rain, is deep, dark, majestic and majestic...
Palace of Heroes.
Thales felt his breathing was slightly stagnant.
In front of it, the back of the once extremely terrifying King Charman actually looked lonely, thin, and insignificant.
Thales gritted his teeth:
"But because this trend is getting stronger, authority is gradually disintegrating, and traditions are gradually becoming easier. The fiefdom is no longer a rigid trust in the hands of the king. It is liberated and turned into a piece of land deed, which can be circulated and changed in the hands of different people.
, can affect the livelihood of countless people rooted in it, and can stir up endless disputes surrounding power and interests."
"So the vassals each kept his own private interests, the people each attached themselves to their lords, the lords fought against each other, and the territory and national borders came and went more easily, all from this."
Flashing before his eyes were Archduke Perfit, whose neck was broken during the duel, and King Nun's head, which fell into a pool of blood.
And Charmaine Lombard's cold, shining eyes.
"When land disputes in the kingdom intensify, when the boundaries between kings and vassals gradually blur, when the contract between security and labor gradually expires, when the last bit of traditional dignity disappears, the kingdom on the land is on the verge of crisis."
He took a deep breath and continued:
"In this way, what you said is that the traditions and systems that were originally born for safety have gone too far and harmed themselves..."
“…the end of security.”
In the imagination of his mind, Thales quietly looked at the terrifying king facing the Palace of Heroes alone.
His steps were steady, never wavering, let alone weak.
But, Charmaine Lombard.
What you have to face...
But the next moment, Thales was horrified!
For a moment, it seemed as if the scene in front of him changed.
The figure standing in front of him was no longer King Charman.
It was another young man whom he had never seen before but was extremely familiar with.
The young man was tall and tall, but he was alone.
Thales was stunned.
He saw that the other party was wearing a shining silver crown on his head, dotted with nine stars.
And what lies ahead for young people...
Thales turned his gaze with difficulty.
He saw what was pressing in front of the young man like a dome...
It is a black pyramid that rises from the ground, reaches the sky, is quiet but dead, broad but heavy, spectacular but cumbersome.
Thales' breathing stopped for a moment.
It is the one that endures and lurks under the starry sky, takes root in the sunset, and is strong and strong under the storm...