After Vogel proposed his idea, Mallos flatly refused:
"It's too risky to snipe now."
Vogel frowned:
"This was what you mentioned first, and now you've changed your mind?"
Mallos shook his head:
"Now he has the most legitimate reason to ask His Highness to witness the duel in the name of revenge."
Vogel snorted disdainfully:
"That's right."
In front of them, Thales was still staring at Anke who was holding the hostage, his thoughts confused.
what to do?
Reject him, allow him, kill him, convince him...
very messy.
"Bailal!"
In the hall, Earl Godwin, who came to communicate, was furious and denounced:
"You are too presumptuous! To flatter others and intimidate His Highness, isn't this the behavior of a gentleman and a minister?"
But Anke was clearly prepared. He did not flinch and looked back proudly:
"As a citizen of the stars, doesn't everyone have the right to appeal to our supreme king?"
The strength of his hand made the held hostage old baron groan in pain again.
“Isn’t it the obligation of every king to listen to the sincere voice of every citizen?”
Anke's words resounded throughout the hall, not only making Thales frown more heavily, but also making the already uneasy guests even more restless.
Earl Godwin was at a loss for words and couldn't find any words to refute - whether it was "appeal" or "king", the traps formed by these words were too obvious and too dangerous.
Mallos ignored the situation on the field and remained calm as before, continuing to communicate in a low voice with the deputy captain of the guard:
"If we take action first, the wrong person will be His Highness Thales. It will be a cowardly, incompetent and despicable act of silence - in his Mindis Hall, at the banquet he hosted."
Vogel thought for a moment and said decisively:
"The Guard can take responsibility, you and me."
"When necessary, take the blame and resign, and treat others the same."
But Mallos shook his head:
"You think people will care?"
His words have profound meaning:
"The focus of the royal guard is always on the royal family, not the guard."
Listening to the conversation between the two guard captains behind him, Thales's heart became heavier and heavier.
what to do?
"Your Highness Thales!"
Anke turned around and looked expectantly at the person standing tallest at the moment:
"The law of heaven is at hand, and it's just waiting for your order."
"how dare you!"
His aggressiveness once again drew Godwin's rebuke, but Anke ignored it and just stared at Thales.
Like stalking his prey.
"Reject him, Your Highness."
Vogel looked angry and whispered behind Thales:
"The Lord of the Stars, the royal family is majestic and will never tolerate coercion."
Thales was about to open his mouth subconsciously, but Mallos' voice came softly from the other side:
"And then force him to kill the Baron?"
"Let His Highness become a cold-blooded bystander and a condoner of murder?"
"Don't forget, those are still the Seven Shining Stars serving the royal family."
Thales' teeth suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, making him unable to make a sound.
Vogel immediately retorted:
"That cannot encourage such barbaric customs as 'life and death duel'! His Highness has been contaminated by the influence of the North, and the second thing is to leave others to blame. If there are imitators in the kingdom in the future..."
Count Godwin and Anker's high-pitched mutual objections, the low-pitched quarrel between Mallos and Vogel, the back-and-forth arguments among the guests, countless voices entered Thales's perception from the hell senses, shaking his consciousness
, to break his spirit.
After a night of partying, he was exhausted.
Mallos' voice continued, calm and indifferent, refuting Vogel:
"No matter how bad and backward this custom is, it is still His Highness's method of rejecting King Nuen. It has been passed down as a good talk and has become a symbol. Now we deny it..."
That's a misunderstanding.
Thales was exhausted both mentally and physically, and his face was expressionless.
Back then, he was just, just scaring the Yankees, but Nunn never—why did it look like he had actually dueled with the natural king?"
Thales sighed heavily in his heart.
Why did he challenge King Nun to a duel in the first place?
God knows how much he regrets it.
Also, who spread the news about this?
In the Hall of Heroes back then, were the Dukes of Exeter who were present so lax in their mouths?
There was a small commotion among the guards: D.D's expression was distorted, dragging Glover's chains, he tried his best to squeeze in front of the two officers.
"Please let me duel with him, Your Highness, sir."
Doyle held down Glover, suppressed his emotions, and stared at the enemy who held his father hostage:
"I can kill him openly - this is just a grudge between two families."
d.d looked anxious, expecting and nervous.
Vogel snorted lightly in his nose with disdain.
Thales's expression was gloomy and uncertain.
"Then it plays into that guy's hands."
Mallos shook his head:
"Bailal died in a glorious duel to avenge his father. His experience will be remembered and forgiven to the greatest extent. No one will remember his illegal acts and ulterior motives."
"His Royal Highness, including the royal family, will be forced to the forefront and end up with the reputation of bullying others and disregarding their lives."
In the hall, Anker calmly and clearly refuted Earl Godwin's rebuke, Baron Doyle trembled under his sword, and the audience's comments continued one after another, becoming more and more restless.
d.d gritted his teeth.
Marius's words became more and more solemn:
"And he is just someone's tool, a chess piece on the table."
piece.
【Children, be strong.】
[Don’t become a chess piece that is manipulated and sacrificed at will.]
Thinking of Falkenholz's words, Thales tensed the muscles in his arms.
"As for those people in the audience, the hands behind the scenes..."
Mallos took the following words to heart:
Maybe they will take advantage of Bailar's death to exaggerate this case, which was originally just a contract dispute, and elevate it to an unprecedented level - such as kingdom rule.
Doyle and Bailar.
How many cases similar to theirs can be counted throughout the entire kingdom?
How many situations are left that are different from them?
How many other examples are there that have similarities and differences between them and serve as reference for each other?
Mallos' eyes hardened.
No, it will be given a different meaning and become the trigger for a series of subsequent political storms...
"But, Mallos," Thales tried not to pay attention to the gazes cast on him by countless people. He turned his head and spoke in a low voice, with tired words:
"He is just a man who was forced by the situation to take risks and make a desperate move."
Mallos looked at Anke with burning eyes and narrowed his eyes.
"So he's stubborn and dangerous."
"More importantly, there are thoughtful people behind him."
The watchman said gloomily:
"It's a good move."
"A good sword."
Good move.
Thales didn't answer, just closed his eyes, feeling even more tired.
"Your Highness!"
Anke became more and more impatient, and his urging overshadowed Earl Godwin's scolding:
"What makes you hesitate so much?"
The violator of the Bailar family took a step forward, making the surrounding guards more and more nervous. At the same time, he raised his dagger and pointed it directly at the Duke of Star Lake on the steps!
"Hesitating for fairness and justice, or confusion about imperial tradition?"
Anke glared at Doyle next to Thales:
"Or is it because of the difference between closeness and distance, that you would rather protect the vassals under your command and the personal guards at your side?"
d.d's complexion changed, and a scowl appeared.
"Is there no other way?"
Doyle's fist was shaking, and Glover had to hold him tightly:
"Just let this bastard talk nonsense here, hurt my father, and damage the reputation of His Highness..."
"The best way would have been to strengthen investigations beforehand and suppress the storm," Mallos said in a deep voice:
"Keep this guy speechless."
"Let the guards keep this thing out of the hall so it doesn't exist - whether it's this case or the assassination or the kidnapping."
Vogel's face became more and more ugly, and d.d became more and more anxious:
"Your Highness the Duke..."
The guests' discussions once again reached a climax, including some fierce quarrels.
Many people angrily criticized Anke's disrespectful behavior, but the son of the Bailar family was unfazed, either remaining unmoved, or raising his voice to refute.
Thales breathed in a daze, feeling that the nails in his palms were getting more and more painful.
At this moment.
"I thought of it."
Mallos spoke in a low voice, attracting the attention of the guards:
"There is another way."
"It can not only save the baron's life, but also solve the dilemma."
Vogel and Thales both looked sideways.
But Mallos turned to Doyle:
"Get ready for a duel, d.d."
Doyle instinctively responded, but was astonished after reacting:
"Okay - sir?"
Mallos's face remained as indifferent as ever, but his tone gradually became more solemn:
"But Vanguard Danny Doyle."
He rarely addressed Doyle by his full name, which made the latter nervous.
"Listen carefully."
The next moment, the watchman's words made everyone change their expressions:
"You're going to die."
Thales was stunned.
Also stunned were Vogel and the surrounding guard members.
What?
"This duel," Mallos said calmly, but his eyes were fixed on D.D:
"you must……"
"Death by his hands."
Thales reacted and was horrified.
He was not the only one to have this reaction.
"What?" Vogel looked at the watchman in disbelief.
"The opponent wants to use public anger to cause trouble, so we will return the original amount."
Mallos turned back indifferently, not looking at Doyle who was completely stunned and in a daze.
"Doyle accepted the duel, but was killed by his opponent. In this way, no matter what the original reason was, the Bailar family held a banquet, borrowed foreign evil methods, and killed their fellow countrymen. They were naturally at fault. The only people who remember it are your family.
His humiliation and humiliation, and His Highness Thales’s last resort.”
"After the incident, the royal family can mediate justice, occupy the moral high ground, and calm the aftermath."
In the astonished eyes of everyone, Mallos remained calm and told his terrible proposal:
"Your Highness has no knowledge and is impartial."
"Doyle does not shy away from responsibilities and takes full responsibility."
"End of story."
There was silence among the guards.
"Death..." Doyle froze on the spot, unable to recover.
Only Vogel got over the initial shock and frowned and questioned:
"But this way, the Doyle family..."
"The son fought gloriously for his father and died in a duel to save the royal family's face," Mallos stared at the old baron who collapsed on the ground:
"My father cowardly evaded responsibility and died of murder, causing chaos in the kingdom."
"It's a matter of the overall situation, and they know how to choose."
When Thales saw it, Doyle trembled slightly, with a look of confusion on his face.
It's as if the d.d from before has disappeared.
"No," Thales said subconsciously:
"There must be a better way..."
But at this moment, neither Vogel nor Mallos seemed to care about what he said.
"But after that," Vogel crossed his arms and seemed to be really thinking about the possibilities and pros and cons of this way out:
"The Seven Shining Stars, their attitude towards the royal family..."
d.d raised his head blankly.
"There are advantages and disadvantages, but that's not something you and I can comment on. It's a matter of consideration between His Majesty and the Lords at the Imperial Council."
Mallos said lightly, just like when Thales "suggested" him to stay in the carriage on the day he returned to Yongxing City:
"In the chess game, Bailar is just a chess piece, the Seven Shining Stars are also chess pieces, and you and I are also chess pieces."
"Only choose the move with the least loss."
Thales was stunned.
piece.
It's a chess piece again.
A chess piece at the mercy of others.
"Is it worth it?" Thales said softly.
But Mallos was still discussing with Vogel and didn't notice him.
"So, Pioneer Officer Doyle, how much do you want to save your father's life, save your family, and save His Highness from the current predicament?"
Vogel asked softly Doyle who was speechless - this was the first time he faced D.D. and called him by his surname and position.
d.d trembled again!
But Vogel kept pressing:
"Is it to the point where you're willing to die for it?"
Doyle raised his head, his tone was filled with fear, and his breathing was rapid and uneasy:
"me……"
No one knew what he was going to say.
"That guy's stance is slack," Glover on the side suddenly said:
"Sir, let me go around to the rear. I am confident that I can kill you with one sword..."
Doyle looked at his partner with color in his eyes again.
But Mallos interrupted them calmly:
"This is the only way."
"Someone has set up an unsolvable chess game, and we can only make the most rational and simple choice."
The watchman looked at the distracted d.d:
"Leave your soldiers behind."
He looked at Thales who was in disbelief:
"Protect the king."
The Guards again elicited silence.
Thales closed his eyes and unclenched his fists.
Give up soldiers.
Protect the king.
Who is the pawn?
Who is the king?
But in the hall, Anke was obviously tired of the entanglement of Earl Godwin and others, and did not want to delay any longer: "Your Highness——"
"Is it worth it!"
Thales opened his eyes suddenly and interrupted him loudly!
Duke Xinghu spoke angrily, drawing the hall's attention to himself again:
"does it worth?"
Duke Xinghu took a step forward and looked at the troublemaker at his banquet with complex eyes, his tone full of double anger and injustice:
"Ank Bailar!"
"No matter who instigated you, are they and their conspiracy worth your willingness to be a pawn and exchange your life for it?"
Anke was stunned for a moment.
Not only him, but everyone in the guard was also stunned for a moment.
After a few seconds, the kidnapper laughed loudly.
"Instruction?"
Anke first glanced at the embarrassed old baron hatefully, and then said coldly:
"You don't believe it, do you?"
"When you encounter something like this, you think it's a political conspiracy, you think it's an ulterior motive, you think it's a profit calculation," Anke sneered, pointing his dagger at the crowd around him, causing a commotion among the guests:
"Just like most of the idiots who are superior, have nothing to do with themselves, are cold-blooded, ignorant, smart, self-proclaimed morals, selfish and hypocritical, they think so when they are curious and watching."
Thales frowned.
"'Why bother, there are always other ways,' they said. 'You have ulterior motives to catch people's attention.' They also said, 'This matter is not that simple, it must be a conspiracy.' They also said that."
"Just like you are now."
Anke said sadly:
"You don't believe that everything I have done is already the most desperate choice for me, a human being with flesh and blood."
For a moment, Thales felt that he understood the meaning in the other person's eyes.
But this feeling immediately drifted away, and Anke's eyes became unfamiliar again.
Thales was silent for a moment.
"Then where did your weapons come from?"
The prince spoke in a deep voice:
"The security at the banquet is very strict, you can't be brought in alone."
Anke was startled.
He looked at the dagger in his hand, first smiled, and then his eyes turned cold.
"For those who have suffered injustice and have no way out, Your Highness," Anke Bailar looked at Thales again, his tone was sad and firm:
"Weapons of resistance abound."
"Within reach."
He ignored Earl Godwin's almost mad roar, and the sword edge touched the Baron's neck again.
"Your Highness, choose for me—murder or a duel?"
Thales swallowed his throat.
d.d's expression tightened, and his dazed eyes regained focus, reflecting the struggle in them.
Mallos' eyes looked from the side and fell on Thales.
But it is more lethal than the eyes of anyone in the hall at this moment.
Give up soldiers.
Protect the king?
Anke, d.d, and Mallos all focused their gazes.
But Thales only felt his mouth was dry.
But the next second, another high-pitched female voice pierced the air:
"Bullshit choice!"
"Bullshit Bailar!"
Everyone was startled and turned around to see Baroness Doyle, who had broken away from the crowd and looked embarrassed but with a ruthless look on her face.
Her breathing was trembling, her heavy makeup had already been stained, and her gorgeous clothes were messy, but she still gritted her teeth and raised her finger, pointing directly at the kidnapper:
"You little brat! What else do you know besides dancing with swords and having fun in a broken tower thousands of miles away!"
"What kind of scum your father is - don't you know it?"
Anke was stunned for a moment, then frowned.
Like a person who has been extremely frightened, the Baroness's expression twisted.
"Before remarrying into the Doyle family, my ex-husband was a businessman in Crowcrow Town. I know better than anyone else what a scumbag your father is!"
"Bailal! Ha, that bastard of a bitch! When he was young, he was a first-rate rogue knight. He was frivolous and vain. He even resorted to falsification in knightly contests!"
The Baroness's face was full of contempt and hatred:
"He is so overjoyed at success but so headstrong, so short-sighted but greedy!"
"If it weren't for the bad luck that all four cousins and two brothers died after the Bloody Year, when would the Baron of Crow Cry Town get his turn!"
Anke was a little unexpected and didn't know how to react:
"you……"
"As a lord, your father only knew how to collect taxes and deplete the land to catch fish! Under his rule, additional periods of town service and additional taxes and fees were imposed, but the punishments were harsh and never lenient! As a result, all industries were in ruins, people were resentful, officials were corrupt, and bribery was rampant.
!”
Anke was very angry:
"No, he..."
But the Baroness was obviously furious and did not give him a chance to speak:
"If nothing else, it's just that he is financially strapped but has no repentance. He insists on resorting to military means and borrowing money to go on an expedition, which ends up costing countless lives...just to go to the desert to take risks to make a fortune, gain military exploits, and earn face?"
"Isn't it clear enough?"
Mrs. Doyle spoke with disheveled hair and panting.
But the smoother her sharp voice was, the more Thales could hear a few hints of the Western Wilderness country accent that was obviously developed since childhood and is hard to change:
"Everyone in Crow Cry Town, from officials to farmers, from merchants to craftsmen, hates your father so much that they hate him so much!"
“Every month of every year, poor and overwhelmed people gather in the mountains and forests to engage in banditry and trade, causing endless harm to the surrounding areas. From the local townspeople to the Mirror River across the river, everyone suffers from it, and my ex-husband died among them!
"
"Not to mention that every year, countless refugees leave the wasteland and sneak across the Mirror River to other lands - including the territory of the Doyle family, just to have a good meal and new clothes!"
In the hall, everyone's attention was attracted by the Baroness's words, and surprise and discussion swept through the crowd.
"After I remarried, your father still shamelessly asked the lords of the Mirror River area for the 'redemption fee' of these refugees! The baron, my current husband, could only sometimes pay to satisfy his appetite, and sometimes appease the refugees.
They go back to farm and work to prevent the increase in thieves from endangering the surrounding area, and this is what you call bullshit off-site tenancy!"
Anke was shocked and angry, and was speechless for a moment.
"Mortgage the land in the contract? Damn it, do you think any noble noble in the country would use the population of his ancestral fiefdom as collateral to make money without blinking an eye? Do you think that after so many years, you have lent it to your father?
Are the Doyles the only ones with money?"
"Whether it's a businessman, a noble, or a knight, once the time limit for repaying money is up, he will use the aristocratic laws to act like a rogue, threatening to sue the creditor for 'murdering the nobles and granting land privately' - this kind of bullying, treachery, and shameless bad things.
, he is much older than you!"
Anke held the sword, trembling, and turned pale amidst the discussion.
The Baroness shouted angrily:
"Faced with such a rogue lord, the vassals of the Bailar tribe are dissatisfied but dare not speak out. How do you think Baron Mirror River must be like a saint and how generous he is to make them cry and fight for their lives?
Come to seek refuge?"
"In order to escape your father, to survive, and to save the next generation of children, the people of Crow Cry Town are eager to find their own way out, and unite privately to overcome the difficulties together. What's wrong with this?"
Under the surprised eyes of everyone, the Baroness gritted her teeth and continued:
"And our Doyle family is generous and generous. For the sake of being neighbors and related to each other for generations, we rent their wasteland, collect normal taxes, appease their spirits, hire exiled labor, and enable people to live a normal life.
As for turning grass into bandits, they even opened roads to protect the roads to drive away thieves and maintain peace in the two places..."
"But making some profits and convenience in the middle, what's wrong with that?"
Under Anke's hold, the old baron's face was filled with tears and bruises, and he nodded cooperatively with an innocent expression.
The Baroness became more and more forceful as she spoke, pointing with her hands on her hips:
"Towards your scoundrel father who has insatiable desires and great ambitions but little talent, in order to stop him from going crazy, we showed great mercy and invested money in priority, but we treated it like water and fed it to the dog... What's wrong with this?"
"And now you come to us instead? You still have the nerve to fight us?"
Anke faced these accusations with an ugly face and his breathing quickened.
"Lord Talon," Thales turned around and whispered to Vogel:
"Just now, can you let me take a look at the intelligence the Guard Flag Wing has on the Bailar family?"
The deputy captain of the guard was taken aback, obviously not expecting the Duke to speak to him.
But he only hesitated for a moment, then called his subordinates under Mallos' thoughtful eyes and handed a stack of papers to Thales.
"As for the truth in these territories, you, this little brat who is away from home for ten months a year, this young master whose food and clothing are all obtained from his father's bones and marrow..."
The Baroness raised her eyebrows and raised her eyes, showing her aggressive look:
"Do you think you have the qualifications to yell at us after practicing swordsmanship for two days abroad, reading two books, and sleeping with several foreign girls?"
"I, this..." Anke's lips twitched, and he was unable to refute for a moment.
Well, Thales said secretly while flipping through the information, he made a mistake.
In this hall, facing the iron thorn, the woman remains calm...
Maybe it's not just Lady Eleanor.
But Thales flipped through the paper and frowned.
No, it only states where the Bailar family came from, how long it has been, how far its genealogy is, how big its territory is, how much it has changed, and how many people there are in the family...
There are no details about territorial governance and disputes between the two families.
No evidence can be found to refute this.
"You said you want to inherit your father's fiefdom and title?"
The Baroness snorted coldly:
"Then why don't you taint the sins your father has committed against the vassals, the people, the neighbors, the kingdom, and everyone over the years, the debts he has accumulated, the evil he has done, the harm he has left behind, and the lives he has owed.
All the bloody blood has been inherited!"
"Bilal's cub!"
After the baroness screamed, she fell down wet with sweat and was supported by several female family members.
Thales frowned fiercely.
The whole hall was quiet.
Everyone seemed to be surprised and stunned by the Baroness's performance.
Even Doyle himself froze.
"d.d, right?"
Vogel called Doyle by his nickname. He looked at the Baroness in the center of the hall with a complicated expression:
"Your father...married a good wife."
Doyle looked at his stepmother blankly.
Glover remained expressionless as always, but he held his shoulder from the side.
"You know," Doyle looked dazed, as if talking to himself:
"When my father wants to marry again..."
"Over the years, my attitude towards her has not been very good."
Mallos didn't say anything, just sighed softly.
But Thales remains as heavy as ever.
He knew that the matter was not over.
A few seconds later, the hall was once again flooded with turbulent discussions, and everyone was intensely discussing the new news just revealed by the Baroness.
Anke turned his head with difficulty and noticed that the eyes of the guests had changed.
They started looking at him more.
Look at the son of the Bailar family.
No.
No!
In addition to being panicked, he was also quite angry.
"Listen, little boy!"
Baroness Doyle breathed a sigh of relief and saw the guests talking incessantly, becoming more confident and arrogant.
She didn't care about her embarrassment and snorted coldly:
"I don't care who you climbed onto or whose order you took to harm our family! Your Highness's reputation!"
The Baroness pointed directly at the person holding her husband hostage and shouted angrily:
"But if you dare, just try it!"
Anke trembled suddenly!
On the other hand, the face of old Baron Doyle, who was held hostage by him, changed and he said in horror:
"That dear..."
The baroness who was in high spirits lowered her gaze with a ruthless look on her face:
"you shut up!"
The old baron suddenly trembled and closed his mouth obediently.
The Baroness looked at Anke, who looked embarrassed, and said through gritted teeth:
"But I swear, Bailar's little boy!"
"I swear to the setting sun, to the bright moon, to the dark night, to the desert god, to my great-aunt, to everything!"
"If tonight, my husband is even a little bit hurt!"
She had a vicious look on her face:
"I will risk everything for the rest of my life and make your remaining brothers, sisters, friends, and relatives suffer all the torture you can imagine in the most painful, cruel, and horrific way!"
"I will make them cry and scream at the end, begging me to kill them quickly!"
As soon as this statement came out, everyone's expression changed!
Including Anke.
But the Baroness obviously didn't notice. She ignored the old Baron who winked at her hurriedly, waved her arms and shouted:
"I will make your family extinct from descendants!"
"Just like the fate you were supposed to have!"
The guests immediately burst into laughter.
Thales, Mallos, Vogel and others all frowned.
Oops.
"Sure enough, you are still better at lying and sophistry."
Anke lost the hesitation and annoyance on his face and became cold again:
"Okay, that's it."
"Then let the gods decide our fate!"
In anger, he exerted force on his hands, and the old baron immediately screamed: "No, no, no -"
"Come on, you cowardly son of Doyle!"
Anke looked directly at D.D on the steps and roared:
"Come down, fight me, and end this with me!"
"everything!"
The Baroness looked at the sudden deterioration of the situation, seemed to realize something, and froze in place.
d.d firmly held the weapon at his waist, feeling frightened and angry.
"It's too early to talk."
Vogel looked at the public opinion around him, then looked at Anke, who was furious and had obviously paid no attention to the cost, and sighed: