If you ask a star person which department under the king is the most terrifying, he will most likely blurt out "The Secret Department of the Kingdom".
But if you ask me what is so scary, he still has no idea about keeping it.
Only to Thales, this department is considered an "old acquaintance": whether it was meeting the Black Prophet for the first time in Mindis Hall, being imprisoned in Longxiao City, or meeting in a hurry at the Blade Tooth Camp, they had dealt with him many times.
Too much.
Unfortunately, it is definitely not enjoyable.
Now, this mysterious department that has been operating since the era of the Renaissance King, the highest intelligence agency of the Star Kingdom, is located in front of him.
"Is this the secret science of the kingdom?"
Thales stepped off the carriage and looked at the manor in the southern suburbs of Yongxing City: surrounded by creeks, desolate fields, simple low walls, and old mansions.
There are even farmhouses, warehouses, and even forest land that has been left uncultivated for many years and grown freely.
Ordinary, average.
If it weren't for the vast area but the sparsely populated area, this would be a standard suburban aristocratic manor.
Maybe it was confiscated after a certain noble family was robbed, Thales thought.
"At least in the past ten years, yes."
Raphael said hello to the driver of the carriage, who remained silent and disappeared from Thales' eyes with the sound of horse hooves.
Just like an ordinary country traveler.
The desolate skeleton man made a "please" gesture to the prince and motioned to the iron gate of the manor not far away.
However, the entire manor was silent, almost dead.
Like a tomb.
"I didn't see many guards."
Thales suppressed his anxiety, stepped on the autumn leaves on the ground, and followed Raphael towards the iron gate.
But he soon discovered something unusual: two black crows came out of the dense forest, passed over their heads, and disappeared into the quaint manor.
"unnecessary."
Raphael's pace was relaxed:
"Ordinary intruders are no threat to us."
Thales raised his eyebrows:
"What about the unusual ones?"
But at this moment, Thales's hair stood up, and the whistling wind could be heard in his ears.
At the reminder of the roar of the Prison River Sin, he quickly turned his head!
But it's too late.
I saw a huge black shadow coming through the sky, unstoppable.
Go straight to Thales!
"No!"
Amidst Raphael's shocked and angry sounds, Thales could only seize the reaction time given to him by the Sin of Hell River, and he could only assume the "Iron Body Posture".
Boom.
The huge black shadow arrived in an instant and slammed into Thales's arms!
He flew out completely.
Thales felt first a sharp shock in his arm, and then the pain of impact and friction between his back and the ground.
And the bones and muscles protest throughout the body.
It seemed as if the whole person was falling apart.
no no……
In the turbulence of the Prison River Sin, Thales gritted his teeth and endured the pain, trying to open his eyes.
But it's not over yet.
A huge black shadow immediately enveloped Thales' whole body: it tightly restrained his legs, held down his shoulders, and pressed a huge weight on his chest, making the young man unable to move and having difficulty breathing.
The attacker pressed forward in a demonstrative manner, pressing close to his cheek. Thales could even feel the opponent's rough, violent, hot and rapid breathing.
No.
Thales struggled hard.
He vowed that from now on, no matter how inconvenient, suspicious, or inappropriate, he would always carry a JC or warning person with him.
You must not be left defenseless and at the mercy of others.
The attacker put his head under Thales' neck and took a few deep breaths, each time taking longer and longer, and he seemed to be gradually intoxicated.
Raphael's furious voice came out at this moment:
"No! Edward——"
At this moment, Thales suddenly felt his cheeks heat up.
Under the neck, a moist and sticky soft substance covered it.
Chin, cheeks, cheekbones, from bottom to top, slowly swept over the side of his face.
Hot, warm, soft.
There's also a bit of... fishy odor?
Thales was stunned.
The other person left his cheek, leaving a thick liquid behind.
Being blown by the wind makes you feel cool and refreshing.
Um?
Before he could react, with rapid and hot breathing, the black shadow approached again.
There was another feeling of warmth and moisture, covering Thales's mouth, nose, forehead, and auricles...
again and again.
Make him unable to open his eyes.
The other party was breathing heavily and huffing, and the tip of his nose and lips brushed against Thales' skin countless times, touching him closely, and he seemed quite excited.
Thales was stunned, and even the sin of the Hell River was resolved silently.
What's this?
"Edward...this is Prince Thales, he is not a threat!"
Finally, the arm of the Desolate Skeleton Man appeared on the attacker's neck, trying to pry him off Thales' body.
Amid the attacker's dissatisfied protests, Thales' chest relaxed. He finally got some space and raised his head.
The prince was stunned immediately.
What was pressing on him was a big black dog.
"Woof woof!"
At this moment, Raphael was grabbing the vicious dog's neck and dragging it backwards, making it miserable in the struggle.
Thales recognized its species.
It's an angry wolfdog.
This breed of dog, known for its ferocity, has always been a good helper for the nobles of the Kingdom of Stars for hunting and outings. Even a long time ago, the Brotherhood's Boss Maurice - the boss of Quaid and Rick - also raised a majestic dog
The angry wolf dog once met Thales by chance in the back alley of the Sunset Bar, and he also liked to "play" with him, well, the unfriendly kind of "play".
The big dog in front of me also has similar features: whether it's sharp fangs or a fierce face.
Except for one thing.
It also……
It's too big.
Thales stared at the wrestling in front of him blankly:
Although Raphael is slender, he is not short.
But even with his size, it was very difficult to restrain this big dog. It was like a child trying to reach out and hug an old tree that was two or three times thicker than him.
At this moment, the ferocious-looking big dog was looking at Thales on the ground with interest, breathing hotly, and licking his tongue and sucking a mouthful of saliva from time to time.
"Saab!"
Raphael, who saw nothing, looked into the distance and shouted angrily:
"Pull it up quickly!"
A gloomy and lazy voice sounded at the right time, from far to near:
"Come on, come on, take a moment."
A right hand with only three fingers appeared in front of Thales, grabbing the big dog's collar and exerting force very skillfully.
Finally, Thales felt relaxed all over, as if someone had lifted the three-layer quilt covering him - it was still in the middle of summer.
The big dog was pulled away from his body and barked in dissatisfaction, deafeningly.
"I'm sorry, Lord Raphael, Edward was walking around in circles, and I didn't pay attention for a moment..." The lazy voice apologized without sincerity while dealing with the big dog's protest.
Thales grabbed Raphael's hand, feeling the numbness all over his body, and got up with difficulty.
"Damn...what is this?"
In shock, Thales dusted himself off and pulled up his sleeves to wipe the wet saliva from his face.
Raphael coughed awkwardly.
"Your Highness, I believe you have met Edward. He is one of our...guards."
The Desolate Skeleton Man waved his hand towards the big dog in front of him, and his exaggerated movements caused it to roar angrily:
"Woof! Woof!"
Baring his teeth and grinding his teeth, his eyes were fierce.
But when it subconsciously wanted to step forward with a fierce look on its face, its right hand with only three fingers stretched out in time to stop Edward's movement:
"You know, guard... Edward doesn't like being introduced like this. He thinks this is his territory and he is the master."
Raphael snorted lightly:
"Is it."
The person holding the big dog - a middle-aged man with a haggard face, who looked like he had not slept well at night, with dark circles under his eyes, ignored Edward's threatening barking and bowed to Thales:
"Duke Xinghu, I have long admired your name."
Raphael looked at the angry wolf dog warily and introduced:
"This is Sabo, the best tracker in the kingdom's secret department."
Sabo shrugged:
"Also a janitor and dog walker."
The big dog next to me was dissatisfied again:
"Woof! Woof!"
"Okay, okay, my fault," Sabo comforted Edward:
"I mean I'm the janitor and the one who shovels your shit..."
Tracker, janitor, dog walker...
After getting rid of the unknown liquid on his face, Thales nodded awkwardly and returned the greeting to Sabo, but his eyes couldn't stop drifting towards Edward beside him.
The secret watchdog...
Seeing the opponent's forelimbs, which were as thick as his own thighs, with four claws on the ground that could reach the height of an ordinary person's shoulders, and the heavy cavalry charge-like impact just now, Thales swallowed his throat with lingering fear.
This is too big!
Foul!
As soon as he noticed Thales looking at it, the exaggeratedly large black angry wolfdog instantly lowered the volume of his roar.
"Ouch~"
The big dog Edward put away his sharp teeth, exposed his tongue, opened his lower jaw in a wide arc, and swung his tail freely from side to side.
"Obviously, he likes you, Your Highness."
Sabo frowned and said solemnly.
Edward was seen gasping horribly, unable to hide the dripping saliva, looking at Thales with bright eyes.
Happiness is written all over his face.
Full of energy all over.
Thales quickly lowered his head to avoid eye contact, and tidied up the messy clothes in embarrassment:
"Yes, I can see it."
Sabo held the collar with one hand, and scratched Edward's back with the other hand, trying to soothe his restlessness that he couldn't pounce forward:
"He hasn't pounced on anyone for a long time. The last time was a long time ago..."
Raphael cleared his throat and gave Sabo a warning look:
"I'll open the door and watch your dog."
Sabo tilted his head indifferently, while Edward bared his teeth again.
"Woof woof!"
"You misunderstood. Raphael didn't say anything about you, but about me. Take good care of me..."
The Desolate Skeleton Man took steps towards the double-open iron door.
Sabo looked at Raphael's back, and then at the big dog that kept leaning next to him, obviously very interested in Thales:
"Tsk, tsk, Lord Hansen must be very unhappy..."
Thales suppressed his fear of Edward:
"Why?"
"Don't you know?"
Sabo took out a length of chain ("Who the hell uses a steel chain to chain a dog!" - the prince later complained) and fastened Edward's collar.
He took a step closer to Thales (the prince subconsciously took a step back) and whispered:
"There are rumors in the secret society that Lord Hanson's leg was bitten off by a terrifying vicious dog."
ah?
Black Prophet's legs?
Thales perked up his ears.
"But there's still controversy over which dog it is, and there's even a bet on it."
"But, tsk tsk, let me tell you," Sabo winked at the big dog next to him, with a serious and pointed look:
"Do you get me?"
The terrifyingly large angry wolf dog barked excitedly, its enthusiasm for Thales undiminished.
Thales took a step back and nodded stiffly.
In the distance, Raphael approached the large double iron doors, pulled up his sleeves, and waved his fingers in the void.
What's even more strange is that as his fingers dance, the air in front of the iron door ripples like sparkling water.
Thales frowned:
"What is he doing?"
"Magic lines," Sabo looked at the prince, then at Edward, and replied casually: "The Soul Tower trick, on the corresponding sealing circle, will only be allowed if the corresponding lines are drawn on it. In contrast,
I prefer the Alchemy Tower, they are all classical and like to use keys."
Thales's heart moved.
"But I remember that magic is forbidden?"
Sabo shook his head:
"Forgetting."
Thales raised his head in confusion:
"What?"
Sabo tugged on the chain on Edward's body and scratched it, preventing the big dog from trying to slip out of the restraint and approach Thales:
"Magic is forgotten, not forbidden."
Thales' expression changed:
"Is there a difference between being forgotten and being banned?"
Sabo shrugged:
"From a practical point of view, no."
"But if you look at the motivation and purpose..."
At some point, the Desolate Skeleton Man turned around, and the iron door opened a gap behind him.
Sabo slapped his face and mouth, waving his hands indifferently:
"All right……"
But before he finished speaking, something suddenly changed in the scene!
I saw the big dog Edward suddenly jumped up and jumped towards the iron gate!
Thales was surprised.
Perhaps because he was unprepared, perhaps because he was unable to let go in time, the equally shocked Sabo was pulled down by the chain and dragged towards the iron gate by Edward.
The next second, the huge Edward slammed into Raphael in front of the iron gate!
boom.
The Desolate Skeleton Man was knocked away mercilessly and fell to the side, groaning.
Sabo was thrown off the chain and rolled several times on the ground, also groaning.
Thales looked at what he saw in surprise: two men were knocked down by a dog.
"Are you... are you okay?"
I'll just say it.
This dog is too big!
But what happened next was even more unexpected.
In front of the stunned Thales, the huge black angry wolf dog dragged the empty dog leash, happily knocked open the iron door on one side, ran back, and clumsily opened the other door.
After doing this, it happily turned back and looked at Thales.
The prince felt a chill in his heart.
"Wait, hey, what, good dog, Edward, right... Well, I actually don't know them... If you have a grudge against them..."
But the next moment, Edward roared angrily, took steps forward, and rushed towards the boy!
"No, no, no, no! Don't come over here -"
The troubled prince was frightened back five or six steps, and finally turned around and ran away without caring about the dignity of the royal family!
But regardless of Edward's huge body, his speed is equally astonishing.
Thales didn't run a few steps when the big dog passed by his side and jumped in front of him!
Damn it!
Thales subconsciously raised his arms to resist.
But luckily, Edward didn't pounce recklessly this time.
It stopped nimbly not far in front of Thales, and whimpered twice obediently, as if to remind him of something.
Um?
Thales lowered his arms in confusion.
I saw the big dog cautiously approaching with small steps.
This time, looking at its cute eyes, Thales found that the sin of the Hell River in his body had no reaction at all.
Edward stuck out his tongue, wagged his tail, and spun his mountain-like body twice.
"Woof! Woof!"
It barked twice toward the open door, its eyes were cute, and it barked to please.
Feeling the kindness of the other party, Thales looked at the door in the distance, put down his arm in confusion, and pointed at himself:
"I?"
The big dog got even more excited when he got the response.
This time, it wagged its tail and barked first at Thales, then twice at the iron door:
"Woof! Woof woof!"
Faced with the expectant look in his eyes, Thales looked at the blocked way and the two figures in the distance who knew whether they were alive or dead on the ground, and forced a smile:
"You mean, the door?"
"Woof!"
The big dog happily jumped in front of the (earth-colored) prince, circled around Thales twice, arched his back and pushed him forward.
"Okay, okay, I will go..." The anxious Thales walked forward at a loss.
Edward walked beside him, licking the back of his hand affectionately from time to time, and rubbing the boy's arm.
Until they came to the iron gate.
"Oh," standing in front of the iron gate, Thales understood, somewhat enlightened, and somewhat relaxed:
"You mean..."
"Did you specifically open the door for me?"
"Woof!" Edward shouted even more cheerfully.
"Okay, good dog," Thales held back his uneasiness, tentatively stretched out his hand, and scratched its furry head unfamiliarly:
"Thank you, thank you?"
Edward stuck out his tongue and twisted his head, looking satisfied.
Clearly enjoying it.
On the other side, Raphael got up cursing, slapping the dust all over his body, and looking angrily at Sabo who was also sorting himself out.
"Well, we all know that Edward is very smart," Sabo said sinisterly, reaching out to grab the big dog's chain and taking over Thales' action of scratching the dog:
"But this is the first time."
Edward growled at him dissatisfiedly, his voice threatening.
"We'd better go in quickly," Raphael looked at the big dog warily, his face full of displeasure:
"It looks like there's still more to it than that."
So Thales turned back for the last time and waved awkwardly to Edward.
The angry wolf dog responded with an excited roar and tried to move forward, but was pulled back by Sabo.
With a click, the iron door closed.
They locked Sabo, who was equally unhappy, and the giant angry wolf dog, who was reluctantly looking at Thales, outside the door.
"Saab," Raphael looked at the big dog suspiciously through the iron gate:
"The Duke of Xinghu is traveling privately, do you understand?"
"I understand, I'll tell them," Sabo shook his head indifferently:
"An innocent and cute little deer accidentally broke into Edward's territory."
The big dog on the side howled angrily.
"Okay, okay! I know!"
Sabo scratched Edward's neck with a headache:
"I'll just say a big wolf, wolf, okay? It won't hurt your reputation...I swear, the other dogs will admire..."
Hearing the argument between a man and a dog getting farther and farther behind him, Thales felt lingering fear.
"So, Sabo, he can talk to dogs?"
The Desolate Skeleton Man smiled:
"He thinks he can."
"What's the meaning?"
"At least Lord Hansen said that Sabo himself has believed so for decades," Raphael shook his head indifferently: "As for whether it is true..."
"Only dogs know that."
Thales smiled,
He grabbed his collar and sniffed the place where Edward's teeth had bitten him.
The prince immediately frowned.
He won't admit his mistake.
That's fresh...
The smell of blood.
"So old man, besides eating, when was the last time you jumped on someone like this?"
Outside the iron gate, Sabo took out an old notebook and opened the cover with the crooked words "Don't get eaten!" written on it.
While listening to Edward's roar, he recorded something with great interest:
"What?"
"You mean smell? The same smell? Dog? Another dog?"
Sabo's eyes widened.
"What, a big dog? His big dog? A powerful dog? A dog with a large territory? A dog that gives birth to dogs? A dog that scares all dogs?"
Sabo suddenly woke up.
"The big dog, his big dog, the big dog that gave birth to dogs... Oh oh, I understand..."
He put down his pen, touched Edward's head, and looked at Thales's back behind the iron gate.
"What you want to say is-"
The angry wolf dog stared at Sabo's palm, licked his saliva-covered teeth, and growled in warning.
"His mother?"
The angry wolf dog's eyes turned cold.
The next second, the ferocious big dog's muscles trembled and he looked up!
clatter!
The sound of teeth clenching exploded in the air.
At the critical moment, Sabo quickly and skillfully retracted his palm.
"So that's it, okay, bullying the weak and fearing the strong..."
Sabo showed no fear. He raised his right hand with only three fingers and smiled at the ferocious angry wolf dog: "Let me tell you, his mother may not be human..."
"But you're a real dog!"
Edward made a sound of dissatisfaction.
Then, it turned its head in disdain, swung its tail and paws, and went back for a walk in a majestic manner.