Thales repeated it in disbelief. He looked back and forth between Raphael and Gu's cells, trying to catch a glimmer of clarity among the mixed memories and thoughts.
"explain."
The prince calmed down his emotions and stared at Raphael seriously:
"Now."
Raphael was silent for a while and tightened his arms unnaturally:
"Your Highness, even though you are from the royal family, the Secret Service has not clarified your intelligence level for a long time..."
"Explain!" Thales interrupted him unceremoniously.
"I'm explaining," Raphael stopped him coldly:
"It's just that I must explain, Your Highness, that I can only disclose to you information that is no higher than the level of a 'madman' without breaking the rules."
"Madman" level...
Thales shook his head impatiently:
"You don't have to explain to me the rules of these esoteric disciplines—explanations will do."
Raphael sneered:
"I'm not telling you either."
The Desolate Skeleton Man slowly raised his arm: a black crack appeared on his forearm at some point, and the muscle texture inside was squirming slightly, hiding a strange shadow.
Just like six years ago.
Thales paused for a moment.
The prince took his eyes away from the other person's arm with difficulty and tried to return to the current topic.
"As you can see, this person's surname is Gu Mingtang - at least that's what it seems."
Raphael looked at Gu's cell door faintly:
"He was born into a family of officials in Suye of the Eastern Kingdom. He fell behind in his family and joined Suye's royal intelligence organization: Wuyiwei."
Gu Tang.
Wuyiwei.
Thales' eyes changed:
"You mean, he is Suye's spy?"
Raphael nodded, but also shook his head:
"It's a 'former' spy - at least that's the information we can find."
"Previously?" Thales looked at Gu's cell. He suddenly realized that he knew nothing about the prisoner who gave him shelter and a meal six years ago.
Raphael's forearms tightened unnaturally, but his expression did not change and he continued:
"Nineteen years ago in Qilin City, a descendant of the Chen family launched a coup in an attempt to attack King Hao of Yao who had just ascended the throne. During this period, the Wuyi Guards also split into two factions: the Qingxiao, a commanding prosecutor who was loyal to King Yao
Wei'Lindu finally won a great victory. He took over the command of the Wuyi Guards, cleaned up the house, and killed all the 'traitors' in the guard."
King Hao of Yao.
Qing Xiaowei.
Strange and distant terms crossed the ocean and entered Thales' mind, making him have to frown.
But Raphael obviously had no intention of stopping and explaining for the prince:
"Gu belongs to the faction that is on the wrong team: he fled to the Western Continent incognito and worked as a merchant, craftsman, mercenary, etc., until after the Bloody Year, he took root in Longxiao City and fought against the stars through Exter
He wandered around the ruins and gaps in the back and began to work like an intelligence dealer."
Thales took a deep breath and looked away from the iron door of Gu's cell.
"What does that have to do with you--with us?"
The corners of Raphael's lips curled up into a sneer.
"We later discovered that during his years in Longxiao City, Gu did more than just his old profession."
The Desolate Skeleton Man stared at the iron gate on the prison door:
"In addition to buying and selling news, this Far Eastern man's business also includes acting as an intermediary for major forces and mediating conflicts."
"And for some contradictions that cannot be reconciled and cannot be ignored..."
Having said this, Raphael's eyes turned cold:
"He will find a killer."
Killer.
Thales' nerves became tense.
etc.
Longxiao City, Gu, intelligence dealer, killer, six years ago - the young man slowly connected the clues from many years ago, and his expression gradually changed.
"That's right," Raphael sneered and observed Thales's face:
"Six years ago, in the city of Longxiao, under the power of King Nun, the underground forces were in disarray: Grievor controlled the streets, Urad ran rampant in the black market, and the Komas people were in the middle to make profits, and there were many other hilltops.
Among them, the relationship is complicated, tangled and confusing."
"And him," Raphael raised his chin towards Gu's cell door:
"Your friend from the Far East spent ten years gradually taking over the dirtiest and most dangerous business, and became the largest and most convenient killer contact in Longxiao City."
Thales' eyes slowly widened.
"From street gangsters to desperate criminals, to Shadow Shields and Assassin's Flowers, he has a way with them all and is familiar with them all."
"One hand buys life and the other hand sells life. It can be said that he is secretive and his eyes are open to the sky."
Shadow Shield.
Assassin's flower.
Thales stared at Gu's cell without moving his eyes for a moment.
But his eyes have changed.
If Gu is the biggest killer agent in Longxiao City, then six years ago...
The next second, Raphael said expressionlessly what Thales was worried about:
"Charmaine Lombard, the then Grand Duke of Black Sand found the Shadow Shield through Gu."
"The two sides have linked up and reached cooperation."
Thales turned his head stiffly,
Charmaine Lombard and Shadow Shield.
Their middleman is...
Gu?
He couldn't help but think of the scene when he was a child, hiding shivering in the carriage with Little Huitou, watching the Grand Duke of Black Sand talking to the drill joint.
However, Raphael was not done yet:
"Finally, in view of the difficulty of the target, Gu used his best connections to contact the most powerful and terrifying killer in the world - he relied on his cunning and dangerous killing knife to survive the disaster.
In the chaos, break through the heavy defenses of the White Blade Guards and take the head of the born king."
At that moment, Thales froze on the spot.
Raphael narrowed his eyes slightly:
"And do you know who that is?"
The corridor fell into a silent silence.
After a long while, Thales breathed out with difficulty:
"yes."
Raphael sneered, ignoring the prince's extremely ugly expression at the moment:
"He knows how to contact the regicide family who fled without a trace after the Year of Blood. This alone is enough for us to imprison him until he dies of old age - or confesses."
Thales didn't speak, he just squeezed his left fist, and his fingertips brushed the scars on his palm that had been cut countless times by JC.
"But this isn't the first time."
Raphael continues:
"At least, in Gu's account book, 'Locust Blade' is not the first business that has been related to you."
Thales worked hard to digest the new information and raised his eyes.
The next second, Raphael's eyes turned cold:
"Six years ago, Your Highness, when you were on a mission to the north, you and the Kingdom's Wrath were surrounded by Lomba's black sand army under the Broken Dragon Fortress, and were bombarded by magic gun troops..."
"Who do you think used various contact channels to find assassins who could even instigate the magic gun instructor for Conkli Perfitt, the Grand Duke of Fengzhao City, so that he could get what he wanted and watch you die in the sky?
In Lombard’s military formation?”
Magic gun.
Thales frowned, as if he had returned to the fortress six years ago, facing countless swords and swords.
He looked solemn:
"You mean, that was also contacted by Gu Juzhong?"
Raphael snorted and shook his arm slightly:
"And you said that he helped you in Longxiao City and saved your life?"
Thales subconsciously looked at Gu's cell.
"Then think about it carefully, Your Highness."
At that moment, although Raphael's words remained relaxed, the lines were filled with unknown darkness:
"Do you think that 'Earthshaker' Kaslan, who betrayed King Nun, really told you the channel to contact Gu in the tavern because he liked you, so that when you escaped from the siege of Longxiao City,
Go find this underground figure who seems mysterious and neutral?"
Kaslan.
Six and a half yuan.
Thales' eyes were firmly fixed on the door of the cell, but his fists were clenched tighter and tighter.
"Do you think there are really so many kind-hearted Far Eastern people in Longxiao City? When they were knocked on their door by a mysterious aristocratic kid during the martial law period, they always entertained him with good wine, good food and good beds, just for that kid.
Are you cute, cute, smart and kind?"
Far Eastern people.
entertain.
The prince gritted his teeth and tried to recall the scene in Gu's butcher's shop with Little Huatou that morning.
"Do you think it is such a coincidence that when the entire Longxiao City is in chaos, a shady intelligence dealer only needs to walk out of the house for two minutes to successfully bring back the envoy of a country who came alone?
The Marquis of Zenliu City, Shless Bermula - so that he can change hands and give you to Charmaine Lombard?"
Information dealer.
Slys.
Raphael's words were as sharp as a blade, one after another, breaking through Thales's defense:
"All these doubts, these strange things, these things that seem reasonable but cannot be investigated deeply, before you regard him as your savior, have you ever thought about it back?"
At that moment, Thales took a deep breath and suppressed the sin of the prison river that was gradually boiling.
If, if these doubts mentioned by Raphael are all problematic.
That is to say, the things he once thought...
"Yes, Gu."
Raphael spoke coldly, not giving the prince any time to react:
"He never helped you."
"On the contrary,"
"It was he who betrayed you."
Thales closed his eyes gently.
Six and a half yuan.
He didn't help you.
He betrayed you.
At that moment, the cell where Gu was imprisoned seemed to no longer be so eye-catching.
Dead silence returned to the corridor.
Raphael breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the cell door with the same complicated eyes:
"And he betrayed us."
Thales spent a lot of energy to calm down his mood. After hearing this, he slowly opened his eyes and tried hard to keep his tone calm:
"You also cooperate with him and the Kingdom's Secret Department?"
Raphael nodded:
"Once, yes."
The desolate man looked at Gu's cell door and snorted disdainfully:
"Obviously, whether it's Exeter, Star Kingdom, Camus Alliance or even Shadow Shield and Tower of the End, this self-proclaimed neutral intelligence dealer has become accustomed to 'cooperating' with everyone and collecting money from many parties.
Slap your chest, move your hands back and forth in all directions, and profit from the bloody gap between customers."
"The only difference is that this time, he failed in his performance."
Thales stiffened his face:
"What did he do?"
Raphael was silent for a few seconds.
"As you mentioned, Karen Booker—as a rare 'wise man'-level intelligence officer in the kingdom's secret department, his death is a loss we cannot afford."
"And we abandoned the Longxiao City headquarters six years later, which was more or less affected by this. It was a last resort."
Thales exhaled, trying to get rid of the depression and depression in his heart:
"what happened?"
Raphael shook his head and glanced at Gu's cell:
"That's what we want to find out too."
"From his mouth."
Thales stood silently, with mixed emotions.
On the contrary, Raphael sighed and resumed his relaxed and indifferent posture:
"Just like this, Your Highness, even in the face of the past that seems to be finalized, there are still too many unknown and terrible details under the undercurrent."
"So, when you were working hard to turn the tide in the Palace of Heroes six years ago, Your Highness."
Raphael sighed:
"Don't forget, that day, outside the Palace of Heroes, the personnel of the Secret Service were also everywhere on the invisible battlefield, engaging in invisible and desperate fights with the enemies in the shadows, even if it was just for a page of letter paper, a paragraph of text, or a
signal to give you and the Kingdom a chance to win by one more point - Booker is one of them."
Thales' eyes moved.
"Prince's Butt - that's a funny name, isn't it."
Raphael turned around and faced the dim and dark corridor with almost no end in sight, a faint light gleaming in his eyes:
"However, all of them were part of the 'Dragon's Blood' project that changed the world six years ago. The Kingdom's Secret Division and King Nunn, the Dark Room, the White Blade Guard, Charmaine Lombard, the Shadow Shield, and
After Conmas and other enemies fought to the death, the survivors were left among the corpses and sacrifices all over the ground."
Thales raised his head in surprise.
"And we don't tell you certain information, not because we don't believe you, but because you can't throw away your burdens, forget yourself, and devote yourself wholeheartedly to a dark and dirty mission to complete your goals like us."
Raphael narrowed his eyes and gestured to Gu's cell:
"Even if you think... you owe your target a life."
"In this case, if you insist on a little knowledge, you will only go further and further, lose the ability to discern the truth, and be led by others."
Throw away burdens and forget yourself.
Thales frowned slightly.
"You are not us, Thales, you should live under the sun and blue sky," Raphael sighed, rarely using an honorific, but calling the Duke by his first name:
"It's up to us to face the endless hell."
At that moment, his dark red eyes were extremely sincere.
But what Thales remembered was the different faces Raphael showed when he faced the wine merchant Dagori, the blacksmith Gibbon, the Blade Lord nobles and Belicia in the interrogation room.
There was silence in the corridor for a long time.
Until His Highness the Prince spoke again, his voice was hoarse:
"Then how do I know that it's not you who are leading me by the nose?"
Raphael hesitated slightly.
"When you actually sit on that seat, Your Highness."
Raphael's smile gradually faded:
"When you can truly decide the world's affairs with one word, determine the country's map with one finger, when you have full control over the goals, mission, operations, budget, development, and future of the Kingdom's secret department..."
"You'll know."
Thales listened to these familiar words with a blank expression.
But unlike before, this time he no longer refuted.
Thales, who was in a depressed mood, followed Raphael out of the maze-like underground corridor, passed through many checkpoints, and then left the main house of Secret Manor through the main door, returning to the place where they first got off the carriage.
But Raphael frowned.
"Did you call someone to pick you up?"
Thales, who was in a trance, came back to his senses:
"What?"
But the prince was also stunned: there were two carriages parked in front of them, one was the carriage when they came from Fuxing Palace, but the other...
"Your Highness!"
Following a familiar shout, a short and stocky man in royal guard uniform jumped out of the driver's seat of the carriage - that was the guard officer in the Mindis Hall who had competed with Thales, Konmuto.
"Your Highness Thales, you are indeed here..."
Conmuto was sweating profusely, but he still cheered up after seeing Thales and bowed:
"By order of Commander Marius, I am at your service."
Thales was a little confused, but Raphael and the secret driver on the other carriage stared coldly at Conmuto who appeared here, with unkind expressions.
"It doesn't matter," Thales said upon seeing this:
"He is my man, a Star Lake Guard."
Raphael snorted:
"you sure?"
Thales tightened his lips and stepped forward.
"Conmuto?"
The prince cleaned up his bad mood:
"Aren't you supposed to be in Mindis Hall? Why are you here?"
Commuto withdrew his wary gaze from Raphael.
"Chief Marius gave me an order before entering the palace. Your Highness, he asked me to keep an eye on it: if there is an accident, sneak out of the Mindis Hall, gather people, and come here to meet you."
"To avoid...your inconvenience."
Mallos?
inconvenient.
Thales realized something and looked back at Raphael behind him.
The Desolate Skeleton Man was silent for a second, and finally backed away knowingly.
Thales turned around and asked the point.
"You said...accident?"
"Shortly after you and the chief entered the palace, Your Highness," Conmuto hesitated a little, but still told the truth:
"Here comes the one who holds the flag and wings."
Flag wing.
Is it one of the six wings of the guard that d.d said was led by the deputy guard captain Vogel Talen at the banquet?
What are they here for?
Thales was slightly puzzled:
"What's the meaning?"
Conmuto carefully observed Thales's reaction:
"You know, the person leading the team is Second Flag Officer Gaitan... They couldn't help but block the Mindis Hall and detained everyone, saying they wanted a comprehensive review."
Thales was surprised:
"What?"
Blockade... Mindis Hall?
"Why?"
Conmuto forced a smile:
"Gaitan said it was because of the accident at the banquet yesterday."
Thales exhaled a stiff and painful breath.
as expected.
Here it is again.
"They said that our negligence meant that there were loopholes in the security or even an insider, which could endanger the prince's safety. Therefore, a thorough investigation and review from top to bottom is needed."
Conmuto sighed, a little depressed:
"The review of the flag wing was very...Zoneved was interrogated for two hours before he came out, and he didn't look good. And Morgan was almost handcuffed and put in, and Cuesta was even suspected of being a foreign spy. Straw asked us
Be obedient and don't resist, but Nexi almost fought with them. Punishment Officer Patterson wanted to use his identity to ask for mercy, but Gaitan is famous for being a slick person and doesn't give anyone face..."
Thales's brows furrowed more and more tightly.
"Always, it was a big operation. It was accompanied by the Bright Star Private Soldiers, the Noble Affairs Council and the Inner City Security Department. I suspect there were even people from the Kingdom's Secret Department among them. The team was so vast that many people probably saw it.
."
Thales slowly widened his eyes as he listened to Conmuto's story.
What's the meaning?
Mindis Hall.
The royal capital residence granted by the king to the Duke of Xinghu.
Blocked for censorship?
Thales let out a breath, tried to unclench his fists, and tried to figure out the current situation.
"How did you sneak out?"
"I used to hang out in the inner city police station, Your Highness," Conmuto's eyes were a little evasive, as if he was not happy to mention these relationships:
"There are several security officers responsible for sealing off the perimeter, who are acquaintances with me."
"Originally, Piloga could have slipped out together, but Gaitan had an old grudge with him when he was young and kept a close eye on him, so it probably wouldn't make things easier for him."
Conmuto looked behind the carriage:
"The only person I could find was Glover - he left in the morning because he was punished to recover from his injuries. The people holding the flag were very unhappy about this."
Thales frowned slightly:
"Glover?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar figure appeared from the other side of the carriage.
"Your Highness."
The first-class vanguard officer of the Star Lake Guard, the sturdy "zombie" Glover, came to Thales fully armed with a serious look on his face:
"We should go back to the city immediately. I always feel like there is something in the woods on the other side of the carriage staring at us with ill intentions."
Thales was completely relieved when he saw the vanguard officer he was most familiar with.
But he immediately frowned and looked at Glover's back:
"But your injury..."
Glover shook his head and opened his collar, revealing the bandage inside.
"It doesn't matter, my power of termination can relieve the pain, and..."
Grover swung his arms and frowned slightly:
"Lord Marius, he was merciful when he whipped me."
"It's as if...as if he knew this would happen and still needed me."
Thales was startled for a moment, but then he remembered what Marius had said before explaining the "Temple" and "Imperial Wind" to him in the morning.
【Is there anyone over at Fuxing Palace yet?】
【I guarantee you, they will definitely come, sooner or later.】
Thales suppressed his bad mood. He understood something and asked:
"What about D.D? He was also whipped deliberately by Marius in order to be released from the Mindis Hall to avoid trouble?"
Glover shook his head:
"No, I've seen it. Doyle's injuries should be real. He was beaten badly."
First of all, after what happened yesterday, the Doyle family is on the verge of a storm - Glover thought silently.
Secondly, well, Lord Mallos is probably very vindictive.
Especially after D.D called him "Little Tormund" during the banquet.
"So, Marius had known this would happen," Thales' words interrupted Glover's thoughts:
"He entered the Fuxing Palace with me, where are the others now?"
Conmuto on the side answered:
"Weah - an acquaintance of the Flag Wing owes me a favor. He just sent me a message telling me that Lord Marius is still in the Renaissance Palace."
He hesitated for a second:
"With Deputy Guard Captain Talen... together."
Thales let out a breath.
understood.
So said Tormund Mallos, his favorite captain of the bodyguard.
Even if he expected the current situation...
At this moment, it is difficult to protect oneself.
"Flag Wing," the prince sighed: "Vogel Tallen."
"How brave."
Conmuto and Glover looked at each other.
Thales turned around and shouted to Raphael in the distance:
"Raphael, do you know about this?"
The Desolate Skeleton Man approached, and Thales noticed that the other person's eyes were disguised in other colors.
Under the unkind looks of the two royal guards, Raphael showed a friendly smile:
"What's up?"
Thales glanced at him and snorted coldly:
"fine."
"If you have any inconvenience, Your Highness," Raphael obviously knew how to read people's words. He saw some clues in the expressions of the three people:
"The Secret Department welcomes you to stay for a few more hours..."
"Thank you, but no need." Thales decisively refused.
"I guess you don't mind if I go back with my guards?"
Raphael looked at Thales for a few seconds.
"Excuse me," the desolate skeleton man smiled broadly and called out the names and origins of the other two people:
"Jalen Glover from the Glover family, and Gianluca Conmuto from the Security Department, are famous members of the royal guard. Of course we can trust them."
Glover and Konmuto both frowned, but Raphael had already bowed, turned and walked away.
"That's..." Glover looked at Raphael's retreating back, and then slowly released the hilt of the sword he was unconsciously holding in his hand.
"The person who wipes my ass." Thales said gloomily.
The prince couldn't help but get on the carriage:
"Now, let's go back to Mindis Hall—to deal with the flag bearer."
However, Glover shook his head firmly:
"No, Your Highness."
Thales' expression changed slightly.
"What Chief Mallos means is," Conmuto took over, smiling a little stiffly:
"Don't rush back to Mindis Hall yet."
Thales showed doubts.
Conmuto said cautiously:
"Those who hold the flag wing, they carry... His Majesty's orders."
His Majesty's order.
Thales was stunned.
"And people from all departments are here..."
Conmuto said sarcastically:
"If you come forward rashly and the scene is not good-looking..."
He said no more.
But Thales already understood.
The prince stood in front of the carriage in a daze.
"So," Thales said in a daze:
"I entered the Fuxing Palace on the front foot, but someone raided my home on the back foot. Now I have a home and can't go back?"
Conmuto looked ashamed:
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, it was our lax security at the banquet that caused such an accident..."
"No."
Thales forced himself to calm down and tried to sort out the messy things of the whole day.
"No, no, no."
"No, believe me," after thinking about it, Thales suddenly wanted to laugh:
"This is definitely not your fault."
After returning to the stars for so long, he has always followed the rules and dared not be arrogant.
Last night was the first time since he returned home that he made a free and possibly risky choice.
Then he paid the price.
Thales laughed dumbly, making the two guards look at each other.
As punishment, he had just watched a royal meeting with trepidation, and was mercilessly reprimanded by the king. After that, he was taken to the secret department and enjoyed the full company of the Black Prophet. Even his Mindis Hall and Star Lake Guards were severely punished.
Beat hard.
As for now...
Glover interjected in a low voice:
"In fact, Lord Marius suggested that we return to the Palace of Restoration."
"Return to Fuxing Palace?" Thales sneered, with a hint of sarcasm that he couldn't even feel:
"Going to find my father?"
"No, go find Ms. Jini," Conmuto stared at Thales' expression carefully:
"Sir said that only she can..."
protect you.
Commuto took the rest of his words to heart.
Thales was silent.
Find Jinnie.
Is it.
In this way, it's like six years ago when I first arrived at Mindis Hall.
Facing countless known and unknown threats, we can only drift with the tide.
Seeking protection from others.
six years ago.
The prince held the car and drove it, his face expressionless and motionless.
A long time passed.
Finally, after Conmuto winked at Glover for the third time in a row, Duke Xinghu closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly.
"No, we are not going back to Fuxing Palace."
"I'm not looking for Ms. Ji Ni either."
Conmuto and Glover both frowned.
Thales opened his eyes.
"Let's go to Sai Wan District, Hongfang Street."
At that moment, both guards were stunned for a moment:
"What?"
Thales held the carriage's axle tightly and gritted his teeth gently:
"There, there is a club called 'One Night's Encounter'."
Conmuto's eyes widened, while Grover's expression was solemn.
"Your Highness, what are you going to do there?" Conmuto asked carefully.
"What to do? Of course..."
Thales let go of the wheel, glanced at him, and said calmly:
"Go find a woman."
Conmuto understood at first, and then felt embarrassed:
"But, Your Highness, your identity..."
Thales sneered.
"Who said I'm going to be a prince?"
The prince climbed into the car and pointed at the two of them:
"You lead the way, Conmuto, we'll go change our clothes first, and then you lead the way in, Glover."
Zombies are shocked:
"but……"
But Thales interrupted him rudely:
"Remember, Glover, when you get there..."
"Your name is," at this moment, Thales's smile disappeared and his voice was extremely cold: