This was Thales' first thought, and half of his face was pressed against the cold stone ground, feeling the dust and pain.
From the time when the prince entered the house and forced his way into the palace, raising a sword across his neck, to when he was careless and was captured by mistake, the situation changed in a flash, beyond imagination.
The entire Ballard Room was stunned and didn't even have time to react.
The focus of the field - Marico tightened Thales's twisted arm, took a deep breath, and reported to King Kessel with excitement:
"Your Majesty, the intruders have been captured!"
King Kessel did not answer immediately.
He just looked deeply at Thales on the ground.
His face sank like the sea.
Don't know what to think.
The royal guards wanted to rush forward, but the frowning Captain Adrian raised his hand at the right time and stopped them five steps away.
Many people then reacted and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Is it over?" Soduo stared blankly at the prince who was firmly suppressed and unable to move.
Gilbert said nothing, but his face was dejected and his eyes were red.
Prime Minister Cullen also remained silent, bowing his head in deep thought.
"Oh my God, thank God, thank you Sunset, I knew..." Manager Qiu Ke broke away from Soduo's hand covering his mouth. He was still in shock. He was obviously very frightened.
Noisy, chaotic, and commotion, the atmosphere in Ballard's room was finally no longer so depressing.
But Marico was keenly aware that his boss, Adrian beside His Majesty, had a serious face and shook his head at him.
The king's voice sounded, causing the room to become silent again.
"It looks like," Kessel stared at Thales who was captured by mistake, thoughtfully:
"It's not that easy if you want to commit suicide."
"child."
Everyone had different moods, and all their eyes turned to the young captive on the ground.
"nonsense."
Thales tried his best to resist Marico's suppression, took a hard breath of air between the dust and the ground, and gritted his teeth:
"Stop wasting your fucking time."
The Mariko Pioneer officer riding on him snorted disdainfully.
Seeing that even though Duke Xinghu failed, he still spoke rudely and rebelliously, whispers arose in the Ballard room.
King Kessel narrowed his eyes, the glare in his eyes almost tearing Thales apart.
At the conference table, Gilbert, who had witnessed the whole process, sighed and stood up slowly.
"Your Majesty, it's as you said."
The Foreign Minister was so lost that he did not look at Thales on the ground:
"Prince Thales is overtired and really needs to...recuperate."
Qiu Ke on the side rolled his eyes:
"Well, Your Majesty, why don't we end today's meeting here..."
"If necessary, Your Majesty," Archdeacon Stylianides sighed:
"The Sunset Church can conduct confession for the lost prince and redeem himself..."
"No," Viscount Conney frowned and looked at his colleagues:
"Everyone, today's matter is related to the stability of the kingdom, so please keep your mouth shut..."
The ministers were all talking, and the meeting room became lively again.
"quiet!"
At this moment, Prime Minister Cullen suddenly shouted loudly.
The entire Ballard Room fell silent.
"It's a royal household chore."
Uncharacteristically, Duke Donghai turned to the king calmly and without doubt:
"Your Majesty makes your own decision."
Then everyone's eyes turned to the end of the long table again.
But King Kessel didn't respond.
Half of his body was in the shadow of the throne, with only his head and chest exposed from the firelight, which made his eyes flicker.
The king's silence seemed to have magic power, and gradually infected the entire conference room. From the ministers to the guards, everyone couldn't help but mute their voices, not even daring to speak out loud.
Except one person.
"Please, father!"
Even though the rebellion failed, Thales's laughter still had no scruples and was particularly harsh in the Ballard room:
"When big things happen, will you choose to be a stupid idiot or a suicidal coward?"
King Kessel's eyes became sharper and sharper.
Pioneer Officer Mariko's expression turned cold, and he exerted force on his knees, cutting off Thales' words in a hiss of pain.
At this moment.
"Mariko."
King Kessel’s voice sounded faintly:
"Let him go."
At that moment, everyone was stunned.
"Yes -" Marico accepted the order excitedly at first, then realized what was happening and raised his head in shock:
"His Majesty?"
"You, you said...what?"
He was not the only one who had this question, but Prime Minister Cullen's expression was thoughtful, Gilbert's eyes were filled with hope, and more people had doubts and fears in their hearts.
Only one person was not surprised:
On the ground, from an invisible angle, Thales endured the pain and raised the corners of his mouth.
"I said……"
King Kessel snorted and spoke, his voice was not loud, but it made everyone quiet down unconsciously.
"The bright star has made a promise."
The Iron-fisted King pays deep attention to his traitorous son:
"As you wish, child."
"let's talk."
After the king's voice fell, there was silence in the Ballard room for a moment, and many people exchanged looks in surprise.
Marico took a deep breath, roughly pulled Thales up from the ground, and pressed him heavily on the table, making the latter groan in pain:
"Your Majesty, Prince Thales intends to rebel. Once he escapes from trouble, it may be detrimental to you..."
He was not the only one who was worried, as the officials in front of the imperial court were talking in different directions.
"Alone?" Advisor Thordo looked at the load-bearing sword that had been confiscated by the royal guards: "But Your Majesty, at least let Adrian be there to protect..."
"Well, if we want to interrogate, we can find a cell, the kind with a fence..." This was Chief Qiu Ke who was still frightened.
"Where are the people from the secret department? They should handle it..."
"No, don't reveal even half of what happened today..."
boom!
There was a muffled sound, but King Kessel punched hard and hit the table!
The teacup on the table was shaken and rattled, and everyone was shocked.
The ministers and guards reacted and bowed their heads in silence, nervously waiting for the king's admonishment.
There was sudden silence in the room.
However, the Iron Fist King said nothing.
He just lowered his eyes with a cold expression, remaining as taciturn and calm as ever, like a hunter patiently waiting for his prey.
A full ten seconds.
During this period, everyone kept their eyebrows down and did not dare to say anything.
Thales was still pinned to the table.
He panted, waiting for this oppressive silence.
Finally, Lord Adrian, who was closest to the king, sighed and took a step forward: "Your Majesty has made a decision."
"Royal Guards, everyone, get out of the room immediately!"
The guards who were waiting in full formation looked at each other in shock when they heard this order.
"Sir!" Mariko raised his head quickly: "We can't take risks..."
"The Emperor's Imperial Guard!"
Captain Adrian's expression changed and he shouted loudly:
"Why are you swinging your sword?"
As soon as these words came out, all the royal guards, including Marico, were shocked.
The king said nothing and watched this scene coldly.
Mariko glanced at Thales, who was being held by him, and swallowed hard:
"This sword is wielded only for the emperor's order."
"No other use."
Adrian nodded expressionlessly and said no more.
Seeing this situation, the officials whispered among themselves, but the guards looked solemn.
The next moment, Thales felt his arms loosen, and the pain, restraint and weight on his body disappeared.
"By your Majesty's orders, Your Highness Thales," Mariko Pioneer took a step back and stared at the young man leaning on the table with vigilance and annoyance, gritting his teeth but being polite:
"Please get up!"
Thales groaned and pushed himself up from the table in pain.
Grass.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, gasped, kicked away a chair, and sat down heavily.
Seeing Thales getting out of trouble, the expressions of the officials changed slightly, and the guards subconsciously pressed their weapons, but under Adrian's stern eyes, no one dared to make a mistake.
With a cold face, Mariko bowed in the direction of the king and commander, turned around and arranged for the royal guards to exit the room in an orderly manner.
"My lords, the kitchen has prepared dinner," Lord Adrian spoke again, attracting the attention of the royal ministers:
"please?"
The captain of the guard raised his hand toward the door, his face full of spring breeze, respectful and polite.
It's like this is just an ordinary palace meal.
From Gilberto to Sodo, from Joker to Connie, several ministers looked at me and at you. Some of them looked embarrassed, or had doubts, or were worried, but none of them moved.
King Kessel's eyes gradually turned cold.
"Just in time, I've been hungry for a long time! Eat, eat, eat!"
Duke Cullen's cheerful voice sounded in time, breaking the tension and embarrassment.
The Prime Minister stood up excitedly and stretched out his belly. At this moment, he seemed to have turned back into the naive and pot-bellied Duke.
"Although the dishes at Fuxing Palace are notoriously shabby and rigid, they remain the same..."
When he was about to reach the door, Prime Minister Cullen paused and turned back to look at Thales deeply:
"But I thought there might be a surprise in this meal?"
There was a voice outside, but no one dared to answer it.
Only the Iron Fist King snorted coldly.
The Prime Minister chuckled, pushed past the guard line, and disappeared out the door.
Qiu Ke, who had been restless for a long time, looked around, shrugged with a smile, and quickly followed the pace of the Prime Minister.
Seeing that Qiu Ke and Cullen had set a precedent, and the king was resolute, the other ministers had doubts and worries, but they did not delay. They filed out one by one.
"Your Majesty, if you need anything, anything," Soduo said with a serious expression before leaving:
"I'm right next door, waiting to be called."
King Kessel seemed to come to life at this moment, and nodded imperceptibly to the military advisor.
"Don't worry, Lord Thordo," Thales tapped the arm of his chair and looked tiredly at King Kessel on the other side: "I will take good care of him for you."
"This will be a frank, sincere, cordial and friendly conversation."
The young man narrowed his eyes.
"Father, and son."
Kings, and princes.
Bright star, to bright star.
Thales snorted lightly:
"Is not it?"
King Kessel did not respond, only his eyes became darker and darker.
Soduo frowned and turned around decisively.
Gilbert was the last minister to leave. He looked hesitant and hesitated again and again, but couldn't help but turn around:
"Your Majesty, even if your heart is hard to resolve, please remember that your blood is related to you and that your highness is still young..."
King Kessel's eyes turned like the edge of a sword and fell on the Foreign Minister.
Gilbert spoke for a moment.
But Thales's voice sounded from the side again:
"Thank you, Gilbert."
Thales turned his back to Gilbert and spoke with a smile that left no room for doubt: "But according to the standards of the Empire Era, I am already an adult."
Gilbert was stunned for a moment.
Thales turned around and gave him a bright smile:
"I can already hold a sword and fight, marry a wife and have children."
King Kessel remained motionless, but Gilbert's eyes were complicated.
The Foreign Secretary sighed, said nothing more, and followed his colleagues away with unsteady steps.
Seeing that all the big shots had left, Adrian breathed a secret sigh of relief.
On the other side, Mariko led the last few royal guards while monitoring Thales while walking backwards out of the Ballard Room.
"Be careful, Pioneer Officer."
Thales suddenly spoke, causing Marico, who was holding the load-bearer, to stop.
"That sword is the heirloom of the Karabiyan family," the prince turned his head and said:
"Very heavy."
Mariko took a deep breath.
But before he could reply, Adrian had already spoken.
"Although the sword is heavy," the captain of the general guard stepped forward and tidied up Thales's messy clothes. He also tore off the clothes and bandaged the scratches on Thales' shoulders and neck:
"But it is our responsibility to bear the burden of the royal family."
Looking at Adrian who was bandaging his wounds, Thales' tone became much better:
"Thank you, Lord Adrian, for apologizing to the brothers in the palace guard for me..."
"They don't need to apologize."
Adrian interrupted the prince, his attitude was still gentle, but his eyes were different:
"What awaits them will be the review by the flag officer, the sentencing by the penalty officer, and the record of dereliction of duty that will accompany their lifetime resume."
Thales was speechless after hearing this.
His tone deepened:
"I am sorry."
Lord Adrian smiled slightly, treated the prince's wound, and patted him on the shoulder.
"I've already said it, Your Highness," the captain of the general guard nodded slightly:
"It is our responsibility to bear the burden of the royal family."
Mariko behind him snorted angrily, lifted the bearer heavily to the ground, turned around and left.
As Adrian left for the last time, the door to the Ballard Room slammed shut.
Only the king and the prince were left, facing each other on both sides of the discussion table, against the backdrop of the lights and the setting sun.
The Ballard Room is not large, so it seems crowded and lively when the Royal Council is held.
But there were only two people left at this time, but there was an eerie desolation.
"Say it," King Kessel wasted no time, and his cold words sounded from the other end of the discussion table, as if they were separated by mountains and seas:
"How are you going to be 'born for the stars'?"
Thales did not answer immediately.
He first touched the corners of his mouth that were getting red and swollen, cursed Marico's old fist, patted the seat under his butt, and felt emotional.
He finally sat down.
After all, he fought hard to get this seat.
Rather than what Gilbert made for him.
And now, his battle is just about to begin.
【If you want to fight, be fully armed.】
Thinking of this, Thales raised his head and showed his most sincere smile to his opponent.
"Oh, I thought you didn't understand..."
The second prince picked up a teacup on the table and drank the remaining tea in one gulp, regardless of who had used it:
"Or maybe you just understand it and pretend you don't know."
"Bright Star?"
Hearing this surname, King Kessel moved slightly.
After Thales finished drinking the tea, he threw the expensive tea cup back:
Bang!
The king looked at the prince's rough, rude and undisguised actions, his eyes slightly cold.
Seeing his father's eyes, Thales wiped the tea stains from his lips and hummed with a smile.
Well, Baron Quentin will definitely blame him again for this teacup.
But...what the heck.
"I said, why don't you step down too?"
Thales suddenly turned his head and looked into the void around him:
"Yodele?"
Hearing this name, King Kessel narrowed his eyes.
But there was silence in Ballard's room, except for the flickering firelight, there was no response.
On the other hand, King Kessel snorted coldly and looked at his son intriguingly.
Thales couldn't wait for an answer, so he scratched his forehead and laughed at himself:
"I...thought he was here."
King Kessel snorted mercilessly.
"Follow the tradition of the stars, if a member of the royal family makes a mistake."
The iron-fisted king's eyes were like blades, nailing him firmly to his seat:
"Their punishment will be carried out personally by the chief punishment officer of the royal guard - from flogging to hanging."
Punishment officer.
Execute it yourself.
Recalling the scene where Marius whipped Glover and D.D., Thales remained silent.
"Therefore, this position often favors candidates who abide by the rules, are selfless and not afraid of powerful people."
King Kessel had no intention of waiting for Thales to answer. There was a threat in his eyes:
"Judging from today, Second Pioneer Officer Marico is a good candidate."
Marico.
Candidate for Penal Officer.
Thales recalled the look on Mariko's face when he left, feeling the pain in his jaw and lower abdomen, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
He said with a headache: "Yes, Mariko Vanguard is quite good. Even Cohen and Glover can't defeat him together - of course, these two big men have no cooperation at all and are in each other's way..."
"No matter what you're going to say next."
King Kessel interrupted him coldly:
"Your foolish behavior tonight has made the situation extremely ugly: the worst consequences have already occurred."
"Irreversible."
King Kessel’s gaze swept across like a sword:
"The same goes for punishment."
"Including you and all those who follow you and make stupid mistakes."
punish.
he.
as well as
people who follow him.
Wyatt, Rolf, Cohen, Glover, D.D... Thinking of these people who followed him into the Renaissance Palace in a daze, Thales curled up his lips.
Just like six years ago, they followed him into the Palace of Heroes, right?
The young man exhaled a breath and leaned back in his chair.
"Okay, I admit that now it seems that the action is a bit hasty, hasty, and risky."
Thales shrugged, accidentally causing the injury, and couldn't help but grinned again:
"I... pay attention next time?"
But unfortunately, his father still looked indifferent and had no intention of cheering for his joke.
"It seems that you haven't learned anything in the secret department."
"Still impulsive, stupid, ridiculous, and lame."
King Kessel used four adjectives to complete this sentence.
Thales pursed his lips and nodded politely.
Impulsive, stupid, ridiculous, lame.
"And do you know how many major events you have delayed on this occasion and at this time?"
"I know."
Thales answered quickly.
"But I also know," he calmed down, returned to his battlefield, and raised his head to face the king: "As we speak, across the kingdom, there are still people who are waiting, some who are anxious, and some who are dying of despair.
"
Thales's expression became serious:
"There are many more people who don't know what kind of fate awaits them."
He met his father's gaze:
"So I have to come."
"Must come?"
The Iron Fist King sneered, but there was no smile in his eyes:
"I didn't bring a crown, but I did bring a head."
The king's voice went cold:
"What, are you coming to get it?"
The setting sun just fell outside the window, and the figure of Kessel V was dark and blurred in the scarlet backlight.
Thales smiled.
No crown.
But he brought the head with him.
After King Nun died, the blood-stained dragon scale crown flashed before his eyes.
The next moment, the sin of the Hell River surged in his veins.
The prince's face turned cold, his figure flashed, and he rushed towards the king!
Whoosh!
Between the friction between the chair and the ground, Thales had a determined expression on his face. He leaned forward from his seat and suddenly extended his palm towards King Kessel opposite!
The Iron Fist King remained motionless and showed no surprise, just looking indifferently at Thales who was getting closer and closer.
Snapped!
There was a muffled sound, and the Ballard room returned to calm.
The setting sun and firelight reflected Thales's figure bright red and bloody.
But his palm stopped above the discussion table, but it was firmly restrained and could not move any further.
There are only a few feet away from King Kessel.
The lights swayed for a while, causing the light and shadow to vibrate, and I felt the belated strong wind.
"I told you, you are indeed here."
Thales had no expression on his face, not even looking at the mysterious figure that appeared in front of him:
"Yodel."
Yodel Gato, the masked guard he was all too familiar with, was kneeling on one knee on the meeting table, tightly holding Thales's wrist, and protecting the king behind him tightly.
Yoder didn't answer.
His mask is thick and rigid.
His gloves were as cold as ice.
His movements were steady and normal.
Thales looked at where his palm was pointing and sighed:
"It's a pity, it's just a little bit close."
The masked guard lowered his head slightly: On the table in front of the king, under Thales's fingers, lay quietly a crumpled letter.
On the cover, the iris-shaped lacquer is beautiful and delicate.
Yodel was stunned for a moment.
He raised his head, and the deep holes in the purple mask met Thales's eyes.
"Let him go." The king's voice sounded coldly.
Thales curled up the corners of his mouth. He looked at the masked guard and raised his eyebrows:
"I think he's talking about you?"
Yoder was silent for a moment.
The next second, the air in front of Thales rippled and rippled.
Yodel's figure blurred.
Facing this familiar scene, Thales just stared at the mask firmly, as if he could penetrate it and pierce another pair of eyes behind it.
Soon, Thales felt his wrist loosen.
The ripples completely disappeared.
Thales felt the remaining pain on his wrist, sighed, and pushed away a trace of sadness from his heart.
Now that he has made his decision, he has no time left to dwell on the past.
The young man reached out and grabbed the letter, walked back from the discussion table, and sat back down.
"So, this is the letter that 'Butthead' was talking about."
Butthead.
King Kessel frowned.
Thales explained absentmindedly while reading the letter:
"Oh, you know, there is a group in the secret department called 'Prince's Butt'... Forget it, it's not important."
Seeing that the Iron Fist King didn't care, Thales shrugged and hastily scanned the elegant and calm words on the letter to extract the key points.
"Tsk, tsk, you pay taxes and serve as slaves, but you also need to support the standing army budget?"
Thales put down the letter and his eyes were clear:
"Congratulations. Lord Soduo must be very happy, and Lord Qiuke is also very satisfied. Your wish to expand the standing army has been fulfilled, and everyone is happy?"
King Kessel was silent for a while.
"You don't hesitate to break the ban and break into the palace," the king said quietly after a few seconds:
"Is this what you're talking about when you say something treacherous and act complicit in rebellion?"
Thales laughed, and his laughter was so loud that it resounded throughout the Ballard Room.
But the king still had a rude expression and just looked at him indifferently.
Until Thales' smile faded and he said solemnly:
"So, where's the pit?"
The Iron Fist King narrowed his eyes.
His outline became brighter and clearer under the light, no longer a blurry shadow in the backlight.
"Where is the pit?"
Thales took a deep breath, leaned forward on the table, and raised the letter in his hand.
"Let me tell you, this "Petition" is both flattering and self-defeating. It not only wants to pay taxes but also abolish military service. Even at the expense of slandering your reputation, it also wants to make a public appeal for you, so that the nobles across the country will follow your example...
…”
"besides……"
The young man narrowed his eyes slightly:
"Jane Kevin Deere, how many holes have you left?"
At that moment, King Kessel's pupils flashed slightly.
"How many pitfalls? How many problems? How many obstacles? How many flowery words?"
"How many times have he smiled with sinister intentions, while you gritted your teeth and used his helpless tricks?"
King Kessel did not answer, but the atmosphere around him became colder and colder.
Seeing the other party's reaction, Thales sneered and shook his head. He didn't press the question and just leaned back in his chair again.
"I know that you have a good relationship with him since he hired a vampire to assassinate me six years ago and therefore had to pay you for some of the limestone deposits. You and your ministers get along well with each other and cooperate from time to time."
Or... trade?
"But believe me, father, Zhan and I have known each other for a long time."
Thales stared at the letter in his hand, his eyes turning cold:
"It's better to be friends than to die because of enemies."
"Enemies know each other better than allies."
The king looked at him carefully and was silent for a few seconds before snorting.
"Interesting, do you know about Emerald City?"
Thales raised his gaze and shook his head decisively:
"No, I know nothing."
King Kessel frowned.
"But I know that Zhan is definitely not a lamb to be slaughtered."
The image of Zhan appeared in front of him, making Thales trance for a while:
"He prides himself on being noble but is good at calculations. He never engages in loss-making business. He behaves like a dog in front of others and will retaliate against others behind his back. He is a sophisticated and difficult self-interested bastard."
Thales came back to his senses and looked at the king seriously:
"He will not act like a cow or a horse for you and devote himself to you just because of a weapon that was 'accidentally lost' at the banquet, or in other words, because of a trivial matter like murdering the Prince of the Stars."
The young man finished speaking, but King Kessel's expression remained unchanged, as indifferent as before.
It was as if he didn't hear his sarcasm.
"that's all?"
The king said calmly: "Nothing else?"
Thales smiled.
He observed King Kessel's reaction and found that as always, he was unable to feel the other person's subtle changes in expressions and movements. Even with his hell sense, he could only see an iron wall and a mist.
But so what.
"Of course, you know this very well, and you also know him and understand him," Thales said with certainty:
"You already knew."
"Although I foresee all kinds of disadvantages, I know that Zhan is difficult to deal with, and I know that he will not go along with your wishes..."
The prince categorically said:
"But you still chose him."
"You still took the opportunity to blackmail him, threaten the Emerald City and the South Coast Territory, and force him to fill the budget gap for your standing army expansion."
Thales stared at King Kessel and suddenly had a realization.
Nunn, Charmaine, Calamity... or Kessel now.
Engage the enemy, detect the enemy, and control the enemy.
But another battle.
King Kessel looked at him, and after a long, long time, he sneered slightly.
"You're wasting my time..."
"Why?"
Thales suddenly spoke, interrupting the king.
“Why does it have to be the South Bank?”
Thales slowly leaned forward, pushed the Iris letter to the other party, and whispered:
"Why does it have to be Zhan En to provide you with a budget for military expansion? To make an appeal for you to reduce conscription? To open the door for you to reform the military system? To pull the kingdom's chariot for you?"
The king's eyes moved.
"snort."
King Kessel sneered:
"Because he happened to bump into the door, because he was stupid enough to reach out to Fuxing Palace."
Thales closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"No."
He opened his eyes gently.
"The reason why it's South Bank is Zhan."
"Because you have no choice."
Thales stared at the Iron Fist King steadily.
"And the reason why you have no choice..."
But Thales couldn't finish.
"Before your people suffer with you."
King Kessel looked bored and gradually lost his patience:
"Don't you have anything else to say?"
There was a roar, but Thales stood up, gritted his teeth, and pounded the table hard:
boom!
"Because of Xihuang!"
Thales roared angrily, interrupting the king's words.
At that moment, the sins of the Hell River rolled in, and Thales roared loudly, shaking the Ballard Room:
"Western Wasteland!"
When the prince finished speaking, the sound was so loud that the candlelight flickered and the light and shadow trembled.
Western Wasteland.
Upon hearing this place name, King Kessel's sharp gaze froze in mid-air.
"His Majesty?"
There were anxious knocks and inquiries outside the door:
"Your Majesty? What happened? Please answer me!"
But at this moment, the two people in the room, neither Thales nor King Kessel, had the time or the inclination to pay attention to the sounds outside the door.
Their eyes met in the air, like two sword blades intertwined, sparks flying from the friction.
"Because your first choice, your best choice, is the horse that you have reserved to pull the chariot for you." Amidst the rapid knock on the door, Thales spoke one word at a time, using all his strength to forcefully pull the chariot.
He said these words out loud:
"It was supposed to be Xihuang."
"Not South Shore."
At that moment, his eyes turned into the sharpest blades, piercing Kessel's eyes.
With a bang, the door suddenly opened!
A team of royal guards led by Second Vanguard Officer Marico rushed in eagerly:
"I knew something would happen! Protect His Majesty and capture the rebels——"
However, in just the next second, King Kessel on the throne suddenly turned his head and roared loudly:
"Get out!"
Marico's words stopped abruptly.
He looked at King Kessel, who was intact and full of anger, and was suddenly at a loss:
"Your Majesty, I, I thought..."
But the Iron Fist King no longer paid attention to Marico. He just frowned and stared at Thales.
But Thales smiled.
"Father," the prince took a deep breath, becoming more and more sure of his guess, and couldn't help but smile:
"Why are you so angry?"
King Kessel calmed down his anger, his breathing gradually became calmer, but his eyes became colder and colder.
"Stand down, Commander Marico." Thales sat back down, still having time to stretch out his hand to straighten his collar.
At this moment, although his face was covered with dust, he looked surprisingly elegant and upright, calm and composed:
"We are all decent people. We are not barbarians from the north who kill our brothers to seize the throne or commit regicide at the slightest disagreement."
Mariko gritted his teeth and was furious.
"By the way, Your Excellency Pioneer Officer..."
Thales' smile was bright and gentle. He pinched his right thumb and index finger at a right angle and playfully made a shooting gesture towards Marico:
"Your Majesty thinks highly of you."
Marico was stunned for a moment.
Captain Adrian's hand reached out from behind, pressed his shoulder, and pulled him away without any objection.
Only then did Marico, a conscientious person, realize that the conversations between the bright stars cannot be judged by common sense.
The door is closed again.
Only then did Thales notice that at some point, the setting sun outside the window had completely disappeared.
Only the coldness of the night remains.
"Why?"
The king's voice sounded coldly.
Although there was only one question word, like before, Thales knew what he wanted to ask.
"A few months ago, when I was still in the secret headquarters of Longxiao City, worrying about how to escape back to the kingdom, Putilai told me that behind the rescue plan were the efforts of countless people in the stars day and night.
"
Thales' thoughts flew back to Longxiao City, and he said quietly:
"So I asked him."
"Is it worth it?"
"Putilai," King Kessel muttered the name with a look in his eyes:
"Putilai Nimman, he told you?"
But Thales ignored him.
He was just immersed in his past in a daze:
"The entire Kingdom of Stars mobilized troops from top to bottom. Thousands of soldiers went deep into the desert, and countless officials came to follow. You even handed over the Blade Fang camp directly under the royal family and loosened the western front that you had controlled for many years."
"Such a huge battle and sacrifice was just to bring back an insignificant prince who had been a hostage in a foreign country for six years."
Thales sighed, returned to the present, and looked directly at the Iron Fist King: "Is this worth it?"
"Good question."
King Kessel V stared at Thales with indifference and disdain:
"But there's a terrible answer."
Bad answer.
Thales chuckled, looked at the ceiling, and shook his head mockingly:
"Of course it's not worth it."
King Kessel did not speak, his silhouette was erratic under the illumination of the eternal lamp.
Thales raised the letter in his hand
"In six years, from vampire to banquet, I was murdered twice by Kevin Deere."
At that moment, he had mixed emotions in his eyes.
"One after the other, you didn't forget to ask for compensation from Iris, and you made a lot of money."
"My money will be as good as yours, my money will be as good as yours, and my calculations will be as shrewd as yours, father."
"How can you be willing to mobilize the whole country, spend countless resources, and lose important military towns, just to do a loss-making business, in exchange for an impulse, stupid, ridiculous, lame..." Taylor paused and spat out the last part sarcastically.
that word:
"son?"
Hearing the other party use his own words to retaliate against him, Kessel snorted indifferently:
"Why, are you here to cry to me?"
"son."
Thales snorted lightly and laughed to himself.
"No, in fact, I vaguely knew when I was in the Western Wilderness that you must have other purposes for sending troops here."
Thales' thoughts returned to the distant Ghost Prince Tower:
"After experiencing the chaotic night at the Blade Fang Camp, and seeing the unruly behavior of the Legend Wings, I thought you wanted to take advantage of my return to attack those who dared to use me as a bargaining chip to claim the Blade Fang Camp and the Western Front.
The princes of the Western Wilderness who are bargaining with you."
"To demonstrate the authority of the king and attack local forces."
The next moment, Thales' smile disappeared.
"But I'm still too naive and immature."
The young man stared at the king:
"Until today, until this royal council."
"Until this letter."
The fire was dim, and Kessel V said nothing.
But the way he looked at Thales gradually changed.
"A few months ago, father, the reason why you assembled an unprecedented royal standing army was to enter the Western Wilderness and join forces with the local princes."
Thales' eyes dimmed:
"It's not for the so-called purpose of intimidating the North Land and welcoming back the prince, nor is it for the so-called retaking of Blade Tooth Camp and beating the princes of the Western Wilderness."
"It is for a higher, bigger, and more shocking goal that can affect the future of the kingdom and the world."
At that moment, King Kessel's eyes became sharper than ever before.
"Yes, I underestimated you."
Thales took a deep breath, looked serious, and called him by his name:
"Kessel Bright Star."
"I even forgot that you are not a businessman in the market, but the king of a country. Your thoughts and desires are not limited to one thing or thing, or even one city or place."
The lights flickered and the light and shadow vibrated.
The Iron-fisted King looked at his son from a distance, but like a falcon staring at its prey.
Thales frowned, feeling unprecedented heaviness and pressure:
"The description of you should not be that you are always careful about spending every penny, and you are careful and calculating, but should be -"
Thales gritted his teeth and looked at the Iron Fist King in front of him as if he were looking at the most terrifying enemy in this world:
"Going your own way."
"Greed is unbridled."
"Knock on the bones and suck out the marrow."
Kessel said nothing.
Thales stared at his father, just as the other man's gaze tightly enveloped him.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
"Now, Yoder."
Just when Thales thought he couldn't bear the king's gaze, the voice of King Kessel V sounded emotionlessly and spread into the void: