King Kessel's voice came from across the long table, extremely cold.
"Is this what you are obsessed with?"
The king's shadow was stretched by the firelight to the wall behind him, and a touch of sarcasm appeared in his eyes:
"your mother?"
Thales stared deeply at King Kessel.
Serenjailana.
Chief Priest Li Xiya, Queen Keya, Old Crow, Griwal, and almost everyone who knew his mother all had completely different evaluations of this woman.
So, what about his father?
"Don't forget," the prince said softly:
"I inherited her name."
or more.
The king snorted softly.
"Gilbert shouldn't have let you choose that middle name."
He spoke slowly, but the words were as cold as ice:
"Meaningless."
Thales also smiled softly and shook his head:
"As far as I know, you told Gilbert her name."
"So what did you expect?"
The king responded very quickly and said coldly:
"Do you expect your mother to be an outstanding woman with extraordinary background? A learned and talented female scholar, a noble lady, or a brave and fearless female warrior? So that you can be proud and have something to rely on?"
Thales looked at King Kessel's expression and was surprised to find that this was one of the few topics that the other party could respond to in a long sentence.
The prince tentatively said:
"So, is she?"
The king sneered, but his smile disappeared immediately.
"She's a bitch."
Thales' expression changed slightly.
"Just like most prostitutes," King Kessel said with an indifferent expression and a disdainful tone.
"She was a philistine and greedy. She pretended to be pretentious in front of her customers all day long and sold herself for pay—until she died."
"I don't even remember her face."
After listening to the king's words, Thales was silent for a long time.
"Bitch?"
Thales muttered in ecstasy:
"prostitute?"
Listening to such adjectives, he first thought of the desert slave girl described by the old crow Xixer, the magical Seran.
Immediately afterwards, the young man's mind flashed back to the portrait he saw in the secret department - "Oriental Porn" Alf.
However, he remembered the "playboy" Belicia he had seen in the Secret Department, and her charming posture as she moved around under Raphael's hands.
"Exactly."
"Your questions and expectations are meaningless," the king said in a nonchalant tone: "You will not get any comfort and peace of mind from her."
"To her, you are just an accident after a certain transaction."
An accident in a certain transaction.
Thales couldn't help but clenched his fists.
He suddenly remembered the color in Kuaisheng's eyes when he talked about the girl he liked in the Blade Tooth Camp.
【That girl.】
【She is not a bitch.】
【no.】
"And you are acting like a mother-in-law and a mother-in-law," King Kessel said coldly:
"It has completely disgraced the royal family."
Thales took a deep breath and gently unclenched his fists.
"You are right, father."
"Gilbert's biggest mistake was letting me keep her name."
The king's expression did not change.
"Because," Thales' eyes turned cold.
"If she was just an insignificant whore, you wouldn't even bother to remember her appearance."
Thales raised his head and looked directly at the king:
"Then why do you still remember her name?"
At that moment, King Kessel’s eyes opened slightly!
Thales stared at his father and whispered that special name:
"Theran—Zelana?"
The moment the words fell, Thales had an illusion.
It was like winter suddenly entered the Ballard Room, the temperature dropped sharply and the air became stagnant.
Even the lights no longer flicker.
And the source of all coldness is at the end of the long table.
The embarrassing silence lasted for a full ten seconds.
"I have given you a chance, child," the king's voice returned to its daily toughness and coldness:
"And you ruined it."
He looked deeply at Thales, with only deathly silence in his eyes.
The sin of the Hell River in Thales's veins began to flow again, seeming to break through the solidified atmosphere.
At that moment, the young man suddenly felt that the king's patience had come to an end, and his next words would be to call the guards.
So Thales is faster than him.
"Amore."
The prince spoke softly, successfully freezing the king's eyes as he looked towards the door.
King Kessel looked back.
"Amore?"
Thales took a deep breath and nodded.
"Yes, Emory Town in the Western Wasteland."
"This place is ruled by the Emory family and has a long history. The lord's surname is the origin of the place name."
King Kessel frowned slightly.
Thales recalled what the two Western Wildernesses, Dele Chroma and Anke Bailar, had said to him. He calmly spoke:
"A few years ago, the lord baron of this town suffered injustice. He wanted to turn to the Renaissance Palace to protest and seek help from the king."
"But he encountered misfortune on the way, and his whole family died of the epidemic."
Thales observed King Kessel's reaction. The latter remained motionless but did not interrupt him.
The next second, Thales' tone changed:
"But in fact, as an orthodox vassal of the kingdom, Baron Emery did not die of illness."
Thales gritted his teeth:
"He and his family were raided and killed by the coalition forces of his lords and peers - the three major families in power in the Western Wilderness, Falkenhaus, Chroma, and Bozdorf."
The two were silent for a few seconds.
"interesting."
The king thought for a while and said slowly:
"Where did you know that?"
Thales' eyes dimmed.
In the cell of the secret department, Anke's painful voice sounded in his ears:
[He also said, if I fail, if I have to use this bargaining chip...]
【I must give it to you.】
【I can only leave it to you.】
With his thoughts at this point, Thales took a deep breath.
"It's not important," he regained his composure and turned his attention to the matter in front of him:
"The important thing is..."
Facing the king's burning gaze, Thales spoke calmly and spoke loudly:
"In the 414th year of the End Calendar, the 'creditor' Heyman II issued the Bloodless Order, prohibiting the vassals in the kingdom from starting private wars and killing each other..."
His voice became serious:
"However, the princes of the Western Wilderness are lawless and act recklessly."
"As vassals, they excessively abused their right to armed self-defense and plotted to kill Baron Amore in order to avenge themselves."
Thales was talking about the events in the Western Wilderness, but he stared at the face of the Iron Fist King in front of him:
"The methods are cruel and horrific, and the crimes are shocking."
The Iron-Fisted King's eyes lit up and the corners of his mouth raised slightly.
The prince looked sharply:
"Is this reason, this bargaining chip, and this horse enough to complete the 'Sand King'?"
Thales's voice fell, and the shadows of the eternal lights around him flickered.
He stared at the king.
King Kessel was silent for a long time, the light in his eyes flickering back and forth.
After a few seconds, the king gently closed his eyes and buried all his emotions in his heart.
"But we can't use it."
King Kessel said softly:
"The epidemic in Aimore Town is no longer news. The people of Xihuang handled it very cleanly, and there is no evidence of death."
Seeing the other party's reaction, Thales couldn't help but chuckle.
"That's right."
He confidently said:
"Unless it's not true..."
Thales' words stopped abruptly.
"etc."
He looked at the indifferent expression on King Kessel's face and figured out something.
The boy changed color slightly and couldn't believe it.
"you know."
Thales looked at Kessel and frowned:
"You have known about the town of Emery and this case?"
The next second, King Kessel gently opened his eyes.
The king remained expressionless and did not answer.
But Thales already had his answer.
The young man couldn't help but frown.
"when?"
King Kessel calmly replied:
"When it happens."
Thales was stunned:
"what why?"
Thales discovered that the conversation between King Kessel and him had become extremely tacit since then.
For example, now, he doesn't even need to say complete sentences such as "Why did you let it happen?"
King Kessel looked at Thales faintly.
"A few years ago, the "Frontier Development Tax Exemption Order" affected a group of lords."
"Lord Emery of the Western Wasteland is just one of them," the Iron Fist King narrowed his eyes, "the one who can't hold his breath the most."
"After a little provocation, he took the bait."
Thales' eyes were frozen in mid-air.
A little provocation...
Taken the bait...
At that moment, the words of ‘Head Crow’ Dele Chroma appeared in Thales’ ears again:
[According to the Baron, the countless nouveau riche spawned by that law are eroding his interests every day, taking away his subjects, and cutting off his livelihood.]
In the secret prison, Anke Bailar’s dying words of despair also resurfaced:
[Obviously, Baron Amore couldn't help but feel pain, the king's decree dealt a huge blow to him...]
King Kessel sighed slightly, and his next tone was a bit regretful:
"However, Xihuanglao is particularly sensitive to disturbances at his doorstep."
"Before I even had time to draw the rod and catch the fish, I was cut off."
Thales was stunned.
Pull the rod...
Tangent…
The words of Dele and Anker continue to emerge:
[Baron Amore recruited soldiers, mobilized the army, and planned to cross the Western Wilderness to make a "big news" that would be seen by all the stars and "protest" to His Majesty and the kingdom. ]
[So much so that he planned to put aside the tacit understanding with the three major families and act recklessly on his own...]
Thales froze in his seat.
"It's you."
Thales said in a daze:
"The reason why Baron Emery raised troops to protest was because you secretly exerted pressure and deliberately incited him to find an excuse to intervene in the Western Wilderness?"
The Iron Fist King snorted:
"I said, he is just one of them."
one of them.
At that moment, Thales thought of Anke, who was tortured and bruised all over in the secret department.
And his family was ruined and his lover remained anonymous.
"So, it was a tragedy that Baron Amory was silenced and his whole family died."
Thales' voice was hoarse:
"You are the initiator."
Thales stared blankly at the table in front of him. The king's figure was projected on the opposite wall, dark and oppressive.
these people.
their misfortune.
only……
The dust crushed by power.
"Excessive praise," the king's voice remained calm, as if he didn't care:
"I didn't let the Xihuang guys kill people and silence them."
"Not to mention that they were so ruthless that they wiped out all the family members and militia servants in the castle, leaving no one alive - it seems that they learned a lot from Williams."
Kill and silence.
Clean and tidy.
Emery.
Bailar.
And that miserable family in Enci Town whose name he couldn't remember...
And that night at the Blade Tooth Camp, countless families were broken up and people died...
[Aristocrats, aristocrats, ha, these scumbags, what the hell are they.] On the wasteland, the sighs of the Dead Crow echoed in his ears.
Thinking of this, an unspeakable fatigue came over me.
The young man couldn't help but feel suffocated.
Thales took a deep breath and tried his best to maintain his emotions.
"I see."
The prince lowered his head, avoiding the other party's sight, and suppressing the disgust in his words:
"I see, that's a good plan."
"No, it's not good."
But King Kessel’s voice still penetrated his eardrums unstoppably:
"We underestimated the acumen and decisiveness of the Xihuang people. We only got an unsolved case with no evidence, and we also alerted the snake and made them more vigilant."
The king's eyes sharpened.
"Until now."
Thales trembled slightly.
King Kessel suddenly raised his head: "It's not without evidence, right?"
"You have evidence."
His attitude was firm and unquestionable.
Thales' arms tightened.
evidence.
Anke's last voice faintly emerged:
[In any case, His Majesty will be very happy to get this bargaining chip. 】
【very happy.】
Thales took a deep breath and swallowed.
He raised his head with difficulty and looked directly into the king's eyes.
But at that moment, there was only endless depth in Kessel's eyes.
After a few seconds, the young man used all his strength to bite out two words from between his teeth:
"I have."
His tone was extremely tired:
"irrefutable evidence."
irrefutable evidence.
The voice fell.
"good."
King Kessel's expression remained unchanged and he said calmly:
"I am listening."
I am listening.
Thales took a deep breath, but paused the moment he opened his mouth.
【Then, Your Highness, what is the price? 】
Anke's desperate voice sounded out of thin air.
Thales coughed unnaturally and forced himself to continue:
"In that tragedy, there was another person..."
【And Tina, Tina...】
【She will never, ever, never forgive me.】
Thales paused again.
"There is another person..."
Thales' lips parted and his words were stagnant.
etc.
Once he said it.
That girl, Anke's lover, had been destroyed by the ferocity of power.
There are also Anke's younger brothers and sisters, those who have lost their parents and brothers and are isolated and helpless in the Western Wilderness.
What kind of future will we face?
How many people's fate will be changed because of the impact of one of their own words?
Thales breathed in a daze.
Seeing his appearance, the king frowned.
[That girl named Tina...she is very good?]
【the best……】
A tortured and bloodless face appeared in front of him.
Anke Bailar.
The young man who, in helplessness and despair, planned to sacrifice his life and take risks, but failed miserably in the end.
What kind of mood did he have in telling him this bargaining chip?
【But now, it is not important.】
【It’s no longer important.】
Thales took a deep breath and swallowed hard.
Use it, use this chip.
Because this is also Anke's choice.
This is what he expected.
Is not it?
And, if he's not here, just get over it.
Thales' eyes turned to the table, the letter from Iris asking to pay taxes as a substitute.
The wheels of the kingdom will never stop.
If this horse doesn't work, King Kessel will find another one.
Even if you have to face more bloodshed.
Thales clenched his fists.
So he must continue.
must.
Thales raised his gaze and forced himself to appear firm:
"There is still an orphan girl left at the knees of Baron Emery who died unjustly."
The king's eyes lit up.
"The poor girl witnessed a horrific scene. She escaped the butcher's knife and luckily survived."
Thales gritted his teeth, hiding his confusion and dejection:
"Her identity and experience will prove to the world what a huge mistake the most powerful families in the Western Wilderness have made."
"And it is absolutely necessary for the Fuxing Palace to reform the military system and restrict the abuse of military power by vassals."
After the words fell, Thales let out a long breath and his eyes fell.
He still said it.
The color in the king's eyes slowly changed.
He stared at the prince across the long table for a long time.
It was as if he was looking at an excellent weapon made of fine steel.
Finally, King Kessel smiled.
His laughter was very soft and faint, but it effectively relaxed the atmosphere in the room.
"This surviving orphan girl."
The Iron Fist King slowly leaned back, his tone becoming calm and relaxed for the first time:
"where is she?"
where is she?
Thales discovered sadly that the king didn't even bother to ask her name.
but.
but……
[Then think carefully, what did you become after you became a prince? 】
Long ago, the sentiment of the fast rope in the hut reappeared.
【Can you still choose your own path? Follow your own heart?】
Thales' arms trembled slightly.
【Are you still you or Thales? 】
[Or has it... turned into something else? 】
"I'm listening," the king said with great interest:
"Duke Thales."
Thales took a deep breath, forgot these hesitating thoughts, and adjusted himself.
"You'll know."
Thales suddenly raised his head, his expression firm.
"But first, everyone who followed me into the palace today will be acquitted."
"And I don't want to try Mariko Vanguard's whip, although he does his job well."
At the end of the long table, King Kessel remained silent.
Thales let go of the anxiety in his heart and gritted his teeth and said:
"Secondly, unblock the Mindis Hall and release my guards. If anything happens to me in the future, don't embarrass them."
The king remained silent and just tapped his fingers on the table.
"Also, Anke Bailar, who rushed into the banquet with a sword and attacked the royal family,"
Thales frowned and said:
"You must forgive him, free him, and show the magnanimity of a king."
"Including properly resolving the conflict between him and the Doyle family."
But when he thought about it, Thales paused again.
Anke, no matter how the king forgives him...
【She will never, ever, never forgive me.】
Thales lowered his head sadly.
"Before showing the chips," King Kessel snorted, seeming to be in a good mood:
"You really want a lot."
Thales exhaled and raised his head vigorously.
"And I'm not done yet."
“Finally, about ‘Sand King’.”
Sand King.
King Kessel turned his eyes.
At this moment, Thales' expression was firm and cold.
"Your military expansion plan in the Western Wasteland, including how to deal with the local lords, must be handled by me personally and completed by me."
Boom.
The Iron-fisted King's fingers slammed heavily on the discussion table, making a heart-stopping muffled sound.
The king slowly raised his head and met Thales' eyes.
The prince did not hide away and looked back at him firmly.
"Can you say that again?"
The king spoke softly.
Hoarse, but indifferent.
Thales puffed up his chest and faced his father.
"Yes, I will personally send a letter to the Duke of Xihuang and others, using this case and this bargaining chip to threaten them into submission."
Thales said decisively:
"I promise Cyril Falkenhaus and his vassals that they will listen patiently, they will do their best, and they will cooperate with the schedule of the Renaissance Palace and support all the initiatives of the Military Affairs Department."
"They will reflect on the omissions in their military system and gradually reduce the number and frequency of military recruitment."
"They will accept your royal standing army and accept the reorganization of the Western Wasteland defense."
"They will be happy to support the daily work of Legend Wings and pay taxes to support the expansion of the standing army to fill your financial gap to protect the kingdom's border security."
Thales took a deep breath:
"Xihuang will become a good horse, and your plan for the 'Sand King' will not fail."
He said solemnly:
"The chariot of the kingdom is still rolling forward,"
The Ballard Room fell silent again.
But this time the silence was particularly ominous.
Several eternal lamps burned to the end and extinguished quietly.
King Kessel's eyes also changed accordingly, the fire in his eyes disappeared and became filled with darkness.
"you?"
He looked at the prince from a distance and said in a playful tone:
"You're going to do it?"
Thales nodded decisively.
"I."
"I'll do it."
King Kessel’s eyes sharpened:
"Why?"
Thales straightened up his expression and replied seriously:
"Because of that orphan girl, I am the only one who knows this bargaining chip best and knows how to use it best."
He paused lightly, gritted his teeth, and told both his father and himself:
"Because, this is the only way."
The only way.
King Kessel did not respond immediately.
He just sat quietly where he was, as if he had turned into a statue again.
After a few seconds, the king spoke calmly:
"Tell me, how did you know the whereabouts of that orphan girl?"
Thales froze.
He remained calm and said, "I have my own channels..."
"Fackenholz."
King Kessel spoke softly and interrupted Thales.
Falkenhauser.
As soon as this surname was spoken, the prince was suddenly shocked.
The king sneered slightly and looked away, his tone thought-provoking:
"He gave you much more than a sword, right."
Thales' expression remained unchanged, but he sighed in his heart.
He got it.
The king said coldly:
"His gift is the confidence that gives you the courage to break into the palace today."
Thales pursed his lips lightly and said nothing.
Yes, the king saw through it.
But with just a few words, he saw through it.
From just now until now, all his little tricks have been invisible to him.
Just like in the past.
but……
Thales took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"That's right."
Thales raised his head and looked directly at the king.
His tone was calm and calm, and his attitude was magnanimous:
"The matters in Amore Town, including this bargaining chip, were indeed given to me by the Duke of Xihuang - through a certain method."
The king chuckled as expected.
"And you accepted it, followed the old bone's temptation, came in front of me, and bargained in a self-righteous way."
Without waiting for his reply, King Kessel shook his head slowly:
"madness."
"It's beyond stupid."
Thales clenched his fists under the table.
That's right, threats, coercion, flattery, deception, no matter what method, can restrain the iron-fisted king.
But so what.
He is no longer the trembling beggar in the abandoned house.
Not anymore.
And King Kessel was not the tall figure he could only look at from afar in the Mindis Hall six years ago.
To fight against an opponent like King Kessel, what he needs is not lies, concealment, or sophistry.
But face the difficulties head on.
Thales stared intently at the king's face.
"In this case, there is even more reason for me to come forward and send a letter to the Duke of Xihuang, father."
He leaned forward and said sincerely:
"So that everyone can take a step back and solve the problem in a way that is acceptable to all parties."
"The new 'Sand King' may not be so quick, and may last for several months or even years, but it will not be so tragic or have irreparable consequences."
"You will achieve your goal and they won't have to bleed."
The Iron Fist King sneered.
He lowered his head, his face slowly shrouded in darkness:
"Why?"
Thales frowned.
"I took out the witness in this case and asked her to testify, so that the lords of Xihuang would be divided into pieces and become the target of public criticism..."
The king's eyes were cold:
"Let the royal family's standing army enter the Western Wilderness to punish rape and eliminate evil."
"The purpose can be achieved in the same way."
Thales was stunned.
"That's true."
Thales spoke again, trying to grasp the topic:
"But with all due respect, the reason why Falkenhausz gave this bargaining chip was to lower his body and take the initiative to show weakness, so as to cool down the increasingly fierce conflicts between the Fuxing Palace and the Western Wasteland princes..."
"He is not so innocent and kind-hearted!"
King Kessel suddenly leaned forward and shouted angrily, startling Thales.
"And only you could be so stupid!"
The king glared at his son:
"Fackenhauser gave me a bargaining chip so that I could clean up the Western Wasteland, innovate the kingdom, and achieve my goals..."
He changed the subject:
"But it can only be through - you?"
Thales looked at the king blankly.
The Iron Fist King leaned back in his chair and sneered:
"No, he cut out his own flesh and blood and gave you a sword and a bargaining chip."
"It's not for you to be a peacemaker."
The young man felt a chill in his heart.
King Kessel narrowed his eyes, his eyes were like sharpened sharp edges:
"He wants to use this to show you that the power and energy you have not enjoyed in the past six years are within your reach."
"As long as you grab the chips and face me..."
The king spoke softly, his words cold:
"Raise your sword."
Thales became nervous and defended:
"Father, I have no intention of being your enemy, nor will I threaten you—"
"Then why didn't he just come to me?"
King Kessel interrupted him again:
"Since you have to lower your head to show weakness, why not face the throne?"
Thales' words suddenly stopped.
The lights in the room flickered rapidly, causing light and shadow to sway randomly.
"And you, do you think I don't know what you want to do?"
King Kessel V looked at him coldly, which pierced Thales's heart.
"Why don't you readily disclose your bargaining chips and the whereabouts of the orphan girl? Why do you pretend to be reserved and wait for the price? And why do you insist on personally coming forward to execute the 'Sand King'?"
Hearing this, Thales was shocked and felt a chill in his heart.
Silence returned to the Ballard Room.
"Because you also know, right."
The king's voice calmed down, full of deadly softness.
"Because you also like the sword he gave you and can't put it down."
"It's hard to extricate myself."
Thales frowned tightly and clenched his fists on his knees.
"As the Prince of Stars, Duke of Star Lake, and heir to the kingdom," King Kessel said coldly, "You are being manipulated by foreign ministers. Not only are you unaware, but you also think you are right."
"It's simply embarrassing to the bright star."
Thales raised his head suddenly!
"That's right!"
The prince shouted angrily.
King Kessel was suddenly interrupted by him, a little surprised.
"I know."
Thales was breathing rapidly and stared at the king.
"I know what Falkenhauser wants to do."
"And I have no intention of hiding anything, nor do I want to make excuses."
Thales stood up suddenly and put his hands on the table.
"That's right, empower me, support me, help me, in the hope that I can eventually become stronger to fight you, threaten you, and hinder you. This is indeed Falkenhausz's wishful thinking."
"Simple, clear and direct."
The king's expression became more and more unkind.
"But trust me, Father."
The prince stared at the king seriously and solemnly:
"If you really want to achieve something - not just the 'Sand King', not just in the Western Wilderness, but throughout the entire kingdom, inside and outside the stars, realize your grand and crazy plans and ideas..."
Upon hearing these words, King Kessel's eyes changed.
"If you have really made up your mind, father, if you do it at all costs, you must be 'born for the stars.'"
At this moment, the cold wind blew back and forth in Ballard's room, and the chill surged, but Thales felt hot and uncomfortable in his chest, as if there was a fire.
Thales took a deep breath and said decisively, leaving no room for doubt: