Thales found that he still underestimated the high wall of power.
After he privately hinted that Marius and Shituo might as well send someone to "study and study" the plan to move to Star Lake Castle, in less than a week, the news that Duke Star Lake was about to move out of the royal capital spread throughout the streets of Yongxing City.
Alley.
"It's not good. There are even rumors in the brothels on Hongfang Street that the prince is tired of the girls in the capital and is going to practice his spear elsewhere. I don't know how they know and don't ask me how I know.
"Yes." Glover, who had returned from leave, solemnly reported to the prince, and at the same time glared at Huaiya who was hesitant to speak next to him.
The first-class punishment officer of the Star Lake Guards, Old Patterson was very angry about this. He took two of his men and the wind ghost Rolf ("He looks weird and vicious, Your Highness, he is very suitable for this job, of course"
The most important thing is that I can point at him and say to everyone, 'Look, this is what you get for talking too much.'" Patterson gritted his teeth), holding a whip menacingly, he went around the Mindis Hall to "catch moles," vowing to
Find out who leaked the secret.
“That’s definitely not me!”
Difficult to drag large and small bags of exaggerated luggage, D.D returned from home with difficulty, and was caught by the "Mole Catching Team" at the gate.
"The setting sun is a lesson. I didn't mention anything to anyone about our move. Are you talking about these luggages? Hey, my parents forced it on me. I can't help it. You see, even winter clothes are packed in. It's so annoying.
It’s really... Hey! Mute! Don’t touch my lucky stuffed bear! It’s a must-have on the bedside!”
There was a moment of panic in the Mindis Hall, until Marius came forward and reminded the old prison officer gently and tactfully:
For such a big thing as the prince moving, even if it is just a preliminary "research and study", there must be a lot of troubles, coupled with the deteriorating finances of Mindis Hall ("I think we need to hire more people, cooks, gardeners, grooms and maids"
What? A glass wine glass? What does this have to do with a wine glass? Forget it, I'll just go ask His Highness." Wyatt Castle's honest and doubtful last words), as long as everyone in Mindis Hall still has family and friends, then
News leaks are inevitable.
As for why Duke Thales left the royal capital, there are many rumors on the street, ranging from "the legend of the ghosts of the Dukes of Mindis Hall" to "the legend of the rebellious prince's escape from marriage", and even "the theory of the hidden beauty in Xinghu Castle". There are many versions, mainly
The controversy lies in the identity, number, and even gender of the heroines, because Mindis Hall has no (money) to recruit maids after the prince returns.
What’s interesting is that the common people dismissed the idea that “the prince is bankrupt” and would even be met with laughter as soon as it was brought up: “Do you know how much the treasures in the Mindis Hall alone are worth? The prince even **
**It’s all made of gold, do you need to worry about it?”
The rumors became so chaotic that Prime Minister Cullen couldn't help but personally intervene during the royal meeting one day.
Thales was inconvenient to answer directly, so he cleverly shifted the firepower and tried to explore the possibility of saving Mindis Hall's finances:
“Father, what do you think?”
At that time, the wise and wise King Kessel was reading the port tax report of the Emerald City, listening to the resentful complaints of Chief Qiu Ke (“As a powerful financial controller, I only get a salary of five silver coins per month, do I care?
Money? But they, this group of profiteers and corrupt officials from the south bank, have benefited from your majesty’s wise grace and made a lot of money, but they are so selfish that they even have to pay this small tax?"), frowning.
He was so preoccupied that he just waved his hand with disdain and said, "Get lost."
“He granted it.”
After coming out of the Renaissance Palace, facing Marius’s suspicious eyes and Straw’s expectant expression (“Your Majesty can’t let you starve to death, can you?”), Duke Thales smiled brightly, looking well-informed, steady and confident:
“His Majesty spoke highly of the long-term and fruitful work of Mindis Hall. He is full of confidence and expectations and sincerely encourages us to be unique, keep pace with the times, be independent, generate income from sources, pursue excellence, and explore the future.”
boom!
Marios slapped the table expressionlessly: "The point."
The Duke’s smile instantly collapsed:
“No money.”
So after another two days, the rumors on the streets in the capital changed:
In order to resist the marriage arranged by his father, the Duke of Thales (there are also bets on who the heroine will be. It is worth mentioning that although the odds are so high that it is impossible, the prince's old friend, the heir to Walla, Cohen
·Karabyan did appear at the bottom of the odds list, behind all the ladies), and he did not hesitate to show his dissatisfaction in protest, which aroused the anger of the king. He broke out on the spot in the imperial meeting and slapped the heir hard in front of all the ministers.
A slap in the face will make him get out of the royal capital immediately!
“No one has ever slapped me!”
At the training ground, facing the worried Huaiya and the plate full of "skin care and beauty medicines" in his hand, Thales was furious:
"I'm fine, and my face is fine too! No, why should I let you see my butt? Other parts of my butt are fine! The sun is setting, I entered the palace this time for real, really, really, really not rebelling! What are you doing?
Don’t you want to believe it?”
Under the influence of various factors (mainly the increasingly alarming figures in the ledger), Thales simply gave up keeping a low profile and stopped covering up. He began to ask Marius to conduct an inventory with great fanfare, and sent a logistics officer named Strato to contact the general manager of the Fuxing Palace.
, asked the Noble Affairs Council for the account books and maps of Star Lake Castle, told the Bright Star private soldiers about staying behind, communicated with the Security Department about the time of departure, and asked others (D.D was aggrieved about this) to purchase sufficient supplies, and at the same time
Close the door to thank guests and live in seclusion.
"Is this really okay? Won't the rumors be worse?" Huaiya frowned.
"Believe me," the prince gritted his teeth and drew his bow and arrow on the training ground, aiming at Marius's butt in the distance, "the prince's butt is very popular."
Huaiya looked stunned.
But luckily, all kinds of rumors only circulated for a few days before they all turned to:
It is said that the Duke of Thales overstepped his bounds in a royal meeting. The king was furious and cut off the financial resources of Mindis Hall as punishment. The Duke of Xinghu had to leave the royal capital and find his own way out.
Well, at least part of it is true.
A widely circulated theory among vassals and bureaucrats is that Duke Xinghu's political stance is too moderate on the issue of taxation, and he even sympathizes with the distant princes. This offended the long-established royal supporters, who in
Repeated slanders at the royal council finally moved the king and forced the duke to stay away from the political center.
Hmm, this is not entirely wrong.
So, on a working day morning, when the sky was first light, the door of Mindis Hall opened quietly, and the motorcade belonging to the Duke of Star Lake slowly drove out, heading for Star Lake Castle near the royal hunting forest on the outskirts of the city.
“Are you sure everyone is okay with this? After all, this is leaving the city and going to the countryside.”
Thales yawned widely and lay beside the car window with a sleepy look on his face, watching the logistics officer Piloga make the final handover with the private soldiers and servants who stayed behind.
"They are royal guards, not counselors and lobbyists," Mallos rode next to the carriage (the driver was originally Glover, but Thales refused), frowning and looking at the account book handed over by the logistics wing, "
It's not their job to express opinions. Damn it, why did you overspend again last month? What's going on with so many skin care products?"
On the other side of the carriage, Wyatt turned his head silently and started talking animatedly with Rolf.
In the silence of the early morning, their motorcade caught up with the earliest opening of the city gate, passed through the Sage Gate on the south side of the royal capital amidst a crowd of pointing fingers, passed several markets and villages outside the city, and crossed the Muhe Ferry.
, driving onto the southern section of Fuxing Avenue, which was vigorously rebuilt during the period of Tormund III.
The south side of the royal capital is obviously more prosperous than the north side. The road is full of small traders and hired workers who get up early to enter the city, farmers and craftsmen preparing to go to the market, postal carriages going back and forth, and even travelers from foreign lands, who may drive to transport goods.
They came from various towns near Yongxing City carrying goods, or carrying suitcases on foot. They were in small groups, bustling with people, and from time to time they commented on the convoys passing by them.
"Ah, I know this motorcade. It should be the traveling court of this season, the judge who patrols the territory for the king to judge cases..."
"I'll knock you down. He doesn't even have a flag. He must be the illegitimate son of a certain noble family. He's so rich that he can't keep it public."
“Look at the momentum of this team, tsk tsk, it’s so awesome, that’s what men should be like!”
“Tch, it’s just a bastard with a good life. If I were born there, I could take his place!”
It was late summer, and the vegetation around the avenue was lush and green. The Duke's motorcade turned down the avenue. There were fewer travelers, the trees were thick, the sun was blocked, birds and beasts were flying, the surroundings were full of life, and the wildness was increasing. They entered the scope of the royal family's hunting forest.
.
“Holy shit, I swear that’s a bear!”
D.D exclaimed, causing the whole team to become nervous: "Zombie, draw your sword!"
"Don't be suspicious," veteran Gennard shouted to stop them. He shook his head, "I can see clearly, it's just a wild cat."
According to Mallos, the royal family's hunting forest delineated since the Black Eyes era has always been a good place for the royal family to enjoy outings and entertain guests. Before the Year of Blood, the late King Eddie led his ministers to hunt here more than once, and congratulations
The two princes, Lars and Heiman, especially enjoyed hanging out with their friends and riding horses for a carnival.
In the Year of Blood, Yongxing City was threatened by the rebels and Exeter, and had to close its doors. As a result, bandits gathered throughout the central territory, and the surrounding villages and small towns, including many noble fiefdoms, almost suffered.
, the hunting forest also became an ownerless wasteland, until the "Fortress Peace Treaty" was signed, the Kingdom's Fury returned with the Fury Guards, reorganized the central standing army, and wiped out the remnants of the rebels and bandits around the royal capital.
As for the post-war war, firstly, the national treasury was in straits, and secondly, people's livelihood was in decline. Moreover, the Iron-fisted King himself had no interest in hunting and feasting. The royal forest rangers who were responsible for guarding and maintaining had no rewards to receive, and the traders and farmers had no profits to share, so they all started
They scattered and settled nearby, or became tenants of the farm, or were hired to work, or joined the Bright Star private army, which in turn became a high-quality source of soldiers when the standing army was reorganized.
"The Baron Manor of Kingdom's Wrath is down that road, and next to it is the military camp of the Central Standing Army. For more than ten years, he has almost turned the hunting forest into their exclusive training ground and exercise ground," Mallos looked at a
The path in the forest was obviously trampled, and his eyes were deep, "But the good thing is that there is a standing army here, and no one dares to invade the nearby Wang family territory."
Jenny, who had been raised as a noble war horse since she was a child, was extremely dissatisfied with such an environment. She would break away from the horse leader from time to time, neighing and chasing the shadows of deer or badgers that flashed through the depths of the jungle.
After trying his best to call out, Els returned with a gloomy look and was covered in traces of branches and vegetation.
“She is the queen in the stable, and no horse dares to compete with her,” said the veteran Jeannard cheerfully, “but the birds and animals here don’t have this consciousness, and they are not very satisfied.”
They soon came to an iconic big tree. The watchman said that this was the most popular camping spot when the hunting forest was still prosperous in the past, and the big tree was thick and dense, blocking the sky and the sun, and looked very old.
It is called "Star Tree" and has many legendary stories about the Bright Star Royal Family:
It is said that in the last years of the empire, the illegitimate King Fuxing once ignited his fighting spirit under this tree, determined to make a name for himself and get rid of his reputation as a bastard;
Some people also say that five hundred years ago, Prince Brad, the "Procrastinator", encountered a coup and fled from Yongxing City in a hurry with a nine-star crown. It was only by climbing this tree that he escaped the pursuit of his cousin Keira, the "Unlucky One"
, fled to the Heroic Soul Castle to recruit troops, and kicked off the bloody curtain of the "Double Star Confrontation";
There are also legends about Karn Trudida, the giant spirit prince who invaded the stars four hundred years ago. It is said that he camped under this tree in preparation for the siege of Yongxing City, but in the middle of the night he saw the Revival King charging at him with a gun.
Then, the cruel and terrifying "giant spirit" woke up from his dream. He was so frightened that he broke camp all night and retreated;
Some people say that three hundred years ago, "Jackal" Sumer III invited five guardian dukes to hunt and have a feast under this tree. Three of them have never been able to leave the hunting forest since then;
There is even a poem saying that two hundred years ago, the princess "Northern Conqueror" Eliga met a mysterious knight who was not recorded in history while hunting under the shade of this tree, and she became pregnant with the "Wolf" whose biological father is unknown.
Enemy” Keira.
But the above legend, even if D.D., who "used to come here to play here a lot when I was a kid," told it more vividly and with more emotion, frightening the audience like Willow, Rolf and Wyatt, the Duke of Star Lake also laughed it off.
.
Thales originally thought that there would be such dense jungles along the way, but after a short walk, the end of the road suddenly opened up: among the green jungles, a pool of blue lake broke into his eyes. It was as pure as a mirror, reflecting the pure white clouds in the blue sky.
The color is like a dream, making it difficult to distinguish between heaven and earth for a moment.
At the sight of the beautiful scenery, everyone, including Thales, couldn't help but stop and pause.
“The sunset is above,” Doyle looked at the green lake excitedly, “This is much prettier than the one in the painting!”
“Wait, draw it?”
Huaiya reacted with suspicion: "Didn't you say you often came here to play when you were a child?"
"It's not that time yet, keep going," Mallos was rarely in a good mood. He ignored the people behind him who glared at D.D. "It's not too late to be amazed then."
The Duke's motorcade was traveling along the lakeside. The grass and trees became lower and lower, and the scenery in front of him became wider:
Looking far, the other end of the lake is a tall and steep mountain wall, with more than a dozen raging waterfalls hanging on it, rushing out between the rocks and falling straight into the lake, like a giant silver curtain falling from the sky.
“Oh my God, I’ve seen this in a book. It said that practicing swordsmanship under there can get twice the result with half the effort,” the young trainee pioneer officer Nie Xi pointed excitedly at the wide waterfalls. “Does anyone want to surf?”
"Don't believe those knights. If you rush down from there, even if you live, you probably won't be able to find those words." The second-class guard officer, "Tall Man" Franzuk poured cold water on him mercilessly.
Tiles was also fascinated by the magnificent scenery and couldn't take his eyes away.
“That is one of the downstream branches of the Muhe River.”
Marius patiently explained to almost everyone else in the convoy who had never seen this scene:
“The river bed falls here, forming a waterfall and depositing a wide and clear lake, which is called the ‘Star Lake’.”
Xinghu.
Thales muttered the name silently in his heart and turned his head subconsciously.
Sure enough, on the other side of the lake opposite the waterfall, a towering castle appeared in front of you.
It is located on the edge of a hill, surrounded by lakes on three sides, and has a simple structure. Only a small road can go around the hill, past its moat, and directly into it.
It blends perfectly with jungles, lakes, waterfalls, blue sky, white clouds, hills, castles, and all other elements without any interruption, giving people a sense of quiet intoxication. Everyone subconsciously lowers their voices and steps lightly.
As if they don't want to disturb the beautiful scenery in this corner.
“And that’s Xinghu Castle.” Marius paused on his horse and sighed quietly.
Everyone held their breath.
Including Thales.
The young man had done his homework beforehand. He knew that the predecessor of Xinghu Castle was an isolated monastery, which could even be traced back to the Black Eyed Era. It was full of sunset monks who were profound in knowledge but committed to ascetic cultivation.
But what really brought this monastery into the eyes of the world was an old bachelor named Su Mei nearly five hundred years ago. He was of noble birth but erudite. He lived here in seclusion with his family during the war of "Double Star Confrontation".
, devoted himself to the study of theological classics.
Until the bloody and cruel "Double Star Confrontation" ended dramatically with the death of two shining stars (each of whom was king), but the domestic princes who chose sides under their "morning party" and "twilight party" were...
Years of wars, deaths, alliances, and betrayals have forged a blood feud that will last for generations.
So much so that when the kingdom had no owner and the throne was vacant, looking at the Bright Star family tree, there was no heir who could obey the princes of the two parties with equal power at the same time, could ascend the throne without controversy, and could not reignite the confrontation between the two stars.
flames of war.
(In fact, due to interests and situations, many members of the two parties have been in more than one camp during the eight-and-a-half-year-long civil war. It is common for them to make alliances and then rebel, and to rebel and return. Today, we are having a feast to form an alliance.
When the monarch and his ministers are at heart, they swear to show their loyalty. If they are captured on the battlefield tomorrow and the noose is about to come, they will suddenly wake up and abandon the darkness and surrender to the light. The leader of the heroes in the East China Sea, the Cullen family of Huigang City has jumped repeatedly, switching flexibly between the morning and evening parties, and the four rebels.
It is a miraculous existence that can still be safe and sound even after three returns, so much so that the nicknames of the two guardian dukes of the East China Sea are "Noon" and "Midnight" respectively.)
But fortunately, there has been enough bloodshed in the kingdom, so much that countless people died from the exhaustion of the night sacrifices, and there are enough men in the stars, so few that no one wants to fight in armor. During the eight years of the confrontation between the two stars, countless people, families, and families were destroyed, and many great families were killed.
The extermination of the heir was so costly and the lesson was so painful that it was rare even in the history of the Star Kingdom, which had frequent civil wars.
Finally, under the initiative and coordination of Sunset High Priest, the two parties of the tense morning and evening reluctantly put down their weapons, entered Yongxing City, and started arduous negotiations in the Mingye Temple full of corpses waiting to be buried (this is also the morning star in Yongxing City.
The origin of the names of the District and Evening Star District, they are bounded by the Temple of Night).
So, as the great-great-grandson of John "Black Eyed", the 60-year-old Sumei scholar or later "Broken Vein" Sumei Canxing II was invited out of the sunset monastery where he lived in seclusion and walked out of the deep forest.
In the high castle by the lake, surrounded by two groups of eager vassals, they walked into the Fuxing Palace and stepped onto the stage of history, occupying the highest position.
No matter how regretful this decision was for both the morning and evening parties, and how it caused their respective alliances to fall apart, not long after Su Mei II was crowned, he followed the newly promulgated "Bloodline Decree" and transferred the people he had served as a bachelor to
The lakeside monastery with deep feelings was renovated and expanded, and a castle was built. The eldest son Elan was granted a title and made him a duke to show that the inheritance was determined early and could not be disputed. "From the prince down to the people, this law must not be violated from now on."
"The confrontation between the two stars caused by the dispute over the inheritance of the elder and the younger has since ended the mess and has come to a complete end.
Xinghu Castle, and the significant Duke of Xinghu, were born from this.
"This is our land, the castle where we will stay in the future?" Huaiya looked shocked.
These words made Thales take back his gaze at Star Lake Castle. He put aside the heavy history and retracted his thoughts.
Well, at least...
The prince is in a good mood.
He has a house.
The greening is in place, the lake view is pleasant, and there is a natural swimming pool.
that is……
Thales glanced at a corner of the ledger in Mallos's saddlebag.
I don’t know how to calculate the mortgage loan.
"Good place."
Glover, who was never good at speaking, nodded as he walked.
"Look at its shape and terrain: surrounded by lakes on three sides, condescending, narrow passages, broad views, suspension bridges, trenches, arrow towers, lookout posts, the height of the city walls, staggered angles and breadth of defense," Zombie pointed at Star Lake Fort.
Different locations, "only a dozen people can guard them without leakage."
“Even if we are besieged by an enemy that is twice our own, if we have enough supplies, we can hold on for several months or even a year, which is much better than the almost undefended Mindis Hall.”
“Oh my God, you can’t make this analogy. Mindis Hall is a work of art, and here, here is, is,” D.D paused for a moment before holding back the next sentence, “Other works of art!”
On the other side of the team, Paul, a new member of the Black Lion family from Fort Heroes, suddenly sighed, attracting everyone's attention.
"My father told me that a long time ago, every prince and every lord was proud to have his own family castle. Even if it took two or three generations and exhausted all resources, he would build a castle of extraordinary significance."
The young heir of the Bozdov family looked at the castle in the distance with melancholy:
"The Tianzhu Castle in Junlin City, the Three Palaces of Floating Sand, Quicksand, and Sinking Sand in the Ruins, the Wave-Treading Palace and the Tidal Wave Tower in Huigang, the Kongming Palace in Emerald City, and the Blood Gate Fortress in Renling City... although
They have different shapes and styles, but all of them are famous fortresses with a long history and are difficult to attack, not to mention the magnificent Fuxing Palace, which is simply a miraculous existence."
“As for the Cold Castle of Arlend, our Castle of Heroes in Bozdorf, including the Wing Castle of the Chroma family, even the territory is named after the fortress castle.”
Paul’s words are sincere and sad:
“They are our defense line rooted in the earth, they are the immortal mounts of the knights, and they are the strongest guardians on this land.”
At this point, Paul sighed:
“But now, such castles are no longer increasing, and are even becoming fewer and fewer.”
His words made many people think deeply.
But the person who answered him was unexpected.
"Of course," Doyle said carelessly, "My castle was built hundreds of years ago. It has drafts everywhere. In the summer, mosquitoes, flies and lice are everywhere, and the stink doesn't go away. It's not much better in the winter. Go, the cold wind blows people's noses, the windows rattle, and it can't be repaired no matter how hard it is. Moreover, just hiring someone to clean it and maintain its functionality is very expensive and not worth it."
"So my stepmother finally decided to close most of it and use only a few complete and newly renovated halls and rooms. As far as I know, more and more nobles and lords would rather spend their money elsewhere. What can I do? I heard that in some places, families abandoned their ancestral castles and moved into towns and villages."
D.D raised his finger enthusiastically and gave the next example:
“Not to mention Fuxing Palace, that building is too old...”
Glover coughed hard.
Doyle suddenly trembled and reacted:
“It’s so old that it has history, it’s so meaningful, it’s so cultured!”
“You must know that Fuxing Palace is a miracle built with divine power and magic!”
Everyone who was originally gloating about the misfortune showed disappointed expressions after hearing this.
D.D knew he had made a mistake and cleared his throat:
“In short, no matter how strong or great a castle is, over time, it will have problems of one kind or another.”
“In that case,” Paul said coldly, “why not just tear it down and rebuild it from scratch?”
These words made Thales in the car fall silent.
“My stepmother had such a plan, but gave up because of financial problems,” D.D recalled the past, “and my father said that although we no longer live there, at least we lived there.”
He sighed:
“If it is torn down like this, some things cannot be rebuilt.”
These words made many people look at him with admiration.
Doyle rolled his eyes and turned into a playful smile again:
“Besides, what if there’s another war?”
Paul said nothing.
Huaiya took over the conversation at this time:
"A mediocre monarch builds his strong walls with earth and stones, so that foreign enemies cannot invade and his castle cannot be destroyed. A warlike monarch uses flesh and blood as his city wall, and his martial arts skills are unparalleled and he has countless heroic souls. A wise monarch uses the human heart as his city wall, and he is always victorious and invincible.
, everlasting prosperity.”
The prince’s attendant thought of something, his eyes were deep:
“Only a truly great monarch uses peace as his wall, and is ordinary but no one knows him.”
As soon as he said this, everyone in the motorcade looked at him sideways, and even Rolf had a strange look on his face.
“Wow, that’s real Wyatt, you said that yourself?” Doyle said in surprise.
"No."
Huaiya lowered his head with a complicated expression:
“I heard it when I was a child.”
Thales was moved when he heard the words. He remembered what Jini had told him about what Crown Prince Midir had said.
【The palace walls are thousands of feet long and the gates are majestic and majestic, how can I save my life?】
“That makes sense.”
Marios at the front of the team suddenly spoke:
"The city wall is thick and solid. While it resists foreign enemies, it also blocks out the sun and is burdensome. There are many examples in history: lords are satisfied with fortifying the city and are content with the status quo behind the city wall. As a result, they become narrow-minded, short-sighted, and do not think about anything.
If you are aggressive, you will eventually reap the consequences."
The watchman's long-term prestige over the past few months caused everyone to shut up, and the convoy fell into silence for a while.
“Maybe more than that.”
Glover, who has always been obsessed with the shape of the fortress, seems not to know how to look at the eyes. He ignored whether it was "time for the superior's lecture" and continued to speak:
“My grandfather said that the means of war are destined to become more abundant, especially after the emergence of magic guns, whether it is to defend the city or storm the city, it has become the next best strategy.”
“After all, no matter how thick the city wall or how wide the battlements are, they cannot withstand the continuous high-temperature bombardment of magic energy guns and the earth-shattering high-altitude rockfall of trebuchets.”
Paul sighed:
“So, such a castle is destined to decline and become history?”
"Maybe," Glover stared at Star Lake Castle, as if to find its weakness, "but maybe our descendants, future generations will come up with better ways to build stronger fortifications.
A super city wall that cannot be broken even by a magic gun?"
"Perhaps they will be smarter, smarter than us," Huaiya intervened, feeling depressed, "and come up with a way to withstand wars, resist foreign enemies, and ensure safety without relying on city walls or fortresses?"
“Maybe they will be stupider.”
Marius also joined the conversation. He sighed: "They may build more and more thicker walls, be content with the status quo, and be complacent until the walls they thought they were righteous collapsed and catastrophe came."
Thales listened to the conversation carefully and thought deeply for a long time.
“Or they are extremely talented!”
D.D’s cheerful voice suddenly sounded, causing many people to frown:
“For the sake of true peace, our descendants have built flawless, unbreakable, wall fortresses that can isolate everything, and people on both sides will not be able to touch a hair of each other no matter what!”
Doyle bowed on his horse and proudly spread his arms towards Star Lake Castle:
“Peace befall da da!”
After hearing this nonsense, everyone in the motorcade rolled their eyes and sighed.
Until another young voice came from the carriage:
“So the city wall was high and the ditch was deep, and the people at both ends couldn’t see each other, couldn’t hear each other when they called each other, and couldn’t understand each other when talking.”
Everyone looked back in shock: they saw the Duke of Xinghu leaning against the car window, looking at the breathtakingly beautiful Xinghu Castle in the distance, but his eyes were filled with deathly silence.
Thales said quietly:
“Until everyone’s fate is to become lonely and helpless but unaware of it, struggling in pain but unaware of the reason, angry and inexplicable but unable to be resolved.”
“Until all men, from birth to death, are destined to be prisoners behind the wall.”
The Duke's words silenced the entire convoy.
Everyone looked at each other, not knowing how to react.
Marius rode to the window:
“Your Highness?”
Thales came back to his senses, waved apologetically, and sat back in his seat:
“Don’t worry about me, keep going.”
The Duke's motorcade continued on its way.
After seeing Xinghu Fort, the rest of the journey was much shorter. They quickly circled up the hill, passed the heavy pedals on the ditch, and drove into Xinghu Fort.
But what you see in front of you is far inferior to what you feel on the horizon.
“Oh my god, ahem, I thought, ahem, I thought only my castle was in disrepair...”
Doyle stared dumbfounded at the iron gate of the fortress that fell down with just a push of his, and coughed violently in the dust:
“How long has it been since this place was inhabited?”
“The last Duke of Star Lake?”
Glover tied up his face towel, stepped into the doorway cautiously, and signaled the people behind him to dismount:
“Eighteen years.”
“Be careful, Your Highness,” Wyatt opened the car door for Thales and said in a bad tone, “This place…”
Thales stepped off the carriage and discovered that the famous Xinghu Castle, from the city tower to the guard tower, from the courtyard to the castle wall, looked dilapidated everywhere, overgrown with weeds, rusted iron, and rotten wood.
Many corners in the yard have become nests for small animals. When they walked into the doorway, they even frightened away a group of bats perched above their heads, which made Jenny furious and broke away from the rope ("She saw the appearance of the stable, and she probably felt
I was deceived when I bought a house." Thales later explained), screaming loudly, kicking and panting. While causing the guards to scramble for a while, he also scared out a group of birds in the watchtower, three cats on the wall, and the fort.
A swarm of bees under the eaves.
The young Duke couldn't help but frown.
Okay, it’s okay, it’s okay…
Second-hand...no, just a rough house.
“This is where we expect to spend less?”
Logistics officer Shi Tuo tried his best to pull out his boots from a collapsed wooden door and complained to Marius in a low voice:
“What do you rely on, selling antiques?”
"ha!"
Doyle carefully walked around the uneven floor tiles, pushed aside the spider webs, came to the old door of the main castle, pulled up the door knocker, and said sarcastically:
“Be careful, guys, we’re in an antique house! It only costs tens of thousands if we bump into it!”
Hearing what the big guy told him to shut up, Doyle didn't take it seriously. He smiled and turned his head away, preparing to open the door.
But at this moment, a gate on the door suddenly opened, revealing a hideous and terrifying face from the darkness!
D.D shuddered and fell backwards, letting everyone including a black cat practicing balance on the iron rope hear his heart-rending wail: "My lovely sunset goddess is on top!"
“There’s a ghost ah ah ah ah ah ah!”
Thales was startled, and the members of the guard pressed their swords one after another until Marius stopped him.
“Hold on!”
The watchman (after kicking away a piece of cobweb under his feet) stepped out from the crowd and pulled D.D up: "Look carefully!"
Everyone took a closer look and realized that the main door of the main castle had been opened at some point.
Thales frowned:
The main castle was dark and the atmosphere was ominous, and in this darkness, a rickety figure holding an eternal lamp appeared silently in front of them.
“Fuck!” Seeing this man, D.D wanted to scream, but Glover and Bastia used their strength to drag him to the back of the team.
The rickety figure tremblingly stepped across the door.
He has a gray skin, gray hair, old appearance, and slow movements. He is a dying old man.
But the moment the old man raised his eyes, Thales felt a twinge of pain.
“Guards, pay attention to your manners,” Mallos adjusted his dusty clothes and turned around, “This is the guard of Xinghu Castle.”
Thales looked carefully at the old man in front of him. He was simply dressed and his eyes were cloudy. He was clearly looking at them, but he seemed to be looking at the horizon.
The old man holding the lamp grinned, revealing his gums with few teeth left, and gave them a weird smile:
"Ah."
The old man's voice was vague and had a faint chill that sent shivers down everyone's spine.
"Long time no see," Mallos said with a normal expression and a very respectful tone, "but I believe you have been informed."
The old man did not move. Against the darkness of the main castle behind him, his figure holding the lantern became even more weird:
"Ah."
Everyone in the guard looked at each other, full of doubts.
Marius reached out to Thales in the team and said respectfully:
“Please allow me to introduce you, this is His Highness Thales Bright Star, the new owner of Star Lake Castle.”
Hearing this, Thales couldn't help but straighten his back and smile.
The old man raised the lantern and glanced at Thales, but his eyes were lifeless, as if he was going through a boring routine:
"Ah."
"Yes, we are here to take over the castle, dear..." Facing the old man's answer, which he didn't know whether he understood or not, Mallos bowed deeply and called out the old man's name: