A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

The city of Tozes was in chaos at the moment, and the citizens in the city were uneasy and extremely frightened.

The sky is still gloomy and the rain is still falling, making people feel even more gloomy.

Countless pirate ships are blocking the city wall of Tozes, and maybe those terrible pirates will come in the next moment.

On the edge of the inner city wall where the temple is located, the high platform that had attracted much attention in the morning was now empty, with only the rubble of the collapsed stone statue piled on it.

The temple, which was hit by huge rocks and had cracks and gaps everywhere, stood in the wind and rain. It no longer had the splendor it had not long ago, and seemed to be abandoned. It was lonely and desolate.

Chaos has broken out in the city, especially in the upper city. Although the rioting slaves have been suppressed, the big businessmen who rushed back like the wind have begun to pack their belongings, prepare their carriages, and prepare to run away.

After all, although the coastline was blocked by pirates, the avenue leading to the land at the city wall on the upper city side was still open.

Now that the situation is over, the fleet has been defeated, and it will not take long for the pirates to enter the city.

If they don't run away quickly, are they still waiting for the pirates to come in?

…………

The drizzle was falling, and the sun was hidden behind thick black clouds.

In the room in the tower on the side of the Consulate, Garlan stood quietly.

The long golden hair has been dried and draped over her shoulders, but there is still a little moisture at the end of the hair.

The floor-to-ceiling windows were open, and the cold rain drifted in with the wind, falling sporadically on the boy's cheeks.

It's very high here. Standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and looking down, you can see most of the city of Tozes.

"Your Highness, we must leave immediately!"

The personal guards sent by Kehos to inquire for information passed the information one after another.

When Tal stayed with Garlan, he was frightened by the bad news one after another.

The Tozes naval fleet was defeated.

Immediately afterwards, the military port of Tozes fell.

The pirate ships that had solved the naval fleet began to approach the walls of Tozes.

In the drizzle, stones thrown from pirate ships pounded heavily on the walls of the outer city.

Countless oil-stained rockets were fired from the ship, and plumes of thick smoke rose up along the coastline.

Without the protection of the naval fleet, the defenses of the outer walls of Tozes were quickly overwhelmed.

The pirates rushed ashore and began burning, killing and looting the civilian ports in the outer city.

Many people who had no time to escape died tragically at the hands of pirates.

The blood flowing from their corpses and the flames burning in the port dyed the coastline of Tozes with a dazzling blood red.

At this point, the outer city of Tozes fell.

Countless people cried and fled into the inner city.

The huge and heavy stone gates on the inner city wall have been tightly closed.

Outside, the pirates were already approaching along the wide river in the outer city.

People in the city were panicked.

The panic that pirates are about to come in spreads in everyone's mind.

Tal has been trying hard to persuade Garlan to let him leave this dangerous city as soon as possible.

But Garlan has always been silent. Even now, he just stood quietly in front of the open floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at something from the high tower.

At this moment, accompanied by rapid footsteps, the blond knight walked in quickly.

As soon as he came in, he started talking.

"Your Highness, the pirates are encircling the city along the river. I'm afraid the passage to the land will soon be blocked by them."

Caihos's words startled Tal, and the look on his face became more and more nervous.

"Your Highness, it's still too late." He said to Garlan eagerly, "Before the pirates encircle us, Lord Kayhos and the others can still protect us and break out——"

"He is right, Prince Garlan."

The sound of chaotic footsteps sounded, and the consul who came here with two trusted guards spoke.

"Tozes can't hold it anymore. It doesn't matter to us, but your safety is the top priority."

He said.

His face was tense, and the temples on his forehead were wet from rain or fine sweat.

Almost as soon as the pirates broke through the outer city wall and approached the inner city, he wanted to escape through the city gate on the land side.

But no, he could still blame Taka, who didn't know whether he was alive or dead, for the city's destruction, saying that he was at a disadvantage in the battle. But if he managed to escape but Prince Garlan died here, he could imagine that he would definitely die. No burial place.

Therefore, at this critical moment, he suppressed his fear and hurried here, hoping to escape with the prince.

"Prince, please follow me and leave here immediately."

The young man who had been standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window quietly looking down at the panicked city turned his head and his eyes fell on the consul.

"Leave? Us?" Garlan asked, "Me and you?"

"Yes, Prince, we must break out immediately, otherwise it will be too late."

Garlan looked up at him.

In the gloomy sky, his golden pupils were still brighter than anything else.

"Consul Tozes, there are hundreds of thousands of Aaron Landis people in this city."

"Yes, Prince, I know."

The Archon looked sad.

"But Prince, your safety is more important than the entire city of Tozes and more than everyone in this city combined."

"You are the future of the entire Aaron Landis. How can a mere city compare to your safety?"

"Although I am the governor of Tozes, protecting you is the most important thing to me now."

He said with a righteous look on his face.

"In order to protect you, I am willing to bear no matter how many charges I bear!"

The consul's expression of risking his life for the sake of his prince's reputation even made Tal next to him laugh angrily.

How could there be someone more shameless than myself in this world?

Tal couldn't help but think this.

Garlan didn't answer, he just looked at the consul intently with bright golden eyes.

His eyes were very bright, like a sharp blade of light piercing the darkness in front of him in the gloomy sky.

The consul, who had already developed his face to be invulnerable during his dealings with that group of businessmen, felt a little uncomfortable when he was stared at by these golden eyes.

However, the fear of death still prevailed.

He thought that the prince was just pretending. Everyone was afraid of death, and the prince was no exception. If he persuaded him a few more times, the prince would probably come down the steps and escape with him.

"Prince Garlan, I am loyal."

"Tozes City can no longer be defended. There is no hope. If we stay here, our lives will be in vain."

The consul looked at Garlan with extremely sincere eyes.

"That's all if I die." He said, "This country cannot lose you. For Aaron Landis, even if I am rebuked by you, no, even if you order to chop off my head and execute me, I will never Want--!"

Like a duck that was suddenly grabbed by the throat, the remaining half of the sentence was stuck in his throat.

He opened his mouth, and the sincere expression on his face instantly shattered, revealing a look of real fear.

Fear made a gurgling sound in the Archon's throat.

A sharp dagger was pressed against his wriggling Adam's apple.

The young prince put the dagger against his neck with his backhand and looked at him sideways.

"Even if I cut off your head... huh?"

The last word has a slightly rising pitch.

The cold light in the golden eyes was inexplicably terrifying.

That glance made the Archon's chest tremble.

"W-Prince...I, I really do it for you..."

He trembled and stammered, trying to explain.

But Garlan's eyes had moved away from him and fell on Caijos beside him.

"Kayhos."

Still maintaining the position of holding the blade against the opponent's throat with one hand, he glanced at Caijos.

Understanding what the prince meant at a glance, Kehos nodded.

As soon as he waved, two personal guards came in immediately, tied up the consul, and dragged them out together with the two guards who had been knocked unconscious by them.

As he was being dragged away, the consul's unwilling cry for the prince still echoed in the corridor for a long, long time.

"Prince, although that man is shameless, he is right about one thing."

Tal gritted his teeth and continued to persuade.

"Tozes City can't be defended anymore. Even if we stay here, our lives will be in vain."

He said, turning to look at the blond knight.

"Your Majesty Caijos, please advise His Highness! You often go to the battlefield, and you should be able to see the results of this battle-"

The Knight of the Burning Sun was silent for a while.

Then, he took a step forward and spoke.

"The war situation is irreversible. The fall of Tozes City is only a matter of time."

He said,

"The nearby cities do not have the power to fight against these pirates. Even if we urgently ask for help from the royal city now, it will take at least seven days for the reinforcements to arrive."

"The naval fleet has been almost completely destroyed. All military supplies are in the military port and are occupied by pirates."

"The only fighting force in the city is the city guards, but the city guards alone cannot resist the pirates."

"...can't resist?"

Garlan suddenly repeated Kehos's last words in a low voice.

He took a step forward and walked to the open French window.

He stretched out his hand and held it on the edge of one side.

The moist wind mixed with the cold rain blew in, ruffling the young man's golden forehead.

Garlan stood there, standing on the high tower, looking down at the city that was about to be destroyed.

He stared at the high city wall, at the soldiers who stood in the rain and fought bravely with the pirates who climbed up, and at the blood splashed by those soldiers in the rain and sprinkled on the city wall.

No one flinched, no one was afraid.

When one person fell, more people rushed up.

Time and time again, they forcibly drove the pirates who climbed up off the city wall.

"But they are still persisting and resisting," he said.

The young man looked down at the soldiers who were fighting the pirates.

The wind-blown blond hair was scattered on his fair cheeks.

His pupils reflected the figures of those soldiers who were still fighting desperately.

The consuls of Tozes gave up, the wealthy merchants of Tozes gave up, the powerful men of the city gave up.

However, there are still people who have not given up.

The soldiers are still gritting their teeth to resist the invaders, and they are still risking their lives to protect the city.

If they let themselves know that they have been abandoned...

Garlan suddenly raised his head and let out a loud shout.

"Anu!"

There was a long cry in the air, and a dark figure soared in the sky in the drizzle, and then landed on Garlan's outstretched arm.

Garlan tied a copper pipe to Black Eagle's leg.

He raised his hand and touched Anu's slightly wet feathers.

"Sorry, Anu, I know it's dangerous for you to fly in the rain, but now I can only ask you."

He said,

"Please, get this to Heimos as soon as possible."

Anu's dark eyes stared at Garlan motionlessly, and he let out a short cry, as if in reply to Garlan's words.

Garlan raised his hand, and the black eagle suddenly spread its wings and flew towards the dark sky.

Its figure quickly disappeared into the rain, leaving only the lingering sound of a long cry echoing in the sky.

Looking at the direction in which Anu disappeared, Garlan asked.

"Kayhos, judging from your experience, under the current situation, what is the possibility of holding on to Tozes for seven days... no, five days?"

The blond knight was silent for a while, and then he gave his answer.

"Almost impossible."

He could forcefully break through the siege with the prince and rush out of the city.

However, it is almost impossible to hold on to the city for five days with the existing meager troops.

No matter how powerful he is, he cannot resist all the pirates on his own in this situation.

What's more, he himself is not good at naval combat.

"impossible……"

The boy murmured to himself, he closed his eyes, and the fine blond hair was scattered in the corners of his eyes.

His lips moved slightly.

He asked: "Tal, Caihos, are you afraid of death?"

Tal murmured "Your Highness" and didn't know how to answer.

Kehos, on the other hand, looked at his prince quietly and did not answer.

Garlan smiled lowly.

"I'm afraid."

He is afraid of death.

Those several experiences of death made him fear death more than anyone else.

He has been trying his best to leave the throne and the palace, all in order to let himself live well this time.

…………

There was a smell of blood in the wind. He closed his eyes, but he seemed to be able to see the city that was burned by fire and dyed red with blood soon, as well as the mountains of corpses.

Wails spread all over the land, and countless people will die under the pirates' butcher's knives.

The wind suddenly became violent and howling.

Garlan opened his eyes, reached out and grabbed the thick cloak that was thrown on the table.

He turned around.

The howling wind whipped up his long golden hair.

As he walked, he raised his hand, unfolded the light-colored cloak in the air, and tied it around his shoulders.

"I want to guard Tozes."

Garlan said, stepping forward.

Step by step, steady, calm.

Light-colored boots made loud footsteps on the ground.

Caihos, who fell behind, looked up.

He saw the flying golden hair illuminated by the light.

He saw behind the young man, his long cloak billowing endlessly.

[It is almost impossible to hold on for five days. 】

impossible.

…………

You shouldn't do things you can't do.

As it should be.

Under the gloomy sky, only the golden eyes of Prince Aaron Landis were clearly in darkness, but they were brighter than anything else.

However, sometimes

In this world, there are things that you must do even though you know they are impossible.

He wants to guard Tozes.