A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

The moon has passed the middle of the night sky, and it is already midnight. The whole city has become quiet, and most people have gone to sleep.

Only the palace was still lit in the dark night.

The silver-like moonlight fell on the green grass, casting a thin layer of light on the loose blond hair. The boy kneeling on the grass gasped violently.

Sweat seeped out from his forehead and stained his forehead. There were a few strands of grass stained in the middle of his hair, and there was dust and dirt on his face, making him look gray and disgraced.

My whole body ached, my body was knocked to the ground again and again, and now it hurt like it was falling apart.

Garlan's chest heaved violently, and he gasped. He grabbed the hilt of the sword with both hands and supported his body with the sword stuck in the grass.

After taking a deep breath, he stood up again. It's just that his body is shaking a little, and his movements to stand up are also very reluctant.

Under the moonlight, the skin on the young man's exposed arms and shoulders were all bruised and purple, all traces of being beaten just now.

Garlan raised his head, and his blond hair was messily scattered in front of his eyes, cheeks, and shoulders, making him look extremely embarrassed.

But he still stood there panting, holding the hilt of the sword with both hands, holding the sword upright in front of him, bowing slightly, and once again assumed a fighting posture, looking straight ahead resolutely.

In front of the young man, King Camos stood there.

The moonlight shone from behind him, putting his face in the shadow of the backlight, making it difficult to see the expression on his face at this moment.

He stood very firmly, his hands hanging by his sides, his long sword pointed at the ground, and his muscular arms glowed with a dark brown luster in the dim light.

The angular lips were pursed a little tighter than usual, giving people a great sense of solemnity and oppression.

King Camos's eyes hidden in the shadows glanced at the embarrassed young man opposite, who was now covered in bruises, and something seemed to shrink deep in his pupils.

However, he still had that expressionless look on his face. After seeing that Garlan had stood up and was ready to fight again, he suddenly took a step forward and slashed hard with the long sword in his hand.

A snow-white edge flashed across the dark night, accompanied by the whistling sound of the broken blade.

Garlan's shoulders tightened suddenly. He grasped the hilt of the sword with both hands and raised the long sword to meet the heavy sword that was chopped down——

Although he had a premonition that his weak and painful arms were no longer strong enough to withstand this powerful sword. At this moment, even the sword in his hand might be chopped off.

And he will be beaten to the ground mercilessly by Brother Wang again——

Suddenly, a huge but fast-moving brown figure jumped out of the darkness and thrust between the two of them.

Both of them paused for a moment.

The sword in Kamos' hand was still raised high in the night sky, and his brows were already frowning.

The thick mane spread out in the dark night. The huge male lion stopped in front of Garlan, bowed his body, and tensed his muscles. He looked like he was ready to go, and he made a threatening sound towards Camos. growled.

In the roar, it opened its huge mouth, and the white sharp teeth reflected a cold light.

King Camos stared at it for several seconds.

Then he lowered his raised sword.

Probably because the aggression felt from Camos had disappeared, and the big lion's taut and slightly arched body had also relaxed.

It roared at Kamos again in a warning tone, then turned its head and thrust its huge head into Garlan's arms.

Before Gallan could come back to his senses, he was in a daze when he was suddenly hit by the big mane-covered head. Without paying attention, he was knocked to the ground by Nerga, and the sword in his hand also fell to the ground.

He sat on the grass and subconsciously hugged Nega's head, which kept rubbing against him.

The sword in King Camos' hand hung down and he stood there, looking sideways.

"Did you bring this guy here?"

He said, raising his chin towards the big lion who was having fun with Garlan.

Kayhos and others had been standing aside, all their attention focused on the battle between King Camos and Garlan... To be precise, Garlan was beaten unilaterally.

King Camos suddenly said this, and then they noticed that Heimos had appeared here at some point.

"yes."

Heimos answered.

King Camos snorted.

"Do you think it's useful to bring this guy here?"

Heimos did not answer this time. He came over and walked between Garlan and King Kamos. Then, he bowed his head and knelt down on one knee in front of King Kamos.

He just knelt down, lowered his head, silent, without saying a word.

Almost at the same time as he knelt down, Kehos quickly walked up to Garlan and knelt down at the feet of King Camos.

He also said nothing, just kneeling quietly.

Female officer Tapti, who was still holding King Camos' cloak in her hands, also stepped forward to stop Garlan, looking at King Camos with a pleading look in her eyes.

Kamos' eyes swept across the people blocking him, and then landed on Garlan.

"Garlan, how does it feel to be protected by these people who have been abandoned by you?"

he said, expressionless.

Garlan's breath paused slightly as he sat on the grass.

His lips moved and opened, but no sound came out, because he didn't know what to say, so he could only subconsciously hold on to Nega's mane.

"You thought you just abandoned the throne, that it was just something you didn't want. But you never thought that what you did was abandoning all the people who had followed you and protected you all these years. "

In the dark night, the Lion King's voice became deeper and deeper.

"Whatever the excuse, you abandoned them, that's the truth."

Even his brother, the king, was abandoned as well——

"Until now, I still don't know why you refused the throne."

He said, "But, Garlan, you don't understand that it is not you who chooses the throne, no one is qualified to choose it, but the throne chooses who can sit on it."

"The chosen one has no right to refuse!"

After King Camos said forcefully, he raised his hand and swung it hard. The sword he threw down hit the ground heavily, and the blade was halfway into the ground.

Then, he turned around and left.

Only the long sword was left standing sideways on the ground, reflecting the shallow moonlight.

Heymos was glanced at by King Camos before he left. He knew that King Camos' look was asking him to follow him and report the matter to Menestre City, so he had no choice but to get up and follow him.

Shermur glanced at Garlan who was kneeling on the grass, said nothing, and followed King Camos with Heimos.

Tapti stood up and looked at the bruises on Gallan's body with distress. He wanted to say something, but found that he was still holding the cloak of King Camos, so he had to shut his mouth again. , turned around and walked quickly to the room not far away.

Only Garlan and Kayhos were left in the garden. The place became quiet again, and no one spoke in the dark night.

The big lion didn't understand the complicated atmosphere among humans, and just clung to Garlan, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

Garlan touched Nerga's mane with one hand. Nerga was shaking his head happily and making a gurgling sound in his throat. However, Garlan was not happy.

Just as he was kneeling on the grass, lost in thought, a hand reached out to him.

He raised his eyes and met the eyes of his guardian knight.

Kayhos knelt in front of him and stretched out his hand, as if he wanted to help him up.

Garlan shook his head and stood up unsteadily, holding on to the ground.

He stood up, but Caijos still knelt on one knee in front of him, showing no intention of getting up.

Garlan looked at Kehos hesitantly, not knowing what to say for a moment. He only felt that the atmosphere was very stiff, and he could only keep rubbing Nega's mane to cover up this embarrassment.

Garlan didn't know what to say, but Kehos, who was kneeling, spoke.

He said: "Your Highness, do you think... I am useless?"

"ah?"

"Because I'm useless, you don't want to tell me anything."

The blond knight lowered his head, his voice was very low, and the hand he was pressing on the ground was clenched tightly. It was obvious that he was very sad now.

"Because I am useless and cannot help you, that's why I was abandoned by you. This is all because I am too weak to be relied upon by you and unable to share your troubles with you, Your Highness."

"No...that's not it."

These words of Kayhos made Garlan a little confused for a moment. Looking at the depressed Kayhos, he quickly shook his head in denial.

"It has nothing to do with you, Kayhos. I am too willful, so..."

"No, Your Highness will not be wrong. The fault must be mine. I am not capable of being your guardian knight, so I am not trusted by you. This is all my own problem!"

Interrupting Garlan's words, Kayhos said decisively.

"I am not qualified to be your guardian knight, so I am abandoned by you. I have no complaints about this."

He said,

"As a guardian knight abandoned by his master, I have no shame in facing you again, no shame in continuing to live in this world."

The blond knight stretched out his hand and grabbed the long sword that Garlan had dropped to the ground when he was beaten by Nerga.

"The reason why I live so shamelessly is because I want to see you one last time before I die."

He said in a deep voice and put the sword blade on his neck with his backhand.

"Prince Garlan, I am very happy to serve you so far. From now on, I..."

"Wait, wait, wait! Stop!"

Garlan held Kehos's hand.

He was frightened.

"You are not wrong. It was me who was wrong. What I did was wrong. It has nothing to do with you. Don't do this! Put down the sword!"

"No, Prince, you can't be wrong. It must be something I didn't do well."

"No, you are very good, very good. I have always been proud of you, so don't do such stupid things!"

"But I have been abandoned by you, prince. A guardian knight who leaves his master will be regarded as a shame by everyone. Instead of falling to that point, it would be better..."

Um? Will a guardian knight who leaves his master be looked down upon by others?

Is there such a saying?

Garlan was puzzled for a moment.

The hand of Kehos who was staring closely at him suddenly exerted force, and the sharp blade suddenly sank into the skin of Kehos's throat, cutting a shallow blood mark, and blood seeped out instantly.

This time, Garlan was so frightened that he no longer had the time to think about it. He immediately put all his doubts behind him and held Caihos's hand tightly.

"I won't abandon you, Kehos, no matter what!"

Garlan, who was frightened by the blood stain, tried his best to coax Caihos, fearing that his shaking hands would lead to irreversible consequences.

"You are my guardian knight, and you will be for the rest of your life."

"You won't hide anything from me in the future, right?"

"Won't."

"Will you discuss anything you have on your mind with me?"

"Yes, I will."

"Do you still want to leave the palace?"

"No, I'm not leaving."

"It doesn't matter if you want to leave, but will you take me with you?"

"I said I won't...if that day comes, I will definitely take you with me."

"You swear?"

"I swear, in the name of Shamash, no matter what happens, I will never abandon you again. So, Kayhos, please put down your sword quickly——"

"Okay, Your Highness."

As soon as Garlan finished swearing, Kehos immediately put down the sword on his neck calmly.

He stood up, raised his eyebrows and gave his master a bright smile.

Garlan: "..."

No...I always feel...this scene seems to have happened many years ago?

...It seems to be a replay of the scene where Keyhos became his own guardian knight?

After a long while, Garlan finally came to his senses and stared at the guardian knight in front of him, grinding his teeth.

"...Kayhos."

"yes?"

The knight responded calmly.

"After all, you are the world-famous 'Knight of the Scorching Sun,' but you resort to this tactic of crying, making trouble, and hanging yourself like a woman or child. Don't you feel ashamed!"

The little prince, who was greatly frightened by Kejos's move, pointed angrily at his knight.

"do not think so."

Answer in one second.

Garlan: "..."

Defeated in a second.

"You should at least care about your honor as a knight..."

he muttered under his breath.

Caihos smiled, raised his hand and held the hand Gallan pointed at him.

"Prince Garlan."

The blond knight held Garlan's hand, lowered his eyes, and the smile faded from his handsome face.

He lowered his eyes, and there was still a little trace of blood oozing from the bloody mouth on his throat, which was horrifying to see.

"I am your guardian knight, and this is my greatest honor...until the day I die, I will carry this honor into my grave."

He leaned down and kissed his prince's hand.

"My prince, please remember..."

He spoke softly, word for word.

"If I were abandoned by you, it would be the same as death to me."

The garden was quiet for a long time.

After a long time, Garlan's voice sounded in the night.

"……sorry."

Accompanying this soft apology was a low, confused roar from the big lion.

…………

……………………

In the dead of night, the lights were still on in the king's palace. King Camos sat on the stone throne with a gloomy expression.

Heimos, who had finished reporting what happened in the city of Menestre, had left. At this moment, only King Camos and the priest of Shamash were left in the room.

King Camos sat with a calm face, still expressionless.

Shermur raised his eyes and saw that the hand of King Camos on the armrest was clenched very tightly.

The pair of charcoal-like eyes stared in front of him, as if frozen.

It seems that the king is still angry about Prince Gallan's matter.

The priest of Shamash thought so.

He had been sitting there with a straight face for a long time, motionless, and he looked very angry.

However, it would not work to continue to make the king angry with the prince. After all, the prince had already learned a lesson.

Shermer thought.

Only this time, he reluctantly interceded for Prince Garlan and asked King Camos to calm down and forgive the prince.

After making the decision, Shermer coughed lightly.

"Your Majesty, I know you are very angry this time. Prince Gallan did make a big mistake."

He said,

"However, he has received the punishment he deserves. Moreover, His Highness Heimos also said just now that Prince Gallan came back on his own initiative. From the look of the prince, he should have realized his mistake and repented. meaning."

"So, please forgive the prince for his mistakes. After all, you have already taught him a lesson..."

"That's enough! Stop talking!"

Shemuer's plea for Gallan was rudely interrupted by King Camos.

Xie Muer's heart trembled.

It seems that King Camos is really angry this time. He is still angry at Prince Gallan. Could it be that he is already disappointed with the prince and plans to give up on him?

No, this won't work.

Just when Shemu'er was anxiously trying to persuade King Kamos, Kamos had already continued.

"Don't remind me of this again, Shermer."

King Camos held his head in his hands and groaned feebly.

"I beat Gallan...I beat him...Shemu'er, why didn't you stop me!"

He raised his head and glared at Shermer.

Shermer: "???"

So is it my fault?

I saw that the Lion King, who was sitting majestically just a second ago and exuding an aura of oppression, had stood up and was wandering around the room like a headless fly, going in circles.

"Ah, I actually did it, I actually did it to that child... I didn't want to, I really didn't want to... Why do you think I did it?"

"I don't know if it hurts... It must hurt a lot. I fell so hard and my body was bruised... I should have been gentler... ahhh!"

Camos was circling and thinking indifferently, scratching his head with both hands and messing up his brown hair.

Finally, he stopped circling the room and looked up at his priest.

"Shemu'er, do you think Garlan will hate me and ignore me in the future?"

The way the Big Lion King looked over at this moment gave people a pitiful feeling.

Shermer: “…………”

do not want to answer.

Just want to beat people up.

I just want to do the following.

The author has something to say: Shermer: Indifference.jpg