A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

Towards evening, the sun was gradually setting in the west, and a cavalry team of a hundred people had stopped moving and camped beside a small stream.

The cavalry got busy, and the bonfire was quickly lit. The broth in the copper pot placed on the bonfire was boiled, exuding a rich aroma in the crude camp that had just been set up.

The small stream flows briskly, making bursts of flowing water, and small fish swim carefree in it.

Heimos sat on a rock by the stream, his dark boots stepping on the gravel.

The stream was crystal clear and his figure was clearly reflected.

The young man sitting by the stream lowered his head slightly, and his honey-colored skin glowed with the wild luster of a beast standing in the desert in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The jet-black forehead hair fell in front of his eyes as finely as silk, and the corners of his eyes were slightly upward, revealing full vigor.

The golden-red eyes reflected the fiery red sunset, like flaming glass beads.

It is obviously inorganic indifference, but it gives people a dangerous allure and beauty.

Early this morning, Heimos left the royal city and led his subordinates to the city of Menestre.

He only informed Shermer of this incident.

Before the sun rose in the early morning, he quickly left the royal city without saying goodbye to Garlan.

He lowered his eyes and stared quietly at the briskly flowing stream in front of him. His fingers unconsciously stroked the green malachite ring on his left hand.

It seemed to have become a habit for him. When he was upset or anxious, he would subconsciously stroke it.

He finally chose to serve Garlan as a knight.

He gave up the throne he could have fought for.

However, even if he had made a decision, he still felt...uneasy.

In the deepest part of the body, there seemed to be a caged beast roaring and roaring, madly and wantonly, with an extremely dangerous aura.

As long as there is an opportunity, he will break out of the cage——

Heimos knew very well how difficult it was for him to barely suppress the beast that lived in his body.

He couldn't sleep last night, and he suddenly didn't want to stay in the royal city, so he left without saying goodbye on the pretext of rectifying the army in Menestre City.

He needs to stay alone somewhere else for some time to clear his messy mind.

A long cry came from the air, awakening Heimos. He raised his head and saw a dark eagle spreading its wings and circling high in the sky.

He looked at Anu, who was taken away with him, for a while, and then lowered his head again.

On the relatively clean slate beside him, the bowl of broth that had been brought to him by his subordinates not long ago was still steaming. He reached out and brought it to his mouth and drank.

Heimos had just finished drinking half of his drink when suddenly rapid footsteps sounded from behind him.

The knight who just brought him the broth quickly came behind him again and leaned down to salute.

"Your Highness Heimos."

"What's up?"

Heimos still sat on the floor and took another sip.

The knight kneeling on one knee lowered his voice and reported: "Priest Shimu'er sent someone to send a secret message, asking you to rush back to the royal city as soon as possible."

"oh."

After drinking the remaining half bowl of broth in one gulp, Heimos responded lazily and threw the empty bowl aside.

The knight presented the secret message with both hands.

Heimos looked absentmindedly at the little fish swimming nimbly in the stream, and casually reached out to take the secret document.

Bright red ink pads cover the seal to ensure that the secret document will not be opened by others before it reaches Heimos.

The still kneeling knight watched as his master tore open the seal and took out the secret document inside.

He watched his master glance at the contents on the parchment with a look of disinterest in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Just a glimpse.

The knight felt the air around him suddenly tighten.

He saw his master's originally lazy golden-red eyes suddenly ignite with anger.

"What are those guys doing!"

Heimos clenched the letter in his hand.

His face looked extremely ugly.

What on earth are those idiots in the royal city doing!

He had only been away for a day, and he asked Garlan to——

The kneeling knight was a little confused. He had no idea what the secret message said, which actually made His Highness Heimos, who had always acted calmly and calmly, look so furious.

He looked at the almost torn piece of paper in Heymos' hand with an inquiring gaze. He suddenly felt a coldness all over his body and his heart tightened. He quickly lowered his head, not daring to look any further.

"I will return to the royal city first. You will stay here tonight and go back after dawn."

The knight watched in astonishment as his master raised his hand and whistled after saying such words. Not far away, a horse leisurely munching on the grass came following the sound.

Its fiery reddish-brown mane undulated in the wind, and it rushed to its owner in the blink of an eye.

Heimos got on his horse, covered in the night starlight, and galloped towards the royal city.

…………

prince?

Tapti looked at the empty bedroom in front of her in astonishment. The thin blanket on the bed was lifted, but the boy who was supposed to be lying on it was nowhere to be seen.

The windows were wide open, and the night wind blew in from outside, blowing the gauze curtains in the room.

Because the prince's illness could not be reported outside, she stayed here alone all day.

She just went out and asked the maid outside to bring hot water and cook some porridge. It only took a few minutes. When she came back, the prince disappeared into the room.

The shock was only for a moment, and the female official, who had already experienced countless storms, quickly calmed down.

She carefully examined the traces left in the bedroom and then looked outside the open window.

A flower fell down in the flower bed outside the window, and traces of being stepped on could be faintly seen on the soil.

Tapti suddenly knew something.

She turned around, intending to ask the guards outside to notify Shermer to come over.

But before walking out of the hall, there was a rush of footsteps.

As soon as the female officer raised her head, she saw the tall, familiar figure hurriedly walking towards her.

His Highness Heimos.

Looking at the gloomy face of Heimos who was walking quickly, Tapti's heart skipped a beat.

Speaking of which, during the day, she was still thinking that Prince Garlan was ill and it was really strange that he did not appear.

Heimos passed her by, as if he didn't see her at all, and walked straight into the bedroom inside.

Tapti turned around subconsciously, followed him into the bedroom again, and closed the bedroom door.

After she entered, she saw Heimos standing in front of the door, slowly moving his gaze from the empty bed to the open window.

"The prince should wake up."

Tapti said, "He left on his own. With his body like that, I don't know where he went. Your Highness Heymos, we must find him quickly..."

"No."

Staring intently at the open window, Heimers said, "I know where he went."

After saying that, without waiting for Tapti to answer, he held up his hands and jumped out of the window.

In just a few breaths, his back disappeared into the vast night.

…………

The main hall made of snow-white jade stood quietly in the night, deserted and deserted, with no breath at all.

It is completely opposite to the bright and glorious golden palace.

In this hall, even though the lights are brightly lit, it seems that one can feel a chill that goes deep into the bones.

The White Palace, the palace of the dead.

When Heimos walked into this huge white palace, the cold white overwhelmingly hit him.

Eyes full of paleness.

Translucent soft white gauze was scattered around the hall, gently swaying with a little breeze.

Huge white stone trays containing huge ice cubes were placed on both sides, making the temperature of this hall much colder than outside.

The incense burners as tall as one person placed on both sides emitted a faint fragrance, lingering in the hall.

At the end of the snow-white hall, a green malachite sarcophagus was placed on a high platform.

In the green, complex and delicate lines are carved on it, and the gold integrated into the fine lines shines with a golden luster under the light.

On the wall behind the malachite sarcophagus is a relief of a goddess wearing a white lotus on her head.

She held a red feather and clasped her hands in front of her.

Ornas, the god of the underworld.

The goddess who protects the dead.

She lowered her eyes with compassion, as if she was looking down at the peacock sarcophagus in front of her.

The huge white wings spread out behind her, showing a surrounding arc, as if she were guarding the great king.

Camos lay in the cold malachite sarcophagus, and his wiped body was put on pure white soft silk clothes.

The dark brown skin that had been carefully applied with olive oil and spices glowed under the light, making the Lion King lying there peacefully look like he was just sleeping.

Countless flowers were scattered around the malachite sarcophagus and spread along the white stone steps.

The young man sat on the snow-white stone steps, leaning against the cold peacock sarcophagus behind him.

He sat in front of the malachite sarcophagus, hugging his knees and burying his face between his knees.

His long golden hair hung down from his slender shoulders, and the ends of his hair were scattered on the stone ground around him.

The boy's feet were bare, stepping on the cold white stone steps and the bright red petals scattered on the stone steps. His skin became whiter and whiter, almost translucent and fragile.

The huge white hall, the hall of the dead, was empty and lifeless.

It was eerily quiet.

Only the blond boy sat alone under the huge peacock sarcophagus.

Heimos stepped forward, his dark boots making a dull sound on the snow-white stone ground.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the hall.

He walked to the stone steps in front of Garlan.

Then he leaned down and knelt in front of Garlan.

He stretched out his hand, as if wanting to touch the boy in front of him.

But before his fingertips were about to touch the blond hair, his hand stopped in mid-air.

After a while, Heimos slowly held his hand and took it back.

His fingers clenched tightly and hard.

The black knight, who was feared on the battlefield, clenched his hands tightly, as if he didn't know where to use his powerful power.

He half-knelt in front of the young man who was hugging him and huddled next to the malachite sarcophagus, seemingly at a loss.

He really didn't know what to do or say, so he could only stay in front of Garlan in silence.

The hall was very quiet, you could only hear each other's breathing, and the firelight on the stone pillars swayed on the two of them.

Maybe a long time passed.

Or maybe it was just a short moment.

Finally, the boy who had been burying his head in his knees raised his head.

Apart from being slightly pale, his face was clean with no other traces or tears.

When he raised his head, his hair fell from his cheeks like flowing gold.

Garlan did not hide here and cry. His expression looked very calm, and he looked at Heimos in front of him indifferently.

He even smiled lightly at Heimos.

"Heimos, you know, I saved many people."

He smiled and spoke softly.

"Look, I saved you when you were very young, right?"

"When I was still very young, I saved the children who were caught on the altar by the All Things Cult. Many children..."

Garlan spoke softly.

The golden pupils were slightly absent-minded, as if they were remembering.

"If I didn't exist...you wouldn't be saved, the palace would burst into flames, and many people would die in the fire..."

"Without me, those children would have been killed as sacrifices... Those civilians would have rioted under the instigation of the Cult of All Things, which would last for a long time... affecting countless people, and then all of them would be suppressed and killed... …”

"At that time, the plague will break out in Vinal City... countless people will be infected and die from the plague."

"...The Tastar mission will be destroyed in the desert, and a war will break out between Aaron Landis and Tastar. Tens of thousands of people will die in the war..."

"Tozes City will be attacked by pirates, and most of the people in the city will die under the pirates' swords..."

"The city of Tweilur will be engulfed by flash floods, and the entire city will be buried in the floods..."

The young man said softly.

Sentence after sentence.

He seemed to want to pour out all his achievements at this moment.

He seemed to be constantly praising himself and telling his importance.

Heimos didn't say anything, he just listened quietly to Garlan's words.

After talking for a long time, Garlan suddenly stopped.

His eyes fell on Heimos' face, and he looked steadily into Heimos's eyes.

The man's golden-red eyes were as hot as fire, but they were extremely indifferent to everything in the world.

He suddenly asked: "Heimos, if there is no summons from me, you will abandon the royal city, right?"

Heimos still didn't answer, his pupils deeply reflected the figure of the young man in front of him.

He looked at the messy blond hair scattered in front of Garlan's eyes, raised his hand, and gently tucked it behind Garlan's ear.

Garlan didn't move, his eyes were in a daze.

Although he asked that question, Heimos did not need to answer.

Because he had seen that scene with his own eyes in his dream.

"That's the will of the gods... They say that's the path of fate... Whether it's me or..."

Whether it’s me or Brother Camos.

"The fate has been decided long ago and no one can change it..."

Garlan closed his eyes, and his slender eyelashes fell down on the young man's pale cheeks.

The lightly fluttering eyelashes looked like butterfly wings that could be easily broken at this moment, inexplicably fragile.

"So, you see, if it weren't for me, you would give up the royal city..."

he whispered,

"I know... In order to preserve the strength of the legion, you retreated to one side and allowed other countries to fight in the land of Aaron Landis, and you will wait patiently for them to exhaust their strength in the battle with each other and sit back. The profit of a fisherman..."

"The royal city is captured, and many people in the royal city will die under the hooves of the Gastad people..."

"When other countries are fighting on the land of Aaron Landis, countless people will die in the war..."

The young man spoke softly, laughing at the same time.

His appearance is extremely good-looking, and his smile makes people unable to take their eyes away.

His smile was always warm, like the bright sunshine at dawn.

But at this moment, although there was a smile on his face, the smile did not reach his eyes.

"But, because of me, none of this happened, and everyone survived."

"Look, Heimos, I have saved so many people...saved countless lives..."

Garlan repeated this sentence again, suddenly turned his head and turned sideways.

He looked at the huge malachite sarcophagus behind him and stretched out his hand to press it.

The cold breath penetrated from his fingertips, and he pressed his fingers harder on the malachite sarcophagus.

He dug hard, as if he wanted to dig his fingertips into the cold hard stone.

His tightened knuckles were almost white, and the slender fingers were so hard that they seemed to be broken in the next second.

A hand suddenly stretched out from the side and grabbed Garlan's hand that was pressing on the malachite sarcophagus.

Heimos squeezed Gallan's hand tightly and pulled it off.

He saw blood oozing from Garlan's fingertips.

He lowered his head, took the bleeding fingertip into his lips, and sucked it.

Garlan stared blankly as Heimos took his fingers into his mouth, and the warm touch wrapped around his fingertips, as if the chill he had just felt on the malachite sarcophagus was driven away.

He didn't move, just pursed his lips a little bit.

The bloodless lips were pressed into a straight line, and a strand of blond hair was also pressed tightly into her lips.

Heimos let go of his mouth, still maintaining a half-kneeling posture in front of Garlan, and raised his head to look at Garlan.

Garlan looked at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

But in this smile, a tear suddenly fell from the corner of his slightly curved eyes.

He smiled and said: "I have saved countless people...but I can't save the one I want to save the most."

he said, tears falling from his misty golden eyes.

The young man seemed to be smiling, but the tears falling from the corners of his eyes kept falling on the back of Heymos's hand.

Burning hot.

Like a broken bead.

More and more, more and more.

Uncontrollable.

Can't stop it.

Garlan sat quietly in front of the green malachite sarcophagus, eyes lowered, water-stained eyelashes falling on his tear-stained cheeks.

Tears fell silently from his eyes.

The white halls of the dead were silent in the night.

The boy's calm face didn't even look like he was crying.

But he was crying.

In a most painful way.

【I have saved countless people. 】

【But only...can't save the person I want to save the most. 】