A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

The blazing fire reflected the dark night sky red, and also reflected the side cheeks of the young man holding the snow-white sword crimson.

The golden forehead hair was messy and scattered in the corners of his eyes. He raised his head and stared at the man riding the black horse.

Like all Tastars, this man is tall and burly. It can be seen from the bulging triceps on his arm holding the black iron gun that his body is extremely strong.

"Prince of Aaron Landis?"

The man was sitting on a horse, looking down at him, condescendingly.

The firelight illuminated the bronze armor on the man's body.

He said: "You are still young and could have had a long future...but it is a pity that you should not be here."

Garlan pursed his lips and did not answer.

His golden eyes reflected the man's face, which was very similar to Opada behind him.

He heard Opada's sleepy cry.

Big brother.

Garlan clenched the white sword in his hand.

This man is Opada's eldest brother, and at the same time, he was also a former friend of his knight Caihos.

…

While eating the desert roast rabbit meat that Anu brought back, he curiously asked what Caihos meant by those words he said after defeating Opada.

Although it was his personal friend, Caihos had no intention of covering it up.

"The person I'm talking about who is unpredictable in the fight with me is Opada's eldest brother."

"Opada's eldest brother?"

Garlan was startled for a moment, and suddenly he remembered that Opada once told him that his eldest brother was very powerful and had tamed an eagle.

Opada's expression was very proud when he said this, and he seemed to admire his brother very much.

"Kayjos, do you know his elder brother?"

Kehos laughed.

"He was a guy whose reputation was not inferior to mine back then. I was more famous in the South, but he rose to fame earlier than me in the North."

"But how did you meet?"

"I followed King Camos to the battlefield in the North. Sometimes we would join forces with the Tasda people to fight against the enemy Gesu. We would go to the battlefield to kill the enemy together, so we naturally got to know each other."

"Is he great?"

"Yes, he is a very powerful man. Opada is not as brave as him. Moreover, he is also a rare and flexible guy among Tasda people."

Garlan blinked.

His guardian knight seemed lazy and unruly, but few people could admire him.

Just by saying this, he could vaguely feel how powerful that person was.

He thought for a while and couldn't help but ask one more question.

"More powerful than you?"

"I don't know. Aaron Landis and Tastar are allies. We are comrades on the battlefield, so I have never risked my life to fight with him. Although I sometimes spar with each other, this kind of thing does not risk my life. Nothing can be seen from the battles, basically there are winners and losers.”

Caijos pondered for a moment before replying.

"To be honest, if I really fight to the death, I don't think I will lose, but I am not sure of winning. And I haven't seen him for so long, and I don't know what his abilities are. However, he was indeed a Tasman back then. The best among Tasda warriors and the designated successor of General Tasda..."

"Huh? Then why is it changed to Opada now?"

Garlan was really curious.

If even Kehos really thinks that he is very good, and he is also a Tasda who is rare in wisdom, he must be an extremely good successor. Why was he replaced by Opada, who is inferior in both strength and brains?

"And if there is really a warrior as famous as you, he should be very famous, but I have never heard of him."

The blond knight was silent for a moment. He opened his mouth and took a bite of the oily roast rabbit meat, chewing it a few times.

The light of the bonfire reflected in his green eyes, making his eyes reveal a complicated expression at this moment.

"About five years ago... that time, when we were fighting against the Geshur army with Tasda, the Tasda army led by him delayed the fight and almost led to the defeat of the Northland battlefield."

Kehos let out a low sigh.

"King Tastar was furious, and Tastar's general rushed to the battlefield immediately, deprived him of his status as commander, and took over the command of the army. Although we finally won the victory, in order to give Aaron Landis an explanation, The general has revoked his claim to be the heir."

"...From then on, he disappeared on the battlefield."

Cayjos said, looking toward the vast night sky.

At this moment, the figure that was almost blurred in his memory once again appeared in his mind, with a look of nostalgia in his eyes.

That brave Tastar warrior.

He had fought alongside him on the battlefield many years ago.

At that time, the young Tasda warriors were high-spirited and fighting on the battlefield.

now……

He was still galloping on the battlefield, but the Tastad warrior who was supposed to have a future of infinite glory was deprived of all his aura just because of that one mistake, and was hit rock bottom, with no more news.

…………

[That is a rare Tasda warrior who possesses both the bravery bestowed by the God of War and the wisdom bestowed by the Sky God. 】

Kehos had told him before the campfire.

Garlan tensed up, he was extremely nervous.

He knew very well that he could fight against ordinary soldiers, but it was simply impossible to fight against a warrior of the same level as Caihos.

He had already tried his best to rush over to block the shot.

Even now, his hands holding the sword hilt are still a little numb.

He never expected that the person who planned the massacre of the Tasda Mission was actually——

The man stopped talking and thrust his gun straight at him.

Garlan instinctively raised his hand to hold the tip of the stabbing spear.

The huge force made his hands numb, and with great reluctance, he deflected the impact of the black gun to one side.

However, as soon as he pushed the tip of the spear away, the tip of the spear was retracted, and then another spear came | stabbing him.

Gallan, who had just released his strength and could not even stand still, had no choice but to take his shot again and immediately took a step back.

The man did not stop, nor did he use all his strength.

He saw that Garlan was no match for him. He was playing with Garlan like a cat and a mouse, stabbing Garlan one after another.

"Prince of Aaron Landis, is this your level?"

He mocked unceremoniously, looking at Garlan with great contempt.

He was a cavalryman, and the weapon in his hand was a spear. He suppressed the young man under the horse to death.

Garlan could vaguely hear the resentment towards Aaron Landis in the man's tone. But he didn't have extra time to think now. Just resisting the man on horseback's successive attacks had already taken all his strength.

Another heavy shot came.

A strong vibration was transmitted from the sword blade.

His hands, which had been bleeding from the tiger's mouth, could no longer hold the hilt of the sword. The long sword flew away from the black gun, and Garlan was knocked backwards and fell to the ground.

The man on the horse looked down at Garlan, condescendingly.

The boy sat on the ground, looking up at the man, breathing heavily.

“Aaron Landis is standing in Tastar’s way.”

The man said this, and the spear in his hand stabbed Garlan hard——

A sonorous sound.

The jet-black iron gun was once again intercepted midway.

The man who was blocked from this attack looked at the person who blocked him and raised his eyebrows slightly, seeming to be slightly surprised.

"Opada, I have taught you all your martial arts skills step by step, and now, you actually dare to point the blade at me?"

The brown-haired Tastar man stood in front of Garlan. The muscles on his face were still stiff, and his shoulders were tense to the extreme.

He was panting, his chest heaving violently.

The saber that he had dropped just now was once again tightly held in his hand and pointed at the man in front of him.

"I swore an oath to Ashur, the god of war..."

Opada's throat was vibrating, and he gritted his teeth as he stared at the man he once admired.

The knuckles of his hand that gripped the handle of the knife were almost turning white.

"I swore that as long as I'm alive, I won't let anyone hurt him!"

He gritted his teeth and said, his voice almost forced out from deep in his throat.

"Even if it's to big brother you——"

Before he finished speaking, Opada roared and charged forward like a tiger.

The long saber slashed at the horse under the man, but was blocked by the dark iron spear.

The crisp sound of iron impact echoed in the night sky, once, and again.

Monotonous, yet cruel.

"Is it because I took away your position as heir? Because of this, you want to kill me."

Opada's eyes were red. He seemed to be crazy, without any regard for his own safety, and attacked the man crazily.

"Because of this, just because of me, you didn't hesitate to attack your compatriots - you actually colluded with outsiders to kill your own compatriots -"

he shouted.

"Why do you do such a thing? This position is so important to you?!"

Blocking Opada's saber, the man turned the horse's head aside, raised his hand and struck with a blow, cutting a long gash on Opada's arm.

The horse beneath him neighed.

"This location?"

The man said calmly.

"Opada, even now, you still don't understand what I want."

"How can I possibly understand the thoughts of a guy like you who betrayed his own compatriots!"

The bone-deep wound on his arm was bleeding profusely. Opada still gritted his teeth and stood in front of the man.

"Betraying Tasda? No, Opada, the person who betrayed Tasda was not me, but the guys who convicted me and imprisoned me five years ago, including our father."

The man said, "Those guys ruined me and they ruined Tastar."

The battle between the two continued.

The conversation between the two continued amidst the clash of weapons.

Opada was not as powerful as the man, but at this moment, he looked like a mad man and used his momentum to hold a standoff with the man.

"My father did nothing wrong. That is the responsibility you should bear! If it weren't for your mistake and delaying the fighter plane, our ally Aaron Landis would not have made such a big sacrifice-"

"Mistake?"

The man chuckled.

"No, Opada, you don't understand, that was not a mistake."

"It's just a strategic mistake. King Tasda and my father will not be so angry."

"They charged me with a felony because I disobeyed their orders."

"When they urged me to rush to the battlefield as soon as possible, I told them that we should wait for the opportunity. After Aaron Landis and Geshu are both injured, the Tasda Army can defeat these two countries in one fell swoop and become the final winner."

The man suddenly told the truth about five years ago, which made Opada lose his mind for a moment. The man seized the moment of his loss and shot him through the shoulder.

"I said, Opada, your martial arts were all taught by me. You can never be my opponent."

Opada, who was shot through the shoulder, staggered back and was about to fall.

A pair of hands reached out from behind and pressed his body, making him barely stand on the ground.

Garlan supported him, frowned, and looked deeply at the man.

Unexpectedly, I learned the truth by accident.

The reason why this man planned this incident was probably not to compete for the position of heir.

The purpose of this person is to break up Aaron Landis and Tastar.

Garlan thought.

In previous lives, this man must have played an extremely important role in why General Tastad recklessly raised troops to attack Aaron Landis out of grief and anger.

"Why……"

Opada raised his head and looked at the brother he once admired most.

He always thought that the incident five years ago was just a mistake. He once pleaded with his father for mercy, feeling that the punishment imposed on his eldest brother by his father and King Tastar was too harsh.

At this moment, he looked at the familiar yet strange man as if he had lost his soul.

"Why would you do such a thing?"

he asked in a murmur.

"Aaron Landis is our ally. On the battlefield, they are our comrades. How can the Tasda people treat their comrades like this?"

He said, "Tasda people will never betray their comrades."

The man sneered.

"Listen, Opada, only Tastars are the best beings in this world."

"Strong, heroic, invincible——"

"Tastars are the masters of this world. We are born to be at the top of the world. No one from other countries is worthy of being our comrades. They only need to be our slaves."

"This is no reason for you to betray your comrades!"

Opada stared at Stoke with red eyes.

"Believe in your companions and never abandon your comrades--this is the proud belief of Tasda people!"

"My father trusts you and appreciates you. He is proud of you. I respect you and admire you, but you have turned your back on all this -"

The man shook his head.

"That's why I said, Opada, you, my father, and the King of Tasda are all too naive. You are too attached to the so-called Tasda belief. Tasda is in your hands. , can never lead to a glorious path."

He said coldly.

"Tastar is Tastar, and Aaron Landis is Aaron Landis. We are not comrades in arms, only interests."

"In the original war, as long as it was delayed for a few days and both Aaron Landis and Geshu were harmed, we, Tasda, could take the opportunity to seize large tracts of land and expand our territory."

"While they are recuperating, Tasda can seize the time to expand and strengthen their own strength. By then, as long as there is enough time, Tasda will become a country that is not inferior to Geshu and Aaron Landis. Need to cling to Aaron Landis again!”

The man talked calmly, his eyes were as bright as stars shining in them, with an indescribable fanaticism and a certain firm belief.

He knew that he was taking a path that no one would understand, not even his father or his brother.

But he firmly believed that only the one he took was the right path.

He will lead Tastar to become the most powerful country on the continent.

"But--"

The next second, his face suddenly twisted.

"The stupid King Tastar and my cowardly father - they are the two short-sighted guys who ruined everything. Without them, I could have successfully defeated those two men with my army five years ago. country!"

He gritted his teeth, hatred boiling in his eyes.

"They personally destroyed Tasda's glorious future!"

After pouring out five years of hatred, the man let out a long breath.

He looked down at Opada.

"The opportunity was missed, and now there is another opportunity."

He said, his voice was gentle and completely opposite to the bloody spear in his hand.

"Opada, everything is for Tasda's future."

The bloody black gun was raised high.

Stab hard.

"Dedicate your life to the prosperity of Tastar—"

The wind is howling.

Fire burns in the night.

A man and a horse suddenly rushed out of the flames.

The silver-white iron gun was like lightning, hitting the man's spear point hard, knocking the pitch-black iron gun to one side.

The golden hair reflected the red firelight, and the dark eyepatch covered half of the face of the oncoming knight.

The one-eyed knight rides a horse and stands on the ground, holding a silver spear and looking solemn.

"We haven't seen each other for five years, and now you've been reduced to bullying children?"

The blond knight stared at his former friend on the battlefield.

The one green eye seemed to be dyed red by flames, boiling with monstrous anger at this moment.

He called out the man's name word by word.

"Stoke!"

The knight's voice seemed to be burning with rage.

Cayjos remembers.

Five years ago, during that great war, the Tasda army failed to arrive on the battlefield in time, resulting in omissions on the battlefield.

Geshur's army took advantage of this loophole to defeat Aaron Landis's army.

In order to ensure that the ally Tasda's army would not be attacked from the side, Aaron Landis' army desperately resisted the Gesu army and suffered heavy losses.

…

Cayjos remembers it clearly.

At that time, countless Aaron Landis soldiers shed blood on the battlefield.

...If it were just a mistake, that would be it...The battlefield is changing rapidly, and no one can guarantee that he will not make a mistake. In particular, General Tastad desperately ran through the night, led the army to fight desperately, and rescued Aaron Landis' Northland Army who was in trouble.

Therefore, although it was sad, neither he nor King Camos was too harsh on Tasda.

However, he actually knows now - the sacrifice of countless Aaron Landis soldiers was not a mistake, but a trap deliberately set by the man in front of him who he once regarded as a close friend!

"Answer me, Stoker."

Kehos said, word for word.

At this moment, his eyes were deeper and colder than ever before.

The hand that held the silver gun tightly had blue veins popping out on the back of his hand.

"On that battlefield five years ago, did you deliberately betray your ally Aaron Landis?"

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