Kingdom’s Bloodline

Rumba let out a long sigh.

"And more than a hundred years ago, the first humble businessman who lent money to King Mindis," Grand Duke Heisha said silently: "His descendants are one of the thirteen prominent families in the Star Kingdom today, the wealthy 'Sunflower', The Shukadel family occupying the position of Earl of Changqingdao."

There was another silence.

But the air seemed much colder than before.

Even the flames in the brazier were much weaker.

After a long while, Grand Duke Olsio spoke with difficulty.

"The people of the stars are better at drilling under the table—just like the ancient empires in the past, this doesn't mean anything," the prince with the pot head shook his head dignifiedly, as if trying to convince himself:

"We were still victors in the war twelve years ago."

The other grand dukes looked at him, Trudida hesitated, and Lyco remained silent.

"Drilling under the counter?" Lunba stared at this sentence, chewing on it.

He then snorted coldly: "I bet, even if you go back to the most powerful period of the ancient empire more than a thousand years ago, you will not be able to see the current situation of the stars."

"And, the winner twelve years ago?" Lunba straightened up, his eyes sharp: "Really?"

He said coldly: "Twelve years ago, the civil strife in the Star Kingdom was raging, and they couldn't take care of themselves, and they were running out of soldiers and food, so they couldn't protect themselves."

"We are attacking the dying and dying stars with the power of the whole country." Luba's veins were exposed, and he was about to scratch his scabbard.

The complexions of the Grand Dukes became ugly.

Rumba's expression was in a trance, as if he had returned to the battlefield of the year: "At that time, none of us doubted that the invincible Exeter army in the Westland, known for its proficiency in combat, would wipe out their futile resistance in just a few months. .”

"Just like the past hundreds of years."

"Our cavalry will break through every line of their ranks, our catapults will break through every gate, and our heavy infantry will tear apart every southerner who tries to resist."

"We will effortlessly capture the northern border, conquer the cliff land, and then enter Eternal Star City."

"At least like the 'Giant Grand Duke' Cann Trudida four hundred years ago,

Just like him, he drove the army to Yongxing City, looted every village, searched every bit of wealth, and planted the black red dragon flag in front of Yongxing City before leaving! "

Rumba raised his head abruptly, as if he had come to his senses.

"The results of it?"

Grand Duke Heisha's face was extremely painful, and the next words seemed to be bitten out from between his teeth:

"We spent several months under the fortress, and the casualties were heavy. Even the poor supply line was riddled with holes by the star butcher, until the traitor betrayed Horace Star and paid the death of a grand duke. At the price, we took advantage of the power to capture the fortress."

Olsio lowered his head, seeming to remember something.

Rumba took a deep breath, as if he was trying his best to suppress his emotions: "It's spring, and we're going south to the north - facing these neighbors in the north who are similar to us, Exeter's absolute superiority is the guarantee of invincibility, except for a little Increased casualties, from Cold Fort to Ice City, we have a smooth journey."

Trudida sighed.

"Then," Rumba said in a trance, "It's the Starlight Legion."

Lecco snorted softly, with a complicated look on his face.

"Although the overall situation of the battle is advancing, as the battle line gets longer and longer, the supply becomes more unfavorable, and the troops become more scattered. We are dragged into mud by the group of child soldiers, and it is difficult to advance and retreat. Rage, it looks like a joke."

"Soon, we had to give up the idea of ​​fighting on multiple fronts and attacking in an all-round way. Instead, we concentrated our forces and went straight to the Central Territory and Yongxing City, trying to defeat the enemy with one blow." Lunba took a deep breath and said seriously: "We didn't success."

"So we had to turn to the land of the cliff again, trying to create another battlefield."

Lombard clasped his hands, the veins on the back of his hands slightly protruding:

"At the same time, our casualties are increasing, and the pressure on logistics is increasing, and the Starlight Legion is more difficult than the last time."

"Not only that," Grand Duke Lecco added hoarsely at this moment: "They are still recruiting locally, replenishing troops while fighting, and fighting while replenishing."

Rumba nodded with a solemn expression.

"What's worse," Grand Duke Heisha sighed, "we won't have enough supplies after just a few months."

Trudida frowned: "We've always planned to resupply on the spot, haven't we?"

Rumba snorted.

"Come on, the stars have long been in ruins, and the local supplies can't catch up," he said coldly: "The spring planting and grazing have been delayed, the country is complaining, the vassals are full of conflicts, and our poor transportation—— An expedition of 100,000 people, for Exeter's logistics, is simply more terrifying than a disaster."

Grand Duke Olsio clenched his fists.

"When it is a problem to even transport the supplies to the Broken Dragon Fortress, when the soldiers can no longer grab enough food, when even the most powerful troops no longer have a complete establishment, when our invincible army has nowhere to go, The whole month has been fruitless..." Rumba's face was extremely gloomy:

"That's right, Xingchen first proposed peace talks. It seems that they are asking for help everywhere, relying on foreign interference, begging for peace, admitting failure, and begging us to let them go."

Trudida, who rebuilt the Tower, narrowed his eyes: "His Majesty Nun once said that the threat of the alliance of the nations made him suspicious, and worried that after the annexation of the stars, we, who are empty and unstable, will become the target of public criticism..."

"Diplomatic mediation among the nations?" Rumba punched hard on his scabbard: "What are those fly-like forces to us, Exeter?"

"Kamus? We have taught them countless times in the Golden Corridor! Hamble? The defeated soldier in the three continental wars! Suye? It will take months for their army to cross the ocean!"

"As for the Kingdom of the Sacred Tree, the City of Steel, and even the cunning star fox who came to negotiate? Hmph!" Rumba gritted his teeth.

"Do you think, with my king's uncle's temper, when did he back down because of diplomatic means outside the battlefield!"

Trudida stopped talking.

"Admit it, the reason why we are willing to negotiate peace," Lumba exhaled, and said in pain: "It is because in that war, we have played all our cards and exhausted our strength. Even if we have spare energy, if we want to continue fighting, Not sure either."

"Compared to the star kingdom that has suffered countless heavy losses and is on the verge of collapse, it is just a little bit better."

Grand Duke Ronnie, who heard all this, closed his eyes.

"King Nunn is a smart man." Lombard shook his head feebly: "He has fought more battles than anyone else, and he knows what is the wisest way to stop, and he will retreat through the steps so as not to cause too much trouble in the end. Ugly."

Olesiu raised his head and stared blankly at the dragon spear pattern above his head.

"So there is the Fortress Peace Treaty," Grand Duke Lecco accepted Rumba's words with a sad face: "With the humiliation we have cursed for twelve years."

Rumba nodded emphatically.

"But only a few people, only a few people know," Lunba trembled, lowered his head, and said with difficulty in the darkness where the fire could not shine: "The real humiliation..."

"It is our powerful and proud Kingdom of Exeter..."

Trudida turned away from looking at them.

"Facing that the royal family was robbed, the new king was unstable, the last drop of blood was exhausted by internal and external troubles, and the Star Kingdom trembled in fear..."

Olsio's expression was gloomy and he remained motionless.

"In the face of the unprecedentedly weak Star Kingdom, which can't even bring out a complete legion, and can only rely on a group of baby soldiers..."

Grand Duke Ronnie looked at Rumba in disbelief, then at Lecco.

Lunba said with a ferocious expression: "Our seven princes, with 100,000 troops and the power of the country, led the invincible Exeter fighters, but even separated the northern border and the Muhe in the central border..."

"I can't beat them."

Everyone remained silent for a long time.

Only the fire flickered.

After a long time, Rumba sighed:

"I believe that you more or less felt the war back then. It's just your pride, your honor, and your arrogance that made you dare not, couldn't, and even more unwilling to admit it."

No.

And someone, someone felt it earlier than all of you.

only……

Rumba glanced at the main seat on the rectangular table and clenched his fists.

"And what about the other party?" He seemed to speak subconsciously.

"The Kingdom of Stars, after experiencing the tragedy of the Bloody Year," Lunba frowned, "It's obvious that the population is empty and the damage is hard to recover, but..."

Grand Duke Ronnie raised his head, his eyes flickering.

"However, five years ago, King Kessel V brought his sickly kingdom to finish the desert war." The arms of the Grand Duke of Qiyuan City trembled slightly: "The information we sent back from the desert—— ——His military strength is insufficient, his combat power is not good, even the main force was almost wiped out in the desert, we are all laughing at him for being overconfident."

Rumba shook his head, his tone tired: "He is reminding us."

Grand Duke Heisha turned to Ronnie.

"Kulikun Ronnie, when you are facing the great desert," he said indifferently, "you can lead an army deep into the center of the desert, maintain supplies and guarantee logistics all the way in the desert with harsh conditions, and fight with the orcs and the desert." After the bone man's bloody battle, will he return safely?"

Ronnie fell silent.

But everyone knows the answer.

"Don't say it's you," Lombard's words sounded painful and powerless: "That is the great desert where even the mighty ancient empire has had a headache for thousands of years, and tens of thousands of troops are helpless..."

"But the Kingdom of Stars, they did it," the Grand Duke said softly, seemingly very upset: "No matter the outcome, they did it: they went in, and then came out with countless orc and bone man skulls."

"Do you remember one of the titles of King Kessel?" Lombard said with a lonely expression, "'Conqueror of the Throne of Dragon Bones and the Altar of the Desert God'—don't you understand?"

The four archdukes exchanged glances in silence.

"Wake up, everyone." Rumba whispered, as if whispering in his ears:

"Whether you admit it or not."

"The Star Kingdom."

"It's different."

Under everyone's complex and delicate eyes, Lunba's face darkened, and he leaned back on the back of the chair, as if unable to get up:

"In the era of Mindis III, few people understood his actions, and even blatantly opposed him—even now."

"The nobles looked down on the king's self-defeating behavior and self-indulgent behavior, while the commoners regarded him as a benevolent monarch with a natural heart, and rushed to take advantage of it."

Grand Duke Ronnie and Grand Duke Olsius looked at each other with complicated emotions.

"Amidst the ridicule of the nobles and the tears of gratitude from the people, Mindis III passed away in obscurity."

"A benevolent 'virtuous monarch' who is good at compromise and mediation?" Lunba raised his head and looked at the four princes one by one, with a serious expression and a cold tone: "This title is half mocking, half sincere."

"Except for a few artists who were grateful for his kindness and wrote biographies and paintings for him, no one cared about the kind "virtuous king" who was praised by the people but secretly despised by the nobles, and his small history. episode."

Rumba narrowed his eyes and held on to his saber tightly: "However, what about now, more than a hundred years later?"

No one spoke.

The scene is very dignified.

Several seconds passed.

"This is the virtuous gentleman, Mendis III," Lunba calmed down his emotions, and said lightly: "The more I know about him, the more shocking and creepy he will be."

Grand Duke Lecco stared blankly at the brazier in the distance, his eyes fixed for a long time.

Ronnie folded his arms tightly, almost gnashing his teeth.

Trudida frowned tightly, contrary to her usual cunning and cunning, full of sorrow.

As for Olsio, he just stared at Rumba closely, as if he wanted to see more from his face.

"It has been more than a hundred years. Although he died, his officials have built the star into a steel chariot with complete parts and high quality-we only realized it twelve years ago."

Rumba closed his eyes tightly, and his shoulders seemed to tremble slightly uncontrollably.

"Mindis Canxing III, to me, he is a rare and terrifying chess player in the world," he said with difficulty and pain: "More than a hundred years ago, he made the opening game as if inadvertently, but the kingship, vassals, People, country, history, everything is in his humble chess game."

"He used the long-term chess game that even his own grandson couldn't see, so that the Kingdom of Stars, which was originally at a disadvantage to us, was completely reborn. Unknowingly, he has left the Kingdom of Exeter, which we are proud of, far behind. behind."

"Even the 'Great Emperor' Cassel Carolser I, who conquered the world more than a thousand years ago, is incomparable."

Rumba sighed deeply, his eyes were dazed: "Compared with the century-old chess game that Mindy Si laid out for the Kingdom of Stars, and his delicate moves step by step..."

"Tormund's restoration was crude and ugly, and Nakaru's victory was so shallow."

"As for the endless power and destruction of the disasters, it's as ridiculous as the stronger babies wielding hammers."

"Mindis III doesn't care about the success or failure of a day and a night, a moment and a place." Luba looked lonely, and his mood was a little desperate: "It's not a family, a city and a leader's survival."

"He uses the country as a pawn, the world as a chessboard, he bets on billions of lives, and takes the eternal foundation as the result."

The brazier crackled.

The princes were silent.

Finally, Rumba closed his eyes and sighed softly:

"Once a piece is laid, a century-old chess game."

There was a deathly silence in the hall.

It took a while for Rumba to "come alive" from the atmosphere that was almost at a standstill, start breathing again, and start talking.

"So, more than a hundred years after the death of 'Xian Jun'."

Rumba left his seat—or, rather, the seat of Grand Duke Cameron.

"I, the Grand Duke of Heisha, Charman Solon Holt Rumba." He walked towards the four Grand Dukes step by step.

"Kinslayer, and kingslayer." Luba's face darkened, and he said these words for the first time with a trembling face.

The princes were slightly moved.

"As a Northlander, an Exeter," Lombard gritted his teeth, and he swept over every Grand Duke of Exeter who held a heavy army and great power: "I stand here begging you, I implore Exeter Lords of Sturt, I implore the lords who hold the future of the dragon kingdom in their hands."

His voice was as thick as ever, hoarse and full of vicissitudes.

"Stop your meaningless infighting and jealousy, put down the inextricable family grievances and conflicts, and don't fall into the trap of co-governance vows that not only maintain unity but promote division, don't be immersed in blood relationship and conflict like King Nun The family members are insane and demented, unable to extricate themselves."

"Let us stand together again, face the horrible chess player a hundred years ago, and face the terrifying star a hundred years later."

Several grand dukes responded seriously, and at that moment, even the most eloquent Trudida felt heavy.

"Because in this endless duel between us and the Kingdom of Stars, between the people of the Northland and the people of the Empire, no matter how noble a family is, it will appear humble, no matter how powerful the army is, it will be extremely weak, no matter how powerful the monarch is, it will be weak, No matter how vast the country is, it is empty and poor.”

Rumba let out a slow breath.

"Besides, I have a hunch," Grand Duke Heisha narrowed his eyes under the dignified eyes of several grand dukes, "It's been more than six hundred years, and what we are facing now..."

"I'm afraid it's in this duel..."

Rumba clenched his fists and said in a lonely voice:

"It's the last round."

I haven't seen Thales in several chapters, and it is estimated that someone will say that I have too many words.

But I feel from the bottom of my heart that this is not water.

The end of the month is here, well, I don’t ask for a monthly pass (looking forward to it), really (rolling all over the floor), really (screaming in pain), I really don’t ask for a monthly pass (T_T)!

So, what about the monthly pass? (Looking forward to face X2)