Kingdom’s Bloodline

Grand Duke Ronnie stood behind the back of Grand Duke Lecco, looked through the long table, and cast his eyes on the boy. Seeing him trying to restrain his tension and excitement, he suddenly sighed.

We're all going to... apocalypse?

He slightly curled his lips: How long has it been since I met a guy like this who speaks nonsense without hesitation or scruples in front of several Grand Dukes?

There was an eerie silence in the hall for a moment.

The expressions of all the grand dukes were unnatural, and the rhythm of breathing became disordered.

Rumba closed his eyes gently.

Thales tried his best to control his breath, and there was only the crackling of the brazier in his ears.

Three full seconds passed before Grand Duke Lecco slowly turned his head and exchanged glances with the others.

"We gave you a chance to speak, Your Royal Highness," the old man turned his head from the exchange of eye contact, and sighed rather dignifiedly: "I didn't want you to spout nonsense and scare me."

"You'd better make it clear, brat," Olesiu stared at Thales with an ugly face: "After threatening the Grand Duke in the Hall of Heroes, not everyone has the chance to walk out completely."

Thales was breathing in a trance, seemingly oblivious to the uneasy questioning of the two grand dukes.

Calm down, Thales.

The more this kind of moment, the more calm you have to be.

you can.

OK!

"Dragon Clouds City."

"What Rumba gave you," Thales said softly, his calm demeanor stunned the grand dukes: "The proposal to annex Dragon Clouds City does not have any good intentions."

Trudida clicked his tongue.

"First sent troops to Xingchen, and then Dragon Clouds City," the cunning Grand Duke showed a strange smile: "How do you know these things?"

Thales exhaled.

How did I know that you guys were going to annex Dragon Clouds City?

He said silently from the bottom of his heart: Luba promised Shiles the preferential tariffs around Dragon Clouds City,

It's that simple.

"It's not difficult to guess," but on the surface, Thales still looked as usual: "In order to gather people's hearts, in addition to common threats, there must also be enough interests——There is no doubt that Dragon Clouds City is a ready-made Cheese without owner, especially to cause strife and strife, could not be better."

Trudida frowned and looked at Rumba.

"After all, it is an act of breaking the co-governance oath," the prince sighed: "The balance of power is no longer there. This precedent of illegal seizure of territory has been set. In the future, the ownership of every plant and tree, every inch of territory, It will become the fuse of contradictions and conflicts between you—Rumba will only fan the flames, and he hopes that you will conflict with each other and weaken each other..."

Olsio interrupted him with a cold snort.

Thelma, who was listening quietly, gave him a disgusted look and glanced at him disapprovingly.

"Your words are not true, brat," the Grand Duke of Wellandland raised his beard and said in a bad tone, "In fact, we have discussed this issue: in the face of a greater threat, there is no reason for Rumba to do this."

At this point, Grand Duke Lecco coughed and took over the conversation: "The threat of the stars is imminent and protracted, and it cannot be resolved in one or two big battles. At this juncture, his self-disruptive behavior will only hurt Aix Very unfavorable."

Thales's heart moved: "Wars, especially foreign wars, are more likely to become the trigger for conflicts between you..."

But at this moment, Rumba, who had been silent all this time, raised his head and pierced him with sword-like eyes.

"You still don't understand?"

Grand Duke Heisha spoke slowly, with an indiscernible emotion in his voice.

"This kid is extremely intelligent. He is trying to stop the war and save his country." Lombard walked slowly to a brazier and blocked the fire, leaving only a shadow: "Save the country that will eventually be in his hands , the country that may make our children and grandchildren bow down in the future."

The princes frowned.

"This is exactly the next point I want to say," Thales squeezed out a smile that did not show weakness to him: "You also want to save your own country, Charmain Rumba."

Rumba frowned slightly.

"If you are so sure, why did our Grand Duke Heisha do this?" Seeing that Rumba was off, Grand Duke Ronnie, who was silent, also joined this dangerous conversation: "Causing conflicts between the Grand Dukes, he has What's the benefit? An extra piece of cheese?"

Trudida gave a face-saving sneer.

"And, why are we in trouble?"

Bearing the astonishing oppressive gaze of Grand Duke Heisha, Thales silently adjusted his breathing, thinking about what to say next.

"You all know the past of Grand Duke Heisha," Thales raised his voice and looked at the grand dukes seriously: "The past of killing his brother with his own hands made him hard-hearted and resolute from now on. His relationship with King Nuen The enmity has been forged since then."

As soon as this remark came out, Luba's gaze became sharper, Thales even felt that the surrounding air became much colder

The Grand Dukes looked at each other knowingly.

Thales took a deep breath, stared at the vicissitudes of Lumbard's rough face, and firmly said the next sentence: "But you, Charmain Lumbard, your actions of killing the king and leading the army to force the palace are neither for revenge nor for Self-preservation."

"Because the person you really hate and care about is neither King Nun nor Dragon Clouds City," Thales said in the calmest tone, "it's the heroic tradition that the Northlanders are proud of, It is the glorious history of Exeter..."

The prince whispered the answer: "Nakaru's co-government oath."

Amid Selma's uncontrollable exclamation, the grand dukes were all startled.

Lyco started rubbing his hands again, Trudida was thoughtful, and Ronnie immediately looked at Rumba with suspicious eyes.

"What are you trying to say?" Olsio knocked on the table impatiently: "The covenant of co-government?"

Thales nodded slowly, expressionless.

"Lumba's whole life has been tortured between his mother's family and his father's family, between Longxiao City and Heisha Territory, between the monarch and the grand duke." Thales said very seriously, "Of course, all of you here The Grand Duke is about the same."

Grand Duke Lecco's hand tightened slightly.

"But what is different from everyone who is used to it is..."

Thales looked at Luba's deep and complicated eyes, gritted his teeth, and said the following words:

"Charmain Rumba, when your father forced you to challenge your elder brother, when you stabbed your sword into your elder brother's chest, when your mother committed suicide sullenly, when your father died in battle... You make up your mind."

Every time he said a word, Rumba's eyes became colder.

Thales took a deep breath, and the image of Luba coldly stroking his sword in the carriage appeared in front of his eyes.

He rubbed his hands in the cold air, maintaining a steady tone:

"You are tired of endless fighting from the bottom of your heart. You think you have seen through the unsolvable and sad cycle behind it. You hate the status quo of the Kingdom of Exeter behind this kind of compromise and tacit understanding. You believe that as long as the paper oath There will be a day, and there will be a day for your superstition about it..."

"You, and the similar tragedies behind you, will not disappear."

Thales said quietly.

"That's right, everyone," under the unbelievable eyes of several grand dukes, and amidst Thelma's unease, Prince Xingchen still looked straight at the face of Grand Duke Heisha that was about to freeze into ice, without any hindrance or interference , said very firmly: "As early as twelve years ago, Charmain Lombard decided: to completely destroy the co-government oath of more than 600 years, and to put an end to the constant conflicts between the king and the grand duke..."

"... smash the peaceful co-governance of the ten grand dukes to pieces!"

Thales finished speaking, closed his eyes and lowered his head.

There was a dead silence in the hall.

Listening to Thales' words, almost all the Grand Dukes stared and opened their mouths, showing expressions of surprise or disbelief.

Their eyes shot at Rumba in unison.

It was several seconds before the silence was broken.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Trudida exhaled a long breath, frowned, and looked at the resolute Thales for no reason: "Dissatisfaction is one thing, but... destroying the co-governance oath? This, how is this possible?"

"absurd!"

Enduring the inexplicable gazes of others, Lunba coldly rejected Thales' words: "How can I destroy the co-governance oath with the belief and belief of 10 million Northlanders? Kill all the grand dukes here ?"

Thales suddenly raised his head and opened his eyes.

"You're already doing it, aren't you!" the prince said solemnly: "When you killed King Nun and forced the princes to ignore your crimes and endorse you, the co-government oath has been violated." trampled on."

Selma's face darkened, and she pursed her lips.

"You have set the worst precedent," Thales said with a blank expression, "For this reason, you have also entangled the princes to go south to the stars, using new interests to further aggravate the tilt of the balance, and hit the already unstable co-governance pledge."

"Say what you want, the princes don't care about your wasted time anyway," Rumba sarcastically cast a disapproving glance at the others.

Ronnie snorted inexplicably.

"As for my purpose of gathering everyone's power," Lombard said with contempt and disdain on his face, he whispered to the Grand Dukes: "You all know and agree with each other—this is for Exeter."

He concluded without hesitation.

Thales looked at Luba's expression, and he didn't know where the courage came from. He took a sharp breath, jumped off the chair, and took a step forward.

"That's right!"

"This is for Exeter!" To everyone's surprise, the prince's eyes were wide open, his fists clenched, and he said decisively: "And so far, the thing I admire most about you is that you Man Rumba..."

"Besides your personal likes and dislikes, you sincerely want Exeter to be stronger!"

"Facing the future threat of the stars!"

Thales almost roared out the last sentence.

As soon as this remark came out, Selma gave a slight "huh" with doubts.

Just when Grand Duke Qiqi was stunned and even Luba was slightly confused, Thales took a deep breath, calmed down his expression, and changed the topic suddenly!

"But that's the scariest thing."

He only heard him say coldly: "Mindis III."

The moment the name was spoken, Lumba's face was ashen, and his expression was agitated - like a wild beast that had been caught.

The faces of the princes became strange.

Trudida sighed: How does this kid know everything—could it be that he was hiding in the fireplace and eavesdropping just now?

Thelma looked up thoughtfully.

Mindis Canxing III.

Xianjun.

Thales said silently in his heart, the rightmost one of the three king portraits appeared in front of his eyes: the elegant and handsome middle-aged king holding a star stick, smiling kindly at him outside the frame.

That was one of his ancestors, one of the Three Star Kings, and...

Thales gently touched his chest, where the scar that Quaid burned with Mindis silver coins seemed to be still aching.

The king does not honor the blood, but the blood is honored by the king.

Winning or losing for a while, but the waves are fleeting, a century-old chess game is the foundation of eternity.

And - Thales recalled the evaluation of the king's father when he met King Kessel for the first time: "From nobles to priests, from merchants to beggars, everyone praises his wise rule."

Virtuous rule?

Thales' heart moved, he clenched his hands on his chest, and the words of High Priest Holm came to mind.

[From the moment you set foot on the journey, every inconspicuous detail may be an opportunity to dominate the future. 】

The prince thought of the portrait of a virtuous gentleman on the silver coin, of the Mindis Hall, and of everything he had faced today, and couldn't help smiling: Is all this a coincidence?

He looks up.

"Rumba told you the story of the 'virtuous king', right?"

Thales' gaze became firm again: "Lumba said that the current situation of the Kingdom of Stars all started from the foundation laid by the virtuous king and developed step by step?"

Grand Duke Trudida narrowed his eyes, resisting the desire to look back at Rumba.

"He probably also told you how the inheritance left by Xian Jun has gradually become the support for the Star Kingdom to live on during the past hundred years or so."

Thales clenched his fist lightly, with a resolute expression.

"But what Rumba didn't tell you is..."

Rumba looked at him from a distance with an extremely ugly expression.

Thales recalled the fear of being in the same carriage with Lombard, and remembered his last words:

To save this country.

Thinking of this, Thales took a deep breath, raised his right fist and hit his chest hard!

"Lumba not only sees threats from Star Kingdom and Xian Jun!"

The prince gritted his teeth and felt his hands trembling:

"He also saw the future of Exeter, and the final solution to the centuries-old dilemma in the Northland!"

The voice fell, and there was a moment of silence in the hall.

next second.

Listening to Thales' words, everyone from the calm Grand Duke Lecco to the impatient Grand Duke Olsio, even the exaggerated Trudida and the indifferent Ronnie were all very surprised, and they all said in unison: "What?"

"Boom!" The sound of the scabbard hitting the ground suddenly sounded.

Thales was startled suddenly, feeling a chill on his forehead.

He took a hard breath.

The prince looked up consciously.

Then, without accident, met Rumba's eyes in the air.

Ever since Thales knew him, Lumbard's face had never been so ugly and terrifying.

Grand Duke Heisha's face is almost distorted: the brows are tangled together, the nasolabial folds beside the nose are flickering, and the occlusal muscles on the side of the jaw are constantly shaking.

The always sharp but indifferent eyes of the Grand Duke of Lombard, at this moment, are like erupting volcanoes, radiating anger mixed with cold and hatred.

He shot at Thales fiercely.

No.

that boy...

It's him again...

It's him again!

Why……

There was endless chill and sullenness in Rumba's heart, and he pressed his saber firmly, not letting his hands tremble too much with anger:

Why?

Seeing Luba's face, Thelma trembled slightly, and looked at Thales as if asking for help.

The prince didn't flinch.

Thales gave the other party a fierce look back, also showing a ferocious expression.

"Think about what Lombard has done," Thales said coldly as he confronted Lombard's terrifying eyes in the air, "Promote low-level nobles and commoners, recruit even tax collectors from foreign countries, borrow money from merchants, and hire specialized magicians. Can gun instructors, use war to cleanse and gather the inside - don't his actions look familiar?"

Trudida frowned slightly: "You mean..."

"Also, for a long time, from Arend's conspiracy to the siege of Broken Dragon Fortress, and now the decision to send troops to the stars." Thales took a deep breath with a resolute expression, thinking of every confrontation with Lumbard.

Under the Broken Dragon Fortress, in a head-on confrontation with this unworldly hero, he made the decision to break out in the opposite direction, and finally made Lunba's hope of winning the fortress in vain.

The prince bit his lower lip: I beat him.

And now...

Thales opened his eyes suddenly: "Rumba is the northern border that wants the stars, right?"

"Why? Want to expand the territory?"

"It's still because," Thales said with a cold face, he said the rest: "He wants this piece of land where Mindis III's reforms are not complete, and it is also located in the North, so it is suitable for merging with the Black Sand Territory and further implementing reforms. ?”

The faces of the princes all changed!

"Don't tell me that the northern tax collector who was born as a commoner—Charles Urad, was recruited as your subordinate only because of his braided hair," Thales said slowly:

"Charmain Rumba?"

Rumba didn't respond, but the terrible eyes on him remained motionless.

It's like looking at a dead person.

"Yes, that's the truth behind 'The Menace of the Stars': Rumba wants more than just fending off the stars."

Thales pursed his lips, and under the surprised eyes of the four grand dukes, he nodded unquestionably: "He wants to be in Exeter, starting with himself..."

"Imitate Xianjun's transformation!"

"To 'save' his country."

"Whether it's killing King Nuen, or tangling with the princes, or attacking the stars..."

"It's all for this purpose!"

After Thales finished speaking, he gasped slightly.

The princes looked at him in surprise.

"Charmain, what do you think?"

Lecco looked away from the square table, and sighed slowly: "Compared to him, we are more willing to choose to believe in you."

Rumba closed his eyes.

After a while, he spoke slowly.

"This is a necessary step to defend against the threat of the stars."

"You have seen the Starlight Legion, and you have seen their iron-clad bureaucracy," the Grand Duke said coldly, "The Kingdom of Stars is becoming stronger and stronger, and Exeter can't sit still."

"We must let go of our pride and self-satisfaction, and learn from the enemy's strengths," Lumba raised the sword in his hand, and slowly squeezed it: "Forge our own Starlight Legion—only in this way can we win the Broken Dragon Fortress, fight After the change of Duanxing, we will maintain our advantage over them for a long time until we completely defeat them in the end."

"At least in Black Sand Territory."

he ended his speech

The Grand Duke listened in silence.

"That's no problem." Trudida sighed. "I think we can accept..."

But the Grand Duke stopped talking.

Because he saw the bald Archduke Lecco frowning sadly and tiredly, looking at Rumba from a distance.

It was like seeing the most unbelievable truth.

This is... Trudida was startled: What's wrong?

"Well said, I'm about to applaud you," Thales' voice sounded rather dull: "There is only one small accident."

Rumba gritted his teeth.

In front of all the grand dukes, Thales took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly.

There was an unprecedented light in the prince's eyes, and he said slowly and decisively:

"Any change... comes at a price."