Kingdom’s Bloodline

Cyril Falkenhauser.

persona non grata.

Thales looked solemnly at the Duke of Xihuang, looking at his more creepy appearance six years later due to the increase in wrinkles and loss of hair.

The six-year hostage life has already made Thales feel a little alienated from the people, things and things in the Kingdom of Stars.

However, when the terrifying image of the rich and powerful Duke reappeared in front of Thales, and his sharp and piercing voice echoed in the prince's ears again, all the memories of the past came back at that moment.

In Eternal Star City six years ago, the national government meeting that decided Thales' fate seemed to be just yesterday.

The cold wind from outside the tower made Thales, who was in thin clothes and thin trousers, tremble.

"The ruins are not near here."

Thales tried his best to get rid of distracting thoughts, and looked at Falkenhauser calmly.

calm.

Here is Williams, the place of the standing army of the royal family, and he can't be against me.

Think about it, six years ago, what was Falkenhauser's position in the face of the appearance of the second prince?

What is his personality like?

And the reason why he appeared here...

Thales didn't change his face:

"So, what is it that makes people of high status like you come all the way to the bitter and tiring, dirty and chaotic border?"

Falkenhauser gave a strange laugh, twitched his crutches, and approached Thales one by one.

"Dear Your Highness, you are really new here, and you have no time to take care of..."

The terrifying haggard face of the other party slowly enlarged in front of his eyes, making Thales uncomfortable for a while, and he had to tightly hold the dagger at the back of his waist, resisting the desire to retreat.

The Duke of Xihuang stopped when he was a foot away from the prince, so close that Thales could see clearly his dry skin, which seemed to be hanging on his bones, with fine wrinkles.

"Still from beginning to end,

In the dark? "

Unexpectedly by the prince, Cyril, who didn't change his face, suddenly stretched out his hand and pulled the chair in front of the desk behind him, making a long and unpleasant rubbing sound on the ground.

Thales frowned.

"I guess your full question should be..."

The Duke smiled, and sat down in front of Thales' bed comfortably, pointing to the window behind him.

"When the princes of the Western Wilderness, who were sleeping in the camp, lost their armor and armor due to an unexpected surprise attack, suffered heavy losses, and suffered a crushing defeat;"

"When they lose everything from command to logistics, from confidence to prestige, from on-field to off-field;"

"When many people even lost the conditions and courage to continue stationing in the Saber camp, they retreated in desperation and prepared to return home;"

"When the Legendary Wing returned with glory to his royal standing army, following the defeat of the local nobles, he re-entered the Saber camp;"

Thales listened quietly to the other party's narration, followed his arm, and looked at the buildings under the window:

Yesterday's attack and riot left scars on the camp, and the burnt marks on a certain fortress were still visible. A group of soldiers blocked the surrounding area, stopping a crying man who seemed to be the owner, and seemed to be directing the cleanup.

And across the road, there is another alley that is not blocked by soldiers, and there are still people coming and going, merchants, herdsmen, mercenaries, thieves, beggars, prostitutes, ostentatious and noisy, as busy as ever.

The unique din of people in the Saber Camp could be heard faintly, accompanied by the silver cross double star flag flying high above the gate of the camp.

Disaster and vitality, destruction and reconstruction.

Nothing seems to have happened.

But it's just another day at Camp Saber.

Cyril Falkenhauser's shrill voice is just like his nickname, combined with a deliberately compelling tone, it is disturbing:

"What you want to ask is, in the above circumstances..."

Falkenhauser smiled strangely:

"What exactly is it that makes such a treacherous and cunning person like me work tirelessly to come to this extraordinary Saber Camp with a prince in charge?"

Really bad.

Cyril's erratic, erratic smile, elusive tone, irrelevant answers and veiled words, coupled with his lethal voice and appearance, made Tyre, who was used to the people in the north of Longxiao City go straight and loud. S has a headache.

"Your Excellency, I have heard of your loss and am deeply sorry."

Thales, who had his meal interrupted, rallied and tried hard to think.

Camp Saber was attacked, and Williams won.

So, that's the current state of the camp.

That is to say, the Duke of Falkenhaus, who has the highest status in the entire Western Wilderness, broke into his bedroom rudely and rudely, with the purpose of...

He thought about it and said:

"I didn't expect that it was indeed an unfortunate day. Please convey my regret to your vassals for me. But now, I don't think Baron Williams will be happy to see..."

But Falkenhauser cut him off.

"I heard you liked to play chess when you were in Northland."

Thales was taken aback by the thoughtless words.

play chess?

The Guardian Duke of Xihuang smiled darkly:

"You know, what I think is the most interesting thing about playing chess?"

Just when Thales was thinking about how to answer in order to politely end the conversation and see off the guests safely, Cyril suddenly shook his left hand, and the end of his crutch was heavy!

"Boom!"

The long sword tied to the crutch flicked.

Before Thales realized that the other party was just looking for a place to set up his crutches, he subconsciously held his breath and leaned over, clenched the dagger at the back of his waist.

Falkenhauser, who was holding his crutches, didn't seem to notice that Thales was on the verge of an enemy.

Instead, he stopped smiling, leaned forward on his knees, and pressed his thin figure towards the prince sitting on the bed.

"That is... there are no blind people in the chess game."

"Both sides of the chess game can see, see clearly, and understand every piece, every square, and every move."

After finally adjusting his breathing, Thales began to think about what the other party said.

Cyril, who had been staring at him, suddenly reached out and grabbed the dinner plate on the desk.

The Duke held the rich dinner plate firmly on his knees, grabbed a grilled fish that seemed to have a lot of spices with his bare hands, opened his broken teeth and bit down hard, neither following the usual dining etiquette, Didn't care that it was a prince's meal.

Thales frowned again.

"So, let's stop pretending we can't see the chessboard—well, it tastes good. It seems to be from the batch that Lauten's family dedicated to me during the 'Resurrection Festival', from Muheli."

While chewing the boned fish in his mouth, Cyril nodded and commented seriously.

Stop pretending you can't see the chessboard...

Staring at the opponent's lethal face, the discomfort like thorns on his back climbed up Thales' heart again.

"Your Excellency, what exactly do you want to say?"

The prince stopped being polite and perfunctory, but looked at the duke solemnly.

Cyril smiled, looking like his ugly face was suddenly cracked.

While chewing, he held up the half-eaten grilled fish and pointed at Thales:

"To save a seemingly important guard."

Cyril looked out the window, looking at the Saber camp after a night of chaos, with a rare chill in his eyes:

"A chess player generously sacrificed a knight."

"However, I never expected that the knight was the killer: it rampaged in the formation, and was finally promoted to prime minister, eating countless infantry, swordsmen, shield soldiers, knights and even crossbows of the opponent."

Cyril stopped eating, and his eyes showed a dangerous meaning:

"Teach me, Thales, in this chess game, between the knight and the guard..."

"Who do chess players want to sacrifice and who do they want to save?"

chess game.

chess player.

knight.

guard.

Thales had a headache.

I am used to the rough and ancient Palace of Heroes, and I am used to seeing the majestic and heroic people from the north. Thales is very uncomfortable with the oblique, sarcastic, and unpleasantly vicious Guardian Duke of the West Wilderness in front of him—compared to Now, even Trudida, the grand duke of the Tower of Reconstruction, who is famous for his miserliness and cunning, looks quite inferior.

The prince could only sigh, and tried his best not to look at the grilled fish that was bitten to pieces in his hand:

"Sorry, I'm not good at chess, it's just a hobby in my spare time."

Cyril gave a strange laugh, and waves appeared on his ugly and haggard face:

"Ha, you don't care."

He leaned forward again, pointed his left hand at Thales, and his tone turned cold:

"But you should care."

Thales was puzzled by the sudden change in attitude of the other party.

But Duke Falkenhauser immediately grabbed the grilled fish in his right hand and shook it in front of Thales.

"Just like you don't care about the fish, I don't care about the fish."

"but……"

Under Thales' pale expression, Cyril bit the head of the fish and tore it off the grilled fish with a crisp sound.

Thales looked at the grilled fish and felt a pang of discomfort.

While chewing, Cyril looked at Thales coldly, and gently shook the headless grilled fish:

"It should care about itself."

Thales looked serious.

He has faced many opponents in high positions, many of whom have their own unique aura-such as the mighty and aggressive Rumba, or the taciturn King Kessel, who is not close to strangers, or the deep-eyed Ling Ling. The disturbed Earl of Lisbane.

No matter where these people appear, even if they are just sitting quietly in a corner of the room, it is impossible for you to ignore their existence.

But Cyril Falkenhauser seems to be special. He is haggard and has a terrifying appearance, and his figure is almost obscene. Even when looking at people, he maintains a forward-looking neck and slightly squinted eyes. The impression contained deep discomfort and awkwardness, and his sharp and unpleasant voice made people frown severely, wishing to just ignore him.

But as Cyril's movements change, his tone fluctuates, his eyes drift, there will always be such an inadvertent moment, this withered old man will give you a sense of danger that is like a light on your back, and you are shuddering.

It's like combing piles of straw, always worrying about whether the hidden barb will prick your finger in the next moment.

It's like a horror movie that slowly builds up the atmosphere, accumulates emotions, and gradually gets better.

Like now.

Thales tried his best to ignore the shadows in his heart, so he could only choose the method most used to by people in the Northland, and get straight to the topic:

"Your Excellency the Duke, I am very grateful that you came to visit me, and I also know that Falkenhauser has contributed a lot on my way back home..."

"But believe me, I really don't know anything about the 'chess game' between you and Baron Saber about the camp. I just got involved by accident, and I can't do anything about it. As for other things, I believe..."

But Cyril's face turned cold.

"I still remember six years ago."

The Duke put down the grilled fish and stared at him carefully, as if he wanted to stare Thales' soul out of his body.

"When you disregarded the face of your 'cunning fox' teacher at the state affairs meeting and uttered nonsense."

Thales thought for a moment.

Cyril's words made Thales slowly recall the past:

"When the stubborn one-eyed dragon oppresses you, you will retort and bite back; if the iris boy ignores you, you will wait for the opportunity and kill you with one blow; if the short-sighted nobles disrespect you, you will remember it in your heart and pay it back a hundredfold."

"Speaking sharply and using harsh words, the wind is blowing against your head, and you can't forgive others."

The expression of the Duke of Xihuang when he said this was very interesting, as if he had a little expectation of appreciation, but also seemed to be joking like watching a good show.

Thales recalled the scene when he confronted the princes when he was a child at the state council, and also remembered what Gilbert said to him later.

The prince sighed, with a little sigh:

"I was just a kid back then."

"If it offends me, it's because I was young and frivolous, ignorant and fearless..."

Falkenhauser took over the conversation and interrupted him severely again:

"It's a chess piece that doesn't want to be manipulated by others."

At this moment, Cyril's eyes were very sharp:

"In order to break free from the shackles, even in the face of the endless stars high above, dare to try the sharp edge."

This sentence was quite meaningful, and Thales couldn't help but pause.

Having said that, Cyril turned his head and spat out the chewed fishbone in his mouth.

The forceful appearance didn't look like spitting out fishbone, but rather like chopping a particularly difficult piece of firewood.

"I have to say, you at that time were more to my taste, more..."

The Duke turned his head, took out a handkerchief and wiped his mouth and hands, showing ulterior motives:

"Cuter."

Thales took a deep breath.

He vaguely understood the other party's implication.

So he doesn't want to hear it anymore.

"Look at you now."

Cyril looked at him jokingly, looking up and down, like looking at a prostitute at a banquet:

"Gentle and courteous, sanctimonious."

"Put the sharp blade back into the sheath, put the fangs in your mouth, and hide the sharp claws in your palm," Duke Xihuang's shrill voice filled the room:

"Isn't it a pity?"

Thales raised his eyes and looked directly at Cyril.

He has no interest in playing with this strange old man who is obviously high and powerful, but always full of yin and yang.

"Maybe that's right."

"My teacher told me," the prince said in a deep voice:

"A wise man seldom speaks eloquently."

Unfortunately, he has never been able to do it.

Thales sighed in his heart.

The second prince's tone was calm, implying his refusal:

"And I believe that none of us are fools."

Falkenhauser laughed again.

His laughter this time was extraordinarily long, even to the point where the patient Thales was impatient.

Cyril stopped laughing, and said quietly:

"Very well, then at least, you shouldn't repeat Heyman's mistake."

Thales didn't react for a while:

"who?"

Cyril looked around the room, smiling slyly, like a gust of wind:

"As a diplomat, he is personable, with perfect etiquette, high-spirited speech, and witty words, which makes everyone who wants to speak loudly in front of him feel ashamed and stupefied." "So he can always be in negotiations. Use your tongue to get the most benefit."

"No matter who you face."

Hyman?

Thales was stunned, and he subconsciously glanced at the corner where the luggage was piled up—the posthumous letter of his fourth uncle, Hyman Canxing, was also there.

Why mention him?

Just because this is... the Ghost Prince Tower?

Thinking that this was another Canxing's death place, and that the bed he was lying on might have been the other person's bed before his death, Thales felt stuck in his heart.

"But at the same time, he also built a high wall in his heart, rejecting everything with a polite smile and smart words."

Strangely, Cyril's expression became deep, and he was slightly lost in thought, which dispelled a lot of the haze caused by his terrifying face:

"It doesn't matter whether it's the flattery and lies of a courtier, or the harsh words of a friend."

"So he paid the price."

These words made Thales highly focused.

What's the meaning?

pay the price?

"You know Prince Hayman—my uncle?"

But Falkenhauser didn't answer him.

The ruler of Xihuang turned around slowly and looked at the narrow top floor room. The legs of the chair rubbed against the ground, making an unpleasant muffled sound.

"I still remember that night."

Looking at the furnishings in the room, Cyril Falkenhauser snorted softly, making it hard to tell whether it was irony or emotion:

"That night."

Thales caught a glimpse of darkness from the other's terrifying eyes.

"When I arrived, I saw him lying quietly on the ground with blood on his face, unable to speak anymore."

"The alarm in the camp was loud, the soldiers under the tower were panicked, his personal guards yelled at me, and the enraged attendants led the standing army to hunt down all the living people within a hundred feet, and even chopped down several local nobles on the spot."

"Infighting is on the verge of breaking out. The standing army of the royal family confronted the local conscripts and even mercenaries who rushed over. Several conflicts resulted in countless casualties. Baron Luman and I intervened to mediate but had little effect. Everyone was tense and panicked."

That night.

Thales immediately realized what the other party was talking about.

Duke Cyril seemed to ignore the existence of Thales, but slowly observed the room that once belonged to the ghost prince.

"The military supply depot, the supply warehouse, the prison of bones, and other places will soon break out riots—just like these days, the order of the camp has collapsed, and we have no time to take care of it."

"In less than half an hour, beacon fires and signal arrows came from five guard posts several miles away: the orcs and bone men, whose line was so long that there was no end in sight, came strangely at night and launched an unprecedented surprise attack .”

"The death of the prince has huge implications. The standing army is full of hatred and only wants to attack. The lords are distracted and put defense first. The mercenaries have their own ghosts and only want to protect themselves."

"The generals are suspicious of each other, morale is low, and the traitors are causing trouble... We, who had the upper hand, only defended for less than a day."

Cyril turned his head and looked at the mangmang house under the window, his eyes slightly condensed.

"At the most critical moment, the ministries lost contact. I was kicked off my mount, and half of my face was thrown off by a damned orc. Baron Luman even sacrificed his life to evacuate the camp for us."

"If it wasn't for the fact that the orcs who intercepted us lacked military discipline, they were in a mess and only focused on looting... hmph."

With irony and disdain in his eyes, Cyril hummed and shook his head.

Thales sighed and closed his eyes.

"But that's not the worst."

Duke Falkenhauser's face became more and more stiff, and the uncomfortable ugliness turned into an indifference and coldness that could not be ignored:

"Just as we withdrew to Enci Town, regrouped the defeated army, and planned to send Heyman's body and the letter of plea back to Eternal Star City... More terrible news came from Wing Fort."

More dire news.

Taylor's heart tightened.

"Eternal Star City was in chaos, the Fuxing Palace was changed, and the king and crown prince... were both assassinated."

Thales breathed slowly as he listened to the other party's words.

"The king's capital is blocked, the communication channels are cut off, a large number of nobles and lords in the city have lost news, the center of the stars is dumb, and our backup is nowhere in sight."

Cyril turned his head and looked at Thales, with his head shrunk and his chest folded, his eyes were misty, as if looking at the air behind Thales:

"And that's just the beginning."

"The urgent messages from Wing Fort came one after another, bad news after bad news."

Cyril turned to the backlight, looking gray in the cold wind:

"In the north, the Broken Dragon Fortress fell, the second prince was killed, and Extrem's troops pressed the northern border, crossing the cliff, and it was unstoppable."

"East, the third prince died in Broken Bridge Fort. The water supply he was in charge of was exclusively for the north-south battlefield, so it stopped running."

"In the southwest, the Duke of Xinghu died of internal strife. The Xinghui Legion, which was burdened by everyone, lost its leader and supplies. It was torn apart and there was no news."

The bleakness and coldness in the Duke's words made the prince shudder, reminding him of the scene when Gilbert told himself about the bloody year.

But Thales immediately remembered the half-truths and half-truths of Sackel and the painful confession of the royal guards in the dungeon, and couldn't help clenching his fists.

"The stars are full of fire, the hope of the kingdom is cut off, the enemy is at the gate, and the royal family is gone."

"And Xihuang, where do we go?"

"Only a meeting of the lords of the Western Wilderness in Enci Town, there are many people with evil intentions: some keep the door behind closed doors, some compromise and surrender, some set up troops to separate the regime, and some privately discuss support, and so on. several."

"Compared to that, the invasion of bastards and barren species, the fall of the Saber Camp, and the robbing of the border of the Western Wilderness seem to be nothing."

Cyril raised his head, the chill on his ugly face startled Thales:

"In the Sunset Temple in Enci Town, listening to their meaningless quarrel, I was completely disabled and could only be supported by others. I stood in front of Heyman's body covered with a thick cloth and asked him silently: 'Old friend , pretty boy, where's your pretty face and quick wit that you're so proud of?'”

Cyril's tone was gloomy and cold, but there was a sense of loss that Thales hadn't expected.

"That's all in the past," Thales tried to comfort him, and at the same time issued an order to evict:

"Now, we have..."

But Falkenhauser looked at the ground, with his hands hanging on his knees, and suddenly said a word:

"So, sometimes I regret it too."

regret?

Thales was taken aback.

Cyril raised his head, his eyes flickered, and his color was strange:

"That night, if I hadn't done that, what would have happened in the future?"

Thales was a little confused:

"Do that? What?"

Cyril sneered and put the dinner plate back on the desk.

He stared at Thales again, as if he had turned back to the Duke of Xihuang who spoke and behaved weirdly, laughed and scolded:

"That night, if I hadn't put the Shadowshield assassins in the camp in private..."

"Put it in front of Heyman..."

At that moment, Thales' heart skipped a beat.

It was as if the hairs all over his body stood on end.

The Assassin of Shadow Shield...

put in...

Cyril said quietly:

"What about the bloody year?"

Everything stood still.

It's as if the crime of prison river has taken effect again.

Only the strong wind outside the window reminded him of the passage of time.

Thales looked at each other motionlessly like a frozen ice sculpture.

In front of his eyes, the terrifying Guardian Duke of the Western Wilderness, Cyril Falkenhauser, didn't smile, speak, ridicule, or sting, but just looked at him quietly, extremely calm.

The cold wind outside the window increased again, blowing Falkenhauser's robe constantly shaking.

And on the robe, which represents the Falkenhauser family, has a skull logo with four eye holes, which is extremely conspicuous and hideous.

It's like coming alive.

God knows how much effort Thales took to suppress the desire to call out to Yodel or put on a fighting stance.

God knows.

After a while, Thales choked out a word solemnly, solemnly, with difficulty and full of hostility:

"you?"

Sitting on the chair, Cyril leaned back and narrowed his eyes:

"I."

The tone is calm and the posture is safe.

Thales took a deep breath.

Both of them were still for a few seconds, only the sound of the wind remained.

Until Cyril showed a satisfied expression.

"very good."

The Duke straightened his waist, and his withered, blood-scarred face finally revealed a rare shrewd solemnity:

"We finally started talking."