Kingdom’s Bloodline

Chapter 705 Choose one

After hearing Miranda's words, everyone else in the team was stunned.

In front, Thales stood next to Zhan, staring at Federico who seemed desperate and giving up on himself, still confused.

"Yes, cousin, that's right... everyone has to pay for what they have done..."

Under the brutal suppression of the guards, Federico gasped:

"So, you, those of you who are watching, you must understand: if you don't stand up, if you really let him and Zhan succeed..."

The surrounding vassals and guests looked at each other.

The prisoner raised his head with difficulty and looked at Thales by coincidence.

"Then he wins! Jann Kevin Deere, he is a complete victory in all aspects, without any flaws or flaws! And I, I will die without a burial place, and I will never stand up, and I will lose everything. , everything! Haha, hahahaha..."

Federico let out an unpleasant laugh, and there were whispers among the vassals and guests. Many people began to doubt the other party's mental state.

Thales met Federico's eyes and couldn't help but frown.

strangeness.

Unlike Anke Bailar at the royal banquet, the former was desperate and gloomy...

But Federico, besides being gloomy, his smile also gave Thales a faint sense of uneasiness.

It was as if there was a more terrifying power hidden behind his deep and desperate smile that seemed to see everything through.

Be careful, Tails.

The voice in the young man's heart faintly came out:

This is a man who is willing, even happy, to be a pawn.

careful.

"Then the chess game is completely over and irreversible."

Federico stared directly at Thales with a strange smile.

"That's enough, stop talking crazy, take him down and let the relevant departments follow up," Zhan En responded calmly and turned around, "The election will continue - by the way, the last round Does the bet still count?”

Seychelles snorted and waved his hand, and the sergeants immediately stepped forward. Dragging Federico roughly up.

"In this way, justice will be trampled, the law will be stained, the hope of the kingdom will be frustrated, and we will all be doomed," Federico screamed while struggling, "It's all because of some people's sudden decisions and discretion!"

At that moment, Thales trembled slightly.

When Xi Lai reacted, his expression changed as well!

What?

what did he say?

Thales subconsciously looked at Federico, but the latter had already been pushed away by the sergeants, leaving only his back.

Wait a moment……

strangeness……

"Wait a moment!"

Thales shouted subconsciously.

The second prince who had been silent suddenly spoke up, attracting many eyes.

Zhan En's expression changed slightly, his smile did not diminish, and he asked in a low voice:

"Tiles?"

Hilley looked at him with the same worry:

"Tiles..."

"Your Highness..."

Huaiya hurriedly came up and asked before Rolf: "What are your orders?"

But Thales ignored them, he just stared at Federico's back blankly.

boom!

The next second, the sin of the Hell River burned and hit his eardrums.

In Thales' senses, time seemed to be slowed down.

The world is completely silent.

Thales watched quietly as Federico was dragged away, his mind running rapidly.

Why?

Why did Federico do this?

Why did he show up on stage to accuse Zhan?

Why did he take such a desperate risk and foolishly surrender?

Why is he confident but has no backup plan?

Why is he talking crazy words while keeping his hands tied?

Why would King Kessel and the Secret Society count on such a person, a fugitive, a desperate exiled noble, to shake the indestructible Emerald City?

Why?

Why!

boom!

The sin of the prison river made a soft sound, and the burning became more intense.

Thales had an idea and began to recall the other party's previous words intermittently.

And that weird smile.

[The power system that covers the sky with one hand...has many...means...]

[I threw myself into a trap with no chance of winning... I was completely defeated...]

[As long as Zhan En...is the city lord...the trial...cannot be fair...]

[You...watch...don't stand up...Zhan succeeds...you win...a great victory...]

[So... the kingdom... has failed... we... are finished... all because of some people... making decisions at the spur of the moment and using discretion! 】

At that moment, Thales was so excited that his whole body trembled!

That means... no, no, no...

Boom!

The sin of the prison river crackled and exploded.

He got it.

At that moment, he suddenly understood.

Thales stood firm and looked at Federico's back in disbelief.

The next second, the sin of the Hell River was extremely hot, overwhelming all of Thales's senses.

"What's wrong, Your Highness Thales?"

The flow of time returned to normal, and the noise of the surrounding crowd returned to his ears instantly.

Zhan's voice sounded, and he grabbed Thales, who was suffering from the aftereffects of the power of termination and was crumbling:

"If you have no other questions, then we might as well go back to the table..."

"It's me." Thales said in a daze.

"What?"

"It's me, it's all me."

"What are you?" Zhan En was startled.

"It's me! Zhan," Thales clasped Zhan's shoulders with a complicated expression and incoherent words, "You're right, it's me you should worry about. It's always been me, it's been me from the beginning to the end. !just me!"

Yes, it's him.

Thales thought blankly.

Federico, or rather Mysterio or even King Kessel, their trump card...

It's him.

It's - Thales Bright Star.

It's always been him.

It's his choice.

In other words, when faced with Federico's failure, "he had to make a choice."

Thales looked at Zhan blankly.

Jenn was still confused, but Sheeley stepped forward, worried.

"Tiles? Don't worry, I know what you found, but calm down, we will find the answer, but not now..."

Thales took a deep breath and was about to explain, but when he saw Federico's escort team getting further and further away, he couldn't help shouting to stop:

"No...no, don't let him go! Let Federico come back!"

Zhan En's expression changed:

"Tiles?"

The surrounding vassals began to whisper.

Thales trembled slightly.

Yes, it may be beyond the expectations of many people, but Federico Kevin Dier has no other options.

From strange murder cases to shocking appearances, these are all Federico's methods.

When the exiled Kevin Deere stepped onto the stage, raised the battle flag to Jenn Kevin Deere, announced his return to the entire Emerald City, and at the same time exposed all his whereabouts and weaknesses to Jenn's sight, Federico had no way out.

There is no other backup plan.

Because he has already chosen his backup plan.

Because everyone has to pay a price for what they have done.

Thales breathed in a daze.

"I'm sorry, Jenn."

sorry?

Zhan looked at Federico and then at Thales. He was still confused, but he already had a premonition of something ominous.

"Tails, please, whatever it is, not now."

There was an uncertain warning in the Duke's words.

"No, I finally understand," Thales shook his head and spoke bitterly, "It's now, it can only be now."

"Please, Thales!" Hilley was concerned about the crowd around him and whispered: "No matter what the problem is, just wait a few seconds for us to solve the problem..."

No.

cannot.

If you wait a few more seconds...

Thales thought bitterly.

If this trouble is "solved" as they expected...

"Your Highness?" Huaiya asked cautiously and tentatively, but was quickly interrupted by the Duke of Nan'an.

"Can't you see?"

Zhan En frowned:

"The overall situation has been decided, and Feder's situation is gone and he can't make any big waves! He misjudged the situation and thought that someone in the audience would be willing to support him and petition for a resumption of the old case. However, no one, whether it was a foreigner or a vassal, was stupid enough... …”

When Zhan En said this, his words stopped.

The next second, he looked at Thales in disbelief.

"you?"

Zhan's expression was shocked:

"It's you?"

Thales nodded with difficulty, finally adjusting his breathing.

"That's why, Zhan, it's because he's gone." Thales didn't dare to look into the other person's eyes, "Zhan, I'm sorry."

That's right.

Precisely because Federico chose to surrender, he was destined to be completely defeated, and precisely because Zhan was about to sweep away the decline and win a great victory...

The real choice came to Thales.

The one person standing in the middle of the scale right now, right now, is the only person who can prevent Jann from winning a big victory, save Federico from defeat, and at the same time influence the king's chess game.

And he must make a choice.

"Federico!"

Thinking of this, Thales rushed out of the enclosure and shouted:

"Bring him back!"

"Let me hear...his accusations!"

The security officers escorting Federico were at a loss. They slowed down and turned back subconsciously.

Under the spotlight, the prince's sudden behavior caused confusion among the surrounding people. When they heard the prince's order, they were in an uproar.

Huaiya and the Star Lake Guards, who hurriedly followed the prince, looked at each other, and immediately turned pale with shock!

I saw Thales rushing towards the escort team, his voice was hard and bitter:

"Let him go, now! Duke Zhiming—no, in the name of His Majesty Kessel!"

The prince's voice was not quiet, and the king's reputation was even greater. The security officers in the escort team were equally astonished. Under hesitation and fear, they looked at me and I looked at you, and unconsciously let go of their hands and stopped. Step down.

Federico broke free from his restraints and plopped to his knees.

But he looked up to the sky and smiled.

"What - Your Highness, what did you say?" Wyatt supported Thales who was staggering.

Thales shook his head. He slowly but decisively pushed away Wyatt, stood up in the pain of the Hell River Sin, and looked at Federico who was kneeling on the ground.

The Star Lake Guards were at a loss, but the Emerald Sergeants headed by Seychelles pressed their weapons and stared at them with hostility.

"It seems," Miranda sighed and showed her sword, "the ace has found him."

"Tiles, what are you going to do?" Hilley followed Thales from behind, shocked.

Before Thales had time to answer, Zhan caught up from the other side. The Duke looked around, lowered his voice, and warned Thales angrily:

"Don't forget, we talked about it, we have an agreement!"

"Yes, I know, I know, I'm sorry."

Thales said in a daze.

"But he, Federico, he's not targeting you, Zhane, not just you...but me too."

he.

Zhan's frowning eyebrows gradually relaxed.

After a second, he understood something, and his expression changed from angry and dissatisfied to shocked and surprised: "No..."

Thales nodded and said with difficulty:

"Yes, I just figured it out. The reason why Federico surrendered so decisively and gave up everything... is because his hidden trump card is not other people, not the riot or the assassination, not the evidence of the old case and not the support of the vassal, but Yes, just me."

"Ace? You?" Xi Lai's eyes widened.

"Yes, Heeley, he..."

Thales took a deep breath: "Just like you used your own hands to force Zhan into submission, Federico, he forced me to choose between bad and worse."

Hilley looked at his gloves,

"Bad, and worse?" Zhan repeated slowly while looking at Federico kneeling in the center of the escort team.

"Yes, he made a bet with himself, tied himself to the outcome, and created the most extreme conditions to force me to take action, forcing me to make a choice."

Hilley's eyes widened.

"And at this moment, if I choose not to stand up and help Federico, then he will definitely fail and be devastated, but you will definitely win, irreversibly!"

"But you..." Zhan said subconsciously.

Yes, but.

Thales subconsciously clasped the ferocious bone ring in his pocket.

But if he did this...

If the second prince abides by the agreement with Zhan En, chooses to help secretly at this moment, chooses to remain silent, and allows Federico to be taken away, imprisoned, imprisoned, forgotten, and sent to Zhan En's The power system throws the Emerald City into the bottomless abyss...

Then the matter will be calm and disappear.

In this game that started from Fuxing Palace and ended at Kongming Palace, Zhan En completely won.

Winner takes all.

A big win.

His rule is as secure as ever, and his power remains unshakable.

The Emerald City remains aloof and independent, impregnable.

But that also meant that the king completely lost.

The purpose, process, and efforts of Thales coming here are all meaningless.

When the celebration was over, he could only leave the Emerald City in despair and return to Star Lake Castle to face the king's thunderous wrath.

During Tails' trip to the Emerald City, his efforts to find a balance between the King and the South Bank failed completely.

There wasn't even a chance to make amends or save anything.

But……

Thales stroked the Gurtaksa in his hand, feeling that it was getting heavier and pricking his hands.

But if his first mission, his first mission, fails like this, and goes back empty-handed...

So what would the king, Kessel V, think of him?

What to do to him?

【How can I trust you? 】

The king's voice sounded in my mind:

[How do I know what you say is true? 】

[How do I know that you really want to be used by me instead of secretly strengthening yourself, accumulating fame, and gathering support? 】

[How do I know that this move is not raising a tiger to cause trouble and making you an unprecedented threat? 】

"I'm sorry, Zhan," Thales looked at Federico blankly, "But I, I can't let you win, not just like this, at least not so completely..."

And what's even worse is...

Thales swallowed his throat.

If he returns without success and Zhan En remains unmoved, the Emerald City will be as stable as the Sighing Mountain, and the South Bank Territory will be as solid as gold...

Then next time, and next time, and next time...

What would the king do?

Will it be the Kingdom's Wrath that comes to the Emerald City next time?

Or the legendary wings?

[Would a person like your father accept the reality and give up, or would he look at me and Xihuang's strength and attitude with admiration...]

Falkenhausz’s words on his return still rang in his ears:

[Go all out and pay back a hundredfold? 】

"What you are afraid of is not that I will win, nor that Federico will lose."

Zhan's voice rang in his ears, bringing Thales back to reality:

"What you're really worried about is...your father?"

Thales opened his eyes in a daze, and the chaotic shouts of the people around him seemed to be thousands of miles away.

He nodded slowly.

"Worried about his father?" Hilley looked at Zhan in confusion, "No, brother, I don't understand..."

"The other one, Anke Bailar?" Zhan asked softly, looking at Federico who was in a state of embarrassment.

"More than that," Thales said bitterly, "This time, he didn't give me—give us a choice."

Zhan shuddered.

"What are you going to do?" Hilley's eyes went back and forth between Thales and Federico, "Don't tell me you want to-"

"Believe me, Zhan, Shilai," Thales took a few deep breaths to calm down and at the same time give himself the motivation to speak, "I have to, I have to, I have to do this! But believe me, I will do it. The situation was reversed! This is just a temporary measure, just to gain the initiative, otherwise my father, my father, will not forgive or tolerate..."

The escort team surrounding Federico looked at the two dukes who were obviously negotiating with each other. They were in a dilemma. The Star Lake Guards and the Emerald Legion stood on each side, wary of each other, while the chatter of the surrounding crowd became louder and louder.

Everyone is waiting for the outcome of the negotiations.

Zhan came back to his senses and took a deep breath:

"No, wait, as for your father, we will find a way. You and I, Emerald City and Star Lake Castle, we will fight against him together..."

"In the future, somewhere else, maybe," Thales shook his head feebly, "but at this time, it's difficult..."

"We can! We can give him a little sweetness first," Zhan firmly grasped Thales' sleeve. He lowered his voice and spoke quickly, "What does he want? Finance? Taxation? Maritime trade? It can even be defense. Anyway, tell him, tell him that your work here is working..."

No, it's impossible.

Federico's choice was too decisive.

And the king's mind was too cold.

"We can mislead," Hilley also understood, and she tried her best to suggest, "You and Zhan, you are still enemies on the surface. We can lie to His Majesty that you successfully threatened the Kevin Dill family. And His Majesty is far away. In the royal capital, I don’t know the details, so I can only listen to the reports from my subordinates..."

"What if he knew?"

Thales replied softly, making both of them startled.

The prince raised his head, his eyes dull.

The sin of the prison river burned, and time seemed to slow down again.

Only in this way can he feel a little relaxed.

That's right.

A voice sounded quietly from the bottom of Thales' heart, making him think for a moment:

What if the king already knew?

Thales's mind trembled.

The voice in his heart seemed to have magic power, forcing him to reveal his most vicious guess and tell the Kevin Dill brother and sister in front of him:

"What if His Majesty Kessel, if he had known that Federico would use this method to force me to take action and provoke me into the game?"

Zhan and Heeley were both stunned.

"What if my father had foreseen all this from beginning to end, what Federico would do, and what choices I would face? In fact, he deliberately allowed Federico to do this and forced me to make a choice. Woolen cloth?"

The bitterness in Thales' tone surprised even himself, but then he felt incredible about his surprise.

Thales, you shouldn't be surprised, right?

The voice in my heart said slowly:

You should have expected it.

"Why?"

Hilley looked frightened and asked cautiously.

"Forcing you to choose? Why would he do this to you, to his... son?"

Why?

Oh, you know why, Tails.

son.

prince.

The voice in his heart replied.

"Because he doubts me," Thales said blankly, "He doesn't believe me."

Hilley's eyes widened.

"Why?"

This time the person who asked the question was Zhan. The Duke was particularly calm and gloomy:

"In that case, why didn't he ask Federico to find you from the beginning? Why didn't he use your card from the beginning? Why did he go to so much trouble? Isn't he afraid that Federico's plan will fail?"

Why?

"Because King Kessel guessed it," Thales' voice was weak. "He guessed that I would find ways to secretly collude with you and even reach an agreement - even if he knew that I had an old grudge with you."

Zhan En's eyes changed slightly.

That's right.

The voice in Thales' heart said silently:

He knows, he knows you're going to try to be clever, you're going to operate in the middle, trying to find some wiggle room.

Disregarding his orders.

Thales felt that the bone ring in his hand became heavier and colder.

Your Majesty knows you very well.

So he sets up a game where Federico forces you to choose:

Or, abandon your illusions and become an outright enemy of the Duke of South Shore.

Or, the two ends of the head and the rat will ruin King Kessel's plan.

Choose one of the two, he pushes the conditions to the extreme, putting you in a dilemma, leaving you no room for maneuver or intermediate options, forcing you to make a choice between "making a decisive move" and "losing everything".

Thinking of this, Thales raised his head and stared blankly at the almost slow-motion scene in front of him, watching everyone's expressions and movements:

Zhan glared at each other, Sheilai was in disbelief, D.D was panicked, Wyatt was anxious, Miranda was wary, Federico was smiling...

In a daze, Thales seemed to see King Kessel sitting in the Ballard Room of the Renaissance Palace, with the lights shining on him, in varying colors of black and white, and alternating between light and dark.

"Because he wants to test me." Thales said tiredly, while brother and sister Kevin Dill had complicated expressions.

That's right.

The voice in his heart told him:

The king wants to test you. He wants to try this sword to see if it can really blow the hair off, cut iron like clay, and be willing to lead the way for the king.

Or is he hiding his heart against his will, casting his bones early, and ultimately hurting his master?

Now……

Or, you make a desperate move and join the gang, and he can use you with confidence from now on.

Or, if you lose everything and are out of the game, he will abandon you decisively.

I see.

Thales thought in a daze.

[Decision on the spur of the moment, discretion. 】

So, this is what that sentence means.

When the time comes.

The king will give himself freedom.

Freedom of decision.

Either go for it.

Or a total failure.

There is no middle path.

There is no compromise.

Zero, or one.

Left, or right.

After, or before.

To retreat, or to advance.

Death, or life.

Dark, or light.

Legend, or throne?

Thinking of this, Thales suddenly remembered the story he heard in Kaslan's tavern many years ago.

[The servants of the empire then came up with a way: find the most famous person in the North—Quiso, the commander of the North Army who was returning home to recuperate during the legion’s rotation, and let him convince his hometown people... But Queso didn't nod...]

[Quiso said this: "I am loyal to the Empire, but I am a Northlander.\