The ranks of the royal guards flew non-stop, passing through countless neighborhoods, through the Twilight District, the Morning Star District, and heading straight for the center of Eternal Star City.

Tails, on the other hand, was depressed and drifted like the walking dead, huddled forward.

Although there were only more than 20 of them hurrying away, but unconsciously, the number of vigilantes and security teams passing by gradually increased, seemingly coincidentally, but one after another, inadvertently dispersed and separated the obstacles and crowds on the road, allowing them to pass all the way unimpeded.

But Tails really couldn't arouse interest in studying them.

"You know, over the course of a few months, Mr. Hither has written me several letters......"

Finally, in the midst of the unbearable silence, Gilbert spoke.

"Talk to me about your studies. ”

There was a hint of embarrassment in his equally deep voice.

Tails suddenly came back to his senses.

"Oh, old crow. ”

The young Duke of Xinghu perked up and tried to tell himself that he should not bring unnecessary emotions to the people around him.

"Yes, I haven't thanked him yet, thanks to him in Longxiao City......"

Feeling the change in the prince, Gilbert's tone was slightly uplifting:

"He reminded me that you're a little ahead of your schedule. ”

Punching Tails struggled to focus:

"Ahead of the curve?"

Kilbur nodded:

"Yes, that's a rare review, but ......"

The Foreign Secretary narrowed his eyes, and for a moment seemed to be a little distracted:

"After receiving the teacher's letter, I sometimes think, maybe...... Maybe I, maybe we're all too anxious. ”

Tails looked at him puzzled:

"About what?"

Gilbert sighed and said earnestly:

"At least in Yongxing City, noble young masters of your age...... They were more concerned about appearance and clothing, banquets and girls. ”

Appearance and clothing.

Banquet and Girls......

Yes.

Tails paused for a moment, reflecting on his past six years.

What was he concerned about in those years?

What did he experience?

The Duke couldn't help but lose his mind slightly, but he immediately adjusted.

Tails, who had a premonition that Gilbert was going to admonish something, squeezed out a smile and shook his head.

"You should go back a few years, when Waiya was just a teenager. ”

Hearing the familiar name, Gilbert Cassel was slightly stunned.

I saw the prince looking at the northern sky and smiling:

"In those years, however, your son cared more about his sword...... and me. ”

Tails smiled, remembering the squire's every move, Waia Cassel, with a smile on his face.

Listening to the sound of horses' hooves around him, and looking at the guards around him, Tails suddenly realized......

Despite returning to the stars, to the city of Eternal Star, these royal guards protect him......

It's so strange.

This made him miss more and more the familiar faces that used to be around him.

Wya, Rolf, Putira, Jenard, Willow, and the ...... who stole the chicken leg and roasted the rabbit

From Yongxing City to the Birch Forest, from the Broken Dragon Fortress to the Dragon Sky City.

From the past, to the present.

And where are they now?

Tails couldn't help but be confused.

"I'm glad you favored him so much. ”

Gilbert's words pulled him back to reality.

"But on this topic ......"

Xingchen's cunning fox had a complicated face, but his words were proud:

"You know, in the past few years in the Northlands, Wya's return to Yongxing City has been several times. ”

Tails nodded.

I saw Gilbert squinting slightly:

"But he probably didn't mention it to you, he came back to see his fiancée?"

Tyers, immersed in the longing for his old man, subconsciously repeated Gilbert's words.

Unmarried......

Tails' face changed abruptly!

What the?

The prince turned his head in surprise.

I saw Gilbert looking at him with a smile on his face.

"Wya?" Tails asked rhetorically, wide-eyed.

Gilbert nodded, with both relief and sentimentality in his eyes:

"Wya. ”

Wya?

Tails opened his mouth wide in surprise and stared at Gilbert.

Wyea Cassel?

That old-fashioned, serious, little old man......

That day with a straight face, a formal manner, and Rolf's big eyes......

That Huaiya, who is always "overexerted" and has a hard body all over her body?

Tails blinked subconsciously, struggling to digest the news.

And Gilbert just smiled faintly.

Tails took a deep breath and shook his head.

Wya, Wya!

I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it!

He couldn't help but feel a little funny, but also a little relieved:

I didn't expect you to be a thick-eyed person......

Until Gilbert's next sentence:

"So, you're getting old this year......

Tails' face changed again.

"Ahem, ahem...... Ahem......" The prince coughed suddenly, and the figure on horseback slumped in pain.

Gilbert's old face stiffened, and he continued:

"You must know that you are obliged to continue the bloodline of the great kingdom ......"

"Ahem, ahem, ahem—" The prince's cough grew louder and louder, drowning out the voice of the foreign secretary, and even the royal guards, who were not a short distance from the left and right, turned their heads strangely.

In the end, Gilbert could only shake his head in regret.

"Okay. ”

"Let's save a little on this topic. ”

Tails' coughing disappeared in an instant, and his back was straighter than the flagpole.

Gilbert narrowed his eyes as he watched the unconscious Tails soothe his chest on the horse, his face full of "I knew it" helplessness.

"Then I hope that the next news will interest you. ”

Tails seemed to come back to his senses suddenly, naturally and suddenly:

"Message?"

Gilbert bowed slightly, and his face became serious again—every now and then, Tails remembered Wya, the look on his face when he saw Rolf.

But the Foreign Secretary's next sentence made the prince's thoughts sink as well.

"The latest arrival of the letter crow, from the north. ”

Northern.

Tails frowned:

"Is it Putirai and Wya?"

"It's not. Gilbert shook his head, but his face did not relax at all:

"But ......"

I saw the Foreign Minister riding a horse a little closer, and his voice was heavy:

"A few days ago, Long Xiao City completed the mobilization for war. ”

Longxiao City.

Hearing the familiar term, Tails' knuckles clenched slightly.

Gilbert's words continue:

"The expeditionary force of 10,000 people has been assembled and is ready to go to Qiyuan City to join the battle and conquer the Freedom Alliance in the west. ”

Tails frowned deeply.

At that moment, it was as if all the memories of the Northland had come back to my mind—the war, the forced marriage, the mobilization, everything that happened in Longxiao City.

10,000 troops.

Tails recalls his impressions of Longxiao City.

For Longxiao City, no more, no less.

So......

"Who is the nobleman leading the troops?"

Duke Xinghu's expression was solemn: "Who will fight this battle?"

Gilbert nodded, and reported the information accurately:

"The lord of the Hunting and Origami counties, Count Karn Kierkegaard, will serve as the deputy commander of the expeditionary force in the city of Dragons. ”

Kierkegaur.

Tails' mind conjured up the resolute face of the one-armed Earl in the Hall of Heroes.

He sighed.

"Sure enough, the one who commands the army is the one who can fight the best in Longxiao City......"

But speaking of this, Tails was slightly stunned:

"Wait, Gilbert. ”

"You just said - 'deputy' commander?"

The prince looked at Gilbert in amazement.

Gilbert pursed his lips and nodded.

Wait a minute.

Kierkegaard is only a deputy commander, which means......

No.

The disbelief on Tails' face grew.

Gilbert's words were solemn:

"According to recent news, the first large-scale expedition after twenty years of silence in Longxiao City......"

"The immature Archduchess Walton was armed with a sword and commanded the army. ”

"Go into battle and go on a personal campaign. ”

Archduchess......

Battle......

Pro-......

At that moment, Tails froze in place.

And Gilbert didn't speak, just watched him silently, waiting quietly, taking in the prince's reaction.

The familiar figure seemed to reappear in front of his eyes.

The figure who wept in the darkness and asked him if he could escape.

Emaciated.

Thin.

Aggrieved and helpless.

Weak and lonely.

Grabbing his arm, he hid behind him.

Shivering.

"Oh......"

"That's ......"

Duke Xinghu retracted his expression in a daze, nodded subconsciously, and muttered to himself.

"Wow. ”

His face stiffened, but he forced himself to let out a suppressed exclamation.

But no one knew that he was so strange at the moment.

Mixed tastes.

Indescribable.

But in the next second, the figure in his mind turned around, revealing a face that was equally familiar to him, but completely different.

The face that was crystal under the pressure, sweating on his forehead, but still trying to pout his small mouth.

Tenacious.

Stubborn.

Stubborn and unyielding.

Resolute and strong.

Stand in front of the highest seat, stand in the midst of thousands of troops, and raise your arms and shout.

Respond to every call.

It seemed like a long, long time.

It was so long that even Gilbert couldn't help but remind him.

"So they succeeded," Tails said faintly, trying to forget about unnecessary images and forcing himself to start thinking about something more practical:

"Ronnie of Prayer City, Leco of Vigilant City, and Walton of Dragonsky City, Exeter's Tri-City Alliance. ”

"They finally stood in everything. ”

Tails' tone was still hollow, but his spirit gradually recovered, and his brain turned:

"In the face of the Western turmoil instigated by Rumba. ”

Thinking of this, Duke Xinghu took a deep breath and raised his head.

"What about us?"

It might be confusing to face such a question, but Gilbert knows what he is asking.

The Foreign Secretary sighed slowly.

"As you can see, now that you have returned and the turmoil on the Western Front has subsided......"

The corners of Gilbert's mouth are slightly curved:

"Then whether it is the royal standing army under the command of Baron Williams, or the conscripts that the lords of the Western Wilderness have worked hard to recruit, there is no reason to stay in the desert and spend time and effort patrolling. ”

Tails took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Therefore, the Freedom Alliance, which has lost the control of the stars and is weak, is alone in the city, facing the three major cities of the Northland, and facing almost half of the Exeter Kingdom......"

Duke Xinghu opened his eyes, and this time, he became calm and dignified:

"The battle is decided. ”

"Freedom League...... Finished. ”

Gilbert didn't speak, just acquiesced.

After a few seconds, the corners of Tails' mouth curled, and his mood lightened.

"Now, it's King Chaman's turn to have a headache. ”

He looked at Gilbert with a smile:

"I escaped, and Xingchen withdrew, so Rumba lost both the chips and the reason. ”

"He can no longer use the stars as a sword to intimidate his vassals into obedience. ”

Tails remembered the aggressive and deflated appearance of the king of relatives, and only felt that the sorrow of his hometown was no longer there, and even his breathing was extremely comfortable.

On the other side, Longxiao City joined Ronnie's side, praying that the troubles of Far City would be solved. ”

"The Black Sand Collar has one more enemy, and the opposition to the king will only rise instead of decreasing. ”

Tails snorted and spread his hands lightly on his horse:

"Rumba fell short on both sides. ”

He could even imagine the old adversary's gloomy face, suppressing his anger, blowing his beard and glaring at him......

Gilbert coughed.

"In fact......"

"Your Highness......"

There was some hesitation in the words of the Foreign Secretary, which caught the attention of Tails:

"A few weeks ago, not long after you fled from Exeter, and the news of Thunder City's Listening Day had just arrived......"

Gilbert glanced at him, frowned slightly, and stopped talking.

Tails' heart sank.

The Foreign Secretary exhaled unnaturally:

At that time, King Chaman rushed back to the Black Sand Territory. ”

Gilbert lifted the reins and looked solemnly into the distance.

In just a few days, Chaman I visited almost every one of his vassals who opposed him. ”

Tails frowned fiercely.

"Visit?"

The prince remembered the so-called "visit" of Prince Chaman's arrival in Longxiao City—whether it was to visit him or the Hall of Heroes, he suddenly felt bad.

Observing Tails' expression, Gilbert sighed slightly:

"The secret department has limited information......

Under Tails' bad premonition and ugly expression, Gilbert told the truth with a straight face:

"But apparently, as the king claimed to be calling up their army to the west, the House of Mende and Devinson, who had been fighting taxes in the Black Sands, first capitulated and returned to the king's banner – the odd one is unknown. ”

Tails was in a cold mood.

"The Ika family, which is closest to the Rebuilding Tower, is probably worried that the Grand Duke of Trudida will secretly communicate with the Rumba, so they withdrew the call to resist taxes without waiting for the king to arrive, and took the initiative to send this quarter's grain tax to Black Sand City. ”

The prince's hand holding the reins of the horse became tighter and tighter, and the whole person was even more unconsciously tense.

Yet Gilbert's sigh continues:

A day later, the old Count of Peruno, who was a respected and had a lifelong friendship with his predecessor, the Grand Duke of Black Sands, and who was also the fiercest opponent of King Chaman, suddenly fell ill. ”

Tails began to hear his own breathing.

He was bedridden and unable to see things, so the son of Peruno took over the reins of the territory, reversed his father's policy, and went out of the city himself to greet King Chaman's inspection. ”

Under the Duke of Star Lake's almost shocked eyes, Gilbert said unpleasantly:

And the last two stubbornly resisted and refused to open the door to welcome the king's real family...... They were punished. ”

Tails gritted his teeth.

"Punishment?"

Kilber nodded, his eyes showing a rare jealousy of the cunning fox of the stars:

With the support of the above four families, King Chaman's soldiers descended on the city and declared war with blood. ”

"Two whole castles...... The Fire Knight personally led the Black Sand army. ”

"One day to win, three days to break the city. ”

Gilbert's solemnity and vigilance have been raised to the extreme:

"According to the ancient rites of the Northlanders, they set an example by hanging the heads of those who disobeyed the king's commands from the gates. ”

"The king was also on the ground of execution, stripping on the spot the titles of an earl and a viscount, and demoting their heirs to commoners. ”

Listening to Gilbert's words, Tails could barely adjust his expression - it seemed that every word of the other party carried the snow drifting from the northland.

Gilbert let out a slow sigh.

"Not only that, on that day, King Chaman, by virtue of the power of conquest, violated the convention and canonized several new nobles from humble backgrounds, and none of the large and small vassals of the Black Sand Collar dared to beak. ”

Tails slowly let go of his body and pressed his arm to the horse.

The shock in my heart cannot be overstated.

Gilbert shook his head:

"To this day, except for a few small families close to the border and irrelevant to the overall situation, out of morality or profit, are still speaking out for uncompromise......"

But Tails didn't let him continue.

"He succeeded. ”

The prince stared at the northern sky in a daze, as if he saw the gloomy and cold king.

"He won. ”

Gilbert watched Tails' expression worriedly, and couldn't help but cough.

"Internally, it does. ”

Xingchen Cunning Fox squeezed out a smile, his tone changed, and he changed from jealousy to positive.

"But externally, whether it is the Rebuilding Tower or the Weilan Territory, they immediately strengthened their defense after getting the news, and put heavy troops on the border of the Black Sand Territory......"

"And the other Grand Dukes in Exeter's country were even more excited, and they fought in unison, from Qiyuan City to Fengzhao City, from Elk City to Glacier Sea, and many Northlanders even openly questioned the origin of his throne......"

Gilbert smiled and spoke, but Tails could sense a hint of dissonance in his laughter:

"The Black Sand Territory has aroused the anger of the people, and King Chaman is unable to support it alone, not to mention that the economy and people's livelihood in their territory are already shaky......"

But the prince interrupted him.

"It's late. ”

In the team, the young man under the cloak straightened his back, but silently bowed his head.

"Charman Rumba. ”

"Maybe a lot of people don't recognize him as the king of Exeter. ”

Tails pursed his lips, imagining himself as an enemy of the other party, as if he felt the weight of substance:

"But now, he's become ......"

"The king of the Black Sand Realm. ”

Gilbert was stunned and unable to answer.

Only the second prince looked up to the sky and sighed, closed his eyes:

"I told them, back then, in the Hall of Heroes, I told ......"

"But I'm afraid they still don't understand. ”

Tails opened his eyes, not looking at the clear blue sky overhead, but his gaze touched the layers of black clouds that loomed in the distance.

"They don't understand that the tide they are facing cannot be easily stopped by resorting to the military or paying money. ”

Gilbert was stunned.

The prince gritted his teeth and frowned:

"And that's just the beginning. ”

"Charman Rumba, he's going to get stronger, he's going to be greedy, he's going to be more ......"

Tailston paused, exhaling a breath of indignation through his nose.

"Your Highness, you need not be so worried," Gilbert seemed to be unbearable:

"No matter how strong King Chaman is, we can ...... too"

But Tails shook his head.

"Nope. ”

"Not us. ”

He looked fixedly at the oppressive black clouds on the horizon:

"Killing, taking, conferring, these things that King Chaman did...... It seems like nothing more than a spark. ”

"But it's unstoppable. ”

Gilbert listened to the prince's words and fell silent thoughtfully.

"And will eventually ignite ......"

Tails lowered his head and looked straight ahead, the seriousness in his eyes beyond words:

"The whole Northland. ”

Right now.

"Boom!"

The bell rang loudly.

Tails and Gilbert were shocked.

The sound of this bell rises faintly, rolls and rolls, long and heavy, and shocks people's hearts.

Penetrates the ground and air at the same time, reaching the underground and the sky.

The reverberation is deep and long-lasting.

Amid the restless neighing of the horses, many of the royal guards also frowned and looked at each other.

Only Marios, who was at the forefront, was as calm as ever, lifting the reins and stepping on the pedals, and moving forward steadily.

"That's ......"

Feeling the roar in his ears, Tails slowly turned to Gilbert.

The latter, past the initial astonishment, nodded slowly at the prince:

"The Clock of the Stars. ”

Tails' thoughts flickered.

Gilbert sighed, "The last time it sounded, it was in ......"

"I know. ”

Tails felt the memories that came flooding up, and said dumbly:

"Six years ago. ”

"The country is ...... Meeting. ”

But his exclamation didn't last long, as the line soon turned the next block and onto another avenue.

It was at this time that Tails noticed:

Before they knew it, they had passed through countless blocks, and the people around them had gradually drifted away, isolated by the slowly increasing number of security teams a hundred paces away, leaving only curious heads and eyes.

Soldiers and guards, guards and vigilantes, countless people have stood in front of them, either in their own ranks to maintain order, or as a wall to separate the passages.

Waiting for the guests.

On this side, the road under the feet of the royal guards has become a broad road, wide and boundless.

Of course, at the end of the avenue, the most eye-catching thing is......

Tails breathed in a trance and slowly raised his head.

Saw it.

It.

The classical mottled colors, the endless steps, the thick black palace walls, the grandeur rising from the ground, the vicissitudes across the century, and the majesty of the stars.

Fuxing Palace.

The flat-topped pyramid, which had appeared in his dreams countless times, was like a giant that walked silently but covered the sky, both foreshadowing and suddenly appearing in front of his eyes.

It's like a sea of mountains.

But there was silence.

Tails stared at the huge palace in front of him in a daze, and it took a long time to come back to his senses.

Passing through the passage formed by the palace guards, the royal guards unconsciously lightened their horses' hooves and slowed down.

Until Marios raised his hand, twenty-five royal guards lifted their cloaks in unison.

Revealing silver helmets and shining armor, reflecting the daylight.

Hugo, the flag bearer, even raised a high nine-pointed star flag and fluttered in the wind.

In the distance, the crowd, separated from the separation line, began to make a noise.

Countless eyes shot at these twenty or so horses, and there were many discussions.

Tails turned his head in a complicated mood, looking at the civilians on both sides who were separated by death, at the soldiers and guards standing up straight around him, and finally at the heart of the kingdom in front of him, separated by the palace walls:

Fuxing Palace.

No one knows his state of mind at the moment, no one can describe how he feels now, no one can describe his emotions at the moment.

He could only open his mouth dumbly, silently distracted.

Thoughtfully.

Look blank.

As Tails' team came to the palace wall, the black-pressed city-guarding crossbows and magic energy guns turned around under the hinges and manpower, and there were many sentry posts, and the killing machine was awe-inspiring.

A nobleman, dressed in the same attire as Marles and the others, walked from the palace gate surrounded by a group of soldiers, raised his right arm towards Tails' team, and flashed his palm.

In an instant, with the gesture of Marios, the twenty-five members of the royal guard all sat in together, and Gallover and Doyle stepped forward and stretched out their hands, stopping Tails and Gilbert's mounts together.

And they all have serious faces and awe-inspiring attitudes at the moment.

"Twenty-five members of the royal guard, who were ordered by the king to escort dignitaries. ”

Marios's voice sounded in front of the avenue of the palace gate, bounced off the palace walls of the Fuxing Palace, and echoed across the wide avenue:

"Duke of Star Lake, Prince of the Stars, First Heir to the Nine-Star Crown and Supreme Throne, and His Royal Highness the Noble Tails Bright Star......"

"It's back. ”

As soon as these words came out, everything was silent.

Whether it is the guards in front of the palace gate, the sentry on the palace gate, or the security team on the avenue, they are all quiet.

For a moment, only the crisp and indifferent voice of Marius could be heard, echoing in all directions.

In front of the palace gate, the nobleman who stopped Marios straightened up and took a step forward.

"Password. ”

The nobles in royal guard attire looked at Marlos and said coldly:

"Crown?"

Marios slowly rode forward, comfortably facing the monstrous giant crossbow that defended the city.

He narrowed his eyes and spoke softly, like a gossamer:

"Darkness. ”

Tails shook slightly.

Time seemed to stop for a moment.

Until the nobleman guarding the palace gate nodded, turned around and waved.

"Boom ......"

With a deafening roar, the steel noose moved.

The dark palace door in front of Tails trembled violently, and with the rhythm of great force, as if it was about to push away the dust that had accumulated for thousands of years, it slowly moved.

Tear the ego apart.

Reveal the true face of Fuxing Palace.

As the sun sets, it turns into gold.

Just like the moment Tails became a prince six years ago, the sunset that illuminated the Fuxing Palace red.

But this time, under the bright sun, Tails just looked up in a daze.

He watched the brilliant and dazzling golden light fall on the outer wall of the Fuxing Palace inch by inch.

But it could only be dark.

Bottomless.