Despite his preparations, Tails tensed his nerves after Saker's appearance.

He still chased after him.

Knight of Punishment.

At this moment, his greatest threat in the dungeon.

Things don't look good in Sakel.

The knight was already embarrassed, but at this moment, his eyes were half open and half closed, as if he had suffered a lot of injuries from the flashbang just now, and his footsteps, which were once as steady as Yuanyue, now needed the support of the wall and the weapon in his hand to stand up, and his right shoulder was wrapped in a thick bandage, oozing a bright red.

But even so, no one dared to underestimate him.

Sakel gritted his teeth, leaned against the wall, and stepped into the storage room.

Like a beast that emerges in the dark.

"No, what the ......" Fastrope nervously raised his arm crossbow, but was held down by Tails before it could be fired!

"Calm down. ”

Tails gritted his teeth and gritted his teeth:

"Not now. ”

Not only Tails and Fast Rope, but also Semir, Belletti, Nye and others also had ugly faces.

"Hahahaha, 'Say no more'?"

Naki recovered from his stunned stupor, smirking bitterly.

"No," Naki's face changed, glancing at everyone:

"Everyone here is qualified to shut me up. ”

Naki trembled and raised his finger to the Knight of Punishment:

"Except for you. ”

"Sakel. ”

Sacraelton stopped.

Covered in bruises, he stood by the door, looking at Naki in confusion and distress, as if he had given up everything, his eyes flashing over the gloomy and depressed old colleagues.

The cell was silent, save for the painful and rapid gasps of the crowd.

Sakel shook his head slightly, looking away.

"Naki. ”

"You're tired. ”

The Knight of Punishment whispered as if he were coaxing a child.

But Naki didn't appreciate it.

"yes, I'm tired. ”

I saw Naki step by step back, and said with a miserable smile:

"I've had enough of your arrogance and arrogance, Knight of Punishment. ”

Sakel frowned.

"You don't want to tarnish the reputation of the royal family, and you can't bear to expose the faces of our shameless traitors," Naki's breathing became more and more rapid:

"You've got to find the best way to do it. ”

He narrowed his eyes, desperation seeping through his tone:

"But do you think that if you alone bear all your sins, and if you stand up to the pillars that will fall, and whose honor has never been tarnished, whose reputation has not been damaged, and who is silent and alone, who is worthy of everyone, is a great sacrifice?"

Sakel did not speak.

Little Barney was still on his knees in despair, his mind not belonging, Belletti looked nervous, and Semir was silent.

Naki began to tremble.

A few seconds later, the resentment that had been suppressed for many years burst out of his throat:

"Grass you!"

"You damned bastard, proud watchman Sakel!"

The sound of scolding echoed through the storage room, causing the torch in Semir's hand to flutter.

But no one spoke, including Sakel.

Looking at Sakel and Naki, who had a nervous breakdown, he swallowed his saliva and stabbed Tails nervously:

"Whatever I say, I know that these crazy people are just unreliable......"

However, Tails just looked at the crowd with complicated eyes and was silent.

Oh, yes.

He stared at the crumbling Barney and the soulless Naki.

But if it weren't for these unreliable lunatics, we would have been part of the Prison of Bones.

"You think you're protecting us, protecting those who have died......"

Naki's eyes were red, and he roared like a beast at the melancholy Saker:

"But you don't understand!"

Naki's voice grew quieter, but the hardship and despair in his words became more apparent:

"You are a man who sacrifices himself for others and confesses his guilt, but you are great, glorious, selfless, and heroic......"

The poor prisoner of the guard collapsed to his knees, and the weapon and key slipped from his hand at the same time.

"But you, the selfish ghost of a self-proclaimed saint, have thrown back to us all the endless self-blame, guilt, and torture! Let's play the ugliest role on the stage and face the painful reality that you can't face!"

Naki slapped his chest hysterically:

"We!"

Sakel bowed his head and fell silent in the midst of the deafening accusations, as if he were not in this world at all.

Naki seemed tired of scolding, and he collapsed to the ground, his voice hoarse, and muttered in a lost voice:

"You and Big Barney, you are both executioners who kill without seeing blood......"

This sentence made little Barney, who was kneeling on the ground, shudder.

I only heard Naki sob:

"The only difference is ......"

"Big Barney makes us hate him......"

"You, you let us ...... Hate yourself. ”

Naki hung his head, burying his face between his hands, his shoulders shaking.

It was seconds before Sacrael raised his head in a near-infinite silence.

Confused, he reached out his hand in Naki's direction, but he shuddered halfway through and slowly put it down.

The past is immutable.

But at least......

Sakel turned his gaze, as if he didn't dare to look at Naki again, but staggered in the direction of Tails, step by step.

This makes many people nervous!

"Barney, Barney, wake up!"

As Sakel approached, Beretti, the highest man in Barney Jr.'s post, though long deprived, was in a state of turmoil, anxiously calling out the name of the Pioneer Officer, hoping that the latter would make a move.

But little Barney, who was kneeling on the ground, stared blankly and didn't listen.

Sakel glanced at Barney Jr. with a dead look, brushing the imprint on the latter's face, and then looked away.

He's gone.

Sakel said to himself silently.

The unwavering and hard-to-knock Quill Barney vanguard is gone.

He turned his head sadly and moved on.

"Damn it!"

Belletti scolded and gave up on waking Barney.

He frowned and looked back: except for the distracted Naki, Cannon was on his knees and sobbing in pain, Brie clutched his head and his eyes closed, and Tardine was stunned and unmoved.

The tendons in Belletti's hands tightened and tightened.

No.

The truth of the year confused everyone, including him, and his deranged colleagues made him confused, and Sakel, who he once looked up to in front of him, made him extremely strange.

Behind them is the Bright Star Bloodline of the Oath Guardians—though they have long since tarnished the mission.

What should he do?

After a few seconds of hesitation in the face of his shattered comrades in the Guard and Sakel getting closer, Belletti, the only remaining member of the Guard, finally made up her mind and raised her weapon.

"Nai, Semir, help me!"

He summoned the normally normal Nai and the solemn Semir in an attempt to assemble the last defenses.

Nai sighed and walked over to him.

Semir hesitated for a moment, then dropped his torch and raised his sword.

Sakel still swayed step by step, ignoring the three Belletti who were retreating step by step.

Tails slowly frowned, and then slowly let go.

"I see, sir. ”

Belletti stopped in front of Tails with an axe and hissed at Saker:

"You may not be the traitor, at least not the only one, and perhaps you have your own agenda, and we are not in a position to accuse you anymore. ”

Belletti gritted her teeth and said:

"But no matter what happened back then...... This kid, you can't touch him. ”

With his footsteps, Sakel's face was completely illuminated by the torches on the ground, and the imprint on his forehead became more and more obvious.

"Look at them, Belletti. ”

The Knight of Punishment looked at Barney and Naki as they knelt beside him, and shook his head sadly as they looked on the verge of collapse.

"Trust me, bury everything here......"

"That's the best way. ”

Sakel got closer and closer, the blade of the axe in his hand reflecting the cold light.

Looking at Belletti, who was not in good shape but was still in front of him, Tails couldn't help but bite his lip.

At this moment, the Knight of Punishment suddenly stopped.

Extremely nervous, Belletti exhaled.

Sakel frowned and slowly turned his head:

I saw that little Barney, who was on his knees in a daze, stretched out his hand and weakly grabbed the knight's calf.

"Sakel, tell me. ”

Little Barney, who was pale, looked up and stared at his bloodshot eyes, half pleading, half questioning:

"My father...... Why did he do this to me?"

Barney Jr. seemed to have just woken up from a nightmare, his expression was in a trance, and his sentences were choppy:

"Captain Quill Barney...... What kind of person is he?"

This sentence moved all the prisoners of the Guard.

Even Sachael was in a trance for a moment.

There was silence in the dungeon for a few seconds.

"He's a good man," Saker said, lowering his gaze, remembering his long-gone old man, and said with respect:

"He's just born at the wrong time. ”

Barney Jr. was shocked.

With that, Sakel took a light stride and shook off Barney's arm.

Barney Jr. was immersed in Saker's words, and he was slowly softened by the latter, but he seemed to be unconscious.

Sakel was getting closer and closer to them, and he could even make out the brand on his forehead.

This made Belletti more and more nervous, and the fast rope pulled Tails all the way back.

"What now?"

I only heard the fast rope grit his teeth and whispered: "We can't beat it, but we haven't even found the exit - where can we escape?"

Oh, yes.

What to do?

Where to flee to?

Tails looked at Saker and saw that there was only endless gloom in it.

Tails couldn't help but take a deep breath.

He suddenly remembered that the other party was trembling in the cage, hysterical and muttering to himself in the invisible world.

[I know you're testing me...... But believe me, I have never hesitated in my sacrifice, and I know that it is something I must give, whether it is merit or sin, good or evil, and I will accept it with all my heart and will not run away from it......]

Tails remembered the opponent's skillful ability to deal with the enemy neatly in the siege.

[I am the Imperial Knight and Lord of Honor of the Kingdom of the Stars!The penistor and watchman of the royal guard, the guardian of the throne, and the custodian of the royal treasury......]

He remembered when the Knight of Punishment claimed to kill him. That unusual deference and respect.

[Please be relieved, Your Highness, after your unfortunate departure, I will take full responsibility for the injustice you have suffered here. And your secrets will be buried, without damaging your reputation. 】

Finally, Tails remembered Saker's relieved expression of smiling at his old friends and admitting his betrayal.

[The person who should really bear the charge of collaborating with the enemy, but despicably concealed the truth for eighteen years...... That shameful, sad, hypocritical, disgusting, pretentious, sanctimonious, and inconsistent fellow...... It was me. 】

Knight of Punishment.

What kind of person are you?

"I see, fast rope. ”

Tails spoke softly, the calmness in his tone that surprised even himself.

It's like a prey that has broken free from its restraints in an instant.

The fastrope raises an eyebrow:

"Got what?"

Tails shook his head at the fast rope and gently let go of his fist:

"It's useless to run away. ”

"Because ...... from a long time ago"

Tails looked at the lost little Barney and Naki, and at the slowly approaching Saker, and punned:

"We have nowhere to run. ”

Fast Rope was stunned for a moment, full of doubts.

After saying this, Tails made up his mind, and only felt a burst of relief.

He should have done it.

He had to do it.

In the next second, under the frightened gaze of Fast Rope, Tails took a step forward in the direction of Saker.

"Is that what you want?"

The boy's voice echoed through the dungeon.

The Knight of Punishment faltered.

All eyes were on the prince.

"Burying all the squalor and pain in the past and underground, pretending that nothing happened, telling yourself that this is the best option?"

Tails gasped, broke free from the grip of the fast rope, ignored Belletti's face, endured the pain, and continued:

"I die here, your duty, your past, their torment, their pain...... Is it all going to be over?"

Tails stretched out his fingers, skimming over each prisoner of the Guard, who was either in pain, or collapsed, or distracted.

Sakel looked at Upper Tails with a determined look, and he was stunned.

He opened his mouth to speak, but finally turned into a soft sigh.

"You don't understand, Your Highness. ”

The knight closed his eyes and shook his head.

Tails took a deep breath and swept his gaze over everyone.

Barney Jr. was still distracted, Naki was still twitching lowly, and Sakel in front of him was weak and sad.

"Nope. ”

"But there's only one thing I don't understand. ”

Tails jerked his head and gritted his teeth!

"Who is it?"

Saker's eyebrows moved:

"What?"

I saw Tails use his rare, unquestionable firm tone to say categorically:

"Who is the person behind you?"

The people behind it?

As soon as these words came out, everyone frowned in unison.

Sakel tugged at the corners of his mouth, as if he didn't want to pay attention.

But Tails' next words greatly surprised him:

"I haven't known you for long, but ......"

Tails slowly turned his gaze:

"Naki may value his family more, but he can't afford to watch you take responsibility for his crimes......"

Naki's shoulders shuddered.

Tails turned to the other side:

"Cannon, Brie, Tardin, you may have been in the know, but you have never been so calm that you have been imprisoned for eighteen years, and you are still tormented by your conscience. ”

Cannon's sobs fell silent, Brie stopped shivering, and Tardine froze.

Tails finally looked at the distracted little Barney:

"I don't know Big Barney, but I can see from him that his father was probably just as stubborn and determined, and he had a thought in his heart, and he carried it through to the end. ”

Sakel's brow tightened.

Tails exhaled, soothing his heartbeat faster and faster with the sin of the Prison River.

"What I see in you people is not the meanness and inferiority of the betrayers. ”

The prince resolutely said:

"It's a painful dilemma. ”

Everyone looked up, looking at Tails with shocked or puzzled eyes.

Sakael takes an abrupt step forward!

But Belletti and Nai were stuck in front of him, and they were all about to die together.

Tails was taken aback, but he still stubbornly said the following:

"I believe that as a member of the royal family and a close minister of the king, no matter how depraved you are and how selfish you are, you will never turn your back on the pride in your heart and seek glory from the Lord with peace of mind. ”

"You are not like that, you dare not, you cannot. ”

The prince gritted his teeth and said:

"Unless there is another reason, a more logical reason, for you to convince yourselves: it is the right thing to do, not a betrayal!"

Sakel's face grew more and more ugly.

Tails knew he was on the right track.

So the prince ignored the look of the fast rope, puffed up his chest and continued:

"As for you, Sakel, you are a noble knight, a loyal guard, and you are so respectful to me even if you are about to do something to me in the next second......"

"I think that the only thing that can make you taint honor and mission is a higher honor and mission. ”

As the words fell, Sakel shuddered.

"Then what kind of mission can make you betray Bright Star without hesitation?"

Everyone's expressions slowly changed.

Just listen to Tails say coldly:

"Unless ......"

The Knight of Punishment could no longer remain calm, and he shouted:

"Your Highness!"

But Tails ignored him, and just looked at himself and said with difficulty in the dim light of the fire:

"Whether it's the Northlanders or the Shadow Shield, they've warned me, but I've never been willing to believe ......"

Tails gritted his teeth and plunged the sword that belonged to Ricky into the cracks of the ancient tiles.

"So, tell me, Saqel. ”

"Who is it?"

In front of Tails' eyes, Saker's expression changed.

Just listen to Tails continue:

"Back then, standing behind your desperate nobles, bribing all parties with noble status, using the bait of saving your family, encouraging you to slack off your guards, plotting to assassinate the deaf king, and planning to clean up the mess afterwards and ascend to the throne ......"

The prince's eyes were sharp and imposing, and he bit the word fiercely:

"Which star is it?"

Tails' words echoed between the walls.

Half of them were stunned.

"You say...... What?" was the shocked Barney.

The other half, Naki and Cannon, turned white, and Brie and Tardine looked away.

In front of them, Sakel shook his body violently and covered his head in pain.

The silence lasted for several seconds.

For a moment, only Tails' own rapid breathing was in the cell.

Until a trembling voice came:

"I see......"

"That's why you want to bury the truth and carry all the charges on your shoulders," Semir swept over everyone, his tone trembling slightly, his face shocked and abrupt:

"That's why you're so secretive and contradictory to this day. ”

"Some people may be directly involved, some people may just guess the inside story, but that's why you all have to tie your hands - an equally orthodox star to support you?"

He took a step back, gasped twice, and said with a cold sneer:

"What calamity, what anti-demon forces, that's not a reason...... This is the biggest scandal that the Bright Star Royal Family really can't make public. ”

Semir's blade trembled slightly:

"It's ridiculous...... What betrayal, what loyalty, it's not bullshit......"

"The so-called bloody year, the nightmare that has tormented me for eighteen years, and the assassinations and rebellions that have made the major nobles secretive, are actually a ...... within the Bright Star Royal Family"

"Cannibalism?"

In the face of his questioning, Sakel sighed for the longest breath of the day, but the palm covering his forehead trembled even more.

Little Barney stared at him in disbelief and stood up again.

Tails was silent, only exhaling softly.

The fast rope opened his mouth wide, not knowing how to react.

Sakel's eyes were still closed, as if he could not answer.

Belletti and Nai looked at each other, their eyes filled with sadness and pain, and at the last hint of disbelief.

Semir laughed again.

His laughter shook and trembled, and it was very frightening.

"Hahaha, let me guess ......"

His gaze was complex and incomprehensible, mixed with hatred and disdain for some reason:

"Is it Crown Prince Midir, who sells his reputation and is unpredictable, but can directly benefit from the death of the first king?"

Semir looked up sharply and said hatefully:

"Or is it the heroic, countless feats of war, but the violent and bloodthirsty and ambitious 'Sword of Light' Horace?"

"Is it Bancroft, a 'fat man' who seems to be obsessed with obesity and mediocrity, but is actually greedy for pleasure and excessive wealth?"

"Is it the 'beauty' Heyman who has a good skin and literary talents, but is narrow-minded and vicious?"

Semir's words made Tails frown.

He had heard King Kessel reminisce about these princes in the Tomb of the Bright Stars, but ......

Selling fame and reputation, violent and bloodthirsty, unbridled and vicious.

These descriptions ......

Semir took a breath and continued:

"Or is it a single army, young and strong, but according to the preface, as long as the genealogy under the knee of the first king does not die, the Duke of Star Lake, the royal brother John, will never be able to live on the throne?"

Tails' heart moved.

Previously, Marina, the Sword of Calamity's request for herself, reappeared in her memory.

In the utter silence, Semir roared angrily:

"Is the son killing the father, or the younger brother killing the brother?"

No one answered him.

Including Saker, which is already crumbling.

"Or is it even more vicious, the 'Iron Man King' who swept you, me, and all of us, knowing or unwitting, mercilessly into the garbage heap after the events of that year, and sat on the throne himself and enjoyed everything, Kessel?"

Semir seemed to be a little stimulated by this truth, he looked at the silent everyone, and sneered:

"Don't tell me, it's that idiot little princess who has been diagnosed as mentally retarded since she was a child, Constance?"

Unemployed, officially entering a period of turmoil.

Financial difficulties, no means of living.

May I get through it.

(End of chapter)