I don't know how long it took, until an oil lamp on the wall began to flicker, and the suffocating silence in the tavern dissipated slightly.

"What the fuck, Prince......" Tampa sighed bitterly, "this ...... Why am I so unlucky today......"

"Oops, uh, that's not a good sign......" Fastrope muttered something with his head down.

"You ......" was Marina, staring at Tails with wide eyes and her palm pressed against the hilt of her sword.

The mercenaries also began to whisper.

"Quiet. ”

Clay ordered faintly, his gaze not taking off Tails, but the sword was still on Dean's chest.

Tails let go of all his scruples and leaned back in his chair with relief, calmly facing everyone's gaze.

Now that it's come to this, what else can we do?

It's better to think about it, and then ......

"Do you really think you can smuggle the loot out right under our noses, Dean?"

Russell Vader, the former envoy of the Exeters, who was no longer a baron, snorted from his nose, glanced at Tails, and said coldly to Dean, "Especially such a large portion?"

Dean pouted disdainfully, "You're just lucky, the King's lackey." ”

Russell gave him a contemptuous smile in return.

Ricky slowly stepped forward and stood in front of Tails, looking straight into Tails' eyes.

"Tails Bright Star?"

Ricky curled the corners of his mouth and looked at Tails with a slightly divergent look, "You really surprised me. ”

At that moment, his gaze became cold:

"Just like any other star. ”

Tails was stunned.

Whether it's Nicola or Monty, or Dean, or just Hammer and Russell, when they look at Tails, it's like they're looking at a prey, or a valuable treasure.

But strangely, Ricky looked at him with no such meaning, but with a slight confusion.

It's like seeing another person through Tails.

But Tails, who was in danger, couldn't think about it so much, and he pondered his chances.

Tails coughed first, then took a deep breath, "You too, Sword of Calamity. ”

"Choosing the hardest path was beyond my expectations. ”

Ricky withdrew his gaze, pursed his lips and smiled, and turned away, the figure cast on the wall swaying in the light.

"Looks like your mission was done ahead of schedule, Hammer," Ricky squinted at the Hammer in the distance, "It's easier than you thought - maybe too easy?"

The drill saluted from afar, with a smile on his face.

"Thanks to all of you. ”

"Don't waste any more time," Russell decisively interrupted them, "This is enemy territory, and we have to arrange for the evacuation." ”

"You're in the Darkroom......" Dean tried to say something, but Clay tilted his wrist slightly, and the formidable blade choked all the words of the Darkroom agent in his throat.

Ricky waved his hand as he walked back, and Clay and the masked man nodded at him.

Tails watched their interactions, saw Ricky's gestures, and knew he couldn't be silent any longer.

"I don't understand, Ricky," Tails cleared his throat and shouted to Ricky's back, "I've heard from an acolyte, a group of swordsmen who are determined to overthrow the Tower of the End, right?"

Ricky paused.

"Of course, you've heard," came the sneer from Crassus, of the Sword of Calamity:

"But you don't know. ”

Tails snorted.

"Is it worth it?"

The prince rose from his seat, and the mercenaries at his side unconsciously shifted into a combat stance until Ricky waved them back.

"The Prison of Bones...... Is it worth it for you to give up everything and go against the entire kingdom of the stars, even to the point of cooperating with these people to kidnap me and make yourself a mortal enemy of the stars?" Tails said in a deep voice.

Russell frowned in the distance.

"Stop talking nonsense with him, this prince is used to inciting ......"

But Ricky raised a hand and suppressed the words of the Exeter.

The leader of the Sword of Calamity turned around and approached Tails step by step.

Compared to the sharp momentum of the others, who were either murderous or unapproachable, the leader of the Sword of Calamity had a relaxed look in his eyes and a calm demeanor, not very aggressive, but for some reason, there seemed to be a slowly accumulating vortex around him, and as his steps slowly accumulated, Tails's breath unconsciously froze.

"As I said, you don't know. ”

He bent down and looked Tails in the eye, "You don't know what we want. ”

Tails gritted his teeth and held his fingers up.

"Listen, whatever you want, or who you want to save in the Prison of Bones, I'll be satisfied, with just a small command......"

The prince took a step forward and said firmly: "Don't forget, I am the prince of the stars, the heir of the kingdom, this is the best and safest opportunity for you, as long as you ......"

But Ricky just smiled mysteriously and shook his head.

It was the masked man behind him who spoke in a low voice: "You can't. ”

His tone was cold:

"Unless you're the king. ”

The masked man's tone was filled with negativity, as if Tails were his enemy, which made the prince stunned for a moment.

"But I will after all," Tails said, coming back to his senses, struggling for his chance:

"And you're ruining this opportunity......"

Ricky interrupted him suddenly.

"I'm going to be king—I've heard another star say that," Ricky said lightly, "Guess what happened to him?"

Tails was stunned for a second.

"Even if you ever become king, Tails Bright Star," Ricky straightened up and looked down at Tails, "by then, everything will be over, whether it's our ......"

His eyes darkened slightly:

"It's still you. ”

"In contrast, I prefer to choose the present. ”

The melancholy in his tone made Tails think deeply.

Ricky shook his head.

"Tie it up, pack it and take it away. "The leader of the Sword of Calamity has regained his former calm and ruthlessness.

This made Tails nervous!

Worst.

What to do?

Ricky swept the fast rope beside Tails and frowned, "As for the other person......"

Fast Rope immediately sat up straight, and pointed at Tails with a look of panic and innocence: "No, no, no......"

"I swear, he paid me to do it, I really don't have anything with this person-"

What??, Tails raised an eyebrow.

I saw Ricky snort softly: "Very good, then kill him." ”

What is it? Fast Rope's throat seemed to be choked in an instant, and along with his expression of disbelief, he froze in place.

The two mercenaries behind the fast rope drew their blades and prepared to step forward.

Dean couldn't help but frown.

"Really, there really isn't any ......" Fast Rope looked at this, then at that, and stubbornly bit the word "relationship" in his mouth, repeating in shock and mechanically: "No, no, there is no ......"

In the next second, the sluggish fast rope seemed to have made up his mind, he gritted his teeth with hatred, raised his volume sharply, and shouted the words that were still muttering intermittently: "--There is really no possibility of separation!"

In the strange eyes of everyone, the fast rope threw away his arm, looking righteous and awe-inspiring.

"I, Waia Cassel, must be by His Highness Tails' side!" he stopped in front of Tails and shouted categorically under the latter's stunned gaze.

The fast rope bravely raised his arms and pointed to the people around him, and his tone was heroic and fearless, looking at death as if he were at home:

"In the name of my father, Gilbert Cassel, you will not want to tear me apart from the Prince!"

Dean looked at him in disbelief, as if he were meeting a newcomer to the squad for the first time.

Tails' face twitched.

"Cassel?"

Russell's expression moved, and he said suspiciously:

"You're the son of the cunning fox of the stars?"

There was still a panic in the fast rope, and when I heard the words, my heart was overjoyed.

But he still kept a straight face, ignoring the strange eyes of Tails and Dean, and in the face of everyone's questions, he finished speaking:

"Exactly!"

Kuaisheng said with a righteous face: "Do you miss him, or do you miss the "Fortress Peace Treaty"?

Tails on the side could only cover his forehead and sigh deeply.

Russell stared at the fastrope for a long time before he grinned.

"Good. ”

"Then tie up this young master Cassel together," Exter's former diplomatic envoy sneered:

"It would be useful. ”

Tails found that the fast rope beside him secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well done, dear Waia Cassel, I can't help but applaud you," Tails sneered, his lips immovable, "what's next?"

Marina and Sonny gestured, and several mercenaries immediately followed, and Clay put away his sword and backed, letting them move closer to the three Tails.

"What's next?"

Fast Rope raised an eyebrow: "We...... Dean, do you have any other secret weapons?"

"Whatever weapon I have," Dean said sarcastically, holding back his anger as he watched his enemies get closer and closer, "after being strangled once and put in a sack, it's useless." ”

Fast Rope curled the corners of his mouth with a serious expression to show understanding.

Tails listened to their questions and answers, and sighed.

Well, that's all that's left ......

"Wait a minute. ”

Tails raised his palms and stopped at the mercenaries.

"If I'm really that important, Ricky," the Star Prince looked up, took a step forward, and said loudly to Ricky, "Are you going to give me to the Shadow Shield, or King Chaman?"

Tails glanced at the chisel and then at Russell:

"For the sake of your next move, maybe you should curry favor with the Shadow Shield now, right?"

"Prevent them from stumbling on you?"

Ricky looked at him with a frown.

Russell snorted, but the hammer at his side shook his head with a smile and pressed the former's words.

"Your Highness, don't worry, we have already made an agreement," the chisel spread his hands from a distance, as if he saw through Tails's sinister intentions, "You will be a guest at our branch for a while under our careful care, and after we have cleared up some misunderstandings, we will send you back to Exeter safely......"

Tails' nerves slowly tensed.

But at this very moment.

"No," Ricky raised his eyes, interrupted the hammer, and said coldly, "This prince, he will be guarded by us." ”

This sentence seemed to freeze the atmosphere of the audience.

Tails exhaled.

He achieved his goal.

The drill's eyes narrowed.

"What?"

Ricky's expression did not move, and he calmly faced the rhetorical question of the drill, as if the other party had not spoken.

The chisel showed a confused smile: "I don't, I don't understand?"

Russell was also suspicious.

"He understands enough," the masked man behind Ricky said to them unceremoniously, "The prince must remain in our hands until the goal is accomplished." ”

The chisel raised an eyebrow, as if surprised.

"But this prince is our target. He gestured to Tails, still smiling.

Ricky shook his head, "But not ours." ”

Hammer and Russell looked at each other, and their faces changed at the same time.

"That prince is on the terms we have negotiated, mercenary. Russell kept his temper, but even Fast Rope could hear him trying to suppress his emotions: "If we get him, we'll help you break into the prison of bones." ”

Ricky exchanged glances with Clay and the masked man, and they all smiled.

"But he's here now. ”

"Your goal is close at hand, but our mission is still to be completed," Ricky said steadily, his eyes flashing with solemnity, "How do I know that you and the people you have placed outside will keep your promise and fulfill your agreement?"

He glanced at the drill and Russell:

"How do I know that you won't cross the river and tear down the bridge, turn your face ruthlessly, and then use us as bait to lure away the enemy and escape, and betray us to the stars of an entire camp?"

Russell no longer cared about his image, and he strode forward, glaring at Ricky.

"You shouldn't doubt Exter's promise. The Exeter said coldly.

But as if it had been prepared for him, the masked man stepped forward at the right time and held Russell closely.

The mercenaries tensed up again, and they secretly moved their bodies, blocking the path of the two guests.

"Just by virtue of the King of Murder?" replied the masked man with hostility, "Don't overestimate yourselves, Exeters. ”

Russell looked around, his eyes cold: "Aha, I smell the stench of the Star People." ”

Ricky clapped his hands lightly to stop this little conflict.

"I don't doubt your promise, Baron Vader," Ricky said lightly, but looked directly at the hammer with a complicated expression, "but I don't believe him." ”

"Don't believe Teng's deputy, Teng's student. ”

"I don't believe in people who even Teng dares to betray. ”

The expression of the drill froze slightly.

"So this prince remains in our possession, and we keep it in our watch until you finish the part of the cooperation that you have agreed. ”

"Until we get what we want. ”

Russell turned his head and glanced at the silent chisel.

The chisel took a breath and pulled the corners of his mouth open.

"You know ......"

"Tonight, I have gathered so many men on the spur and ventured back into the camp to meet with you at any cost and offer cooperation, not for the sake of bad things or to hurt both of you. ”

The chisel spread out his hand, smiled with a smile but said meaningfully: "I am here to prevent your plan from conflicting with our goals...... If it leads to a conflict between the two phases, the two lose. ”

Ricky snorted.

"So?"

"So, dear Crassus," the chisel lowered his head, his tone slowly tightened, and his eyes gradually turned cold: "When you hold our goal and don't let go, you are wasting my efforts today and destroying the bridge of our cooperation." ”

"As well as bringing about a conflict of goals between us. ”

"You know, we still have a lot of resources at our disposal that can help you - like the garrison of the Prison of Bones?"

Ricky's smile slowly faded.

"Threat?" Clay on the side sneered, showing the hilt of his sword, "Good, this is what you should be, Shadow." ”

The atmosphere in the arena was tense again.

"Really, you guys?" Russell, who watched the situation slowly go wrong, gritted his teeth and slapped his thigh unwillingly: "Oh, please!"

Tails gritted his teeth and observed the situation, thinking about how to add another fire.

The alliance between the Shadow Shield and the Sword of Calamity was not so strong, and as the hammer said, they each had their own desires and feared each other, so they would temporarily shake hands and make peace.

In fact, the former calculates the power of exploiting the latter, and the latter is always on the lookout for the former's backlash.

Just tear down the foundation of their cooperation......

Ricky shook his head.

"A bridge to cooperation?"

"On the contrary, chisel, I'm reinforcing it," Ricky looked at him steadily:

"Just waiting for your next brick. ”

"To ensure that our cooperation does not collapse because one side of the bridge is too heavy. ”

He slapped the table.

In the next second, the mercenaries around him, including the fence on the second floor, stood up in unison, looking at the chisel with cold eyes.

The drill frowned.

His hand reached into his robe and clenched a secret whistle.

He knew that if he blew it, the Shadow Shield's assassin ambush would invade from the weak spots around the tavern.

But......

The drill looked at the mercenaries standing around him, and his face became worse and worse.

Damn it.

The air grew more and more oppressive, and the two principals of the Shadow Shield and the Sword of Calamity exchanged glances for an unknown number of times.

Finally, in an indescribable nervousness, the chisel let out a breath.

"You've always liked to take the initiative in your hands, haven't you?" he said with a friendly smile back on his face.

Ricky snorted and didn't answer.

The chisel blinked, and raised his hand helplessly.

"I see, esteemed Crassus, if that'......"

He lowered his head, as if hesitating for a second.

In the next second, in the eyes of everyone who was worried or vigilant, or questioning or fearful, the chisel raised his head and smiled brightly.

"I can vouch for you. ”

Ricky narrowed his eyes: "Guarantee?"

The hammer nodded with a smile and stretched his hand to his chest: "The person who guarantees me will not harm you after I have the honor of inviting Prince Tails." ”

He pulled out a short knife!

Seeing the action of the drill, the mercenaries nervously held their blades in unison to prevent a surprise attack.

At that moment, Tails, who originally thought that there was still a turning point, sank in his heart.

Bad feelings come to mind.

But Ricky gently raised his hand and pressed it to his nervous subordinate.

"What am I talking about," Clay said coldly, with a dim light in his hand, "they can hide a weapon even if they are in the **." ”

I saw the chisel smile, and with a flick of his backhand, the blade turned inward, cutting a gap in the robe.

Tails frowned slightly: Mezzanine?

Perhaps to prevent misunderstanding, the chisel used two fingers to draw a neatly folded, yellowed sheet of paper from the mezzanine of the robe.

With a smile on his face, he slowly walked forward, putting the knife back into his robe with one hand and gently sending it out with the other, handing the pinched paper to Ricky.

Ricky watched the movements of the drill solemnly, and also took the paper from the hand of the drill with a few slow movements.

"What is this?" he frowned.

The chisel smiled.

"An old letter. ”

"A letter to a sweetheart, sincere and moving," the eyes of the chisel shone with a rare light: "Unfortunately, it will never reach the recipient's hand." ”

Almost everyone was stunned.

What the?

Ricky pursed his lips, turning his attention to the letter.

"Be careful," the masked man reminded coldly, "they're also good at using poison." ”

Ricky nodded, carefully grasping the corner of the letter and shaking it open.

From Tails' point of view, it was an old piece of animal skin paper, which was clearly not a bargain.

As for the content of the letter, because the distance is too far, Tails enters the hell senses, and it can be seen from the side, it is a neat and beautiful line of black flower font, even if it is only from the general outline of the chapter, it can be vaguely seen that the master wrote it with care and seriousness.

Letter?

Tails wondered.

Ricky glanced at it roughly, then raised his head and frowned, "Why?"

As if anticipating the other party's reaction, the chisel still smiled, and bowed patiently:

"Look at the payment. ”

Ricky gave the drill a deep look, obviously not very satisfied with the other man's tricks.

But he still looked at the letter:

“H·N.......”

Ricky's face changed.

He looked up, waiting for an answer.

In response to the other party's question, the chisel smiled smugly and smug.

"That's right. ”

“H· N. Bright Star. He repeated letter by letter, in an ethereal tone, as if calling for a memory that had gone from along.

The chisel took a deep breath and said softly:

"That's the person who wrote the letter. ”

"Knight Bright Star. ”

"The former Fourth Prince of the Kingdom of the Stars. ”

At that moment, only two people reacted: Tails took a sharp breath, and the masked man's eyes widened.

But after a few seconds, many people changed their faces.

I only heard the chisel say in a dark voice: "That night eighteen years ago, I got this posthumous letter from him that has not yet been sent. ”

The Shadow Shield's assassin narrowed his eyes, as if savoring a long-lost delicacy:

"Just as I took that Prince from the tallest tower in Camp Bladefang......"

"Before pushing it down with your own hands. ”

(End of chapter)