"Tell me, son, among the many orcs in the world...... Ahem...... Ahem......"

The uncle's voice was accompanied by a heavy cough, and even the sound of the horses' hooves on both sides could not be concealed.

“...... Which one is the most dangerous?"

He lifted his gaze from the dirt beneath the horse's hooves:

"The dying kind. ”

He was not in high spirits on the horse, and he was a full position behind his uncle's carriage.

"Yes, the dying kind. Uncle's weak voice seemed to be suddenly injected with new vitality.

Just like his uncle who was once in his prime, he pointed out the country and scolded Fang Xuan.

"Like a sand scorpion's poisonous needle hidden behind its tail, like a poisonous snake's fangs buried deep in its mouth, like dangerous quicksand hidden underground. ”

At that time, my uncle's back was majestic and tall, his arms were powerful, and his voice was heavy and deep.

Thinking of this, he snorted, grabbed his horse and urged the whip, hurried a few paces, and came to the carriage.

But Uncle is like a desert after a storm, and his raised voice returns to a decadent hoarseness:

"So, which orc is the safest?"

He replied unhurriedly:

"The dead kind. ”

"That's what old Maester Mann taught you," said the uncle, shaking his head, "that the dead orcs are good orcs." ”

"But I'll say, Cyril, the safest orc......"

"It's also the near-death kind. ”

He was stunned for a moment.

The uncle's weak voice rose and fell as the horses advanced:

"For they are like arrows at the end of a crossbow, like the tail of a terrible sandstorm, like an afterflame that burns out oil. ”

"It's huge, but it's not going to have any momentum. ”

He clamped the horse's belly and frowned fiercely:

"This damn dumb puzzle...... Old man, didn't you regain your majesty last night and go to the priestess of the Temple of the Night?"

"Or worse...... Male priest?"

The uncle's voice was quiet for a moment, and for a moment only the sound of the guards' horses' hooves could be heard.

A few seconds later.

"Okay. ”

Uncle chuckled helplessly in the cough:

"Maybe that's why I like you. ”

Listening to his uncle's cough worse than last week, his heart sank, and he beat his spirit:

"'Like me' if that's your last word, old man. ”

"I have to say, it's dead. ”

He pretended to whistle lightly:

"Let everyone who hears this think that you are an old pervert who likes to play with your nephew. ”

The uncle was silent for a while.

The guards on both sides continued to march dutifully side by side, their faces unmoved, as if they had not heard their conversation at all.

After a long time, my uncle's helpless and weak voice sounded:

“...... The dying orcs are both dangerous and safe, so why do the Bones Man say that the desert god has neither disaster nor forgiveness? ”

"Therefore, we must always be vigilant. ”

He scratched his ears helplessly.

Uncle's words continued, becoming more and more serious:

"The princes of the blade leader seem to be relentless and keep to themselves, but in fact, their nature is difficult to change, and sooner or later they will make mistakes. ”

"The fat profiteers of the East China Sea are widely travelled and harmless on the surface, but they are accustomed to seeing the wind to make the rudder cross the river and tear down the bridge. ”

"The cliff is pretending to be lonely and arrogant, neutral and selfless, but it is just a group of stinky rats that rely on the natural dangers of the mountains. ”

"As for that guts old bastard on the South Bank, hmph, it's more closed and conservative than the priestess who got out of bed. ”

"None of them can be relied upon. ”

Uncle's voice fell.

He listened silently for a while, and then suddenly said:

"Old man, you ......"

"Did you really go to a priestess?"

There was a heavy thumping sound in the carriage!

"You"

It seems that my uncle was choked again, and even his breathing became disordered.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

In the end, the uncle suppressed his anger and sighed:

"Hey, forget it...... In contrast, Dylan Sr. in the North is resilient and self-reliant......"

"It's a pity that their position is too poor, and once they change, they will bear the brunt of it, and it will be difficult to help. ”

Sure enough, before changing my uncle...... Listen to me make such a joke about him......

In a dull mood, he didn't think much about it, but raised his head and looked at the growing vegetation on both sides of the Bounty Avenue:

"You seem to be missing the most important thing?"

Uncle's breath.

The convoy turned a big corner, and a few farmers on the side of the road shrank up tremblingly, waiting for the passage of the four-eyed skull flag.

After a while, my uncle's weak voice sounded again, with a long-standing resentment and resentment:

"The stars beyond the firmament...... High. ”

"You can only look from afar, and you must not think about it. ”

"It can't be trusted. ”

He felt a deep chill in his uncle's tone.

"Remember. ”

Uncle's words turned into a thick and ominous cough.

He didn't speak.

It was a few seconds before he let go of his palm that was about to break the reins.

In the midst of his uncle's unpleasant cough, he took a deep breath and forced himself to laugh:

"Hearing you say that, we should be mavericks and loners. ”

"Everywhere is incompatible, and everyone is disgusted?"

The uncle's coughing stopped, but he did not speak immediately, except for the sound of horses' hooves and wheels.

Finally, a long sigh came from the carriage:

"Isn't that exactly what ...... What is the purpose of our existence?"

There is helplessness, but also relief.

Duke Falkenhause opened his eyes.

And in front of him, the prince was staring nervously at him.

Tails' arm stiffened behind him, clutching the dagger in the covers.

He pierced through the smiling eyes of the Duke of the Western Wilderness, and seemed to see another bloody and hideous dead man's head with hollow eyes.

Drills.

Wait a minute.

If Falkenhauges was behind Hayman's assassination......

Why did he tell me at this time?

What is in his interest in admitting this in front of another bright star?

Is it a precursor, a precursor to a face-turn, or is there another purpose?

As usual, Tails took a deep breath and began to think frantically about the trick as he deliberately showed a stunned gaffe that pleased the other party.

From the days of beggars to the days of princes, this trick has worked well against the unwitting and self-righteous creatures of Quaid and Nicollet, and even for the treacherous creatures like Ian the Ghost and Monty the Dead Raven: they can always gain a sense of superiority and wisdom in Tails's panicked performance, thus exposing the greatest flaws in contempt and satisfaction.

After many ups and downs, this is already Tails' most skillful instinct.

is so skilled that he can't even tell the difference: when the gaffe is real, and when it is deliberate.

But this trick occasionally fails.

For example, facing King Chaman in the carriage.

Like what......

Right now.

"What, it's so comfortable in the Northlands?

The Duke of the Western Wilderness's playful words sounded again, and he stared at Tails, who seemed to be stunned, and seemed a little dissatisfied:

"What about this?"

Which one?

Before Tails could think about it, he saw Cyril reach out and grasp the ...... on his crutches

The long-handled sword.

The prince is a spirit.

"Huh!"

With the sound of metal rubbing against leather, the blade unsheathed, slicing a silver light in the air!

Worst!

The sin of the Prison River spread over his nerves, and Tails instinctively tumbled out of bed and rolled on the spot!

Are you kidding?

He stood up and bent his knees at a safe distance away from the silver light, his dagger across the board, and struck in an iron pose.

Tails looked in horror at Cyril Falkenhause, who was still sitting peacefully in his chair.

The long-handled sword, which had not been unsheathed for a short time, was held in the duke's palm, and with the slight turn of the duke's wrist, it slowly arced.

The chill is full and the momentum is calm.

There is a faint sense of urgency.

"Good, at least you're not as bad as you seem. ”

Cyril smiled grimly, ignoring the prince's pale face.

What the?

Tails looked at Cyril in disbelief.

That's ...... Turned the other cheek?

But there's another thing that worries Tails more:

The hidden yodel remained silent, and he did not react when he saw him in danger.

What's going on?

That guy wouldn't really be mad about what just happened, would he?

The kind that doesn't coax well?

But just as Tails was thinking of a way out with a headache, the familiar hoarse voice still sounded softly in his ears.

"Calm down. ”

The masked guard's voice was ethereal, almost like a mosquito, but it loosened Tails' tight breathing:

"It's not him. ”

Not him.

The familiar voice made Tails' heart fall back into his chest.

Not him.

But at that moment, looking at Cyril's malicious smile, Tails seemed to grasp something.

This is the Bladetooth Camp, a direct domain of the royal family, with a sizable standing army stationed.

The wings of legend are on the side, and King Kessel is behind.

Confessing his own guilt and threatening the prince Falkenhause should not have done it anyway.

The prince, interrupted by his fighting stance, took several deep breaths and forced himself to think from the beginning.

So why......

Why......

Not him.

After Yodel's reminder, Tails, who seemed to have figured out something, opened his mouth to ask, but he didn't dare to relax his fighting posture for a moment:

"Are you a murderer?"

Cyril stared at him steadily, the sword in his hand unusually steady, and his gaze radiated with brilliance.

Finally, in the tense confrontation, the Duke of Xihuang chuckled and shook his head:

"Looks like you don't know. ”

Under Tails' solemn expression, Cyril's grim smile slowly faded.

The Duke lowered his sword to his knees and played with it slowly, no longer looking at Tails.

I do not know?

Tails, who didn't understand, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"You said you put the Assassin in front of Prince......"

The prince gritted his teeth and asked:

"But why ......"

Falkenhause didn't look back, just looked at the fine long-handled sword on his knees.

"Because that's his will. ”

Tails' questioning came to an abrupt end.

His will?

This time, without waiting for Tails to start asking, the Duke of Cyril replied softly, his voice fluctuating and his emotions mixed:

"He took the initiative to find them. ”

"Find those Assassin Shadow Shields. ”

Tails froze.

But.

But......

?

And the Shadow Shield?

Tails understood the Duke's words, and his eyes widened.

"Eighteen years ago," Cyril said lightly:

"Heyman approached me and asked me to help him as much as I could, to help him avoid the guards who had come from the Royal Guard and the Bright Star, and to complete his private meeting with some strange 'guest'. ”

"More than once. ”

Avoid personal guards.

Strangers.

The cold wind blew into the room, blowing the Duke of the Western Wilderness's leather robe slightly shocked, and his gray hair fluttered lightly.

The wind also brought up endless flying dust, and countless particles of the real body that people did not often notice were floating back and forth in the sunlight, rolling strangely in the air.

Cyril's eyes were still spinning, as if there was a glow:

"Until...... For the last time. ”

For the last time.

For some reason, Tails suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"The Shadow Shield, avoiding the eyes and ears of the royal family, meet, so ......"

In disbelief, Tails lowered his dagger and straightened up.

He moved his lips with difficulty:

"The Year of Blood...... Did he do it?"

"?"

On the top floor of the Ghost Prince Tower, the cramped room fell silent.

All you can hear is the faint noise under the window.

and the scorching cold winds that are unbearable in the heights.

But the prince only felt himself fall into a deep fog.

And he is getting closer and closer to the truth after the fog.

In the dungeon, Samir's hateful words came to his mind:

[Is it a 'beauty' who has a good skin and a good literary style, but is narrow-minded and vicious?]

[Is the son killing the father, or the younger brother killing the brother?]

The Fourth Prince, Bright Star?

Cyril did not answer.

But Tails was only in a trance for a few seconds, and then immediately shook his head, and countless mysteries rushed to him:

"But why...... Why?"

"If he's the star behind the scenes......"

"Then why did the Shadow Shield kill him?"

It doesn't make sense.

He stared at Falkenhause, who seemed to be out of his mind.

The Duke closed his eyes slightly, swirled them open, put his arms on his knees, and leaned forward.

He retracted his expression and looked sideways at Tails, revealing a faint but human laugh again:

"I want to know too. ”

Tails was stunned:

"You don't know?"

Cyril chuckled, seemingly unconcerned:

"Nope. ”

"Maybe he's just too stupid to be hacked. ”

"Perhaps he was a victim in the first place, destined to be betrayed. ”

"Maybe he's just in the know, but he's finally doomed. ”

"Maybe maybe he just got involved unintentionally and wanted to turn the tide. ”

Cyril lowered his head, the corners of his lips slightly curled, not knowing whether it was sarcasm or ridicule:

"But...... He didn't want me to know. ”

He didn't know.

Tails was not satisfied with the answer.

He took a deep breath and stepped forward slowly, sitting back at the end of the bed, facing the Duke.

"Really?"

"He asked you to do someone a favor that wouldn't let you know the truth, and you agreed?

Tails said coldly:

"You're too generous, aren't you? ”

Cyril turned his head slowly.

It may have been a delusion, but Tails suddenly felt that the ugly and hideous face of the Duke of Falkenhause was much soothed.

"Believe it or not, kid. ”

Cyril's eyes suddenly became serious, and his collapsed lips and teeth opened and closed in the sun:

"Heyman is one of the few friends I have, at least, compared to his brothers, who are all but intrigue, killing, money, and women. ”

He spoke, so I helped, and it was as simple as that. ”

Tails frowned deeply.

Brothers with a mind full of intrigue, killing, money and women......

Cyril observed Tails' expression, shook his head and chuckled.

But the prince's next words made his expression change.

"Does this have anything to do with Prince Horace?"

Tails stretched his brows, but the solemnity in his eyes could not be overstated:

"Why did Heyman go to the Shadow Shield and die at his hands?"

At that moment, Falkenhause's expression froze.

Horace.

He stared at Tails, still ugly and hideous, but there was no longer that playful meaning.

"Why do you ask?"

Tails let out a breath and answered him with another question:

"And you, why did you tell me this eighteen years later, in the place where Hayman died?"

Cyril stared at Tails, for a long, long time.

Finally, the duke's elbow left his knee, and the whole person straightened up in the chair.

To Tails' surprise, Cyril, who seemed to be serious, did not respond to his question, but raised the long-handled sword on his knee again and looked up and down.

"Have you ever seen a sword like this, Your Highness?"

Cyril seemed to have come out of his memories and regained his intimidating and comfortable smile.

Tails couldn't help but be stunned.

Only then did he notice that the duke's long-handled sword had a unique shape, with a bronze handguard and hilt that were extraordinarily slender, and it didn't look like the most ideal force structure, but it was delicate and rigorous enough, and the blades on both sides extended a smooth arc like a sand dune, giving people a sense of aesthetic comfort.

And in the center of the sword lattice is inlaid with a pure black gem, I don't know what kind of gem.

I saw that Cyril did not raise his head, but admired the exquisite sword to himself:

"The Ancient Imperial Sword, or the Ancient Knight Sword, has a special style and arc, an amazing sense of balance, a more handy swing, and a more fluid and powerful dance. ”

"It requires good raw materials, high forging skills, and of course, a lot of cost, which is why they are destined to not be mass-produced, and eventually disappear into the battlefield, leaving only a few treasures that can become family heirlooms. ”

Cyril reversed the sword, allowing Tails to see the bottom of the hilt.

It was an unfamiliar Ancient Imperial inscription that Tails barely recognized:

f。

The engraving of this letter appears to be rough and incongruous compared to the other delicate parts of the sword.

Ancient Imperial Sword?Ancient Knight Sword?

Wait a minute.

Tails' eyebrows moved.

Such an arc......

It's a little familiar.

"I've seen it, a handful. Tails' mind conjured up the eternal truth of Ricky's equally gracefully curved silver-hilted sword.

"But what does it have to do with what I asked, with, with Horace?"

Tails asked alertly, sitting quietly farther away, making sure his legs touched the ground.

Cyril continued to admire perhaps the heirloom sword of the Falkenhauges family, and sighed:

"It is said that the first batch of ancient imperial swords were made of dwarf materials, forged by elves, and used earth flames as furnaces to gather the essence of the seven seas, in order to dedicate to the first emperor of this world, the 'Great Emperor' Komora Kalose, who created the era of human boundlessness. ”

Tails' thoughts froze.

Cyril raised his head and sneered:

"That's right, I'm talking about your ancestor, the legendary one whose blood will shine with gilded blood. ”

Tails subconsciously spoke:

"But you"

But Cyril seemed to have made up his mind not to interrupt him, and returned to his long-handled sword on his own:

"Known as 'The Cautioner', he fought with Tiberian Falkenhause in the Battle of the Ends six hundred years ago, he was Tormund I's young sword teacher and the oldest follower of the Revival King until he was conferred on the Wastelands as the first Guardian Duke of the Western Wilderness and my ancestor. ”

Cautioner.

Tormond I.

The Endgame.

Tails was a little impatient:

"I'll have time to listen to your family history, but now let's go first."

"And the Alerter last served!" Cyril's voice suddenly increased, drowning out Tails' voice.

I saw the Duke of the Western Wilderness squinting slightly, looking sideways at the frowning Tails:

"It was in the hands of another Cyril Falkenhauz. ”

"He was my great-uncle, who served in the royal guard of Sume IV the Silencer, and in the crisis of the sudden death of the king, he held this sword and led the guard to fight the bloody road, so as to protect the young Eddie II from the throne and reign in the stars. ”

Cyril said, the long-handled sword in his hand shook out a sword flower, the skill of his hands, the stability of the sword, but he had always thought that the Duke of Falkenhauges was incapacitated.

Wait a minute.

Tails' face changed!

From what he just said, he caught something.

Another Cyril Falkenhauz.

Royal Guard?

"The Silencer" Sume IV.

The king died suddenly.

And...... Eddie II?

Tails stared at the "Warning Man".

Before he could figure it out, Cyril sighed:

"Falkenhause, a surname as old as Arronde, has been passed down since the Empire, followed by the Bright Star family, and continues to this day. ”

The Duke stared at his Ancient Imperial Sword:

"From the end of the battle to the year of blood, we have witnessed too much and learned too much about this warning. ”

There was a strange light in the eyes of the Duke of the Western Wilderness:

"Whether it is the rise and fall of the kingdom of the stars, ......"

"Or the ...... of the Bright Star Royal Family"

Falkenhause unsheathed his cane and glanced at Tails with a squint that seemed to have a deep meaning:

"Bloody rain. ”

Cyril exhaled slowly, retracting the Warner's scabbard.

"Does it matter what you want in comparison?"

Tails' eyebrows moved.

Thinking of what he had seen and heard in the past few days, the prince suddenly had a guess.

"Eddie II, my grandfather. ”

"I have heard that he was the longest of Sume IV's undead children, and that he was also a man. ”

Tails spoke slowly:

"I think his succession to the throne should be unimpeded?"

He narrowed his eyes:

"Where did the 'bloody rain' you call come from?"

The Duke of the Western Wilderness put away his nostalgic expression and smiled slowly.

He turned his head and stared at Tails with burning eyes:

"Perhaps, your history teacher didn't mention your grandfather's stepmother, the 'witch queen' Bela from the Iris family, and her sister-in-law, the noble Duchess of Blade, your grandfather's aunt, the former princess Helena. ”

The Iris family, the "Witch Queen" Bella.

Duchess of Blade, eldest princess Helena.

Listening to these unfamiliar names, Tails' mind turned.

"Not to mention how they conspired after the death of Sume IV to send your minor grandfather to the Temple of the Sunset for a lifelong sacrifice, so that Queen Bella's own son, the infant John Bright Star, would grow up as a young man and usurp the throne. ”

Tails' eyes widened!

John Bright Star.

Conspiracy.

Tails couldn't help but clench his dagger.

Queen Bera's biological son.

Grow up with young generations.

Cyril put down his sword and sighed:

"Of course, if Queen Bella had succeeded more than sixty years ago, you and I wouldn't have to bother here. ”

If Queen Bella succeeds......

You don't have to worry about it here......

Damn old guys.

Tails took a deep breath and calmed the surprise in his heart.

"Enough, Duke Falkenhause. ”

"From just now to now......"

Tails' face sank.

"What the hell are you implying about?"

This time, the second prince stared at the Duke of the Western Wilderness firmly and had a bad attitude:

"Is it the younger brother of the Ancestral King, John the Duke of Star Lake, who had a chance to surpass my grandfather and ascend to the supreme throne of the stars?"

Falkenhause curled the corners of his mouth.

"Or is it the Cavendier family of Iris, who once tried to meddle in the succession to the throne?"

Cyril's smile remained undiminished.

"And the Duke of Blade, whose husband's family died eighteen years ago, is also implicated?"

Looking at Cyril's unhurried and unhurried expression, Tails gritted his teeth:

"Or is it implying that in the Scarlet Years, it was indeed a certain prince of my grandfather who also wanted to grow up as a child......"

"Usurping the throne?"