As soon as little Barney said this, Semir's face was surprised, and he subconsciously took a step back!

Seeing his reaction, Barney Jr. snorted coldly.

The Swords of Calamity were stunned.

Hood.

Clay looked at Cannon cowering on the ground in surprise, and then looked in the direction where the hooded chisel had left: "Is there really anyone in this world who can identify him by the slightest inaudible step?"

I saw Ricky also look at Cannon with a look of surprise.

"I think if you care enough about something, to the point where you can devote a full eighteen years of your energy to it......"

He shook his head and sighed:

"Well, there's probably nothing you can't do. ”

On the other side of the hall, the prisoners mostly stood up and approached the fence coldly.

"Is this true, Semir," Belletti looked at Semir calmly, and then at the Sword of Calamity, with a serious look in his eyes:

"You're the Shadow Shield now?"

Nai, who was next door to him, sarcastically said:

"Wow, that's a good sign, Your Excellency, at least you don't have to feel guilty. ”

Semir looked at this and at that, his breathing was struggling, but he finally turned to little Barney, who had the most terrible expression.

"It's just a temporary collaboration, and I hate that cockroach too, but now, to be here......"

But Barney Jr. interrupted him.

"You don't understand, Semir," Barney Jr. sneered:

"I'm not talking about how you're doing now—who cares. ”

Barney Jr. exhaled and looked down at his palm:

"I'm talking about, Lordine Saliton, that 'Scarlet Aria' is very good, in fact, very good, too good to be too good......"

Hearing the name, Tails' heart moved.

...... by Lordine Saliton

Blood Aria?

Tails' breathing slowed, and another name appeared in front of his eyes, a thin gray shadow leaping from the cliffs of the sky.

Barannette Saridton.

Locust Blade.

Semir was visibly slightly surprised: "Saliton?

But Barney Jr. ignored him, and said to himself:

“...... But he was far from being good enough to single-handedly and quietly enter the Fuxing Palace, assassinate His Majesty as he pleased, and then drift away - at least eighteen years ago, when we intercepted him in a brief encounter, he was not that strong. ”

Tails was stunned.

He came to his senses, and Barney Jr. was telling the bloody scene in the Fuxing Palace that shocked the world in the bloody year.

Death of Eddy II.

Semir frowned:

"What are you talking about, little Barney?"

Little Barney laughed intently, then put down his palm and said to himself:

"In the aftermath of the incident, we, all of the Royal Guard, both free and imprisoned, were speculating about the possible enemies: the Shadow Shield, the Assassin Flower, the Darkroom, the Northlanders, the Southwest Rebels, the Desert Forces, and perhaps the Comas or others who hated the stars, and even the great nobles of the country who had fallen into battle with His Majesty before the war...... But only, only unwilling to admit it, unwilling to admit ......"

His words stagnated, going back and forth between a few words, as if unwilling to continue.

Tails' breathing unconsciously accelerated: a possible enemy.

He hadn't forgotten the map King Nunn had given him six years earlier, while he was still at Valhalla.

The map of Horace Bright Star.

A map of the Fuxing Palace.

It lay quietly in its bag, wrapped in an inconspicuous food bag, resting on Marina's shoulder behind her.

In the hall, Semir's face had never been so serious.

He took a step forward:

"What do you mean?"

Barney Jr. laughed again.

"I mean," Barney Jr. raised his complicated gaze, revealing a hideous face with half of the sin mark on it, and said in a cold voice:

"Maybe we deserve it. ”

Belletti sank her head in pain, and Naki was silent.

Barney Jr. said the rest of the sentence: "Perhaps Prince Kessel, no, the new king, was the most right to throw us into the prison of bones afterwards. ”

Semir's pupils dilated slightly: "Barney, why are you saying this......"

Little Barney snorted lightly and didn't pay attention, just looked into the distance with misty eyes: "Maybe back then, in the royal family guards with glorious eyes, there was indeed a traitor." ”

He said lightly.

Semir froze.

In each of the five cells, the breath of each prisoner slowly tightened.

In the next second, I saw little Barney turn his head to look at Semir, his eyes were icy: "And he, he betrayed His Majesty, betrayed the crown prince, and betrayed the entire guard...... Make us all what we are. ”

At that moment, Semir took two sharp breaths and took a diagonal step:

"No ......"

But Barney Jr.'s complaint isn't over yet:

"And that traitor!"

Angry Barney Jr. stretched out his hands again, desperately grasping the metal railing in front of him, just to get closer to the other.

"He must have known all about His Highness Midir's warrants and handwriting, so that he could falsely pass on the Crown Prince's call for help, exaggerate the riots at the palace gate, and take advantage of the love of the former king, and transfer us out of the Hall of the Stars, and go to the palace gate to guard His Highness Midir, and wait for us to fall into a scuffle with the mob and the well-intentioned, and drag down most of the royal guard. ”

Semir seemed to freeze in place, his mouth open, unable to utter a word.

"At this time, with the cooperation of the Shadow Shield, Grand Saliton made a move against His Majesty in the Hall of Stars - Master Vitano went to the battlefield with Duke John, and Instructor Eda was in the Kingdom of the Sacred Tree, facing the 'Blood Aria' and a group of assassins, even if the old captain of Cullen fought with his life, he could not protect His Majesty......"

Little Barney's voice became hoarse and unpleasant, as if the reels on the loom had been cut inch by inch.

At that moment, whether it was the Sword of Calamity or their hostages, or Semir, or Tails himself, they were all stunned.

As Barney Jr. narrates, the Prince of the Stars seems to have returned to half an hour ago: at the gates of the Prison of Bones, when the hammer raises his hand slightly, the sneaky masked assassins flash from the shadows, unexpectedly tearing open the necks of the guards, piercing the hearts, cutting off the life, and then silently disappearing into the darkness.

In a matter of seconds, everything happened suddenly, and it subsided as if unconsciously.

The prince couldn't help but feel chills all over his body.

Barney Jr.'s palm gripping the railing began to smoke.

He twisted his face, and he could see that he was very uncomfortable, but he was still suffering from the pain:

"When the riot at the palace gate subsided, the news of the invasion of the Hall of Stars also came, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince urgently ordered us to return to help......"

"And we, exhausted and anxious, turned back again as the traitor had expected, leaving only my father and a few others ......"

Tails listened blankly to all this, something that should have been told to him by the father.

I saw little Barney hiss:

"Let them be with His Highness Midir, at the gate of the palace that they thought was safe......"

"Fall into the trap of the Shadow Shield. ”

This time, Tails clearly saw an ominous glow between Barney Jr.'s hand and the railing.

Thinking of Middil's death, Tails suddenly recalled the scene six years ago:

The man with the strange black sword on his back.

and his confessions.

[That day twelve years ago......]

[It's true that I took the sword with my own hands......]

[Stabbed at Midil Bright Star.] 】

[And I did it voluntarily and never regretted it.] 】

Tails froze.

Black Sword's words, Barney's words......

Back then, in the Hall of the Stars, at the Fuxing Palace Gate......

What's going on?

In the journey of this world, he went farther and farther, and the fog in front of him became less and less.

There are more and more suspicions.

"When all this was done, and both the first king and the crown prince were unfortunate, and the situation was chaotic and the war was still raging, the damned traitor escaped punishment and pretended to be mournful and bitterly loyal, and still lived among us, in the emperor's guard, who was supposed to defend the royal family with his life...... Get off scot-free. ”

Barney's face grew more and more painful, but Tails knew that it wasn't because he was holding the eerie fence in his forehand.

The muscles in Semir's arm tightened tighter and tighter.

No one interrupted the scene, and perhaps Barney's secret was too important for anyone to miss.

"Barney," Belletti on the side looked at Semir coldly, gritted his teeth, and said, "What do you want to say, you might as well be direct." ”

"What I want to say is ......"

"Semir, back then," Barney Jr.'s palm holding the metal railing began to tremble in the smoke, but he still gritted his teeth and held on, as if he was grasping the most incapable treasure, the most inviolable faith, the most incapable truth:

"When we gritted our teeth, swallowed blood with tears, and were brought here with our necks stiffened...... Why did you run away halfway?"

"What are you afraid of?"

Semir looked at Barney Jr. in disbelief.

Little Barney roared almost hoarsely, shaking the immovable metal railing.

"And after all these years, when you come back again as a fugitive......"

"Why did you hang out with the Shadow Shield?"

Semir closed his eyes and said with difficulty: "Little Barney......"

"Tell me!"

Syllable!

With a loud bang, the metal railing erupted with the most dazzling light from just now!

Little Barney, who could no longer hold the railing, fell heavily to the ground.

He convulsed, his hands smoking, and he screamed in pain.

But Tails could no longer tell whether he was suffering from physical torture or grief from mental despair.

Even Naki on the side couldn't bear to speak, "Barney, be careful, that thing is dangerous......"

"No, Barney," Semir stepped forward and trembled, "how do you, how could you think that......"

But little Barney howled angrily, struggled to get up from the ground, and said hatefully:

"Why did His Highness Kessel insist on throwing us into prison back then?"

"Because he already knew that something was wrong with the royal guard!"

He glared at Semir:

"Because he knows that after the accident in the Fuxing Palace, from the assassination of His Majesty, and the death of the crown prince, the imperial guards who were selected from among the outstanding descendants of the major nobles and swore an oath to defend the throne are no longer credible. ”

Tails watched this scene blankly, listening to the words of these people who witnessed the tragedy back then, but he felt extremely cold around him.

Barney Jr.'s accusation slowly turned from an angry and unwilling accusation to a cry of pain and despair:

"After so many years, there must be a lot of people in the guard who have figured it out...... So they, including us, are restless, tormented, and even insane, and self-terminated...... Because the royal guards are all in glory and in all losses!"

Tears slowly welled up in his eyes, and his voice became choppy and indistinct: "As for why it's the Prison of Bones...... Maybe, maybe Prince Kessel just wasn't sure, maybe he just, just wanted to see if that traitor would jump out on his own......"

Little Barney closed his eyes tightly, tears running down his cheeks, wetting the sinner's brand.

"And the result ......"

Thump!

Barney Jr. fell to his knees.

"Results ......"

"No ......"

He hissed bitterly, "You have fled, ...... Semir"

"You. ”

"You!"

In the rest of the cell, the former members of the guard watched with pale faces as Semir and Barney Jr. confronted each other.

I saw Semir take a sharp breath, look at little Barney with a flushed face, and punch his chest: "Yes! I escaped!"

"But not me!"

He shouted almost frantically, and spoke incoherently:

"It's not me!

In the face of Samir's arguments, Barney Jr. showed no interest in listening.

"It's more than that. ”

"Sémir, I remember, you have a good foundation in writing, and you have a good knowledge of the writing, diction, genre, and even the ancient imperial language of the nobles. ”

"Presumably, whether you imitate handwriting or forge letters, such as warrants from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

Semir's words of defense froze for a moment.

He turned to the other prisoners, as if trying to gain their understanding, but they were all silent.

Just a cold bystander.

Little Barney lay on the ground and gritted his teeth with tears: "That's why, you were promoted to flag officer......

Looking at the other party's increasingly ugly expressions, Barney Jr. said in a cold voice:

"We, the royal guard, are the rebirth of the emperor's guard, in the history of more than 600 years, the commander is in charge of the whole team, the penal officer is in charge of punishment, the vanguard officer concentrates on fighting, the guard officer is the guard, the logistics officer guarantees the supply, the instructor trains the newcomers, and the watchman guards the inheritance ......"

Little Barney suddenly raised his head and glared at Semir with red eyes: "And the flag officer!"

The distracted Semir was shocked!

"And the second flag bearer, His Excellency Colin Semmir," said Barney Jr. coldly:

"Your flag officer is responsible for the internal supervision of the guard, the exchange of information, and even the secret investigation, so everyone doesn't like you very much, second only to the penal officer...... However, if anyone can spot the traitor early, it must be you. ”

"It can only be you. ”

Barney Jr.'s pupils constricted:

"Conversely, if anyone can shield a traitor, ignore a traitor, or even ......"

He didn't go on.

At this moment, Semir's body shook slightly, as if he had received some blow.

He stared blankly at the ground, as if he couldn't come back to his senses.

Barney Jr. slowly stood up, tears still on his face.

"Tell me, Semir, who escaped from prison eighteen years ago," Barney Jr. asked, reining in his anger, in a deep voice.

"Are you the traitor?"

"The man who killed His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

"The man who ruined the honor of the royal guard for hundreds of years?"

"The heinous ......"

"Betrayer?"

The hall fell silent.

Little Barney and his companions stared at Semir for answers.

The Swords of Calamity stared at the two of them intently, perhaps just curious about the truth of the past, or perhaps wanting to learn about their companion's past.

Perhaps Tails is also included.

But no one dared to break the silence.

Until Sémir.

The former second-in-command officer seemed to have lost all strength, and he stumbled back a few steps, knocking on the torch he had just dropped, before coming to his senses.

The light of the fire shone down on Semir from below, darkening his face.

Only the sin on the side of the face is red and distinct.

It's like burning in hell.

Barney Jr. was still staring at him coldly.

Semir looked lonely at the firelight, leaned down and picked up the torch.

The body is rickety and moves slowly.

It's like an old man in his last years.

"I know, you won't believe anything I say now. ”

"That's right. ”

It was a long time before Semir spoke with difficulty, as if this sentence had exhausted the strength of his life.

Boom!

The penistor on the side, Belletti, smashed his fist against the wall and said angrily:

"So what are you running away from!"

"Come, Second Flag Bearer, Colin Semir, you stand right now in front of us, in front of the seven remaining comrades of the Royal Guard!"

"Tell us, you will solemnly swear by your honor, with your dignity, with your sword, with your ancestors, and in the name of the famous family and the Semir family that have been rooted in the royal capital for hundreds of years - you have never done anything in your life to be sorry for the Bright Star Royal Family and the Royal Family Guard, and you are worthy of the oath of the Praetorian Guards in the past!"

Semir's figure shook slightly.

Beretti put up the fence and roared:

"Tell me!"

Syllable!

With a bang, Belletti fell to the ground in pain under the force of the fence, gritting her teeth and groaning.

Semir subconsciously wanted to step forward, but stopped in his tracks.

In another cell, Tardin, in his characteristic desolate voice, spoke slowly: "Yes, tell us, Sémir. ”

"Anyway...... Neither you nor we have anything to lose. ”

There was a dead silence in his voice, and it became more and more sad.

Tardin's roommate, Brie, who had not spoken, also stepped forward slowly, expressing his opinion with a cold look.

Semir bit his lower lip, his eyes blank.

"Damn coward, you dare to run away and leave your companions halfway, is it that hard to swear?" it was Sass Nye on the other side, grinding his teeth and staring at Semir with the eyes of a murderer.

On the other side, Cannon, who was trembling on the ground, no longer flinched, just stared blankly at Semir who was questioned, and behind him, Naki looked at the second flag bearer without saying a word, sighing slightly, with only sadness in his eyes.

"In the name of Chief Penisten, Luton Beretti hereby orders you, Colin Semir," Beretti said to his feet, gasping for breath as he arose:

"Tell us. ”

Listening to this title, Semir looked into the eyes of his seven former colleagues, looked at the imprint on the faces of each of them, and was in a trance.

He silently turned around with a torch, gritted his teeth, and his face was unwilling.

"Good...... Good...... Very good......"

Eventually, as if he had figured out something, he took a sharp breath, raised his head and said angrily, "I! I, the second flag officer, Colin Semir!"

"I swear by my honor, by my dignity, by my sword, by my ancestors, by the name of the Sémir family......"

With every word Samir spoke, he took a step forward, his eyes fizzling.

"In my life, I have never done the ...... of being sorry for the Bright Star King"

Speaking of this, Semir suddenly spoke!

He stopped at the word like a windmill was stuck.

At that moment, Semir seemed to remember something, and his face turned extremely pale.

The second flag bearer lowered his head and rolled his eyes tremblingly.

Glance back.

Tails, who didn't know what mood to watch this scene, suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

He soon realized that Semir was looking at him.

Looking at the prince of the stars, Tails Bright Star.

Looking at Semir's surprised, painful, and hesitant eyes, Tails suddenly understood Semir's hesitation at that moment.

He, Semir, could not make this oath.

Because......

Tails tried to speak, but Marina's blade pressed against his thigh again, and the latter's resentful look made her attitude towards the prince's meddling clear.

Worst.

The Star Prince closed his eyes in agony—he had offended Marina so hard that he ......

"Never, no ......"

Semir turned his head with difficulty, his expression extremely struggling, and only subconsciously repeated:

"I haven't done it, I'm sorry for the bright star......"

"Never ......"

"I'm sorry ......"

"Bright Star ......"

His words kept swirling around his tongue, and he no longer seemed to be able to get a coherent sentence.

Eventually, Semir closed his eyes, exhaled in pain, and stopped talking.

It's like resigned to fate.

"Hahaha......"

There was a long laugh from the cell, relieved, sad, desperate and painful.

It's Barney Jr.

He looked at Semir, who could not swear an oath, and had already burst into tears.

Like a lifeless corpse, Semir stiffened his head.

"I know, I know what you think, little Barney," he said with difficulty, "but I, I can't make this vow, because, because I did do things that are sorry for the Shining Star Royal...... But back then, it wasn't me, it wasn't me!"

He panicked.

But Semir could only look at the seven men in the cell, and all of them looked at him with the most unfamiliar eyes.

It's like looking at the outliers in the group.

"It's not me ......"

Semir realized something, and he repeated sluggishly.

"Semir, my father'......"

Little Barney sobbed and shook his head with a miserable laugh.

"You know ......"

"He, Tony, the chief officer of the guard, and a few newcomers to the guard whose names I can't remember, are guarding His Royal Highness Midil in front of the palace gates, fighting to the death. ”

Little Barney laughed bitterly while shedding tears:

"Do you know how many knives he was stabbed when I dug him out of the pile?"

"My father...... Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard, our original Oath Bearer, Grand Quill Barney!"

Semir closed his eyes deeply, his features distorted.

"And Your Majesty Eddie!"

Barney Jr. raised his voice.

"You know, when we hurried to the Hall of the Stars, and all we could see was his dead body......" Barney's words caused the rest of the prisoners to bow their heads as if returning to the most terrible of pasts:

"That's not all...... And the three princesses, and their children, and the beautiful Princess Constance......"

"No!"

Semir interrupted him with a sharp mouth.

"No, Barney, no, please, don't, that's not my ......"

His expression was numb, and his tone was almost pleading:

"It's not me!"

But it's a foregone conclusion.

"Phew!"

To Semir's left, Belletti in the cell spat hard.

The penistor looked at the blinding and ugly mark on Semir's face, and bit out the most terrible word with disgust:

"Betrayer. ”

(End of chapter)