In the archduchess's study, Selma's eyes widened: "What?"

Tails also stared blankly at the new teacher who spoke astonishing words.

This......

This, this, this......

Are you really here to be a teacher?

In the embarrassing atmosphere of "I ......", the overwhelmed female archduke opened her mouth and couldn't come up with a word for a long time, so she could only habitually cast a look of help to Tails.

"Mr. Heather," said Tails, who could not stand it anymore, "this joke is a bit ...... Me and Selma, we ......"

However, the culprit of this atmosphere, the thin Merry Sicker, still held his crutches and looked at Selma with a smirk.

The next second, the girl took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and then—she decisively lowered her head, leaned down, and picked up the "Selected Poems of Cahill Yelo" that had fallen at her feet.

It seems like that's very important.

Leaving the embarrassment to Tails alone.

But he soon became less embarrassed.

"Yes!" the bespectacled old crow turned his head sideways and unceremoniously interrupted Tails.

The old man's eyes behind his monocle blinked slightly, swept over Tails, who was about to speak, and stared at Selma tightly:

"You must like him very much. ”

Selma, who had just straightened up with the book, stiffened again in embarrassment, and had to speak: "That, we're just good friends......"

Tails nodded approvingly.

"Otherwise, without the deliberate protection of the Grand Duchess, a hostage prince from the stars," unexpectedly, the banter on the face of the old raven Hyxor slowly disappeared, and he ignored Thelma and Tails' clarifications, just shook his head and continued his words:

"It is impossible to stay in Longxiao City of the Northlanders, surrounded by wolves, for a full six years. ”

The two students were stunned.

I saw that Hisser's expression had faded from the initial ease and comfort.

Although the smile was still there, the cloudiness in his eyes had slowly disappeared.

He pulled the cane in his hand closer.

"What do you think, Tails?"

The prince came to his senses.

He suddenly realized that what the old man had just said was by no means a boring joke about their relationship.

Seemingly......

It's that he's thinking too much.

In the face of Hisser's inquiry, Tails, who let go of the embarrassment in his heart, sighed slowly.

"I can't deny it," the boy glanced at the red-faced girl and nodded worriedly, "If it weren't for Thelma's protection, the people of the Northlands wouldn't be so polite to me—I'm so grateful." ”

Thelma didn't speak.

Hisher sighed softly.

"May I, then, ask you, Selma," the old raven called the Grand Duchess by her name, as if she were a prince, and had no scruples about calling the Grand Duchess by name, "why are your people, your vassals, and your subordinates so unkind to Tails?"

"Did the prince do something unforgivable to them?"

Thelma glared at Tails.

"No, Tails hasn't done anything wrong," the Grand Duchess shook her head vigorously, "but he's a prince of the stars, so the Northlanders have a reason to hate him - it's hatred between nations." ”

The new teacher narrowed his eyes, "Why? Why should the Northlanders hate the Prince of the Stars?"

"Eighteen years ago, in the 'Scarlet Year' of the stars," Selma paused for a few seconds, she looked at Tails with concern, and seeing that the latter's face was as usual, she took a deep breath and replied, "We, Exeter, and the Kingdom of the Stars fought a terrible war. ”

Tails looked earnestly at the old crow, who was still smiling, but gave an inexplicable sense of seriousness: he suddenly understood something that Sixer wanted to talk about.

"The year of blood, of course, this is the name of the stars," Sixser's eyes were deep, and he silently sighed: "From the beginning of 660 to the middle of 661 of the end calendar, the year of blood ......"

The new teacher's gaze froze:

"So, what did the Star People do in the war?"

"It's just that Exeter, who took the initiative to invade, is so full of hatred for the Star Kingdom?"

Tails frowned.

Thelma hesitated for a second, but with Hisser's smile, she remembered the books and the contents of her past classes, and replied as they were, "Because of the Peace of the Fortress." ”

"At the end of the war, the Northlanders were forced to negotiate peace with the stars under pressure from many sides, and even sign a peace treaty. ”

Except for a disputed woodland in the northwest of the fort before the war, and some monetary compensation, Exeter did not receive much land and war profits. ”

"Many people, from the Grand Duke to the vassals, from the nobles to the soldiers, are not convinced by the fact that they have broken through the North and won the victory on the battlefield, only to have to return to the North in disgrace, so," the Archduke looked carefully at Tails again, "so they feel that this is a disgrace brought upon them by the people of the stars by despicable means. ”

Listening to the questions and answers, old and young, Tails remembered everything that Gilbert had told him in the carriage on the eve of the meeting.

[This is not so much a peace treaty as a record of humiliation.] 】

"Very well, so this is the answer—the Peace of the Fortress, which is disproportionate to the outcome of the battle, and this is the source of the Northlanders' hatred of the stars," Sixer said with a duly puzzled expression, "but this answer has to raise more questions. ”

"Neither of you were born then," Summerer exhaled, tweaking his crutches, "but, according to what I just said, why?"

"Why did the Peace of the Fortress be signed like that when Exeter had already gained such a huge advantage that the entire northern realm and half of the cliff were crushed by them, and why did Exeter only demand compensation, but give up every piece of the land of the stars that he had worked so hard to build and occupied for nearly half a year?"

Tails and Selma both frowned and began to think about the old man's words.

Heather turned his head and looked kindly at the Star Prince.

"Tails, what is your answer? Would you like to guess?"

Tails raised an eyebrow slightly.

A memory of a long time flashed through his mind.

It was still in that brightly lit classroom, still crackling keys and notes.

[Yu Ren, what is your answer to this question?]

In the past six years, there haven't been many flashbacks of such strange and familiar memories, at least not as often as he had been in those thrilling adventures six years ago.

But they don't just fall silent.

Like now.

[How do social relations, or the individual's position in the circle of social relations, affect individual behavior?]

[According to the assumption of a "rational person...... So, knowing that actions will bring corresponding losses, or at least unpredictable risks, why do many individuals habitually follow and repeat the actions of the individuals around them according to the proximity and distance of the relationship?

It's just that......

In his memory, the vague, vague, and always made Tails feel uncontrollable, but he couldn't name it, the owner of the gentle female voice, never appeared again.

"Tails?"

In Heather's slight urging, Tails came back to his senses and hurriedly said, "I want to ......"

"Is it because of the joint intervention of many countries? I don't think Humble, Suye, or Comas on the Western Continent, or a number of small countries on the other side of the sea, want to see an overly powerful dragon kingdom......"

But Tails, who kept talking, looked at the eye behind the lens, looked at the inexplicable deep meaning and smile in that gaze, his heart moved slightly, and he unconsciously slowly retracted his words.

Hipser, who was sitting in a leather chair, smiled.

His shoulders shook, and his hands on crutches trembled slightly.

His laughter was weak but cheerful, like a happy old man teasing a child, without the slightest sense of gloom.

It's like a ...... Happy crows?

Thelma looked at the old man for some reason.

Finally, Sexer suppressed his laughter, and he nodded, "I'm sorry...... I remembered a book I once read. ”

Tails looked puzzled.

According to the History of the War in the North, when the two countries began to negotiate, although countries such as Commas and Hämble expressed concern, however, there was a long disagreement within Commas about the terms of Exeter's withdrawal, and Hampour expressed respect for King Nunn's wishes, and the envoys of the night were on the way, and only symbolically sent a letter crow to express their attitude. ”

"Looking at it this way, either the author of "The History of the War in the North" is bragging and giving false testimony for the 'inside information' he has obtained, or it is ...... What do you think?" Sixer looked up and looked at Tails playfully.

The prince frowned again.

So, this means that the so-called multinational intervention is actually quite weak and not worth mentioning to Exeter?

Is there another reason for Exeter to give up the war profits, and even the peace talks between the two countries?

"Ah, I think again, one of my students told me," the old man laughed, "King Nunn once generously divided the eight counties of the northern realm of the stars he had conquered to the six counts as a reward for them. Similarly, the Grand Duke of Vigilant City, the Grand Duke of Willan Ling, and the Grand Duke of Black Sand also tried to take possession of the land they had conquered. ”

Exeter rolled his eyes: "Exeter has even succeeded in getting many families in the original Star Land to switch allegiance to the new lord of the Northlanders. ”

Increasingly confused, Tails and Selma glanced at each other, both of them looking puzzled at the old man.

"But in the end, the Exeters withdrew and gave up?" Tails asked, confused.

"It seems so," the old crow bowed his head slightly, "first the Earl of Mende in the Black Sand Territory, then the Gray family under the command of the Guarded City, and finally the Counts of Longxiao City, when their army withdrew, the Star Lands that were still nominally theirs replaced their banners, refused to pay taxes and go to service, drove out the remaining Exeter nobles, and returned to the rule of the old lord, and even the families that were originally forced to submit to the Northlanders also turned back and returned to the Star Territory. ”

Tails' mind sank.

"Why?"

Thelma spoke curiously, "Could it be that the rule of the King of Constant Rule has been so deeply rooted in the hearts of the people that the loyalty of the people and nobles is unshakable?"

Heather rubbed his wrists and sighed, "In that case, why would the loyal nobles surrender to Exeter in the first place—the people of the North are also strictly speaking Northlanders, and they do not lack the courage to fight to the death. ”

Thelma was speechless.

But Tails on the side fell into deep thought.

Wait a minute......

Refusal to pay taxes and go to service......

Drove out the remaining noble Exeter officials......

The prince's heart moved.

He suddenly remembered the tense and thrilling negotiation in the Hall of Heroes six years ago, the expression of Charman Rumba, and the ...... What he was really afraid of.

"I see. ”

The Prince of the Stars jerked his head up at Sexher, who was still smiling.

He said solemnly: "At that time, Exeter did not have the ability to rule the north. ”

Thelma looked at him curiously.

Hisser's eyes changed.

In the next second, the old man raised his right hand with a smile and made a "please" gesture to him.

Encouraged by the other two's gazes, Tails took a deep breath and remembered what he had thought about six years ago.

"Whether it is paying taxes, referees, military service, or daily life affairs, from the high to the low, from the noble to the low, the Xingchen people have gradually become accustomed to the way of ruling their country: the system and rules that have matured step by step from the virtuous king. ”

"And Exeter, they can't follow the system of the stars, and they can't rule the land in the way of the stars - not only are the nobles of the Northlanders not used to it, but the dragon kingdom is far from enough qualified bureaucrats to send to rule the north, they can only rule the stars in the old way of Exeter. ”

The prince frowned, and he remembered what little Joseph's chef father had told him not long ago about their village:

The cronies of the lord of the Northland come to collect taxes from the peasants, and this month's tax may be a chicken or a sack of wheat, but in a few months, if your land is harvested, or if there is a different tax collector, you may have to collect a cow and two bags of wheat, depending on the mood and greed of the tax collector, depending on whether the lord is merciful or harsh.

If you are a craftsman and you have made money by doing a small business in the bazaar with a good idea, you may have to face the covetousness of the lord or the nobles when you want to expand your business, because you can even trade in the bazaar, because they are the favor.

Tails continued his conjecture as he said to the smiling Heather and the stunned Thelma, "So, if King Nunn divides the land of the northern realm of the stars to his vassal nobles at will, as he did in the past, and lets them manage their new realms according to the old traditions of the oath of confederation, all kinds of problems will arise......"

Hisher coughed and smiled.

The old crow said lightly: "As far as I know, during the occupation of the northern border, the Grand Duke of Rumba, who was in charge of managing the rear, is now King Chaman, and tried to fulfill the responsibilities and rights of the lord as in his own country, and collected taxes from the inhabitants of the northern border on the condition of ensuring a safe life to subsidize the cost. ”

But apparently it was inefficient – people didn't want to deal with his tax collectors. ”

Tyles, whose conjecture was corroborated, lit up:

"Of course, because the land of the stars is not the same. ”

"The people of the North have grown accustomed to a different way of life and rule, and are not blindly and obediently allegiance to a lord who comes from the north and has the rugged style of a dragon—and this is only in the North, and perhaps even more so in the Lordship, where the cities are larger and the countryside more complex, and I have heard that artisans and merchants have even formed guilds with the right to consult with the lords. ”

Tails remembered the eyes of Rumba back then, and felt emotion and enlightenment: "To put it simply, the kingdom of Exeter at that time, after winning the victory, did not have the ability to rule the northern territory in peace. ”

"Correspondingly, if the invaders do not have this ability, the people of the north of the stars will of course not submit to the rule of Exeter," the prince remembered the little tax collector who had thrown himself from the kingdom of the stars to the Black Sand Lords and served under the Lombards, "for the latter, instead of giving them the life they wanted, was grossly harming their interests." ”

Tails sighed, "So, even if King Nunn's army actually occupies the northern border, he is powerless to govern it effectively, and can only use violence to subdue it. ”

Thelma blinked, as usual, with an amazed look at Tails.

Hikshar, the old crow, shrugged his shoulders, and the furrow on his face seemed to be a little deeper.

"From what we've just discussed, Exeter has not turned the land and people affected by the invasion into beneficiaries," the thin old man said quietly, "but the enemy?"

Tails nodded, his expression solemn: "Therefore, if Exeter wants to continue to occupy the northern border, it means that he must garrison the army for a long time, and use the violence of the Grand Duke to suppress the continuous rebellion and disobedience, and to quell the public anger that has become more and more boiling because of the change in life." ”

Or - Tails remembered the promise that Rumba had made to the Grand Dukes in "Dragon's Blood" six years earlier.

Or the Grand Duke, or even the king himself, will personally be stationed in the north to extinguish all possible sources of trouble, and then gradually ...... Synchronize and move closer to the existing system of the Star Kingdom.

Make it truly ...... own land.

The prince unconsciously clenched his fists.

So, is that what you learned in the bloody year eighteen years ago?

Charman Rumba?

(End of chapter)