At the long table of the dukes, Prime Minister Cullen sighed and palpitated, Jenn sneered faintly, the one-eyed dragon was expressionless, and the Duke of Vaal was still pouring himself a drink, as if there was no one around.

Banquet Speech, Banquet Speech......

Tails silently thought, but unfortunately his mind went blank.

It's like the dead line for handing in your homework is at midnight, but until 11:50 p.m., the document in your hand is still empty.

Wait a minute.

The banquet speech is not without reference, is it?

The next second.

"Welcome, my lords, and welcome to the Mendis Hall. ”

Tails paced slowly with his glass in one hand, stepping out of his seat so that everyone could see him.

Out of politeness, the guests stood one after another.

He looked down the hall slowly, calmly ("Hurry up, what to say next...... "—Tails' inner monologue"—Tails' inner monologue), his voice echoing and distinctly audible:

"There are many distinguished guests, and the seats are full of friends. ”

"Growing up, I've only been to such a big banquet once. ”

Tails lowered his head, as if recalling, and paused for a few more seconds.

He looked up and smiled:

"You know, in Longxiao City. ”

"King Nunn wants to thank me...... Well, he slaughtered his son. ”

There was laughter in the banquet hall.

Except for the guests from the Northland, all of whom were pale.

Tails shrugged helplessly.

Banquet.

At that moment, King Nunn, who was holding a wine glass, with that heroic and rugged look, inevitably emerged from the young man's mind.

Also coming at the welcome banquet with Northland characteristics, the majestic and shocking voice of the Heavenly King:

[Come on!eat!drink!fight!!do whatever you want!]

[Until you are lying, rolling, softening, crawling, and being carried out of my palace!]

[Bastards!]

Tails curled the corners of his mouth and silently glanced at the civilized star guests.

Decisively kicked the babbling King Nunn out of his mind.

"Trust me, you won't want to be there. ”

Tails sighed:

"The food in Longxiao City is terrible, and the wine is not good, it is simply a crime. ”

Some of the guests ate and laughed.

Tails shrugged his shoulders and his eyebrows fluttered:

"That's why, I guess, he thanked me — for slaughtering his son. ”

The hall burst into laughter again, one after another.

Elise glanced at Tails with a strange expression, worried about his audacity.

Marlos whispered to the nervous Gilbert, telling him that this was the way His Excellency the Duke had complained for months, and that it would be good to get used to it.

Jorge let out an unpleasant snort.

"Yes, that's why, when the Grand Duke of Black Sand sat on the throne and drank the terrible special wine of Longxiao City......"

Tails shook his glass.

And he regretted it. ”

Laughter in the hall began to become the norm.

"King Chaman hated me and imprisoned me for six years......"

Tails looked at everyone, quite puzzled:

"But I can't really help him, I mean ......"

Duke Xinghu shrugged his shoulders towards the hall and spread his hands, his expression helpless:

"I can't kill every king of Exeter, can I?"

The laughter in the hall grew louder and louder, and unexpectedly, the Duke of Val was among them, staring at his wine glass, his laughter undisguised.

King Kessel's eyes narrowed.

Tails took a deep breath and reached out to stop the laughter in the ballroom.

"Well, many of you probably know me. ”

At the dukes' table, many people had mixed reactions.

"Yes, I've just finished a six-year journey," said Tails, facing the guests, pleased to see them sitting upright, raising his glass:

"Civilized and elegant, peaceful and peaceful. ”

Some of the guests couldn't help but laugh.

But Tails's tone immediately took a sharp turn:

"And my return must have brought a surprise to many, for I can see in your eyes: doubt, vigilance, alienation, hostility. ”

The last word cooled down the originally relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in the banquet hall.

The one-eyed dragon and the Duke of Iris stared at Tails thoughtfully.

Tails half-turned, not looking at the king's expression:

"What has become of this prince who came out of nowhere six years ago when he returns from the enemy country, what will he bring to you, what will he bring to the kingdom, will it be stability or turmoil, stability or change?"

"Understandable, because I have the same suspicions. ”

Tails' face was solemn:

"Some people are happy, some people are confused, some people are waiting, some people are hesitating, and of course, there may be people who don't want to see me appear. ”

Even the entire hall fell completely silent.

"But I remember six years ago, when I was about to leave the country and go north, an adult warned me," Tails looked at the wine glass in his hand, and looked serious:

"Go to Exeter, between the children of the north wind and the dragon, to see another star, from another angle, another world, maybe I can gain something. ”

The Duke of Nantop's eyes changed when he looked at him.

"I did get something. ”

Tails raised his head and raised his eyebrows:

"The most important thing is ...... Don't drink the Exeters. ”

The guests laughed again.

But Tails soon got back on track:

"But I'm still confused. ”

This time, there was no longer banter in Duke Xinghu's eyes:

"Jokes aside, but there is no doubt that Nunn VII was a great king. ”

"He was resolute, far-sighted, generous, and wise, and even a natural king like him could not avoid his own misfortune, failed to save Longxiao City, failed to prevent the decline of Exeter. ”

Many of the guests began to whisper.

Tails' expression was as if he was pensive.

"It made me start to wonder. ”

"How do we, who live next to them, live, rule, and move forward, so that we don't have this and no regrets?"

Tails paused for a few seconds to let the guests' discussion ferment, and then he raised his head:

"Honestly, I don't know. ”

Tails said loudly:

"But when I stepped into this hall, I thought, at least I know where the answer is. ”

Tails raised his glass:

"Today isn't just about me......"

"Three thousand years ago today, the entire army of the ancient kings marched north, desperately against the orcs, and chased the saints for thousands of miles. ”

Tails recalls Errol's World History lesson:

"Not just the Ansel King of Rockridge, but Ludol, Chauvin, Northland, Thornland, Far Mountain, Kailensa, Saltland...... It was the unity, selflessness and fearlessness of countless nations, countless countries, and countless city-states in that era that could shape miracles and write epics. ”

Tails raised his voice:

"They stood on the glacier, stepped on the skulls of the orcs, and declared to the world: if they work together, humanity will be invincible!"

Many of the guests raised their glasses with serious faces, and saluted them from afar.

"Contrary to this......"

Tails lowered his expression and looked at each of the guests: the innocent-looking Duke Cullen, the gloomy Jenn, the thoughtful Cousin, and the silently stunned Val......

"Split declines, infighting weakens, selfish despises, and cannibalism ends. ”

Tails' voice grew thicker, and he looked around, unquestioned:

"Believe me, I have seen how the children of the hero Nekaru lived: King Nunn's tyranny brought suspicion, King Chaman's tyranny made him countless enemies, the unbridled ambition of the Grand Dukes upheaved the kingdom, and the fanatical blindness and self-righteousness of the Northlanders since ancient times made the situation irreparably worse. ”

He said solemnly:

"So I understand that whether it is the battle of saints or the kingdom today, only by overcoming these weaknesses, only by uniting as one, can we stand on the earth and look up to the sky. ”

Tails said loudly:

"Just like today, just like yesterday, just like tomorrow for countless days and nights, I and all the gentlemen here have been committed to the unswerving cause!"

Gilbert and a few of his friends had strange expressions, as if surprised by the prince's presence.

In the next second, Tails raised the wine glass above his head and shouted angrily:

"To the stars!"

Just listen to Tails say in a long voice:

"Bathe us in her light for seven hundred years, be grateful for her greatness, shelter her wings, and share in her glory!"

A second of silence.

Until the shackled Duke of the North, Val Arend, unexpectedly raised his glass and decisively shouted:

"To the stars!"

The one-eyed Duke of Cliffland, Gust Nantop, smiled and raised his glass as well:

"To the stars!"

Immediately afterwards, Queen Koya also raised her glass expectantly and cooperatively, leading a large number of guests who were not very accustomed to raising their glasses.

Soon, under the urging of the queen's eyes, the king also snorted softly and raised his glass absentmindedly.

With a precedent, the guests were stirred up, raised their glasses in unison, and responded one after another:

"To the stars!"

The hall suddenly boiled, and the sound shook the dome.

Jorge and Lévi Trudida, who were sitting in the corner, looked around and raised their glasses awkwardly in order to fit in.

Tails took a deep breath and drove out the panic in his heart like a duck on the shelf:

"To the King!"

Tails turned to King Kessel and raised his glass, trying not to read the incomparably complex meaning in the latter's eyes:

"He was ordered to turn the tide for him, and he worked hard for decades, and he was resolute and unwavering to protect the kingdom!"

The guests in the hall gradually got used to it and echoed in unison:

"To the King!"

Tails' words grew smoother, and he turned around, looked across the hall, and turned his glass around:

"To ourselves!"

"For all the monarchs here and our ancestors, for us for hundreds of years, we will work together to carry forward the burden and carry the most glorious past of mankind!

The guests raised their glasses in response, like a flash flood:

"To ourselves!"

Tails breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, and he smiled, looking north again:

"And-"

Tails roared sincerely:

"you!

No need to be reminded, no one seems to think, and many people do not hesitate to follow and shout:

"you!

After shouting this sentence, many people were stunned at first, and then reacted and burst into laughter.

This time, it was rare for the guests from different backgrounds at different tables to be unanimous, including Northlanders like Jorge and Levi, who shouted without guilt and sincerity.

But at this moment, a different shout pierced through the crowd and sounded high:

"To the Duke of Tyres!"

Tails was slightly startled.

It was a young nobleman dressed ordinarily and unremarkably good-looking, who stood in the midst of the out-of-town guests, and resolutely raised his glass and shouted:

"For his open-mindedness, his wisdom, his heart, his courage - and his youth!"

Everyone was stunned again, but soon, many people responded one after another:

"Duke of Xinghu!"

"To Prince Tyers!"

"To the stars!"

The chores in the hall rose and fell, and the momentum was huge, but many people regretted it:

Why don't you speak first?

Tails listened to the echo in the hall, ignoring the expression of the king behind him, and took a deep breath.

"Gentlemen!"

Tails looked firm, his eyes did not waver, and he raised his glass and shouted the last long-note toast:

"If the stars are—"

Without being reminded by anyone, all the guests who were aroused reacted in unison and shouted out the second half of the sentence that was familiar to their hearts:

"—Empire Forever!"

Tails struck while the iron was hot, tilted his head to the cup, and spilled a lot of it for the heroic effect of drinking it.

Thankfully, it's not Northland's rye distillations.

It is Xingchen's domestic grape and fruit wine.

Tails lowered his head, and saw that the guests were almost drunk, and then he laughed and spoke:

"Very well, then let's have a banquet—"

The next second, Tails instinctively pulled the wine glass down:

"Let's get started!"

But this time, Tails didn't hear the uplifting, muffled sound of the Northland's heavy wooden wine glasses colliding with the dining table or stone bricks, all the more familiar he had been in the past few years.

But......

"Smack-"

Tails shuddered!

The voice......

Crisp, pleasant, pure......

Make people ......

Heartbroken.

Everyone was stunned.

There was silence in the banquet hall.

Duke Xinghu lowered his head with difficulty, looking at the precious glass glass that had been shattered into a slag at his feet.

Shet.

Tails knew right away: he was in trouble.

He moved his steps expressionlessly, trying to leave the scene of the crime, but his boots made a palpitating sound when he stepped on the shards of glass.

This caused more eyes to shoot in unison, focusing on the prince.

The guests of the royal banquet looked at each other.

Many of them still have freshly finished wine glasses in their hands.

They looked at the Duke of Star Lake, who had just committed such a great crime as murdering the wine glass in front of the entire kingdom, and they were at a loss.

Until the remote seat, the Jorge official from Elk City finished drinking, and he was full of interest and smashed down without any sluggishness!

"Smack-"

The sound of glass shattering shook everyone again.

But the next moment, it was Gilbert who reacted the fastest, only to see him spill the unfinished wine without hesitation, and also raised his hand to smash it on the ground!

"Smack!"

Beside him, Tails' personal guard captain, Lord Marlos, was expressionless, but he also smashed his wine glass!

"Smack!"

In front of the pearl and jade, many eye-catching star guests reacted one after another, and saw people who were skilled or unskilled, accustomed or unaccustomed, like or dislike, raised their hands high and smashed the cups!

"Bang, crack, bang, bang,, smack......"

For a while, the banquet hall was like a crack of ice, a silver bottle exploded, and a crisp and sharp cracking sound came and went, echoing back and forth, like a whole concerto.

Even Queen Keya, who was high in the sky, raised her hand with great interest, watching the queen's special wine glass fly out of an arc and land on the floor......

Thousands of corpses.

More than that, Gilbert gave the court governor a hard look.

The latter reacted and hurriedly waved his hand.

Musicians, clowns, and bards stepped forward one after another, playing music and dancing to perform.

The servants shouted to each other in a hurry, and the thick soles of their shoes stepped on the shards of glass all over the floor, and stepped forward in unison to serve their meals with the crunch of rustling.

The banquet begins.

Music and performances, food and wine, the atmosphere in the ballroom is finally alive again.

The conversations, discussions, and laughter of the guests finally rang out unscrupulously.

overshadowed the uproar and consternation, abruptness and embarrassment caused by Tails's "handy".

Gilbert exhaled.

When the Foreign Secretary touched his forehead, he was already covered with cold sweat.

His Highness......

And the culprit, the initiator, the honorable Duke Tyers of Star Lake, stepped on the broken glass of the ground without love, and mechanically returned to his seat in the double "music" of his ears and feet.

"Tails,"

Elise asked hesitantly and suspiciously, dragging her legs aside, sweeping aside half of the wine glass she had just smashed to smithereens because of her unskillfulness:

"About ...... just now"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, my fault," Tailskin said with a smile, and though he remembered his aunt's teachings, his face was light, as if he were born like this:

"I'm just ......"

"Get used to it. ”

At the highest table, King Kessel was expressionless, and only gently lowered the glass in his hand.

In the entire hall, in addition to the staggered planning at the beginning of the banquet, many guests were also discussing, such as the seats of the Seven Bright Stars.

"Is this the stars, or is this Exeter's banquet?" said Baron Stowe, frowning.

Viscount Patterson snorted lightly and looked at Prince Tails, who was all right, with a smile:

"Does it matter?"

"Haha, it's good to be lively," said old Baron Doyle, laughing:

"Lively is what people love!"

The rest of the people were silent.

But some people don't think so.

As the head of the court, Baron Quentin, who came to the Mindice Hall to help arrange the banquet, was dumbfounded, trembling and ordered the servants: "Fight ...... Cleaning ......"

"Also, pass the word, and send a new batch of royal glasses to ......"

But he quickly reacted and called the servant.

"Wait!"

"Remember, twice as much. ”

Baron Quentin gritted his teeth in grief, he looked at the debris in a hall, and said to the servant with a puzzled face:

"Spare. ”

Just when the atmosphere of the banquet was becoming more and more enthusiastic, and everyone was immersed in food and wine or chatting and laughing, and there was no time to care, in a remote table that no one noticed, a serious guest was in a trance, and for a moment he crossed the goose meat on the plate.

The next second, he moved.

The guest changed color slightly, and wanted to turn around, but a familiar old adult voice slowly slid into his ears, causing him to stagnate.

"Don't look back. ”

The old voice said slowly:

"You know, it's not easy to bring this stuff in. ”

The guest stiffened, but still put down his right hand and quietly took the other party's "something" under the table.

"Why?" asked the guest, confused.

The old man's voice seemed to be absent, and he didn't seem to care:

"I know what you're going to do, but obviously, this one is more effective. ”

"If you really make up your mind. ”

The guest's mind was tense.

He looked at the fork on the table and said with difficulty, "Why?"

But Lao Cheng's voice didn't answer, just said slowly:

"Remember, find the right target. ”

"You only get one chance. ”

Guests grit their teeth:

"I don't understand, why did he ...... when he obviously rejected me"

But the old voice no longer answered.

It's like it never showed up.

The guest takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and tucks the contents of his ribs into his clothes.

Accurate, targeted?

The guest slowly raised his head and looked at the position of the king's head above the banquet hall.

There, sat a calm, but extraordinary ......

Juvenile.

The guests breathed in a trance, and their eyes gradually turned from pain, suffering, resentment, jealousy, and hesitation to unshakable perseverance and ruthlessness.

He stared closely at the spirited young duke, gently holding the stranger's gift under his clothes.

There was a chill on the skin on his hands.

He knew, it was a short sword.

Excellent quality.

The blade is cold.

Without mercy.

(End of chapter)