Rumba let out a long sigh.

"And more than a hundred years ago, the first humble merchant to lend money to King Mindis," Grand Duke Heisha said silently, "his descendants are one of the thirteen noble clans of today's Star Kingdom, the wealthy 'Chaoyang Flower', and the Xiukader family, who occupy the throne of Earl of Qingdao. ”

There was silence again.

But the air seemed to be much colder than it had just been.

Even the flame in the brazier was much weaker.

It was only after a long hour that the Grand Duke of Auretheus spoke with difficulty.

"The people of the stars are better at drilling camps under the table—just like the ancient empires of the past, and that doesn't mean much," the Grand Duke shook his head solemnly, as if trying to convince himself:

"Twelve years ago, we were still victors. ”

The other Grand Dukes looked at him, Trudida hesitant, and Lecco remained silent.

"Drill camp under the countertop?" Rumba looked at him, chewing on the words.

He then snorted coldly: "I bet that even if you go back to more than a thousand years ago, back to the most powerful period of the ancient empire, you won't be able to see the current state of the stars. ”

"And, the winner of twelve years ago?" Rumba straightened up, his eyes sharp: "Really?"

He said coldly: "Twelve years ago, the Kingdom of Stars was in turmoil, and it was too busy to take care of itself, and the army was exhausted, and it was difficult to protect itself. ”

"We are tantamount to attacking the dying stars with the strength of the whole nation. Rumba's hands were bruised, and he was close to breaking through his scabbard.

The faces of several Grand Dukes became ugly.

Rumba's expression was in a trance, as if he had returned to the battlefield of the past: "At that time, none of us doubted that the army of Exeter, known for its ability to conquer and invincible in the Western Continent, would sweep away their futile resistance in just a few months. ”

"Just like hundreds of years have passed. ”

"Our cavalry hooves will break through their every line, trebuchets will break through their gates, and heavy infantry will tear apart every Southerner who tries to resist. ”

"We will effortlessly take the North, conquer the Cliffs, and then take over Eternal Star City. ”

"At least like the 'Grand Duke of the Djinn' Karn Trudida four hundred years ago, like him, he drove the army to the city of Yongxing, looted every village, looted every bit of wealth, and planted the red dragon flag on a black background in front of Yongxing City before leaving!"

Rumba jerked his head up, as if coming to his senses.

"The result?"

The face of the Grand Duke of Heisha was extremely sad, and the next words were like a word by word, biting out from between his teeth:

"We spent months under the fortress, and even the poor supply lines were stabbed by the star butcher, until the traitor betrayed Horace Bright Star and paid the price for the death of an archduke, and we took the fortress with might. ”

Auretheus lowered his head, as if remembering something.

Rumba took a deep breath and seemed to be trying his best to suppress his emotions: "It's spring, let's go south to the north - in the face of these northern neighbors who are close to us, Exeter's absolute superiority is a guarantee of invincibility, except for a slight increase in casualties, from Hanker to Glacier City, we have a smooth journey. ”

Trudida sighed.

"Then," Rumba said in a trance, "it's the Starlight Legion." ”

Leko snorted softly, his expression complicated.

"Although the whole battle situation is generally advancing, as the battle line gets longer and longer, the supplies become more and more unfavorable, and the forces become more and more scattered, we are dragged into the mud by that group of baby soldiers, and it is difficult to advance and retreat - this makes the rhetoric of taking Eternal Star City in one year seem like a joke. ”

"Soon, we had to abandon the idea of fighting on multiple fronts and attacking in an all-out way, and instead concentrated our forces and went straight to the Central Territory and Yongxing City, trying to defeat the enemy with one blow," Rumba took a deep breath and said solemnly: "We didn't succeed. ”

"So we had to move into the cliff territory and try to find another battlefield. ”

Rumba clasped his hands, and the green tendons on the back of his hands were slightly convex:

"At the same time, our casualties are mounting, logistical pressures are mounting, and the Starlight Legion is tougher each time than the last. ”

"Not only that," at this moment, Archduke Leco added in a hoarse voice, "they are also recruiting troops locally, and they are fighting as they go, and they are fighting as they replenish." ”

Rumba nodded, his expression solemn.

"Worse," sighed the Grand Duke of Black Sands, "after only a few months, our supplies will not be enough. ”

Trudida frowned, "We've always planned to supply on the spot, haven't we?"

Rumba snorted.

"Come on, the stars are already in ruins, and local supplies can't be up to date," he said coldly, "the spring sowing and grazing have been delayed, the country is full of grievances, the vassals are full of contradictions, and our poor transportation, the expedition of 100,000 men, is even more terrible than the disaster for Exeter's logistical baggage." ”

Grand Duke Aletheus clenched his fists.

"When the baggage is even transported to the Broken Dragon Fortress is a problem, when the soldiers can no longer grab enough food, when even the strongest troops no longer have a full strength, when our invincible army has nowhere to do it, and the results are not good for a whole month......" Rumba's face was extremely gloomy:

"That's right, the stars were the first to propose peace talks, and it seems that they are begging for help everywhere, with the help of foreign interference, begging for peace, admitting defeat, and begging us to let them go. ”

Trudida narrowed his eyes as he rebuilt the tower: "Your Majesty Nunn once said that the threat of the combined kingdoms made him suspicious, fearing that after the annexation of the stars, we would become the target of public criticism in our emptiness and instability......"

"Diplomatic mediation of the nations?" Rumba punched hard and slammed it on his scabbard: "Those fly-like forces, what are we Exeter?"

"Commas, we've taught them countless times in the Golden Corridor, Humble, our men have been defeated in the three continental wars, they've been in the night, and it's been months since their armies crossed the ocean!"

"As for the Kingdom of the Sacred Tree, the City of Steel, and even the Star Fox, who came to negotiate, hum!" Rumba gritted his teeth.

"Do you think, with the temper of my uncle the king, when did he back down because of diplomacy outside the battlefield!"

Trudida stopped talking.

"Admit it, the reason why we are willing to make peace," Rumba exhaled and said bitterly, "is because in that war, we have exhausted our cards and exhausted our strength, and even if we have spare strength, we are not sure if we want to fight." ”

"It's a little bit better than the Star Kingdom on the other side, which has been hit hard and is on the verge of collapse. ”

Archduke Ronnie, who was listening to all this, closed his eyes.

"King Nunn is a wise man," said Rumba, shaking his head weakly, "he has fought more battles than anyone else, and it is wisest to know what to do, and to retreat by the steps, so as not to make a big fuss in the end." ”

Auretheus raised his head and stared blankly at the dragon spear pattern in the clouds above his head.

"So there is the Peace of the Fortress," said Archduke Leco, who took Rumba's words with a sad face, "and with that humiliation we have cursed for twelve years. ”

Rumba nodded heavily.

"But only a few, only a few," said Rumba, trembling, bowing his head, and in the darkness of the fire, uttered with difficulty: "True humiliation......

"Our powerful and proud kingdom of Exeter......"

Trudida turned her head away and stopped looking at them.

"In the face of the robbery of the royal family, the new king is unstable, the last drop of blood has been exhausted by internal and external troubles, and the kingdom of stars trembling in fear......"

Alausius' expression was gloomy and motionless.

"In the face of that Star Kingdom, which is so weak that it can't even take out a complete legion, and can only rely on a group of baby soldiers to fight......"

Grand Duke Ronnie looked at Rumba in disbelief, and then at Lecco.

I only heard Rumba's expression hideous: "Our seven grand dukes, 100,000 troops, and all the strength of the country, led the invincible Exeter warriors, but even separated the northern border and the central territory of the Muhe ......"

"I can't beat it. ”

Everyone remained silent for a long time.

Only the light of the fire flickered.

After a long time, Rumba sighed:

"I believe that you felt it more or less in the war back then, but your pride, your honor, and your arrogance made you dare not, could not, and even more unwilling to admit it. ”

No.

And somebody, someone who felt it earlier than all of you.

It's just that......

Rumba glanced at the main seat on the rectangular table and clenched his fists.

"And what about the other party?" he seemed to speak subconsciously.

"Star Kingdom, after experiencing a tragedy like the Scarlet Year," Rumba frowned: "It's clear that the population is empty, and it's hard to recover from heavy damage, but it's ......"

Grand Duke Ronnie looked up, his eyes flashing.

"But five years ago, Kessel V fought that desert war with a sick kingdom," the Grand Duke of Qiyuan City's clenched arms trembled slightly: "The information we sent back from the desert - his troops are insufficient, his combat strength is not good, and even the main army was almost destroyed in the desert, we are all laughing at him for not being able to do anything." ”

Rumba shook his head, his tone tired: "He's reminding us." ”

Grand Duke of Black Sand turned to Ronnie.

"Kurikun Ronnie, when you are facing the Great Desert," he said lightly, "can you lead the army deep into the center of the desert, maintain supplies all the way in the harsh desert, ensure logistics, and return safely after a series of bloody battles with the orcs and desolate bones?"

Ronnie fell silent.

But everyone knows the answer.

"Don't say it's you," Rumba's words sounded painful and powerless: "It's a great desert that even the mighty ancient empire has had a headache for thousands of years, and the army of hundreds of thousands of people is helpless......"

"But in the Kingdom of Stars, they did it," the Grand Duke said softly, as if very angry, "regardless of victory or defeat, they did it: they went in, and then came out with countless orcs and boneless skulls. ”

"Remember one of King Kessel's titles?" said Rumba with a lonely expression, "'Conqueror of the Dragon's Throne and the Desert Altar'—don't you understand?"

The four Grand Dukes exchanged glances in silence.

"Wake up, guys. Rumba whispered, as if whispering in his ear:

"Whether you admit it or not. ”

"Kingdom of the Stars. ”

"It's not the same anymore. ”

Under everyone's complex and subtle gaze, Rumba's face darkened, and he leaned back in his chair, as if he was unable to get up:

"In the days of Mindis III, few people understood his actions and even blatantly opposed him – even now. ”

The nobles looked down on the king's self-deprecating behavior and self-depraved behavior, while the commoners regarded him as a benevolent monarch born with a good heart, and rushed to take advantage of him. ”

Archduke Ronnie and Archduke Auresius looked at each other with mixed feelings.

Amid the ridicule behind the backs of the nobles and the gratitude of the populace, Mindis III died in obscurity. ”

"A benevolent 'virtuous gentleman' who is good at compromise and mediation?" Rumba raised his head and looked at the four Grand Dukes one by one, his expression was serious, and his tone was cold: "This title is half mocking, half sincere. ”

"Except for a few artists who thanked him for his kindness and painted for him, no one cared about the kind 'virtuous gentleman' who was praised by the people but secretly despised by the aristocracy, and these small episodes in his history. ”

Rumba narrowed his eyes and clenched his saber tightly: "However, what about now, more than a hundred years later?"

No one spoke.

The scene was very solemn.

Several seconds passed.

"This is the virtuous king, Min Dith III," Rumba restrained his emotions and said lightly: "The more I know about him, the more shocking and creepy it becomes. ”

Grand Duke Leco stared at the brazier in the distance in a daze, his eyes lingering for a long time.

Ronnie clenched his arms tightly, almost gritting his teeth.

Trudida frowned, as if she had been cunning and slick as usual, and was worried.

As for Aletheus, he just stared at Rumba as if to see something more in his face.

"More than a hundred years later, his men are dead, but his officials have built the stars into a steel chariot of the best parts and quality, which we only knew twelve years ago. ”

Rumba closed his eyes tightly, and his shoulders seemed to tremble slightly.

"Mindis Brilliant Star III, to me, is a rare and terrible chess player," he said with difficulty and pain: "More than a hundred years ago, he started the game as if he had inadvertently failed, but the king, the vassals, the people, the country, the history, everything was in his humble chess game. ”

"He used a long-term chess game that even his own grandson couldn't see, so that the Kingdom of Stars, which was originally behind us, was reborn, and before we knew it, he had left the Kingdom of Exeter, which we were proud of, far behind. ”

"Even the 'Great' Kessel Kaloser I, who conquered the world more than a thousand years ago, is incomparable. ”

Rumba sighed deeply, his eyes were sad: "Compared with the hundred-year-old chess game that Mindis laid out for the Kingdom of Stars, compared to his delicate tricks that are interlocking step by step......"

"Tormond's restoration of the country is crude and ugly, and Necajú's victory is so superficial. ”

"As for the inexhaustible power and destruction of the scourges, it is as contemptible as the mighty babies wielding hammers. ”

"What Mindis III cares about is not the success or failure of one day, one time and one place. Rumba's expression was lonely, and his mood was a little desperate: "It's not a family, a city, a leader, a gain or loss,"

"He used the country as a chess piece, the world as a chessboard, billions of living beings as a bet, and the foundation of the world as the result of the battle. ”

The brazier crackled.

The Grand Dukes were silent.

Finally, Rumba closed his eyes and sighed softly:

"Once it falls, a hundred years of chess. ”

There was a deathly silence in the hall.

It took a while for Rumba to "come alive" from the atmosphere that had almost paused, to breathe again, and to begin to speak.

"So, more than a hundred years after the death of 'Xianjun'. ”

Rumba left his seat – or rather, Grand Duke Cameron's.

"I, Grand Duke of the Black Sands, Charman Solon Holt Rumba. Step by step, he walked towards the four Grand Dukes.

"The murderer of relatives, and the murderer of kings. Rumba's face sank, and for the first time his face trembled slightly as he uttered these words.

Several Grand Dukes were slightly moved.

"As a Northlander, an Exeter," Rumba gritted his teeth, and he swept over every Archduke of Exeter who was heavily armed and powerful, "I stand here and beg you, the Grand Dukes of Exeter, and the lords who hold the future fate of the Dragon Nation in their hands. ”

His voice was as thick as ever, hoarse, and full of vicissitudes.

"Stop your meaningless infighting and suspicions, let go of insoluble family grievances and contradictions, don't fall into the trap of the oath of co-governance that both maintains unity and promotes division, and don't be like King Nunn, who is immersed in blood and family and is deaf and unable to extricate himself. ”

"Let's stand together again, face the terrible chess player of a hundred years ago, face the terrible stars of this hundred years later. ”

Several archdukes responded seriously, and at that moment, even the sharpest Trudida felt heavy.

"Because in this undying duel between us and the Kingdom of the Stars, between the Northlanders and the Imperials, even the most noble families are humble, the most powerful armies are incomparably weak, the strongest monarchs are weak, and the vast lands are empty and poor. ”

Rumba exhaled slowly.

"Moreover, I have a hunch," under the solemn eyes of several Grand Dukes, the Grand Duke of Heisha narrowed his eyes: "More than six hundred years, the ...... we are facing now"

"I'm afraid it's the ...... in this duel"

Rumba clenched his fists, and his voice was lonely:

"It's the last round. ”