The next morning, on the flat and wide boulevard of the Bonzdorf, the prince's escort was more than doubled in length because of the presence of more soldiers of the Bozdorf family.

"Don't pay any attention to the attitude of the Count of Bozdorf," said Dele, riding beside Tyers:

"He was one of the leaders of the reclaim of Camp Bladefang, and he was very unhappy about what had happened in the past few days, so he showed his dissatisfaction on his face. ”

Out of sorts?

Tails thought silently.

Manifested on the face?

Dude, you probably haven't gotten along with the Northlanders - when they're upset, it's usually on the sword.

He could only tease himself like that.

"Please don't be angry with Paul," said the Earl of Wingburg, turning his head at Paul Bozdorf, who was a few positions behind them, "and he is good enough to have such a strong and aggressive father. ”

Tails smiled and nodded, but sighed inwardly.

Speaking of which, such a strong and aggressive father......

Well, he felt it deeply.

"At least," said Dele, looking back at a certain horse behind him, the flamboyant nine-pointed star banner that had been rolled up and tightly packed as soon as the Earl of the Black Lion disappeared, sighed:

At least Paul was a better talker than his father. ”

The two were silent for a moment.

But in the next second, Tails suddenly spoke:

"So, those words of the Count of Bozdorf, about the Duke of the Western Wilderness 'being like this to everyone'......"

"Is it true?"

It was as if someone had blown out the lights, and the colors between the prince and the earl seemed to suddenly darken.

Amid the horse's hooves and shouts, Dele was silent for a long time before he spoke.

"Let me say so, Your Highness. ”

"In the country of the stars, compared with the northern border, the monolithic cliffs, and the blade leaders who shared weal and pain, the local politics of the Western Wilderness ...... It's a little complicated. ”

Complex.

Tails groaned silently.

After a few seconds, the prince, who thought of something, spoke quietly:

"Votes. ”

Dele, who was about to explain, was stunned:

"What?"

I saw Tails come out of his mind:

"Yesterday it was just a joke, but I remember it now. ”

The prince spoke slowly:

"Six years ago, when the six great families and the thirteen noble clans voted to decide whether to recognize my identity, whether it was the North, the Cliff Land, or the Blade Lord, in these territories, each earl's vote was only their duke's horse. ”

"But there is only the Western Wilderness, and only your three votes ......"

"You and the Count of Bozdorf both voted no. ”

The Duke of Falkenhause, on the other hand, voted in favor. ”

After hearing his words, Dele Croma's face changed.

The young Earl of Wing Castle coughed in embarrassment.

"It was forced by the situation back then, and I hope you don't have any grudges. ”

Tails looked at his expression and smiled:

"Of course not. ”

"I just...... Got something. ”

The prince stared straight at the Earl of Wingcastle.

"The High Noble Council of the year, on the nineteen stone seats, the decision of the three families in the Western Wilderness...... Not consistently. ”

Dele's face became more and more ugly.

Their line turned a corner, and Tails' train of thought went back in time.

At that year's national conference, whether Tails could become the official second prince or not, the final vote was ten in favor, eight against, and one abstention.

The pro-royal party turned the tide of the war by a narrow margin of one vote.

The three major families of the East China Sea Territory, led by the chubby Duke Cullen, voted in favor at the last moment.

But in retrospect......

Cliffs, North, South Coast, Western Wilderness, Blade, East China Sea...... Tails remembered the vote of the nineteen nobles that year, and suddenly understood a lot of things.

The prince frowned.

In the order in which the votes were cast, as well as the results of the ballots......

Back then, the man who really held the crucial vote and turned the tide with a single gesture, making Tails finally the second prince......

Not Duke Cullen.

After a junction with varying slopes, they began to speed up their march on the gallop.

"Don't get me wrong," said Dele, adjusting his seat, taking a deep breath before the oncoming wind mounted:

"The lords of the Western Wilderness still respect the four-eyed skull heraldry. ”

His expression was a little heavy:

"It's just that in recent years my aristocratic peers, especially people like the Count of Bozdorf, have felt that the Duke is more or less ...... Stick to the status quo. ”

Dele's eyes turned into a profit:

"Especially when it comes to the royal family – even more so after the Desert Wars. ”

"Like Camp Bladefang. ”

Count Clomar carefully chose his words:

The vassals complained about his passive decision to ignore the matter beforehand, and his conservative attitude to clean up the mess after the fact. ”

Tails was silent.

Stick to the status quo.

Negative decision-making.

Conservative attitude.

The prince remembered the words

[You must know that when your vassals and subordinates are excited and high-spirited, you don't have much choice but to go with the flow. 】

Did he say these things to others?

"Nope. ”

As the Mercedes picked up, Tails clamped the horse's belly.

He gazed intently at the smooth and solid pavement of the Avenue of Gifts, watched them speed backwards a foot, and said firmly:

"Perhaps, this is the Duke's unique way of defending the Western Wilderness. ”

As he spoke, Dele, who was beside him, was silent for a few moments.

The two of them, each thoughtful, followed the team tacitly, letting the horses gallop without making a sound.

It wasn't until a minute later, when the mount began to slow down with the group, that Dele let out a sigh of emotion and looked out into the field:

"It seems that Cohen is not bragging. ”

"If I don't come to see you, then I'll definitely regret it. ”

Tails smiled, and he didn't react immediately when he was about to thank him.

But after a few seconds......

"Cohen?"

Tails subconsciously raised his head, slightly surprised:

"You, do you know Cohen?"

"Cohen Silly Big Karabiyan?"

Count Clomar looked back at the prince, his face warm.

"I'm not sure when Cohen had such a chic middle name. ”

Dele's eyes rolled, and there was nostalgia and a smile in his eyes:

"But yes, Cohen is my cousin, and I grew up with him in Walla. ”

"His mother was my father's sister and my aunt. ”

Tails summed it up.

Cohen's mother was Delle's aunt......

"Kalabyan and Cloma. ”

Twin Towers, Longswords, and One-Winged Ravens.

Vola Collar and Wing Fort.

The prince suddenly said:

"I see, you two are in-laws. ”

The Earl of Wing Fort smiled slightly and nodded:

"Cohen first mentioned you to me in a correspondence six years ago. ”

There was a strangeness in Dele's tone:

He said, uh, he, he fell out of love, and then he took a leave of absence to go sightseeing in the north, and then overnight, he happened to encounter a great and glorious adventure, followed a brilliant prince, bravely entered Valhalla, fought in Longxiao City at night, defended the Hall of Heroes, fought the northerners, fought with legends, fought against the enemy in the common polar realm, felt the horror of the disaster, witnessed the arrival of the dragon, survived the mutiny of the rebellious ministers and thieves, was betrayed by his companions, mixed into the ranks of the white-knuckled guards, encountered the assassination and change of the king, watched the ascendancy of the female archduchess, fought bravely in the north full of strong enemies, and saved the stars on the verge of the kingdom's periland ultimately saved the lives and well-being of tens of millions of people......"

The more he talked, the more helpless he became.

Even Tails felt it, and the other party's words were incoherent because of excitement and eagerness, and it was almost embarrassing to reveal the confusion on paper.

In the end, Cohen complained that although the secret department came to his door at night to warn him not to divulge state secrets, his superiors just didn't believe him and refused to give him retroactive leave and reimbursement for travel expenses...... So hopefully I can understand him......"

Dele pondered for a moment:

"When I received the letter, I was still thinking, maybe he has been single for too long, you know, speculation and hallucinations......"

"I mean, yes, Your Highness, you are indeed young and intelligent, but ...... So many things to do in Northland, Exeter...... I'm skeptical......"

Dele stopped talking and looked directly at Tails:

"Until now. ”

Tails hesitated for a second, then pulled out a polite and embarrassed smile.

Cohen.

You......

Awesome.

After a while, Tails squeezed the smirk back into his muscles and coughed:

"Well, Cohen, is he okay?"

Dele smiled:

"I think so. ”

"He is still in the guard hall of the royal capital, doing a job that most nobles do not understand, including my aunt and uncle. ”

Dele shrugged helplessly:

"You know, they've been worrying about his marriage—for more than a dozen years, my aunt was afraid that he would marry her classmate, the warrior lady of the Aarends. ”

Tails squeezed his eyebrows.

"Miranda?"

The prince chuckled:

"Oh no, that can't be. ”

Dele exhales:

"Yes, I know, Miss Aarend is probably Cohen's feared person. ”

"The boy said that he always had the delusion that he would suddenly become stupid in the presence of Miss Arend. ”

Tails smashed his mouth and thought back to Miranda and Cohen getting along.

Well, that's a delusion indeed.

Because he definitely didn't "suddenly" become stupid.

"But more than ten years have passed, and my aunt doesn't care so much," Dele shook his head, with amusement and helplessness at the same time:

"Now, as long as Cohen is willing to get married, she doesn't care if the other party is a warrior or not, as long as it's a woman. ”

Tails and Dele looked at each other, smiling heartily.

After a while, Dele's voice was low:

"So that's true?"

"Cohen said he, well, he was in Valhalla with the Fire Knights, and he fought three hundred rounds of bloody battles against the legendary anti-demon forces?"

Fire Knight......

300 rounds of battle......

The prince had some headaches:

"Well, my attendant can testify that the fight should have been fought, but three hundred rounds......"

Tails didn't say any more, just smiled.

Dele's eyes moved, and he nodded in understanding.

"So, he said that he confronted the Red Witch, who was on par with Lord Hansen, and in the face of her persuasion, he would rather die than give in in a desperate situation?"

Face the Red Witch......

Neither humble nor arrogant, would rather die than give in......

The prince was stunned for a moment and blinked:

"Ah, what to say about this, basically it's not the turn of the Red Witch to persuade him to surrender, he just ......"

This time, without waiting for Tails to say anything, the understanding Earl raised his eyebrows thoughtfully:

"I see. ”

"Then he said that he faced the legendary warrior who is ageless with the sword, the invincible 'earth-shaking' Kaslan, desperately fighting the enemy, punching to the flesh, at the cost of sacrificing an arm......"

Desperate to the death......

Tails tugged at the corners of his mouth in embarrassment:

"He, hehe, that......"

Again, at the moment when Tails was still hesitating what to say, Dele raised his eyebrows very understandingly:

"Oh-"

Looking at the Earl's suddenly realized expression, Tails suddenly felt guilty for betraying Cohen.

That's not right.

I'm telling the truth!

But Dele's next sentence made Tails' heart sink:

"That'...... Dragons?"

Tails was silent for a moment, and the old scene came back to mind:

"Really. ”

Deloit's eyebrows twitched.

"Oh," Count Clomar squinted, rather serious:

This explains why, six years ago, all the crows passing through the north were late – the legend is true: the dragon spreads its wings and is forbidden for thousands of miles. ”

Dele said softly:

"So...... Calamity?"

This time, Tails' face sank and he lowered his head.

He didn't speak, just gritted his teeth and was silent for a long time.

Deloin looked at the prince and did not ask any further questions.

"Hmph," the Count sighed, shaking his head:

"You know, the first Earl of Wingcastle left a record of the plagues he had seen. But for several generations in my family, it was just the dying words of the elderly. ”

Dele was silent for a moment.

"So, King Nunn was killed by the scourge?"

Tails looked up, as if he saw the dawn of ten thousand arrows in front of him again.

and the crowned, bloody head that rolled down to his feet.

"Assassin's flower, little Saliton, Locust Blade. ”

The prince is determined to be authentic:

"And Charman Rumba. ”

Dele took a soft breath.

The air became quiet, so quiet that only the sound of horses' hooves could be heard.

The Count looked up slowly.

"You are tired, Your Highness. ”

"Maybe many people don't believe it, and many more don't know," Dele let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes heavy but extremely serious:

"But I want to say ......"

"The Whole Kingdom ......"

"Thank you for your kindness. ”

Tails gritted his teeth, grinning a grin.

"Thank you," the prince nodded stiffly:

"Count Clomar. ”

But Dele shook his head.

"Dele," said the Earl of Wingburg, who gave the boy a warm and friendly smile, and then extended his right hand, as if this was the first time he had formally introduced himself:

"That's my name. ”

Tails paused.

He gave Dele a deep look, and then smiled.

"Of course, Dele. ”

The second prince sincerely stretched out his right hand and shook it with Delew:

"Tails. ”

The two of them met in the air and nodded to each other.

Dele let go of the prince's right hand, but his words took a sharp turn.

"From the perspective of the nobles of the Western Wilderness, Tails, I know how the Fuxing Palace sees us, and I also know what we are facing, and I know your sensitive and embarrassing situation. ”

Dele looked at Tails earnestly.

Tails looked back at him gravely, too.

"In normal times, I may say something like 'the West Wilderness will not be your enemy, let alone the people of the West Wilderness'. ”

Dele sighed:

"But, you're a friend of Cohen. ”

Dele's expression was a little sad and helpless:

"And in his cousin's place, in his friend's shoes, I must warn you, Tails. ”

The next moment, Dele bowed his head slightly, and between his teeth popped out a few words that seemed to be more precious than gold and weaker than mosquitoes and flies:

"Watch out for Lord Cyril. ”

What the?

Tails thought about the name for a moment, then frowned.

"You say the Duke of Kenhause?"

"What do you mean?"

Dele was silent for a few seconds before he whispered:

"Lord Duke is good at manipulating people's hearts - even those who don't like him. ”

Manipulating people's minds?

Tails was stunned for a second.

The first thing he remembered was the Scarlet Witch in the Northlands.

But......

Cyril Falkenhause?

Undesirable?

"The Count of Bozdorf said that the Duke was equally ambiguous towards everyone, and remained neutral and never took sides," said Dele, whose expression was now more serious than ever, as if he were facing a great enemy:

"Maybe that's because, Lord Cyril, the lord of the Western Wilderness, wants him to think so. ”

Duke of the Western Wilderness......

Want him to think so?

Tails froze.

It must be admitted that from the first minute of meeting, Dele gave him the impression of being cautious, thoughtful, well-behaved, and never overstepping.

But now......

"And if the Count of Bozdorf does not like Lord Cyril," said Dele to him coldly:

"That's probably because the Duke wants him to dislike himself. ”

Tails took a breath in a trance:

"Well, the duke, the reason why he is 'unpopular'......"

Dele nodded, lowered his voice, and took the second half of the sentence:

"Because he doesn't want to be popular. ”

Tails looked at Dele in amazement.

He suddenly felt that the person in front of him was different.

Wait, if that's true.

The Duke of Falkenhause also made the impression on him......

"Tails, as you may know, for historical reasons, my family has a knack for domesticating the crow. ”

Dele spoke again.

Tails struggles to turn his attention to the present:

"Uh, yes?"

I saw the Earl of Wing Fort say vigilantly:

"A few months ago, Your Majesty made an agreement with the lords of the Western Wilderness that we would send troops to the Freedom Alliance to persecute Exeter and rescue you from your homeland. ”

"Yes. Tails replied subconsciously.

Dele's eyes sharpened:

"In the very week of the agreement with Your Majesty, my crow sentry detected several long-distance letter crows flying north across the border. ”

The week the deal was reached......

Fly north over the border......

Long-distance letter crow......

Tails frowned:

"What do you mean?"

Dele was silent for a few seconds, and then said quietly:

"Those crows flew extremely high in the air, were unusually alert, and were good at concealment, even with the ability of the crow whistle light horse, they almost missed it. ”

"It's not a two-way trip, a fixed route, a dull brain, and a simple post mail crow. ”

"Instead, it is preferable to choose strict breeding, intelligent and flexible, knowing the way and arguing the way, and listening to the orders of the lord's military intelligence crows, which are not easy to tame and expensive, and only the big lords with strong financial resources can afford to use them. ”

Military Intelligence Crow......

It's expensive......

Grand Lord......

Tails' face changed slightly.

"Tails, from getting out of trouble to coming back, someone," Dele's tone was heavy:

"Someone from the starry side has leaked your information to the Northlanders. ”

"I guess that's why your journey home was full of surprises. ”

Leaked my intelligence......

The journey home was full of accidents......

Tails' breathing stalled.

At that moment, the figure of King Chaman suddenly appeared in front of him.

and the other party's abrupt visit to Longxiao City, just to see his own side of the adventure.

No way......

The prince raised his eyes alertly:

"You mean, Duke Falkenhause?"

Dele shook his head:

"Not sure. ”

"But, Tails, not everyone. ”

Dele narrowed his eyes, and his tone was cold, so that Tails couldn't help but clench his fists:

"Not everyone in this kingdom welcomes your return. ”

At this moment, on the gallop road ahead, several crow whistle light horses rushed back, bringing nervous communication in the endless dust.

"Alert!"

"Sentinel contact!

What the?

Dele and Tails looked at each other and frowned in unison.

The entire team of the "head crow" immediately stopped advancing, and hundreds of cavalry rallied their horses in unison, and for a moment the horses' hooves rolled and the horses roared undulating.

Everyone sprang into action, and many crowsposts rushed forward to surround the two important figures.

"Count Dereux!"

Paul also rode from the rear, and the heir of Castle of Heroic Souls had a solemn expression:

But the Earl of Wing Fort had a calm face:

"Don't be nervous, the crows and whistles are all elite scouts, and this is only the first interrogation, proving that the other party is at least a few miles away. ”

"Soon they will be identified. ”

Their confident Q&A was mixed with the sound of horses' hooves, which reassured Tails a lot.

Soon, the second and third summons came, and the new news made the three nobles even heavier:

"Twenty-five horsemen! No flags! Unidentified! Refuse to respond!"

"Somewhere between a light rider and a heavy rider, well-equipped and skilled!"

"The reward for the high-altitude sentry crows: more troops behind them! more cavalry and infantry! hundreds, thousands!"

More?

Hundreds?

Tails was shocked.

Dele and Paul looked at each other, their expressions getting heavier and heavier.

"Who will come to the prince with an army at this time?" said Paul, in a cold voice.

"Do we need to gather the main force?"

"Steady," Dele replied poisedly:

"This amount does not exclude our own troops. ”

"Let the twenty-odd riders come over first, and everything will be clear. ”

Our troops.

Tails pursed his lips tightly.

But he couldn't help but think of Dele's words:

Not everyone in this kingdom welcomes your return. 】

Not all of them......

The prince's heart sank.

No way.

Please, he's already in the interior of the stars and set foot on the Avenue of Gifts, don't have any more accidents!

Normally, Tails always worries about anything.

This time, damn fate seemed to hear his worries again.

A few minutes later, the sound of horses' hooves, and the uninvited guests, half-surrounded by the outer sentries, came to them.

Deloit's the raven whistle right.

This is a group of twenty-five cavalrymen, the emblems and insignia on their bodies are covered in the dust-proof cloaks common in the Western Wilderness, but it can be vaguely seen that these people are muscular and sharp-eyed, all riding high-headed horses that are rare in the Western Wilderness and have pure and bright fur, bulging under the cloak, obviously carrying weapons.

The arrival of these cavalry made the atmosphere in the prince's ranks tense to the extreme:

The other party stopped silently and neatly in front of the gallop, looking coldly at the crows and whistles in this compartment.

"Who are they?" Tails wondered.

Dele stared at the uninvited guests and nodded:

"We'll know. ”

"Dele," Paul frowned, looking at the unpleasant-looking cavalry:

"Do you need me to call up the Black Lion Infantry Regiment in the rear?"

But the Earl of Wingcastle only shook his head.

In the next second, Dele urged the horse forward and raised his voice to speak:

"Whoever comes is named!"

In a few tenths of a second, a knight led the crowd out in silence and came to the front of the Raven Guard.

On the way, the twenty-five horsemen did not have any discordant murmur,

The knight had chestnut hair, a soft-haired face, and despite the stubble on his chin, he looked to be in his thirties, not much older than Dele.

And his calm brown eyes seem to be forever calm and peaceful.

"I'm still thinking that maybe you'll recognize me, Count Clomar, and it seems like I'm still hoping for it now," the chestnut-haired knight stopped his mount, and he sighed slightly, as if with some regret:

"We, well, we met in the palace six years ago. ”

Dele's brow twitched slightly.

"I don't remember meeting you. ”

In the palace six years ago, Tails thought of something.

The chestnut-haired knight smiled disappreciatively, waved his hand to a blonde knight beside him, and his every move was elegant and natural:

"At least recognize Doyle, his family is close to you......"

As soon as these words came out, Tails didn't react, but Paul's expression on the side changed:

"Doyle Delek, that's one of the Seven Squires......"

Dele shook his head coldly:

"That's just what he said, who knows if it's a disguise. ”

With that, the Earl of Wingburg turned his head and asked:

"Knight, why are you here?"

The chestnut-haired knight looked at his companions and replied:

"We have been ordered to come to meet and escort His Highness Tails. ”

"I appreciate your help, Count, but your mission is over. ”

"From now on, His Royal Highness the Prince is under our sole responsibility. ”

He still has the same calm and breezy appearance.

Escort me?

Or kidnap me?

The prince's eyes rolled, and he suppressed the uneasiness in his heart, and began to scrutinize the chestnut-haired knight.

The chestnut-haired knight walked forward on horseback with an elegant posture and an indifferent expression, as if he was strolling leisurely.

Odd......

Why does this riding posture and equipment look familiar?

Tails tried to secretly call out to Yodel, but he was surrounded by ravens in front of him, left and right, and Dele and Paul were close to the left, making it difficult for him to find an opportunity.

Damn it!

What's going on here?

In the next second, Count Dele decisively waved his right hand:

"Wind!"

In the next second, the elite of nearly 100 crow whistles in the front row of the Croma family moved at the same time!

They all unleashed their crossbows and aimed at the chestnut-haired knight in front of them!

Strict and uniform, the power is compelling.

The knight's eyes in front of the formation changed.

Tyers, who was still thinking about it, saw such a change and hurriedly spoke:

"Deloupe?"

But before he could say more, the chestnut-haired knight in the formation hurriedly raised his hands and spoke hurriedly:

"Oh, peace, peace!"

The chestnut-haired knight, who was exposed to the tips of hundreds of arrows, spoke faster and looked a little more serious, but his eyes were as indifferent as ever.

"Relax, Count, well, relax—to let you know that I have come for peace. ”

Although he raised his hand to show weakness, the knight's posture was respectful and decent, and his words were carefully used, and he seemed neither humble nor arrogant.

And as the chestnut-haired knight raised his hand, his cloak lifted a little.

Tails looked at the silver-white armor exposed under the other party's cloak, and still felt a little familiar.

But the sharp-eyed Tails also noticed that in the face of hundreds of bows and crossbows, not only the chestnut-haired knight looked indifferent, but even the cloaked cavalry in front and behind him all looked motionless, looking coldly at the crow whistle light horse on the opposite side.

It seems commonplace.

"Coming for peace?"

Dele snorted coldly and didn't buy it:

"And what about the hundreds of troops hanging behind you, who have come for peace, too?"

"That's not a 'robbery,' and we're behind us—" The chestnut-haired knight paused for a moment, then understood something,

The knight suddenly bowed his head in approval:

"Oh, yes, House of Croma, you are crow-keepers, and you have eyes in the sky. ”

Dele snorted coldly.

"So. ”

"Who the hell are you!"

The chestnut-haired knight exhaled heavily.

"Well, well, you won the Count, who called me a man of peace. ”

The knight smiled slightly, flicked his cloak, and his calm eyes suddenly became shrewd and sharp.

It's like a strange peak and a dangerous ravine shrouded in confusion, and the fog dissipates in an instant.

"In Lower Tormond Marios. ”

The chestnut-haired knight has a nice voice, an elegant intonation, and quite a rhythm:

"The knight of the kingdom, the lord of honor of the stars, and the faithful servant of your majesty. ”

Marios raised his eyes, his gaze scanned through the crowd and landed on the fourteen-year-old boy in the midst of a crowd of crows.

At the moment of exchanging glances with the other party, Tails's brain was excited!

He remembered.

The set of equipment on the other party, he has indeed seen!

But it was six years ago......

In—

Mindis Hall!

Looking at the frowning Tails, Marlos grinned.

"Favored by His Majesty, Trusted by Colleagues......"

The knight bowed his head slightly on his horse, and his right palm was against his chest to signal to himself, and the etiquette was impeccable:

"The ...... of the Royal Guards of the Stars"

Marlos revealed the special silver armor and iron-clad steel sword under his cloak, bowed lightly on his mount, and spat out a title that was strange and familiar to Tails:

"Legacy watchman. ”

。 m.