"Rumba, what do you think of you, the Grand Dukes?"

In front of the gaffe Rumba, Archduke Leco suddenly spoke up.

His words caught everyone's attention.

"As an alliance under the Oath Covenant, you should have thought about this when you used the example of the stars to serve us, didn't you?" the old duke said lightly, "Is it your ally, or a stepping stone or a sacrifice?"

Rumba jerked his head up!

"This is our only chance!Wait until the Kingdom of Stars recovers and becomes ......stronger and stronger," Grand Duke of Black Sand was furious: "Do you just watch Exeter sink and sit still?"

"Exeter is always inferior to yourselves in your eyes, is he?"

Right now.

"Charman Rumba," said the Grand Duke of Qiyuan City, and Kurikun Ronnie suddenly said, "What is Exter?"

Rumba was slightly stunned.

"More than 600 years ago, it was here, in the banquet hall above our heads, that the legendary 'Nine Knights', including you and my ancestors, lifted the hero Nekaru above their heads and jointly honored him as king, and the Kingdom of Exeter was born. Ronnie raised his right hand and pointed to the dragon spear stone carving in the clouds above his head.

Archduke Auretheus's expression moved.

Thelma, who was behind Tails, heard the history, and her eyes lit up.

"After the death of the hero, when the Kingdom of the Stars is getting stronger and stronger, and the disaster of the Empire is about to return—it is also the ten Lords of the Northland, who are divided and full of contradictions, under the witness of the Queen of the Sky, who wrote an oath in blood in front of the tombstone of Nekaru, abandoning their previous suspicions, and making an oath of co-governance of the ten Grand Dukes," Grand Duke Ronnie said coldly: "For the first time, in the name of the Kingdom of Exeter, we are like brothers in front of the precarious Cold Castle, fighting side by side, blocking the star army of 'Black-eyed' John!"

Rumba looked at Archduke Ronnie in disbelief, and then at the others thoughtfully.

Tails sighed slightly.

War creates nations, and nations make wars.

"The reason why we established the Kingdom of Exeter is to protect what we cherish in the chaotic world—to protect our family, our bloodline, our glory, to trust us, to be loyal to our territory and people, and to protect the creed and spirit of our eternal guardianship!"

"We are Exeter!" Ronnie slammed his fist into his chest, and the insignia of the knightly code on his shoulder trembled slightly, "The kingdom of Exeter will only exist if those of us who guard it and recognize it exist first!"

"If for the sake of the ethereal so-called 'Exeter' in your mouth, we will even sacrifice these things that we once swore to protect, we will have to pay, and we will all abandon them," Ronnie snorted fiercely: "Then the kingdom of Exeter will lose the meaning of its original existence - what is left?"

"It's just another tyrant and a toy, another ancient empire forcibly gathered under violence and oppression, forcing its people to identify with themselves and sacrifice for nothing for an empire that in fact has nothing to do with them. Ronnie gave Rumba a disgusted look.

"Tell the people of the stars," Rumba retorted fiercely, "while they escort you or your children to the guillotine!"

"They will guillotine, or you will guillotine," Ronnie also fought back sharply: "Honestly, I don't see which is worse." ”

Rumba jerked up his hand and pointed at Tails!

The prince was slightly startled.

"But everything this boy has done, the decline, the seizure of power, the change - the so-called end of us, nothing has happened yet!" he said through gritted teeth, "You are here to worry about the future of your great-grandson?"

"Everyone!"

Rumba took a deep breath.

"Even if something worrying happens, as long as we work together, I believe we will definitely find a way to overcome it, will we, the Grand Dukes, still turn a blind eye to the problems that have reached us?"

The Grand Duke of the Black Sand seemed to have recovered from the impulse just now, and he stared at each Grand Duke seriously: "But before that, we must take measures—isn't it even more terrifying that the enemies who are close at hand and the old enemies who have been enemies for centuries are gradually recovering?"

"As for the rest—whether I'm ambitious or not, whether I'm going to be bad for you, whether I'm going to tear up the oath of condominity, I can talk about it slowly. ”

Trudida and Alesio, the two southern archdukes near the stars, glanced at each other and thought for a moment.

Tails was in a hurry.

"Your Excellency the Grand Duke of the Black Sands!"

Tails couldn't help but speak loudly, attracting everyone's attention!

There are three fallacies in your words. Tails said coldly.

Rumba's expression froze.

The Grand Dukes turned to the prince.

"Go on, Your Highness the Stars," Trudida tugged at her beard, "what do you think?"

Tails let out a sigh of relief, rubbing his face and gathering his thoughts, "First, you compare the threat of the stars to the trap in your proposal. ”

Everyone frowned slightly.

"Your Excellencies. ”

"When he tells you the examples of the stars, and tells you what Halfis III and his successors have done in a hundred years?" Tails took a deep breath and said solemnly, "You should indeed be deeply afraid. ”

Rumba was slightly stunned, not understanding why he supported his assertions.

"But this fear does not come from the fear of the enemy," Tails replied to himself before the Grand Duke could ask questions, "but from pure, visceral vigilance and panic." ”

He took a step forward and hung his dagger back at his waist, revealing the heaviest gray expression the prince ever knew.

"This is no longer the rotten struggle of the knights, and it is no longer the brainless nobles who go back and forth to assassinate, frame, marry, fight for land, conquest, etc. Tails whispered, trying to tone up the atmosphere.

Trudida narrowed her eyes and said, "Mouse eyes?"

Grand Duke Auretheus snorted dissatisfiedly.

"I don't mean to offend, but," Tails gritted his teeth, "but what Hyunjun has done is no longer in the above category." ”

He raised his head: "It is the ruler who sits on the throne, who silently chokes the throats of the vassals, and then tightens the hand of power step by step, little by little, inch by inch, slowly and faintly but never stopping." ”

The Grand Dukes listened quietly.

He will smile, and with a gentle flood that gradually spreads but is unstoppable, he will drown the status, power, wealth, and privileges of the vassals, and suffocate the lords who have been famous and powerful for a while, one by one, one by one, in the long river of history, and will never turn over. ”

Power flowed silently and slowly through his chess game, and history rolled menacingly forward between his fingers. Tails imagined the amiable middle-aged king in the portrait, and suddenly a shudder arose in his heart.

"Such a path, such a change, such a threat, once it begins, whether perceived or not, is no longer within the control of the lords, and is not the struggle and contradiction that you are familiar with," Tails said with difficulty:

"Even if you put 10,000 Extreme Realm Termination Swordsmen in the dormitory, even if you build an iron wall in the city that reaches into the clouds, even if you dig a moat outside the city that floods for hundreds of miles, even if you win hundreds of battles on the battlefield, even if you defeat countless powerful and terrible enemies with rare wisdom and strategy, even if you win fame and prestige that no one can match in the centuries, even if you have the legendary dragons and calamities, you will be guarding the pillow day and night......"

"Nor can we stop this trend, nor can we stop your destined decline and defeat. ”

The archdukes' expressions became solemn.

Rumba gritted his teeth.

"In the face of it, no matter how big, strong, and boundless the power is, it's just a joke. ”

"So, it's not the threat that's scary, it's that you know where the threat is," Tails said gloomily, "but there's still nothing you can do but sit back and wait for destruction." ”

The faces of the Grand Dukes changed in unison.

"As soon as you think that this threat is behind you, do you still have to promise Rumba to go hand in hand with him on such a path?"

"Enough," Rumba said decisively, interrupting Tails with an angry face, "I'm fed up with your unfounded clamor and demagoguery, son. ”

He strode towards Tails.

The prince was a spirit, and Selma's face turned pale.

But Rumba was only halfway through when Archduke Ronnie appeared in front of Tails.

"Stand back, Rumba," Ronnie tapped the hilt of his sword at his waist, his face grimacing, "I haven't compared swords with you, but I'd love to give it a try." ”

Rumba's expression froze.

"Northlanders," said Archduke Leco softly, "don't act like a low-level thug who doesn't agree with each other, draws his sword and makes a move, and kills the whole family before venting his hatred." ”

Tails took a big breath to ease the tension.

"Your second fallacy, Rumba," Tails forced himself to continue, "do you think what I say is unfounded?"

"No," Tails said forcefully, "the Kingdom of the Stars is the best example. ”

The eyes of the Grand Dukes froze.

"Ladies and gentlemen, how did the Rumba exaggerate the power and strength of the stars to you, and speak of our threat?" Tails turned around, intentionally or unintentionally pulling Thelma in front of the other archdukes, "In his depiction, has the Kingdom of Stars become a dragon that is just one step away from soaring into the sky?"

"I don't know what you know about the stars, but what I'm going to tell you next is that the news circulating among the Duke and the Earl of the Guardian - that is, the six great families and the thirteen wang clans may be the truth or the rumors. ”

"On the day I left Eternal Star City and embarked on this unfortunate journey," Tails gritted his teeth in the eyes of several Grand Dukes, "an unexpected person came to me and told me ......"

The figure of the Duke of the One-Eyed Dragon appeared in front of Tails' eyes.

"In the Kingdom of Stars, Cullen of the East Sea Territory and the Sun Sword and Shield has become a shrunken turtle and is submissive to the royal family; Falkenhause of the Western Wilderness Territory is relying on the western front, struggling to support the four-eyed skull banner and not falling; the South Shore Territory, the lineage of Cavendier of the Iris, is shaky, and two baronies were confiscated by the royal family a few days ago; the Blade Leader, the Duchess of Tebak of the Blood Moon has been reduced to the point where she cannot survive without the royal family; and the Giant Horned Deer of the Cliff Territory has been driven to a dead end and has to prepare to fight back. ”

The expressions of the Grand Dukes changed, surprised, thoughtful, questioning, and so on.

"And the northern realm you are most familiar with, the imperial tycoon who has been enmity with the rumba for generations, Aarend of the White Eagle, has already been reduced to a vassal of the royal family under the heavy fist of the royal power after the conspiracy was exposed. ”

"This is just the most beautiful six wealthy families, the thirteen wang families below, and the traditional nobles below, when their power and status are deprived, what happened?"

"You want proof, the stars are your proof!" Tails exclaimed, "Look at our current situation!

Rumba closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

"However, this is far from the end," Tails looked at the expressions of the Grand Dukes and said in a heavy voice: "They, those who are dispossessed, will not sit idly by and wait for death, but secretly wait for the opportunity and fight back - do you think that Aarend only wanted the throne on a whim!"

He took a step forward, pulled off the clothes on his chest, revealing the scar burned by Quaid, and gritted his teeth and said, "Since I was recovered, I have experienced countless assassinations and conspiracies, and I can smell the faint tension and blood even when I sleep in the Fuxing Palace!"

Thelma covered her mouth and looked at the scar on his chest in surprise.

Trudida whistled, and Alesius folded his arms.

Grand Duke Leco's face was serious.

"The nineteen nobles are only representatives of them - this discontent will not be confined to the great vassals and nobles, but will spread throughout the country, and all the affected people will become uncontrollable riots and disobedience. ”

"The bloodshed of this struggle never ends, it just quietly hibernates, and even one day it will break out again until the final victory is decided. Tails said coldly.

"The chess game of Min Dith III has ushered in the ** moment after more than a hundred years," the prince turned his head and said in a firm tone: "And I can tell you with certainty: the Kingdom of the Stars is in the darkest hour, the most dangerous edge, the contradiction between the new order and the old blood......"

At this point, Terston paused, his eyes froze.

A terrible thought crept into his mind in an instant.

Darkest ......

Most Dangerous ......

The New Order.

Old blood.

At that moment, Tails opened his mouth, his face full of consternation.

His hands trembled slightly.

No way?

"What's wrong?" said Auretheus impatiently, "stuck?"

Under Thelma's tudding, the prince came back to his senses, but still could not calm the panic in his heart.

But he still tried to contain his emotions and pursed his lips.

"This is your third fallacy, Rumba," Tails suppressed the doubt in his heart and spoke with difficulty, "Do you think that the chaos and weakness of the stars are only temporary, and once we recover, we will be able to return to the top and be invincible in the Western Continent?"

"Nope. ”

"Just as change is never at a cost," Tails gasped, "there is no change without risk." ”

"The decline of the aristocracy is the price, and their counterattack is the risk faced by the stars"

By this moment, the expressions of the Grand Dukes were already very exciting—among them, even Rumba frowned.

"The current weakness and turmoil of the stars is not accidental, but the necessity of embarking on this path," Tails said, reasoning as he spoke, shocked by his new speculation, "This is what the virtuous king left for the stars. ”

His face was pale and he looked dazed, remembering the words that the one-eyed dragon had left behind.

Thelma looked at him worriedly.

"I don't know how long the stars will last, where the country will go, or what it will be," said the prince, for the first time without any purpose, sincerely and truthfully, "whether it will be fragmented or bitter." ”

"I only know that in this torrent, whether it is me or King Kessel, whether it is the six great families or the thirteen noble families, they are all trembling and shaking. ”

That's it.

Whether it's true or not - Tails obeys himself, at least ......

At least it is enough to convince them and shake them.

"And in the midst of this rapid, the biggest and most terrible wave ......," Tails gritted his teeth, his hand pressed to his chest.

There was a map that King Nunn had given him.

"You must have heard of it. ”

The Grand Dukes looked at each other with doubts in their eyes.

"That's right," Tails breathed painfully before the eyes of the Grand Dukes, and among the countless memories and clues, he came up with the answer he had just guessed:

"It was a tragedy where everybody lost and there were few winners. ”

In front of Tails's eyes, the Bright Star Tomb of the Fuxing Palace appeared, and the countless large stone jars and stone urns appeared, and the young duke of the Tebak family appeared, and in the stunned eyes of the Grand Dukes, he unconsciously whispered:

"The Year of Blood. ”

(End of chapter)