"What the are you talking about!"

Archduke Ronnie, who reacted, could no longer hold back his anger and shouted at Tails.

Tails softened his breathing and looked at Ronnie calmly.

They did not like the proposal - the prince took in everyone's expressions and came to this conclusion.

Not just Ronnie, but almost all the Grand Dukes, except for Rumba, were extremely dissatisfied - even the slippery Trudida exhaled from his nose in disdain.

But Tails had anticipated their reaction.

Next......

"Look ...... Me"

Grand Duke Auretheus raised his heavy sword again, his eyes blazing: "Let's kill this viper first, and then kill each other?"

"Prince Tyles!" Archduke Raiko's deep voice was full of sternness at the moment: "I advise you to ......"

Tails took a deep breath, and Thelma shook his head at him in the distance.

"Two minutes are not yet up," said the prince, with the most serious expression he could imagine, "keep your word and let me finish—after that you will be fine if you want to cut me into several pieces!"

Archduke Leco was silent, his expression disgusted and angry.

Tails immediately turned his head.

Rumba was looking at him with a complicated expression.

I've got to find what they care about...... Tails said to himself.

"If you become their new king," Tails said resolutely to the rumba, "even if you let them out alive, the Grand Dukes will not be able to turn against you in the open, and they will not be able to fabricate reasons to conquer their own king—for it is a breach of the oath of confederation!"

"In addition to getting rid of their threat to you, you will also gain the status of king, prestige, and taxes, and continue to live your ideals in Exeter without having to face the angry dragon city after the death of the Grand Duke. ”

Rumba's brows flocked and relaxed, and he stopped talking.

"Impossible!" Archduke Ronnie interrupted them through gritted teeth, "I can't choose a kingkiller in my life!"

"This in itself is the greatest trampling and insult to the oath of co-governance!"

I knew it...... Tails said silently in his heart.

Tails could only close his eyes and inhale again, turning to them.

"It's a necessary compromise!"

The prince said categorically, "Your Excellency Ronnie, I know that your vassals have always been unstable, and Nunn has also used this as an opportunity to try to interfere with you - think about it: if your Qiyuan City loses its lord today......"

"Think about the current Longxiao City!"

Ronnie's words were stunned.

Tails looked at the others, his face anxious, and his tone was earnest:

"Everyone, please put aside your superfluous emotions and think carefully: this is already much better than your original ending!"

"If I hadn't shown up, think about what would have happened to you: stepping into the 'virtuous' trap of the Rumba without knowing what was going on, falling apart in war and interests, weakening in his successive schemes, unknowingly becoming a stepping stone to the power of the Grand Duke of the Black Sands, sacrificing his own family as a burial object for the oath of co-governance. ”

"To lay the foundation for the newly-born kingdom of Exeter, where no Grand Dukes existed," Tails gasped sharply, "powerlessly waiting for his family and territory to be wiped out." ”

Olesius straightened his face and looked directly at the Grand Duke of Black Sand.

And Rumba lowered his head when he heard this, his eyes tightened, and his eyebrows twitched, as if a storm was brewing.

"But now that you have managed to avoid that end, and have received such important information," the prince's words resounded, "but you will die in Valhalla, leaving behind an Exter who does not know where to go, and plunging your family and realm into turmoil?"

"Accept my proposal, at least you can safely return to the territory, return to your own family, go back to see your siblings, wife and children, relatives and friends, arrange everything in an orderly manner, and then stand together again against your new king, and be wary of new threats in the undercurrent!"

Grand Duke Trudida snapped his fingers inexplicably, his expression subtle.

Tails eagerly awaited a response from the Grand Dukes.

"You are," said Archduke Raiko, holding his emotions and expressing the essence of the prince's suggestion word by word, "you want us to give this king-killer the power and status of the king of a country, and to put the initiative and shield of the struggle in the hands of this traitor, in exchange for our own ...... of stealing a living."

The bald boss's tone changed, and his eyes were like knives.

"And then wait for him, as the king, to crush us to death one by one?, and build his own kingdom?" the old duke at this moment was like a volcano before it erupted, unsettling: "You think too much of us Northlanders, Prince Tails. ”

"We'd rather die here!"

Rumba sneered appropriately, reaping the angry eyes of the Grand Dukes.

Tails let out a bitter sigh.

Damn the Northlanders.

I have to address their concerns.

The prince closed his eyes, pulled his head sideways to the left to the maximum arc, and then threw it back violently:

"No!"

"Even if he becomes a king, he won't succeed," Tails squeezed his eyes with a headache: "At least, at this moment, you already know about Rumba's schemes, know his ambitions, understand his threats, be wary of his existence, even as his vassals, you can counter him accordingly......"

Tails desperately recalls the current situation of Exeter with Gilbert, Putile, and Slippery Head, trying to put together a strong argument: "Like ......"

The prince's words were stuck in the middle of the road, and he didn't know for a moment what reason to obey them.

"For example......"

However, just as Tails was in a quandary, a childish female voice interjected into the conversation.

"You are not the dukes of the Kingdom of the Stars...... The power and status of the Grand Duke of Exeter are much greater and higher than that of the Guardian Duke......"

Tails froze.

With surprise and surprise, the Grand Dukes' eyes turned to the side in unison.

I saw the young Thelma trembling in her voice, with an unabated timidity, rubbing the triumphal ring in her hand, and stammering:

"Even if the king has a higher status than you, even if you have to pay taxes to him, it is ...... as before"

"You ......" Thelma choked up, but then she swallowed her throat, clenched her fist, and said hard with a crimson face:

"Article 7 of the Oath of Confederation stipulates: 'I obey the king's decrees, and my land is mine'—you may still refuse the king's decrees, and refuse to carry out his decrees in your own land, as long as you have a valid reason......"

The Grand Duke was stunned.

"And the fourteenth article: 'Under the general righteousness, you shall not refuse to fight,' which means that in the face of a war contrary to principles and righteousness, as long as you give reasons and obey your vassals and subjects, you have the right to reject the king's conscription order, even if it is necessary to send troops, and it is up to you to decide how many men to send......"

Rumba's face turned ugly.

"Also, there are precedents that are not written on the oath, but are recorded: if the king wants to send officials to coordinate the affairs of your domain or the conflicts between your lords, it must be a nobleman of considerable status......"

"You may have to pay a tax to him, but the proportion of the payment is usually determined by your own council of lords, according to the annual harvest and income—the practice has been the practice since the 'civil strife of Tanne,' first proposed by the first Grand Duke of Aletheus. ”

Grand Duke Auretheus's face suddenly became very exciting.

"So, you need not be afraid of the king," Thelma took a deep breath, "In Exeter, both the king and the archduke are masters of the land—this is the default power of the archdukes under the oath of condominium. ”

Rumba closed his eyes tightly: So, that's why the oath of condominium must be destroyed......

There are such limitations......

Exeter will always be a ten-headed dragon.

Selma continued: "It's just that in the past ninety years, under the high pressure of Longxiao City, many Grand Dukes have been forced to come up with various pressures. ”

"But the Black Sand Collar is not Longxiao City, he has neither pinched your trade routes, nor controlled your grain reserves, nor is he your blood in-laws—thus meddling in your internal problems. ”

Selma exhaled softly, blushing, and she suddenly reacted when she was done—the Grand Dukes were all looking at her.

The girl quickly lowered her head nervously.

The Grand Dukes, including Rumba, looked at her in amazement, as if they were meeting the girl for the first time.

The girl......

Exactly......

Tails let out a sigh of relief and cast a grateful look at Thelma.

"Yes!"

Tails clenched his fists resolutely and shook them hard in front of his chest: "Just as you resist the high pressure of King Nunn with the dignity of the Grand Duke: what can he do if he is the king? issue a warrant for you to surrender? Is a frontier Black Sand Leader worse than the mighty Longxiao City?"

Tails emotionally added the last sentence: "As a Northlander, are you afraid?

Ronnie looked up sharply and grinded his teeth unpleasantly: "One more insult to the Northland......"

Auretheus answered coldly: "I'll cut out your tongue." ”

Tails is a spirit.

"Alright," Tails swallowed, nodded, and sensibly did not answer, "I know you are not afraid of death...... But isn't it 10,000 times worse than you dying here for no apparent reason, plunging Exeter into chaos and confusing your territory?"

"It takes more courage and responsibility to live with hope than to die with despair. ”

Leko didn't say anything more, but fell into deep thought.

Tails' chest heaved and heaved, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

But this time, it was Rumba's turn to clench his fists and question him with hatred.

"In that case," said the Grand Duke of Black Sand, whose face was cold, "why should I let them go, sit on that dangerous and unstable throne, and become a king in name only?"

"Leave a calamity, let these sworn enemies harbor evil intentions use all kinds of means against me in private, and one day cause a catastrophe?"

Rumba was stunned: "I want to take their heads here, and I don't want to play cat and mouse tricks with them." ”

As soon as these words came out, the faces of the three people facing each other suddenly turned hideous, and there were immediately signs of resuming the fight.

Tails raised his hands in pain and grabbed at his hair.

Ahhh

These bastards!

"Rumba!"

Tails took a sharp breath: "If you don't do this, be ready to say goodbye to your future!"

"Valhalla died six Grand Dukes in one day, and you who came out of it with the army, try to explain to the Prime Minister of Lisbane's army and the angry Longxiao City: This is all done by the Xingchen people, I am just passing by?"

Rumba snorted coldly.

His grip on the hilt of the sword grew tighter and tighter.

This sub......

This one......

Damn it.

"As for the threats made to you by the Grand Dukes—aren't you Charman Rumba?" Tails suppressed his inexplicable anger and said in a deep voice, "Revival Palace, Broken Dragon Fortress, Shield District, and now! We have fought each other so many times, and you will never give in, and you can earn hope in the Jedi every time......"

"Don't you dare to take the risk of betting again, for the sake of ambition and ideals, for your Exter, to sit on that dangerous and unstable throne and continue your dangerous game on the second battlefield?"

"Is it to die here hopelessly, or is it a glimmer of life and danger...... Do you need me to tell you how to choose?"

Rumba's breathing began to get confused.

Tyers remembered Rumba's past and subconsciously added:

"Believe me, after killing several Grand Dukes in a row, your ambition will come to an end, your preparation and hard work for half a lifetime will be ruined, and the tragedy of your family will continue to be staged!"

"Think about your family, think about your subordinates...... Are you willing?"

Rumba froze in place, he stared at the saber in his hand in a daze, and was speechless for a long time.

Harold......

"Son," said Grand Duke Auretheus, with a heavy face: "One moment this, one moment that, which side are you on?"

Tails had to turn back to the four archdukes.

He just felt like a firefighter, running back and forth, exhausted.

"It doesn't matter which side I'm on......," Tails sighed, exhausted and exhausted:

"But none of you, surely none of you want an Exeter who is precarious, crumbling, and in the midst of chaos and doesn't know where the future holds—whether to face it alone or to leave it behind, do you?"

The Grand Dukes remained uncertain, but Tails was keenly aware that Lecco had put away his anger and put down his hands thoughtfully, while Trudida pursed his lips.

Gotta work harder.

Tails frowned, his heart moving.

"You may not know, but I can vouch for ......"

Cather...... My father, His Majesty Kessel must have been very, very happy to see such a scene," Tails sketched in his heart the grim image of the iron-fisted king, and tried to find the angle that best suited the thinking of the Grand Dukes:

"As for whether he will take advantage of Exeter's sixth-place situation after the stars recover...... Perhaps it was the terrible civil strife after the death of the seven Grand Dukes, who sent troops north to unite the nobles of the country with the blood of Exeter......"

"That's not what I can imagine," Tails narrowed his eyes, "In particular, the seven also include the three archdukes in the south who are close to the stars. ”

Auretheus's face changed.

Grand Duke Leco sighed and closed his eyes.

"He has to have a point," said Archduke Trudeda, who had not spoken for a few minutes, abruptly, "it is not worth dying here, and it is all a bad consequence." ”

Auresius glared at him sternly: "Pasius!"

Tails' eyes lit up, as if he had found a breakthrough.

"Look, that's where our consensus lies," the prince slammed his fist into the palm of his hand, sweeping everyone with a sharp look, "the situation is progressing so fast that you are unprepared and have no choice but to hastily draw your sword and fight to the death......"

"But you don't want such a costly outcome!"

Tails turned his head from side to side and said sincerely, "So, both of you need a gentle step, an option to take a step back. ”

"Trade the throne for security," Grand Duke Ronnie calmed down and shook his head: "This is not an option at all, we can't solve anything. ”

Tails nodded, a little bitter in his heart.

"Maybe that's not the solution. ”

"But remember: in this round, none of you surrendered, none of you threw in the towel, no one abandoned principles and beliefs," Tails said solemnly, looking at the Grand Dukes who had gradually quieted down:

"You're just temporarily covering the halfway game, temporarily withdrawing the opposing blades, gearing up, and saving the wins and losses for the next encounter. ”

Grand Duke Auretheus twisted his face and let out an unpleasant growl from his throat.

He thought of his Weilan collar, and remembered the mottos and stories that had been passed down from generation to generation in his family......

This guy with the surname Bright Star......

Bright Stars!

Tails turned to the rumba, who looked hesitant.

"That's what I'm proposing. ”

"You, Rumba, you will become a king, free from the guilt of murder and the threat of the Grand Duke, and gain a new position of power, and although the road ahead will be difficult, you will still be able to restart your ideals without being trapped in the perilous city of Longxiao. ”

Rumba had no words.

So Tails looked at the Grand Dukes again:

"You, Grand Dukes, survive the mortal situation, learn where the real threat lies, renew your alliances, return to your realms to protect your families, maintain the integrity of the oath of co-governance, and avoid the precarious fate of Exter. ”

Tails gasped, praying in his heart for the Grand Duke's reaction.

Archduke Lecco opened his eyes slowly, and he looked at Trudeda, who smiled ugly.

Auretheus stared at the rumba in front of him, and a few words popped out from between his teeth: "Just choose the king like this......

"It's not child's play, it's politics. ”

Unexpectedly, it was Trudida who interrupted him.

I saw this cunning man squint his eyes: "It is a necessary compromise, an exchange of interests." ”

As if he had found a lifesaver, Tails nodded gratefully, "That's right, it's another way to fight." ”

"And knowing that there is a better option, but still blindly charging suicidally and sacrificing soldiers - that is a fool's business. ”

Ronnie turned to their "traitor" Trudida with an unsightly face: "So you're on his side?"

"If we're all slaughtered here by the Black Sands, then we don't have to stand anywhere," Trudida said gloomily, "It's the same with Chaman – he slaughtered us, and then he was slaughtered by Lisbane." ”

Grand Duke Ronnie let out a low roar, seemingly resentful.

"Bow down to a king-killer against our will, and choose him king," the archduke gritted his teeth and grimaced, "and covered up the king-killing act for him—can you imagine a worse act than this, trampling on the oath of co-governance?"

The faces of the Grand Dukes sank and looked at each other.

The atmosphere was solemn.

Tails could only bite the bullet and speak again.

"Didn't you plan to do the same when you took the oath before?"

Tails steadied his breathing, only to feel the sweat in his palms: "At that time, in the face of the threat of the stars, you made a painful but necessary decision, I can understand ......"

"Now in the face of the threat of the Rumba, you also have to make a painful but necessary decision......"

"This is the responsibility and responsibility of the lord of a land. Tails only felt that he was almost exhausted and paralyzed, and his brain was completely insufficient: "It's what you have to carry when you stand in this position." ”

Tails shook his head helplessly, and uttered something that he found sarcastic: "For Exeter." ”

Hearing this, Rumba exhaled and looked away, showing a silent sarcastic smile.

When Tails finished his last sentence, he only felt sweaty and about to collapse.

He's done his best.

If that doesn't work......

So what's next......

"It's been well over two minutes. ”

Archduke Leco, who had not moved for a long time, opened his tired eyes, as if he had experienced a fierce duel: "Prince Tails. ”

Aletheus and Ronnie subconsciously raised their swords and looked at Rumba, who was also vigilant.

"I'm sorry," Tails swallowed bitterly, his mouth dry:

"Maybe my time doesn't flow at the same speed as yours. ”

(End of chapter)