In the tower, Cyril snorted coldly:

"I dare to say that even if it is a virtuous monarch, when he sees the suspicious situation of the stars and the whole country today, it is difficult to say that he will not feel a little regret for the decision made back then.

This time, Tails listened quietly and did not speak.

But he remembered the words he used to persuade the five archdukes when he tried his best to turn the tide in Valhalla.

[Xingchen's current weakness and turmoil are not accidental, but inevitable after embarking on this path. 】

[This is what Hyunjun left for the stars.] 】

At that time, this was an "argument" that he swore and swore and worked hard to extract, and it was only temporarily used to shake a few grand dukes.

To be honest, even he didn't believe it himself.

But now......

Tails clenched his fists unconsciously.

But Cyril, who had been silently observing him, seemed to be not enough, and after shaking his head with a snort, he raised his voice, advanced his tone, and said the next sentence:

"But do you know that we, those of us who are dying, may just be in the terrible future of you 'crossing the obstacles' and successfully 'reaching the top'......"

The Duke's tone was soft, like a demon's whisper:

"The most inconspicuous of all. ”

Tails looked up suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

I saw that the Duke of the Western Wilderness, who was described as terrifying, no longer looked at him, but shook his head to himself and sighed:

"Do you think that after we, the feudal lords, and the old nobles who dominate the places are completely gone, those common people who have managed to occupy a seat in the national council, and the new nobles who are relied on as weapons by you, will be satisfied, willing, and will retire?"

Cyril's eyes slowly became murderous:

"When you ascend to the throne and subdue the princes, and gather power, where do you think the royal family should go in order to contain the princes? What is the way out of a biting mad dog like Araka Mu? What can a depraved woman like Sonia Suthret bring you? What can a shameless bastard like Williams share with you inside and outside the court?"

Tails took a deep breath.

The three handsomes of the stars.

He thought of the boorish kingdom wrath, of the steady flower of the fortress, of ......

Nasty Wings of Legends.

and their command from the Broken Dragon Fortress to the Bladefang Camp...... Countless and frequently transferred, it has gradually become the regular royal standing army of the kingdom.

"As for the so-called royal supporters like the 'Cunning Fox' Cassel in the Imperial Council, the 'Money Bag' Jucoe Man, the 'Big Soldier' Red, and even the old man Godwin and the sharp-faced Connie, who are loyal to you and have their mission to defeat the powerful nobles, what will they leave for you and what will they ask for you after they are done?"

The Duke's words became more and more dangerous:

"Do you think that when the bright star reigns supreme on the throne and there is no longer a threat to the land, when countless lowly people have followed the will of the king, erased the natural fear of the high-ranking people, and then converged into a rolling torrent, defeated the old vassals, became a new generation of nobles, and served the supreme kingship......"

Cyril's voice was so sharp that it almost pierced the door, and sounded like a viper spitting out a letter to Tails:

"Can you just sit back and relax?"

Tails was silent for a long time.

But it was clear that His Excellency the Duke had no intention of letting him go.

"It's even more terrifying. ”

Speaking of this, Cyril's tone was tinged with a hint of treachery, quite alarmist:

"When the merchants who have risen to the ranks of nobility by selling your lordships find that their gold can no longer buy more glory, and when the mercenary knights who have earned their titles by opening up frontier wastelands find that their swords cannot be exchanged for the glory of the six guardian dukes of the founding country......"

At some point, Cyril began pacing again—something that the distracted Tails realized when he heard the other man's voice coming from the left:

"When the professional bureaucrats who have worked hard to read and write can only earn a meager salary in exchange for a meager salary, when the creditors of the royal bank find that the king has no intention or ability to sell concessions, increase debts, and expand profits by raiding his house or expanding outward......"

"When countless new nobles yearn for more positions of power and interests, but can no longer find a big goal like us, no enemies for them to plunder, and no objects for them to ask for......"

It was still the Duke's exclusive words with a bitter tone, but Tails no longer felt the slightest bit of humor and humor.

Boom!

Cyril's crutches were the ground.

I saw the Duke of the Western Wilderness guarding the window, his figure backlit, and his wide but empty leather robe covered him firmly like the black shadow of a solar eclipse:

"Who do you think they are most likely to point at when they have lost their reverence for the high and can't wait for power?"

"Up or down?"

Falkenhause said coldly:

"Who's up, and who's down?"

"And what will happen up, and what will happen down?"

Up.

Down.

Before he knew it, Tails' left hand was firmly on the JC dagger pierced to the head of the bed.

Any change comes at a price.

The boy thought distractedly.

Some of the costs may not have been obvious at the time, but they were as they were when Cyril spoke of the chess game......

After a hundred steps.

Well, he, Tails Bright Star.

Could it be that "after a hundred steps"?

"Let's not mention that these are all your speculations......"

Tails took a deep breath, cheered up, and shook his head:

"If that's the case, then there's no escaping it. ”

"Then we will inevitably have a corresponding approach, such as readjusting the situation and balancing interests – there will always be a better way out. ”

Cyril, however, smiled contemptuously—not his usual ridicule or sarcasm aimed at offending people, but genuine, visceral disdain.

"So you didn't become a ruler......"

"Hmph, do you really think that your people are sincere and faithful, and they are good people who know how to repay their kindness? As long as you govern the government clearly, they will live and work in peace and contentment? As long as you give them benefits, they will be satisfied, and they will support you with gratitude, even if you are going to hell?"

Tails tilted his head and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Repeat," the prince choked with some unpleasantness:

"I don't like rhetorical questions. ”

But this time, Cyril no longer eats his "rhetorical question":

"Fuck it. ”

The Duke of the Western Wilderness said coldly and shamelessly, and Tails swore he had even heard some of the locals accustomed to speaking in the Western Wilderness dialect:

"It's not a face-to-face deal, and your people aren't businessmen: you hand them money and they'll give you back the next hand? ”

Boom!

The Duke shook his body and took a big step forward with great speed, and his robes, which were blown by the cold wind, pressed down on Tails like a hunting vulture:

"This world is not so simple, as simple as hard work can be rewarded, as simple as paying, as simple as you work together, you can have a thousand years of meritorious deeds to benefit the people. ”

"People are not so simple, it is as simple as giving grace and repaying it, giving profit is enough, being severely punished is fearful, and being powerful is served. ”

Cyril's tone was hurried and sharp, like a reprimand for hating iron but not steel:

"Nope. ”

He looked at Tails, who was a little startled, and slammed his cane against the wall:

"I've been ruling the Western Wilderness for more than twenty years, and trust me, your people can always give you unexpected and counterproductive feedback. ”

"One person may cooperate, may be loyal, may be obedient, but a crowd of thousands?"

Falkenhause snorted coldly, his eyes cold, vigilant and vigilant, like facing untouchable flames:

"A group of people, behemoths with bottomless appetites, insatiable sharks, will always respond to the ruler in a way that he does not expect and that will catch you off guard. ”

Tails was slightly stunned.

Cyril like this......

It's really not the usual thing, at least not what it was like at the national meeting six years ago.

If he's not acting.

Cyril turned around and gritted his teeth viciously:

"If you hate your people, they will hate you more, if you love your people, they will not necessarily love you, if you love your people, if you want to be strong, but if you benefit the people, they will not necessarily lead to true loyalty. ”

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The duke's pace grew faster and faster, and his cane tapped the ground with a muffled accent that made his heart palpitate.

"At the end of the reign of kings, the first king to use the messenger on a large scale in place of the messenger brought unprecedented change to the world, but he died under the absurd crime of 'losing his mind as a plaything, and abusing the people'. ”

More than 1,000 years ago, Emperor al-Bashir was merciful and reformed the old system, trying to give shelter to his people who had nowhere to live, but he died of depression amid the outpouring of grievances and emotions. ”

Listening to these historical tales that seemed both strange and familiar, Tails frowned.

"Are you saying that we are on an uncontrollable path that may lead to unintended and counterproductive consequences? ”

The Duke was noncommittal.

So Tails simply and mercilessly snorted in response:

"Then what you just said is unstoppable, and what you said about worry and vigilance, isn't it all?"

But it seemed that Cyril was also aroused, and he first snorted angrily, and his crutches were heavy on the ground, and he stopped:

"No, what I'm talking about is—"

"Expecting to use simple and crude means to reap direct and effective results is often half the effort. ”

He stared straight at Tails:

"Even if the purpose is correct and the direction is correct, if the means are wrong and the method is wrong, it is very likely that the effort will be futile or even self-defeating. ”

"That's the problem we're facing—the mistake of your father and his enemies. ”

The purpose is correct and the direction is correct.

Deviation of means and wrong methods.

Your father, and his enemies.

Mistakes made together.

At that moment, Tails suddenly realized what Cyril meant.

And where he stands.

Just listen to Cyril say coldly:

"The mighty ancient empire guarded the Thornlands with heavy troops, and the Duke of Thorns ruled this southwestern province known for its spirit of resistance with an iron fist, killing them obediently, and it seemed that the political achievements were outstanding and fruitful, which made the emperor quite admired. ”

But the duke's style of speech changed, and it was eerie:

"However, when the time came for the empire to decline, the flag rebellion was the most violent, and finally the heads of the provincial governor and the entire family of the Duke of Thorns were hung on the flagpole, destroying the imperial legions, and it was none other than these sons of thorns who shattered the empire's territory!"

In the increasingly agitated brain whirlwind, Tails took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall:

"If I'm not mistaken, Falkenhause, with the four-eyed skull as his emblem, is your folk language 'power comes from violence'?"

He whispered, waiting for a response.

Power is born of violence.

The Duke of the Western Wilderness froze slightly.

He was silent for a long time, until a cold wind blew.

"Yes. ”

The duke said quietly, and there was a rare complication in his eyes:

But outsiders only know this sentence. ”

"That's the worst sentence. ”

Cyril, with a withered and terrible face and no human form, stared at Tails.

Power comes from violence, the worst sentence.

"So......" Tails asked tentatively.

But Cyril Falkenhause interrupted him unceremoniously, and spoke in a cold voice, uttering in a deep tone a string of words that made Tails sit upright:

"Power dominates interests, interests lead to conflicts, conflicts produce violence, violence leads to obedience, obedience forms habits, habits create order, and order reaffirms power. ”

Tails froze.

Strangely, Falkenhaus, who had a shrill-pitched voice and was hoarse, spoke in a subdued voice this time, as if with some kind of respect:

"This is the logic of 'power comes from violence': a loop that is too perfect to break. ”

"As for the power and violence that outsiders talk about, they are just two small pieces of the puzzle. ”

Cyril lowered his head, narrowed his eyes, and leaned on his crutches, like a vulture perched next to a tree waiting to move:

"But too many people like to simplify, skip a lot of steps in between, think that giving benefits wins obedience, that resorting to violence brings power – that's the biggest problem." ”

"Especially those who want to make a difference in the world, change everything that people take for granted...... Reformers. ”

Power is born of violence.

It's just that...... Two pieces of the puzzle.

Falkenhause's words sent Tails in thought.

Cyril snorted again:

"And you know, what do we call a group of great people who once wanted the most, were the most eager, and were the most confident, and the most adept at changing the world?"

Cyril's next word caught Tails' attention:

"Mage. ”

There was silence in the room for a few seconds.

Tails let go of the dagger in his hand, and he involuntarily raised his head, trying to hide his surprise, and solemnly looked at the same burdened eyes of the Duke of Shang:

"And do you know what they brought to the world in the end?"

Cyril did not continue.

In this way, the two of them silently faced each other in this ominous room at the top of the tower, with a terrible look in one side and a puzzle on the other.

But Tails quickly shook off the anachronistic doubts.

"Cyril. ”

"You're not here to help your vassals and speak for them," Tails quickly returned to his current context:

"But you are not on the side of the king to show your goodwill to the bloodline of the kingdom. ”

Tails said straight:

"That's right. ”

He used an affirmative sentence.

The two were silent for a while.

Finally, a smile spread across Falkenhause's face—not the usual hypocritical smile of the previous one, but a sly, somewhat light-hearted one.

Although it was quite scary to put on his face.

"I said, don't treat me like an old-fashioned, stubborn antique. ”

The Duke exhaled a long breath, as if to conclude this part of the conversation: "Falkenhause is not an old-fashioned man who does not know the times, if the tide is like this, and if the general trend is like this, then I will not be stingy to make changes, and I will accept fate without regrets." ”

"I also believe that both order and habit can be changed. ”

In front of Tails' careful and serious gaze, Cyril's eyes moved:

"But this kind of change must be step by step, little by little, drop by drop, and it will come naturally. ”

"And not like this. ”

Cyril raised his cane and pointed out the window.

"There is a change in the north, and the prince has returned. ”

The Duke said coldly:

So, one side took advantage of the fire and threatened the king with the safety of the heir to the kingdom, forcing him to hand over control of the western front. ”

"On the other hand, after the false and wronged snakes, they used their black hands to wipe out the army, supplies, and garrisons of the lords of the Western Wilderness, and beat them all hard, and killed them all. ”

Tails listened to these two words that seemed to be an understatement, but in fact they were thrilling, and slowly changed color.

"Didn't you notice that compared to the small actions under the table six years ago, whether it was your father or the current princes, the actions of both sides were too drastic. ”

"And the irony is that they really think that through such a so-called victory," Falkenhause was serious at the moment:

"Can you erase the ambition and hostility of your opponent?"

Cyril waved decisively, quite imposingly.

"Nope. ”

This is a rare moment when Tails feels that the other party, as a duke, is not lost to the heroic and magnificent Grand Dukes of the Northland:

"They're just going to push each other worse and worse until the final step, either now or later. ”

Tails pursed his lips, thoughtful.

"But aren't you the head of the Western Princes, the leader of the Qunlun, the Lord of the Ruins who controls the vassals, and the Duke of the Western Wilderness?"

The prince spoke slowly:

"When the game of power between the Fuxing Palace and the ruins is put on the chessboard, shouldn't you be responsible for it and make a difference in it?"

Cyril smiled.

"So you're not a king yet. ”

The Duke glanced at Tyers:

"Do you think that at every important point in history, it is the will of someone who governs the waves?"

Cyril said in a cold voice:

"You know, when your vassals and subordinates are angry and angry, you don't have much choice but to go with the flow. ”

Tails' brow furrowed tighter.

The duke said sadly:

"Unless you want to take the place of the king and become the target of the crowd that stands in the way of their hope of regaining it - if you don't become their leader, you become their enemy, the first to fall in the middle of the two-sided blow, inside and out. ”

Tails was silent for a long time.

So, Cyril's words, means......

The boy suddenly remembered the meeting of the state from a long time ago, the vote that decided whether he was an illegitimate child or an orthodox prince.

At the time, Cyril voted "yes", but his nominal vassals, two of the Thirteen Noble Clans, voted "no".

Tails took a deep breath and pulled back to the present with his thoughts that were getting worse the more he thought about it:

"So bad?"

Cyril was silent for a while.

"Don't forget what I said, people will always respond to the ruler that he didn't expect and catch you off guard - unfortunately, the lords of the Western Wilderness are also in the scope of the description. ”

Falkenhause turned his head and glanced at him faintly:

"Of course, to your father, I and you, we are also within the scope of description. ”

Listening to the other party's other words, Tails did not answer.

The Duke turned his head and looked back at the gray sky outside the window:

"Co-opting commoners against the aristocracy and restraining power by any means must have consequences - the commoners are not pawns at your mercy, and the nobility is not something to be sacrificed. ”

His voice was as cold as the autumn wind:

"The feudal lords are tantamount to seeking their own death by blocking the general trend, but the Fuxing Palace may not be able to reap the desired results, and the quick success of both sides is even more taboo. ”

Tails clenched his fists.

Cyril looked at the sky in the western wilderness, as if confused, and sighed softly:

"More than a hundred years ago, the chessboard of the virtuous monarch fell silently, gently and steadily. ”

"But to this day, the chessboard on which your father played against them ......"

The Duke of the Western Wilderness paused for a few seconds.

"No, it's not going to end too well—the year of blood isn't going to be a dead end. ”

The confusion in his eyes dissipated, and he returned to reality, becoming sharp and alert:

"Unless Your Majesty can slaughter all the living beings in this land and erase all discord from it - I don't know, maybe one day in the future, when the Kingdom of the Stars can handle the magic power gun in his hands, the message will come in an instant, and the ruler on the throne can easily destroy the world with a slight nod, he may succeed. ”

Another cold wind hit the tower, bringing with it the sound of whirring wind.

But neither of them was aware.

This time, Tails was silent for a long time.

For a long time.

"Nope. ”

After a while, Tails spoke gloomily in a dry and hoarse voice:

"Trust me, even if that day happens......"

"He's not going to make it either. ”

Happiness is not happy, happiness is not happy, voting or not voting?—— by code a day of words, almost tired into a swordless dog

(End of chapter)