"You're on to the point, Your Highness," Raphael raised his head slightly, his red eyes shining under the eternal lamp: "The biggest problem is: Nunn is old."

"Yes, he may still be able to use his skills and remaining power to restrain Exeter, suppress the nine archdukes, and keep Broken Dragon Fortress and the North quiet for a few years," the young man from the secret department said coldly: "But where

And after that?"

Thales' breathing suddenly stopped.

The already unpleasant filthy air in the cell seemed to be even more solemn.

A long sigh came from the other end of the black hole.

"After the death of King Nun, it doesn't matter who ascends the throne in Exeter," Black Prophet's voice seemed to be filled with a hint of fatigue: "But what means do you think the new king will use to win the throne?"

How about collecting the maximum benefit and reputation at the minimum price in order to prove, accumulate, and consolidate one’s status and prestige as the successor king?”

"What means will he use to appease the grand dukes who lost the king election, and what chips will he use to reward those grand dukes who supported him?"

Thales closed his eyes and exhaled a breath that had been heavy for a long time.

He knew what the Black Prophet was going to say.

"Isn't it the star kingdom in the south that was weakened by the disaster twelve years ago, its vitality has not recovered, and the royal family is unstable?" Morat's voice became extremely cold: "Isn't it that Exeter has been thinking about three or four hundred years?

Cold Castle, Watch City, Lonely Old Tower and Broken Dragon Fortress? Isn’t it the supreme honor to reunify the Great North, where their ancestors have lived for generations?”

Thales was slightly shocked.

He looked at Little Huitou unconsciously, and a terrible thought came to his mind.

King Nun asked him to marry his granddaughter.

Under the premise that Canxing and Walton take care of each other, among their future blood descendants, one will inherit Canxing's surname and the other will inherit Walton's clan name.

From then on, the Star Kingdom had an excuse to intervene in the internal affairs of Longxiao City and restrain Exeter, which could not only ensure the survival of Walton, but also increase the prestige and leverage of the Stars.

but……

What about the other way around?

Once something happens to him, Thales himself, will the Kingdom of Ester and Longxiao City have the leverage to interfere with the Royal Family of Bright Star and make demands on the stars?

Thinking of this, Thales felt a little cold in his heart.

He suddenly remembered the one-eyed dragon Duke of the Stars, and the clan motto of the Costa Nantriest family: There is a price for fighting, and there is a reward for winning.

Raphael calmly let go of Miranda's wrist, and calmly accepted his boss's words, "Defeat the stars, capture the fortress, and unify the Northland - no matter which one of these three goals is achieved, it will be enough for the new king.

His crown will be graced with glory, and he will lay the foundation for the king’s throne.”

The Black Prophet's cold snort resounded in the air, and even the black hole in Raphael's hand trembled.

"The conflict between the Kingdom of Stars and Exeter will never disappear because of the decision of one family, even if you are crowned in the future," Morat said calmly: "We are afraid of them."

"Just as they are also afraid of us."

"So, once there is an opportunity, there are benefits, there are conditions - how could they not go south?"

Thales lowered his head.

Black Prophet's words gave him a real pressure.

"Once they go south - facing such an opponent, how long do you think we can hold on with our orphans, widows and defeated generals in the north?"

"Lady Sonia Satherley is known as the flower of the fortress and is permanently stationed in Broken Dragon Fortress. People say that if Sonia blooms, the fortress will be impregnable - it seems beautiful, but do you know, she is setting out

On the first day I guarded the fortress, I made a will and entrusted it to the royal family for safekeeping, and it has been twelve years since."

"Because she knows that one day in the future - when the north wind blows fiercely and the dragon roars into the sky - the flower of the fortress will wither in the north and never return."

"Do you know how much we paid in exchange for the peace of the "Fortress Peace Treaty"? Do you think it was just the words of the 'Star Fox'?"

"Do you know how much we paid to maintain this fragile peace and protect the dying northern border and the weak kingdom from the ravages of the military disaster?"

All Thales' words were blocked in his throat, and he felt an unspeakable annoyance welling up in his heart.

"The nobles are all complaining about Your Majesty and why he led an empty and fragile country to fight that unprofitable desert war five years ago." The Black Prophet's voice sounded cold and cold, but it contained a deep meaning.

A heart-stopping sense of power:

"However, those fat-headed and short-sighted worms will not know, nor do they want to know: in the stars after the Year of Blood, if we do not fight that seemingly crazy desert war, we do not need a desperate victory to show our national power, and there is no cost.

The brutal blood washes away our determination, and there is no need for the skulls of orcs or the altars of the Bone Man to prove that our swords are still sharp..."

When Cohen heard this, he suddenly realized something in his heart. Huaiya even squeezed the hilt of the sword in his hand and made it rattle.

The Black Prophet's voice continued: "I'm afraid that as early as five years ago in the winter, the 'born king' Nunn VII, who enveloped the entire northern sky and commanded the entire Northland, would have torn up the "Fortress Peace Treaty".

With the heavily armed Northlanders all over the mountains and plains, we are here to get back what they lost at the negotiation table."

"Where is the future, where is the dispute over the royal succession - where is the day when you will be called His Highness!"

"Do you think there won't be another king like this after Nun?"

Thales said nothing, just stared at the empty ground.

Raphael nodded slowly, and the young man took over the Black Prophet's words and said expressionlessly: "Five years have passed, and Exeter has gradually figured out our trump card, and the confusing and deterrent effects of the desert war are no longer there.

You have also seen it in the Hall of Stars. With just a push from Lombard and Arend, the division between the royal family and the nobility has given those Yankees nothing to fear."

"Why should we execute 'Dragon Blood'?" Raphael lowered his head and said calmly in the darkness:

"This is the answer and the meaning of 'dragon's blood'."

"What we want is not just a few years of false peace, not years of fear, not repeated dangerous negotiations and confrontations," Raphael said with a pale face, blood-red pupils, and a complicated expression as he bowed slightly to the prince:

"It's that the disadvantaged kingdom will no longer make things worse. It will be the peace and stability of Star North for decades or even hundreds of years. Long enough for the stars to recover from the huge damage of the Bloody Year, long enough for your family's name and rule to become stable again.

, so long that we become strong again, fearless, just like before."

"Under this goal, even the life and death of King Nun become insignificant."

Thales raised his head and realized something.

"Rumba's behavior marks the end of the myth of Exeter since the founding of the country, and proves that the so-called Nekaru oath of co-governance is nothing but a piece of paper, and the creed that the Northland firmly believes in is also pale and powerless," Raphael smiled slightly,

"More importantly, a grand duke blatantly committed regicide - there was a precedent."

"The earliest precedent is the mourning of Grand Duke Tan En in the Welland Territory." Thales snorted feebly, his eyes drifting towards the little slicker intentionally or unintentionally: "He is not the first one."

Little Huitou, who had not dared to speak out loud from just now, now raised his eyes and looked at Thales, but he could only see endless fatigue and gloom in the latter's eyes.

Raphael frowned slightly and hesitated in speaking.

"I get it now."

Thales sighed, his own understanding emerging in his mind.

"What you need is not revenge, rebellion, or even someone's death," the second prince took over their words after sighing deeply: "What you need is to tear off the disguise and whitewash of the Nekaru Oath and destroy Aix."

The most deep-rooted contradiction within the country - the opposition between the king and the grand duke - was completely exposed and turned into an uncontrollable chaotic situation."

For example, if a Grand Duke of Exeter succeeds in regicide through violence and conspiracy, this will bring an unparalleled shock to the children of the North Wind and the Dragon, and a devastating blow to the faith in the North created by Nekaru, breaking the

Ten Grand Dukes adhered to the principles for nearly seven centuries.

For example, under the founding legend of heroes and dragons, it stirs up thoughts that the archdukes should not have, stirs up their weird thoughts outside of the King Selection, stirs up their other ambitions outside of the oath of co-ruling, and stirs them up in Ek

In the six hundred years of St.'s life, he could only think about a few greedy thoughts when he dreamed back at midnight.

What's more important and urgent is:

The death of Nun, the Rebellion of Lombard, and even the possible civil war in Exeter - this will bring shadow and precedent to the next King of Exeter, and will bring the new king to his nine co-rulers.

The Grand Duke's unprecedented vigilance and doubts also brought endless suspicion to the Grand Dukes about their joint appointment as king.

By that time, the feat that King Nun had once gathered together with seven great dukes and hundreds of thousands of troops to invade south and cross the Broken Dragon Fortress would probably never be so easy to achieve again.

Raphael nodded in confirmation of his words.

He understood the reason for the action of the Secret Division, but Thales still couldn't be happy.

His heart was as heavy as before, as if there was a sharp thorn running through it, which made him uneasy all the time.

For some reason, Kessel's words appeared before his eyes again:

Fight for the stars, die for the stars, live for the stars.

Thales shook his head, as if this could alleviate his heavy emotions.

Obviously, he failed.

"Did the secret science succeed?" Thales finally sighed and asked what he wanted to ask the most: "If it succeeds, why am I here?"

The black hole trembled again - the black prophet spoke.

To Thales's expectation, this time Morat Hansen actually asked a question: "I'm also curious, what happened in Longxiao City?"

Raphael's face changed and his expression became serious.

"According to the plan, you should stay in the Palace of Heroes now, spend the night as a distinguished guest of Exeter under heavy protection, and pass through me with your neutral status among the princes who are in trouble after the incident.

"But for some reason King Nuen decided to leave the Palace of Heroes and took you out of the palace - so that you fell into the hands of Lumba.

"
To be continued...