Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 624 Great Difficulty

According to the later "History of Dark Star", in the year 679 of the End Calendar, Thales Star, the second son and heir of the Iron-Fisted King and known as "Polaris", escaped his perilous hostage life through complex political maneuvering. He was escorted out of the country by the northern lords and returned to the Star Kingdom, where he was immediately granted the title of Duke of Starlake Castle.

(Another version says that the northerners were unwilling to let the prince leave, so he fought his way out and escaped in a sorry state. However, he was separated from his followers and had to cross the vast desert alone. With the help of the orc tribe, he returned home. But this version comes from folk songs and ballads that circulate in the independent state of Caligri and around Baki City. It is more like a passionate and imaginative literary interpretation by poets. It lacks logic and evidence and is therefore not credible.)
On November 2 of the same year, Duke Thales attended the Royal Council for the first time in the records, formally participating in the politics of the kingdom.

This meeting was of great importance, mainly addressing two thorny issues:
First came a heinous incident that offended the royal family: a debt-ridden, desperate gentryman from the Western Wilderness stormed into (or, according to another account, was invited by someone with ulterior motives) the Hall of Mindis. At the time, the North Star was hosting a banquet, and the gentryman, in front of all the dignitaries, drew his sword and threatened the guests, accusing the royal family of harming a foreign official from the Western Wilderness. Although the uninvited guest from the Western Wilderness was ultimately killed by Duke Thales himself ("His Highness's courage is no less than the kingdom's wrath," Earl Godwin remarked to his sons afterward), the incident caused the royal family to lose face and shocked the court and the public, sparking a flurry of rumors.

Secondly, there was an even worse political event: several months earlier, led by Viscount Lugo of Xizhan Fortress (now the Four Points District of Floating Sands), the greedy vassals of the Western Wilderness, in their desire to monopolize the desert trade routes, resorted to slander and defamation, forcing Marshal Williams, known as the "Wing of Legends," who represented the royal family and guarded the Blade Fang Camp (Note: now the ancient castle ruins park on the western outskirts of Blade Fang City), to leave. Just one month later, without the support of their standing army, the disciplined vassals of the Western Wilderness were attacked by Bone People and Orcs (some say they were sand bandits disguised as their own people who infiltrated the camp), nearly losing Blade Fang Dunes. Viscount Lugo and his two sons were killed on the spot. Fortunately, Marshal Williams was stationed nearby and led his troops back to reinforce them in time. Although he despised the character of the Western Wilderness nobles, he still disregarded past grievances to help his allies, hold the line, and drive out the enemy, thus managing to keep the border intact.

Two events, each more shocking than the last (not to mention their strange simultaneous occurrence), undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to the Starry Sky royal family with the arrogant and domineering attitude of the Western Wilderness lords, serving as a congratulatory gift for their father-son reunion.

The entire kingdom awaited the response from the Palace of Restoration.

It is said that the imperial council meeting lasted from morning until late at night, a full day, during which the ministers had serious disagreements:
Military advisor Sordall Reid believed that both incidents were proof of the ineffective rule and contempt for the royal family by the vassals of the Western Wilderness. He advised the Iron-Fisted King to take a hard line and appoint Marshal Williams (whose biography can be found in Dr. Thales Daniel Doyle's "The Last Chronicles") as royal commissioner to send troops to the Wilderness (now the Duchy of Falkenhaus) to hold the vassals of the Western Wilderness, led by the Duke of Falkenhaus, accountable. The implication was that he was willing to fight to establish his authority and set an example for others. Those who shared similar opinions included the Minister of Commerce and the Faith Advisor.

On the other side, Prime Minister Duke Bob Cullen preferred to believe the two events were merely accidents and was deeply worried about the potentially disastrous consequences. Treasurer Joker Mann lacked confidence in the budget for the campaign, and the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock was unwilling to let a war disrupt production. All three resolutely opposed the radical opinions of the military advisors. Strangely, this time, even the highly respected 'fox' Cassel, a staunch supporter of the King's campaigns against his local vassals, sided with them.

As one of the parties involved, the young Duke of Thales wanted to make a name for himself at the meeting, but he soon discovered that the courtiers, including his teacher, Earl Cassel, did not care about this greenhorn who had been imprisoned in the north for six years and attended the court with the honorary title of Duke of Starlake.

Seeing that his voice carried little weight, the Duke of Xinghu was extremely disappointed and left the palace midway through the ceremony.

The royal council continued, with the courtiers divided into two factions, each sticking to their own arguments and arguing fiercely. Catherine V was so agitated that ("I can tell you the King is not happy—quite, very, especially, extremely unhappy," Lord Clapham, then Secretary of State for Agriculture, wrote in a private letter), and even had to interrupt the meeting several times.

Duke Thales returned to the Palace of Restoration at dusk.

This time, he brought a sword.

At first, no one understood the Duke's intentions, and even the royal guards protecting the palace were terrified ("The Duke returned at night with his sword, startling the guards." - The Watchman's Secret, Marius). But this time, the North Star at least attracted the attention of the courtiers, making them patiently listen to what he had to say. The military advisor Sodor commented: "His serious demeanor reminded me of Prince Horace."

What happened in between remains unknown to later historians, but many believe that it was with this family heirloom sword of the Falkenhausen family that the prince proved his influence over the western wilderness. He successfully persuaded the king and his ministers to allow him to handle the crisis in a more subtle way than by sending troops westward.

The Palace of Restoration soon sent a letter to the ruins written in the handwriting of the Duke of Thales, known as the Letter to Cyril (now in the Museum of Meryl Hexer University, one page of the original is missing).

In this letter, Duke Starlake wrote sincerely and humbly, recalling his friendship with several old friends in the Western Wilderness, mentioning the royal family's standing garrison in the Western Wilderness (which provides important evidence for scholars studying the Star Kingdom's military and diplomatic policies toward the Great Desert region), and expressing special thanks to Duke Cyril Falkenhaus for the sword he had given him. However, he made no mention of the unexpected incident at the Blade Fang Camp and the banquet.

Later scholars have offered many interpretations of this letter. It is generally believed that Duke Thales carefully selected his words and content, and every word, including the degree of rhetoric, was intentionally polished. He was subtle yet veiled, showing goodwill and winning over while secretly threatening. He also analyzed the situation in the Western Wilderness with clear logic and unique insights. Most importantly, he used blank spaces to point out his intentions.

(“Duke Cyril couldn’t possibly be unaware of the seriousness of those two matters. He was certainly prepared to bargain, but the more taciturn Duke Starlake was about them, the more uneasy, anxious, and apprehensive he became. Though unspoken on paper, his words carried weight. This is the highest level of diplomacy.” — Dr. T.D. Doyle, “A Study of the Feudal System in the Western Wilderness of the Old Kingdom”)
In any case, the letter served its purpose.

Baron Van Cleef Gutz, a court advisor at Floating Sand Palace, said that after reading the letter, the Duke of the Western Wilderness "pondered for a long time." Soon, under his leadership, the usually arrogant princes of the Western Wilderness bowed their heads and admitted their mistakes. They not only acknowledged their poor governance and apologized for the accident at the Blade Fang Camp and the injustice suffered by Marshal Williams, but also took the initiative to request the Restoration Palace to send troops to the Western Wilderness, completely submitting to the royal power of Kessel V.

The successful handling of the Western Wilderness crisis without conflict or bloodshed greatly enhanced Thales Star's political standing, giving him a secure place in the Imperial Council.

If before this incident, Duke Thales' reputation was limited to being "the pitiful little prince" in the eyes of the common people (due to his intelligent performance at the State Council and his experience as a hostage in the North), then after this incident, the entire kingdom, from nobles to officials, from vassals to princes, had the impression that "Duke Starlake is capable of governing well and can shoulder great responsibilities."

The king's heir enjoys widespread popularity, which objectively consolidates the relatively unstable (some scholars believe it is a stable foundation but a high-pressure and forceful) rule of the Starry Sky royal family, causing restless enemies to suppress their excessive ambitions.

But history is not that simple.

In fact, the rise of Duke Xinghu has aroused dissatisfaction among many people, including many important figures at the Imperial Conference during the Western Wilderness Crisis. They have devoted themselves to governing the country and assisting the government for many years, but in the end, they are not as good as a young man who has been imprisoned in the north for many years, which makes them lose face.

Moreover, once this precedent was set, the Duke of Starlake was able to overstep his bounds and take charge of matters that belonged to the Royal Council by privately reporting to the King, which directly affected the authority and status of the Royalists in front of the King.

("I can't reveal the specifics, but I can tell you that the moment the prince walked in, none of us dared to breathe," said Juke Mann, the then treasurer.)
More importantly, most of the royalists came from the new nobility, and they believed that the Duke of Starlake sided with the old princes on many issues (such as land and tax policies), which fundamentally jeopardized their interests.

And this is not something that came out of nowhere:

The mild and effective handling of the Western Wilderness crisis did indeed win the hearts of many local lords for the North Star. Many people began to bring disputes and problems (which the king would not have understood before) to the Duke's Mindis Hall, hoping to get the same satisfactory solution. And they did not disappoint. The Duke of Thales was adept at handling various situations, always able to take into account all sides, withstand the enormous pressure from the king and the Royal Council, and was also very charismatic, gently appeasing the many grievances of the local vassals.

As a result, the Duke of Starlake's reputation grew day by day, and Mindis Hall soon became a must-pass place for out-of-town vassals to visit the capital. As one of the main protagonists of the Western Wilderness crisis, Count Lewis Bozdorf of Heroes' Castle even sent his heir to the Duke of Starlake, hoping that he would follow the Duke and learn something.

At that time, a knight from the countryside who had come to the city to handle some business said to a friend of his who was struggling financially: “Don’t worry, there is nothing in this world that cannot be solved… If there is, go to the Palace of Restoration, if there is still something, go twice… If that doesn’t work, go to the Hall of Mindis.”

What Polaris truly considered, whether his actions were genuine sympathy for the local lords or an ambitious attempt to gain fame, remains unknown to posterity. In any case, the Duke of Starlake's behavior both earned him renown and made him a target of suspicion, until these suspicions coalesced into slander and distrust, surging towards the highest point of the Restoration Palace—Kathel V.

Later historical evaluations have included discussions and criticisms of the iron-fisted king's personality, arguing that his cold, aloof, and stubborn nature was the main reason he couldn't maintain a good relationship with his son. If Catherine V had been less harsh, forceful, and suspicious, and instead had been more open and understanding with the Duke of Starlake, many of the conflicts between the central government and local authorities during the kingdom's period of change (including the aforementioned Western Wilderness crisis and the subsequent turmoil involving the Iris family) might have been resolved with the combined efforts of father and son.

Unfortunately, history has no "what ifs".

Starting in the spring of 680, sinister rumors began to circulate in the capital of Star Kingdom, such as "Two stars rule the country, and the big picture can be seen from small things." Some illegal underground gambling dens even launched betting games on "how long the king can live."

Unfortunately, in the summer of the year 680, due to a combination of factors, the fifteen-year-old Duke of Thales was ruthlessly exiled from Everstar City by King Kessel V.

----

After a terrifying day, Prince Mindis Hall was finally reopened, and the Star Lake Guards were released from custody, finally giving Thales a place to go home and sleep.

Despite the efforts of the Fuxing Palace to block the rumors, the story of the Duke of Xinghu breaking into the palace and severing ties with the King and his son inevitably spread throughout the capital.

The remaining members of the Star Lake Guard were both astonished and puzzled about what had happened to His Highness at the Palace of Restoration that day (especially after the Flag Bearer interrogated them for six hours and then hastily retreated). The rumors they heard from various places were chaotic, so DD, Golov, and others who had once "followed His Highness through thick and thin" suddenly became hot commodities, pursued and questioned everywhere ("Those who know, know; as for others, cough cough, sorry, I must keep the prince's secret." - DD, rubbing his buttocks, looking like he was bearing a heavy burden of humiliation). Apart from Jenny, who couldn't speak in the stables, even the newcomer Rolf was passed notes.

But as rumors spread, the tide turned so quickly. The Mindis Hall, which was bustling with singing and dancing and full of guests the night before, became a deserted and forbidden place in Yongxing City the next day.

The guards and patrols who had always been diligently on duty nearby and enthusiastically took on the responsibility of transportation had all withdrawn by the third day. Marius had to send some of his spare guards (which DD resented) and servants out every week to purchase supplies for their livelihood. However, even many of the servants in the Mindis Hall resigned for various reasons.

The once bustling avenue outside the manor, a place where everyone craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the prince, is now deserted.

The news arrived the next day. Ginny, who had rushed back from outside the city, learned what had happened (outside Ballard's room) and went to the Mindis Hall to rage. She thought Thales' actions were reckless, impulsive, and self-righteous, just like his foolish father (hearing this, Marius hurriedly dismissed everyone).

“We just had a falling out.” Thales could only smile as he stroked his new ring, and let Marius send someone (DD was indignant about this) to take away the disappointed and incredulous Ginny.

You can fool others, but you can't fool me!

The court lady left in a rage, and Thales could only cover his head and hide in fear.
"I'll get to the bottom of this, no matter which coward I'm going to tear open!"

It is said that after that, Baron Quentin, the chief steward of the Palace of Restoration, took a full two weeks of sick leave.

After Cohen returned home, there was no further news until Komto learned from an acquaintance in the guard hall that the head of the West City Guard Hall, Lobik, had heard of Cohen's heroic act and, in a fit of rage, suspended him from his duties to reflect on his actions. Cohen quietly reminded the head that he was already suspended, which angered the head, who immediately announced his reinstatement. While Cohen was beaming with joy, the head transferred him to the road maintenance department at the West City Gate. However, this transfer did not last long, because Cohen broke the head of a nobleman from out of town with a broom at the city gate. Amid the pleading and profuse thanks of his colleagues in the road maintenance department, the head suspended him again.

The prince's studies continued, but Gilbert resigned from his teaching duties due to his heavy workload of government affairs. Thales remained silent for a long time because of this, but Wyatt breathed a sigh of relief.

Several teachers at the Royal Academy also resigned at the same time. Baron Quentin had to post advertisements throughout the city to recruit scholars, but there were still few applicants. In the end, the highly respected Grand Secretary Bona personally stepped forward and "invited" several of his students from the academy to teach the prince.

Thales was unaware of how the rumors were circulating, but he didn't care much about them.

He knew that all of this was destined to happen.

But he had a more pressing task.

In the name of the Duke of Starlake, Thales hastily wrote a letter, which he didn't even read a second time, and had it sent to the Palace of Restoration, to be publicly addressed to Falkenhaus in the Ruins—he had seized the sword and done what he could; now, it was the other's turn.

Lord Cyril's reaction did not disappoint him.

Falkenhausen replied first, admitting his fault: if it were not for Baron Williams' timely rescue, the western wilderness would have almost lost the kingdom's important town. Therefore, he requested that the royal family send more standing troops to the western front to "guide defense," and he was willing to contribute a portion of tax revenue to fund the military, in order to defend the territory and atone for his mistake.

No one knows what the Duke of the Western Wilderness did, but starting with him, within a month, Bozdorf of Heroic Spirit Fortress, Clomar of Wing Fortress, and many other lords of the Western Wilderness successively wrote letters to apologize. Not only to the Palace of Restoration, but also in the Blade Fang Camp, Baron Williams's gradually expanding military camp, guests and gifts came in an endless stream.

In response, King Kessel replied magnanimously: "Your loyalty and devotion to the country are greatly gratifying. What crime is there in correcting mistakes? Border defense is of utmost importance and should be taken seriously. The newly formed army should depart as soon as possible."

As for the Baki camp, it is said that the legendary Wing, who was overwhelmed with annoyance, waved his hand and said: "The gifts are accepted, but the people are kept in prison in exchange for ransom."

Along with Falkenhausen's letter came a bundle of fine carriage bridle ropes, which Lord Cyril had specifically designated for Duke Thales, with the note: "Exquisitely crafted, of superior quality, durable, and capable of turning the tide."

According to Wyatt's attendants, His Highness was very fond of the bridle ropes and treasured them so much that he wouldn't even let them store them in the storeroom.

A few weeks later, the logistics wing reported to Marius that the sewers of Mindis Hall were blocked by a tattered rope-like object, and the Watchmen had to send men (DD was indignant about this) who worked for a full hour to clear it.

As for the debt dispute between the Bailar and Doyle families at the royal banquet, the outcome was quickly announced:

With the full cooperation of the Western Wilderness, the Noble Affairs Bureau, the Finance Bureau, and the Court jointly retried the case and ruled that the Doyle family had illegally lent money and occupied land. However, the Baylar family was also guilty. The judge ordered both parties to bear their losses and reach a repayment ratio that was acceptable to both of them within their respective capabilities.

As for Anker Bailar, who had disobeyed the royal family at the banquet, he was stripped of his right to the throne and imprisoned in the Bone Prison for life. Thales could only attach a letter, asking for the attention of everyone from the Duke of the Western Wilderness to the Wings of Legend (he was very confident in the former, but he simply gave up on the latter, leaving only the words "for the sake of Ricky and the key").

Thales thought the matter was over, but he clearly underestimated its impact.

Within a few weeks, the Mindis Hall became lively again—the guests were no longer from the vicinity of the central territory, but from vassals, officials, and even ordinary people who could afford the travel expenses from all over the country.

If someone is tactful, at least they know to ask for permission or send an invitation first, and then wait for a response. But most people just barge in, carrying the heaviness of the sky falling, shouting at the window, "I have something to say, Your Highness, please listen quietly," while they are in a frantic struggle with the Star Lake Guard (DD is indignant about this).

At first, Thales was quite interested and insisted on seeing guests every day. The stories he heard ranged from local gentry and landlords saying, "My family encountered a deadbeat when collecting rent," to knights saying, "Your Highness, I want to report my neighbor as a bandit. I need an army," and even, "Your Highness, do you want this portrait of my daughter?" and "A boss owes us wages." This allowed him to learn a lot about the customs and traditions of various places on the planet. However, gradually, more and more people came from other places to see the Duke of Star Lake, and Thales found that he was simply too busy to handle them all. He could only have Thomas receive and screen the guests in advance (DD was indignant about this). Most of the guests were simply recorded, and he only received guests with important matters to attend to.

Sure enough, not everyone can pull off Jenner's approachable style.

Faced with these diverse guests, Thales could simply listen with a smile for some, at most having Marius reply with a letter full of encouraging words, which he only needed to sign and stamp as "Duke's Notice," along with some small gifts. The guests would usually leave satisfied. However, some issues were indeed of great importance, requiring Thales to go to the palace again to face the King (most of the time, it was just a "get out" from him) to get an answer, even if it couldn't be resolved.

But the real problem was those who wanted to take the opportunity to defect to the Duke's side. Marius rejected them on the spot with the excuse of "insufficient funds" or "full staff". But even Thales found it hard to refuse others.

“I am Paul Bozdorf, from the Black Lion family of Heroes' Castle. I believe we have met before, gentlemen.”

The young nobleman before him had bandages wrapped around his head, carried his own bag, and bowed woodenly.

This was Paul, who had been ordered by his father to lead the Black Lion infantry to escort Thales from Grace Town back to Everstar City. He appeared before the prince again, as somber as ever:
“My father wanted me to join your guard and follow you around—in fact, I could be your standard-bearer; where is the standard he gave you?”

Thales was quite troubled by the obvious intention of Count Black Lion sending his heir over.

“Oh, that flag,” the prince said awkwardly. “By the way, what happened to your head?”

“Sorry, a carriage tried to overtake me, so I retaliated in the usual way, which is common in the Western Wilderness,” Paul said, touching his broken head without changing his expression. “But it just so happened that there was a busybody sweeping the streets at the city gate.”

Thales declined repeatedly but had no choice but to agree. Tomás found a place for Paul in the Mindis Hall (DD volunteered, but Golov was ultimately assigned as Paul's introducer).

But even inside the Mindis Hall, there are significant problems.

Besides the rampant rumors and widespread panic, which forced Marius to convene a disciplinary meeting, the integration of the old Dragonstreet troops ("those fake Yankees"—DD's catchphrase) and the Starlake Guard ("those city folks"—Willow's complaint) did not go as smoothly as Thales had imagined:
Wyatt is Gilbert's son. He tries hard to fit in, but not everyone has DD's talent, so everyone keeps their distance from him. Rolf's equipment and appearance clearly indicate that he is not to be trifled with. A few days ago, he was mistaken for being arrogant and unwilling to talk, and he almost got into a fight with Zonevid. Jenard is a veteran soldier who seems to have a long-standing grudge against Commut. Willow is a Northern militiaman who has been in Dragonstreet for several years. His unconventional behavior always makes the guards look at him with disdain.

Therefore, in order to speed up the familiarization of both sides' forces, Marius decided to start with guard duty, dispersing the men and regrouping them, beginning with Thales' personal guards.

That's a terrible idea.

The duo of DD and Wyman was exhausting for Thales. On one hand, DD knew Wyman's identity and deliberately spoke to him, his words flattering and funny. On the other hand, Wyman was rigid and felt that he had to answer every question out of politeness.

The back-and-forth between the two created a scene called—noisy.

"So, Attendant-in-Ordinary Wyman, you've spent the last six years in Dragon City, eating and sleeping alongside the prince, never leaving his side?"

"No, Your Excellency Doyle, I occasionally leave my post, sometimes for His Highness's orders, and sometimes for normal leave."

"Oh, do you go home often?"

“Not much, Your Excellency Doyle. As I said, I am not close to my father.”

"Oh, sigh, is it that we young people don't like to be close to our parents..."

“I believe not. I have friends who have good relationships with their parents.”

"Sigh, I had a stepmother growing up, but what about your mother?"

"She...died."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, I understand."

"So Earl Cassel has no intention of remarrying?"

Thales, who was concentrating on doing his exercises, lost his temper and slammed his fist on the table in anger:

Can you all shut up?

Wyman and DD stood at attention.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"I'm so sorry, Your Highness!"

So the two lowered their voices and spoke in hushed tones:
"Shh—so, Wyman, who gave you that name?"

“Um, His Highness told us not to speak… It was named by my mother; she named it after her younger brother who died young…”

"I see, no wonder it sounds so good. Hey, are you an only child?"

“I think we'd better not talk… Yes, my mother did want to have a second child before she passed away…”

Thales was so angry that he fainted inside the book.

Grover was not good with words, and Rolf was simply unable to speak, making them a very quiet and comfortable duo. However, these two, both from the streets, had one problem:

They stood behind Thales, one on each side, and their eyes would inevitably meet. Neither side was willing to back down, so one's gaze became serious and deep, while the other's became cold and sharp. Then one would become even more serious and deep, while the other would become even more sharp and cold. One side would retaliate with even greater force, while the other would retaliate tenfold without backing down an inch...

As time passed, the two stared at each other in silence, and a growing sense of murderous intent and chill filled the air. The atmosphere was ominous and heavy.

Every time Thales looked up from his book, he felt like he was between two magic guns, making it hard to even breathe.

It felt like being at a funeral.

"Can you guys stop glaring at me?!"

The zombie and the ghost with the wind both snorted coldly, looked away, and the air returned to normal.

Until they (inevitably) make eye contact again.

Thales, who was being protected by them, felt utterly hopeless.

When Wyatt and Golov were serving Thales, it was a different story.

The attendant, considering himself the prince's most trusted confidant, tried to curry favor with Golov by giving him a friendly nod when their eyes met. Faced with this enthusiasm, the socially awkward zombie became uncomfortable, often awkwardly glancing back with his chin before turning away. This momentarily surprised Wyatt, who thought he had done something wrong. So, the next time, he added a smile, making Golov even more uneasy. He stiffly forced a smile and turned away. If Wyatt interpreted this as a positive response, he was encouraged to continue smiling; if he thought the reaction was poor, he would reflect on his behavior and be more friendly and enthusiastic next time. This made Golov increasingly embarrassed, yet he didn't want to speak…

So what Thales often glimpsed out of the corner of his eye was this kind of scene:

On the left, Wyman smiled and nodded, sometimes disappointed and frustrated, sometimes full of confidence, always trying to make eye contact with the other person.

On the right, Golov, who was on guard duty, curled up into a ball with minimal effort, writhing helplessly and painfully, avoiding eye contact, forcing a smile, like a baby being poked in the cheek repeatedly but unable to resist.

"enough!"

Thales gritted his teeth and slammed his fist on the table again:

"Go flirt in the next bedroom!"

The pairing of Doyle and Rolf on the field was rather complicated.

Doyle, with his cheerful and overly familiar personality, tried his best to talk to Rolf as always. However, knowing that the Wind Spirit couldn't speak, he carefully memorized the "interesting gestures" between the latter and the prince. When standing guard face-to-face with the prince, he would occasionally reveal a mysterious smile and suddenly throw a gesture at him that he himself didn't understand:

【Have a meal】

Rolf rolled his eyes and turned away, ignoring him.

DD vaguely knew where he had gone wrong, but he was not discouraged at all. Instead, he became more determined and made the next gesture, even raising his eyebrows to indicate whether he was right:

【You? But?】

Rolf was a little angry, but knowing the man's character, he tried to ignore him.

DD blinked and began to combine different hand gestures:

[Dry? Toilet? Eat?]

Rolf instinctively gritted his teeth and gave him a murderous glare.

But Doyle was spurred on and became even more enthusiastic:

[You? Toilet, meal?]

Rolf's gaze was so cold it could freeze the Mindis Hall.

Doyle felt he had found the right approach:

[I like the toilet?]

Rolf's anger almost spilled out of his mask.

DD was increasingly pleasantly surprised:

[Like it? Do you want to?]

Rolf clenched his fist tightly until Doyle's final, triumphant gestures:
[Like? Do? You?]

The next second, Thales, engrossed in his book, felt a gust of wind and a series of crackling sounds. The Wind Demon and DD rolled together until Bastia or Neshi, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, separated them.

Thales, who was watching all this, felt heavy-hearted and absentmindedly picked up the pages of the book that were scattered on the ground.

Life in the Mindis Hall alternates between a stagnant, lifeless atmosphere and a chaotic, hectic state, depending on the problems encountered each day, but there is basically no middle ground.

In short, for a period of time after the treaty was made with the king, rumors were flying, and the forces in Yongxing City were taking sides. Duke Xinghu gained a rare freedom, no longer receiving instructions from higher levels, no longer being surrounded by crowds wherever he went, and no longer having to follow the rules and doctrines strictly at all times.

But whenever Thales gazed at the sunset outside the window, he knew that everything came at a price.

The matter in the Western Wilderness has come to an end, but the kingdom will not stop moving forward.

Thales looked down at the "covenant" in his hand.

The kingdom will not forget him, and neither will the Palace of Restoration.

He is the king's sword and his pawn.

He was waved around and moved again...

Just a matter of time.

But until then...

"We're out of money."

Thales turned around gracefully, then was immediately taken aback:
"what?"

Marius, as indifferent as ever, and the constipated-looking logistics officer, Deward Stoddard, stood before him.

"You heard me."

“Previously, all our expenses were covered by the Palace of Restoration; we only needed to submit the accounts to Baron Quentin at the end of the month,” Marius said blankly. “But now…”

The logistics officer awkwardly held up the ledger.

Thales came to his senses:
"Oh, right, we... are on our own."

According to the terms he had agreed upon with the King—this was one of the signs of discord between Mindis Hall and the Palace of Reconstruction.

It is also a condition for his independence and autonomy.

"Wait, don't we have any other source of income?"

The logistics officer, looking pained, carefully explained to the Duke, who had never lifted a finger and knew nothing of the cost of living:

“Yes, we have the salaries of the Royal Guard, and you also receive a living allowance from the Star Prince according to established regulations, but…”

“Not enough.” Marius said expressionlessly and bluntly.

"First of all, there are all the things you've done these past few months. Just the tea expenses alone... And because the relationship between the Mindis Hall and many city departments, including market officials, has weakened, we've incurred many unexpected expenses. Oh, and the heaviest of them are those at the banquets..."

Glass wine glass.

Despairing Thales finished speaking for him—in his heart.

"And we're still paying off the debt in installments—in total... never mind, you've already had enough to worry about."

Stoddart meticulously calculated:

“After we became self-sufficient, we could no longer purchase directly from the Fuxing Palace, which increased our expenses considerably. As you know, the prices in Yongxing City are…”

Thales knew the prices in the Morning Star and Evening Star districts, and nodded blankly:

Yongxingju is not easy.

Then his eyes darted around:
"Wait, I heard from DD that the Mindis Hall contains many rare treasures, such as famous paintings..."

Marius frowned and looked at a portrait of Sumerian III, the "Jackal," behind him.

Even if you dare to sell...

"Who would dare to buy it?"

Thales's expression fell again.

"Perhaps we could open the first floor of the Mindis Hall to the public for tours, and then charge an entrance fee of two silver coins per person?"

"Where did this terrible idea come from?"

"Hehe, I learned it from a book, what do you think?"

"Which book? Perhaps I should report it to the Disciplinary Committee..."

"Um, it's a novel by a northerner in Dragon Sky City, about the life of a large family living on a manor..."

“Um,” the logistics officer from Stoddarts tentatively said:
"In fact, many of your guests these days—the very kind of people—have expressed interest in investing in you, including..."

“No.” Thales and Marius said in unison, surprisingly in agreement.

The prince and the watchman exchanged a glance.

It seems that both he and the other party knew what they could and could not do.

In fact, even though Thales made such a rebellious and shocking move that caused rumors to spread, Marius remained calm and did not ask any questions. He continued to work diligently and even went back to reorganize the Star Lake Guard, which had been scattered and disunited recently, and continued to take care of the daily life of Mindis Hall.

It was as if Thales had simply taken a walk around the Palace of Renewal.

Indifference remains unchanged, numbness persists.

This made Thales very grateful to him.

Well, it would be even better if he didn't use that attitude when giving me orders.

"Perhaps you could speak to His Majesty and have Baron Quentin reimburse us for our expenses..."

“No.” Thales refused decisively, even more resolutely than before.

“Well,” Stoddart’s logistics officer sighed, closing the ledger, “then there’s only one last option left.”

Thales and Marius both turned their heads, pretending to listen.

“We can’t stay in Yongxing City any longer—the prices here are so high that we’ve already taken the guards’ next month’s salary in advance.”

No longer staying in Yongxing City.

Ah, away from the Palace of Reconstruction, away from the King, away from all the unpleasant people and things, that would be wonderful, but...

Thales raised his eyebrows:
"where to?"

“Of course, we’ll go to your fiefdom,” the Stoddart logistics officer said solemnly. “According to the sacred Star Covenant, Your Excellency, you may exercise your natural rights on your fiefdom—to collect taxes and rents.”

"A fiefdom? I still have fiefdoms from which taxes can be levied?"

Thales chuckled:

"Where? In DD's pocket?"

Marius coughed.

"Of course, don't forget, you are the Duke of Star Lake."

Duke of Starlake.

Thales asked in confusion, somewhat surprised.

Isn't this just a nominal title? The kind used to bolster one's courage and put on a show?

"And your fiefdom is located there..."

The watchman nodded solemnly and pointed to a lakeside castle in a landscape painting on the wall:

"Star Lake Castle".

----

Just in case anyone doesn't know, I'll say it again: the eighth bonus chapter will be released in the usual place.

(End of this chapter)