Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 747 Hopeless
"Zombie! What are you doing here?"

In the stinking, damp sewer, DD, holding an ever-burning lamp and pinching his nose with nowhere to step, looked on in shock and shouted at the big guy sitting next to the broken wooden table.

Golov glanced at DD, silently unarmed himself, and pulled a duck leg from the food bag DD had brought.

In every corner of the sewers, members of the Star Lake Guard who had been assigned to accompany the prince were conducting security checks with their ever-burning lamps ("What's unsafe about this wretched place besides cockroaches, spiders, rats, darkness, filth, stench, and excrement?"—Neshi, squatting by the pool with a look of disgust, pinching his nose and stirring the sewage). They were all shocked as they looked at this sunless place, marveling at how His Highness, usually so timid and unassuming, had actually hidden this skill at such a crucial moment.

On the other side of the passage, a man sat up from his haystack, groaning in dissatisfaction.

"Wow, and you too, you idiot—I mean, handsome Rolf!"

Doyle waved happily, the flickering lights casting shadows throughout the passageway.

Rolf frowned and stared at him for a while, then let out a warning snort before lying back down on his bedding, turning over to face the wall.

“He just finished his shift,” Golov said succinctly, taking a bite of meat.

“So, starting from the North Gate Bridge, you guys have been nowhere to be seen…” Wyman stood guard at the small wooden door where the prince disappeared, frowning as he held his notebook.

"Your Highness's order."

At the other end of the wooden table, Miranda took a sip of the freshly brewed mate tea and said calmly.

"And my dearest Mila!"

DD turned around, opened his arms, and looked surprised and delighted:
"My God, where is this place? Why are the three of you hiding here?"

Did you fail in your mission and are too ashamed to go back to see His Highness?
“Watch out,” a somewhat unfamiliar voice came from the corner, causing Kusta, who was about to check the dungeon door, to pause. “Don’t get too close to that door—we’ve calculated that it’s the maximum distance at which a prisoner’s powers can be activated.”

Everyone frowned.

“Ah, I recognize you, you’re that arrogant Seychelles old flame…” Doyle slapped his forehead and said to the slovenly man holding a sword in the corner who had spoken.

“Sir Cassien?” Wyman recognized the man, his face filled with shock. “How come…you’re here too?”

Cassandra didn't even look up:
"Your captain didn't come?"

Wyman looked puzzled:
"He, Lord Marius said this job is too easy, we can do it ourselves... But you just said a prisoner? A superpower? That means the assassin is locked up in the back..."

Everyone tensed upon hearing this and looked at the wooden door, some with confusion, some with surprise, and some with wariness.

Neshi turned around, completely bewildered:
"What? Which assassin?"

Wyman ignored him, and hurriedly flipped through his notebook, suddenly realizing:
"His Highness said that his 'favorite weapon' was confiscated... I see, I see..."

He raised his head and looked at Knight Cassandra, who was resting with his eyes closed, with mixed feelings.

"So, all of this is a trap set by His Highness and Miss Hilla?" Paul asked, his hand brushing against the wall as he frowned.

Most people raised an eyebrow, each with their own surprise and doubt.

“Misleading,” Cassandra gently stroked his longsword, “at least that’s what the lady said.”

"Wait, you mean," DD realized, "that the couple didn't actually have a falling out?"

Cassie ignored him, and Wyatt focused on his own recording.

“So that night, the rat didn’t escape,” Morgan scoffed. “It just got a different cage.”

“He could never escape, that assassin, that swordsman,” Miranda murmured, lost in thought, “whether there was a cage or not.”

“I don’t know if he’s in a cage or not, but I know he’s dead,” Golov spat out a bone and said fiercely, “Pah, manipulative clown.”

“Yes, what does it matter how skilled you are, or how extreme your abilities are?” Paul’s eyes flashed. “In the face of power, you’re nothing but a clown, fighting like a trapped beast.”

Cassandra gave a barely perceptible smirk.

"Your Highness has been inside for so long, you must have failed to persuade him to surrender, right? I mean, when are we going to start the torture?" Neshi rubbed his fists indignantly, thinking about how to get revenge.

Only DD stared at the small door of the dungeon, his expression complex and lost, as Golov unceremoniously plundered his food bag.

After completing the security check according to procedure and arranging shifts, the Xinghu Guards found places to rest.

“But,” Wyatt couldn’t help but ask, “is it really safe for Prince Thales and…and your young lady to be alone in a room with prisoners?”

Everyone turned their gaze to the small door.

“I don’t know how your prince is,” Cassandra said. “As for Miss Hilla, rest assured, she is perfectly safe.”

The one whose safety is at risk is the prisoner.

“That assassin is, after all, a master of the highest level, and also an evil vampire,” Paul said calmly, tightening his grip on his weapon. “What makes you so confident?”

Cassandra was silent for a moment:

"experience."

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing why.

at this time.

"Cough cough..."

DD coughed a few times in a serious manner to attract everyone's attention:
"So, zombie, Mira, and the mute, you were all ordered by His Highness to undertake an important mission? And you've been keeping it from us all this time?"

Grover and Miranda exchanged a glance.

"Yes, because the fewer people who know about this, the more..."

"Such an important task, why didn't His Highness inform me and let me do it?" DD said pitifully, looking like his dreams had been shattered.

He was clearly the most lucrative guard in the guard!

Golov looked troubled and pleaded with the others, but they all turned away without any regard for his feelings.

"Alright," the zombie, having nowhere else to turn for help, could only grit its teeth and continue, "Actually, it's you..."

“In fact, His Highness intends to entrust you with an important task, for you to undertake,” Miranda suddenly spoke, interrupting Golov.

DD's eyes lit up, and he pricked up his ears.

"What? What an important mission?"

But Miranda's expression darkened.

“But the cost of that mission is too high,” she said quietly. “To complete the mission, you must die.”

After he finished speaking, the sewer fell silent.

"Die, die?"

DD's face turned deathly pale.

Feeling the stares from those around him, he coughed awkwardly.
"Die, die... I, I... I'm not afraid... not afraid... afraid..."

Doyle became submissive, his tone softening:

"I'm afraid... I'm afraid I'm not up to the task... After all, it's such a heavy responsibility, and I'm still too, too..."

“But His Highness couldn’t bear to see you die, so he gave up,” Miranda said, taking a sip of the mate tea brought from Starlake Castle. The bitterness went down her throat, but her expression remained unchanged. “He was afraid you would feel guilty, so he specifically asked us to keep it from you.”

"What a pity!"

DD suddenly roared, startling everyone.

The high-born guard, Doyle, stood resolutely, seemingly unfazed by death, waving his hands on his hips in the stench-filled sewer:
"I still owe Your Highness my life! If Your Highness gives the order, I will not hesitate for a moment, even if it means facing a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, or being shattered to pieces!"

Miranda and Glov exchanged a complicated look.

DD stared intently at the small wooden door where the prisoners were held, his eyebrows dancing with excitement. He deliberately raised his voice, making it echo through the sewers:
"Your Highness is wise and benevolent, and cares for his subordinates. We have no way to repay you! We can only—"

boom!
A prosthetic limb spun out from the haystack, slamming DD, along with his boastful words, into the ditch in the middle of the passage.

Miranda, who was prepared, reacted quickly, drawing out her sword and precisely hooking the inextinguishable lamp that Doyle had just released.

"I told you."

In the flickering light and shadow, the zombie sighed, threw away the bone in its hand, and grabbed the prosthetic limb that flew into the air.

"He just finished his shift."

----

"I changed my mind."

In the dungeon, Hilly deftly twisted her fingers and snatched the ribbon-wrapped dagger from Thales's hand.

“This dagger is pretty useful,” she said casually, completely ignoring Thales’ wide-eyed stare. “Let me borrow it for a couple more days.”

Want to play for two days?

Thales found it unbelievable.

“I don’t understand,” Thales said, disgruntled. “Why do you insist on using it as collateral?”

Did she know the significance of this dagger to him?
Or does she actually know?
Was it the JC dagger that was specifically chosen?

“Who knows if you’ll back out halfway through and abandon us after we’ve served our purpose?” Hilly brandished the dagger in mid-air, making onomatopoeic sounds as if waving a toy. “We should leave a token, shouldn’t we?”

“I’ve already said it, I can write down agreements, guarantees, promises, sign them, and stamp them, everything…”

“A written agreement is useless. But if you change your mind halfway through that night, and I really do commit suicide, at least people will know that I died from the prince’s dagger.”

"You don't really think I'd drive you to suicide—"

Just then, the chains binding the prisoners rattled, interrupting the two men.

"You, that night, in front of the entire Emerald City..."

With a face covered in dirt, King Lausanne II struggled to lift his head, gritting his teeth in disbelief:

"It was all an act?"

Thales and Hilly both fell silent, exchanging a glance.

You could say that.

Thales sighed:
"Originally, to make it more believable, I wanted to stage a grand spectacle, such as Hilaire killing my guards and even directly threatening me in order to take you away..."

Even the red paint for DD to fake his death was prepared...

Hilaire toyed with the dagger, squinting his eyes, seemingly enjoying the shocked and regretful expression on Lausanne II's face.
"Misguided guidance".

Thales sighed:
"But firstly, my men might not be so good at playing dead. Secondly, with you, vampires, and probably many other skilled observers present, it's hard to hide whether someone is dead or not..."

Thirdly, at that time, the budget available was probably not enough to support a "big event".

Upon receiving the answer, King Lausanne II was momentarily dazed before his head fell back onto the cold stone ground.

“Alright, let’s get down to business,” Hilly sheathed the dagger in a newly made leather sheath. “How’s it going on your end?”

Thales squinted and scrutinized Lausanne II for a moment.

“It went very smoothly,” he said slowly, observing the prisoners’ reactions. “In fact, most things went more smoothly than expected, and everyone, from top to bottom, cooperated as anticipated, especially…”

"Especially my brother?"

Thales paused, turned his head, and found that Hilly's expression was indifferent and his tone was calm when he said this.

He then nodded cautiously:

"Yes...and Federico."

Hilla remained unmoved.

Thales continued, "After learning that I had been cornered by you, they revealed a lot of information for various reasons, including crucial intelligence and plans—"

“The injury on your face,” Hilly suddenly interrupted him, “was it Jenn who hit you?”

Thales paused, instinctively turning his head away:
"It's alright, I deliberately didn't dodge, it's just a minor injury—"

“Well done,” Hilly said coldly, without even looking at him. “Serves you right.”

Telston was taken aback for a moment, then looked helpless.

Thank you so much for your concern and comfort.

"why."

Bound to the ground, the dying King Lausanne II managed to ask with difficulty, "Why?"

The question seemed abrupt, but Thales knew what he was going to ask.

Thales and Hilly exchanged a glance, and the latter nodded.

"Because I had to."

Ignoring the uneven, cold, and damp dungeon, Thales sat down with his legs spread apart in front of the prisoners.

“Since I entered Emerald City, everyone has addressed me as Your Highness and treated me with great courtesy everywhere I go,” the prince said, recalling his experiences over the past few days. “The election was even more lavish than before. Now, as regent of the Kongming Palace, I hold absolute power in this city and can decide the deposition and installation of dukes with a single word.”

Hearing this, Hillay scoffed and lightly fiddled with the dagger at her waist.

Thales wasn't angry; instead, he smiled, a mixture of helplessness and regret.

"But in Emerald City, anyone with eyes can see clearly that Prince Thales is completely insignificant."

King Lausanne II looked at him.

"On the surface, the main characters in this storm are Janne and Federico. These two Kevin Deer, one with deep experience and shrewd methods, and the other with a strategic retreat that conceals their cunning, have firmly grasped both ends of the storm, and almost all the resources, forces and power chips inside and outside Emerald City."

Thales said earnestly:
“That’s right. These days, Emerald City has been through many ups and downs. Whether it’s the financial crisis, security incidents, political struggles, trade difficulties, old cases, or the ‘big news’ you created by killing people on the list, to put it bluntly, it’s all just the two of them playing a game of chess from afar and attacking each other for the throne of the Duke of the South Bank.”

The prince gave a soft hum:
"In comparison, I am unarmed and have a weak foundation, so I can only watch them go back and forth, at most acting as a messenger—even if I lock them both in my prison."

No, I should say that ever since I locked them up, I've been going back and forth between Jenn and Federer, acting more like a messenger.

Thinking of this, Thales sighed helplessly.

"Oh, you're quite self-aware," Hilly snorted, her tone ambiguous, whether it was praise or sarcasm was unclear.

The young lady walked up to Thales and, as usual, kicked him.

The latter pursed his lips, reluctantly shifted his position to make way for the spot (which he had wiped clean with his buttocks and pants), and watched as Hillary lifted her skirt and sat down gracefully.

King Lausanne II stared blankly at the canopy overhead that blocked out the moonlight.

But Thales paid no attention to the prisoners and continued on his way:
"But if you dig deeper, you'll find that my situation is not surprising."

“Because this storm is essentially a contest between the Palace of Restoration and the Palace of Emerald, between Everstar City and Emerald City, and even between different forces on both sides of the South Shore Territory and the End of the Sea,” Duke Starlake sighed softly. “And I, at most, am a puppet, with no autonomy or voice. My only role, or rather, the only freedom I have been given, is to step onto the stage set up at the end of the show and say a few polite words, choosing between Janne and Federico.”

Make a decision on the spot.

Discretionary power.

Thales shook his head, feeling a sense of irony, as he recalled the king's two promises to him.

“If the game continues in this manner, it will be irrelevant to me who I choose as the duke or who wins the game,” Thales said solemnly. “I will not be able to exert any influence, let alone dominate the situation or achieve the result I want.”

"This is the fundamental reason why I hold such a high position, yet I struggle to make progress in the Emerald City—from beginning to end, power has never been on my side. What's worse, people from Janne, Federico, the Emerald City, the Sky Palace, various major powers, and even my own subordinates have seen through this, which has made them even more unscrupulous and blind to me."

Thales recalled his various experiences in Emerald City over the past few days, from being warmly received to being treated coldly, from being obeyed by everyone to being outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, and couldn't help but feel deeply moved.

“Therefore, in order to turn the tide, I can no longer follow the established path. I must take the initiative, seize the bargaining chips, and acquire usable weapons,” his eyes hardened. “I must remind the entire Emerald City in a more unconventional but also more effective way that I, the North Star, am, at some point, more important than Kevin Deer’s two candidates and more capable of controlling their interests and destiny.”

Thales, though you stand on the earth, the stars are just above you. When the sun sets and night falls, reach out and you may well reach them.

Therefore, you must firmly grasp the power in your hands and use it when necessary, in order to expand it...

Thales shook his head, dismissing the words in Cortés Corleone's letter.

"Therefore, I have to take a step back and sacrifice a little of my image, creating the impression of a pathetic fall, so that everyone can see my existence—a future king who has been driven to the brink by Emerald City, and therefore has both the reason and the determination to put Emerald City in utter ruin."

Thales said quietly:

"Instead of being a dutiful son who goes on trips at his father's behest, following the rules and regulations, hindering everything for the sake of perfection, and a mere decorative figurehead who can't suppress the local bully."

Hilay sat beside him, stroking his gloves, and didn't even look up when he heard this:

"Misdirection, yet again."

King Lausanne II, lying on the ground, narrowed his eyes and trembled slightly.

"The same applies to Hilla."

Thales glanced at Hilly:
“Before, Hillay was just the Duke’s sister; everyone respected her, sympathized with her, and pitied her…”

Miss Kevin Deer scoffed dismissively:

"Oh really?"

Thales coughed:
"Even if they suggested that she temporarily assume the position of city lord, they would only treat her as a puppet and a decorative vase, while they were actually plotting their own schemes."

Thales turned his head and looked at Lausanne II:
“Until that night, after she kidnapped you and defeated me, she was no longer the wealthy young lady of the Iris family, but the only one in the entire Emerald City who dared to openly defy the prince—or rather, defy royal power—a participant in the storm, the savior of Duke Jann, and very likely the savior of the Emerald City.”

“Or the Destroyer,” Hilly added expressionlessly.

Thales raised an eyebrow:
"And a flag, a scapegoat flag under which the discontented but cowardly South Shore people can hide."

“You’re talking about scapegoats,” Hilly sneered, “and targets.”

Do you really enjoy undermining me?

Thales kept those words to himself and changed the subject:

"Speaking of which, Hilla, I bet quite a few people have tried to find you, haven't they? Whether they're trying to dissuade you or defecting..."

"You want to know?"

"May I?"

"No."

Thiel, feeling humiliated, turned back sheepishly.

“You deceived the entire city…feared them, and then what?” King Losang II struggled to speak. “What are you going to do with the fallen Emerald City?”

"Nothing to do."

Thales made a decisive move.

"The winds have shifted. I was overwhelmed and desperate, so I used the excuse that Hilly had interfered and the situation was out of control to coerce, entice, and win over Janne and Federico, seizing more than one useful weapon from them—finance, diplomacy, military, security... Ironically, these were the very bargaining chips they used to restrain me and threaten each other."

Thales gave a mocking smile:
"Then, I found the various forces stirring up trouble: opportunistic political schemers, closed-minded and conservative local elites, even the shrewd bureaucrats of Emerald City, speculative merchant guilds, and street gangs that followed the crowd. I brandished the weapons and bargaining chips I had seized, and used the same tactics to ascertain their stance and uncover their true intentions..."

He recalled the various people he had met at the Kongming Palace:
"So one after another, I went down from the top to the bottom, layer by layer, repeating this process. Depending on the target, I would either show tolerance for the sake of the big picture or become enraged and fight to the death. I would take the new bargaining chips I got from the previous level—mostly ambiguous secrets and promises—and use information and power differences to put them into the next level, transforming them into real usable resources and real authority."

Thales squinted:
"To build consensus to the greatest extent possible, eliminate conflicts and opposition, and in exchange for compromise and cooperation."

Thales exhaled, put his hands behind him on the ground, and sat down awkwardly.

"So in the end, Emerald City, which seemed to be sinking into oblivion but was actually just threatening me with a fake death, was resurrected and started operating again, even though I neither chose Janne nor Federico, neither sided with Iris nor asked the royal center to intervene."

Thales' eyes gleamed.

Only then can he be considered truly involved.

He truly possessed the qualifications to play chess.

Pop, pop, pop, pop...

A dull, lifeless round of applause interrupted Thales's thoughts.

“Wow,” Hilly said, her face cold and her tone stiff, her hands mechanically touching each other. “Great job.”

Uh……

Thales, regaining his senses, coughed awkwardly:
"Um, actually, there's no need to clap..."

“If no one's there to support us,” Hilly continued clapping, expressionless, “it would be so awkward to be alone.”

Actually, it's quite awkward right now.

Thales coughed loudly to interrupt the applause.

"In short, Hilaire and I, one in the light and one in the dark, are like two sides of the same coin," he said, turning to the dazed Lausanne II, "to bring the Emerald City, which had already run wild and out of control, back to normal amid the same suspicion and anxiety that our adversaries used to oppose and restrain me."

After he finished speaking, there was no response; the dungeon was completely silent.

The assassin himself was lifeless, silent, and looked like a dead corpse.

"Tsk, look how smug you are, Your Highness Thales," Hilly finally spoke disdainfully after a long pause, "Did things go so smoothly? No unexpected incidents?"

Thales raised an eyebrow.

That is……

But then he paused.

"In fact..."

Thales hesitated before speaking:
“When negotiating with some of these people, I always felt something was off…”

Hilly turned her head:
"Ok?"

Thales became increasingly uneasy and recounted in detail the back-and-forth negotiations with representatives of several different factions.

“They saw through it,” Hilla said confidently after listening.

Thales was taken aback:
"What? Who saw through it?"

"Who else could it be? Those demonic twins from Kalabyan!"

Thales frowned.

Hilly said dismissively:

"I know those two scumbags too well. Do you think they would leak information to you, pledge allegiance, and make promises to you when there's nothing in it for them, just a bunch of empty words that haven't been fulfilled?"

Thales' eyelids twitched:
"Uh……"

"Just because you're so eloquent, your words are more beautiful than your singing?"

"They...they didn't surrender either, they're just waiting for a better offer..."

"And suddenly she went crazy and said she wanted to marry you? Right when you exposed them as the masterminds? What is it about you, Prince Thales, that they saw in you? Is it your money or your power, or are you just destined to die young?"

Thales fell silent.

Hilly hugged her knees and snorted coldly:

"Although they are vicious, they are never slow to react. When you said, 'I have made enough concessions,' they saw through it, or at least began to suspect that your setbacks against me were deliberately arranged. They probably guessed that you have gradually stepped out of the vase and started to take the initiative in the game."

Thales frowned:
"They...are that amazing?"

"You're too inexperienced!"

"Then why don't they expose me? Instead, they cooperate with my act..."

"What good would it do to expose you? To make you really angry and retaliate by flipping the table?"

"Then why not be frank and cooperate with me directly?"

“What good would it do them to beg you for cooperation? On the contrary, they can only pretend to be deaf and dumb, put on airs, and act all reluctant and unwilling,” Hilly said coldly and disdainfully. “That way, they can gain an advantage when negotiating with you, you big idiot—as if you owe them a favor!”

Thales stood there, speechless.

“And that old barber too,” Hilla said gravely. “When you left his intelligence notebook but refused his help, and even forbade him to come to the Corpse Pit to find me, he probably noticed something was amiss.”

She glanced at him, her eyes sharp as knives, slicing through Thales's defenses:

"Otherwise, do you really think that someone as shrewd and cunning as him, who has been in Emerald City for decades, would dare to open his heart and reveal his true feelings in front of a powerful figure like you?"

Thales remained silent.

Ok.

Maybe……

"Tell me," the prince said with difficulty, as if he had finally figured something out, "how many of those people before, including Hassa, Dusuan, and even the local officials from Myrahovic and Seychelles... saw through it?"

Hilly watched him silently.

“That Seychelles knight, according to you, he messed up the arrest, he bears a lot of responsibility, and should be anxious to find me and Cassie to get revenge,” the young lady said helplessly. “But again, you told him something like ‘don’t bother looking,’ ‘there are no shortcuts in politics,’ and he really listened and stopped looking? Gave up? Didn’t you send the Emerald Legion to investigate again? At least put on a show for yourself, in front of the entire Emerald City?” Thales frowned, thinking for a moment:
"No...no, I don't think so."

The Seychelles knight was unusually...obedient?

Wait, that means...

"And then there's the successor to the Grand Inquisitor, Inquisitor Ibonin. You said that every time you lied about the coming of the Wrath of the Kingdom, he was the one who beat you to it and said what you didn't say?"

Thales turned his head blankly:
"Ah... umm."

Hearing this, Hillary gazed at him for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh.

“I understand. Among the people you’ve met, there must be quite a few who have seen through ‘misleading’.”

Thales was startled:
"What? Then why are they still..."

"Because they are smart enough to know not to expose you."

Hilly held her face in her hands, shook her head helplessly, looking like she was hopelessly incorrigible:
"Because they see not only the benefits and the act, but also the determination you show in doing so—the determination not to be controlled by others, not to be a supporting role to the two irises."

Thales looked slightly surprised and blinked.

“If it comes to this point and there are still people who disagree with you,” Hilly scoffed dismissively, “then perhaps it’s time for them to step forward and face your determination head-on.”

Thales was stunned.

What do you mean?
Everybody knows.

Everyone pretended not to know.

Everyone...

"Humph."

After figuring something out, he spoke softly, his words tinged with a hint of resentment:
"South Bank People".

Just now.

"Hahahahahahahahaha..."

A mournful laugh rang out, and the two men simultaneously turned their gaze to the prisoners on the ground.

"Coming and going, all upside down..."

King Lausanne II closed his eyes:

"This is politics, this is... fate."

Thales and Hilly exchanged a glance.

well.

at last.

He's said so much and analyzed the situation for so long.

Finally, this unyielding master, who was usually impervious to reason, took the initiative to speak.

Now, how do we get him used to speaking, cooperating, communicating, and ultimately conveying what we want?
Thales nodded to the Kevin Deer girl, who coughed:
"By the way, who taught you this method? Your strategist?"

"Yes, my advisor taught me; his name is Anonymous."

This time, Hilla frowned genuinely, puzzled:
"Who?"

"Haven't you heard of it?" Thales asked, beaming. "The author of 'The Mysterious City of the Emerald'—an anonymous work, a gem of South Bank legends!"

Hilly frowned.

"Okay, no kidding."

Thales coughed:
"But the book I'm talking about really exists; it was given to me by my teacher..."

Historically, King Horace of the Eight Fingers and Duke Cork of the Iris had a hostile relationship and were once at loggerheads, with war seemingly inevitable between Everstar City and Emerald City.

But the King and the Duke, who had disliked each other since they were ten years old and were mortal enemies as adults, were able to change their minds and become friends after meeting once, thanks to the clever schemes of Prince Hyman and Miss Regina. This brought the mobilized war machine to a halt and allowed hundreds of thousands of people to return home.

Do you believe it?
Thales gave a soft hum.

A voice inside him scoffed: Is that even possible?

A story is just a story, after all.

However, if the legendary story of "The Jade City Chronicles" is based on fact and not just baseless rumors...

If the legendary prince and duchess did indeed play a role in this, thus earning their place in history...

The most likely explanation is...

Thales's eyes were sharp:
Long before the King and the Duke, these two mortal enemies, could come to terms with each other, Hyman and Regina had already taken action, running back and forth, maneuvering and smoothing things over with all the forces and groups inside and outside the Emerald City, reaching an agreement and unifying their positions.

In this way, one can make a decisive statement when advising the monarch and prevent war.

As for Horace I and the Duke of Cork, their agreement to withdraw their troops and turn hostility into friendship may not have been due to the embellished conscience, kinship, wisdom, and brilliance attributed to them by later generations, but simply because they had no other choice.

Because they truly saw the attitudes and stances of various domestic forces behind the actions of these two children.

If neither side wants to fight, and if their ruler insists on issuing orders to wage war for his own selfish reasons, he will neither gain support nor benefit. Instead, he will be trapped in a quagmire of internal and external troubles, losing popular support.

Similarly, hundreds of years later, as long as Thales and his people manage to subdue the major forces driving Emerald City forward, clarify their attitudes and positions, and bring them to their side...

Even without reaching a direct agreement with the two Iris flowers, and without taking sides between Kongming Palace and Fuxing Palace, the storm could be averted.

It also avoids getting yourself covered in poop.

Thales concluded with a sigh:
"Historically, the way rulers resolve crises has generally been like this: they present a bad and even worse future, persuade the various forces and groups with conflicting interests and unwilling to compromise to accept the proposal, make compromises, concessions and sacrifices to avoid greater losses, and then use the interests conceded by each party to fill the loopholes that caused the crisis."

To achieve a new balance.

“The Emerald City… Now that the Emerald City is no longer a mystery, things are finally peaceful, and my brother can no longer hold you back,” Hillay’s eyes flashed sharply. “What about what you promised me?”

Thales, who had been all smiles, suddenly turned serious.

Hilaire's gaze was incredibly sharp, fixed intently on him.

"I know."

He looked back at Hilly intently:

"I'll do it."

Hilaire didn't speak, but stared at him for a long time before letting out a soft hum and looking away.

"That's good."

Thales gritted his teeth.

The dungeon fell silent.

Looking at the motionless assassin before her, Hilly suddenly asked, "Do they like each other?"

Thales was taken aback:
"what?"

Hilly sighed softly:

"Tell me, did Hyman, the 'Southerner,' and Miss Regina truly love each other when they got married?"

She turned to look at Thales, her gaze clear:
"Is it for the sake of the bigger picture, and we have no other choice?"

This problem stumped Thales.

“I don’t know.” He lowered his head, staring at the damp floor of the dungeon.

Hilaire gave a soft hum, unsurprised.

"I knew you would say that."

“Please, they were people from hundreds of years ago,” Thales said in a deep voice, staring into the darkness of the dungeon. “I really don’t know.”

"Is it."

Hilly looked in another direction.

"Then I guess they themselves were at that time..."

Hillary curled her lips slightly:

"I don't know either."

Upon hearing this, Thales remained silent for a moment, then chuckled softly.

"Maybe."

The silence lasted for a while, until finally, Hilly couldn't hold back any longer and took a deep breath.

“Now, assassin,” the young lady stood up, crossed her arms, and stretched her arms, “we’ve been nagging you for ages, you should know your own situation by now, don’t you feel anything, don’t you show any reaction?”

King Lausanne II remained expressionless and motionless.

Thales had no choice but to stand up as well, frowning:
"We just want to know: how much do you know about Federico, about the old case of the assassination of the Duke of Leinster?"

King Lausanne II remained silent, like a stone statue.

Hilly was getting impatient:

"Or do you want to open your heart and speak your mind in another way?"

Upon hearing "open your heart," Thales suddenly had a bad feeling.

Hilly sneered:
"Perhaps, you should meet your old friend from last time? What's his name? Joaquin?"

Whoa!

The name had an immediate effect; the stone statue on the ground suddenly came to life, its chains shaking as it struggled.

“You’ll go to hell,” King Losang II twisted his head desperately, gritting his teeth, his hatred running deep. “Monster!”

Thales' heart sank.

“That’s after you,” Hilly smiled with satisfaction, cracking her knuckles as she saw her threat had worked. “You won’t listen to soft tactics, looks like you really miss your old friend…”

Losang II's eyes turned red, and he instinctively wanted to get away from the girl in front of him.

It seemed as if she wasn't a young girl, but some kind of monstrous beast.

"Don't worry, it'll only take five minutes. I guarantee you'll spill the beans about how many lovers your mother has..."

Just then, Thales grabbed Hilly's wrist:

“Hilai”.

The young lady turned around in confusion:
"how?"

Thales took a deep breath.

“Please, don’t let it be that,” he said earnestly and seriously, “don’t let it be a soul bone.”

Upon hearing this name, Hilla's expression darkened.

“Soul Bone is its code name,” the young lady said calmly. “I usually call it Jacques.”

Thales released her hand and shook his head slowly but firmly:

"Don't say it's Jacques."

Hilaire gave a soft snort and turned to the trembling prisoner:
"If you're too scared to look, you can always leave first..."

"Have you gone out to check on Slimani?"

Hilly paused.

She turned around and looked directly at Thales.

“Okay, I know you’re old-fashioned and soft-hearted,” she said helplessly, her tone softening slightly, “but this guy, this bastard who took money to kill, wasn’t a good person either. He has a lot of blood on his hands, he deserved to die…”

"It has nothing to do with who he is."

Thales shook his head:
"It only has to do with who we are."

King Lausanne II, lying on the ground, opened his eyes. He had been staring intently at Hilaire, but now he looked at Thales.

Hilly's smile vanished.

“Mr. Thales, Professor Thales, Mr. Thales is such a good man,” she scoffed, “If you enjoy teaching so much, and enjoy instructing me on how to do things on my turf, even how to interrogate someone…”

“Please, Hilla,” this time Thales’ tone softened, almost pleading, “for the sake of me lending you the dagger.”

Hilly paused in his speech.

She looked at Thales, who had a sincere expression, and gave a disdainful snort.

“Sure,” Hilly touched the dagger at her waist, her eyes darting around, “Then, you’ll give me the dagger?”

Thales' eyes flickered:
"what?"

"Give me the dagger, and we'll do it your way, no matter how outdated it may be, okay?"

Thales looked back at her in surprise.

He glanced at the police badge on the other man's waist, his lips trembled, and finally he sighed:
"Please, Hilla."

"Oh, you're reluctant to part with it?"

“I can give you anything else, anything that Starlake Fortress has… but this dagger was given to me by a very important friend; it saved my life…”

But Hilly raised her finger.

"No, no, no, this has nothing to do with who gave you the dagger..."

She squinted her eyes:
It only depends on who you are.

Telston choked for a moment.

"Hmm? Speechless now?"

Hilla revealed a victorious and smug smile, tinged with a hint of disdain.

She turned around and adjusted her gloves:

"Then you can go out first, I'll be done in a bit..."

Thales stared blankly as Hilly approached the trembling, cursing assassin step by step.

He looked at the dagger at the other man's waist, closed his eyes, and swallowed hard.

"The dagger, I can't give you that dagger."

"Humph."

"But I can lend it to you for as long as you want."

"I know—what?"

Hilly turned around in confusion.

Thales let out a sigh of relief and nodded firmly:
"Give it back to me when you're tired of playing with it—just make sure you keep it safe."

Hilly was stunned.

It took her a few seconds to understand the meaning of those words. Incredulously, she reached for her dagger, glanced at Thales, and then at the prisoner on the ground.

"You... just for this scumbag?"

Thales shook his head:

"I said, this has nothing to do with whether he's a scumbag or not, it only concerns us..."

"Oh, come on!"

For some reason, Hilly was quite dissatisfied and interrupted him by waving her hand:
"Stop trying to teach me a lesson!"

"I didn't...uh, I'm sorry..."

But Hilla still seemed angry. She drew her sheathed dagger and stared at it intently for a long time.

“I remember you never let this thing out of your sight.”

“Yes,” Thales answered cautiously.

"If you encounter danger, touch it first."

"Yes."

"So you're giving it to me like this? I can play with it as long as I want?"

Thales took a deep breath:

"Uh, yes?"

Hilaire suddenly chuckled, brandishing the dagger, completely unconcerned:
"Hmph, then I guess the friend who gave you the dagger wasn't that important after all."

This sentence stirred up Thales' memories and thoughts.

He gazed wistfully at the JC dagger, recalling the past, and sighed deeply.
"On the contrary, she is very important."

Upon hearing this, Hilla's expression changed.

Thales looked wistful.

"But I think she'll understand."

Recalling that person's appearance in the past, the prince unconsciously curled the corners of his mouth into a smile.

She could understand why I risked my life to save the beggar, and even risked my own safety to help him...

That will help you understand your current choices.

Hilly stared at the dagger in her hand, remained silent for a moment with a blank expression, and then turned away.

"Of course..."

The next second, the young lady suddenly turned around and swung her arm, smashing the dagger at Thales!

"Of course she understands!!!"

call out!
With a whooshing sound, Thales was taken aback!
Fortunately, the River of Sin sensed something and activated at the right moment, allowing him to reach out and precisely catch the flying JC dagger at the last second—luckily, it was sheathed.

But Thales, still reeling from the shock, held the dagger he had barely managed to catch, feeling the numbness in his arm, and looked up in astonishment:
"why--"

"Take it!"

Hilaire looked furious and gritted her teeth: "Take it back."

Thales froze, then raised his dagger:

"But you wanted to borrow it—"

But he was met with a torrent of profanity:
"Who the hell wants this piece of junk!"

Thales instinctively covered his head and stepped back, looking quite aggrieved.

Why?

Hilly took a deep breath, her chest heaving, and still glared at him angrily.

Thales cautiously began, "Then..."

"What are you still doing?"

The young lady, hands on her hips, angrily interrupted him, pointing in the direction of the prisoners:
"Weren't you going to interrogate him gently and kindly? Go ahead! Stop wasting my time!"

Terrified and bewildered, Thales held the dagger in both hands, unsure whether to offer it or hide it.
"I didn't... I just, I just wanted to know if you didn't like this dagger..."

Just then, the prisoners on the ground let out a long sigh.

“Please, Your Highness, shut up,” King Losang II said, closing his eyes with a helpless and pained expression. “Every time you open your mouth, you only make things worse.”

Thales was taken aback.

What's it to you?

But he readily agreed and quickly shut up.

Hillary's eyebrows furrowed in dismay.

"What's it to you, prisoner!"

King Lausanne II gave a soft hum and did not reply.

Thales, having concealed his dagger, chimed in:
"Yeah, yeah! What's it to you—"

Hilly suddenly turned her head, glaring at Thales' words and silencing them.

"Um... then I'll go..."

Thales smiled ingratiatingly, pointed to the prisoner, and tiptoed around the still-angry young lady, moving closer to the assassin.

"You will be eaten."

But before he could clear his throat and speak, King Losang II spoke first.

Thales was taken aback:
"what?"

King Losang II opened his lifeless eyes and gazed at him with a lingering look:
"Whether it's her or someone else."

she……

Thales swallowed hard, turned slightly, and stole a glance at Hilly, who had inexplicably become angry.

But this subtle movement was captured.

"What's wrong? Keep interrogating me? I'm not going to eat you!"

Startled, Thales turned back to look at the prisoner.

"unless……"

The severely wounded King Lausanne II lay alone in the dungeon, his eyes filled with complex emotions:

"Unless, Your Highness, you learn to let the kindness and cold-bloodedness, the goodness and cruelty in your heart coexist peacefully."

Just like... that prince from before.

Thales pondered upon hearing this.

"And if you have any mercy left, Your Highness Thales, then please don't waste your time on me."

The assassin slowly closed his eyes, locking his pain and despair into the bottomless darkness:

"Just finish me off quickly."

Looking at the other person's expression, Thales sensed something.

"Alright, I'll be blunt, Losang II, whether that's your name or not."

Under Hilaire's disdainful gaze, he frowned and sat down in front of Lausanne II.

"The reason I'm coming to you now, instead of throwing you to some of my more civilized and polite men for torture, is because..."

I paused for a moment.

"Despite your grave sins and blood debts, strangely enough, one of my favorite captains of the bodyguard seems to think..."

He squinted and moved closer to the prisoner:

"You're hopeless."

Hopeless...

King Lausanne II opened his eyes and stared at Thales, who had a serious expression on his face.

The next second, he let out the loudest, longest, and most ironic laugh of his life.