The second prince of the stars looked at the old king with surprise.

"But I am here now," King Nuen turned to look at him, his tone was calm but his eyes were complicated: "I bet my family's future on a star prince like you."

Thales suppressed the anxiety in his heart and let out a long sigh.

"My two sons," King Nun said with a gloomy face, "their fates, or rather their misfortunes, are surprisingly similar - but I still have to stand here, fiddle with the chips, and win a future for Walton.

"

After hearing King Nunn's words, Thales shook his head secretly: "Nobles and rulers are another kind of creatures, living by power - this is what Putilai told me."

"So you'd better get used to it as soon as possible," King Nun put away his sad expression and showed his tough and cold face again: "For your own good."

Thales closed his eyes gently.

King Nuen suddenly changed his expression.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at Thales mysteriously.

"Speaking of which, they didn't tell you, right?" The old king clasped his hands: "The... truth about your 'bloody year'?"

Thales opened his eyes in surprise and looked at King Nun.

What he recalled from his mind was first the hysteria of Queen Keya, and secondly the names Tharidon and Shadow Shield.

Finally, there is the Bright Star Tomb in Fuxing Palace.

The second prince shook his head slowly: "They didn't say much."

King Nuen snorted softly.

"Then maybe I shouldn't talk too much." King Nun turned his head back: "It's best not to interfere with the education of the Bright Star family."

You haven't intervened too much - Thales secretly cursed.

but.

The Kingdom of Exeter was a direct participant in the Year of Blood - these invaders from the north.

Thales thought to himself: Maybe he knows something?

"Do you have any special news for me, Your Majesty?" Thales carefully used honorifics and shrugged: "Well, if you really regard me as your future grandson-in-law..."

Upon hearing his title and words, King Nun showed an intriguing look, and then the old king laughed a few times.

"Look," the old king winked at him: "Actually, you can adapt to it very quickly."

Thales responded with an ugly smile.

"Everything else, you will know from your instructors, from the kingdom of stars, and from your father," King Nun stretched his elbows with a subtle expression: "But I can tell you one thing - as a bonus

One of the bargaining chips for allies."

"Things that even your kingdom's secrets don't know about."

Thales' expression changed.

Don’t you know the secret science?

His breathing began to quicken.

"Who do you think would be the person who would kill the Bright Star royal family like this?" King Nuen smiled mysteriously: "The real murderer behind the scenes."

Thales had doubts in his heart.

The real...murderer?

That mysterious assassin organization, the "Shadow Shield" that just appeared in Perfit's mouth?

Gilbert once mentioned the possibility to him, but only said that King Kessel V had "avenged all the revenge he could."

Thales shook his head slowly.

"The truth is actually very simple, so simple that you won't believe it," King Nuen looked at him steadily: "Members of the Bright Star royal family suffered carefully planned assassinations at almost the same time, except for one person."

"I may not be sure about the others, but if the plan goes well, it seems that he is the one who will benefit from the Year of Blood?" King Nun said in a strange tone.

Members of the Bright Star royal family, except one person?

Thales was moved in his heart, but he reacted immediately.

"You are not the first person to accuse my father in front of me and try to sow discord between us." Thales snorted.

King Nun just continued to stare at him, with strange colors in his eyes.

Staring at him made his heart tremble.

"Use your brain, the future 'Dragon Sky City Protector'," King Nuen said sarcastically after a few seconds: "I'm not referring to your father."

Thales frowned and sneered through his nose: "Then who else are you referring to? Twelve years ago, all the bright stars were..."

Suddenly, Thales was shocked and froze.

etc.

Besides Kessel, there is indeed another shining star...

Not killed by murder...

The bright star who did not die due to assassination...

Thales recalled Gilbert's words.

In the tragedy of the Year of Blood, only one prince did not die directly from an assassination.

Nope.

Thales felt his heartbeat begin to accelerate.

The pale prince raised his head and looked at King Nun in disbelief.

"Twelve years ago, after we broke through the Broken Dragon Fortress, we captured Rudolf Nantrist." King Nun pressed his hand on the 'Triumph' and said silently.

Rudolf Nantrist?

Information related to him immediately appeared in Thales's mind, and that was...

"He was the Duke of Cliffland at that time," King Nunn rubbed his ring and said calmly: "That guy is very tough, but the people in the North disdain him for refusing to send troops in the fortress and just sit back and watch Prince Horace's destruction.

A cowardly act.”

Thales recalled the conversation between Putilai and him when he paid homage to the former second prince, Horace Brightstar, at Lyman Pass.

One of the commanders of Broken Dragon Fortress, the previous Duke of Cliffland who watched the second prince’s destruction under the fortress, was also the brother of the ‘One-Eyed Dragon’ Duke Coste de Nantry.

According to Putilai, he was captured by Exeter and later died in prison.

"We left him in the dungeon and ignored him, waiting for the spring to continue south to the hinterland of the stars." Sure enough, King Nun's narrative was similar to Putilai's.

Until the king's next words.

"But after the news of the assassination of the Bright Star royal family came, Rudolf, who was still half alive, struggled to see me." King Nunn's expression became more and more solemn: "In the fortress, he

With tears shed, he brought me a secret that was beyond my expectation."

Thales clenched his fists and listened quietly to the king's narration.

"During the days when Rudolf and Horace were guarding the Broken Dragon Fortress, your Duke of Cliffland discovered something that made him sleepless and sleepless."

King Nun's eyes became more and more sharp.

"Horace Bright Star, the second prince of the Kingdom of Stars, the light-tracing sword that you are so proud of, once secretly recruited, organized, and trained a special mercenary team from various countries and regions—

—Because it is outside the establishment of the Royal Guards and the Bright Star private army, and Prince Horace has always liked to make friends with masters and brave men of all kinds, there is no way for the stars to detect it for many years."

"It wasn't until the day when Horace officially activated the team," King Nunn said softly, "that Rudolph discovered some clues."

Thales couldn't help but become nervous.

"Rudolph discovered that that team was assigned a mission that year," King Nunn's tone became very cold, and he spoke out one sentence word by word: "How can you not be aware of it?"

Ground, latent, hidden, infiltrated and even invaded, a fortress with the most airtight layout, the most heavily guarded, the most perfect defense, and the least likely to be broken through."

"Ah?" Thales said in surprise.

fortress?

The doubts in his heart deepened.

"When Horace risked his troops to attack and disturb our supply lines," King Nunn nodded, his eyebrows gloomy as water: "Rudolf Nantrist, who had long been suspected, was found in Prince Horace's bedroom.

Lots of stuff - from coded communications to secret ledgers."

King Nun pulled over his robe, pulled out a folded piece of thick cardboard from the inner pocket, and said coldly: "There is also this thing."

Thales looked at King Nunn in surprise: "You...have been ready for a long time?"

King Nuen did not speak, but shook the stack of thick paper in his hand.

Thales took a deep breath, suppressed his trembling hands, took the folded thick paper, and unfolded it flat.

This paper is made of fine materials, feels smooth and hard, and seems to last a long time.

It was more than two meters wide, so Thales had to lay it flat on the ground and spread his hands before he could start observing.
To be continued...