In the Grand Duchess's study, Thelma's eyes widened: "What?"

Thales also stared blankly at the new teacher who said such shocking words.

this……

This, this, this...

Are you really here to be a teacher?

"I..." In an awkward atmosphere, the bewildered Grand Duchess was speechless. She couldn't come up with a word for a long time, so she could only look at Thales for help out of habit.

“Mr.

However, the culprit of this atmosphere, the skinny Meri Hickser, still held his crutch and looked at Thelma with a half-smile.

The next second, the girl took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind. Then she decisively lowered her head, leaned over, and picked up the "Selected Poems of Cahir Yeluo" that had fallen under her feet.

It seems that is very important.

Leave the embarrassment to Thales alone.

But he soon stopped being embarrassed.

"Yes!" The old crow wearing glasses turned his head and interrupted Thales unceremoniously.

The old man's eyes behind the monocle blinked slightly, passing by Thales who was about to speak, and stared at Thelma closely:

"You must like him very much."

Selma, who had just straightened up while holding the book, froze in embarrassment again, and had to say: "Well, we are just good friends..."

Thales nodded with approval.

"Otherwise, without the deliberate protection of the Grand Duchess, a hostage prince from the stars." Unexpectedly, the joke on Old Crow Xixer's face slowly disappeared. He ignored Selma and Thales' clarifications and just

Shaking his head, he continued what he said:

"It is simply impossible to stay unscathed for six full years in the Longxiao City of the Northlanders, surrounded by hostility from wolves."

The two students were startled.

I saw that Xixer's expression had lost the initial relaxation and comfort.

Although the smile was still there, the turbidity in his eyes had slowly disappeared.

He pulled his crutch closer.

"What do you think, Thales?"

The prince came to his senses.

He suddenly realized that what the old man had just said was definitely not a boring joke about their relationship.

It seems...

It's because he thinks too much.

Facing Xixer's inquiry, Thales sighed slowly, feeling relieved and embarrassed.

"I can't deny it," the young man glanced at the blushing girl and nodded with concern: "Without Thelma's protection, the people in the North would not be so polite to me. I am extremely grateful for that."

Thelma said nothing.

Xixer sighed softly.

"Then, may I ask, Thelma?" Just like addressing the prince, the old crow called the Grand Duchess by her name without any hesitation or scruple: "Your people, your vassals, your subjects."

Come on, why are you so rude to Thales?"

"Did the prince do something unforgivable to them?"

Thelma stared at Thales.

"No, Thales did nothing wrong," the Grand Duchess shook her head vigorously: "But he is a prince of the stars, so the people in the North have reasons to hate him. This is the hatred between countries."

The new teacher narrowed his eyes: "Why? Why should the people of the North hate the Prince of the Stars?"

"Eighteen years ago, during the 'bloody year' of the stars," Thelma paused for a few seconds. She looked at Thales with concern. Seeing that his face remained normal, she took a deep breath and spoke.

Answer: "We, Exeter, fought a tragic war with the Kingdom of Stars."

Thales looked seriously at the old crow who was still smiling but giving off an inexplicable sense of seriousness: he suddenly understood what Xixer wanted to talk about.

"The Year of Blood, of course, is what the stars call it," Xixer said with deep eyes, silently sighing: "From the beginning of 660 to 661 in the End Calendar, the Year of Blood..."

The new teacher's eyes were solemn:

"So, what did the Star People do during the war?"

"That's why Exeter, who took the initiative to invade, is so full of hatred for the Kingdom of Stars?"

Thales frowned.

Thelma hesitated for a second, but under Xixer's smile, she recalled the contents of the book and past classes, and answered exactly: "Because of the "Fortress Peace Treaty."

"At the end of the war, the Northlanders were forced to negotiate with the stars and even sign a peace treaty under pressure from many parties."

"Except for a disputed forest land northwest of the fortress before the war, and some monetary compensation, Exeter did not receive much land or spoils of war."

"Many people, from the Grand Duke to the vassals, from the nobles to the soldiers, are dissatisfied with the fact that they have conquered the Northern Territory and won the battlefield victory, but in the end they had to return to the North in despair. Therefore," the Grand Duke said again

He looked at Thales carefully and said, "So they feel that this is the shame brought upon them by the Star People using despicable means."

Listening to the questions and answers between the old and the young, Thales remembered everything Gilbert told him in the carriage on the eve of the meeting.

[This is not so much a peace treaty as a record of humiliation.]

"Very good, so this is the "Fortress Peace Treaty" with inconsistent answers and results. This is the source of the Northlanders' hatred of the stars." At this point, Xixer showed a puzzled expression at the right time: "However, this answer cannot be

No more problems.”

"Although you were not born at that time," Xixer tapped his crutches and exhaled, "But according to what I just said, why?"

"Why was the Peace of the Fortress signed like that when Exeter had gained such a huge advantage that the entire northern border and half of the Clifflands had been defeated by them? Why did Exeter only ask for compensation?

However, you have given up every piece of land you have worked so hard to build and occupied for nearly half a year?"

Thales and Thelma both frowned and began to think about the old man's words.

Xixer turned his head and looked at the Star Prince kindly.

"Tiles, what's your answer? Are you willing to guess?"

Thales raised his eyebrows slightly.

A memory from a long time ago flashed through his mind.

Still in that bright classroom, there was still the sound of clicking keys and notes.

[Qi Ren, what’s your answer to this question? 】

In the past six years, there have not been many flashbacks of such strange yet familiar memories, at least not as frequent as those thrilling adventures he had six years ago.

But they are anything but silent.

As now.

[How do social relationships, or an individual’s position in the social relationship circle, affect individual behavior? 】

[According to the assumption of "rational people"... Then, when they clearly know that actions will bring corresponding losses, or at least the risks are unpredictable, why do many individuals habitually follow and repeat around them according to the closeness of the relationship?

Individual actions?】

only……

The memory, that vague and vague one that always made Thales feel uncontrollable but could not name the owner of the gentle female voice, never appeared again.

"Tiles?"

After Xixer's slight urging, Thales came back to his senses and quickly said: "I want to..."

"Is it because of the joint intervention of many countries? I think no matter whether it is Humble and Suye on the other side of the sea, or Kangmas and other small countries on the western continent, they are not willing to see an overly powerful dragon country..."

But Thales, who kept talking, looked at the eye behind the lens, the inexplicable meaning and smile in that gaze, his heart moved slightly, and he slowly stopped speaking unconsciously.

Xixer, who was sitting on the leather chair, smiled.

His shoulders shook and his hands holding the crutches trembled slightly.

His laughter was weak but cheerful, like a happy old man teasing his children, without any sense of gloominess.

Like a...happy crow?

Thelma looked at the old man confused.

Finally, Xixer stopped laughing and nodded: "Sorry... I remembered a book I once read."

Thales looked puzzled.

"According to the "History of the Northern War", when the two countries began negotiations, although countries such as Camus and Hamble expressed concerns, however, regarding the conditions for Exeter's withdrawal, Camas'

There was a long-standing disagreement internally, with Hamble expressing respect for King Nunn's wishes, while Suye's envoy was on his way, and he only sent a messenger crow symbolically to express his attitude."

"Looking at it this way, either the author of "History of the Northern War" is bragging and perjuring himself for the 'inside information' he has obtained, or... what do you think?" Xixer raised his head and looked at it playfully.
To be continued...