Under Earl Lewis' strange tone of inquiry, Dele's expression remained as usual:

"In front of you is Tyr..."

But Lewis immediately laughed and interrupted Dele's introduction with a wave of his hand:

"Don't be nervous, it was just a joke, of course I know where he is..."

Dele's face darkened after being interrupted.

"Come, let me see..."

In Dele's silence, Lewis slowly turned the horse's head and looked sideways at Thales with a profound expression.

The prince took a deep breath, suppressed the discomfort in his heart, and accepted the attention of Earl Black Lion with a smile.

A few seconds later, Earl Lewis, who had almost circled Thales half a circle, finally laughed out loud:

"Your Highness, I have heard about your great achievements in the North for a long time. It is a great honor to come here."

He closed the distance between him and the prince, with his back tilted back and his expression still arrogant:

"Maybe you don't remember me..."

But unexpectedly, the prince raised his voice and interrupted the other party:

"Will the black lion who is good at fighting still fight for the pride of lions?"

Lewis was stunned when he heard this.

"'Fight to the death', that's how you answered my father at the beginning," under everyone's attention, the second prince looked straight at the leader of the Black Lion family:

"'As long as the head lion remains wise and brave, I will take care of the lions.'"

Lewis looked surprised.

Even Dele frowned slightly.

"Yes, I remember you, Count Lewis Bozdorf from the Castle of Heroes."

"At the state meeting six years ago, you were sitting not far from me."

Thales cleared his throat, and his eyes began to turn cold under the setting sun:

"And I still remember, when they voted on whether I was a prince or not..."

"You voted against me."

There was a warning tone in Thales' words.

Bozdorf's expression changed instantly.

He sat up straight on the horse and looked at Thales with a different look.

Even Dele on the side pursed his lips.

Lewis coughed slightly:

"Your Highness, in the past..."

But the prince's cold face melted away suddenly, like iceberg melting into water.

Thales sneered and interrupted the count:

"Don't be nervous, it was just a joke..."

Under the frowning expressions of both Lewis and Dele, Thales leisurely lifted the reins and rode his horse past the Earl of Black Lion:

"Come, let me see..."

The prince calmly looked at the black-armored soldiers behind the count, as if he was reviewing his own army.

A few seconds later, Thales followed Lewis's lead and reined the horse back, smiling brightly:

"Your Excellency, I have long admired the Black Lion family's reputation for being good at fighting."

After saying this, he smiled kindly and extended his right hand to Earl Lewis.

"It's an honor to meet you today."

Lewis looked at the prince blankly.

The Black Lion Family of Heroes Castle.

Another surname that is resounding throughout the Western Wilderness.

Historically, Bozdov's ancestor was a heavy infantryman who participated in the Battle of the End. Due to his bravery and good fighting skills, he was promoted repeatedly by the Renaissance King, rising step by step, and finally achieved the position of earl on the day of the founding of the country.

The expansion of the Star Kingdom's western border to what it is today depends largely on the warlikeness and strength in their blood: at the beginning of the second century of the End Calendar, "King of Blades" Tormund II conquered the Dragon's Kiss and attacked Dragon's Kiss.

In the battle to destroy the Principality of Mist, it was Bozdov's infantry regiment that beheaded the first and last Grand Duke of Mist.

After the First Continental War, the power of the Heroic Soul Castle reached its peak. In the Western Wilderness, the Black Lion Family even suppressed the Guardian Duke until they died in the "Double Star Confrontation" of the late second century and the death of "Cloud King" Horace II.

Later, in the fierce internal strife between the two branches of the Canxing royal family fighting for the throne, like most families of that era, they unfortunately fell on the wrong team.

The stunned Earl Lewis stared at the prince's outstretched right hand, then looked at Thales's smile, and was silent for a while.

Next to him, Dele, who was silent, looked at Thales and raised the corners of his mouth slightly.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Half a second later, Earl Black Lion calmed down his previous arrogant expression, urged his mount to take a step forward, threw off his iron gloves without hesitation, and firmly grasped Thales's palm:

"I promise you'll see that we live up to our name."

Thales only felt his tightly clenched palm vibrate.

The Earl of Black Lion has quite a strong hand.

Earl Lewis narrowed his eyes:

"The lion head is indeed extraordinary."

Count Bozdorf let go of his palm and waved back:

"Your Highness, come and meet my eldest son and successor, Paul."

A young man with brown hair and a resolute face, who looked silent and low-key, rode forward on a horse wearing armor with a black lion emblem.

"Paul Bozdorf," young Paul said with a straight face, clenching his fists and pressing his chest. He looked less complicated than his father, "Your Highness, it is my honor to serve you."

Thales smiled:

"It's also an honor for me."

Earl Lewis, who had been looking at Thales, laughed and reached out to the black-armored soldiers behind him:

"Your Highness."

"My son, two hundred elites from the Black Lion family, and one hundred people from the fourteen families around Heroic Soul Castle, will accompany Dele to escort you home."

Lewis added:

"Forgive me for not being able to accompany you in person, but please do not doubt our enthusiasm and loyalty to Fuxing Palace."

Thales looked at the black lion flag behind Lewis and the fourteen other flags of small and medium-sized nobles.

The prince frowned slightly at first, then smiled:

"Never doubted."

Lewis also smiled:

"I never doubted you never doubted."

But the next moment, Earl Black Lion looked east and his tone changed:

"But I doubt others doubt it."

Thales's smile was a little stiff.

Well, that's really a good statement.

In the awkward atmosphere, Dele next to him coughed intentionally or unintentionally.

But Lewis seemed not to understand, and suddenly said:

"So I heard that our Lord Cyril, the Duke of Xihuang, has already gone to find you, Your Highness?"

"I also gave you a good sword?"

Thales's nerves, which had been slightly lowered, were immediately raised by these words.

Damn it.

How did he know?

The prince, who had a severe headache, changed direction and subconsciously wanted to block the "warning" on the saddle.

"About that, I wanted to return it..."

But Lewis sighed and pointed at the troops he brought with him, his eyes uneasy.

"Me and Dele."
To be continued...