"The newest messenger crow is from the north."

north.

Thales frowned:

"Is it Putilai and Waiya?"

"No." Gilbert shook his head, but his expression showed no sign of relaxation:

"but……"

I saw the Foreign Minister riding his horse closer and saying in a deep voice:

"A few days ago, Longxiao City completed its war mobilization."

Longxiao City.

Hearing this familiar term, Thales clenched his knuckles slightly.

Gilbert's words continued:

"The expeditionary force of 10,000 people has been assembled and is preparing to go to Qiyuan City to join the battle and the Western Expedition of the Freedom Alliance."

Thales frowned deeply.

At that moment, it was as if all the memories about the Northland came back to my mind - war, forced marriage, mobilization, everything that happened during the days when Longxiao City was in charge.

Ten thousand troops.

Thales recalled his impression of Longxiao City.

For Longxiao City, neither more nor less.

So……

"Who is the noble who leads the army?"

Duke Xinghu looked solemn: "Who will fight this battle?"

Gilbert nodded and reported the information accurately:

"The lord of Hunting County and Origami County, Count Kahn Kirkegaard, will serve as the deputy commander of the Longxiao City Expeditionary Force."

Kierkegaard.

The resolute face of the one-armed earl in the Hall of Heroes appeared in Thales' mind.

He sighed.

"Sure enough, the one who leads the army is the most capable fighter in Longxiao City..."

But when he said this, Thales was slightly startled:

"Wait, Gilbert."

"You just said - 'deputy' commander?"

The prince looked at Gilbert in surprise.

Gilbert pursed his lips and nodded.

etc.

Kierkegaard is only the deputy commander, which means...

No.

The unbelievable surprise on Thales's face grew bigger and bigger.

Gilbert spoke solemnly:

"According to recent news, Longxiao City's first large-scale military expedition after twenty years of silence..."

"The immature Grand Duchess Walton will be in military uniform and carrying a sword, taking command of the army."

"Go into battle and fight in person."

Grand Duchess...

Go into battle...

Personal expedition...

At that moment, Thales was stunned on the spot.

Gilbert didn't speak, just looked at him silently, waiting quietly to take in the prince's reaction.

That familiar figure seemed to reappear before his eyes.

The figure crying in the dark asked him if he could escape.

emaciated.

thin.

Wrongful and helpless.

Weak and lonely.

She grabbed his arm and hid behind him.

Shivering.

"oh……"

"That's it..."

Duke Xinghu withdrew his expression blankly, nodded subconsciously, and murmured to himself.

"Wow."

His face was stiff, but he forced himself to shout a suppressed exclamation.

But no one knew that he felt so strange at this moment.

Mixed flavors.

Indescribable.

But the next second, the figure in his mind turned around, revealing a face that was equally familiar to him, but completely different.

The face that held the crystal in his mouth under the pressure, and his forehead was wet with sweat, but he still tried his best to pout his mouth.

tenacious.

stubborn.

Stubborn and unyielding.

Resolute and strong.

Standing in front of the highest seat, standing among thousands of troops, raising arms and shouting.

One call and a hundred responses.

It seemed like a long time passed.

It was so long that even Gilbert couldn't help but shout a reminder.

"So they succeeded," Thales said quietly, trying hard to forget unnecessary pictures and forcing himself to start thinking about more practical things:

"Ronnie from Qiyuan City, Leko from Guard City, and Walton from Longxiao City—the three-city alliance of Exter."

"They stood up for everything."

Thales' tone was still empty, but his spirit gradually recovered and his brain began to spin:

"Confronting the unrest in the West provoked by Lombard."

Thinking of this, Duke Xinghu took a deep breath and raised his head.

"What about us?"

Anyone else might have been confused by such a question, but Gilbert knew what he was going to ask.

The Foreign Secretary breathed out slowly.

"As you can see, now that you have returned and the situation on the Western Front has subsided..."

Gilbert's mouth curved slightly:

"Then, whether it is the royal standing army under Baron Williams or the levies hard-earned by the lords of the Western Wilderness, there is no reason to stay in the desert and spend time and effort patrolling."

Thales took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"So, without the control of the stars, the weak Freedom Alliance defends the city alone, facing the three major cities in the North, and facing almost half of the Kingdom of Exeter..."

Duke Xinghu opened his eyes. This time, he became calm and dignified:

"The battle has been decided."

"The Freedom Alliance... is over."

Gilbert didn't say anything, just nodded in acquiescence.

After a few seconds, Thales' lips curled up and his mood became lighter.

"Now, it's King Charman's turn to have a headache."

He looked at Gilbert with a smile:

"I escaped, and the stars also withdrew, so Lombard lost both leverage and reason."

"He can no longer use the stars as swords to force his vassals to obey orders."

Thales thought of the deflated appearance of the aggressive parricide king, and felt that the sadness of no longer having his hometown just now was swept away, and even his breathing felt particularly comfortable.
To be continued...