"Tormund Mallos."

"The Royal Guardsmen, in the name of the King, escort His Excellency the Duke of Xinghu back."

The middle-aged guard in his fifties looked at Mallos and nodded.

Under Thales' curious eyes, Mallos finished his answer calmly, and instead looked at the middle-aged guard in front of him with a compelling look:

"Who is asking?"

The middle-aged man was silent for a while. He still didn't look at Thales, and his right hand was still on the sword at his waist.

I saw the other party taking an upright step forward with a serious attitude.

"Fabio Adrian."

A middle-aged man named Adrian said softly:

"The chief commander of the royal guard, in the name of the king, welcomes the return of His Excellency the Duke of Xinghu."

Thales swore that he could feel Doyle behind him taking a suppressed breath.

Royal Guard.

Chief...commander?

Thales recalled the "Six Wings of the Imperial Guard". Mallos was also silent for a while, and then nodded to Adrian, who had gray beard and hair but had a stern expression.

The next second, Adrian turned his head and looked at Thales, who was a head shorter than Mallos, for the first time.

Not sure whether he was affected by the atmosphere or the pressure from the other person's gaze, Duke Xinghu subconsciously raised his chest and abdomen to accept the other person's gaze.

But just like everyone else, Adrian's eyes only touched and separated, and the latter turned back to Mallos.

"Knight Marius, you have fulfilled your duty."

Adrian said calmly:

"Will your mission end?"

Do your duty...

The mission ends...

Thales was startled and remembered something in a daze.

Marius answered calmly but seriously:

"Knight Adrian, I have fulfilled my duty."

The watchman narrowed his eyes:

"Yet my sword is not broken."

After hearing the other party's answer, Adrian nodded to him, his eyes a little softer and no longer sharp:

"Then your mission is not over yet."

Mallos also nodded slightly and raised the corners of his mouth:

"Then my mission is not over yet."

Thales frowned and recognized his memory more and more.

Sure enough, the conversation in front of me...

Full of a sense of ritual that he was familiar with.

The air was still quiet and the atmosphere was still serious. The Duke had to cast a doubtful look at Gilbert, but the latter just told him to be calm.

Finally, Adrian smiled.

The middle-aged commander took off his gloves and stretched out his hand to Mallos:

"Then, welcome back, knight."

Mallos also showed a long-lost, shallow but restrained smile, took off his gloves, stepped forward and held Adrian's right hand:

"team leader."

Adrian smiled, nodded, and called out Mallos' name:

"Tormund."

While Thales was wondering whether this was the tradition of the Royal Guards, Adrian let go of Mallos' hand and coughed:

"Okay, the task handover is over, relax."

The next second, Thales heard the royal guards behind him sigh, as if they all breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.

It's like the end of a leadership meeting that you had to sit still and listen to the whole thing carefully.

Adrian walked up and smiled at Gilbert:

"Count Castle."

Gilbert also smiled and stepped forward to shake hands with him happily:

"Lord Adrian."

Lord Adrian smiled:

"It seems I was right, you were really refreshed when you came back."

"Thank you, Lord."

After finishing the greetings, Gilbert turned around and looked at Thales.

"Welcome to the council chamber, Your Majesty the Duke."

The Foreign Minister proudly stretched out his hand toward the stone door behind Adrian:

"This is the place where His Majesty usually receives envoys and foreign ministers."

Looking at the confusion on the Duke's face, Gilbert added:

"This is an important place for state affairs. As the Duke of Xinghu, you will be familiar with it in the future."

Thales responded politely and looked at the stone door.

meeting hall.

Receive envoys and foreign ministers...

etc.

Thales was suddenly stunned.

He looked at the stone gate guarded by Adrian's guard, remembered something, and recognized something.

"I remember."

"Meeting Hall."

"I've been here," Thales said in a daze:

"Been here once."

Gilbert was stunned by these words.

But Thales knew that the meeting hall in Fuxing Palace...

He did come.

Thales looked at the stone door in a daze, imagining the scene after it opened.

That's right.

right here.

Six years ago, it was here that he saw the arrogant Exeter envoy using threats and threats without scruples, forcing King Kessel to make a difficult choice between going to war and ceding territory.

Six years ago, it was here that he saw Duke Arend hysterically venting his anger and unwillingness, revealing his political conspiracy that affected the two major countries and tried to reverse the situation but failed.

Six years ago, it was here...

Thales thought in trance.

It was here that he saw King Kessel V waving his scepter with unparalleled majesty and unquestionable authority. Amidst nervous and stunned breaths, he decided the second prince of the Kingdom of Stars, and the future for the next six years...

destiny.

"Oh? Oh, my memory is bad." Gilbert seemed to have remembered something, his face darkened, and he dropped the topic with a slight embarrassment.

On the other side, Adrian coughed slightly, interrupting the conversation between Gilbert and the Duke.

Lord Adrian turned around first and patted Mallos on the arm:

"Weah and Gaitan are waiting for you in the watch room, you know...paperwork."

Mallos put away his smile and frowned slightly.

Adrian nodded to him and urged slightly:

"Go ahead."
To be continued...