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"This is motherf*cking..."

"F*ck him..."

"Guards!"

But before the vassals could vent their anger, Thales spoke up again. His voice echoed throughout the entire hall.

"You know, sometimes, I miss Nuven very much." The prince sighed, but his words contained absolutely no respect. "I want to tell him this: Look, this is what you left behind in the once formidable Dragon Clouds City."

Thales turned and raised his head to look at the stone above him. He spread his arms to gesture at the nobles beside him, then shook his head in disdain. "Nuven, your pitiful legacy is a bunch of conservative old men who keep a careful watch over a useless and cowardly little girl, gnawing incessantly on what little bones Dragon Clouds City has left. How pathetic..."

He put on a poker face and said coldly and scornfully, "All of you are."

Count Cotterson’s eyes widened. He met Count Lyner’s gaze beside him, Lyner was shocked and furious at the same time.

’Is he...’

*Thud!*

Count Karkogel rapped his chair coldly. "You are disrespecting the late king. Do you know that?"

Thales shook his head disdainfully, not providing any response at all.

"Wow." From his seat, Ian stared with his mouth agape at Thales. "And I thought I went too far."

Beside the archduchess, Nicholas stared at Thales in a daze, as though he could not accept the prince’s sudden change. At this moment, even the Star Killer, who believed himself to be the one who had spent the most time with Thales, frowned when he saw the coldness in Thales’ eyes.

’What is he doing?’

"If this is your plan, My Lady..." Nicholas’ already pale face was filled with anger by the fact that he was left out of the loop. He said in a soft voice beside the archduchess, "...Then it is best to stop him before something happens. He is going overboard. If this continues, no one can save him before the enraged Northlanders."

But Saroma only stared at the prince in a daze. She did not reply.

’Thales... You... you...?’

Thales took two more steps and brushed past Monty. The Raven of Death responded by smiling indifferently and coldly. There was malice in his gaze.

"Enough, Prince Thales!" Count Hearst could not help but yell in fury, "The archduchess is trying to save your life, but you—"

"Oh, speaking of that!"

Thales raised his voice as though he had come to a sudden realization. Calm and composed, he turned towards the golden-bearded count.

"It has been six years!"

He shook his head with a scornful expression, as if he found this situation ridiculous, all the while clicking his tongue at the archduchess.

"All of you always thought that you already have a firm hold on this Prince of Constellation and can do anything you want with him, right?"

Thales shook his head. He recalled the Archduke of Black Sand Region and imitated his expression, revealing a cold gaze. "See, this is the difference between us. My life belongs to me. No one can take it away."

Count Lisban stared at the prince incredulously. The prince had never felt so unfamiliar to him. It was as though he was no longer the prince who had always behaved himself.

Saroma’s expression changed. At a loss for what to do, she stared at Thales. She could not help but recall what the young man once said.

’"Don’t worry about other people, don’t worry about other things, don’t bear the slightest hesitation or doubt. I will handle everything else."’

’Is this how you... solve the problem?’

Count Hearst clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles let out cracking sounds, and his face was contorted. He showed his fury by enunciating each of his words, "Not bad, Prince Thales. Your Highness, as a Constellatiate, you do have a lot of guts. As for your life, we will know the answer very soon."

Thales sneered. "This is not the first time a Northlander has told me something like this." The second prince exhaled. He paid no heed at all to the eyes around him and exercised his neck. "It has been six years and it turns out my head is still properly attached to my neck."

Like a wild beast whose territory was breached, Count Hearst let out a furious yell!

Deafening curses erupted among the Northlanders. The Archduchess’ Guards even had to hold back two vassals who were about to go forward, unable to hold their anger back.

"This is truly interesting." Count Lyner stared coldly at Thales. "My Lady, it seems that your judgement of people is biased."

Saroma went quiet at that moment. She stared sadly at Thales, but she could only see feigned emotions in the prince’s eyes.

’Thales... What in the world are you trying to do?’

"Do all of you really think that Dragon Clouds City is really amazing? But King Nuven’s era is long gone. The matter with the Alliance of Freedom is our doing. It is premeditated by Constellation."

Thales inhaled deeply and turned to the Northlanders in the hall. He shouted furiously in a manner that would only add fuel to the flames, "And what can all of you do? Northlanders? Dragon Clouds City? Hold endless hearings and bicker in the palace? And boast about accomplishments that do not belong to you with pretentious, florid language, glossing over your incapability and stupidity, and showing off your respectable status?

"I really have had enough of you lot." Thales widened his eyes and his expression became frightening. "I cannot believe that I actually spent six years in the same territory as all of you. It is absolutely ridiculous."

Countless furious yells rang in the air. The passionate Northlanders made vehement suggestions such as, "slaughter him!"

Count Nazaire stared at Thales with a scowl and mouthed his words at Lisban, who was across from him, ’What’s going on?’

But the regent only shook his head. He did not know either.

"And what annoys me the most"—Thales sneered, his expression turning cold—"is that six years ago, if it were not for me, all of you, and Dragon Clouds City, would have ceased to exist.

"All of you would not be able to shout like the barbarians you are here, discussing about what you want to do with me..." Thales turned and swept his gaze across every pair of eyes in the hall. He spoke, enunciating each word, "As though all of you actually did it."

The clamor in the hall became even louder.

"Now, if I say... to chop off one of his hands," Count Lyner said, cold and loud, "will any of you raise any objections?"

An overwhelming majority of the crowd yelled, enraged and in agreement. Thales chuckled, not caring in the slightest.

He turned and threw his arms open at the archduchess, who was already at a loss for words.

"Come on, then!"

He was like a warrior who was ready to throw everything into a fight, laughing angrily, but also pleased with himself on the battlefield. "All of you in Dragon Clouds City, I, the Second Prince of Constellation, Thales Jadestar, am here right now! Come!" The teenager shouted. "Chop off my hands or legs, it’s up to all of you!"

Three Archduchess’ Guards held back the fifth vassal who wanted to charge forward—Count Hudson. Thales did not remember whether he was the Hudson from Sunset Snow River or Spear City.

No matter.

Thales stared coldly at the enraged Northlanders. ’It’s almost time, right?’

Ian stared at Thales and knit his brows together tightly. ’What in the world are you trying to do? This is Dragon Clouds City, and you’re facing Northlanders. If you continue like this, even if you want to be safely sent to the City of Faraway Prayers, it would be impossible.’

Saroma gazed at Thales with a mournful expression. The prince seemed like he wanted to challenge all the people in power in Dragon Clouds City.

’Yes. At this point in time, there’s no longer anyone who talks about the marriage, the dispatchment of troops, or my competence as the archduchess.

’But... But you... Thales!’

Once she thought of this, she could not help but feel a lump in her throat.

Thales roared angrily again, "But all of you must remember!"

Thales waved his arms and glared angrily at every single Northlander who was gnashing his teeth in anger. The prince raised his head and bellowed in rage, "One day in the future, when I wear the Nine-Pointed Star royal crown and receive the Staff of Constellation, I will settle every debt, and I will deal with all those whom I hold a grudge against!"

These words of his were like a basin of cold water. The people in the hall stopped raging at once.

"I will do so in the name of the Jadestar Family. This is a promise from Constellation, by the heir to the throne."

Taking advantage of the silence, Thales lowered his voice and let his throat relax, since it was almost hoarse from the shouting. He said coldly, "Remember this, every single one of you. Remember this, Eckstedtians."

He swept his gaze coldly over all the vassals in the hall. He noticed that the anger in their eyes, which had risen briefly a moment ago, was slowly dissipating, and in its place was a hatred that would not disappear for a long time.

"Brat." Count Cotterson ground his teeth hard, as though he wanted to chew Thales into pieces. "Do you think that the Northlanders would be afraid of your threat?"

Thales turned and met his gaze like an agitated hedgehog. "Are you not now? When faced with Constellation, look at how afraid all of you are."

The prince could not help but laugh. "The once awe-inspiring and renowned Dragon Clouds City, can only... rely on a hostage to wage war now."

The furious yells that had dwindled just now rose again, one after another.

Apart from the surprised and bewildered Lisban, and Nazaire, whose eyebrows were tightly furrowed, even the four other counts showed their anger.

"I really doubt that you will live until the day you are crowned." Count Karkogel clenched his only fists. His face was expressionless. "If it were not for the fact that the Archduchess’ Guards are restraining those people, you would be torn to pieces right now!"

Thales narrowed his eyes. "Really? Then, what are you waiting for? Waiting for King Nuven to climb out of his coffin and give you orders?"

Thales said these words flatly. He was met with another wave of enraged objections, but he ignored them all.

At this moment, when all eyes were on Thales, a servant hurriedly came forward, all while remaining close to the wall. He went behind Lisban and spoke into his ear.

Some people noticed this, but their attention was then captured by Thales and they shifted their gazes back to him.

Lisban’s expression changed. He said in a soft voice, "What? Now? He is at..."

The servant nodded. After asking a few more questions, Lisban’s face paled more and more.

Count Nazaire noticed his old friend’s expression. He immediately cast Lisban a questioning look.

Unexpectedly to him, at that moment, old Lisban, who had always been level-headed, had an abject and panicked expression. He shook his head at the curious Nazaire.

Lisban inhaled deeply and stared incredulously at Thales. He flashed a bitter smile.

’Is that so, Prince Thales? So this is how it is.’

A second later, Lisban waved helplessly, as though he had given up on something. The servant left. The confrontation in the hall continued.

"The archduchess is willing to give all she has to keep her promise and keep you safe. But..." Count Lyner said coldly, "With your stupid actions, brat, you are not only unworthy of the archduchess’ trust, you have also decided your fate today."

Thales laughed. "That is why I said that all of you are a bunch of idiots."

The Second Prince of Constellation sighed, as though there was no one beside him.

"The situation had long since been out of your control."

Thales glanced at every single person in the hall, and his gaze was as sharp as a blade. "Do all you idiots really not see it? Where the trump card for this game lies?"

Lyner’s face immediately turned livid with rage.

"The outcome is already quite obvious." Count Cotterson gritted his teeth and said impatiently, "There is no point wasting our words. Throw him into the dungeons first and—"

Right then...

*Boom!*

The hall’s main doors were boorishly flung open. The sound of metal and wood clashing echoed in the hall. It only faded after a long time.

The argument in the hall came to a stop. Most of the people stared at the door, stunned. They did not understand what was going on.

A deep and sonorous voice came from outside the door, and it traveled into the hall, shocking everyone in it.

"Wow. What a grand spectacle."

Those words were spoken in a relaxed manner, and the speaker sounded pleased. Heavy footsteps echoed in the hall.

*Thud. Thud. Thud.*

A large and tall figure stepped into the Hall of Heroes while accompanied by two attendants, as if there was no one else present in the hall. A few of the Archduchess’ Guards walked behind them with angry looks.

The newcomer stopped and stood beside the Prince of Constellation in a relaxed manner. He looked around calmly at the indignant Northland nobles who were held back by the Archduchess’ Guards.

Even though he spoke in a soft voice, it was like there was a chill contained in it, one that could seep into another person’s bones and freeze them. "It is obvious that you are QUITE welcome here, Thales."

The newcomer turned to the teenager who held an indifferent look.

In a split second, the hall became utterly quiet.

Saroma, Lisban, Nazaire, Nicholas, Karkogel, Hearst, Lyner, Cotterson, Lord Justin, and even Ian and many of the vassals... The archduchess, her vassals, the Archduchess’ Guards, and the envoys from the City of Faraway Prayers froze all of a sudden. Lisban even had a weary and sorrowful expression on his face.

It was as though time had stopped at that moment inside the hall, no longer moving forward.

Thales was the only one who gazed calmly at the middle-aged man, neither shocked nor agitated.

The prince sighed and gave a flat sneer.

Thales spoke in a relaxed and apathetic manner. "What took you so long... old friend?"

The moment Thales finished speaking, everyone in the hall had the same expression—dumbstricken. They pinned their gazes on the person who had just walked in. He was a middle-aged noble filled with a majestic demeanor...

It was as if he was someone deceased who crawled out of his grave... and should not have appeared in this place.

The middle-aged noble turned around, calm and composed, and replied with a chuckle, "You know, it’s quite hard to find my way through Heroic Spirit Palace."

While countless pairs of eyes stared at him, either curiously or in shock, the middle-aged noble raised his head. The dark gold crown on his head shone, a dark red gemstone was affixed to the center.

Once they saw the gemstone clearly, many people felt a chill run down their spines.

Then, the 46th Common-Elected King of Eckstedt and the Archduke of Black Sand Region, King Chapman the First swept his gaze over every single person in the hall impassively. His powerful voice rose in the hall.

"Good morning... Dragon Clouds City."