Chapter 630: Karma Is a Bitch

Duke Thales had been in a bad mood recently.

According to a well-informed source inside Star Lake Castle, a certain person from one of the Seven Jadestar Attendant Families who did not wish to reveal his name, and who will here be given the alias Doyle to protect the party involved, the prince had no taste for food during meals, lacked energy in class, used excessive force during martial arts lessons, looked heavy with thoughts when pondering, and from time to time shut himself away, lost focus, stared blankly, and occasionally sighed over life.

As for the reason, opinions within Star Lake Castle differed. Some said it was resentment and grief after being exiled. Some said the duke had quarreled with Chief Mallos again. Others guessed that the Logistics Wing's bills over the past few months did not look good. But our reliable informant at Prince Thales' side, alias Doyle, gave the most direct reason:

On the night Kusta and Morgan were on duty, Duke Thales was in his room, working hard at "exercise," sweating profusely, reaching climax after climax, immersed and intoxicated, nearly ascending to bliss, when several mice suddenly barged in and disturbed him.

His Highness the Prince, whose mood had been ruined, flew into a rage, drew his sword, and hacked away. According to those who later cleaned up the mess, even the poor chair had been split in half. Of course, accurate information awaits further leaks from alias Doyle--

"Danny Doyle!"

Madam Valencia, newly arrived at the castle, roared loud enough for the whole castle to hear, chasing Doyle, who had been chatting happily with the maids, out of the room with his head in his hands.

"Your duty is to hold a sword, not chatter!"

"If I catch you again, I will geld you!"

As time passed, Star Lake Castle's building repairs and staffing grew increasingly complete. For example, the newly arrived housekeeper, Madam Ashley Valencia, had a stern style and strict methods. The sentence most often hanging from her mouth was "I will geld you." According to well-informed source Doyle, once, he even heard Madam threaten Chief Mallos that way.

"It is all right, Madam." At the dining table, Thales wore a scarf and looked listless. "I encouraged him to chat with everyone more. Otherwise the castle is too quiet, too lifeless."

Madam Valencia's anger had not yet faded.

"He is using Your Highness' affairs as conversation material. He talks about baseless rumors, and some of them will damage your reputation if they spread."

"Everyone is curious about the private life of the Duke of Star Lake." But Thales merely waved his hand, not caring. "Rumor or truth, there must always be an outlet. Rather than let others dig open that outlet and make wild guesses..."

Thales shook his head indifferently.

Madam Valencia looked back at him, kindly and warmly, as if looking at her own grandson.

"Oh, dear, Your Highness, everything about you is good, except your heart is too soft..."

Madam Valencia had managed more than one great household. Her reputation was excellent, and she was well respected. Although over sixty, she remained full of energy. She had originally planned to retire, but Baron Quentin had specially invited her to Star Lake Castle to take care of His Grace the duke's food, clothing, and daily life, as well as manage the newly hired servants inside the castle.

"Now, dear, you must be starving."

Madam Valencia skillfully laid out the meal.

"Eat quickly. Remember, the quantity must be sufficient, and the varieties must be balanced."

"Thank you, Madam." Thales nodded and pointed awkwardly at a plate of roasted vegetables. "It is just that I do not like lettuce as much as rumors say, so can we change it for something else--"

Madam Valencia's smile did not lessen, but her wrist flicked. A teaching cane instantly appeared.

Fuck--Thales shuddered hard and instinctively raised a hand to protect his face.

Crack!

A sharp sound exploded.

In the next second, a black cat that had climbed in from outside the window and was secretly peeking toward the duke's dining table leapt away in a miserable panic, narrowly avoiding Madam's teaching cane.

"Meow!"

The black cat jumped down from the dining table, darted into the corner, puffed up its fur, and glared angrily at Madam.

"That is not something you should eat," Madam Valencia withdrew the cane and expressionlessly stared down the bristling black cat. "Ill-bred little beast."

Thales was awkwardly lowering his arm when he heard this and shuddered hard.

"Meow! Meow meow! Meow meow meow meow meow meow!"

The black cat threw out several harsh words, looked reluctantly at the duke's dining table, and in the end chose to give up.

It darted out the door without looking back, bringing back a scream along the way: "No, no! That is my lunch! Ah, you damned cat again!"

"This little beast clearly has not been gelded. It actually dares steal food under my eyes." Valencia turned back and became warm and gentle again. "Sorry, dear. What were you saying just now?"

Under Madam's understanding smile, Thales' appetite grew greatly. He lifted the plate of roasted lettuce with enthusiasm and ate with relish, without complaint or regret.

Over the past few months, aside from hiring servants and workers, the Logistics Wing, following Duke Thales' inexplicable yet unquestionable order after he had been offended by mice, brought back different breeds of rat-catching cats from markets and estates. Together with the several litters of wildcats already in the castle, Star Lake Castle's annoying mouse problem was finally greatly reduced. Newly purchased wooden furniture survived, stored grain in the warehouses no longer lost weight from time to time, and even fleas and small insects decreased significantly. Piles of dead mice were even discovered in the ceiling gaps of the duke's room. The effect was unbelievably good.

However, the increase in cats brought new troubles. First, tapestries and fabric furniture began to suffer. Second, an environment full of cat hair made Lord Mallos sneeze repeatedly for a full week, forcing the servants to increase the frequency of cleaning. Third, once night came, cat cries rose one after another inside and outside the castle, disturbing sleep. Miss Jenny, who had conquered the stables of Star Lake Castle through strength and wisdom but could do nothing about cats darting nimbly across the roof, had quite a few opinions about this.

Worse still, the wildcats around Star Lake Castle also began gathering here. The teaching cane in Madam Valencia's hand soon stopped being limited to Doyle and officially became a cat-driving stick. A certain cunning black cat even dared to repeatedly break into the back kitchen, the duke's study, and the dining room, appearing innocent and curious as it looked around and observed humans, while actually full of wicked intentions. The moment people were careless, it would scratch up things and steal food.

Second-Class Guard Officer Jose Kusta of the Star Lake Guards came from the Kingdom of Allenbia. According to him, deeply familiar with cat nature, since the Thornlands had long had a flourishing cat-raising culture, if this continued, in a few months Star Lake Castle would be covered with kittens. And once cats proliferated, everything from tablecloths and tapestries in the castle, to the warehouses and back kitchen, to the important raven area on the castle roof, and even the nests and lake fish around Star Lake, would suffer.

The situation was urgent. Lord Mallos, decisive in action, intended to strike down the cats without mercy, but was stopped by Duke Thales. Following His Highness' unexpected line of thought, the Logistics Wing brought back a new answer the next week:

Dogs.

From majestic, intelligent Rudo dogs, to fierce, aggressive Ragewolf dogs used especially for hunting, from naturally good-hearted guard dogs loyal to their duty, to pet dogs that borrowed their masters' power to act fierce while inwardly weak, Star Lake Castle transformed into a dog training ground and reshaped the food chain, successfully preventing wildcats from gathering further.

"Too many mice, buy cats. Too many cats, buy dogs. Too many dogs, then... hah. Following this logic, will there come a day when we have to buy a king back?" -- Trainee Vanguard Officer Nechi's complaint, one hour before he was whipped by the punishment officer.

This made Miss Jenny very happy. In only one day, she subdued the most majestic Rudo dog, Petrick, and the fiercest Ragewolf dog, Archiborg. Together with the steeds in the stables that had already submitted beneath her iron hooves, literally, Jenny successfully established absolute rule over the first level of Star Lake Castle and became the castle's true "Queen of the Land."

Together with the ghostly "Wildcat Empire," whose territory spread through every part of the castle and which eyed the duke's dining table every day; the "Flying Bird Alliance," occupying eaves, tower roofs, tree trunks, and the important raven area; and the "Evil Mouse Horde," badly injured and forced to retreat outdoors and underground, the four great races of Star Lake Castle faced each other from afar and stood as equals, second only to the glorious and great Duke Thales and the stern and solemn Madam Valencia. Their leaders were called the "Dark Four Heavenly Kings of Star Lake Castle." Although aside from Jenny, the Queen of the Land, the three other Heavenly Kings of the other races still awaited confirmation, this turbulent, bloody, and cruel story of the struggle for supremacy in Star Lake Castle was enough to prove how bored the person who fabricated it and gave each one a nickname must have been.

Fortunately, just as Duke Thales, who was frantic amid dog piss and dog shit everywhere, was preparing to have the Logistics Wing go to the markets and villages again to purchase more stock and adjust the ecological environment to preserve castle cleanliness, Captain Mallos and Madam Valencia intervened decisively. They stripped His Grace the duke of leadership in castle governance, preserving only his formal right to make suggestions.

Thus, through the joint efforts of the Duke of Star Lake and his loyal subordinates, this ancient castle, long neglected, gloomy, gray, and decrepit, regained life. The castle gate was repaired, sentry posts were prepared, and the gate tunnel, moat, stairways, outer walls, and other places were repeatedly cleaned and renovated, so long as one ignored the rear side. The courtyard and garden escaped weeds and dust. The stables and riding field were especially tidy and bright, to which Miss Jenny's death-urging stomping supervision contributed greatly. At first glance, the place looked dignified and splendid.

Inside the castle, more and more halls, rooms, corridors, warehouses, and cellars were cleared. Thales finally recognized the five ways from the main hall to Jackal Tower, including the hidden "aerial route" discovered by the black cat that sometimes came to steal food. "As long as you do not fear falling from the outer wall and becoming a meat pie," Mallos kindly reminded. The back kitchen, washrooms, and sewers were also unblocked again, something certain people were extremely proud of.

And after His Grace the duke returned from Eternal Star City one time with an ugly expression while clutching his backside as he got down from the carriage, even the weeds and rubble by the lakeside outside the castle were cleared. Fine sand and soft soil were laid again, and a clear, stable, solid road was organized, sparing people traveling between Eternal Star City and Star Lake Castle from the suffering of jolts and indescribable pain.

Under Duke Thales' name, the nearby estates and fiefs gradually clarified their subordinate relationships, thanks to Teacher Julio's great help. Stewards and village chiefs regularly reported to Star Lake Castle according to rules, delivered taxes, provided labor, and supplied logistics. Servants, cooks, gardeners, grooms, guards; Star Lake Castle gradually grew more populated and began to look quite like a noble residence, though Glover still thought it looked shabby compared to royal grandeur, and Doyle hurriedly reminded him this was called simplicity. Under Madam Valencia's instructions, they even opened several fields on abandoned land inside and outside the castle, and were discussing what crops to plant so they could be put to use when the season came.

Everything seemed to be gradually entering the right track.

Only the castle's master could not feel happy.

After that night, the sky-blue invitation did not appear again, as if Asda had already forgotten Thales.

But that night talk left Thales depressed for nearly a month. Especially the sentence "the Magic Empresses will not rest until one side dies with you," which struck with such weight that the Duke of Star Lake's mood grew oppressed, and he could neither sleep nor eat well.

The secret of his Calamity body, the burden of being Duke of Star Lake, and the dangerous oath with the king were already enough to leave him unable to breathe. Now he had to add the "perfect anti-mystic armament" and the Magic Empresses. For a few moments, Thales nearly scratched his head bald and even wanted to drop the burden entirely and follow Asda far away.

No, no. Even if he steeled his heart and eloped with Little Fool, judging by the latter's eager and persistent attitude, he still could not escape the matter of the Magic Empresses.

Thinking of this, Thales, who had lost all hope in life, missed the days in Dragon Clouds City immensely.

Those Northlanders who thought every day about cutting him into pieces truly seemed more adorable the more he thought about them.

Until one afternoon, the Duke of Star Lake welcomed the first group of guests since moving into Star Lake Castle.

Unusual guests.

Before the gates of Star Lake Castle, the Star Lake Guards and a crowd of servants stood straight and proper, watching Mallos receive the visiting Commander of the Royal Guards, Lord Fabio Adrian.

"You look surprised?"

Adrian, who stepped down from the stirrup, was proper and gentle, his manner warm, not at all disturbed by the shadow of that night when the prince forced his way into the palace.

"A little," Mallos said skillfully, pulling over the reins and turning to hand them to Toledo behind him, while signaling the others to receive the Royal Guards accompanying him. "Given that we only received the raven message a quarter of an hour ago."

Adrian looked at the other man's expression and smiled.

"I know. This journey is indeed somewhat presumptuous, and the honored guest we escort came on sudden impulse."

Honored guest.

Mallos frowned at this.

Seeing this, the guard commander smiled and patted Mallos on the shoulder.

Adrian understood Mallos. This former messenger officer of his liked arranging everything clearly and orderly, and was more accustomed to planning ahead and preparing for danger before it arrived.

Correspondingly, Mallos disliked accidents and hated risks. His dictionary did not contain improvisation or adaptation on the spot. Any situation outside plan and contingency would make him frown.

In that sense, having him serve Prince Thales truly made things difficult for him.

Unfortunately, the position of watchman in the Royal Guards had been created precisely to deal with accidents and the unexpected.

Toledo, Glover, Tinsing, Piloga, Trifanov. The Star Lake Guards received their former colleagues from Renaissance Palace with stiff faces. The latter likewise had solemn expressions. Several Royal Guards were even unwilling to let them touch their mounts. They did not remove armor or helmets, did not loosen their weapons, and were unwilling to say much.

Only a few months had passed since their separation, yet estrangement had already appeared.

Only Doyle waved and greeted every person he did or did not know with cheerful enthusiasm and no scruples.

"Yo, buddy, you look familiar. Which wing did you transfer from? Wow, you are really sturdy. Your helmet is handsome too! Hey, we are all imperial guards. Do not be so cold!"

Many people were awkward to the extreme, neither answering nor not answering.

Captain Adrian saw all of this, but his expression did not change. He merely walked forward with Mallos and began studying the renewed Star Lake Castle.

"I can see you have managed this place well. It has been many years since I last saw Star Lake Castle so..."

Whoosh!

Meow!

Before he could finish, a yellow-spotted cat chasing a messenger raven swept past in front of them. The dust they raised covered Adrian's boots, and the captain's words choked.

Mallos' expression also did not look good.

"So..."

Woof!

Chasing the cat and bird from before, a small puppy awkwardly pounced over, tripping over itself midway, then staggering after the cat and bird.

"So... enthusiastic."

Captain Adrian finally found an adjective and coughed softly.

"There are just a few more small animals."

A few more small animals.

Mallos looked at the chaotic scene going away and remembered a certain duke's genius idea of using cats to control mice and dogs to limit cats. He could not help rubbing his faintly itchy nose and calmly answered:

"Please forgive us. Star Lake Castle has been empty for many years, so it is rich in wild charm."

"So, are you implying that Renaissance Palace and the Royal Guards have not given you enough financial support?"

"I did not say that."

"Do you usually speak to Duke Thales in this tone as well?"

"I would not dare," Mallos said without shame. "The sunset can bear witness. I have always been courteous and respectful toward His Highness Thales."

Before Adrian could answer, the Duke of Star Lake himself arrived, accompanied by his attendant officer.

"To what do I owe the honor of a visit from the guardian of Renaissance Palace?" Thales was all smiles.

Adrian saluted and was about to answer, but Thales cheerfully interrupted him:

"So, Lord Adrian, did my old man finally lose patience and send you to eliminate me, removing future trouble?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone looked sideways. Wya behind him was even more shocked.

Adrian's expression stiffened slightly. He looked at Mallos.

The watchman politely returned a smile.

"Apologies. The duke has been constipated recently and is in a poor mood."

What?

This time it was Thales' turn to frown hard.

"You know even that? Could it be that every time, you stand guard outside the toilet door, moving by scent and judging mood by stool?"

"There is no need for that," Mallos said, unmoved. "I only need to count the amount of cleaning silk you use each time you go to the toilet. Clearly, you go often and squat for a long time, yet use little. Since I am unwilling to guess that you do not love cleanliness, there is only one answer."

Thales stiffened all over.

All right, recently he had indeed spent a bit too long shutting himself in the toilet to think.

But...

He glared fiercely back at Mallos.

Constipated?

Really?

Captain Adrian narrowed his eyes and sent Mallos a glance only their shared understanding could interpret:

Respectful?

Mallos returned him a calm gaze:

Extremely respectful.

"I am at least a prince. Do I not even have privacy when it comes to bowel movements?" Thales said angrily.

"But before the autumn harvest, you cannot afford to hire one more laundry maid," Mallos said without mercy, delivering a fatal blow.

The prince temporarily lost momentum and had nothing to say.

Adrian's mind turned. All right, they were indeed expressing dissatisfaction toward Renaissance Palace's financial support.

Before Thales could rack his brain and come up with words to strike back at Mallos, Captain Adrian coughed.

"In short, Your Highness, I did indeed come bearing a mission." The guard commander smiled. "But it is not as you think. Your old--cough, His Majesty ordered me to escort a hero of the kingdom home to rest."

"A hero?"

Thales narrowed his eyes.

"Ha, in this day and age, someone can still become--"

But before he could finish, a special voice came from behind him.

"Wow, you have grown up, child."

Thales was startled.

As the voice fell, another group followed behind the Royal Guards and entered the castle gate.

They stood straight, carried a sharp presence, and moved with crisp efficiency. They were clearly soldiers.

Thales' gaze locked onto the leader.

The guest, dressed in casual clothes, stepped down from the stirrup, laughed loudly, left the group, and walked toward Thales.

"You look like an adult."

Wya behind the prince looked pleasantly surprised. Ralf had no choice but to impatiently remind him to maintain his bearing.

Thales controlled his breathing, looked at the old acquaintance before him whom he had not seen in many years, and smiled.

The guest was not tall, but her posture was carefree and composed. She calmly walked past the members of the Star Lake Guards and Royal Guards and arrived before Thales.

"Like an adult. In fact, you are the twenty-first person to say that to me, but I am still very happy. Thank you for your recognition."

Several seconds later, the Duke of Star Lake took a step forward. Though it was not proper etiquette, it was sincere as he bowed to the guest before him, this woman who was so conspicuous among the men.

"It has been a long time. I have missed you greatly. Welcome to my castle, respected lady."

"Sonia Sasere."

Sonia...

Doyle in the ranks was startled and whispered:

"What? So that is the Fortress--"

Glover beside him slammed into him hard.

"Shut up."

But even Zombie himself stared fixedly at the woman.

Amid the shock of everyone in Star Lake Castle, the veteran Genard walked over from the rear and, visibly moved, took the reins of Sonia's mount, embracing his old colleagues from the Star Glory Legion with great joy.

"You said your castle," Sonia stretched lazily, ignoring the guards around her who were no ordinary people, and strode forward. "Your castle?"

Thales nodded happily and followed.

Mallos and Captain Adrian, ignored for the moment, exchanged a glance and followed together without any displeasure at being neglected. Most of the others also had no complaints. They merely followed silently, eyes fixed on Sonia's back.

That legendary back, which had suppressed the fortress with her own strength for nineteen years, making enemies hesitate and dare not advance, making dragons fold their wings and fail to fly.

Except Thales.

Thales looked at the familiar female warrior before him. What appeared in his mind was her heroic figure wielding a great saber with effortless ease, calm and carefree amid a rain of blood, cutting through the Blood Mystic's fleshly encirclement all the way, protecting a seven-year-old child behind her, turning, raising a shield, and slaying demons.

At this moment, Sonia's laughter remained hearty and cheerful, dispelling gloom and giving people boundless confidence and hope.

"On the way here, I observed for quite a while."

Sonia familiarly walked toward the outer area and casually plucked a Kant fruit from a hanging branch, dragging the crowd behind her through a baffling detour.

She pointed at the defenses around Star Lake Castle.

"The positions and spacing of the castle sentries, including the patrol frequency and routes of the scouts outside the castle, that is the Guard Wing's responsibility, right? Damn, sour as hell. Not ripe. Which guard officer designed it?"

Guard officer.

Doyle's eyes lit up. He straightened the collar of his uniform and put on an aloof expression of one who had merit but was not arrogant, preparing to step forward...

"It was me, my lady."

Vanguard Officer Glover spoke steadily from behind.

Sonia turned back.

Strangely, compared with Zombie's reputation for isolation and coldness, Glover now seemed respectful and polite, even excessively so.

"Entrusted and asked by a certain colleague in the Guard Wing, I presided over preparations for the castle defenses."

A certain colleague in the Guard Wing.

Everyone's gaze turned at once toward the highest-ranking guard officer.

"Well," Danny Doyle, First-Class Guard Officer of the Star Lake Guards, said quietly and awkwardly, "as the representative of the Guard Wing, I was busy with many affairs..."

Such as the sewers and the duke's gossip.

"You, big fellow." Sonia crossed through the crowd, ignored the expectant Doyle, and walked to Glover with great interest. "You?"

Glover nodded seriously, then added:

"In addition, Special Officer Huller Toledo and First-Class Officer Freddy Tinsing of the Command Wing, Second-Class Officer Leo Morgan and Trainee Officer Nate Nechi of the Vanguard Wing, Second-Class Officer Ad Bastia and Trainee Officer Michele Ferry of the Guard Wing, and Second-Class Officer Leo Piloga and Second-Class Officer Vincenzo Italiano of the Logistics Wing all provided assistance."

Busy with many affairs.

After hearing so many names, everyone's gaze once again turned toward Doyle.

"How should I put it," Doyle said with a stiff face. "This is called gathering strengths from many sources. Hehe."

As Doyle spoke, his arm suddenly bumped Glover.

Zombie froze for several seconds and did not react.

Until Doyle bumped him a second time.

"Of, of course." Glover was startled and suddenly began stuttering, while Doyle kept elbowing him. "Certain key, no, overall, uh, oh! That is, all of the defense plan, from the very beginning, received Chief Mallos'... oh, received Duke Thales and Chief Mallos' strong suppor--ow, received their correct leadership... uh, and under their powerful guidance throughout the entire process... in the end, that is, achieved positive progress, was successfully produced, and passed review."

Guidance. Correct. If making a check mark on paper counted as guidance, Thales thought helplessly.

Glover twisted his neck with difficulty, feeling as if a snake had coiled in his throat.

"We, we, we did not fail the mission and benefited greatly."

Doyle bumped him again.

Glover looked grief-stricken, but still reluctantly added the final sentence:

"And await your inspection and correction, Lady Flower of the Fortress."

Everyone looked helplessly at Glover, then all turned contemptuous gazes toward Doyle.

"What?" Doyle looked innocent and wronged, as if falsely accused of murder. "I swear on my father's property, everything he said is true!"

Sonia snorted, spat out the fruit core, and casually pointed in two directions.

"There, and there. On the platforms of those two curtain walls, why are no men arranged?"

Where? Where?

Thales looked up in confusion, blindly following the direction of Sonia's finger. He only saw a pile of stone... mm, his castle.

"Because there is no meaning."

Glover answered in a low voice, his tone returning to normal, focused and serious.

"Their positions are poor and their height is insufficient. They would only become targets for longbow arcs. The cover works are also inadequate, so they cannot serve as strong firing points. If one wants to increase vision, the higher towers are enough to cover that."

"Hah!" Sonia plucked another fruit, took one bite, then disgustedly threw it away.

"Then if they are undefended, and in wartime the enemy uses siege towers to treat that place as a springboard and attempts to attack the outer wall?"

Glover was confident and unhurried.

"That would be even better. That place will become our bait trap, drawing enemies to gather there and reducing pressure on the other walls. I made arrangements on higher ground. Enemies who rush onto the curtain wall will be as if they entered a pocket, and we can inflict maximum damage."

Hearing this, Adrian and Mallos nodded.

So that is it. Makes sense. Thales likewise nodded in praise.

Although as the "correct leadership" and "powerful guidance," he had not understood half a damn thing around that pile of walls shaped in complicated geometry.

Doyle's arm moved.

Glover grunted and said unnaturally:

"Of, of course, this is only my humble opinion, difficult to place before an expert. You are a master of defensive warfare, so please give professional advice."

He turned back angrily, but Doyle beamed and gave him a big thumbs up.

"What damn advice?" Sonia wiped the fruit juice from her hand and shook her head. "I am neither an engineer nor an architect. In all those years at Broken Dragon Fortress, I just guarded the place by fucking instinct. Whenever I felt like it would not hold, I went out and counterattacked."

These grounded words immediately left those who had expected lofty insights from the Flower of the Fortress speechless.

Exactly, Thales nodded in approval. Say something simple, something everyone can understand. Do not always bring up geometry and arithmetic.

But unexpectedly, Glover's eyes moved.

"That is correct. My grandfather once said as well: attack can substitute for defense, and only attack can frustrate a siege. A castle that shuts itself in and defends to the death is only a trapped beast, seeking aid and waiting for rescue, begging for pity and hoping for mercy, fighting as the enemy wishes, with its fate in others' hands, and will have no further path. Only by using the castle's terrain advantage to weaken the enemy, while preserving the strength to counterattack and threaten the enemy army, can the meaning of defensive warfare be victory."

Sonia's words made many people frown.

Doyle was both shocked and pleased. He showed two big thumbs up, looking gratified, as if after years of teaching, his son had finally achieved success.

But he received Zombie's angry glare again.

"Too literary. I do not understand."

Sonia waved a hand.

"But I know those two curtain walls were not part of Star Lake Castle's original design. They were added two or three hundred years ago, when 'Jackal' was still duke. Their original purpose was precisely to serve as barriers and traps, luring enemies to attack and sharing frontal pressure."

Thales looked again in the direction Sonia pointed, and still could not tell which wall was different.

"So that is it."

Glover said what Thales had been about to say, but clearly, he truly understood.

"No wonder I felt there was something indescribably strange about them standing there."

"As expected of 'Jackal' Sume the Third, who defeated the Nightwing King and repelled the Eastern Continent coalition army merely by strategizing from afar." Glover spoke with heartfelt admiration.

Sonia snorted lightly, threw away the third Kant fruit, and gave up on eating fruit.

"Soldier, what is your name?"

"Gallen--"

But before Glover could finish, Sonia slapped his chest with one palm.

Smack!

Fuck, Thales felt the feedback from the Sin of Hell's River and estimated the force of that slap. He felt glad it had not landed on him.

After taking this heavy blow, Zombie's expression changed greatly and his body swayed, but he still stood firm.

Only then did Sonia look at him with new respect.

"Yo. Nice body. Strong enough."

She walked around Glover and sized up his build. "Hard enough?"

"Ha--thank you for your instruction." After several seconds, Glover finally got his breath back and panted his answer.

"Very good, Gallen. Excellent." Sonia raised her eyebrows and revealed a meaningful smile. "Tonight, come to my room. We will have a private, mm, chat?"

As soon as these words came out, all of Star Lake Castle fell silent.

Glover nodded at first, then was greatly shocked.

What? What?

Doyle widened his eyes and looked at Glover, then at the Flower of the Fortress.

No way?

Seeing the reactions around her, Sonia understood something and hurriedly waved toward the curtain wall.

"Relax, relax. I will not make things difficult for you."

But in the next moment, the Flower of the Fortress grabbed Glover's collar and pulled him down awkwardly until he was level with Sonia.

Sonia blinked, bit her lip, and her smile grew increasingly perverse.

"Do not worry. We will talk about something, hehe, more interesting."

After saying this, Sonia laughed loudly and strode forward. Thales glanced back at Glover and hurriedly followed Sonia's back.

The group began moving again, but everyone's gazes toward Glover grew even stranger.

Only Mallos and Adrian, on the other side, paid no attention and lowered their heads, discussing something.

As for Glover himself, he stood woodenly in place, rubbing his chest and trying to understand what had just happened.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Zombie, you are about to rise in the world."

Doyle put his hands on his waist and studied his partner with amazement.

"The chance to struggle twenty fewer years is tonight! That thing, when you become rich and noble..."

"You said those formal words would be useful and make the chiefs happy," Glover remembered something and said unhappily to Doyle. "But while saying them, I felt, I felt like an idiot."

"Eh." Doyle shook his finger with an expression of "you do not understand." "Believe me. It was not wrong. Even if it did not make them happy, they definitely would not be unhappy!"

Glover looked suspicious.

"Is that so?"

"Relax." Doyle patted his chest. "Definitely not wrong!"

Zombie shook his head.

"Fuck."

But after the excitement faded, Doyle crossed his arms and stopped smiling, looking from afar at Sonia surrounded by the crowd.

"So that is the Flower of the Fortress?"

"You do not believe it?"

"No, not that." Doyle shook his head.

"I do not know. I cannot describe it. It is just, just a feeling."

"Feeling?" Glover answered casually, but he was troubled by tonight's "private chat" in Sonia's room and did not hear what his partner was saying at all.

"Mm, a feeling. Sonia Sasere is clearly not tall, and her voice is not loud either. But when she stands there..."

Doyle looked thoughtful.

"It is like I cannot see anyone else."

"Including Mallos, including Captain Adrian, even including... His Highness."

Glover did not understand this sentence either. He only spat and sighed over today's bad luck.

"Are you staying here for the night, Chief?"

On the other side, Mallos and Adrian slowly walked forward, speaking quietly.

"Us? No. The Royal Guards are only escorting Lady Sasere home, showing His Majesty's favor and trust."

Lord Adrian looked at the Royal Guards who had come with him. They were caring for the horses.

"Since the mission has been completed, we should immediately return to the capital and report to His Majesty."

"Very well," Mallos said nothing further.

But Adrian pondered for a while.

"By the way, your men seem to have become quite distant from Renaissance Palace?"

Mallos' gaze flashed.

"Clearly."

"Regarding this, Tormond, do you have nothing to say?"

Mallos stopped.

"You know, Chief," the watchman said flatly, "I have no right to speak, and neither do you."

Adrian clasped his hands behind his back and was silent for a long time.

"Very well."

Adrian nodded and stepped forward, but stopped halfway.

He turned back, changing direction.

"Although our schedule is tight."

Adrian smiled as he looked at Mallos and pointed at the Royal Guards who had come with him.

"Still, taking a short rest and eating dinner before returning to the city is possible."

Mallos' gaze froze.

At this moment, the prince's cry of alarm came from ahead.

"Eh, eh, eh, eh, um, Sonia, no, no, no, you cannot!"

Mallos and Adrian were both startled and hurried forward.

"Everyone calm down!"

"Sonia?"

"Chief?"

Mallos frowned. Thales, his face full of embarrassment, was being held up by the waist over the head of the Flower of the Fortress, desperately flailing his limbs in the air.

What was going on?

On the other side, Wya held tightly onto Glover, who was about to draw his sword and rush forward.

"Calm down, Glover, calm down. I know, she has no ill intent. As long as you get used to it, get used to it..."

"Sonia!"

"My lady!"

Everyone was alarmed and shouting over each other.

But Sonia, the focus of Star Lake Castle, saw nothing wrong. She was still holding Thales up and happily spun around once.

At this moment, a cool female swordswoman stepped out from the crowd.

"Chief Sonia!"

The female swordswoman said coldly:

"Everyone has traveled for so long and is hungry. Is there food?"

Sonia, who had been spinning, stopped dead.

Amid everyone's cries and attempts to stop her, the lady snorted unhappily, relaxed her arms, and only then did Thales' feet touch solid ground and land safely.

Only then did everyone, led by Wya, let out a breath.

But the dizzy Thales had not yet managed to breathe properly when he felt his shoulder grow heavy. Sonia's arm pressed down on his neck from behind, locking him firmly in an embrace.

"What a pity."

The Flower of the Fortress sighed deeply. Like a good comrade, she hugged Thales, who was secretly struggling, while her other hand skillfully ruffled the youth's hair, her tone full of regret.

"Looks like I cannot put you on my neck and spin you around like before."

Who wants to play with you?

"Yes, it is somewhat regrettable." Thales roared inwardly and only felt Sonia's arm was as hard as steel and as heavy as a giant rock. It made it hard for him to breathe, and he could not lift his head, yet he still had to maintain a smiling face and dignity before his subordinates. "No, no, I mean, people always have to grow up..."

Thales saw the female swordswoman wearing black gloves, and his eyes brightened.

"Oh, it is Miranda!" Thales greeted her in surprise to shift attention while twisting and struggling to squeeze out of Sonia's arm lock, with very little effect. "Ah, it has been so long. How have you been recently--"

"It is Lady Arunde."

Miranda spoke coldly and walked past him, showing no intention of helping him.

"You are a prince and a duke. Your form of address should be proper."

"We are not that familiar, Your Highness Thales."

Thales choked.

"Of, of course."

The prince answered with grievance.

For some reason, although his position was more noble, before Miranda, he subconsciously became cautious and felt as if walking on thin ice.

But before he could say a second sentence, Sonia's arm tightened around him again, forcibly "pulling" him from the ground, changing direction and heading toward the hall. A large crowd had no choice but to follow with fear and trepidation, afraid the Flower of the Fortress would do something shocking again.

At this moment, they could only watch helplessly as the Duke of Star Lake was "held hostage" in Sonia's powerful arm.

"You and Miranda. I thought you were friends, fighting side by side in Dragon Clouds City?" Sonia turned away from everyone and winked at Thales.

"We are friends, of course." Thales was overwhelmed by the burden and filled with bitterness. "Sometimes."

Sonia made a sound of acknowledgment.

"Then that is good." The Flower of the Fortress suddenly became serious. "Listen to me, child. Miranda is not suitable."

"Oh." Thales nodded painfully, then froze. "What?"

Sonia sighed and patted his shoulder.

"Wait until you grow older and have more hair before thinking about that nonsense."

Huh?

Thales was shocked.

What nonsense?

Um, no, that is not--

"But you need to exercise more, child! You are still skinny."

Sonia finally withdrew her arm and freed Thales.

"One look and I can tell you have not been thrown around enough!"

In the next second, laughing loudly, she slapped Thales on the back.

"Not good for childbearing!"

Thales swayed, failed to stop himself, rolled his eyes, and pitched forward to greet the solid and reliable floor of Star Lake Castle, along with the panicked cries of Wya and the others.

Inside the main castle, Thales lay half-dead in his ducal lounge, working hard to recover his energy.

Mother...

"Come on, get me some meat, then get me wine. Strike a gong, beat a drum!"

Beside his ears, Sonia's unrestrained laughter came from the banquet hall, penetrating the walls, lingering around stone pillars, and echoing throughout the entire main castle.

Thales painfully covered his ears.

How is she this energetic?

Thinking that the Duke of Star Lake had only "temporarily left the table" and still had to go back later to suffer torture, Thales lost all hope.

The black cat that often visited the duke's dining table ran from the direction of the dining room and screamed as it darted past the window. It seemed unable to endure either.

"Yo-ho-ho-ho! Get loud! Get hard! Get burning! Get this banquet going!"

Sonia's voice came again, louder than before.

Another wave of sound followed. It was her soldiers, the Star Glory Guards, happily responding.

Damn. As expected of northern soldiers from Broken Dragon Fortress.

Thales complained inwardly.

They were just short of saying eat, drink, fight, and fuck.

He hoped Mallos and the others could be useful and drain a bit more energy from that monstrous flower, so she would not...

"Your Highness?"

Thales opened his hazy eyes and discovered Mallos.

All right. It seemed his favorite personal guard captain could not take it either and would rather come personally to replace Glover and Wya on guard duty.

"No!"

Thales closed his eyes and simply broke the jar.

"Tell that woman..."

"I am constipated!"

But another voice came beside his ear:

"In fact, Your Highness."

Thales opened his eyes and discovered the speaker was Commander Adrian of the Royal Guards.

"His Majesty entrusted me with bringing you an order."

The guard commander spoke softly.

An order.

In the next second, Thales jolted and sat up from the chair.

Fuck.

In that instant, Thales' head cleared. Sonia's laughter and the soldiers' cheers seemed to be separated from him.

Mallos nodded toward Adrian and walked out the door.

Leaving Thales alone, frowning at the smiling Adrian.

"I knew it." The prince sighed. "He would not let me live well."

He reached toward the pocket at the front of his clothes and, unsurprisingly, touched the bone ring.

Kortaksa.

This bone ring was hideous and thorned in shape. Yet for some reason, its touch was warm and smooth.

Extremely deceptive.

It almost made one forget...

Its essence.

"Come, Lord Adrian."

The Duke of Star Lake sat upright and snorted coldly.

"What is His Majesty's order?"

Adrian smiled slightly and summoned a Royal Guard into the lounge. The latter held a scroll.

"I do not know either." Adrian bowed and withdrew outside the door.

"Making it so formal." Thales looked at the scroll and shook his head in disdain. "What does he want to do this time?"

"I came to see you."

The guard spoke softly.

Thales jumped up from the chair.

In the next second, Kessel Jadestar the Fifth, Supreme King of Stars, removed the standard Royal Guard helmet before him, his tone flat.

"To ensure this new sword is sharp enough."

Thales' thoughts stopped.

Sonia's loud laughter came from far away, but grew smaller and smaller.

Until the door of the lounge closed with a boom.

What was happening?

Thales looked incredulously at the king wearing a guard uniform.

At this moment, it was as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, waking him completely.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

King Kessel was in no hurry to speak. He slowly paced to the window and met the falling sunset.

Wait, wait, wait...

Thales took a deep breath and adjusted himself.

"I have said this once before, but." He forced himself to speak, pouring out the first thought that came to mind. "Do you know what happened to the last king who traveled incognito and entered danger?"

The king did not turn back, nor did he answer.

Just as Thales could not help wanting to ask again, the king's voice came faintly:

"Of course."

"He entered Dragon Clouds City, used an enemy prince to maneuver between factions, and ultimately held all of Eckstedt in his hand, shocking the world."

Huh? Thales froze.

Held all of Eckstedt in his hand.

"No, no, no. Not Chapman Lampard. Not him. I mean another one," Thales shook his head hard after coming back to himself. "The one before him. Ring a bell? Small hint, name starts with N--"

"We used to ride and hunt in the hunting forest," the king interrupted him. His words were clearly ordinary and plain, yet his tone seemed beyond question. "If the sky grew too late, we simply would not return to the city and would come directly to Star Lake Castle, to stay overnight with Uncle John."

King Kessel still had his back to him, looking at Star Lake outside the window.

"But at that time, I never realized that the sunset over Star Lake was so enchanting."

Sunset fell over the lake water, scattering countless golden waves that glittered brilliantly.

"And John was always kind and warm, generous and hospitable. He often talked with us at the dining table about everything under the sky and drank until he was dead drunk and unconscious."

John.

Thales remembered the previous master of Star Lake Castle and nodded.

"Sounds like an interesting man."

The king snorted lightly, neither praise nor criticism.

"He always made people forget the bloodiness and cruelty of the hunt. Or of other things."

As he spoke, Sonia's drunken singing faintly came from outside the door.

But strangely, the song was bleak, shadowed, and long in tone.

Completely contrary to the Flower of the Fortress' behavior today.

Thales remained silent.

"Funeral song."

The king listened for a while, then suddenly said, "This is the Star Glory Legion's version. In those years, John and the others were not yet powerful enough. When fighting rebels, they needed to move quickly and could not stay in one place too long. Therefore, many soldiers' remains could not be placed in coffins."

"When mourning comrades, John had to change words like 'coffin' and 'gravestone' in the funeral song, so as not to wound the soldiers' feelings."

The sunset gradually dimmed, and the colors in the lounge slowly cooled.

Thales took a deep breath and finally could not resist speaking:

"What exactly--"

"Jade City."

Before he could finish, King Kessel spoke this word.

Thales frowned.

Jade City.

"You mean the capital of the South Coast Territory, the Crystal Drip City, Capital of Wealth, Land of Dreams, the city with the reputation of the 'Queen Among Cities' of Stars, Jade City?"

The king looked at the dim Star Lake.

"That is your next destination."

Thales was silent for a while.

"For what?"

"Destruction."

Destruction.

Thales lifted his eyes.

In that instant, he felt the bone ring in his pocket grow heavy.

It was the Covenant. It seemed to be urging him, reminding him.

Warning him.

Before the window, King Kessel slowly turned around, his cold eyes shooting into the room and driving away the warmth of the sunset.

"My son." The supreme king's tone was very flat, very ordinary, without the slightest fluctuation, as if he were recounting a matter too small to mention. "You must fulfill your promise and swing your first sword."

Thales did not move.

"Go to Jade City."

The distant funeral song remained, lonely and cold.

"Depose the Guardian Duke of the South Coast."

The duke's lounge grew darker and darker.

"Destroy Zayen Covendier."

Thales fell into a daze for an instant.

Depose the duke.

Destroy Zayen.

The sharp confrontation at the royal banquet resurfaced before his eyes.

[For an old friend, not because of an enemy's death.]

Thales took a deep breath.

[This is a warning. I want you to know, Thales. I want to teach you: this is my response. My response to you offending me after six years, refusing me, and even threatening me.]

"Haha..."

[If you choose war, Thales, if you are determined to be my enemy, then this move is only the beginning.]

Thales pressed down on the desk, his shoulders shaking constantly.

[When it truly reaches the point of tearing off all face, even if I sacrifice everything, I can make you, and will certainly make you, pay the most tragic price.]

In the next second, the Duke of Star Lake could no longer restrain himself and laughed loudly.

"Hahahahaha..."

Thales laughed with great force, loudly.

Only, there was no mirth.

The king glanced at him.

"What?"

Zayen.

Covendier.

The Duke of Iris Flowers?

Depose.

Destroy?

Thales gathered up his laughter. He took a deep breath and came to the window.

"Nothing. I just, I just remembered a saying. Oh, a Northland saying."

He passed by the king. The Iron Hand King looked into the darkness inside the room, while he felt the chill outside the window.

King Kessel neither confirmed nor denied, only looked at him faintly.

"Fortunes turn in cycles."

Thales withdrew his smile, expressionless.

"Karma is a bitch."

At some unknown time, the sun had already set.

He did not see the wondrous sight of sunset shining over Star Lake. In its place were countless stars reflected in the lake.

Every one emitted a soul-stealing cold light.