Chapter 710: Raise the Banner

Under the night, Zayen frowned deeply. Hilley was astonished. On the other side, Cecil and the others had ugly expressions.

The vassals' discussions rose and fell without end, and the more distant spectators did not understand what was going on. The noise grew louder and louder.

"Wonderful. I knew His Highness would always have a way," Doyle said, greatly encouraged as he lowered the longsword in his hand. "No need to risk our lives against them."

Everyone in the Star Lake Guard let out breaths of relief together.

"Wait!"

At this moment, an unfamiliar voice rang from the crowd.

"Your Highness, this is extremely improper!"

Count Lassia of Marshland, a great local vassal of the South Coast, stepped out from the crowd in fury. His eldest son failed to stop him in time.

"Noble arbitration is limited to public affairs!"

Thales' expression darkened.

"Vassal family affairs, including inheritance disputes between blood siblings, all belong to the scope of 'decision within the castle.' They are not included!"

Lassia looked solemnly toward the other great and lesser vassals.

"We cannot set such an awful precedent!"

"The count's words are reasonable," Count Noah Havia of Saltwall Harbor in the East Sea, an honored guest of this Emerald Celebration, voiced agreement. "We cannot repeat the mistakes from the Deep Blue Grounding to the Red King's tyranny, allowing the internal affairs of one family to worsen and expand into civil unrest sweeping the kingdom!"

The speeches of the two ennobled counts drew a wave of support.

Thales remained calm, but Zayen's brow loosened, and he smiled.

"Pah!"

Federico, who had been pressed to the ground, said hatefully.

"In history, was it not your 'Sun-Shooting Bow' who stirred up internal strife in the Almond family, helped Red King John launch his coup, and brought tyranny?"

People began whispering again, but Count Havia's expression did not change. He remained composed.

"And you, Etchison Lassia, did you replace them? Those two teeth my father knocked out..."

Federico did not finish before several security officers suppressed him again and stuffed his mouth.

Count Lassia did not have such good cultivation. His expression changed dramatically, and he became furious.

"You little bastard. Your father was a shameful traitor..."

Amid the chaos, Paul suddenly spoke loudly from within the Star Lake Guard, drawing everyone's attention.

"In fact, we do have such a precedent!"

Under countless watching eyes, he stuffed his usual bow into Doyle's bewildered arms and did his best to remove the Western Desert countryside accent from his speech, speaking politely.

"More than twenty years ago, the late Count of Wing Fort, Spencer Kroma, killed his wife after drinking. The nature was vile, many parties were involved, and the matter threatened the kingdom's rule. It was not something one family alone could judge, so the principle of 'decision within the castle' no longer applied."

Under everyone's startled and doubtful gazes, Paul turned calmly.

"Thus, the case was arbitrated and decided by the late Crown Prince Midier, under the late king's command, in the witness of many noble vassals: Lord Cyril, guardian duke of the Western Desert; Lord Turayan, Count of Walla; the eldest son and heir of the Count of Boulder City; the uncle of the Count of Grayvine Harbor; and my father, Lord Lewis, Count of Heroic Spirit Fort."

Thales' eyes brightened.

Zayen frowned fiercely.

Among the vassals, Count Havia looked startled and uncertain, Count Lassia found it hard to believe, and the Karabeyan twins both changed expression. They opened their folding fans, hiding half their faces behind them as they urgently discussed.

"Right! Therefore, a major matter such as kin-slaying cannot be settled by the Covendier family alone," Doyle reacted, raising bow and sword as he loudly supported Paul. "His Highness Thales arbitrating this case has legal basis and precedent to follow. It is neither improper nor overstepping!"

"Unless someone objects to this," Paul said coldly, looking around, "and disagrees with the decision of the late King Aydi, or questions the final result of the Wing Fort case?"

When his words fell, Paul returned to the line. The listeners and vassals on the outer edge looked at one another and whispered repeatedly, but no one spoke publicly again.

Doyle looked delighted and exchanged the bow back to Paul.

"Well, Young Master Western Desert, bringing you along was useful after all. Why does your face look so bad?"

Paul shook his head.

"What case did you just say it was? Killing his wife?" Miranda turned her head, slightly surprised.

Paul sighed and nodded.

"My father said the crown prince issued a gag order."

Until now.

Doyle's eyes moved. "Wait, then that means that Count of Wing Fort, the cousin of my grandmother's younger sister's husband's nephew, his parents were..."

"Shut up, Doyle," Paul interrupted him.

Sunset above, Paul looked around and mocked himself. I have completely offended Jade City...

And Wing Fort.

The lamplight swayed and the moonlight was vast. Amid countless discussions, Thales took a deep breath and turned toward Zayen, whose gaze was deep.

Since that is the case...

"Now, as the glorious and noble Lord of Iris, master of Jade City, opener and defender of the kingdom's southern frontier, Zayen Covendier, tell me," Thales said coldly. "Are you still a subject of Stars, and are you willing to accept my arbitration?"

But Zayen did not answer. He frowned deeply.

"You planned all of this, did you not?"

Not good.

Thales' brow tightened slightly.

The duke said nothing. On the other side, Cecil and the others also had poor expressions. Even many soldiers of the Jade Legion looked at the Star Lake Guard with ill intent.

"Please, Zayen, do not," Thales said in a low voice. "Your sister is still here. She should not be implicated by us."

But Zayen remained expressionless. Only his eyes grew colder and darker.

"Do you know what kind of person Federico is? Do you know what he wants?"

Terrible.

Thales' heart sank.

Has it reached this point, and he still wants to flip the table?

Just like Chapman Lampard?

"Zayen, I am not trying to help him..."

At this moment, a sizable disturbance erupted from the other end of the arena, interrupting their conversation.

"What is going on?"

"What flag is that? Why is it so bright?"

"It looks unfamiliar. It is not local, right?"

"Fuck, I have seen it before. That is..."

"Sir, should we intercept it?"

"Intercept? Do you have a death wish? Do you know what that is?"

Some cried out in surprise, some were doubtful, and some were excited. The restless emotion passed layer by layer and finally reached the duke and prince.

Thales turned with everyone else's gaze and was immediately startled.

A silver, glittering, impossible-to-ignore great flag appeared at the arena entrance and slowly moved toward them. The crowd and soldiers along the way slowly parted, not daring to stop it.

The flag was firmly guarded by a team and advanced unstoppably toward this side. Under the lamplight, the flag surface shone, sometimes dazzling, sometimes clear, drawing cries of surprise throughout the arena.

The next second, Thales and Zayen both clearly saw the pattern on that great flag, and both froze.

It was a nine-pointed star.

A giant nine-pointed star, silver light blazing, impossible to ignore.

Zayen looked at Thales in astonishment. Thales looked back blankly and shook his head.

"That is..." Doyle stared at the team beneath the flag, eyes wide.

"The one leading is Ghost, uh, I mean Standard-Bearer Hugo Fubi," Glover said after seeing the person at the front clearly.

"So we could not find him just now because..." Doyle's expression changed as he watched the team draw closer. "I knew that brat would come settle accounts with us sooner or later..."

"It is not only him. The one carrying the flag is Kusta. Behind him are Komuto and old Genard... Ah, they are the people who split from us when we escorted His Highness through the breakout. They have regrouped..." Miranda came to a realization.

Doyle's expression turned ugly.

"Finished, finished. Those disloyal bastards definitely spilled everything, like how we acted impulsively and moved without permission. Ghost will write it all in his little notebook again..."

"Wait, Ghost..." Neshy was startled. "He is supporting someone. It is the captain!"

Everyone, including Thales, was shocked.

"You were right, Tor."

Beneath the great nine-pointed star flag, Hugo supported the person on his shoulder. Looking at the arena, where soldiers stood heavily guarded and everyone treated them like great enemies, he sighed.

"They really did mess it up."

"I knew it. Good thing you came back to find me," said the person Hugo was supporting, Watchman of the Royal Guard, Tormond Mallos, wrapped in thick bandages and limping, with an unhappy snort. "Wait, what did you call me?"

He frowned and looked at Hugo.

"Tor. I know, but..." Hugo sneered, ignoring the Emerald soldiers gathering from every corner of the arena with ill intent toward him. "Either this, or Blade of Terror. You have to choose one, right?"

Mallos took a deep breath, his expression poor.

Before long, this team crossed obstacles, passed checkpoints, and arrived before Thales.

"Tor, you... you woke up?"

Thales looked at Mallos, covered in bandages, listless and needing someone to support him in order to walk, both surprised and delighted.

As for the others in the guard, most honestly lowered their heads and did not dare breathe loudly.

"Yes. I only slept for a while." Mallos looked at Zayen, whose expression was ugly, Cecil, whose face was fierce, and the dark mass of legion soldiers behind him. He sighed deeply. "And you played yourself into a disaster."

Thales' expression turned awkward.

"Believe me," the prince said bitterly. "I was caught off guard too."

Mallos looked at him, sighed, and turned toward the Duke of South Coast's side.

"Then where has the selection meeting reached now?"

"Lord Mallos." Zayen looked in surprise at the nine-pointed star flag above their heads, fluttering fiercely in the wind and eye-catching even at night. "This is..."

Mallos' eyes brightened.

"Oh, this? Your Grace, I forgot to introduce it. This is Heroic Spirit Fort's gift to His Highness, the silver-shining nine-pointed star great flag..."

Like everyone else, Thales looked up at the great flag above him in blank confusion.

As if looking up at the starry sky.

"This flag... is the one my father gave?" Paul said quietly within the team, his feelings complicated. "Did you not say His Highness did not like it?"

Doyle and Glover looked at one another.

"Believe me. After tonight," Komuto sighed, "His Highness will love it to death."

Paul wanted to speak but stopped.

Mallos patted Hugo, signaling him to let go, then reached out and took the great flag from Kusta's hands.

The flagpole was heavy, and Mallos' injuries had not healed. He struggled considerably. Wya and Glover wanted to step forward to help, but he waved them off.

"Aside from the six great flags on top of Renaissance Palace that cannot be taken down," Mallos said, glancing at Thales as he laboriously propped himself on the flag like a cane and walked step by step toward the Duke of South Coast's side, "this should count as the largest Jadestar family flag in the world. It is the most conspicuous symbol representing the royal family."

Knight Cecil, who was warily blocking his path, instinctively stepped back when he saw this glittering giant flag.

"Of course, it gives me a headache too. After all, with such a large flag, if an accident happens, such as it tearing, cracking, fading, or worse, if on a major occasion and under everyone's eyes, the flagpole snaps, the flag surface falls, the flag collapses..."

As Mallos spoke and walked, the flag rose and fell with his steps, swaying dangerously. Everyone's expression changed.

"Hey, you had better let someone help..."

Knight Cecil wanted to remind him.

"That would shame the royal family, humiliate the kingdom, and disgrace Jadestar. It would be enough for priests and historians to record it as an 'evil omen' or 'disgrace,'" the watchman's tone suddenly changed, making everyone's expression ugly, "or even as some major and wicked matter like 'calamity for the kingdom,' 'defeat in war is near,' or 'the dynasty is short-lived'..."

Mallos held the flagpole and looked around, his words carrying deep meaning.

"No matter who caused it, whether intentionally or not, they would be suspected of harboring evil intentions, humiliating the royal family, and subverting the kingdom..."

"A crime so great that only death can redeem it."

Everyone around, including Thales and Zayen, looked at the glittering great flag above their heads and shuddered together.

"So we usually fold it up and hide it, not taking it out lightly," Mallos suddenly smiled. "But for such a grand occasion as the selection meeting, how could His Highness not have it? Help me, Captain Cecil?"

"What?"

Before Knight Cecil could react, the nine-pointed star flag toppled down with a crash, the flagpole coming toward him.

He shuddered, stirred his Power of Eradication, and grabbed the flagpole. Then he saw Mallos looking at him tiredly, yet with a smiling face.

Cecil immediately grew angry.

"You..."

"Thank you, Captain." Mallos waved at him, looking as if a great burden had been lifted. "You have saved the Jadestar royal family."

Cecil's words caught. He looked at the flag in his hands.

With his strength and ability, supporting this flag was not difficult, but for some reason, Cecil only felt his mouth go dry. The flagpole in his hands tilted left and right, making it hard for him to keep stable. He had to use all his strength to grip the flag tightly.

"Just be careful. Such a large flag must not be allowed to fall."

Mallos spoke meaningfully.

"It could crush people to death."

Cecil's eyes chilled. Anger rose in his heart, and he shoved the flag back.

Everyone was startled.

But another hand reached from the side and firmly held the nine-pointed star flag, stopping it from falling.

Cecil turned in surprise.

"What are you doing?"

Knight Cassian steadily held the flag, his words leaving no room for argument.

"Saving your life."

Knight Cecil was quite indignant and wanted to speak but stopped.

His master, Zayen, stared at this great flag with unreadable emotion and fell into thought.

"As for those who successfully make it fall," Mallos turned around with his back to them, "Captain Cecil, do you want a nickname? Star-Dropper or Star-Taker?"

Cecil was startled.

The watchman smiled with difficulty, again supported himself on Hugo's shoulder, and began groaning and panting from his old injuries.

"Who knows? You might... become as famous as that northern fellow called Starfall."

Cecil could hardly believe it. He looked at the nine-pointed star above his head, then at Mallos walking away from him, both shocked and furious.

At this moment, everyone in the arena stared in awe at that nine-pointed star flag. Thales was among them. He even instinctively raised a hand to block the pieces of silver light that flashed with the flag's movement, occasionally invading his sight and stinging his eyes.

It was as if, from some unknown moment onward, an invisible pressure had covered the entire arena and even Jade City, forcing everyone to look toward this light, floating nine-pointed star.

No, Thales. That is not some nine-pointed star.

The small voice in the prince's heart rang out, speaking to him.

That is you.

Thales trembled.

And what you symbolize.

In a trance, Thales lowered his head and looked at his sleeve. There lay the dark pattern of a nine-pointed star.

"Enough!"

Zayen's cold voice rang out, waking everyone who had unconsciously stared at the flag.

"Yes, yes." Thales came back to himself. He steadied his breathing and forced himself to recover his reason. "Then, Lord Zayen, returning to where we were: are you willing to obey the Sacred Stars Covenant and accept my arbitration?"

At that moment, vassals, honored guests, soldiers, the Star Lake Guard... everyone held their breath and waited for the duke's answer.

Zayen's gaze chilled.

Arbitration.

He turned back and looked at Hilley, who had been silent since just now.

Arbitration.

He lowered his head and glanced at Federico, who was breathing roughly on the ground.

Finally, he turned with difficulty and looked at Thales, whose eyes were bright.

This damned little brat.

"I..."

The Duke of South Coast was about to speak, but the wind struck, and the flag above their heads snapped loudly.

His words immediately halted.

More than that, the flag's silver embroidery reflected light extremely well. The nine-pointed star emblem drifted back and forth in the night sky, flashing silver.

It made the distant iris flags seem dull and lightless.

At that moment, Zayen looked at the giant nine-pointed star above his head, his gaze complicated.

Finally, when the nine-pointed star rose into the wind for the third time, the master of Jade City, the guardian duke of South Coast, took a deep breath and lowered his head.

"Look, Thales. When you tear off your mask and start playing cards seriously, you are rather capable, are you not?"

Zayen gave Thales a faint cold smile, though the laughter was inevitably desolate.

"Even if the hand you are playing belongs to someone else."

Thales' heart tightened.

Zayen smiled slightly.

"Unfortunately, no matter how good the cards are, the wager you place at the table must still come from yourself."

The next second, before Thales could react, Zayen stepped forward and spoke loudly.

"Of course, Your Highness! Since I am a subject of Stars and a noble of the kingdom, I naturally accept Your Highness' arbitration! Without complaint!"

The surrounding crowd burst into uproar.

The Emerald soldiers in the front rows looked at one another, unable to believe it. The vassals' and guests' discussions quieted a great deal, and many secretly glanced toward Thales.

Finally, hearing the other's definite answer, Thales barely let out a breath of relief.

Good.

No great disaster was created.

Zayen smiled, though the smile was extremely complicated and filled with hidden meaning. He waved and ordered:

"Jade Legion, lower your weapons and open a path. Let them arrest me."

Cecil gritted his teeth, very unconvinced.

"My lord..."

"Under the nine-pointed star flag, His Highness Thales has given an order. The Covendier family obeys it fully!" Zayen stopped him, his tone allowing no doubt.

Cecil took a deep breath and, through gritted teeth, ordered his subordinates to step back. But the look he gave the Star Lake Guard was extremely cold.

Soon, the Emerald soldiers looked at one another, put away their weapons, and retreated, whether willingly or unwillingly. Quite a few of them secretly let out breaths of relief as well.

Thales, relieved inside, nodded toward his subordinates. Wya and Glover exchanged a look, then carefully stepped forward, passed the leaderless and bewildered Jade Legion, and came beside Zayen.

Glover wanted to put hands on him to escort him and show authority, but Zayen did not give them that chance.

The duke himself raised his head and chest, decisively stepped forward, and walked out of the legion's defense.

Into Thales' team.

"If you have any objections, Zayen, you are welcome to appeal and defend yourself during the arbitration, and to issue your own voice," Thales looked at him, his feelings complicated. "You can also invite someone to speak and defend you on your behalf. If I remember correctly, the defense lawyers' guild is in the Glory District. It costs money, but it can save trouble."

Zayen smiled slightly, unconcerned.

Compared to the earlier noise and clamor, all this happened silently. The onlookers whispered, but no one dared speak loudly.

On the other side, Morgan pushed aside several stunned security officers, roughly dragged Federico up from the ground, pulled the cloth from his mouth, and escorted him into the Star Lake Guard.

"Not bad, cousin," Zayen said, glancing at the culprit behind everything that had happened today. An indescribable emotion hid in his eyes. "Not bad."

He looked at Thales, his words meaningful.

"But do you think this is over?"

"Yes, cousin," Federico, being escorted, answered extremely quickly, panting nonstop and full of ill intent. "You are over."

The two cousins' gazes met, and the surrounding air seemed to scorch.

"The duke surrendered just like that? That simply?" Neshy said in disbelief within the guard.

"They have a legion, an entire city, and two supreme-class experts..."

Doyle shook his head, celebrating that he had survived another night under the prince's command.

"Correct."

"And we only have..."

"We have the Kingdom's Wrath."

Neshy froze.

"What? Where?"

Doyle patted his shoulder and smiled.

"Behind us."

Neshy looked behind him but saw nothing. When he turned back, his face was full of confusion.

"No, Zayen!"

At this moment, Hilley, who could no longer endure, cried out and broke through the obstruction, rushing before her brother.

Wya frowned, but Glover glanced at Thales and shook his head at Wya.

The young lady grabbed Zayen's hand, then turned in confusion to look at Thales, whose head was lowered. She wanted to speak, but did not know what to say.

In the end, it was Zayen who firmly pulled her back.

"It is all right, Cecilia. Sister, listen." The duke held his sister's hand, his gaze complicated. "We are Covendier, are we not?"