A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

Last night was not a quiet night. Although the war in the bay outside the city had ended, many people were still busy.

The blood-stained city wall had to be washed away, and the corpses piled up and down the city wall had to be cleaned up. The remains of the Tozes soldiers were carried down one by one and put away, and the corpses of the pirates were left in a deserted place, waiting to be set on fire afterwards. Also, the entangled wreckage of the pirate warships blocking the city gates and the Tozes small warships needs to be cleared up... bits and pieces, Seth and other generals who are so busy in command don't even have time to drink their sips of water .

The city is also noisy and noisy, and it is not quiet all night.

However, this was the most solid and sweetest night for the citizens of Tozeth to sleep during this period of time.

The reinforcements arrived and the pirates were completely defeated.

They were safe at last, and no longer needed to be afraid.

After the rain, the sky cleared, and the dark clouds that had piled up over the city of Tozes finally dissipated, and the black clouds that suppressed everyone's hearts were finally dispelled.

On this day, the blue sky was cloudless, and the vast sea was calm and calm.

When the night passed and the bright sun rose from the sea level, whether it was citizens who had just woken up from their dreams or soldiers who had been busy all night, they all showed smiles from the bottom of their hearts when they looked at the hot sun .

The bright but not dazzling morning sun slanted into the window. In the bright room, Garland was sitting on the warm bed, leaning against the head of the bed.

His long golden hair fell down the back of his neck. He finished his last sip of porridge, and the waiting medical woman took it with her hand, looked at Garlan with respect and admiration, and then finished it. The dinner plate was withdrawn.

Garlan leaned against the head of the bed, tilted his head slightly, and squinted his eyes. The warm sunlight coming in from the window fell on him, bit by bit driving out the cold air that had penetrated into his flesh and blood over the past few days, shining on his whole body. People are lazy.

Although the injury on the back is still aching, the fever has not subsided, and my mind is dizzy.

But at this moment, perhaps because he suddenly completely relaxed from the tense state, a feeling of laziness filled his limbs, making him feel like he didn't want to move at all.

In fact, he is still a little depressed now.

It is precisely because he has been hostile to Heymos many times before that he also understands Heymos' strength better than anyone else.

As an enemy, Heymos is powerful and frightening.

But as a companion, Heymos is an extremely reassuring presence.

[Don't be afraid, I'm here. 】

he knows.

The safety of a huge city, the lives of 10,000+ people, these heavy responsibilities that weighed him down, can finally be off his shoulders.

He finally didn't have to force himself to hold on anymore.

The string that was tense all the time collapsed in an instant because of Heymos' words.

He lost control of his emotions for a while, and actually showed that cowardly look in front of Heymos...

Now that he had slept and calmed down, he felt ashamed in retrospect.

I don't know how Heymos will laugh at him after being caught this time.

Ahhh, it's annoying to think about it——

Garlan was sitting on the bed and continued to worry, when suddenly there were heavy footsteps bang bang bang bang outside.

Immediately afterwards, the room was pushed away, and a chubby ball rushed in like rolling.

"Prince! Prince! I heard that you are injured!"

The ball rolled to the side of the bed, and the chubby boy's eyes swept over Garlan with a distressed expression.

"I've heard people say that you are a prince, you are so delicate and expensive, how can you go to such a dangerous battlefield? And you have suffered such a serious injury?"

He climbed on the edge of the bed and looked at Garland eagerly.

"Does it hurt, prince? Well, it must be very painful. You have grown up so much, except for the time when you were a child. Over the years, the wound on your hand, Miss Taputi, feels very distressed. She wants to scold us. of."

"Ahhh, it's all my fault. If I could have brought the Eilson Navy over earlier... No! It's all Eilson's fault! It's all because of their dilating and refusing to send troops earlier!"

Tal looked at Garlan with distressed eyes, puffed his cheeks, and had a bitter and bitter expression on his face, thinking non-stop.

There were so many mumbling words that it gave people a headache, but at this moment, Garlan laughed when he heard it, and it seemed that the pain behind him was slightly relieved by Taal's muttering.

"Thank you, Tal."

He raised his hand and touched the fat boy's head with a smile.

"It must not be easy to bring the Allson Navy here, right?"

Being praised by Garlan like this, Tarleton immediately regained his spirits.

"That's—it's not easy, Your Highness!"

He poured bitter water on Garlan.

"The queen refused to agree to send troops at first, and it took me a lot of effort to persuade her."

"Listen to what I tell you, Your Highness, this is how it happened."

Once excited, Tal began to show Garlan the scene with gestures.

…………

a few days ago.

In the palace of Elson Island.

Seeing that Queen Eilson, who refused, got up and left, Tal watched the Queen's disappearing figure, and his heart beat violently.

He remembered the smile on Prince Garlan who sent him away before he left.

At that time, the prince said, it's all up to you, Tarr.

The prince said, it was all up to him.

Tal gritted his teeth hard.

No, he won't give up... It's impossible to give up so easily!

The prince believed in him and entrusted him with such an important matter, even concerning his own life. How could he live up to the prince's trust in him?

No matter what... no matter what method he uses, he must let Allson send troops!

At this moment, Tal's mind was spinning rapidly.

Is there something... is there something that can impress Eilson, or should I say, something that can impress Queen Eilson...

From the time he met the female warrior Eilson until he came to the palace, scenes related to Eilson flashed through his mind quickly.

Suddenly, the scene of the depression of the trading port where he had stayed for a long time when he first came to the island flashed through his mind, and suddenly, a flash of inspiration flashed in his mind.

Bet!

Tal rushed forward, but was stopped by the female warrior standing in front of the throne.

Not discouraged, he grabbed the female warrior's arm and yelled at the Queen's back.

"Your Majesty! Are you going to let Ailson continue to fall like this?"

As soon as his unceremonious words uttered, he immediately aroused the anger of the female warriors around Elson.

The female warrior who had just stopped him exerted a little force on her hand, which immediately made Tal yelp in pain.

But the little fat man screamed in pain, and at the same time shouted at the queen with all his strength.

"If Eilson continues to be closed and isolated like this, the country will perish sooner or later!"

With a loud bang, his head was slammed on the floor by the furious female warrior.

The force of the smash was so heavy that Tal had the illusion that his head was about to be smashed.

He was stunned for a while after being knocked unconscious, and when he came back to his senses, he saw a pair of feet standing in front of him.

Queen Elson did not know when to go back and forth, and returned to Tal.

"Messenger of Aaron Landis, do you know what disrespectful words you just said?"

The tall and slender Queen Eilson stood in front of Taal who was crushed to the ground and knelt down in embarrassment.

Her sharp eyes carried a bad breath, and she looked down at the boy who was as fat as a ball under her feet.

"Just based on the two words you just said cursing our country, I can order you to be executed."

"Are my words a curse... Woo... Are they alarmist..."

His head was firmly pressed to the ground, and Tal grinned in pain from the twisted arm, but he still spoke with difficulty and intermittently.

"Your Majesty, you should be very clear...otherwise...you wouldn't talk nonsense to me, I'm afraid you'd just stab me to death with a sword...it hurts!"

He tried his best to hold on and said a few words, but the little fat man couldn't hold it back in the end, let out several screams, and burst into tears.

The cowardly look of the chubby kid made Vinier, who was originally angry because of his two words, very happy.

She thought about the little kid who didn't know the heights of the sky and the earth, so why should he be angry with this coward.So, she shook her head and walked over to the queen.

"Your Majesty, just drive him out."

The queen didn't say a word, looking down at Taal who was under her feet sharply.

After a long time, she suddenly raised her hand, signaling the guard holding Tal to let go.

When Tal got up, she waved all the guards around to retreat, leaving only General Venier by her side.

She stared at Tull and said, "What's your reason for deciding that Aierson will go down?"

"I know that the female soldiers of Elson are very strong, and your navy is also very strong, but whether a country is strong or not depends not on its military strength, but on how well its people live."

Tal grinned, rubbing his almost broken hand and said.

"Actually, I don't know much about military affairs and politics... But, I think this country will decline because the Ailson people don't live well."

"Different from countries on land, Eilson is just an island country, so it is impossible to be self-sufficient. The food and supplies you need must be obtained through trade. But when I came, I saw your foreign trade. There are very few merchant ships in the port... Yes, I can see that no one is willing to trade with you, and even if there is, I am afraid they want to get great benefits from you."

"When I came along the way, as far as I saw, the living conditions of your people were not good."

Tal suddenly looked up and looked directly at the queen.

"His Royal Highness once told me before that the wealth and stability of the people is the symbol of a country's prosperity, and it is also the responsibility of the king."

"So, Your Majesty, I want to ask you, do you really want your people to live such a hard life?"

"Even if you, Eilson, consider yourself to be a country, none of the surrounding countries recognize Eilson as a country—are you going to live like this?"

"presumptuous!"

Vinier shouted angrily.

"How could you be so rude—"

The queen raised her hand to block Vinier.

She looked at Tal with a serious face: "What is the purpose of you talking so much?"

As a member of the mighty Elson female warriors, the queen gazes on others with a scorching knife-like gaze, which is chilling.

When she stared at a person and exuded that power unreservedly, it was even more chilling.

Tar's chest couldn't help but tremble, his face turned slightly pale, and his legs trembled a little.

However, when he thought of the prince who was in danger, he gritted his teeth and suppressed the sense of panic that surged up.

"send troops."

He took a deep breath and tried his best to meet the queen's oppressive eyes.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, just as you love your little princess, our King Kamos of Aaron Landis loves the prince more than your love for his daughter."

"So, if the prince died in Tozes City, he would be heartbroken, and if he knew that the prince had asked for help from you but was rejected...Although he would not send troops to attack Aierson, he would be very angry. I will definitely issue a royal order to prohibit any Elson people from entering Aaron Landis."

"The consequences of this, and the harm this situation will cause to Aierson, needless to me, Queen, you should also understand."

The queen looked at him coldly.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Of course I dare not, I just told you this possibility in advance."

Anyway, it's come to this point, either he offends the queen and gets cut into pieces, or he takes Elson's navy back to save the prince.

Tal, who is not afraid of boiling water, stiffened his neck.

"However, on the other hand, as long as Aierson sends troops to save the prince..."

He rubbed his hands together and gave the Queen a sudden grin.

"Your Majesty, have you ever thought about what would happen if Aaron Landis recognized Eilson as an independent country?"

Startled, Vinier looked at the queen.

The queen frowned slightly, pondered for a while, and then said, "You don't have enough weight."

"I don't have enough weight, but the prince is enough. The prince is a man who will repay his kindness. As long as you save him, he will definitely persuade King Kamos to recognize your country."

Actually...Admitting Elson is not a big deal. All along, Aaron Landis just thinks that such a small country doesn't matter if he admits it or not, and he just doesn't care too much about it.

Of course, the truth cannot be told, otherwise the queen and the general will kill him if they can't save face.

"Your Majesty, Alan Landis recognizes the existence of the country of Eilson, and at the same time is willing to maintain friendly relations with the country of Eilson and trade with each other, allowing Aaron Landis' merchants to go to your commercial port. At the same time, our The trading port can conduct official transactions with you and give you the lowest commercial tax benefits as a friendly country."

Tal stared at the Queen without blinking, and said so.

"How about using this as a condition in exchange for you sending troops to rescue our prince Aaron Landis?"

The queen raised her eyes, and glanced at Tal with sharp eyes like sword light.

"A word is settled!"

She said, decisively, simply and neatly.

Then he turned around and waved his hand.

"Vinil, prepare to send troops!"

Tal: "..."

So crisp.

He looked stupidly at the queen who had strode away in a hurry, thinking.

He also prepared a belly full of words but did not say it.

…………

........................

"I had prepared a whole lot of words, but before I had time to say them, the Queen suddenly agreed, choking me so much that I almost didn't come out..."

Tal's vivid description, as well as the intentionally exaggerated movements, made Garlan couldn't help laughing out loud.

"How about it, Your Highness, am I good?"

The little fat man made Garlan laugh when he saw it, and leaned over with a sullen face, begging for praise.

He was lying on the edge of the bed, looking at Garlan with watery eyes like a big chubby dog, and he could almost see a tail wagging vigorously behind him.

Garlan smiled and patted the little fat man's head.

"Well, that's amazing," he said, "thanks to you Tal this time."

"Of course."

Tal's invisible tail was raised high in an instant, he patted his fleshy chest, and said proudly.

"The person who can protect His Highness, who is better than me—"

"……yes?"

A voice came, clear and indifferent, without any emotion.

Those two simple words froze the little fat man who was still bragging about himself instantly.

He turned his fat neck rattlingly, and looked back.

Immediately, his face turned pale with fright.

"Heh, heh heh, His Royal Highness Prince Imos."

He gave a dry, stammered cry.

Heymos didn't know when he came, and how long he stood there listening.

At this moment, he crossed his arms and leaned against the door with his body slightly tilted. His long legs were crossed, and he tilted his head slightly to look this way.

He was wearing a dark suit, and his dark night hair fell on his handsome face.

When Garlan's gaze came over, he stood up straight and walked over. While walking, he glanced at Tal, and Tal immediately ran away like a mouse meeting a cat.

Looking at the limp back of the little fat man, Garlan blinked, and couldn't help laughing again.

"He is still the same, so afraid of you."

He asked Heymos curiously.

"What did you do to scare him so much?"

"It's nothing."

Heymos replied lightly, avoiding the question.

How could he say that it was because this little fat man was always clinging to Garlan when he was a child, which made him very unhappy, so every time he looked at the little fat man, his eyes became a little more fierce.

... Who knew that this would create a psychological shadow on that little fat man.

While fooling Garlan's question, Heymos leaned over and touched Garlan's forehead.

"It's still a little hot."

He asked, "Are you still uncomfortable?"

"I feel a little uncomfortable."

Garlan nodded, then shook his head with a smile.

"But in a good mood."

Having said that, he suddenly paused, as if remembering something, his face changed slightly.

He raised his eyes and sneaked a glance at Heymos.

He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but he stopped talking.

Seeing Garlan's hesitant little expression, the corners of Heymos's lips twitched.

"Why, do you want me to keep what happened last night a secret?"

"...Uh, since you guessed it..."

The out-of-control appearance last night was really embarrassing, Garlan really didn't want others to know.

"can."

Heymos said bluntly, and then changed the topic.

"So, what's the reward?"

"what?"

"I'll keep it secret for you, so shouldn't you give me some benefits? Equivalent exchange."

"...Then what do you want?"

Garlan was speaking angrily at first, but when he suddenly saw the pair of golden red eyes looking deeply at him, his heart skipped a beat.

A big battle, he was so busy that he was dizzy, and he actually forgot the key thing.

He almost forgot... This guy has something wrong with him!

Garlan stretched out his hand almost reflexively, and pressed the chest of the bent man to push him away.

"That's not okay!"

He rolled his eyes and refused sharply.

Don't think that he has seen few novels and movies.

At this time, men always say kisses and the like as rewards.

Don't try to trick him!

It's just that the young man's self-stern appearance was completely different in the eyes of Heymos, who was looking down at him.

Whether it's the upturned pale face.

Still those big round golden eyes.

Or the whole body tensed up like a kitten with fried fur.

It all makes people feel cute.

The corners of Heymos's lips twitched. Although he didn't intend to do anything, but Garlan's cute appearance made him want to tease him.

So, he deliberately moved closer and opened his mouth to speak.

Heymos actually didn't move much.

But Garlan, who suddenly remembered that incident, was too nervous. When Heymos moved a little, he subconsciously pressed his hand against Heymos to prevent him from approaching him.

As a result, with a strong arm, he pulled the arrow wound on his back, and the sharp pain caused the corners of his eyes to twitch.

As soon as Garlan showed a painful expression, Heymos' expression changed immediately.

"do not move."

He grasped Garlan's hands against his own.

"Wait, you..."

Garlan was a little flustered.

"Don't move, I'm not doing anything."

Holding Garlan's hand that was about to struggle, Heymos said quickly.

"Don't move, you'll be in trouble if you touch the wound."

When he said this, Garlan was taken aback for a moment, and then obediently stopped moving.

Heymos held Garlan's wrist, and slowly put it back on the bed with as light a movement as possible.

He raised his eyes and saw those golden eyes turning and staring at him. He didn't know what he was thinking or thinking. He smiled, raised his hand, and stroked the soft blonde hair.

"Okay, I won't say it."

"Really?"

The boy looked at him suspiciously.

"Even if you don't mention it, I won't say it."

Heymos stroked Garlan's forehead hair with a soft expression.

He focused his eyes on the pair of golden eyes that were tilted to look at him, and at the boy who was obediently staying in front of him.

Garlan was right in front of his eyes, he could touch and feel it. At this moment, the heart that had been hanging high since he had the dream of flames finally settled down safely.

His heart was filled with something, he whispered.

"How can I let others know how you cry."

That look is cuter than anything...

Such an adorable look...

He just wished he could hide it tightly so that no one could see it, how could he take the initiative to share it with others.

Garlan was stunned for a moment.

Then, with a swish, his pale face suddenly turned pink.

"Heymos!"

"Ok?"

"Did you go to Keyhors and learn those tricks with girls?"

The boy's face flushed with anger, he gritted his teeth, and looked at him bitterly.

"what?"

"Don't use those things on me! I tell you, I'm not a girl, and those tricks to coax girls won't work for me!"

"........."

Heymos felt innocent.

He really didn't do that kind of thing, it's just that he didn't pay attention to say what was in his heart.

"...Do you think Kyhos will tell me even if I ask?"

Gallan: "..."

It seems to make sense.

If Heymos really asked Kaihos, and Kaihos knew that he was thinking about him, let alone teaching him, it would be good if he didn't commit crimes and fight up.

He tilted his head and thought for a while, then sighed.

"At the beginning...Although it was because of an emergency, I didn't answer you directly. It was my fault."

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke directly.

"I'm sorry, although I don't know how you treat me...uh, you have such thoughts. But, as I said, I like cute girls, so, for you...well, that... ..."

Garlan felt so embarrassed that he couldn't continue, so he sneaked a look at Heymos.

Heymos sat on the edge of the bed, did not look at him, and listened quietly with lowered eyes.

The sun shone from behind him, hiding most of his face in the backlight. Garlan couldn't see his expression clearly at the moment, but he could see the long and slender eyelashes that were quietly hanging down, and the smaller half of his face was glowing with the sunlight. A light shadow fell on the brown shiny side cheek.

Heymos's lips were thin and pale, a cool color.

For some reason, Garlan was inexplicably guilty.

People rushed to rescue him, and even shortened the original seven days to four days, but he turned around and dumped him mercilessly.

A typical example of crossing a river and tearing down bridges.

He's like... isn't he a bit scumbag?

The young man thought guiltyly, his two hands on the quilt unconsciously clasped together, his fingertips moved uncomfortably.

Moreover, he really didn't understand why Heymos fell in love with him?

In the past four lives, there was no such sign at all?

At that time, Heymos hated him to the bone, and the two could be said to be at odds.

Why is this world so strangely...

Garlan thought for a long time in confusion, and couldn't help thinking of another possibility.

"Heymos, I know you like me very much, you have liked me since you were a child, but, are you actually making a mistake?"

He says,

"Your liking for me should actually be the same as brother Wang's liking for me, and it's different from that kind of lover's liking. It's just because we have a good relationship since we were young, and you are very close, and you don't have any other close people, because You were not happy that I was robbed about the Opada incident, so this illusion was created."

"After all, you have said yourself that you don't like men at all, so you always think that you should like girls."

"In this way, you should have really made a mistake..."

Heymos, who was sitting in front of him, raised his eyes, and those golden-red pupils hidden in the shadow of the backlight seemed to cast a crimson gleam towards Garlan.

With just one glance, Garlan's words came to an abrupt end.

I don't know why, but after Heymos gave him such a look, he couldn't speak anymore.

"Garlan."

A deep voice called his name, and Heymos reached out his hand, and his fingertips fell on his cheek.

"My feelings, you can reject it."

The man's fingers brushed the ends of his hair, lifting a strand of blond hair that fell before his eyes.

Pick it up with your fingertips and put it behind his ear.

"It can also be ignored."

In the golden-red eyes, there seemed to be a cluster of crimson flames burning in the depths of the pupils.

His figure was reflected in the flame, as if his whole body was swallowed by the flame.

Stared at by those golden-red pupils, for some reason, Garlan felt inexplicably unable to move.

"It's even okay to dislike it or hate it."

The fingers that tucked the lock of hair behind the ear slowly slid down the strand of blond hair.

down to the ends of the hair.

Then Heymos' fingers took hold of the strand of blond hair.

Heymos lowered his head slightly, his slender eyelashes stand out in the sunlight.

He lowered his eyes, lowered his head, and his cold thin lips fell on the strand of blond hair tangled between his brown fingers.

"But don't deny it."

He half-closed his eyes and kissed the lock of blond hair in his hands.

The sunlight was refracted by the golden hair and fell on his handsome side cheek.

The gesture of kissing gave people an inexplicably pious feeling.

He seemed to have put his hot feelings and everything into this kiss.

"Don't deny it, all the...all the love I put in front of you."

…………

The room was silent.

No one speaks.

The boy who had been told of his love didn't speak either.

He lowered his head, pursed his lips tightly, as if he was a little at a loss, and his fluffy golden forehead blocked his eyes.

However, it couldn't stop the slightly red ear tips protruding from the blond hair.