A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

As the evening approached, the sun had gradually sunk to the west, and a cavalry team of one hundred men had stopped moving forward and set up camp by the side of a small stream.

The cavalry got busy, the bonfire was quickly lit, and the broth in the copper pot on the bonfire was boiled, exuding a strong aroma in the crude camp that had just been built.

The small stream is flowing briskly, making the sound of running water, and the small fish swim carefree in it.

Heymos sat on a rock by the stream, his black boots on the gravel.

The stream was crystal clear, clearly reflecting his figure.

The young man sitting by the stream lowered his head slightly, his honey-colored skin glowed like a wild beast standing in the desert in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The jet-black forehead hair slid down before his eyes like silk, and the corners of his eyes were slightly raised, revealing full vigor.

The golden-red eyes reflected the fiery red sunset, like flame-colored glass beads.

It is obviously inorganic indifference, but it gives people a dangerous allure and beauty.

Early this morning, Heymos left the royal city and led his subordinates to the city of Meneste.

He only told Shemuer about it.

Before the sun rose in the early morning, he left the royal city without saying goodbye to Garlan.

He lowered his eyes, quietly watching the briskly flowing stream in front of him, and unconsciously stroked the green malachite ring on his left hand with his fingers.

It seems to have become a habit of his. When he is upset or anxious, he will touch it subconsciously.

He finally chose to serve Garlan as a knight.

He gave up the throne that could have been contested.

However, even if he has made a decision, he still has...a hard feeling in his heart.

In the deepest part of the body, there seemed to be a caged ferocious beast roaring and roaring, crazy and reckless, with an extremely dangerous aura.

As long as there is an opportunity, it will break out of the cage——

Heymos was well aware of how difficult it was for him to barely suppress the beast living in his body.

After tossing and turning last night, he suddenly didn't want to stay in the royal city, so he left without saying goodbye on the grounds of rectifying the army in Meneste city.

He needs to spend some time alone somewhere else to clear up his chaotic thoughts.

A long cry came from the sky, waking Heymos up. When he looked up, he saw a pitch-black eagle hovering high in the sky.

He looked at Anu who was taken away with him for a while, and then lowered his head again.

On the relatively clean stone slab beside him, the bowl of boiled broth that was sent by his subordinates not long ago was still steaming. He reached out to bring it to his mouth and drank it.

Heymos had just drank half of his drink when suddenly hurried footsteps sounded from behind.

The knight who brought him the broth just now came quickly behind him again and bowed down to salute.

"His Royal Highness Heymos."

"what's up?"

Heymos still sat on the ground and took another sip.

The knight knelt on one knee and lowered his voice to report: "Master Shemuer sent a secret message, asking you to return to the royal city as soon as possible."

"Oh."

After gulping down the remaining half bowl of broth, Heymos lazily responded and threw the empty bowl aside.

The knight presented the secret document with both hands.

Heymos absently looked at the little fish swimming nimbly in the stream, and casually reached out to take the confidential document.

Bright red ink pads were placed on the seal to ensure that the secret document would not be opened by anyone else before it was delivered to Heymos.

The knight, still on his knees, watched as his master tore open the seal and took out the secret document inside.

He watched his master glance at the contents of the parchment with a look of disinterest in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Just a glance.

The knight felt the air around him suddenly tense.

He saw his master's originally lazy golden-red eyes suddenly ignite with anger.

"What are those guys doing!"

Heymos gripped the letter in his hand tightly.

His face was very ugly.

What the hell are those idiots in Wangcheng doing!

He only left for a day, and let Garlan——

The kneeling knight was a little dazed. He couldn't guess what was said in the secret letter, but His Royal Highness Heymos, who had always acted calmly and quietly, showed such a furious look.

He looked at the letter paper in Heymos' hand that was almost torn apart with probing eyes, and suddenly felt a chill all over his body, and his heart tightened, and he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look any further.

"I'll go back to Wangcheng first, you guys will stay here tonight and go back after dawn."

The knight watched in astonishment as his master raised his hand and whistled after saying those words, and a horse that was leisurely gnawing on the green grass not far away followed the sound.

The fiery reddish-brown mane fluttered in the wind, and it rushed to its owner in a blink of an eye.

Heymos got on his horse and galloped in the direction of the royal city under the starlight of the night.

…………

prince?

Taputi looked at the empty bedroom in astonishment. The thin blanket on the bed was lifted, but the boy who was supposed to be lying on it disappeared.

The windows were wide open, and the night wind was blowing in from the outside, blowing the gauze curtains in the room endlessly.

Because the matter of the prince's illness cannot be spread, she stayed here alone on this day.

She just went out and ordered the maid outside to bring hot water and cook some porridge, but after a few minutes, the prince disappeared into the room when she came back.

The astonishment was only a moment, and the female officer who had already experienced countless turmoil quickly calmed down.

She carefully examined the traces left in the bedroom, and then looked out of the open window.

A flower in the flower bed outside the window fell down, and traces of being stepped on could be vaguely seen on the soil.

Taputi immediately understood.

She turned around, intending to ask the guards outside to inform Shemuer to come over.

But before he walked out of the hall, there was a sound of hurried footsteps.

As soon as the female officer raised her head, she saw that tall, familiar figure walking towards her in a hurry.

Lord Heymos.

Seeing the gloomy face of Heymos who was walking quickly, Taputi's heart skipped a beat.

Speaking of which, during the day, she was still thinking that it was really strange that Prince Garlan hadn't seen this one appear when he fell ill.

Heymos passed her by, as if he hadn't noticed her existence at all, and walked straight into the inner bedroom.

Taputi subconsciously turned around, followed and re-entered the bedroom, and closed the bedroom door.

After she went in, she saw Heymos standing in front of the door slowly moving his gaze from the empty bed to the open window.

"The prince should wake up."

Taputi said, "He left by himself. He has a body like that, and he doesn't know where he went. Your Highness Heymos, we must find him quickly..."

"no need."

Staring intently at the open window, Heymos said, "I know where he went."

After finishing speaking, without waiting for Taputi to reply, he stretched his arms and jumped out of the window.

In just a few breaths, his back disappeared into the vast night.

…………

The main hall made of snow-white jade stands quietly in the night, deserted and desolate, without a trace of breath.

It is the exact opposite of the bright and brilliant golden temple.

In this hall, even if it is brightly lit, it seems as if one can feel a chill that penetrates deep into the bone marrow.

White Hall, the hall of the dead.

When Heymos walked into this huge white hall, the icy white overwhelmingly hit him.

Eyes pale.

Translucent soft white gauze was scattered around the main hall, gently fluttering with a little breeze.

Huge white stone plates filled with huge ice cubes were placed on both sides, making the temperature in this hall much colder than outside.

The one-person-high incense burners placed on both sides exude a faint fragrance, lingering in the hall.

At the end of the snow-white hall, a green peacock sarcophagus is placed on a high platform.

In the emerald green, complex and delicate lines are carved on it, and the gold blended into the fine lines flashes a golden luster under the light.

On the wall behind the peacock sarcophagus is a relief of a goddess wearing a white lotus.

She holds a red feather and folds her hands in front of her body.

Ornas, god of the underworld.

The goddess who protects the dead.

She lowered her eyes with compassion, as if she was looking down at the peacock sarcophagus in front of her.

Huge white wings unfolded behind her, showing a circular arc, as if guarding the great king.

Kamos lay in the cold malachite sarcophagus, his wiped clean body was replaced with a pure white soft silk garment.

The dark brown skin that had been carefully smeared with olive oil and spices glowed under the light, making the Lion King, whose brows and eyebrows were peacefully lying there, look like he was just sleeping.

Countless flowers were scattered around the peacock sarcophagus, and fell along the white stone steps.

The boy sat on the snow-white stone steps, leaning against the cold peacock sarcophagus behind him.

He sat in front of the peacock sarcophagus, folded his knees, and buried his face between them.

Long gold-like hair hangs down from his slender shoulders, and the ends of the hair are scattered on the stone floor around him.

The boy's feet were bare, stepping on the cold white stone steps and the bright red petals scattered on the stone steps, his complexion became whiter, almost translucent and fragile.

The huge white hall, the hall of the dead, was empty and lifeless.

Terribly quiet.

Only the blond boy sat alone under the huge peacock sarcophagus.

Heymos stepped forward, his black boots making dull footsteps on the snow-white stone ground.

Footsteps echoed in the hall.

He walked up to the stone steps in front of Garlan.

Then he bent down and knelt down in front of Garlan.

He stretched out his hand, as if he wanted to touch the boy in front of him.

But before his fingertips were about to touch the blond hair, his hand stopped in midair.

After a while, Heymos slowly held his hand and retracted it.

His fingers clenched tightly, very hard.

The black knight, who was feared on the battlefield, clenched his hands tightly, as if he didn't know where to use his great power.

He half-kneeled in front of the young man hugging him beside the peacock sarcophagus, seemingly at a loss.

He really didn't know what to do or what to say, so he could only stay in front of Garlan in silence.

The hall was very quiet, only the sound of each other's breathing could be heard, and the flames on the stone pillars swayed on the two of them.

Maybe it's been a long time.

Or maybe it was just for a short while.

Finally, the boy who had been hugging his knees and buried his head raised his head.

Apart from being slightly pale, his face was clean, without any traces, let alone tears.

When he raised his head, the hair slid from his cheeks like flowing gold.

Garlan didn't hide here and cry, his expression looked calm, and he looked at Heymos in front of him indifferently.

He even smiled slightly at Heymos.

"Heymos, you know, I saved a lot of people."

He smiled and spoke softly.

"Look, I saved you when I was very young, didn't I?"

"When I was very young, I rescued those children who were captured by the All Things Cult to the altar, many children..."

Garlan's voice was very soft.

The golden pupils were slightly distracted, as if recalling.

"If I don't exist...you won't be saved, the palace will catch fire, and many people will die in this fire..."

"If it weren't for me, those children would be killed as sacrifices... Those civilians would riot under the instigation of the All Things Cult, and it would last for a long time... It would affect countless people, and then all of them would be suppressed and killed... ..."

"At that time, the plague in Vinal City will break out... Countless people will die from the plague."

"...Tasda Mission will be destroyed in the desert, and a war will break out between Aaron Landis and Tasda. Tens of thousands of people will die in the war..."

"The city of Tozes will be breached by pirates, and most of the people in the city will die under the swords of pirates..."

"The city of Twiller will be swallowed by the flash flood, and the people in the whole city will be buried in the flood..."

The young man spoke in a low voice.

Sentence after sentence.

He seemed to be pouring out all his achievements at this moment.

He seemed to be constantly praising himself, telling his own importance.

Heymos didn't say anything, he just listened quietly to Garlan's words.

After talking for a while, Garlan suddenly stopped.

His eyes fell on Heymos's face, and he looked into Heymos' eyes steadily.

The man's golden-red eyes are obviously fiery like flames, but they are extremely indifferent to everything in the world.

He suddenly asked: "Heymos, if there is no summons from me, you will give up the royal city, won't you?"

Heymos still didn't answer, his pupils deeply reflected the figure of the boy in front of him.

He looked at the blond hair that was messily falling from Garlan's eyes, raised his hand, and gently brushed it behind Garlan's ear.

Garlan didn't move, his eyes were a little dazed.

Although he asked that question, Heymos didn't need to answer.

Because he had seen that scene with his own eyes in his dreams.

"That is the will of the gods... They say, that is the trajectory of fate... Whether it is me or..."

Whether it's me or Brother Kamos.

"Fate has long been doomed, and no one can change it..."

Garlan closed his eyes, and his slender eyelashes fell onto the young man's pale cheeks.

At this moment, the lightly moving eyelashes looked like the wings of a butterfly that could be easily broken, inexplicably fragile.

"So, you see, without me, you would give up the royal city..."

he whispered,

"I know... In order to preserve the strength of the legion, you retreated to one side and let other countries fight on the land of Aaron Landis, and you will patiently wait for them to exhaust their strength in the battle with each other, and sit back The benefits of a fisherman..."

"The royal city was breached, and many people in the royal city will die under the horseshoes of the Gastadians..."

"When other countries fight on the land of Aaron Landis, countless people will die in the war..."

The young man spoke in a low voice, laughing while speaking.

His appearance is extremely good-looking, and he can't take his eyes off when he smiles.

His smile is always warm, like the bright sunshine at dawn.

But at this moment, although there was a smile on his face, the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"But, because of me, none of this happened, and everyone survived."

"Look, Heymos, I saved so many people... saved countless lives..."

Garlan repeated this sentence again, then suddenly turned his head and turned sideways.

He looked at the huge peacock sarcophagus behind him, and stretched out his hand to press it.

The cold breath seeped in from his fingertips, and he pressed his fingers on the peacock sarcophagus with little force.

He dug hard, as if he wanted to dig his fingertips into the cold and hard stone.

His clenched knuckles were almost white, and the slender fingers were exerted to the extreme, as if they would snap off in the next second.

A hand suddenly stretched out from the side, grabbing Garlan's hand that was pressing on the malachite coffin.

Heymos squeezed Garlan's hand tightly and pulled it off.

He saw that Garlan's fingertips were bleeding faintly.

He lowered his head, took the bleeding fingertip into his lips, and sucked it.

Garlan watched in a daze as Heymos sucked his fingers into his mouth, and the warm touch wrapped around his fingertips, as if dispelling the chill he felt on the peacock sarcophagus just now.

He didn't move, just pursed his lips a little bit.

The blood-colored lips were tightly pressed into a straight line, and a strand of blond hair was also tightly pressed into the lips.

Heymos let go of his mouth, still maintaining the half-kneeling posture in front of Garlan, looking up at Garlan.

Garlan and him looked at each other for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

But in this smile, a tear suddenly fell from the corner of the slightly curved eye.

He smiled and said, "I have saved countless people...but I can't save the one I want to save the most."

Tears rolled down his misted golden eyes, he said.

The boy seemed to be smiling, but the tears falling from the corners of his eyes kept falling on the back of Heymos' hands.

It was scorching hot.

Like broken beads.

More and more, more and more.

Uncontrollable.

Can't stop.

Garlan sat quietly in front of the green peacock sarcophagus, his eyes downcast, his eyelashes stained with water fell on his tear-stained cheeks.

Tears fell silently from his eyes.

The white halls of the dead are silent in the night.

The boy's calm face didn't even look like he was crying.

But he was crying.

In the most painful way possible.

[I have saved countless people. 】

[But only... can't save the person I want to save the most. 】