A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

When I opened my eyes, what I saw was the afterglow of the red sunset in the sky.

The crimson afterglow covered the earth, covering the earth with a layer of hazy flames like flowing fire.

The setting sun reflected into the golden pupils that had just opened, dyeing the edge of the irises a little red.

Garlan thought, I don't know how long he fell into a coma this time.

He slowly turned his head, and as expected, he saw Heymos lying lightly asleep beside his bed.

Every time I opened my eyes in the past, I saw the golden-red eyes staring deeply at me.

Also, the traces of pain hidden deep in those eyes.

But this time, it was rare that he saw Heymos who was asleep.

I also want to know that even Heymos, who has inhuman physical strength, cannot continue like this forever.

The jet-black hair was scattered on the snow-white bed quilt. Heymos was lying on the bed with his head tilted. Under the sharp eyebrows and eyes was a deep black and blue color. He didn't know how many days and nights he had been sleepless this time.

Even in deep sleep at this moment, his brows were tightly furrowed, very unsteady, and the corners of his brows and eyes were full of tiredness.

Her pursed lips and frowning eyebrows made her look like she had slept hard.

Garlan saw Heymos's right hand clasping his hand tightly, as if he was afraid that he would disappear from sight.

The hand that held him tightly was still a healthy brown color, and in contrast to it, his hand looked whiter.

However, it was a kind of pale whiteness, reflecting the fiery red sunset light, almost translucent.

Garlan's eyes dimmed.

He knew that he might still have a low-grade fever. After all, the low-grade fever had never stopped since he woke up after falling asleep last time.

He felt that although he had a low-grade fever, his body had gradually stopped feeling pain recently, and there was no unnecessary feeling other than fatigue.

However... not feeling pain, that is the most dangerous signal.

He closed his eyes again, the shadow of his eyelashes covering his face.

he knows.

Many doctors have been helpless to his disease.

The heart was beating, and the sound was steady, powerful, and the beating sound could almost reach his eardrums through his chest.

He's still young, he's never imagined...

However, the illness that came from nowhere was devouring this young body bit by bit.

Will he...?

Even if he wanted to, he didn't dare to think of that word.

Even though he has actually experienced four deaths, he is no stranger to death.

But during the previous few deaths, he only felt pain, fear, and unwillingness.

And this time...

Garlan opened his eyes again, and looked at Heymos who was lying beside him.

Even in the most difficult time when Aaron Landis was in danger, the Black Knight, who never showed any signs of fatigue, had a look of haggardness on his usual stern and calm face.

The body should obviously feel no pain, but Garlan felt as if his chest had been stabbed heavily by an invisible sharp blade.

With the sound of very light footsteps, Garlan raised his head and saw the female officer walking in quickly.

The face of the always radiant and well-groomed female officer was gloomy.

When she saw Garlan staring at her with open eyes, her eyes lit up slightly, but only for a moment.Looking at Garlan's pale face, she clenched her fingers tightly and then loosened them again.

The corners of her lips were raised, showing a gentle smile as usual, and she walked to Garlan with the medicine tray in her hand.

Although Tapti deliberately avoided Heymos who was sleeping when he walked to Garlan's side, Heymos was already sleeping restlessly, and a slight movement around him woke him up immediately.

He clenched his right hand reflexively almost the moment he opened his eyes, until he felt that Garlan's hand was still being held by him, and his fingers relaxed a little.

Heymos was startled when he felt Garlan's hand lightly shake his hand in reverse, and then raised his head abruptly.

The golden eyes, which he hadn't seen for several days, looked at him and curved slightly.

Then, he saw Garlan take the medicine bowl that Taputi handed over, raised his head and drank it in one breath.

Ever since he fell ill, Garlan had almost never stopped taking the decoction three times a day. When he was in a coma, Taputi or Heymos would help him feed it mouthful by mouthful.

Only recently, after Garlan passed out, it was difficult to feed the potion.

So, when they saw that Garlan woke up and drank the potion in one gulp, both of them heaved a sigh of relief.

With a bang, the jade porcelain bowl fell to the ground and was instantly shattered.

The remaining potion splashed all over the floor.

Garlan leaned against the bed, coughing in pain, and spat out all the decoction he had just drunk.

The incident happened suddenly, and it was the first time such a thing had happened. Heymos froze for a moment.

He stretched out his hand to hold Garlan's shoulder in panic, but he didn't know what to do, he could only stare blankly at Garlan.

All the decoction that had been swallowed with great difficulty was coughed up. Garlan leaned over the edge of the bed, pressed his hands on the bed, and gasped for breath.

He looked at the bed sheet that was dyed black in front of him, and tightly clenched the sheet with his fingers.

【Time is up. 】

no time...

He tried his best to prop himself up, and leaned back against Heymos.

He looked up at Heymos.

Heymos supported him, and looked down at him, his eyes looked very blank.

When Garlan spat out the decoction, Taputi hurriedly called the old doctor who was guarding the side room over.

The old doctor looked at the messy bedsheets and ground stained by the soup, his eyes sank quickly, but he immediately restrained himself well, still maintaining a calm and calm expression.

But the flickering panic in the eyes of the old doctor was still caught by the keen-eyed Heymos. He felt a chill in his heart, and the fingers holding Garlan's shoulder suddenly tightened.

"I slept for too long and didn't get out of bed much, so it was hard to avoid eating."

said the old doctor, with a calm face.

It makes people feel at ease just looking at it.

"Your Majesty, don't drink too fast, don't be afraid of hardship, take your time."

Even if the patient he was facing was King Garlan, the gentle voice of the old doctor was like coaxing a child.

"Drink it slowly and you'll be able to drink it down."

The golden pupils looked at the old doctor quietly, their eyes were so calm, as if they had seen through something.

The old doctor's chest suddenly tightened.

He saw Garlan smiling at him, didn't say anything, didn't refute, and sat obediently leaning against the head of the bed, letting Taputi feed the re-boiled soup into his mouth mouthful by mouthful.

This time Garlan drank very slowly, but before taking a few sips, he suddenly pushed Tapti away, lowered his head, and covered his mouth with his hands.

His blond hair fell in a disheveled mess, covering his face.

He lowered his head and covered the lower half of his face. He couldn't see the expression on his face at all, only his thin shoulders shrugged violently, as if he was suppressing something with difficulty and pain.

The jet-black potion seeped out from between the fingers of Garlan's hands, and dripped onto the quilt in front of him, staining the snow-white quilt with black stains.

Heymos stretched out his hand almost subconsciously when Garlan lowered his head.

However, his hand stopped in the air a second before it touched the opponent.

His hands froze in front of Garlan, and his fingers seemed to be filled with weakness.

…………

The old doctor and the female officer stood in the courtyard outside the palace, his expression was extremely solemn, contrary to his calmness when he was in front of Garlan.

"I've been worrying about..."

he said heavily.

"Finally, this day has come, and it has reached the most serious time."

He shook his head, eyes full of powerlessness.

"Wang's body has been so weak that he can't even take the soup."

terminally ill.

Medicine stone is useless.

Tapti asked eagerly.

"Then what should I do? Is there any other way? How can His Majesty—"

The old doctor closed his eyes.

"Pray for...Solga's mercy."

[Pray for Solga's mercy. 】

Solga, the God of Wisdom and the Guardian of Physicians.

Physicians only say this when they are helpless.

Although he also believed in Solga, the old doctor never liked this sentence.

He is proud of his medical skills, and he doesn't like this kind of resignation to fate.

But now, he actually had to utter this sentence that he had never said before.

Taputi's body froze suddenly.

The night wind blew up, lifted her long hair scattered on her shoulders, and blew it messily into the air.

After being dazed for a while, she slowly clenched her hands and folded them in front of her chest,

She lowered her head, closed her eyes tightly, her eyelashes were trembling slightly, and her hands clasped tightly on her chest were trembling uncontrollably.

...prince...my prince...

Gods of Aaron Landis...

The two stood on the lawn, silent.

In the sky, the sun is setting and the sun is setting, the sun falls below the horizon, and the last ray of sunshine between the sky and the earth is annihilated at this moment.

"Heymos?"

In the bedroom, Garlan raised his head and called out softly.

He was held in one arm by Heymos, and Heymos was carefully feeding him water in his arms.

Although the decoction could not be swallowed, the water could still be drunk.

However, just after he took a few sips, Heymos stopped holding the water glass and didn't move for a while.As soon as he looked up, he saw Heymos turned his head, looking at the direction of the courtyard outside with a blank gaze, as if he was lost, and he didn't move for a long time, so he had to call him.

When Garlan shouted, Heymos came back to his senses, he lowered his head and met Garlan's eyes, and his eyes instantly softened.

"It's nothing, I stayed up for a few nights before, so I just dazed for a while."

Heymos said, calmly.

Garlan snorted.

"Then just wait..."

He thought for a while, and felt that Heymos would definitely not leave him, so he changed his sentence.

"How about you sleep with me for a while later?"

"it is good."

Heymos said, with a small smile on his lips.

He looked at the person in his arms.

The golden hair scattered softly on his arms, the shoulders and neck that have become increasingly slender in recent days, under the white almost transparent skin, traces of light blue blood vessels can be clearly seen.

His beloved was in his arms, held tightly in his hands.

But it's so unreal, like the moon marks in the water that will shatter when touched, like a little bit of sand leaking from the hand.

No matter how tightly you hold onto it, you will eventually lose it.

[Pray for Solga's mercy. 】

He heard the doctor's voice outside.

Solgar's Mercy...

He never worshiped the gods.

Never pray to the gods.

Only the weak will beg for mercy from others, but he will use his own strength to grab everything he wants.

He has always thought that he is powerful, and the power he possesses makes him stronger than anyone else.

He used to think that with power, he could have everything.

However, not long ago, when his hand stopped in front of the painful Garlan, he realized how powerless he was.

He watched helplessly as his world cracked and shattered little by little, but he couldn't do anything.

He has the most powerful power in the world, but he can't protect a single person.

"Heymos."

Garlan nestled in his arms, watching him.

"Are you going to sleep with me now?"

He stroked the hair of the man in his arms, and Heymos' eyes were soft.

"Wait a while before going to sleep."

He said with a smile.

can not sleep.

dare not sleep.

I'm afraid that when you open your eyes next time, you will be asleep again.

I'm afraid I can't see your eyes reflecting my shadow, I'm afraid I can't hear your voice calling my name.

I'm afraid...

Heymos lowered his head, buried in his soft blond hair, and rubbed against it attached.

At this moment, he is like a child greedy for warmth.

…………

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

Later, he tried to drink the decoction several times, and after Garlan vomited it all out, the old doctor sighed and told Garlan to stop taking the medicine.

Regarding this, Garlan didn't ask anything.

"Kayhors and the others haven't come back yet?"

Garlan sat on the bed, took a bite of the soft bread, and raised his head to ask.

The magistrate hummed.

A few days ago, when the doctors in the royal palace and the royal city were helpless, Kaihors, Tal, Novi and others all left the royal city and urgently searched for famous doctors everywhere, but they never came back. Famous doctors were sent to Wangcheng.

The bard Shuros, who has been traveling all the time, is also doing the same.

During the more than a month when Garlan fell ill, the government affairs were handled jointly by Xie Muer, Suo Jia, and the royal court's Zuo Sixiang.

Although King Garlan was seriously ill, thanks to his efforts in the past five years, the country had already stabilized, so there was no trouble. It was just that the people of Aaron Landis were very worried about the king's condition, and the entire Aaron The atmosphere in Landis was a bit depressed.

"Your Majesty, Princess Eilson has asked to see you more than a dozen times, but because of your health, I have not agreed."

Eilson's mission has been stranded in Wangcheng for nearly two months. It stands to reason that they should have set off to go back, but because the little princess refused, they are still staying in Wangcheng.

"Do you want to see her?" asked the Magistrate.

Swallowing the last mouthful of porridge, Garlan thought for a while and said, "Let her come over at night."

…………

After a lapse of a month, Emma finally saw the person she had been worrying about again.

It was still in that palace, on the open-air balcony suspended by the pool full of lavender lotus flowers, the person she was thinking of was still sitting on the stone railing bench just like the first time she entered this palace. .

Heymos, the man she didn't like, stood beside him as usual.

Garlan raised his head, talking to the standing Heymos.

He is laughing.

The black knight who was said to be as terrifying as a hell devil on the battlefield looked down at him, talking to him in a low voice, his eyes were indescribably gentle.

She was startled.

Because she had never seen such a gentle gaze that made people palpitate at a glance.

Sensing Emma's approach, Garlan stopped talking and turned to look at her.

Seeing Garlan at a glance, Emma's heart trembled suddenly.

Before Mingming came, she wanted to say something full of worry, but at this moment, she opened her mouth, but she couldn't say a word for some reason.

She saw Garlan sitting sideways on the stone bench, leaning against the white stone pillar, he smiled at her, the moonlight falling from the night sky fell on his whole body.

His complexion was originally fair, but at this moment in the dark night, it was almost transparently white.

At first glance, it looks like an unreal illusion.

It seems that if you reach out and touch it, you will be annihilated in the night.

Even just looking at it like this made her flustered uncontrollably.

"Emma, ​​you've been in Aaron Landis for too long. I heard that the queen has written several times calling you back. It's time for you to leave."

Calm down, the little princess replied in a deep voice.

"Tomorrow I will send the mission back to Eilson."

She speaks sternly.

"But I want to stay, I won't leave until I see you recover from illness with my own eyes!"

Looking at Emma's eyes for a while, looking at the stubborn eyes of the little princess, Garlan, who knew he couldn't convince her, shook his head.

He smiled and said: "Well, I can't beat you now, and I can't drive an Allson female warrior from my territory."

"Then maybe, we haven't fought yet, so we can't tell who is stronger and who is weaker. When you recover from your illness, we will find out in a match. You are the king, how can you say so easily that you can't beat me, the princess .”

Although it was a little awkward, it was Emma's hard work to come up with words of encouragement for Garlan.

If it was someone else, she would not be willing to say that she might not be able to beat the other party if she killed her.

Although the little princess' words were awkward, Garlan could hear the concern hidden in them.

He suddenly laughed, then stood up and walked towards Emma, ​​raised his hand and touched Emma's head.

"Emma, ​​didn't you ask me how to be a queen? I can answer you now. Although your own strength is very important, what is more important than this is the strength of your people."

"Although I can't beat you, my subordinates, Heymos, Kehos, and many other powerful knights, can defeat you."

He said gently,

"This is why Aaron Landis is so powerful, do you understand, Emma?"

The little princess frowned.

She didn't like Garlan's tone.

This feeling is like making a final confession, speaking to her in a tone of final words.

She shook her head, stared at Garlan stubbornly and said.

"Don't be perfunctory, what can I understand with just a few words? It's not so easy to be a good queen. I have to follow you, read slowly, and learn slowly."

"........."

This time, Garlan did not answer.

He just looked at her with a slight smile on his face.

He just smiled and said nothing.

She has always liked this man's smile, she has always liked to see this man smile at her.

But this time, for some reason, seeing this familiar smile, Emma felt very uncomfortable in her heart, as if she was being pressed against a big rock.

you are sick.

Are you not uncomfortable?

Why can you still laugh like this?

She couldn't help but want to ask this question, but the moment she spoke, her heart skipped a beat.

She saw Garlan, who was still smiling at her a second ago, suddenly closed his eyes, and his body suddenly fell backwards.

She reached out her hand subconsciously.

Subconsciously, her fingertips struggled to grab something.

But she didn't have time to grab anything, the brown arm stretched out from the side had already caught Garlan and held him tightly in her arms.

The little princess stood blankly, watching Heymos hugging Garlan.

Garlan leaned against Heymos' chest, closed his eyes, and his slender eyelashes cast deep shadows on his almost transparent white cheeks.

He seemed to be just sleeping peacefully.

She saw Heymos hold Garlan in his arms, and walked into the room.

When walking past her, she saw Heymos lowered his head, looking at Garlan who seemed to be sleeping in his arms.

She had never seen such a gentle gaze.

She had never seen a gaze that was so gentle, yet one glance could make one's chest so painful that it was hard to breathe.

[Do you have...the person you like, who also likes you? 】

She was suddenly sad.

She couldn't tell the reason, but suddenly, she just felt very sad.

Since she was a child, she has never been so uncomfortable.

she remembers.

She remembered that time, right here, also under the moonlight, the man smiled happily and said, yes.

【some. 】

…………

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

First there was a soundless darkness, in which he seemed to sink endlessly.

His body seemed to have lost all its strength, as if it no longer belonged to him.

Hear nothing, see nothing, feel nothing.

Also can't move an inch.

After an unknown amount of time, he seemed to have finally sunk to the bottom, and the surroundings lit up little by little.

The body finally regained consciousness and was regained control by him.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar gray and white earth.

That's the place to start.

A land of ruins.

If the ruins he saw for the first time were only a little incomplete, then the ruins he saw now had completely collapsed.

In front of him was an altar that was shattered all over the place.

The obelisks that were originally erected in all directions have all been cracked and turned into rubble all over the ground.

Garlan was looking blankly at this familiar place, when suddenly, a huge figure appeared in front of him.

It was a male lion with a strong physique, its body was so huge that it was as tall as a man.

It walked towards him slowly, with the majesty of the king of beasts.

His fiery coal-like eyes stared at Garlan intensely, and his thick golden mane undulated like waves as he walked.

"Naga?"

Garlan who called out shook his head himself.

No, it's not.

Although very similar, there are slight differences.

A figure suddenly flashed in his mind.

"... Shamir?"

he asks.

Shamil, Nega's father.

A war lion who accompanied King Kamos until his death.

The golden lion took a deep look at him, walked up to Garlan, lowered its huge head.

It crouched in front of Garlan, and that gesture was obviously saluting him.

"My king's prince..."

When the familiar voice sounded, Garlan froze for a moment.

This voice was the one that brought him here and was heard in this place when he was reborn many times!