Chapter 1 Winter Solstice

[Jedi, my dear friend and teacher:

It has been half a year since the last communication, and I can't wait to share with you what I have seen and heard in Eternal Star City in the past three months.

According to your suggestions and methods, I have passed what you called "battlefield withdrawal". I can sleep on the bed now, and I no longer draw my sword subconsciously when I hear footsteps behind me, and the sound of blacksmiths striking iron Won't put me in a tense situation again.

My father arranged for me to enter the security hall and work under his old classmate from the military academy—have you ever heard of the name "Horse Chopper" Lord Robik Dilla?

With the superb sword skills you pointed out (don't get me wrong, I'm praising you, not boasting), and the rare finishing power (this sentence is boasting), I became a second-level police officer and city defense officer at the beginning of my employment. Captain of the Patrol—although I know in my heart that I can get this position more because of the surname Karabyan.

You won't believe what I have experienced in just three months. There are too many accidents, and I have to straighten out everything.

As I mentioned before, Xingchen is an old and decaying country, and the past as the legacy of the empire is no longer an honor, but more like a burden.

It is hard for you to imagine that in a place like the capital, there are so many entanglements and shady scenes of administrative power in the security hall alone. Street order and life functions are actually maintained by gangsters, because for them, gangster channels are faster, better, more reliable and convenient than official channels.

By chance, I obtained an eyeliner inside the Black Street Brotherhood. It was under such circumstances that I participated in the desperate struggle between the two major gangs of the stars in the capital—and once again refreshed my understanding of gangs—these unofficial figures.

Regardless of the countless mortal and super-level masters (several supernatural warriors have also emerged, each of which is eligible to occupy a place in the Stardust Army of the Legendary Wing), there is only one thing that I am very concerned about ——Do you still remember what you told me about those swordsmen who abandoned their original heart of the sword and the mission of the Tower of End?

You mentioned that their swords have turned into pure killing weapons, and their finishing power has also been transformed into the purest power of death, which is no different from the disaster that their ancestors swore to deal with.

Although nearly a hundred years have passed, I am sure that I met a swordsman of the end outside the tower, which is what you call the "sword of disaster".

In the face of that kind of violent and killing power, even the endless "Glory of the Stars" that I am proud of is no match at all. When that power invaded my body, it was... I couldn't help but think: what kind of lunatic is able to endure such a force of end flowing through my body?

If it wasn't for the unexpected help, what you received now might be my funeral obituary.

In short, I have already seen that kind of killing intent and violent ending power.

That swordsman is from the Blood Bottle Gang, that's right, it's the gang founded by those two calamities at the end of Mindis III's reign a hundred years ago—it's said that one of them has disappeared in the capital, and I suspect it's one of the gangsters of the kingdom. Nu personally made a move, besides him and the bow, who else in the capital can get close to those disasters?

Curiosity made me look through a lot of classics during my recovery period, and I also used my father's face to read a lot of police and police records. The swordsmen have appeared in it seventeen times, and their lethality and destructive power are by no means comparable to those of ordinary super-end swordsmen, but are similar to the swordsman I met—see The disaster swordsman I have encountered is not an isolated case of sudden appearance.

Another reasoning is: Those two disasters secretly founded the Star Blood Bottle Gang a hundred years ago, and the "Sword of Disaster" branch also defected from the Tower of End a hundred years ago.

Established the inheritance of the sword of the end outside the tower - are the two really unrelated?

What worries me even more is, has the Tower of the End really not known about the relationship between the inheritance outside the tower and the Star Blood Bottle Gang for a hundred years? Why do we never hear or ask?

In any case, Jedi, dear teacher, I feel that the answer lies in the truth that Crassus and his followers betrayed the Tower of the End. I need to go back to the Tower of the End as soon as possible, and at the same time, I ask you to open the access to the classics of the inheritors for me.

The Blood Bottle gang ends here, but another gang is not inferior to it: My eyeliner tells me that the rise of the Black Street Brotherhood is very strange. The bloody year is their beginning. At that time, they were just a group of mercenaries trying to survive And adventurers (though they are very powerful), and in just a decade, they have eroded half of the stars of the underground world, and are reaching out to the alliance of Exeter and Commus.

The Blood Bottle Gang has the prestige of magicians, and it is also the product of collaborating with the nobles and bureaucrats. And what did the Black Street Brotherhood rely on to rise? The news from the eyeliner is: they have a very hidden, but incomparably abundant financial and personal support.

Speaking of which, I would like to ask: Have you ever heard of the name "Black Sword"?

It is rumored that he is the leader of the Black Street Brotherhood, with advanced swordsmanship and realm, and some people say that he is the most dangerous killer king who is good at hiding. There are even reports from the police department that his sword is some kind of cursed sword. He is an ancient relic with unpredictable power, but there is only one thing that is true: he is a master of the extreme realm. In the past ten years, an extreme end knight and an extreme supernatural warrior were both suspected of being killed by him-they were present at the same time when the incident happened.

Although the gap between extreme masters is huge and the outcome is unpredictable, I still can't help but wonder: kill two extreme masters at the same time——outside the sight of the Tower of End, there really will be such a powerful swordsman ? I also suspected that he was the descendant of the "Sword of Disaster", but he was also hostile to the Blood Bottle Gang, a member of the Brotherhood of the Black Street - this baffled me.

The bigger thing happened at the meeting of the Star Kingdom yesterday—teacher, you may have received the message from the crow—the Star Kingdom has an orthodox heir, not a wealthy nobleman, not an offshoot of the royal family, but a living , the prince named Thales Canxing. I know that you were classmates with Prince Horace, the "Sword of Tracing Light", how would you comment on Can Xing? And I witnessed the demeanor of the new second prince behind my father. Although I am only seven years old, I can only say that Canxing is worthy of the royal family.

But he did not appear at a good time. The Canxing royal family was facing rare pressure—the Exeter mission was assassinated in Xingchen.

Yes, Jedi, my dear friend and teacher, I smell the smell of war again. In my father's view, no matter how he mediates, the conflict between the dragon and the stars is inevitable.

sorry. teacher.

The Tower of Ending has worked hard to preserve the light of swordsmen and knights for mankind. These warriors who once opened up the future of mankind with extraordinary power and fought against disasters with the power of ending will rise again with their swords and fight for their respective countries. , Fight face to face on the battlefield to the death.

If the war breaks out, I can only pray to the Goddess of the Sunset that I will not meet Croeth and Misadon. When I think of the days in the Tower of the End and the thought of stabbing swords into each other's hearts, I can't bear it I was trembling all over.

Also, Miranda has already arrived at Broken Dragon Fortress and is honorably serving under the Fortress Flower, but this also means that if war breaks out, she will be the first to face the blood.

In addition, I also met Rafael at the state conference. He is working in the kingdom's secret department and is also dedicating his strength to this country.

But please believe me, teacher, your worries will not come true. I have seen a lot from military service to duty, but the reality will not change me, and the ideals of me and the other two will never change—especially me, Only after experiencing the cruelest battlefields can we deeply appreciate the value of life, and only after seeing the ugliness of the kingdom can we yearn for the arrival of change—one day, we will use our own strength to rebuild this aging country.

I wish you all the best, and pursue Teacher Chatier as soon as possible!

Also: The stars have already entered winter, and it will snow soon in Eternal Star City. I wonder what the weather is like over there?

Your faithful friend and student, Cohen Karabyan

On the morning of December 18, 672, the end calendar, at home]

Before the lights were turned off, Cohen stopped writing, looked at it for a long time, and sighed.

The blond police officer hesitated again and again, but still erased the sentence "he is working in the secret department of the kingdom, and is also dedicating his strength to this country", and re-wrote "I will check his current situation after further confirmation." Write to you".

He stood up from the desk, forgetting to glance out the window of his manor.

It's six o'clock in the Dongcheng District. It's early in the morning, and the visibility on the street is quite high. Even so early, there are still many noble servants running back and forth—especially now that major events at home and abroad are happening frequently recently.

Thinking of this, Cohen shook his head: The kingdom has an heir, but it also caused the confrontation between the royal family and the noble lords at the state council yesterday—how to resolve the conflict with Exeter?

He didn't think that the Duke of Nancrest, who had experienced such humiliation, would be obliged to respond to the king's call. The stingy lords of the Western Wilderness didn't look like noble gentlemen who went to the country together, and the fat Duke of the East China Sea was even more Famous for being stingy, only the unexpected Duke of the Blade Girl, and Nan Anling Iris, who rebelled against the battle, are left, but they can't quench their thirst.

At least, will the first battle be carried out by the northern border itself and the royal family?

The stars are really a country like a hydra - Cohen thinks so.

But then he thought that the hydra Kirika was beheaded by the human hero, Exeter's founding monarch, Nakaru Ax, and his heart became even more gloomy.

The sound of horseshoes sounded from the avenue outside the window.

A group of knights rode out from the hotel that specially entertained foreign nobles.

But the rhythm with which they steered the horses and the strength with which they lashed the horses were different from the usual knights of the stars.

Xingchen's cavalry riding emphasizes the harmony of the riding rhythm, the rhythm is stable, and the whipping is just right.

But this team of knights has a fierce rhythm and heavy whips, yet they have a unified pace and awe-inspiring discipline.

It's a bit like the knights in the north.

etc.

Cohen's pupils suddenly shrank!

He saw the flag held by that team of knights.

"bump!"

Cohen slammed the window open!

He poked his head out, trying to see the flag clearly.

That... the flag whose hue is incompatible with the Kingdom of Stars.

It has a red border and a black background, and on the flag is a roaring red dragon.

The dragon's claws are ferocious, the dragon's wings are wide open, the dragon's eyes are pure black, and the dragon's flames are fiery red.

Really rough and brutal style.

The blond security officer was slightly stunned.

They - did they arrive in the early morning of last night?

The city gate didn't stop them and let them rest in the post outside the city, but let them in?

What does His Majesty mean?

Suddenly, the chill on his face made Cohen shiver!

Cohen stretched out his hand to touch it, and found a crystal on his face.

The security officer was stunned.

He stretched out his hand and received the second and third crystals outside the window.

White stars fell all over the sky.

Snowing.

Cohen took a deep breath and looked towards the sky.

Winter is here.

——————————

early morning.

He woke up from the unique, hard stone bed of the Fuxing Palace.

He slid off the bed board and stepped onto the same cold stone ground without accident.

It seems to be colder than yesterday.

Thales felt that yesterday's self seemed to be living in a dream.

He stepped onto the star-blue carpet with Gilbert step by step from the Hall of Stars yesterday afternoon, not caring about the continued quarrel between the king and the lord behind him.

The nobles, bureaucrats and people on both sides saluted him one after another.

Called "His Royal Highness".

His Highness Thales.

"Are you hallucinating with excitement?"

Thales woke up suddenly, looked up and saw Jini.

The mature and charming court lady was leaning against the stone gate with her arms crossed, watching him quietly,

"No, no."

The traverser replied lightly.

"I just think it's a little unreal."

"Also at a loss."

Ji Ni looked at him and snorted softly: "Of course, you used to be just a small person, but now you are a prince, Prince Thales, the second prince of the stars."

"No, it's not that simple." Thales sighed, showing a wry smile, buttoned his shirt, and grabbed his coat.

"In the past, I only had to think about how to survive."

"starting today."

"What I have to consider is how to live."

Thales answered silently, and fastened the last button of the belt.

Jinny frowned, then raised her eyebrows again.

Another bright star——she secretly said.

Sad star.

Thales fastened his leather boots, but those words reappeared in his mind:

[Fight for the stars, die for the stars, and... live for the stars. ]

Am I really ready?

He paused for a moment, then buckled the JC dagger with its sheath to the belt on his back waist.

"Are you ready, Your Highness?" A familiar voice came from outside the door.

Gilbert's figure appeared at the door, his face was unusually dignified.

Ginny sighed, and gave way to the former foreign minister.

While taking off his hat and saluting to Jenny, Gilbert said to Thales: "Forgive me for coming to disturb your sleep the next day, Your Highness, but... please speed up your grooming."

Thales showed puzzled eyes.

Gilbert took a deep breath: "They are here, Your Highness."

"Your Majesty hopes that you will stand by his side and meet those people with him."

"Those people?" Thales asked in confusion.

But he immediately reacted.

The traverser also looked back at Gilbert solemnly.

"Yes, those people."

Gilbert nodded, pursed his lips, hesitantly but finally firmly said a word:

"The Exeter."