The meeting hall finally ushered in a real uproar!
Even Russell frowned!
This time, all the nobles in the hall, except Duke Cullen and Gilbert, looked at the silent Duke of the North with astonishment.
what happened?
"Your Majesty? Lord Arend?" Earl Zemuto, who is also one of the lords of the Northern Territory, looked back and forth between the Duke of the Northern Territory and the king with uncertain eyes.
Earl Forex beside him looked at Val in disbelief and remained motionless.
The commotion and uproar lasted for tens of seconds.
Until the resolute Lord of Coldcastle, the Guardian Duke of the North, Val Arend, raised his head and looked back at the king.
He was no longer silent, but let out a long breath.
Under the astonished eyes of everyone, including Baron Russell, the resolute warrior-like Patriarch White Eagle raised his head and smiled:
"You are still as sharp, Kai."
The Duke of the North then lowered his head and sighed:
"Just like your damn elder brother."
Thales' eyes widened!
What?
Now, everyone came to their senses.
Judging from the reaction of the Duke of the North...
God.
Just, how is it possible?
Kessel lowered his head and let out a genuine sigh.
"Won't you explain it, Wa." The king said lightly.
"There's nothing to explain, it's already failed, isn't it?" Val showed a calm expression, not caring about the gazes of other lords: "It's you, when did you see it?"
"The ones who intercepted the mission were clearly the other lords, weren't they? I am obviously so innocent. The northern border and the royal family are obviously the targets of calculations."
Jen looked at Val in disbelief.
Yes, it's impossible. The interception and killing of the mission was clearly done by the nobles in our "New Star"!
And the Duke of the North is not in our group at all!
Kessel lowered his eyebrows and said in a low voice:
"Yesterday, at the state meeting, when the High Council voted, your negative vote was too hasty."
The king's voice was full of complex emotions: "I had doubts at that time. You know, compared to the bargaining chip of Gusd to send troops to help, I will not sit idly by the northern border! You have no reason to object to the promise of Cyclops My son is the heir."
Duke One-Eyed, Gustave looked at the Duke of the North in amazement, remembering the scene of the vote yesterday afternoon.
"Really," Val smiled miserably, "How do you know that I have no reason? You know, I hate you, don't you?"
"Because Li Xiya, I am the one you hate." King Kessel's face was expressionless, but the fists under his sleeves that no one could see were trembling slightly: "But you are a noble person, you will not anger me son."
Many people immediately looked at Thales, especially Baron Russell, who had an ugly face.
"Unless you have special reasons, you must prevent my son from becoming the heir." The king said in a low voice.
"But it's just a suspicion," Val sighed under the complicated eyes of everyone in the hall, "Maybe it's just a coincidence?"
"That's why I tested Exeter's envoy today." The king raised his head, his voice indifferent.
"Hmph," Val sneered, "Sure enough, after the Bloody Year, you've become more suspicious."
The king ignored him, and just said to himself:
"After a few words from Lyanna, I found out that he is a member of the Grand Duke Lumbard of the Black Sand Territory—only a Lumbardian would change the subject in such a hurry, so as not to expose the ambition of the Grand Duke Lumbard of the Black Sand Territory."
The Duchess of Blades looked coldly at the Duke of the North without saying a word.
"When he arrived, he played a scene with you: it seemed that he was an envoy who didn't know the depth of the northern border, and he was testing the defensive ability of the northern border of the stars.
And you fought back without showing any sign of weakness - now it seems that he is following the plan to stir up a tense atmosphere. "Kessel V solemnly said:
"However, when I deliberately refused to choose between war and compromise, he threatened me very clearly: the northern border does not even have the troops to defend Broken Dragon Fortress."
"Don't you think it's inconsistent?"
"The suspicion started to deepen at that time."
Russell's face immediately turned pale.
The king bowed his head and said: "Besides, he is more interested in beating me, provoking me, or even changing to another Star King than negotiating well and fighting for Exeter's interests for King Nun."
"Isn't it enough for Rumba to acquire the land in the north? Why is he so interested in me and in replacing the Canxing royal family? Obviously, he is cooperating with someone inside the star, and my crown is the will of the collaborator. "
"The question is, who is qualified to cooperate with the powerful prince of the Kingdom of Exeter, the Grand Duke of Lombard of the Heisha Territory? Who can benefit from him and achieve a win-win situation?"
"I've thought about it for a long time, and I've considered Nantryster, Kevin Dill, Cullen, and even Falkenhauser—the most unlikely person is you, Val. Because when the war broke out, the northern border was the first to bear the brunt, and you Like me, the poor man who was counted among them is a victim."
"Hey," Falkenhauser's voice sounded sharply, "Unless, this is his voluntary sacrifice."
King Kessel V's gaze was as sharp as a blade, and he stabbed at Val Arend:
"But when I think about it in reverse—what can the Grand Duke of Lombard gain? King Nun's only son died in the northern border, and the Walton family is destined to withdraw from the next king election meeting."
"So, what Lombard can get is the territory in the northern border, and the death of his competitors in the northern border."
"Among the stars, who can maximize the simultaneous occurrence of the two?"
Kessel raised his gaze silently, with a sad expression on his face:
"It's you, Val Allende, who controls the northern border—the Guardian Duke of the Northern Territory."
"But I still don't believe it. I'd rather believe it was just a coincidence."
"No," the Duke of the North said coldly, "Actually, you believed it a long time ago—you just need to do everything to prove your suspicions, don't you?"
The king snorted lightly, and glanced at Exeter's emergency envoy with profound eyes.
"I sent someone early to intercept Baron Russell. In the eyes of all the lords, with great fanfare, I sent them directly into the Dongcheng District. But until this morning, the secret sentry of the secret department ensured that they would not talk to any stars. They don't know about the state affairs meeting yesterday, and they don't know about the change of the heir—and they don't even know that their collaborators in Xingchen are already in a state of desperation."
"Guess, under such circumstances, how many people did the secret sentry of the Kingdom's Secret Division intercept yesterday, wanting to contact Baron Russell?"
Morat's hoarse and ugly voice sounded at the right time:
"Three dials, Your Majesty—the scouts of the army are very stubborn and refuse to reveal the identity of the master." He chuckled and said, "But what's the use? There are only a few soldiers who are so tough in the whole kingdom." Somewhere there will be—it's easy to track down who's behind it."
Val lowered his head and sighed: "They are my most elite scouts."
The Supreme King said coldly:
"But I haven't figured it out yet. What exactly is the agreement between you and Lunba, and how will it be realized?"
"Until this Exeter said that the Exeter is more interested in the hero on the battlefield - yes, once the war comes, the hero will be the one who shines the most, isn't Exeter itself established like this ."
"And in this possible war, who would have more reason to fight than the Duke of the North to protect his hometown? If the enemy is simply your collaborator, then you must gain prestige and reputation on the battlefield, It's easier."
"The war broke out—you vowed to defend the northern border to the death, became the hero against Exeter, and the only person who could deal with them. In the case of the royal family dying out, isn't it the most suitable next king?"
Val sneered.
King Kessel looked at Val sadly: "Is there something I said wrong, the one who betrayed the northern border, the guardian duke of the northern border?"
"Being a king—is that important to you? It's so important that you, who were originally noble and pure, will betray your territory, your people, and your country."
The hall suddenly fell silent.
Even Russell looked embarrassed and said nothing.
Val Arend stared blankly at the floor for a long time.
Until he tightly closed his eyes.
"Ha ha."
Amid the desolate laughter, he finally opened his eyes, and said sadly:
"This shouldn't be the case."
Val, with a complex expression, said slowly:
"All of this should have been done according to my script."
The king narrowed his eyes.
"'Nova', this group of star lords, was originally formed after the desert war five years ago to fight against your increasingly assertive kingship."
"They, whether it's Cullen or Nantriest, have all come to me, but I rejected them."
"But I realized that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In their struggle with you, I can achieve my goal."
"That goal is so far away that I don't even believe it myself."
Val walked forward to the center of the hall, looked at a distance that didn't exist, and sighed.
"I ventured to Exeter and found Rumba—you should have seen the look on his face when I lowered my hood in front of him—that night, we made an alliance."
"I was responsible for instigating Zemuto and Forrest, instigating them to clash with Exeter on the border from time to time—for this reason, I did not hesitate to seal Pine Cone County to Zemuto."
The two earls of the thirteen noble families in the northern region looked pale and ashen, looking at the duke who had fought side by side with them for many years.
"Rumba went to Exeter to operate. Through these conflicts, he made the envoy to the stars and rebuilding the borders of the "Peace Treaty" a great mission, so that King Nun decided to secretly send his only son to choose for him in the future. Wang accumulates seniority—he is old, and the old man always wants to arrange everything behind him."
"I revealed this news to the 'New Star' - there are many ambitious people like Nantrest and Kevin Dill, and they quickly realized that this would be a good opportunity to weaken the royal power - only One thing, I didn't tell them, that is, there was the only son secretly sent by King Nuen in the mission. Now that I think about it, when they knew this, they probably were quite frightened. Unfortunately, as the Far East proverb says: "When you ride Tiger's neck, you can't get down.'"
Duke Cullen shook his head, while Jann snorted coldly. Only Quest stared at Val with gritted teeth.
"The lords thought they were taking advantage of Exeter's accusation and anger to weaken the king's prestige and royal power—only Rumba and I knew that they were instigating a war between the two countries."
"Rumba is the source of information for the Extremist side, providing the mission's itinerary and staffing, while I have the advantage of the northern border, bribe the hosts, monitor and guide them to the best assassination location, and the 'New Star' those Those who don't know will complete the final blow—with the cooperation of the three parties who don't know each other, even the extreme master beside the prince will not be spared."
"Rumba spread the news to the 'dark room' as quickly as possible, to Dragon Clouds City, and at the same time recommended Russell Vader to the desperate King Nunn, and I kept bringing this news to Yongxing, Use war mobilization to exaggerate the seriousness of the matter, let Kessel call the nobles of the stars to discuss this matter, and get support—the more the better."
Russell looked palely at Val, then at Kessel.
But no one paid any attention to him.
Val raised his head and looked at the young Duke Iris.
"Jane Cavendir, boy, you should have died in the assassination the day before yesterday—not only the nobles of Nova who knew your whereabouts, but also me who had planned it long ago."
Zhan En's expression changed!
"That's right," Duke Val Allende nodded feebly. "The one who assassinated you was not someone from your 'New Star'—it was me."
"But look at your collaborators. They started to suspect each other just after learning about your assassination yesterday. This shows how fragile your alliance is."
Several dukes and earls narrowed their eyes slightly.
Zhan En slapped hard on the armrest.
The young Duke Kevin Dill said bitterly: "That's why yesterday, when that kid was..., you spoke out to support him and provoke the relationship between the lords! Because this was your plan!"
Val smiled miserably, and continued under Jann's ashen face:
"In this way, the 'new star' who is already unstable internally will become a mess amidst doubts, the pressure on the royal family will also increase sharply, and I will lose a powerful competitor in the future."
"The plan of 'Nova' is to force the establishment of his own heir when the king needs their war support the most. But in the chaotic and mutual suspicion of the High Council, this is doomed to end without a problem. At the same time, Kessel and I are fighting against Aix The proposal of a special invasion will lose the support of almost all other lords - it will look as if we are all counted."
"And a few hours later, Russell Vader will come to Eternal Star City with Exeter's anger - he is destined to provoke crazily and propose conditions that Xingchen cannot accept, with only one purpose: war."
Thales looked at Val in disbelief.
"If Kessel chooses war, my previous plan has ensured that he will not have enough troops, and Lumbard's rapid invasion in the northern border will be overwhelming. The tacit understanding between Lumbard and I on the battlefield is enough to make Kessel honorable and dignified To die in battle—just like the former Prince Horace. At least it will make him suffer a few defeats, disgraced and ruined his reputation."
"If Kessel chooses to compromise and cede the territory of the northern border, he himself will become a sinner of the kingdom. I will mobilize the voices of the lord and the people to force him to abdicate, but I will still join the war in the northern border——in Egypt When Kester, especially Lumbard's army came to take over the territory, the royal family and lords could not hold back their heads, but I gathered my troops and resisted to the death, which was more noble, like the only ray of light in the darkness."
"Hey! Someone still says I'm a hypocrite!" Hearing this, Cyclops gave Thales a hard look.
Duke Aaron folded his arms, showing a bitter smile:
"Yes, either way, we will suffer a catastrophic defeat in the North - but I will reverse 'beat back' Rumba in the darkest hour, on several key battlefields. My sympathy, after the mutual alliance, I took the occupied territory and retreated with satisfaction. I became a well-deserved hero of the kingdom. Compared with Kessel, who suffered great censure and had no support from the lord, I will become the next king. candidates."
"Val Arend!" Earl Zemuto was furious: "That is our northern border! The place where your ancestors ruled and protected for generations!"
"Stop talking nonsense," Earl Forex looked at Val gloomily, "Can't you see—he's no longer the 'Iron Eagle' Duke we knew."
Val looked desolate and ignored the two Northern Earls behind him at all. He continued in a trance:
"The lords are suspicious of each other. Only I, who is neutral, is the least suspicious, and I am also the close friend of the king—if he is still alive at that time, the brother of the high priest of the Sunset Temple, and the hero of the Star Kingdom against the invasion. I Destined to be High King of the Stars."
"As for Exeter, the Walton family has lost its last heir, and is destined to withdraw from the next king selection. At the same time, Lombard will gain a large piece of territory in the northern border, as well as the brilliant record of conquering the northern border of the stars - the strength is dramatic. Inflated, and with the support of me and the entire stars, he is destined to become the next King of Gongju."
"Everything went well at first." Val Arend looked at Thales with a different expression, with regret in his eyes: "Until the sudden appearance of this boy disrupted all plans."
"Zhann didn't die, but stood by your side; the effect of forcing an heir was not very good, the lords of 'New Star' didn't fight to the death for the throne, but confronted the royal family on the new prince's canon - Eck The envoy of Sturt was locked in the trap by you even without knowing the state meeting and the new prince."
"But I can only keep going until..."
Val sighed, smiled mockingly, and shook his head indifferently:
"That's it, I failed."
At this moment, the hall was so quiet that a needle could be heard.