A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

The city of Tozes is already in chaos at this moment, and the citizens in the city are uneasy and terrified.

The sky is still gloomy, and the rain is still pattering, making people feel more gloomy.

Countless pirate ships are blocked outside the city walls of Tozes, and maybe those terrible pirates will come in the next moment.

On the side of the inner city wall where the temple is located, the high platform that had attracted much attention in the morning is now empty, only the rubble of the collapsed stone statue is piled on it.

The temple, which was smashed by huge rocks with cracks and gaps, stood in the wind and rain. It was no longer as gorgeous as it was not long ago. It seemed to be abandoned, lonely and desolate.

The city was already in chaos, especially in the upper city. Although the rioting slaves had been suppressed, the big businessmen who rushed back like the wind had already started to pack up their belongings, prepare their carriages, and prepare to run away.

After all, although the coastline was blocked by pirates, the avenue leading to the land at the city wall on the upper city side was still open.

Now that the general situation is over, the fleet is defeated, and the pirates will enter the city in a short time.

Don't they run away quickly, are they still waiting for the pirates to come in?

…………

The drizzle was falling, and the sun was hidden behind thick black clouds.

In the room in the tower on the side of the Consulate, Garlan stood quietly.

The long golden hair has been dried and draped over the shoulders, but there is still a little dampness at the end of the hair.

The floor-to-ceiling windows were open, and the wind brought cold rainwater in, sporadically falling on the boy's side cheeks.

It is very high here, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows and looking down, you can see most of Tozes City.

"Your Highness, we must leave immediately!"

The guards sent by Keyhos to inquire about the news passed on the news one by one.

Tal stayed by Garlan's side, hearing the bad news one after another made him tremble with fear.

The Tozeth naval fleet is routed.

Immediately afterwards, Tozes Naval Port fell.

The pirate ships that settled the naval fleet began to move closer to the walls of Tozeth.

In the drizzle, the stones thrown from the pirate ship bombarded heavily on the walls of the outer city.

Numerous oil-stained rockets were fired from the ship, and thick smoke rose from the shoreline one after another.

Without the protection of the naval fleet, the defenses of the outer city walls of Tozeth were quickly defeated.

The pirates rushed ashore and started burning, killing and looting at the civilian ports in the outer city.

Many people who had no time to escape died tragically under the knives of the pirates.

The blood that flowed from their bodies, and the flames burning in the port, dyed the coastline of Tozeth a dazzling blood red.

So far, the outer city of Tozes has fallen.

Countless people fled into the inner city crying and shouting.

The several huge and heavy stone gates on the inner city wall have been tightly closed.

Outside, the pirates were approaching along the wide river in the outer city.

People in the city were panicked.

The panic that the pirates are about to come in spreads in everyone's hearts.

Tal has been trying his best to persuade Garlan to let him leave this dangerous city as soon as possible.

But Garlan has been silent all the time, even at this point, he just stands quietly in front of the open French window, looking down at something from this high tower.

At this moment, with the sound of hurried footsteps, the blond knight walked in quickly.

As soon as he came in, he started talking.

"Your Highness, the pirates are encircling the city along the river. I'm afraid the passage to the land will be blocked by them soon."

Tal was taken aback by Kayhos's words, and the expression on his face became more and more tense.

"Your Highness, it's still too late." He said eagerly to Garlan, "Before those pirates encircle, Lord Kehoes and the others can still protect us and break out—"

"He's right, Prince Garlan."

Disorderly footsteps sounded, and the consul who came here with two confidant guards spoke.

"Tozes can't hold it anymore, we don't care, but your safety is the top priority."

He said.

His face was tense, and the temple hair on his forehead was wet from rain or sweat.

Almost when the pirates broke through the outer city wall and approached the inner city, he wanted to escape through the city gate on the land side.

But no, he can still push it to Taka who doesn't know whether he is dead or alive after the city is broken, saying that he is not good in fighting, but if he escapes successfully and Prince Garlan dies here, he can imagine that he will definitely die No burial place.

Therefore, at such a critical juncture, he resisted his fear and came here in a hurry, wanting to escape with the prince.

"Prince, please follow me out of here immediately."

The young man who had been standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows quietly looking down at the panic-stricken city turned his head, and his eyes fell on the consul.

"Leave? Us?" Garlan asked, "Me and you?"

"Yes, prince, we must break through immediately, otherwise it will be too late."

Garlan looked up at him.

In the dark sky, his golden pupils were still brighter than anything else.

"Tozes Consul, there are 10,000+ people of Aaron Landis in this city."

"Yes, Prince, I know."

The consul looked sad.

"But Prince, your safety is more important than the entire city of Tozes and all the people in this city combined."

"You are the future of the entire Aaron Landis, how can a mere city compare to your safety?"

"Although I am the consul of Tozes, protecting you is the most important thing for me now."

He said, with a dignified look on his face.

"In order to protect you, no matter how many crimes I bear, I am willing!"

The consul's look of going all out for the prince's reputation even made Tal who was next to him laugh.

How could there be someone more shameless than himself in this world?

Tal couldn't help thinking about it.

Garlan didn't answer, he just looked at the consul, fixedly, with bright golden eyes.

His eyes are very bright, in the gloomy sky, like a sharp blade of light, piercing through the darkness in front of him.

The consul, who had already trained his face to be invulnerable to swords and guns in his dealings with the group of businessmen, felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by these golden eyes.

However, the fear of death still prevailed.

He thought, the prince is just putting on a show, everyone is afraid of death, the prince is no exception, if he persuades a few more words, the prince will probably come down the steps and escape with him.

"Prince Garlan, I am loyal."

"The city of Tozes can no longer be defended. There is no hope. If we stay here, we will die in vain."

The consul looked at Garlan with extremely sincere eyes.

"It's fine if I die." He said, "This country can't lose you. For Aaron Landis, even if I am reprimanded by you, no, even if you order to behead my head and execute me, I will absolutely To-slightly!"

Like a duck whose throat was suddenly choked, the remaining half of the sentence got stuck in his throat.

He opened his mouth, and the sincere expression on his face instantly shattered, revealing a look of real fear.

Fear made the Archon gurgle from his throat.

A sharp dagger rested on his squirming Adam's apple.

The young prince who put the dagger on his neck with his backhand looked sideways at him.

"Even if I cut off your head...huh?"

The last word, the pitch rose slightly.

There was a cold light in the golden eyes, which was inexplicably frightening.

That glance made the Consul's chest tremble.

"King, prince... I, I really do it for you..."

He trembled and stammered, trying to explain something.

However, Garlan's eyes had already moved away from him, and fell on Kaihus beside him.

"Kayhors."

Still maintaining the posture of holding the blade to the opponent's throat with one hand, he glanced at Kyhoes.

Knowing what the prince meant at a glance, Kyhors nodded.

As soon as he beckoned, two personal guards came in immediately, tied up the consul, and dragged them out together with the two guards who were knocked unconscious by them.

When he was dragged away, the voice of the consul calling the prince unwillingly still echoed in the corridor for a long, long time.

"Prince, although that man is very shameless, he is right about one thing."

Tal gritted his teeth and continued to persuade.

"The city of Tozes can no longer be defended. Even if we stay here, we will die in vain."

He said, turning his head to look at the blond knight.

"Your Excellency Kehoes, please persuade Your Highness! You often go to the battlefield, and you should be able to see the result of this battle—"

The knight of the scorching sun was silent for a while.

Then, he stepped forward and opened his mouth.

"The battle situation is irreversible, and the fall of Tozes City is only a matter of time."

He says,

"Nearby cities do not have the strength to fight against these pirates. Even if we urgently ask for help from Wangcheng now, it will take at least seven days for the reinforcements to arrive."

"The naval fleet has been almost completely destroyed, and all the military supplies are in the military port, occupied by pirates."

"The only combat force in the city is the city guard, but the city guard alone cannot resist pirates."

"... Can't resist?"

Garlan suddenly repeated Kyhors' last words in a low voice.

He took a step forward, to the open French window.

He reached out and leaned on the edge on one side.

The moist wind mixed with the cold rain blew in, messing up the boy's golden forehead hair.

Garlan stood there, on a high tower, overlooking the city that was about to be destroyed.

He stared at the high city wall, at the soldiers standing in the rain fighting bravely with the pirates who climbed up, and at the blood splashed by those soldiers in the rain on the city wall.

No one flinched, no one was afraid.

When one person falls, more people rush up.

Again and again, they forcefully drove the climbing pirates off the wall.

"But they're still holding on, they're still resisting," he said.

The boy looked down at the fighters who were fighting hard against the pirates.

His blond hair, disheveled by the wind, fell on his fair cheeks.

His pupils reflected the figures of those fighters who were still fighting desperately.

The consuls of Tozeth have given up, the rich merchants of Tozeth have given up, the city's right-holders have given up.

However, some people did not give up.

The soldiers are still gritting their teeth and desperately resisting the invaders, and they are still betting their lives to protect the city.

If you let them know that they have been abandoned...

Garlan suddenly raised his head and let out a loud cry.

"Anu!"

There was a long cry in the air, and a pitch-black figure soared in the sky against the drizzle, and landed on Garlan's outstretched arm.

Garlan tied a brass pipe to the black eagle's leg.

He raised his hand and touched Anu's wet feathers.

"Sorry, Anu, I know it's dangerous to let you fly in the rain, but now I can only ask you."

He says,

"Please, send this to Heymos as soon as possible."

Anun's dark eyes stared at Garlan motionlessly, and let out a short cry, as if answering Garlan's words.

Garlan raised his hand and sent it upwards. The black eagle spread its wings and flew towards the dark sky.

Its figure quickly disappeared into the rain, leaving only a long cry echoing in the sky.

Staring at the direction where Anu disappeared, Garlan asked.

"Kaihos, judging from your experience, under the current situation, sticking to Tozes for seven days... No, what is the possibility of five days?"

The blond knight was silent for a while, and then he gave his answer.

"Almost impossible."

He can do it by taking the prince to forcibly break through and rush out of the city.

However, it is almost impossible to hold on to the city for five days with the existing poor strength.

No matter how powerful he was, it was impossible for him to resist all the pirates by himself under such circumstances.

What's more, he himself is not good at naval warfare.

"impossible……"

The boy muttered to himself, he closed his eyes, and the fine golden hair scattered around the corners of his eyes.

His lips moved slightly.

He asked, "Tal, Kyhoes, are you afraid of death?"

Tal murmured to His Highness, not knowing how to answer.

And Kehos looked at his prince quietly without answering.

Garlan smiled lowly.

"I'm afraid."

He is afraid of death.

The experience of those few deaths made him more afraid of death than anyone else.

He has been trying his best to leave the throne and the palace, all in order to allow himself to live well this time.

…………

There was a bloody smell in the wind. With his eyes closed, he seemed to be able to see the city that was burned by the flames and stained red with blood, as well as the piles of corpses.

Wails are everywhere, and countless people will die under the pirate's butcher's knife.

The wind suddenly picked up and roared.

Garlan opened his eyes, he stretched out his hand, and grabbed the thick cloak that was thrown on the table.

He turned around.

The howling wind lifted his long golden hair.

As he walked, he raised his hand, unfurled the light-colored cloak in the air with a splash, and tied it around his shoulders.

"I want to keep Tozes."

Garlan said, stepping forward.

Step by step, steadily, calmly.

Light-colored boots stomped loudly on the ground.

Cayhos, who had fallen behind, looked up.

He saw the long golden hair that was illuminated by the light and flew up in the darkness like a beam of light.

He saw the long cloak fluttering behind the young man walking straight forward.

[It is almost impossible to stick to it for five days. 】

impossible.

…………

If you can't do it, you shouldn't do it.

Rightfully so.

Under the gloomy sky, only the golden eyes of Aaron Landis's prince, which were clearly in the darkness, were brighter than anything else.

However, sometimes

In this world, there are things that we know are impossible but must be done.

He wants to keep Tozes.