This stone chamber is so large that it seems spacious even though it is filled with more than twenty huge stone pillars.
But there are no windows, only a few large black holes in the ceiling that serve as ventilation vents.
It was terrifyingly cold.
Tales stared blankly in front of him.
A sturdy figure, wearing Star-blue cloak, stood in front of a stone pillar with his back to him.
On the side of the stone pillar facing the strong figure, a grotto was dug.
There are two large stone jars side by side and six small stone urns inside.
"Your grandfather is buried here, Eddie·Brilliant Star." A heavy and majestic voice came from that figure.
"To be honest, I don't like being in the same room with him. The way he looks at me is always full of disappointment and accusation. After my mother passed away, I avoided him even more."
Tales is neither too unfamiliar nor familiar with this sound.
"Come here."
Tales took a deep breath and adjusted his mood.
He walked towards his nominal father, Supreme King of the Starry Sky, Kessel·Brilliant Star His Majesty.
Iron Fist King, Kessel the Fifth are wearing Nine-Star Crown, holding a Eternal Lamp in their right hand, and holding a Crystal-inlaid Scepter with a shiny stick tip in their left hand.
He turned his head and glanced at Tales.
This sharp look actually made Tales a little breathless.
"Since the second king, John the First, every Supreme King of Starfall and queen will be buried in this stone chamber after their death and cremation." Kessel's voice sounded extremely low.
As if he was afraid of waking something up.
Kessel stretched out his hand and put it on the large stone jar on the left, with a name engraved on it:
[The Steadfast King, King, Eddie·L·K·Brilliant Star,595-660]
Kessel looked at the second large stone jar on the right, with another name on it.
"This is my mother - she died when I was fifteen."
[Queen, Natalie J·F·Brilliant Star,604-642]
He, Supreme King His Majesty touched those small stone urns again, his expression was complicated and difficult to understand.
"And the children of the kings who have not succeeded to the throne, and have not been enfeoffed or changed their surnames, are in these small stone urns."
Tales was startled. He turned his head slightly and saw, as expected, that there was a grotto on the four sides of each stone pillar. There were two large stone jars in each, and occasionally there were several small stone urns next to it.
This is the royal family's cemetery?
Kessel lowered his head and looked at a small stone urn, and Tales also looked at it.
[Radiant Star God of War, Liberator of Sodala, Duke of Star Lake, John·L·K·Brilliant Star,613-660]
"This is Uncle John, the only one in the family who has traveled around the world."
"He was my father's younger brother and was almost raised by his mother - so I insisted on putting him in my father's grotto."
Kessel touched the stone urn, and Tales was surprised to see a smile on his face?
"He is well-informed, has extraordinary skills, is humorous, and can tell jokes like no one else."
"When I was young, as soon as he came back, my twin brother and I loved to pester him and listen to him tell his love story with Princess Suye - until my mother exposed him with a cold face. At that time, I thought he was the most powerful person in the world."
"John's marriage almost made his father angry to death - God, he actually married a Female Knight of the Apex Realm! During the wedding ceremony, I think John should have done it with his feet off the ground."
"After John was knighted, he would often come back to Royal Capital to see us, and bring small gifts to little Constance from time to time. But since his wife passed away, I rarely see John's smile."
Tales felt the atmosphere in the stone chamber, and did not dare to breathe out the atmosphere.
Kessel was immersed in the past and only turned around after a minute.
"This is brother Midir." Kessel looked at another stone urn and frowned slightly. "The person who is supposed to inherit the throne."
Tales heard the familiar name and quickly looked towards the stone urn:
[First Prince, Crown-Prince, Midir·T·E·Brilliant Star,622-660]
"He has the best relationship with his father. He is the only one who can be on par with his father during the chess game. He doesn't talk much at ordinary times and always watches our brothers playing with a smile. He is very smart and very popular. Everyone says that he is the best crown prince and the best brother with me."
"But when I was sixteen, I came back from the maid's room in the middle of the night and accidentally saw him sitting dejectedly in the atrium, drinking alone with a sad face. At that time, I just thought it was strange that he was also depressed sometimes?"
"Now I finally understand him."
Tales looked at the stone urn, thinking about the rumors of Midir·Brilliant Star.
This is the savior of Jinnie, the person Gilbert admires, the person Yordel hopes I will be, the person "better than him"?
Next stone urn.
[Sword of Light Tracing, Second Prince, Horace·M·E·Brilliant Star,623-660]
"This is Horace. Terminus Tower also contains his highest sword speed record during his student days - as of the last time I heard, no one has been able to break it."
Kessel flicked the stone urn and snorted, "He is the only Extreme Realm Expert in the family, and he even has a majestic nickname. My father often lamented that since 'Oath Keeper After Z'Midier IV and 'Wolf Enemy' Prince Kayla, Radiant Star Royal Family finally has the third Extreme Realm."
"He has a very bad relationship with his brother Midir. When playing chess with Midir, he always likes to use Ending Power to bounce the opponent's pieces away in secret - but Even so, he can't defeat the smiling brother Midir. He often told us that if he hadn't been born one year later than Midir, he was the one who should have become the crown prince."
"One month before his death, he received an invitation to be the successor of Terminus Tower. If passed, he could become one of the eight Extreme Realm successors of Terminus Tower."
"This is Bancroft and Hyman, my twin brothers." Kessel looked at the two stone urns placed side by side with complicated eyes. "It is said that the careless maid confused the birth order, and the father could not stand the two doctors. There was a quarrel about which baby had the bigger head, so the mother simply tossed a gold coin and used Tomond I's avatar to decide that Bancroft was the third Prince and Hyman was fourth."
"That gold coin is now placed in my mother's stone jar together with Midir's first full-score political homework, Horace's first swordsman trophy, and the baby wraps when Constance and I were born."
Tales Take a step closer and see clearly two small stone urns.
[Third Prince, Bancroft·N·E·Brilliant Star,624-660]
[Fourth Prince, Hyman·N·E·Brilliant Star,624-660]
"The endless and endless quarrels between them at the dinner table when we were young were simply a nightmare for our whole family - Midir joked that Horace was probably frightened by them and Terminus Tower went to learn the art."
"Bancroft likes painting and sculpture. He donated half of the National Research Association's arts and culture department funds. But his love of vanity is not bad, probably second only to his love of money - Xiao At that time, we often said that he should marry Schukader Family, and the dowry alone would be enough for him to live in for a lifetime - but when he went to Southern Archipelago, he proposed with a sketch, and really married a Miss Shoukader."
"And Hyman is the most handsome among the five brothers. He is also good at music and poetry. Both commoners and aristocratic girls like him more. Every time he goes to the street, he will attract screams and flowers. Because of this, his father appointed him as Star Kingdom as the envoy Holy Tree Kingdom's first candidate for team leader - it's a pity that he failed to marry Elf - otherwise my father might pass the throne to him to strengthen our Elf bloodline since Midier IV."
Kessel held his scepter and looked at the fire in Eternal Lamp.
"We five brothers used to be so close - I still remember when I was a child, we had a group fight with three Prince who were visiting from the Suye Dynasty. Horace was responsible for the attack, Midir was responsible for the defense, mainly to protect me, and the twins were flanking."
"But when I grew up, everything changed."
"Midir still has a smile on his face. I have the best relationship with him, but I always feel that he is getting more and more unhappy. Horace has been murderous since he came back from Terminus Tower. He always wants to show off in front of his father. I still remember him taking me to About Red Quarter, Imperial Council scolded me for five minutes. Bank doesn't care much about brotherly matters, but every time he sees the four of us, he will walk around. Hyman sticks to Horace, like a little follower, but that smile really makes me sick."
But Kessel's smile faltered.
"But none of that matters anymore."
"Now, they are reunited here."
Kessel walks towards the last small urn.
Tales lowered his head and gently clenched his fists.
[First Princess, Constance·N·E·Brilliant Star,642-660]
"This is Constance, our little sister." Kessel lowered his head, his voice heavy, as if he didn't want to say more, "She is the only consensus among our five brothers - we are willing to sacrifice everything to protect her happiness and smile."
Tales sighed, and he closed his eyes gently, imagining the long Princess aunt who withered at the age of 18.
"Crescent Star Family was born with the fate of the Star Kingdom." Kessel said calmly.
Tales opened his eyes, listened to Kessel's heavy breathing, and thought about the king's purpose for doing this today.
The two of them sat in the empty stone room and didn't speak for a while.
"Boom"!
The king suddenly slammed his scepter on the ground!
Tales was shocked.
"I don't know how much you know about us, and I don't know what your imagination is about the name Brilliant Star." Kessel the Fifth's voice was low and stern, but there was no hint of fatherly emotion.
"But it's not an easy title."
"It represents glory, history, power, and more importantly, sacrifice."
Tales was speechless, he didn't know what to say in reply.
Nothing seems right.
"Are you ready?" Kessel finally turned his head, his sky-blue pupils sharp and oppressive, staring straight at him.
"Starting from being named Brilliant Star, fighting for the Star Kingdom, dying for the Star Kingdom, and..."
Kessel looked at the six small stone urns and his eyes darkened:
"Born for the Star Kingdom."
Tales's breathing stagnated, and then became rapid.
Fight for the Star Kingdom.
Die for the Star Kingdom.
Born for the Star Kingdom?
This order...
Tales thought uneasily in his heart: So, to become a Brilliant Star, is living far more difficult than fighting and dying?
King His Majesty stared at him intently.
"I'm waiting for your answer." The king said slowly and carefully.
It cannot be questioned or defied.
Tales swallowed a sip of saliva.
He couldn't stand the current atmosphere. The boy smiled reluctantly and said:
"Screaming about dying for a certain country, it really sounds like a war."
But Kessel still looked at him with burning eyes.
Okay.
Tales took three deep breaths, opened his eyes, and said in a low voice:
"No."
Kessel's brows raised slightly.
"Before leaving Red Quarter, everything I did was to struggle and survive in this damn world." The boy said disappointedly.
"I have never thought about all this, the royal family, the conspiracy, the heir, everything." He said sincerely, "I am not ready to play these games at all. It is obvious that people will die at every turn, but I can still talk and laugh calmly."
"I am more accustomed to dilapidated houses, hard beds, huddled in the corner in the cold and hungry, working hard for the survival of myself and my friends, rather than in a luxurious room, drinking and eating while weaving conspiracies without hesitation, taking away lives, and... provoking wars or responding to wars."
"I'm not ready to become Tales·Brilliant Star." The boy exhaled and lowered his head. "Everything is accidental. I'm not ready for anything."
In front of his eyes, the figure of Ashida seemed to appear again, smiling at him and saying, yes, this is a coincidence.
There was a long silence.
Kessel looked at Tales, but the originally majestic and unkind king suddenly showed a complex and profound expression that the latter had never seen before.
"Work hard for yourself and the survival of your friends - this is probably the entire mission of Brilliant Star."
"It doesn't matter."
There seemed to be emotions flowing in the king's eyes, and he said slowly, "I was not ready back then."
Tales raised his head in surprise, only to see Kessel the Fifth speaking with sarcasm and hatred in a powerful voice:
"And fate will prepare you."
He flicked his cloak and took a long step forward.
Tales followed Kessel to the side of the stone pillar.
It was also a grotto, but it was empty and there were no large stone jars.
There are only two small stone urns.
"This will be my burial place," Kessel bent down expressionlessly, caressing the two stone urns, and said calmly:
"But there are already two stone urns."
Tales's brain stopped for a few tenths of a second.
He remembered what Gilbert said about Year of Blood, and looked at the two small stone urns:
[First Princess, Lydia·G·K·Brilliant Star,656-660]
"I still remember when Lydia was just born, I held her in my arms and was even more helpless than she was. When she got older, she would run around and never calm down."
[First Prince, Luther·K·K·Brilliant Star,659-660]
Kessel put down Eternal Lamp and hid his eyes and expressions in the shadows. Only his lips moved and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised. "Luther is very well-behaved and quiet. He never cries - which is bad because we don't know when he is hungry."
"Koya and Jinnie have always been worried about these two children - I have always been happy and free."
Supreme King of Starfall sits on Tales's shoulders.
Tales was shocked.
"Fortunately," Kessel's words were chilling to the heart. "They no longer have to worry about their children."
Tales listened with horror to Kessel:
"Because they will always be here."
"Don't cry or run around."
"Always."
The king's hand suddenly tightened and clasped Tales's shoulder.
The pain in his unhealed left shoulder was still there, but Tales endured it and remained silent.
"See, this is what fate has prepared me for."
Looking at the two small stone urns, Tales gritted his teeth and gently clenched his fists.
These are--my sister and brother?
At this time, outside the stone room where the Star Kingdom kings were buried, a long and heavy bell suddenly sounded.
"Go." Kessel·Brilliant Star His Majesty let go of Tales.
"Gilbert and Jinnie are waiting for you outside the door," the king stood up, regained his sense of majesty and oppression, and said with a cold face, "They will prepare everything for you."
"Just like fate, everything has been prepared for you."
Thank you for the 588 tip from "My Love, Don't Leave"!
Thanks to "1HUANG1" for the 100 starting coin reward!
Thanks to "Glory of the Iris Pattern" for the 100 Qidian coin reward--Hey, why is it still you?