Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 116 The Three Great Magic Towers and the Purification Plan

As the mission traveled further north, the weather grew increasingly cold, with frequent and heavy snowfalls that eventually obscured most of the visibility. At its worst, had it not been for the hardy trees planted along the roadsides, even the most elite scouts would likely have gotten lost.

This is said to be a harbinger of extreme cold.

"So you don't know what kinds of magic there are, or what the characteristics of each are?"

Thales pulled the cloak he had put on a few days earlier tighter, covering his head and face completely, and asked Ramon.

It was the sixth day, and they were setting up camp for another rest at the border of Wilan Territory and Reconstruction Tower in Exter.

After passing through the Lehman Pass, traversing a short stretch of hilly terrain, and crossing the territory of the Rebuilding Tower Duke, they began to turn northwest, following the contours of the hills.

Soon, the delegation and the Black Sand Territory army it escorted would enter the territory ruled by the Grand Duke of Weilan.

Once they crossed the Wilan Territory, Dragonsky City, the direct domain of King Nunn VII, would be right in front of them.

“I should say I don’t know the full picture of magic,” Ramon shook his head.

"The schools and categories of magic are said to be incredibly diverse, and there are always geniuses who discover new schools and research areas based on existing knowledge," Ramon explained to Thales beside him, sitting by the fire. "But apart from those lone wolves, most mages have their own clear affiliations."

“Belonging?” Thales’s eyes lit up: “You mean…”

"In ancient times, this was a gathering place for mages, the magical institution to which they belonged." Ramon's eyes gleamed.
"Three magic towers."

Magic Tower?
Thales turned his head sharply, and the fragments he had gleaned from his investigation into the origins of magic users in the Hall of Mindis flooded his mind once more.

“I’ve heard about that,” Thales’ eyes lit up. “So, in ancient times, mages gathered in the three magic towers to conduct research?”

“The Three Great Magic Towers are not just three towers, nor are they just three locations,” Ramon pondered. “Mages are not strange people who hide in towers. It is said that the Three Great Magic Towers represent three attitudes and values ​​of being a mage.”

"What attitude?" Thales pressed on curiously. "You mean the mage's attitude towards knowledge?"

Ramon shook his head: "I don't know—it's very difficult to find information about mages in the past."

Thales sighed. "Alright."

"What are those three magic towers? Don't tell me you don't even know?"

Ramon nodded and smiled, "I know that."

He furtively looked around and saw Edda dozing by the fire, Putila and Cambida arguing in the distance, Wyah trying to communicate with Rolf but failing, and Tuleha leading scouts to scout the road ahead and not yet returning. The Exter soldiers around him seemed to have gotten used to them.

Seeing that they were still far away and their attention was not yet focused, Ramon cautiously approached Thales and, within their combined field of vision, extended his finger toward the snow.

"First, the Tower of Ascetics."

Ramon gently drew a square on the ground, rotated 45 degrees with one corner facing down, and then connected the diagonals of the square, drawing a cross inside: "According to the only information I have read, they are the oldest group of mages. Even in the prehistoric era, before the war against sainthood, the Tower of Ascetics appeared... But they are also the most mysterious. No one knows what they are doing. I haven't found much information about them."

Thales frowned.

"Secondly, the Alchemy Tower."

Ramon drew a circle, and then on the left and right sides of the circle, he drew two triangles, each with one corner pointing outwards. The edge of the circle closest to the triangle was curved, matching the curvature of the circle. Ramon then drew a small circle in the center of the circle—Thales recognized it; the pattern looked just like an eye.

Ramon continued, "As the name suggests, the Alchemy Tower is said to have been an important aid to mankind in defeating the orcs. Their creations were prepared for war or practical use, and some of their products have survived to this day and are still usable. They are rare items held by a few people."

"Finally, the Tower of Souls."

Ramon then drew two more "S" shapes, with the upper and lower semicircles of the two "S" overlapping each other. This pattern was particularly strange and its meaning was unclear.

"The information about them is all over the place, with all sorts of things. One minute they say they are the protectors of the mortal world, the next they say they have an agreement with the empire, or that they are extremely at odds with the other two magic towers, or even that their existence has brought a lot of chaos to the world and that they are the root of all evil... I can't understand what they are researching... Obviously, they are different from the other two magic towers."

Ramon looked at Thales, who nodded to indicate that he remembered. The doctor then hurriedly reached out and nervously wiped away all three patterns without leaving a trace.

"That's all I know. As for the rest, I know nothing about the heritage, characteristics, history, and origins of the three great magic towers... Knowledge about magic is strictly forbidden," Ramon sighed. "Also, never draw these three patterns in front of anyone—like Morat... It will cause trouble."

Thales raised an eyebrow: "So you were just that comfortable drawing it in front of me? Am I that trustworthy?"

Ramon turned his head away, revealing that strange expression again.

“Trust? Heh,” Ramon chuckled, his big nose twitching. “I don’t think you became interested in magic for no reason.”

"That ability to deflect magic guns..."

Thales' pupils twitched.

Damn it, he still cares a lot after all.

“I always felt that it wasn’t a superpower,” Ramon chuckled. “It must be some kind of magic, I just don’t know it yet.”

"That's why you're so eager for news about magic, isn't it?"

Some kind of magic?

To be precise... Thales thought to himself: Your reasoning is correct.

Thales stared at him intently.

"The new prince and next king of the stars is not only interested in magic, but also possesses some kind of magical power," Ramon grinned, his withered appearance making Thales feel nauseous. "Just thinking about it is exciting..."

Thales let out a long sigh and carefully considered the knowledge he had heard from Ramon over the past few days.

"So, the three great magic towers no longer exist?" the second prince murmured.

Ramon's smile froze.

He clasped his hands together, lowered his head, and hunched over.

"That's supposedly how it is," the strange doctor said, wiping a snowflake from his nose. "Do you know what a magic user is?"

"They're not the slightly stronger warriors that people usually imagine; in fact..."

Thales did three somersaults in his mind.

found it!
“Hmm,” the second prince said calmly, “As a member of the royal family, I know something about magic users… They are an immortal and indestructible calamity.”

Ramon looked at Thales, his eyes filled with solemnity: "Exactly. It is said that from the governments of various countries to the churches of the gods in the heavens, and even the demons of hell, all are afraid of them... fearing that one day they will make a comeback and launch a second war to end the world—that is why they have banned magic."

“Fear… So, the calamity was the main cause of the destruction of the three magic towers and the extinction of the magic lineage?” Thales said in a daze.

Ramon straightened his collar, his expression becoming extremely serious.

“I don’t know whether the destruction of the three magic towers was a calamity,” Ramon said in a low voice. “But I believe that the so-called calamity, the so-called magic master, is the magic tower, one of the countless research products of the mages.”

"So, the destruction of the magic tower, the extinction of mages, and the loss of magical heritage are not accidental," Thales said incredulously. "Everything in the world related to magic—its heritage, knowledge, history, and even the mages themselves—has been intentionally suppressed by the governments of human nations?"

Ramon let out a deep breath: "Exactly... I guess someone doesn't want to see new disasters occur."

Thales frowned deeply: "Magic brings uncontrollable risks, so why not simply shut down and ban all magic?"

Ramon gave a sarcastic "hmm".

“That’s incredibly stupid,” Thales sighed. “To ban magic out of fear of potential mages and their power… what a short-sighted and foolish decision…”

“I agree with you on this point,” Ramon clenched his fist. “It is precisely to combat magicians and their harm that we must seek possibilities in magic, isn’t it?”

"The three great magic towers may be destroyed, but their ruins should still exist, right?" Thales stroked his chin. "Didn't you go there and try your luck?"

"Ruins?" Ramon curled one corner of his mouth, his face grim. "This is the worst part... Damn those nations, they've looted and destroyed almost every single piece of information about magic, mages, and magic towers. I can't even find out where the ruins of the magic tower are!"

Thales frowned deeply: "Perhaps I can check the royal records after I return home..."

"Don't even mention it, especially your Star Kingdom," Ramon sneered. "Your founding ancestor—the great King of Restoration, Tormund I—personally ordered the complete eradication of all traces of magic within the Star Kingdom!"

Thales was taken aback.

“And over six hundred years ago, the enforcers of the forbidden magic were the newly established Kingdom Secret Service,” Ramon said bitterly. “I finally managed to find a trace of it in Exeter—they called it…”

“Purification Plan!” Thales stared blankly at the snow, pulling his cloak tighter.

"How did they do that?" The prince looked up. "If magic was truly as important as you say it was..."

"They did it!"

Ramon raised his head, his eyes filled with hatred: "In the decades following the end of the war, the nations imprisoned all the remaining mages, plundered books, scrolls, records, and artifacts related to magic, and even investigated everyone who had had close contact with mages... The key point is that they erased all traces of magic from history..."

"Of course, anyone who intends to study magic or revive magic will immediately become a thorn in the side of national institutions and the Church of the Gods, and will be eliminated without hesitation..."

"Just to ensure that magic never appears again!"

They all fell silent.

Beside the fire, all that could be heard was the crackling of the flames and the mournful howl of the cold wind.

“If the Cleansing Project six hundred years ago was handled by the Kingdom’s Secret Service, then there might still be a lot of information left in the Secret Service…” Thales pondered.

“Good idea,” Ramon scoffed.

“Yes, we need to dig something out of the Kingdom’s secret department without anyone noticing…” Thales understood what the doctor meant, and he sighed.

"...It's even harder than breaching the Dragon Fortress." Ramon stared coldly at the campfire, adding to Thales's words.

and many more.

Thales remembered a question, and a strange look appeared on his face.

“Doctor,” he said slowly, “Morat wasn’t the first head of the Secret Service, was he?”

“Nonsense, the Kingdom’s Secret Service was established more than 600 years ago when the Star Kingdom was founded,” Ramon snorted and let out a long breath: “Morat… he’s a human, not an immortal or a long-lived being, he can’t have lived that long.”

Thales rolled his eyes.

It's pathetic to lack emotional intelligence.

“You didn’t understand what I meant… I mean,” Thales said irritably, “who exactly was the first head of the Kingdom’s Secret Service, the one in charge of the Cleansing Project?”

Ramon was stunned, then turned to look at Thales.

“This could be a clue,” Thales said, rubbing his hands, which were red from the cold, and exhaling a puff of mist. “No matter how terrifying or mysterious the Secret Service may be, no matter how precise, efficient, or meticulous its operations are… as long as it is an organization, it must rely on its members—that is, the behavior and psychology of humans.”

“And people are always complicated,” Thales blinked. “Do you understand what I mean?”

Ramon frowned.

"two."

"What?" Thales asked, puzzled.

Ramon looked around warily again, then turned back and said:
"Two people, six hundred years ago," the strange doctor lowered his voice, "in the 38th year of the Ending Calendar, two people led the Kingdom's Secret Service, responsible for the specific implementation of the Cleansing Plan..."

“Very good,” Thales murmured. “Even after six hundred years, we can still find their past… Who were those two people?”

Ramon chuckled and uttered two names.

"Linster Kevindeer".

Telston was immediately alarmed.

Kevin Deer?

“Yes, he was the first head of the Kingdom’s Secret Service,” Ramon said with a knowing look, watching Thales’ reaction with interest. “He was also the first master of the Kevin Deer family, one of the six great families of the Star Kingdom.”

"The First Iris Duke".

Thales' eyes widened, his brows twitching.

Ramon gritted his teeth, exhaled, and continued:

"And his deputy."

"Halva Karabyan".

"One of the thirteen noble families, the Twin Towers Longsword family, the first head of the Karabyan family."

"The first Earl of Vora, later the Kingdom's 'Minister of Wisdom'."

"Do you still think this path is viable, Your Highness?"

Thales fell completely silent.

Ramon stopped talking.

Just as Thales was pondering the two names and their meanings, a loud roar from the Exter sentinel ripped through the chilly northern sky.

"alert!"

The elite Exter soldiers around him immediately drew their weapons, and countless sounds of metal being sheathed rang out, creating a tense and deadly atmosphere.

Unlike the starry sky's large-scale battle formation, these northern men had serious expressions but were not flustered at all. They stood in pairs, shoulder to shoulder, scattered around the perimeter of the camp, facing the cold wind and falling snow.

"Find your place!"

"Where are the scouts and sentries? Why are there no warning signals?"

"Mount your horses quickly and without dawdling!"

Amidst the clamor of voices, the light cavalry mounted their horses in unison at their commander's order and galloped toward the outer perimeter, while the heavy cavalry and heavy infantry immediately began donning their armor.

Ada instantly sprinted to Thales' side, followed by Wyatt and Rolf.

“Be careful,” the elven guard, whose age was unknown, said gravely. “Damn it… another army.”

army?

The second prince's heart stirred.

Under the moonlight, Thales's sharpened vision, enhanced by the fluctuations, allowed him to quickly discern the source of the threat.

To the north of the camp, amidst the obscured visibility and falling snow, countless fully armed cavalry figures appeared.

Light armor, gray clothes, white horse, masked.

Swift yet silent.

It blends almost seamlessly with the surrounding snow.

“In this kind of weather…” Putilai, who had arrived from the rear, frowned: “They are elite troops.”

Thales let out a deep sigh.

Am I really that unlucky?
These cavalrymen, who were clearly not to be trifled with, suddenly scattered when they were a hundred meters in front of them.

Disorganized yet orderly, it moved toward them...

They came from all sides.

I saw some readers asking for historical timelines and maps.

I've included the historical timeline in the section related to the works.

Maps, huh?
As for the character portrayals...

Do you think Wu Jian looks like someone who can draw?



(End of this chapter)