Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 118 Uninvited Guests
Before Thales could react, the attendants and guards behind him stepped forward without hesitation and blocked him from view.

The next moment, the sound of swords being drawn from their sheaths rang out continuously, creating a cacophony!
"Qiang!"

Without hesitation, Wyatt drew his blade, the tip of which was faintly aimed at Nicolai's throat, his gaze solemn.

"Shh!"

Rolf's only hidden blade popped out of his sleeve, the blade pointing towards Nicolai's heart, while the upper half of his face, not covered by his silver mask, displayed a grim expression.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

These are the guards with blades standing behind Nicolai.

These tall, robust, masked elite warriors from the North were equipped with lightweight, iron-colored arm shields in their left hands and drew uniquely shaped battle swords from their waists in their right hands. The swords had long, snow-white hilts that could be held with both hands, and the blades gleamed with a beautiful curve—it was hardly the rugged and powerful style of the North.

Their movements as they drew their swords were synchronized and forceful, their eyes behind their masks filled with murderous intent. They had somehow formed a semicircle, subtly surrounding the Starry Sky Envoy on three sides.

The remaining dozen or so soldiers of Starfall, such as Jenard and Willow, did not hesitate to draw their weapons and stand on the front line against the White Blade Guard.

“Look at their movements and eyes… these are the real elite, our royal guard is no better than them,” Ada’s voice came from behind Thales. “They are even better than the Black Sand Territory’s army, and they are probably no less capable than the Holy Blood Legion of those vampires.”

Thales stared incredulously at Nicolai, who was grinning coldly.

How is this going?

Should I tie myself up and take me to Dragon Sky City?

He had considered the possible fate he might encounter in Exter... In fact, it was perfectly normal for King Nunn, who had lost his beloved son, to be angry, sarcastic, mocking, or humiliating towards him. Even though the interests of the Starry Sky Royal Family and the Walton Family were actually aligned in avoiding war between the two countries and curbing the ambitions of Black Sand Territory.

But Thales never expected that this humiliating "welcome" would begin before he even arrived in Dragon City.

Do they really want to kidnap me and take me to Dragon City?
If we refuse—under the moonlight, Thales stared with a chill down his spine at the gleaming white-handled swords of the White Blade Guards, assessing the balance of power between the two sides—how would things unfold?

"How absurd!" Putilai's stern and angry voice rang out. He quickly considered the situation before him and said in a fit of rage, "Bound? Never before has an envoy from one country been treated like this! This is an insult to His Majesty King Nunn VII and to the honor of the Kingdom of Exeter! This will bring no glory to your Majesty!"

If he were King Nunn's man, he would have to consider the face and dignity of King Exeter, unless...

Around them, the Exter people from the Black Sand Territory watched everything in the arena with puzzled expressions: dozens of melee guards and a dozen or so members of the Starry Sky Mission faced each other, locked in a tense standoff.

“Hmph,” Nikolai curled one corner of his mouth into an ominous sneer, “This certainly won’t bring His Majesty any glory…”

"But it can make him happy and ease his grief..."

"This is enough."

Putila gripped the longsword in her hand tightly, while Thales frowned involuntarily.

The next instant, without command or order, the masked soldiers of the White Blade Guard's eyes turned cold, and they all took a step closer!
"Plop!" Their heavy footsteps pounded on the snow, like a hammer blow to the hearts of the people of Xingchen.

With his nerves on edge as he stared intently at the enemy, Willow Ken's shoulders twitched, and he was about to thrust out his twin pistols!

"Snap!" A strong hand reached out from the side, gripped the young rifleman's right hand tightly, and pressed down on the tip of his spear that was about to be thrust out.

Willow was startled and turned around to find it was veteran Jenard.

"Stay calm! Ignore their steps, watch their shoulders!" he said steadily.

After a fierce battle with vampires in the birch forest, the private soldiers suffered heavy casualties. Their severely wounded leader, Jorah, remained at the fortress, while the veteran Jenard, who had once served as a member of the Duke's personal guard, became the leader of this temporary force, which included a small number of Star Guardians, fortress veterans, and Northern recruits, thanks to his seasoned experience on the battlefield and his gradually regained skills.

However, faced with the incredibly tense atmosphere, even the veteran couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

"Is this His Majesty Nunn's will and order?" Thales asked, trying his best to remain calm.

“Oh, of course.” Nikolai ignored the two blades pointing at his throat and heart, and said darkly, “He just didn’t say it.”

A second later, Nikolai moved and suddenly took a step forward, walking towards Thales!
Thales was taken aback!
Wyatt and Rolf gritted their teeth and drew their weapons, trying to force Nikolai back.

But the next moment, a cold glint flashed across Nikolai's face, and his figure blurred.

In a flash, the pale-faced Meteorite instantly sidestepped and squeezed into the gap between the two sword blades!
"Swoosh!" Wyatt's single-edged sword, aimed at his throat, barely struck the white hilt of the blade that extended from behind Nikolai's shoulder, sparking a flash!
"Clang!" Nikolai's right hand flicked lightly, striking Rolf's hidden blade that was pointing at his heart.

In that instant, amidst the resentful gazes of Wyatt and Rolf, Nicolai, without changing his expression, broke through their defenses, squeezed into the gap between them, and extended his left hand toward Thales!
Damn!

Thales gritted his teeth, reacted swiftly by taking a step back to avoid Nicolai's hand, and at the same time pulled up with his left hand and reached for the dagger at his waist with his right, assuming the "Iron Body" stance of the Northern Army's swordsmanship.

But to his surprise, Nicolai's hand, as if preordained, changed direction the instant he retreated, reaching out in the direction he was dodging!
The surge of energy reached Thales's brain in time, slowing down the scene before him as much as possible.

In Thales's vision, Nikolai moved slowly, like a being shimmering with silver light. However, each flash of light within him caused a change in Nikolai's form.

Is this his ultimate power? Thales' expression tightened as he pondered deeply.

The shape, movements, speed, changes, and trajectory of the meteorite all entered Thales' consciousness in that instant.

After a brief assessment, a pessimistic conclusion came to Thales's mind:

No matter how he tried to dodge, he couldn't avoid Nicolai's capture.

Fortunately, there was her... Thales sensed the change in the aura of the cloak behind him.

"despair!"

Nikolai's hand was halfway out when a short figure in a cloak grabbed his wrist.

“Be polite, kid,” Ada said coldly, gripping Nicolai’s wrist tightly. “At least say 'hello' or 'please'.”

Thales took a deep breath.

Wyatt and Rolf then hastily caught up, their blades pressed tightly against the Fallen Star's neck.

“Oh,” Nikolai seemed slightly surprised, but he remained unconcerned about the two blades pressed against his vitals. Instead, he frowned at his wrist, which was being held, and then said to Ada with interest, “A woman… who saw through my movements?”

The dozens of melee guards surrounding Nikolai seemed completely unconcerned about their leader's perilous situation. Their gazes remained icy, their killing intent palpable as they maintained their oppressive presence over the Starry Sky group.

"What does this mean, Lord Nicolai? This is neither in accordance with custom nor an order from King Nunn..." Putila's face turned ashen: "Your private actions are practically tantamount to assassination!"

“Assassination, assassination?” Nikolai muttered the word under his breath. He looked up, his expression turning terrifying. “You mean, what you Starfolk did to our Prince Moral on your own land?”

"assassinate?"

Nicolai stared at Thales with furious eyes and said, word by word, "What you did to His Majesty's only son, to the Prince of Exter, to the heir to Dragonstreet, to my student?"

"That kind of cowardly behavior?"

Putila was taken aback at first, then reacted and said without hesitation, "That should be decided by His Majesty Nuen!"

Damn.

Thales breathed softly, biting his lower lip.

He looked at Nikolai, who was being held back by Ada and had swords at his throat by Wyah and Rolf, and gritted his teeth: How should this situation be handled?

Forcing Nikolai to retreat?

Thales took a deep breath and raised his hands to the pale man, indicating that he was a harmless little boy, while Nicolai responded with a malicious sneer.

"Your Excellency Viscount Kanbida, and Your Excellency Lord Tuleha!" The second prince of the Stars turned his head and shouted to the army of Black Sand Territory, "Your mission of escorting me to Dragon Sky City is almost complete! People will surely praise the Black Sand Grand Duke's loyalty to His Majesty Nuen, and King Nuen will also be satisfied with your unwavering loyalty. At the same time, I am very grateful for your escort!"

"You may leave now!"

Thales finished speaking.

Putila raised an eyebrow, while Nicolai paused slightly in surprise.

Viscount Cambida, who was watching all this from a distance with a frown, let out a deep sigh.

However, Kambida simply nodded to Tuleha, who was frowning, and strode forward.

This child.

What kind of talk is that?

[Your mission to escort me to Dragon Sky City is almost complete]: My safety before I arrived in Dragon Sky City was the responsibility of Black Sand Territory, but we haven't reached Dragon Sky City yet.

[People will surely admire the Black Sands Grand Duke's loyalty to His Majesty Nuen]: Everyone will know that His Majesty Nuen brazenly kidnapped the Star Prince from the Black Sands army.

[And King Nuen will be pleased with your unwavering loyalty]: Even if you are more obedient, the relationship between King Nuen and the Grand Duke of Black Sand will not improve, and Dragonsky City will still regard Black Sand Territory as a thorn in its side.

[At the same time, I am very grateful for your escort]: An opportunity to win the friendship of the Star Prince is right in front of you.

[You can leave now]: Hurry up and come to my rescue!
“Lord Nicolai!” Viscount Cambida said, while reassessing whether these words were spoken by the second prince of the Putila Church: “This is, after all, the encampment of the Black Sand Territory army. We have been entrusted by the Grand Duke with the mission of protecting His Highness Thales’ safety, and your current actions… are undoubtedly very unwise.”

Nikolai shook off Ada's hand, still ignoring the blade at his neck, and coldly said to Cambida, "I thought you were also Exter people."

“We are, of course, Exter people, and even more so, North people… and North people cherish their honor as much as a snow eagle cherishes its wings.” Cambida walked up to Nikolai, looked at the two sides who were on the verge of battle, and his gaze lingered on Thales and Putila for a moment: “Lord Meteorite… I believe that His Majesty Nunn did not give you the order to ‘tie the prince to Dragonsreach’.”

Behind him, at Tuleha's signal, the soldiers of the Black Sand Territory slowly surrounded him.

Nicolai stared intently at Cambida.

Then he gave a faint, cold laugh.

“And if I say 'no',” the man’s face paled even more, “what will you do, Your Excellency Viscount of Black Sand Territory? Will you have your army wipe out us—His Majesty the King’s personal guard?”

"Is that so, the warriors of Black Sand Territory?" Nikolai's gaze swept around, landing on the elite standing army specially assigned by the Grand Duke of Black Sand, and he smiled slightly.

Thales' heart sank.

Oops.

It seems that even the army of Black Sand Territory... cannot deter Nikolai and his White Blade Guard.

“This is in our encampment, and you have less than a hundred men,” Tuleha said, stepping out from behind Kambida. He looked at the white weapon behind Nikolai with a grave expression. “Even with the Soulbreaker Blade, you’ll only last a few more minutes… You are neither Arakka Mu nor do you have his Immovable Bow.”

Thales clearly saw that the moment Nicolai heard that name, his brow twitched slightly.

Kambida stared intently at Nicolai's face: "Of course, we have no desire to be enemies with the renowned White Blade Guard... especially since we fought side by side twelve years ago."

"Neither you nor I can bear the responsibility for a conflict breaking out between Dragon Sky City and Black Sand Territory."

“The game of switching between good and bad is outdated,” Nikolai said nonchalantly. “I told you, His Majesty will settle accounts with Lumba… Until then, you’d better not mess with his captain of the guard.”

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

White Blade Guard.

He remembered what Putila had told him about Kaslan's identity.

Kaslan retired twenty years ago... so...

"Lord Nicholas..."

“You know,” Thales began slowly, drawing everyone’s attention, “we just passed by Caslan’s Hero’s Tavern a few days ago.”

Thales noticed that as soon as he finished speaking, Nicolai's expression suddenly changed.

Even the White Blade Guards standing in confrontation with them had their eyes gleaming.

Kaslan... It seems that old man means something to them.

Thales nodded to himself.

“Caslan bought me a glass of rye liquor, the limited kind,” Thales continued calmly. “He’s a wise and magnanimous old man… but I suppose you don’t know him, Lord Nicolai?”

A complex expression flickered in Nikolai's eyes.

Weird.

"He impressed me," Thales sighed. "A guard led by someone like him must be different from yours."

Nikolai stared at him without saying a word.

The next moment, Thales gritted his teeth, as if he had made up his mind.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, the second prince shouted, "Star People, drop your weapons!"

Wyatt and Rolf both looked at Thales in surprise, and even Ada let out a soft "Huh" under her cloak.

The Star People looked at the menacing guards with their white blades around them, glancing at each other with suspicion and disbelief at the prince's order.

Only Putila seemed lost in thought.

Kambida and Tuleha both frowned.

Nicolai stared at him with an inscrutable expression.

“This is an order from your second prince, from the heir to the throne of the Star Kingdom!” Thales repeated firmly.

Putila was the first to sheath his sword and take a step back.

Immediately, Jenard also sheathed his sword without hesitation.

Wyatt looked at the prince in disbelief, but under the prince's unquestionable gaze, he gritted his teeth and withdrew the sword he had pressed against Nicolai's neck.

Then it was Rolf, then the fifth, the sixth… until all the Star People had sheathed their arms. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Thales stepped forward, bypassing Wyah and Rolf's protection, and stood before Nikolai.

“You should have done this a long time ago,” Nicolai lowered his head, looking at him expressionlessly. “The sooner you submitted, the less suffering you would have endured…”

“Enough, Lord Meteorite,” Thales interrupted him coldly.

“I don’t know why you insist on bringing me back to Dragon City bound. Whether it’s a new grudge or an old one, whether it’s Prince Moral or Prince Horace,” Thales said, his voice trembling as he tried to suppress the tremor in his voice. “But until I complete my first mission, I will only speak to King Nunn—even if he decides to kill me to avenge his blood relatives, he should at least give me a dignified death befitting my status.”

Nikolai looked at the second prince of the stars with surprise.

“This will be a dialogue between the future king of the stars and the current king of Exter,” Thales took a deep breath, “but do you want to humiliate me, who is about to speak with His Majesty Nunn, before that?”

"Without a doubt, you have not only humiliated me, but also His Majesty Nunn, and tarnished his honor..."

“But I don’t care!” Thales’s face was serious. He turned to the White Blade Guards around him: “Continue! Warriors of the White Blade Guards, Dragon Guards! Kidnapping a seven-year-old child to Dragon Sky City…”

"I don't care if you bind me, humiliate me, mock me, or do whatever you want to tarnish my honor!"

"The only things I care about are my mission, the truth behind the death of your Prince Morar, the justice that followed him, and the war and peace between our two nations!"

"Since I am here, I am prepared... Even if Nunn is a bloodthirsty butcher, a mediocre king who listens to slander, a cruel and tyrannical tyrant, a despicable villain, or a coward who disregards honor, I am prepared!"

Nikolai's expression became incredibly complicated.

The guards, behind their face shields, remained unmoved.

"In his tavern, Kaslan, like a true elder, treated me to his finest wine, patted me on the shoulder with a smile, and urged me to grow up quickly... He also told me that His Majesty Nunn was a good king, generous, magnanimous, tolerant, and just, who would personally stand in front of an orc's axe for an unknown soldier!"

“Every warrior of the North considers dying for the King the highest honor!”

Among the White Blade Guards, a few finally stirred slightly.

“I believe in the honor of Kaslan, so I also believe in the honor of His Majesty Nuen,” Thales turned around, spread his hands, and looked up at Nikolai with composure. “In the past few days, we have eaten the food and drunk the wine of the North. According to the customs of the North, we are now His Majesty Nuen’s guests, guests in the land under his rule.”

"As for how His Majesty Nunn treats his guests—we have no say in that."

“Continue,” Thales said slowly, staring intently at Nicolai’s pale face. “Treat me as your prey, tie me up and take me to Dragonsreach City, and hand me over to your King Nunn.”

"To show the world what kind of king he was."

The soldiers of the White Blade Guard quickly exchanged glances, then all looked at their commander.

Cambida's gaze kept shifting between Thales and Putila, as if deep in thought.

Wyman looked at the Meteorite opposite him with concern.

The most crucial decision-maker—Nikolai—slowly narrowed his eyes.

A few seconds passed.

“Thales Star,” he looked at Thales and smiled faintly, “you are indeed as cunning as the rumors say, not like a seven-year-old child at all.”

Thales was taken aback.

“Put down your weapons, my brothers,” Nikolai looked at Thales with a complicated expression, “Let His Majesty decide how our ‘guests’ should belong…”

Even if he harbors deep hatred for us.

Upon receiving the order, the guards with their blades flashed and neatly sheathed their swords.

Thales finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The people of Starry Sky, including the two commanders of Black Sand Territory, also breathed a sigh of relief.

Just now.

"Alert!" The Black Sand Territory soldiers shouted again from the outskirts of the camp, a warning sound.

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the area outside the campsite.

Under the moonlight, new cavalry appeared before them, heading towards the campsite.

"Your companions?" Kambida asked Nikolai, narrowing his eyes.

Nicolai did not answer him.

The sound of horses' hooves came from outside the campsite.

A dozen or so cavalrymen, carrying a strange flag, slowly approached their encampment.

It was a white flag with a curved golden ear of wheat depicted on it, extending from the upper right corner to the lower left corner, crossing over a similarly golden dagger.

"Good night, everyone," a strange male voice called from afar, "Praise be to the Lady of Harvest and the Maiden of the Sea, may they bless you with plenty of food and clothing and a life of abundance!"

Cambida took a few steps forward, looked at the banner with the wheat dagger, and slowly frowned.

"I am LS. Cambida, Viscount of Menton, and this is the military camp of the Grand Duke of Black Sands," Viscount Cambida proclaimed. "Who goes there!"

Protected by a dozen or so cavalrymen, a middle-aged man dressed in a magnificent overcoat, wearing a jeweled top hat, and revealing a golden ponytail, slowly rode out from the crowd.

“I am Sles Bemula, Honorary Marquis of Shanliu City,” the middle-aged man reined in his horse, removed his hat and placed it on his left breast, a friendly and humble smile on his face, and bowed slightly in the direction of Cambida: “From the friendly and generous Alliance of Sixteen City-States of Cammas, I am honored to be a member of the thirty-six seats in the Cammas United Council.”

"I am here on behalf of Shanliu City in the Alliance, on a mission to Exter. I heard that His Highness the Second Prince of the Stars is here, so I have come to pay him a special visit."

----

Early morning, Longxiao City, on the westward-bound highway.

This is a Far Eastern man with black hair and black eyes, probably in his thirties or forties. Far Easterners age at a different rate than Ludors and Northerners, making it difficult to determine their age by their appearance.

He carried an ever-burning lamp and walked steadily through the dark and cold underground cellar, preparing to begin his day's work.

But the next moment, he frowned, as if he had sensed something.

He stopped, and in the silence and darkness, his eyes carefully scanned every corner before him, and his ears listened to every sound coming from the cellar.

Nothing.

But he did not let his guard down.

Because he trusts his intuition more.

Often, danger cannot be detected by sight and hearing.

Often, instinct is the last resort for survival.

Such as now.

He gritted his teeth, frowned, and revealed a ferocious expression in the darkness beyond the light.

Just like a wolf that senses danger, sharpening its teeth and claws, wary of the peril in the darkness.

Immediately, the man from the Far East moved, raising the ever-burning lamp with one hand and pressing his other hand against his waist as he bent down.

He turned to face left front, towards the wall, towards the darkness behind the corner.

"Who's there?" the Far Easterner asked calmly.

no answer.

“If you’re looking to steal a little something, buddy,” the Far Easterner said in a Northern accent, moving slowly and rhythmically, “you’ve come to the wrong place.”

Still no answer.

The Far Easterner squinted.

In the next instant, he flashed away!
He covered the distance of a dozen steps in three!
As the Far Easterners rounded the corner, the ever-burning light illuminated everything in that corner.

But the Far Easterners exclaimed in surprise, "Eh?"

There was no one around the corner in front of him.

A few seconds later, the Far Easterners breathed a sigh of relief.

Am I being too suspicious?

The Far Easterners carefully examined the corner, confirming that there were no traces left by anyone.

He shook his head, shrugged, and patted his head.

It seems so.

It's an old habit of mine that I just can't seem to shake... As a result, I'm now even paranoid when I sleep.

The wolf never sleeps, for it is a warning—this was the first lesson his master taught him long ago, after leaving him to live alone on the Beili Grassland for three days.

He sighed.

I really hope that one day I can get a good night's sleep.

Forget the past.

The man from the Far East gave a self-deprecating laugh, then turned around and walked back the way he came.

The lights moved with him.

The photo revealed another person behind them.

A person who suddenly appeared.

The Far Easterner's pupils contracted!
He instinctively raised his hand from his waist!

"Boom!"

The Far Easterners were shocked to find that their right hand, which was holding a dagger, was firmly grasped by an uninvited guest who had suddenly appeared!
Unable to move.

"Long time no see, Gu."

The other party said slowly.

The Far Easterner suppressed his inner shock, suppressed the trembling in his body, and suppressed the instinct to unleash his power of termination to break free.

He stared intently at the man who had suddenly appeared.

That ordinary-looking man.

“Yes, it’s been a long time,” Gu, a man from the Far East, replied bitterly.
"Black Sword".

Black Sword lowered Gu's wrist.

"Lancer sent me to find you," the man known as the Black Sword said coldly and concisely.

It's still the same as before.

Gu tucked the dagger back into his waistband and frowned.

Concise and direct.

It's chilling.

“Yes,” Gu Shen took a deep breath, clearing away all unnecessary emotions and memories, and said seriously, “I found that person.”

Black Sword remained silent.

"Confirm?" After a few seconds, Black Sword slowly spoke.

“Although I have never met him directly,” Gu Shen sighed, “it should be that person, there’s no mistake.”

The black sword remained silent.

strangeness.

Gu thought to himself: Why is he so calm? Shouldn't he be...?

"I'll come see you again tonight to ask about the details." Black Sword turned around and said calmly, "I have some things to take care of, I need to go see a doctor."

Come find me again?

Gu frowned as he recalled the other person's elusive figure.

“Alright,” Gu recalled his past memories and felt a surge of irritation and panic. He said helplessly, “Anyway, I need to get my business done first.”

"Business?" Black Sword frowned, recalling Gu's notorious past.

His figure disappeared back into the darkness outside the light: "What other business can you do?"

"What kind of business?" Gu exhaled irritably. He walked to a table, roughly ripped off a layer of oilcloth, revealing a boning knife and a cutting board, and said in a disgruntled tone:
"This is my butcher shop!"

"Of course it's selling meat!"

As promised, here comes the fanservice scene that Wu Jian had given you all!
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(End of this chapter)