Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 120 Bait
Putila bid farewell to Viscount Cambida from a distance, while the latter continued to lead the army of Black Sand Territory forward, and Putila returned to the prince's side.

"Ah, this." Marquis Slays nodded slightly to the returning Putilay and exhaled. "Marquis, hehe."

"In truth, my power and status within Cornmas are roughly equivalent to that of an earl managing a city or region... Even in Shanliu City, I'm not the only one in charge," Marquis Slays smiled slightly. "But as a merchant, I must frequently visit those dukes and kings to maintain good relations, so my status cannot be too meager... After all, not every country has the confidence to exchange barons or even lords as envoys like Starry Sky and Exter..."

"Oh?" Thales scratched his head, embarrassed. "So, exchanging barons and lords as envoys isn't a common practice worldwide? Only Exter and Stardust do this?"

“Exactly,” Shrews said, shaking his head. “I could tell you a whole bunch of jokes about how the Northmen and the Imperials despise each other.”

“The relationship between the stars and the dragon is an exception,” Putilai, who had ridden ahead of the prince, turned around and shook his head slightly. “Apart from Suye and Hambul, you probably can’t find another pair of countries that despise and hate each other like this.”

"Therefore, for a minor lord like myself, whose territory borders many powerful nations and who is thus compelled to make frequent trips abroad," Marquis Slays winked, revealing a humble yet amusing smile:

"The Commons Council passed a resolution to confer the title of so-called 'honorary marquis,' which seems to be one rank higher than an earl, but not higher than a grand duke or a duke—it makes our visitors feel valued without putting pressure on them, but in reality, we are no different from ordinary earls."

Putila nodded: "In contrast, both Star and Exter inherit the empire's system of noble enfeoffment—from noble dukes or grand dukes who guard the four borders, to counts who are lords of a region, to viscounts who are slightly lower, to barons who have inherited their titles, and finally to lords who have property but no right to inherit titles."

Srace gave a wry smile: "Only the Commas Alliance has this strange 'Marquis' rank, which is simply due to the circumstances of the time, so please don't worry about it."

Thales nodded.

He turned his head and inadvertently saw the figure in the white cloak to his left, Nikolai the Meteorite, representing King Nunn.

Nikolai seemed to sense Thales's gaze. He turned around abruptly, his sharp eyes shooting at Thales like blades, as if warning him of something.

Thales frowned.

“Lord Nicolai…is he not easy to deal with?” Slays, who was standing to the side, noticed Thales’s gaze and smiled knowingly: “Northerners, you know, simple and direct, but when they’re stubborn, they can be deadly.”

Thales turned to the unfamiliar foreign nobleman.

Putila replied calmly to Marquis Slays, "It seems you have a wealth of experience. I recall that Shanliu City's territory borders the Qiyuan City territory to the west of Exter, and that it frequently interacts with the family of Grand Duke Ronnie."

“Believe me, I understand how difficult it is to be neighbors with the Northlands,” Srace sighed. “I’ve dealt with them quite a bit. Sometimes you love their straightforwardness and honesty, and sometimes you hate their rigidity and inflexibility.”

“Talking behind someone’s back,” a cold voice interrupted from afar, “is not a good way to do business, Your Excellency Marquis.”

Thales was startled.

Just moments before, Nikolai had been riding to his left and had somehow arrived nearby.

"What brings you here?" Putila asked politely but with a serious expression. "Lord Nicolai?"

As the Meteorite of the White Blade Guard approached, Wyatt, walking to Thales' left, cautiously gripped the hilt of his sword.

“Step back, Meteorite,” Wyatt said, drawing half of his sword, his face grim. “I accept your greetings, but His Highness does not need your escort.”

Nikolai snorted coldly, completely unconcerned.

Rolf quickened his pace to catch up with Thales's mount, his face tense.

Ada, who was standing to Thales' right, crossed her arms and moved closer to Nicolai, intentionally or unintentionally: "Kid, if you want to fight, I'm ready anytime."

Thales had to raise his hand to signal the Star People to calm down and not to worry.

"You know each other?" Thales frowned. "The commander of the White Blade Guard, and the Marquis of Commas?"

Nicolai's gaze was deep and noncommittal, while Shrews smiled slightly: "We've met a few times."

Thales shook his head.

But he immediately looked up at Nicolai, then at the smiling Marquis Slay, and was taken aback.

"Lord Slaws," Thales asked with a hint of doubt, "when you arrived last night, you said you were also on a mission to Exeter?"

“Yes, the contract between Shanliu City and Longxiao City for the crystal mine is about to expire, and we also need to explore other businesses,” Marquis Slays winked meaningfully. “In fact, my delegation and I have been around Longxiao City for two months and have negotiated several big deals with several lords… We heard that the Prince of Stars is in Weilan Territory, so we came to pay him a visit.”

Dragon Sky City.

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

"You came all the way from Dragoncity to Vilan Territory to visit me?" Thales recalled the map of Exter that Putila had told him about over the past few days, and said with some skepticism, "You really have a heart. As far as I know, the journey here is not easy."

“That’s why I said the Commas must have something to do,” Ada spat dismissively. “Who would travel all this way just to see a poor little kid?”

Thales awkwardly touched his head.

Putila realized what was happening and pondered the connection between them.

“Haha, there’s a saying among the elves: ‘Love is worth overcoming thorns and brambles, and friendship is worth crossing mountains and rivers,’” Srace blinked. “And I’m here for friendship, and of course, for future connections.”

“Disgusting.” That was Ada’s reaction.

“Wait a minute,” Thales’s suspicions grew deeper, “If you are from Dragonsky City…”

He raised his head and looked at Nikolai in front of him, only to see the Meteorite staring at him intently, expressionless.

"...The White Blade Guard is the King's personal guard, and you also came from Dragon Sky City." Thales frowned and looked at Marquis Slays: "Your Excellency arrived at almost the same time as the White Blade Guard, but you didn't run into them before?"

Nicolai and Slade exchanged a glance.

The latter smiled and said, "Perhaps it's because of the wind and snow? That's why we didn't notice each other?"

“No,” Thales narrowed his eyes, “they are the best elite troops in all of Exter, there’s no way they didn’t notice you.”

“Of course not.” Putila picked up where his prince left off, nodding in realization. “That’s the White Blade Guard, a renowned and powerful army in the North. Among all the Exter, only the ‘Glacier Watch’ can rival it—although both have experienced numerous destructions and reconstructions… Finding a cavalry unit that close by would be a piece of cake.”

Nikolai snorted softly

Smiley laughed heartily.

“And,” Thales said, emphasizing each word, “you appeared one after the other, almost at the same time…”

"That's too suspicious."

Shrew raised an eyebrow, shook his head, and chuckled.

Thales looked at him in surprise, then exchanged a glance with Putila.

“Enough, Your Excellency,” Nicolai said calmly. “It is time to fulfill His Majesty’s request.”

His Majesty's instructions?
Thales looked at Nicolai, then at Srace, and his suspicions became clearer and clearer.

"You're all in cahoots."

Thales figured it out.

He looked around and saw the Black Sand Territory army marching in an orderly fashion in the distance.

Tuleha continued to lead scouts to reconnoiter the road.

Kambida was discussing the next steps with one of his subordinates.

The soldiers of Black Sand Territory dutifully guarded the surrounding area.

Thales took a slow breath.

“Your Highness,” Putila said calmly, having understood what was going on, “it seems we’ve found ourselves in a terrible situation again.”

“Alas,” Thales sighed, raising his head and looking intently at the Exter and Cornmas before him: “This is all King Nunn’s will, isn’t it?”

"Since we've come this far," Srace said with a smile, "Why doesn't Your Highness take another guess?"

Thales stared at him intently.

A few seconds later, Thales calmly said, "Lord Nicolai... you did not come to the Black Sands Duke's army by chance, nor did you come to clash with us by chance."

His gaze fell on Nikolai, who continued to stare straight ahead, seemingly ignoring him.

But a second later, the Meteorite, contrary to his previous coldness, slowly spoke.

“Of course not,” Nicolai said coldly. “One of the things I hate most in my life is stepping into the Rumba’s military camp, and…”

The Meteorite turned his head, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Why would I have the time to kidnap a little brat who hasn't even grown all his teeth yet?"

Thales ignored Nicolai's disrespect; his heart pounded and his brain began to work at full speed.

If it wasn't a coincidence... then last night...

“It seems you don’t do this kind of thing often, Lord Meteor,” Thales said with a wry smile. “No wonder something felt off yesterday… I guess my acting was too stiff.”

Putila gently took out his pipe, his brow furrowed.

Nicolai and Shrews exchanged a glance.

"I've heard that you are a prince who is eloquent and thoughtful?" Marquis Slay winked meaningfully. "A genius who could astound everyone at the state conference at the age of seven, Your Highness Thales?"

Thales was slightly taken aback: "That's what people are saying about me?"

Not so good.

Has his every word and action at the state conference made him so famous? “You are far more famous than you think, boy,” Nicolai said calmly on horseback, his posture steady yet unsettling. “The Stars have found their only prince and heir, and then announced your existence to the entire kingdom.”

Marquis Slays, standing to the side, nodded and smiled.

“So, Marquis Slays from the Comass Alliance,” Thales frowned, turning to the middle-aged marquis with the blond ponytail, “you’re not here simply to visit me. There’s only one purpose for you coming to the Rumba camp at that time!”

Srace smiled and bowed slightly on his horse.

“As an envoy from a third country, we will stop the White Blade Guard from clashing with us!” Thales looked at Srace with unwavering determination.

"As for you, Lord Nicolai, as an enemy of the Starry Sky royal family, you were specially sent to provoke us, weren't you?" Thales then turned to Nicolai.

“We should have fought,” Nikolai said coldly. “The White Blade Guard would have beaten your men to a pulp.”

“I will appear before things get out of control, and the White Blade Guard will back down out of respect for the envoy of Cornmas,” Marquis Slays said with a mysterious smile, picking up where Nicolai left off. “But the terrible relationship between Prince Thales and King Nunn will be seen by everyone in the camp.”

Wyatt and Rolf both looked at Thales in surprise, then at Nicolai.

“Keep your hostility going, Wyatt, Rolf,” Puttier said, having figured something out. He lightly lit his pipe, his expression unchanged. “Let those Black Sand Territories see that our relationship with Lord Nicolai is very bad—very bad.”

Wyman's eyes widened.

“Lord Nicolai, you originally planned to use provocation and conflict to show others King Nunn’s attitude towards me,” Thales said quietly, lowering his head. “But my unreasonable behavior has made it harder for you to act, hasn’t it?”

Nikolai did not answer.

“To be honest, when I arrived as planned and saw the peaceful scene between you all,” Srace nodded, “I found it quite strange, and even wondered if my watch had been running fast and I had arrived a little early.”

"What happened?" Thales asked calmly. "Why do we have to put on such a show at Lumba's camp? Who is it for? Lumba?"

“It’s not just for him to see,” Srace said calmly, “it’s also for his spies and informants in his army.”

“Go on,” Thales said solemnly.

“The news of your impending arrival in Dragonsreach has already reached almost all the lords and nobles of Exeter via the ravens,” Nicolai coldly continued. “The visit of the Star Prince is the biggest event in the kingdom at the end of the year—for this reason, His Majesty has extended invitations to the nine Grand Dukes outside of Dragonsreach, and at least five of them have responded and are already or about to arrive in Dragonsreach, awaiting your arrival.”

“You mean… because of my arrival,” Thales slowly sorted out his tangled thoughts, “King Nuen specifically invited these grand dukes to Dragonrise City? Why? And what does this have to do with the spies in the Lumba army?”

“The people who plotted to kill our Prince Moral,” Nikolai tightened his white cloak and said calmly, “were not just the Grand Duke of Black Sand. Chaman Lumba used his proximity to the stars to collude with Aarond abroad, but there were other forces within the country who conspired with Lumba and even orchestrated the plot to kill His Highness.”

"His Majesty Nunn, who has lost his last heir," Thales frowned, "...is his enemy, Lumba's collaborator, among the several dukes who are about to arrive in Dragonsreach?"

“The ambitious can rest easy, but given His Majesty Nunn’s character, he will not stand idly by while his enemies commit such crimes and remain at large.” Srace nodded slightly and sighed, “Walton’s vengeful fury is more intense and simpler than we imagined, and someone must take it on.”

"He wants revenge?" Putila said slowly, "Revenge against the real culprit?"

“I thought it would be me,” Thales said with a self-deprecating laugh. “A father driven mad with rage kills the murderer’s son to pay for his son’s life…isn’t that perfectly normal?”

“This is exactly what the enemy wants, and it’s also the appearance we hope the enemy will see.” Srace blinked. “His Majesty Nunn is a wise king. He knows who should be held responsible for this matter, and he also knows that if Star and Exter were to go to war at this time, it would play right into the hands of the ambitious and would be extremely unwise.”

“But why would Your Excellency, Marquis, join us?” Putila stared intently at Slays. “I thought you should be the one from Cornass.”

“I’ll do His Majesty Nunn a favor,” Marquis Slays grinned, revealing his bright white teeth, “and in return, he’ll do me a favor in the trade between the two countries.”

Ada snorted coldly.

At that moment, Nikolai sneered.

"In short, this is the message His Majesty entrusted to me... His Highness the Second Prince of Xingchen."

“For the common good of Your Highness and His Majesty Nunn, he invites you to join his revenge,” Nikolai’s eyes burned with fire. “The hunter has sharpened his sword, the traps and snares are in place, and the prey is doomed.”

"Can I say no?" Thales frowned, looking at Putila with a complicated expression.

“You know,” Nicolai said meaningfully, “the rage of revenge always needs an outlet.”

Thales slumped his head.

“I think I understand what you mean,” Thales said a few seconds later, letting out a sigh of sadness. “His Majesty Nunn is the hunter, the White Blade Guard is his sword, yesterday’s drama and attitude were a trap, the meeting in Dragon City was the final trap, and Lumba’s collaborator is the prey.”

"So what are you? Your Excellency Marquis?" Thales turned to Srace, his expression indifferent: "A pickaxe for digging traps?"

Srace coughed awkwardly.

“No wonder King Nunn invited me,” Thales said with a grim expression. “After all is said and done, he only lacks one thing, doesn’t he?”

Thales turned and looked around at Nicolai and Slade.

But neither of them spoke.

One of them looked at him with a playful gaze, while the other stared at him with a sharp look.

Thales sighed, closed his eyes, looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh, uttering that final word:
"Bait".

----

Exter, Dragon City, Westbound Highway.

A man from the Far East saw off the last guest and slowly closed the door of the house.

He turned his head slightly and looked at the new, uninvited guest in the store.

"I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."

Inside the recently closed butcher shop, Gu looked at the young man in white before him with a solemn expression.

"I travel relatively quickly," the young man said casually.

"What's your name?" Gu took off his apron and stared at the young man.

“Raphael,” the young man said lightly, “or, according to the custom of the Far East, you can call me Ra.”

“That’s not how single-character surnames are pronounced in the Far East,” Gu said coldly.

Humph.

Morat's little brat.

However, even the youngest snake cubs, as long as they come from the Kingdom's Secret Department...

Gu reminded himself secretly.

They are all extremely poisonous.

“Is that so? Never mind, it’s irrelevant anyway,” Raphael said nonchalantly as he slowly sat down in a chair. “Let’s get down to business.”

"Boom!"

A dull thud.

Gu slammed the boning knife hard onto the cutting board.

He hates this feeling.

Raphael waited for the other party's reply without caring.

“I have lured the Black Sword to Dragon Sky City as you requested,” Gu said, his eyes closed in anguish, “using the information you gave me.”

"Oh?" Raphael's eyes lit up. "What about his whereabouts and condition?"

“I don’t know,” Gu said, suppressing his displeasure. “But Black Sword came by yesterday. He said he was looking for a doctor, but I don’t know how long he will stay in Dragon City… Maybe he’ll leave after he finds one.”

“He won’t,” Raphael chuckled. “He’ll stay long enough until he finds his purpose.”

"Hmph, how did you know?" Gu tried to dispel his guilt for betraying his old friend. He clenched his fist and thought of that figure from the past: "Black Sword is the strongest swordsman I have ever seen. He is not someone you can easily manipulate."

"Even the most terrifying beings have weaknesses." The young man in white stood up, his posture elegant.

Gu frowned.

Black sword.

“You know, after all, you were the one who passed on the message to him,” Raphael chuckled. “The information we used to lure him out was a bombshell. Black Sword wouldn’t let go of such an opportunity as long as there was even the slightest chance.”

Raphael's gaze sharpened, a strange light flashing in his pupils:
"The instigator of disasters and tragedies."

"The origin of everything..."

"Senses Mage".

To celebrate reaching 600,000 words, here's two more updates.

This volume will soon reach its end.

In addition, with exams approaching, updates will be less frequent.

By Wujian, who looked completely serious.

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(End of this chapter)