Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 140 The Scarlet Witch

If Thales were to compile a list of "most trusted people" in the Star Palace, then Yordles, who never shows his true face, would almost undoubtedly be number one—from escaping from Red Street to encountering danger at the Wild Grass Manor, and then to the assassination attempt in front of the Palace of Restoration, the masked guard has risked his life to save Thales many times, and most recently he almost lost his life for him.

Moreover, the Masked Guardian was the only person in the Star Palace who knew his "Calamity" identity and still kept it a secret for him, a fact that Thales cherished greatly.

But it wasn't until now, when he heard the name of the Yordle in the Dragon Kingdom, that Thales realized how little he knew about this mysterious royal secret guard. He knew nothing about his appearance, age, background, personality, or experiences.

He had to admit with shame that Yodl was more like a familiar stranger to him, having done so much for him, yet he had never cared about her well-being.

No, there are still some—Thales thought: Gilbert had told him that Yodl and Exter's "Five Warriors" had a deep-seated grudge.

For example, he stabbed Tuleha, the "Fire Knight" of Black Sand Territory, in the back...

This is also why he was unable to come to Exter.

But the suspicious points about this masked guard go far beyond these few—Thales recalled their last and most sincere long talk in the Mindis Hall, and his heart tightened.

Yodl.

No.

Thales shook his head, trying his best not to think about the possible dark side of the masked guard, after all, he had saved him many times later.

And now...

A burst of laughter came from the other side of the hall, seemingly from a dozen or so northern nobles playing some game.

Thales then turned his attention back to the kind old woman in front of him.

This old woman from Exter claimed to be a Yordle...

“Madam, you, Yodl,” Thales looked at the old woman named Cassan, trying to find any similarities between them besides “mystery,” and hesitated before asking, “Mother?”

"Please don't doubt it. At my age, I wouldn't joke about my son." Cassan smiled and shook her head.

Thales nodded awkwardly and looked to Putila for help.

How is this going?

Who exactly is this old lady?
But Putila continued to stare at the old woman warily, and shook his head slightly in response to Thales's glance.

“I haven’t seen him in a long time, and I miss him especially,” Cassan said, seemingly oblivious to the exchange of glances between Thales and Putila. Her eyes were filled with reminiscence and affection as she continued, “That boy has always been quiet… stubborn and not good at expressing himself. It’s really worrying to see him alone.”

"He must have caused you a lot of trouble during his time serving the royal family."

Thales was taken aback.

He doesn't talk much.

Stubborn.

I'm bad at expressing myself.

The masked guard's taciturn and silent figure appeared before his eyes.

Following that were the words Yodl spoke to himself in the Hall of Mindis and when he mysteriously appeared in the Hall of Stars.

You will be better than him.

“Please don’t worry,” Thales said, pursing his lips. “I believe he’s fine now…”

Another uproar erupted in the noisy hall—two guests had actually started fighting at the table.

Thales suddenly realized that he had been unconsciously following Cassan's lead.

He quickly shut his mouth and looked at Cassan warily.

But the other person still smiled kindly: "Knowing that he's doing well puts my mind at ease."

“Please be understanding of his shortcomings. After all, as a mother, I know my child well,” Cassan nodded reassuringly, then sighed, “Young Yod has a rare kind of kindness in him.”

Thales gave an ugly laugh, the image of Yordles wielding his sword in the darkness, taking lives with a swift stroke.

Kind-hearted?

A question inevitably arose in his mind: Yodl's mother? Why was she in Exter?
This old woman...

Wait a minute.

Old woman?
A memory flashed through his mind like lightning.

"what!"

Thales looked at Cassan, and with a start, cried out in surprise.

The old woman still smiled at the second prince under the stars, her posture elegant and her expression kind.

Thales remembered.

On the day he left Everstar City for Exter, the king and lords came to see him off.

The last person to approach and speak to him was a frightening old man dressed in black and leaning on a cane…

When you arrive in Exeter, please pass on a message to an old woman for this old man.

You'll see when you see it.

"Could you be...?" Thales' eyes widened.

Cassan smiled kindly as before: "Hmm?"

“Um, I’m sorry… but… an elder seems to have mentioned something about you,” Thales realized his blunder and said awkwardly, “You know…”

"An elder?" The old woman Cassan smiled even more broadly. "Let me guess, is he a sinister old man who likes to lurk in the shadows and is always dressed in black? I heard he's started using a cane in the last few years?"

Thales frowned. "You know Morat?"

His vigilance instantly spiked.

The guy that the head of the secret service specifically mentioned... he couldn't think of any other adjective besides "dangerous".

Upon hearing the name of the Black Prophet, Putila frowned as she looked at her prince.

“I can imagine how you feel, Your Highness,” Cassan said with a smile. “I suppose knowing him isn’t something to be happy about, is it?”

Thales had the answer.

Perhaps Morat was reminding and warning himself.

The second prince sighed: "He said that if I were to encounter an old woman who came up to me in Exter... I'm sorry, that's... that's Morat's exact words."

"It's ok."

“That old man looks polite, but he doesn’t know anything about manners,” Cassan shook her head dismissively, her wrinkles smoothing out. “He’s a heartless man’s best friend, but I don’t fall for his tricks.”

A heartless man?
Thales opened his mouth slightly in surprise, then tried his best to close it.

This sentence contains a lot of information.

He turned his head away, embarrassed, and said, “Actually, the Black Prophet… I mean Lord Morat Hansen, asked me to pass on a message to you.”

“You actually sent a prince to deliver a message to me,” Cassan raised an eyebrow, revealing a pair of equally amused eyes beneath her narrowed eyelids. “I’m really looking forward to it, Your Highness.”

Thales felt a great deal of pressure from the peaceful smile of the old woman in front of him.

Compared to the aggressive and tangible pressure he felt when facing the Black Prophet, Granny Cassandra's gentle and friendly manner, coupled with the information that made him cringe, left him feeling incredibly embarrassed and helpless, unsure of how to respond.

“He said…” Thales chuckled dryly:

"Don't cross the line."

The words fell.

Thales suddenly noticed that the old woman in front of him had a strange expression on her face.

Do not cross the line.

Cassan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, sighed, and lowered her head, her expression complex and difficult to decipher.

She murmured softly, "So what?"

Before Thales, still full of doubts, could react, Cassans put away her reminiscence and smiled again.

“You are in a difficult situation now, Your Highness, struggling to survive between the stars and the dragons, and barely holding on in the vortex of the king and the grand duke,” Cassan looked Thales up and down with a gentle gaze. “But believe me, compared to Morat… none of this matters.”

The next moment, to the bewildered looks of Thales and Putila, the old woman nodded gracefully, then turned and left: "Thank you for your time."

Thales withdrew his gaze from the old woman's slowly departing figure. He couldn't help but notice that along the path she walked, nobles, servants, and guards alike bowed respectfully and made way for her.

Thales frowned.

He had a rough idea of ​​who the other person was.

“My God,” came Wyman’s low exclamation from behind them, “I just saw the Scarlet Witch?”

Thales turned to look at his attendant.

“I’m sorry, I thought they all…you know, they don’t easily appear in public.” Wyman looked surprised.

"Them?" Thales sighed, grabbing a piece of buttered bread with a sigh. "So, I guessed right after all?"

"That Granny Cassan, she is..."

“That’s right,” Putila replied solemnly, using the bard’s poetry he was most skilled at:
"The stars shine, but the darkest places are pitch black."

"A giant dragon soars through the sky, casting endless shadows beneath its wings."

Thales and Wyatt looked at the bard's deputy together.

“That lady is a terrifying figure on par with the ‘Black Prophet’ of the Kingdom’s Secret Service,” Putila said in a low voice, his eyes filled with a fierce light. “She is the highest-ranking official in Exter’s ‘Dark Room’.”

"'Red Witch' Cassan".

Thales, whose head was as big as a bucket, rolled his eyes.

"To be able to establish herself in Exte's court as a woman, and to be called a wicked witch by people—beware, Your Highness, she is not just here for the spectacle."

“You might not believe it, but after seeing that lady,” Thales said dejectedly, taking a bite of bread and looking at the two Northmen fighting fiercely hand-to-hand in the distance, “I miss Morat terribly.”

"And who is the Yordle?" Putila looked at Thales with suspicion. "Serving the royal family?"

“This… um, a royal secret.” Thales picked up a metal fork and plunged it hard into the onion in front of him.

The secret bodyguard of the Supreme King of the Stars is actually the son of the intelligence chief of Exter... Sigh, another bottomless pit of gossip.

At this banquet specially arranged for the arrival of the Star Prince and the gathering of the five Grand Dukes, the Star Prince, as the nominally welcomed guest, was undoubtedly quite neglected. Fortunately, no trouble occurred. Some northern nobles who were just watching the show occasionally came up to greet him, and Thales was able to return the greeting appropriately with Putila's guidance.

As for those who got drunk and started to provoke others, there were some... but Lord Michael always managed to allocate manpower at the right time, pulling away wave after wave of drunkards.

Thales was able to enjoy his feast—even though a seven- or eight-year-old child can't eat much.

"How much longer?" Several hours later, looking at the still lively hall, Thales asked Wyatt beside him listlessly, "I feel like I'm turning into a Northman."

Just moments ago, a group of drunken, sworn enemies among nobles sparked a brawl that engulfed three battlefields, further agitating the already noisy hall until the White Blade Guards and palace guards rushed forward to stop them—with their fists.

"It's been a long time. It's only 11 p.m. now." Wyman frowned, looking incredulously into the distance. A guest with a bruised and swollen face was helped back to the table, cursing and swearing as he downed another glass of wine, then threw the glass at another person's face.

The prince's attendant shook his head and said, "I have heard from my friends in the North that the feasts at Exter often last until dawn—especially since this is the king's banquet, which represents the prestige of Dragonsreach City, and five dukes are gathered here."

Thales shook his head listlessly.

The already casual order in the hall began to gradually collapse, with drunkards staggering around, and some nobles leaving the hall with their maids, after which strange noises could be heard from outside.

Even the ministers and attendants around the five dukes began to leave their seats and join in the boisterous banquet.

King Nunn and Nikolai had long since left their seats, leaving only Myrk calmly overseeing the banquet.

As for Putila... Thales squinted at the gaunt Star man in the arena who was arm in arm with countless northerners, laughing heartily from time to time, and even daring to drink with them, and couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

How come this guy fits in so well?
Thales slammed his face on the table and let out a painful sigh: "Please tell me, banquets in the Star Kingdom aren't this crazy."

"Probably not." Wyman smiled awkwardly.

"of course not!"

Thales looked up and saw Putilai carrying a barrel of rye liquor specially supplied by Valhalla, swaying with his eyes closed as he walked over, clicking his tongue and saying, "The banquets of the stars are more civilized and more proper. The madness is all hidden underneath, such as the rendezvous rooms specially prepared by the host, the bushes in the garden, and the quiet, deserted basement."

"As far as I know, your father, our King Kessel, was an expert in this field when he was young."

Thales rolled his eyes at him.

But Putila opened her eyes, her expression changing slightly.

The deputy envoy of the Stars said calmly, "I received a signal from Srace."

Thales was invigorated.

“The King has left his seat, and those around the five Grand Dukes are also slumped over,” Putilai said solemnly.

"I think it's time to go and have a talk with them."

As the banquet drew near midnight, Grand Duke Lebian Aurelius of Wilan, accompanied by two attendants, stepped out of the hall and stood by a quiet window outside the banquet hall, gazing at the moon.

It seems they are waiting for someone.

Until I heard two footsteps, one large and one small, behind me.

Archduke Aurelius turned around.

He immediately frowned.

"You were the one who asked me to meet up?"

The Grand Duke clutched the slip of paper that had just been passed to him, staring incredulously at the person before him—Prince of Stars, Thales Starlight.

With Wyatt by his side, Thales looked at the Grand Duke's bushy beard and smiled broadly: "Yes."

Aurelius looked at Thales in front of him, then at the note in his hand, and his expression gradually changed.

Thales took a deep breath.

coming.

It's time to start.

He heard himself slowly speak: "Your Excellency the Grand Duke..."

Just then, Archduke Aurelius suddenly snorted coldly, interrupting him.

Thales paused mid-sentence, startled.

"boring."

Aurelius glanced at him dismissively and shook his head.

Then turned and left.

Thales' eyes widened.

Am I really that annoying?

“I went to great lengths to secure this opportunity for a private meeting, Your Excellency.” Thales stepped forward, frowning behind him. “At least let’s hear what I have to say!”

“There’s nothing to talk about with a seven-year-old.” Aurelius showed no intention of turning back.

Thales gritted his teeth.

no solution anymore.

The next moment, the second prince of the Starry Sky shouted loudly at the back of the Grand Duke of Weilan:
"Rabian Olesius!"

"Do you know who is about to become the next King of Exter?"

Archduke Aurelius paused abruptly.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Thales with a strange expression.

Under Aurelius's strange gaze, Thales gasped excitedly:
"Rumba..."

Aurelius's expression changed slightly.

Thales calmed his breathing slightly, raised his head, and looked firmly at the bearded man:

"Grand Duke of Black Sand Territory, Chaman Lumba!"

Thank you Minnea for the grammar correction! My English is terrible, I'm so embarrassed.

I apologize that I cannot reply directly, but thank you all for your encouragement! I will check back regularly!

Thank you so much "Dao Xuan An" for the generous donation!

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(End of this chapter)