Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 147 The Path of the North
In the council chamber of Valhalla, everyone from the grand dukes to the king's close advisors, and even the White Blade Guards and ordinary Valhalla guards, stared intently at Grand Duke Peffert.

Among them, the gaze from King Nuen was particularly terrifying.

It's like a legendary evil dragon that chooses its prey to devour people.

The attendants behind Grand Duke Pefit were all pale-faced. Many of them looked up as if they were meeting for the first time, their eyes filled with shock and astonishment as they stared at their lord in disbelief.

Watching all this, Thales sighed slightly: "Sometimes, moving too fast isn't a good thing."

Faced with all this, the young Grand Duke Pefit simply pursed his lips and remained silent.

“Not only that,” said Nikolai, the commander of the White Blade Guard behind him, looking coldly at the Grand Duke with disdain in his eyes, “when our men at the city gates stopped them…”

“These people from Beacon City showed no intention of responding; instead, they drew their swords,” Nikolai’s voice grew softer and more unsettling, “until I personally killed the one among them who was at the Extreme Realm.”

The followers of Fengzhao City looked at each other with grim expressions, gritting their teeth and bowing their heads.

“Conkley? You?” Archduke Aurelius stared blankly at Archduke Pefit: “I thought that Beacon City, being the closest, had always been Dragon Sky City’s most trusted ally…”

"Clearly, the facts are different from what we suspected." Trudida, standing beside him, let out a helpless sigh. "Guess how this is going to end tonight?"

The king's voice rang out at just the right moment:
"The end?" King Nunn VII let out a chilling laugh, his gaze fixed on the silent Pefit. "Believe me, gentlemen..."

"Tonight's ending will be terrible..."

No one answered.

Grand Duke Peffert remained silent, his head bowed.

"boom!"

Grand Duke Ronnie, with a cold and stern expression, slammed his hand hard on the table, the sound echoing in the hall.

“We are people of the North,” Ronnie raised his head, looking at each of the Grand Dukes, his voice filled with disappointment and resentment: “not those Southern Empire people who live by intrigue and assassination!”

“Uh,” Thales pursed his lips and said in a low voice, “Thank you for the compliment.”

“Speaking of which, this really surprises me,” a sly glint appeared in Grand Duke Trudida’s eyes: “Our little guest from the stars… are you really only seven years old?”

“A little viper,” Aurelius said coldly, staring at Thales, “with a special sensitivity to intrigue.”

Thales took a deep breath.

A conspiracy? No.

He thought to himself.

From the assassination of the Exter delegation, to the war between stars and dragons, to the struggle for Dragonslayer Fortress, to the magic gun fired at himself, to Rumba, to Peffert… everything is connected.

That surge of energy welled up in his mind, making Thales' thoughts quicker and clearer. As in the past, different elements and events were clearly laid out before him.

“This is not a simple conspiracy,” Thales heard himself say.

“A lot has happened at the end of this year,” the second prince of the Stars closed his eyes, sorting things out in his mind one by one, “but for Exter, nothing is more important than Prince Moral’s assassination in the Stars.”

"However, this is not an isolated incident, but a whole terrifying chain of conspiracies that spans the two most powerful nations in the Western Continent."

Scenes from the past reappeared before my eyes.

The Duke of the North's ferocious expression.

King Kessel's outburst of rage.

The various gazes of the celestial lords.

The Black Sands Grand Duke's emotionless gaze.

King Nunn VII's despair.

And now, the Exter people in Valhalla.

Thales gently opened his eyes, his gaze filled with solemnity:
"This plan cleverly exploited the long-standing contradictions and hatred between the two countries, which were amplified by the Treaty of the Fortresses."

"The plan's implementers turned it into a sharp blade aimed at each other's domestic interests, attempting to reshape their respective positions and reshape the situation in the West amidst the turmoil."

Everyone in the Hall of Heroes stared intently at the Star Prince, even slowing their breathing.

Only Lord Putila Niemann, the Star Envoy behind Thales, frowned slightly, as if he were worried about something.

"First, Prince Moral was murdered within the Star Kingdom, and then a war was instigated between the Star Kingdom and Exter. The Star Kingdom was weakened by internal strife with its own nobles, and King Kessel abdicated in defeat and condemnation. The Duke of the North, Val Arend, with the support of the masses, took on the power and crown of the supreme king of the Star Kingdom, bearing the glory of fighting against Exter."

Thales lowered his head and spoke softly, as if he were describing something that had nothing to do with him.

"Like the two wings of a butterfly, this is only one wing within the Star Kingdom; as for the wing in Exter..."

Grand Duke Peffert's fists clenched unconsciously.

Thales' voice continued to drift in:

"The death of Prince Moral shattered the Walton family's hopes of winning the throne, and King Nunn's wrath fueled the war. Under the pretext of avenging the king, Grand Duke Lomba launched a daring invasion, conquering the Starry North amidst chaos and with the help of his inside men, gaining unprecedented prestige and benefits. Ultimately, this Grand Duke of Black Sands will return with the glory of the battlefield, successfully winning the throne with overwhelming prestige."

"Once the plan is complete, the stars and the dragon will change masters amidst their mutual hatred and be reborn from the ashes."

Thales paused for a moment, then concluded softly:

"A sophisticated, grand, adventurous, ambitious, and terrifying plan that combines creativity and audacity."

The five dukes each had a different expression.

Ronnie's expression was somber, Aurelius was deep in thought amidst his shock, Trudida glanced sideways at the others in the hall, and the bald old Leco blinked, his emotions unreadable.

Grand Duke Peffert's breathing gradually became heavier.

“Young man, you think too much and have too much ambition,” Grand Duke Lyco’s cloudy eyes flickered slightly as he asked Pefit, “However, your unnecessary assassination attempt on the Star Prince has only exposed you?”

Peffert did not answer him, but stared blankly at the ground, as if everything around him did not exist.

“I think it wasn’t unnecessary—he had no choice but to do it.” Thales raised his eyebrows. “I just realized that the assassination attempt on me in front of the fortress was to completely destroy Rumba.”

Grand Duke Lecce turned to him.

“According to the original plan, Lumba would ascend the throne and become King Chaman—I don’t know which generation that name refers to.” Thales turned to Peffert:
"And you, Grand Duke Pefit, are his most secret collaborator in Exter."

Finally, Pfeiffer raised her head, but did not look at anyone.

“But the problem is, the plan failed at the very first stage,” Thales sighed.

“Prince Morar was assassinated, but the Starry Sky’s inside man failed—my appearance prevented the Northern Duke from starting the war as planned,” he frowned, recalling the events in the Restoration Palace, and then Sonia and Arakka in the fortress. “Lumba also failed to unite the forces of the three Southern Grand Dukes to invade Starry Sky, let alone take Dragon Fortress—the war between Starry Sky and the Dragons simply cannot begin!”

"Grand Duke Lombard cannot take the crown he is determined to obtain with the glory of conquering the northern border of the stars."

Grand Duke Pefit exhaled softly, letting out a low, labored breath.

“What’s worse is… with Val Arend’s defeat at the Stars, Chaman Lumba’s plot has been exposed,” Thales said with a wry smile. “The enraged King Nunn will come seeking his revenge and make Lumba and Black Sands pay the price.”

“Ah,” King Nuen said casually, stroking the black ring on his hand behind the long table, “Indeed.”

The dukes exchanged a glance.

“So,” Thales nodded, “Lumba is doomed. Neither His Majesty Nunn nor Dragon City will let him go.”

Under the watchful eyes of the grand dukes, he nodded to the expressionless Peffer.

“In this situation, if Rumba is truly driven to the brink—how could Rumba’s collaborator possibly escape unscathed? Knowing Rumba’s nature, he would definitely drag his collaborator down with him,” Thales shook his head.
"For his own survival, Grand Duke Pefit must take the initiative and eliminate past collaborators and future threats completely..."

Grand Duke Ronnie, with his long hair, snorted coldly.

“Once the Star Prince dies in Black Sand Territory, and Rumba is stained with the Star Prince’s blood…” Thales walked back to Putila’s side and sneered, “then for the sake of the Star’s throne, even before His Majesty Nuen makes a move, the Star’s dukes will come wave after wave to tear Rumba and Black Sand Territory to pieces—I think the other grand dukes would be happy to see it happen.”

"Only then will you be completely safe."

As the Star Prince finished speaking...

In the hall, many people uttered sighs with different intentions: some were amused, some regretful, some saddened, some indignant, and some angry.

The next second, the young Grand Duke Pefit finally turned his head slowly, his cold gaze, no longer gentle and friendly, piercing through Thales before turning back to look at King Nunn VII at the other end of the long table.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

A slow, rhythmic round of applause rang out from the other end of the long table.

King Nuen clapped his hands expressionlessly.

But no one responded to him.

“This deserves applause,” the old king said, clapping with an unsettling rhythm and tone, “for our guests from the stars…”

Thales rolled his eyes in exasperation—he could sense that the gazes directed at him in the hall held a newfound thoughtfulness and apprehension.

"And for you, my most trusted Duke of Fengzhao City, Conkley Peffert, a long-time ally of the Walton family, the leader of the Peffert family, and my most trusted ally."

The gazes of the King of Gongju and the Grand Duke of Fengzhao City finally met in the air.

On one side is complexity and anger, on the other is numbness and indifference.

“Say something, Conkley,” King Nunn’s voice became muffled and subdued, echoing in the fire-lit council chamber, creating a strange sense of suffocation: “until you can no longer speak.”

"At least, you can try to choose how you die?"

Grand Duke Peffert suddenly curled the corners of his mouth into a sinister and terrifying smile.

"How to die?" he murmured.

Behind Peffert, a disarmed follower whispered with a worried expression, "My lord, perhaps we should..."

The next moment, Pfeiffer turned his face, his expression full of anger, and said coldly to his subordinates:

"Shut up."

The attendant paused, sighed, and fell silent.

Peffert turned around, his facial muscles twitching, his teeth clenched, his expression shifting between resentment and anger.

"Hmph." The young Grand Duke sneered.

"Do you want me to say something..." The young grand duke's laughter grew longer and longer.

Thales frowned.

King Nuen's expression remained unchanged.

“Hahaha,” Peffert shook his head with a mocking expression, “What else can I say?”

The next moment, he turned around abruptly, his eyes, sharp as a hawk's, scanning the entire room.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Peffert’s cold words caused everyone’s expression to change.

“I came to Dragon City at His Majesty’s invitation to discuss important matters concerning the relations between our two countries,” Pefit said with a cold smile, glancing around before extending his hand to Thales. “Then, my most respected and irresistible King of the Union, together with a prince from an enemy country with whom he has a blood feud, accused me of murdering Prince Moral?”

"And the reason?" Peffert turned around abruptly, her face contorted with rage, startling Thales.

"Just because I wanted to leave the banquet early? Because I wanted to get back to my territory sooner? Because my men had an unnecessary conflict with the White Blade Guard at night? And even lost an Extreme Realm guard!"

Pfeiffer gasped for breath and pounded his chest.

"This is a shameless slander!"

"Go to hell, Pefit!" one of the king's ministers spat disdainfully. "A coward's defense!"

“Oh my,” Grand Duke Trudida chuckled, squinting, “this is really not the little Conkley I know—quite a surprise.”

“We all heard what the child said and saw your reaction. Even now, are you still going to try to deny it?” Aurelius frowned. “Don’t forget, you’re a northerner.”

"Solution?" Peffert retorted loudly, his eyes widening as if he were going crazy.

"From the beginning until now, it's all been this damned brat spouting nonsense!" Peffert roared, pointing at Thales.
"And you bunch of fools, you've been completely fooled by him, by a prince of a star, by the remnants of an empire!"

Thales shrugged helplessly and exchanged a glance with Putila behind him.

The Marquis of Slay, standing nearby, chuckled and whispered, “Wow—to see this in the Exte court is truly a performance worth the trip.”

Pefit turned around and glared angrily at King Nunn.

"I murdered Prince Moral?"

"I collaborated with Rumba?" "I orchestrated the assassination of this brat?"

The Grand Duke roared angrily, his face contorted in fury.

"Is there any evidence?"

“Everyone knows that Moral and I are about the same age and have a close relationship. What reason would I have to harm him?” The young duke’s words caused the others to turn their heads and frown, whispering among themselves: “As you said, Duke Aurelius, the Pefit family is the Walton family’s most powerful ally!”

King Nunn watched Grand Duke Pefit's actions without uttering a word, his eyes growing colder.

"And you, the great yet foolish King Nunn VII, are you going to execute me here?" Pefit shouted at everyone, "With this ridiculous and absurd charge? Just because I want to return to my territory sooner?"

"Just because of that damn brat's nonsense?"

“If I die here,” Grand Duke Pefit gasped, raising his right index finger and gritting his teeth, “Pefit will not forget, and Fengzhao City will not forget…”

"The North will not forget!"

Amidst everyone's furrowed brows, Pfeiffer roared furiously:
"Everyone will know that Walton, the king who has no heir and is driven to despair, has gone mad! He blindly trusts treacherous officials and enemies, persecutes loyal ministers and friends, accuses me without reason, evidence, or logic, and openly slaughters the Grand Duke in Dragonstreet!"

“Everyone will know that this violates Nekaru’s co-governance oath!”

The other dukes watched his performance silently, their eyes filled with sorrow.

Pefit regulated her breathing, a threat creeping into her voice: "After I die, my brother will inherit the Grand Duke's position, and the Pefit family will dominate Dragoncity..."

But just then, King Nuen's applause rang out again.

He interrupted Pfelt, causing him to pause slightly.

“Not bad,” King Nuen’s old, deep voice carried a deep chill: “I always thought you were a polite sissy.”

“I underestimated you. It seems you’re quite a good actor—you should go to Dragon Kiss Academy or the Temple of Dark Night, not here.”

"Bah! This is nothing but a scheme by you to kill me and weaken the Grand Dukes," Grand Duke Pefit retorted fiercely to his king. "What evidence do you have besides conjecture and slander?"

King Nuen chuckled.

"Of course, perhaps you have long lost your mind, don't care about the evidence, don't care who the murderer is, and only want to weaken us dukes!"

Pefit raised his hands, exposing his chest, and stared at the king through gritted teeth: "Then what are we waiting for? Come on, kill me!"

"Let the Exter people see what kind of king they really have!"

“I’ll tell Moral when we get to the River Prison,” Peffert said through gritted teeth, enunciating each word clearly: “His father went mad after his death—and that’s how Walton died in this generation!”

"Boom!"

Upon hearing his deceased son's name, King Nuen slammed his fist on the table.

Peppet ignored him.

“And you, who sat idly by while this trial was conducted without any evidence, who stood by and watched all of this,” Peffert turned and swept his gaze across each of the grand dukes, his eyes blazing with fury, “are next!”

Grand Duke Ronnie shook his head dismissively, his eyes revealing disgust.

The bowl-cut-haired Trudida smiled at him in a friendly manner, revealing eight teeth.

Aurelius stared back at the young Grand Duke without saying a word.

Grand Duke Lecce didn't even look up, seemingly particularly interested in the long table in front of him.

The king's close advisors and confidants all wore thoughtful expressions.

They weren't the only ones who realized the problem.

Thales, who was watching from the sidelines, frowned slightly: Although Peffert seemed to be making a last-ditch effort with sophistry, he was not entirely without reason.

A duke arrived in Dragon City, only to be executed by the king...

What will the people think? How will Fengzhao City react? Will the dukes really remain indifferent?
and.

Although everyone knew perfectly well that it was him, it was Paffet.

But there is indeed no evidence.

Unless Rumba comes forward and identifies Peppeet while admitting to the crime.

Thales' worried gaze kept shifting between the tense Pefit and the stern-faced old king.

What should we do?

The king might really disregard everything and execute...

While everyone was pondering, King Nuen finally spoke.

"evidence?"

The old king tilted his head back, opened his mouth, and burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Pefit was slightly taken aback, and the grand dukes looked at him with puzzlement.

“When have I ever needed evidence?” King Nunn VII’s tone rose slowly. “I only need reasons, I only need the truth.”

Pfeiffer exhaled through his nose and chuckled.

“Hmph, a typical tyrant, even Nekaru would be ashamed of you,” he squinted, “The empire’s vices have resurfaced in you—perhaps this is…”

"Naikaru?"

King Nuen did not let him continue.

“When Nekaru Ex was on her deathbed,” the old king chuckled, cracking his right fist.
"His nephew and heir, the later Noon Walton I, swore an oath as heir to the human hero at his bedside, in the presence of the Sky Queen."

"His last words in his oath later became Walton, and became the family motto of the Dragonlance family."

“Yes,” under the gaze of the entire audience, King Nunn VII lowered his voice and solemnly said slowly, “Son of Northland, way of Northland.”

Grand Duke Pefit paused slightly, a look of confusion on his face.

“Since we are people of the North,” King Nuen clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with anger, yet he suppressed his emotions and continued solemnly:
"We should follow the way of the North."

Everyone's expression changed simultaneously.

Thales thought of a possibility, and his face turned ashen.

King Nuen clapped his hands.

Two footsteps slowly approached from outside the hall.

All eyes were drawn to the two new figures.

Thales recognized the person who had come in, frowned, and looked at Putila.

Putila squinted and shook his head slightly at him.

Peffert stared blankly at the newcomer.

"Come and meet our dear Chief Intelligence Officer," King Nuen raised his hand, introducing the newcomer:
"Mrs. Cassan."

Under Thales's solemn gaze, an old woman he had seen before smiled gently and gave a slight bow to the dukes.

The arrival of the Scarlet Witch, the mistress of the dark room, caused the dukes to frown.

what does this mean?
Ignoring the expressions of the crowd, the king pointed to a woman dressed in a silver-white robe whose face was veiled, and continued in a cold voice, "And the High Priest of the Temple of the Moon, Jewel Holm."

Thales was taken aback.

He saw the mark on the other person: a pair of moons set together, one a crescent moon and the other a full moon.

High Priest of the Bright Moon Temple?

High Priest Holm made no comment, as if everything around her was irrelevant to her.

But neither the dukes nor the king showed any displeasure, as if it were the natural course of events.

This reminded Thales of the Sunset Temple in the Star Kingdom, and the High Priestess Li Xiya.

God.

What role does it play in this world?
"What does this mean?" Pefit stared intently at the king, his face grim.

"What do you mean?" The aged King Nuen sneered and slammed his hand on the long table: "High Priest Holm is here to witness, of course... It is night now, so it would be best if the Goddess of the Moon were to witness it."

Peffert seemed to have guessed something, and the young Grand Duke felt his throat go dry. He croaked, "Witness...witness what?"

"Witness what?"

The old king revealed a smile tinged with anger, then turned to the prince of the stars: "Little Thales, look carefully..."

Thales was startled and snapped out of his thoughts.

King Nuen said calmly:
“The ancient rituals of the North cannot be proposed casually—they require a sufficient number of witnesses, a sufficiently sacred ceremony, and an arbitrator of sufficient status to be effective.”

Ancient rituals of the North?
Thales stared blankly at the aged King Nunn VII, utterly shocked.

No way?
Could it be that……

The dukes and their subjects looked equally surprised, and many even showed fear and panic in their eyes.

"Your Majesty?" A nobleman who appeared to be a government official beside the king frowned and spoke.

But King Nunn VII did not give them any opportunity to ask questions.

The next moment, King Nuen slammed his right hand down on the chair!

"boom!"

Everyone was shocked.

King Exeter, nearing seventy, abruptly rose to his feet, his face contorted with hatred and murderous intent. In a muffled, aged voice, he uttered the following words:
“I, Nunn Nekaru Kahn Walton, am the seventh Nunn in the royal lineage.”

The successor to the Dragon Rider King and Heroes Nekaru and Sara.

The overlord of the northern peoples of the western continent, the guardian of the glacial defense line.

The defenders of the northern peoples, the conquerors of the White Mountains.

Arbitrator of the Golden Corridor, conqueror of the Dragon Fortress.

The forty-fifth co-ruler of the Kingdom of Exter and the Quegur Glacier, and the Grand Duke of Dragonrise City.

"In the presence of the Moon Goddess's representative, at the Imperial Council, and witnessed by the Grand Dukes of Weilan, Rebuilding Tower, Qiyuan City, and Jieshou City, as well as the sole heir to the Star Kingdom's royal family;"

Thales stared blankly at the king's actions, at a loss for what to do.

The grand dukes, including Peffert himself, were equally shocked.

The king continued speaking, his words tinged with chilling resentment and pain:

"For my son, the last heir of the Walton family and Dragonstreet, Moral Bertram Nunn Walton, for the despicable assassination he suffered."

"In the glorious tradition of the North, in the name of blood revenge."

"To you, Conkley Peffert of Beacon City..."

"Issuing a sacred challenge to a duel."

The aged king spoke resolutely, looking at the stunned young grand duke, uttering his final words:

"The duel is declared in the name of the King."

"You have no choice but to accept."

Thank you to the many readers who gave me rewards last week: Kengbixiao, Xiaofengzhishi, Lishuifengtian, Lijian, Huitiaotango dezhu, Xunshanwennai, Buwenjieming, Juxiedafantong, Leyun, and Tomorrow from Chuangshi Station.

I have some bad news for everyone: Wujian has reached the graduation stage, and updates will be unstable in December...

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(End of this chapter)