Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 156 Horrifying
The second prince of Xingchen looked at the old king with a face full of surprise.

“But here I am now,” King Nuen turned to look at him, his tone calm but his eyes complex, “betting the future of the family on a star prince like you.”

Thales suppressed his anxiety and let out a long sigh.

“My two sons,” King Nunn said, his face darkening, “their fates, or rather their misfortunes, are strikingly similar—but I will still stand here, maneuvering the chips, to win a future for Walton.”

Upon hearing King Nunn's words, Thales secretly shook his head: "Nobles and rulers are a different kind of creature, living by power—that's what Putilai told me."

“So you’d better get used to it as soon as possible,” King Nuen said, his somber expression vanishing, replaced by his usual tough and cold demeanor. “For your own good.”

Thales gently closed his eyes.

King Nuen's expression suddenly changed.

He squinted and looked at Thales mysteriously.

“Speaking of which, they didn’t tell you, did they?” the old king clasped his hands together: “the truth about your ‘Year of Blood’…?”

Thales opened his eyes in surprise and looked at King Nunn.

What came to his mind first was Queen Koya's hysteria, followed by the names Saridon and Shadow Shield.

Finally, there is the Shining Star Chamber in the Palace of Rejuvenation.

The second prince slowly shook his head: "They didn't say much."

King Nuen gave a soft snort.

“Then perhaps I shouldn’t say too much.” King Nuen turned his head back: “It’s best not to interfere in the education of the Starry Sky family.”

"Haven't you interfered enough?" Thales thought to himself.

but.

The Kingdom of Exter was a direct participant in the Bloody Year—these invaders from the north.

Thales thought to himself: Maybe he knows something?
“Do you have any special news for me, Your Majesty?” Thales carefully used honorifics, shrugging. “Well, if you really consider me your future grandson-in-law…”

Upon hearing his address and language, King Nuen gave him a meaningful look, and then the old king laughed a few times.

“Look,” the old king winked at him, “you’ll actually adapt very quickly.”

Thales gave him an ugly smile.

“You will know everything else from your teachers, from the Star Kingdom, from your father,” King Nunn stretched out his elbow, his expression subtle. “But I can tell you one thing—as one of the bargaining chips offered to our allies.”

"Something that even your Kingdom's secret service doesn't know."

Thales' expression shifted.

Even the secret service doesn't know?

His breathing began to quicken.

"Who do you think would be the one to carry out such a deadly attack on the Starry Sky royal family?" King Nuen smiled mysteriously: "The real mastermind behind it all."

Thales felt a sense of doubt.

The real... killer?
That mysterious assassin organization, the "Shadow Shield" that Peffert just mentioned?
Gilbert had given him a rough outline, but only said that King Kessel V had “taken revenge for everything he could.”

Thales slowly shook his head.

“The reason is actually very simple, so simple that you won’t believe it,” King Nuen stared at him intently: “The members of the Starry Sky Royal Family were almost all assassinated at the same time by a meticulously planned operation, except for one person.”

“The others may be uncertain, but if the plan goes smoothly, it seems he is the one who will benefit from the Bloody Year?” King Nuen said in a strange tone.

Except for one member of the Shining Star royal family?

Thales had a sudden thought, but he quickly realized what was happening.

“You’re not the first person to accuse my father in front of me and try to sow discord between us,” Thales scoffed.

King Nuen simply continued to stare at him, his eyes filled with a strange light.

His gaze made him feel uneasy.

“Use your brain, future ‘protector of Dragonsreach,’” King Nunn said sarcastically a few seconds later, “I’m not referring to your father.”

Thales frowned, and scoffed, "Then who else are you referring to? Twelve years ago, all the Radiant Stars were..."

Suddenly, Thales was jolted and stunned.

and many more.

Besides Kessel, there is indeed another shining star...

He did not die from murder...

Shinsei, who did not die from the assassination attempt...

Thales recalled Gilbert's words.

In the tragedy of that bloody year, only one prince did not die directly from assassination.

Not really.

Thales felt his heart begin to race.

The prince, his face ashen, looked up at King Nuen in disbelief.

"Twelve years ago, after we breached the Dragon Fortress, we captured Rudolf Southtrod," King Nunn said quietly, placing his hand on 'Triumphant'.

Rudolf Southtrodden?
Immediately, information related to him flashed through Thales' mind, which was...

“He was the Duke of Cliffland at the time,” King Nunn said casually, rubbing his ring. “That guy was tough, but the people of the North despised his cowardly act of refusing to send troops out of the fortress and watching Prince Horace be destroyed.”

Thales recalled his conversation with Putilais when he paid homage to the former second prince, Horace the Star, at the Lehman Pass.

One of the commanders of the Dragon Fortress, the previous Duke of Cliffland who witnessed the Second Prince's demise beneath the fortress, and also the brother of Duke 'One-Eyed Dragon' Gustav Nanthurst.

According to Putila, he was captured by Exter and later died in prison.

“We left him in the dungeon, ignored him, and waited until spring to continue our journey south into the heart of the stars.” Indeed, King Nuen’s account was similar to that of Putilai.

Until the king's next words.

“But when news of the assassination attempt on the Starry Sky royal family arrived, Rudolf, who was barely alive, struggled to see me.” King Nunn’s expression grew increasingly solemn: “In the fortress, he brought me a secret that was beyond my expectations, with tears in his eyes.”

Thales clenched his fists and listened quietly to the king's narration.

"During the days when Rudolf and Horace were guarding the Dragonslayer Fortress together, your Duke of Cliffland discovered something that kept him up at night."

King Nuen's eyes grew increasingly sharp.

"Horace Star, the second prince of the Star Kingdom, the Sword of Light that you are so proud of, once secretly recruited, organized and trained a special mercenary squad from various countries and regions. Because it was outside the royal guard and Star Kingdom's private army, and Prince Horace has always liked to make friends with all kinds of experts and heroes, the entire Star Kingdom has been unaware of it for many years."

“It wasn’t until the day Horace officially put that squad into service,” King Nunn uttered softly, that Rudolf discovered some clues.

Thales couldn't help but feel nervous.

“Rudolf discovered that the squad had been given a mission that year,” King Nunn’s tone turned cold as he enunciated each word: “How to infiltrate, hide, and even invade, without anyone noticing, a fortress that is the most tightly guarded, best-protected, and most impenetrable.”

"Huh?" Thales exclaimed in surprise.

fortress?

His doubts deepened.

“When Horace risked leading his troops to harass our supply lines,” King Nunn nodded, his eyebrows dark and brooding, “Rudolf Nantryster, who had long suspected something, found quite a few things in Prince Horace’s bedroom—from coded communications to secret ledgers.”

King Nuen pulled his outer robe over and pulled out a folded piece of thick cardboard from the inner pocket, saying coldly, "There's this thing too."

Thales looked at King Nunn in astonishment: "You...were prepared all along?"

King Nuen did not speak, but simply shook the stack of thick papers in his hand.

Thales took a deep breath, calmed his trembling hands, took the folded thick paper, and unfolded it.

This paper is made of the finest materials; it feels smooth and sturdy to the touch, and seems to last a long time.

It was more than two meters wide, so Thales had to lay it flat on the ground and spread his arms out before he could begin to observe it.

The drawing on the paper is a map.

The map shows a square building, with top and side views of its plan.

Soon, Thales realized that the map was extremely detailed. It clearly marked the thick walls, the ubiquitous sentry towers, the formidable crossbows, the few narrow entrances, and the important entrances, passages, and rooms within the buildings using different colors and markers.

Thales' pupils suddenly contracted!
This is... could it be...?

Thales pressed his face close to the map, staring intently at every inch of it, not missing a single detail.

Next to the map were densely packed numbers, patterns, and arrows pointing from the front door of the building to the interior.

He read the text above in disbelief.
Guard shift changes, guard numbers, hiding places, available entrances, patrol times at the front and back doors, evacuation routes...

Thales was stunned.

No. That can't be right.

A few minutes later.

The second prince of the stars gently climbed up from the map, his astonishment and shock still lingering on his face.

King Nuen took in his expression.

"Given the war with the stars at the time... I concealed this secret and secretly imprisoned Rudolf in Dragonsreach City—until he died in prison." King Nuen sighed as he revealed the earth-shattering secret.

“You can use this information as leverage when needed,” King Nunn whispered to Thales. “Rudolf Nantrest, the cowardly Duke of Cliffland who has been despised and refused to come to the rescue, has been misunderstood for far too long…”

"He was the one who was truly loyal to Eddie II from beginning to end."

Thales rolled up the map in his hand, his brow furrowing as he gripped it tighter and tighter.

Horace Shining Star.

Mercenary squad.

Rudolf Southtrodden.

How can it be?

“Your father probably doesn’t even know this news,” King Nunn sighed. “In a sense, we Exter have already helped you get rid of the murderer—perhaps you should go and thank Nicolai.”

Thales breathed heavily, recalling the Starry Chamber in the Palace of Restoration, Eddy II's large stone jar, and the few small stone urns beside it.

It took him a while to come out of his daze.

"I don't think this map is something you forged," Thales said absentmindedly.

"What do you think?" King Nuen said dismissively, then downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.

“Who exactly is that mercenary squad that Horace assembled?” Thales looked up and murmured.

“I don’t know, Rudolf didn’t go into details either,” King Nunn said, looking at his empty cup. “He only mentioned that the leader of that mercenary group was strangely skilled…”

"He was also carrying a strange longsword."

Thales sat motionless on the steps, breathing heavily without realizing it.

He was so astonished by the secret that he could barely speak.

"Why did he do that?" After a long while, the second prince asked unconsciously.

“I think he has his reasons,” King Nuen shook his head slightly, his eyes filled with melancholy, “and those reasons are quite valid.”

"What do you mean? Your own reasons?" Thales looked up.

“You will know, your father will tell you,” King Nunn scoffed, but to Thales, the scoff carried more sorrow than mockery: “The cause of the Bloody Year.”

"The Star Disaster".

Thales frowned and slowly clenched his fist.

A few seconds later, he slowly released his grip.

Thales lowered his head, exhaled sharply, and reluctantly handed the paper back to King Nunn.

“You keep it. That thing is too ominous,” the old King of Exter shook his head, pushed his hand away, and said calmly, “Besides,”

"After all, it's you guys..."

"Map of the Palace of Rejuvenation".

----

Dragon City, 4:30 a.m.

In the pitch-black night, inside a shop on Xichi Avenue.

“Let’s just assume the doctor you’re looking for really is in Valhalla—who knows how he’ll sneak in,” Gu, the butcher from the Far East, said with a grim expression to the man before him under the dim light of an ever-burning lamp. “But do you understand the price of saving someone from Valhalla?”

But the man in front of him simply lowered his head and meticulously, almost to the point of nitpicking, wiped the strangely shaped, pitch-black longsword on his leg one last time.

Gu exhaled and, speaking in his Common Tongue with its northern accent, patiently emphasized to the man before him: "You have to climb uphill, avoid the night watchmen and patrols on the main streets, pass through two heavily guarded noble districts, then cross numerous towers and sentries, and reach the gate separating the city from Valhalla before you are discovered and pierced by crossbow bolts and powerful bows, or hacked to death by a hundred or so men with swords and axes..."

The man stood up, tossed aside the rag he had used to wipe his weapons, and raised the strange black sword in his hand, pointing it straight at the ceiling.

Gu continued, "Then climb over the ten-meter-high gate..."

“Tonight is the banquet night at Valhalla,” the man said, raising his head and squinting at his sword as if examining its curve. His unremarkable voice reached Gu’s ears: “The gate will open at dawn. I won’t need to climb the wall, and my chances will be greater than usual.”

"How? Walk past the palace guards inside and outside the gate, even on top of the gate itself, under the moonlight and firelight, right under their eyes, which are wider than fists?" Gu suppressed his breathing, but couldn't help raising his voice:

"Even if you break through the gate, you'll still face countless patrols of Valhalla guards—all elite soldiers rigorously selected from local conscripts, personally trained by instructors from the White Blade Guard, fierce, loyal, brave, alert, and with sharp eyes..."

The man hung the cleaned strange sword back on his belt and tightened the cloth-wrapped weapon on his back.

But Gu was still trying to stop him.

"Let's assume you can infiltrate the Palace of Heroes without alerting them. But what if you do manage to get inside? You'll also be facing the White Blade Guard, the Dragon Guard! There might only be two or three hundred of them on duty, scattered throughout the palace, but every single one of them is a veteran with extensive frontline experience, countless high-level experts, and even some like the Meteorite, who possess the 'Soul-Severing Blade'..."

The man stretched his joints, then turned and headed towards the door.

Gu followed behind him, speaking earnestly: "Do you know what a 'veteran' is? It's not just about having fought in battles and seen blood. By Exster's standards... once you get entangled with one of them..."

The man ignored Gu's words and placed his hand on the door, whereupon a strange power surged forth.

In an instant, the man understood everything on the street outside, from the patrol team in the distance to the hunting dogs nearby.

"Even you, trying to sneak into a heavily guarded, impenetrable palace alone without any backup... and even try to rescue someone..." After talking for a while, Gu sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead: "You're really crazy."

The man didn't answer. He stood up, looked at Gu who was frowning, and nodded.

“Gu,” he said calmly, “if you’re going to lie to me next time, come up with some other excuse—at least don’t use the Sensory Magician excuse.”

Gu was taken aback, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Ok?"

Only Gu himself knew that his heart was already in turmoil at this moment.

"What did you say?" The Far Easterner asked, his face full of doubt, with what he thought was a flawless response. "What reason?"

The man patted Gu on the shoulder.

Gu frowned.

“I don’t understand sensory mages,” the man said with a stiff smile, “but I understand you, Gu.”

Gu Weiwei was taken aback.

“You are good at hiding your emotions, but I can tell…” The man placed his hand on his black sword and shook his head slightly: “Those who live with a mask on also live with pain.”

Gu silently clenched his fist under his sleeve.

“And one more thing,” the man turned around, pushed open the door, and left with his final words:

"Please give my regards to Morat—it's been twelve years, and I really miss him."

At that moment, Gu's smile froze on his face.

Gu stood there, stunned, watching the man disappear outside the door and into the deep darkness.

Just like he always has been.

The next minute, the man appeared on the roof of a low house.

Amidst the endless falling snow, he raised his head and looked up at the dark moon shrouded in clouds.

Then, his gaze swept across the various districts of Longxiao City that stretched up the mountainside, past several city gates, all the way to the very top, where the magnificent palace stood.

That was the Walton family's residence, the ancestral home of the Grand Duke of Dragonstreet.

It is also the location of the current co-ruling king of Exeter.

Valhalla.

The man recalled what Gu had just said:
How do you sneak past the heavy guards and into a heavily guarded, impenetrable palace?

He gently patted the strange black sword at his waist, a smile playing on his lips.

Ugh.

In this respect, I am also... The man gently closed his eyes.

You're quite experienced now.

The man's figure disappeared into the snow the next moment.

I'm too lazy to prevent this chapter from being pirated.

Wow, you've accidentally surpassed 80 words?
This is something to celebrate!
Celebrating the hiatus!

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(End of this chapter)