Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 19 Father and King

Dawn has arrived.

Inside the Mindis Hall, the most important, yet also the most awkward, reunion between father and son in the entire kingdom is unfolding.

Thales stared blankly at the robust nobleman before him, his own father.

He turned to Gilbert and Yodl with a hint of fear and helplessness, but both remained silent with their heads down.

He then looked at the guards around the corridor, but the well-equipped soldiers concealed their eyes behind their helmets and remained motionless.

Until the deep voice of Catherine V reached my ears:
"He looks like a skinny, muddy monkey."

Thales's current condition was indeed not good. His short, dark hair was cut unevenly (Sinti's work) and covered in dust, and his small face was covered with mud and handprints. Although the mage Ashida had used her mysterious methods to stop the bleeding from his various wounds, the scrapes, cuts, and bruises he had sustained in the abandoned house and Red Street still clung sparsely to his body. His beggar's coarse linen clothes were also tattered and torn, with a large tear in the front that almost revealed the brand on his chest. Before entering the Mindis Hall, he had even shivered in the cold wind.

“I believe you can’t be mistaken,” Kessel’s voice echoed in the hallway.

Thales looked up at Kessel again.

His king, his father.

But Kessel had already turned his head away and was no longer looking at him.

Thales felt a slight sense of unease, but he quickly suppressed it.

Kessel's deep voice continued to echo:

“You all know how important this is. Right now, only the three of us know. Of course, I will bring Ginny over; she needs proper care, so the four of us are the ones in the know—I will tell him personally when Morat returns.”

“From now on, the Mindis Hall will be completely sealed off. Tell the outside world that a royal treasure has been lost, and I am furious.”

"We can't risk sending out the royal guard; that would be too conspicuous. We can't let our opponents know our next move."

"For the next month, his safety will be protected by the Starlight family's private army, fifty Terminator Swordsmen. Although they are not as good as the Starlight family, they are loyal and discreet, and can keep secrets. As long as they do not attract too much attention, they should be more than enough. As for Yordle, just to be on the safe side, you will stay here as well. My safety for this month will be the responsibility of Ada and the Royal Guard."

Yodl didn't speak, but nodded slightly with her masked head.

“Gilbert.” Kessel still didn’t look at Thales. He stroked the crystal on his scepter, spoke thoughtfully, his tone full of authority.

"Have you thought about your reason for visiting the Mindis Hall in the early hours of the morning?"

“Of course, Your Majesty. The excuse is readily available—a gang fight at the border of the Lower City/District and the West Ring District resulted in numerous deaths and injuries. I rushed to the royal palace where Your Majesty is temporarily resting overnight to report this matter,” Gilbert replied respectfully.

“That’s not enough. I’ll go back to the Palace of Restoration tomorrow, but you must continue to visit here frequently for the next month. You need a better reason.” King Kessel shook his head.

"Then say that the royal treasure disappeared too mysteriously, and Your Majesty specifically ordered me to thoroughly investigate this matter?"

"It's a bit stiff, but a month should be enough." King Kessel pondered for a moment and nodded.

Then, the King of the Stars finally turned his gaze to the bewildered Thales.

His sharp gaze made Thales unconsciously take a step back.

That feeling was nothing like a father looking at his son.

But the king seemed completely unconcerned about Thales' appearance.

“A month, Gilbert, a month.”

“Until his identity is officially recognized, Gilbert, you will be his private tutor, responsible for all his teaching matters.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. As you wish, I will do my utmost,” Gilbert replied respectfully.

Thales' heart sank.

Kessel tapped the scepter with relief and pondered for a moment.

“You must prepare him. He cannot appear before the entire kingdom and the six great families, as well as the envoys from other countries, in this state.”

"From etiquette to temperament, knowledge to appearance, he has to be presentable. What we need is a respectable heir to the kingdom, not a down-on-his-luck beggar on the street."

A beggar on the street?

Upon hearing this, Thales clenched his fists slightly.

“By the standard of the welcoming banquet for the Exte delegation, I hope he can make an appearance then—it won’t be easy, but I believe you can do it.”

Thales trembled slightly, but he listened silently to King Kessel's unquestionable orders, planning his future step by step.

But in Thales' future, there seems to be no place for his own will.

How could this be?
He had just escaped the place of suffering he had endured with gritted teeth.

He still had many questions and doubts in his mind.

But King Kessel before him seemed completely unconcerned with his thoughts, simply issuing his commands and stating his own will.

“No one needs to know about his past, but there has to be an explanation, Gilbert, make up a story about his origins.”

“As long as we can confirm his bloodline—I’ll discuss this with Li Xiya; even gods aren’t off-limits for trade—we won’t be afraid of gossip.”

“Select his peers from the list of nobles, as well as the tutors and attendants of the heir—these are the focus after he is recognized, and there must be a plan in advance. I want to see the list by next week.”

"Just to be on the safe side, Gilbert, you need to reconfirm the royal succession clause in the Sacred Star Covenant, as well as the precedents in the Star Family like his. If there are any controversial points, we can still remedy them now."

Thales frowned as he listened to them continue planning their future and their lives.

Like a puppet on strings.

"As for his engagement, I have an idea, we can discuss it later, Exter—"

At that moment, Gilbert, with a respectful expression, interrupted the king.

“Your Majesty, there is still time,” the middle-aged nobleman with gray hair seemed to sense the unease, but he still tried his best to express his opinion: “If you need to be alone with this child, we can—”

But Kessel abruptly waved his hand, stopping Gilbert from speaking.

In that instant, Thales saw the king's deep eyes flicker. He
A strange emotion was emanating from Kessel's expression.

Thales wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat.

What should I say?

What can I say?

What should a seven-year-old child say when meeting his father for the first time?

Hey, Father, this is our first meeting. May I say something?

Perhaps you should listen to my thoughts instead of just talking to yourself?
So weird.

Kessel seemed to want to turn his head toward Thales, but then suddenly turned back halfway. He was seen with his hands on his scepter, looking at the portraits of the three former kings on the wall, and remained silent for a long time.

It seemed that only at this moment did he resemble a human being.

After a long while, Kessel turned around. He didn't look at anyone, but the majestic voice of Kessel V, the King of the Stars, rang out again.

"In short, you have a heavy responsibility. The Star Kingdom has not had an heir for twelve years. And just last week, Kusder mentioned the Kingdom of Exter's system of electing a king in his letter, intentionally or unintentionally—you know how the six great families will react."

"His appearance is a variable, but it is also an unexpected bargaining chip and advantage for us... The plan needs to be revised to ensure that we are one step ahead of our opponents."

"To ensure that he can be used to the fullest extent."

Thales was taken aback.

This is—his father?
variable.

Bargaining chips.

Advantage.

To maximize...effectiveness?
Is this what a father should say to a son he has never met?
Thales sighed inwardly and lowered his head.

I see……

This feeling of being out of place...

It didn't look like a father and son reuniting at all—it looked more like a chess player casually moving a piece.

Thales was clearly not the only one who sensed this eeriness.

Gilbert's expression shifted, as if he wanted to say something.

But in the end, he simply lowered his head and sighed softly, out of the king's sight.

However, someone still interrupted the king, disregarding the atmosphere.

"His Majesty."

Thales turned around in surprise, but it was Yodl who spoke first.

The expression behind the mask of this secret guard was unknown, but his hoarse voice was incredibly firm:

"He is first and foremost your bloodline, your son!"

"Finally, your successor will be the one to inherit your mantle."

“And you cannot turn a blind eye to this.”

Thales looked up and saw King Catherine V exhale a long breath.

Then he closed his eyes.

“Yes, he is my son,” the king said in a low voice, his eyes closed and his scepter gripped tightly. “That’s why I’m here today.”

"I'm handing him over to you. Remember, one month."

King Catherine V ultimately said nothing more.

The lens on the Yodl mask paused for a moment, then he lowered his head and said nothing more.

A faint sense of doubt and surprise crept into Thales's heart.

The king nodded, looked at Gilbert and Yodl kneeling on one knee, then glanced at the stunned Thales with an unreadable, complex look, before turning and leaving without hesitation.

Gilbert and Yodl slowly stood up.

The robust figure slowly descended the stairs.

The footsteps were heavy, yet carried an air of authority.

The king's majesty.

what?
Is that it? Thales was shocked, staring incredulously at his departing "father."

This is not right.

This so-called father... isn't he the father of this body?
but why.

He seemed so... devoid of emotion?
and.

It concerns my future...

Is that the decision?

I didn't even get a chance to speak...

"Wait a moment!"

Thales finally couldn't hold back and shouted out loud.

He was fed up with being a powerless pawn.

The muscular figure paused for a moment, then turned around.

Gilbert looked at Thales in surprise, while Yodl's expression remained hidden behind his mask.

As the king turned around, and Thales endured his sharp gaze, he felt his back molars become heavy.

But he still managed to speak.

“I… although we’ve never met…” Thales stammered, waving his hands helplessly in front of him, choosing his words carefully, “but since you are mine… I mean, since we are…”

The king, holding onto the stair railing, looked at Thales with an indescribably complex expression.

Thales closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again, and exhaled:

“I think…” he said with difficulty, his usual quick wit vanished.

Damn...

What attitude and words should I use to deal with this man who is both my father and the king?
Rumu?

indifferent?

Numb?

surprise?

None of them are correct.

Gilbert, standing nearby, reached out to Thales as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately chose to remain silent.

Thales' breathing quickened, and he frowned, saying, "I'm actually a little confused, and perhaps you, as my... can help me find the answer."

“After all, we are…blood relatives. And you’ve said so much—heir, kingdom, marriage—but I know nothing about it.”

"This might not be important to you, and you probably don't care much about it..."

King Catherine V gripped his scepter tightly, but did not reply, only his brows furrowed slowly.

Thales bit his lip, feeling the burns on his chest begin to throb again.

hateful.

Even the most disastrous paper publication wasn't this embarrassing.

He gently waved his hands, organizing his thoughts:

"But this is my future. If you've already made up your mind... you should at least let me know a little about it."

"And you said nobody needs to know my past... but at least I do, I mean..."

"At the very least, I need to know my past."

"I really want to know what happened."

"And also, the path I will take."

Kessel's gaze toward Thales changed.

It's no longer a gaze of scrutiny, examination, and inspection.

It felt like the first time I realized that Thales was a person.

And he was his son.

Thales sighed.

Forget it.

He opened his eyes and looked straight at "Father".

"Yes, I want to know everything about myself."

"I want to know my origins, such as... who my mother is, where I was born, and how I became who I am now."

"And also, my identity, my future, the choices I have..."

"Answer like this..."

"Instead of being an outsider, a pawn, or an object..."

"If I really am your...son."

Thales gritted his teeth and uttered the word.

Although your behavior... is really not like what a normal father should be like.

Even if you are a king.

Thales felt a little dizzy; the exertion of the evening had taken its toll on his seven-year-old body.

The king finally looked him in the eye, his deep-set sky-blue pupils gleaming.

At that moment, Catherine V's gaze was quite complex and unfathomable, and Thales could not glean any further meaning from it.

"Child, what is your name?"

The supreme ruler of the stars asked in his deep voice.

Thales stared at Kessel.

“Thales,” he heard himself say, “my name is Thales.”

Are you only now thinking of asking your son's name?
God.

Thales shook his head silently in his heart.

“Thales, listen carefully.” Kassel narrowed his eyes, his tone cold:
There are many things you don't need to know.

"There's no need to worry about it."

"Your path has been decided."

"Just follow the instructions."

what?
At that moment, Thales felt a chill run through him.

"If you still have doubts..."

“Go ask Gilbert.”

Then came Kessel V, the thirty-ninth High King of the Star Kingdom, the Southern Islands, and the Western Desert.

And so, he left the Mindis Hall without looking back.

His cloak disappeared from Thales' sight.

Damn.

Thales lowered his head, staring intently at the expensive black floor tiles, his brows furrowed.

Is this the body's father? Are you sure he's not an enemy?
“Child, Thales.” Gilbert, standing behind him, couldn’t help but pat him on the shoulder silently.

"Don't worry, and don't overthink it. His Majesty is just too busy. Actually, he—"

Before Gilbert could finish speaking, Yodl suddenly stepped forward, squatted down in front of Thales, and gently placed Thales' JC dagger, which had somehow ended up in his hand (Gilbert's expression changed, he touched his waist, and his brows furrowed), into Thales' hand.

Thales snapped out of his daze and was slightly startled.

The dark purple mask nodded slightly, and a hoarse voice slowly came through:
"Relax."

“You are his son, bound by blood and destiny, and nothing and no one can change that.”

Thales took a deep breath.

They probably misunderstood.

Do you think I'm disappointed because of my "father's" neglect?
He sheathed the dagger, clenched his fists, and forced a smile.

"Don't worry," he said calmly, suppressing his dissatisfaction, "thank you."

Seeing Yodl interrupt him, Gilbert snorted in annoyance, squatted down in front of Thales, and said gently:
“Thales, my little sir, you’ve had enough tonight.”

"You need to rest now, and maybe even get medical treatment."

“Thales, please come with me. Yodl, I’ll come back to you later; we need to talk.”

Thales nodded and obediently followed Gilbert.

Only Yodl looked up at a vase in the distant corridor.

With his sharp and terrifying gaze, he observed that there were invisible, fine cracks on the vase.

Yodl frowned slightly behind her mask.

He knew before Thales roared out.

The vase was still intact.

Is it a coincidence?

(End of this chapter)