Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 195 The Spirit of Contract
In the early morning of Longxiao City, a two-wheeled carriage skillfully navigates the chaotic streets.

As the carriage moved forward, the angry shouts outside the window gradually subsided.

Inside the carriage, Marquis Slade turned his head and looked at Thales, who remained silent.

The Marquis shook his head silently in his heart.

after all……

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" the Marquis of Cornmas asked tentatively.

Thales looked up as if he had just realized something, and stared at Slade in a daze.

The sly one standing nearby sensed something was off and secretly took a breath.

Under the Marquis's subtle gaze, Thales finally let out a sigh after a long while:

"Yes."

"Just a little tired."

Shrew gripped his cane, his face grave.

"What are your plans, Your Highness?"

Thales closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and expelled all the fear and unease from his body.

I need to pull myself together.

Especially at times like these...

The prince clenched his fist, feeling the wound inflicted by the dagger in his palm.

It hurts.

but……

“I think I understand now,” he said, opening his eyes with a determined look. “We must get to the Palace of Heroes as soon as possible to understand why Rumba dared to risk assassinating His Majesty and even bring his army to Dragon City.”

“Another war, isn’t it?” Marquis Slays sighed.

He turned his gaze to the street outside the window, his expression first hesitant, then worried, and said:
"Is there any other corroborating evidence regarding His Majesty's assassination?"

Thales pictured the White Blade Guards charging forward, one after another, and recalled how they shielded the two children from crossbow bolts with their own bodies.

I recall the image of the last melee guard, his face contorted in pain, struggling to turn and face his enemy.

Dragon Guard.

Thales snapped out of his reverie and shook his head: "Maybe not. Knowing Rumba's personality, he'll probably handle it cleanly—any news of Nicolai or anyone else? People in the Shield District?"

“As far as I know, no,” Marquis Slayth tugged at his sleeve and sighed softly. “It seems things are a bit complicated.”

“Yes,” Thales said in a low voice, his mind racing as he considered the situation before him. “No one expected that Rumba would use such swift, intense, and extremely effective methods… There are probably not many examples of King Exter being killed by his subordinate Grand Duke.”

"not even one."

A young girl's voice rang out in the carriage.

Thales and Slash were both taken aback and turned to look at the little rascal.

"About two hundred years ago, the Tann family of the Wilan territory attempted to assassinate the then-King of the Union, but the plot was exposed. King Xhosa gathered the armies of the other dukes, marched to the Tann family's castle, and raised the 'Silver Chains' banner of the Lyco family."

After saying this, the little rascal blinked, touched his head, and seemed to be trying to remember:

"On the seventh day, the 'Grand Duke of Mourning,' Amos Tann, who violated the oath of co-governance, was bound and taken out of the city by his subordinates and the people who were filled with resentment," the girl raised her head and said with certainty, "In front of everyone, King Xhosa personally pierced the traitor's chest with the Soul-Slaying Spear."

"Jacob Aurelius was the first person to escort the Grand Duke of Mourning out of the city, and later he became the first Grand Duke of Wilan with the surname Aurelius."

Thales and Slade listened with strange expressions as the little rascal finished speaking.

The little rascal then noticed the expressions of the other two, blushed, and quickly lowered his head timidly.

They looked at each other.

"You mean she's your maid?" Marquis Slay asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Yeah, that’s what I like about her,” Thales said, scratching his head awkwardly. He nudged the little rascal, making him lower his head even further. “Hehe.”

“Is that so?” Srace glanced meaningfully at the little rascal, a sly smile on his face. “I see.”

Thales quickly changed the subject: "So, whether it's regicide or rebellion, it seems to be a serious crime in the North."

Shrew nodded and sighed, "How could Rumba have such audacity? Even though he pinned all the blame on you..."

Thales lowered his hand, his face grave.

He thought of Viscount Cambida of Black Sand Territory, and the Fire Knight, one of the Five War Generals.

“I’m afraid we’ve all underestimated Rumba,” he said quietly.

Thales suddenly looked up.

“But there is still one hurdle that Rumba cannot bypass,” the prince said, narrowing his eyes, “if his intentions are indeed as I think.”

Srace's gaze lingered on his cane: "For example?"

“Too many things are still shrouded in mystery. It’s necessary to re-examine the clues,” Thales shook his head, his expression growing increasingly serious as his mind raced: “When did Rumba begin planning this, and how did he carry it all out?”

The carriage turned a street corner.

“Does it matter? The situation has already deteriorated to this point,” Marquis Slays pulled out an exquisite pocket watch with a brass chain. “Excuse my bluntness, but besides clarifying the facts, perhaps you should consider how to escape. I can offer some suggestions…”

“This is important,” Thales nodded slowly, sorting out his thoughts step by step: “The reason the situation is so bad is because we underestimated Rumba.”

“I’ll ask you one more time,” Srace said earnestly, “Now I can send you out of the city quietly, even back to the stars—are you sure you want to go back to Valhalla?”

"Back to that unpredictable vortex?"

Thales seemed not to hear him and continued, "Since we don't yet know the full picture of the Rumba Plan, let's go back to the beginning of it..."

Srace silently observed the young prince, and his opinion of him rose slightly.

In this situation, how many people can still overcome their fear and think calmly?
What a pity.

The Marquis sighed silently in his heart.

The prince's gaze suddenly paused.

“My lord,” Thales asked instinctively, as if struck by a sudden thought, “why does King Nunn want to find Pefit, to find this collaborator of Rumba?”

"Huh?" The Marquis of Shanliu City raised an eyebrow.

Why does King Nunn want to... find Pefit?
Is this question even necessary?

"Because, Grand Duke Pefit happened to have killed his son?" Srace's eyes darted around, seemingly not quite understanding the prince's question. His expression was strange as he tentatively replied, "And His Majesty Nunn happened to discover this?"

Thales shook his head.

“Because King Nunn obtained information from Lumba’s investigation—the Sword of Calamity, remember?” Thales’s eyes grew clearer and clearer. “This information connects Prince Moral’s assassination with my assassination attempt in front of Dragonslayer Fortress.”

"That's why you concluded that Rumba had a collaborator, and that's why King Nuen wanted revenge."

A world of ice and snow appeared before Thales' eyes.

Those were the words that Nikolai and Shrews said to him on the nights before they arrived in Dragonstreet.

Srace didn't answer immediately. He paused slightly, seemingly lost in thought: "You mean..."

Thales slowly exhaled, his eyes filled with unprecedented solemnity: "I'm afraid that when I set off from Black Sand Territory, when Nikolai received news of the Sword of Calamity, and when King Nunn resolved to take revenge, we all fell into Lumba's trap."

He lowered his head slightly, his face grim. The little rascal beside him, seeing his expression, didn't dare to utter a sound.

No.

not enough.

We're still missing some clues, some crucial ones.

“To execute such a large-scale and long-term plan,” Thales murmured, “from planning to execution, from Black Sand Territory to Dragon Sky City, from assassination to troop transport, from operation to secrecy—it could not have been accomplished by a Grand Duke in a remote area alone. Lumba must have had an inside man as an accomplice.”

“On that point, I agree with you,” Marquis Slays nodded solemnly. “To accomplish such a large undertaking, I think Rumba certainly had help.”

"You have a wide network of connections, do you have any leads?" Thales' eyes lit up:
In your opinion, who is the most suspicious?

Just now.

The little rascal suddenly seemed to sense something, raised his head, and peered out the window.

Her face paled, and she nudged Thales.

Thales then noticed that their carriage had come to a stop without them noticing.

Marquis Slade put the pocket watch he had been fiddling with for a while into his pocket and sighed, "Your Highness, we have arrived."

Thales' heart skipped a beat: "So fast? I remember Valhalla is..."

“Valhalla is still a bit short,” Srace interrupted him, blinking. “The rest of the journey will be escorted by another lord.”

Thales was slightly taken aback.

what?
The next moment, their car doors were opened.

A rough voice that sent chills down Thales's spine entered the small carriage:

"My lord, thank you very much for your help."

A middle-aged nobleman in military uniform, whom Thales knew all too well, held onto the carriage door with one hand and his sword with the other, and boarded their cramped carriage under the protection of a dense throng of soldiers.

"Otherwise, we would have had to spend a lot of time looking for this guest."

The newcomer sat down heavily, his sharp, sword-like gaze sweeping over Thales and the little rascal:
Thales felt as if struck by lightning, his heart sinking into an ice cave.

The little rascal covered his mouth in fright, his eyes filled with terror.

The ruler of Black Sand Territory, Grand Duke Chaman Lumba, sat comfortably beside the smiling Marquis Slays and calmly closed the carriage door.

Marquis Slade greeted the Duke of Lombard with his most friendly smile, just as he had when he first met Thales.

The marquis leaned forward slightly, his tone respectful: "It is my honor."

Rumba snorted and turned his head, his cold eyes sweeping over Thales: "You can really run, Your Highness."

The little rascal was trembling with fear as he recalled the bloody scene that had just occurred.

The prince simply stared blankly at the Black Sand Grand Duke in front of him, remaining motionless.

Fear and panic surged into his heart instantly, but he forcibly suppressed them.

No.

Chaman Lumba.

Slade Bemula.

This meant that... it took Thales several seconds to recover from the shock of the scene before him.

“Shrais Bemula, you!” He turned around, looking at the Marquis of Shanliu in disbelief: “You betrayed us!”

Rumba remained silent, his expression as cold and serious as ever.

“Don’t be so surprised, Your Highness,” Marquis Slays sighed regretfully and slowly shook his head. “This is not in line with your usual image as a genius. Besides, I did not betray you.”

"You didn't betray me?" Thales laughed angrily. "Don't tell me you were from the very beginning..."

Thales paused, and his expression changed.

No way.

In that instant, he realized that he might be right.

“You’re the accomplice,” Thales said, looking at the smiling Marquis Slade with disbelief. “You’ve been in cahoots with Rumba from the very beginning?”

"You've come to your senses quite quickly, Your Highness," Rumba said sarcastically.

A second later, Thales, shocked and furious, hissed, "Shrek, you have betrayed King Nunn!"

The little rascal gave a slight twitch.

Rumba chuckled dismissively.

Marquis Slade frowned.

Thales clenched his trembling fists, his eyes blazing with anger as he looked out the window at the Black Sand Territory soldiers dressed in patrol uniforms.

They fell into Rumba's hands again.

More desperate and worse than last time.

“Tsk tsk,” Marquis of Commas shook his head, seemingly disgusted by Thales’s words: “Don’t say that. I despise traitors and fickle people the most—I have never betrayed His Majesty Nunn.”

Thales desperately suppressed his impulse and anger: "I thought you had a deal with King Nunn and were working for him!"

“Of course, he needs to take revenge on the black hand that betrayed Moral,” Slays shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. “For that, he needs a third party like me who can move freely among the dukes without arousing suspicion.”

The Marquis blinked: "Using the crystal ore contract to exchange for revenge is fair."

Thales, panting, glanced at the stern-faced Rumba: "But you deceived him."

“No, no, Your Highness,” Srace sighed, raised a finger, and shook it gently. “You have misunderstood.”

Shrew opened his eyes, his gaze shrewd yet imbued with an undeniable sincerity: "I am a man of integrity and keeping my promises. The spirit of contracts is the first tenet of the Bemular family."

"The spirit of contract?" Thales clenched his fists, gritting his teeth in anger.

“Yes,” Shrews nodded, spreading his left hand: “I faithfully fulfilled my promise to His Majesty Nunn, helping him find and kill his enemy. He was very satisfied, and I was happy to do so as well.”

Srace raised a finger, raised an eyebrow and shook his head, as if accusing Thales of doubting him: "The spirit of the contract."

The Marquis's eyes were very clear.

There was not a trace of guilt or embarrassment.

It was as if this was his true nature.

Thales took a deep breath.

The sins of the River of Hell surged into his mind at just the right moment.

Finally, Thales gradually calmed his breathing, and his mind began to clear.

Marquis Slayth maintained his friendly smile and winked: "As for now, I'm simply fulfilling another contract with Lord Rumba."

"And I, as always, keep my promises—look, it's still about the spirit of contracts."

Thales loosened his clenched fist, looked at Rumba's hand that was still resting on his sword, and gave up on reaching for the dagger.

"What have you done for Rumba?" Thales asked coldly. "Help him procure supplies? Or did you directly assassinate the king?"

Shrew out and exchanged a glance with Rumba, whose eyes were filled with coldness.

“Let me think about it, it’s not much,” the Marquis said, drawing his cane and smiling slightly. “I’ll provide the Grand Duke with some information from Valhalla, about the King’s whereabouts and the progress of his plans…”

"Use some of the merchant guild connections in Commas to transmit messages and goods through conventional channels, while covering up some information..."

"With His Majesty's special permission, prepare some weapons and transport some manpower into the city..."

"Of course, as for disguising themselves as patrols, that's Mr. Ulad's job..."

As Shrew recounted one chilling piece of news after another, Thales abruptly looked up.

"Since when?"

"When Nicolai came to me? When we entered Dragon City?" the prince said indignantly, "Or were you simply Lumba's mole from the very beginning?"

Marquis Slays smiled without saying a word.

“That’s enough,” Rumba said, his voice cold as he glanced at Shrews without a second thought. “We’re pressed for time.”

But Thales had no intention of paying any attention to his enemy.

"What did he give you that would make you risk the greatest taboo by cooperating with a kingslayer?" the prince said angrily. "A contract? Money? Power? After deducting the price you paid, could it be more than what King Nunn gave you?"

Smiley shook his head.

“No, the issue isn’t what Your Excellency Lombard gave me,” the Marquis said with an apologetic smile to the Grand Duke of Lombard, then turned to Thales and said, “In business, you can’t just look at profits and numbers; sometimes you have to build a reputation and connections.”

“His Majesty Nuen is a good partner, but even in the most sure-fire deal, you must have a backup plan.”

Thales was taken aback by his words, then let out a cold laugh:
"So, Lumba and Black Sand Territory are your backup plans outside of King Nuen and Dragon Sky City?"

Marquis Slade turned his head, opened the car door, and tapped his cane on the pedal.

“You’re wrong again. The backup plan isn’t some person or thing that’s ‘prepared,’ it’s an idea,” Srace turned around and smiled gently, gesturing to Rumba with his palm: “His Excellency the Grand Duke has proven his worth and potential, so when he appears before me, even if we haven’t agreed on it beforehand, he will naturally become my backup plan.”

Thales scoffed dismissively.

“Shrais Bemula,” his gaze swept back and forth between Rumba and Shrew, and he said through gritted teeth, “What about after Rumba? Have you prepared a ‘backup plan’ for him as well?”

Rumba gently raised her head and cast a chilling glance at Thales.

It was as if I were looking at a dead person.

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

“If I were you, Your Highness,” Srace said with a smile as he stepped off the carriage without turning his head, “I would start thinking about how to extricate myself, instead of futilely sowing discord.”

Rumba snorted coldly: "That makes a lot of sense."

Thales clenched his fists and stopped talking.

His gaze swept once more over the densely packed soldiers outside the window.

No.

They had no chance.

In that instant, his heart was filled with despair.

The little rascal behind him clung tightly to his arm.

“Then the rest is up to you,” Marquis Slays turned around, bowed slightly to Grand Duke Lombard on the ground, and smiled at Thales. “Rest assured, Your Highness, as I promised, the Grand Duke will escort you to Valhalla.”

“Thank you,” Thales scoffed dismissively, “thank you for your commitment to the contract.”

Marquis Slade smiled, showing no sign of being offended.

Rumba reached out and slowly grasped the car door handle.

“After this is all over, I will send someone to return the carriage,” Rumba exhaled a deep breath and nodded slightly to Srace with a cold expression. “I will remember the friendship of Shanliu City.”

Srace exhaled a hot breath and watched his driver step down from the seat, where another soldier from the Black Sand Territory took his place.

“No, no need,” the Marquis shook his head, his gaze sweeping meaningfully over Rumba and the two children, his tone full of regret: “I think I no longer need this carriage.”

The group remained silent for a few seconds.

“Farewell, Your Excellency,” Marquis Slays straightened his ornate clothes, which had been wrinkled from getting in and out of the carriage, and adjusted his top hat. “May all your wishes come true.”

Just as Lumba was about to close the car door, he suddenly stopped. The Grand Duke of Black Sands paused slightly, turned his head, and looked at Slays with a stern gaze.

"May all your wishes come true?"

"Do you think I will succeed?" Rumba said calmly.

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

success?

What do they want to do?
“Of course, you have a unique vision and magnanimity,” Marquis Slays sighed with admiration. “I am honored to witness such an important and pivotal, magnificent and splendid history.”

Thales' heart pounded with anxiety.

Important and crucial.

Magnificent and grand...

history?

Rumba gave a cold laugh.

"As for your future," Srace said, gripping his cane with both hands and nodding slowly, his smile as humble and respectful as ever, "I have full confidence and no doubt."

The Grand Duke of Black Sands looked at the Marquis with a complex and subtle expression, and nodded in response after a few seconds.

"Good day, Your Highness Thales," Srace turned to Thales, whose face was grim, and offered his blessings with equal deference, "and also to you and your maid..."

But his words struck Thales as incredibly ironic:

May everything go smoothly and may all your wishes come true.

The carriage doors closed, and the carriage began to move.

This time, however, the person coldly staring at Thales from inside the carriage was Chaman Lumba, whose face was icy cold.

Thales took a deep breath and, with his calmest and best composure, turned to face the Grand Duke of Black Sands.

“Little Prince, I don’t know yet, since when,” Under Thales’ murderous gaze and the little rascal’s fearful eyes, the Archduke of Lombard, seemingly absentmindedly, gently drew his old sword a short distance, his frightening gaze then turning to the prince and the girl beside him:

"You have a maid?"

Faced with the cold glint of the sword blade, the little rascal trembled slightly.

At that moment, Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

(End of this chapter)