Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 216 The Latecomer
The first to react was Tuleha.

The Fiery Knight's hand tightened slightly, and Thales felt the chill on his neck deepen—the back of the golden saber was pressed directly against his skin.

The second prince dared not move, fearing that if Tuleha turned his hand around, his neck would be covered in blood.

"A strange, black longsword?" Tuleha narrowed his eyes. "A man with almost no distinguishing features?"

Thales could only nod.

“Interesting,” Tuleha’s lips curled slightly, a fierce fighting spirit flashing in his eyes: “An acquaintance.”

Raphael frowned, his gaze toward Thales filled with complex emotions.

"The Black Sword?"

Cassan gently clasped her hands together: "You mean—Black Sword of the Black Street Brotherhood?"

Cohen was stunned when he heard the news.

Fraternity?
Why is the Starry Night Underworld Brotherhood...?

“I don’t know,” Thales said cautiously, his eyes wide, as if afraid that his throat might touch Tuleha’s blade if he moved. “Probably.”

Cassan looked at him quietly.

"The Secret Service gave the Staff of Stars to the Black Sword?" the Scarlet Witch whispered.

Raphael remained silent, simply watching Thales, even ignoring Cohen's nudging motion behind him.

Thales forced an awkward and unsightly smile, indicating his agreement.

Please.

Who knows what this Star Staff is?

And Raphael had absolutely no intention of speaking.

Thales thought with trepidation: Mr. Black Sword, I have no choice but to use you as a shield. You shouldn't mind—it's not like I'll lose a piece of my flesh anyway.

However, just a few seconds later, the old woman suddenly burst out laughing.

“Hahaha,” Cassan smiled and shook her head, her eyes filled with a mixture of helplessness and amusement, like watching children fight: “Morat must be having a lot of trouble with you.”

"A liar."

Thales' eyes widened slightly: "Huh?"

The Scarlet Witch sighed.

"How do you think I knew about the Secret Service's plans in advance?" Cassan raised her eyes, which were full of wrinkles, and her gaze was filled with a deep chill. "Did you know they were going to use the disaster to launch a conspiracy?"

Thales was slightly taken aback.

"While you were still on your way to Dragoncity, Prince Thales..."

“An old friend from the Black Street Brotherhood has sent us a message through a raven,” Cassan said, glancing around at the people in the room, her gaze lingering on Raphael for a moment. “He’s being forced north by the Blood Bottle Gang and has no choice but to entrust his mission to your mission.”

It took Thales a few seconds to understand the meaning of the sentence, then he shuddered slightly—a thought suddenly clicked in his mind.

"An old friend of the Brotherhood?"

"You mean, Ramon?" Thales asked incredulously, no longer caring about the blade at his neck.

"That doctor?"

"It's him?"

Cassan gave a strange smile.

Raphael remained calm and silent.

Wyatt and Rolf exchanged a glance, utterly astonished.

“So that’s it. Ramon asked me to use the Raven on the road not to contact the Black Street Brotherhood,” Thales realized, muttering absentmindedly, “but to contact you.”

The Scarlet Witch sighed softly, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

“Ramon is quick-witted; he guessed that his predicament might be the work of the Secret Service,” Cassan said calmly, “so he contacted the Dark Room directly.”

“But I know Morat too well—he must be planning something.”

Upon hearing this, Raphael sighed.

The cleric looked at Thales with a strange expression: "Why would a doctor of unknown origin be allowed to use the messenger ravens of the mission or Black Sand Territory?"

"And you didn't even notice where he sent the message?"

Thales was slightly taken aback, then recalled his history of contact with Ramon, and couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

He couldn't possibly say that Ramon saw him using magic and then told him about magic, and that's how they got it in exchange, could he?
But that's no longer his biggest concern right now.

"The Brotherhood learned of our Secret Service's plot," the Scarlet Witch said, shaking her head slowly as she looked past the group. "And yet you claim that the Secret Service colluded with the Brotherhood, even giving the Staff of Stars to the Brotherhood's leader?"

Thales could only manage a wry smile.

“I’m not as good as Morat,” Cassan said calmly, “but I can still tell what a lie is.”

Thales felt a tightness in his scalp as he faced her gaze.

Really bad.

Cassan chuckled and snorted, then looked at Raphael again.

“Stop beating around the bush, little one,” the Scarlet Witch’s eyes began to get serious. “You may not have it with you… but I know you have a way to get it right away.”

Raphael frowned slightly.

Cohen and Miranda couldn't help but look at the young man from the Secret Society.

“The Starry Sky Sect has possessed a mysterious transmission ability since ancient times.” Cassan’s lips curled slightly.

“From voice messages to weapons and even living people,” the Scarlet Witch’s eyes were filled with keen interest, “you can all transport them to their destinations in an instant, regardless of distance.”

Thales was stunned.

Transmission capability.

sound……

Ignoring distance.

Cohen's expression changed, Miranda frowned, and Wyman looked suspicious.

Just now, on Raphael's arm, there was a black hole that looked like the mouth of some kind of creature...

Raphael remained silent, his expression still calm as he looked at the Scarlet Witch.

It was as if he wasn't even there.

"Give me the Staff of Stars," the leader of the Dark Chamber said, his expression still gentle and kind, but his words growing increasingly serious: "If you don't want to see your prince suffer any misfortune."

Thales' face turned deathly pale.

Tuleha snorted coldly in dissatisfaction.

Just then, a faint voice, which had not been heard for a long time, rang out from a corner of the cell.

It was filled with feelings of grievance and depression.

"You have been there since a long, long time ago..."

"So that's all you know?"

Everyone was slightly taken aback, and then looked towards the corner where the sound came from.

Thales had the back of the knife pressed against his neck and couldn't turn his head, but he was also surprised—because he recognized the voice.

The little girl who had been ignored was leaning against the wall, her face pale, trembling as she looked at Cassan.

"Aren't you from the Dark Room?" The little rascal bit his lower lip tightly, his eyes filled with pain and fear.

“The dark room is the shadow cast by the dragon’s wings,” the little rascal murmured, “but why…”

The little rascal's expression changed, as if he had recalled his most unbearable memories.

“Why didn’t you report this to His Majesty?” The little rascal’s eyes filled with tears, and his whole body trembled. “You just waited for the disaster, waited for all those disasters… to watch them wipe everyone out in Dragon Sky City…”

Thales frowned.

He thought of the people running for their lives, the people suffocating in the air, the people torn apart by blood and flesh, and the Shield Zone that was completely destroyed.

Cassan seemed somewhat surprised, and she looked back at the dirty little girl in the corner with a complicated expression.

A few seconds later, she sighed deeply.

“I’m sorry,” to everyone’s surprise, the Scarlet Witch bowed slightly in the direction of the little rascal: “Miss Alex Walton.”

Cohen's eyes widened suddenly as he looked at the little rascal in disbelief.

Miranda raised an eyebrow.

Upon hearing the name, the little rascal seemed startled, and she looked at Thales with a bewildered expression.

But Thales still had the back of the knife pressed against her neck, so he couldn't see her expression at all.

"Even if we know it was Morat who was behind it..." the Scarlet Witch's voice rang out.

“The Dark Room is still helpless,” Cassan said sincerely and sadly. “The Secret Service has concealed its information and whereabouts too well.”

The Scarlet Witch sat up and shook her head.

"It's too late."

“The Blood Mage arrived in Dragonfall City long ago. We were unaware of the Secret Service’s plans and had no way to defend ourselves,” Cassan said in a low voice, her eyes filled with sorrow. “We could only watch helplessly as the delegation drew closer and closer.”

The little rascal recovered from her shock and fear, clenched her fists, and raised her head with trembling hands.

"Then you should report to His Majesty!" The girl gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face. "He is the king of all Exter! So many people have died in Dragonrise City... He can definitely prevent these things from happening!"

The Scarlet Witch suddenly raised her head, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the little rascal with a serious expression.

“Our king?” Ms. Cassan murmured softly, uttering the king’s name:

"Nuen Nekaru Kahn Walton?"

The person in charge of the darkroom smiled slightly.

“Believe me, I have had the utmost respect for him over the past thirty years,” she nodded, her eyes filled with reverence and remembrance. “At least for most of his reign, he was a good king—and I am ready to report to him.”

Cassan's expression changed, and she uttered the next sentence:

"If he wasn't hiding it from me, planning to sell Dragon City to Star City and betray Exter in order to continue his family's lineage."

Everyone's expressions changed.

"What?" Cohen exclaimed in surprise.

The little rascal turned pale and stared blankly at Cassan.

“Yes, my dear lady,” the Scarlet Witch sighed softly, “I intercepted His Majesty Nunn’s message to the High King of the Stars.”

“He wants to rely on the power of the Nine-Pointed Star to save the precarious Cloud Dragon Spear, and he wants to use your marriage to that little prince to intimidate the new king,” Cassan’s eyes became incredibly sharp: “He is willing to give the Stars the leverage to intervene in Exter’s affairs.”

"Even in the future, let an heir with the blood of the Stars take over the First Territory of Exter."

Except for Raphael and Thales, almost everyone stared wide-eyed.

Even Tuleha couldn't help but turn around and look back.

Everyone's eyes turned to the little rascal, then to Cassandra, and finally to the second prince who had been taken hostage.

At that moment, Thales felt a mix of emotions.

He could picture King Nunn handing the ring to the little rascal.

"Good heavens," Cohen's mouth gaped open in an "O" shape as he stared straight at Thales, "Is this the truth behind what you said, that King Nunn wants to ally with us?"

"Let the descendants of the Shining Star royal family and the Walton family inherit the title of Grand Duke of Dragon Sky City?"

“As the King of Exter,” the Scarlet Witch slowly shook her head, “he shouldn’t have done that.”

"There is only one thing I can do for Exter."

Raphael raised his head, a strange light flashing in his red eyes.

“So you went and found Rumba,” he said softly.

Cassan didn't speak; she simply looked calmly at the enemies before her.

Thales stared blankly at the Scarlet Witch.

My mind was in complete disarray.

“This is the biggest joke ever,” the second prince murmured unconsciously. “So—your betrayal wasn’t an accident.” “For this…you wanted King Nunn’s life.”

Thales closed his eyes, let out a deep sigh, and felt utterly exhausted.

"The secret department and the dark room, both are going to kill him—you're practically working together..."

"In this situation, even if King Nuen has the army of Dragon Sky City as his backing and the White Blade Guard as his shield..."

Thales silently uttered the next sentence in his heart: How could he possibly not die?
At that moment, he really felt annoyed.

Cassan gave a soft hum, her expression subtle.

“For centuries, the Secret has remained silent, quietly weaving a spectacular thunderbolt in the deep clouds,” the Scarlet Witch’s eyes were filled with a strange light, like a chess player who had just won. “In contrast, the passive Dark Chamber can only take advantage of the Secret’s thunder and lightning to break through all of Exter’s obstacles.”

"Do you want to watch the lords of Exter fight like gladiatorial combatants, bleeding endlessly?" Cassan smiled slightly. "Then let's end the fighting in the first round."

Raphael clenched his fists as he listened to all this.

“You want a death match where both sides are evenly matched,” the Scarlet Witch said, pulling her hands back into her sleeves. “Then we’ll push the situation completely to one side.”

Cohen and Miranda exchanged a glance, seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

"Do you want Exter after Nunn to fall into a chaotic situation of endless disputes over the throne and constant suspicion about power?"

The head of the dark room shook his head slightly:
“Then we’ll give you Chaman Rumba.”

Raphael pursed his lips, closed his eyes, and sighed.

“So, Nunn was blind and helpless, and had no chance against the disaster and Rumba,” he stared blankly at the ground. “All our backup plans have failed.”

“I lost,” Raphael said dejectedly.

Cassan gave a soft hum, her expression returning to its amiable state.

“I know what you’re thinking, little one,” the Scarlet Witch nodded gently, looking at the sly little boy who was on the verge of tears. “Since things are not going to work out, how about we capture a member of Walton’s bloodline and bring him back to the stars as a bargaining chip?”

"such a pity……"

Cassan shook her head, seemingly with some regret.

The next moment, her expression turned serious.

"Morat, why is he in such a hurry?" The Scarlet Witch raised her head, her eyes flashing with a sharp light: "Even to have a greenhorn like you do such a thing?"

"Why are you in such a hurry to be trained as a successor?"

Raphael remained silent.

Miranda suddenly realized something and was horrified.

Cassan, who received no answer, gave a confident smile and then spoke softly, her voice filled with weariness and dejection.

"He doesn't have much time left, does he?"

Upon hearing this, all the Star People were slightly taken aback.

Raphael frowned even more.

"Tell me, how much longer can he hold on?" the Scarlet Witch asked softly, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Five years, or ten years?"

Raphael pursed his lips.

Thales stared blankly at Cassan, Morat's image flashing through his mind.

That old man who could drive Gilbert and Ginny away with a single word, that old man who could see through lies with his eyes.

Actually...

The next second, Cassan took a deep breath, as if trying to suck away all her emotions.

"Forget about him," she said, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Let's get back to the main topic."

The Scarlet Witch clapped her hands.

As she applauded, many people walked in through the thick door.

There were soldiers from the Black Sand Territory in patrol uniforms, as well as ordinary people, both men and women, dressed in different clothes, who appeared to be civilians.

But they all looked at the people in the cell with unfriendly expressions.

The soldiers of Black Sand Territory, weapons in hand, entered the prison and came before the Star People.

The "commoners" quietly walked behind Cassans without saying a word.

Thales sighed.

Tuleha chuckled softly.

Upon seeing the scene around them, Miranda's expression changed, while Cohen lowered his head in anguish.

"What do we do now?" the guard asked through gritted teeth, his voice tinged with worry.

"Stay calm," Raphael replied in a low voice.

“If you still refuse to hand over the Star Staff,” the Scarlet Witch smiled slightly, “you know… I can threaten you with more than just the prince.”

"And your companions."

Raphael looked at Cassan coldly.

The Scarlet Witch bowed slightly to him, revealing her usual kind smile.

Thales looked at the numerous soldiers in the field, standing in formation and blocking the exit, and felt a chill in his heart.

It’s over.

Now—he felt the chill on his neck and glanced at the indifferent Tuleha—what to do?
But right now.

"Boom!"

A tremendous roar came.

Cassan suddenly looked up!

Gravel and dust rained down from above again, kicking up a cloud of smoke in the cell!
The soldiers of Black Sand Territory instinctively drew their weapons.

Before anyone could react, several figures suddenly descended from the sky.

Just like the previous Tuleha.

The Fire Knight realized something was wrong and reacted quickly: Thales felt his arm tighten and Tuleha firmly grabbed his right hand and held him in front of him.

The billowing dust blinded Thales, and he could only make out the situation by listening.

Amidst the flashing figures, countless sounds of fighting echoed through the dust and smoke, the clanging of metal and the angry shouts of soldiers rising and falling!

"Shh!"

"boom!"

"Clang!"

"Defend quickly!"

"careful!"

“Stand back!”

"Protect... uh!"

In just over ten seconds, accompanied by the sounds of several people falling to the ground, the chaotic noise disappeared, and the scene gradually quieted down.

The smoke and dust finally began to dissipate.

Thales was still held tightly in Tuleha's hand, the blade never leaving his neck, while the Fire Knight frowned, coldly observing the situation in the cell.

The prince saw everything clearly before him.

Shock gripped his heart.

Right where the Scarlet Witch had just stood, a large hole had been smashed in the ceiling above her head.

The soldiers of Black Sand Territory, including those in the Dark Chamber, all retreated to the position by the thick door, looking at the uninvited guests in front of them with tense and surprised expressions—these intruders who had fallen from the sky.

There were a dozen or so burly warriors, with fierce eyes and swift movements, dressed in light gray armor and wearing scimitars to cover their faces.

Some were even equipped with sophisticated arm shields and crossbows.

At this moment, the invaders formed a formation, blocking the Black Sand Territory soldiers and separating them from the Star People and Tuleha in the prison.

Meanwhile, many enemies had already fallen beside these suddenly appearing warriors—and even behind their defensive line, the Scarlet Witch stood with a grim expression in front of Raphael and his men, far from the protection of her own people.

Cassan was in a bad situation—a strangely curved white-handled longsword was held across her neck, and her right arm was tightly restrained.

“Everyone back off,” the hostage-taker behind her said coldly to the soldiers of Black Sand Territory. “For the sake of this lady’s carotid artery.”

Cohen stared blankly at the intruders, exchanging glances with Miranda and Wyman, unable to hide his astonishment.

Everyone was caught off guard by the sudden accident.

"Who is this person?" the guard asked, bending down.

Miranda shook her head and looked at Raphael, who remained silent.

Thales' pupils contracted as he saw these suddenly appearing warriors.

and many more.

This kind of attire...

He examined the soldiers' equipment closely, then his mouth dropped open in astonishment.

Thales recognized these people.

The silent standoff lasted for a few seconds.

Until the kidnapped Scarlet Witch sighed.

"So, the rumors are true."

She withdrew her gaze from the blade at her neck and addressed the hostage-taker standing behind her:

"So you really did build an emergency secret passage inside the city gate?"

The Scarlet Witch narrowed her eyes, glancing at the intruders around her, then at her men—who had been forced back outside the thick door—and said in a low voice, “You managed to hide even from the dark room…I really underestimated you.”

A low laugh came from behind her.

"Snowblade and Dragon Wings—from the day Exter was founded, we have been mutually reinforcing and restraining each other."

The hostage-taker revealed a pale face and leaned close to Cassan's ear, whispering, "Be vigilant and watchful of everything that happens in the dark room: that's what we should be doing."

Raphael saw the face of the newcomer and frowned.

Under the astonished gazes of Miranda and Cohen, Raphael walked forward with an unfriendly expression, coming to the side of Cassan and the intruder.

You're late!

The young man from the secret service coldly said to the newcomer, "You almost got us killed!"

The newcomer raised an eyebrow, his pale face twitching slightly.

“It will take time to gather the scattered brothers.” The newcomer’s gaze passed over Raphael.

He glanced at Tuleha, who was holding Thales hostage, and gave the Fire Knight a defiant look: "Hey, Tuleha, thanks to the noise you made—otherwise we would have been searching for much longer."

Tuleha frowned and let out a menacing growl from his throat.

Thales stared blankly at the pale-faced man, and couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The newcomer raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the sly little boy in the corner before lingering for a moment.

“Also, you’d better be polite,” the pale-faced man said, brandishing the blade that was resting on Cassan’s neck. “After all, I’m saving your life.”

"The skeletal boy from the secret department."

Seri Nikolai—commander of the White Blade Guard, captain of King Nunn's personal guard, enemy of the Starry Sky Royal Family, and one of the Five Warriors of Exter, known as "The Meteor"—said calmly to Raphael.

While thinking of chapter titles, I added more than a thousand words.

I was thinking about whether to end the chapter abruptly, but then I sighed and said: Never mind.

The chargeable word count was 4500, but the actual word count was 6000. Consider the extra 1500 words as my treat.

(Well, because I like to revise the text from time to time, there are many more chapters like this with a much longer actual word count than the paid word count—feel free to go back and download them again from time to time.)
(Sigh, this is a kind of romance that pirate readers will never understand.)
By Wu Jian, who looked completely serious.

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(End of this chapter)