Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 22 Crimson Star (Part 2)
Toros, help me.

"There's nothing we can do."

I know you can do it; you are the strongest among us. And the fact that I am still conscious means the seal isn't complete…

Why?

Because you have to help me. I must immediately revert to my physical form and return to the stars.

"I'm sorry, I cannot comply."

Toros, you are neither the will of the world nor those foolish gods, so why are you as stubborn as them?
"ignorance."

Please, Toros! I have met a child who may be the only new mage in a thousand years.

"What does it have to do with me?"

Why can't you understand? He, me, you, the fourteen of us—plus him, we're fifteen—magic masters, we're all one!

"A seamless whole?"

Torres, believe me, we coexist and depend on each other, even though our paths diverge...

"Bloodthorn Black Orchid, do you remember it?"

That's not right. I absolutely refuse to acknowledge them as one of us—they betrayed us!

Everyone has a choice, that's all.

We are not human!

"Choose an irrelevant class."

Then I made my choice long ago! I choose the Mage! Don't you want us to be able to stand freely in this world?

"I also have a choice, and that's all."

Toros! That child needs guidance! Otherwise, he'll eventually...

Such is fate.

Soul Tower Third-Class Apprentice, Toros Mill! Don't forget! You were the one who killed the Mountains and the Seas first! You were the instigator of the war! You are our first example! If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened!

"."

Toros, help me.

"."

help me.

------------------

“Wait!” Thales raised his hand, interrupting Gilbert’s slightly sorrowful statement.

"The bloodline of the Shining Star family has been almost completely wiped out?"

"Who did it?"

Gilbert, however, simply looked at him with sorrow in his eyes.

Thales squinted.

There's a problem with just the first two sentences.

"You mean Eddie II—my grandfather, whose reign was long and stable, and who was known as the 'King of Everlasting Rule'?"

"What about the rebellion of the 'Year of Blood'?"

"Great peace has actually led to rebellion? That makes no sense at all."

Thales looked at Gilbert, but the man simply patted the book in his hand and frowned slightly.

The middle-aged nobleman with gray hair calmly said:
"The reasons for the Bloody Year are numerous and complex, some of which are top secrets that only high-ranking officials can access. You will learn about these in later courses, or even after you become the official heir and have the right to access these secrets, it will not be too late to study them."

"Now, all I can tell you is that His Majesty has taken revenge for all the grudges that could be taken. The hidden dangers have been basically eliminated. As for the remaining grudges, they are either impossible to take or simply cannot be done."

Thales narrowed his eyes.

Is the problem basically solved?

He had a premonition that the events of twelve years ago were incredibly important to him.

Gilbert, with a touch of pity and anguish, continued his narrative:

"That year, the five central territories suffered a natural disaster and lost their harvest, the six southwestern cities rebelled, the suppression army failed and mutinied, the Wild Bone tribe rebelled, Exter invaded, the northern front was in danger, the sea was blockaded, the supply line from the capital to the south was cut off, the rebels even besieged Yongxing City for a time, and the nobles in the city even joined forces to force the emperor to abdicate. Everything happened so suddenly."

“Every day, bad news came from the palace: territories fell, enemies invaded, armies suffered defeats, allies broke their promises, nobles were killed and massacred. Everyone was terrified and prayed for tomorrow, only to receive even worse news the next day.”

"The people in the city were dressed in rags and struggled to survive under the oppression of the army. Those who were not soldiers could hardly even get food. The nobles below the rank of earl were as lowly as beggars. Their former authority was like dirt, and no amount of gold coins could buy them even a loaf of bread."

"Thieves, robbers, and mobs are rampant, and even the army cannot suppress them. Within the army, the number of people dying from disease, starvation, and battle is increasing day by day, even clogging and stinking the moat. The people outside the capital are in an even worse state, with many becoming refugees or mobs, drifting aimlessly with no one to rely on, surrounded by bandits and criminals."

"Many lords were hanged in their own territories, and some officials were even skinned alive in the government offices. People could not survive without taking up arms. I heard from a knight who went out of town to deliver a message that there were piles of corpses every few steps in the wilderness, and horses could not even gallop freely for half an hour. If there were fewer than five knights on a journey, refugees and mobs would dare to swarm them."

"That was a year like a river of hell."

Gilbert looked out the window, his tone calm, but Thales could hear the desolation and resentment in his voice.

"The misfortune of the Shining Star royal family is the biggest footnote to this."

Thales did not speak.

Gilbert sighed and continued:

"The king stroked his white hair day after day, trapped in a state of deep sorrow. The lamps at the royal council meetings were almost constantly lit. Every prince and brother of the Canxing family was given a task, whether it was to oversee logistics, win over nobles, or even be sent to the front lines to lead troops in battle."

"Until they were ruthlessly slaughtered."

"His Majesty the late King was beheaded on his throne, the princesses were strangled in their sleep, the princes' wives were burned to death in the castle, the princes' grandsons even died in their swaddling clothes, and His Majesty the late Queen—alas."

"The valiant eldest son of the king, wielding his sword alone, refused to retreat an inch, and ultimately perished in battle with his guards at the palace gates. The most unfortunate was the king's younger brother, Duke John, who, on the southwestern battlefield, was on the verge of victory when he was subjected to a shameful sneak attack from behind."

"Of the princes at the front, one was pushed off the highest room in the castle, one was poisoned at a nobleman's contract banquet, and one led his troops into the siege of Exter, where they were wiped out without any reinforcements for three whole hours, fighting to the death. His Majesty Kessel even 'happened' to encounter a professional army of five hundred men while traveling in the wilderness, with only Yordles by his side at the time."

"The death and bloodshed that year spread throughout the country. From princes and nobles, to knights, merchants, and ordinary people, all suffered heavy casualties. It is a page of history that Xingchen is most unwilling to turn."

Thales took a deep breath.

Did this country experience such terrible turmoil before I traveled through time?
Gilbert calmed his breathing and said seriously:
"Therefore, please seek the answer to the bloody year for yourself in the future."

"At the same time, please be prepared that the bloody year is just the tip of the iceberg - the history of stars has never been without bloodshed."

Thales nodded, suppressing his curiosity and excitement, numbering the questions of the bloody year and tucking them into his heart.

Seeing Thales's solemn expression, Gilbert nodded slightly and turned to continue, "Thales, the search for your bloodline begins here."

"Your father, His Majesty Kessel, survived, but he also lost all his relatives that year, including his two children, your brother and sister."

"Among them, 1-year-old Luther Star suffered a tragic fate in his swaddling clothes. The assassin was discovered on the spot, and in the chaos, 4-year-old Lydia Star was taken hostage."

At this point, Gilbert gave Thales a meaningful and complicated look.

“Thales, child,” the middle-aged nobleman said slowly, “that lamp was not originally meant to find you.”

Thales looked down at the wound on his hand.

It turned out to be the case.

"After His Majesty's coronation, High Priestess Li Xiya of the Sunset Temple personally used divine magic to find any living creature in the world that carries His Majesty's bloodline."

"However, when we found Princess Lydia—"

"In short, His Majesty and the Canxing family lost all their legitimate heirs, and this continued for twelve years. During these twelve years, His Majesty did not give birth to any new bloodlines."

"For the past twelve years, Xingchen has only had a supreme king, no princes or princesses. Even in political marriages with foreign powers, the children of the six great families have been chosen."

"Until one day, that bloodline lamp was lit again."

The study remained silent for a long time.

The scene from last night flashed through Thales' mind.

He needed to confirm one thing.

"His Majesty was probably in the fifth or sixth year of his reign—"

So when Gilbert continued, he interrupted the middle-aged nobleman without hesitation.

"—The royal family was slaughtered in such a meticulously planned manner," Thales said softly, "Who is the most direct culprit?"

Gilbert closed his eyes, remained silent for a moment, but finally spoke:

"It's the Saridon family, and the 'Shadow Shield'."

Thales sighed silently to himself.

"One is an assassin family that has been passed down for thousands of years in the darkness, and the other is an assassin organization that has been roaming in the shadows for hundreds of years."

"They conspired with the masterminds behind the scenes to orchestrate a treasonous operation known as 'Starfall'—this is what the Kingdom's secret service investigated afterward."

"Two of King Eddy II's secret guards were lured away by someone with ulterior motives. Thanks to the late king's mercy, the elite royal guards were dispatched along with the eldest son to suppress the rioters who suddenly gathered in front of the palace. Although the forty city guards standing beside the late king were all skilled fighters ranging from mortal to super-rank, and could line up from the palace gate to the inner palace, they could not hold off the legendary assassin for even half a quarter of an hour as he fought his way through. The late king was thus beheaded by Lordan Saridon."

Yes, Thales thought to himself: I have seen it with my own eyes, that kind of unstoppable, indomitable swordsmanship.

"His Majesty Kessel's brothers, including His Highness the Eldest Prince, were assassinated by the Shadow Shield's killers using various methods and schemes. His Majesty's two children, who remained in the palace, died at the hands of Baannet Saridon, along with several princes' wives and the eldest princess."

Baannette, that name sounds familiar.

Thales exhaled through his nose; it was the "stranger" Yara had mentioned.

He resisted the urge to reach for JC's dagger, and also the urge to immediately return to his room to question Yodl.

“Please continue.” Thales immediately changed his tone and nodded, saying, “Please tell me my part.”

Gilbert straightened his tie, which had become slightly askew due to his emotional outburst, and continued:

"I know a little about your birth mother. According to your father, His Majesty His Majesty Kessel, her name should be Therren Girana. As for her surname—His Majesty did not mention her background, so she was probably not of noble birth. Judging from this name, I even suspect that she was a foreigner."

"But that's all. I don't even know her age, when she met His Majesty, or whether she is still alive."

Thales frowned.

“I was handed over to the Black Street Brotherhood at least seven years ago,” Thales said, lowering his head thoughtfully. “That means in 665, my birth mother met the King. Could you—”

But Gilbert shook his head.

"His Majesty has had many lovers, some openly and some secretly, some for as short as a month or two, and others for as long as ten years. Only Yordle, who is close to His Majesty, probably knows the details of their relationships."

"But none of them had children?" Thales asked suspiciously. "Only my mother, whom I never met, happened to give birth to me? And then my blood was discovered by the Bloodline Lamp when it dripped onto the ground? Isn't that a bit too suspicious?"

“My father—His Majesty the King—is also indifferent to his illegitimate son and doesn’t seem interested in discussing my mother with me. Are you sure I’m really their child?”

Gilbert frowned.

"I am neither in a position to nor able to comment on His Majesty's actions."

"As for your mother, it can only be said that it was fate's arrangement," the middle-aged nobleman said with slight discomfort. "Also, I must remind you that the thought you just had is very detrimental to your future status, so please do not bring it up again."

Gilbert's gaze was so stern that Thales, sitting in his leather chair, couldn't help but shrink back.

"After all, the bloodline lamp under the power of the Sunset Goddess cannot be wrong, and His Majesty insists that Lady Seranella is your birth mother."

"So please remember this and keep it in your heart. Perhaps one day, His Majesty will answer this question for you."

The image of Catherine V's icy expression and unquestionable authority flashed through his mind, and Thales turned away, rolling his eyes.

"The above answers the questions of where you come from and who you are."

Gilbert said with a serious expression.

"So, where are you going—"

Just then, someone suddenly appeared in the study!

It landed silently in front of them!

Gilbert's expression changed, and he swiftly stood up, kicking a cane from beside his feet!
By the time he had the cane in his hand, the middle-aged nobleman was already firmly blocking Thales's way.

Thales then realized that this seemingly gentle and refined middle-aged nobleman was actually quite skilled in martial arts!

But the middle-aged nobleman immediately let out a sigh of relief and relaxed along with Thales.

Because this person who suddenly appeared was completely covered by a black hood and bodysuit, and had a dark purple mask on his face.

"hidden."

Yodel Gatu, the secret guard of His Majesty the High King, spoke in a short, hoarse voice.

"Twenty people are rapidly approaching this area!"

At that moment, Thales recalled Gilbert's words:

The history of stars has never been without bloodshed.

(End of this chapter)