Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 234 A Huge Threat

"Just as I predicted, your wish came true."

Srace's expression remained calm, seemingly having forgotten the sword at his throat. His gaze swept over Putilay beside Thales, and he nodded thoughtfully, saying, "Congratulations on your release—and you, Vice Envoy, I wonder why you've come to visit us..."

Srace knew that the thin man in front of him was a key figure in the Star Envoy.

As long as you reach an agreement with him...

But Putila remained silent, her expression indifferent, simply waiting quietly for their prince to speak.

Thales smiled and said, "Alright, Your Excellency Marquis."

"Stop looking at Putila—I'm the one here to talk business with you today."

Srace paused, staring blankly at Thales, his eyes shifting.

He didn't even have this expression when he first met the prince.

“So,” Srace seemed to have regained his composure and courtesy from the sudden attack, he cleared his throat and smiled, “why would you put yourself in danger again?”

He took a deep breath, glanced at the sword at his neck, considered his current situation, and raised an eyebrow with a smile: "Although it's not a very friendly way to put it, but..."

“I have designated contact persons who, according to a pre-arranged plan, will usually notify the Grand Duke of Lombardy if they lose contact with me.”

Nikolai frowned.

The Marquis of Bemular of Commas turned to Thales with a pained expression and sighed, "Look, you're taking a risk."

“Yes,” Thales nodded, waving to Nicolai to step back. “So, I’m risking exposure to come here to find you.”

“Just like a few hours ago, you risked everything to pick me up in person.” Thales’s gaze sharpened:
"Your Excellency, Marquis."

The man from Commas wore a helpless expression.

“I understand your feelings. It was a heartbreaking diplomatic journey,” Srace sighed helplessly. “You finally escaped a great calamity, and you’re feeling down, wanting some interest back…”

"Do not."

Thales interrupted him.

“I have limited time,” the second prince said calmly, “so let’s keep it short.”

Srace was slightly taken aback.

The second prince stepped forward, climbed onto a stool in front of the desk, and tried to align his gaze with that of the kidnapped Shrews: "First, when you came to pick me up before, you told me that if I gave up on returning to Valhalla, you could send me out of the city quietly, or even back to the stars."

Srace rolled his eyes and gave a polite smile.

“That was a decision you made behind Rumba’s back,” Thales said in a low voice.

"So you are Rumba's partner, but you are not his subordinate, you do not obey his orders, and you do not have to be loyal to him."

“Otherwise,” Thales smirked, “why didn’t he send his elite soldiers to protect you?”

Marquis Slade nodded in a friendly manner, seemingly being courteous.

"I understand."

"You want me to betray my relationship with the Grand Duke of Lombard and help you instead?" The Marquis pondered for a moment, then calmly said, "This is no small request. If he finds out..."

Thales shook his head.

“Your contract with Lumba is complete,” the prince said, staring intently at his face. “King Nuen is dead—the spirit of the contract, do you remember?”

The Marquis's eyes flickered slightly.

“I would like to do a business deal with you, Your Excellency,” the prince said softly. “A business deal is always a win-win situation—the gains will certainly exceed the costs.”

The room fell silent for a moment after he said that.

Shrew smirked, a glint in his eyes.
"Business?"

He pondered for a few seconds, then looked up, ignoring the fact that he was being held hostage, and smiled brightly: "What do you want?"

Thales also smiled:
"I need intelligence."

“Intelligence, hmm,” Srace nodded thoughtfully, “Since it’s a business deal, what do you intend to exchange it for?”

intelligence.

exchange.

Thales took a breath and suddenly remembered Kevin Deer's Wisteria Plantation and that bloody night.

It hasn't been long, but it feels like it's been a long time.

He snapped out of his reverie and smiled slightly at the well-mannered Shrews: "Don't worry, my price is fair, you'll definitely make a profit."

Srace lowered his head slightly, his eyes gleaming: "Oh? I'm looking forward to it."

“I will exchange your intelligence for something far more important,” Thales said solemnly, his expression turning serious.

Srace blinked: "So it is..."

next second.

“My intelligence is,” Thales exhaled, inexplicably recalling the butler of their vampire rival, the old man named Chris, and then looked directly into Shredder’s eyes: “Your life is in our hands.”

The prince smiled and asked, "Is this information sufficient?"

Smiley's face froze.

one second.

two seconds.

Srace let out a breath and shrugged. "I thought you genuinely wanted to do business with me, and not..."

“Let’s think about it some more,” Thales said with his smile still on his face. “This deal is very profitable.”

Srace sighed softly, but his words were firm and unyielding.

“That’s not how business is done,” the Marquis narrowed his eyes, seemingly unconcerned. “You’ve already messed with Exter and are in dire straits yourself, while Commas would be happy to lend a hand, such as quietly sending you out of the country—just as mentioned before…”

Thales's face turned cold.

“King Nuen is dead,” he said coldly. “Those who swore to defend him had to endure the humiliation of being branded with a sword.”

"As an accomplice, shouldn't you take some responsibility?"

Smiley paused in his speech.

He looked at Thales with a suspicious expression.

"These people?" The Marquis narrowed his eyes: "A humiliation of being drawn swords?"

Nikolai stepped forward coldly.

“You don’t seem to realize your situation yet,” the Meteorite said coldly, “my dear friend Commas.”

Smiley heard the sound.

He was slightly taken aback at first, then carefully examined Nicole's heavily made-up face. A few seconds later, the Marquis's expression turned extremely ugly.

He recognized the man whose skin was unnaturally dark.

“Ah, Lord Nicholas!” Slay’s face twitched awkwardly, his expression a mixture of embarrassment and pain.
"You actually..."

"Still alive?" Nikolai replied dismissively.

Shrew's face stiffened, and his voice stammered, "Haha, haha, this, this is another surprise..."

“Yes,” Nikolai sneered, his eyes filled with hatred and rage: “His Majesty Nunn…”

Before Nicolai could finish speaking, in the next instant, Srace's expression changed with lightning speed.
"I've reconsidered, Your Highness Thales!"

The Marquis turned his head and looked at Thales with a serious and solemn expression.

“This is indeed a good business,” Shrews said earnestly.

"What information do you want to know about Rumba?" His words were fluent and smooth, his tone sincere and warm, and his emotions genuine and natural: "I will do my best to answer your questions."

Raphael smiled.

Nikolai blew a sigh of dissatisfaction.

Thales sighed and looked at Putila, who gave him an approving look.

The prince turned to the highly enlightened marquis and nodded to Raphael.

Raphael lowered his sword.

The Marquis breathed a sigh of relief.

“You once said that Rumba had a unique perspective and demeanor,” Thales frowned. “And Rumba also said that he wanted to save Exter.”

The prince raised his head, his eyes serious:

"Why do you say that?"

Srace raised an eyebrow.

God.

I thought he was going to ask about evidence of Rumba's regicide, or about key figures...

However, this problem...

“You wouldn’t understand,” Srace shook his head and sighed. “Many people dismiss this as nonsense—in fact, I’m still completely baffled myself…”

Thales squinted.

"Tell me, and see if I can understand," Prince Star said calmly, "Why, and by what right, does Rumba want to 'save' Exter?"

The Marquis of Cornmas stared intently at Thales.

His eyes were swirling with emotion.

A few seconds later, Shrews chuckled.

He spoke softly: "Because to him—Rumba saw a real threat, and danger."

In this room, Raphael, Putila, and Nicolai were all slightly taken aback.

Only one person did not react.

"The real threat?" Thales asked back, his expression unchanged.

“Yes, an unprecedented, overwhelming threat,” Shrews seemed to have gone all out. He raised an eyebrow, not expecting the people in the room to understand: “A threat powerful enough to crush and destroy the entire Exter.”

"The other grand dukes were either completely unaware or did not want to be aware."

“Only Chaman Lumba saw it and made a decisive choice and act before the threat actually came.”

Thales gently clasped his hands together.

Getting closer and closer.

just now……

“In order to face this terrible and horrific threat,” Thales said softly, as if afraid of waking something, “he must unite all of Exter’s forces, must he?”

"Like the four archdukes in Valhalla?"

"Like Dragon Sky City?"

Thales raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Because this is a terrible threat that none of them can withstand alone—it is unprecedented and will change our history forever."

At that moment, Srace was truly stunned.

It felt like meeting this prince for the first time.

"Have you already guessed?" Srace murmured, "But..."

Thales interrupted him coldly: "It's just a guess. I still need you to confirm it for me."

The prince clenched his fists, recalling everything the little rascal had told him.

Mindis III.

A century-old chess game.

The foundation for all ages.

Thales narrowed his eyes and asked one last question: "That enormous threat."

"What is it?"

Slade seemed to have recovered from his surprise at Thales.

He let out a long breath, then frowned.

A few seconds later, Srace's brow relaxed.

He smiled.

“Your Highness Thales, you’ve actually figured it out,” Shrews said with a slow shake of his head and a smile, “What has all of Charman Rumba done for all this time?”

Thales's gaze grew increasingly serious.

With a meaningful look on his face, Shrew said quietly, "What kind of existence is this in this world...?"

"Capable of intimidating the incomparably powerful Dragon Kingdom..."

"Threatening the future survival of the strongest nation in the Western Continent..."

"We will inherit the great Northern Way and establish the Kingdom of Exter, which will last for over six hundred years..."

"Pushed to an unprecedented life-or-death juncture?"

(End of this chapter)