Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 243: Turning against guests
"A good speech."

"But you also need to understand."

“We cannot simply rely on your emotional speech,” Grand Duke Ronnie began with difficulty, but his voice was already hoarse and seemed unconvincing, “to think that Star is invincible and that Exster is in dire straits, and that not cooperating with you means certain death.”

"This is unrealistic."

Rumba took a deep breath.

“Of course you can question me,” he turned and faced Ronnie without flinching, “but you can’t fool your own eyes—King Kessel’s expedition in the desert is right in front of you.”

"They were able to transport the supplies and provisions smoothly into the vast desert," Lumba continued unequivocally, "and thus they could transport them without any difficulty to the outskirts of Dragonflight City, and even to the areas of Guard City, Qiyuan City, or even the Outpost Territory."

He shook his head: "Qiyuan City has been vigilant about the movements of the Golden Corridor and the anomalies in the desert for generations, and is used to taking precautions—I hope this is not just empty talk."

Ronnie remained motionless and silent.

“You can say whatever you want about things that haven’t happened,” Grand Duke Trudida exhaled, still seemingly full of doubt. “Scare tactics can bewitch brainless idiots…”

He squinted: "But it's best not to use it on us."

Grand Duke Leco raised his head and glanced at Trudida.

Aurelius lowered his head and stared at the ground, remaining silent for a long time.

"But they have a highly efficient and effective bureaucracy, and that's no lie."

Rumba gestured to the four dukes: "After the Crimson Year, the Starry Sky Royal Family's direct standing army has increased year after year, and the amount of valuable equipment such as magic guns on Dragonbreaker Fortress has also increased significantly—all of this will affect our victory or defeat."

“You can even ask Mrs. Cassandra: Over the years, the quality of the members recruited by the Secret Society has far exceeded that of the Dark Chamber. Faced with their espionage and schemes, the famous Scarlet Witch often had no choice but to passively retaliate. But believe me, she would never take such a risky strategy if there was even the slightest possibility of taking the initiative.”

The Grand Duke of Black Sands walked past the four Grand Dukes step by step, his gaze solemn, giving off a strong sense of oppression.

“Let’s look at the battles from over a hundred years ago. That’s not difficult. And then compare them with the present,” he said in a deep voice. “But we are at a critical juncture that will determine the future of the kingdom. There is no doubt about that. If we miss this moment, we will all regret it.”

Rumba walked up to the brazier, the blazing flames casting his silhouette in the eyes of the four dukes.

At that moment, Chaman Rumba's voice seemed to carry a heavy weight.

“We and Xingchen are like two wounded swordsmen who saw each other’s weakness in our last life-or-death battle,” he said softly. “That weakness is time.”

Grand Duke Lecco's expression shifted.

"Our weakness is that we can't afford to waste time. We can't give the Star Kingdom time to heal its wounds and slowly change."

"The weakness of the Stars is that they must buy time. They will definitely do everything they can to delay the conflict until the scars of the Bloody Year heal."

Rumba's expression turned serious: "Our back-and-forth battles over the past twelve years have revolved around this theme."

He turned around, his gaze intense: "I only realized later that King Kessel's costly desert expedition, besides demonstrating their expeditionary capabilities, was also a smokescreen, designed to make us doubt the existing forces of the stars and hesitate about sending troops south."

“Over the years, Starry Sky and Secret Science have tried every means to cause internal strife in order to buy time and clean up the wounds in our country,” the Grand Duke of Black Sand raised his fist. “And my efforts to escalate local conflicts into war through princes or territories are even more aimed at buying time and breaking Starry Sky’s plans.”

"So you want us to send troops?" Aurelius suddenly spoke up: "Even if it means tempting us with unexpected benefits?"

Rumba nodded silently.

Trudida let out a breath and rubbed his hands together: "Let's be realistic. Even if we all agree with you and send troops south together..."

"So what are you going to do then?"

“Twelve years ago, even at our peak, we couldn’t defeat the land south of the Mu River,” the Grand Duke of Rebuilding the Tower said, spreading his palms with a strange expression. “If what you say is true, then our southern neighbors are no longer what they used to be…”

Trudida chuckled: "Then what makes you think we'll definitely succeed in twelve years?"

The dukes all fell into deep thought.

But Rumba seemed to have been prepared. He snorted, walked to the rectangular table, and tapped on the surface.

“There is a difference,” he said softly, shaking his head. “Twelve years ago, and now.”

Archduke Aurelius showed an interested expression.

“Twelve years ago, we were too arrogant. Our strategy when we launched the attack was headed towards the destruction of the nation,” Rumba shook his head, seemingly very regretful. “The full-scale offensive after crossing the fortress not only dealt a heavy blow to StarCraft, but also put enormous pressure on ourselves, leaving a loophole for the Starshine Legion’s harassment.”

"By the time we realized something was wrong, we were already mired in trouble."

Rumba suddenly raised his head.

“But now, we have come to understand the situation of our opponents, and our advantages remain,” the Grand Duke of Black Sands nodded. “Twelve years ago, the best thing King Nunn did was to end the expedition early and retreat with most of his forces, without risking an attack for uncertain gains.”

“It’s ironic that almost all of us were cursing him twelve years ago,” Trudida sighed, looking wistful. “Twelve years later, the only person speaking up for his decision back then is you.”

He shrugged at Rumba, indicating his helplessness.

Rumba paused slightly, but then clenched his fist and spoke again.

"This time, we'll set our sights solely on 'taking the North,' and if things don't go smoothly, 'capturing the fortress' will be the minimum we can aim for."

Rumba slid his sword sheath across the table, as if drawing a map:

"You all know about the dirty tricks the Star People have played at the State Council meetings—the Star People's fiefdom nobles will not be willing to aid King Kessel unless their own interests are involved, as the latter has pushed them too far over the years."

"So, just like twelve years ago, we will face a northern border that is isolated and helpless except for the royal standing army—or even better, because the feud between Southrest and Starstar is not yet over, so the neighboring Cliffland Territory will not send troops, and the northern border is far from recovering from the huge damage it suffered twelve years ago."

A glint flashed in Grand Duke Lecco's eyes.

His words seemed to exude boundless confidence: "In this war, we will concentrate our forces and take advantage of Exster's remaining military superiority to fight steadily on the front lines, taking only the North. We will not be overly ambitious, nor will we create additional logistical problems. I am very confident about this."

"And we still hold the moral high ground of avenging our king, and we also hold their prince in our hands, which gives us more leverage outside the battlefield."

Rumba looked at the council table and nodded with a deep gaze.

"But what's even more advantageous is..."

"We won't encounter much resistance."

Grand Duke Black Sand raised his head and looked directly at the other grand dukes: "Several dozen days ago, the Arend family, a Northlander family that has been famous since the imperial era and has a long history, and is now one of the six great families of the stars, suffered a heavy blow: the Northlander Guardian Duke, Val Arend, was framed and imprisoned in the Palace of Restoration by the incompetent and tyrannical King Kessel."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

"how?"

Grand Duke Ronnie said sarcastically, "The Rumba family wants to cross borders to the stars to seek justice for their millennia-old nemesis?"

Rumba glanced at him.

“It’s better than that.”

A strange light appeared in the eyes of the Black Sand Grand Duke: "Miranda Arend—Val Arend's only remaining daughter—is a guest here."

The other dukes' expressions turned serious.

Lumba said coldly, "According to the Starry Sky Inheritance Law, she is the most legitimate heir of the Northern Territory and the Aarond family."

The dukes exchanged glances, noticing the surprise in each other's eyes.

Grand Duke Olesh of the Wilan Territory pondered, "So this is the purpose of the White Eagle family's heir, isn't it? As for what you just mentioned about being a 'caught in the act' of assassinating the king..."

Rumba simply shook his head, ignoring him: "In this way, it will be much easier for us to take over the North: to the people of the North, we are not invaders, but a righteous army that has come to the stars to seek justice at the invitation of the esteemed Miss Arend."

“Unlike last time,” a terrible flame ignited in the eyes of the Grand Duke of Black Sands, “this time, we will absolutely not fall into the quagmire of war, thereby exposing Exter’s weakness of being unable to withstand a protracted war.”

At this moment, the atmosphere among the dukes changed, becoming quiet and eerie.

Grand Duke Ronnie exhaled, his face stiff: "You really did plan this meticulously, Rumba."

Grand Duke Leco began to scrutinize Rumba again, his gaze serious, and he remained silent.

Grand Duke Trudida frowned, deep in thought: "Very well, so, just like King Nunn's granddaughter...we'll first support that girl from the Arend family as a puppet, then secretly do some tampering, and Arend's northern border will become Lumba's northern border...and then?"

Rumba gave a cold laugh.

"And then……"

“Once we establish ourselves in the northern border and take root, we can completely reverse the stalemate that has lasted for three hundred years: if Yongxing City loses the northern border, it is almost as if it has no natural defenses. We will have the absolute initiative, and we can attack or defend as we please. Even if we do not advance or retreat, we can still put invisible pressure and threats on Yongxing City.”

He tapped the invisible "map" on the table with his sword sheath.

"So you volunteered to acquire the lands of the North, to graze the South, and even to relinquish the Black Sand Territory," Aurelius said sharply, raising his head. "Is this all for? To pressure the stars? Are you sure you can do it?"

Rumba nodded slowly.

“To accomplish this,” he scoffed, “is anyone more suitable than me?”

"Tell me about it," Ronnie said coldly from the side.

Rumba glanced at him, but nodded nonetheless.

"I will use relentless harassment and military buildup to exert continuous pressure on Starry Sky, especially on Eternal Star City," Rumba frowned, his expression solemn. "Along the way, I will spare Starry Sky's vassals, such as Cliffland and Western Wilderness, without a second thought—they will understand what they can gain from the decline of Central Territory and Eternal Star City. Whenever King Kessel wants to do something, whether internally or externally, I will not let him have an easy time."

"In the North, the Aarond family, which is under our control, is not merely a bargaining chip for war and conquest. Their legitimacy and their long-standing prestige in the North will become a thorn in the side of the Star King."

Trudida and Leko exchanged a glance.

"This will severely damage the prestige of the Starry Sky royal family and force the Restoration Palace to devote a large amount of resources and energy to military defense and diplomatic negotiations, leaving them no time to attend to other territories and vassals, thus weakening the royal family's influence and control over the kingdom. And those fiefdom nobles who have been suppressed by Kaiser for many years are not simple characters." Rumba's expression became solemn, but there was a hint of unfathomable fanaticism in his eyes:

"In short, we will not defeat them in one fell swoop, but we can demonstrate our presence with a threat that cannot be ignored, forcibly insert foreign pieces into Mindis's chessboard, force them into uncontrollable chaos, and indefinitely postpone or even interrupt their ongoing reforms."

“As time goes on, the stars will fall ill amidst the many twists and turns of change and transformation, beset by internal and external troubles,” Rumba raised his eyes, his gaze becoming increasingly sharp: “And we will turn the tide.”

"Even to the point of turning the tables."

The dukes were all deep in thought.

Just now.

“Your Excellency,” a brisk female voice called from outside the door, “I’m coming in!”

The sound of weapons clashing suddenly came from outside the stone hall.

The four dukes tensed up and all looked at Lumba.

Rumba's expression shifted slightly, then he nodded to them.

“Let her in,” Grand Duke Lyco called out. “She’ll be fine.”

As the Grand Duke's voice faded, the sound of a sword being sheathed came from outside the door.

The next second, the female swordsman Chloeshe appeared in the hall.

This rare female warrior from Exter approached Lumba respectfully and whispered a few words in the Grand Duke's ear with a solemn expression.

At that moment, Grand Duke Trudida keenly noticed that Rumba's eyes suddenly widened!

Something happened.

Trudida said quietly:

It seems to be related to the current situation.

----

"Pong!"

A hail of arrows, like a swarm of insects, rained down from the city gate to the ground!

"Dong! Ding! Clang!"

A brief but piercing sound of nails rang out.

But the imagined scenario did not occur.

The two carriages bearing the insignia of Shanliu City were neither riddled with arrows nor slowed down; they continued their relentless march toward the city gate!
Instead, the three patrol teams chasing them stopped in their tracks, their scalps tingling, staring at the scene before them with suspicion and uncertainty.

Countless arrows were densely embedded in the ground, just a few meters in front of them.

They were firmly separated from the two carriages.

If you take one more step, perhaps one of the arrows will fall on your head.

With these thoughts in mind, the patrol members looked up at the city gate with astonishment, anger, and confusion.

Above the city gate, archer Phil put away his bow and arrows, pleased to see the patrols stopped on the road by a volley of fire from his own troops.

Phil turned around and raised his hand to Count Levan, who in turn gave him a thumbs-up.

The two carriages, along with their "attendants" who were quite a bit behind, all rushed towards the gate under the city gate.

"what happened!"

Outside the city gate, Viscount Leston, the nominal commander of the patrol, was already furious.

How many years has it been since he last saw his troops stopped by warning shots at the city gate?
It's still in Dragon Sky City?
"Sir, Madam, you both saw it! How dare they?"

Accompanied by two equally enraged guards, Reston pointed at the city gates and roared at the Prime Minister of Lisbon and the Red Witch Cassan, his anger barely contained:
"Attack my troops?"

"In Dragon Sky City, attack the patrols guarding Dragon Sky City, and attack the king's regular army!"

He clenched his fists and roared, "No matter who they are... I'll curse their whole family!"

boom!
With a loud bang, the temporary access gate in the center of the city gate was slowly pulled up amidst the sound of metal scraping.

The two carriages then slowed down and, together with the people around them, passed through the first city gate and entered the highest inner city—facing Valhalla directly.

Count Lisbon frowned slightly. He first glanced at the convoy that had broken through and rushed into the city gate, then quietly observed the situation on the city gate, his gray hair swaying slightly in the wind.

"Calm down, Your Excellency," the Prime Minister said calmly. "There must be a reason for everything."

Viscount Lesdon then fell silent, but he was still breathing heavily, veins bulging on his arms, and staring at the Scarlet Witch beside the Prime Minister with an unfriendly expression.

“To be honest, Ms. Cassan,” the Prime Minister of Lisbon sighed, “who were those people at the city gate? And who were those two carriages just now?”

"And who is in Valhalla?"

“Never mind,” Risban shook his head. “I recognize that archery skill. When we captured the fortress twelve years ago, Phil and his colleagues were the best at suppressing fire—thanks to Black Sand Territory’s years of experience fighting for the fortress.”

The Scarlet Witch frowned slightly, seemingly surprised, then her expression turned regretful.

“As expected of you, Lisban,” she said slowly.

Lisban took in her expression.

“From the patrol uniforms to the inexplicably large number of soldiers, and the letter from Valhalla urging me to come,” the Prime Minister shook his head, looking exhausted, “and your sudden appearance?”

"Why him?"

Ms. Cassan narrowed her eyes and did not answer.

But Lisban didn't seem to expect an answer from her.

“I’ve had enough of all this,” the gray-haired prime minister said coldly, looking directly into Ms. Cassan’s eyes. “I’ve also had enough of my incompetence and indecisiveness.”

The Scarlet Witch sighed, "Prime Minister, believe me, this is far from simple."

But Lisban ignored her.

"Someone," he ordered coldly, "bring Ms. Cassans to my temporary office. Give her a secluded room, and remember to be polite."

Viscount Lesdon's anger had not subsided. With a wave of his hand, a patrol of soldiers approached from afar, their faces contorted with rage.

“Without my orders,” the Prime Minister said solemnly, “she probably wouldn’t want to leave.”

Cassan stared at him blankly.

Lisban then turned to look at the patrol behind him.

"Lesdon, get your men ready!" the Prime Minister coldly ordered.

Viscount Leston was slightly taken aback.

Ready...?

The Scarlet Witch's expression changed slightly.

“Prime Minister, you need to think this through,” the Red Witch frowned. “Your order will affect more than just yourself: this is Dragonfall City.”

Her eyes held a complex expression: "This could lead to Exter's utter ruin."

Lisban turned around and gave her a deep look.

Emotions unclear.

“Kassan, an old friend.”

The Prime Minister, with his hands behind his back, slowly walked to her side and said softly, "From more than a decade ago, when you calmly and without batting an eye brought the Lumba family to ruin..."

You fill me with dread...

Cassan was slightly taken aback.

Lisban calmly finished speaking: "Now I understand, you did not choose Chaman Rumba."

The Scarlet Witch closed her eyes and sighed softly, "Risban..."

The Prime Minister's eyes were incredibly terrifying:
"You created him with your own hands."

Cassan lowered her head and smiled gently.

Viscount Lesdon approached the Prime Minister, looking hesitant: "My lord, what should we prepare?"

Lisban ignored the Scarlet Witch's reaction and turned sharply to look at the city gate, at the slowly descending steel gate, his gaze resolute.

"Prepare to attack the city."

He said coldly.

(End of this chapter)