Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 244 Chai Urad

Inside the gate behind the first city gate of Longxiao City.

Countless Black Sand Territory soldiers, fully armed, surrounded the two carriages and their entourage, leaving no room for escape, and looked at these uninvited guests who dared to break through the city gate with hostile expressions.

Thales sat in the carriage, looking out the window at the densely packed enemies before him with a chill running down his spine.

Really bad.

This is the scene they faced on the other side of the city gate after braving the danger of being attacked from both sides, braving the rain of arrows that swept past their scalps, and then desperately charging into the city gate.

Thales clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and forced back the panic in his heart.

calm.

Calm down, Thales.

It's not that bad yet.

Before his eyes appeared the image of the black sword, which, despite being relentlessly suppressed by Ashida and on the verge of collapse, remained calm and composed, searching for a way out.

I also recalled King Nuen's meticulous and interconnected strategies and tactics during the duel.

Thales took a deep breath and forced himself to start thinking.

The unexpected events at the city gate, the appearance of both Risban and the Scarlet Witch, disrupted their plans—they were supposed to be led by Slys to Valhalla as allies of the Rumba, instead of the current chaotic scene.

The accident happened so suddenly that they didn't even have time to discuss their next steps.

Thales could only desperately think of a way out.

People inside and outside the carriage were still breathing heavily, and even the horses pulling the carriage were panting. The carriage that Thales was riding in even broke one of its ropes.

“We, we made it through… but…” Outside the carriage, Cohen was holding onto the wheel with one hand and pressing his abdomen with the other, panting heavily.

He stared grimly at the hostile soldiers before him, then said to Miranda, who was panting even more heavily than him, "Sunset, Goddess above... I feel like our choice was somewhat impulsive..."

“At least they didn’t pin us down like hedgehogs outside,” Miranda said, catching her breath as she squinted at her surroundings. She glanced at the doorway and the nearby Valhalla outside, her heart pounding with anxiety. “I need to get myself ready quickly.”

Cohen painfully tilted his head back and exhaled.

Inside the carriage, Thales looked at Putila.

“It seems we came in too conspicuously, especially with so many people,” the prince said, looking worriedly out the window. “They’ve definitely become suspicious.”

Neither the White Blade Guard nor the rest of Starfall were part of Thales' original plan.

“We’ve done that, even though it puts the rest of us in danger,” Nikolai said gravely, checking his disguise one last time. “At least we don’t have to face the Scarlet Witch.”

“There is no other choice,” Putila shook his head. “Once the Scarlet Witch finds out what we are doing, even if we have a hundred backup plans, there is a very high chance that we will fail.”

"Let's think about the next step—how ​​to deal with these people outside."

Thales sighed, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread.

He turned to look at their "good friends" from Commas.

Their original plan was...

“Oh, I guess,” Marquis Slayth also saw the scene outside the carriage, but he became even more unhurried, slowly straightening his collar, which had been askew from the carriage’s speed, as if the rain of arrows that had just grazed his head was nothing more than a noble polo match: “That’s when I suddenly become important, isn’t it?”

Thales frowned.

Since entering the city gate, Slade had become quite composed, which made Thales rather uneasy.

Nicolai scoffed, "So we're going to bet on this guy again?"

Putila sighed helplessly: "We can't just force our way through—the guards at this gate outnumber us by at least a hundred."

Shrews shrugged innocently at him, but his expression was completely different from when he was still outside the city gate, as if to say, "What price are you going to offer?"

Just like the dealer in a casino who has just taken back the chips from the players.

Thales took a deep breath.

The recent accident has also put the people of the North in danger, making Nikolai's previous threats against Slade seem somewhat weak.

And now, they probably have no choice but to rely on Srace.

But first…

“I know the way we invited you here was somewhat unpleasant, Your Excellency,” the prince said calmly, “but in street gambling, ‘winner takes all’ often means squeezing out the other players—the Grand Duke of Black Sands is no exception.”

Smiley's eyes flickered.

“Handing us over won’t strengthen your fragile alliance with Rumba,” Thales calmly considered the situation from the Marquis’s perspective, thinking about how to minimize the possibility of Srace betraying them again. “But sending me to Rumba and the Grand Dukes…”

“Aside from the so-called ‘friendship’ you’ve formed with Rumba for mutual benefit, you won’t lose anything,” Thales said, narrowing his eyes. “On the contrary, you might gain something unexpected.”

Shrew's eyes lit up: "Is this a promise from the heir of the Star Kingdom's royal family?"

“In my experience, promises are fragile—even for a local lord or a king,” Thales shook his head firmly. “But as you said, doing business isn’t just about numbers and profits; you also have to build a reputation and connections.”

Putila raised an eyebrow.

Srace squinted and met Thales's gaze.

Outside the carriage, shouts came from the Black Sand Territory; their carriage doors were being knocked on.

“Please stay outside of Rumba,” the prince nodded, his tone leaving no room for argument, “and consider us your backup plan.”

Shrew watched the prince with great interest, a smirk playing on his lips, his eyes constantly shifting in expression.

Finally, he nodded slightly.

Thales let out a breath.

“I will miss today’s amazing show,” the Marquis of Commas straightened his collar in the carriage, raised his hat slightly, smiled politely at them, and then gave Thales a meaningful look. “Both Rumba and you were well worth the price of admission.”

Thales' tone was serious: "Remember, all you need to do is deliver me to Rumba and the Grand Dukes."

But the Marquis of Shanliu City simply smiled at him, opened the carriage door, and got out.

Thales took a deep breath, exchanged a glance with Putila, and then jumped off the carriage.

Only Nicolai and Putila remained.

“He’s a shameless bastard,” Nicolai, still in the car, sneered, watching Shrew’s retreating figure. “He won’t cooperate with us willingly.”

“That’s why,” Mr. Xingchen’s deputy shook his head, “he won’t obediently cooperate with Lumba.”

Nicolai glanced at him.

“You seem to have no concern whatsoever for your prince,” the Meteorite said coldly.

Putila chuckled softly.

“When I first met him, Thales was just a precocious child with a bit of cleverness,” the deputy envoy said thoughtfully. “Sensitive, hesitant, timid, indecisive and lacking in confidence, a far cry from the reputation he had from the State Conference.”

Nikolai frowned.

Looking at Thales' small figure from behind, Putila sighed.

“But as we spent more time together, I had a feeling,” he said with emotion, “that the more he went through, the stronger he became—Thales was constantly learning, adjusting, and adapting.”

"Whether it's vampires, calamities, fortress flowers, the wrath of the kingdom, or even King Nun or Chaman Lumba, whether they are his friends or his enemies..."

A strange light appeared in Putila's eyes: "I'm afraid they don't realize what kind of impact their actions have had on that child."

The meteorite paused slightly.

He turned his head, gripped his scabbard tightly, and curled his lip indifferently.

"So much nonsense."

Outside the carriage, Thales followed behind Shrews and nodded slightly to Wyatt and the others who were in disguise.

Thales wasn't quite used to the sudden increase in light, so he squinted slightly as he looked at the city gate in front of him.

This is Thales' third visit to the First Gate in two days.

He still remembered the scene when he first entered the First City Gate. Surrounded by the delegation, he watched with trepidation, nervousness and embarrassment as the gate separating the Palace of Heroes from the outer city of Dragonsreach fell.

But this time, they came to...

Thales soon saw a "familiar" sight: the rugged and magnificent Valhalla was less than a hundred meters away from them, with its ten giant columns and eight large furnaces still standing there.

However, the palace guards and bayonet guards that used to be everywhere have disappeared without a trace.

Instead, there were several hundred Black Sand soldiers.

Their faces were full of vigilance and ruthlessness. They were still wearing patrol uniforms, but the standard patrol swords they carried, which were used for small-scale conflicts, had been replaced with lethal weapons specific to large battlefields, such as maces, fighting axes, and straight-bladed sabers. They even had crossbows—it seemed they had just looted the armory in the city gate.

From within the ranks of the Black Sand Territory, a nobleman clad in plate armor strode out, his face broad and his nose prominent.

“Your Excellency,” Earl Levan, the chief vassal of Lumba, stared unhappily at the Marquis of Shanliu City standing before the crowd, “regarding your unauthorized trespassing at the city gate.”

"I need an explanation."

The soldiers of Black Sand Territory surrounded the group, their eyes gleaming with menace.

Almost everyone on Thales' side held their breath.

Srace lowered his head and sighed softly.

Everyone, including Thales, waited anxiously for his reaction.

When Slays looked up again, the Marquis had already put on that kind and polite smile once more.

“My dear Earl,” Srace nodded slightly, his smile subtle and friendly, “I have brought you a surprise.”

Count Levan narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Slade and his "entourage".

“Appearing at the wrong time,” Lewandowski said thoughtfully, “can’t be called a surprise—especially since you brought…these people?”

Even with the cover of disguise, Count Levan noticed the strong physiques and nimble movements of the guards with their blades, and couldn't help but show a strange expression.

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

But the Marquis of Slade smiled slightly and confidently raised his hands.

"I've heard that there's been a minor mishap with your prisoners at the city gate?" he said softly to Lewandowski, looking on with amusement.

Lewandowski's expression changed, and he became somewhat flustered: "A mistake? You've misunderstood..."

Srace, with a "I knew it" look on his face, pointed at Lewandowski with his index finger, clicked his tongue and shook his head: "Oh, judging from this, His Highness the Grand Duke is unaware of your mistake?"

Lewandowski was speechless.

Shrews looked at Lewandowski and laughed, then stepped aside for the boy behind him: "Let me introduce you."

"This is your Grand Duke's missing 'guest,' who is also the esteemed Prince Thales Star, the sole heir to the throne of the Star Kingdom."

"They returned under my escort."

Count Levan's expression froze on his face.

Thales took a deep breath, walked slowly forward, and looked indignant.

Srace sighed, looking both restrained and gleefully pleased, and slowly walked up to Count Levan, patting him on the shoulder.

"Take it easy, this is a 'surprise' that I went to great lengths to smuggle in right under the Prime Minister's nose."

Srace raised his eyebrows and waved to Michael, who was in the lead: "Look, if it weren't for this team of strong mercenaries I hired from the western desert, I probably wouldn't have been able to catch him."

Lewandowski's expression shifted, and the hostility in his eyes as he looked at the White Blade Guard and the Star People lessened considerably: "Mercenaries?"

With his makeup on, Michael had a high nose bridge and a dark complexion. He grinned exaggeratedly and nodded to Count Lewandowski.

“Some of us are from Qiyuan City, we’re from the North, others are from other places, sir,” Myrk said gruffly. “We’re looking for food in the desert. If you need anything—we only charge six gold coins for killing someone.”

The guards with their blades flashed a series of silly, good-natured grins, which startled Count Levan.

What a great actor.

Thales rolled his eyes inwardly.

As expected, they are an 'all-around' melee guard.

Lewandowski glanced at the group of people, then at Thales, who was surrounded by them, and frowned.

Shrew still had a smiling face.

Everyone was waiting for Count Lewandowski's decision.

Finally, after pondering for a while, Lewandowski relaxed his brow and waved to the soldiers behind him: "Return to your posts! Haytham, Jason, you two squads stay behind."

At his command, the densely packed Black Sand soldiers turned around quietly and returned to the city gate along the steps on both sides, and most of the people in the area immediately dispersed.

Thales finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"On behalf of His Excellency the Grand Duke, I would like to thank you for your assistance."

“Lord Tuleha has already gone to apologize to the Grand Duke. He will be very pleased if he sees your ‘surprise’,” Count Levan coughed awkwardly, glanced at Thales, and then nodded awkwardly to Slay. “I will convey your goodwill to the Grand Duke. Now I will take over.”

“You and your men can rest here…” Srace smiled and shook his head, raising his right palm to stop the count from speaking.

“Oh no,” the Marquis’s eyes lit up, “this prince has just given me some extremely important new information, and I think I need to take him to see His Excellency the Grand Duke as soon as possible.”

Lewandowski paused slightly.

“His Excellency the Grand Duke is busy,” the count of Black Sand Territory frowned, “and shall not be disturbed.”

Shrew's smile vanished, and his expression turned serious.

“Believe me, the information about this prince is related to what His Excellency the Grand Duke is about to do,” Srace’s suddenly serious tone made Count Levan nervous. “You can’t imagine.”

Count Levan looked intently at Srace.

The latter also looked back at him solemnly.

A second later, Count Levan sighed: "Very well, I can send someone to take you to see the Grand Duke..."

“I have to take him,” Srace shook his head and gestured toward Thales, “There are some things that can only be said by him.”

Lewandowski asked, somewhat puzzled, "Is it urgent?"

Shrew first, then nodded, looking mysterious: "It's deadly."

Lewandowski stared at him for a few seconds.

“I understand,” the Earl nodded. “You may depart now. The Grand Duke is in Valhalla, near the Hall of Heroes.”

Srace smiled and said, "Thank you."

Thales felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders.

As long as I can see the dukes, at least there will still be a chance.

“Wait, your men can stay here,” Lewandowski said, nodding warily to Srace as he directed his squad. “Our men will escort you over.”

Shrew raised his eyebrows and glanced casually at the crowd beside the convoy.

“Of course.” The Marquis nodded nonchalantly.

Thales' heart sank.

He watched as the people around the two carriages were led away by the soldiers of the Black Sand Territory, and he also watched as a group of soldiers walked towards him and Slade, with the leader nodding politely.

well.

The prince took a deep breath.

From now on, he's all alone.

But at that moment, a deep male voice came from behind them on the steps leading to the city gate:

"Please wait a moment!"

Everyone turned around at the same time.

A strange middle-aged man, dressed in fine clothes but with an ordinary face and eight braids tied behind his head, slowly walked down the steps.

Count Levan frowned and asked irritably, "What is it, my dear Commoners' Order Officer?"

He seemed quite annoyed by the new middle-aged man.

In the crowd, both Michael and Nicolai frowned and lowered their heads.

They recognized the person who came.

The middle-aged man shook his head, completely unconcerned by Lewandowski's tone.

"Mercenaries, right?" The middle-aged man walked to the two carriages, looked the group up and down, and gave a subtle smile. His gaze lingered on Miranda. "I didn't know that there were female mercenaries among you?"

Cohen and Raphael exchanged a glance, a sense of unease rising within them.

But Miranda remained expressionless, her dark face, roughened by paint, as she looked up.

“I come from the Thorns, sir,” the female swordsman replied in a thick tongue and a rustic voice. “We have mercenaries everywhere.”

Cohen squinted: Great acting.

The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows slightly.

“I see,” he nodded slightly, his eight braids swaying gently. “May I see your sword?”

"I'm curious how heavy the mercenary's sword is."

Miranda was slightly taken aback.

“Enough, Urad,” Count Levan said irritably, “Perhaps the Grand Duke can tolerate your insolence, but this is…”

“Please wait a moment, Your Excellency,” the man named Urad turned around and interrupted him loudly, his words carrying a deeper meaning: “You don’t want to make another grave mistake, do you?”

Lewandowski was momentarily speechless.

Thales couldn't help but wonder: What's wrong?
This middle-aged man... if I remember correctly, should be one of the underground forces in Dragon Sky City that Cohen and the others mentioned.

Urad turned to Miranda and smiled again: "Is that alright?"

Miranda silently took the sword from her waist and handed it to the man in front of her.

"Phew," Urad said, testing the weight in his hand, "it's really not light."

Miranda smiled and said, "I think so too."

Urad sighed and drew a section of his sword.

“Let me also introduce myself. My name is Chai Urald,” the middle-aged man shook his head and looked down at the sword in his hand from all angles. “Twelve years ago, I was in charge of collecting taxes in twelve small villages on the outskirts of Hamburg.”

Miranda frowned slightly.

“Oh, Coldhold, I know,” she chuckled gruffly. “You’re from the Star Kingdom?”

Urad smiled slightly.

Count Levan, standing to the side, shook his head dismissively.

“Yes, in theory, we are employed by the tax office of Coldburg,” Urald said calmly, turning his sword over and stroking the scabbard wrapped around the hilt. “They employ us because they need us to argue with the tax collectors at the next level, that is, the tax collectors from the central territory, so that they can pay less tax to the king.”

Miranda and Raphael, who was listening intently to the conversation, were both slightly taken aback.

he……

Why am I saying all this?

"However, we never saw the men of Coldburg."

Urald sighed: "They only send their vassals, those idiots from the Sanles family, to audit the accounts. Those idiots only know how to use the lord's name to skim off a huge amount of money from the taxes, and then we bear the blame, whether it's the tax collectors above us or the villagers below us—they have connections everywhere, and they're related to the lord's family by marriage. We have nowhere to turn and can only swallow our anger year after year."

“So you came to Exster,” Miranda shrugged and hummed dismissively. “I understand.”

"No!"

Urad suddenly looked up, raised his voice, and looked indignant.

He startled everyone.

"You do not understand."

Urad sheathed his sword, his face somber: “Finally, one year, Coldburg sent a young master to collect taxes. He was of noble birth, young and promising, fair and outspoken, and renowned. At that time, we all thought things had changed—we would no longer have to suffer humiliation and oppression.”

The former tax collector from the Star Kingdom sighed slightly, a look of nostalgia in his eyes: "I remember it very clearly, that noble young master's name—Nolan Nur."

Miranda's expression remained unchanged.

But a huge storm was brewing in my heart!

Nolan Nur.

That is……

In Miranda's distant memory, a tall, unshaven young man appeared.

He laughed loudly at the girl, who was barely taller than a car wheel, picked her up, and tickled her face with his beard.

The female swordsman unconsciously clenched her fist.

Raphael and Cohen exchanged a glance, their unease growing stronger.

Thales glanced around and felt that something was increasingly wrong.

What happened?
He recounted his past to Miranda...

Did you discover something?
“Nolan Nur told us that Coldburg has finally discovered the anomaly in the tax records,” Urad said softly.

"He also said..."

At that moment, pain welled up in Urad's eyes.

“He said that we, these lowly tax collectors, have been reported by the Sanles family for our long-standing practice of ‘withholding’ taxes,” Ural said sarcastically and bitterly. “We, the victims, have been reported! Withholding taxes and lining our own pockets!”

Count Levan frowned; he sensed something was wrong.

Urad may have come from a humble background and have a malicious mind.

But he's neither a fool nor a madman.

On the contrary, he is very smart.

Marquis Slade awkwardly tried to say something, but Earl Levan raised his hand to stop him.

“No matter how much we pleaded,” Urad shook his head with difficulty, as if to say, “that year, ‘Just Nolan Nur,’ amidst the cheers of the villagers, personally beheaded eight of my colleagues, including my teacher.”

"Eight innocent people."

Urad said sadly, his expression immediately turning to hatred.

“I will never forget that stupid nobleman, never forget the feeling of kneeling before the execution platform, never forget the contemptuous looks they all gave us,” his eyes revealed resentment and hatred, his eight braids swaying slightly: “To hell with Nolan Nur Arund.”

Aaron?
Upon hearing this famous surname, many people's expressions changed.

At that moment, alarm bells rang in Thales' mind!
so……

He cast a pleading look at Shrews, but the latter just frowned and remained silent.

Urad gritted his teeth and let out a beast-like low growl.

Miranda took a deep breath and looked up.

“I still remember that kid’s disgustingly righteous look before the execution,” Urad said with a cold glint in his eyes, mimicking the tone of that man from back then, his voice filled with anguish: “‘In the name of Lord of Coldhold, Duke Dylan Aarond, you will die by the blade of ‘Eagle Soaring’ to atone for your sins and restore justice.’ He said that once, and then cut off a head.”

Urad said bitterly, "I am the ninth person. I heard him repeat those words eight times, and I watched him swing that sword eight times!"

“Until the order came from Coldburg, urgently summoning him back—to spare my life and take it the next day.”

Miranda felt an endless chill rise up from her back.

She snatched back her sword, her face pale and her brows furrowed.

Urad did not stop her, but only gave a sarcastic sneer.

“Of course,” Urad said, his expression turning grim as he looked at the sword in her hand.
"I will never forget the look of this sword until I die."

“Even if you wrap your sword with a belt, cover it with the guard, or even change the scabbard, I will still recognize it—his gleaming sword.”

He said coldly:
“The Eagle Soars, belonging to Nolanur Yarend”.

“Am I right?” Urad said calmly, his eyes filled with deep hatred and anger.

"This lady... has some inexplicable connection to the Aarond family?"

Everyone on Thales' side felt a chill run down their spines.

Their worst fears have come true.

Shrews looked pale as he turned to the person in charge of the place—Count Levan.

The count sighed and glanced at the stiff Urad with a complicated expression.

“It seems you’re not telling the truth, Your Excellency,” Earl Levan glanced at the people in the caravan and said coldly, “Typical of the Commas.”

Marquis Slade sighed and looked helplessly at Thales.

Thales felt his palms were ice cold.

"They are not on our side."

Count Levan turned to Srace and Thales, his expression unfriendly, and said loudly, "They're the ones with ulterior motives!"

The count waved his hand and coldly ordered his soldiers:
"Get them."

"all!"

(End of this chapter)