Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 259 Guess
"Lumba, what are we, the Grand Dukes, really to you?"

Grand Duke Leco suddenly spoke up in front of the distraught Rumba.

His words drew everyone's attention.

"As allies under the oath of alliance, shouldn't you have considered these things when you used the example of the stars to persuade us?" the Grand Duke said calmly. "Are they your allies, or stepping stones or sacrifices?"

Rumba suddenly looked up!

"This is our only chance! Once the Star Kingdom recovers and becomes even stronger..." Grand Duke Black Sand roared angrily, "Just because of baseless speculation, are you going to watch Exter gradually decline and wait for its demise?"

“In your eyes, Exter is never as good as yourself, is he?”

Just now.

“Chaman Lumba,” Grand Duke Kulikun Ronnie of Qiyuan City suddenly spoke up, “What exactly is Exter?”

Rumba was slightly taken aback.

"More than six hundred years ago, right here, in the banquet hall above our heads, the legendary 'Nine Knights,' including our ancestors, returned from the brink of death and lifted the hero Nekaru above their heads, jointly honoring him as king. Thus, the Kingdom of Exter was born." Ronnie raised his right hand, pointing to the dragon spear stone carving in the clouds above his head.

Archduke Aurelius's expression shifted.

When Selma, who was behind Thales, heard these historical accounts, her eyes lit up.

"After the heroes passed away, as the Star Kingdom grew stronger and the calamity of the Empire was about to return—it was also when ten independent and conflicted Northern lords, witnessed by the Sky Queen, wrote a blood oath before Nekaru's tombstone, setting aside their past grievances and establishing a co-rule by the ten Grand Dukes," Grand Duke Ronnie said coldly, "that for the first time, in the name of the Kingdom of Exter, we fought side by side like brothers before the precarious Coldcastle, holding back 'Black Eye' John's Star Army!"

Rumba looked at Grand Duke Ronnie in disbelief, then at the others who seemed lost in thought.

Thales sighed softly.

War creates nations, and nations create wars.

"The reason we established the Kingdom of Exter is to protect what we cherish in this chaotic world—to protect our family, our bloodline, our glory, the lands and people who trust us and are loyal to us, and to protect our ancient beliefs and spirit!"

"We are Exter!" Ronnie slammed his fist into his chest, the insignia of the Knight's Code on his shoulder trembling slightly. "Only if we, those who protect it and acknowledge it, exist first, will the Kingdom of Exter exist!"

“If we have to sacrifice, give up, and discard these things we once swore to protect with our lives for that vague and ethereal ‘Exter’ that you speak of,” Ronnie spat fiercely, “then the Kingdom of Exter will lose its original purpose—what will it have left?”

"It's just another toy of a tyrant and despot, another ancient empire forcibly united under violence and oppression, forcing its people to identify with it and sacrifice themselves for an empire that has nothing to do with them in reality." Ronnie glanced at Rumba with disgust.

“Tell those things to the Star People,” Rumba retorted fiercely, “when they’re sending you or your descendants to the guillotine!”

“Whether they send you to the guillotine, or you send you to the guillotine,” Ronnie retorted sharply, “I don’t see which is worse.”

Rumba suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Thales!
The prince was slightly startled.

“But everything this boy talks about—decline, power grabs, change—our supposed end—none of it has happened yet!” he said through gritted teeth. “You’re here worrying about your great-grandson’s future?”

"Everyone!"

Rumba took a deep breath.

"Even if the things we fear happen happen, as long as we work together, I believe we can find a way to overcome them. Do you think we, as dukes, would turn a blind eye to the problems that have come before us?"

The Grand Duke of Black Sands seemed to have recovered from his earlier impulsiveness. He stared intently at each of the grand dukes: "But before that, we must take action—the enemy at our doorstep and our centuries-old nemesis are gathering strength and gradually recovering. Isn't that even more terrifying?"

"As for other things—whether I have ambitions, whether I intend to harm you all, or whether I intend to break the co-governance pledge, we can discuss them slowly."

Trudida and Aurelius, the two southern dukes from neighboring stars, exchanged a glance and pondered for a moment.

Thales felt a surge of anxiety.

"Your Excellency the Grand Duke of Black Sands!"

Thales couldn't help but speak up, attracting everyone's attention!
“There are three fallacies in your statement,” Thales said coldly.

Rumba's expression froze.

The dukes all turned to the prince.

“Continue, Your Highness of the Stars,” Trudida stroked his beard, “What are your thoughts?”

Thales let out a sigh of relief, rubbed his face, and organized his thoughts: "The first fallacy."

"You're comparing the threat of the stars to the trap in your proposal."

Everyone frowned slightly.

"Your Excellencies, Grand Dukes"

"When he tells you about the example of the stars, about what Mindis III and his successors accomplished over a hundred years?" Thales took a deep breath and said solemnly, "You should indeed feel a deep sense of dread."

Rumba was slightly taken aback, not understanding why he would support his assertion.

“But this fear does not come from apprehension about enemy nations,” Thales answered himself before the grand dukes could even ask, “but rather from pure, heartfelt vigilance and panic.”

He stepped forward, tucked the dagger back into his belt, and revealed the heaviest, most somber expression the prince knew.

"This is no longer the tired tropes of chivalric romances, no longer the short-sighted political maneuvering of brainless nobles involving assassinations, framing, marriage alliances, land grabs, and wars," Thales said in a low voice, trying to create atmosphere with his tone.

Trudida narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue, "Shortsighted?"

Archduke Aurelius snorted in dissatisfaction.

“I mean no offense, but,” Thales gritted his teeth, “the actions of a wise ruler have gone beyond the scope of the above.”

He raised his head: "It is the ruler sitting on the throne who silently chokes the throats of his vassals, and then, step by step, little by little, inch by inch, slowly and weakly but without stopping, tightens that hand of power."

The dukes listened quietly.

"He will smile and use a gentle flood that gradually spreads but is unstoppable to submerge the status, power, wealth, and privileges of the vassals, suffocating one by one, family by family, the once famous and powerful lords in the long river of history, turning them to ashes and never to rise again."

“Power flows silently and slowly in his game of chess, while history rolls swiftly forward between his fingers.” Thales imagined the kind and amiable middle-aged king in the portrait and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

"The threat from the Star Kingdom can be countered with longswords and iron cavalry, but this kind of threat lurking in the undercurrents..."

“This path, this transformation, this threat—once they begin, whether you realize it or not, they are no longer within the lords' control; they are not the struggles and conflicts you are familiar with,” Thales began with difficulty.
"Even if you place ten thousand supreme-level swordsmen in your palace, even if you build iron walls that reach the clouds in the city, even if you dig a moat that overflows for hundreds of miles outside the city, even if you win hundreds or thousands of legendary battles on the battlefield, even if you defeat countless powerful and terrifying enemies with rare wisdom and strategy, even if you win a reputation and prestige that will last for generations and no one can match, even if legendary dragons and calamities guard your bedside day and night..."

"And you cannot stop this trend, nor can you stop your inevitable decline and defeat."

The dukes' expressions turned serious.

Rumba clenched his teeth.

"Faced with it, no matter how great, strong, or boundless the power, it is nothing but a joke."

“So what’s scary isn’t the threat itself, but that you know where the threat is, and yet you’re powerless to do anything about it and can only wait for your demise,” Thales said somberly.

The dukes' expressions all changed.

"If you think about the threat behind you, would you still agree to Rumba's proposal and walk down this path with him?"

“Enough,” Rumba said decisively, interrupting Thales with a look of anger on his face. “I’ve had enough of your baseless rants and incitement, kid.”

He strode toward Thales.

The prince was startled, and Selma's face turned pale.

But Lumba had only gone halfway when Grand Duke Ronnie appeared in front of Thales.

“Step back, Rumba,” Ronnie tapped the hilt of his sword, his face turning cold. “I’ve never sparred with you before, but I’d love to give it a try.” Rumba’s expression froze. He clenched his fists, his gaze toward Ronnie growing ever colder.

“Northerners,” Grand Duke Lyco said softly, “don’t act like lowly thugs who draw their swords at the slightest provocation and kill their entire families to vent their anger.”

Archduke Aurelius sighed softly, stepped forward slowly, walked behind Ronnie, and looked sternly at Rumba.

After several seconds, Rumba finally released his fist, snorted coldly, and stepped aside.

Thales then took a deep breath to ease his tension.

“Your second fallacy, Lumba,” Thales forced himself to continue, “is that what I said—that change is the end for the grand dukes—is unfounded?”

“No,” Thales said firmly, “the Star Kingdom is the best example.”

The dukes' eyes narrowed, even Rumba's.

"Gentlemen, how did Lumba exaggerate the power and strength of the Star Kingdom and exaggerate our threat to you?" Thales turned around and intentionally or unintentionally pulled Selma to the front of the other grand dukes. "In his description, has the Star Kingdom already become a giant dragon that is only one step away from taking off?"

"I don't know how much you all know about the stars..."

"But what I'm about to tell you is a message circulating only among the Duke and the Earl—that is, the six great families and thirteen noble clans—which may be the truth or it may be a rumor."

“On the day I left Everstar City and embarked on this unfortunate journey,” Thales said through gritted teeth, facing the gazes of the several dukes, “an unexpected person came before me and told me…”

“In the Star Kingdom, in the East Sea Territory, Kuren of the Sun Sword and Shield has become a coward, obsequious to the royal family;” Many figures appeared before Thales’ eyes, the first being the fat prime minister of the kingdom, Duke Kuren.

“Falkenhaus of the Western Wilderness, relying on the western front, is struggling to keep the flag of the Four-Eyed Skull from falling;” Duke Falkenhaus’s terrifying description slowly emerged.

"In the South Bank Territory, the lineage of Iris Kevindir is in turmoil, and just a few days ago, the royal family confiscated three baronies;" he recalled the impeccable smile and manners of the young Duke of Iris.

"The Duchess of Tebak of the Blade's Edge, Blood Moon, has fallen to the point where she cannot survive without the royal family;" Lyanna, this girl also appears in Thales's memories.

"The giant antlers of Cliffland have been driven to the brink of despair, and the South Triest family has no choice but to prepare for a counterattack."

Finally, with a sigh, Thales inexplicably recalled the "proposal" of the one-eyed dragon, Köst.

[His Majesty Kessel abdicates, and you are crowned king ahead of schedule.]

"And the North, which you are most familiar with, the powerful imperial family of the White Eagle, the Arend of the Empire, which has been an enemy of the Rumba for generations, has long been reduced to a vassal of the royal family after its conspiracy was exposed and under the heavy fist of the monarchy."

The dukes' expressions changed, ranging from astonishment and deep thought to doubt and a variety of other emotions.

"These are just the six most prestigious families. What about the thirteen noble families below them, and the traditional nobles below them? What happened when their power and status were stripped away?"

"You want evidence? The stars are your evidence!" Thales shouted. "Look at our current state! Do you think the chaos at the National Conference was just an act?"

Rumba closed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly.

“However, this is far from the end,” Thales said gravely, looking at the expressions of the Grand Dukes. “They, those who have been stripped of their power, will not stand idly by and wait for their doom, but will secretly plot their counterattack—do you think Aarond only wanted the throne on a whim?”

He stepped forward, pulled open his clothes to reveal the burn scar left by Quaid, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Since I was found, I have experienced countless assassinations and conspiracies, big and small. I can even smell the faint tension and bloodshed while sleeping in the Fuxing Palace!"

Selma covered her mouth, staring in astonishment at the scar on his chest.

Trudida whistled, while Aurelius crossed his arms.

Grand Duke Raikkonen's expression was serious.

"The nineteen nobles were just a representative of this discontent—this discontent was not limited to the great vassals and nobles, but spread throughout the country, extending to all those affected, and turning into uncontrollable riots and rebellion."

"The bloodshed of this struggle has never ended; it has only been lying dormant, and one day it will erupt again until the final victor is decided," Thales said coldly.

"The game of Mindis III has reached its climax more than a hundred years later," the prince turned his head, his tone firm, "and I can tell you with certainty: the Star Kingdom is at its darkest hour, on its most dangerous edge, a conflict between the new order and the old blood..."

At this point, Thales paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing.

A terrible thought instantly crept into his mind.

The darkest...

Most dangerous...

A new order.

Old blood.

At that moment, Thales opened his mouth, his face filled with astonishment.

His hands trembled slightly.

No way?
"What's wrong?" Aurelius asked impatiently. "Is it stuck?"

With Selma pulling him back to his senses, the prince still couldn't calm his panic.

But he still tried his best to control his emotions and pursed his lips.

“This is your third fallacy, Rumba,” Thales suppressed his doubts and spoke with difficulty: “You believe that the chaos and weakness of the stars are only temporary, and that once we recover, we can return to our peak and become invincible in the Western Continent?”

"Do not."

“Just as there is no change without a cost,” Thales gasped, “there is no change without risk.”

"The decline of the nobility is the price; their counterattack is the risk facing the stars."

At this point, the expressions of the dukes were quite interesting—even Rumba frowned.

“The current weakness and turmoil of the stars is not accidental, but inevitable after embarking on this path,” Thales said, reasoning as he spoke, and was shocked by his new guess: “This is what the wise ruler left for the stars.”

His face was pale, and he was in a daze, recalling the words that the one-eyed dragon had left behind.

Selma looked at him with concern.

“I don’t know how long the stars can hold on, I don’t know where this country will go, and I don’t know what the outcome will be,” the prince said, speaking for the first time without any ulterior motive, sincerely and truthfully: “Will it be shattered, or will it be a happy ending after suffering?”

"All I know is that in this turbulent current, whether it is me or King Kessel, whether it is the six great families or the thirteen noble families, we are all trembling with fear and precariously on the verge of collapse."

That's it.

Whether it's true or not—Thales convinced himself, at least…

At least being able to persuade them and sway them is enough.

“And in this torrent, the biggest and most terrifying wave…” Thales gritted his teeth, his hand pressed against his chest.

There was a map that King Nuen had given him.

"You must have heard about it."

The dukes exchanged glances, their eyes filled with doubt.

At that moment, Gilbert's words from the Mindis Hall echoed in his ears:

The death and bloodshed that year spread throughout the country, from royalty and nobles to knights, merchants, and ordinary people, all suffered heavy casualties. It is a page of history that Xingchen least wants to turn...

“That’s right,” Thales gasped, breathing heavily before the grand dukes, uttering the answer he had just guessed, drawing from countless memories and subtle clues:
"That tragedy where everyone lost and there were almost no winners."

Before Thales appeared the Starry Chamber of the Palace of Restoration, with its countless stone jars and urns of all sizes. There appeared the young duke of the Tebak family, who, amidst the astonished gazes of the grand dukes, unconsciously murmured:
"A Bloody Year".

(End of this chapter)