Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 290 The Dragon Slayer (Part 2)
Selma looked at him, her eyes slightly misty.

“But they didn’t do anything wrong, did they?” She chuckled and shook her head, raising her right hand to look at the 'Triumphant' ring on her thumb. “I didn’t…”

"Little slippery man!"

Thales interrupted her again, this time with that name from long ago.

The girl looked up in a daze.

"No, Selma."

Even if you can't choose who you become...

"But at least, don't become the person they want you to be."

Thales stared intently at her: "Please, don't become like that."

Selma was only slightly taken aback before shaking her head sarcastically: "It's no use. As the Grand Duchess of the North, my future path is already predetermined... even if it's not this time."

She said disappointedly, "I've thought about it: marry a local nobleman, give birth to a male heir, and then be politely sent to some secluded place to live until I grow old..."

"Snapped!"

There was a crisp sound.

Selma stared blankly at the second prince.

He grabbed his right hand.

"Little slippery man!"

Thales looked at her intently, bringing "Triumphant" to the center of their gaze.

"Even women can live a wonderful life! I know one such woman."

“Ah, that Lady Ginny Bakvei who taught you swordsmanship and etiquette,” Selma shook her head and chuckled, “I’ve heard you talk about her a thousand times—a legendary woman who broke free from her family's shackles, established herself alone in the capital, and was skilled with both a cleaver and a longsword? But she’s special, and she’s not a lord…”

"No, not her."

Thales decisively spoke up, stopping Selma from saying anything more.

"I'm talking about another young girl."

Selma was slightly taken aback.

Her wrist, which Thales was holding, trembled slightly.
You mean... a young girl?

“Yes,” Thales nodded firmly, “she was also the last survivor of a great family, surviving war and riots, and inheriting the title at the age of three, ruling over a region.”

Selma did not refute him further, but instead looked at the prince with a questioning and doubtful gaze.

Thales took a deep breath and recalled the autumn and winter six years ago: "When I first met her, she was about your age now, fifteen or sixteen, young, inexperienced, and even a little naive."

"But by then, she was already a prominent figure: I still remember the scene where she crossed the entire Hall of Stars, facing the emperor, ministers, and people of a nation, and used her powerful words to awe the entire audience."

Thales said absentmindedly, "And the moment she walked into the hall in that casual purple-black hunting outfit, the entire crowd spontaneously stepped aside to make way for her."

"At the time, some people mocked her, disdained her, scorned her, and looked down on her, saying, 'How can the stars be ruled by ignorant women and children?'"

"And that girl, she walked slowly, her face cold, her steps small, elegant and aloof, saying what she wanted to say without a care, whether it was sarcasm or condemnation, support or opposition."

"Even two powerful earls could only walk behind her, one exuding murderous intent and the other radiating nobility—but neither could overshadow her brilliance; on the contrary, they were overwhelmed by her aura to the point of being barely perceptible."

"The moment she waved her long sleeves and spoke in a cold voice, it was as if everyone in the room had become her foil—whether king or duke, noble or commoner."

Selma listened to his story with slight surprise: "You mean..."

Thales gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Star Kingdom, guarded by Blade's Edge."

"Duchess Lyanna Tebak."

The prince narrowed his eyes: "As far as I know, she is still an unmarried woman, single-handedly supporting the Tebak family, one of the six great noble families, under the Blood Moon Emblem, protecting and ruling Blade's Edge."

Thales abruptly turned his head and looked at the stunned Selma:
"What she can do, you can do too."

"One day, you too can stand at the top of Dragon Sky City on your own, without relying on anyone, and earn everyone's respect!"

Thales took a breath and stared intently at the girl's face: "One day, you will be able to tell the vassals of Dragon City with your own dignity: the one who rules them..."

"She is a Grand Duchess."

Selma looked at Thales, stunned for a moment, then smiled helplessly.

"It's too difficult," the girl sighed. "I can't do it..."

Thales shook his head and said resolutely, “It’s not difficult. The real difficulty is that you think you can’t do it—that’s why your vassals feel that Dragon Sky City under your rule is unstable.”

Selma blinked, her gaze softening and brightening as she looked at the prince.

"I still remember that sly little devil who risked his life to pull me back from the clutches of disaster..."

"I also remember that sly little devil who crawled out of the fireplace, nervously reciting his lines to get me out of trouble..."

"At that time, the girl didn't hesitate to say: It's too difficult."

Selma didn't speak; she just watched silently as Thales took her hand.

“Selma, remember: Choose who you want to be.”

"If you don't want to be a vase that's manipulated and traded at will..."

The prince gripped her hand tightly, his tone leaving no room for argument: "Then don't act like a pretty face!"

Selma stared blankly at the prince.

A few seconds later, her previously hazy and unfocused gaze refocused.

"If you don't want to hastily marry a man old enough to be your father and then have to rely on your own belly to survive..."

Thales' eyes flashed sharply: "Then refuse them!"

“Let’s work together to figure something out. Of course, I think Risban will help you too.”

"Just say: You don't want to."

"Then you don't need to marry them."

The two looked at each other in silence for a long time.

Thales never looked away.

Selma's eyes flickered, seemingly both touched and alarmed.

Finally, Selma looked at the resolute-looking prince and took a deep breath.

“Thales.” Selma cleared her throat.

"I……"

She seemed a little hesitant.

Thales gave him an encouraging look.

But the hesitation lasted only three seconds before the girl gritted her teeth and tightened her expression.

“Thales,” Selma looked up, her eyes serious, “I don’t want to…”

"I don't want to marry Earl Hearst."

Thales let out a breath and nodded emphatically: "Mm!"

“I don’t want to marry Count Nagil’s son either.”

"Ok!"

“I don’t like them,” Selma’s words gradually became more fluent from their initial stiffness, “and I don’t want to marry anyone else.”

Thales stared at her intently.

“Very well,” the prince raised an eyebrow, “you will not marry them.”

Thales shrugged. "Because I don't like them either."

The two looked at each other, and after a few seconds, they both burst out laughing.

call.

Thales thought to himself: Now, Putila is going to nag me with that "I knew it" look on her face again.

We need to come up with a reason to convince him that it would be more beneficial for us if the Grand Duchess didn't marry...

and……

I need to find some time to talk to Lisban these next few days.

About Dragon Sky City.

And the Grand Duchess.

While laughing, Thales pretended nothing had happened and let go of the other person's hand.

In the library, a maid frowned.

"Excuse my bluntness, Lady Jinx, I know that the lady's mental state has not been very good lately... but their behavior was still a bit too intimate."

“For the sake of Her Majesty the Grand Duchess, we should intervene,” the maid said tactfully, turning to Lady Jinx. “She needs us now.”

Lady Jinx still had that stern face as she quietly watched the young prince and the young duchess laughing and joking in the distance.

“Believe me, for Her Majesty the Grand Duchess,” Lady Jinx turned her stern gaze and shook her head, “what she needs most right now is…”

"not us."

Suddenly, Selma spoke again.

"Thales".

But this time, she tilted her head slightly, her expression somewhat sly: "If I were willing to marry them, to marry the vassals of Dragon Sky City... would you still say these things?"

Will you still stop me from marrying them?

Thales realized something and was immediately taken aback.

He shrugged. "Of course." The girl smiled slightly.

“Didn’t you stand up for me on the day of the court hearing?” Thales scratched his head again. “Friendship is mutual and priceless.”

Selma's eyes drooped slightly.

Thales scratched his head, awkwardly trying to find a reason: "You know, you suddenly have a husband from Dragon City, which may mean the end of my good days... Of course, I have to try my best to stop it."

"Oh, I see." The girl's voice lowered again.

"By the way, Thales."

Thales blinked, looking puzzled.

Selma looked up.

The Grand Duchess narrowed her eyes meaningfully and asked, "Lyanna, is she beautiful?"

Thales' eyelid twitched again.

"I don't quite remember."

The prince exhaled and tugged at the corner of his mouth: "The atmosphere was so tense that I only remember my legs shaking uncontrollably."

Selma chuckled.

Thales chuckled a few times as well.

"but……"

His memory then went back to six years ago.

Lyanna.

Six years ago, she was fifteen years old.

She should be in the prime of her life now, like a flower in full bloom.

That unforgettable girl.

“The moment Lyanna opened her mouth, when she unleashed that razor-sharp gaze, defiantly confronting the dukes…” Thales drifted into thought, sketching the image of the spirited young duke in his mind: “Even when she forcefully retorted to Rumba in front of Exter’s envoy…”

Selma opened her eyes wide, watching the prince's response.

“I realized that words like ‘pretty,’ ‘beautiful,’ ‘charming,’ ‘stunning’ and so on, which are used to describe beautiful women, are no longer sufficient to describe her.”

"Leanna at that moment."

Thales closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Like a magnificent diamond reflecting the sunlight,” the prince exclaimed, recalling the past at the Palace of Restoration and sincerely praising the dashing Duchess of Blade Ridge, “dazzling, radiant, and radiant.”

"It is so beautiful that one will never forget it."

Just now.

Boom!
With a muffled thud, Thales felt a sharp pain in his chest. He opened his eyes, his face contorted, and looked at the book that had been thrown at his chest.

“The new books that arrived today,” Selma said coldly, holding a book in her hand as well.
“I looked through it and found some places that you might be interested in.”

"Look, we've wasted so much time."

“We were having a good chat just now,” Thales said, rubbing his chest in anguish. Realizing his mistake, he was still resentful and about to argue, “But you can’t…”

"Shut up and read your book!"

The Grand Duchess put on a stern face and said fiercely:

"Don't waste my time, I have class soon!"

Thales let out a breath and rolled his eyes the moment Selma lowered her head.

A fierce woman.

The prince lowered his head with a bitter expression, straightened his posture, and opened the book "Fighting Against the Heavens" with a bookmark in his arms.

What book is this?

"What's your opinion on the Dragon Language?"

Thales turned to the page with the bookmark and was immediately drawn to the chapter title.

The prince's expression turned serious.

As was his habit, he began to study it quietly.

"The structure of a dragon's throat is extremely unique, making the pronunciation of dragon language extremely complex, to the point that it cannot be recorded without musical instruments..."

“The written language of dragons can only represent a portion of the syllables. In the mouths of dragons, these dragon words mostly have a different pronunciation and way of speaking that we cannot even imagine…”

Dragon language.

Thales' six years in the library were certainly not just for finding peace and quiet.

more importantly……

The prince recalled that night, the enormous figure that rose into the air amidst the firelight, and the many mysteries surrounding him, and his heart grew heavier.

For six years, he and Selma had been subtly researching numerous documents and had learned the names of at least fifteen dragons in history.

However, among the fifteen names, each with distinct characteristics, the one he was looking for was not among them...

“Except for a few races, such as elves whose singing voices rival those of larks, most races cannot communicate or converse directly with dragons face-to-face using their voices,” Thales read aloud the paragraph he had drawn, frowning. “No wonder the Sky Queen communicated with us that way; it turns out we can’t speak dragon language…”

hateful.

and so……

Are all names pronounced in dragon language not a common language, or even something that humans can pronounce?
In this case……

"Not there!"

Selma's voice came through, sounding rather impatient: "Turn to the second bookmark!"

With mixed feelings, Thales raised his head irritably: "How would I know if you don't tell me..."

However, upon seeing the other person's fierce gaze, he quickly shrank back.

The prince obediently turned to the second bookmark:
"The ancient elves were one of the few races in history capable of fighting dragons without being at a disadvantage. In the Dragon Slaying War (this name comes from the ancient elves' historical records; I believe the dragons must have had other names for that war more than two thousand years ago, which we know very little about), the ancient elf kingdom hunted down at least six named dragons. Therefore, they are also the race that knows the most about dragons. In fact, much of my information comes from the generous provision of a friend in the White Mountains..."

Thales squinted.

Six heads?

Was Selma going to show him the list of these six fallen dragons?
Selma knew she had always been interested in dragons and often looked up their names...

But she may not know that the dragon she is looking for has lived to this day, at least until fourteen years ago, until the time she was born into this world.

And its, no, her name is...

"...Dragon-slaying warriors are usually divided into several groups and work together."

"The Lure-Assassins typically engage the enemy head-on, are fully equipped, and usually possess a greatsword similar in quality to that of the elven guards—sharp enough to cut through metal—as well as mithril armor and shields with melting points so high that even dragon fire cannot penetrate them. They are adept at both offense and defense—I suspect this is the origin of human swordsmanship. At least, the swordsmanship of the Northern armies should have drawn inspiration from the tactics of the Lure-Assassins in terms of both spirit and equipment. The Northern Ancient History expert in the Tower of Ascetics, and author of *The Legend of the Iron-Blooded King*, Mage JL Mindis, holds the same view. However, Master Lymer, the weapons craftsmanship history expert in the Alchemy Tower, believes that the swordsmanship of the Northern armies was primarily influenced by the combat techniques of ancient orcs used on the battlefield."

"The Snipers, this unit is responsible for long-range strikes and suppression. They are equipped with various specially made arrows that can affect dragons, and wield powerful, foldable long-range sniper bows. They quickly strike and suppress fast-moving aerial targets, targeting weak points from the dragon's eyes to its armpits. To this day, the 'Wanderer' elven settlements within the Greenheart Province of the Empire still retain this bow-making technology, which has also influenced the Greenheart Province to become one of the Empire's premier producers of archers. The saying 'The North is fierce, the West is ruthless, and the Green Hills produce powerful bows' is widely circulated. The Grey-Hooped Archers of the Romit family are a terrifying force capable of taking lives from hundreds of paces away. This is believed to be related to the sniping techniques used by the ancient elven kingdoms when hunting dragons (although the Grey-Hooped Archers refuse to admit it)..."

Thales was filled with doubt, and the more he read, the more bewildered he became.

what are these?
How to hunt dragons?

"The Annihilators, these fewest of the elves, bear the most dangerous mission. They must approach the dragon's fatal weaknesses in battle, striving to strike and even kill it with a single blow. Annihilators are usually the most skilled scouts and vanguards, lightly armed, stealthily closing in, carrying only the most inconspicuous yet most expensive, priceless short sword. This short sword is said to be forged with special and secret materials and methods, capable of piercing dragon scales without resistance. But what I find utterly perplexing is how, even with such sharpness, this short, portable weapon can pose a fatal threat to such a massive dragon..."

"Based on my research, this legendary personal weapon is called the 'Dragon Slayer.' Historically, it was extremely rare, and only the most formidable slayers were qualified to wield it. It is said to be a magical weapon; for every dragon it damages or even kills, the blade accumulates the power of the hunted, thus becoming 'more powerful, sharper, more eerie, more deadly, and more vibrant'—this is the original wording from ancient Elven texts, but I still have doubts about the translation of the last word..."

As Thales watched this, he would occasionally look up at Selma, but her angry gaze forced him to lower his head again and again.

The prince could only let out a deep sigh.

Ok.

He turned the page.

The next second, Thales was jolted awake!
"See?" Selma sighed.

"I was also very surprised."

Thales stared blankly up at the large book, which was open to one of its pages, on which a simple sketch of a weapon was drawn.

He touched the picture and instantly knew what Selma wanted him to see.

“This is…” Thales said, stunned.

“Hmm,” Selma nodded solemnly, “According to the records above, it is an elite weapon possessed only by the Ancient Elf’s Annihilator Force, used specifically to hunt dragons.”

"'The Dragon Slayer'".

“More than three hundred years ago, King Midir IV, who kept his oath, built a strong fortress on the border between the two countries, and it was named after it.”

Thales stared blankly down at the weapon illustrations in the book, his eyes wide with disbelief.

It was a short sword with a strange counterweight ball, a gem inlaid in the center of the guard, and the hilt curved in a reverse arc towards the blade.

Even though it wasn't colored, he still recognized it.

The one who cuts... the dragon?
In his nearly fourteen years of life, Thales had seen this type of short sword once.

No, he had seen more than just that.

Six years ago, Thales had held a short sword of the same specifications in his own hands.

That short sword, as red as blood.

It awoke like a long-dormant warrior, shining brightly in its own hand.

That short sword seemed to have a mind of its own.

It conveys vague syllables and words, referring to itself as...

Blood brothers.

I'm exhausted, going to sleep.


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(End of this chapter)