Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 298 The Prince's Shackles

He remembered.

Thales stared intently at the floor beneath his feet.

Six years ago, in the secret passage under the city gate, a group of people who had escaped were intercepted by the Scarlet Witch and were unable to move forward or backward.

that time……

Exhausted, the Meteorite stepped forward alone and offered "a very large bargaining chip" in exchange for their safety.

A deep sense of doubt welled up within Thales.

What exactly did Nicholas tell the Scarlet Witch that made Lady Cassandra turn away so decisively, disregarding the likes of Prince Star and Miss Walton as if they were merely superfluous outsiders?

Is the Dark Chamber really so unconventional that it can be so determined to overthrow the headstrong King Nuen one moment and then walk away without any fuss the next, completely uninvolved?
If, as Rumba said, Selma's existence is merely...

Thales took a deep breath, and the veins on his hands bulged.

"absurd."

He looked coldly at King Chaman before him:

"The heir to Dragon Sky City, who is generally acknowledged to have been dead for six years, is still alive? And my six years of being a hostage, including our life-or-death struggle in the Hall of Heroes six years ago, were all just part of some conspiracy?"

"You expect me to believe you? Such baseless and unfounded words?"

The prince, looking offended, glared at the king and retorted, "Why did Moral fake his death? Why did he allow his family to collapse and cause such turmoil in Dragon City? Why did King Nuen devise such a counterproductive plan, only to lose his life in your counterattack?"

boom!
"Because he didn't fake his death on purpose, and Nunn didn't do it intentionally either!"

King Chaman slammed his fist on his sword sheath, his face frosty as he responded to Thales's aggressive words: "Do you think this is something to be laughed at? Do you think I'd be so bored as to fabricate such a lie to drive a wedge between you and Dragon City? Since receiving this damned news, heaven knows how many means, time, and resources I've used to get to the bottom of this, just to find out if that useless prince is really dead! Just to find out how much longer I can wear this crown that I received six years ago!"

The king's sharp eyes revealed a chilling murderous intent: "Believe me, if he's not dead, no one in this world wants him to disappear forever as quickly and discreetly as I do!"

Thales looked suspiciously at the anger and chill hidden on the king's face, and vaguely felt that the other's emotions did not seem to be feigned.

There was a few seconds of silence in the carriage.

“So, ‘it wasn’t a deliberate faked death,’” Thales said calmly, tugging at his sleeve. “What do you know?”

King Chaman sneered, "This message came from the secret room—or rather, from my inside agent in the secret room. It is said that the Red Witch investigated this matter for six years at all costs, and only made some progress half a year ago."

Thales, lost in thought, slowly repeated, "Six years."

The king nodded solemnly.

"Six years ago, Prince Moral returned to Dragonsreach from his fiefdom. In the Hall of Heroes, he had a fierce argument with King Nunn—although King Nunn purged a large portion of the palace before his death, some people are still alive to testify to this," King Chaman said, his eyes flashing with a strange light, wavering between contempt and disgust.

"A few days later, Moral left without saying goodbye and disappeared without a trace."

Thales's eyes narrowed:
"Leave...what?"

“Yes, Thales,” King Chaman scoffed, “a prince who bears the heavy responsibility of a nation ran away from home in a fit of anger just because he was scolded by his dear father!”

The prince took a second to process the news, then looked intently at King Chaman.

"Can you imagine Nunn's expression at that moment? His son irresponsibly abandoned everything, including his identity and the mission he was supposed to undertake to the stars. He disappeared overnight from Nunn's, Dragonsreach's, and even the entire Exter's sight. In order to escape safely, he even deliberately leaked the itinerary to Pefit as a cover—which led to everything that followed."

“Moral Walton, Nunn’s worthless son,” the king said through gritted teeth, his voice filled with contempt and anger.

“He is the greatest disgrace to the Walton family in over six hundred years—you probably couldn’t find a worse piece of trash than him even if you searched the entire Exeter family.”

Oh my God……

A prince...

Leave everything behind...

runaway?

For some reason, Thales suddenly thought of another person: decades ago, before she became the mature and charming Lady Ginny, she was penniless and looked disheveled, yet she resolutely left the family manor, followed the prince's caravan, and headed towards an unknown future.

The king took a few seconds to compose himself, recovering from his anger and resentment.

"Therefore, in his frantic search, the born king could only employ a lookalike to take the place of his runaway son on his mission to the stars—after all, the prince, as a symbol, only needed to smile."

“We tracked down the information about that double. He comes from a minor noble family on the outskirts of Dragon Sky City. His ancestors were related to Walton by blood. He was found by the White Blade Guard eighteen years ago and has been working in Dragon Sky City ever since. Of course, he was actually trained to become Prince Moral’s double.”

King Chaman continued coldly:
"You know what happened next—Moral's double died in Stardust. I guess Nunn was surprised, but he went with the flow, turning the fake into the real thing. He outwardly appeared to be angry and demanded compensation from Stardust, while inwardly he purged the unruly dukes."

Thales struggled to pull himself out of the shock Morar had given him and looked at the king with mixed feelings.

"That's why I started to doubt the Grand Duchess's identity: there's no reason why Nunn would leave behind a Grand Duchess while also having a son who could overthrow her, plunging Dragonstreet into a terrible vortex of succession disputes—believe me, from Olesh of the Wilan Territory to Rose of the Anlenzo Duchy, this is the worst disaster ever to befall a noble family."

"Of course, his biggest surprise should be you, Thales, a star prince who can save the Dragonlance family in the future, when Moral disappears, when Dragonstreet is beset by internal and external troubles, and when his power declines and he passes away."

"An excellent tool."

The king looked at Thales with a complicated expression, as if the prince before him were an object.

"And so, Nunn used a fake Grand Duchess to ensnare you and Star, stabilizing the Walton family's rule in Dragonsreach and allowing the Dragonlance family to peacefully pass the years without the Heavenly King. At the same time, he concealed the biggest secret from you: perhaps one day, Risban or the Meteorite will welcome back Moral, who has grown tired of playing outside, and Dragonsreach will return to Walton's hands, and Star's schemes will all fall apart."

King Chaman finished speaking and looked quietly at Thales.

Thales remained silent, his brow furrowing and stern as he pondered for nearly two minutes.

how so?
The image of King Nuen appeared before his eyes: the former king, who possessed both boldness and shrewdness, turned around in his mind, revealing a chilling smile.

Nunn Walton.

He could boldly engage in duels in front of his ministers, and he could also use treacherous schemes without hesitation.

He could poison a young girl without batting an eye, and he could also hand over the family's legacy to him and the little rascal without a second thought.

And now...

Nunn, the born king.

What kind of person are you?

"Is this what you wanted to say?"

The second prince said wearily, "Everything that happened six years ago, the grudges and grievances between our two countries—the conspiracy in the Palace of Restoration, the standoff in front of the fortress, the disaster in Dragon City… all originated from Morar's willful departure?"

“It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?” King Chaman sneered. “But the origin of everything is just that absurd, ridiculous, comical, and utterly illogical.”

"You were held hostage in the north, imprisoned for six whole years on a false charge..."

"I almost gambled everything, and then almost lost everything..."

With each word he spoke, the hatred in King Chaman's eyes intensified.

"Arund became a prisoner, Peffert's neck was broken, and Exter even had a new king..."

"Since then, all the bloodshed and turmoil have continued—all because of a good-for-nothing running away from home!"

The king suppressed his resentment, his gaze fierce, as if he were about to devour someone at any moment.

There was a few seconds of silence in the carriage, as if to remind them of the weight of this moment.

The prince gently closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again:

"But what Nunn didn't expect was that his nephew in the Black Sand Territory would do something completely unexpected. Just as he was beginning to make his plans, he struck first and killed the king, then put the crown on his own head?"

"That's why you're sitting here, saying these things to me." Thales's gaze towards the king returned to calm, utterly serene.

Inside the carriage, King Chaman's breathing gradually calmed down.

“Not just me, Thales,” King Chaman leaned back in the carriage, his eyes gleaming, “but you too.”

Thales' eyes narrowed.

"Don't forget, my crown was something we forged together," the king said calmly.

Thales sighed softly, then chuckled.

“Still baseless nonsense,” the prince said, rubbing his forehead wearily. “The death of Morar—it’s all just empty talk you’ve told me.”

“Yes, so I will stop here,” King Chaman replied without hesitation. “But I believe you have your own conclusions. You have been here for six years and are more familiar with the people and things in Dragon City than I am. You can find the truth for yourself.”

Thales lowered his head, feeling mentally exhausted.

Whether it was Moral's life or death, Selma's identity, Nunn's scheming, or Chaman in front of him, all of these things gave him the illusion that his brain was about to explode.

That's going too far.

I'm so tired.

"Assuming this is true... does that mean I was deceived and played by a dead man for six whole years?"

The prince chuckled softly, seemingly puzzled. "This feeling is quite peculiar."

Opposite him, the king's expression shifted slightly.

"Six years is not bad."

Thales looked up: "What do you mean?"

But King Chaman simply looked at him quietly and gave a soft, cold snort:

"Don't forget, whether it's the generations of ambitious and unrestrained grand dukes of Exter, or the groups of shrewd and calculating nobles of the Star Kingdom..."

"All of them were a seemingly mediocre and cowardly Star King, a dead man who had passed away a hundred years ago..."

He lamented, "We've been deceiving and fooling people for over a century."

The next moment, Thales' eyes cleared, and he looked intently at Chaman Rumba.

"What do you want, Rumba?"

Finally, King Chaman leaned forward and slightly curled the corners of his mouth.

It was as if the conversation had only just begun.

“Lisban and the Meteorites are keeping a close watch on Valhalla, so I can’t get close to that girl, but you can,” the king said meaningfully. “You also know what I want.”

Thales gave a soft hum.

"The combined condemnation of the four dukes, Ronnie and Lyco, along with Shuster of the Watchtower Territory and Camaron of the Glacier Sea, is not easy to deal with, is it?"

He shrugged: "That's why you went to such lengths to incite the Freedom Alliance and plot the stance of Dragon Sky City."

King Chaman nodded.

“I’ve said it before, this is no easy task, and none of the grand dukes are easy to deal with,” he said earnestly, “but if…”

But Thales interrupted him. "You know, six years ago you said in Valhalla..."

“Each of you is born into the endless yoke of the struggle between the king and the grand duke, and you will never be free from it—and you want to break it.”

The prince spoke in a tone the king had never heard before, seemingly with emotion yet tinged with a slight mockery: "But for some reason, what you're doing now reminds me of King Nuen."

For a moment, Thales saw the tendons in King Chaman's hand tremble slightly.

“Those who want to break free of their shackles rack their brains studying their construction, fascinated by this escape game,” Thales murmured.
"Until one day, he discovered that the shackles on his body had become a part of him."

"He could no longer leave the shackles he had once tried to break."

Thales chuckled instinctively and asked the same question he had asked another king six years ago: "Don't you get tired?"

"Or is it that the pain inflicted by the shackles has become so intense that you can no longer feel the weight they carry?"

King Chaman remained silent, his face motionless in the dimly lit carriage.

The silence lasted for a long time.

Thales exhaled and burst into laughter.

He turned his gaze elsewhere, ignoring the impassive King Chaman, and shook his head: "This reminds me that perhaps his choice to leave—Moral's choice—was precisely what allowed him to escape this shackle and be freed from it forever."

Unlike us.

Whether or not Rumba finds him, in a way, Moral Walton—the willful prince who abandoned everything and traveled thousands of miles away—has already broken free from the shackles imposed by his bloodline.

But... what about him? What about Thales Star?

When will he be able to break free from these shackles?
At that moment, Thales suddenly remembered the Air Mage and the hand that had reached out to him.

But what followed was a seemingly warning look from High Priest Holm in the Temple of Bright Moon.

King Chaman's face was so dark it was almost dripping with water.

"He didn't."

A few seconds later, the king gritted his teeth and said, his fingers gripping the scabbard tightly: "Running away is not escaping, and weak escape is not liberation."

“But he will,” King Chaman’s voice grew increasingly somber, his words carrying a chilling undertone.

"After we found him."

Thales let out a long sigh, trying to pull his thoughts back from his emotional reverie to the vortex before him.

"Moral, assuming he is still alive as you say..."

The prince forced himself to meet the king's gaze and asked, "Where could he be?"

Upon hearing this topic, King Chaman recovered from his anger and resentment, and he lightly tapped his sword:

“The last time, a person matching Morar’s characteristics appeared on the southern side of the Great Desert, near the Duchy of Sera—that’s all we’ve investigated. That area is the territory of the Star People, and even the secret chambers are difficult to penetrate.”

"But we won't stop."

"Let's find Morar together, and then kill him, Thales," the king said coldly.

"Whoever makes the move, let's put an end to this absurd threat together, and let Nunn and his jokes to hell."

King Chaman slowly approached his face: "Through this, I hope you understand, Thales: in the seemingly peaceful Dragonstreet, who are your friends and who are your enemies? Who considers you a worthy opponent and who treats you as a puppet in a farce?"

Thales smiled and imagined the prince wandering the world incognito, then thought of Risban and Nicolai.

"You've got a great idea, killing two birds with one stone."

The prince shook his head, spread his arms, and leaned back against the carriage without any regard for his image:

"But you know, I can still shout it out now, or just reveal the truth about what happened in the car, and then, your words, your secrets, and your ideals..."

Thales narrowed his eyes: "Then we'll all go to hell with you."

Chaman stared at him, his gaze lingering for a long time.

The temperature inside the carriage seemed to have dropped back to freezing.

“I have a question, Thales.”

After an unknown amount of time, the king said slowly, "Once Moral returns, what awaits your little girlfriend?"

Thales felt a pang of sadness.

You know the answer.

"Would the kind-hearted Risban and the benevolent Meteorite issue her a commendation after Moral's restoration, recognizing her contributions to the stability of Dragonsreach during her six years of sitting in Valhalla posing as the Grand Duchess?"

The king sneered repeatedly:

“If the Moral story is true, then this secret will not be buried with my death. One day, it will come back to haunt you and that girl, alongside your enemies—that is the meaning of the choice you face today.”

Thales stared at Charman without moving, his eyes dull and devoid of emotion.

select.

Another choice.

He clenched his fists.

The prince said coldly, "I can simply walk away and stand by and watch. You can go play your own game."

The king smiled.

"You will not."

“I know you, Thales, you’re different from a lot of people.”

King Chaman shook his head confidently, his gaze sharp as a sword, piercing straight to the heart:
"As long as you have the ability, the capacity, and the conviction, you will not stand idly by and leave behind a hell behind, coldly watching others suffer and wail in it, and then hypocritically comforting yourself: this is the best choice, and the most realistic choice."

He stretched out his palm in the dim light, gesturing towards the highest point of Dragon Sky City outside the carriage: "Otherwise, you wouldn't have walked right into the trap and returned to the Palace of Heroes six years ago."

Thales clenched his fist tighter and tighter, almost tearing his palm apart.

hateful.

He sighed wearily in his heart.

No one spoke in the carriage; the silence lasted for a long time.

It seems like a century has passed.

“If you have nothing else to say, then that’s it,” Thales said, shaking his head with a somber expression.

"I'm tired."

“Of course,” King Chaman nodded casually, looking at him quietly, as if they were not enemies at all: “If… you know where to find me.”

Upon hearing this, Thales scoffed:
"You still don't want to leave?"

"You know, a storm is coming, and the future of Dragon Sky City will not be peaceful."

In that instant, the king's eyes became very subtle, containing an indescribable meaning.

“It’s not me who’s reluctant to leave, Thales,” Charman Rumba said calmly and meaningfully.

"As you said, a storm is coming."

Thales frowned, stood up with a throbbing in his throat, and placed his hand on the car door.

“There’s one more thing, Thales.”

Thales, who had his back to the king, stopped and turned his head slightly.

King Chaman turned his head and glanced at him with a peculiar look.

"Six years ago at the Broken Dragon Fortress, you dared to risk your life to charge in the opposite direction, gambling with me on a battlefield where swords have no eyes, with no way out,"

"But six years later, in the peaceful city of Longxiao, you dare not risk the life of the Grand Duchess, dare not be stubborn to the end, and gamble with me on the battlefield where undercurrents lurk."

Thales was stunned.

The king laughed and said, "What, Thales, is it easier to make a decision in a bloody, life-or-death situation than in a bizarre and unpredictable one? Or is it that you find it harder to choose when faced with the lives of others than with your own?"

Thales gritted his teeth and frowned.

That's different.

Back then, I and those around me were in a dead end. I was willing to risk my life without hesitation, even a life with almost no hope.

But today...

Selma...

"Or perhaps during your six years in Dragon City, you became cowardly, hesitant, and merciful?" Chaman said softly.

Thales maintained his grip on the car door, his expression serious.

“We are different, Lumba,” the second prince said coldly, without turning his head and still facing Chaman. “You are a cold-blooded gambler.”

King Chaman raised an eyebrow:
"how about you?"

And what are you?

This time, Thales did not hesitate. He pushed open the carriage door and stepped down without looking back.

“Be careful, Thales,” the king’s voice faintly came from behind, “when the enemies sense your weakness…”

boom!
Thales closed the car door without hesitation, shutting out the words behind him from inside the car.

He's heard enough today.

There's no need to let your feelings waver any further.

not to mention……

weakness……

The prince felt a chill run down his spine as he recalled the Black Prophet's terrifying appearance.

Inside the carriage, King Chaman looked at the slammed door with a complex expression, glanced down at his sword sheath, and said the second half of his sentence seemingly nonchalantly:

"...They won't let this go easily."

The four days I was on hiatus were spent revising the previous chapters. If you're interested, feel free to go back and download the earlier chapters again.

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(End of this chapter)