Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 299 Friends and Enemies

As Thales watched the Black Sand Territory party depart amidst Wyah's complaints, a series of complex emotions arose behind him, followed by the rapid sound of hooves.

The wary Wyatt and the others instinctively blocked the prince, but Thales, who had anticipated this, sighed and calmly turned around.

They arrived so quickly.

That's really urgent.

Amidst the discontented neighing of the horses, the newcomer dismounted and, accompanied by his attendants, walked through the guards toward Thales with a stiff expression. Lord Justin, standing beside him, bowed respectfully to him.

That was the Earl of Lisbon.

Despite his advanced age, the still vigorous Regent of Longxiao City stood before Thales, his expression displeased.

“Your Excellency,” the prince said, his gaze sweeping over the Dragonstreet patrol that had accompanied the count, and he nodded politely to the count of Risban, seemingly unsurprised by his sudden appearance, “Should I be surprised that you are so concerned about my trip to relax?”

But the count, who rushed over upon hearing the news, had a dark face and showed no intention of exchanging pleasantries with the prince: "Do you know how arbitrary and reckless this is? Getting directly into the Black Sand Territory's carriage?"

Thales shrugged helplessly and walked with Risban toward his mount Jenny, while Wyatt, Rolf, and the others lagged behind, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

The former prime minister's eyes suddenly sharpened as he surveyed his surroundings, causing his personal guards, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, to tense up again: "What happened?"

"Black Sand Territory, what did they say to you?"

What did you say?
The prince remembered the secret King Chaman had told him, and his heart sank.

Morar...

Selma...

“They are very interested in Dragonsky City, but they can’t directly contact the Grand Duchess,” Thales gestured with his chin toward the direction the Black Sand Territory group had left, his expression relaxed. “Therefore, they want to win me over.”

Lisban's gaze shifted several times.

"You? They're trying to win you over?"

"Shall I remind you of the relationship between Dragon City and that King Chaman? Or what role did you play in the storm six years ago?"

Thales blinked.

“I don’t think Black Sand Territory would place its hopes on a foreign prince who is almost a sworn enemy without any certainty,” the count said with a gloomy face. “Or do they have a very good reason to speak with you?”

Thales clenched his fist slightly in his sleeve and began to scrutinize Risban again.

Very perceptive.

“So, Prince Thales,” Risban said politely but forcefully, “is there anything I can do for you?”

A faint sense of vigilance welled up in Thales' heart.

How credible is Rumba's statement?
In Dragon Sky City, who are the enemies and who are the friends?
How should he choose?

Thales took a deep breath, unable to suppress the terrible secret that Rumba had mentioned.

A gift from the late king.

The prince looked at the count before him with mixed feelings, his gaze sweeping over the count's graying temples.

Over the course of six years, what were the feelings of this most powerful minister in Dragon City as he watched Selma grow up?
How did he view Selma, his nominal lord?
Grand Duchess? The future Grand Duchess's wife? A naive young girl?

Or perhaps...

"Yes."

The prince sighed softly, "They gave me a very convincing reason."

The count listened intently.

“They said,” Thales looked up, his expression calm, “that if I could help them, King Chaman would personally issue the order…”

The prince paused slightly, then gently uttered a sentence:

"Let me return home."

For a split second, the old regent's gaze froze on Thales' face.

Thales forced a smile and shrugged.

"Is that so? How interesting," the count said after a few seconds of pause, pursing his lips and asking intriguingly, "So, what was your answer?"

Thales stopped in front of Jenny, watching the girl's jubilant expression, lost in thought.

“I need to think about it,” Thales replied slowly.
"That's my answer."

Lisban remained silent.

After a few seconds, the Regent raised his eyebrows slightly: "You know, you are in Dragon Sky City."

Thales nodded: "I know."

Lisban looked at him intently: "As you know, the Grand Duchess is protecting you."

Thales took a deep breath: "I know."

"But you also need to know..."

This time, Count Lisbon raised his voice slightly, his eyes flashing with a fierce light: "At the election of the king six years ago, when the five grand dukes unanimously agreed that you could not be allowed to leave Exeter..."

"How the lonely Lady Selma stood in the Hall of Heroes, how she threatened the dukes in front of High Priest Holm: if she was not allowed to keep you in Dragonsreach, she would refuse to be chosen as king and destroy Dragonsreach with the five of them."

Thales was stunned.

He lowered his head, staring blankly at the ground, recalling how, back in Valhalla, Duke Lyco had patted him on the shoulder with earnest words, telling him to take care of himself.

"I really don't know," the prince said absentmindedly.

Looking at Thales' expression, Risban nodded slightly: "Please don't let her regret that decision."

“You should return to the palace now. You wouldn’t want to offend Lord Nicolai at this time—there are outdoor lessons tomorrow.” After saying this, the Regent glanced at the pensive Prince and turned to leave.

"The Lisbon Regency".

Thales called out to the count: "Will you miss him?"

Lisban turned around, looking at the prince expressionlessly, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Will you miss King Nunn?” Thales added. “You know, the born king, the real Walton tough guy.”

The prince's expression darkened slightly, making him look like a sentimental poet, "thinking, 'If only he were still here,'"

This time, the silence between the two lasted for a long time, so long that Wyatt, who was several steps away, couldn't help but signal Thales, but Rolf stopped him. "Every day," after a long silence, Count Lisbon finally spoke calmly, "every day I miss him, especially when mountains of official documents and miscellaneous tasks pile up on the table again."

"You can't imagine how deep our friendship is."

Thales stared at him intently: "Yes."

“You know, when King Nunn was still alive, Dragonsky City and even Exter were far from what they are now,” Thales sighed. “The vassals were all in their proper places, and the people were all doing their jobs in an orderly manner.”

Thales stared intently at the count's face, a faint sigh escaping his lips: "But after his departure, during the Grand Duchess's reign, the entire Dragon City was in turmoil, and the people were filled with fear."

"Now, even the Black Sand Territory dares to come to Dragon Sky City to contact me openly."

Lisban stared at him without moving.

“She has only been in power for a short time, and people are not yet used to it. We need time and patience,” the count replied succinctly.

Thales narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Yes, perhaps for Dragon City, a fragile and powerless girl is still a step short of the position of Grand Duke Walton." The prince shook his head slightly, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

"Perhaps she is far from being qualified to rule Dragon Sky City."

Lisban frowned slightly, his tone displeased: "Please do not interpret my words carelessly, Prince Thales."

Thales closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

“Your Excellency,” the prince asked seemingly casually, “if one day the Dragonlance bloodline were to end, and Walton were to have no successor.”

Count Lisbon's expression froze.

"In Dragon Sky City, how will you and your family conduct yourselves?"

Upon hearing this, Lisban gave him a deep look.

“Even though we are allies, your words just now could easily be misunderstood, Prince Thales, especially after your meeting with the envoy from Black Sand Territory,” the count said, his words carrying a polite but undeniable severity: “even now, six years later.”

Thales smiled apologetically: "Please understand, the current situation in Dragon City is very worrying to me. Whether it is the Free Alliance and Qiyuan City in the west, or the Black Sand Territory envoy in the city, and of course, the vassals of Dragon City—I have to think more deeply and make plans as soon as possible."

Lisban stared intently at him, unmoving.

“Dragon City will always belong to the Walton family,” the Earl said slowly. “The descendants of Naikaru have ruled this land for nearly seven hundred years, and the Cloud Dragon Spear Banner has been passed down to this day. There is a reason for this.”

"And there will be news from both the Freedom Alliance and Qiyuan City."

Please do not have any unnecessary worries.

Thales gazed at Count Lisbon for a long time, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

"I understand."

The prince spoke meaningfully.

The next second, he nodded slightly, mounted Jenny's saddle without hesitation, and rode away, leaving the Earl of Lisbon and his patrol far behind.

Upon entering the first city gate, Thales unsurprisingly saw Nikolai at the palace gate. However, the Meteorite merely glanced at him from afar before turning away, dispersing the Grand Duke's guards who had just gathered together as if facing a formidable enemy, and leaving.

them……

The prince frowned.

That night, Thales did not sleep.

The first time, he felt that the walls and floor tiles of Longxiao City were exceptionally hard, and his back ached from the impact.

----

Let me summarize.

In the Grand Duchess's study, "Old Raven" Meryl Hexer sat in his favorite spot. As always, he neither used books nor pens, but simply leaned on a cane, smiled shakily, and nodded gently to the two students.

Thales rested his chin on his hand, seemingly looking intently at Heathrow.

"Dear Selma has given us many interesting and compelling explanations for how the co-governance oath was reached: for example, why the most powerful Nun I was willing to compromise."

The strongest force...

Nunn...

What on earth is that terrible old king thinking?
Hixser's voice continued: "For example, the prestige of King Nekaru and the Sky Queen remains deeply ingrained in people's hearts."

The descendants of Nakaju...

prestige……

In Dragon City, just how much prestige does Selma need to solidify her rule, even extending to her bloodline...?

"For example, the glacier defense line requires far more power than a local duke to support and maintain."

A local duke...

What impact will the power struggle among the dukes have on Selma's rule?
"For example, as we discussed in our first lesson, the limits of rule: if the system of territorial autonomy among the various vassal states is not maintained, then a single king and his vassals would find it extremely difficult for Exter to maintain and protect this vast territory, stretching from the Western Lands to the Northern Lands, spanning four ancient provinces, second only to the ancient empires..."

The limits of rule...

Just then, Thales felt a sharp pain in his ribs!
He turned his head blankly and watched Selma casually retract her elbow.

Thales stared at her blankly.

what happened?
until--

"Sorry, I'll repeat myself."

Hexer stared intently at the Star Prince.

The old raven smiled and asked, "Is there anything else you would like to add regarding the co-governance oath, Thales?"

Thales then woke up with a start.

Lost in thought, he hurriedly flipped through his notebook, shaking his head apologetically, then nodding: "Sorry—I...yes, there's something I need to add regarding why the co-governance oath of Exter was able to be achieved..."

Hicksher raised his head slightly, revealing an interested expression.

"Star Kingdom".

Thales looked up and replied, "The achievement of the Co-governance Oath is largely thanks to the contributions of the Star Kingdom."

I've been reading and revising the previous chapters of Ti these past few days, and I'm feeling a bit restless, so I'm quickly writing this chapter to take a break.

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(End of this chapter)