Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 309 The Man Who Wrote a Legend (Part 1)

Selma frowned, her impatience returning to her face: "You must have a very good reason for bringing this topic back together?"

Thales coughed awkwardly: "Selma..."

But before he could finish speaking, Ian chuckled softly.

“No offense intended, please don’t take you too seriously, madam,” the heir of Qiyuan City raised a finger and shook his head slightly, “You should know that not everyone is crying and fighting tooth and nail to marry you.”

Selma's expression changed.

Ian abruptly turned his head and looked at Thales with a mysterious expression: "Right?"

Thales felt awkward and coughed awkwardly twice more. "Selma, he means..."

“I know what he’s talking about,” Selma said coldly, looking at Ian before turning to Thales, a slight twist appearing on her pale face. “He’s right, isn’t he? Obviously, I can’t make people who don’t like me inexplicably fall for me—I’m not the protagonist of a legendary tale.”

Oh my goodness.

Thales lowered his head stiffly.

He felt like he had discovered a new world, and suddenly realized that the food on the table was delicious.

Ian twitched the corners of his mouth, looked at her, then at him, and smiled slightly: "Neither of us are the protagonists of a legend."

"Unless we write our own legend."

Thales withdrew his hand, which was halfway to grab the food, while Selma let out a sigh of relief, suppressing her displeasure, and looked at the rude guest.

The Grand Duchess raised an eyebrow: "And that is?"

But Ian just smiled meaningfully, then his expression turned serious.

“Madam, Your Highness, we are now facing the same problem,” Ian said seriously, his features, which were slightly different from those of the traditional Northlanders, drawing attention. “A few months ago, our esteemed King, Chaman Lumba, issued a new decree of noble fiefdoms in Black Sand Territory.”

Selma and Thales finally overcame their awkwardness and listened attentively.

The dining room seemed to transform into a war room at that moment.

Ian tapped the table, mimicking Thales's gesture: "Do you know what this means?"

He tilted his head to the side, his expression serious.

The Grand Duchess frowned slightly, then nodded, her tone still betraying her displeasure: "Yes, I've heard about it. Everyone says he's emulating the harsh laws of the imperial era, eliminating dissidents, for example, setting a standard for a commoner to become a noble..."

The King's decree.

The standards of the nobility.

The prince suddenly remembered some knowledge that shouldn't exist in this world, and he also recalled his discussions with Hexer these past few days, as well as Putila's explicit and implicit hints.

Thales sighed, shook his head, and interrupted Selma: "No, Selma, the laws are just a facade, and whether they are strict or not is not important. What is really important is the flow of power behind them."

Selma looked puzzled.

"King Chaman took all the traditional aristocratic rules that had been passed down since before the Oath of Co-governance, whether they were obscure or not, written or unwritten, habitual or not, compromised or not, secret or not, and wrote them all down as laws and inscribed them on stone tablets, which he placed in front of his city gates."

The prince recalled Rumba's words in the carriage, and the terrifying King Chaman's audacity and will as he held the chess piece named Exter, engaging in a game of chess with the wise ruler of the stars from over a hundred years ago. He couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion: "He attempted to superimpose the king's authority on the autonomy of the nobility, and to seize control of the interpretation and execution of the Covenant of Governance. He offended those old nobles and vassals who had supported the Rumba family's rule over the Black Sand Territory since its founding—if the decree took effect, it would mean that Chaman's will would override traditional customs and rules, and the lives and powers of the vassals would no longer belong to them, or even be shared with the king, but solely to the king."

Selma did not speak.

“In other words,” Ian shook his head with a cold smile, a smirk playing on his lips, “he’s made a huge mess of things.”

"This puts him in the most difficult situation since his coronation."

He looked at Thales: "Change always comes at a price. He wants to challenge the natural rights of his vassals, but he is also shaking his own natural rights and eroding the foundation of his rule."

"The old noble vassals within Black Sand Territory voiced their opposition: Count Mende issued a public proclamation, vehemently refuting his lord; the Devonson family declared that unless the king revoked the decree, the tax resistance of all vassals in their county would be indefinitely extended; Count Peruno personally went to Black Sand City to confront the king; and the Ika family even recalled the nine hundred warriors they had stationed on the border to guard the Dragon Fortress according to their rotational duties—the entire Black Sand Territory had become King Chaman's enemy overnight," the heir of Qiyuan City smiled slightly: "This was his miscalculation."

Although the second prince had heard that Rumba had encountered a lot of trouble while residing in Valhalla, this was the first time Thales had heard firsthand about the specific difficulties Rumba was facing.

That sounds terrible.

He then recalled the king in the carriage, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and his words tinged with emotion:

All the laws I have tried to implement have encountered numerous difficulties, even within the Black Sand Territory... My vassals are seething with resentment and are eager to rebel...

Thales' heart skipped a beat, and he was about to speak when the Grand Duchess spoke first.

“That’s strange,” Selma frowned. “Charles told me that the vassals each have their own interests and calculations. They won’t easily draw their swords against their lord, and it’s difficult for them to unite their positions. Besides, they’re facing Rumba, who is also the king. Without external support and trump cards, the opponents in Black Sand Territory might not be so confident, organized, or in sync.”

Faced with the Grand Duchess's question, Ian gave a rather meaningful look.

There was a few seconds of silence in the dining room.

"Wait, it's you?" The Grand Duchess quickly realized, "It's you—it's all the Grand Duchess who have been supporting their opposition to the King, and even made promises behind the scenes?"

Thales's eyes flickered.

Perhaps, as the Grand Duchess of Dragon Sky City, she did not remain stagnant during those six years.

However, I never noticed it in the past.

Ian bowed slightly in his chair, striking a perfect bow—a rare sight among Northerners.

How could we miss this opportunity?

Ian straightened up, looked at Selma who was frowning, and chuckled: "It's not just us, Guardian City and Elk City are also helping."

The Viscount nodded smugly: "Besides the fact that the Grand Duke of Fengzhao City has only recently ascended to the throne and that the Shuster family of the Sentinel Territory has maintained its neutrality as always, the Grand Duke of the Glacier Sea has also expressed his willingness to join. And it won't be long before their replies arrive from the Weilan Territory and the Rebuilding Tower, which are also in the south."

"This is a collective conspiracy. Our target is that extraordinary king in the Black Sand Territory."

Seeing Selma's motionless expression, Thales knew that she was thinking about that day six years ago again.

That black ring.

That blood-stained crown.

The girl who was wailing.

An inexplicable sense of emotion filled Thales' heart.

In the dining room, Ian, like a hunter with bow and arrow in hand, revealed a confident smile: "The arrow has left the bowstring, the sword has been drawn."

“Lumba’s bargaining chips are disappearing, his vassals are dissatisfied, his people are suspicious, his taxes are decreasing, and his army is loosening… The prestigious legacy left to their descendants by the renowned Lumba family of the North, including ‘Rebellious King’ Quesso and ‘Boiling Blood’ Holt, one of the Nine Knights, is gradually being eroded.”

Prince Star carefully considered Rumba's character and methods, suppressing his subconscious skepticism, and silently listened to Ian's words. "It won't be long, maybe half a year, or even a few months, before the king's rule is shaken, the Iron Fist family's natural authority dissipates, and his decrees can no longer leave the castle—he will become a powerless and lonely king, obediently waiting in his castle until the next election."

Ian took a deep breath and suddenly changed the subject.

"But just when everything was going smoothly and we were one step away from success," he said with some frustration, "some small mishaps occurred at that moment."

Selma lowered her head in thought: "You mean, the Free Alliance is in crisis and trying to get rid of Exter?"

Ian gave an approving smile.

"And in this accident, Qiyuan City just happened to be the first to be affected," the Grand Duchess said slowly, "was it really an accident?"

“It’s understandable—there are bound to be obstacles when you’re about to reach the top,” Ian exhaled and nodded. “Even a cornered beast will fight back. Even a dying hybrid orc has the power to make a comeback, let alone a usurper who has killed his brother and the king?”

Upon hearing Ian's words, Thales frowned.

During those few minutes, Thales didn't interrupt. He silently observed Selma and Ian's conversation, but suddenly felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity.

The little rascal who used to hide behind her and wipe away her tears, Selma, has been sitting on the throne of Grand Duke with trepidation all these years...

When did we become someone who can compete with opponents at the negotiating table and conspire with allies?

A complex mix of emotions—feelings of gratitude, relief, loss, and melancholy—surged into my mind.

Why didn't he discover it in the past six years? Why now, just as he's about to...?

But Thales immediately clenched his fist.

No.

This is not enough.

Her opponent...

Her allies...

This is not enough.

“It is because of the Grand Dukes, led by Qiyuan City, and their external support and guarantees, that the old nobles in Black Sand Territory were able to rebel against the King without hesitation,” Ian sighed. “But we cannot turn a blind eye to the Free Alliance—to be honest, based on the information I have recently received, the situation of the alliance is beyond saving, and a peaceful resolution is impossible.”

"But if the army of Qiyuan City is busy with its campaigns, the Ronnie family's hands will be tied to the stakes of the 'Freedom Alliance'..."

He spread his hands and shrugged.

“Then the promise of Qiyuan City is less reliable to the king’s opponents,” Thales said, snapping out of his thoughts and quietly taking over the conversation. “At the same time, the king can more easily suppress the isolated opponents, weather the crisis, and even further consolidate his authority and reshape his Black Sand Territory.”

Snapped!
Ian clapped his hands gently.

“If Rumba weathers this storm… believe me, it will be far more than just a failed hunt for us,” Ian said in a sincere tone, his previous flippancy and deliberate manner gone. “That’s something none of us want to see.”

He did not specify what exactly "none of us want to see."

Selma paused for a moment, then asked in confusion, "So, that's why Dragoncity holds such an important position in this storm?"

“That’s right,” Ian looked at the Grand Duchess with certainty in his eyes: “Dragon Sky City is the closest to us among the nine territories, and it is the only Grand Duchy with surplus troops, financial resources, and an indisputable reputation that can send troops to join us on an expedition to the Freedom Alliance.”

"The closest? The only one?"

“I can read maps,” the Grand Duchess said dismissively. “Do you think Grand Duke Lyco, who guards the city, is dead?”

"Hmph, that bald old man who's trying to protect himself?" Ian sneered. "He's not much different from a dead man."

Selma raised an eyebrow.

“Selma,” Thales said, having gathered his thoughts, “Qiyuan City and Black Sand Territory, Grand Duke Ronnie and King Chaman are on opposite ends of a scale called the ‘Crisis of the Free Alliance’ or the ‘Crisis of the Royal Decree’.”

“You are the supreme lord of Dragon Sky City. Your decisions, your army, and your vassals will be the biggest bargaining chips in this game.”

The prince looked at Ian cautiously and said, "If Dragon City promises to send troops westward to help the Ronnie family conquer the Free Alliance, then Ian and his people will have a much greater chance of overthrowing the king; if you stand idly by and do nothing, then the pressure on King Chaman will be greatly reduced."

Selma was lost in thought.

“But,” Thales took a deep breath, “once you send troops, your vassals…”

Selma looked up, and the coldness in her eyes startled both of them.

"My marriage," the Grand Duchess said calmly, "I understand."

Ian and Thales exchanged a glance and nodded.

“Lumba must have done something to make your vassals reveal their lust for power and their disrespect for the Grand Duchess at this moment.”

“Once you decide to send troops, they will use this as leverage to force you to marry,” Thales’s expression grew increasingly serious. “And you will be caught in a dilemma due to the honor of your family—to send troops, you must agree to their request to marry, but after marrying, Dragon City will fall into a power imbalance again, and who knows what kind of trouble awaits you.”

"The drama of lords and vassals blackmailing each other," Ian scoffed. "To be honest, this is nothing new in Qiyuan City."

“At the same time, King Chaman would use all sorts of means to eliminate and deal with his opponents in his own territory,” Thales sighed. “One by one, day after day, until no one dared to oppose him or the king’s decrees anymore.”

"That's what Rumba was thinking."

“This is also the reason I’m here,” the heir of Qiyuan City sat up straight, looking solemn. “Madam, whether it’s to fight for Longxiao City, to restore the reputation of the Longqiang family, or to lend a helping hand to Qiyuan City and thwart the king’s rebellious act, this is a war you have no choice but to fight, both morally and logically.”

Ian’s eyes were bright and piercing, making it hard to believe that just a few hours ago he was the eccentric, frowning nobleman.

"In this game, we stand on the same side, facing the same opponent."

Selma remained silent, but the solemnity in her eyes was unprecedented.

She glanced at Thales, and the second prince returned the look with an encouraging one.

“But we also saw that Lumba used your vassals to hold back Dragonshort City—the Black Sand Territory’s envoys didn’t come to Dragonshort City out of boredom,” Ian said seriously. “Following Qiyuan City, the Dragonlance family’s hands have also been tied.”

"Therefore, Qi Yuancheng did not simply come to ask for help—it is unrealistic to ask for help from someone whose hands are tied."

“So,” Selma took a deep breath, “you mean…”

Ian nodded emphatically.

“We’re here to help—if Qi Yuancheng and Long Xiaocheng are two people whose hands are tied at the same time, then what we need to do next,” he gestured with a chop, “is that I first help you untie the ropes, and then you help me cut the ropes.”

Viscount Fengcheng exchanged glances with the two men: "Then stand up together and beat up the person who tied us up."

(End of this chapter)