Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 315 Grand Duke and Vassal

The moment Nazel uttered the last word, a strange atmosphere descended upon the entire Hall of Heroes.

There was neither a deathly silence nor a bustling crowd, but rather the nobles on the side of the hall whispering and talking amongst themselves in small groups.

Amidst the faint buzzing sound, they would occasionally raise their heads and glance at the Grand Duchess seated with strange and distant eyes.

Like thousands of insects and ants, lurking everywhere in the tall, sturdy beams, making a rustling sound as they gnaw and gnaw at the wood—it's inexplicably irritating, and when you try to break through the wood to search for them, they're nowhere to be found.

Selma's expression froze on the Grand Duke's throne.

Although the girl had anticipated this, the Grand Duchess still couldn't help but tense up when the moment actually arrived.

It's like the veil covering up imperfections has finally been ruthlessly ripped off.

Thales listened to the whispers in his ear and looked at the girl's expression, feeling a mix of emotions.

Lisban, seated below the Grand Duchess, had a somber face, her eyelids slightly lowered, and a chill emanated from her, like ice shards about to fall from the eaves.

“Count Nazel,” after a long pause, the expressionless girl finally uttered a clear yet cold voice:
"This is your suggestion? A husband? For Dragon City?"

The moment she spoke, the whispers in the Hall of Heroes vanished.

Just like insects and ants stop biting and hide away.

Nazel stared silently at the girl who was looking at him with a cold expression, his eyes showing no emotion.

“It is only right,” the old count said calmly. “The bloodline of Walton must continue, just like the marriage of hero Sarah and Princess Renee, which continued the rule of Dragonsreach.”

"The Walton family also needs a legitimate heir and male successor to appease the uneasy vassals and deter our rivals—to show the outside world that Dragonrise City is under sufficient protection and remains as stable as ever."

"Only after that, by regaining Walton's dignity, will Dragon City's prestige become possible—by whatever means necessary."

Nazel remained calm and composed, but with each word he spoke, the whispers in the hall subsided, and the girl's face grew paler.

"Therefore, I suggest that you select a promising young man, capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities, from among your vassals and their equally noble and loyal families, as your husband."

Count Nazel said solemnly, "As the father of your future child, as the father of the future Dragonlance family noble."

The Grand Duchess did not answer immediately.

But Thales sensed that the girl's gaze unconsciously shifted in his direction, but then abruptly stopped halfway, focusing on the floor tiles in the center of the hall.

Those are the floor tiles of Valhalla, which have remained sturdy for thousands of years.

"So you think that I, as a woman," Selma said softly, "am not actually qualified to sit in this position and inherit everything from the Grand Duke of Dragonsreach?"

Her voice gradually lost its panic and discomfort, but carried a hint of bitterness and desolation, just like its owner's.
"So you're demanding that I marry early and give birth to a true, qualified, and rightful heir to Dragon Sky City?"

The hall fell completely silent. The vassals, who had been loyal to the Walton family for generations, stopped whispering and instead raised their heads one after another, waiting to see how things would unfold.

The five counts, each with a different expression, all silently watched their female ruler.

Lisban's gaze was fixed on Count Nazel, who remained oblivious.

Seeing this, Thales sighed, while Ian beside him shrugged.

"Quite the opposite."

“It is precisely because you possess the qualifications to rule Dragonsky City as a descendant of the Walton bloodline,” Nazel’s voice came again. Compared to the Grand Duchess’s light and even cold tone, his words were steady and powerful: “That is why it is all the more necessary—as the closest direct descendant of the family, continuing the Walton family is your inescapable responsibility.”

Selma lowered her eyelids, her gaze fixed on the long skirt draped over her knees.

At that moment, Thales, who had been silently observing this scene, suddenly realized that the six years he had spent away from the treacherous court intrigues were both unfortunate and fortunate.

Finally, a low, angry shout rang out in the hall:

"As far as I know, we are talking about responding to the lady's call."

"It is about sending troops to the Free Alliance," the Regent of Lisbon's voice was like a freezing snowstorm, instantly sweeping away the last trace of smiles on the faces of the nobles in the hall, "not about rudely altering the agenda and interfering in the lady's private affairs without any respect."

"It's practically tantamount to a coup or rebellion."

Lisban coldly ended his sentence.

Across from him, Nazel turned his head toward Risban, as if this were his greatest enemy today, as if his earnest admonition to the Grand Duchess had been nothing more than a casual reminder.

The old count stared intently at the regent, his gaze unwavering.

"We're talking about the same thing—the future of Dragon City, Risban," Nazel said in the next second, as if he were deliberately going against Risban, using the calmest and most peaceful language to say something that made Risban's face change drastically: "It concerns the fate of the entire Dragon City. Do you think we would be so foolish as to let it be controlled by some scheming and powerful minister?"

Besides the two of them, the other four earls also reacted slightly: Linna and Courterson each let out a cold snort without any attempt to hide it.

Only the Grand Duchess remained silent, her eyes fixed on the long skirt between her legs.

The pattern on it looks very nice.

Lisban looked back at Nazel, no longer concealing his displeasure.

The Regent sneered, "So, you're forcing the Grand Duchess to marry someone you prefer?"

"To keep Longxiao City firmly in our own hands is not to be called 'foolish,' right?"

The argument between the two adults echoed in the hall, but no one dared to interrupt.

Thales listened quietly to their conversation.

The Lisban and Nazel families, two equally ancient and accomplished northern families that rival even the Nine Knights of Nekaru, have served as the right-hand men of the Walton family since the era of the Dragon Rider King, jointly ensuring that the banner of the Cloud Dragon Lance flies high in Dragonfall City.

And now...

A second later, Nazel and Risban avoided each other's complicated gazes.

“No one can ever force a grand duke to do anything, not even a king,” Nazel said, lowering his voice slightly before changing the subject, “but the reason grand dukes are qualified to stand in this position and receive the loyalty of their ministers is precisely because they know their responsibilities.”

Nazel stopped looking at Risban and instead stared at Selma, whose face was flushed and pale and whose eyes were fixed, with a strange look in his eyes.

“Madam, remember, you are not merely yourself, nor merely Lady Selma, nor merely a daughter of the Walton family,” Earl Nazel snorted.
"You are even more so—Dragon Sky City."

His pronunciation was exceptionally clear, with distinct emphasis, leaving no room for doubt.

Selma's already clenched teeth twitched slightly.

“So you can’t just think of yourself, ma’am,” Nazel said sternly. “More importantly, think of Dragonsreach.”

Lisban's face turned ashen.

Inside the hall, the whispers of the remaining dozen or so vassals began again.

It was bigger, more arrogant, and more unrestrained than the previous times.

Nikolai frowned, his hand repeatedly reaching for the weapon behind his back, but each time he abruptly lowered it.

Thales bit his lower lip, his eyelashes trembling slightly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the former rascal with his head bowed, trembling slightly.

Ian gave him a strange look and whispered, "Hey, don't get distracted, when are we going up?"

But Thales just pursed his lips and remained silent.

Ian soon stopped paying attention to Thales.

Because the next moment, almost everyone was surprised...

The girl suddenly raised her head!

"What if I say no?"

The Grand Duchess's usually clear yet gentle voice suddenly rang out, carrying an unusually short, breathy tone.

A slight look of surprise appeared on the faces of the people in the hall.

On the Grand Duke's throne, the young woman revealed a beautiful yet indifferent face, and spoke in a resounding voice: "What if I say... I don't want to?"

The hall was like a lake tossed with a stone, once again rippling with the annoying whispers.

A commotion erupted in the hall, so loud that Nikolai had to speak seriously again to maintain order.

As Thales listened to the rumors around him, he gradually frowned.

Many people instinctively looked at Count Lisbon, but the latter remained silent.

Selma gave Hearst a complicated look, then a strained glance at the aggressive Earl Linna, before clearing her throat. "If I were to say no in the name of the Grand Duchess of Dragonsreach..."

“I command: My marriage will not be held here, nor will it be decided because of this matter.”

"Gentlemen, if that is the case..."

The Grand Duchess's voice echoed in the hall: "And what will you do then?"

Upon hearing this, there seemed to be no immediate change in the hall.

But Thales inexplicably felt that the temperature around the six seats next to the Grand Duke seemed to drop suddenly.

Count Linna gave a soft snort.

“I am reminded of the late King, Madam.”

“When King Nuen said ‘no,’ that was ‘no.’”

The counts' expressions all turned cold.

"but……"

“Your Excellency, you are sitting in the late King’s seat,” Earl Linna said, his tone devoid of emotion, yet every word was crucial:

"Don't think of yourself as him."

Selma's face paled, and she gritted her teeth: "Count Linna..."

Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, the usually friendly Earl Hearst spoke up.

He raised his hands towards both sides, speaking first as if trying to mediate: "Madam, Earl Linna, I think we should both be cold..."

This time, Earl Hearst was abruptly interrupted by Linna's merciless words:

"We all know what you're thinking, Earl Hearst!"

“But stop ‘teaching me’ how to do it—that power belongs only to the late King Nunn.”

Thales could see it clearly: although Linna was speaking to Earl Hearst, his gaze remained fixed on the Grand Duchess.

This made the pressure on Selma even heavier. Hearst's golden beard twitched.

The Earl of Branding Iron, having been rebuffed, turned cold and said nothing more.

However, things took an unexpected turn.

A few seconds later, Selma still held her head high, looking at her vassals without showing any weakness.

She glanced in a certain direction in the hall, then took a deep breath as if she had made up her mind.

"Everyone."

“I know your concerns, and I know that Dragon City is not what it used to be, and I know the predicament we face—the departure of the late king has hurt us too much, both materially and spiritually.”

Selma took a deep breath and, in the tone she had practiced in Hixser's class, solemnly said:

"That's why I convened today's hearing and invited everyone to attend in person."

The Grand Duchess spoke coldly, as if leaving no room for argument:

"Gentlemen, I need this war."

Upon hearing this, all six counts, including Lisbon, frowned.

In an inconspicuous corner, Thales slightly curled the corners of his mouth.

Yes.

Sitting there wasn't just that helpless little rascal.

Instead, it was the little lioness with puffed-out cheeks, a red face, who lifted her skirt and kicked his leg bone hard.

[Selma, remember: Choose who you want to be.]

“It’s not Lisban, it’s not Qiyuan City, it’s not anyone else, it’s me!”

"It is I, it is your Grand Duchess who needs this war!"

The girl gritted her teeth and glared at the entire room: "I need this war to secure my position, to consolidate my rule, and to warn my enemies."

“And I need your strength, vassals of Dragon Sky City.”

All the counts turned their heads at once, their eyes fixed on one person.

Lisbon Regency.

It's as if he's the source of everything.

But the Grand Duchess once again surprised them.

“Please stop looking at Charles, everyone,” Selma’s voice trembled slightly, like a branch swaying in the cold wind carrying snow: “He never taught me to say that.”

The Lisbon regent was taken aback.

With a resolute tone, Selma's eyes flashed with a long-dormant rage as she surveyed the entire hall.

Especially the six earls.

This surprised Thales as well.

Count Nazel's gaze slowly froze in mid-air, fixed on the Grand Duchess's hand gripping the armrest.

“Very good,” he said softly after a few seconds, “You’ve surprised me a bit, ma’am.”

Selma took a deep breath, feeling that Nazel's strange gaze had a kind of penetrating magic.

But the strange look in Nazel's eyes only lasted for a short while before he returned to his original seriousness and indifference, as if the unexpected incident brought by the Grand Duchess was really just a coincidence.

The hall returned to calm.

Only Thales and Ian, with completely different feelings, were watching the situation unfold.

The Grand Duchess's face was ashen.

The vassals' eyes were like swords.

Soon, Count Nazel sighed and rejoined the conversation:
"Of course, as a count, I have no power to oppose or even obstruct your decision."

Nazel, like a slightly disappointed old man, shook his head and said softly, "But in the face of the crisis of the Free Alliance, please forgive me for opposing your decision just now, and even advising you with my actions: this is not a good way for you to establish your authority. In this chaotic confrontation between Qiyuan City and Black Sand Territory, we have better protect ourselves."

Selma unconsciously held her breath, and her arm stiffened.

Nazel looked at her indifferently, without answering.

Thales unconsciously exhaled through his nose.

Well done, Selma.

We are getting closer.

In this game, the most important connection must be made:
War, and marriage.

We won.

Lisban across from him chuckled dismissively: "So, you, Nazel, are going to refuse the lady's summons in the face of the Free Alliance's crisis, and even..."

"Even like the vassals of the Black Sand Territory who rebelled against King Chaman, they refused to pay taxes to the lady?"

Nazel completely ignored him.

The outspoken Earl Curtson narrowed his eyes, stared at the Grand Duchess, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Of course I don't want it to turn out that way, madam."

"But often, we are not in control of our own lives."

Selma's expression changed.

The Grand Duchess's voice was somewhat urgent: "Sending troops to the Freedom Alliance—is to uphold the honor of the Walton family, the very people your ancestors swore to serve to the death."

"If we stand idly by and watch the Free Alliance's war unfold, refusing Qiyuan City's plea for help, then we, whether as the Grand Duchess of Longxiao City or as the lords of Longxiao City..." The Grand Duchess gritted her teeth and said coldly:

“We will all become a laughing stock: whether we are a weak woman who cannot even protect the name of her father and grandfather, or a cowardly northerner who dares not face the defeated enemy of yesteryear!”

The other four earls—whether it was the ruthless Curtson, the sharp-tongued Linna, the taciturn Kerkegaard, or the gentle and polite Hearst—all turned their gazes away, avoiding Selma's eyes.

Only Earl Nazel looked intently at the Grand Duchess, and sighed helplessly: "Refusing to send troops may damage the reputation of the Walton family and us, but it is the best way to ensure that we do not sink into this vortex."

"It should be understood that after six years of internal strife and disaster, Dragon Sky City is already teetering on the brink of collapse..."

Lisban snorted coldly, quite disdainfully.

The Grand Duchess spoke through gritted teeth: "But you know, Earl Nazel, and you all know we must send troops! Even if it's not for the Dragonlance family, not to assist Qiyuan City, but simply to suppress the King's ambitions and prevent us from being swept along in the whirlpool within the kingdom!"

"This is also for the sake of Dragon Sky City!"

But the next moment, old Nazel's voice suddenly rose, interrupting Selma!

"Then, for the sake of Dragon Sky City, why can't you understand?"

Selma was taken aback.

Offstage, Thales' fists clenched and unclenched intermittently.

Count Nazel's gaze towards the Grand Duchess suddenly changed, revealing a sharp edge: "Determination cannot be achieved solely through verbal bravado."

"If you can make an enlightened and clear-headed choice of your husband and re-secure the future of the Dragonlance family, then all the problems can be solved—we can recruit soldiers and launch a western expedition against the Free Alliance in the name of Dragonsky City after that."

The count spoke coldly: "To restore the family's prestige, uphold the honor of Dragon Sky City, win the alliance of Qiyuan City, and even curb the king's arrogance, demonstrating our existence and power, isn't this a better solution?"

The Grand Duchess bit her lower lip, appearing somewhat flustered in front of the twenty-odd vassals.

Just then, the Regent of Selma, Count of Lisbon, spoke up.

"Deal with the King? Really?" Regent Risban scoffed. "At this crucial moment when we are playing chess with the King in Qiyuan City, you deliberately interfere with the lord's marriage... What, are the sweet treats from Black Sand Territory and the bones left behind by King Chaman so easy to lick?"

At that moment, Nazel, like a ferocious beast whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly turned his head and stared at Risban.

"Be careful what you say, old friend."

“Lumba did come to see me,” Earl Nazel said, his words chilling, as if he had an irreconcilable grudge against Risban. “But the Nazel family of Dragon City is not someone that rotten bastard who murdered his own family to seize the throne can be ordered around—no matter how eloquent he is or how sinister his intentions may be.”

"But believe me, madam, this is the best future for Dragon City."

Nazel continued, "Your rights will not be interfered with in any way: as long as he is a noble and handsome man from Dragon City, how you choose him, and which one you choose as your husband, is still your will, and this is Dragon City's..."

Unable to contain his anger any longer, Lisban roared once more.

"Enough, Nazel!"

The Regent said coldly, "You're just spouting lofty rhetoric about 'for Dragon Sky City'."

"But your solution is to have the Grand Duchess marry one of your own?"

Lisban slowly shook his head, his eyes seeming to shoot out sharp blades: "Do you really know what this will bring to Dragon City?"

The center of the duel seemed to have returned to the two counts.

"of course."

“Madam,” Nazel’s voice lowered, but his eyes remained fixed on Risban, “I know what Charles… Count Risban said to you. It was nothing more than excuses like ‘the Grand Duchess needs to maintain a balance of power in Dragonstreet,’ ‘a lord’s hasty marriage to a vassal is detrimental to the internal governance of Dragonstreet,’ and ‘you cannot entrust your status and power to the internal affairs of Dragonstreet,’ as reasons for your refusal to marry him.”

“Indeed, there is some truth to it—I have worked with Charles for many years, and I know better than anyone that he is not an idiot, and this concern is indeed valid.”

Nazel looked at Risban with a complicated expression, but when he turned to the Grand Duchess, his gaze became even more peculiar.

“I didn’t mean to say these things, madam,” Nazel said softly, “but I just realized that perhaps I shouldn’t treat you as an ignorant child—you are, after all, a Grand Duchess.”

Selma's heart skipped a beat.

Lisban, on the other hand, had a furrowed brow.

"So, you think that your marriage is really, as some people say, just a way to bind the Walton family's power to a certain family in Dragon City and seize it into our hands?"

"Do not."

Count Nazel, sounding somewhat weary, spoke softly:
"This is for a higher, more important purpose."

Everyone, the next chapter is written and revised, and will be posted at 12:30. I'm going to have some lunch now.

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(End of this chapter)