Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 318 Are you coming?

The hall was completely silent; you could hear a pin drop.

The nobles watched with complicated expressions as the Grand Duchess clashed with the envoy from Qiyuan City.

Ian stared in astonishment, as if he couldn't understand the Grand Duchess's words.

But almost everyone in the hall was staring at him with unfriendly expressions.

Ian took a deep breath and looked up with a puzzled expression: "But... the Free Alliance, war is just around the corner."

Selma, sitting in her seat, subtly twitched the corner of her mouth.

She nodded slowly: "Yes."

Ian raised his hand with a puzzled and conflicted expression, as if he wanted to express something, but then lowered it halfway through.

The heir to Qiyuan City gritted his teeth, his brows furrowed deeply:

"You know, this war is of great significance to you and your family—especially after Dragonrise lost its king."

"You know today will be a turning point—it will determine how your vassals will treat you from now on."

The vassals' expressions tightened further.

Ian's voice sounded slightly agitated: "Do you also know that the person sitting on the other side of the chessboard is His Majesty Chaman, who hates you to the core?"

Selma lowered her head, looking somewhat helpless.

Her voice was weak, like a sob, and she uttered the next sentence as if sighing:

"Yeah, I know."

Ian seemed encouraged; his eyes lit up, and he looked around as if seeking support before smiling with a relaxed expression: "Very good."

"Then you understand your situation. You know your prestige is far from sufficient, especially..."

Ian paused, glanced around the room, and sighed, seemingly with regret:

“Especially since you are a woman—a female Grand Duchess.”

At that moment, the prince sensed that the nobles in the hall all subtly adjusted their expressions.

In the seats of the six counts, Linna tilted her head and gently ground her teeth, while Kierkegaard stared intently at the Grand Duchess.

Hearst's eyes seemed to spit fire, and Earl Curtson's eyebrows were almost furrowed.

Both Lisban and Count Nazel looked at the Grand Duchess with complicated expressions, their eyes revealing unreadable meaning.

The Grand Duchess raised her head.

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

The girl let out a sigh of relief, revealing a relieved expression.

Her eyes were calm:
"Yes, I know that too."

The tone was neutral.

It was as if what the other person was saying was nothing more than trivial things like "The weather is nice today," "This soup is good," "Read patiently," or "Please urge for an update."

Ian frowned:

"Then you..."

The Grand Duchess interrupted him.

“But I am a Walton.”

Her voice was still very soft.

But there was an undeniable firmness about it.

The eyes of her six vassals all flickered.

Ian was slightly taken aback:
"what?"

“Walton.” Selma looked at Ian calmly: “Walton, the successor of King Nekaru, Walton of the Cloud Dragon Spear, Walton of Dragon Sky City.”

Do you know the meaning behind this surname?

Ian first narrowed his eyes, then looked incredulous.

“Selma! Wake up! Think about what just happened, think about the attitude of your vassals.”

“Then think about my proposal again,” Ian exhaled, waving his hands in a rather exasperated manner.
"This is your only way out of this predicament!"

The viscount's words echoed in the hall.

The vassals' expressions became unnatural again.

Selma smiled.

Her eyes met Ian's in mid-air.

“No,” the Grand Duchess said softly.
"It is not."

“Walton is Walton not because we are so powerful or wise,” Selma turned his gaze to each of the vassals with their different expressions, “but because: the Dragon Spear in the Clouds has never fought alone.”

"Seven hundred years ago, when Nekaru stood in the sky with her spear, beneath the clouds parted by dragon wings, behind the nine knights on the ground..."

“Lisban, Nazel, Kierkegaard, Hearst… countless knights of the North, both famous and unknown, charged forward without hesitation.”

"They stood together and together they forged a battle to reverse the cold winds, tearing through the darkness shrouded in disaster and winning a future for the world."

Beneath her seat, Earl Hearst's expression shifted:
"Miss……"

The other vassals' expressions grew increasingly grave.

Seven hundred years ago...

Thales sighed.

He couldn't help but recall the portrait of Tormund in the Mindis Hall: the sorrowful-looking King of Restoration was also charging forward with his lance, while the six wounded knights beside him relentlessly pushed forward.

Boom!
Just then, Selma slapped his chair and unexpectedly stood up!
The entire hall was slightly startled.

But nothing was more shocking than the Grand Duchess's next move.

"Gentlemen, today, at this time, in this place, I, Grand Duchess of Dragonsreach, Selma Walton," the girl's light and clear voice rang out in the Hall of Heroes, echoing between the heavy stone bricks:
"The wartime mobilization order for Dragon Sky City has been officially issued!"

"Dragon Sky City declares war on the Freedom Alliance from this moment forward!"

Thales's breath hitched.

Before anyone could react, in a state of stunned silence and shock, the Grand Duchess stepped forward, her expression resolute.

Her voice was cold and harsh, yet filled with an unprecedented sense of power:

"Soon, the Walton family will send troops westward to aid Qiyuan City and launch an expedition against the Freedom Alliance!"

"Let the blood of the traitors and the heads of the villains prove the honor of Dragon Sky City!"

The hall fell silent instantly.

Ian stared blankly at Selma, his mouth agape as if it would never close again.

The vassals were in no better shape, their eyes, filled with shock, fixed on the Grand Duchess. The six earls were much more composed, but their body language betrayed their unease: Hearst nearly tore his chair apart, Curtson clenched his fists, and Kerkegaard braced his severed arm against the chair arm.

The most senior Regent of Lisbon and Count Nazar stared intently at each other without uttering a word.

It seems no one can respond appropriately to the Grand Duchess's words.

Until Ian gasped for breath, like a drowning person finally surfacing.

He rubbed his chin and spoke anxiously:
“Ms. Selma, as I said, we do not need your troops…”

He was met with a stern response from Selma:
"This is none of your business, Your Excellency!"

Ian's words were cut off as he opened his arms in disbelief, staring blankly at the Grand Duchess.

"This is simply my decision."

The Grand Duchess said coldly:
"It's something that Dragon Sky City must do."

The entire audience was stunned by the girl's sudden assertiveness.

Only Thales, sitting in the corner, gently curled the corners of his mouth as he looked at his partner of six years. Only he noticed, as was his habit, that the outline of the girl's fist, tucked under her left sleeve, was trembling slightly.

Well done, Selma, keep it up.

He said silently to himself.

“And I need the response of you all—the twenty-three noble families present here,” the Grand Duchess slowly turned her gaze, sweeping it across the people in the hall:

"Just as seven hundred years ago, just as twenty years ago, your ancestors and yourselves stood without complaint or regret beside the two kings, one after the other."

Her voice remained clear and bright, carrying a hint of resolute determination.

But there was no response as it should have been.

No one speaks.

All the vassals watched her silently, their faces gradually showing suspicion and caution after the initial astonishment, which deepened as they looked at each other.

The hall remained quiet.

Even Lisban remained silent.

Selma's face turned pale.

Thales closed his eyes in his seat.

not enough.

Selma.

This is not enough!

The Grand Duchess swept her gaze across the room with an unpleasant expression—every vassal whose eyes she swept over turned away awkwardly.

"Everyone!"

Selma gritted her teeth and said:

"The battle horn has sounded! Dragon Sky City needs you!"

But in the vast Hall of Heroes, on either side of the oval stone hall, no one answered.

It was as if someone had blocked out the sound.

Ian, observing the situation, frowned.

On the steps, Selma seemed to be bearing a thousand pounds of pressure as she looked with difficulty into the silent hall.

Pairs of eyes, filled with confusion, doubt, scheming, and dissatisfaction, were shot at her.

But there was no response.

It was as if this was just a one-woman show for her.

Selma suddenly felt her legs tremble slightly.

No.

She unconsciously clenched her teeth, her heart racing.

Do not……

A sense of panic washed over me.

This……

What to do... Just then, Selma suddenly noticed that among all those eyes, only one pair remained calm and undisturbed.

He simply watched her quietly from afar, as always.

Just like the past six years.

The owner of the gaze smiled slightly at her, raised his left hand, and gave a thumbs-up.

Selma trembled slightly: her thumb, which was tucked under her left sleeve, suddenly felt weight in her nervous daze.

It was a ring.

Six years ago, that guy put that ring on her finger himself.

Those eyes blinked gently, then turned away.

But in that single blink, it seemed to give the girl strength.

Selma's cheeks twitched slightly, and she took a deep breath.

Instead of aimlessly looking around the room, the girl turned to the most senior count at the lower seat.

"Your Excellency Earl Nazel."

Count Nazel, who had been staring intently at Risban, slowly turned his gaze away upon hearing this:

"Miss……"

Selma's expression turned serious, and she spoke with difficulty the following words:
"You have shown me the true predicament that Dragon Sky City is in."

"But this also makes me even more convinced that the future of Dragon City cannot be protected by the suspicion and scheming between the emperor and his ministers."

At that moment, Count Nazel's eyes flickered.

"So this won't be a deal. I won't use marriage to negotiate a compromise—Dragon City isn't so weak that it needs internal marriage alliances to unite against external forces and maintain its existence."

"This is merely my wish!"

Nazel slowly leaned back in his seat, remaining silent.

"The honor and victory we have lost can only be defended and won back by our own hands!"

The six earls at the head of the table reacted differently, each with a distinct expression.

"Even if..."

The Grand Duchess took a deep breath and gritted her teeth:
Even if not a single family responds to me.

The quiet hall was filled with gasps of varying speed.

"Even if only Walton goes out alone."

Faced with the Grand Duchess's fluctuating tone, many of the vassals' expressions turned strange.

Even the guards, who had no right to speak, couldn't help but look over frequently.

Ian sighed.

“Selma, you’ve gone mad.” A look of seriousness and vigilance began to appear in the Viscount’s eyes.

The stagnant atmosphere seemed to be punctured by this sentence.

A commotion began to rise in the hall.

The expressions on the faces of the vassals changed more and more rapidly, and became increasingly difficult to decipher.

“Yes,” Selma gave a wry smile.
"I know."

The Grand Duchess then looked at her vassals, whose expressions were complex, her eyes distant.

“I know that I am far inferior to His Majesty Nuen—and you gentlemen, you also look down on me, look down on this little girl on the throne of the Grand Duke, and harbor resentment and have your own plans.”

Earl Curtson's mouth was crooked, as if he were deep in thought.

The Grand Duchess sighed, "But I still hope that at this moment, you can stand with me and with Dragon Sky City."

Earl Hearst's beard trembled slightly.

"To prove to the outside world, and to this guest who claims he can save me from this predicament through marriage: Dragon City is still strong and united, and we do not need to grovel to outsiders to protect ourselves."

Count Linna clenched his fists uncomfortably, twisting his knuckles back and forth.

The next second, Selma solemnly raised her left hand, letting the sleeve slide down her forearm to reveal her fair wrist.

The ring on his thumb was also visible.

"Because I believe, gentlemen, that no one in this world is more qualified than you, my vassals, to fight for me and to win for me."

Upon seeing the ring, everyone in the hall frowned.

"Because I am Longxiao City."

“But Longxiao City is not just me, but also all of you here.”

Before everyone's eyes, the Grand Duchess gently removed the large ring inlaid with black stones and held it high.

"Gentlemen, I'm going to war."

The Grand Duchess's eyes turned cold, and she shouted:
Are you coming?

Thales was slightly taken aback.

Are you... coming?
The girl's voice echoed in the hall again, but this time, the vassals stared intently at the black ring.

Looking at the people and things it represents.

Lisban's expression was complicated.

The one-armed count closed his eyes.

Count Nazel's expression tightened, which was unusual for him.

The vassals looked around in surprise and whispered among themselves.

The girl held the ring on her hand horizontally, pointing it towards the stone carving of a dragon spear in the clouds above the hall.

"The most loyal vassals of the Walton family, and the brothers of His Majesty Nunn!"

The girl's voice rang out again:
Are you coming?

Hearing the Grand Duchess's words, Thales was slightly dazed.

He seemed to have returned to six years ago, to that day of desperate escape, to the refuge of the Temple of the Bright Moon, where he had shouted similar words at Nikolai, who was preparing to flee.

But this is my decision...

[A northerner?]

Are you coming?

The buzzing of the vassals began to grow louder.

Thales' gaze met that of Nicolai on the steps, and the prince saw a similar surprise in the eyes of the Fallen One.

An indescribable emotion welled up in Thales' heart, and he could not suppress it.

He could only recall six years ago over and over again.

Yes, we're going to commit suicide.

People from the North, are you coming?

Are you coming...?

"Dragon Sky City!"

In the hall, Selma's voice reached its limit, the youthful high notes soaring through the ancient palace:
Are you coming?

The hall gradually quieted down.

Many of the vassals had ended their anxious conversations, and their eyes all turned upwards, looking at the most important people.

They await their decision.

The Grand Duchess gritted her teeth, her arm holding the ring trembled slightly, and her eyes were slightly red.

"Northerners!"

She practically screamed at everyone in the hall, "Are you coming?"

clang!
A guard, who was trying to suppress his emotions, accidentally touched the hilt of his sword, and the blade struck the wall with a piercing sound.

The sharp sound made everyone even more tense, and the atmosphere even more oppressive.

The Grand Duchess stood alone before the Soul-Slaying Spear, her teeth clenched and her eyes trembling, holding up the triumphant ring symbolizing the Grand Duchess of Dragon Sky City, facing the restless men in the hall.

Of the six earls, Curtson, Hearst, and Linna's unusual behavior was almost impossible to conceal. They exchanged anxious glances, seemingly unable to reach an agreement for a long time.

one second.

The one-armed count remained silent with his eyes closed.

two seconds.

Ian narrowed his eyes and exhaled a rather gloomy breath.

three seconds.

The silent standoff between Risban and Nazel seemed to have come to an end, but they remained silent, waiting to see how things would unfold.

Time is getting longer and longer.

The atmosphere in the hall was becoming increasingly unpleasant.

until……

Until a powerful shout suddenly resounded in the hall!
"enough!"

Like a heavy hammer, it shattered the oppressive atmosphere.

The hall fell silent.

Everyone was stunned.

It's him.

The one who spoke was the one-armed count, who was always taciturn, among the six counts.

Thales calmed himself down, and a thought struck him.

It's him.

It was the count Ian had mentioned, the one who was "the most capable fighter."

The one-armed count rose and looked up, his eyes cold and exuding the fierce aura of someone who had been through many battles.

He turned to the Grand Duchess on the steps.

“Madam, I do not know you,” the one-armed count said, slowly pacing to the center of the hall, his tone icy.

"But, with the honor of the Kierkegaard family as witness."

“Now that the Grand Duchess has given the order, the ‘Fearless Steel’ Kierkegaard family will respond!”

The one-armed Count Kierkegaard turned around, coldly facing the entire hall, his steely voice striking the hearts of everyone like a heavy hammer:
"We fight for you!"

There's one more chapter, I'll post it tomorrow morning.

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(End of this chapter)