Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 33 Friendly fire!

Long ago, even before Prince Tormund led the remnants of the Last Empire to swear an oath by pointing to the stars above and establishing the Star Kingdom there, the DC District was merely a suburb in the northeast of Everstar City.

As the Star Kingdom's national strength increased and its territory expanded, the kingdom's upper echelons of power began to swell, with more and more lords, nobles, and officials. The important people in the capital were unwilling to live in the same area as vulgar merchants, ordinary citizens, and even those dirty prostitutes, thieves, and thugs, so they built homes in the northeastern suburbs.

Gradually, this area became a gathering place for nobles to build royal estates, and was soon incorporated into the jurisdiction of Yongxing City by the city hall, becoming the most important urban area after the Central District and Morning Star District. Lords who guarded the four directions, favorites of the royal court, and even foreign exiled dignitaries all liked to build their villas and estates here.

This area is filled with properties owned by nobles and officials of all sizes, with almost no residences or markets for commoners. Even the people who come and go are mostly servants and subordinates of various families and powers. In addition to the outrageously high land prices, there is an unwritten rule in the DC district: those who purchase land must choose locations that match their social status. You probably don't want to know what happened to those who violated this rule. Families of the level of the six great noble families and the thirteen prominent clans, even though they each have their own manors in the suburbs of the capital, have also built their own properties in the DC district, naturally all located in the best locations—regardless of whether the nobles of these families come here often.

Precisely because of this, the different manor houses in the already vast DC district are quite far apart. However, the grass and trees between the manor houses are kept lush and strong by the city hall, and the main roads are built to be wide, grand, and stable, with a large, ever-burning lamp provided by the city hall every twenty meters.

The guards and city defense team patrolling this avenue had two main advantages: firstly, they had to be cautious, as offending these important figures would have consequences that even their superiors could not bear; secondly, they had a relaxed and carefree life, as the nobles usually had their own methods to handle any incidents that required the intervention of the guards and city defense team, so they did not have to worry about it.

As the city defense captain who patrols the main roads of DC District year-round, Jenard has hardly used his sword and crossbow in the past ten years, but his helmet and armor are still as bright as new. When he encounters the carriages of nobles on the road, he is used to adjusting his armor and then stepping aside to remove his helmet in salute (in the words of the East City Guard Director, they should have replaced their heavy helmets with hats long ago, as removing their helmets to salute is really too ridiculous).

Jenard cherishes his job. He knows how much effort his former comrades put in to transfer him to the Royal City Defense Force, a stable and peaceful place in the DC District where he could make a living on his own after being discharged from the army.

As a farmer from the countryside of Dorronshire in the South, Jenard's colorful life story is definitely worth singing about for bards.

More than a decade ago, when he was about nineteen years old—Jernar had forgotten his birthday since his father died—the whole village was struck by a natural disaster and subsequently attacked and plundered by bandits. Unable to survive, Jennar enlisted in the Star Legion, which was being established by Duke John who was heading south.

Brave and quick-witted, he survived the perilous defense of Emerald City.

He once risked carrying two sacks of flour and actually managed to keep up with the main force of the Great Escape from the Vora Corridor, bravely breaking through the encirclement of the Fanglands with the Duke's personal guard ("We all owe you money for two sacks of flour until we join the other troops." - Duke John).

Under orders from above, he once followed his troops into the welcoming banquet of the Earl of Dale and watched as the Duke, as a guest, calmly incorporated their private army.

He even charged through the bombardment of magic guns during the decisive Battle of the Fire Plains and managed to break a battle axe in half.
He also led a squad under the Duke's nine-pointed star banner, holding off the rebels' final desperate counterattack at the Blade's Edge.

Until the final siege of Sodara—Jenard sighed deeply, cursing the day of both victory and sorrow, then waved to his men, making way for the knights carrying the iris banners on the other side.

The thirty-four knights of the Kevin Deer family, without any carriages, were probably servants working for their master.

The two leaders seemed to possess strength above the Super Rank, while the others, judging from their movements on horseback and the placement of their weapons, were all just for show. Jenard subtly curled his lip and stepped aside.

In just over a year, he rose from a regular supply soldier to a combat conscript, then to a swordsman, infantry combat captain, and finally to the most glorious Duke's Guard. Jenard transformed from a peasant who didn't even know how to hold a sword into a battle-hardened and outstanding officer. His invaluable battlefield experience made him a rare talent, even among ordinary soldiers; with a few companions in formation, he was fearless even against super-class warriors. Even after the Starshine Legion disbanded, Jenard remembered the guidance of his respected Duke's Guard commander and never neglected his training.

He had seen countless knights in the most perilous days, these mounted warriors known for their impact, some of them noble and brave, others cowardly and timid scoundrels—of course, under Duke John's command, the former far outnumbered the latter.

Therefore, Jenard immediately recognized that the two leading knights were calm and fluid in their movements, their slightly crouched postures suggesting they could exert force on horseback at any moment. Each had a sword at their waist and on their saddle, very close to their dominant hand, clearly indicating they were seasoned veterans with considerable battlefield experience. These high-ranking experts were undoubtedly officers of a combat squadron on the battlefield. Whether it was charging, raiding, defending, serving as reserves, or even as the commander's personal guard, these individuals were indispensable backbones and even the core of the force. For example, the renowned Baron Alakka Mu of the kingdom.

Now, the two knights, who were leading more than twenty people, were about to pass by when one of them reined in his horse and rode towards Jenard.

"City defense team!" The knight, with thinning hair, was in his thirties. His light, blue-green plate armor, clearly a finely crafted noble heirloom, was stern and looked down at the leader, Jenard, demanding, "We saw a large number of hoofprints on the road. There shouldn't be so many cavalry in the DC district at this time—did you encounter them?"

"So you're supposed to show up now?" Jenard thought disdainfully, looking at the noble knight from the Tricolor Iris banner.

But after ten years of working in the city defense force, he had long been worn down by reality. The former Duke's personal guard lowered his head humbly and obediently and replied, "Your Excellency, those in the DC district who can mobilize large numbers of private soldiers are all lords. We dare not interfere in their affairs."

Seychelles, the Duke of Janne's trusted knight frowned: "You encountered these cavalrymen? Which family are they from? What banner are they flying?"

Jenard paused for a moment.

A dozen minutes ago, the thirty-two riders who passed by ranged from ordinary to super-rank. The nobleman in the lead was agile, but he was clearly not a soldier. There was even a woman following behind him, but Jenard did not see them raise any banners.

But how could he, who had served under Duke John for many years, not recognize the soldiers' movements, equipment, and shield styles? Many of the Duke's personal guards were originally private soldiers brought from his family by the Duke, who became his personal guards as the Duke traveled south.

Among those people, some had saved his life, and he had saved theirs; almost all of them were good men worthy of being entrusted with one's life—oh, and a good woman too—truly worthy of being a warrior under the Nine-Pointed Star.

Yes, Jenard told himself once again: those thirty-odd cavalrymen were members of the Starry Sky family, the private soldiers of the royal family.

Most importantly, it was the man from the Duke of John's family whom he had sworn to die for.

“Yes, sir,” Jenard replied firmly, “we have met them, just now.”

"They didn't display any flags, and I don't know where they went."

The Duke of John's former bodyguard bowed—ironically, back when he was the King's brother, no one had taught him how to bow to nobles, but on his second day in the capital, a low-ranking city official angrily ordered him to learn the proper bowing posture ("They are nobles, you know?"—Jernar's former superior in the city guard).

But this ordinary city defense captain probably has no idea how much impact the information he concealed will have on himself and on the future of the entire star system.

Seychelles frowned, reached into his purse and grabbed a handful, tossing back the two silver and gold coins he had inadvertently picked up. Then he scattered the remaining copper coins to the city guards.

“Your tips,” he said, then turned his horse and caught up with his companions.

“Don’t overthink it, and don’t concern yourself with the affairs of other families. Just do what the Duke asked us to do. With both of us here, as long as we don’t storm the Palace of Restoration, there’s nothing in the capital that we can’t handle. If those vampires don’t cooperate, they’ll only face death.” Seychelles returned to the front of the cavalry, listening to another noble knight beside him, and Casian said calmly.

"If it were another family, why wouldn't they raise their flags? Thirty or forty unidentified cavalrymen riding into the DC district at night—how long has it been since something like this happened?" Seychelles said cautiously. Having traveled through the war-torn Eastern Continent, he had learned caution and meticulousness from the people of the Eastern sages.

"His Majesty's forty-eighth birthday is approaching. This birthday is extremely important. Nobles from all over the world, lords' special envoys, delegations from various countries and states, even spies, representatives from the Tower of the End, the Church of the Gods, and all sorts of forces, big and small, will be present. It can be said that the eyes of the entire world will be focused on the capital."

"And all the major families in the country are making moves in various ways, overtly or covertly, which is perfectly normal. Aren't we doing the same thing, and we're working towards it too?" Cassie turned his head and said calmly, "If you're really worried, just report back after you've finished—it has nothing to do with our mission."

"I hope so..." Seychelles touched the sword at her waist, thinking of the sharp-eyed city defense captain from earlier, and then said absentmindedly:
"Hopefully it's not the work of other families."

"Rest assured, Lord Seychelles," Cassie said leisurely. "At this juncture, apart from the power struggle with the royal family, any action directed at the nineteen noble families will be regarded as betrayal."

"How could a traitor to the nobility possibly succeed in 'choosing a king'?"

A glint flashed in Ginny's eyes as she dodged two frantically charging blood slaves. With a flick of her silver chain sword, she bound them together. Two other Finale Swordsmen from the Star Clan joined her, plunging their silver swords into the hearts of the two slaves.

But the palace lady sensed something instantly. She knelt down and rolled away, avoiding a sharp claw that suddenly appeared.

Laura, the female vampire, missed her attack and angrily turned around to parry the two silver swords. Then, screaming, she flashed away quickly amidst the hissing sound.

"My newly grown right arm is still very clumsy, which limits my strength," Lorana thought bitterly—"that damned crippled superhuman."

"You blood-sucking bitch, next time be more careful! I've seen plenty of vampire crimes in the city, and I've even personally arrested a blood-descended count from the Aulas family!" Ginny sat up defiantly, her long arms twitching, and her chain sword instantly locked onto Lorana's left leg.

She wrapped the chain sword around her right arm, and a strange, immense force surged forth, pulling hard!
Lorana, who had dodged a sword flash, stumbled and was pulled to the ground! She was dragged along amidst screams.

The strength of this short-lived female—is she a monster?
Lorana roared and gripped the ground tightly, resisting Ginny's monstrous strength, but before she could regain her footing, another silver sword pierced through.

"Damn sword formation!" Lorana cursed inwardly. Faced with such an enemy, her extraordinary speed and special abilities were completely useless.

The Star Array is a circular defensive formation. The main body of the formation has several smaller squads protruding from each outer edge, acting as tentacles and probes for the entire formation. In the midst of the melee, they can also flexibly advance and retreat.

Meanwhile, the Blood Slave—Lorana—carefully dodged the silver sword, resisting Ginny's immense strength while kicking away the swordsman who attacked her. Under the coordinated encirclement and annihilation of the sword formation, the Blood Slaves were becoming fewer and fewer. After all, how could a monster without reason possibly defeat a battle-hardened swordsman?

“Gilbert!” Ginny roared, tightening her grip on her chain sword. “Where’s the child? We’ve been held up for so long by these two and a bunch of lunatics. You’d better have a plausible plan!”

On the other side of the formation, at the entrance of the large house, Gilbert, holding a sword in one hand and a staff in the other, coordinated perfectly with several Terminator swordsmen, besieging the blond Istrom.

“Yordle is tied up with him, and that guy is also at the Extreme Realm!” Gilbert frowned and said, “But since we’re stuck here, we have no choice but to trust him!”

"You men are utterly useless!"

Gilbert ignored Ginny's scolding and turned his attention back to Istrom, the vampire with extraordinary speed who had snatched Thales away right under the noses of the eight guards and taken their lives in the process.

Istron's special talent is speed that far surpasses that of ordinary vampires. Even though he is still at the Super Rank, his speed alone is enough to surpass most of his peers. But just tonight, he encountered two opponents among the short-lived species who were also at the Super Rank but were not afraid of his extraordinary speed at all.

One was Nekra from the Blood Bottle Gang. Easterlin had clearly seen Nekra's first few moves; he was no match for Easterlin's speed. But for some reason, after a few exchanges, Nekra's speed and reaction time increased dramatically. At the crucial moment, Nekra's punching speed and agility were practically on par with the vampire. If it weren't for Chris's sudden intervention, Easterlin even felt that Nekra's speed would eventually surpass his own!
The second one made Istren's scalp tingle. It was this middle-aged nobleman in front of him who looked elegant and noble, yet instilled fear in him! Like Nekra, Gilbert couldn't keep up with his speed either, but this nobleman used his own methods to restrain Istren's proud high speed.

Gilbert's silver sword was very steady, and his steps were full of the elegance of a noble duel. But Istrom was not worried about his sword. The blond vampire could easily handle such a speed of sword and even take down two swordsmen in the process.

What he was worried about was the cane in Gilbert's left hand!
Compared to the conventional swordsmanship, that cane was practically wielded by a different person! Every time Istrom dodged or parried the silver sword and was about to counterattack, that strange cane would strike through the air, precisely in the direction he was about to counterattack, or at the crucial moment when he was about to exert his strength, frustratingly knocking Istrom back and then leaving him surrounded by other swordsmen.

Because of that strange cane, Istron even felt that it wasn't him who was restraining Gilbert, but rather Gilbert who was suppressing him!
But Eastrun didn't know that he had fallen into Gilbert's trap from the very beginning—the key to Gilbert's family martial arts was not the cane, but the seemingly ordinary sword in his right hand!

"Lord Chris!" The blond nobleman's ears twitched as he heard his cousin Lorana's low murmurs amidst the chaos of battle.

"We can hardly hold on any longer—has His Highness not woken up yet? If it really comes to it, let's retreat with the ancestral coffin!"

Unbeknownst to them, at that very moment, Chris, who was gripping the Yodal short sword tightly, had a face full of surprise and disbelief.

This emotion even infected his opponent, Yordle, behind the mask.

Chris whispered something that could only be heard by the Yordle opposite him and the vampires with their extraordinary hearing.

The two experts at the pinnacle of their abilities ceased their fight, released each other, and retreated.

Lorana and Eastren heard Chris's ramblings and both opened their mouths wide, but then retreated rapidly, dodging and avoiding any counterattack.

Soon, those fighting in the open space were surprised to find that the blood slaves were also roaring and retreating to the side, not caring even when their heads were cut off by the swordsmen around them.

Ginny, standing in the sword formation, looked at Gilbert in surprise, while the latter remained frowning, pondering the current situation.

They didn't hesitate for long.

"Thump! Clang! Clang!"

All that could be heard were the hurried footsteps of several children coming from inside the house.

Along with the footsteps came a childish boy's voice.

"Everyone!"

Everyone in the open space watched as Thales, shirtless and panting, pulled a silver-haired little girl wearing his shirt behind him as they ran from the house out of the first-floor door and onto the open space of the manor.

Before he could even grasp the situation, Thales, with all the strength of a seven-year-old boy and a confused mind, roared at the sky in every way he knew:
"Stop it all!"

"We are friendly forces!"

"Friendly_fire!"

"Knock it off!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the silver-haired little girl, who was walking hurriedly behind Thales and couldn't stop in time, bumped into the boy's back and fell to the ground with him.

The chapter title is a tribute to CS1.5, which is from a very, very long time ago.

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(End of this chapter)