Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 36 Knights, Mortal and Super-Rank
Ginny didn't say anything more. After treating his new wounds, she told Thales to rest well and promised to make his life "back to normal" the next day before leaving his room.

But Thales still couldn't sleep well that night.

The past few days have been incredibly eventful and bizarre.

The thrilling events on Red Street, the shocking secrets of Mindis Hall, and the desperate struggle for survival at Mangcao Manor all left him exhausted from overworking his brain.

Worse still, even at this point, Thales still couldn't get used to the soft bed beneath him, as if his "sleep-on-the-pillow" ability from his previous life had vanished without a trace.

Sigh, Thales rolled his eyes.

After making countless pancakes, he habitually rolled off the bed, walked to his "special spot" in the corner, and curled up to lie down.

"As expected, the hard ones suit me best," Thales licked his lips.

Two days ago at this time, he was still worried about the livelihood and safety of the other five beggars in the abandoned house, and was brewing his grand escape plan.

In the tumultuous life that followed, he was like a rootless duckweed in a storm, struggling desperately in this world full of malice and misfortune, doing everything in his power just to survive.

All I want is to live a good life.

But with this identity, Thales looked up at the fireplace and in the dimly lit interior, he could vaguely see a huge nine-pointed star pattern.

Phrases like "live well" and "be a free person"—Thales sighed deeply: they're probably just wishful thinking.

not to mention……

Thales raised his right hand blankly, looking at the bandaged scratch on it in the moonlight.

What exactly was that power—Thales recalled the explosion and light that occurred the instant he unlocked Rolf's shackles?
And that little vampire girl... Thales felt a chill run down his spine whenever he thought of her desiccated appearance and the two almost invisible round holes on his own neck.

Now, Thales is certain that the inexplicable flashbacks of his past life memories are not just fragments. What kind of memories could sustain him, allowing him to suddenly unleash extraordinary energy and willpower in the most dangerous moments?
In the fifth year since his arrival, Thales was disappointed to find that his doubts and confusion about this world had not decreased, but rather increased.

------------------

Thales was still woken up in bed and under the covers, and in his sleep, he didn't know who had put him back in.

But the atmosphere today is clearly different.

First, the person waking him up was changed to Ginny, who patiently explained to the flustered Thales how to wear the clothes befitting a nobleman. Second, his breakfast changed from bread and beef to delicious cakes and milk, and the guards in the hall bustled about, carrying in items that were clearly delivered that day.

Until Gilbert appeared with a serious expression and informed him that Thales's private lessons would begin at nine in the morning and continue until nine in the evening.

This made Thales truly realize that his daily life had completely changed. Because the very first lesson in the morning was something he had never encountered before.

"After the events of the past few days, and after careful consideration and deliberation, Mr. Thales..."

After breakfast, Thales was led by Ginny to the backyard of Mindis Hall. There, on a cleared area covered with soft sand, Gilbert Cassel, leaning on his fine cane, stood before a dazzling array of weapon racks, sword targets, archery targets, sandbags, hitching posts, and a young pony, and solemnly informed him:

“We believe that you urgently need basic training in fighting skills and self-defense techniques, and a child raised by Lord Mann should naturally also be proficient in horsemanship and basic swordsmanship.”

"Please rest assured, we—mainly Ms. Ginny—will ensure that the training does not aggravate your existing wounds."

what?
Thales took a deep breath, then looked on in surprise as Ginny stepped forward and said coldly to him:

"Don't be surprised, child. Morning is the best time for physical exercise. Since you are the heir to the future of the stars, you naturally need a body that can bear this heavy responsibility."

“And I will guarantee that.”

Thales looked at Ginny, whose mature figure was bathed in the morning sun, and at her elegant court lady attire. He then looked around at the empty space and scratched his head.

"Why isn't it Yordles who teaches me—he seems really good." The boy's mind conjured up images of the secret guards' swift movements through the city.

"Do you expect a supreme expert, one of the few in the entire kingdom, to teach a novice the most basic things?" Gilbert chimed in, putting his hands behind his back. "Besides, believe me, the Yordle system is not suitable for your status and characteristics."

Thales nodded, seemingly understanding, "What is the extreme realm?"

Just then, Ginny clapped her hands, walked to the center of the field, and beckoned to Thales with her finger:

“Gilbert will explain these theoretical concepts to you during the training.”

"Now, attack me with all your might! I need to assess your current level." Thales stared blankly at Ginny, who stood with her hands behind her back in the center of the field, until she urged him again.

Alright, leveling up through training, isn't that what the seniors love most? Thales finally took a breath, but after thinking for a moment, he still didn't draw his dagger.

The next second, Thales charged toward Ginny with the street skills of a proper beggar.

"Martial arts is one of the oldest and most enduring skills in human history."

Ginny tripped Thales, who was rushing too far, without even moving her supporting foot.

"boom!"

Gilbert then slowly began his explanation:

"Human history is a history of constant struggle against foreign powers and against ourselves."

"Thousands of years ago, in the struggle for the right to survive in the world, mankind gradually summarized and generalized the skills and rules of using weapons or fighting hand-to-hand."

Thales tripped a second time and fell face-first onto the training field.

"Humans, whose physical abilities are far inferior to those of other races, rely on mastering these skills and techniques to achieve victory against the strong, defeat the many, and win against the big."

"Long afterward, among those warriors who mastered superb skills in battle, some even awakened within themselves a power that was beyond human comprehension."

"These powers give humanity options beyond 'struggling' and 'resisting' in the world. Different powers give them different advantages, from extraordinary speed to agile reactions, superb insight, and extraordinary strength, and so on."

This time, Thales skillfully dodged Ginny's trip and cleverly grabbed her high boots, but was immediately kicked down again by Ginny's skillful force.

"These superior humans, with these powers, rode rare warhorses and led skilled warriors into a dangerous world."

“These were the earliest ‘knights’,” Gilbert sighed deeply, looking at the disheveled Thales who had fallen to the ground for the fourth time, and continued, “and the powers they awakened were collectively known as ‘supernatural powers’.”

"In the days following the final battle, people, especially swordsmen, like to call it the Power of Termination."

"It was precisely because of the emergence of 'extraordinary power' that the world had a division of power for the first time: those warriors who skillfully used combat techniques and were proficient in combat were commonly referred to as 'mortal level'."

“And those masters who have wielded extraordinary power or power equivalent to it, who possess meticulous control and observation, and who are adept at combat and slaughter, have already transcended the realm of mortals, so—” At this point, Gilbert’s eyes gleamed:
“We call it: ‘Super-order’.”

"enough!"

Ginny raised her left hand, stopping Thales, who was still unwilling to give up and wanted to continue charging forward, and pushed him down onto the sand.

“He’s quick-witted, good at dodging, and knows how to exert maximum force, but his body hasn’t fully developed yet—I know what to teach him.” Ginny exhaled, turned around, and pulled two wooden swords and shields from the weapon rack, tossing the smaller one to the flustered Thales.

It's really heavy.

Thales strained to straighten the shield and, like Ginny, used the leather straps on the back of the wooden shield to secure it to his left hand, but soon discovered that this posture put a great strain on one side of his shoulder and arm.

Thales grabbed the wooden sword with his right hand. Good heavens, compared to JC's dagger, this wooden sword was as heavy as the water tank in the abandoned house!

"Turn your body to the side, left foot forward, right foot back! Shift your weight between your legs. When defending or receiving an attack, shift your weight back appropriately; when attacking, lean your weight forward!"

“Raise your shield, aim it at your enemy! Use it as a center to protect your chest—don’t let it block your eyes!” Ginny’s words suddenly turned cold and stern: “At all times, hold your shield high in your left hand!”

"There are only two situations in which you can let it go: you die, or the enemy dies!"

Thales struggled to raise his left arm, and soon the pain returned.

"Swing your right arm, treat the sword as your second forearm, and use the weight of your shield and front body to swing it like a whip!"

Exhausted and panting, Thales swayed precariously as he raised his sword in his right hand, swinging it back and forth with difficulty, when he heard Gilbert's words:

“Ah, the long-standing swordsmanship of the Northern armies.” At this moment, Count Cassel’s words were filled with remembrance and reverence:
"In the bard's verses, it is the last weapon of mortals, the steadfast body of knights, the ice and snow barrier of the north, and the nemesis of orcs on the battlefield."

His next sentence made Thales' eyes widen:

"Of course, it is also the sword from which extraordinary power originates."

(End of this chapter)