Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 375 Coming of Age Ceremony

At that moment, the human prisoners erupted in uproar!
Only Thales had doubts:
A person with...different blood?
It seems this orc... is quite famous?

The commotion continued for quite some time until some of the orcs impatiently began to "discipline" the prisoners.

After a few seconds.

"Am I that famous?"

The orc chieftain asked Thales' question in a low voice, the scar on his forehead creased slightly.

Dean sneered.

"The Starman, to be precise, is Earl of Windpath Keep in Cliffland, Hodge Dastan, who has put up an almost insanely high bounty for the head of the 'Bloodthirsty One'."

The orc's eyelids twitched slightly.

"If I remember correctly, it's 1,556 Tormond gold coins plus a lord's estate and the honor of marrying a noblewoman from the Dastan family."

Dean continued:
"Just for the eldest son and heir of Count Dastan's family, who was killed in your surprise attack and buried in a foreign land during the desert war ten years ago."

The pale orc, Kandar Nushan, gave a low snort and reached out to stop a holy guard behind him who was trying to step forward—a blue-faced orc wielding a spiked club.

The orc Kandar took two slow breaths, and his gaze toward Dean changed.

"But no one has ever received this bounty," it said calmly.

“No, nobody,” Dean sighed, “because you’re alive and kicking, hands and feet all intact—”

Dean glanced at the other man's wrist and the menacing iron fork attached to it:

"I mean, most of the hands and feet are here intact."

Candal curled his lips, making him appear even more ferocious by human standards.

“Not only that, you’ve also joined the Riftstone Tribe,” Dean glanced at the three unusual orcs who were now eager to make their move because he had recognized them.

“You also have your own Holy Guard, and even the right to speak on behalf of the Rock Rift tribe.”

The blue-faced orc let out a low howl and was about to step forward, but was firmly blocked by the white-lipped orc carrying a black bow beside him.

"So, you've become their war chief? Or perhaps even the holy chief of the entire Riftstone Tribe?"

Dean forced a smile:
"What should we call you, Warchief Kandar?"

"Or is he the King of Different Bloodlines?"

Kandar smiled.

It slowly lowered its fork, allowing Dean to ease his neck.

"The King of Different Bloodlines?"

"No, I am not."

Kandar turned to look at everyone, prisoners and soldiers alike, and said softly:

"Only the one who can subjugate all eight tribes at the same time is qualified to ascend the Dragonbone Throne, unify the orc tribes and even the Bone People, and become the true King of the Desert."

"I am merely a war chieftain, not a king."

The orc warchief gave a soft snort, his words carrying a deeper meaning:

"Not yet."

Just then, the skeleton man McKee, one of the prisoners, spat out a vicious "Pah!"

“Hmph, dream on,” McGee said coldly, kneeling on the ground and looking at Kandar.

There is no king in the great desert.

"It didn't exist in the past, and it doesn't exist now."

"There will be none in the future."

Old Hammer tried to give him a wink, but the Bone Man clearly didn't care.
"The desert never needs a king, nor does it need unification; it despises and curses every reckless madman like you."

Kandar turned around, walked towards McGee, and looked at the special battle markings on his face, his expression shifting.

"You are a Bone Man."

"Yet he's mingling with outsiders?"

McGee stared at him coldly.

The orc warchief sneered:
"You've chosen the wrong side, my Luma."

McGee's expression changed, and he stood up.

“I am not your Luma.”

He gritted his teeth and said:
"And also, six hundred years ago, you were outsiders too, you gray bastards!"

The orcs of the Riftstone Tribe were not language experts, but they clearly understood "Grey Bastard".

The guards behind McKee gave him a merciless kick, sending the skeleton crashing to the ground!
The skeleton lay on the ground, groaning in pain.

Not satisfied with that, the perpetrator was about to continue.

"Hey, that's enough!"

Louisa roared:
"That's unnecessary!"

Looking at McGee curled up on the ground, Kandar simply shook his head and stopped the abuser.

“So the rumors are true,” Dean said promptly, diverting the war chief’s attention:
“You, Kandar Nushan, an ambitious outsider, want to unify the scattered desert.”

The chieftain of the Riftstone tribe grinned, revealing sharp teeth.

"No wonder." Dean clicked his tongue and nodded.

"The Bozdorf family of Heroes' Fortress in the Western Wilderness," the bald mercenary sighed.
"No wonder that after the Desert War, the famous Black Lion family of Starry Sky listed you as the greatest threat, even more so than the tribes that fled deep into the desert, and relentlessly hunted you down for six or seven years."

"Compared to others who treat you as a mere sand bandit, they know your danger—disappearing for a few years and becoming a war chieftain, you are indeed worth the price."

Kandar gave a soft hum.

"Whether it was the Bloody Year or the Desert War, you have a deep-seated hatred for the Star Kingdom. That's why you risked everything to find the truth. You're willing to do anything that would upset the Star Kingdom."

"Is it?"

Thales frowned: This orc is... a mortal enemy of the Star Kingdom?
Kandar exhaled.

It looked at Dean, its tone appreciative: "You're very good, Dean—I'll remember you."

Dean sighed softly.

“Listen, respected alien bloodline, Khandal Warchief.”

"I know about your grudges with Xingchen, and I understand your hatred for Xingchen."

“But your opponents are the stars, those high and mighty human nobles, and their unparalleled armies that sweep across the desert,” he shook his head: “And us?”

“We are just a caravan that sneaks out to make a profit despite the blockade order, and we are the ones who are ostracized and oppressed by them.”

Dean said with a gloomy expression, "The answer you want? We have no idea—and they won't let us know."

Kandar looked into Dean's eyes, his gaze lingering for a long time.

"No, you don't know," the orc said calmly, pursing his fierce lips.

"And in my experience, if you want me to 'know', you need motivation."

Dean frowned: "Power?"

Kandar turned around and coldly surveyed the prisoners.

“If you don’t ‘know’,” it gritted its teeth, its expression peculiar:
"Then you have no value to me."

The people in the caravan began to tremble again.

"But you also stole the battle spirits of four of my tribe's warriors and severely injured two of them..."

Candall said calmly:
"My soldiers are very dissatisfied."

The mercenaries all frowned.

The orcs' cold gazes swept over them once more.

Just then, a trembling voice sounded softly:

"It is them... the esteemed War Chiefs."

"Those people stole your noble warrior's soul...it has nothing to do with us..."

All eyes turned to one side: the caravan's owner, Tom Ding, looked mournful, cowering as he raised his arm and pointed at Louisa, who had stood up.

Kairoku opened his mouth in disbelief:
"you……"

But Kandar laughed.

"What does it matter?"

"Except for that skeletal man, the fate of all of you will be determined according to our rules," the war chieftain said coldly.
"Under the witness of the Desert God and our ancestors, a momentous duel will decide the outcome—your warriors versus our warriors."

"If you win, you live; if you lose, you die."

Tomding shrank back to the ground.

The merchants were filled with lamentations.

"Hey!"

McGee protested indignantly:

"Include me! You bastard!"

The orcs behind him pressed him back into the sand.

Louisa exhaled:

"So, we still have to solve this with a sword? Very well, the old rule: give me a sword and an opponent."

"I'll solve the problem."

Kandar looked at Louisa standing tall in the cold wind, nodded slightly, and then gently shook his head.

"Do not."

"The duel's participants," the orc chieftain's voice was deep, "will be decided by me."

It took another step.

"And I will choose the most necessary and urgent duel to decide your fate."

Everyone's expression changed drastically!

Ignoring the reactions of others, Kandar strode through the yellow sand.

He walked toward his prisoners.

Puff puff……

The footsteps were heavy and slow.

But it was thrilling.

The first, the second, the third...

Every merchant who passed by him trembled slightly, some even sobbing.

But after Kandar left him, he breathed a long sigh of relief and wept with joy.

Until Kandar walked toward the mercenaries.

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

Puff, puff, puff.

The footsteps continued.

Like the sound of a ferry bell on the Prison River.

Louisa, Dean, Old Hammer, Quick Rope... everyone tried their best to remain calm and dignified.

Thales lowered his head, forcing himself to calm down, his peripheral vision fixed on those giant-like feet.

Until it came into view.

It disappeared along with the sound of footsteps.

For a moment, Thales was in a daze.

Wha...what?
Everyone's expressions changed.

"Do not."

Louisa's face tightened, then she gritted her teeth:

"He's just a child!"

Dean frowned:

"At least find someone who is on par with you."

Thales took a deep breath, then looked up at the orc warchief above him.

The pale orc stood before Thales, watching their reaction, and instead curled his lips into a smile:

"But you must admit, this Solino is excellent."

As he spoke, Kandal bent down and placed his thick left hand on Thales' right shoulder, shaking it forcefully!

Under the opponent's powerful force, Thales felt dizzy and disoriented, as if the whole world had turned upside down.

"His performance in the fight just now really impressed me."

"They lack the strength of others, are small in size, and are not even used to moving in the desert."

Amid Dean and Louisa's protests, Candall finally managed to release Thales's shoulder, leaving the latter feeling nauseous after the dizzying experience.

“But you played brilliantly, Solino. Every move you made perfectly countered our size and strength. You responded better than anyone else.”

of course.

That's a sword technique specifically designed to deal with orcs.

Thales sighed inwardly, feeling anxious.

The orc stared with a peculiar look at what was behind it.

Thales followed its gaze and felt a chill run down his spine: the blue-faced orc was holding its spiked club, staring at Thales, grinding its teeth furiously.

The chieftain of Kandar's tone changed.

Ironically, we assigned targets during the raid.

“My Holy Guard, Durraman, ordered his Luma, ordered his brother Doru to kill you—because you looked the weakest, Durraman thought this was to protect the young, impetuous, and inexperienced Doru.”

Thales felt a slight panic, and trembled slightly. The young and impetuous Doru?
He recalled the orc he had first encountered, the moment he had pierced its neck with his dagger, and its subsequent rampage.

so……

That is……

"What a pity," the orc warchief sneered.
"Duraman's luck and trickery ultimately brought misfortune to Doru: Duraman's half-brother Luma—Doru, who had just come of age, died at your hands, along with the seemingly weakest Sorinho."

Kandar pointed to the blue-faced orc.

"I hope my Holy Guard will learn from this lesson."

It shook its head and looked at the endless yellow sand in the distance:

"The desert god shows no mercy."

The blue-faced orc, Duraman, could no longer contain his rage and roared at Thales:
"Aaaaaah! Flaka!"

Dean's disgruntled voice rang out.

"not me!"

The bald mercenary thumped his chest, pointed at Duraman, and loudly protested to the war chief:

“Tell him it was I who killed that orc! I killed his Lumar! Not Wyah!”

"Let him come to me!"

Thales stared blankly at them, noticing that Louisa and Old Hammer also looked terrified.

Only McGee, the native skeleton, struggled and cursed on the ground.

Oops……

“No, clever Dean, Durraman told me he saw it very clearly,” Kandar said coldly, circling Thales.
"You were just the one who finally beheaded Doru, but the one who truly delivered the fatal blow to his carotid artery, the one who truly defeated him head-on and brought him to his knees from exhaustion..."

Candall sneered, pointing the fork from his severed hand at Thales:
"It's this Solino."

Thales paused for a second.

"It was you, Solino, who took away Doru's battle spirit."

It looked at the boy and shook its head slightly:
“You are the true Fraka of Duraman.”

Thales moved slightly.

I killed Duraman's brother, so I am Duraman's Fraka.

So, what Flakka means is...

His face turned pale.

Kandar raised his intact left hand, waved to Durraman in the distance, and said something Thales couldn't understand.

"Boom!"

Blue-faced Duraman slammed his spiked club into the ground, dragging the heavy weapon, staring fiercely at Thales, and walked forward step by step.

He walked toward Thales, whose face was ashen.

Candar slowly said:

"For this reason, my Holy Guard has reminded me many times."

"Duraman has the right to duel with this Solino to reclaim his Luma's battle spirit."

"The right...is to seek revenge."

Candall patted Thales on the shoulder with such force that he almost fell over.

But Thales had no time to worry about that.

Looking at Duraman's imposing physique and his terrifying weapons, Thales gasped.

What are you doing?
“You promised!” Louisa gritted her teeth and said, “He can live.”

Kandar patted his shoulder, his eyes sharp: "Yes, I promised... he would be spared from death in the melee..."

But the pale orc's tone changed, and he let out a cold laugh:

"But I never said that he could refuse a duel and be exempt from legitimate revenge."

Thales's breath froze.

"And his duel will decide the fate of the rest of you."

The prisoners' expressions were ashen.

Fuck your mother!

Old Hammer could no longer hold back and burst into a tirade:
"You despicable gray bastard!"

But his protest was quickly and brutally suppressed by the orcs—with their fists.

Candall burst into laughter:
"Now, is that enough motivation? Is there anyone willing to tell me...?"

It curled its lips into a smile in front of all the mercenaries' ugly stares:
"An overview of the Baki Camp, and the reasons why the Star Kingdom sent troops?"

"No!"

Louisa protested fiercely, but her shoulders were firmly held down by the guards behind her.

"This isn't fair. He's a human, and we're all human. You can't apply orc rules to him..."

Candal whirled around, his voice booming:

"do not forget!"

“You are the losers, we are the victors, valiant Louisa,” the pale-skinned war chieftain, already fierce, now looked even more menacing, silencing Louisa.
“And I think that’s fair.”

The beastmen began to growl softly, seemingly excited by the scene before them.

Unexpectedly, Thales suddenly raised his head:

"Wait, what if I win the duel..."

The war chief slowly turned his head, his bright yellow eyes revealing shrewdness.

Thales paused slightly in his speech.

“If you win the duel, then firstly, the feud between you and Duraman will be settled, and you won’t have to die for revenge…”

Upon hearing this, Thales's hope slowly rekindled.

"Secondly, since you won the duel, as I promised, you and your companions are now free to leave..."

Thales's heart stirred again.

He stared at Duraman's face, which was filled with hatred, and a thought struck him:
Facing this opponent, if one were to use specialized Northern military swordsmanship...

Add to that the sudden sin of the River of Hell, and even the fate of Nicolai could be sealed...

Perhaps there is an opportunity.

But his hopes were dashed.

Then Kandar changed the subject: "But this is only the end of this duel."

Thales was stunned.

"As one of the Three Guardians, Duraman once swore an oath with Yaku and Lusana to be loyal to me. They were not Luma to each other, but they were better than Luma to each other."

The war chieftain pointed subtly at the other two holy guards: Yaku, who was carrying a black bow and remained silent, and Lusana, who was carrying a greatsword and grinning maliciously.

"So once you win, both Yaku and Lusana have the right to challenge you for Luma's defeat and start the next duel."

“Challenge their new Fraka.”

Thales, who was still contemplating the outcome of the match, paused for a second.

and many more.

New Flac?

"what?"

The dazed boy stared wide-eyed and held up two fingers:

"Win one, get two free?"

Thales turned to Kandar and noticed that the war chieftain looked rather smug, with a hint of cunning in his eyes.

Candar gave a cold laugh.

“What if… what if you beat them all?” The tall orc warchief shook his head, his expression full of regret.

"Oh, you have defeated three of the Holy Guards of the Rockbreaker Tribe's Warchief. This is a glorious feat, and you will earn the respect of all the orcs in the desert."

Thales's lips twitched slightly.

"Thank you...and then?"

Kandar squinted.

"Then, since you have defeated all three of the Holy Guards whom I regarded as brothers and wings."

“Then you became me, became Fraka of Kandar Nushan.”

Thales was completely stunned.

Wardfuck?

The warchief said lazily, pointing to Thales, then to itself, and defiantly flicking its expensive fur:
"It's time for our duel..."

There are more than two extras included?

Thales' expression seemed frozen, remaining motionless for a long time, except for his eyes, which blinked rapidly twice in astonishment.

It was...it was intentional, wasn't it?

"So this is a duel you absolutely cannot lose... bullshit rules..."

Louisa, enraged, tried to charge forward, but was firmly held back by the orcs behind her.

"Damn it," Old Hammer gritted his teeth and said to the terrified Quick Rope beside him.
"It's designed to make us watch this unfair duel... to slowly break us down, to drive us to despair..."

Kandar ignored her, gave a cold snort, and turned to look at the incredulous prisoners: "Now, is anyone willing to tell me what exactly the Star Kingdom is all about..."

Just then, Dean's calm voice came:
"Don't forget, he's just a Solino!"

"According to the customs of the orcs, you have no right to include underage cubs in your challenge!"

Candall paused slightly.

A thoughtful expression appeared on its face.

"Yes, you're just a Solino."

“Sorino must be considered an adult and a duelist only after defeating a recognized opponent at his coming-of-age ceremony,” Kandar looked at Thales with a troubled expression.

"Until then, you are exempt from dueling."

Louisa breathed a sigh of relief and her struggles lessened.

Thales breathed a sigh of relief and gave Dean a grateful look.

fortunately……

But the next moment, the Kandal Warchief's expression changed!
"very good!"

Candar strode up to Thales and pulled him up!
The orc patted his thin shoulder excitedly, making the dizzy Thales sway unsteadily.

"Sorino, is that your name?"

what?
Thales stared dizzily at Kandar, who was talking to himself—the orc's powerful slap was truly astonishing. He swore that if orcs were this "friendly" with merchants every time they bought or sold something, there would probably be no business that orcs couldn't do.

Thales, still in shock, paused for a moment:
"my name……"

But Kandar waved his hand grandly!
"That's not important anymore, Solino! I solemnly tell you: Just today, in a battle just now, you defeated Doru, the recognized hero of the Riftstone Tribe!"

what?
Thales stared, his mouth agape.

The orc warchief's face lit up with joy, and his voice rose:
"The moment you defeat Doru, according to orcish custom, you will no longer be a Solino!"

Despite the enormous size difference, it hunched over comically, its left paw and right wrist forcefully patting the tiny human's shoulders, its voice deep and resonant:

"congratulations……"

You're an adult now!

In that instant, Louisa and Dean both turned ashen-faced, McGee's curses grew increasingly urgent, and Old Hammer silently sighed with his head down.

Kandar announced something to the surrounding orcs in its language.

The orcs all growled in low voices and punched their chests, even Durraman, who hated Thales to the core, was no exception.

It turned to Thales, but its gaze deliberately swept over the surrounding prisoners:

"As a witness to your coming-of-age ceremony, I, the Great Chieftain of the Riftstone Tribe, proudly bestow upon you a new name—Saika, the Assassin! The one who kills your rivals in the coming-of-age ceremony!"

Sai-Saika?
Killer?
No, that's not the point. The point is...

Thales gasped.

“Now, the newly-adult Sekar,” Kandar’s face hardened as he turned to the ferocious blue-faced orc amidst the humans’ astonishment and fear, and the orcs’ excited chest-thumping.
"You have the right, and you must accept Durraman's challenge."

"Save your people."

The prince took a deep breath, trying to understand the current situation.

"Saka-Flaka!" Duraman roared, slamming his spiked club heavily on the ground.

The newly adult Seka, or rather Thales, stared blankly as he pulled his gaze away from the blue-faced orc and began to scrutinize his remaining opponents—if he could win—the white-lipped, black-bowed Yaku, and the greatsword-wielding, bare-chested Lusana.

And finally, the strange-looking chieftain of the Riftstone Tribe, the Bloodthirsty One, Kandar Wrathmountain.

He suddenly realized that orcs, especially this so-called war chieftain in front of him, could be so hateful and despicable.

They all stared at me coldly.

Feeling the weight of the orc warchief pressing on his shoulders, Thales struggled to maintain his balance and let out a painful breath.

"So……"

Kandar Nushan curled his lips into an ambiguous smile, but his face had lost all warmth.

It ground its teeth, pressed Thales down, and coldly stared at all the prisoners before it:

"Before the duel begins, before your fate is decided... outsiders of Baki Dunes."

"Does anyone want to tell me... why did the Star Kingdom send troops to the desert?"

It's been updated. It shows 5,000 words, but it's actually 6,000 words. You're welcome.

Additionally, I updated some drafts I had written that weren't included in the main text on **. Feel free to take a look.

By the way, please follow ** (likely a social media account name), some things will be posted there. Just search for "author: Sword Without a Master"... And yes, it's also on Facebook! (Isn't that cool?)


(End of this chapter)