Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 413 The Sorrow of the Guards
Upon hearing Barney's words, Samir's face showed surprise, and he subconsciously took a step back!
Seeing his reaction, Barney snorted coldly.

The swords of calamity were all taken aback.

hood.

Clay stared in surprise at Cannon cowering on the ground, then at the direction the hooded man with the spiked club had gone:
"Are there really people in this world who can identify someone just by the faintest footsteps?"

Ricky looked at Cannon with surprise, pondered for a moment, and then slowly nodded.

"I think if you care about something enough, to the point that you can dedicate a full eighteen years of your heart and soul to it..."

He shook his head and sighed:

"Then I guess there's nothing that can't be done."

On the other side of the hall, most of the prisoners stood up and coldly approached the bars.

"Is this true, Samir?" Belletti looked calmly at Samir, then at the Sword of Calamity, her expression serious.

"You're now a member of Shadow Shield?"

His neighbor, Nai, sarcastically remarked:

"Wow, that's a good sign, Your Excellency, at least you don't have to feel guilty anymore."

Samir looked at this one, then at that one, his breathing erratic, but finally turned to little Barney, whose expression was the most terrifying.

He raised his hand in defense, saying, "Listen, my collaboration with them, those assassins... was just a temporary arrangement. I also hate that cockroach, but right now, in order to get here..."

But Barney interrupted him.

“You don’t understand, Samir,” Barney Jr. sneered.
"I'm not saying how well you're doing right now—who the hell cares."

Samir was taken aback.

Barney exhaled and looked down at his palm:
“I’m talking about Lordan Sarridon, that ‘Crimson Aria’ is very skilled, in fact, extremely skilled, excessively skilled…”

Upon hearing the name, Thales' heart skipped a beat.

Lordan Sarridon...

A Blood-Red Lament?
Thales' breathing slowed, and another name appeared before his eyes, a slender gray figure leaping from the cliff of the sky.

Baannet Sarityton.

Locust Blade.

Samir was clearly slightly surprised as well: "Sariton? Lordan Sarridon?"

But Barney ignored him and continued speaking to himself:
"...But he was far from being good enough to single-handedly and silently storm into the Palace of Restoration, assassinate His Majesty at will, and then drift away unscathed—at least in our brief encounter with him eighteen years ago, he wasn't that strong."

Thales was suddenly startled.

He realized that what Barney was describing was the shockingly bloody scene in the Palace of Renewal during the Bloody Year.

The death of Eddie II.

Samir frowned:
"What are you saying, Barney?"

Barney chuckled absentmindedly, then lowered his hand and said to himself:
“After the incident, we, all of us in the Royal Guard, whether in our free time or in prison, speculated about the possible enemies: the Shadow Shield, the Assassin's Flower, the Dark Chamber, the Northerners, the Southwestern rebels, the desert forces, perhaps even the Cornmas or other people who were jealous of the stars, even those nobles in the country who were at odds with His Majesty before the war… But the one thing we were unwilling to admit, unwilling to admit…”

His words gradually stopped, circling between a few words, as if he was unwilling to continue.

Thales' breathing quickened involuntarily: a possible enemy.

He had not forgotten the map that King Nunn had given him six years ago when he was still in Valhalla.

That map of Horace's Star.

That map of the Palace of Rejuvenation.

It lay quietly in the baggage, wrapped in an inconspicuous food bag, perched on Marina's shoulder behind her.

In the hall, Samir's expression had never been so serious.

He stepped forward:
"What do you mean?"

Barney smiled again.

“What I mean is,” Barney raised a complicated look, revealing a狰狞 (zhengning, meaning ferocious or hideous) face half-branded with the mark of sin, and said in a cold voice:
"Perhaps we deserve what we got."

Belletti lowered his head in anguish, while Naki remained silent.

Barney finished speaking: "Perhaps Prince Kessel, no, the new king, was right to throw us into the prison of bones afterward."

Samir's pupils dilated slightly: "Barney, why are you saying all this..."

Barney scoffed lightly, ignoring him, and gazed wistfully into the distance.

"Perhaps back then, within the glorious royal guard, there truly was a traitor who colluded with the enemy."

He said lightly.

Samir was stunned.

In the five cells, the breaths of every prisoner slowly tightened.

The next second, Barney turned around and looked at Samir, his eyes icy: "And he, he betrayed His Majesty, betrayed the Crown Prince, betrayed the entire Guard... and made us all like this."

At that moment, Samir took two deep breaths and took a step to the side:
"Do not……"

But Barney Jr.'s accusations are not over yet:

"And that traitor!"

With an indignant expression, Barney stretched out his hands again, grabbing the metal railing in front of him desperately, just to get closer to the other person.

"He must have been very familiar with His Highness Midil's orders and handwriting to falsely convey the Crown Prince's request for help, exaggerate the riot at the palace gates, and take advantage of the late King's love for his son to transfer us away from the Hall of Stars... to support His Highness Midil at the palace gates, thereby dragging the majority of the Royal Guard into the melee with the mob and those with ulterior motives."

Samir seemed frozen in place, speechless, unable to utter a single word.

"At this moment, with the help of the Shadow Shield, Great Saridon made his move against His Majesty in the Hall of Stars—but Master Vitano was away on the battlefield with Duke John, and Instructor Ada was in the Kingdom of the Sacred Tree—facing 'Crimson Aria' and a group of assassins, even though Captain Cullen risked his life, he couldn't save His Majesty from the assassins..."

Barney's voice became hoarse and unpleasant, as if the silk on the loom was being cut inch by inch.

At that moment, everyone—the Sword of Calamity, their hostages, Samir, and Thales himself—was completely stunned.

As Barney recounted the story, Prince Star seemed to return to half an hour earlier: at the gate of the Bone Prison, when the chisel was slightly raised, the shadowy, masked assassins emerged from the shadows, unexpectedly tearing open the guards' necks, piercing their hearts, severing their life force, and then silently disappearing into the darkness.

In a matter of seconds, everything happened suddenly and subsided almost imperceptibly.

The prince felt a chill run down his spine.

Barney's hand, which was gripping the railing, began to smoke.

His face was contorted in pain, clearly showing he was in great discomfort, yet he continued to endure the agony.

"As the riot at the palace gates subsided, news arrived that the Hall of Stars had been invaded, and His Highness the Crown Prince urgently ordered us to return to its aid..."

"Exhausted and anxious, we turned back as the traitor had predicted, leaving only my father and a few others behind..."

Thales listened to all of this in a daze, things that his father should have told him.

Little Barney hissed:

"Let them stay with His Highness Midir at the palace gates, which they thought were safe..."

"Falling into the trap of the Shadow Shield."

This time, Thales clearly saw an ominous light emanating from between Barney's hand and the railing.

Thinking of Midil's death, Thales suddenly recalled a scene from six years ago:
The man carrying the strange black sword.

And his confession.

[That day twelve years ago...]

"It was indeed I who wielded the sword..."

[The stab was aimed at Midil Shining Star.]

I did it willingly, and I have never regretted it.

Thales was stunned.

As for Black Sword, as for Barney...

Back then, in the Hall of Stars, at the Palace of Rejuvenation...

In the end what happened?
As he traveled further and further in this world, the fog before him lessened.

However, more and more doubts arose.

"When all this is done, both the late king and the crown prince will meet with misfortune, their deaths leaving no one to testify..."

"With the situation in chaos and the war still raging, that damned traitor escaped punishment, putting on a show of mourning and painful loyalty, and is still alive among us, still alive in the Imperial Guard who should be protecting the royal family with their lives... living free of the law."

Barney's face grew increasingly pained, but Thales knew it wasn't just because he was gripping that eerie fence.

Samir's arm muscles were getting tighter and tighter.

No one interrupted the scene; perhaps the secret Barney was about to reveal was too important for anyone to miss.

“Barney,” Belletti said coldly to Samir, gritting her teeth, “If you want to say something, just get straight to the point.”

"What I want to say is..."

“Samir, back then,” in the cell, Barney’s hand gripping the metal bars began to tremble in the smoke, but he still gritted his teeth, stubbornly refusing to let go, as if he were holding onto the most precious treasure he could not give up, the most inviolable belief, the most undeniable truth:
"When we were being escorted here, gritting our teeth, swallowing our tears and blood, enduring the stigma, and holding our necks high... why did you run away halfway?"

"What are you feeling guilty about? What are you afraid of?"

Samir looked at Barney in disbelief.

Barney was screaming at the top of his lungs, shaking the unmoving metal railing with all his might.

"And after all these years, when you returned as a fugitive..."

"And why are you hanging out with the people of the Shadow Shield?"

Samir closed his eyes and said with difficulty, "Little Barney..."

"tell me!"

Snapped!
With a loud bang, the metal railings burst into the most dazzling light they had seen since then!

Barney, unable to hold onto the railing any longer, fell heavily to the ground.

He was convulsing, his hands were smoking, and he was screaming in agony.

But Thales could no longer distinguish whether he was suffering from physical torment or from spiritual despair.

Even Naki, standing nearby, couldn't help but speak up, "Barney, be careful, that thing is dangerous..."

“No, Barney,” Samir stepped forward, trembling, “How could you, how could you think that…”

But Barney let out a furious howl, struggled to his feet, and said angrily:
"Why did His Highness Kessel insist on imprisoning us back then?"

"Because he already knew there was a problem with the Royal Guard!"

He glared at Samir:
"Because he knew that after the incident at the Palace of Restoration, after His Majesty's assassination and the death of the Crown Prince, the Imperial Guard, which was selected from the best descendants of the noble families and swore an oath to protect the throne, was no longer trustworthy."

Thales stared blankly at the scene, listening to the words of these survivors of the tragedy, yet felt an overwhelming chill around him.

Barney's accusations gradually transformed from angry and resentful denunciations into painful and desperate cries:
"Over the years, many in the Royal Guard must have come to their senses... That's why they, including us, have been restless, tormented, and even driven to madness, taking their own lives... because the Royal Guard's honor and misfortune are intertwined!"

Tears welled up in his eyes, and his voice became broken and incoherent: "As for why it's the Prison of Bones... perhaps, perhaps Prince Kessel was just unsure, perhaps he just wanted to see if that traitor would jump out on his own..."

Barney's eyes were tightly shut, tears streaming down his cheeks, wetting the brand of the sinner.

"And the result..."

thump!
Barney Jr. knelt down.

"result……"

"Do not……"

He howled venomously, "You escaped, Samir..."

"you."

"you!"

In the remaining cells, the former guards watched with pale faces as Samir and Barney confronted each other.

Samir took a deep breath, his face flushed, and stared at Barney, pounding his chest with his fist: "Yes! I ran away!"

"But it's not me!"

He shouted almost frantically, his words incoherent:
"It wasn't me! It wasn't me!"

Barney Jr. showed no interest in listening to Samir's argument. "That's not all."

“Samir, I remember you have a solid foundation in writing. You are quite knowledgeable about the writing style, wording, and genre of aristocratic correspondence, and even the ancient imperial script.”

"I suppose you could easily imitate handwriting or forge letters, such as His Highness the Crown Prince's order?"

Samir's words of explanation suddenly faltered.

He turned to the other prisoners, seemingly wanting their forgiveness, but they all remained silent.

They simply watched coldly from the sidelines.

Barney lay on the ground, tears welling in his eyes, gritting his teeth: "That's why you were promoted to standard-bearer..."

Seeing the other person's increasingly unpleasant expression, Barney said coldly:
"We, the Royal Guard, are the rebirth of the Emperor's Imperial Guard. In our more than six hundred years of history, the Commander has led the entire force, the Punisher has been in charge of discipline, the Vanguard Officer has focused on combat, the Guard Officer has served as the personal bodyguard, the Logistics Officer has ensured supplies, the Instructor has trained new recruits, and the Watchmen have guarded the legacy..."

Barney suddenly raised his head, staring at Samir with bloodshot eyes: "And the standard-bearer!"

Samir, who was lost in thought, was suddenly jolted awake!
“And the second standard-bearer, His Excellency Colin Samir,” Barney Jr. said coldly:

“You standard-bearers are responsible for internal supervision of the guard, intelligence exchange, and even secret investigations—so nobody likes you much, second only to the executioners… But if anyone can spot a traitor early, it’s you.”

"It can only be you."

Barney's pupils contracted:
"Conversely, if someone can protect a traitor, ignore a traitor, or even..."

He did not continue.

At that moment, Samir's body swayed slightly, as if he had been struck by something.

He stared blankly at the ground, as if he couldn't come to his senses.

Barney slowly stood up, tears still streaming down his face.

"Tell me, Samir, who escaped from prison eighteen years ago and returned with the Shadow Shield eighteen years later," Barney Jr. suppressed his anger and questioned in a deep voice:
Are you the traitor?

"The person who killed His Majesty and the Crown Prince?"

"The one who ruined centuries of honor for the Royal Guard?"

"That utterly wicked..."

"traitor?"

The hall fell silent.

Barney and his companions stared intently at Samir, trying to get an answer from him.

The swords of calamity stared intently at the two, perhaps out of curiosity about the truth of what happened back then, or perhaps wanting to learn about their companion's past.

This may include Thales.

But no one dared to break the silence.

Until Samir.

The former second-in-command seemed to have lost all his strength. He stumbled back a few steps, bumping into the torch he had just dropped, before regaining his senses.

The firelight shone up on Samir, casting a dim light on his face.

Only the brand on the side of his face remained bright red and vivid.

It felt like being burned in hell.

Barney continued to stare at him coldly.

Samir stared forlornly at the firelight on the ground, then blankly bent down and picked up the torch.

His body was hunched over, and his movements were slow.

Like an old man in his twilight years.

"I know you won't believe anything I say right now."

"Is that right?"

After a long while, Samir finally spoke with difficulty, as if these words had exhausted all the strength of his life.

Boom!
The magistrate, Belletti, slammed his fist against the wall and spoke angrily:
"Then what are you running away from?!"

"Come here, Second Standard Commander Colin Samir! Stand before us now, before the seven remaining members of your former Royal Guard!"

“Tell us that you will solemnly swear, with your honor, with your dignity, with your sword, with your ancestors, and with the name of the prestigious Samir family, which has been rooted in the capital for hundreds of years, that you have never done anything to betray the Starry Sky Royal Family or the Royal Guard, and that you have never failed to live up to the oath of the Royal Guard!”

Samir's figure swayed slightly.

Belletti pressed himself against the fence and roared:
"tell me!"

Snapped!
With a loud bang, Belletti collapsed to the ground in pain from the force of the fence, gritting her teeth and groaning.

Samir instinctively wanted to step forward, but stopped himself in his tracks.

In another cell, Tardin spoke slowly in his distinctively desolate voice: "Yes, tell us, Samir."

"Anyway... neither you nor we have anything left to lose."

His voice had a deathly quality, making it all the more mournful.

Taldin's roommate, Brie, who had been silent until now, slowly stepped forward and expressed his opinion with a cold look in his eyes.

Samir bit his lower lip, his eyes vacant.

“Damn coward, you dared to run away halfway and abandon your companions, is it so hard to make an oath?” This was Sass Nye on the other side, grinding his teeth and staring at Samir with the same eyes he would use to look at a murderer.

On the other side, Cannon, who had been trembling on the ground, was no longer cowering. He just stared blankly at Samir, who was being questioned. Behind him, Naki looked at the second standard-bearer without saying a word, sighed slightly, and had only sorrow in his eyes.

“In the name of the Chief Executioner, Luton Belletti hereby commands you, Colin Samir,” Belletti said solemnly, rising to his feet and panting.

“Tell us.”

Hearing this title, Samir looked into the eyes of his seven former colleagues, at the marks on each of their faces, and was momentarily lost in thought.

He silently turned around, holding the torch, gritting his teeth, his face showing resentment.

"Good...good...very good..."

Finally, as if he had come to a realization, Samir took a deep breath, raised his head, and angrily declared, "I! I am Colin Samir, the Second Standard Officer!"

"I swear by my honor, by my dignity, by my sword, by my ancestors, and by the name of the Samir family..."

With each word Samir spoke, he took a step forward, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Throughout my life, I have never done anything to wrong King Canxing..."

At this point, Samir suddenly paused!
He seemed stuck on that word, like a windmill that had caught in a rut.

At that moment, Samir seemed to remember something, and his face turned deathly pale.

The second-in-command lowered his head and turned his gaze tremblingly.

He glanced behind him.

Thales, who was watching this scene with mixed feelings, suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

He quickly realized that Samir was looking at him.

Prince who gazes at the stars, Thales Shining Star.

Looking into Samir's surprised, pained, and hesitant eyes, Thales suddenly understood Samir's hesitation at that moment.

He, Samir, cannot make this vow.

because……

Thales tried to speak, but Marina's sword was pressed against his thigh again, her resentful eyes clearly expressing her disapproval of the prince's interference.

Oops.

The Star Prince closed his eyes in anguish—he had offended Marina so badly that…

"Never, never..."

Samir turned his head with difficulty, his expression one of immense struggle, and subconsciously repeated:

"I have never done anything to betray Canxing..."

"Never..."

"Sorry……"

“Brilliant Star…”

His words kept swirling around on his tongue, as if he could no longer string together a coherent sentence.

Finally, Samir closed his eyes, let out a painful sigh, and said no more.

As if resigned to their fate.

He dared not look at the faces of his former colleagues again.

He knew he would only see disappointment, hatred, and...

"Hahahahaha..."

A long laugh echoed from the prison cell, a laugh filled with relief, sorrow, despair, and pain.

It's Barney.

He looked at Samir, who was unable to take an oath, and tears were already streaming down his face.

"What... can't you continue?"

Samir, like a lifeless corpse, stiffly raised his head.

“I know, I know what you’re thinking, Barney,” he said with difficulty.

"But I cannot make this vow, because I have indeed done things that have wronged the Shining Star royal family... But back then, it wasn't me, it wasn't me!"

He said in a panic.

But Samir could only look at the seven people in the cell, all of whom were looking at him with the most unfamiliar eyes.

It was as if they were looking at an outsider within their own group.

"not me……"

Samir realized something, and he repeated it blankly.

“Samir, my father…”

Barney sobbed, then shook his head with a bitter smile.

"you know……"

"He, along with Chief Guard Tony and several new guards whose names I can't recall, were guarding His Highness Midil, who was poisoned, at the palace gates. They fought against a hundred men, one against one, and refused to retreat."

Barney, with tears streaming down his face, forced a painful smile:

"Do you know how many stab wounds he had when I dug him out of the pile of corpses?"

“My father… the deputy commander of the Royal Guard, our original oath-taker, Big Quill Barney!”

Samir closed his eyes tightly, his facial features contorted.

"And His Majesty Eddie!"

Barney raised his voice.

“You know, when we rushed to the Hall of Stars, only to find his lifeless body with his eyes wide open…” Barney’s words made all the other prisoners lower their heads, as if they had been transported back to that most horrific past:

"And that's not all... There are also three princesses, their children, and the beautiful Princess Constance..."

"No!"

Samir suddenly spoke, interrupting him.

"No, Barney, no, please, no, that's not me..."

His expression was numb, and his tone was almost pleading:
"not me!"

But everything is already set in stone.

"Pooh!"

To Samir's left, in his cell, Belletti spat out a mouthful of saliva.

The executioner stared at the glaring, ugly brand on Samir's face and uttered the most horrible word with utter disgust:
"traitor."

(End of this chapter)