Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 420 The Greatest King

The Blade of Purification.

The name that hadn't been heard in a long time echoed in Thales' mind again.

how come……

He stared at the words "Dragon Slayer" on the paper, his mind filled with countless questions and turmoil.

Previously in Valhalla, Thales obtained the precious book "Fighting Against the Sky" from Selma, which described the "Dragon Slayer" that was exactly the same as the Blade of Purification. However, Thales did not expect that these strangely styled weapons would be so closely related to his surname and bloodline.

The Dragon Slayer.

The Blade of Purification.

Is it a coincidence?

Or is this the weapon that sealed Giza away...?

"So this is... just Queen Esola's dowry?"

Samir looked at Sakel with a puzzled expression, waking Thales from his reverie.

When the Knight of Punishment mentioned the past, he seemed to fall into that dazed state again.

"More than that, it is also a testament to history."

“Every item in the treasure vault is of great significance.”

Samir and Ricky frowned and looked at each other.

Sacel lightly touched the bars of the black cell, then quickly released his hand before it took effect, with practiced ease.

“That was probably one of the most tense years in the relationship between the Star Kingdom and Exter,” the former Watcher said, his eyes filled with confusion.
"The invasion of the Nightwing Monarch and the disaster of the Third Continental War shattered the political balance, causing the demise of countless small and medium-sized forces. Even the major powers that survived the calamity were not unscathed, and the Western Continent ushered in another round of reshuffling."

"Thus, the struggle for hegemony in the Western Continent, and the conflict between the descendants of the empire and the children of the dragon, once again reached its peak."

"Two of the three heroes of the dawn rose to high positions—Hero Sarah became the regent of Dragonsreach and the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Exter, while Midil Star was crowned the fourth Midil King in the history of the stars—but they turned against each other due to national and personal grievances."

Samir and Ricky exchanged a glance, seemingly displeased with the prisoner's rambling, unfocused remarks.

Thales listened quietly to the other's almost sleepwalking narration, recalling the poem that Putila had sung in the Black Sand Camp six years ago.

When Dawn Rises.

He still remembers the tune of Putilai and the three main characters in the song. In fact, the Star Prince’s “unproductive” learning to play the lute and sing bard’s poems was one of the few pleasures in the entertainment-scarce royal palace of the northern nobles (after the Night of Dragon’s Blood, Lord Meteor, who was not so amiable to begin with, became even more ruthless, treating any stranger who entered Valhalla as a potential assassin, including the bards who entertained at the banquet).

Sacel continued speaking:

"The political maneuvering between the two countries has begun again, and is even more intense than before."

"Under these circumstances, driven by political needs, the Kingdom of the Sacred Tree and the Kingdom of the Stars achieved a royal marriage that was quite rare even in the history of the elven and human races."

Sacel picked up the paper in his hand, staring at the outline of the strange short sword on it, his expression desolate, as if he were reminiscing about the past.

"And so, this weapon, which had been stored away for countless years and had become more of a treasure than a weapon, more of a memorial than a practical tool after the dragons disappeared, was sent as a politically significant gift to the Star Kingdom along with Queen Esola and entered the royal treasury."

Sacelle gazed at the sketch in his hand and uttered softly:
"The Dragon Slayer".

"A few years later, a large fortress was built between Black Sand Territory and the North, next to Coldcastle, and it was named after it."

"For more than a hundred years after that, the Star Kingdom and the Dragon Kingdoms shifted their power through that fortress, until Queen Erica defeated the Exter Alliance six times in the famous Battle of the Three Pockets, finally capturing the Coldhold and forcing the Yankees to retreat to the Northern Plains, which brought the Star Kingdom's power to its peak."

Against the backdrop of the dim firelight, the words of the Executioner Knight drifted through the long-abandoned, dust-covered black prison, faintly echoing the turmoil and glory of that era.

Sacel gently released his fingers, letting the paper fall to the ground.

He slowly withdrew his gaze from the void, his eyes regaining their clarity.

"Of course, perhaps one of the reasons why the Star Ancestors introduced this weapon back then was that they were genuinely worried about the legendary Sky Queen, fearing that it would interfere in politics when Exter was weak. In this way, they would at least have a weapon that could theoretically restrain it—even though it has never appeared."

"Sakel said calmly."

“It has appeared,” Samir said softly after a long silence. “That legendary dragon was in Dragon Sky City six years ago.”

These words startled Sacel and made Thales fall into deep thought.

"On the night King Nuen died."

Samir sighed, "That dragon, which we all thought was a character in a story, descended from the sky and destroyed a calamity before Dragonsky City was reduced to ruins."

A long silence followed both inside and outside the cell.

Until Sacel closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

"It seems that I have indeed missed a lot over the years."

Ricky, seemingly unable to bear Sackel's rambling and off-topic narration any longer, stepped forward and asked directly:
"But what I don't understand is..."

"How did the royal treasures in the Palace of Restoration end up in the Tower of the End?"

Sacel hummed and shook his head.

"Who knows?" The Knight of Punishment was less friendly to the stranger, with an indifferent expression. "More than ten years ago, many things in the treasury were requisitioned for the king's wedding. Maybe this thing was on the list. Who remembers?"

and many more.

Thales's ears twitched.

The King's Wedding?
Which king?

Are you referring to King Catherine V's wedding when he was still a prince?
With that...Queen Koya?
Thales pictured a beautiful figure holding a doll, and a sense of sadness washed over him.

"So we can confirm that?"

Looking at the papers falling to the ground, Samir turned to Ricky, seemingly seeking his opinion: "More than a decade ago, on the king's orders, the Dragon Slayer was removed from the treasury?"

But Sacelle simply leaned against the wall with an indifferent expression:

Does it matter whether it is or isn't?

Samir was about to retort, but Ricky was faster than him.

"Very well, let me ask you another question."

The leader of the Blade of Calamity remained calm and composed, with a half-smile, but Thales sensed a seriousness hidden in his tone: "What's so special about the Dragon Slayer? Doesn't it have any other secrets?"

Sacel shifted his position, the firelight casting long shadows on the wall.

"So what do you want to know?" His words gradually revealed his impatience.

"According to records, this ancient weapon had been gathering dust for a long time in the Kingdom of the Sacred Tree. Even the Holy Elves themselves knew very little about it, which is why they sent it here as a political dowry. How much more so for us, whose lifespans are finite?"

The Knight of Punishment said coldly.

Ricky stared intently at him, but his expression gradually changed.

It felt as if even the surrounding air was becoming oppressive.

“Sakel”.

The last trace of warmth vanished from Ricky's face: "Are you genuinely unaware, or are you feigning ignorance?"

Sacel squinted, peering back at the strangers outside the fence through his slits.

"I'm tired, you should leave now," the Executioner Knight said coldly, showing no intention of cooperating.
"Before the guards showed up."

Samir looked slightly anxious. He saw that his old colleague was unmoved and was about to say something to smooth things over when Ricky sneered.

But Thales sensed a chill in his laughter.

"Do you know why we went to such great lengths to come here and ask you these questions, Knight of Punishment?"

The leader of the Sword of Calamity spoke slowly with a cold laugh:
"Because what we really want to know is..."

Sacelle remained motionless against the wall, seemingly lost in thought, as she began to examine her fingernails once more.

He seems indifferent to everything.

Until Ricky asked his question.

"Eighteen years ago, this was the one Samir saw, the one you personally guarded, the so-called Dragon Slayer," Ricky said softly.

"Is it a legendary anti-magic weapon?"

Ricky's whispers echoed in the hall.

For a fleeting second, a glimmer of fire appeared, but the cell and its surroundings fell into absolute silence.

Soon, Thales' breathing became erratic, and he could only barely stabilize it with the help of the Sin of the River of Hell.

what did he say?
He said—the legendary anti-demon armed force?
Thales stared intently at the piece of paper at his feet and slowly picked it up.

That means, that means—

The Blade of Purification that sealed Giza six years ago...

The dragon slayer in Thelma's book...

The black sword that the mercenaries in the tavern were interested in...

The Dragon Slayer mentioned by Sakel...

The Black Sword that the Swords of Calamity encountered not long ago, and the "Dragon Slayer" they saw...

Staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar patterns on the paper, in just a few seconds, events, elements, and clues began to form in Thales' mind.

But in that instant, someone was even more out of control than Thales!
Snapped!
thump.

A loud bang, followed by a muffled thud, pulled Thales back to reality.

He turned his head and was surprised to see Sacel, who had somehow gotten close to the fence, fall heavily to the ground in the light smoke.

The Knight of Punishment paid no heed to his suffering; he simply struggled to his feet, his face showing a shock and fear that Thales had never seen before since he had ever seen this man.

"What did you say?"

Sackel gritted his teeth and stood up straight, staring intently at Ricky, who stood coldly outside the cell, his voice trembling unusually:
"What kind of armed forces?"

It felt like the end of the world.

Seeing Sacel like this, Thales, who should have been the most surprised, calmed down.

He sensed that something had happened.

The people in front of us are the ones who know the truth.

"Aha."

Outside the cell, Ricky's tone carried a hint of smugness and slight surprise:
"I understand your expression."

Ricky and the flustered Sackel stared at each other silently, their cold expressions slowly turning into solemnity.

"I see... It seems you really didn't know."

Samir, on the other side, was clearly out of the loop. He looked at Sackel, then at Ricky, and asked with the same question as Thales, "What's wrong?"

But neither Sackel nor Ricky seemed to care about his trivial matters.

The former's breathing became increasingly rapid, while the latter pondered silently, muttering to himself.

Sacel's chest heaved, his breathing rapid, but this paled in comparison to his unusually anxious demeanor:

"tell me."

The Executioner gritted his teeth, the brand on his forehead clearly visible: "What you just mentioned... what legendary anti-magic weaponry?"

"tell me!"

Ricky stood still, his brow slightly furrowed.

A few seconds later, seeing the other person's eager look for an answer, he nodded to Samir beside him:
"tell him."

Sakel immediately looked at Samir, his gaze sharp, aggressive, and with a hint of ferocity.

Samir gave Ricky a strange look, but still spoke up quietly.

“According to the intelligence we obtained from the Tower of the End, Sacel, this… so-called Dragon Slayer,” Semir seemed hesitant, and perhaps not quite understanding, “is a legendary anti-magic weapon.”

In that instant, Sacel's stubble-covered face turned deathly pale.

“No…” He stared at the void in front of him, lost in thought.

Samir said solemnly, "Our intelligence is beyond doubt—it is said that this legendary anti-magic weapon has been verified and can seal away calamities."

Thales unconsciously clenched his fist.

He recalled that scene from six years ago, where the red-glowing short sword seemed to resonate with the blood in his veins, as if it had a life of its own.

Inside the cell, Sakel's gaze darted back and forth, as if he had witnessed something utterly unbelievable.

"No, no, it's impossible..."

He muttered to himself, then stared wide-eyed, deflated, and slid to the ground.

transfixed.

Samir sighed softly:
"Yes, we never knew that the royal family was hiding such a legendary secret..."

But before he could finish speaking, Sacel suddenly looked up from behind the fence!

"No!"

The prisoner's expression suddenly changed, and he roared, abruptly interrupting Samir:
"No, that's not the case!"

"It's not, it's not!"

He screamed and pounded the ground with all his might.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
The sudden outburst from the Knight of Punishment caught Samir off guard. He stared in astonishment at Sacel, who was breathing heavily and trembling, completely bewildered.

Has he... gone mad again?

Outside the cell, Ricky silently watched the prisoner, who had become abnormal again, without uttering a word.

Like Samir, Thales was also confused and full of doubts.

"Do not……"

Finally, Sacelle managed to stop pounding the ground and dazedly braced himself against the floor.

"The Dragon Slayer... The Dragon Slayer?"

He shook his head in disbelief, as if he were asking for help from someone in the void.

The firelight dimmed, and the air was filled with the astonishment of the people outside the prison.

Ricky sighed softly and said something enigmatic: "It seems you understand now, don't you?"

Sakel's expression shifted several times, a mix of emotions swirling within him.

A few seconds later, the prisoner in the cell seemed to have figured something out, and the look of astonishment on his face slowly faded.

His shoulders began to tremble. The next moment, the long-faced man tilted his head back, his face filled with despair and helplessness, and burst into manic laughter:

"Ha, ha, I see!"

For a full ten seconds, Sacel's laughter echoed in the hall.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The laughter was filled with a bittersweet relief, and seemed to contain an unresolved pain, making the puzzled Thales quite uncomfortable.

"Hahaha……"

In the end, Sacel's bitter smile slowly faded.

He knelt on the spot, slowly closed his eyes, and uttered a cry filled with regret and sorrow:
"Your Majesty...Your Majesty!"

Thales frowned deeply.

He doesn't understand.

Sacel's laughter stopped, but another laugh followed.

"Hahaha, Eddie II, what a fine king of Changzhi!"

Compared to the pain and despair of the Knight of Punishment, this laughter was full of boldness and grandeur, like the excitement and longing after seeing through the truth.

"What a courageous king!"

The prince and Samir both turned around in surprise, looking at Ricky who suddenly burst into laughter, his face showing an unusual excitement and ecstasy.

Eddie II?

king?

Thales's doubts became increasingly complex.

“Rickie?” Samir asked tentatively.

But the leader of the Sword of Calamity ignored him, instead indulging in rare joy and pleasure, his laughter booming:
"Whether it's the King of Restoration, the King of Dragon Riders, the King of Vanguard, or the Great Cadillac, these so-called unparalleled heroes in human history, their great achievements, courage, and heroic spirit are truly not even one ten-thousandth of yours!"

Ricky laughed heartily, slapping his thigh in glee, a stark contrast to Sackel's painful groans and trembling.

"Eighteen years ago, eighteen years ago! What a pity, what a pity!"

His eyes gleamed with rare excitement as he exclaimed, "Why wasn't I in the Western Continent back then? Why didn't I witness this magnificent, exhilarating, and crazy scene!"

Ricky turned around, looking excitedly at the clueless Thales, and stretched out his arm to press down hard on the prince's shoulder!

Thales groaned, sensing that his opponent was not holding back at all, as if he was truly enjoying himself and had forgotten everything.

The torch shook violently in Ricky's hand, scattering sparks.

"Child, you should be proud of this!"

Ricky's breathing quickened, as if he were a passionate bard contemplating the rise and fall of history, and he exclaimed in a long voice, "Your grandfather was simply the greatest and most fearless supreme ruler in human history since the final war!"

Thales stared at him blankly, sensing the unusual passion in his words, and couldn't help but ask a question.

But Samir was faster, the former standard-bearer of the royal guard asked sternly:
"Sakel? Ricky? What's going on?"

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Ricky's laughter slowly faded away.

He released Thales's shoulder, took the paper from the prince's hand, but did not answer Samir's question.

“Knight of Punishment, I’m checking one last time,” Ricky regained his composure and solemnly looked at the distraught Sacel in the cell: “Was this thing, the so-called Dragon Slayer, just a Dragon Slayer when it left your hands and the treasury eighteen years ago?”

Sacel shuddered slightly, as if he had just woken from a nightmare.

He chuckled nervously.

“Hahahaha,” Sacel’s rough laughter echoed from his chest, hollow and strained. “Look at the present, think back to the past…”

The knight of punishment lowered his head and said in a low voice:

Do you need to confirm this?

Ricky laughed.

He turned around.

"Samir, let's go."

Ricky said casually, but his eyes were filled with unprecedented confidence: "Our trip wasn't in vain."

He strode forward, leaving Saxeel behind.

Remaining in the boundless darkness.

But Samir spoke in a low voice.

Ricky.

The standard-bearer coldly raised his head, held up the torch, and spoke with a tone full of dissatisfaction:

"I need an explanation."

Ricky stopped in his tracks.

Thales frowned as he watched the interaction between the two.

Ricky sighed and turned around.

“Samir, you who were born into the nobility of the capital, tell me…”

How did we win the final battle?

His expression was calm, with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth, as if this were just an ordinary conversation between friends.

Samir paused slightly at first, then spoke instinctively:
"Legendary Anti-Demon Armed Forces".

Ricky snapped his fingers, clearly showing how relieved he felt.

He turned around and approached Samir, completely ignoring Sakel, who was trembling with his head down in the cell, as if he had lost all value.

"Yes, for over six hundred years, every legendary anti-magic weapon has been able to seal away calamities as their greatest nemesis."

Ricky said softly:
"But ironically, every legendary anti-magic weapon that can seal away calamities was forged during the final war by the combined forces of the two most powerful calamities, the wisdom of human mages, and countless costs."

In that instant, Thales was jolted awake!
and many more!

They were saying...

A pleasant male voice echoed in his mind, awakening memories from not long ago.

[Behind the scenes unknown to us, two seemingly neutral and detached magic users have long since begun collaborating with humans and the survivors of the magic tower... creating the greatest nemesis of magic users...]

[Legendary Anti-Demon Armed Forces.]

In the dark cell, facing Samir's piercing gaze, Ricky continued speaking:
"Until the war was won, the mages were wiped out, the two magic queens parted ways, the human alliance collapsed, and the once-famous 'Calamity Hunters' were disbanded. The limited number of legendary anti-magic forces were scattered to various places."

“However, what most people don’t know,” Ricky sneered, “is that Bloodthorn and Black Orchid, those two most powerful calamities who once fought alongside us, were the forgers of the legendary anti-magic weaponry…”

“They secretly tampered with their work.”

Samir was slightly taken aback: "You tampered with it?"

Thales' breathing quickened, and he unconsciously straightened his body.

Past memories resurfaced and captivated his mind:
Wait, I just thought of something... If the legendary anti-magic weapons are the greatest nemesis of magic users...

What about the two emperors? Won't the weapons they create pose a threat to themselves?

At that moment, what appeared before Thales' eyes was the elegant smile of the man in blue and his eerie blue eyes.

[Good question. You are getting closer and closer to the truth of the world, Your Highness.]

Thales was stunned.

He understood something.

Until Ricky's voice drifted over:

"The human heroes of the post-war era proved with their tragic deeds that none of the existing legendary anti-magic forces could seal away Bloodthorn and Black Orchid."

Samir raised an eyebrow in the dark cell.

Ricky smiled and threw down the torch: "That's right. The strongest weapons in the final battle can seal almost every magic user and end the disasters they bring, but they can't harm their creators, not even a little bit."

The torch fell to the ground, scattering sparks, but gradually dimmed as it rolled.

It no longer emits light or heat.

"Yes, that makes sense when you think about it. If I were them, why would I do something that harms others and doesn't benefit myself?"

Ricky looked up and sighed softly in the now dimly lit cell:

"Therefore, Bloodthorn and Black Orchid, the two magic queens, as the most powerful magic users in the world, as unsealable exceptions, stand like two unbreakable taboos over the entire world."

"For many years, no one could control them. They were above all things and supreme, creating a terrifying balance in the world of Errol for seven centuries. All nations and races were as silent as cicadas in winter, and dared not speak out in anger."

Listening to Ricky's words, with a hint of surprise and a touch of understanding, Thales's thoughts became increasingly agile.

His mysterious teacher's words echoed once more:

However, the secret of the legendary anti-demon weapon has always been held by the two emperors, and we have no way of knowing it.

This is a shackle that has weighed on our shoulders for nearly seven hundred years.

[Still unsolved.]

In that instant, he felt that many of the mysteries that had shrouded him since he came into this world had suddenly cleared away, and many enigmas had been solved.

He wasn't the only one with this thought.

Samir's cheek twitched slightly.

He seemed to have figured something out, and abruptly raised his head:
"Wait, the Dragon Slayer wasn't a legendary anti-magician eighteen years ago...that means..."

Samir's words froze on his lips, along with his expression.

Ricky threw his head back and laughed, his laughter echoing throughout the hall.

"Yes, although we don't know the details, but if we're not mistaken..."

Ricky took a deep breath and lowered his head.

His eyes, reflecting Samir's torch in the darkness, sharpened instantly, like those of a hunting beast.

Ricky easily released the paper with the image of the Dragon Slayer on it, which slid effortlessly from his hand:

"Eighteen years ago, the first and only legendary anti-magic weapon in history that was not created by the Magic Queen..."

"In the Star Kingdom, it was barely forged on the foundation of this Dragon Slayer."

His voice was like that of a bard sitting by the fireplace in the night, rhythmic and mysterious.
Samir froze completely.

As Ricky's words gradually spread, the atmosphere in the dark cell had never been so terrifying, as if they were talking about the most unbearable secret in the world.

Thales stared blankly as the paper floated twice in the air before landing on the stubbornly burning torch on the ground.

"Eighteen years ago, the King of Changzhi, Eddie Star II, and his Star Kingdom recreated the miracle of the final war, creating an unprecedented forbidden weapon."

Ricky's voice became sharp and heavy, carrying a faint chill that went straight up Thales's spine:

"A legendary anti-magic weapon without any trace of the two emperors, without any restrictions or constraints."

The flames licking the paper of the dragon-slaying warrior turned the still relatively clear sketch into an unsettling, scorching black.

It was even darker and more somber than the colors in the dark cell.

"A secret weapon capable of completely sealing Bloodthorn and Black Orchid..."

Ricky's voice came out coldly, each word accompanied by the soft crackling of burning paper:
"Something that could completely end their seven centuries of terror..."

"Perfect anti-magic weaponry".

pat.

The flame flickered, and sparks burst forth.

Thales's mind was almost frozen; he felt his breathing stop and his hands and feet grow cold.

The Black Prophet's inexplicable attitude.

Ashida's fanaticism.

The Duke of the North's hysteria before his imprisonment.

The intriguing moment when King Nuen revealed the truth.

The little rascal hesitated to speak as he parted.

And... the secret of the Bloody Year.

Countless terrifying answers and questions crept into my mind.

“Of course,” Ricky sneered.

"It was also during the bloody year that the Radiant Star royal family collectively went to the River of Hell..."

"Ferry bell".

From the darkness, the Executioner's trembling voice slowly rose: "No..."

Thales suddenly felt that the surrounding environment was so dark, so silent, so—cold.

Ricky chuckled, a stark contrast to Sackel's soft sobs.
"It's hard to imagine, Eddie II, such a mediocre king who, in the eyes of the world, had neither merit nor demerit, and was almost incompetent."

Ricky's face appeared in layers of shadow in the darkness, gradually spreading out along with his voice, which was filled with endless sighs and sarcasm:
"He is probably the first person since the final battle to dare to trample the authority and power of the calamity, as well as the strength and pride of the two emperors, under his feet at the same time..."

"Human monarchs".

crackle.

With a soft thud, the torch on the ground burst into its last spark.

The unusual and peculiar short sword on the drawing paper turned to ashes in the fire.

Shattered into pieces.

Submerged in boundless darkness.

Is everyone here? Yes? Okay, shift gears and step on the gas!
Then...

Add nitrous oxide!

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(End of this chapter)