Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 426 Old
Thales could hardly believe his eyes.

The Yordle, forever hidden in the shadows, strikes with deadly precision...

Captured?

The shadowy shields behind the chisel lit two torches, illuminating the small corridor.

Although her expression cannot be seen through the mask, Yodl's struggles become increasingly futile.

Bearing the pull of his limbs from four directions, his figure faded several times as he tried to enter the path of shadows, but under the force of the chains, his intentions failed repeatedly, and he was forced to reveal himself.

"Infiltrating, sowing discord, and profiting—you certainly had a pleasant time down there, my dear colleague."

Chisel seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He revealed a slightly sinister smile as he looked at the masked guest who had been invited by chains: "Perhaps you're quite regretful that we didn't grant your wish to fight to the death with the Sword of Calamity under some strange instigation?"

In the dark and oppressive cell, Yodl did not answer; his dark purple mask was facing the spike at least five steps away.

His silence made Qianzi frown slightly.

Oops.

Thales forced himself to calm down.

He gritted his teeth, bent his knees slightly, and raised the silver-diamond longsword in his hand to eye level.

There aren't many two-handed sword techniques in Northern military swordsmanship; most of them are desperate counterattacks after the shield is broken.

but now……

He held his sword in both hands and looked at the nearest chain wielder.

As long as one of them is forced to retreat.

Thales summoned the sins of the Hell River that flowed up his feet, preparing to unleash his power.

"Ah, no, no, no."

The sharp-eyed Chisel didn't miss this scene. He raised his eyebrows, raised his index finger to Thales in a friendly manner, and waved it slightly from side to side.

"I wouldn't have done that," Qianzi shook his head, his smile remaining polite and measured.
"Your Highness."

As he spoke, he gently pushed out the awl in his hand, pointing it at Yodl's throat.

This action brought Thales, who was anxious inside, to a complete halt!
"After all, you are of noble birth."

Chisel shook the weapon in his hand, the corners of his mouth curving into a wider smile, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

"I can't afford any damage."

hateful.

Seeing the smug and confident smile on Chisel's face, Thales took a deep breath, lowered his longsword from mid-air, and had no choice but to abandon his plan to launch a surprise attack to break through the siege.

He tried his best to banish impulsive thoughts and desperately tried to think of a way to get Yodl out of trouble.

Yordle struggled with his right arm again, the tip of the Supreme Sword piercing one of the links in the chain, but the assassin holding the chain immediately reversed the force, at a tricky angle, shattering the masked guard's intention.

“You’ve talked so much nonsense,” Thales said, looking at Yodl struggling against four people, feeling deeply troubled.
"Just to lure him out?"

The chisel clicked its tongue and shook its head.

“Not all of that is nonsense, Your Highness,” the assassin leader bowed, his politeness unchanged, but Thales could no longer sense the deference in his previous words:

Please believe in my sincerity.

It was as if from this moment on, he had already grasped the final move of checkmate on the chessboard.

Calm down, Thales.

calm.

The prince took a deep breath and desperately listened to the direction of the chisel in his hellish senses.

The four men wrestling with the yodels were breathing unsteadily, their energy waning.

The two assassins behind the drill were silently resting and responding.

The chiselman's left arm was still trembling slightly, indicating that he had not been unscathed after his close combat with the Yordles.

but……

Thales looked worriedly into the darkness behind the drill: there were still multiple breaths coming from there.

His greatest support was suddenly lost, and he was unable to fight against multiple opponents to rescue the hostages.

How to do?
How can I...

He watched the struggling Yordle, caressing Ricky's silver diamond longsword, feeling its almost perfect balance, yet knowing in his heart that he was in the most unbalanced situation.

Chisel seemed to have fully recovered from the sudden attack. He took a few steps to the side, looked at the tightly bound Yordle, and clicked his tongue.

"Six years ago, my two teams accepted Val Arend's commission to travel south to the inland regions of the stars, places they had not dared to set foot in for many years."

He sighed softly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Yodl.

"In the end, after a failed carriage assassination and the subsequent siege by the secret police, only two lookouts returned alive."

Upon hearing this, Thales was slightly taken aback.

six years ago.

Val Aarond.

Assassination attempt in a carriage...

Wouldn't that be...

With a cold snort, the awl in his hand grazed across the Yordle's mask.

"What a coincidence, a similar mask also appears in their description."

"So...who are you?"

Yodl remained silent, but Thales noticed that the barbed chains binding Yodl's arm were bleeding, and Yodl's struggles were weakening.

But the masked guard shook his head slightly at him.

"Hmm," the chisel, having received no response from its target for a while, curled the corners of its mouth slightly.
"It's obvious you're not an orator."

hateful!

Thales' breathing became more and more rapid, and he raised his longsword several times.

Yodl remained silent, as if someone had branded his mouth shut with iron.

In the dim firelight, the familiar yet unfamiliar dark purple mask appeared simple and monotonous.

The leader of the assassins finally gave up his efforts to communicate with the masked man.

Maybe... he's mute.

“Now, the uncertainties that were affecting our communication have been resolved,” Chisel slowly turned his head, suddenly looking at Thales:
"May I come with you, Your Highness?"

He still wore that kind and amiable smile, standing among the cloaked assassins, before the impenetrable darkness, reaching out his hand to Thales from afar.

But the prince only felt a chill run down his spine.

"We get along well and will work together very well."

Looking at his palm, Thales' eyebrows furrowed so tightly that he almost ground his teeth to powder.

He swung his hands, the longsword tracing an arc, getting used to the weapon's characteristics.

“My guards are lying in ambush; this is not a good sign for cooperation.”

Chisel lowered his hand and laughed, "I think so too. After all, he didn't hesitate at all when he swung his sword at me."

Thales was speechless for a moment.

He changed his tone, saying coldly, "Listen, Chisel, if you want to get out of here alive..."

The prince abruptly stopped speaking, cutting off the rest of the sentence, "The secret society has already surrounded this place."

No.

Confirming this information in front of the chisel will only make him more desperate and more concerned about the hostages and bargaining chips in his hands.

How to do?
Thales looked at Yodl, but could only see a reflection in his mirror.

“We can discuss what you’ve said,” Thales said, forcing a smile. “But as a first step in the negotiations, I would prefer to see my guards healthy and safe.”

Chisel stared at him intently for a long time, then smiled, a very happy smile.

As he smiled, the assassins holding chains tightened their grip on the Yordle.

The masked guard trembled and shook his head at Thales again.

"There is only one way to ensure his safety, Your Highness."

Perhaps tired of Thales's words, the chisel's smile was somewhat cold.

He squinted his eyes into narrow slits and tilted his head slightly:

"And you already know that."

Thales gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

Damn!

He's completely unyielding and slippery; nothing—cooperation, negotiation, or profit—can attract his attention in the slightest.

He only wants me!
I!
The drill stared intently at Thales for a long time, seemingly in no hurry at all.

"In fact, I heard a lot about you from Baron Russell, who in turn heard a lot from King Charman, including about your character."

Upon hearing that name again, Thales suddenly had a bad feeling.

With a smile, Chip stepped forward, glanced at Yodl, and then at Thales.

"For example, you are both kind-hearted and decisive."

Chisel's expression shifted slightly as he gently raised the awl: "But I've always wondered how these two characteristics could appear in the same person?"

"Well then, we have the opportunity to verify that today."

Before Thales's grim face, Chip gently placed the tip of the awl against the masked guard's neck, grinning.

Yodl remained motionless, both arms covered in blood.

The assassins who were holding onto his limbs tightened their grip even more.

"What does this mean?" Thales asked, his face pale and his speech quickening.

"As I said, I am a businessman."

Chisel seemingly helplessly shrugged his left hand, but the awl in his right hand suddenly tightened around Yodl's throat!

This made Thales clench his fist.

“Deals are always a two-way street, so I want to see you come with us quietly and willingly—without causing trouble, making mistakes, or playing tricks. You know, we are well aware of how difficult you can be.”

Chisel gave a meaningful twitch at the corner of his mouth and gestured to the silent Yodl.

“Choose, Your Highness,” Qianzi said with a smile, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes:
"Do you prefer the benevolence of a king, or the decisiveness of a king?"

Kindness...

Thales glanced at the powerless Yodl, his face pale.

Or should we be decisive?

His gaze swept over the awl pressed against the masked guard's throat.

Damn!

In the dim firelight, Yodl shook his head almost imperceptibly once more.

Thales looked at him bitterly.

hateful.

No.

Thales took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.

calm.

Calm down, Thales.

calm down!

He took several deep breaths, his gaze sweeping over each of the shadowy assassins.

They want me.

Thales repeated it to himself unconsciously.

They want me.

I!
A few minutes later, Prince Star smiled, his lips curving upwards.

He smiled with exceptional confidence.

Looking at the prince's appearance, the awl in his hand wondered whether he should use it to urge him on again.

"Going with you is no problem, but I have a question."

Chisel raised his eyebrows, indicating that he was willing to listen.

Thales said in a deep voice, "You don't care about me, do you?"

what?
The chisel was slightly taken aback.

"Whatever you want from me—wealth, secrets, leverage, power, hostages, or talismans—don't forget that I am first and foremost the heir to the Star Kingdom."

Thales glanced away, speaking in the coldest and most aloof tone he could think of:

“Shadow Shield, you might as well take the king’s attitude and feelings into account—assuming you are still in that position after today, issuing orders to your subordinates, then guess what kind of future the future Thales I will give you after today, compared to Rumba, compared to my father?”

Chisel's expression changed slightly, and his face slowly turned cold.

call.

The prince coldly raised his longsword, pointing it directly at the chisel!

"What kind of future will the entire Star Kingdom offer you during my decades-long reign?"

“If you really valued me, you wouldn’t have threatened me with the life of a guard,” Thales said coldly, his tone hardening. “But you did it anyway, perhaps because you didn’t care.”

Chisel squinted slightly: "Your Highness, we..."

But Thales interrupted him very quickly.

The prince calmly and steadily said:
"There's only one explanation for that."

"Perhaps you are not afraid of killing him, not afraid of angering me, not afraid of the possible consequences."

Every word he uttered made Qianzi's brow furrow even more.

Thales watched Yodl in a great disheveled state from afar.

But then a scene flashed through his mind: when he was a child, he was carrying his own wounded and dying self, as they wandered through the rooftops, streets, watchtowers, and city walls of Yongxing City.

He unconsciously clenched his fist.

"Perhaps, pledging allegiance to me and cooperating with me was all a lie," Thales said with a sneer. "Because when you first came to me with such nice-sounding promises, you never intended for me to ascend the throne, never wanted me to be crowned king and come to cause you trouble, right?"

"Perhaps, after you took me away and used me, you originally planned to kill me."

Hearing Thales' words, the chisel's face grew even uglier.

At that moment, Yodel's mask twitched slightly, and a flash of firelight reflected off the lens.

“It seems I have no choice at all,” Thales gritted his teeth and raised his longsword:

“Once you kill him, it will prove your stance.”

"For my future, for my throne, I have no choice but to fight to the death, until my blood is spilled."

He stared at each assassin with unwavering resolve and cold indifference:
"Right?"

The dark cell suddenly became very quiet, with only faint sounds of fighting coming from afar.

Yodl struggled again, but the awl of the drill blocked his movement. The drill was fixed on Thales.

It felt like I was meeting him for the first time.

A few seconds passed, and finally, the chiselman took a deep breath and forced a smile:
"Your Highness, we didn't have to make things so tense..."

But Thales interrupted him again.

"But you have a choice."

Unexpectedly, the Star Prince, who had been all icy just moments before, now smiled: "That was just a hypothetical situation, a hypothesis, a hypothesis that you would kill him."

The chiselman frowned again.

"But I guess you're not the kind of person who's willing to stick to Teng's old ways to the bitter end, Qianzi. So, if you want to prove your sincerity, prove that you're useful to me, and that I don't have to fight a desperate battle, then let's start now."

The chisel was staring intently at him, its expression frozen.

Thales composed himself, his earlier aggressive expression softening, and earnestly raised one finger:
"There is only one way to secure your future."

Thales lowered his sword, extended his palm toward Yodl, his eyes fixed on the skewer:

“And you already know that, Chisel.”

Hearing the prince's reply, even Qianzi couldn't help but frown.

Thales stared intently at him.

Yodel's mask remained dark and heavy, with only a few apertures reflecting a faint firelight.

Chisel's face contorted.

"Choose, drill bit."

At this moment, Thales' eyes shone brightly, and he deliberately said in a deep voice, "You also have two paths before you."

"One path allows me to cooperate amicably, while the other only leads to a fight to the death."

He curled the corners of his mouth into a smile, gently ran his left hand along the spine of the silver-diamond longsword, and nodded his chin toward the bound Yodl.

"You demand the magnanimity of a king..."

Thales tucked his fingers together and casually nodded his head:
"Or do you want the king's life?"

At that moment, the chisel's face turned ashen.

The dark cell was eerily silent, as if people in the distance had been isolated from it.

Even the sounds of battle between the Sword of Calamity and the Shield of Shadows have been absent for a long time.

The Star Prince and the Assassin Leader's gazes met several times in the firelight.

The masked guard slowly lowered his head, remaining motionless.

Finally, after struggling for a while, the chisel's face completely relaxed.

He forced a smile, revealing a reluctant expression.

"Your reputation is well-deserved, Your Highness."

With a long sigh, Chisel resignedly removed the spike from Yodel's throat and left the masked guard's side.

At that moment, Thales, who was gripping his longsword tightly, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

All that could be heard was Chisel put away his weapon, rub his chin, and say meaningfully, "You threw the dilemma of choice back at me, forcing me to retreat."

"Who taught you all this? You hot-blooded, brainless northerner?"

Thales chuckled softly.

"My father."

He lowered his longsword, slightly lost in thought, his mind drifting back to the past:

"Six years ago, he used this method to end a blood feud between stars and dragons."

Chisel nodded.

But at that moment, Thales felt a chill run down his spine!
His hellish senses instantly detected something amiss.

someone!

In that instant, the prince, who had experienced countless dangers, instinctively turned around and swung his longsword!
The sins of the River of Hell surged forth, flooding my mind, as if time had slowed down in an instant.

"call!"

Amidst the whistling sound of sleeves tearing through the air, Thales, both surprised and furious, finally recognized the attacker's figure.

assassin.

In that extended second, Thales was shocked to see the situation clearly:
Three assassins dressed in Shadow Shields attacked him from his left and right rear, some wearing gauntlets and others wielding blunt weapons!

Meanwhile, with a satisfied smile, Qianzi pulled a strangely shaped silent bone whistle from his lips and put it back into his pocket.

This is……

Make noise in the east and attack in the west.

They want to capture me alive.

They weren't prepared at all... to negotiate with me.

Thales thought to himself unconsciously.

Oops.

The sins of the River of Hell surged forth at breakneck speed, filling his hands and legs, and propelling his longsword at an unprecedented pace as it slashed towards the attacker to his left rear.

But this was his limit; Thales simply couldn't take care of the other two.

No.

Do not!
Oops.

That's too late.

For a split second, Thales stared blankly into thought.

I learned another lesson.

Don't follow assassins...

Make sense.

His sins in the River of Hell reached their limit, regressing from his brain, and time seemed to return to normal.

But the fainting spell that Thales had anticipated did not happen.

replaced by--

"laugh!"

A monotonous, crisp sound of metal hitting flesh suddenly rang out!

Thales was startled.

A weapon suddenly appeared, flying towards the two assassins he hadn't been able to defend against!
The two assassins were jolted in mid-air as if they had been struck head-on by a galloping warhorse!
"boom!"

The two flew out in opposite directions, crashing into the wall one after the other.

Thales stared in astonishment at the two assassins: they were pinned to the wall one after the other by a weapon that had pierced through the air—an ordinary longsword that had pierced through the chest.

Only convulsions remained.

Chisel and his companions were completely stunned, staring blankly at the longsword that had come down from the sky like a javelin, trembling incessantly on the wall.

"Tread! Tread! Tread!"

Before Thales could think any further, a strange figure suddenly appeared beside him.

The prince barely managed to turn his head when he saw a strange figure extend its arm and accurately choke the third assassin by the throat.

The assassin seemed incredulous and struggled to retaliate, but his opponent gave him no chance, slamming him diagonally against the wall!
"Boom!"

A heavy, muffled thud.

The unfamiliar figure withdrew his arm, gripped the assassin tightly, and slammed him against the wall again!
"Boom!"

A second muffled thud.

The assassin's opponent pulled the assassin back from his arm for the second time, and slammed him against the wall one last time!
"Kara!"

A strange, ominous cracking sound rang out.

The next second, the assassin slid softly off his opponent's arm and fell to the ground, motionless.

The air returned to calm.

Thales stared blankly at his surroundings: two assassins were pinned to the wall, groaning in pain and seemingly beyond saving, while another lay limp and silent on the ground.

From the moment the longsword shot in to the moment the last assassin fell, only a little over a second elapsed.

The three assassins who were preparing to ambush him have all perished.

This is……

"Really... I'm out of practice." The newcomer walked up to Thales, frantically shaking his left hand and complaining incoherently.

The prince stared at the man in disbelief.

The chisel and the shadow assassins stared at him, equally unable to hide their shock and anger.

This uninvited guest.

In the dim firelight, the silhouette of a man was revealed.

A very special man.

He wore the light, slightly worn leather armor typical of mercenaries, yet he was equipped with a full eight or nine weapons:
The man held two cross-shaped swords, one long and one heavy, in his right hand. A slightly worn single-handed axe and a bag of crossbow bolts were strapped to his back. A loaded infantry crossbow was hanging on his left leg, and an unsheathed saber was strapped to his right leg. A bloodstained hammer was tucked behind his waist, and a straight-bladed military knife with a chipped corner was strapped to his side.

Even in his mouth, he had a short sword about the length of his forearm in his mouth.

It's like a... human arsenal.

Thales stared blankly into thought.

Dressed like a mercenary, is he the sword of calamity?

No.

Not quite.

The man was not young, and he was not very clean-cut.

In fact, his hair was a mess, tied behind his head with only a dirty thin rope. He looked disheveled, with a bruised and swollen face, a piece of scalp missing from his right forehead, and a black-rimmed bruise around his left eye. Apart from his relatively new leather armor, his clothes were all tattered and torn. In some places, clear bloodstains and wounds could be seen, ranging from cuts to bruises, all kinds of different types.

At first glance, there was hardly a single piece of good meat.

It was as if I had just been tied to the back of a horse and dragged around in the sand.

But what's special is his chin.

Although he appeared dirty and unkempt, with some excessive hair, the man had shaved his chin clean, leaving only a patch of bluish-gray, which contrasted sharply with the upper half of his face.

Wait, a beard?
Thales suddenly shuddered.

He looked at the man's forehead and was immediately shocked!
as predicted.

There was a hideous and terrifying blood-red brand there.

An ancient imperial letter.

Thales stared blankly at the man beside him, watching him take the dagger out of his mouth, watching him grimace, arch his back, and swing his upper arm.

Like a warhorse that hasn't been released from its stall for a long time, it loosens its joints.

It's him.

Thales stared blankly into thought.

Although I couldn't recognize him immediately after shaving, but...

It's him.

"The movements were beautiful."

The Executioner, Sacelle, stood calmly beside Thales.

His left eye, framed by a dark ring, narrowed slightly as he scanned the shadowy assassins before him. In his characteristically dry voice, he coldly addressed the prince:
"Distracted thinking is foolish."

There was another moment of silence.

At that moment, Thales stared in disbelief at Sacel, who had changed his appearance and equipment.

On the other side, Qianzi stared in disbelief at his dead subordinate.

Even the trapped Yodl trembled slightly.

"Who are you?"

Chisel suppressed his shock, became extremely vigilant, and stared intently at Sacel, signaling the assassins to tighten the restraints on Yodel.

This man... gave him a very bad feeling.

Sakel snorted coldly, seemingly uninterested in paying attention to him, and simply stared at the captured Yodl, slowly shaking his head.

"Where are our sentries?" Chisel asked cautiously, scrutinizing the newcomer.

Sacel frowned slightly.

Sentinel?

“Didn’t encounter him,” Sacel murmured, shaking his head.

Well, on the way here, apart from some blind men hiding in the dark—Sakel thought for a moment—it seems we haven't encountered any normal sentries.

such as……

A troublesome character like Glacier Watch.

Sacel frowned deeply as he recalled the unpleasant past.

Beside him, Thales took a long, deep breath.

"You, you found the razor... ptooey... you're still alive?"

Thales couldn't believe his eyes. He looked Sackel up and down and asked stiffly and awkwardly.

"Ah."

Sacel's gaze remained unfocused, as if he lacked attention, and he hummed in response like a drowsy patient.

Thales blinked in surprise: "What about the enemies?"

What about those... people who besieged you?
Sacel rubbed his eyes, seemingly unaccustomed to the light.

“They ran away,” he replied sullenly.

Prince Star rolled his eyes in confusion: "Ran away?"

"They just ran away like that?"

How can it be?

Eighteen Blades of Calamity just... let you go like that?
Thales couldn't understand it.

Sacel tugged at his mercenary leather armor and shrugged uncomfortably.

That's right, ran away.

The released knight of punishment silently recalled the battle that had just taken place:
Those sword sellers, they ran away—how many of them ran away again?

Sacel scratched his head.

Two, or three? Maybe four?
Sigh, I can't remember.

Thinking of this, Sacel let out a frustrated sigh, painfully pounded his forehead, and sadly felt:
He's probably... getting old.

(End of this chapter)