Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 448 1v8
The dungeon returned to a frightening silence.

At this moment.

"wrong."

Samir, the only member of the royal guard to escape imprisonment, coldly interjected:
"If your goal is simply to bring the king to his senses, why not go alone with the legendary anti-magic forces to assassinate your so-called Queen of Calamity?"

At this moment, Samir was cold and resolute, seemingly no longer the royal guard he once was.

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

He frowned as he recalled the catastrophe that Gilbert had recounted to him during the Bloody Year for the Starry Royal Family.

Why resort to such an extreme method?

Sacel did not speak.

Samir continued to question:

"Furthermore, why do you still put the entire Starry Sky royal family on your purge list, and why won't you stop until they are all slaughtered?"

Sakel's lips trembled slightly.

His face drained of color, and he stared blankly at Samir.

“Yes,” Tardin joined the conversation, his face pale.
"You know, even the most innocent princesses and princes, even the most lively and innocent Princess Constance, even they..."

He bit his lip, unable to continue.

Sakel stared at Samir and Tardin for a long while.

Until he sighed:
That was not my intention.

Seeing this, Thales felt conflicted, but then another question came to mind.

"Whose original intention was that?"

The prince's remarks attracted the attention of others:
"You haven't told the whole truth."

Thales raised his voice:

"Tell me, who were those people who cooperated with you to assassinate the king, those people who wanted to overthrow the Star Kingdom?"

the most important is……

"What exactly were those people, the calamities, and His Majesty Eddie plotting back then to bring about such a catastrophe?" Thales asked through gritted teeth.

Sacel seemed stumped by the question.

He remained silent for a long time, and finally just shook his head, still not answering.

"besides."

Samir spoke again.

"If what you say is true, then why," the former chief standard-bearer stared intently at the former executioner knight:
"Now that you've achieved your goal—why didn't you stand up and admit you were the traitor back then?"

“You’re not afraid to take responsibility, nor are you afraid of death. You’re even willing to take the blame for my escape… Given your character, shouldn’t you be like this now, openly and honestly revealing the truth and accepting trial?”

Sacel's lips tightened, but the guard prisoners gradually noticed this suspicious point and frowned, looking at him.

"Why was it hidden for a full eighteen years? It tormented us for eighteen long years!"

Samir's questions progressed in layers, revealing his resentment and indignation:
"Why is it only now that you've suddenly popped up and told us all this, told us that you're the damned traitor?"

"If I hadn't come here, and they hadn't let you out, were you planning to live like this forever, until you die?"

Sacel remained motionless, simply burying his face once more in the darkness beyond the reach of the firelight.

“Even,” Samir gritted his teeth, raising his arm in a startling motion, “it even startled Thales.”
"Why is this prince your target?!"

At that moment, Thales was shaken to his core!
Oops.

Why a prince...?

What are you still hiding?

Samir hissed:

"What secret is it that you'd rather bring to the River of Prisons than utter aloud?"

Thales exchanged a glance with Quick Rope, who was restless and trying to escape, and sensed something was wrong.

Why……

Are we back to this topic again?

Including Barney Jr., the guards all scrutinized Sackel with suspicion, and many turned their attention back to Thales.

Very bad.

Thales gritted his teeth inwardly.

Perhaps the reason Saxeel didn't expose my secret before was because he still felt guilty towards the royal family and didn't want to tarnish the reputation of Shining Star...

But now...

Thales glanced nervously at Sacel, who seemed to be hesitating.

Now, he has revealed the truth about how Eddie II once allied with the magicians.

He has... nothing left to hide, right?
Just then, Saxeel spoke up quietly.

"spiritualism."

The Knight of Punishment spoke plainly and calmly.

This surprised the others, especially Thales.

spiritualism?

What do you mean?
Sacel took a slow breath, a deep wariness appearing in his eyes.

"Whether it's the invasion of the Prison of Bones today, or the appearance of this prince, whether it's the Sword of Calamity, the Shield of Shadows, or even the Dragon Slayer."

"...None of them are coincidences."

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

It's not a coincidence...

Sacel suddenly looked up at Thales.

"Your dagger, Your Highness."

dagger?

Thales couldn't help but swallow.

what?
Despite the suspicious looks from others, he forced himself to resist the urge to reach out and touch JC.

The Knight of Punishment spoke coldly, his words carrying a chilling undertone:
“I know it was made of dark steel that the dwarves smelted underground—similar to the material of the Supreme Sword—but it was mixed with special crystals for another purpose, making it exceptionally unique.”

Before Thales could react, Sackel's next sentence revealed JC's background:
“That’s the Assassin’s Flower, a unique weapon of the Sarridon family.”

"It is also proof that every Sarredon finishes training and officially begins his assassin career."

Everyone was shocked!
Even Quick Rope looked at Thales in horror.

As for the central topic, Thales himself felt stiff all over and unable to move.

he knows.

but……

Sackel's eyes were filled with alertness and fear, as if the image of the mentally unstable escaped prisoner was just an illusion.

"The fact that this dagger is in your hand, Your Highness, and the way those Shadow Assassins threatened and bribed you just now, all of this tells us something."

"As a participant in the assassination attempt back then, I don't know why they would re-infiltrate the Starry Sky royal family and get close to someone as special as... you."

When he said "the special you," Sacel paused again, which startled Thales.

"But that must be related to the misfortunes brought by those disasters back then, and their failed plots."

The guard prisoners’ eyes darted back and forth between Thales and Sackel.

This time, the Knight of Punishment was full of vigilance, as if his eyes were filled with enemies.

"I can sense that some people are unwilling to accept this."

"They refuse to let go of the past tragedy."

Sacel's gaze was intense:

"They are still digging into the taboos of that year, searching for the relics of the past, trying to 'summon the spirits' of the catastrophe and disaster of eighteen years ago."

spiritualism?

Thales stared blankly at Sacel.

No.

That's not how it works...

He turned his head with difficulty.

This dagger, this dagger belonged to Yara, it was a gift she gave herself...

But when Thales thought of this, his thoughts paused slightly.

Wait a moment.

JC and the Assassin's Flower might be a misunderstanding, but the Shadow Shield...

Thales couldn't help but recall what Chip had said at my family's tavern.

From a near-mad assassination attempt on members of the royal family eighteen years ago to now doing everything in her power to ensure the prince's survival...

The change in Teng's attitude before and after only illustrates one thing.

The existence of that prince must mean something.

Sacelle ignored the prince's strange behavior and continued speaking to himself, his words as cold as ice:

"They must be stopped."

He focused on the word "prevent," his tone resolute and unwavering:

"Before the tragedy of the past repeats itself, and before the next mistake is made."

As soon as Sacelle finished speaking, Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

Samir smiled.

“Summoning the spirit,” Samir repeated, shaking his head as if with disdain:

"What a lame excuse."

"But you haven't answered my question yet..."

"enough!"

Just then, Barney Jr. seemed to have lost his patience and interrupted Samir without any restraint.

Samir glanced at Barney with displeasure, but the latter ignored him.

"So, you're not going to surrender and you still intend to target the prince, is that right?" Little Barney stared directly at Sacel.

Sackel was silent for a second.

He didn't answer directly, but coldly repeated what he had just said:

"They must be stopped."

Upon hearing this, Barney's expression grew even colder.

"very good."

The former vanguard officer removed the shield hanging on his back, raised his longsword, and pointed it directly at Sacel, his killing intent palpable.
"Then you must be stopped too."

Barney, shedding all hesitation and reservations, spoke in a cold voice: "In the name of the Royal Guard, we must enumerate the crimes and severely punish the betrayals."

"To restore justice."

Thales immediately sensed that everyone's bodies and nerves tensed up.

Belletti, Brie, Tardin, Cannon, Nai, Naki—the prisoners of the royal guard slowly dispersed, picked up their weapons again, stood in formation, and revealed their murderous intent.

But it no longer targets Thales and the fast rope.

Instead, it pointed directly at the knight of punishment before them.

Even Samir, who was standing on the other side, slowly drew his longsword.

It was as if they had returned to a state of war, as if the scene of meeting old friends just now was just an illusion.

Thales instinctively tightened his grip on Ricky's sword, while Quick Rope rolled his eyes and raised the crossbow in his hand.

"Are you ready to face your judgment?" Barney stared at Sackel without any politeness, his eyes overflowing with disgust and hatred.

"traitor?"

The Knight of Punishment silently endured their gazes.

“Of course,” Sacel sighed, slowly picking up his axe, his sorrow transforming into unwavering resolve with each word.
"Every day, every hour, every second."

"I'm ready."

In that instant, it was as if someone had pulled back the timeline to what had just happened, and the Knight of Punishment and his former colleagues became enemies once again.

Quick Rope tugged at Thales, signaling him to run away now or before a fight broke out.

But Thales shook his head.

He sensed the solemnity and tension in the room—but it did not originate from the opposing sides.

But it's just one of them.

Barney?

Naki, weapon in hand, stared at the former Watchman ahead, swallowed hard, and said cautiously, "He has one man, and we have seven."

Barney frowned.

"No, eight."

Samir interjected casually, stepping to Sakel's flank with his sword drawn, his eyes flashing with anger:

"All debts must be settled today."

Sakel glanced at Samir, a flicker of unknown emotion in his eyes, but said nothing more.

Barney glanced at the cowardly escapee he looked down on, pursed his lips, and shook his head, saying:
"Very good, eight."

And so, the nine former members of the Royal Guard, the nine men whose faces bore the brand of the glittering star, the nine men who had not seen each other for eighteen years…

At this moment, face each other and take up arms.

“One against eight, no,” Naki sighed softly, muttering to himself.
"The disparity is too great."

The rest of the royal guards frowned.

The disparity is too great?

Thales's mind raced, and he sensed the gravity in the words.

Sacel glanced around, re-examining everyone as if observing a battlefield.

"Yeah, I know."

He spoke softly, suppressing all inappropriate emotions, and transformed once again into the calmest and most terrifying knight of punishment.

"I can take on all eight of you by myself."

Sacel held his fighting axe upside down and took a step forward.

Step, step, step.

"Indeed, this is true for you..."

His aura and pressure gradually accumulated with each step, like a seemingly slow but ultimately overwhelming tidal wave in the distance.

"There is some degree to it..."

Sacel raised his axe, his eyes serious as he faced his ready opponents.

"That's not fair."

(The land is scarred and ravaged, narration begins) Since I can remember, the demon king known as the Sword of Weekly Change has shrouded the sky of the kingdom's bloodline with his cruel rule, leaving no hope and no sunshine.

But the suffering readers were spreading rumors in private: long, long ago, the world was not like this. Back then, the sun was visible in the sky, and people's faces were full of hope.

(Background music plays) People believe that one day, the gloom will dissipate, the demon king will be defeated, and the long-lost hero will return.

Its name is—Daily Update Sword!
(Narration ends, opening theme starts playing~)

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(End of this chapter)