Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 467 Sword of Truth
“I remember this guy; he’s one of those traitors from the End Tower—he came with Samir.”

Belletti's face was tense as she spoke to Barney beside her.

Thales listened to their conversation in a daze, his gaze fixed on Ricky in front of him.

The immense shock not only depleted his mental strength, but also seemed to intensify the physical pain he was experiencing.

How can it be……

“Samir,” Barney stared intently at Samir, who stood within the sword of calamity:
"You deliberately tricked us into thinking this was the exit, luring us here, just for... this?"

Barney's words made the guards' prisoners grit their teeth.

Samir stared at Barney for a second, then snorted and shook his head.

"I didn't lie to you."

Semilton paused for a moment, his voice cold:

"This is the only way out—if you go out the gate, you will only find death."

Barney responded with an angry snort.

The group of menacing swordsmen before them clearly had ill intentions, but their side...

Barney glanced at his still-painful right arm and the group of people who had suffered greatly in the alchemical sphere, and immediately felt a sense of unease.

"Let's save our reminiscing for later."

Ricky, with confidence and politeness, interrupted Samir's eye contact with his former colleague:

"Now, everyone, it's time for us to go home."

As Ricky finished speaking, the people beside him—Clay, the incredibly fast swordsman from the North, and Josh, who had been sent in advance as a spy—slowly reached for the hilt of their swords at their waists.

The prisoners of the royal guard tensed up, and despite their poor condition, they struggled to raise their weapons and assume a fighting stance.

“We’re in terrible shape; we can’t afford to get caught up in a melee or besiege. Their finishing move is faulty, so we can’t afford to get bogged down in that either,” Barney whispered to the people around him, his eyes fixed on Ricky directly in front of him.
“Bellety, I only have one hand available, and there’s no room for trial and error.”

“I understand,” Belletti replied gravely, in a low voice.
"Waiting for your signal."

Barney nodded, looked up at Ricky, and called out:
"What is your purpose?"

Ricky smiled faintly, about to speak.

"Don't worry, I'm just..."

Thales, who was trying to remain calm, suddenly realized what Barney was about to do.

The boy instinctively raised one hand:

"Wait--"

But before he could finish speaking, Barney and Belletti pounced out like an avalanche!

The battle breaks out instantly!

Perhaps due to his injuries, Barney didn't lead the charge this time. Instead, Belletti roared and took the lead. The two of them, one in front and one behind, with an axe and a sword, went straight for Ricky in front of them!

Perhaps it was too sudden, because both Klay and Josh, who were standing behind Ricky, instinctively drew their swords, but they still couldn't catch up and could only watch helplessly as the two of them approached Ricky first.

Swish!
At the same instant, Ricky's silver longsword—Eternal Truth—sliced ​​a graceful arc, creating a whooshing sound as it enveloped the two attackers.

Ding!
With a soft sound, the eternal truth appeared in mid-air, and Belletti's axe blade took the lead.

In that instant, Belletti suddenly had the illusion that he was trapped in an endless vortex of scorching heat and was about to suffocate.

Worse still, despite being expected, the annihilating power of the Blade of Calamity affected his arm, making it more irresistible than ever before.

Scorching, oppressive, heavy.

The mercenary axe in his hand, which was quite heavy, began to tremble involuntarily.

With Ricky's smile on his face, Belletti watched helplessly as his attack went more than an inch off target, barely grazing his opponent's wrist.

Ricky sneered inwardly, knowing that Belletti's attack was no longer a threat. He turned his longsword to face the other man.

But just then, Barney, who was a step behind, finally arrived!
To Ricky's surprise, Barney, who only had one usable arm, did not attack him.

Instead, he stepped forward and rammed into Belletti!

Boom!
With a muffled thud, Belletti groaned as she released the axe handle, which seemed to have slipped out of her control.

He changed direction from the impact of Barney's collision, clenched his fists and bent his elbows, and rammed into Ricky!
Ricky, who had been calm and collected, finally turned pale.

The axe blade was just... bait?
But the seemingly out-of-control Belletti had already rushed in front of them.

Thales suddenly realized that this was a variant of the Northern military sword technique, the "counterattack."

However, Barney Jr. used his colleagues as a shield.

He was secretly alarmed: what kind of tacit understanding would it take for the two of them to work together to launch this attack, from the shield in their hands to the living person beside them?
Thales had no time to think. He saw Ricky had to duck and move, but he couldn't retract his longsword in time.

He could only use the hilt of his sword to block, striking Belletti hard in the abdomen to deflect the impact.

As Belletti groaned, taking advantage of the opening, Barney finally thrust out his long-awaited blade, aiming straight for Ricky's abdomen!
A sound of flesh tearing apart rang out.

"Ahhh!"

Ricky's roar echoed throughout the dungeon!

In that instant, it was as if the surrounding air was compressed, and Barney and Belletti, who had been certain of victory, both trembled.

thump!
Before Thales could react, Barney and Belletti, like drunkards who couldn't control themselves, stumbled around Ricky and fell down in a sorry state!
"Clang!"

The axe blade and the sword blade both landed on the ground.

Thales sighed painfully.

"No!" Tardin, who had taken over the duties and was protecting Thales, cried out in alarm, his eyes wide with fury.

The next second, the swords of calamity reacted, and Josh and Klay caught up, holding their swords to their necks and firmly suppressing the two who had failed in their sneak attack.

Ricky swayed slightly, then slammed his longsword into the ground, struggling to maintain his balance.
He lowered his head in pain: blood was seeping from between his left fingers, which were covering his abdomen.

In just a few seconds, back and forth, swift as a rabbit and a falcon, the dangerous battle was over.

Those around them were dumbfounded.

"Damn it," Clay, the swordsman from the North, glared angrily at Barney at his feet.

"How many times have we been ambushed tonight..."

But just as he was about to continue, Ricky stopped him.

“No, they’re very strong,” Ricky gasped, waving away Samir’s offer to help him up.
"After being imprisoned for many years and suffering serious injuries, he still managed to find such an opportunity."

Ricky looked at the blood streaming down his waist and sighed.

With Barney Jr. and Belletti's defeat and capture, Thales's heart grew heavier and more bitter.

"Quail Barney, right?"

Ricky's face was deathly pale as he looked at Barney, who was being dragged up from the ground by his men, looking disheveled and even miserable, and at the resentful and angry expression on Barney's face.

“Samir mentioned you to me, and he said some ridiculous things,” Ricky’s eyebrows furrowed, as if he were in pain.

"He told me that no matter how bad Barney's condition was, as long as you have a life left, you can create the most lethal damage even with just your teeth."

Ricky stared at his waist and abdomen, and gave a bitter laugh:
"I believe it now."

In response, Barney just spat out a harsh "Pah!" while keeping his eyes glued to the other man's severe injury to his waist.

hateful.

Almost...

Just a little bit closer!
"Normally, you would definitely be a worthy opponent to fight."

"But not today."

Ricky's breathing gradually subsided, and he turned to Thales, whose expression was extremely grim:

"I am surprised and impressed, Your Highness. In such a short time, you have found yourself a team of top-notch guards."

"Now, can we wrap this up?"

As he spoke, several mercenaries tightened their grip on the swords they were holding against the hostages, as if in a show of defiance.

Thales' expression tightened.

Ricky waved his hand wearily.

"Take down the rest, then we'll get out."

The mercenaries, led by Klay and Josh, received orders and rushed forward.

“Your Highness,” Tardin said nervously, looking at the approaching Blades of Calamity, “please step back…”

But at that moment, Thales suddenly stepped forward.

"Wait a moment!"

Under Tardin's worried and puzzled gaze, the prince, his face grim, walked past them and stood at the very front of the line.

"I have a question."

Klay and Josh, swords in hand, frowned slightly. Knowing the boy's importance, they turned to look at Ricky.

Ricky took a deep breath, pulled his sword from the ground, and steadied himself.

He stepped forward, sword at his side:
"Come on, Your Highness, I believe you are also very tired."

"What's the problem? Let's talk about it outside."

Thales ignored Ricky's words and just stared at him intently, trying to find something different in every detail of Ricky.

But he was disappointed.

Although Ricky was seriously injured and looked exhausted, he was completely transformed compared to the corpse that had been soaking in a pool of blood.

Thales took a deep breath, feeling the pain and fatigue in his body becoming more and more pronounced.

Even thinking seemed to be a beat slower.

But he had to persevere.

Especially when facing...

“I saw it with my own eyes; you were stabbed through the skull.”

Thales forced himself to stay alert and stared at Ricky with suspicion.

"But you, how did you do that?"

Hearing the conversation between the prince and Ricky, the guards were all taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

Tardin asked Cannon beside him in a low voice, "Through the skull?"

Cannon and Burri looked at each other, puzzled.

Ricky laughed again, a very natural laugh.

But this made Thales tense and irritable.

His head started hurting again.

"Didn't you already have the answer?" Ricky stared at the boy with a smug look on his face.

"Once you figure it out, you'll understand: you're powerless to resist."

The answer was already known?

Thales suddenly realized something was wrong.

That's right.

Thales was surprised to see that the pained look on Ricky's face had disappeared.

Ricky straightened up and released his hand from his stomach.

He didn't know when it happened, but his wound stopped bleeding.

Ricky, on the other hand, reverted to his composed leader persona, rubbing the congealed crimson blood on his hands and shaking his head with a smile.

It was as if he had never suffered such a severe injury as a pierced abdomen.

Only the torn armor remained, telling the story of what had just happened.

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

what does this mean?
And he said...

Ricky's faint smile suddenly became mysterious in Thales' eyes.

The prince felt a splitting headache.

He looked at the tattered armor at the other man's waist, suppressing his exhaustion that made him want to fall asleep:

"You are... a vampire?"

Ricky paused slightly, then chuckled and shook his head.

"I told you, you already had the answer, but you just wouldn't admit it."

Not a vampire.

No.

As the boy looked at Barney and Belletti, who had been subdued, a nameless fear welled up inside him again.

"You just said, 'If you can't kill it, it will be reborn every time'?"

Thales gritted his teeth and cautiously asked the question that worried him most:
"You are……"

"Are you one of 'them'?"

Ricky just smiled and didn't answer.

The laughter made Thales' already tormented spirit even more miserable.

Seeing the other party's almost tacit agreement, Thales felt incredibly cold inside.

He could be wary of assassins, he could negotiate with northerners, and he could find another way to deal with Sacel…

But facing...

Thales's face was ashen.

Barney, now subdued, understood something, and his expression changed slightly:

"Wait, you mean this person..."

Thales shook his head, his gaze fixed on Ricky.

hateful.

If, if this guy really is as I think...

If he is...

No, that's terrible.

First it was Saxeel, and then this...

The boy's weary gaze swept around the room and settled on the silver longsword he used to hold.

If he really is... then there's no hope in a direct confrontation.

unless.

Thales felt like his head was about to explode.

He had to think, think, think of a way out...

Think of Ashida, think of Giza, even Toros, think about how you would face them...

Thales took a deep breath and said tremblingly:

"So, the Sword of Calamity really is what it sounds like—an organization of calamity? Like the Blood Bottle Gang, existing for you, serving you?"

Everyone was stunned.

Including the people of the Sword of Calamity.

Ricky raised his eyebrows.

Looking at his appearance, Thales' heart stirred:
"You said your sword is called 'Eternal Truth,' truth—this can't be a coincidence, can it?"

Thales made up his mind and gritted his teeth:

"So your leader is the 'Truth Brothers'?"

To Thales' surprise, his tactic of stalling for time and creating an opportunity worked.

Truth Brothers.

In that instant, Ricky's expression changed.

His previously beaming smile vanished upon hearing those words, his face turning ashen.

Thales' legs ached, and seeing a glimmer of hope, he had to lean on Tardin beside him to steady himself.
"Or perhaps you are the Truth Brother, B? Or L?"

"Should I henceforth call you—the Sword of Truth?"

The prince's words stunned almost everyone present.

Except for one person.

Standing before everyone, Ricky's expression turned incredibly cold.

A chilling murderous intent flashed in his eyes, causing Thales to tremble involuntarily.

Ricky stared coldly at Thales, as if trying to find some secret in the boy.

"Say it again?"

There's one more chapter, currently being revised. I'll have some food first, and then update at midnight after I finish.

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(End of this chapter)