Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 471 So innocent it's adorable

In the tense atmosphere, Sackel stared intently at Ricky: "But this has never been confirmed."

Ricky was silent for a moment.

"Oh, interesting."

Ricky met the eyes of the Executioner and smiled.

Which king?

Faced with the other person's meaningful gaze, Sakel decisively shook his head:
"I can't say."

Thales let out a breath.

Amid the trembling of the floor, Ricky suddenly turned around and gave Thales a meaningful glance.

This startled the latter.

But Ricky eventually turned his gaze away and responded to the Knight of Punishment's words.

"Watchman, how much do you know about demons?"

How much do you really know about me?

Sacel paused for a moment.

“Come, tell me, and tell your prince too,” Ricky laughed.

Sackel gave Thales a strange look.

"In the stars, those who have long dealt with beings like you are the Sunset Temple and the Kingdom's Secret Service."

Thales was slightly moved.

“According to the Temple of the Setting Sun, you cannot invade the mortal world in your true form. You can only possess a person, using their current body as a vessel, or perhaps you have been bewitched and can only speak through the mouths of your followers,” Sakel carefully examined Ricky.

"But in any case, your current appearance is just an illusion. Your roots are in hell, which is why you have not perished despite your fatal wounds."

Possession... Confusion...

Thales suppressed his astonishment and digested the new knowledge.

Ricky stroked his chin and raised his eyebrows.

“Interesting,” the leader of the Blade of Calamity nodded. “Anything else?”

Sakel was silent for a moment.

“According to the records of the Secret Society, besides consciousness, you can also ‘contaminate’ the present world,” Sacel said through gritted teeth, staring intently at Ricky’s injured area.

"Your contaminated flesh and blood possess an abnormal activity that defies common sense. You live in every inch of your body and every wisp of your spirit. Unless you encounter a natural enemy, you will be endlessly reborn and never perish."

Pollution.

Thales suddenly remembered something, and his face turned pale.

“Natural enemy?” Ricky’s interest seemed to be piqued by this new term.

Sackel continued to scrutinize Ricky's expression.

"Weapons blessed by priests in the great temples possess divine power and can inflict irreparable damage on you," Sacel said softly.

This is what is called 'disillusionment before God'.

Temple.

Thales recalled his several encounters with the Temple of Sunset and Moon, but they were all unpleasant memories.

"But you must have some purpose, right?"

Sackel stared intently at Ricky:

"The Sunset Bible says that when a demon appears in the world, he must have something in mind."

"So, you've come from hell, wanting to find out the truth about the Dragon Slayer... what is your purpose?"

Ricky was stunned.

One second passed.

"Heh heh," Ricky's lips curled into a smile, and he finally couldn't help but laugh:
"Ha ha ha ha……"

Thales and Sackel looked at him with either questioning or indifference.

Ricky finally finished laughing.

He raised his eyes, his tone mysterious: "So, your understanding of gods and demons, heaven and hell, comes from supporting the Starry Sky's ascension to the throne, thus becoming the Starry Sky Cult's Sunset Temple, right?"

Thales tensed up.

Sakel pursed his lips and remained silent.

Ricky leaned back on the stone platform, seemingly quite content.
"You know, before the Mingshen Church split, the most original, unmodified Mingshen Divine Edict would tell you that in the distant heavens and on earth, there is the sun and the Hell River, one is the source of all things, giving life, and the other is the end of all things, burying death. The two coexist equally, and everything is natural and has its own rules."

"The Holy Edict of Ming Dynasty".

Thales had a sudden thought, remembering that Selma had once told him about these dry creation myths in religions.

"But during the imperial era, the most powerful Sun Believers in the church, and their guiding text, the Sun Believers' Hadith, began to say that the sun is beautiful, holy, and merciful. Only those who believe in the divine, especially the Sun Believers, and are blessed by God, can ascend to heaven after death, enter the kingdom of God, and be free from torment."

Ricky's eyes turned cold:
"On the contrary, the River of Hell is terrifying, horrible, cruel, and only sinful souls pass through it to fall into hell under the control of demons and suffer eternal torment."

“From that time on, the Holy Sun faction in the Church of the Bright God, which claimed to be the orthodox one, began to take power. In order to win the favor of their God and to prove that the Holy Sun was the ‘successor of the Bright God,’ they competed fiercely, fighting tooth and nail. They fought for power internally, reopened the Inquisition, and suppressed other gods and persecuted heretics externally.”

Ricky snorted softly:
"Ironically, today, with the decline and division of the Holy Sun, look at the 'Sacred Meaning of the Sun' and the 'Sacred Teachings of the Setting Sun,' and what they have begun to argue about is which of the suns at different times of the day is more sacred? Are the Sun and the Setting Sun blood relatives or husband and wife?"

Ricky shook his head and sneered sarcastically:
"hehe."

Ricky straightened up and stared coldly at Sackel:

"And you take these records that the church tells you about, which change with each era and are distorted with each version..."

"Take it as the truth?"

Sacel frowned deeply.

"So what's the truth?"

The Knight of Punishment unconsciously raised his voice:
"What exactly do you want to do?"

But Ricky suddenly raised an index finger, stopping Sackel from speaking.

"You just mentioned a certain king in the history of the stars, is that right?"

Ricky's face revealed a mysterious smile, which made Thales tremble inexplicably, recalling the former's former dark and imposing appearance.

"What a coincidence, I also have a story about a king."

Thales and Sackel exchanged a glance and were both taken aback.

"Legend has it that long, long ago, during the ancient and boundless era of kings, there once lived a great king."

"He was a brilliant and wise man with many military achievements."

Ricky's tone, mixed with the low rumble of the platform beneath his feet, sounded even more eerie in the empty, dimly lit space.

One day, a demon blocked the king's path and said, "Wise king, please accept my help. I will assist you in conquering the world and distinguishing between the loyal and the treacherous."

Ricky's smile remained unchanged:

"How wise the king was! He remained unmoved: 'Demon, I know your tricks; you only want to destroy my kingdom.'"

"Enraged, the demon attacked the king, but the king's power and army were unmatched, and his wisdom and strategies were as deep as the sea. Soon, the demon and his minions were defeated and imprisoned."

Ricky's tone grew increasingly sinister, causing Thales' heart to tighten without him realizing it.

The demon trembled with fear and pleaded in his cell: "Please, great king, I can provide you with greater power, otherwise you will not be able to conquer the world."

Ricky curled his lips into a smile as he looked at Thales, sending a chill down the latter's spine.
"'I can conquer the world myself, I don't need your weak help,' the king wisely rejected it, 'demon, I know your tricks, you only want to destroy my kingdom, but before my power you are utterly useless.'"

"The king conquered the world, but wherever his wars were fought, there was widespread suffering and bloodshed. Soon, everyone began to oppose his conquests."

"The king, remembering the devil's words, was filled with shame and anger, so he went to the prison and tortured the devil."

Ricky took a breath and continued:
The demon trembled with fear and pleaded in his cell: 'Please, don't torture me. I can offer you wiser advice, otherwise you will not be able to distinguish between good and evil.'

Sacel's gaze froze.

"'I can distinguish between loyalty and treachery; I have no need for your foolish advice,' the king wisely rejected it. 'Demon, I know your tricks; you only want to destroy my kingdom, but before my wisdom, you are utterly stupid.'"

"When the king returned to court, he used his methods to suppress the opposition and regain the support for the war. But one day, the generals who were loyal to him mutinied and betrayed the king after the expedition."

"The king remembered the devil's words and regretted them, so he went to the prison to question the devil."

Thales sensed the direction the story was heading and frowned deeply.

"'Damn demon, come forth, I will accept your help!' the king roared."

The next second, Ricky looked up, a glint of yellow light flashing in his now-normal left eye:
"'But I have already destroyed your kingdom,' the demon said with a laugh, and vanished before our eyes."

"And the monarch could only sit helplessly on the ground until the rebels broke into his palace and destroyed his kingdom."

After Ricky finished telling his story, he looked at Thales and let out a few meaningful chuckles.

This chilled the boy's heart.

This story sounds like a fairy tale at first glance...

“Hmph,” but Sacelle was unmoved:

"It sounds like a tyrannical and incompetent ruler who brought disaster to the country, and he has been falsely accused of being a demon."

Ricky shook his head dismissively, showing no sign of being offended.

“You know, the servants of the Annihilation Monarch are the most pampered and extravagant. They prefer to bewitch emperors and generals, and possess high-ranking officials and nobles. They witness death and chaos in whispers and murmurs behind the scenes. In most cases, wherever they are, there is war.”

"And the followers of the Infinite Monarch are a group of theatergoers. Their favorite actors are the steadfast believers in the various temples. Oh, they never tire of watching these actors on the stage of life, their faith collapsing under their guidance, and ultimately betraying and blaspheming."

Ricky casually uttered a few terms that Thales had never heard before.

Annihilation Monarch. Infinite Monarch.

Sackel finally became solemn and looked at Ricky with a serious expression:

"Therefore, you do not belong to the two monarchs mentioned above, but are a henchman of the other five."

Ricky burst out laughing.

"Yes, yes, there are seven levels of hell, so there are only seven rulers of hell, right?"

Ricky replied perfunctorily:

"Let me guess, where did you hear that from? The Sunset Temple? The Kingdom's Secret Service?"

He immediately shook his head:
"Hmph, mortals."

Listening to their conversation, Thales blinked frantically.

That's right, he had read many religious texts while in Dragon City, but hell, and demons...

"But do you know that the Lord of Deathly Silence has a group of the most brutal darlings who enjoy corrupting powerful warriors and resolute soldiers, because they are the quickest to taste blood and violence."

Ricky looked at Sackel, his eyes smiling:
"Like someone like you."

For a moment, the Knight of Punishment was stunned.

But Ricky continued:
"They enjoy tormenting people's will, challenging their limits, and relishing their suffering."

"For example, they might show some prisoners who have been imprisoned for many years boundless illusions, their most missed past, and even the people they can't let go of the most."

"They will evoke his deepest regrets, his most intense pain, and his worst nightmares, making him think he's gone mad."

As Ricky spoke suggestively and subtly, Sackel froze completely.

Ricky deliberately said:

"But they can unknowingly confuse his mind, distort his heart, and add the final straw to a taboo belief that has already loosened, thereby dominating his behavior after his release from prison."

"And this kind of mentally unstable person, who can somehow incite countless bloodthirsty warriors, is exactly what the darlings of the Deathly Monarch love most..."

"Enough!" Thales interrupted Ricky.

Seeing Sackel's dazed expression, the prince angrily said to Ricky:
"Stop talking nonsense!"

Sacel took a deep breath and returned to reality.

“Of course, the demon is talking nonsense,” Ricky said quietly, seemingly unperturbed by Thales’s rudeness. He simply leaned back against his stone platform.
"That king thought so too."

Thales was speechless for a moment.

“Be careful, Your Highness. Don’t presume to know what the demon is up to, don’t think you’re smarter than the demon, and don’t think you’re stronger than the demon,” Ricky said coldly, watching the distant wall slowly slide down.
"Because when you asked the question..."

Ricky turned his head, his cold, deep eyes staring directly at Thales:
"It has already succeeded."

Sacel remained silent.

Thales looked into his eyes, hesitant to speak.

“The devil will always be there,” Ricky said with a half-smile.
"But the devil remains silent."

“The gods know,” Ricky scoffed, adding coldly.

"However, the gods remained silent."

The devil is always there, but he is silent.

The gods know, yet they do not speak.

The prince sensed the deeper meaning in those words and felt a strange chill run down his spine.

Thales remained silent for a while, feeling completely suppressed by Ricky in terms of both momentum and the atmosphere.

But then he remembered something.

“If you… if they are really that terrible,” the boy began again, drawing their attention:

"Then why did you react so strongly to the name 'Truth Brothers'?"

Sure enough, the moment he said it, Ricky's arm trembled slightly.

He stared at Thales with a complicated expression.

“I’ve heard about it,” Thales continued, forcing himself to speak.
"Calamity, Mage."

"They killed the gods, launched the final war, and dragged the demons of hell into it as well."

Even Sackel frowned at that moment.

Thales took a deep breath and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind:

"So you've come here today to find out the background of the Purifier... I mean, the Dragon Slayer, to find out the relationship between the legendary anti-demon forces and the Twin Emperors, and is it also related to this?"

"Your goal is something like the Magic Queen—a calamity?"

Ricky remained silent for a long time.

For several seconds, Thales only heard the rumbling sound of the platform rising and the whispers of the mercenaries in the distance.

Finally, Ricky spoke in his softest, most mysterious tone:

"Did the calamity kill the gods?"

"This was probably told to you by a mage, or by a mage's notebook?"

The monk.

Thales's eyes narrowed.

The image of that refined figure in blue appeared before his eyes.

"Tsk, tsk."

Ricky clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Thales asked, puzzled.

Crassus, wielding the sword of calamity, turned his head and looked at Thales with a complex and subtle gaze:
"You're so innocent...and cute."

Thales was stunned.

"What do you mean?"

Ricky didn't answer immediately; he just stared at Thales meaningfully for a moment.

How would you kill someone?

Thales was stunned.

Ricky nodded with a cold smile, glancing at Sackel across from him:
"Oh, right, pierce his heart, wait until he stops breathing and loses his life."

"But if I come back to life and start breathing again... oh, sorry, you couldn't kill me."

Ricky laughed even harder, pointing to his neck.

Sackel's gaze toward Ricky grew increasingly heavy.

But Ricky's next words left Thales even more confused:

"Then, how will you kill my sword?"

Thales was taken aback:
"what?"

Ricky touched his "eternal truth" and laughed:

"To kill my sword, you too will cut off its hilt, until the sword stops breathing and loses its life?"

Thales blinked, indicating his confusion.

"Do not."

Ricky shook his head mysteriously and pointed to his silver-bladed longsword:
"Because a sword has no life, you can't kill a sword."

Thales was stunned.

"Then, similarly, how do you kill a book, kill a dream, kill a vow, kill a spirit?"

Ricky's gaze grew increasingly stern and cold:

"How do you kill these abstract, lifeless things, things that have no boundary between 'life and death'?"

Observing the prince's expression, Ricky, seemingly having enjoyed the astonishment on Thales' face, nodded with satisfaction.

"Now, darling, answer my next question."

Thales took a deep breath and suddenly understood what he meant.

"No matter how powerful you are..."

Ricky stared at the deep ceiling, as if his gaze could pierce through it and reach the endless starry sky above.
"But how are you going to 'kill' one..."

"God?"

Thales breathed in a daze.

He couldn't help but think about what Ashida had once told him.

[Transcending the gods, looking down upon all living beings...]

"Although I'm very reluctant to part with your innocent and adorable nature, darling..."

I don't know when it started, but Ricky's way of addressing him changed:
"It's time to lift your eyes from the lies—whether they're fabricated by temples and churches, or by magic towers and mages..."

Ricky's eyes gleamed:

"A self-righteous lie."

(End of this chapter)