Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 481 Forbidden Love
The fire at Baki's camp had died down, but black smoke continued to billow.

The Wings of Legends' subordinates stood in formation, looking at the group of prisoners wolfing down their food with suspicion, while the mercenaries stood cautiously at a distance.

"what happens?"

Tardin stuffed a piece of dry ration into his mouth with all his might, not even bothering to drink water:

"Is this... a farewell feast?"

As he ate, he glanced down at the sand dunes in the distance:
There were three figures: two adults and one child.

The first two stood stiffly, while the smaller figure sat cross-legged on the ground, also wolfing down its food.

Beileti, standing beside him, shook her head and continued to eat intently.

"Does it matter?"

Barney picked up a piece of hard bread, his eyes thoughtful:
"I can't think of anything worse than today."

Sakel sat a little further away from them, chewing on the jerky in his mouth while staring intently at the three people in the distance.

"If I were to... enter... the Prison of Bones..."

The fast-paced rope, meanwhile, was eating heartily while tears streamed down his face:
"At least don't leave any behind, sob sob... Can I take a bite of your jerky, please... sob, I mean don't leave any behind... grass, it doesn't taste good... don't leave any regrets, sob sob..."

His sincere crying made everyone frown.

Just then, Barney put down his bread and spoke softly.

Why did you come back?

Everyone in the royal guard froze, leaving only Quick Rope to stuff himself with food.

Barney looked up at the Knight of Punishment.

"You don't think that just because we took down a few people, we can go back to the past, do you?"

The vanguard officer's eyes were piercing:
Do you think everything can still be the same as before? Brotherhood? Loyalty?

Belletti patted Barney on the shoulder with a troubled expression.

The latter snorted coldly.

Sacel didn't speak; he just stared into the distance, motionless, the wounds on his face and shoulder clearly visible.

“So what about you?” Barney said sarcastically.

"Still thinking of killing the prince?"

The Knight of Punishment trembled slightly.

"And you still have no intention of telling us anything, even though we already know his secret?"

Belletti, standing to the side, sighed and advised:

Barney.

Sacel remained silent, as did the guards.

As only Quick Rope mindlessly finished his food and secretly reached for the food of the person next to him, Tardin slapped his hand away.

“Barney,” finally, the Knight of Punishment raised his head, his gaze unfocused:

"Stop asking."

Barney was taken aback, then gritted his teeth:

"You bastard..."

But he was interrupted.

"Do you know that there was once a calamity in this world that was invisible and formless, yet endless—because it lived in the minds of everyone."

At that moment, everyone, including the fast rope, was stunned.

"Even the wise King Tormund and the brave hero Nekaru were helpless against it."

The Knight of Punishment looked into the void, his tone carrying an undeniable chill:
"Some things...the fewer people who know them, the less likely they are to know them."

"The Star Kingdom is the safest place."

His words trailed off.

A long silence followed.

And endless sandstorms.

However, the three people below the sand dunes in the distance did not share this atmosphere.

As Thales painstakingly tore open the fifth piece of jerky, he could even feel the two pairs of eyes above him radiating a chilling aura.

He was forced to swallow it in two gulps with water.

The prince wiped his mouth with his sleeve without any regard for his image, and on the way, he touched the part of his mouth that had been swollen from being hit by the rope, and couldn't help but grin.

Legendary Wings and the mercenary leader stood in front of him watching him eat, one with his hands behind his back and the other with his arms crossed.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes growing increasingly impatient.

Thales let out a burp, and before being torn to shreds by their gazes, he finally managed to speak:

"key."

This word startled both Roman and Ricky.

"What?" Ricky asked, puzzled.

Thales' next words made Ricky's expression change:
"That key to open the dark prison, and even the exit."

"If I remember correctly, you told Qianzi before that you had found another key outside the camp?"

The prince observed the gradual change in their expressions:
"But when you tell me that fate is a bigger prison, and you have the key to open it, perhaps the only one..."

Thales narrowed his eyes and pointed to the increasingly grim-looking Winged Legend:
"I can't help but wonder: what if there really is only one 'key'?"

That moment was like someone slamming a heavy hammer into the air.

Ricky's brow furrowed deeply.

The legendary Wings stood motionless.

Thales burped again:

"Oops, I ate too much, sorry—then I followed this clue and worked backward to recall everything that happened."

The boy's finger slowly moved, pointing to the already closed exit of the bone prison.

Thales' eyes lit up;
"Guess what? All the oddities just connected one by one."

The prince spoke with a smile, his tone light and dramatic, but the other two clearly lacked a sense of humor.

They just stared coldly at Thales.

It's clear he's in a very bad mood.

Thales glanced around, awkwardly withdrew his unappreciated smile, and gave a dry chuckle.

"Rickie, after you got out of prison, instead of rushing to escape, you leisurely waited for your so-called 'opportunity'?"

The mercenary leader's face grew increasingly grim.

"And Williams, who should have been searching for me in the desert with light cavalry, appeared here at just the right time?"

The legendary wings before him grew increasingly somber.

But Thales persisted, relentlessly attacking the two with one blow after another:

"After Williams appeared, he completely ignored my presence and only subtly but urgently grabbed you to ask how the 'mission' was going and what the 'accident' was?"

The boy looked at Ricky again, a smug look on his face:

"Faced with an overwhelming cavalry force, you unwittingly used me, whom you had no control over, as a 'hostage' to threaten the renowned Winged One—perhaps because you weren't threatening him, but rather handing over a mission to your employer?"

Thales took a deep breath and squinted:
“Just now, I specifically mentioned the Prison of Bones to both of you.”

Roman and Ricky were both stunned again, recalling what had just happened.

Thales sighed:

“Williams, you are indifferent to the strange fact that he brought prisoners from the Black Cell here, and you are blind to why the Black Cell was breached.”

“Rickie, you seem completely unconcerned about Samir, who also bears the mark—as if you’re confident that even if Samir’s identity is exposed, you’ll be able to escape unscathed.”

"And it seems you've all forgotten the damned exit of that prison of bones we just came out of?"

"look?"

Thales brandished the jerky in his hand and took a big bite.
"There were too many doubts and too many suspicious points, so much so that things became very clear."

At first, Roman and Ricky would exchange glances, conveying their dissatisfaction and anger, and even open their mouths as if to speak.

But as Thales spoke more and more, and his arguments became more substantial, they stopped looking at each other and just stared blankly at the ground.

Thales pointed the torn-off end of the jerky at Ricky, then at Roman:
“You two were in cahoots from the very beginning—from the moment you obtained the key to the Black Prison without any trouble, to the moment he stood here watching the Baki camp burn.”

Thales spoke at length, and seeing the almost petrified expressions on the faces of the two people opposite him, he finally nodded with satisfaction, grabbed his water bag, and took a sip.

The two were silent.

It felt like centuries had passed.

Finally, the Wings of Legend closed its eyes and let out a long sigh.

He reached out his hand to Ricky, palm outstretched.

On the other side, the leader of the Blade of Calamity looked at the boy with resentment, his face showing a look of utter disgust, and pulled out the crystal-green rectangular bar that Thales knew all too well.

key.

Thales smiled.

“You truly are a product of the Palace of Resurgence,” Roman said coldly, taking the key to the dark cell from Ricky’s hand.

"Natural cunning."

Thales raised an eyebrow and took the last bite of jerky.

"No, it's just simple observation and reasoning," he mumbled.

"I think any normal person could tell."

These words made Roman's expression even uglier.

Ricky, standing to the side, let out a long sigh.

"key?"

He laughed helplessly, hummed, and shook his head:

"Ha ha ha ha……"

"Just because of a damn key?"

Ricky's laughter stopped. He gritted his teeth, exhaled, and glared at Roman with resentment and dissatisfaction.

"That's why I told you, you can't ignore this fact just because few people know the truth about the dark cell. At least stage a theft, but your damn pride..."

Roman responded with a cold snort:

"And you brought a whole bunch of 'tourists' in for a free visit, and then showed off the key to everyone for five minutes?"

Thales glanced sideways at the two arguing.

them……

We know each other better than I imagined.

Lost in thought, the Wings of Legend turned to look at Thales. "So you know, 'Prince'."

Baron Williams said coldly:

"We destroyed Baki Camp."

In that instant, as Thales was stared at by his sharp and deep eyes, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Legendary Wings looked up and around, then gestured to his anxiously waiting subordinates to pause.

"Then how dare you so brazenly expose our conspiracy?"

Roman lowered his head, glancing around as he spoke with a threatening tone:
"You really think the Nameless One can protect you?"

Ricky stood beside him, giving the boy a similarly malicious smile.

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

He swallowed hard.
"No, but I thought what you wanted could help me."

Legendary Wings snorted coldly:
"Then what do I want?"

Thales, under his gaze, raised his finger with considerable difficulty.

Roman and Ricky both turned their heads, following Thales's direction, and then frowned.

The prince pointed to a cluster of fortresses rising from the horizon in the desert and said softly:

"Baki Camp".

Roman and Ricky fell silent again.

Thales took a deep breath.

"My past experiences have taught me that if a series of things happen one after another, they must be related, and there must be an unseen thread connecting them all."

“At first, I thought I was the clue, because the Secret Service wanted my return, the Shadow Shield wanted my secrets, and the Northerners wanted my identity and value…”

Thales looked up and stared straight at Ricky:
"But gradually, you appeared. Your inexplicable entry into the game mixed everything together, making it impossible to sort out. I thought it was a coincidence that connected us."

The leader of the Sword of Calamity seemed to be deep in thought.

"But what if...it's not a coincidence?"

Thales abruptly changed the subject, a wary glint in his eyes:

"If you show up, is it still because of me?"

Roman and Ricky exchanged a glance.

The boy curled the corners of his mouth:

"Then I realized that you, the Sword of Calamity, no, the Blood Whistle, are first and foremost a mercenary group, and only secondly a loser's support group."

Ricky was taken aback.

He immediately protested in dissatisfaction:

"Hey!"

But Thales ignored him and continued speaking to himself:
"Yes, you are 'sword dealers'."

His expression was serious, and he clenched his fist in his palm.
"What if your primary goal tonight is the employer's wishes?"

"Secondly, it is the sin of the River of Hell, then the Black Sword, then the secret of the Prison of Bones, and then Sacel?"

Thales raised his head, his expression becoming extremely serious:
"So, who is most likely to hire a hundred-man group like yours, which is strong enough to withstand a series of battles and even disrupt the Baki camp?"

Ricky had already pursed his lips.

The boy spoke with a hint of thirst.

He picked up the water bag, only to find it was empty, and couldn't help but frown slightly.

But unexpectedly, the next second, a heavy water bag was thrown into his arms.

Thales looked up and saw that the Wings of Legend had retracted their arms:
"continue."

The boy raised an eyebrow, took a swig of water, and said impatiently:
“Rickie, tell Sackel that more than a hundred years ago, your leader made a deal with the Red King of the Stars, which allowed the Blade of Calamity to hide in the Western Wilderness as a mercenary.”

"You also told the tavern owner, Tampa, that you knew the inside story of 'My Family' tavern, that you knew it was the command center of Queen Elijah, the 'Northern Conqueror,' and her remnants, who were overthrown by the Red King more than a hundred years ago—as if you had seen it with your own eyes."

Ricky's expression shifted slightly.

Thales sighed:
"I guess they're not coincidences, are they?"

Ricky's expression as he looked at Thales grew increasingly serious.

Thales took a deep breath, felt his senses and balance returning slightly, and stood up from the ground again.

He looked at Ricky intently:

"So I guess that more than a hundred years ago, the Sword of Calamity came to the Western Wilderness not for any other reason than to be hired by the Red King to dismantle the remnants of the Northern Expeditionary Force?"

No one speaks.

A gentle breeze stirred up the sand, and in the distance, horses neighed anxiously.

Ricky suddenly spoke up:

"Even simpler."

Thales asked in confusion:

"what?"

Ricky looked up at the rising sun over the desert, feeling the sandstorm washing over him, and sighed:
"The Red King is a man who dislikes complicated matters. He sent Chu Crassus to the Western Wilderness solely to bring back his own sister, Queen Erika..."

The mercenary's eyes flashed with a sharp light:
"The head on one's neck."

Thales immediately felt a chill.

Bringing back his own sister's... head.

The image of the old sword beside King Chaman reappeared before his eyes.

Thales couldn't help but ponder the origin of the title "Red King," and he recalled what Gilbert had told him when he was young:

The history of the stars is never without bloodshed.

Roman's eyes were cold, and he remained silent.

Thales resisted looking at the skull on his shoulder and tentatively asked:

"Did Nakrasu... succeed?"

Ricky simply returned his smile with a mysterious one.

This made Thales feel uneasy.

Thales coughed, trying to clear his mind and get back to the main point:
"In short, Blood Whistle has been closely linked to the stars—or more precisely, to the interests of the Kingdom's central government on the western frontier—since its inception."

As the two men's gazes grew increasingly solemn, the boy turned to Roman:

“Another veteran who was ‘sword dealer’ told me that since the Desert War and even the Bloody Years, the Baki Camp has been directly under the control of Baron Baki, who is under the royal family.”

Thales stared intently at the Wings of Legend:

"For more than a decade, with the help of border threats and the support of the royal family, your royal standing army has truly turned this place into your private territory."

"Legendary Wings' lone... Baki Dune Camp."

Thales looked at the impassive Roman:
"Moreover, it is a sharp dagger planted in the heart of the western wilderness by the central government of the kingdom, remotely controlling the western lords—whether in military, political, or commercial terms."

The Winged One remained silent, only gazing intently at Thales, his almost sharp features resembling the most perfect sculpture of nature.

Thales took a breath, then exhaled:

"But in just this month, I saw many interesting details on my journey from the desert to Baki Camp."

Thales met Roman's swirling amber eyes:

"For example, the prince's rescue team that ventured deep into the desert was actually composed of the royal standing army, which was not on good terms with each other, and the lord's conscripted soldiers of the Western Wilderness, who checked and balanced each other together."

"For example, the guards at the entrance of the Baki camp who collect tolls are actually soldiers from the Falkenhausen family, and they have been there for so long that they have exceeded their term of service."

"For example, the supplies transported by the armies from various parts of the Western Wilderness are so excessive that some unscrupulous merchants can smuggle them out of the camps to make a profit."

"For example, the officers who started patrolling the camp and were responsible for arresting people and putting them in the white jail were conscripts who hadn't set foot in the Saber Dunes for many years and didn't even know the standards and severity of law enforcement."

Every word the prince uttered deepened the expressions on Ricky and Roman's faces.

Roman took a deep breath:
"You are very observant, and very meticulous."

"so?"

Thales smiled.

He lowered his head, recalling the wicked old man smoking a pipe:
“When I was still a hostage in Dragon City, one of my subordinates told me: In order for me to return safely from Exter across the desert, my father had already negotiated with the lords of the Western Wilderness, led by the three major families, and they are absolutely trustworthy.”

Roman frowned deeply.

Ricky breathed softly, seemingly slightly surprised.

Thales exhaled:

He said: "The Palace of Restoration paid a great price to get the nobles of the Western Wilderness to stand on our side and welcome my return."

The air seemed to stand still.

Even the sandstorms have stopped making noise.

Only the thick smoke in the distance continued to rise slowly, a testament to the passage of time.

The next second, Thales turned his head, his eyes flashing with a sharp glint:
"Baki Camp, right?"

Roman didn't say anything at that moment.

But in the eyes of the Winged Legend, an unprecedentedly complex light erupted!
This made Thales even more certain.

He observed the other person's expression and slowly said:
"King Kessel surrendered royal control of the Baki camp, either fully or partially, and relinquished the initiative on the western front in exchange for the support of the western lords."

Thales was lost in thought, contemplating everything that had happened since the day he took charge of the government in Dragon Sky City:
"He secured the largest-ever troop mobilization and logistical support from the major families of the Western Wilderness since the war."

"He secured a joint force between the Western Wilderness and the Royal Family, allowing them to penetrate deep into the desert, advance on the Free Alliance, and intimidate Exter."

"He traded away the chaotic eastern desert, which for two or three months was deserted and barren."

Thales' heart sank.

In exchange, I gained... my way home.

The boy stopped thinking about anything else and looked up.

“But you,” Thales’s gaze shot straight at the Wing of Legends:
"Roman Williams".

You are not happy.

"Especially when the behind-the-scenes deal had been reached, and the lords of the Western Wilderness were marching in and ordering people around to take over the Blade Fang camp."

His tone was absolutely certain.

Roman slowly looked back at him, his gaze icy.

"Because you have long regarded Baki Dunes as your own private domain."

Thales' gaze shifted to the orc skull on Roman's left shoulder, repeating what the latter had once said to the chisel:

"And anyone who wants to take it from you."

"Everyone has to pay a price."

(End of this chapter)