Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 51 Thales and Janne (Part 1)

When Thales was escorted out of Mindis Hall with stern expressions by Gilbert and Ginny, he had no idea what had happened.

"What's wrong?" For the first time in over twenty days, Thales stepped out of the cedar doors of Mindis Hall and looked at the familiar dark carriage with a puzzled expression.

“Gilbert will explain to you.” Ginny’s stern expression made him nervous. She flicked her whip, leaped lightly onto the driver’s seat, and replied briefly, “All you have to do is get in the carriage now.”

Thales turned his head in bewilderment, and the middle-aged nobleman pulled out a boarding stool from somewhere and gently placed it on the ground.

"Please, young sir."

“Ms. Ginny doesn’t like sitting in the carriage. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to put up with an old man like me riding with you.” Gilbert’s attempt to be humorous failed miserably, and even the two horses could sense his preoccupation and deliberately avoided him.

What's going on here?
With unease and trepidation, Thales stepped onto the boarding bench and carriage ramp, glancing back at the guards in the Mindis Hall. They showed no intention of leaving with him. Seemingly sensing Thales' gaze, the swordsmen, led by Jorah, bowed their heads in respect.

“They won’t come with us—a carriage, it’ll be more discreet,” Gilbert said casually.

Seeing the extremely solemn expressions on their faces, Thales suppressed his urge to pry and simply asked, "Will we... come back from this trip?"

“It depends on His Majesty’s will,” Gilbert said in a somber tone. “Excuse my rudeness, but we must set off as soon as possible.”

Is the situation really that serious?

Thales said no more and simply got into the carriage, with Gilbert following behind, quietly closing the carriage door.

Inside the dimly lit carriage, the same deep red sofas, crystal-studded glass, nine-pointed star emblem, and faintly glowing luminous paint as they were twenty-odd days ago remained.

Ginny's whip moved swiftly and rhythmically, but the carriage was much faster than when Gilbert had driven it last time, and of course, much bumpier.

As the carriage bounced up and down, Gilbert watched the Mindis Hall disappear out of the window under the moonlight, and solemnly looked at Thales.

"Time is short, so I'll just pick out the key points."

Aside from their conversation in the secret room, Thales had never seen Gilbert so serious, which made him uneasy.

"The delegation from the Kingdom of Exter is scheduled to visit Starry Sky around the New Year." The middle-aged nobleman looked at Thales earnestly.

Thales squinted, trying hard to recall the history and geography of the continent over the past twenty-odd days.

The Kingdom of Exter.

The nation established in the North by Nekaru Ex, the human hero of the final war.

The Northern Dragon, the Kingdom of Heroes, the Blade of the Western Lands, and the powerful northern neighbor of the Stars.

Gilbert continued solemnly, “Urgent report has arrived from the North: three days ago, the Exter delegation was ambushed and killed on their way south to the Central Territory, with no one escaping.”

Thales opened his eyes wide in disbelief.

“The victims included six Exeter nobles, and…Prince Moral Walton.” Gilbert sighed.

"He is King Exeter and Grand Duke of Dragonhill, the only son of King Nunn VII, the heir of the Walton family, and the next Grand Duke of Dragonhill."

The boy gasped.

The only son of the king of the most powerful nation on the western continent, and the heir to the territory.

Were they kidnapped and killed within the Star Realm?
"Including the accompanying Star Nobles, there were no survivors at the scene, no clues whatsoever, only a line of blood-written words on the ground, formed by the blood of the victims..."

Gilbert looked directly into Thales' eyes, nodded slightly with a worried expression, and said, "As long as the stars remain, the empire will endure."

What is the family motto of the Shining Star Royal Family?

Thales was taken aback.

“This clumsy and naive tactic is clearly a way to frame someone and sow discord between the two countries…” Thales carefully considered the nature of the matter, but then he suddenly realized something and looked up incredulously, asking, “Does it really work?”

“Unfortunately—it worked, and it was terrible,” Gilbert whispered.

"Is it bad?" Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

The carriage left the Twilight Star District, entered King's Street, and headed towards the Central District.

King Street is one of the largest streets in Yongxing City, second only to Xingju Square, a transportation hub north of the central district, where merchants from all over the world gather, and the large market where lower-class residents gather near the west gate.

Unlike the Lower Town and West End, where roads were still lit by torches and animal oil lamps, King Street was illuminated by ever-burning lights, second only to those in the DC area. The street gradually became more crowded with pedestrians, from street minstrels and shopkeepers calling out their wares (some shops that did business at night, such as clothing stores and watch shops, were still open), to the servants of nobles hurrying to and fro, officials going about their business, and even some genuine nobles passing by in carriages or on foot.

Here, their carriages are inconspicuous.

Located at the intersection of the Twilight District and the Central District, King Street is home to a very high proportion of the wealthy and powerful. Compared to Starstreet and the Grand Bazaar that Thales had seen, this place is more conservative and quiet, lacking the bustling noise of the former and the vulgarity of the latter. Even here, you can still see ragged beggars and vagrants on both sides of the road from time to time, groaning and reaching out to passersby.

Fortunately, the carriage was equipped with one-way windows, so there was no worry that the people outside would be able to see what was happening inside.

But Thales' mind was focused on Gilbert's words, and he only glanced at the street scenes briefly.

The words of the former foreign minister continued to echo in my ears:

"The key lies in the Treaty of the Fortresses."

"At the end of the Bloody Year, Exter invaded, and Dragonslayer Fortress fell. From the North, the Clifflands, the Western Wilderness to the East Sea, most of the planet was engulfed in war. With few soldiers and weak generals, the kingdom was on the verge of collapse. His Majesty, who had just ascended the throne, even considered conscripting children under the age of fourteen into the army."

Gilbert let out a long sigh, his gaze lost in thought, as if recalling the war-torn years of the past.

"Due to the fear of the northern dragon among the western kingdoms, and the concern of the eastern kingdoms of Suye and Hanbul for the affairs of the western kingdoms, we made every effort to mediate diplomatically and persuade the kingdoms to intervene. In the end, we forced Exster's army to retreat and sign a peace treaty. Exster was even forced to relinquish a piece of wasteland that it had occupied in the Stars before the Year of Blood."

"I was one of the signatories of the Fortress Treaty back then, so I know this all too well."

Thales' eyes lit up: "We lost the war, but won the negotiations?"

Gilbert nodded, but his face showed no relief: "That's terrible—it's less a treaty and more a record of humiliation."

The carriage traveled a little further, and there were many more beggars on the road. Some even reached out to Ginny, who was the driver, but the court lady with a cold face ignored them all and whipped the horse even faster.

"At a time of relentless victories, when land and wealth were within reach, being forced into a truce and even ceding territory by a coalition of nations was a defeat more shameful than losing the war itself—many lords of Exter, especially the grand dukes of the south bordering the Stars, were furious, to the point that the Treaty even threatened King Nunn's rule. For the past decade, relations between the dragons and the Stars have remained at a freezing point, compounded by the discovery of large deposits of uranium in the north and the presence of oil-rich deep-sea whales in the east..."

Gilbert sighed.

Exte, a nation and people still in the making—Thales thought to himself: war is needed to forge the entire national community.

"The lords of Exter, at least the three grand dukes bordering us, are all eyeing war with covetous intent—they yearn for the vast amounts of land, resources, and wealth that they could have easily obtained twelve years ago but ultimately lost."

Gilbert shook his head, looked out the window, and a look of sorrow in his eyes:

"That's why the Exte delegation came to visit. They were determined to revise the Treaty of the Fortress and wanted to redefine the border between the two countries."

"And now, the delegation was ambushed and killed on the way to Everstar City—can you imagine what it was like when the news reached Exter?"

The carriage bumped over an uneven patch of road, and the entire carriage shook.

Thales frowned: "You believe that the lords within Exter orchestrated this assassination? Just to—start a war and seize territory and resources?"

Gilbert looked up, and his gaze was terrifying at that moment.

“It’s even worse than that,” the former foreign minister said coldly. “Exter uses an elective system, where the great lords vote to elect the king—the Walton family has been on the throne for three generations in recent decades—and Nunn VII is by no means a universally loved beauty.” Thales suddenly realized, “So, this is the common demand of some Exter lords: to seek resources externally and to fight for a change of king internally?”

“Closer, young master, just one more step, one more step.” Gilbert carefully guided the kingdom’s only Radiant Star bloodline, speaking calmly:
"During the period between the assassination of the delegation and the unfolding consequences, the entire burden of this matter will rest on His Majesty Kessel's shoulders. How to decide, how to respond, whether to fight or make peace, what methods to use, whether to be tough or weak, glorious or humiliating—all the responsibility will fall on His Majesty's shoulders. From this moment on, all the nobles of the stars will keep their eyes firmly fixed on the Palace of Restoration."

"What do you mean?" Thales asked doubtfully—no matter how talented he was, he was not within the context of aristocratic rules and could not understand the significance of this matter.

In that instant, Gilbert's eyes suddenly became complex and profound, leaving Thales unable to fathom them.

"First of all, although the handling of this matter is complicated, whether it is war or peace, His Majesty cannot escape the accusations of being cold-blooded and ruthless, indifferent to the people, or weak and vulnerable, and disgracing the stars. This will greatly damage His Majesty and the Starry Sky Royal Family's reputation and authority in the country."

Thales' pupils constricted sharply—he was beginning to understand what "worse than this" meant.

"Secondly, to handle this major matter, whether it's military mobilization or national decision-making, we need a force far exceeding that of the royal family's directly controlled territories. We need the cooperation of the entire star system and the lords. This means that His Majesty must obtain the full support of the lords, especially the six great families and the thirteen noble clans, and this will by no means be without cost!"

The price—Tales were startled—for example, the next Supreme King of the Stars?
"Furthermore, war has both advantages and disadvantages. It not only brings crises but also a reshuffling of power within the Star Kingdom. After the baptism of war, the weak are eliminated, the old and decrepit are removed from their positions, the strong survive, and the survivors become stronger. Some lords face their doom, while others are reborn."

Under Gilbert's intense gaze, Thales sat blankly in the carriage, feeling the bumps and vibrations.

"Finally, the royal family has no heir, and Starry Sky has been without an heir for twelve years," Gilbert's voice suddenly rose. "What could be more compelling than an imminent kingdom crisis forcing His Majesty to choose an heir early, leaving a way out for a possible war? Moreover, if, during this crisis, a highly respected family takes a step in accordance with popular opinion and gathers the support of the lower and middle nobles, who knows if they could become the next Starry Sky, the next royal family?"

silence.

Thales stared blankly out the window.

He understood what Gilbert meant.

However, he was shaken by the mind-bending and terrifying truth, and could not shake it off for a long time.

Gilbert looked at his expression and gently shook his head.

Hopefully, this cruel and bloody game, which has been played for thousands of years, will not deter this clever and talented young man.

After a long while, Thales finally spoke, speechless.

"Therefore, this isn't just the wish of Exter: war and a change of king. It's also the wish of many people within the Star Kingdom: to vie for the throne." Thales added with difficulty, drawing his final conclusion:

"The assassination of the diplomatic corps was the result of a confluence of political factors... It was an inevitable event that occurred under the tacit agreement of ambitious figures in both countries..."

“Right?” Thales uttered the last two words, using a statement of fact.

Gilbert looked at him with concern, blinked hesitantly, and finally spoke: "Given the current situation of the royal family, your presence and appearance, whether facing the lords domestically or Exter internationally, will make you a target of public criticism—for your safety, I will suggest to His Majesty that we postpone recognizing you..."

"Is it worth it?" Thales ignored Gilbert's words and spoke softly, interrupting the middle-aged nobleman.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of people would expect and long for war?" Thales asked helplessly.

“This isn’t some game of chess where you capture pieces and count them,” Thales slowly closed his eyes and clenched his fists. “This is war, war between two groups of living people, standing face to face, legally and legitimately taking each other’s lives until one side is completely deprived…”

"They have experienced the calamities of the Bloody Years, so why do some people still yearn for war?"

"Just for a crown? To enjoy authority and power in a broken and decaying kingdom, on barren and starving lands, among a numb and apathetic people? And then to rule with hardship, anxiety, and suspicion for more than twenty years, only to inflict the same misfortune upon one's descendants?"

"does it worth?"

Gilbert wanted to answer, but was momentarily speechless.

With no answer in sight, Thales shook his head dejectedly.

However, this is probably just history.

The history of human behavior.

Silence fell over the carriage once more.

As the carriage left the bustling King Street, more and more beggars appeared outside, forcing Ginny to use her whip to scare them away.

“This is not just war,” Gilbert said softly, looking at his students with concern. “This is politics.”

"We are all gamblers with power as our goal."

"Land and people are nothing more than bargaining chips that can be used for exchange."

"Victory or defeat is nothing more than a transfer of chips."

"This is the game between nobles and the state."

Thales raised his eyes and chuckled helplessly: "Yes, war is a continuation of politics—a game of power, a feast for crows."

But I don't like it that way.

A voice whispered in his heart.

Thales glanced out the window and saw a beggar with a sorrowful expression reaching out to touch the axle.

Looking at these beggars in the capital, Thales thought somberly: This is already a ruined kingdom—

and many more!

As the carriage passed a bright, ever-burning lamp, Thales focused his eyes and instantly saw the beggar's hand clearly.

Those were rough, calloused hands.

But the calluses weren't evenly distributed in the areas his hands, the areas most commonly touched and burdened by the palms of laborers and beggars, but rather concentrated on his thumb and forefinger, and near the web of his hand.

His brain immediately started working.

He had seen similar unique calluses on another person's hands.

YaLS Ridon.

Thales was startled and turned to another beggar, then a third, a fourth...

"Gilbert!"

The middle-aged nobleman looked on with a puzzled expression.

Thales said calmly:
"Something's wrong."

"These people are not beggars."

The boy took a deep breath:

"They...they are..."

Yodl's hoarse voice echoed from the void, picking up where he left off:

"It's an assassin."

(End of this chapter)