Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 531 Guests
Six years ago, Gilbert brought Thales, who had just returned to the kingdom, here to evade a wave of enemy probing.

Six years later, when Thales became the master of Mindis Hall, he naturally began to use the place—although Gilbert believed that with Thales's identity made public and the Royal Guard moved in, the place should be "no longer needed."

Thales locked the hidden door, lifted the thick cloth covering the luminous stone, and peered into the dim light at the small holes that allowed him to monitor various parts of the Mindis Hall:
In the front hall, Marius was politely seeing off the distraught Scholar Julio, perhaps wondering if the restless prince had done something to tease his teacher again.

In the corridor, Golov and his colleagues stood dutifully at their posts, their expressions unreadable.

In the garden, Kommuto and Piloga, who had sparred with Thales before, were patrolling and chatting. Thales lazily named this gathering the "Prince's Private Sandbag Exchange Meeting."

In the kitchen, Doyle squatted in a corner, bored and listless, biting into a long piece of buttered bread, watching the servants bustling about preparing lunch.

Thales then took a deep breath and collapsed onto the sofa in the secret room.

After taking a few deep breaths, in the dim light of the surrounding walls, he leaned against the sofa, rubbing his temples, and felt a long-lost sense of peace.

Like... the dilapidated caves where beggars live in abandoned houses.

Although it is drafty, it is sturdy and reliable.

Protect all the weaknesses he can't take care of.

Thales rested for a while, then sat up again, pulled back the cloth covering the other glowing stones, and the secret room became bright.

The Duke muttered something, approached a metal plate next to the sofa, and touched several knobs on it.

A few seconds later, with a soft click of a mechanism, Thales pushed aside the two iron plates that split open, opening his private storage room—a place that the previous owner of the Mindis Hall must have used frequently, but Thales could imagine that after the Bloody Years, it had been emptied by King Kessel, who had ascended the throne.

What came into view was a pile of haphazardly arranged junk.

Looking at what was in front of him, Thales stopped in his tracks.

A few seconds later, Thales took a deep breath, walked to the pitifully empty weapon rack, and looked at the biggest protagonist—the supposedly very valuable Imperial sword "Warning".

The hilt of the sword felt unfamiliar, yet its feel was just right, giving one an irresistible urge to draw it.

If Thales didn't have to constantly recall the face of its former owner and the trouble it had caused him every time he wielded the sword, he would probably prefer it.

The Duke lowered his head sullenly and picked up the dagger he knew all too well from beside the warden.

JC's cold handle reminded Thales of the hardships he had endured.

But its sheath is warm and comfortable to hold.

Just like the two people it represents.

Since entering Mindis Hall, Thales had fewer opportunities to bring JC along—the daily martial arts lessons morning and evening required him to repeatedly disassemble and reassemble the dagger, but Thales didn't want too many people to see it, even though it was the Starlake Duke's personal guard, the royal guard, whom he theoretically should trust the most.

But when Thales drew his familiar dagger, the sense of security he felt was still very comforting.

Thales sighed, reluctantly put it down, and turned to the other side.

The black veil that Yara gave him lay there neatly folded, its material still a mystery to Thales.

Thales couldn't help but smile.

But the smile vanished when he saw the next piece in the collection.

It was a bone-yellow bracelet, with particularly menacing long, bright red fangs at the end.

It's like... being forcibly pulled off from somewhere.

Thales suppressed the unpleasant memories associated with this bracelet and looked at the next one.

That was a map.

Yes, this is a detailed topographical map of a palace in the capital of the second largest country on a certain continent in this world.

He sighed again.

Thales folded the map back up. Julio's words made him realize that it wasn't just the church; even if someone else saw the map, he would face even more trouble.

As the Duke was folding the map, an old sheet of paper fell out, causing Thales to pause in his movements.

It was a... sketch of a girl.

It was something Thales found in a book in the Mindis Hall a long time ago.

The artist's sketching skills were probably not very good, at least not good enough to meet the standards of Master Uhran, but the signature on the back was unusual—at least that's what Thales thought after Exter read "The Agreement Between Nekaru and Tormund, Exter and the Stars on the Handling of the Border Issue in the 11th Year of the End of the Calendar".

Thales stuffed the map and sketch together into a hidden compartment under the cabinet, then looked up and saw a...

Black-rimmed glasses.

Thales took it off in a daze, slightly lost in thought.

He instinctively put on his glasses, and sure enough, the moment he opened his eyes behind the lenses, a wave of dizziness hit him, forcing him to take them off again.

Thales sighed and finished tidying up.

Here are all his private collections from when he arrived in this world.

Each piece represents a different past.

Wait, there's one more thing.
Thales turned around listlessly, picked up the book "Acts of the Sunset" from the sofa, took out the sky-blue invitation, and without opening it, casually stuffed it into the compartment.

A few seconds later, Thales pulled a blank sheet of draft paper from another page, placed it on the book cover, and sat down on the sofa.

He looked at the blank paper and sighed slowly.

While still in the North, the unpleasant environment gave him a clear goal:
Survive, return home.

However, since returning to the stars, when faced with the king, old friends, banquet preparations, cramming for lessons, and temple guests, including the invitation from a few days ago, when all the strange and familiar things came rushing in like a tide, even Thales, who had been through many trials and tribulations, was finding it hard to keep up.

Julio's casual remark today served as a wake-up call for him.

This is no longer the northern lands.

He's not the same as before.

Even Thales had to admit with frustration that for him, everything was starting anew, and everything was completely unfamiliar.

He needs to readjust.

Just like adapting to Dragon Sky City and the Great Desert before.

Now, he needs to readjust to Yongxing City.

Thales exhaled, pulled out his pen, and lightly touched the paper with the nib.

and many more.

To prevent the paper from being discovered and people from deducing any clues from it (after all, even a fool like the Meteorite could find the secret of the Lilan cardboard), he couldn't use an obvious writing style.

Thales had a sudden thought, and his pen began to move with a soft scratching sound.

One to two hundred and fifty gold coins.

Thales wrote the first entry.

I originally wanted to write "big, dumb guy" directly, but I was afraid the reference would be too obvious, so I changed it to this nickname.

Well, we can't rely on him too much.

But he knows other impressive people...

For example, secret documents.

So Thales pondered for a moment, then wrote a sub-item below in a smaller font:

[1. Red-eyed young man]
Thales remained silent for a moment.

Related to this matter...

Thales initially wanted to write "Khound Knife," but then realized that Yara's weapon was also one that had been listed at the Sunset Bar.

He needs to be more careful.

As Gilbert said, his status is no longer what it used to be, and every action he takes could bring disaster to the past.

So Thales picked up his pen and wrote:
[2. Big Sister]
This is the first priority.

However, Thales must also see one thing: despite being a prince, he is isolated and helpless among the stars.

He needs help.

And where can any helper compare to the old subordinates who spent six years with me in the North?

So he wrote down the second major item:
Part Two: The Little Old Man, the Mute, and the Very Old Man

just.

Thales wrote down the subcategory "little rascal," but the Duke hesitated for a moment.

There were people who knew this nickname, and one of them even disliked him and vowed to teach him a lesson.

So Thales crossed out "little rascal" and rewrote it:

[1. Triumph]
Then... Thales wrote down that unofficial nickname.

【Three: Little Silly】

Thales wanted to laugh.

But when he thought about the heavy meaning behind it, he couldn't laugh anymore.

Under the third item, Thales kept writing.

He frowned after writing just one word, and finally gave up on writing "disaster." Instead, he erased the previous "three" and rewrote it:

[1. Alliance]
Similarly, Thales decided not to write "Rickie," not to write "Undying," and certainly not to write "The Sword of Calamity." Instead, he wrote:
[2. The Mercenary Who Almost Lost His Head]
No, Ricky has been a mercenary in the desert for so long, it's hard to guarantee that no one will recognize him.

Thales thought for a moment, then, with a mischievous grin on his face, picked up his pen and changed "mercenary" to "Nick".

At the same time, considering that Ashida might know that he didn't write "Torros," he instead wrote:
[3. Boss]
Recalling what he had seen and heard in his theology class, Thales wrote again:

[4. Age]
Finally, he framed the four words and wrote a sentence:

[5. Information gap]
Ashda Sakorn, my dear.

Thales thought to himself, "This is for you."

then……

IV. Insect Swarm

Thales dares to guarantee that this is the most rigorous code name.

After all, finding traces of magic through the Sunset Temple is no easy task.
So Thales added the following below:
[1. Artanis]
However, the clues agreed upon with Ramon years ago cannot be ignored:

[2. The person who was crippled]
Upon seeing this pseudonym and the organization it represented, Thales wanted to laugh again.

But it wasn't just magic that troubled him.

[V. The Fallen-Down Carriage]

As I write this entry, the thought of Falkenhausen's gloomy face and King Kessel's cold tone in the council chamber makes Thales feel uneasy.

but……

Ginny's stern yet concerned gaze flashed through his mind.

In that instant, even Iron Fist King's icy voice didn't seem so unbearable anymore.
First, there was that group of old guards.

Thales's gaze sharpened as he took in the figures of Sackel and Barney.

Their past is closely linked to the Fuxing Palace during the bloody years.

Those branded warriors.

No, "branded warriors" would lead many interested people to find clues, so Thales simply crossed it out and wrote:

[1. The Ges]
The murderer that King Nunn assigned to him six years ago cannot be ignored either, and, well, he's also connected to the Black Sword:

[2. Map]
And then there's Hyman, his less fortunate uncle (this makes it sound like there's someone who's luckier):
[3. Cat]
After finishing writing the above five items, Thales let out a breath and took a break.

And the rest…

VI. You

you.

Thales clenched his fist, and the warning from Toros flashed through his mind: Who are you?

He shook his head.

First, the matter concerning his life: the sin of the River of Hell.

It is related to the Black Sword and the Sword of Calamity.

Thales was somewhat worried.

Black Sword has only one codename, which he shares with his weapon and his nickname. However, the man himself is inconspicuous and it's hard to think of a codename that can replace him.

But Thales suddenly remembered that Blacksword was the founder and leader of the Brotherhood, so he had a flash of inspiration and wrote:

[1. The eldest brother]
Plus Ricky:
[2. Nick who almost lost his head]
This isn't the only thing that concerns him.

Thales gripped the pen, hesitating for a long time.

But he still wrote it down:
[3. Mother]
Thales stared at the word, his doubts and sense of unfamiliarity still surging within him.

Dragon language, dragon slayers, desert, slaves, magical... countless words converge.
Ultimately, it all comes down to one name:
Seranjelana.

mother.

who are you?
Thales put down his pen and quickly glanced at the contents of the paper.

To be done...

Thales sighed:

Wow, there are so many.

Just like when writing a thesis.

Before putting pen to paper, compiling a table of contents and writing paragraph themes is always the smoothest and most convenient approach, isn't it?
At that moment, you felt as if you possessed a vast inner world, encompassing and knowing everything.

However, at the last minute, on the eve of the final draft.

How many of these boastful titles in the catalog will actually be fulfilled, how many will be filled with substance, how many will not be mere empty promises, and how many will not be completely removed from the catalog?
Just like... your confused and unknown life.

Thales stared blankly, stunned.

Fortunately, one must take things one step at a time, and many things are not in a rush.

Thales took a deep breath.

The Duke raised his eyes and stuffed the paper into the interlayer as well.

There's no time for sadness.

Too many things weigh on my shoulders, too many eyes to bear, and too many responsibilities to shoulder.

First, he needs to overcome the most pressing hurdle:
His welcome banquet was held just a few weeks later.

There, the newly appointed Duke of Starlake, the second prince, and heir to the Star Kingdom, Thales Star, will face the entire kingdom once again in six years.

"Your Majesty the Duke?"

Thales pushed open the door to the secret room with a blank expression, responding to Marius's question from outside.

He left his secrets and despondency behind, and took his optimism and resilience outside.

“Your banquet is almost all arranged, the schedule for the day, the guest list, the details,” he said, opening the door to see Marius handing him a stack of documents.
"I think it's very necessary for you to take a look beforehand and prepare."

come on.

Thales paced steadily, silently telling himself.

He smiled as he accepted the documents from Marius, who remained as calm and composed as ever.

Since six years ago, I've been heading north...

He experienced all kinds of hardships, including calamities, the assassination of the king, and the coup by rebels.

He had faced terrifying enemies of that caliber head-on, including the vampire grand duchess, the mage Giza, and Chaman Lumba.

As for the banquet on his own turf, announcing his triumphant return...

Is there any other opponent who could make him fear Ruo Si and give him a headache?
Thales calmly lowered his head.

The guest list was incredibly long and densely packed.

However, the first few on the list, just after His Majesty the King, along with their conspicuous titles and family crests, simultaneously caught Thales's eye:
【Ke Ya · Shining Star - Your Majesty the Queen】

【Val Arend – Lord of Coldhold, Duke Warden of the North】

Bob Cullen – Lord of Bright Harbor, Duke Guardian of the East Sea

【Köst Nanchuist - Lord of Junlin City, Duke Guardian of the Clifflands】

【Jane Kevindir – Lord of the Emerald City, Duke Guardian of the South Shore】

Three seconds later.

Thales put down the list, a bitter expression on his face.

This ridiculous banquet...

Can he not go?

(End of this chapter)