Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 545 That’s it

Chapter 545 That’s it
Golov and Doyle let out a sigh of relief.

For some reason, Thales also breathed a sigh of relief.

But Marius changed the subject:
"But since we can't reach an agreement, wouldn't it be best to leave the decision to the captain or His Majesty?"

Vogel snorted angrily.

"enough."

He again addressed him by his official title:
"The Watchman".

"Do you think that just because Captain Adrian indulges you, you can act recklessly and without restraint?"

This time, Marius remained calm and docile as ever:
"No, I think you must have misunderstood something, sir. I was just saying..."

“I already said,” Vogel, with all his composure, could not hide his displeasure at that moment:

"Don't lecture me."

Thales knew he couldn't pretend to be dead any longer.

“That, Lord Taren…”

“Perhaps you don’t quite understand,” Thales turned his head, raising his glass, and cheerfully interjected into their conversation:

"But to be honest, the number of people in this world who have a grudge against me, have a conflict of interest, or simply dislike me could stretch all the way to Dragon Sky City."

Vogel looked at him, the chill melting away like ice and snow, leaving only a warm smile:
"Your Excellency is exceptionally outstanding, so it is natural that you attract the jealousy of many petty people. There is no need to worry about it."

While thinking to himself that this guy's armor was even tougher than his own, Thales tried to smooth things over:

"Therefore, Lord Marius's concerns are not unfounded."

"Of course, you're right, this banquet is very important."

"Why don't we each take a step back? Lord Marius doesn't need to rashly and abruptly end the banquet, while you can more calmly investigate potential problems to ensure everything goes smoothly?"

Thales smiled elegantly, his eyes burning with a clear "Give me some face" attitude.

Marius remained silent for a moment, then bowed respectfully.

Vogel took a deep breath and suddenly smiled.

"Of course, Your Highness."

The atmosphere finally thawed.

Thales then turned around and exchanged pleasantries with the next bureaucrat who came to reminisce ("Do you recognize me? I'm the gatekeeper who guarded the city gate on the day you left for your mission...").

“That look, or the look you’ve claimed to have,” Vogel said in a low voice, adjusting his tone.
"Is this aimed at Prince Thales, His Majesty, or someone else?"

"I do not know."

Vogel's gaze turned cold again.

Marius squinted:
"Because from the angle below, His Majesty and the others are also in this direction."

All I know is that it was a... man.

"man?"

“That’s wonderful,” Vogel said sarcastically, glancing at the increasingly boisterous crowd at the banquet, fueled by the drinks.

"At least, we have a quarter fewer suspects."

"Therefore, it would be best to have His Majesty evacuate first..."

“Impossible,” Vogel refused outright.

“Perhaps your family has been out of politics for too long, Marius, but do you think a banquet is just about finishing the meal?”

Marius paused.

Vogel slowly raised his head.

It's unclear when it started, but the epic saga of Blade King's expedition has ended, and the background music has become long and majestic.

With the announcement from the chief steward, all attention turned to King Kessel's throne.

There, several nobles who had come from afar knelt sincerely, and one of the older men spoke excitedly about something.

The king nodded, speaking gently to them as he rose from his seat and walked toward them.

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

King Kessel walked up to a kneeling young man.

The young nobleman straightened up, excitedly raised his hands, and placed his palms into the king's hands.

King Kessel asked several questions, which the young man answered one by one.

Immediately, the king announced to the four kings that this man had inherited the glory and rights of his father and grandfather and had officially become a baron of a certain territory.

Thales had no choice but to join the courtiers in raising their glasses to celebrate this momentous occasion.

"It's Blade's Edge Territory, that controversial illegitimate son. He actually bypassed the Duchess and came to the capital on his own, seeking investiture and recognition..."

Whispering conversations at a long table reached Thales's hellish senses.

"It seems His Majesty has made a decision, and Duchess Lyanna must be very unhappy..."

"What nonsense! The Duchess and the entire Restoration Palace are of one mind..."

"Will his father's vassals obey?"

"Then we'll see what that illegitimate child does..."

“They dare not disobey. Just think, even His Majesty’s heir is Lord Mann’s illegitimate son…”

"Shh! It's fine if you've had too much to drink, but don't talk too much!"

Thales's face darkened.

Behind him, Vogel whispered to Marius:
"Do you see? His Majesty has so much to do on this rare occasion: public appearance, investiture, audience, commendation, reward, reprimand..."

"We can only make sure he doesn't stray too far from his seat."

But Marius was very dissatisfied.

“So during this time, quite a few people will come forward and get so close to His Majesty,” the Watchman said, slamming his wine glass down and frowning.
"Who came up with this idea? Are you all crazy?"

Vogel sneered:

"Don't push your luck, watchman."

"This was His Majesty's own decision—after he learned of the 'assassin' you saw."

Marius choked on his words.

Vogel gave a soft snort and looked back in the direction of the king.

"look carefully."

Thales narrowed his eyes, and the next nobleman stepped forward and knelt down. The court steward announced that this man was of noble birth and had sufficient merit, and according to tradition, he would soon receive the king's bestowal and become a royal knight of the kingdom.

King Kessel stretched out his arm, and behind him, two members of the royal guard stepped forward, one carrying a sword and the other a sash.

Marius's gaze sharpened:
"The one who holds the sword for His Majesty is..."

Thales quickly looked at the person holding the sword, a middle-aged guard who was not tall but sturdy and kind.

"Chief Vanguard Officer, Baron Steyer?"

Marius exclaimed in surprise, "He personally presented the sword during His Majesty's investiture ceremony?"

Golov, who belonged to the Vanguard Wing, looked at Stelli, pursed his lips, and became even more serious.

Vogel gave a soft snort, seemingly displeased with Marius's slow reaction.

"And there's also Chief Bodyguard Bridge, whose elite guard team has been secretly deployed to protect us on both sides."

Upon seeing the guards, Doyle's expression changed, as if he had recalled something unpleasant.

Vogel squinted:
"Commander, vanguard, and guards—the core three wings of the royal guard are all present, with all the elites deployed. Everyone who comes forward is closely watched, and assassins have nowhere to hide even thirty paces away."

Marius's expression returned to calm.

Thales tried to search among the guests but couldn't see anything until he switched to his Hell Senses, where he saw dozens of different lights shining from the End Force amidst the sea of people at the banquet.

"If this still doesn't put your mind at ease..."

Vogel lowered his voice, but he couldn't hide it from Thales's senses:
"His Majesty's secret guards, also known as the 'royal assassins,' were also present."

No one noticed that the prince had spilled several inches of wine.

In that instant, Thales suddenly felt that the assassin lurking in the shadows was no longer frightening.

He raised his head, looking at the empty, huge pillars and the shadows cast under the lamplight, but he was no longer uneasy.

“With the combined strength of Stelly and Maric, no one can stand against His Majesty,” Vogel glanced at Thales:

"Or it could be detrimental to the Duke."

Marius didn't speak, he just pursed his lips.

"As long as the VIPs are safe, even if an assassin appears, we can react immediately, suppress it, and turn it into a civil case of drunken misconduct or jealousy, something to talk about at the banquet."

Vogel scoffed:

"Of course, this is on the premise that assassins exist."

"Besides my men gathering intelligence, the logistics wing and the palace steward are also checking the lists and inspecting the guests' luggage and gifts. The inner city guard is on the outer perimeter, clearing out the area within a five-mile radius," the deputy captain of the guard said, becoming increasingly assertive.

"It is understood that the Kingdom's secret service is also mobilizing manpower to collect intelligence and try to find the suspect—if there really is one."

"And many more people are taking action; it's a massive mobilization."

"Just because of your... one word 'maybe'."

Vogel glared at the Watchman with displeasure.

Marius remained silent.

"Look? The moment Captain Adrian received your report, he led the entire guard to react and ensured full security."

"Don't make it sound like you're the only one who's wholeheartedly devoted to the country, while we're all just bad people who hold positions without doing our jobs."

Doyle and Golov exchanged a glance.

Just then, Marius slowly spoke.

"This is... the captain's decision?"

Vogel gave him an unpleasant glance, but did not deny it:

"I don't know why he trusts you so much, whether it's the Watchman selection or this."

Even if it's just nonsense like "someone glanced at me".

Thales could feel that Marius's breathing was quickening.

"Of course, maybe he thinks you're just unlucky and a troublemaker by nature."

Vogel sarcastically remarked, "Prepare in advance and clean up the mess."

Marius remained silent for a long time, until the ceremony reached the third person, when he finally managed to utter a single sentence:

"Thank you."

Vogel shook his head dismissively and turned to leave.

But he immediately turned around:

"Also, you'd better pray the assassin is real, because if he isn't..."

The deputy captain of the guard approached Marius, his words carrying a threatening tone:

"You should know, Watchman."

Vogel's eyes turned cold:
"You won't be the only one who's unlucky."

Marius remained silent and unmoved.

"Goodbye, Tormund. Good night, Your Highness."

Vogel bowed respectfully to Thales and left discreetly, brushing against the wall.

The Duke of Starlake's dining table fell silent.

Thales exhaled, looking at the lettuce he had unknowingly chopped into powder.

"look?"

Doyle, finally daring to begin breathing, didn't dare look at his superior's expression. He shrugged at Thales:

"Bad guy."

Golov cautiously began to speak:
"Lord, now that the Palace of Restoration has taken action... what's next..."

Marius suddenly looked up!
"Gather everyone, and as usual, set up early warning and defense arrangements," the Watchman said with a grim face.
“Yes, our colleagues at the Palace of Resurgence have taken action, but this is, after all, our territory.”

Doyle and Golov exchanged a glance. Marius turned to look at the curious Thales:
"We should take care of ourselves."

DD and the zombie quickly obeyed and left.

Leave Thales and Marius behind.

Fortunately, the investiture ceremony for the knights continued, attracting most of the attention, and far fewer people came to visit the prince.

Thales leaned back and looked at Marius, who had been frozen in place for a long time.

For some reason, looking at this unpredictable captain of the personal guard, Thales had a strange feeling:

He is in a good mood now.

"So, your relationship with your superiors, especially the second-in-command of the guard..."

Thales looked at Vogel, who had returned to the king's side, and tentatively said:
"Um, you're getting along pretty well?"

Marius tilted his head to look at his "favorite" Duke.

“In life, there are always things you don’t want to do, but you have to do,” Marius said without batting an eye, as if he hadn’t caught Thales’s sarcasm.

“We call them 'work'.”

Thales let out a strange snort.

"Just like your 'job' under me?"

"I didn't say that."

Thales was silent for a moment before forcing a polite smile: "Okay."

But that's what you think, isn't it?

He lowered his head and continued to work on the lettuce:
"but……"

Thales watched as the next Royal Knight excitedly kissed his father's ring: "What the 'bad guy' just said, yours..."

"The Young Masters' Squad?"

"What do you mean?"

Marius raised his eyes.

Thales looked at him and blinked.

“We might have an assassin hiding among the guests,” the Watchman retorted coldly, “but you seem quite relaxed.”

"My favorite Duke?"

“Oh, my favorite captain of the guard,” Thales looked at him meaningfully, brandishing the fork in his hand like a pointer, deliberately acting like a wise and experienced elder:
"If you grew up like me, and experienced everything I've experienced..."

Marius looked back at him, frowning.

Thales shrugged, tapped his plate with his fork, and looked pleased.
"Hmm, this lettuce tastes good."

Marius gave a soft snort and turned his head away.

Just when Thales thought this guy was as stubborn and unyielding as ever, the other guy spoke up.

“DD and zombies, including others.”

"They did not join your guard without a reason."

Marius gazed at Adrian, the captain of the guard beside the king, from afar:

"The Doyle family has been away from power for a long time and is unwilling to be just wealthy old men. They rack their brains to win the king's favor and try to return to the heart of the Seven Attendants, but to no avail."

"The head of the House of Gorlov held a key financial position, served the king with utmost loyalty and trepidation, and wished he could stay away from all those with ulterior motives in order to demonstrate his purity, integrity, and unwavering loyalty."

Thales' expression hardened slightly.

“In the capital, family background is both a bargaining chip for advancement and a burden that binds you.”

Marius's words carried a hint of melancholy:
"It depends on your choice."

Thales remained silent for a moment.

A bargaining chip for soaring high, but also a burden that binds one's hands and feet.

His gaze shifted to the nine-pointed star pattern on the cuff.

“Lord Marius,” Thales said calmly.
"I was thinking, perhaps you should be the one taking etiquette lessons, while Ms. Ginny continues to instruct me in martial arts?"

"I can't ask for it."

“Unfortunately, a king’s command is hard to disobey,” Marius replied with a light hum, which made Thales even more certain that he was in a good mood.

Thales didn't want to let this opportunity slip by.

"how about you?"

The prince rolled his eyes:

"And why did you join my guard and become its leader?"

Marlowe paused for a moment.

"you know."

Marius glanced at him sideways, remaining as calm as ever.

"Work."

Thales furrowed his brow.

Damn, that's exactly what you were thinking.

"When will you introduce your family to me?"

Thales said, seemingly casually:

“Look at the ‘Razor’ Marius family, who are qualified to marry the princess, what do they want?”

"Are they a burden to you, or a bargaining chip?"

For a moment, Thales trembled involuntarily.

Just now, the Sin of the Prison River seemed to... jump?
Thales looked up in surprise: Marius was still standing there, frowning as he looked at him.

"what happened?"

Thales looked at him and gave an awkward laugh:
“I didn’t mention the past grievances between you and my aunt—okay, I’m bringing them up now.”

Marius frowned.

Thales shrugged and tentatively teased:
"So, am I still your favorite Duke?"

Marius stared at him for a long time—not just any kind of stare, but the kind that made Thales slightly uneasy, like the kind of stare a ghost would give you when it appeared out of nowhere in a horror movie and stared at the protagonist.

Just as Thales was about to turn around, Marius spoke up.

"Let's do it another day, Your Highness."

Thales asked in confusion:

"another day?"

Marius nodded, regaining his composure.

“Another day, I can take you to the East Hill Cemetery in Aven Hill outside the DC area.”

"Let me introduce my family to you."

“Okay…” Thales readily agreed, but then realized something was amiss:
"Wait, you said, cemetery?"

Marius nodded, his smile fresh and natural.

"Yes."

"My grandparents, parents, uncles, brothers and sisters..."

Marius's voice was quite deep, and coupled with his smiling gaze, Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

“All my blood relatives in the Marius family, those I can find in the family tree.”

"Everyone."

"They're all buried there."

Marius spoke calmly.

It's like talking about someone else.

Except that he kept staring at Thales, his eyes never leaving him.

"Shall I introduce you two?"

Thales chuckled and stiffly turned his head back.

"Hehe, well, you know..."

The prince, fiddling with the plate, said awkwardly:

"This lettuce is really good."

Thales knew that the Watchman's good mood was over.

Just like his luck tonight.

Because a dozen minutes later, a man arrived uninvited, sat down next to Thales, and smiled at him.

Do you remember the first time we met?

"It's quite a coincidence. At that time, I happened to see you being chased by assassins, and I just happened to save your life... Looking back now, maybe it was destiny?"

Thales looked helplessly at the newcomer, then waved to Marius, who was looking this way, to signal that things were normal and to calm the Star Lake Guards who were on high alert around them.

Why this guy...?

It happens to be this time...

"I'm a bit busy, I don't have time to reminisce with you about the past and present."

The prince, without any hesitation, addressed him by his first name:
“Jane.”

However, the owner of the irises, the Duke of the South Bank, Jann Kevin Deer, raised his glass to him, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"Is that so? That's a pity."

"I thought that you, who have survived so many life-threatening situations, would be particularly concerned about the current situation of your old enemies—I only recently received this information."

Thales was taken aback.

"An old enemy?"

Jenn, he talked about the assassination attempt when we first met...

And the enemy who once tried to assassinate me...

Thales instinctively looked at Duke Aaron.

“Oh no, not the Duke of the North, and his current situation is all too clear,” Duke Jann set down his wine glass, his gaze intense.

"I'm talking about that cunning, unpredictable, insane, and ruthless person..."

Thales was taken aback.

"Having nothing to his name, he wanders the world on the run..."

Jenn enunciated softly:

"Yet, with every move, they can still catch us off guard and leave us utterly humiliated..."

The Duke snorted coldly:
"Ms. Serena Corleone".