Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 546 Not to Die for the Enemy (Part 1)

Indeed, Thales hadn't thought of that name for a very long time.

Serena Corleone.

He even had to admit that, many times, he deliberately sealed it away deep in his memory.

I don't want to think about it, and I hate thinking about it.

But when it sounded again, he still felt that deep-seated discomfort.

Betrayal is the true essence of alliance.

As the memory became clearer, just as that face was about to reappear in his mind, Thales suddenly looked up and focused his attention on what was in front of him.

"What do you want to do?"

The prince looked at Jenn suspiciously:

Why bring her up?

In the center of the hall, the investiture ceremony was still underway, with nobles occasionally walking up the steps and kneeling before the king's seat.

Duke Iris smiled slightly and raised his wine glass to the boy:
"Your Highness, you might as well consider this a... banquet gift from me."

Thales remained motionless, his gaze cold and indifferent.

Jann waited for a long time, but the young man showed no intention of raising his glass in response.

He didn't take offense, and with a smile, put down his wine glass.

But Jenn immediately frowned and looked around:

"Is this just my imagination, or are your guards really much more tense and strict than usual?"

"What, do you suspect I would plot against His Highness?"

Thales' heart tightened, but his expression remained unchanged:
"My personal guard captain is meticulous and demanding."

Thales smiled at Marius and Golov, repeatedly indicating to their men that they shouldn't be nervous:
Duke Starlake turned around, his gaze intense:

"As for their suspicion of you... well, you can't really blame them for that."

"You know, I still haven't fully processed the gift you gave me when we parted ways six years ago."

Jenn curled the corners of his mouth:

"Then you need this gift even more—it will help you digest the previous one."

"How about it?"

Thales gave a sarcastic snort.

With emotions that were difficult for outsiders to express, they silently gazed at each other for a few seconds.

Finally, Thales spoke softly:

"Then, Serena, where is she?"

Jenn smiled.

He gracefully raised his hand, beckoning a waiter, and under Thales' displeased gaze, ordered a plate of beef. Only then, amidst the soft clatter of cutlery against the plate, did he speak unhurriedly:
"Six years ago, after causing great losses to both of us, that ruthless and ambitious woman from the Kingdom of Night spent some time recuperating in the Star Realm."

It was as if this was just an ordinary chat.

Thales pondered for a moment.

"That's really something."

"She's caused so much trouble and offended so many people," Thales sneered, recalling the threats and harm she had inflicted upon him.

"She actually dares to stay in Xingchen?"

But Thales paused immediately.

He looked up and stared intently at Jenn, incredulous.

Jan picked up a piece of beef and looked back at him with a smile.

Thales understood something.

"you."

With a slight look of surprise, Thales frowned and said:

"I guess after you completely broke with the Corleone family, the ugly woman—I mean, the traitor Serena Corleone—became your natural ally?"

"You helped her?"

Jann only tasted two pieces before stopping, maintaining his smile as he wiped his lips with a napkin.

"After you drove Lady Serena away, I did, well, provide her with some shelter."

really.

The surprise on Thales' face slowly faded.

“I remember someone telling me this,” the boy said, looking at him dismissively.
"To share a boat with wolves is to risk capsizing."

For a fleeting moment, Jenn's expression froze.

"Especially before you and Serena Corleone were all lovey-dovey and in love."

Half sincere, half sarcastic, Thales snorted:

"Believe me, this is based on experience."

Jann was silent for a moment.

But in just a fraction of a second, Duke Iris raised his head and resumed his polite smile.

“Yes, absolutely,” he nodded politely, “and I discovered that myself later.”

A slight chill ran through Jenn's eyes:
"Especially after she broke free of her shackles, drained several of my men dry, and left without saying goodbye."

Break free from shackles...

Thales looked completely at ease:
"It seems that the protection you've given her is not very good either."

However, since it's Serena, let's put shackles on her...

Yes, little Janne.

The prince silently gave him a thumbs up in his heart:
Nice job.

Inside the hall, the investiture ceremony finally came to an end.

As the music resumed, the performers returned to the stage, and the lively and noisy atmosphere once again became the main theme of the banquet. Perhaps as time passed and the effects of the alcohol took hold, the guests, whether calling out to friends or gathering in small groups, became increasingly unrestrained and free.

Thales also saw many male and female guests disappear one after another in the same place, and not return for a long time.

King Kessel returned to his seat, but the queen had already left, and he looked somewhat lonely.

The king glanced at Thales briefly before looking away.

His royal guards remained as serious as ever, but Thales, who knew the inside story, could clearly sense that they had breathed a sigh of relief.

The assassin did not appear.

It's a good thing.

It's also a bad thing.

Jan raised his glass, his gaze subtle, and pulled Thales back to the current conversation.

“The sea routes to the East are highly profitable,” Duke Iris said, inhaling the aroma of the wine.
"Since the misfortune six years ago, the Kevin Deer family has been seeking an opportunity to repair relations with the Corleone family and reconcile."

"So I think that the family criminals they are hunting might be a breakthrough."

Thales raised his eyebrows.

"Reconcile? After you tried to use the Queen of Night to kill the Prince of Stars?"

The prince revealed the truth without any qualms, his tone laced with sarcasm:

"It might not be that easy."

“We have to give it a try,” Jenn smiled again, perfectly elegant.

"I would rather die for a friend than for an enemy."

Thales shook his head dismissively.

But a small voice inside him said:

No.

If the Kevin Deer family really did tie that ugly old hag up and present her as a gift to her sister...

Thales withdrew his gaze from Jenn and frowned.

They might actually reconcile.

Fortunately, Serena broke free of her shackles and was not caught by Jann.

Yeah, ugly-faced woman.

Thales secretly nodded to his mortal enemy:
Nice job.

As the prince pondered this, he put a piece of lettuce into his mouth:

"But you said you had the latest news about her."

Jenn nodded:
"In short, after that, we paid extra attention to Ms. Serena's whereabouts."

"For the past six years, this exiled political figure from the Night Kingdom has been constantly on the move, appearing everywhere from Lywall to Sanlast. Until a few days ago, she was spotted at the Free Alliance."

since……

Thales paused for a moment, then looked up.

"where?"

Jenn smiled.

"That's right. The Freedom Alliance, which is in dire straits, is doing everything it can to survive, regardless of dignity or cost, and it urgently seeks out like-minded people from all walks of life to join the fight for justice."

"From criminals to mercenaries, from thugs to thugs, they take in all sorts of people to resist the unjust invasion from Exter."

"And Ms. Serena was one of them, and was treated as a distinguished guest."

Ugly-faced woman in... the Freedom Alliance?
Help defend against Exter?

The news brought by Gilbert—the collapse of Exte and the manager's whereabouts unknown—flashed through his mind.

Selma's resolute and unyielding face, which she endured with great effort, also appeared before him.

But what followed was the increasingly clear image of Serena Corleone, who possessed two faces—one serious and adorable, one beautiful and one ruthless—and was both big and small.

Thales' heart sank, his mind in turmoil.

No way?
It's you again, you old hag!
His neck and wrists, the places where he had been bitten by vampires, once again felt strange sensations.

“Of course, this involves Exter, and perhaps you know more about it than I do. What do you think?” Jann took a sip of his drink.

Thales stared at the other man's glass and shook his head dismissively.

"Drinking poison to quench thirst."

"Anything that old hag has been involved in, no matter what, is bound to be bad."

Jann raised an eyebrow, not denying it.

Thales fell into deep thought, while Jann remained silent. The two sat facing each other in silence for a while.

Until Thales came to his senses:
That's all? Nothing else?

Jenn looked up at him:
"that's it."

Thales pursed his lips, nodded, and gestured for him to leave.

"So……"

At that moment, Jann raised his arm and pointed at a nobleman in the crowd who was flushed from drinking but was beaming with pride as he accepted the congratulations of the crowd:
“Look, that’s the Loxinant family. After two generations of hard work, they have finally become hereditary vassals.”

Jenn's tone was somewhat drawn out:
"I just don't know how long it can last?"

Thales frowned slightly, pondering the other party's intentions.

But the Duke of Iris's words took him by surprise.

“Thales,” Jenn said, his gaze deep and his voice low as he looked at Lord Lossant in the crowd.

Do you know how the relationship between a lord and his vassal came about?

Thales was slightly surprised.

This was the first time tonight that the other party had addressed Thales by his first name, without any titles or appellations.

The prince looked at the other person with suspicion.

The Duke, the guardian of the south bank, seemed to be lost in thought, and said to himself:
"When humanity had just emerged from the Age of Ignorance, when kings stood side by side and empires had not yet been established, the world was not peaceful."

“In times of war and chaos, the weak would attach themselves to and submit to powerful kings who had armies and land, seeking protection.”

“Those who were protected, in exchange, had to go to the land that belonged to the king, lead their families and friends to cultivate the land, herd livestock, work and produce, and serve him in exchange for security.”

Jann turned his gaze to the line of guests who were coming forward to pay their respects to the king:
“Shavin, the Northlands, the Rocky Ridge, Ludor, the Distant Mountains, Thorneland… all the ancient kingdoms of mankind were established in this way, with almost no exceptions.”

Jenn squinted, looking at King Kessel in the distance:
"Security is the king's duty and the vassal's right."

Safety.

Thales suddenly remembered the oath he had taken in Valhalla during King Chaman's coronation:

As a northerner, I will shoulder this heavy responsibility. As the king of the entire realm, I will rely on my wisdom and magnanimity to stand at the forefront of the kingdom.

As the king of the entire realm, standing at the very forefront of the kingdom...

Is it.

Thales recalled that day when Charman donned that blood-stained crown and looked down down at the crowd chanting "Long live the King!"

“Labor service was the duty of the vassal and the right of the king.”

Jenn smiled slightly, seemingly with disdain:

"Look, the essence of the monarch-subject order is actually just a transaction."

"I work for you, and you protect me."

He stared intently at the guests below the banquet hall, who were drinking and chatting animatedly.

“If a vassal is no longer able to work, serve, or pay taxes, then the king has the right to expel the vassal and reclaim the land.”

He turned his head again to look at King Catherine V, who was looking down indifferently from the highest point of the banquet.

“If the king is no longer able to defend against foreign enemies and ensure safety, then the vassal has the right to abandon the king and seek another lord.”

Thales frowned deeply.

He knew what the other party was going to say.

Jan turned around and gazed silently at the prince.

"This right and this matter are natural rights and established by convention."

Thales had a strange feeling: the usually friendly and approachable Duke of the South Bank suddenly seemed to be showing his sharp edge.

"The same applies to vassals and their vassals, lords and their people. This is the cornerstone of our rule, a contract, and a covenant."

Jenn said softly:
"Binary, two-way, two sides, both sides of a balance, both ends of a road."

"It can happen when the scales tilt."

"You have to increase your investment on one side to restore balance."

Jann stared intently at Thales, his tone calm and his gaze indifferent, but for some reason, Thales still felt as if he were being firmly locked onto.

The prince looked at the bustling banquet hall, listened to the seductive music around him, and slowly inhaled.

"I can't say you're wrong."

Thales looked back at Jenn and said seriously:

"At least, not entirely wrong."

Jann stared at him for several seconds before chuckling softly, it was unclear whether he was laughing at the statement or at Thales himself.

The well-mannered and reputable Duke of Kevin Deer turned his head, raised his glass, and his demeanor gradually became casual and relaxed:
"Interestingly, compared to us, in many places in the East, from Hampur to Suye, from Ligurbang to the Great Khanate, the rulers there truly held absolute power, with no one to dictate terms, and the monarch alone was supreme."

"Almost divine."

He took a sip of his drink and said softly:
"Even surpassing the empire."

Thales exhaled:

“I remember now, you said you once traveled to the Eastern Continent.”

Yes, he's a returnee from overseas.

Jann gave a soft hum and swirled his wine glass.

Thales raised an eyebrow at Jenn's unusually casual demeanor:
"so what?"

Jenn's eyes gleamed as he continued:

"From what I have seen and heard, the people there are simple and kind, but numb and forbearing. From top to bottom, they are trembling with fear of the supreme power, full of awe, and even worship and admiration."

"From life to death, they believed that the king who ruled them was incredibly sacred, that obedience to the traditions of their ancestors was paramount, and that as servants, their only duty—or rather, their glory—was to submit to their fate throughout their lives?"

Jenn's fingers gripped the wine glass tightly:

"Among them, the most highly regarded morality was the hope that the monarch, who was high above, would be virtuous and benevolent, and the expectation that the officials who ruled the world would be discerning and discerning. If the ruler was not benevolent, the subjects would at most remonstrate with their deaths, moving heaven and earth to make him change his mind—their books were full of such stories, which they regarded as models."

“Some people told me that it’s determined by their history and traditions, their nature and habits, and that there’s some truth to it. Although I think most of the time, it’s just helpless self-deception.”

Thales did not speak.

Jenn turned his head.

This time, he turned away from his distant memories and looked intently at Prince Thales before him:
"During my travels, I couldn't help but wonder, in such places, once a monarch goes to extremes of perversion and the government becomes unbearably dark and corrupt, is the discontent of the common people and servants simply due to tradition and a lack of justification, thus becoming mild, weak, and utterly harmless?"

His tone turned cold:

"Or is it because of long-term repression with nowhere to vent that they become more violent and bloodthirsty, leaving no room for mercy?"

Thales shuddered.

At this moment, he felt as if he had returned to the Ghost Prince Tower, and the person in front of him was the hideous Falkenhaus.

A spirited horse will not yield to an iron whip, nor will its rider cease the whipping.

"Are they better than us?"

"Or is it worse?"

Janne stared intently at him, as if demanding an answer from the prince:

"Us, and them."

Which is more in line with the future of the world?

Thales remained silent for a long time.

During this time, he even forgot that he was still at the banquet, the king was still at his seat, his loyal subordinates were still trying to find a possible assassin, and thousands of miles away, the girl he had once shared life and death with might still be imprisoned.

Jann simply waited for him quietly, his gaze deep and his intentions unclear.

Finally, Thales took a deep breath and slowly spoke:
"I believe we are neither qualified nor necessary to judge or compare."

"Let alone the future."

Jenn frowned, seemingly somewhat disappointed.

But Thales raised his head, looking at the shadowy, bustling banquet hall before him, and said earnestly:
"But I believe that everything has its origin."

"I also believe that everything is in constant flux."

"I also believe that all things are different in form."

Jenn's eyebrows furrowed more and more tightly.

“I believe even more strongly that, no matter when, where, what, or who,” Thales looked at him, his gaze resolute:

"History itself will choose the future that is most suitable for itself."

Jann pondered for a moment, then smiled.

"history?"

"You're making it sound like a person who can make decisions on its own."

Thales raised his eyebrows:
Isn't it?

Janne seemed puzzled.

But Thales simply picked up a lettuce and examined it closely:

"The age of ignorance is over, and the annals of kings and the imperial calendar are long gone."

He said, seemingly casually:
"As the number of vassals increases and the territory under rule expands, the basic administrative affairs become more and more complicated, even the most powerful king will find it impossible to reach every corner and attend to every aspect."

Thales suddenly remembered King Nunn.

But he was not the domineering, mature, and ruthless natural-born king.

Instead, it was after the duel that he sat on the steps with the old man, holding a glass of old wine, his family destroyed, lonely and dejected.

"Therefore, many things on the land had to be decided by the vassals themselves, after they had to put down their hoes."

Thales muttered to himself:

"And after the vassal dies, the king has no energy to take back every piece of land, big or small, and then give it away again."

The prince raised his head, his expression gradually becoming serious:

"As a result, the land that was originally entrusted to vassals gradually became a tradition of father to son succession and generational inheritance. The affairs of the fiefdom were decided by the vassals themselves."

“The property of a fiefdom thus becomes the private property of the lord and cannot be easily taken away by the monarch or seized by others.”

Thales looked at the Duke of Iris:

“Vassals and lords like you have thus stepped onto the stage, becoming protagonists of history, ambitious and enterprising.”

"Thus the kingdom developed, its subordinates were layered, its civilization expanded, and its rule increased."

Thales said seriously:

"Thus, we have the stars we see today."

Jann's expression also became serious.

But the Duke of the South Bank didn't know that at this moment, Thales wasn't thinking about the Star Kingdom.

He thought of Exter.

If, when the hero Nekaru founded his kingdom, he hadn't bestowed the power of ruling over his nine knights—each a man of great talent and ambition—into their own ranks, allowing them to raise their banners and conquer new territories in different directions, spreading their fame and glory throughout the North…

Would the Kingdom of Exter still have its vast territory and illustrious reputation today?

Will there even be kingdoms?
Jann scoffed softly.

"Interesting. So you believe that our autonomy, self-governance, and independence as vassals are natural and divinely ordained?"

He looked at Thales with great interest.

Thales snapped out of his daze and smiled.

"I'm not finished yet."

“When private ownership of fiefdoms becomes the consensus, the power of the vassals reaches its zenith,” Thales said slowly.
"Some of them are even more capable of standing on equal footing with a king of a country."

Before his eyes appeared the scene of King Chaman's coronation, the king who had murdered his own parents standing tall with his eyes as cold as ice, yet burning with fire.

The dragon-scale crown stood firmly on his head.

but……

Thales looked up and pursed his lips.

In that scene, the one standing quietly in front of Chaman Lumba was not the former King Nuen.

Rather, it is that towering peak atop Longxiao Mountain, enduring thousands of years of wind and rain, deep and dark, magnificent and splendid…

Valhalla.

Thales felt a slight difficulty breathing.

Before it, the once incredibly terrifying King Chaman appeared lonely, thin, and insignificant.

Thales gritted his teeth:
"But it is precisely because this trend is becoming stronger that authority is gradually disintegrating, traditions are slowly changing, and fiefdoms are no longer rigid entrustments in the hands of the king. They are liberated and become a land deed, which can circulate and change in the hands of different people, affect the livelihoods of countless people rooted in them, and arouse endless disputes surrounding power and interests."

"Thus, vassals each pursued their own interests, people each pledged allegiance to their respective lords, lords waged war against each other, and territories and borders changed back and forth, all of which originated from this."

What flashed before his eyes were both Grand Duke Pefit, whose neck had been broken in the duel, and King Nunn's head lying in a pool of blood.

And then there were Charman Rumba's gleaming, cold eyes.

"When land disputes in the kingdom intensify, when the boundaries between king and vassal become blurred, when the contracts of security and labor gradually fail, and when the last vestige of traditional dignity vanishes, the kingdom on the land is on the verge of peril."

He took a deep breath and continued:
"So, the traditions and systems you mentioned, originally created for security, have gone too far and ended up harming themselves..."

"...end security."

In his imagination, Thales gazed silently at the terrifying king who stood alone facing Valhalla.

His steps were firm and unwavering, never wavering, let alone weak.

But, Chaman Rumba.

What you will face...

But the next moment, Thales was horrified!
For a fleeting moment, it seemed as if the scene before him had changed.

The figure standing before him was no longer King Chaman.

Instead, it was another young man whom he had never seen before, yet who was extremely familiar with him.

The young man was tall and straight, but he was all alone.

Thales was stunned.

He saw that the other person was wearing a gleaming silver crown adorned with nine stars.

And what lies ahead for the youth...

Thales turned his gaze away with difficulty.

He saw it, like a dome pressing down on the youth...

It is a black pyramid that rises abruptly from the ground, reaching for the sky, serene yet deathly still, vast yet heavy, magnificent yet cumbersome.

Thales's breath caught in his throat for a moment.

It is that which lies dormant and patient under the starry sky, takes root in the sunset, and remains resilient and steadfast under the storm...

Fuxing Palace.

The daily sword has returned in its restored glory! Gentlemen, pay homage to your king! (Monthly pass reward!)

(One more chapter, missing an ending. I'll write it tomorrow morning.)
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(End of this chapter)