Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 549 Duke of Kingtals
"Bang! Boom!"

Several loud thuds came from the banquet, accompanied by gasps from the crowd.

Because he was prepared, Thales did not panic, but just as he subconsciously stood up, Marius next to him shoved him without any mercy!
The force was so great that he almost suspected his personal guard captain was the assassin.

Before Thales could react, three burly men from the Starlake Guard's wing—Bastia, Franzuc, and Ferry—appeared out of nowhere and pounced on him!
Together with Gollov, they formed a wall around the Duke of Starlake, completely and impenetrably surrounding him.

"High alert! Guardian wings in position! Vanguard wings reporting!"

Marius's voice came from between the four burly men: "Never mind what happened..."

"Protect His Highness and get him to safety!"

So the four city walls supported him, and he moved forward, stumbling and unstoppable.

The burly Thales felt a darkness before his eyes, with half his face pressed against Bastia's muscular abs, the pressure from his armor causing him excruciating pain.

For a full five seconds, he could only struggle to spread his arms wide, carving a path through the four thick walls of human flesh:
"No...don't push...give me some space, please..."

Meanwhile, the commotion at the banquet grew louder and louder, with the occasional thud of tables and chairs colliding, shouts from male guests, and screams from female guests.

"My God!"

"Quickly pull them apart!"

"No! Baron!"

Damn it, what happened?!
Fortunately, Thales had only moved a few meters in frustration when the anxious voice of the deputy captain of the guard, Vogel, rang out:
"Damn it, Royal Guard, calm down!"

"That wasn't an assassination attempt at all; it was far removed from us..."

It was simply a lifesaver.

Thales felt his feet stop.

“Wait a minute,” Marius’s voice rang out, “let’s take another look.”

The next second, light returned to Thales' eyes.

Although still surrounded by several guards, having regained the ability to breathe, he managed to stand up, supporting himself on Ferry's shoulder.
"what happens……"

Taking advantage of his higher seat in the Duke of Starlake, Thales looked toward the center of the commotion.

The guests in the banquet hall all stood on tiptoe, curiously crowding around one spot.

In the crowd of onlookers was an open space: a long table had been overturned, dishes and tableware were scattered all over the ground, and many guests had fallen over and were being helped up by those around them in a disheveled state.

What are you doing?
Thales didn't understand what was happening at the banquet.

But he could see that the dukes' long table was also tense:
The royal guards ushered the displeased Jann into a corner, while his butler leisurely followed with his master's wine glass.

One-eyed Köst angrily shoved away two guards who tried to drag him away, but the guards dared not speak out against their anger.

Duke Arend received the same treatment as Thales, and was immediately surrounded by the guards of the Flag Wing.

The two commanders of the guard present were on high alert, their faces grave: Marius was nervously communicating with the Star Lake Guard, while Vogel was also giving orders to the men from the Palace of Restoration, but the latter kept sending people out, while the former kept gathering people back.

"Go and find out what happened right away. If it was something like drunken misconduct, suppress it no matter how big the commotion is, and we'll talk about it tomorrow..." This was Vogel.

“Maintain the highest level of alert,” Marius’s voice rang out, utterly vigilant.

"Protect His Highness. This commotion may have been caused by assassins. Seize the opportunity to strike..."

Doyle was initially annoyed that he hadn't managed to squeeze into Thales' "protective quartet" right away, but after hearing this, he was full of confidence: "Leave it to me, sir!"

He struggled to move to Thales' side:
"With me here, even if the entire Mindis Hall were to explode, no one would be able to touch a single hair on His Highness's head..."

But right now.

"Hey, DD..."

Franz, the tallest and with the best view, stared at the restless crowd and hesitated:
"That looks like...your father."

Doyle was taken aback:
"what?"

He quickly slipped out of the guard wing formation, stood on tiptoe, and grabbed Franzooke's shoulder.

Not only Doyle, but everyone else was also taken aback.

Having seen the truth, Franzük stammered:

"He must have been drunk and...fighting with someone?"

Thales squinted:
Sure enough, a figure who bore a resemblance to old Baron Doyle was thrown to the ground and dragged along, screaming incessantly.

Some people tried to rush up to stop them, but it didn't seem to work.

The surrounding crowd was shouting, and they kept retreating as the center of the conflict shifted.

“Oh no, this occasion,” Doyle realized the situation, jumped up and down in anger, and scratched his head in frustration:

"Damn old man... I'm truly impressed by you..."

DD gripped his weapon, instinctively ready to charge, but Marius shoved him back to Thales' side, his usual composure replaced by blatant anger.

"Stay at your post, Danny Doyle!"

Doyle snapped out of his daze and sheepishly returned to his formation.

“Indeed, it’s that slippery, greedy, opportunistic old baron,” Vogel said, frowning as he approached Marius.
"He can actually fight people?"

Several servants rushed over, helping the guests affected by the conflict while trying to maintain order.

But the next moment, the man dragging Baron Doyle turned around and threw the two servants several meters away!
"The setting sun!"

"Stop fighting!"

"Good! Well done! Keep fighting! Keep hitting them! We northerners support you!"

"Help him!"

"Step back! There's nothing to see here!"

Many high-status and well-mannered guests tried their best to maintain order, asking everyone to step back, and the crowd shouted to move a little further out.

Marius and Vogel both frowned.

Well, Thales doesn't know if Baron Doyle can fight.

But he could tell that the Baron's opponent was really good at fighting.

Seeing this, Il was extremely anxious.

"Pass the message down: maintain the highest level of alert, with the vanguard patrolling the outer perimeter," Marius ordered in a low voice after receiving the report.

Clearly, Vogel no longer had the leisure to criticize Marius; he was equally serious.

"Focus your attention, keep an eye on suspicious individuals. Now is a good time to fish in troubled waters, and we must also protect the other distinguished guests present."

"Get the emergency response team moving. Whatever it is—jealousy or drunken tantrums—suppress it immediately..."

but……

"No, Lord Taren."

Marius stared intently at the two men at the center of the conflict, interrupting Vogel:
“I recognize that look.”

Marius's next words made everyone tense:

"That's the assassin."

Thales was startled.

"what?"

Doyle's eyes widened: "My dad? An assassin?"

DD gave an awkward laugh twice:
"Hehe, no, sir, please stop joking. With his skill level, he might not even be able to beat my stepmother's pet cat..."

But as Doyle spoke, he realized something.

His face turned pale, and he subconsciously looked towards the arena.

"Ahhh, no, no, I won't kill anyone!"

A high-pitched, shrill female voice rang out from the crowd!
"Blood! There's blood!"

Thales only caught a glimpse of a flash of cold light before the crowd at the banquet retreated once more!

The next second, he was once again surrounded by the royal guards, and all he could hear were the sounds coming from all around him.

"Why don't you stop them!"

"Help!"

"There are people injured!"

"That's unnecessary!"

Thales squeezed through a tiny gap to peek out from under Golov's armpit.

"Don't panic. Just stay at your posts and protect His Highness and the nobles. Let others handle the situation," Marius coldly commanded.

“But sir, my father—” Doyle seemed to be still anxiously pleading.

At this moment, an angry and deep male voice broke the silence, echoing throughout the banquet hall:
"Quiet!"

I don't want to hurt you!

"Anyone who doesn't want to die, get out of the way!"

Thales was blocked behind Golover and couldn't see anything, but the noise of the crowd seemed to stop abruptly, turning into a rustling whisper.

"No, sir, we should stop this immediately... Father!" It was DD's voice again. He suddenly shouted, followed by the sound of footsteps.

Marius's furious voice rang out:

"Damn it, Golov, stop him!"

Thales felt a sudden release in front of him, and his vision returned: Golov grabbed Doyle around the waist as he tried to rush forward, and slammed him to the ground.

As for the hall...

"What are you doing?"

Vogel stared incredulously at the center of the banquet hall:
A young male nobleman, his eyes blazing with anger, held the bruised and trembling old Baron Doyle hostage with his left hand, while his right hand held a gleaming, sharp short sword.

"Back off! Everyone!" he warned.

As he turned, the short sword continued to point at the surrounding crowd.

Wherever the sword tip pointed, the crowd retreated in a circle until the open space grew larger and larger, leaving only him and the Baron.

"That sword... how did he get his hands on the weapon? We've seen all the guests..."

Vogel was both shocked and furious, and repeatedly summoned his men.

"It's not important anymore." Marius didn't seem to care much about the "assassin" on the other side.

The Watchman first turned around and looked Thales over, only to find that the Duke, who was full of curiosity, was just disheveled and had a slightly messy hairstyle:
"The important thing is that he got it."

Thales, firmly "locked" within the three-sided human wall, blinked frantically, utterly bewildered by the scene of hostage-taking.

“What’s going on—get him up, Golov, with your size, don’t keep pressing him down.”

Golov then got up, pulled up DD, who looked unwilling, and patted him on the shoulder.

In the lobby, several respected guests stepped forward and tried to persuade the young man holding the hostage:

"Calm down, sir..."

"There's no need to draw swords..."

"Any conflict can be resolved through gradual communication..."

"Gentlemen, the weather is so nice, why don't you sit down and have a drink?"

As they were talking, two guards from the Mindis Hall seized the opportunity to pounce from behind, trying to subdue the hostage-taker!
But Thales saw the young man smash Baron Doyle's sword hilt hard, causing the latter to fall to the ground in pain, and then he immediately turned around!

The sword flashed.

"Cang! Cang!"

With a few soft sounds, the young man's figure darted among the guards surrounding him. One guard fell to his knees in pain, kicked several meters away by the other man, while another guard screamed, his weapon falling to the ground, clutching his bleeding arm as he staggered backward.

Upon witnessing the bloodshed, gasps of horror rose from the crowd once more!
Moments later, reinforcements arrived. Three guards pushed through the crowd, but stopped just before they rushed forward.

"Take a step forward!"

The young man grabbed Baron Doyle by the collar, and a short sword was placed against his neck:

"He really died."

The young man was not particularly handsome, but his eyes were incredibly resolute.

The crowd whispered among themselves, and countless eyes turned to them, including many important figures.

Only Thales frowned slightly:
The person before me, this "assassin"...

He looks somewhat familiar.

Marius's gaze darkened:
"That skill..."

Vogel, who was watching the situation unfold with surprise, nodded after a change in expression.
"Quite impressive."

"And then there's the style—the poses are beautiful, the moves are exquisite, the angles are tricky," Marius mused.
"It is the Tower of the End, the swordsmanship of the 'Rose' lineage."

“The art of the Tower of the End…you mean,” Vogel said gravely.

"A nobleman from out of town?"

Marius nodded:

"possible."

Just then, a shrill female voice rang out from nowhere:

"You despicable bastard!"

A heavily made-up noblewoman broke free from the crowd's obstruction, raised a plate, and charged at the assassin as if she were insane!
Both the guards and the hostage-takers were startled.

"I'm going to fight you to the death!"

The woman slammed her plate down on the young man, who did not retaliate but simply dragged the old baron backward, looking utterly disheveled.

Unable to bear it any longer, he roared and slammed into the woman, knocking her down two meters away.

The old baron exclaimed in surprise.

“You’d better step back, Mrs. Doyle,” the young man gritted his teeth, his sword pressed firmly against the trembling Baron Doyle.
"I don't have a habit of being violent towards women."

Baroness Doyle, disheveled and tear-streaked, struggled to her feet, hysterical:

"If you want to harm my husband!"

"Then you'd better kill me first!"

The young man gritted his teeth, while the old baron, who was being held hostage, exhaled painfully.

"Damn woman, what good are you coming up here?" the old baron roared.

"Back off!"

Sitting on the ground, Lady Doyle, tears streaming down her face, paled upon hearing this: "What?"

"What did you call me?"

His true colors were revealed in an instant.

Baron Doyle instinctively shuddered.

“I mean, darling, please step back,” the baron’s voice softened, and he forced an ugly smile beneath the blade:

"Listen to him, step back, and protect yourself."

"Only in this way can I live."

Just then, an angry male voice rushed into the arena!

"Let him go!"

"Let go of my father!"

Thales was startled. He then realized that Doyle had somehow broken free from Golover's supervision, left the formation, and rushed onto the field.

He charged toward his father!

Vogel frowned at Marius, who stared grimly at the ashamed Glov.

The crowd at the banquet gasped again, and no one bothered to try to maintain order or evacuate the guards.

Doyle charged forward with incredible speed, smashing past the guards in an instant, and his longsword was drawn!
"clang!"

Left with no other choice, the young man exchanged a sword strike with DD.

"Come at me if you have any problems!"

Doyle was furious, and his swordplay became wide and direct.

"A coward who bullies the weak and fears the strong!"

This was the first time Thales had seen DD draw his sword.

Contrary to Thales's usual impression of him, Doyle, who was glib and carefree, had swordsmanship that appeared upright, bright, and magnificent.

His steps were steady, his movements were smooth, and he was adept at both offense and defense.

In just two moves, the hostage-taker was forced to retreat continuously.

"Your father?"

In two seconds, the hostage-taker sneered while simultaneously defending himself.

"Your father! A bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong? Hahaha!"

But this is not a fair fight.

The young man kicked up a wine glass at his feet, and by the time Doyle deflected the glass, the hostage-taker's sword was already at the old baron's neck.

"Step back, or I'll kill him right now!"

The young man pushed the baron in front of him, blocking Doyle's view.

His voice was venomous, even more so than DD's!

Doyle was furious and shocked, his knight's sword trembling uncontrollably.

"Ah! You shameless coward!"

But the young man remained unmoved and even defiantly grabbed the old baron's hair.

The old baron spat out a harsh "Pah!"

“You brat,” Baron Doyle said with difficulty, his face bruised and swollen.
"This is your father's business... Take your mother and get out!"

DD gasped for breath, but in the end he lowered his sword, stepped back, and helped his stepmother up.

Thales couldn't help but speak up:

"Lord Marius, perhaps we..."

But the next moment, Marius interrupted him with a somber voice, each word dripping with unbearable chill:
"Drag that guy back—even if you have to break his legs." Thales was momentarily speechless.

The Star Lake Guards looked at each other in bewilderment. Three of them stepped forward, accepted the order, and left.

Doyle may have been skilled, but two fists can't fight six hands: Piloga thwarted his resistance, Kommuto restrained his struggle, and the young Neshi was the most direct, throwing a heavy punch to his abdomen, which didn't work, so he threw a second punch.

Doyle, barely alive, was carried back to the guard formation by three men amidst his stepmother's weeping.

In the distance, the dukes had different expressions: Janne seemed thoughtful, the one-eyed man looked furious, and Duke Vale watched coldly, even pouring himself a drink.

Further down, the "Seven Brilliant Star Attendants" who were still seated and directly under the Central Command were not so calm.

Baron Doyle, also a member of the Seventh Chamberlain, was taken hostage. Viscount Adrian spoke with Lozano Golover with concern, while Baron Stoddard gritted his teeth. Meanwhile, Lady Barney, nicknamed "Little Iron Thorn," held her son's hand tightly, comforting Luther Barney, who had been curled up and crying since the conflict began.

The elderly and hard-of-hearing Viscount Paterson was trying his best to listen to his two nephews' frantic reports of the crisis in the room, occasionally asking questions loudly, which eased the tense atmosphere.

“Young man, this is a royal banquet, and the esteemed Duke Thales is also present.”

Among the crowd, Earl Godwin, a highly respected figure within the Royalist Party and responsible for receptions at royal banquets, stepped forward, his voice calm and gentle:
"Whatever your reason, your actions are unwise and could potentially harm many people."

"Whether it's for Baron Doyle or for yourself."

Faced with Count Godwin's persuasion, the hostage-taker laughed, a laugh filled with desolation and despair.

This made Thales deeply uneasy.

But just seconds later, the young man took a deep breath and tried his best to suppress his madness and anger.

"I'm so sorry, Your Excellency."

"But everyone, please do not panic."

Seeing that the panicked crowd was gradually calming down, and that the guards in front of him showed no intention of launching a full-scale attack, the young man took a breath and spoke loudly:
"Just listen to what I have to say."

The hostage-taker threw down the old baron, looked around, and gritted his teeth, saying:

“I am educated, polite and virtuous, and have no intention of harming innocent people at the banquet in the Mindis Hall.”

"We had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure!"

Old Doyle, standing beneath his feet, snorted:
"Pooh……"

But the young man's eyes flashed with anger, he lowered his head, and kicked without any mercy!
"Shut up, you old worm!"

The crowd gasped again.

“The guards here can’t handle this; we have to do something.”

On Thales' side, the deputy captain of the guard, Vogel, whispered instructions to his messenger:
"Control the perimeter, quietly and gradually disperse the crowd, keep an eye on the left and right, don't let your guard down—and don't let that guy find out."

Many people received the order and set off immediately.

Vogel turned around:

Are you sure it's him?

"Is it possible that there is someone else, and he is just a decoy?"

Marius nodded steadily:

"I was sure from his eyes."

The Watcher ignored DD, who was being held down by the two and was still unwilling to give up: "But I guessed one thing wrong: his target is not His Highness, but Baron Doyle."

"So what should we do?"

Thales couldn't help but speak up: "Are we just going to let him take a hostage? That's DD's father... one of the Seven Star Attendants! His Majesty isn't here, perhaps it should be me, or the Duke of Star Lake, the highest-ranking official here, who should step in..."

“No,” Marius refused quickly and without reservation:

"Listen carefully, Your Highness, you will stay here."

Thales was speechless for a moment.

The deputy captain of the guard frowned.

Marius turned his head, his expression efficient and decisive:

"Golov, go and gather Morgan, Itariano, Pezarosi... and Toledo and Trefanov right away."

Golov was taken aback, a look of confusion on his face.

Within the Starlake Guard, Morgan is a veteran of the Vanguard Wing, which is understandable.

However, Itariano was subordinate to the logistics wing, and Pezarosi was a henchman of the penal officer Paterson.

As for Toledo and Tsuifanov, both of them had served as Marius's subordinates in the command wing for many years, and continued to serve as his messengers after arriving at the Mindis Hall.

But these seemingly unrelated candidates...

"They are all excellent at reconnaissance or sniping."

Marius, with a grave expression, explained it clearly in one sentence:

"Equip them with crossbows. You will lead the team, dividing them into three groups, to ascend to the high ground, find firing lines, and wait for my signal. Ideally, one arrow should kill, but two arrows will also be fine..."

Vogel's expression changed drastically!
"You are crazy!"

The deputy captain of the guard held back Golov, who was about to leave to receive his orders, and gritted his teeth as he said to Marius:

"Look around, everyone from dukes and earls to the Seven Star Attendants is here!"

Thales glanced at the guests subconsciously and noticed that quite a few people were secretly glancing in their direction.

"The Mindis Hall is a royal banquet. All the prominent nobles, high-ranking officials, and top merchants in the capital are here. It's as if the entire kingdom is watching us!"

Vogel glanced around worriedly and lowered his voice:

“If he had just drawn his sword and stabbed without saying a word, that would have been one thing, but he was holding hostages and negotiating with Earl Godwin…”

Marius frowned.

"Drunken brawls and personal grudges are one thing. But to disregard hostages and launch a public assassination, resulting in death and bloodshed, especially if it was the royal family who struck first, that's another matter entirely..."

Marius shook his head:

"This way there's the least trouble..."

Vogel interrupted him abruptly:

"That would be a much bigger problem!"

The leaders disagreed again, and the royal guards around them trembled with fear, not daring to utter a sound.

Thales, who had relaxed after realizing it wasn't an assassination attempt, tensed up again.

The deputy captain glared at the watchman:
"Don't forget, Prince Thales is the host of this banquet! If one of the Seven Attendants dies here, it will be his fault!"

Telston was immediately startled.

"Besides, what if you fail to behead him and he goes berserk, hacking and slashing at the crowd, and things get out of control..."

Vogel's voice is becoming increasingly cautious:
“And any one of these people, even a minor girl, is of great importance…”

Marius remained unmoved, observing the terrain of the field:
"We can drag out the negotiations, gradually clear the site, eliminate the field of fire, and reduce the scope of the impact and collateral damage..."

"This is not just physical 'damage'!"

Vogel's voice grew increasingly urgent, clearly indicating he was losing patience.
"For the sake of the setting sun, the bright moon, and the dark night!"

"This is just a dispute at a banquet. Don't make it sound like a palace coup, a bloody battlefield!"

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

Palace coups, rebellions, bloody battlefields...

The deputy captain of the guard glared fiercely at Marius and said in a voice that was reserved for the two of them:
"Eighteen years! The first royal banquet after the heir to the kingdom's return is the last thing we need, the last thing we can have, and the last thing we can allow—this is the kind of situation and impression we want!"

"Do you fucking understand?"

The deputy guard captain unusually swore.

Marius remained silent.

He did not refute Vogel's lesson.

“Earl Godwin has already intervened, and the best outcome for this matter is a negotiated settlement.”

Vogel composed himself and looked back at the field:

"To strike decisively is the worst possible course of action."

Meanwhile, Earl Godwin's negotiations with the hostage-takers continued.

"Young man, you have the best years of your life, why ruin it for yourself?"

Earl Godwin's words remained gentle and sincere:

“Put down your weapons, release Baron Doyle, and let’s talk. I guarantee you will receive the help you deserve.”

The young man wiped the blood from his face and glanced at the old baron at his feet.

“Your Excellency Earl Godwin, you have a good reputation, and I am very grateful for your care and help.”

His gaze was filled with indifference and resentment.

"But I'm sorry, you can't help me."

"No one can help."

“There’s no need to be so definitive, young man,” Earl Godwin said gently, gesturing to his guards not to provoke the other man.
First of all, who are you?

The young man remained silent for a while.

The next second, he grabbed the old baron's shoulder, startling the latter into a trembling fit.

“I am Anke Bailar.”

The hostage-taker, his face covered in blood, raised his head, but a hint of pride seeped into his words:
"The Bailar family from the Western Wilderness, Crowc Town."

The young man, who identified himself as Anke Bailar, spoke in a trembling voice:

"He is His Majesty Kessel's loyal servant, valiant warrior, and..."

His voice trailed off:

“Insignificant people.”

Anke slowly raised his head, his sharp gaze sweeping over each person:

"And my father is one of the hundreds of rightful lords in the Star Kingdom, the Baron of Ravencry Town."

A small commotion arose in the crowd, with many people turning back to find friends in the Western Wilderness or those familiar with it, trying to glean some information.

"Damn it, they're hereditary nobles from out of town." On Thales' side, Deputy Captain Vogel hurriedly waved his hand, summoning the men of the standard-bearer's wing:

"Go check if it's true, and notify Fuxing Palace immediately."

Earl Godwin discussed it with several friends.

“Anker, right? The Barrar family…”

“Since you are of noble birth and have been well-educated since childhood,” Earl Godwin turned around, his tone gradually shifting from gentle to serious:
"Then you should know..."

"Whether it's taking the elderly and weak hostage, committing a despicable assassination, disturbing the guests, or insulting the host, it will bring shame upon your family!"

Anke stood there, dazed, catching his breath a few times.

"Please forgive me for taking such a risk and disturbing you all, but I have no other choice."

His throat was dry and hoarse.

It was filled with despair.

Anker, his face contorted with hatred, raised his sword and pressed it against the old baron's neck once more:

"Because only here can I catch this damned old worm!"

"I forced him to look me in the eye!"

Seeing the other person's resolute gaze, Thales' heart stirred!
"Bastard, coward..."

DD, who had recovered somewhat, was still being held down by his colleagues, his arms pinned down. He gritted his teeth and struggled, saying:

"You dare—"

But he didn't finish speaking, because Marius suddenly turned around and slapped him across the face without any mercy!

*Slap!* The slap was loud.

Doyle was stunned.

He stared blankly at Marius, whose eyes were like knives.

"If you want to kill your father, just say so!"

The Watchman said coldly:

"Let him go! I want to see how many more stupid things you can do today!"

Piloga, who was holding him down, hesitated for a moment before slowly loosening his grip, while Kommuto was decisive and released Doyle immediately.

The latter took a few breaths in a daze, touched his swollen face, looked at his father who was being held hostage with trembling hands, and finally gritted his teeth and squatted down in pain.

Marius's actions were swift and decisive, without any hesitation, which made Vogel frown and Thales startled.

But Duke Xinghu snapped out of his daze and looked at the situation on the field.

He was focused on another part.

That assassin—Anke Bailar.

It's him.

Thales looked serious: He recognized him.

As soon as the banquet began, the prince improvised and delivered the opening remarks.

After his bold "Fuck you, Chaman Rumba," a young nobleman was the first to respond, raising his glass and replying loudly.

[Homage to Duke Thales!]

For his open-mindedness, wisdom, magnanimity, courage—and youth!

It's him.

It was his generous echoing response that drew a flood of responses and blessings from the guests present to the Duke of Starlake.

Thales recalled the scene just now and looked at the young man with mixed feelings: he held a sword in one hand and the dying Baron Doyle was held hostage in the other, his expression resolute and determined.

Just as Marius said...

Treat death as home.

“Anker, you said your father is a lord, the Baron of Ravencry,” Earl Godwin said slowly.
"Does he like seeing you like this?"

Anke shuddered.

“My father, Baron Baron of Ravenclaw Town…”

He clung tightly to the old baron's neck, his eyes glazed, and murmured:
"Even if he's unwilling, he won't be able to see him."

Earl Godwin was taken aback.

Anker took a deep breath, regaining his anger and focus, and looked at everyone.

“A few months ago, my father, as one of the lords of the Western Wilderness, answered the call of Duke Falkenhaus.

"He led his army westward, on a distant expedition to the desert, thousands of miles away, to spread the glory of the nation."

Telston was immediately startled.

An expedition to the desert? That's just—

Anker's voice echoed in the hall, high-spirited and generous:

"He has been ordered to lead the army! For Prince Thales' journey home..."

"Clear the way!"

Thales was stunned.

Numerous gazes were cast upon the prince, encompassing a wide range of expressions.

This included Jann's keen interest, Cyclops's sharp edge, and Duke Vale's cold indifference.

Wait a minute.

Thales suppressed his astonishment as the journey to the Western Wilderness returned to his mind.

Months ago, the local conscripts of the Western Wilderness lords who cleared the desert alongside the royal standing army met their fate...

"Until that early morning, just hours before Duke Thales was finally found..."

Anke said in a daze:

"Taking advantage of the Winged Legend's absence from the camp, the Bone Men and Orcs launched a massive attack, invading the Blade Fang Dune camp."

"The father, who was still in the camp, was suddenly attacked in his sleep."

"His army was almost entirely wiped out."

"And he himself was seriously injured."

Baki Dunes...

Thales felt a jolt in his heart.

The legendary Wings—Baron Roman's murderous gaze appeared before him.

And his chilling words:

[Fight back to camp...no matter who you encounter...human or mongrel...]

【Sai... Er... Li... Kai...】

Thales' breathing became slightly sluggish.

"As a defeated general, my father returned home dejectedly to Crow's Cry Town, where he was subjected to further criticism..."

Assassin, hostage-taker, Anke Bailar took a deep breath and raised his head, his eyes bloodshot:

"Soon after, his injuries worsened, and he suffered both physical and mental torment..."

The young man holding the sword raised his head, looked up at the high and mighty Thales, and said hoarsely:

"died in agony."

On the other side of the line of sight, Thales gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.

Eight thousand words, not a single chapter, take it directly, you're welcome.

I'm seeing friends tomorrow, so I probably won't be updating.

Monthly pass.

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(End of this chapter)