Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 550 What's the Reason?

After the hostage-taker introduced himself, he caused quite a stir in the banquet hall, and the onlookers discussed it animatedly.

Earl Godwin, who was in charge of the negotiations, sighed.

"Please accept my condolences, young man."

"Your father's heroic act brought back an heir to the Star Kingdom, and if he died for it, he would be worthy of remembrance."

Anker didn't say anything.

The count abruptly changed the subject, his tone slightly reproachful:

“But that cannot be a justification for your actions.”

Anker remained silent, his eyes unfocused.

Looking at the other person's expression, Earl Godwin frowned. He realized that tonight's matter might not be so easy to resolve.

The count instinctively looked up, but the king's seat was empty.

Only in the first tier, Duke Starlake, the supposedly genius youth, was surrounded by a large group of guards.

His expression was somber, and he remained silent with his head bowed.

Thales stared blankly at Anker.

He still remembered waking up in the Ghost Prince Tower.

At that time, Yodl told him:
A day and a night have passed since the orcs invaded the Fang Dunes and the Legendary Wings returned to their aid.

Thales pushed open the tower window and saw only the desolate ruins left behind by the Baki camp after the great battle and Roman's resounding victory.

But what he failed to see, or what he thought he hadn't seen, was the true bloodshed of that day's war.

And those whose lives were changed because of it.

Death? Sacrifice? Gain? Cost? Victory or defeat? These are merely the most superficial aspects of war… The fates of tens of thousands… will be tested in this cruel crucible.

The words of the old raven Hicksher echoed in his mind:

Please remember... beyond hypocritical moral condemnation, beyond simplistic calculations of self-interest, beyond the hollow honor of warriors, and above all, never underestimate war itself—it is far more complex than you imagine, not a game of win or lose, profit or loss, survival or death.

And you and I, whether high-ranking lords or ordinary people adrift in the wind, are merely the most powerless pawns in this game, because often it is not up to us to decide, even if you are the instigator or the victor of the war.

A noise behind him interrupted Thales's thoughts.

"New intelligence on the Flag Wing."

Deputy Captain Vogel took the few sheets of paper handed to him by his subordinate and said cautiously:

“Anke Bailar is indeed a nobleman of the Western Wilderness, and the eldest son and heir of the Baron of Ravencry Town.”

“You’re right. He had been studying at the Tower of the End until his father passed away.”

Marius pondered for a moment:
"His father died during the mission to welcome the prince back, so this young Bailar is resentful and wants to ruin the prince's banquet?"

The Watchman shook his head:
"Not very clear."

Vogel nodded, clearly also having doubts.

"besides."

He then switched to a different piece of paper:

“A few days ago, Anke Bailar applied to the Council of Noble Affairs, hoping to squeeze into tonight’s investiture ceremony, where the Supreme King would bestow a title upon him and allow him to inherit his father’s title.”

Thales had an idea.

He remembered the investiture ceremony that evening. Among the nobles who were granted hereditary titles were both newly risen nobles who had risen from humble beginnings and old nobles who had inherited their titles from their fathers, including a bastard son of Blade's Edge who was not entirely legitimate.

But Anke Bailar was not there.

Vogel snorted and continued reading:

The Secretariat replied: "Bailar is a subject of the Western Wilderness. It is against custom for a master to bestow a title upon a servant."

Marius frowned:
"Unconventional?"

"How come I remember that among those to be ennobled tonight, there was one illegitimate child who also belonged to the category of 'beyond the master's authority to ennoble a servant'?"

Vogel glanced at him, then subtly folded the letter in his hand in half:
"The Duchess of Blade's Edge has a close relationship with the royal family, so there's no problem with that."

"As for the Western Wilderness..."

He didn't go on.

Is it against custom for a master to appoint a servant beyond his authority?
Thales suddenly remembered the ancient imperial sword that Duke Falkenhaus had given him.

"Ok."

Marius pondered:

"But why did he seek out Baron Doyle?"

Vogel gave a soft snort:
"Love, hate, enmity, benefit, harm—these are nothing more than these five. You can combine them arbitrarily, and there will always be a truth."

In the center of the hall, Earl Godwin took a deep breath:

“Young Bailar, your father sacrificed himself for the country and died a worthy death. You should not tarnish the glory he left behind.”

Anke regains consciousness amidst the grief of losing his father.

“You are right, Viscount, I shouldn’t have.”

He breathed tremblingly, as if suppressing something, and kept repeating:
I shouldn't have.

But Anke's expression quickly turned ferocious.

“Until I rushed back home, I discovered,” he said through gritted teeth, looking at everyone, “that my father had borrowed money to raise funds for the army…”

"He owes a huge sum of money that he can never repay in his lifetime."

Many people were taken aback.

The next second, Anke grabbed old Doyle by the collar:
"Come on, you old worm."

The hostage-taker spoke urgently:

“Tell His Highness, tell everyone, tell the entire kingdom what you have done.”

“Tell everyone the crimes you committed against my father and the Barrar family.”

Baron Doyle looked mournful:
"I didn't do anything..."

But Anker's blade was immediately pressed against the old baron's neck, even drawing a few drops of blood:
"Think again?"

Old Doyle shuddered and quickly changed his tune:

"I...I...I lent money to your father so he could get through this difficult time..."

Thales frowned.

Anke spat out a loud "Pah!"
"Shit."

He kicked the old baron in the back, sending him sprawling onto a pile of food, filthy and panting heavily.

Seeing his father suffer, DD clenched his fists, but Golov quickly grabbed his shoulder and stared at him sternly.

“I’ve investigated. You showed up as soon as the Duke of the Western Wilderness issued his mobilization order.”

"It just so happened that my father was in financial trouble and had no other options."

Anker glared at Baron Doyle, stepping on his back:

"You used your clever words and flattering manner to lend him huge sums of money, bewitch and deceive him, promise him great profits, and incite him to conscript soldiers, arm the army, venture into the desert, and pursue war."

"In the end, he suffered a complete defeat, lost everything, and was heavily in debt."

He almost roared:
He died in his hospital bed from severe injuries and depression!

Earl Godwin's expression was grave, and he was worried about how to proceed with the negotiations.

Baron Doyle's voice was tinged with a sob:

"It was your father who was so loyal and wanted to answer the call to fight for the country in the desert... I couldn't stop him no matter what I tried..."

Anker angrily interrupted him:
"No, it was you! You fabricated the excuse that 'war is very profitable' and pretended to be generous in lending him money to lure him into your trap."

The old baron hissed in pain:
“I didn’t lie to him! The last desert war made countless people rich…”

Get rich.

Thales felt a lump in his throat: he thought of the Blade Fang camp, of the Falkenhaus soldiers at the camp gate who were extorting money from passersby, and of the large amount of goods that Tomdin had originally planned to smuggle out.

Anker gave a sarcastic laugh:
"You mean those war merchants?"

He loosened his grip, pulled the old baron up again, and made him face everyone in the banquet hall:

"Those vampires who somehow found out my father was preparing to mobilize for war and took the opportunity to sell him supplies?"

"Half of them are secretly colluding with you, even running businesses together. You've been conspiring and doing the same thing for a long time!"

Baron Doyle, seemingly having learned his lesson in the interrogation style of the man before him, quickly replied:

"We have business dealings, so it's normal for us to know each other..."

"Shut up!"

The hostage-taker stared at the old baron with resentment, his words heavy with anguish:

“You took advantage of my father’s generosity and lack of financial knowledge, using grammatical tricks and dazzling numbers to lure him into signing an unfair contract, causing him to incur a debt several times greater than the original debt.”

Old Doyle seemed resigned to his fate, forcing out an "understanding" smile.

"When you borrow money, there's no such thing as interest-free loans. And since you come from a noble family and have a large fortune, it's understandable that the interest rate is a bit higher..."

Anker suddenly reached out and grabbed Baron Doyle’s hair at the back of his head, forcing the latter to tilt his head back!
Amidst the Baron's agonizing screams and his wife's gasps of shock, Anke gritted his teeth:
"But in the deliberate trap of your contract, those debts that cannot be repaid are all secured by vast tracts of land and people in Crowchow Town!"

"Land! Population!"

A small gasp escaped from the crowd.

“Ah, ouch, no,” old Doyle, despite his agonizing pain, refused to give in:
"As for the collateral, these are all contractual terms witnessed by the authoritative accountants of the Royal Bank. Paying back debts is a matter of course..."

"Unless you planned this all along!"

Anker roared in fury!

"Unless you lend the debt so that he will fail in his campaign, be heavily indebted, and be unable to repay it, and have no choice but to cede land."

The next moment, Anke suddenly turned around and drew his sword, the tip of which was pointed sharply at a guard who was looking for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

This forced the latter and his imitators back to a safe distance.

"This is absurd!" the old baron's voice was shrill.
"Could it be that I was absolutely certain he would suffer a defeat? Could it be that I knew all along that the orcs would attack the camp..."

Thales' heart skipped a beat.

They were certain they would suffer defeat...

If only I had known the orcs were attacking the camp...

Duke of Starlake frowned deeply:

Unfortunately, some people actually know these two points.

And the Doyle family...

Thales glanced at Doyle beside him subconsciously: Doyle was the highest-ranking of the royal vassals, one of the Seven Stars.

Clearly, Anker was also dissatisfied with the Baron's words.

"Stop pretending, I know perfectly well."

The hostage-taker raised his head and shouted loudly in front of the guests in the hall:

“You old worm, you extended your evil claws into the Western Wilderness and into our Crow Cry Town a long time ago.”

“Our two families are located in different places, but they are adjacent to each other. For many years, you have taken advantage of the geographical location to coerce and entice, and extort money and property from others. You have colluded with some corrupt officials under my father’s command and corrupt officials in Yati Town to secretly plot against us for a long time.”

Anke said angrily:
“Those scoundrels secretly surrendered to you behind my father’s back, illegally subletting tenants’ lives, arbitrarily allocating land and evading taxes, making the fields and laborers of Yati Town work for you.”

"And you have been manipulating things, stealing the sky and changing the sun, even the transportation route from Mirror River to Crow Cry Town, which spans the Central Western Wilderness, was completed long ago."

Old Doyle tried to explain, but Anker's grip tightened, forcing him to close his eyes and groan in pain.

"And so, my father could only watch as his land withered away, his harvests dwindled, and his situation worsened..."

Hearing this, the old baron could no longer hold back his pain:

"I leased the land from them; it was a mutually agreeable arrangement, and your father knows about it..."

Anke roared again:

"I know nothing!"

His sword blade was pressed tightly against the baron's neck:
"Do you want to go down and confront him right now?"

The guests exclaimed in unison.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Earl Godwin immediately interrupted the other party:

"Mr. Bairal!"

He said seriously:
"Without evidence, you cannot so arbitrarily accuse Baron Doyle, especially not by resorting to vigilante justice..."

Anker sneered upon hearing this:
"Credentials?"

The hostage-taker sneered, and after a few seconds, finally withdrew the dagger from old Doyle's carotid artery.

"Doyle, your fiefdom has had a bumper harvest this year, hasn't it? It's even to the point of being able to export it?"

The old baron hesitated for a moment.

Anker angrily slapped old Doyle across the face:

"talk!"

Baron Doyle, in pain, quickly spoke up:
"Abundant, abundant, a bountiful year..."

"A bumper harvest?" Anke laughed angrily.

"But not just this year."

He gritted his teeth and looked at the onlookers:

"And last year, the year before last, the year before that... for a full eight or nine years, your grain production has been 'bumper harvests,' which has boosted the circulation of goods and made the market thriving. Your finances are so abundant that you can support a small army!"

"With your narrow strip of land along the Mirror River? With the worst soil in the entire Central Territory? With your arrogant yet lazy citizens, spoiled by the prosperity of the capital, single-mindedly trying to squeeze into Yongxing City, can you really grow so much harvest and squeeze out so much money?"

"And you even have surplus grain and goods that you can circulate abroad and resell to the desert or even the northern lands, making a fortune?"

Upon hearing this, Thales was stunned!
He glanced instinctively at the other seats and, among the many people standing on tiptoe, spotted the bowl-cut hairstyle. Levi Trudida.

At this moment, the northerner who was rebuilding the tower was keeping his head down and was completely oblivious to the gaze that Duke Starlake was casting at him.

I'm planning to buy some souvenirs to take back... food, clothes, toys... those damn bureaucrats and businessmen are colluding to reduce supply and raise prices...

Damn.

The boy gritted his teeth.

“Those are our farmland, our food, our wealth! And heaven knows, besides Crowcry Town, are there any other victims?” Anke’s cold words echoed in my ears.

Discussions arose again among the crowd.

This time, there was much less controversy; it was mostly whispered conversation.

At this moment, Marius began to ponder:
"Speaking of this, Golov..."

The watchman suddenly looked up:
"Do you remember what your elder brother, Viscount Lozano Golova, said when he met His Highness before the banquet began?"

Glov, nicknamed "Zombie," showed a slight change in expression.

He subconsciously glanced at a certain dining table, at the other Golover, who had a composed expression and acted with ease.

"Lozano?"

Golov hesitated, seemingly unusually sensitive to the name:
"Lozano, he told DD to tell his father to stop sending money to the tax office?"

Doyle, who was firmly held down by Golov, shuddered and looked at his colleague in disbelief.

Marius nodded.

“Viscount Lozano’s audience with His Highness was extremely respectful and proper; he didn’t even have time to acknowledge his half-brother.”

"Why did he approach DD and bring up this matter, which is supposed to be an internal affair of the Finance and Taxation Bureau? Just to speak ill of the Doyle family?"

Doyle was taken aback, while Golov's expression turned ugly.

"I remembered."

The zombie recalled, its face turning pale:
"Lozano also told DD that even if they gave him money, they couldn't avoid this year's land reclamation and tax audit?"

Land liquidation...

Thales took a deep breath and focused his attention back on the center of the court.

Anke brandished his short sword and sneered:

"So, you old parasites, how long did you originally plan to do this?"

"Are you planning to keep doing this indefinitely? Since it's harmful to others and benefits yourself, why not?"

Old Doyle was almost in tears:

"I said no..."

The hostage-taker interrupted him:
"But you didn't expect that."

Six years ago, faced with the war crisis in Exter, the lords complained bitterly at the state council, lamenting their financial difficulties, poor harvests, difficulty in recruiting soldiers, and the challenges of expeditions...

"So once the crisis was over, His Majesty Kessel took decisive action and reissued the Land Survey Ordinance from the time of King Eddy in order to revitalize agriculture and encourage production."

Anker's smile sent a chill down Doyle's spine:
“Now, according to the law, the grace period has passed and the deadline for land settlement is approaching. You can no longer deceive us.”

Whispers filled the hall once again.

"With the reckoning imminent and your backsides in a panic, you have no time for long-term planning and slow, deliberate action, yet you are unwilling to cut off your own source of income and abandon your tail to survive."

Anker's words seemed to be biting his tongue so hard they drew blood:

"You can only rush to finish this matter using the simplest and most efficient methods, to make it a dead end, a case with no solution."

Anker's eyes darkened:
"For example, my father's loan agreement."

Beside Thales, Marius sighed softly.

“Viscount Lozano works in the Kingdom’s Finance and Taxation Bureau. Whether it’s bribery, grain production, tax revenue, or land, he must have noticed the hidden dangers in the Mirror River region.”

"What he said before the banquet was actually directed at the Doyle family, who are also among the Seven Servants of the Brilliant Star..."

But then another voice interrupted him.

"more than."

The watchman and the deputy captain both looked up and were somewhat surprised when they saw who had spoken.

“He said more than that,” Thales said absentmindedly.

Vogel squinted.

what?
“According to my royal etiquette lessons these past few days, Golov is a vassal of the Starry Sky royal family, while I am the Duke of Starlake and heir to the throne, and his future lord.”

Thales looked at Anker, who had successfully stolen the prince's thunder in the center of the hall today, and slowly said:
"Regardless of status or subordinate relationship, our interactions should be initiated by me extending an invitation, or by Viscount Lozano extending a visit invitation, and only after receiving permission should he come to see me. However..."

Marius raised an eyebrow, remembering it as well:

"But he unusually and subtly invited you to condescend to his mansion in DC for a chat."

Thales nodded heavily.

“That was Viscount Lozano’s reminder and warning to me.”

"We just didn't understand."

DD shuddered again, and regret appeared on his face.

The prince didn't continue, but simply sighed:
"And I suspect that even Lozano himself didn't expect this hidden danger to manifest so violently and so quickly."

"They can't even wait for the time it takes to eat a meal."

Thales looked away and noticed that the Seven Star Servants' attitude was becoming increasingly serious:

The oldest, Paterson, bit his lip, panting and glaring; Stuart and Adrian remained expressionless and silent, simply observing the situation; Lady Eleanor's world seemed to consist only of her son; Lozano, who had warned them earlier, stared down at the table, seemingly indifferent to what was happening.

But as Anker's narration gradually became clearer, many people in the hall couldn't help but look at the calm and composed Duke of Starlake himself.

“The problem is,” Thales felt a slight headache coming on as he sensed their gazes:
"How will this end?"

Vogel gave a soft snort.

“It’s alright, Your Highness,” the deputy captain of the guard said dismissively, looking at Anke, who was filled with resentment.

"He put on a show in public, just to use your name and the banquet as an excuse to attract attention, speak up for his family, and make a big splash."

“Once he finishes his nonsense and achieves his goal, Your Highness, you can then offer words of comfort and reassurance. Then he will have no reason to continue his act.”

"But one thing: no matter how much that guy tries to entice you, no matter how eloquently he speaks, you must never make a judgment, take sides, or show any inclination towards either side, not even with a smile or a roll of your eyes."

Thales raised his eyes:
"Any one?"

Vogel looked at him, and this time, only sternness remained in the deputy captain's eyes:
"any."

"As for the remaining investigations, interrogations, trials, and convictions, those will be matters for the courtroom, the council of nobles, and even the imperial council after tomorrow."

"This person's actions will only provide some fodder for conversation at tonight's banquet, and will not damage your reputation."

Thales pursed his lips, while Marius beside him frowned:
"At the very least, should we have the sniper team in position and ready, just in case?"

Vogel glanced at him without saying a word.

Inside the arena, the confrontation between Anker and the old baron continues:

“You, you and those scoundrels under my father’s command, you conspired together, working together from the inside and outside, just waiting for the loan deadline to arrive, to force my father, who was driven to desperation, to cede territory.”

"You acquire new land legally and seamlessly, avoiding future troubles and land liquidation, while they transform themselves, change their names, and rightfully become your lackeys."

"But you didn't expect that my father died under immense pressure, and the person who took his place was a stubborn person."

Anke raised his short sword, pointing it at the old baron's nose, his voice growing colder:
“Tell me, when you set a trap, plotted against my father, and ultimately killed him, did you think about this day?”

"Have you ever considered that his legacy, his bloodline, and his descendants might one day seek revenge on you in full view of everyone?"

"Doyle of the Mirror River?"

Old Doyle shuddered as he looked at the sword tip pointing at him!
The baron stood there stunned for a long time, his face turning red, and he could only utter a few monosyllables from his mouth, which was being held by a sword.

"No, you, you...he, he..."

At that moment, Earl Godwin's roar echoed through the banquet hall:
"Anke Bailar!"

His tone was unprecedentedly harsh and uncompromising:

"No matter what grievances or reasons you may have, never forget that the kingdom has its own laws and the world has its own justice!"

Anke was lost in thought for a moment.

"Laws? Reasons?"

He lowered his sword and turned his head away.

Earl Godwin breathed a sigh of relief.

"As a nobleman, you are knowledgeable in etiquette and wisdom, and you know loyalty and righteousness. You should know how to use legal means and methods, follow normal channels, or appeal based on reason to protect your rights, or communicate rationally and negotiate to resolve the issue and seek justice and fairness."

The Earl spoke with righteous indignation:

"Why bring a knife to the meeting and take someone's life..."

"At Duke Thales' banquet, resorting to violence and taking desperate measures!"

"You stood up for your father and the family, but are you going to ruin your father's honor and the family's reputation with your own hands?"

The last sentence clearly had an effect; Anke shuddered and looked at Godwin in a daze.

"I did."

Earl Godwin was taken aback:
"what?"

“When I first returned to China,” Anke said dejectedly, “it was all about legal means and methods.”

"At first, I wanted to wait for next year's harvest and pay off my debts in a down-to-earth manner."

He stared at Earl Godwin in anguish and hissed, “But we were told that the deadline for the contract is only before the land is liquidated.”

"After that, I want to invoke the law of the nobility to appeal for an extension."

He stared at the short sword in his hand and murmured, "But I was told that I have not yet inherited the title and have no right to appeal for an extension."

"Finally, I want to inherit my father's title earlier than planned,"

In the end, Anke looked at everyone in despair: "But I was told that it would cost a hefty recognition fee, and I could only wait until next year's harvest."

Earl Godwin was momentarily speechless, but after a moment's hesitation, he spoke:
"If you can't solve it yourself, you can ask for help..."

But Anker roared back in an even louder and more excited voice!

"I did it!"

His sword trembled with each movement, flailing futilely in the firelight of the entire hall:
“I went to the Wasteland and Heroes’ Fortress to seek help from the bigwigs in the Western Wilderness, but they said that the battle at the Blade Fang Camp had just ended and that it was a critical time. They were unwilling to offend the vassals of the Restoration Palace and said that this was a private matter between us and Doyle and that they had no right to interfere.”

"When I arrived in Yongxing City, I wanted to submit a complaint to the court according to procedure, but it was rejected multiple times. A secretary who had taken money secretly told me that the Doyle family had just become acquainted with the Duke of Xinghu, and the Mindis Hall was of great significance to them, and they could not afford to offend it."

"When I arrived at the Noble Affairs Council, hoping to make an exception for inheriting the title, they told me that the prince had just returned, the kingdom was thriving, and everyone was living in hope, so I shouldn't spoil the mood with my own trivial matters."

Thales listened to his self-narration with a heavy expression, and uncomfortably discovered that all these reasons were related to himself.

Anke took a deep breath.

"So, in the end, I could only go to the Palace of Restoration, stand guard at the palace gate, and wait for His Majesty to appear. But the moment I saw His Majesty's procession, saw the royal guards, and stepped forward to speak..."

He grinned, displaying calm and resignation.
He was sent to prison.

Amid the faint yet unmistakable buzzing from the crowd, Earl Godwin remained silent for a long time, appearing somewhat flustered.

“I try to reason with you, but you talk to me about the law. I try to talk to you about the law, but you talk to me about tradition. I try to talk to you about tradition, but you talk to me about reality. I try to talk to you about reality, but you turn around and try to reason with me again.”

“I did it,” Anke said, resting the blade on Baron Doyle’s shoulder, his eyes vacant, muttering in a daze, “What method, what means, what possibility…”

"It's all done."

He slowly raised his head:
"Only one type remains."

Thales's unease grew stronger.

"Three days ago, I spent the last bit of my travel money and finally got the police to release me."

Anker slowly increased the pressure on his arm, and the old baron's expression changed, letting out a painful groan.

"So I found him and said to the old bookworm: I am willing to honor the contract and cede the fiefdom."

"I only ask for money for my father's funeral."

"And that considerable funeral expense allowed me to buy a seat on the very edge of the Mindis Hall tonight."

Anker smiled.

Smile a lot.

"Anker!"

Earl Godwin seemed to sense what he was about to do, and for the first time, panic appeared in his voice.

“No—” DD struggled to move forward, but Golov held him tightly.

Anke coldly replied:
"No one will listen unless you kill or take a life."

His wrist slowly sank down.

"Without shocking or unconventional ideas, there is no way out."

His teeth slowly clenched.

"If you don't give in to depravity, you'll suffer the consequences."

His eyes gradually darkened.

"Please tell me, Earl Godwin, His Highness Thales..."

Amidst old Doyle's agonizing screams, his wife's heart-wrenching cries, and the horrified gazes of the guests in the hall, Anker raised his head.

His dejected gaze pierced through the bright lights and landed directly on Thales:

"What exactly is the reason behind this?"

Wu Jian didn't get home until 5 PM today and didn't finish dinner until 8 PM, so it's obviously impossible for him to write.

So, this chapter was written by me—the dog next door to Wujian!
Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!

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(End of this chapter)