Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 552 Sacrificing a Pawn (Part 1)

"No."

After Vogel presented his idea, Marius flatly rejected it:
"It's too risky to take action now."

Vogel frowned:
"You were the one who first brought this up, and now you're changing your mind?"

Marius shook his head:

"Now he has the most legitimate reason to ask Your Highness to witness the duel in the name of revenge."

Vogel scoffed dismissively:
"Justified my ass."

In front of them, Thales was still staring intently at Anker, who was holding a hostage, his thoughts in turmoil.

How to do?
Refuse him, allow him, kill him, persuade him...

very messy.

"Bairal!"

In the hall, Earl Godwin, who had come forward to communicate, was visibly furious and spoke out angrily:
"You have overstepped your bounds! You are trying to attract attention and coerce His Highness. Is this the conduct of a gentleman or the behavior of a subject?"

But Anker was clearly prepared; he didn't back down and turned back proudly:

"As children of the stars, don't we all have the right to make demands of our supreme king?"

His grip caused the kidnapped old baron to groan in pain once more.

"Isn't it the duty of every king to listen to the sincere voices of every subject?"

Anker's words echoed throughout the hall, not only making Thales frown even more deeply, but also making the already uneasy guests even more restless.

Lord Godwin was speechless for a moment, unable to find a rebuttal—the traps woven from the words "demand" and "king" were too obvious and too dangerous.

Marius ignored the situation on the field, remaining calm and continuing his hushed conversation with the deputy captain of the guard:
“If we act first, the one in the wrong will be His Highness Thales, and it will be a cowardly, incompetent, and despicable act of silencing him—in his Mindis Hall, at the banquet he hosts.”

Vogel pondered for a moment, then decisively said:

"The guards can take responsibility, as can you and I."

"If necessary, I will resign without taking responsibility and will not be held accountable to anyone else."

But Marius shook his head:
Do you think people would care?

His words were loaded with meaning:
"The focus of the Royal Guard is always on the royal family, not the guard."

Listening to the conversation between the two guard captains behind him, Thales felt increasingly heavy-hearted.

How to do?
"Your Highness Thales!"

Anke turned around and looked expectantly at the person who was standing the tallest at that moment:
"The justice of Heaven is about to be revealed; we await only your command."

"how dare you!"

His aggressive behavior once again drew a scathing rebuke from Godwin, but Anker ignored it and just stared intently at Thales.

Like a prey that has been stalked and stared at.

“Refuse him, Your Highness.”

Vogel, his face contorted with anger, whispered behind Thales:

"Lord of the Stars, with royal authority, will never tolerate coercion."

Thales instinctively opened his mouth, but Marius's voice came softly from the other side:
"Then force him to kill the baron?"

"To turn His Highness into a cold-blooded bystander, an accomplice to murder?"

"Don't forget, those were the Seven Star Attendants who served the royal family."

Thales' teeth suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, rendering him unable to utter a sound.

Vogel immediately retorted:
"That cannot encourage such barbaric customs as 'duel to the death'! Your Highness's taint with the influence of the North is not only a matter of giving people something to talk about, but also a matter of what if the kingdom follows suit in the future..."

The loud shouts between Count Godwin and Anker, the low arguing between Marius and Vogel, the back-and-forth debates among the guests—countless sounds entered Thales's perception from his hellish senses, shaking his consciousness and striking his spirit.

This left him exhausted, having already endured the torment of a night of banquets.

Marius's voice continued, calm and indifferent, refuting Vogel:
"No matter how vile or backward this custom may be, it was His Highness's means of refusing King Nuen, and it has become a celebrated story and a symbol. Now, to deny it..."

That was a misunderstanding.

Thales was exhausted and expressionless.

Back then, he only scared the Yankees, while Nunn never—why make it sound like he actually dueled the King of Heaven?

Thales sighed deeply in his heart.

Why did he challenge King Nuen to a duel in the first place?
God knows how much he regrets it.

Also, who exactly leaked this information?

Back then, in the Hall of Heroes, were the Dukes of Exeter who were present really so loose-lipped?

A small commotion broke out in the guard: DD, his face contorted, dragged the shackles of Golov and struggled to squeeze in front of the two officers.

"Please let me duel him, Your Highness, sir."

Doyle held Golov down, suppressing his emotions, and stared intently at the enemy who had taken his father hostage:
“I can kill him openly and honestly—it’s just a feud between two families.”

DD looked anxious, expectant, and nervous.

Vogel snorted dismissively.

Thales's expression was gloomy and uncertain.

"That's exactly what that guy wanted."

Marius shook his head:

"Bairal died in a glorious duel to avenge his father, and his fate will be remembered and forgiven to the greatest extent. No one will remember his illegal acts and ulterior motives."

"Your Highness and the royal family will be forced into a precarious position, and will be branded as bullies who abuse their power and disregard human life."

In the hall, Anker calmly and clearly refuted Earl Godwin's rebuke, Baron Doyle trembled under his sword, and the audience's discussions rose and fell, becoming increasingly restless.

DD gritted his teeth.

Marius's words grew increasingly somber:
"And he was merely someone's tool, a pawn on the table."

piece.

Be strong, child.

Don't become a pawn to be manipulated and sacrificed at will.

As Falkenhausen’s words echoed in his mind, Thales tensed the muscles in his arms.

"As for those people in the audience, the ones behind the scenes..."

Marius kept the following thoughts to himself:

Perhaps, taking advantage of Bailar's death, they will exaggerate this case, which was originally just a contractual dispute, and elevate it to an unprecedented level—such as the rule of the kingdom.

Doyle and Bailar.

Throughout the entire kingdom, how many cases are similar to theirs?

How many situations are different from theirs?

How many other examples exist that are similar to and different from each other, yet serve as a reference for one another?
Marius's gaze froze.

No, it will be given a different meaning, becoming the fuse for a series of political storms that followed...

“But, Marius,” Thales said, trying to ignore the countless gazes fixed on him, turning his head and speaking softly, his words weary:

"He was just someone who was forced by circumstances to take a desperate gamble."

Marius narrowed his eyes as he looked at Anker, whose gaze was intense.

"So he is both stubborn and dangerous."

“Even more so the people behind him with ulterior motives.”

The Watchman said somberly:
"It's a good move."

"A fine sword."

A good move.

Thales didn't answer, he just closed his eyes, looking even more exhausted.

"Your Highness!"

Anker grew increasingly impatient, his urging drowning out Earl Godwin's scathing rebuke:

What has made you hesitate for so long?

The intruder from the Bailar family stepped forward, making the surrounding guards even more nervous. He raised his short sword and pointed it directly at Duke Starlake on the steps!

"Is it a hesitation towards fairness and justice, or a misunderstanding of imperial traditions?"

Anker glared at Doyle beside Thales:
"Or is it a matter of personal favoritism, whereby you would rather protect your vassals and personal guards?"

DD's expression changed, and anger appeared on his face.

"Is there no other way?"

Doyle's fists were trembling, and Golov had to hold him back tightly:
"Let this bastard spout nonsense here, hurting my father and damaging His Highness's reputation..."

"The best approach would have been to strengthen the investigation beforehand and suppress the disturbance," Marius said in a deep voice.
"Make sure this guy can't say it."

"Have the guards keep this out of the hall, make it nonexistent—whether it's this case or an assassination or a hostage situation."

Vogel's expression grew increasingly grim, while DD became increasingly anxious.
"Your Highness the Duke..."

The guests' discussions reached another climax, including some heated arguments.

Many people condemned Anker's disrespectful behavior, but the sons of the Bailar family remained unfazed, either standing firm or raising their voices in rebuttal.

Thales breathed heavily, feeling his fingernails digging deeper and deeper into his palms, causing him excruciating pain.

Just now.

"I thought about it."

Marius spoke in a low voice, drawing the attention of the guards:

"There is another way."

"It can both save the Baron's life and get him out of this predicament."

Vogel and Thales both glanced at each other.

But Marius turned to Doyle:
"Prepare for a duel, DD."

Doyle instinctively agreed, but then he was taken aback upon realizing what he had said:

"Yes, sir?"

Marius's expression remained indifferent, but his tone gradually became more serious:
“But, First Class Guard Officer Danny Doyle.”

He rarely used Doyle's full name, which made the latter nervous.

Listen carefully.

The next moment, the Watcher's words caused everyone's expression to change drastically:

"You're going to die."

Thales was stunned.

Vogel, along with the guards around him, were also stunned.

what?
“This duel,” Marius said calmly, his gaze fixed on DD:
"You must..."

"He killed her."

Thales realized what was happening and was horrified.

He wasn't the only one who reacted this way.

“What?” Vogel looked at the Watchman in disbelief.

"If our opponents try to use public anger to launch an attack, we will retaliate in kind."

Marius calmly turned around, ignoring Doyle, who stood frozen in place, looking completely dazed.

"Doyle accepted the duel but was killed by his opponent—so, regardless of the circumstances, the Baylar family is naturally in the wrong for disrupting the banquet and using outdated customs and laws to massacre their noble peers. What people will remember is your family's forbearance and His Highness Thales's helplessness."

"Afterwards, the royal family can take the lead in upholding justice, occupy the moral high ground, and quell the aftermath."

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Marius calmly and nonchalantly delivered his terrifying proposal:

"His Highness was unaware of the situation and remained impartial."

"Doyle did not shirk responsibility and took full charge."

"End of story."

Silence fell over the guard.

“Death…” Doyle stood there, stunned, unable to come to his senses.

Only Vogel overcame the initial shock, frowning and questioning:
"But then, what about the Doyle family..."

"Indeed, it was the son who gloriously fought for his father, died in the duel, and preserved the honor of the royal family," Marius stared at the old baron slumped on the ground:
"Or perhaps the father cowardly shirked his responsibilities, died by murder, and plunged the kingdom into chaos."

"It concerns the big picture; they know what choice to make."

Thales saw Doyle tremble slightly, his face blank with shock.

It's as if the DD of the past has disappeared.

“No,” Thales said instinctively.
"There must be a better way..."

But at this moment, neither Vogel nor Marius seemed to care about his words.

“But after that,” Vogel crossed his arms, seemingly seriously considering the possibilities and pros and cons of this path:
"The Seven Star Attendants, their attitude towards the royal family..."

DD looked up in a daze.

"Every advantage has its disadvantages, but that's beyond our control; it's a matter for His Majesty and the officials at the Imperial Conference to consider."

Marius said casually, just as he had "suggested" Thales stay in the carriage the day he returned to Everstar City:
"In this game of chess, Bailar is just a pawn, the Seven Stars are also pawns, and so are you and me."

"We can only choose the path that results in the least loss."

Thales paused in a daze.

piece.

Another chess piece.

A pawn that is manipulated by others.

"Is it worth it?" Thales asked softly.

But Marius was still talking to Vogel and didn't notice him.

"So, Officer Doyle, how much do you want to save your father's life, your family, and His Highness from their current predicament?"

Vogel asked Doyle, who was already speechless, in a low voice—this was the first time he had addressed DD directly by his surname and title.

DD shuddered again!
But Vogel pressed on relentlessly:
"Has it come to the point where I'm willing to die for it?"

Doyle raised his head, his voice filled with fear and his breathing rapid and uneasy:

"me……"

Nobody knew what he was going to say.

“That guy’s positioning has become lax,” Golov suddenly spoke up from the side:
"Sir, let me circle around to the rear. I'm confident I can kill him with one strike..."

Doyle looked at his partner, his eyes regaining their color.

But Marius calmly interrupted them:
“It’s the only way.”

"Someone has set up an unsolvable game, and we can only make the most rational and simplest choice."

The Watcher looked at the absent-minded DD:

"Sacrifice the soldier."

He then looked at the incredulous Thales:

"Protect the King." The guards fell silent once again.

Thales closed his eyes and loosened his fist.

Sacrifice the soldier.

Protect the king.

Who is the pawn?

Who is the king?
But in the hall, Anke was clearly tired of Earl Godwin and the others' entanglement and didn't want to delay any longer: "Your Highness—"

Is it worth it?

Thales suddenly opened his eyes and interrupted him loudly!

Duke Starlake spoke angrily, drawing the attention of the hall back to himself:

"does it worth?"

Duke Starlake stepped forward, his gaze complex as he looked at the troublemaker at his banquet, his tone filled with a mixture of indignation and resentment:

"Anke Bailar!"

"Whoever instigated you, are they and their schemes worth you being a pawn and risking your life for?"

Anke was stunned for a moment.

Not only him, but everyone in the guard was also stunned for a moment.

A few seconds later, the hostage-taker burst into laughter.

"Instructed?"

Anker first glared hatefully at the disheveled old baron, then spoke coldly:
You don't believe me, do you?

"When you encounter something like this, you immediately think it's a political conspiracy, that there are ulterior motives, that it's a calculation of interests," Anke sneered, pointing his short sword at the crowd around him, causing a stir among the guests.
"Just like most of the aloof, indifferent, cold-blooded, ignorant, self-righteous, morally superior, selfish, and hypocritical fools who think they are just curious bystanders."

Thales frowned.

“‘Why bother? There are always other ways,’ they said. ‘Hidden motives, just trying to grab attention,’ they also said. ‘This isn’t so simple, it must be a conspiracy,’ they added.”

"Just like you are now."

Anke said sadly:

"You don't believe that everything I've done is my last and most desperate choice as a human being with flesh and blood."

For a fleeting moment, Thales felt he understood the meaning in the other person's eyes.

But that feeling quickly faded away, and Anke's gaze returned to its unfamiliar state.

Thales was silent for a moment.

"Then where did you get your weapons?"

The prince spoke in a deep voice:
"Security at the banquet is very tight; you can't be brought in alone."

Anke was startled.

He looked at the short sword in his hand, first with a sneer, then his gaze turned cold.

“For those who have suffered injustice and have no way out, Your Highness,” Anke Bailar looked at Thales again, his tone sorrowful yet resolute:
"Weapons of resistance are readily available."

"Within reach".

Ignoring Earl Godwin's furious roar, he pressed the sword against the baron's neck once more.

"Your Highness, choose for me—murder, or a duel?"

Thales swallowed hard.

DD's expression tightened, and his dazed eyes regained focus, reflecting the struggle within them.

Marius's gaze swept over from the side and landed on Thales.

Yet, it was more lethal than the gaze of anyone else in the hall at that moment.

Sacrifice the soldier.

Protect the king?

Anker, DD, and Marius all focused their attention on each other.

Thales felt his mouth was dry.

But the next second, another high-pitched, shrill female voice pierced the air:

"What a load of bullshit!"

"Bullshit Bailar!"

Everyone was startled and turned to look, only to find Baroness Doyle, who had broken free from the crowd, looking disheveled but with a fierce expression.

Her breath trembled, her heavy makeup was now a mess, and her gorgeous clothes were disheveled, but she still gritted her teeth and raised her finger, pointing it directly at the hostage-taker:
"You greenhorn! What do you know besides wielding swords and indulging in debauchery in some dilapidated tower a thousand miles away?!"

"Don't you know what kind of scum your father is?!"

Anke was taken aback, then frowned.

Like someone who has been driven to the brink of utter terror, the Baroness's expression twisted in horror.

“Before I remarried into the Doyle family, my ex-husband was a merchant from Ravenclaw Town. I know better than anyone what kind of scum your father was!”

"Bylar! Ha, that son of a bitch! He was a first-rate rogue knight in his youth, frivolous and vain, even rigging his own jousting matches!"

The Baroness's face was filled with contempt and disgust:
"Ambitious and stubborn, short-sighted yet insatiable!"

"If it weren't for the incredible luck of having all four of his cousins ​​and two of his own brothers die in the Bloody Year, when would he ever have become the Baron of Ravencry Town!"

Anker was somewhat taken aback and didn't know how to react.
"you……"

"As a lord, your father only knew how to levy exorbitant taxes and exploit the people to the point of exhaustion! Under his rule, the garrison in Yati Town was subjected to extra periods of service and extra fees, and the punishments were harsh and lenient! As a result, all industries were ruined, the people were filled with resentment, the bureaucracy was corrupt, and bribery was rampant!"

Anker was furious:

"No, he..."

But the Baroness was clearly furious and didn't give him a chance to speak at all:

"Putting everything else aside, just look at his financial difficulties yet his lack of remorse. He insists on waging wars and borrowing money to launch expeditions, which only cost countless lives... all for the sake of making a fortune in the desert, gaining military merit, and making face?"

"Isn't it clear enough?"

Mrs. Doyle spoke with disheveled hair and panting heavily.

But her shrill voice became increasingly fluent, and Thales could even detect a hint of the rural accent she had developed from childhood and was difficult to shake off:
"In Crow Cry Town, from officials to farmers, from merchants to craftsmen, everyone hates your father, hates him to the core!"

“Every year and every month, impoverished and overwhelmed people gather in the mountains and forests to engage in robbery and trade, causing endless harm to the surrounding areas. From the local townspeople to the people across the river in Jinghe, everyone suffers greatly. My ex-husband died in one of them!”

"Not to mention that every year countless refugees abandon the wasteland and sneak across the Mirror River to other lands—including the Doyle family's territory—just to have a full meal and a new set of clothes!"

In the hall, everyone's attention was drawn to the Baroness's words, and surprise and discussion swept through the crowd.

"After I remarried, your father shamelessly demanded 'ransom fees' from the lords of the Mirror River region for these refugees! The Baron—my current husband—could only sometimes pay him to appease him, and sometimes appease the refugees to let them go back to farming and work, to prevent the increase of thieves from endangering the surrounding area. And this is what you call a bullshit tenancy agreement!"

Anke was shocked and furious, and couldn't speak for a moment.

"Pawn land in the contract? Damn it, do you think any nobleman in the whole country would be so greedy as to mortgage his ancestral fiefdom and people just to make money? Do you think the Doyle family is the only one who has lent your father money over the years!"

"Whether he's a merchant or a nobleman, a knight or an official, once the repayment deadline arrives, he'll use noble laws to act like a rogue, threatening to sue the creditor for 'murdering a nobleman and granting land privately'—he's far more adept at this kind of bullying, betrayal, shameless, and despicable behavior than you are!"

Anke gripped his sword, trembling, his face pale amidst the whispers.

The Baroness shouted indignantly:
"Faced with such a rogue lord, the vassals of the Bailar tribe are disloyal but dare not speak out against him—do you think Baron Mirror River must be some saint, or some magnanimous man, to make them cry and wail and risk their lives to come and serve him?"

"In order to escape your father, to survive, and even more so for the next generation of children, the people of Ravencry Town are resourceful and find their own way out, secretly uniting to overcome the difficulties together. What's wrong with that?"

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the Baroness gritted her teeth and continued:
"And we, the Doyle family, are generous and magnanimous. Considering that we have been neighbors for generations and are related by marriage, we rent their wasteland, collect normal taxes, appease their spirits, hire exiled laborers, so that people can live a normal life and not become bandits. We even clear roads, protect roads, drive away thieves, and maintain peace in both places..."

"But what's wrong with making some profit and taking advantage of the convenience in the middle?"

Under Anker's control, the old baron, his face covered in snot and tears, bruises and swelling, nodded obediently with an innocent expression.

The Baroness grew increasingly assertive, hands on her hips, pointing directly at:

"To stop your insatiable and incompetent father from going mad, we showed him great mercy by providing emergency funds, even if it was just throwing money down the drain... What's wrong with that?"

"And now you've come looking for us? You still have the nerve to challenge us to a duel?"

Anke faced these accusations with a grim expression, his breathing quickening.

“Lord Talen,” Thales turned and whispered to Vogel:
"Just now, the guard captain's intelligence regarding the Bailar family, may I take a look?"

The deputy captain of the guard was taken aback, clearly not expecting the duke to speak to him.

But he hesitated for only a moment, and under Marius's thoughtful gaze, he summoned his subordinate and handed Thales a stack of papers.

"You, a brat who's away from home for ten months of the year, a young master whose every possession is the result of your father's exploitation..."

The Baroness, with her fierce and shrewish demeanor, displayed a ruthless and aggressive air.
"You think you have the right to yell at us just because you practiced swordsmanship for a couple of days abroad, read a couple of books, and slept with a few girls from out of town?!"

“I, this…” Anke’s lips twitched, and he was momentarily unable to refute.

Well, Thales thought to himself as he flipped through the intelligence, he had misjudged the situation.

In this hall, facing the iron spikes, the woman remained composed...

Perhaps it wasn't just Mrs. Eleanor.

But Thales frowned as he flipped through the papers.

No, at most it only states where the Bailar family originated, how long their history is, how far back their lineage is, how large their territory is, how many changes they have undergone, and how many people are still in the family...

There are absolutely no details about territorial rule and the disputes between the two sides.

There is no evidence to refute this.

"You said you want to inherit your father's fiefdom, property, and title?"

The Baroness snorted coldly:
"Then why don't you inherit all the sins, debts, evils, harms, lives, and blood your father committed against his vassals, subjects, neighbors, kingdom, and everyone over the years!"

"Bailar's little brat!"

After the baroness finished her screaming, she collapsed, drenched in sweat, and was supported by several women.

Thales frowned deeply.

The whole hall was silent.

Everyone seemed to be astonished and stunned by the Baroness's performance.

Even Doyle himself froze.

"DD, right?"

Vogel addressed Doyle by his nickname, his expression complex as he looked at the Baroness in the center of the hall.

"Your father...married a good wife."

Doyle stared blankly at his stepmother.

Golov remained expressionless as always, but pressed down on his shoulder from the side.

“You know,” Doyle said absentmindedly, as if talking to himself:

"When my father wanted to remarry..."

"Over the years, my attitude towards her has never been very good."

Marius said nothing, only sighed softly.

But Thales remained as heavy-hearted as ever.

He knew the matter was not over.

A few seconds later, the hall was once again filled with a clamor of discussion, as everyone was intensely debating the new information that the Baroness had just revealed.

Anke turned his head with difficulty and noticed a change in the guests' gazes.

They started looking at him more often.

He looked at the son of the Bailar family.

No.

Do not!
Besides being flustered, he was also quite angry and embarrassed.

"Listen, you little brat!"

Baroness Doyle caught her breath and, seeing the guests gossiping, grew even more confident and haughty.

Ignoring her disheveled appearance, she snorted coldly:
"I don't care whose favor you've climbed up to, or whose orders you're taking, to harm our family and ruin His Highness's reputation!"

The Baroness pointed directly at the men holding her husband hostage and shouted angrily:
"But if you dare, go ahead and try!"

Anker shuddered violently!
Baron Doyle, who was being held hostage, paled and said in terror:

"That dear..."

The baroness, who had been riding high, lowered her gaze, her face hardening.
"you shut up!"

The old baron shuddered and obediently closed his mouth.

The Baroness glared fiercely at Anker, who looked troubled, and gritted her teeth, saying:

“But I swear, you little brat, Bailar!”

"I swear to the setting sun, to the bright moon, to the dark night, to the desert god, to my great-aunt, and to everything!"

"If my husband suffers even the slightest harm tonight!"

Her face was vicious:
"I will risk everything for the rest of my life to make your remaining brothers, sisters, friends, and relatives suffer every imaginable form of torture in the most painful, cruel, and terrifying way!"

"I'll make them cry and beg me to kill them quickly and painlessly in the end!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed drastically!

Including Anker.

But the Baroness clearly didn't notice; ignoring the old Baron's frantic winks, she waved her arms and roared:

"I will make sure your family line is wiped out!"

"Just like the fate you were meant to have!"

The guests immediately erupted in uproar.

Thales, Marius, Vogel, and others all frowned.

Oops.

"As expected, when it comes to lying and sophistry, you guys are really good at it."

Anker's hesitation and resentment faded, and his expression returned to its usual indifference:
"Alright, if that's the case..."

"Then let the gods decide our fate!"

In a fit of anger, he tightened his grip, and the old baron immediately screamed, "No, no, no—"

"Come on, you cowardly son of Doyle!"

Anker stared directly at DD on the steps and roared:

"Come down here, fight me, and settle this with me!"

"everything!"

The Baroness, seeing the situation suddenly deteriorate, seemed to realize something and froze in place.

DD gripped the weapon at his waist tightly, filled with shock and rage.

"It's too early to say that."

Vogel glanced at the surrounding comments, then at Anker, who was clearly enraged and willing to pay any price, and sighed:
"She messed up the performance."

I originally planned to write this chapter after the New Year's Eve dinner, and update it in the early hours of the morning.

But Wu Jian drank alcohol that night and ended up sleeping until the afternoon.

What? You're asking where the neighbor's dog went and why it's not writing for you?

Of course, I'm going home with the girl next door for the New Year!

Dear readers, the epidemic situation is still unclear, please pay attention to hygiene and health. I'm not going anywhere for the Spring Festival; I'll just stay home and write! Stay strong, readers in Hubei!
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(End of this chapter)