Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 554 Sacrificing a Pawn (Part 2)

The guests in the hall remained unusually quiet, as if everyone had forgotten how to breathe after the order to duel was given.

Until Doyle suddenly reached out and grabbed Thales's glass!

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, he recklessly and willfully downed most of the glass of wine in one gulp.

DD casually tossed the wine glass aside and took a deep breath amidst the sound of shattering glass.

As he gradually came to his senses, he looked at the tuxedo Anker was wearing.

The next second, Doyle, expressionless yet methodical, removed the leather armor and protective gear belonging to the royal guard.

"Old Pi, my sword."

Piloga hesitated for a moment, then, under Marius's gaze, took the confiscated weapons.

"This will not be a pure duel—both sides will seek defeat rather than victory, and death rather than life."

Marius walked to DD's side, watching him make his final preparations, and whispered:

"are you ready?"

Thales, sitting in his seat, clenched his fist.

Both sides were seeking death...

why.

why!
Doyle removed his arm guards and glanced indifferently at his superior.

"Lord, sir, or, young Tormund."

Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, or perhaps out of a lack of restraint, he addressed the other person casually:

"You know what, you're such an asshole."

Young Tormund – Marius frowned.

"That arrogant attitude, not even daring to acknowledge His Highness, is really annoying." DD laughed as he spoke.

But none of the other guards laughed.

The Watchman sighed:
"In the 'Rose' lineage, the rear-hand thrust is an essential skill to learn, known for its simplicity, sharpness, and unpredictability, making it very difficult for practitioners to break."

"If you time it right... you can suffer less."

Doyle's smile froze.

He straightened up, looked at Golov, his partner with the most experience, and looked dejected.

"Zombie, sorry to bother you with all this trash talk, but my father instructed me... to maintain good relations with the Golovers..."

Golov nodded, his face still expressionless.
"I know."

DD took a deep breath.

"Also, you never go to Red Town Street..."

“So I’ve always wanted to ask,” Doyle said, a pale smile appearing on his face as he ignored everyone’s gaze.

"are you gay?"

The guardhouse fell silent instantly.

Golov frowned, but still answered:

"No."

Doyle snorted and shrugged:
"Okay, I mean, even if you are, it's okay, I'm very tolerant..."

“The Doyle family,” Anker interrupted DD in the center of the hall, completely oblivious to the eager guards around him:
"What are you still dawdling about?"

DD laughed and turned around: "What?"

"Are you just waiting to die?"

“Just like you,” Anke looked at his dueling opponent and smiled as well.
"Each each other."

They stared at each other, but their smiles quickly vanished.

Calm and indifferent.

Without warning, Doyle snatched the sword from Piloga's hand.

"Your Highness."

“I know I’ve been overacting these past few days trying to please you, but,” DD clutched the scabbard tightly, like a drowning man grasping at a straw, without turning his head, letting out his usual carefree laughter:
"You are a good man."

Thales made a move.

Doyle looked up at the dome and a slight smile played on his lips:
“It’s much more relaxing here than at the Palace of Rejuvenation.”

His smile vanished.

"If my father is ever in the future... please remember today."

Thales opened his mouth instinctively, but couldn't bring himself to say "good".

He could only stare blankly at Doyle.

“Your Highness is kind and benevolent,” Marius said calmly, defusing the awkward moment.

"You know he won't forget."

Doyle forced a smile and nodded knowingly.

Kind-hearted.

Kind-hearted...

At that moment, Thales felt that such a description was incredibly ironic.

In the hall, Baron Doyle held his wife and began to sob softly, oblivious to everyone else.

DD gave a helpless look.

He stopped looking at Thales, turned around on his own, picked up his weapon, and walked down the steps.

He walked toward his opponent.

His end.

“Doyle…” Thales couldn’t help but speak, but Marius grabbed his arm, silencing the prince.

“He knows what he will sacrifice,” Marius said calmly.
"He knows even better what he's trying to save."

Watchman turns to Thales:

"But the problem is, you know what?"

Do I know?

Thales remained silent.

The sacrifice...

Thales watched Doyle's back as he slowly descended the steps, his usual relaxed and leisurely demeanor replaced by a heavy and disoriented feeling that seemed out of place.

It needs to be saved...

Thales slowly looked at Baron Doyle, who was lying on the ground, his face ashen, and the Baroness, who was sobbing uncontrollably and trembling.

I will sacrifice myself.

I want to save it.

Thales looked at Anke, who was holding a short sword and had a calm expression, and was momentarily lost in thought.

Something moved in his heart.

So, is this the feeling?
Thales said to himself.

He is the second prince.

It is the Duke of Starlake.

He should sit on a high place, looking at the chessboard, watching the pieces below fight back and forth, and saving the whole game.

Strategizing and commanding, directing troops and moving soldiers.

He should just accept the sacrifice he deserves, watching DD wrestle with the enemy in a duel, trying to die by the other's sword, no matter how absurd that may be.

Then, based on the gains and losses, rewards were given for meritorious service, and treacherous officials were punished.

Because if you want to get into this circle, Thales, and even climb to the top.

The words that the rope had once spoken suddenly echoed in Thales' ears:

The first thing you need to do is submit, open your mind and body, and let their world and ideas rule over you completely, transforming you into someone you can no longer recognize. Only then can you begin to play this game, and only then can you play it successfully.

Thales watched Doyle's departing figure silently.

"remember."

Deputy Captain Vogel caught up two steps and whispered a reminder to Doyle from behind:

"If you survive and he dies."

"Then both Your Highness and your parents will face a terrible future."

DD's back view trembled.

Just as Thales also took a breath.

Unlike Thales, Doyle quickly calmed down and moved forward step by step.

It's as if he has already accepted his fate.

Like a...

piece.

At that moment, Thales suddenly understood.

Think carefully, what would you be like if you became a prince?

Can you still choose your own path? Follow your own heart?

Thales lowered his head slightly.

Everyone waited for Doyle to arrive and meet up with Anker.

After becoming a prince, are you still yourself, still Thales?

Or has it... transformed into something else?

“You’re right, Marius,” Thales suddenly said quietly.
“DD...he knows what he will sacrifice.”

"And Anke, he also knew what he was trying to save."

What did you gain, and what did you lose?

Marius tilted his head in confusion:
"Your Highness?"

Thales raised his head, his gaze sharpening.

"But you're wrong too."

He sat in his seat, gazing at every face in the hall: worry, anxiety, fear, panic, triumph, anticipation, dejection, indifference, schadenfreude...

"He's not a pawn."

Thales said calmly:
"Neither of them."

He clenched his fists:

"Nobody is."

Maybe others can.

Without any burden or scruples, one can move the pieces with a clear conscience, or willingly become a piece.

Perhaps the Duke of Starlake can, perhaps the Second Prince can...

Maybe DD can, maybe Anker can...

Perhaps Marius, perhaps Vogel...

But he can't.

Because he is Thales Shining Star.

He is Thales.

Just Thales.

“They are not pawns, but simply DD, simply Anker, simply…people.”

Thales said profoundly:
"The purest, and also the most complex...human being."

The watchman asked, puzzled:

"Your Highness, what do you mean?"

Thales took a deep breath, smiled, and winked at the Watcher:

"It means, to hell with the 'pawn'."

Marius finally sensed something was wrong: at this moment, the prince's eyes lacked the previous unease and anxiety, and were devoid of their usual depth and bitterness.

Instead, there was an unprecedented determination and brightness.

“Wait,” Marius’s expression changed:
"What do you want to do—"

But by the time he realized what the second prince was about to do, it was too late.

The next second, just as Doyle was about to stand in front of Anker, the two who hated each other finally faced each other fairly. Before the first debt between the two families was to be settled in blood, Thales straightened his face and stood up proudly!

He shouted the order:

"Wait a moment!"

Duke Starlake's voice echoed throughout the hall.

In an instant, everyone turned to look, and even Doyle stopped in his tracks.

Everyone looked at the prince with curiosity.

"Your Highness?" Anke frowned, asking instinctively as he worried that things might have taken a turn for the worse.

Thales curled his lips into a smile and glanced at Marius.

The latter felt inexplicably uneasy, even ignoring the questioning look Vogel gave him.

“Just now, my captain of the personal guard told me!”

Thales stretched out his arm and raised his voice:
"This duel is between you, Anker, and you, Doyle."

He looked at the two of them, his gaze piercing, his words sharp and incisive:

He said, "You will all strive to die!"

Thales shouted:
"Seeking defeat at all costs!"

These words immediately sparked a murmur of discussion in the hall.

Only those who had anticipated this, such as Earl Godwin, Duke Iris, One-Eyed Dragon, and Duke Val, remained silent, each knowing what was going on.

Within the royal guard, Marius and Vogel exchanged bewildered glances, only to be met with mutual astonishment.

what happened?

Why, why make this so public...? Caught in the eye of the storm, Anke and Doyle exchanged a glance, equally bewildered.

"To exchange actual sacrifices for greater benefits or lesser losses."

Thales smiled, glancing at each of them separately, his voice bright and confident:
"Can you fight a battle where you seek defeat?"

"Will it!"

The prince's question sparked a growing murmur of discussion in the banquet hall.

Anker and DD both paused for a few seconds, then spoke almost simultaneously:
"Your Highness—"

The prince's smile cooled.

"But I don't like that!"

Thales roared, interrupting the two who were caught off guard.

“Yankees may be savage,” Thales said, raising a glass of wine—whose owner he didn’t know—and holding it out in the air, his eyes sharp as knives.

"But they never compromise."

Yes, most of the time I don't compromise.

Thales easily released the glass, causing it to fall and shatter on the ground.

He looked at the people in the hall, some surprised and doubtful, some bewildered, some solemn, and some relaxed, and chuckled softly:

"Therefore, I want to place some bets to encourage you."

These words left everyone in the hall puzzled once again.

Only Thales' smile remained unchanged:
"To give you both extra motivation."

A glint flashed in his eyes as he locked the two duelists within his field of vision:
"Make sure this is a brutal, decisive, exciting, and victorious battle..."

"Unforgettable..."

Thales' smile turned to ice, and his voice deepened:

"A duel to the death."

what?
The next second, from the nobles to the guards and servants, while everyone was still in shock and unable to react, Thales roared:
"Anke Bailar!"

Anker was on edge.

"In the name of Duke of Starlake, Second Prince Thales Starlight, I swear to the Goddess of the Setting Sun!"

Thales' expression was more solemn and indifferent than ever before:
"If you win the duel, kill your opponent."

“My father, His Majesty King Kessel,” Thales said coldly.
"He and I will fully support you in reopening the court for your family and seeking justice!"

Anker was jolted awake!
Not only him, but also Marius, Doyle, Vogel... everyone was shocked and incredulous after they realized what had happened.

Anke said in surprise:

"You...represent His Majesty?"

Thales sneered:
"Indeed, the Starry Sky Royal Family will speak out for the Bailar family!"

"Until you are satisfied."

The guests in the hall immediately erupted in uproar, with shouts rising and falling.

Anker was taken aback. He stared intently at Thales' expression, his breathing erratic and uncontrollable.

Full support...

Speak out for the Bairar family...

Doyle looked betrayed and stared incredulously at the prince he had once served.

Vogel, standing beside Marius, gritted his teeth and whispered in shock and anger, "Your Majesty... how does he represent Your Majesty?"

“Supporting Bailar... no, that's far too reckless…”

Marius frowned.

But Thales quickly spoke again, his voice as serious as before:

“But Anker, if you lose the duel, you will perish.”

He said in a cold voice:

“Then I also make a promise on behalf of my father and the Royal Family of Shining Star.”

"The controversy surrounding the Bairar family..."

A cold glint flashed in Thales' eyes:
"And that concludes here."

The meaning of this statement was ambiguous, and the guests were puzzled for a while, until Anke, whose expression was constantly changing, tentatively spoke:
"Your Highness, I don't understand..."

But Thales immediately raised his voice, interrupting everyone's thoughts.

"As the price for witnessing your glorious duel, as punishment for your disrespect and overstepping..."

The Duke of Starlake's voice echoed among the pillars of the Mindis Hall, causing everyone to stand in solemn silence:

"If you lose."

"The case of the Baylar family will never be overturned, will never be retried, and no objections will be allowed."

Thales stared coldly at Anke, who was growing increasingly suspicious, his voice as cold as ice:

"No matter how many grievances, legal grounds, or reasons you have."

"The kingdom will not ask any questions."

Let's turn the page here.

Anke stood there, stunned, amidst the guests' chatter.

It took him several seconds to understand the prince's "bet".

If you win the duel, I'll give you my full support...

If you lose the duel, the verdict will never be overturned...

Anke raised his head in a daze:

"But my family's land will never be overturned. I don't understand..."

Thales interrupted his question with a cold voice:

"Anker, you're saying you want to resort to a duel and recreate my legendary journey in the North?"

Anker frowned.

"Since you've chosen to solve this problem using the ancient imperial methods, enjoy its convenience of a permanent solution," Thales sneered.
"Then we must bear the price of its barbarity and backwardness."

Anke was stunned.

Thales raised his head and looked around at the people in the hall who were looking at him. Wherever his gaze fell, the guests lowered their heads.

He said in a deep voice:

"This is the truth of the duel, the true ancient style of the empire and the way of the North."

Seeing the two duelists both stunned, Thales curled his lips into a gentle smile:

"With such a stake, you're motivated to win, aren't you?"

The hall buzzed with discussion as everyone pondered Thales's intentions.

"Okay, I think I understand a little bit."

Vogel pondered deeply, then tentatively asked:

“That guy has had his escape route blocked by His Highness’s domineering royal power. Now he must kill Doyle and cede the moral high ground to us in order to clear his family’s name.”

The deputy captain of the guard looked at Marius with a puzzled expression:

"But Your Highness isn't afraid... that the young man from the Doyle family, in order to get the royal family to fulfill its promises, might also try to kill the other party and close the case?"

Marius looked at the Duke of Starlake's profile and lowered his head.

“No,” the Watchman whispered to Vogel:
"You didn't understand."

The deputy captain of the guard was taken aback.

In the hall, after figuring something out, Anke and Doyle exchanged a glance.

"What's wrong, Bailar?"

Doyle's eyes regained their color, transforming into a flickering flame:

Are you afraid of losing?

Anker did not answer immediately.

He remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a cold laugh.

“Very well, if that’s what you want to see, Your Highness.”

He raised his head and looked directly at Thales, his tone as resolute as ever, but now carrying an air of murderous intent:
"Come on, let the duel begin."

"But please remember your promise, if I win..."

Thales chuckled softly:
"I guarantee that the royal family will stand firmly on your side!"

Vogel frowned upon hearing this.

You guarantee...

Is that a proper way to put it?
"What is he trying to do?" Vogel looked at the second prince with displeasure.

Only Marius said calmly:
"Help."

Help?

Vogel responded with doubt.

“As we prepare to sacrifice our pawns,” Marius turned his head, his gaze intense:

"He wanted to save his life."

"More than one."

Vogel's doubts only deepened.

Fortunately, he soon no longer had to wonder.

"Marius, now that the duel is about to begin," Thales shouted to his captain of the guard, the order echoing throughout the hall:

"Go and fetch the 'Warning Person'."

Warning.

Upon hearing this name, many people in the banquet hall felt a stirring in their hearts.

Marius frowned and said:

“A warning person? But Your Highness, wouldn’t that mean…”

"Yes."

Thales abruptly interrupted him, and the prince turned to the guests, his gaze sharp as lightning:

"The ancient imperial sword, a gift from the Duke of the Western Wilderness and a family heirloom of the Falkenhausen, representing their boundless trust and loyalty to me, should be worthy of this duel, shouldn't it?"

Upon hearing this, people were immediately taken aback.

"Your Highness?"

Anke, from the Western Wilderness, asked doubtfully, "You want to lend one of us your sword?"

He and DD exchanged a glance, conveying countless expressions of wariness and disgust.

Thales smiled, but then shook his head.

“You are from the Western Wilderness, Anke,” he said, looking at Bailar with a leisurely air.
"Then you should know that tribal chiefs in the great desert always regard their guards as brothers and sisters, as wings."

Anker nodded with some skepticism, but his expression gradually changed after Thales said the next sentence.

"To challenge them in a duel is tantamount to challenging the leader himself."

Thales spoke indifferently, causing a stir among the crowd. He recalled a certain orc warchief he had once encountered, and the other party's "buy one get two free" duel rule that left a deep impression on him.

“And unfortunately,” Thales said calmly, his words silencing the controversy, “it is unfortunate that…”
“Danny Doyle happens to be me, the Duke of Starlake’s bodyguard.”

"You challenge him."

"It's a challenge for me."

DD stood there, stunned.

Anke's eyes widened.

Upon hearing this, many people quickly realized what was happening:
"Your Highness—"

But Thales ignored them all and continued to shout loudly, even using the sins of the River of Hell to try and drown out any other sound:
"And Baron Doyle!"

He roared:
"And he is my honored guest."

Thales, his face grim, pointed directly at Baron Doyle, who was now lying dumbfounded in his wife's arms:
"Today, he is not threatened, harmed, or challenged at my banquet, in my Mindis Hall."

"These are all offensive to me personally!"

The two duelists were no longer the focus; all eyes were on the prince, filled with surprise, fear, unease, trepidation, admiration, and disdain.

Until Thales swept his menacing gaze around, driving away all the strange looks.

"No—" Vogel instinctively tried to step forward to stop the prince, but Marius behind him firmly grabbed his arm!
"Star People, listen up!"

"As Doyle's master, as the host of this banquet, and even more so as the master of this manor..."

Thales' expression was cold and ruthless, his voice reverberated through the dome, and his words were resolute and decisive.

“I am Thales Shining Star.”

He stood at a high position in the banquet hall, one arm raised, unfazed by the gazes of the entire room, his voice loud and clear:
"I will fulfill my duties and rights as the master in accordance with the ancient customs of the empire!"

“I will act as Danny Doyle’s representative and accept the most justifiable duel challenge issued by Anker Barral on his behalf.”

Thales' gaze was cold as he lowered his arms, pointing directly at the two duelists who were now speechless:
"To carry out this duel of blood revenge."

"Until the outcome is decided."

"Until life or death is revealed."

"Until the ancient ritual is completed."

After he finished speaking, the banquet hall fell into a long silence.

Thales lowered his gaze and gave a cold laugh.

“Don’t worry, Anke,” he smiled, looking at the utterly shocked Anke and the dumbfounded DD.

"The conditions and stakes mentioned before remain in effect."

Thales lowered his head slightly, the firelight casting a shadow on his face.
"As long as you're in the duel..."

He wiped the smile from his face and coldly uttered his final words:

"kill me."

It's the end of the month, I need to make a living, and I need monthly votes! (Sound of typing)
It was too late when I finished writing, and I didn't have time to revise it carefully. I'll come back and polish it the next morning.

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(End of this chapter)