Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 555 (Unfinished)
In the brightly lit hall, Thales looked down at Anke, enduring countless astonished gazes, but only stared at the dazed Anke.

Waiting for his response.

“You…you?”

After a long while, Anke finally looked up in disbelief.

Thales continued to stare at him coldly, his posture composed, yet his gaze piercing.

Like a hunter who has released an arrow, he confidently lowers his longbow.

"Your Highness, a proxy duel," Anke finally understood what had just happened, his eyes bloodshot and his breathing rapid.
"Me and...you?"

Thales squinted.

"no no……"

The troublemaker at the banquet, his eyes brimming with grief and pain, hissed:
"No!"

After the initial shock, everyone in the hall began to anxiously discuss what had just happened, but their voices became increasingly subdued, and even the way they looked at Duke Starlake changed.

Val Arend, now in shackles, no longer drinks; his gaze is fixed on the prince, his meaning unclear.

Jann frowned and kept turning back to ask his butler questions.

One-eyed Köstler smiled enigmatically and had the leisure to respond to the private inquiries of other guests.

Thales ignored the scenes he caught in his peripheral vision and snorted coldly.

"why not?"

The young duke walked slowly down the steps, and the royal guards behind him tried to follow, but Marius stopped them with an unquestionable gesture.

"Isn't this what you wanted?"

Thales stepped out of the encircling group and slowly descended the steps, his voice sharp as a blade:

"A duel with the Second Prince himself would not only shock the entire kingdom and be heard by everyone, but would also achieve your goal of seeking justice—such a banquet..."

Doesn't it smell good?

Anke gritted his teeth, the short sword in his hand began to tremble, and his eyes were practically spitting fire.

He wasn't the only one who found it unbelievable.

DD stood there dumbfounded, watching Thales descend from the sky and walk slowly towards him.

The murderous aura that had been emanating from Doyle slowly faded, replaced by a bewildered and helpless expression.

“Your Highness, you don’t need to. I mean, you don’t need to stand in for me. I can, I can…”

Thales stopped in his tracks, his expression displeased.

On the other side, after experiencing the double torment of grief and astonishment, old Baron Doyle revealed an incredulous joy. He realized what was happening and frantically tried to wink at his son.

But DD clearly didn't notice his father's actions. He stared blankly at the imposing Thales, raising and lowering the scabbard in his hand, his words hesitant and mechanical, as if he hadn't fully reacted yet:

"You don't need to, you don't need to. I'm the one with the guards protecting you..."

It wasn't until Thales glanced sideways, his cold gaze silencing Doyle's words that Thales's words were cut off.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, Danny Doyle,” Thales called out his bodyguard’s full name coldly.

“I am giving you an order: I will act as your proxy in this duel.”

Thales looked at the crowd, his brows furrowed and his eyes cold:

"In the body of Brilliant Star, I command one of the Seven Brilliant Star Attendants."

Do you... have any objections?

DD was immediately stunned.

Upon hearing this, the guests standing at the front all stiffened, instantly becoming the focus of attention:
The young and promising Viscount Adrian released his wife and looked back at Thales with a serious expression.

The frail and elderly Viscount Paterson opened his cloudy, dim eyes and pushed away his two nephews and nieces who were supporting him.

The elegant Lady Eleanor held Luther Barney, who was playing with his head down, firmly in her grasp, remaining silent.

Baron Stoddard lowered his head slightly, glancing at the prince with an expression that seemed to be a faint, cold smile.

Lozano Glovo, however, clasped his arms tightly, as if rooted to the spot, unmoving.

Thales's gaze swept across like a blade.

A second later, the five nobles all made their movements, some bowing their heads and pressing their chests, others bending their knees and lifting their skirts, willingly and obediently submitting.

But no one reacted as well as Baron Doyle.

"No, Your Highness, no objection, no!"

Thales's brow twitched.

Old Doyle, his voice trembling with tears, stumbled and crawled, startling everyone:
"With you here, as one of the Seven Servants of the Radiant Star, and a member of the Doyle family of the Mirror River, we swear to follow you to the death! Aaaaaahh ...

Before the bruised and snotty old baron could say anything, his shrewd wife swiftly covered his mouth and, together with DD, dragged him back into the crowd.

Thales let out a breath.

He turned around and continued pacing.

The crowd below, whether guards, servants, or guests, instinctively made way for the prince.

It wasn't until Thales stepped onto the field, landing on the lowest point of the ground, that he stood at the same height as Anker, who was visibly tense.

"As for you..."

But Thales did not stop; instead, he steadily moved forward toward the center of the hall.

Anke looked up in a daze, slightly surprised.

He realized that if he could catch up with the prince by taking just two more steps, the blade in his hand would be within reach.

DD, who was closest, was the first to react. He put down his father and rushed forward, exclaiming in surprise:

"Your Highness!"

The guards who were quietly following Thales also sensed something was wrong. Marius frowned and raised his voice:

"Your Highness, we are close enough!"

Earl Godwin was in a panic:
“Prince Thales! Your noble birth…”

Beside Marius, Vogel, furious at the series of unexpected blows, directly gave the order:

"Surround them! Protect His Highness!"

In the hall, the bewildered guards and the tense royal guards moved at the same time, their footsteps creating a chaotic scene that startled the guests with gasps of surprise.

Until Thales roared loudly, stunning everyone who had lost their composure:
"Stop!"

He turned and raised his arm, pointing directly at Doyle who was rushing forward:

"Back off!"

"You all step back!"

The royal guards stopped in unison.

Amidst the intense attention, Thales, completely ignoring Marius's frown and Vogel's anxiety, turned around on his own.

Look at Anke, who instinctively raises his sword in self-defense.

“Since my guest has the audacity to come alone, sword in hand,” Thales’ gaze shifted from the man’s short sword to Anke’s eyes, his steps unwavering:
"Then I naturally have the courage to stand in front of him and look him straight in the eye."

Anker shuddered.

"Calm down!"

In the chaos, Marius ignored Vogel's angry protests ("Get him back!"):
"His Highness has given the order!"

He raised his fist to defy the crowd and signaled to the royal guards to calm down.

Seeing that Marius had openly set the tone, Vogel could only grit his teeth and keep quiet, glaring angrily at the Watchers' outrageous behavior.

Finally, Thales stood before Anker, facing his anger and sorrow directly.

“Duke Thales,” Anke lowered his short sword, glaring at the duke with undisguised resentment:

"why?"

Thales remained calm and composed.
"why?"

He snorted coldly:
"Anke Bailar".

"You think you can come to my territory and do whatever you want? You think you've got my weakness and can use it to hurt me and threaten me?"

Anke gripped his sword tightly.

His gaze lingered on Thales' vital areas.

This made Vogel increasingly nervous, constantly urging Marius to take action, but the latter remained unmoved.

Like Thales, he didn't care at all.

"I don't know who gave you this terrible idea, but a duel?"

Thales chuckled softly, glancing at the crowd, seemingly casually:
"Just because I came back from the North?"

Thales slowly turned around, nonchalantly turning his back to Anke, who was holding a sharp blade and was emotionally unstable.

“You, and the people behind you, don’t know that I have been facing such dilemmas and problems all my life, struggling to survive between the most desperate choices.”

Thales glanced around at the guests before turning back.

He looked at Anke, who was stunned and speechless, seemingly hesitating whether to seize the opportunity to strike and kill the prince.

“Now, Anke, whoever you are, or whose people you work for.”

Thales spoke in a cold voice, ignoring the opponent's blade, and continued to approach the opponent amidst the gasps of the crowd, until the two were less than half an arm's length apart.

"Whether you're doing it for yourself or for others."

Thales said in a deep voice:

"Choose."

At such close range, Thales noticed that the other person was trembling uncontrollably, breathing erratically, and with an unpredictable expression.

He's not in the right frame of mind.

Thales, with his hellish senses, understood everything at a single glance:

Given the opponent's current situation, let alone a duel, he might not even be able to execute a proper sword technique.

"choose?"

Anke finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up angrily.

"Either I kill you, or... or..."

His breath was so heavy it almost collided with Thales's face:

"You didn't give me a choice at all, did you!"

Anke's eyes were bloodshot, his expression was ferocious, and the short sword in his hand trembled incessantly.

The scene was nerve-wracking, and viewers couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for the prince—Marius had to hold down the clenched-teeth Vogel tightly, his fists never lowered to restrain the crowd.

But Thales paused for a moment and said softly:
"wrong."

The prince's tone turned serious:
"I gave."

"I'm giving you not only choices, but also opportunities."

Looking into Anker's eyes, which were filled with despair and desolation, Thales tried his best to be sincere:

"The best opportunity, another option."

"You know."

Thales' voice unconsciously carried a hint of anxiety:
"You know!"

But Anke, who was looking back at him, remained unmoved. The other man's gaze shifted from warm to cold, from bright to dark, from resentment to loss, from pain to numbness.

Finally, Anke gently closed his eyes.

“Your Highness, can you do me a favor?” Anke spoke softly, his voice seemingly steeped in somber tones:

"Kill me?"

The onlookers and the vigilant guards were all taken aback.

Thales' eyes dimmed.

"of course."

But the next moment, Thales' voice turned cold again: "But only in a duel—on the terms we agreed upon."

Anker fell silent.

One second, two seconds...

Just three seconds later, Anke suddenly opened his eyes!

At the same time, the blade in his hand also moved, slicing through the air and creating a whistling sound.

Directly targeting Thales!
The next second, the crowd, who had been completely focused on the moment, erupted in a chorus of gasps!
"No!"

"Damn it!"

"Protect His Highness quickly!"

"Another murder!"

The chaotic crowd either retreated or moved forward, temporarily blocking the view and hindering the royal guards who were preparing to provide assistance!

“Damn it! Marius! Your terrible idea…”

Vogel shoved aside a guest who was blocking his way, furious:
"If the prince—you're finished!"

Marius remained silent, calmly clenching his fist to signal his men to maintain order.

Until a loud shout came from the center of the hall, from the heart of the chaos, bursting forth from the crowd!

"In the name of Thales Star, I said it! Stand back!"

"Everyone the fuck!"

Thales' voice had never been so furious, it even shook the dome:

"I can handle it!"

The chaotic scene immediately fell silent.

The guards took a few seconds to regain control of the crowd, and the royal guards rushed to the front, led by Marius and Vogel, and surrounded the center of the hall.

Only the two people, almost touching each other, remained in the center of the hall.

Upon seeing what was happening before their eyes, many guests gasped in shock:
Anke's sword rested between their necks, neither forward nor backward—his wrist, which held the sword, was firmly gripped by Thales, leaving him unable to move forward or backward.

Thales and Anke stared at each other, one composed, the other desperate, trembling slightly in their tense struggle.

Marius frowned.

Vogel, filled with shock and anger, was about to order his men on the flag-bearing wing to advance:

"Damn it, hurry up and get going—"

But Marius's words were louder than his:

"Hold on!"

The Watcher raised his fist again, causing everyone to pause in surprise:
"His Highness's command cannot be disobeyed!"

Vogel paused in his forward steps.

Marius said coldly:

"His Highness is handling it."

"Not to be disturbed."

Vogel was momentarily speechless with anger, and lowered his voice:

"Handle him? You're his personal guard captain! What if something happens to him..."

This time, Marius did not swallow his anger, but instead replied coldly:

“Then I am also his personal guard captain.”

He swallowed the deputy captain's words.

In the arena, Thales carefully soothed the River of Sin that was flowing into his arms, hindering Anker's intentions while preventing the power of the End from turning into a bloodthirsty beast.

"Anke, don't do that."

Thales shook his head, his eyes carrying a warning:

"The warning hasn't arrived yet, so our duel hasn't even begun."

But Anke shook his head.

“Let go, let them kill me,” Anke said in a low voice, his tone shrouded in gloom.
"I must die; I cannot walk out alive like this."

Thales frowned.

In that instant, he felt as if he had returned to the prison of bones.

Right in front of him, Barney Jr. brought the blade to his own neck.

“Yes,” Thales said firmly, banishing the unpleasant memories.
"But that's just the choice he's giving you."

He balanced the strength in his arms, preventing Anke from moving an inch, while staring intently into the other's eyes:
"The person who gave you this sword is not worth your life."

Anker seemed to be angered; his pupils contracted, and his emotions surged.

"It wasn't for him!"

Thales showed no weakness:
"I know!"

The prince stared into those eyes that darted back and forth between anger and despair, hoping only that the other person could understand his meaning:
"So I gave you a chance."

"Seize it!"

Thales's voice sounded somewhat urgent.

Anke was in a daze for a moment.

His breathing eased, and his pupils refocused.

"Why……"

“Because I know you are not his pawn,” Thales said firmly.

"I know what you really want."

Thales tightened his grip, closing the distance between them, and said in a voice only they could hear:
“You have not come for revenge, nor for personal gain.”

"And certainly not for your father."

Anke was stunned at first, then incredulous.

"You, how could you..."

Thales said coldly:

"Because I believe we are the same kind of people."

Same people.

Anker's hand trembled slightly:
"what?"

“But the man who gave you the sword,” Thales stared intently into his eyes:

"He is definitely not."

Separated by a short sword, the two men stared at each other, one resolute, the other bewildered.

Anke's hesitation lasted only a moment.

He gritted his teeth, his brow furrowing.

“He gave me a sword, and you gave me a ‘bet’.”

Anker stared intently at Thales:
"You're all pressuring me to take the next step you want."

"Is there anything different between you and him?"

Thales remained silent for a moment.

A second later, the prince's grip loosened.

“He wants to be a chess player and win games,” Thales whispered.

Anker sneered sarcastically:
"And you want to lose?"

Thales slowly raised his head.

"Do not."

"I just... just understand..."

He said, utterly exhausted:
"The other pieces."

Anke was suddenly taken aback.

“I said, we are the same kind of people.”

Thales said with difficulty:
"Anke Bailar".

Anke loosened his grip, and the distance between them returned to an arm's length.

But the short sword still lay across it.

The prince gazed intently at his opponent, tentatively reaching out to touch their weapon:

"Now, let go and give me the sword."

Anker's eyes were blank. He glanced around and saw the royal guards, who looked menacing and on high alert.

He gritted his teeth and said:

"I can not."

“The chess piece cannot,” Thales said, his left hand resting on the hilt of his opponent’s sword, his eyes resolute. “You can.”

“Anke Bailar, you can.”

Anker lowered his head.

“If I let go,” Bairar’s eyes regained their clarity, but then turned pained:
"what should I do?"

When faced with this question, Thales remained silent for a while.

But he quickly raised his head:

"I don't know, but I will try my best."

Anke snorted, his expression unreadable, a mixture of laughter and tears.

"I have already done my best."

“No, you don’t,” Thales shook his head firmly.
"You did not see me."

"I."

He said firmly.

This time, Anke stared at him for a long time.

Under Thales's gaze, the other person's eyes passed through a series of emotions: confusion, pain, torment, struggle, anger, and resentment.

Finally, I returned to peace and silence.

The next second, Thales felt a lightness in his hand.

Before him, Anke's body slumped forward.

"Boom!"

With a muffled thud, and under the watchful eyes of countless people, Anke closed his eyes, knelt down beside Thales, and collapsed.

Thales let out a soft sigh, held the short sword horizontally in his hand, and turned around with complicated feelings.

"It seems the duel didn't happen."

He raised his voice, reverting to the authoritative Duke of Starlake, drawing away the sharp, sweeping gazes of many onlookers.

The Duke strode toward Marius, who was still clenching his fists.

Thales nodded, his emotions a mix of emotions, but he forced himself to speak in the same tone as before: "The bet is not over."

"Pity."

Under countless astonished gazes, Marius waved his hand.

The royal guards, who were prepared, rushed forward and roughly pinned Anke, who had already given up resisting and was numb, to the ground and tied him up.

(End of this chapter)