Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 571 Defective Products

The Palace of Rejuvenation, the Royal Guard's quarters.

"Lord Marius, you mentioned Prince Thales's finishing power, is it the Raging Sea?"

As the chief standard-bearer and deputy captain of the guard, Vogel stopped pressing the prince's sexual orientation and moved on to the next report, using his peripheral vision to intimidate Via, the standard-bearer who was frantically wiping away stains.

But as the target of interrogation, Marius felt that the oppressive atmosphere in the room was even more intense than before.

"Yes."

The Watcher stood in his desolate and barren world, expressionless, sensing the emotions emanating from Vogel—anger at its peak had turned into calm, leaving only an undercurrent of turmoil.

"When did you awaken?"

"Given that Your Highness is only fourteen years old, it must have been not long ago."

Vogel opened the report, his eyes never leaving Marius:

"Awakening at fourteen is almost the earliest recorded occurrence... but there's no exact date?"

“Lord Talen,” Marius said, seemingly exasperated, “I’ve only known him for a few months.”

Vogel stared at him for a long time, but the Watchman remained calm and showed no weakness.

"You said in your report that it was a 'variant' of the raging sea, what do you mean?"

Marius pretended to think seriously:
"The literal meaning. That means that at times, it will exhibit characteristics different from the raging storms we know, after all, the power of termination varies from person to person."

Vogel snorted coldly:
"If it varies from person to person, how can you be sure that's it?"

Marius smiled politely.

"Perhaps you have forgotten, but I am the watchman of the guard, the watchman of the legacy."

Sure enough, the moment those words left his mouth, he saw Vogel's expression freeze.

“I have access to the Eternal Archives passed down through the Guards—there are many records about ‘Wolf Enemy,’ including his incredible power of ending.”

"If you have any questions, Lord Taren, you are welcome to request His Majesty's permission to enter the Watchtower and access the top-secret files at any time."

Vogel fell silent.

But in that instant, Marius felt a surge of fire within Vogel's chest.

Mania, restlessness, and anxiety.

He cares.

Marius told himself.

It's been over a year since the Watchmen selection process ended, but this guy still cares.

why?
Why does everyone get anxious, obsessed, and even crazy about what they don't have?
The atmosphere was a little strange, and Via, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but swallow.

A few seconds later, Vogel moved his sharp lips:
"No need."

Marius responded with a smile.

“The prince is in excellent physical condition, recovering much faster than the average person,” Vogel quickly returned to normal, demonstrating his excellent standard-bearer qualities: “Is that so?”

“I’m not sure about that, but I heard that His Highness’s daily life was taken care of by Lady Gini six years ago…”

But Vogel wasn't about to let him off easily:
"I'm asking you."

Marius remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded naturally.

"should be."

The Watchman spoke again, but his voice was more serious than ever:
"At least during martial arts training, no matter how badly he was beaten, he could quickly become lively and energetic again."

"Although he likes to sleep on the floor and wash his hair every now and then, he has never had a serious cold."

Vogel's gaze darted back and forth between the other person and the report in his hand.

"Didn't you ever have any doubts?"

"It's a good thing that Your Highness has an exceptional physique. Even the Secret Service hasn't questioned it, so why should I have any doubts?"

"And what's your own guess?"

Marius's eyes flickered.

"The royal family pays my salary and assigns me duties, not so that I can guess."

“But I am,” Vogel’s gaze sharpened:
"And I am not asking you, Lord Marius."

The two people in the room locked eyes, exchanging a silent battle.

Via, standing to the side, felt immense pressure, so he became even more meticulous in serving tea and water to his two superiors.

Looking into Vogel's cold eyes, Marius recalled the countless top-secret, eternal files displayed in the Watchtower.

Although in those days, the Six Wings of the Imperial Guard were far from being as loving and close as they appeared.

But when exactly did the flag bearers begin to stand out, transforming from flag bearers and messengers into monitors and investigators...?

Why has it become so glaring, annoying, relentless, and aggressive?

Is this an era of wise rulers?

Is it after the Kingdom's Secret Service shed its gray exterior and became a formal and respectable state agency?
A few seconds later, Marius finally backed down:
"If you ask me, that physique might be a special effect of the raging seas and turbulent waves, just like the records in the Watchers' archives: 'Wolf Enemy' can sense changes and its ability to avoid death is almost miraculous..."

But then he changed the subject, as if suddenly realizing something:

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you."

Vogel's breath hitched for a second, and a dark undercurrent surged in his eyes.

In the desolate world, Marius sensed that the fire in the deputy captain's chest had risen an inch.

Anger, shame, and patience.

Vogel cares about more than just that.

Marius told himself this with a touch of sadness.

He cared too much, too deeply, too excessively.

So he was completely unaware.

Deeply trapped within, unable to extricate oneself.

“But you just said,” Vogel breathed, his face expressionless, “that Prince Thales only recently awakened the power of the End.”

"But he's had this physical condition for at least six years."

Marius took a sip of tea:
“You seem to know much more clearly than I do.”

"answer the questions."

The Watcher stared at the other person for a moment:

"I don't know, but I think maybe someone does."

"Who?"

"The Exter people, especially that Meteorite—he's supposedly the one who supervised His Highness's outdoor training in Dragonsreach."

Vogel paused slightly.

"That's right, the murderer who killed Prince Horace."

Marius smiled faintly:
"Do you wish to summon him for questioning? Like this?"

There was a moment of silence in the duty room.

Vogel slowly leaned forward, as if trying to see Marius inside and out:
"Didn't you ever consider another possibility?"

Marius did not answer immediately.

In the desolate world, he sensed that Vogel before him was transforming into a gigantic black shadow, igniting everything around him with the cold flames of indifference within his chest.

strangeness.

Besides this, what else does Vogel want?
The Watcher faces the gaze of the enemy.

"I don't understand what you mean."

Vogel's expression grew even colder.

"Your Majesty and Captain Adrian, do they also 'not understand' like you, Watchmen?"

Marius's pupils slowly constricted.

"Then why don't you go ask them?"

Just now.

despair.

The two men facing off turned their heads at the same time.

Via, standing to the side, looked embarrassed. He stiffly pointed to the broken pen tip in his hand, his smile cringeworthy.

Realizing the presence of a third party, Marius and Vogel exchanged a glance and both retreated.

Weah finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s alright,” Vogel’s tone softened considerably, but his gaze, like a viper’s tongue, occasionally grazed Marius’s composed face.

"Let's talk about something else."

Marius picked up his mate tea and let the bitterness assault his taste buds.

Vogel beckoned, and Weah placed a new stack of files on the table.

"Twenty-four Royal Knights have been drawn from the Royal Guard to serve under you and are ready to welcome Prince Thales' return."

"But he then permanently resided in the Mindis Hall, serving as a bodyguard to Duke Xinghu."

Vogel sneered:

"So, Lord Marius, how does it feel to leave the Palace of Restoration and start your own business?"

To establish a separate faction.

Via, who had just relaxed, had to hold his breath again, turn his head, and concentrate on monitoring the polyphonic magic array.

“In the first few months, the guards were still a bit rusty,” Marius pondered for a moment, as if he hadn’t understood what the other person meant:
"But thank you for your concern, we are getting back on track."

Vogel lowered his head and hummed, the meaning of which was unclear.

"As you know, the unexpected events at last night's banquet have far-reaching consequences."

The deputy captain of the guard picked up one of the reports, and the sharp-eyed Marius recognized it as the personnel file of the Star Lake Guard.

The sheer number of pages and the complexity of the entries in each file on the table were probably more than what the person involved could have imagined when writing an autobiography.

The old tricks of the flag bearer.

Damn it, who drew this sketch? Couldn't they have drawn his hairstyle a little better? He's a Watcher, for goodness' sake.

"This made me realize that there are many shortcomings in your daily work in the Mindis Hall."

The deputy captain of the guard remained calm and composed:
"From the team of twenty-four, you selected three from the command wing, eight from the vanguard wing, six from the guard wing, three from the punishment wing, three from the logistics wing, and the flag bearer wing..."

"Only one person."

Vogel paused, his gaze carrying a deeper meaning:

"One person...you don't really like our Yi, right?"

I don't really like it?

Old friend, your choice of words is so elegant.

“I chose Hugo Forby as the standard-bearer because he is experienced and capable,” Marius said, glancing at Vogel and then at Weah.

"I think he's worth two men in the Mindis Hall," Vogel scoffed, ignoring the other's underhanded attack.

"It's not just him."

He picked up a file:
"And Danny Doyle, who almost lost his life last night and dragged others down with him."

Via, on the other hand, sensed something was wrong: he seemed to have gotten caught up in the political struggle between the Watchmen and the second-in-command—a power struggle surrounding the future king's inner circle.

Marius smiled and decided to adopt a defensive stance:
"I thought we had just discussed DD. Prince Thales has already punished him..."

But Vogel's voice drowned out his:

"You think you're protecting them."

Vogel pushed the file in front of Marius: on the file, Doyle's handsome sketch head was smiling at him.

"But as you can see, Danny Doyle has a bad reputation in the capital. He is a womanizer and a womanizer, and there are even rumors that he is promiscuous and abandons women after starting a relationship."

Marius remained calm: In this desolate world, Vogel's flame burns ever brighter.

Radical, sharp, and determined to win.

The Watchman shook his head slightly:
“DD comes from a noble family and is handsome. It’s not his fault that he’s popular with the opposite sex.”

Vogel sneered:
"So his outburst last night was not accidental, but the inevitable consequence of his consistent lack of self-discipline in his life, not to mention the mess his father made."

"You expect someone like this to protect the kingdom's bloodline?"

Marius stared intently at the other man, offering no rebuttal.

The matter involved the guards and affected the Seven Stars, so Via, who was keeping records, didn't dare to utter a sound.

There was a long silence in the duty room.

Vogel pulled out another file, his voice even colder:

"Karen Grover".

"To be honest, I was really pleasantly surprised when I saw this name appear."

Marius remained silent.

“Let’s hear what Stelli’s report has to say first,” Vogel read with a sneer.

"The vanguard commander of Golov is socially awkward, withdrawn, and extreme, with a hidden tendency toward violence. They call him—the zombie."

Vogel put down the report and looked at the other person.

Marius neither argued nor debated; he simply raised his teacup and calmly stated:

"Strong people always have their own personality..."

Vogel interrupted him, like an impartial, iron-fisted standard-bearer:
"The vanguard commander of Golov has turned against his own people during missions, and more than once!"

"The worst time was when that son of a bitch attacked and severely injured six of his Vanguard Wing comrades in Blade Tomb City, causing three to retire and one to be permanently disabled."

"Is this what you call individuality?"

Marius frowned.

Upon hearing these secrets, Via's expression changed several times, and he couldn't help but wonder if he had ever offended that zombie.

"Although the news was suppressed, it is a stain that cannot be erased even if he comes from a noble family. Neither the power of the Grover family nor the legacy of his grandfather can protect him."

Vogel sneered:

"Until you took the warrant, took him out of the confinement well, and brought him directly to the Western Wilderness."

"Then, a few months later, he transformed himself into the Duke of Starlake's personal guard?"

Marius remained unfazed.

In his desolate world, Vogel before him appeared as a shadowy figure, then burst into flames that filled the entire room.

Vogel, he does want something.

From the beginning until now, everything has been merely a means to an end.

"Logistics Wing, Leo Piloga."

Vogel flipped through another person's file, his voice becoming calm: "In his early years in the Vanguard Wing, he was quite famous, supposedly comparable to Stellie."

The chief standard-bearer abruptly changed the subject, his tone laced with disdain:

"But ever since he was wounded in the desert war, his health has deteriorated, and he has lost his edge, becoming nothing more than a servile and obsequious man—I heard he lost to Prince Thales in training?"

Marius took a sip of mate tea, the bitterness reminding him that he was still alive.

"I'm more inclined to believe he's 'smooth and diplomatic'."

Vogel scoffed dismissively:
"Even a dull and worn sword can be restored to its former glory."

"Once the will is lost, there is no cure."

Marius watched as Vogel tossed Piloga's file aside and picked up the next one.

“Guardian Wing, Gianluca Commuto.”

"He's an opportunist. I heard he didn't even complete his knight training and used a lot of tricks to climb up from a mere guard to his current position."

Vogel scoffed, glancing at Marius:

"Climb up to Prince Thales."

Marius raised an eyebrow, seemingly not understanding the other person's sarcasm.

Via quickly turned to look at the protective sound-resonance array to avoid the increasingly unpleasant topic.

At the same time, he cursed himself in regret, wondering why he had sold his soul for two gold coins and swapped shifts with that old fox Gaitan.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Vogel said coldly. "Weren't you always so good at rebutting?"

“Take your advice, Lord Talen,” Marius looked up, “and reflect on yourself.”

Vogel snorted angrily.

“Mike Zonevid, formerly of the Punishment Wing, was transferred to the Vanguard Wing by you from the Starlake Guard,” the deputy captain of the guard said, showing the next file. “He received knightly training from the North. No wonder he’s a left-handed swordsman; it seems the Northmen didn’t correct his habits when he was young…”

"But I heard that he was having an affair with his young stepmother?"

Marius sighed silently.

He really didn't know that.

They really underestimated the flag bearer.

Vogel turned to the next page, his speech quickening:
“And Nate Nehi.”

"A top disciple of the Tower of Endings, a student of the Shining Lineage, a genius admitted through exceptional means, destined for the pinnacle sooner or later."

The chief flag bearer raised his head with ill intent:

"He just has a nickname, and it's two of them together."

"The King of One-on-One Battles..."

Vogel paused, then uttered Nesh's second nickname with ill intent:
"Teamfight pitfall?"

Marius frowned and said:

"About that..."

But Vogel seemed to have found his rhythm and was showing no mercy:
"Neshi is arrogant and selfish, with no sense of teamwork, and he even steps on the heels of the person in front of him when walking in a line."

"These are Maric's exact words in his training report: 'This boy is highly talented, but he is naturally unsuited to cover and cooperation, and cannot work with his comrades. Whether it is the battle formation of the Imperial era or the Star Formation of the present, if even one more comrade is within two meters, his proud swordsmanship will be greatly diminished, and he will even blindly attack without distinguishing friend from foe, dragging down the battle and doing more harm than good.'"

Marius sighed inwardly.

"I never imagined that there really are people in this world who think 'one plus one is less than two'."

Vogel put down the file and sneered.

"But this reminds me of your predecessor, Lord Marius."

The watchman's eyes narrowed.

The other person glanced sideways at Marius, his gaze carrying a pointed meaning:
"One is that when facing the enemy, the fewer people the better. The other is that when facing the enemy, the fewer people the better."

Vogel shook his head sarcastically:

"Indeed, geniuses all share common traits."

Yes.

And you, Vogel the Neurotic Taren, you have something in common with your ex.

Marius reminded himself not to retaliate with sarcasm—perhaps living with a certain sharp-tongued star boy for so long had fueled his growing desires in that area, which was not a good sign.

Vogel shook his head and closed the file:

"It's a pity he didn't learn the mortal lineage in that tower, otherwise, he might have been able to become a lone royal assassin?"

Marius remained silent.

In the deathly silence, Vogel's shadow grew ever larger, his body wreathed in flames.

Confident, greedy, ruthless.

And I feel increasingly empty.

Next, Vogel flipped open the files one by one like dealing cards, while Weah carefully took the files he had read:

“Punishment Officer, ‘Gardener’ Gray Paterson, to be honest, Facundo should be grateful to you. He’s been wanting to get rid of this deputy who comes from the Seventh Rank but can’t be easily moved for a long time.”

"Logistics officer Steve? You really know how to pick people. I heard he's retiring in another year?"

"The Guardian Wing, 'Iron Tower' Bastia, a man who can't even run fast enough..."

"Guardian Wing, tall Franzuk, a guy who's afraid of both water and heights?"

"Guardian Wing, the idiot Ferry, is said to have bipolar disorder."

Marius remained silent.

Vogel continued to scoff:
"Vanguard Wing, Ghost Face Fulatan, is so unpopular that he has to sit at a table by himself for lunch."

"Vanguard Wing, 'Poop' Supa Langley, wow, that's quite a nickname."

"And there's 'Bronze' José Costa, a foreigner, and the Son of Thorns."

"Leo Morgan, the guy you promoted from the Star Guard on your own initiative, before the guard's organization was even finalized, went with you to the Western Wilderness to welcome the prince..."

Vogel's expression changed when the name was mentioned.

"But the most crucial thing is..."

He held up the file; the sketch depicted a sinister man with a face crisscrossed with scars and feet that could stop a child from crying at night.

"Morgan, a veteran who once murdered his superiors on the battlefield?"

Vogel slammed his fist on the table in anger:

Are you fucking kidding me?

Marius stared calmly at the file showing Leo Morgan, who looked like a murderer, his expression unreadable.

"These are the 'elite guards' you selected? For the sake of the Star Heir and the nation's most important assets, this is the batch you chose..."

The deputy captain gritted his teeth:

"Defective product?"

There's a monthly ticket giveaway event in the book review section, which is one of the monthly perks you can get for this book. Why not take advantage of it?

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(End of this chapter)