Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 572 The Heart of the Guard
Defective products.

Ha, a defective product.

The watchman pursed his lips.

He looked up in the desolate world and saw that every inch was barren and every place was incomplete.

Vogel, what makes you believe that there really are "superior products" in this world?
"Believe me, Lord Marius, I hate to describe my brothers in the guard like that."

Vogel snorted and leaned back in his chair:

"But clearly, you haven't left me much room to maneuver either."

In an awkward silence, Marius gazed at the other man, remaining silent for a long time.

Via, on the other hand, had long since considered himself dead, almost merging with the magic circle on the wall.

Until Marius let out a sigh.

"What do you want, Vogel?"

The Watcher, unusually, addressed the other person by their first name rather than their surname, and said casually:

"If you really want to cause trouble for my men."

“Reporting directly to His Majesty, the captain, or even the chief clerk Fakundo would be much more effective.”

Vogel looked back at him, his anger slowly fading.

A few seconds later, he transformed back into the meticulous deputy captain of the guard.

"Wea, the standard-bearer."

Vogel spoke softly.

On the other side, Weah, who was trying to pretend he wasn't there, unconsciously shuddered.

"Why don't you just leave that poor polyphonic array alone and go for a walk outside?"

Via lifted his face from the magic circle he had been "working" on for almost five minutes, his face ashen.

"walk……"

He showed a happy expression after realizing something:
“Of course! I was just getting a little tired from sitting for so long, Commander Taren, you are so considerate…”

“Viah,” this time it was Marius, his voice calm, gentle, and concise:
"go out."

"Now."

Via, who wanted to say something more, immediately fell silent.

In a matter of seconds, he first tiptoed to his feet, got out of their sight, and then slipped out of the duty room as if fleeing a disaster.

The two were left alone in the room, facing each other.

And a polyphonic magic circle emitting a strange light.

“Others might not realize it, Tormund,” Vogel said softly, addressing him by name.
"But the flag bearer's wing is the eyes and ears of the guard, specializing in internal investigations."

"Therefore, after last night, I discovered that your so-called Star Lake Guards are either tainted with their reputations, flawed in character, spoiled brats who are difficult to teach, plagued by trouble, or secretly rotten and despicable..."

He tapped the guards' file on the table:
"When you become the prince's personal guard captain, you have the advantage that everyone envies, yet you only select marginal or even controversial figures from the royal guard to be your right-hand men?"

"Is it easier to control, or less threatening and less likely to cause trouble?"

Vogel's eyes sharpened:

"Perhaps I should ask you: What do you want to do?"

The prince's captain of the personal guard.

Being in a prime location is something everyone envies.
Marius remained expressionless.

You envy Vogel.

I don't.

Marius paused for a moment and then replied:
You're doubting me.

The duty room was quiet for a while.

Vogel sneered and crossed his arms:

“You know, when I witnessed the Duke of Starlake’s righteous act last night…”

He picked up the last file on the table:
"Did I remember something?"

Vogel was slightly lost in thought:
"he."

"He was unwilling to sacrifice his pawns to save the king."

Marius was slightly moved.

Vogel's gaze sharpened:

"Sacrifice the soldier."

The next moment, the deputy captain of the guard pushed the file in front of him.

"Pawn."

Marius lowered his head; in the file, his own sketch was looking at him.

Calm and composed.

calm.

I don't care.

Snapped!
Vogel slammed his hand on the table, covering Marius's last name.

“I don’t know why the Watchmen have so much autonomy. But after taking over the Banner Wing, my job is to keep a close eye on everyone in the Guard.”

"So that the tragedy will not be repeated."

Their eyes met, and they both gasped for breath.

Marius remained silent.

In his desolate world, Vogel's shadow was immense.

"So, yes, I'm suspicious of you, Watchman."

The standard-bearer leaned forward, his shrewd gaze landing on Marius:
"As you said, many of the files in your watchtowers are top secret and will never be forgotten—including those from the Bloody Year."

"Therefore I suspect that you had ulterior motives when you became his personal guard captain and selected the Star Lake Guard for him."

“Some ideas that are far outside the duties of the Royal Guard and are not even known to His Majesty and the captain.”

Marius's gaze fell upon the glowing polyphonic array.

Receiving no response, Vogel gave a soft snort, his tone carrying a warning:

"Tell me, you must have a very good reason for doing this?"

Vogel's gaze turned cold.

"Tell me, what's so strange about the prince?"

"What secrets are known only to generations of Watchers?"

"So much so that you become so wary, cautious, eccentric, and even absurd in your presence around him?"

Marius remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he sighed.

“Tell me, Tormund, or this eternal file will be presented directly to His Majesty and the Captain.”

Vogel said coldly:

“Tell me, those twenty-four men under your command, including yourself, were not chosen on your own initiative, nor were they selected out of resentment, but specifically for that special prince…”

The next second, a chilling wariness rose in Vogel's tone:

"Consumables."

At that moment, Marius saw in the desolate world that Vogel's shadow and flames simultaneously transformed into infinity, obscuring everything.

The room was quiet, except for the persistent operation of the polyphonic array, which ignored the oppressive atmosphere.

A few seconds later.

"Vogel".

The Watcher slowly raised his head and called the other person's name, just as he had done many years ago:

What do you care about?

Vogel was taken aback.

Marius looked at him expressionlessly:
"Did I get the nomination a year ago and steal the Watchman position that you should have had in the bag?"

Vogel's expression changed.

"Is it Colin Samir, the flag bearer who escaped the escort team eighteen years ago because of your mistake?"

"Was it the day before you finished your apprenticeship and officially joined the Royal Guard that you witnessed 'Bloody Aria' taking the late king's head in the Hall of Stars?"

"Was it during the bloody year that the capital was thrown into chaos and ravaged, ultimately leading to the deaths of your parents at the hands of the mob?"

With each question Marius asked, Vogel's face grew paler.

"It's the same national conference from six years ago, because of the sudden emergence of the second prince," the Watchman said slowly.
"Among the thirteen prominent families, the Taren family, which is a distant relative of the Starry Sky, failed to become the heir to the throne when the king had no heir?"

"Vogel Taren?"

The next moment, Marius stood in his own desolate world and, unsurprisingly, saw:
The enormous shadow belonging to Vogel trembled violently, and the boundless flames flickered erratically.

Longing, trepidation, unease, and fear.

"When people lose everything, they always try to grasp at something—whether it's a lifeline or a devil's condition."

“Don’t let fear dominate your life, old friend,” Marius said, shaking his head.
"not worth it."

Vogel's breathing quickened, and his anger grew increasingly intense.

"If this is your answer, Watchman..."

Marius interrupted him:
“DD”.

"He has a very special ability."

Vogel squinted.

"That's right. Most people, including you, probably think he's naive and spoiled, shameless, lazy, inexplicable, even irresponsible and unreliable..."

Marius's pupils focus:
"But there is one thing."

"Whether it's contempt, disdain, helplessness, or sighs."

"Most people who have been around Danny Doyle, after really getting to know his personality, find it hard to get angry or upset."

"It's hard to truly...hate him."

"Not to mention hatred and infighting."

Vogel's expression changed slightly.

"If he wanted to, he could close the distance with anyone in a minute, without any hindrance or burden, even if the other person was an inhuman madman or a ruthless monster."

Marius gazed at his reflection in the teacup.

"To make most of the world not hate you—do you know how hard that is, Lord Taron?"

He said quietly:

“Training to the extreme is much easier than this.”

"That's why, in terms of ability and qualities, Danny Doyle may not be the strongest, but he can get along well with the guards and is quite popular. People would rather let him handle things."

Vogel looked at Marius, his anger still burning.

"And the vanguard officer of Golova."

Marius also stared at Vogel, calm and composed:

"Although he was taciturn and not good at socializing, he was reliable and meticulous in his work."

"He participated in the Desert War and is the youngest member of the Vanguard Wing with the most thorough understanding of actual combat. Even Maric, the second-in-command, might not be able to beat him if they fought to the death."

Vogel frowned.

"As for his stains, if you don't limit yourself to cold records and numbers, tear away the prejudices and misunderstandings of others, Lord Taron."

"Then it might be discovered that Garen Grover fought with his peers because the other party had been constantly insulting his family and background, ostracizing and isolating him, and framing him for five years."

"As a knight of the kingdom, Garen Golov could no longer tolerate it and was forced to respond."

Vogel frowned and repeated:
"Forced?"

Marius nodded:

"If I were you, I might pay more attention to the discipline within the guard."

"Think about it, why would the Vanguard Wing encounter a situation where six people gang up on one person?"

"And why did the Vanguard Wing, known for its formidable combat prowess, suffer three injuries and one crippled despite being outnumbered six to one?"

Vogel didn't speak; he frowned as he looked at the files on the table.

"As for the others."

"Paterson is eccentric, and Stolt is about to retire, so they won't be easily bribed—especially when the prince returns and everyone wants to pounce on him."

"To be honest, Kommuto is not perfect, but we need people who understand the city's security bureau and official affairs."

“I was unaware of the affair between Zonevid and his stepmother, and Kusta is indeed the son of thorns, but given His Highness’s experiences over the past six years,” Marius said without hesitation:

“We need to ensure the geographical diversity of the guard members.”

“Neshi is a real headache. But when we were young, who wasn’t arrogant and self-centered? He may be a bit over the top, but he just needs some work on, like having a… resilient partner.”

"And have I mentioned that during the Desert Wars, Bastia survived two hammer blows from the orcs?"

"As for Vanguard Officer Morgan, his old case from twenty years ago has been concluded, and there is no evidence to substantiate the accusation that he murdered his superior..."

Vogel sneered:

"But that's even scarier, isn't it?"

Marius laughed.

“I know my men,” the Watchman said calmly.
They are not as you think.

Marius looked intently at his old friend:
"They are not expendable, nor are they sacrificial pawns."

"They're people."

Silence fell over the duty room once again.

Vogel's gaze lingered between the files and Marius, wavering uncertainly.

"people."

"people?"

Vogel remained silent for a long time, then patted the file on the table and let out a cold snort:
“You know, the Flag Bearer doesn’t see it that way.”

"Don't trust 'people'—that's the first lesson for the flag wing."

Marius shook his head:
“A long time ago, probably eighty or ninety years ago, there was a watchman in the royal guard named Cyril Falkenhaus.

He once said: "The command wing is the brain, the flag-bearing wing is the eyes and ears, the vanguard is the arm, the guards are the feet, the logistics are the flesh and blood, and the punishments are the backbone."

"But the guardians of tradition..."

"This is the heart of the Guard."

Vogel was taken aback.

"The brain can be deceived, the senses can be tricked, limbs can be broken, flesh and blood can be severed, and even the Emperor's guards have been destroyed and lost."

Marius picked up his own file from the table and stood up:
"But my heart won't."

He pressed his hand to his chest and said solemnly:
"Only by continuing the tradition can we achieve our goals."

"Witness eternity."

Vogel stared at him blankly.

Marius closed his sketchbook and piled it on top of the other files.

"I guess the record for flag-bearing ends here?"

"If you wish, then present the eternal archives to His Majesty. I have no problem with it."

The Watchman nodded and turned to leave.

Vogel took a few deep breaths, watching the other person's back, but no longer pressed him.

On the contrary, his face was calm and his eyes were like water.

But in Marius's world, he saw the flame in Vogel's chest shatter and turn to ashes.

Until the deputy captain of the guard spoke again.

"Really, Heart?"

Marius paused in his tracks.

"Then tell me, old friend..."

Vogel's hoarse voice hissed like the tongue of a viper.

"Back then, when you secretly betrayed your father to the Fuxing Palace..."

"When you implicated your entire family and caused their extermination, leading to an unprecedented riot in Yongxing City, assassins seized the opportunity to launch an attack, and bloodshed spread throughout the night..."

The watchman's steady cup trembled.

Vogel's gaze was like a knife, piercing into his back.

"Tormond Marius, you gained your current position by trading this for the king's trust..."

"Beyond the visible archives..."

Does it really have a 'heart'?

In that instant, Marius felt the power of annihilation within him collapse with a deafening roar.

He saw that the desolate world he was in suddenly came into color, with lush grass and birdsong, vibrant life, red flowers and green grass, and a riot of colors.

Glamorous, eerie, and psychedelic.

Flawless.

It's breathtaking.

I've stayed up all night, so I'm going to sleep. If you encounter any typos or grammatical errors, please leave a comment in this chapter, and I'll correct them later.



(End of this chapter)