Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 587 Finding a Woman

"Gu? Surreyton?"

Thales repeated it incredulously, glancing back and forth between Raphael and Gu's cells, trying to grasp a sliver of clarity amidst the jumbled memories and thoughts.

"explain."

The prince composed himself and stared intently at Raphael:
"Now."

Raphael was silent for a moment, then awkwardly tightened his arms:

"Your Highness, even though you are of royal lineage, the Secret Service has long failed to clearly define your intelligence level..."

"Explain!" Thales interrupted him rudely.

“I’m explaining,” Raphael coldly cut him off:
"However, Your Highness, I must clarify that I can only reveal information to you at a level no higher than 'Madman' without violating any rules."

"Madman" level...

Thales shook his head impatiently:
"You don't need to explain the rules of these secret disciplines to me—just explain them."

Raphael sneered:
"I'm not telling you this."

The skeletal man slowly raised his arm: a black crack had appeared on his forearm at some point, and the muscle texture inside was gently writhing, concealing an eerie shadow.

Just like six years ago.

Thales paused for a moment.

The prince struggled to tear his gaze away from the other man's arm and tried to return to the current topic.

"As you can see, this person's surname is Gu and given name is Tang—at least on the surface."

Raphael gazed wistfully at Gu's prison door:

“He was born into a prominent official family in the Eastern Kingdom. After his family fell into decline, he joined the royal intelligence organization of the Eastern Kingdom: the Black-Clad Guards.”

Gu Tang.

Black-Clad Guards.

Thales's expression changed:
"You mean, he's Su Ye's spy?"

Raphael nodded, then shook his head:

"It's a 'former' intelligence agent—at least it's intelligence we've gathered."

“Former?” Thales looked at Gu’s cell and suddenly realized that he knew nothing about this prisoner who had given him shelter and a meal six years ago.

Raphael's forearm tightened involuntarily, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued his eloquent narration:

"Nineteen years ago in Qilin City, a member of the Chen royal family launched a coup, attempting to overthrow Yao King Hao, who had only recently ascended the throne. During this time, the Black-Clad Guard also split into two factions: Lin Du, the commander and inspector loyal to Yao King, ultimately won a great victory. He took over as commander of the Black-Clad Guard, cleaned up his own ranks, and exterminated all the 'traitors' in the guard."

Yao Wang Hao.

Qingxiaowei (a military rank).

The unfamiliar and distant words crossed the ocean and entered Thales's mind, causing him to frown.

But Raphael clearly had no intention of stopping to explain for the prince:
"Gu belonged to the faction that chose the wrong side: he fled to the Western Continent under an assumed name and worked as a merchant, craftsman, and mercenary. After the Bloody Year, he settled in Dragon Sky City and, taking advantage of the ruins and gaps after the series of battles between Exter and Star, he made a living as an information broker."

Thales took a deep breath and looked away from Gu's cell door.

"What does that have to do with you—with us?"

Raphael's lips curled slightly, revealing a cold smile.

"We later discovered that during his years in Longxiao City, Gu did more than just what he used to do."

The skeletal man stared at the iron gate above the prison door:

"Besides buying and selling information, this Far Easterner's business also includes acting as an intermediary for various forces and mediating conflicts."

"And for certain conflicts that are irreconcilable yet cannot be ignored..."

At this point, Raphael's eyes turned cold:
"He'll hire an assassin."

Killer.

Thales tensed up.

and many more.

Long Xiaocheng, Gu, an information broker, an assassin, six years ago—the young man slowly connected the clues from many years ago, his expression gradually changing.

“That’s right,” Raphael said with a cold smile, observing Thales’s expression.

"Six years ago in Dragon City, in the shadows under the tyranny of King Nuen, the underground forces were scattered: Griveo controlled the streets, Ulad ran rampant in the black market, the Commas profited in the middle, and there were countless other factions, with intricate and chaotic relationships."

“And him,” Raphael gestured with his chin toward Gu’s cell door:

"Your friend in the Far East has spent ten years gradually taking over the dirtiest and most dangerous business, becoming the biggest and most convenient hitman contact in Dragon City."

Thales's eyes slowly widened.

"From street thugs and desperate criminals to the Shadow Shield and even the flower of assassins, he has connections and is familiar with them all."

"He can buy lives with one hand and sell them with the other; he is truly a master of deception, with connections that reach the heavens."

The Shadow Shield.

The Flower of Assassins.

Thales stared intently at Gu's cell, his gaze never wavering.

But his eyes had changed.

If Gu is the biggest assassin broker in Longxiao City, then that means six years ago...

The next second, Raphael, expressionless, stated what Thales had been worried about:
“Chaman Lumba, the Grand Duke of Black Sands at that time found the Shadow Shield through Gu.”

"The two sides then connected and reached a cooperation agreement."

Thales stiffly turned his head.
The collaboration between Chaman Rumba and the Shadow Shield.

Their middleman is...

Gu?
He couldn't help but recall the scene from his childhood, when he and Xiaohuatou huddled trembling in a carriage, watching the Black Sand Duke meet and talk with Qianzi.

However, Raphael had not finished speaking:

"Finally, given the target's difficulty, Gu used his most powerful connections to get in touch with the world's most powerful and terrifying assassin—who, with his sinister and dangerous deadly blade, broke through the White Blade Guard's defenses amidst the chaos of the disaster and took the head of the Born King."

At that moment, Thales froze on the spot.

Raphael narrowed his eyes slightly:
"And do you know who that is?"

The corridor fell into a deathly silence.

After a long while, Thales finally let out a difficult breath:

"Yes."

Raphael sneered, completely disregarding the prince's extremely unpleasant expression:
“He knows how to contact the regicide family that fled after the Bloody Years. That alone is enough for us to keep him locked up until he dies of old age—or to get him to confess.”

Thales didn't speak, but clenched his left fist, his fingertips brushing over the scars on his palm that JC had cut countless times.

"But this isn't the first time."

Raphael continued:
“At least, in Gu’s ledger, ‘Flying Locust Blade’ is not the first business deal that has been associated with you.”

Thales struggled to process the new information and raised his eyes.

The next second, Raphael's gaze turned icy:
"Six years ago, Your Highness, when you were on a mission to the north, you and the Wrath of the Kingdom were besieged by the Black Sand Army of Lumba at the Dragon Fortress, and were bombarded by the Magic Gun Forces..."

"Who do you think used a variety of communication channels to find those assassins, even capable of turning the magic gun instructors, for Grand Duke Conkley Peffer of Fengzhao City, so that he could get his wish and watch you die in the army of Lumba?"

Magic Gun.

Thales frowned, as if he were back at the fortress six years ago, facing countless flashing swords.

His expression was solemn:
"You mean, that was also arranged by Gu Juzhong?"

Raphael gave a soft hum and gently shook his arm:
"And you said that he helped you in Dragon Sky City and saved your life?"

Thales glanced instinctively toward Gu's cell.

"Then think about it again, Your Highness."

In that instant, Raphael's words, though still lighthearted, were tinged with an unseen darkness:

"Do you really think that 'Earthshaker' Kaslan, who betrayed King Nunn, only told you about the contact information for Gu in the tavern because he liked you, so that you could find this seemingly mysterious and neutral underground figure when you escaped the siege of Dragonsky City?"

Kaslan.

Six and a half dollars.

Thales's gaze was fixed on the cell gate, his fists clenched tighter and tighter.

"Do you really think there are so many kind-hearted Far Easterners in Longxiao City who, when a mysterious noble boy knocks on their door during martial law, always treat him to the best food, drink, and bed, just because the boy is cute, clever, and kind?"

People from the Far East.

entertain.

The prince gritted his teeth, trying hard to recall that morning when he and the little rascal were in Gu's butcher shop.

"Do you really think it's such a coincidence that, when the entire Dragon City was in chaos, a shady intelligence broker only needed to step out of his house for two minutes to smoothly bring back a lone envoy from a country, Marquis Sles Bemula of Shanliu City—so that he could then hand you over to Chaman Lumba?"

Information broker.

Smiles.

Raphael's words were as sharp as knives, one after another, piercing through Thales's defenses:

"Before you regarded him as your savior, did you think back on all these doubts, these strange things, these seemingly reasonable but unworthy of in-depth investigations?"

At that moment, Thales took a deep breath and suppressed the sins of the gradually boiling River of Hell.

If, if all the doubts Raphael raised are indeed problematic.

That means those things he once thought...

"Yes, Gu."

Raphael spoke coldly, giving the prince no time to react:
"He never helped you."

"On the contrary,"

"He's the one who betrayed you."

Thales gently closed his eyes.

Six and a half dollars.

He never helped you.

He betrayed you.

In that instant, the cell where Gu was imprisoned seemed to lose its allure.

The corridor fell silent again.

Raphael let out a sigh of relief, his gaze equally complex as he looked towards the cell door:

"And he betrayed us."

Thales expended a great deal of effort to calm himself down, and upon hearing this, slowly opened his eyes, striving to maintain a calm tone:
"He also collaborates with the Royal Secret Service?"

Raphael nodded:

"Yes, it used to be."

The Bone Man glanced at Gu's prison door and scoffed disdainfully:
"Clearly, whether it's Exter, the Star Kingdom, the Commas Alliance, or even the Shadow Shield and the Tower of the End, this self-proclaimed neutral intelligence broker has become accustomed to 'cooperating' with everyone, collecting money from multiple parties, patting his chest everywhere, passing the money around skillfully, and then profiting from the bloody gaps in the killing between his clients."

"The only difference is that this time, he messed up."

Thales's face stiffened:

"What did he do?"

Raphael remained silent for a few seconds.

"As you mentioned, Karen Booker—as one of the few 'wise' intelligence officers in the Kingdom's Secret Service—is a loss we cannot afford."

"Our decision to abandon our headquarters in Dragon Sky City six years later was more or less influenced by this, and it was a last resort."

Thales exhaled, trying to expel the bitterness and frustration from his heart:
"what happened?"

Raphael shook his head and glanced at Gu's cell:
"That's what we want to figure out too."

“From his mouth.”

Thales stood silently in place, his feelings a mix of emotions.

Raphael, on the other hand, sighed and regained his relaxed and composed demeanor:
"Just like this, Your Highness, even in the face of what seems to be a settled past, there are still too many unknown and terrifying details hidden beneath the surface."

"Therefore, when you were in Valhalla six years ago, full of vigor and turning the tide, Your Highness."

Raphael remarked:

"Don't forget, on that day, outside Valhalla, the Secret Service's people were also engaged in a deadly battle in unseen battlefields, fighting against enemies in the shadows, even if it was just for a single page of paper, a few words, or a signal, to give you and the kingdom a better chance of winning—Booker was one of them."

Thales's eyes flickered.

"The Prince's Butt - that's a funny name, isn't it?"

Raphael turned around, facing the dim, seemingly endless corridor, a faint glimmer in his eyes:
"However, they were all survivors who remained amidst the corpses and sacrifices left behind after the Kingdom's Secret Service fought to the death against enemies such as King Nunn, the Dark Chamber, the White Blade Guard, Chaman Lumba, the Shadow Shield, and Commas, among others, in the 'Dragon Blood' project that changed the course of the world six years ago."

Thales looked up in surprise.

"The reason we don't tell you certain information is not because we don't trust you, but because you can't shed your burdens, forget yourself, and wholeheartedly devote yourself to the dark and dirty mission to achieve the goal, just like we do."

Raphael narrowed his eyes and gestured towards Gu's cell:
Even if you believe... you owe your target a life.

"In this situation, if you insist on having only a superficial understanding, you will only go further astray, lose the ability to discern the truth, and be led by the nose."

Discard your burdens and forget yourself.

Thales frowned slightly.

“You are not one of us, Thales. You should be living under the sun and blue sky,” Raphael sighed, unusually omitting any honorifics and addressing the Duke by his first name.
"Let us face the boundless hell."

At that moment, his dark red eyes were incredibly sincere.

But what Thales remembered were the different faces Raphael showed in the interrogation room when he faced the wine merchant Dagory, the blacksmith Gibbon, the nobles of the Blade's Edge, and Belicia.

The two people in the corridor remained silent for a long time.

Until His Highness spoke again, his voice hoarse:
"How do you know that you're not the ones leading me by the nose?"

Raphael paused slightly.

“When you finally sit in that seat, Your Highness.”

Raphael's smile faded:

"When you truly have the power to decide the fate of the world with a single word, and the power to determine the course of the empire with a single gesture, when you can have full control over the goals, mission, operations, budget, development, and future of the Kingdom's Secret Service..."

"You'll find out soon enough."

Thales listened to the familiar-sounding words with a blank expression.

But unlike before, this time he did not refute.

Feeling dejected, Thales followed Raphael out of the labyrinthine underground corridors and through numerous checkpoints before finally leaving the main house of the Secret Manor through the main gate and returning to where they had first disembarked from the carriage.

But Raphael frowned.

"Did you call someone to pick you up?"

Thales, who was lost in thought, snapped out of it:

"what?"

But the prince was also stunned: there were two carriages stopped in front of them, one was the carriage they had used when they came from the Palace of Restoration, but the other...

"Your Highness!"

With a familiar shout, a short, stocky man dressed in royal guard uniform jumped down from the driver's seat of the carriage—it was Kommuto, the guard who had once dueled with Thales in the Hall of Mindis.

"Your Highness Thales, you really are here..."

Komuto was covered in sweat, but upon seeing Thales, he perked up and bowed in greeting.

“By order of Commander Marius, I am at your service.” Thales was slightly puzzled, but Raphael and the coachman of the other carriage stared coldly at Commuto, who had appeared there, their expressions unfriendly.

“It’s alright,” Thales said upon seeing this.
“He is one of my men, a member of the Xinghu Guard.”

Raphael gave a soft snort:
"you sure?"

Thales tightened the corners of his mouth and stepped forward.

"Kumto?"

The prince composed himself, his heart in turmoil.

"Shouldn't you be in the Mindis Hall? What are you doing here?"

Kommuto withdrew his wary gaze from Raphael.

"Commander Marius gave me orders before entering the palace, Your Highness. He told me to keep an eye on things: if anything unexpected happens, slip out of Mindis Hall, gather men, and come here to meet you."

"To avoid...your inconvenience."

Marius?
inconvenient.

Thales realized something and turned to look at Raphael behind him.

The Bone Man remained silent for a second, then wisely retreated.

Thales turned around and pressed for the key point.

You mean... an accident?

"Shortly after you and your superior entered the palace, Your Highness," Komto hesitated slightly, but still told the truth:

“The flag bearer has arrived.”

Flag wing.

Is it the same group led by Vice Captain Vogel Taren at the banquet, one of the six wings of the guard that DD mentioned?

What are they here for?
Thales was slightly puzzled:
"What do you mean?"

Komuto carefully observed Thales's reaction:

“You know, the person in charge was the second-in-command, Gaitan… Without saying a word, they sealed off the Mindis Hall and detained everyone, saying they were going to conduct a full investigation.”

Thales was taken aback:
"what?"

Lockdown... Mindis Hall?

"why?"

Kommuto forced a smile:

"Gaitan said it was because of the accident at yesterday's banquet."

Thales let out a stiff, painful breath.

as predicted.

This again.

“They said that our dereliction of duty meant there were security loopholes or even an inside job, which could endanger the prince’s safety, so a thorough investigation and review from top to bottom was needed.”

Kommuto sighed, somewhat dejected:

"The Flag Wing's interrogation was... Zonevid was interrogated for two hours before coming out, and he didn't look too good. Morgan was practically handcuffed and strapped in, and Kusta was even suspected of being a foreign spy. Stuart told us to comply and not resist, but Neshi almost got into a fight with them. Executor Paterson tried to use his status to plead for leniency, but Gaitan is known for his shrewdness and wouldn't give anyone face..."

Thales's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

"In short, it was a major operation, accompanied by the Starlight Private Army, the Noble Affairs Institute, and the Inner City Guard. I suspect there were even members of the Kingdom's Secret Service among them. The procession was very large, and I estimate that many people saw it."

Thales listened to Komuto's story, his eyes slowly widening.

What do you mean?
Mindis Hall.

The royal residence bestowed by the King upon the Duke of Xinghu.

Censorship or blocking?
Thales exhaled, tried to loosen his fist, and attempted to understand the situation.

How did you sneak out?

“I used to work in the Inner City Guard Bureau, Your Highness,” Kommuto’s gaze darted away, seemingly reluctant to bring up these past relationships:
“Several of the guards responsible for sealing off the perimeter are acquaintances of mine.”

“Piroga could have slipped out with him, but Gaitan has a grudge against him from when he was young and is keeping a close eye on him. He probably won’t let him have an easy time.”

Komto looked towards the back of the carriage:

"The only person I could find was Golov—he left this morning to recover from his injuries as punishment, which made the Flag Wing very unhappy."

Thales frowned slightly:
"Golver?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a familiar figure appeared from the other side of the carriage.

"Your Highness."

The first-class vanguard officer of the Star Lake Guard, the robust "zombie" Glov, fully armed, approached Thales with a serious expression:

“We should go back to the city immediately. I have a feeling that something is watching us from the other side of the carriage—in the woods—with ill intentions.”

Only when he saw the vanguard officer he knew best did Thales finally feel at ease.

But he immediately frowned and looked at Golov's back:
"But your injury..."

Golov shook his head, pulled open his collar, revealing the bandages underneath.

"It's alright, my finishing power can alleviate the pain, and besides..."

Golov swung his arm, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly:
"Lord Marius, he spared me when he whipped me."

"It's like... it's like he knew this would happen, and that he still needed me."

Thales paused for a moment, but then remembered what Marius had said to him that morning before explaining the “Temple” and the “Imperial Wind”.

Has no one arrived from Fuxing Palace yet?

I assure you, they will come, sooner or later.

Thales suppressed his bad mood; he understood something and pressed for an answer:
"What about DD? Was he also deliberately whipped by Marius so that he could be released from the Mindis Hall to avoid trouble?"

Golov shook his head:

"No, I've seen it. Doyle's injuries are real; he was badly beaten."

Firstly, after yesterday's events, the Doyle family is in the eye of the storm—Gollov thought silently.

Secondly, well, Lord Marius is probably very vengeful.

Especially after DD, emboldened by alcohol, called him "Little Tormund" at the banquet.

“So, Marius knew this would happen,” Thales’ words interrupted Golov’s thoughts:

"He entered the Fuxing Palace with me, where is he now?"

Kommuto chimed in from the side:

“Weah—an acquaintance of the Standard Wing owes me a favor, and he just sent word that Lord Marius is still in the Palace of Restoration.”

He hesitated for a second:
"With Deputy Captain Taren...

Thales let out a breath.

understood.

So, Tormund Marius, his favorite captain of the guard.

Even if he had anticipated the current situation...

At this moment, they are also in a precarious situation themselves.

“The Flag Wing,” the prince sighed, “Vogel Taren.”

"That's really bold."

Komuto and Golov exchanged a glance.

Thales turned around and called out loudly to Raphael in the distance:
"Raphael, are you aware of this?"

As the skeleton approached, Thales noticed that its eyes had been disguised as another color.

Under the unfriendly gazes of the two royal guards, Raphael gave a friendly smile:

"what's up?"

Thales glanced at him and snorted coldly:
"fine."

“If you are inconvenienced, Your Highness,” Raphael, clearly adept at reading people, discerned something from the expressions of the three:
"The secret service would be happy if you could stay a few more hours..."

"Thank you, but it's not necessary," Thales declined decisively.

"I suppose you wouldn't mind if I went back with my personal guards?"

Raphael looked at Thales for a few seconds.

“Please go ahead,” the Bone Man said with a beaming smile, reciting the names and origins of the other two as if they were old friends:
“Gallen Grover of the Grover family and Gianluca Commuto, a member of the Royal Guard from the Guard Bureau, are renowned members of the Royal Guard. We can certainly trust them.”

Golov and Commuto both frowned, but Raphael had already bowed and turned to walk away.

“That is…” Golov watched Raphael’s departing figure before slowly releasing the sword hilt that he had unconsciously been holding.

“The guy who cleans up my mess,” Thales said sullenly.

The prince ignored their strange expressions and, without saying a word, tried to board the carriage.
"Now, let's go back to Mindis Hall—and deal with the flag bearer, Wing Da."

However, Golov firmly shook his head:
"No, Your Highness."

Thales' expression changed slightly.

“Commander Marius means,” Commuto interjected, his smile somewhat stiff:
"Please don't rush back to the Mindis Hall."

Thales looked puzzled.

Kommuto said cautiously:
“Those men in the flag-bearing wing, they carried… His Majesty’s warrant.”

His Majesty's order.

Thales was taken aback.

"And people from all departments are here..."

Kommuto said awkwardly:

"If you rashly step in and things don't look good..."

He didn't say anything more.

But Thales already understood.

The prince stood there, stunned, in front of the carriage.

“So,” Thales said absentmindedly:

"I entered Fuxing Palace, and my stronghold was raided the next day. Now I can't go home?"

Kombutuo looked ashamed.
"I'm so sorry, Your Highness. It was our negligence in security at the banquet that led to that accident..."

"Do not."

Thales forced himself to calm down and tried to sort out the mess of the day.

"No, no, no."

“No, believe me,” Thales suddenly wanted to laugh after figuring it out.
"This is absolutely not your fault."

Since returning to the stars, he has always been law-abiding and dared not be presumptuous.

Last night marked the first time he had exercised his freedom since returning to China, a choice that was perhaps also risky.

Then he paid the price.

Thales chuckled, leaving the two guards exchanging bewildered glances.

As punishment, he had just nervously listened to a royal council meeting, only to be mercilessly reprimanded by the king with his heart cut out. Afterward, he was taken to the secret service and enjoyed the Black Prophet's constant companionship. Even his Mindis Hall and Star Lake Guard were severely reprimanded.

As for now...

Golov whispered in response:
"In fact, Lord Marius suggested that we return to the Palace of Restoration."

"Back to the Palace of Restoration?" Thales scoffed, a hint of mockery he himself didn't even realize:

"Go find my father?"

“No, go find Ms. Ginny,” Commuto said, carefully observing Thales’ expression.

"The officer said that only she can do it at this time..."

I will protect you.

Kommuto kept the rest of his words to himself.

Thales fell silent.

Looking for Ginny.

Is it.

So, it feels like I'm back to six years ago, when I first arrived at the Mindis Hall.

Faced with countless known and unknown threats, we can only drift along with the tide.

Seeking protection from others.

six years ago.

The prince, holding onto the carriage, remained expressionless and motionless.

A long time has passed.

Finally, after Commuto gave Golov a wink for the third time, the Duke of Starlake closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

"No, we're not going back to Fuxing Palace."

"They don't even go to see Ms. Ginny."

Kommuto and Golov both frowned.

Thales opened his eyes.

"We're going to the West Ring District, Hongfang Street."

For a moment, both guards were stunned:
"what?"

Thales gripped the carriage axle tightly, gritting his teeth slightly:

“There’s a club called ‘One Night Stand’ there.”

Komuto's eyes widened, while Golov's expression turned grave.

"Your Highness, what are we going there for?" Komto asked cautiously.

"What are you going to do? Of course, it's..."

Thales released the wheel, glanced at him, and said calmly:

"Go find a woman."

Koumto initially understood, but then became very troubled:
"But, Your Highness, your identity..."

Thales chuckled.

"Who said I was going there as a prince?"

The prince boarded the carriage and pointed at the two of them:
“You lead the way, Commuto. We’ll go change our clothes first, then you lead the way inside, Golov.”

The zombie shuddered:
"but……"

But Thales interrupted him rudely:
"And remember, Golov, after we got there..."

“Your name is,” Thales’ smile vanished in that instant, his voice icy cold:
"Raphael Lindbergh".

I typed this while traveling, so the quality has dropped considerably. I'll revise it when I get home.

(End of this chapter)