Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 592 Can’t go back
Golov listened silently to Tinker's complaints, preoccupied with his own thoughts, and did not utter a word.

"In short, today's situation is special," Tinker said, coming to his senses.
“Lillian specifically sought out that green-skinned man in an attempt to scare away the black silk creatures.”

Golov frowned and looked up:
"The Black Street Brotherhood? What happened?"

"Don't you know yet?"

Speaking of this, Tinker sighed, utterly annoyed:
"The fraternity's head prostitute—a whore named Belicia—has disappeared, or rather, she was kidnapped on Red Street."

Upon hearing something that piqued his interest, Thales became alert.

Belica was kidnapped on Red Street.

And he happened to know who did it.

Golov frowned: "What does that have to do with you?"

Tinker shrugged:

"These days, girls from the North are all the rage. A few days ago, Belicia got into a feud with Lillian because of a few new girls from the North."

"So the Black Silk Gang thinks it was us, so they brought a whole bunch of people over to put pressure on us. All the shops have been 'taken care of'—especially here, you know, that damn bitch and her 'one-night stand,' even without the incident of stealing a girl from the North, have been going against us all these years."

Tinker sighed:
"Because of this, Red Town Street has been in chaos and tense all day. Humph, just now there was a clueless carriage that was still driving recklessly on Red Town Street—by the way, have you seen that carriage?"

The carriage was rampaging wildly...

Golov was taken aback, but after Thales's gaze prompted him, he shook his head woodenly.

"So you did it?"

Thales quickly took over the conversation, diverting Tinker's attention:

"Kidnapping members of the Brotherhood?"

Tinker glanced at Thales, then gave Golov a questioning look, to which the latter indicated it was alright.

"Of course not us—"

Tinker initially denied it, but after hesitating for a moment, his tone finally softened:

"Okay, I don't know either."

He pondered for a moment:

“Boss Catherine probably didn’t do it, but I can’t say for sure that Red Viper and the Wanderers, or the other people in the gang, didn’t take action.”

"This is such a big deal, how could the big shots in the Blood Bottle Gang not know about it?" Golov asked, somewhat puzzled.

Tinker sneered.

“You’ve been gone too long, Fatty. Things are different now.”

"Six years ago, in the fierce battle on Hongfang Street, we were utterly defeated and severely weakened. We were not going to be able to protect this place. All kinds of brothels would have become cash cows for Black Silk."

Thales pricked up his ears.

Tinker felt a mix of emotions, including a sense of helplessness:

"It was Catherine who stepped in, relying on the background of a big shot, and persuaded the Greenskins, especially the chief garrison commander, to intervene and force the Black Silk Men to sit down and negotiate. They managed to get them to agree to a ceasefire and return half of the newly occupied territory."

Tinker sighed:
"But the Blood Bottle Gang was different from then on. The twelve strongest promising newcomers were either dead or scattered, almost gone. And the 'mastermind behind the scenes' that the gang had always claimed to be was nowhere to be seen..."

"Of the eight superhuman leaders, only three remain, and they are all at odds with each other: Catherine, the leader, has the highest prestige and inherited most of the territory, but she chose to negotiate peace with the Black Silk Men and has been criticized a lot; Red Viper is unwilling to accept this and advocates taking back the benefits, but with his limited manpower and influence, he has made enemies everywhere, and I can only say that he's lucky if he doesn't make things worse; in addition, 'Wanderer' Fogg has returned, and he does have a group of people under his command who are always trying to get a share of the pie, but he doesn't have a good way to get in... The other new strongholds are either incompetent or still immature and not worth considering."

"So we fell apart, with inconsistent orders and constant infighting. We kept losing business, territory and power, while the Black Silk Gang on the other side worked together and prospered. Hard Fist Qincha, Iron Heart Rhoda, Eyes Lancer, Wolf Leader Fesso, Ripper Anton, Fat Morris, and over the years, each leader has become stronger and stronger... Have you noticed that we don't even mention the legends of Black Sword and the three assassins anymore?"

As Thales listened to this news, he was shocked to realize that since he left, the underworld of Everstar City and even the Star Kingdom had undergone earth-shattering changes and was no longer what it used to be.

Tinker shrugged:

“You can tell from the comparison between the business of ‘One Night Stand’ and ‘Laiya Club’: we are going downhill and can’t make ends meet, we are just barely hanging on. The other day when we were robbing girls from the north, we couldn’t compete with that vixen Belicia.”

Golov stared silently at the lights in the room, lost in thought.

Tinker's tone changed:
"But first, there was the business trouble with the girl from the north, then the kidnapping on Red Street, which is on the border between the two sides, and then there was the kidnappers' carriage crossing the border to cause trouble... Hey, what a coincidence! Every single thing hits our sore spots with Black Silk!"

Glov and Thales exchanged a blank glance.

Tinker continued to complain, "And that's not all. You know the Blood Bottle Gang started out selling bootlegging, but these past few months, everything from brewing ingredients and storage to distribution channels has been in a slump. The market is desperately in need of bootlegging, but we can't brew any. Customers and profits are slipping away every day. This is practically digging up the gang's foundation..."

"Also, it's said that several large blacksmith shops on South Street and in the suburbs, whether legitimate or shady, have been raided by thugs these past few days. From owners to apprentices, some have been arrested and others sentenced. You know, most of them have tacit agreements and contracts with the Black Silk Gang, forging weapons and equipment for them. The Black Silk Gang is known for its fighting prowess and daring; without weapons, what's the point of fighting..."

"We suspect that the Black Silk Gang has their eye on our bootlegging business, and they probably also guessed that we cut off their weapons supply with the help of the authorities..."

Thales' eyes flickered.

Tinker looked shrewd and calculating.
"Hey, I'm afraid there are ambitious people on both sides who want to cause trouble... Our six years of peace with Black Silk is probably going to be broken."

Golov hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

But Tinker scoffed and shook his head indifferently.

"Who knows? Maybe this is just the norm."

"The six-year peace that was barely achieved under duress is inherently abnormal—it feels like a deliberate fabrication."

The room was quiet for a while.

“If the gangs go to war again, Tinker,” Golov suddenly said, “protect yourself—and Lillian too.”

"Do you even need to remind me?"

Tinker scoffed dismissively, patting his chest:
"I participated in the 'One Night War' six years ago! The scene, the battle, the intensity, the blood everywhere... Damn it, I never want to go through that again in my life."

Golov watched him silently:
"That's good, Tinker, that's good."

Tinker felt a little awkward hearing the other person's words, but the undisguised shouts coming from the corridor relieved him of his embarrassment:
"Tink, Tinker!"

"Where are you? Boss Catherine is gathering people!"

It was a strange, young male voice, excited in tone, clearly belonging to a gang member:
"The Black Silk Men said that the kidnappers' wagons entered our territory and insisted on searching. They fought with the brothers on the border, and several of them fell down—I think this time we're really going to fight! The war has begun!"

Golov's expression changed: "Tink, you..."

But Tinker sneered and got up to open the door a crack.

In an instant, his expression turned to pain.

Tinker, his face contorted, shouted back at the door:

"Damn it! I have diarrhea! My legs are weak..."

"I can't go!"

A disgruntled reply came from the hallway:
"Are you kidding me? Diarrhea again? A few years ago you were one of the top twelve in the gang..."

Tinker's voice became urgent:

"Ahhh! I can't hold it anymore, I need to go to the bathroom again, talk to you later!"

Tinker closed the door, sat back in his chair, and ignored the gang member who had dragged him into the brawl.

This left Glov and Thales completely bewildered.

"what happened?"

Tinker was somewhat displeased with their gazes and explained:

"I really have diarrhea, that's what I always say when Boss Catherine comes to check up on me... I, I..."

He touched his stomach, and his expression changed.

“Oh no, I’ve run out of laxatives,” Tinker said, somewhat distressed.
"I'll have to buy a few more packs later."

Both Golov and Thales looked at him with complicated expressions.

“That’s good, Tinker,” Golov took a breath, understanding some of the other party’s strategy:
"That's good."

But the zombie immediately looked up seriously:
"Tink, if you and Lillian need my help..."

“Alright,” Tinker waved his hand dismissively.
"You know what's going on, right? Given your current status and our current situation, helping someone is just asking for trouble—wasn't the lesson from last time enough?"

Golov paused for a moment.

Tinker remained silent for a while, then slowly stood up.

“You and your young master, once you’ve rested enough, you can leave,” Tinker said, pointing to the unassuming Thales and patting Golov’s muscular arm, his eyes concealing an indescribable emotion.

"As for your brother who is in a coma, if it's inconvenient for you, we'll hire a carriage to take him to you..."

Golov looked back at him, slightly bewildered:

"Thank you, I'll pay for your travel expenses... Also, I've changed jobs and my salary has increased, so if you need the money urgently..."

This sentence seemed to have hit a nerve, and Tinker's expression changed drastically, his tone becoming urgent:

Hey! We don't need your stinking money!

"Especially yours!"

Golov realized something, and his face also turned pale.

“I know, I know,” Thales said. This was the first time he had ever seen a zombie so embarrassed and aggrieved, looking away and ashamed.
"sorry."

Tinker stared at Golov for a long time before finally sighing.

"Damn," Tinker said, looking away in annoyance.

"Stop saying sorry."

"What you're saying is disgusting."

“I…” Golov paused for a second, then replied listlessly:
"sorry."

Tinker clicked his tongue in annoyance, shook his head, gave up on correcting Golov, and headed for the door.

“And another thing,” Tinker said hesitantly, his back to them, his hand on the doorknob.

"You...you'd better not come here again."

Golov's breath hitched.

Tinker was equally downcast, as if he had made up his mind about something:
"I mean, what if your enemy finds out again..."

"You can't protect us."

Golov was silent for a few seconds before speaking with difficulty:
"I know."

They can't protect us.

Looking at Golov's expression, Thales suddenly had a feeling.

He remembered something.

The zombie took a few deep breaths:

"I know, thank you, brother."

Tinker didn't turn around, but simply exhaled as well:

“We’re not brothers anymore, Fatty.”

We're not brothers anymore.

Golov paused slightly.

"Now that you've escaped this cesspool... go live the life you deserve."

Tinker gently opened the door, his voice forlorn:

"You are no longer... one of us."

“Lillian, that’s what she wants too.”

No longer one of us...

Thales saw that, for a moment, Golov's arm was trembling.

But before the latter could speak, Tinker walked out of the room, leaving only the closed door behind.

Golov stared blankly at the door, unable to come to his senses for a long time.

After several seconds, Thales felt the atmosphere was about right, so he quietly moved from the corner to the table and coughed.

"Golver?"

Golov regained consciousness and lowered his head in shame:
"I'm so sorry, Your Highness."

"I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have attacked that guard."

"As for Lillian and Tinker... they are unaware of your identity, please forgive them."

Thales stared at him intently and smiled slightly.

"You know, at first I thought, like everyone else, that Ms. Lillian was your lover."

Golov froze.

Thales sighed and moved the chair in front of him.

"So, do you have anything to explain to me about that lady?"

Golov struggled to lift his head and stared blankly at the prince.

Thales glanced around, trying to calm his tone:

"Don't worry, it's just you and me here."

The atmosphere in the room froze for a few seconds.

Golov hesitated, then finally shut his mouth, his face stiffening.

“If you don’t want to talk about it,” Thales said, somewhat disappointed, but he still gave an understanding smile and stood up.
"That's okay."

He walked toward the door:
"Put your clothes on properly. I'll wait for you outside. It's time to go back."

But right now.

"elder sister."

Golov's hoarse and pained voice came from behind:
“Lillian, she is my…older sister.”

Thales's eyes narrowed.

He slowly turned his head back.

“And Tinker,” Golov said, his eyes tightly shut.

"They are my...brothers and sisters from the same mother."

Thales' eyes widened.

"Them? You?"

The prince was puzzled:

“But, but you are from the Golova family…”

“I did say that, Your Highness,” Golov opened his eyes, looking exhausted, “I used to be a beggar for the Blood Bottle Gang.”

"That is true."

The room was quiet for a while.

It wasn't until Thales let go of the doorknob and sat back down in front of Golover that this happened.

"I understand."

The prince looked at him as calmly and gently as he could:
"Same mother?"

Golov nodded and remained silent for a long time.

Thales didn't rush him, but waited for him to figure it out slowly.

“My mother, she was… she was in the sex trade,” Golov said hoarsely, with a hint of relief that the secret was finally being revealed.
“She had many clients and had seven children—or more, I can’t remember, some of whom died young.”

Thales didn't speak, but listened carefully and attentively.

"And my father."

Golov took a deep breath:

"He was a mediocre, incompetent, and frustrated playboy living in the shadow of his family's great reputation."

The zombie's expression returned to its usual calm and indifferent state.
"Or, to use my grandfather's words, 'a piece of trash'."

Grover's father and grandfather.

Thales said quietly.

"So one day, he came to Red Street to seek pleasure and met my mother."

“It was just an ordinary case of buying sex,” Golov said calmly, as if recounting someone else’s story.
"Leaving behind a lowly bastard born of a prostitute."

Lowly bastard.

Thales frowned.

“I’ve lived on this street since I was old enough to understand things,” Golov said quietly. “Women and cosmetics, customers and money, moaning and groaning, cold, hunger and sickness—that was my childhood.”

“Lillian was the eldest of us. She learned to lead us through the alleys and streets from a very young age, imitating the adults and trying to make a living.”

He mingled in alleyways and roamed the streets.

They try their best to live, imitating the way adults do.

As Thales listened to his words, he himself gradually became dazed.

"Until a rude burglar strangled my mother to death in her bed."

Golov's demeanor was frighteningly calm:
“Since then, Lillian has taken on the role of mother, selling everything and giving her all to help us children, my younger siblings and me, struggle to survive, sometimes hungry, sometimes full, enduring hardship day by day.”

Struggling to survive.

Thales unconsciously clenched his fist.

“When we fight, Lillian will lecture us like this: ‘We are blood relatives and should help each other.’”

“As she wandered the streets, being taken away by different men time and time again, returning with meager coins and food, sometimes wounded,” Golov’s eyes showed pain, and the bandages on her body turned red again:
“‘We are brothers and sisters, that’s the most important thing,’ she always said, laughing and crying.”

Thales stared blankly at the lamp on the table.

“Those were tough times,” Golov paused for a moment, “leprosy, slugs—both of our siblings died of typhoid. Fern was caught in a failed theft and carried back, but he didn’t make it through.”

Died of typhoid fever...

Caught stealing...

I couldn't make it through...

Thales heard his chest pounding faster and faster.

“Until Aunt Leia took us in,” Golov said wistfully, looking around at the furnishings, “here.” “Leia’s Club.”

Thales took a deep breath.

"Mother Leia, is she a good person?" The prince tried to hide his true emotions by engaging in the conversation.

“I wouldn’t say that.”

Golov shook his head:

"No one who can make a living on the streets is a good person."

"Back then, people didn't call her 'Grandma,' and this place wasn't called 'Laiya Club.' Grandma herself was beautiful, highly skilled, and had a deep connection with the Blood Bottle Gang, having hooked up with several of the gang's leaders in succession."

"She was looking out for herself, attracted by Lillian's looks and resilience."

"As for the rest of us, we're just an add-on."

"But that doesn't matter. What matters is that from that time on, we became beggars of the Blood Bottle Gang."

Thales's eyes darted around, as if he saw a dilapidated house with several disheveled children squatting inside.

“Lillian’s life got much better after she was taken away by the old lady, but the person in charge of the Blood Bottle Gang was a former circus clown who was good at throwing knives. He was eccentric, suspicious by nature, and liked to laugh maniacally at our knives throwing accuracy.”

"In the end, all of us brothers and sisters were left: Lillian, Tinker, me, and the youngest, Teto."

Thales suddenly realized that he had unconsciously raised his left hand and pressed it against the burn scar under his clothes.

"If everything goes smoothly, I will either join the Blood Bottle Gang as a errand boy or a thug, or I will leave halfway through and try to become an apprentice or a farmer to make a living on my own."

At this point, Golov's voice trembled:
"Until that day."

Thales instinctively looked up.

"That day, the clown who was in charge of the beggars laughed maniacally as he herded me, Tinker, and Teto together and handed them over to some neatly dressed but unsmiling people. Lillian was also brought over afterward."

“We were taken to the Temple of the Setting Sun, and everyone had their blood taken.”

Thales trembled slightly.

He seemed to see "that day" for himself.

Dawn, blood, and lights.

"They took us to the most beautiful house we've ever seen in our lives and gave us the best food we've ever eaten," Golov said in a daze.

The most beautiful house.

The best-tasting food.

Thales's gaze gradually became unfocused.

Until Golov's tone tightened:
“Until they pushed the door open and came in.”

“Take me away.”

The zombie's words concealed boundless resentment:
"just me."

“I wanted to take my brothers and sisters with me, but they wouldn’t allow it. They just respectfully but firmly put me on the carriage.”

“Until I realized what they were going to do to the rest of the people after I left—you know, they were all hired hands, used to doing these kinds of tasks, like silencing them afterward.”

Thales lowered his head and closed his eyes.

"I used every trick I knew on the street to break free and jump off the carriage,"

Golov took a deep breath, as if he had just blocked a powerful attack from an opponent:
"When I rushed back..."

"Tink struggled frantically, Lillian cried out in pain, and Teto could only convulse."

The zombie gritted its teeth:

What I want to do.

"But there were too many of them, and they were too strong."

"I... I was too weak back then."

Me back then...

too weak.

Thales noticed that his arm, which was under the table, was trembling uncontrollably.

His memory seemed to return to that night, seeing Quaid's red nose again, and the children's terrified, crying faces.

"Just then, an old but dignified knight arrived, and he and his men drew their longswords and rescued Tinker and Lillian."

Golov let out a painful sigh:

“But Teto, our little brother… he was too small, and when the rope was around his neck, he couldn’t breathe, let alone resist.”

"Too late."

Too late.

Thales remained seated quietly.

"The old knight knelt down, stroked the back of my hand, apologized, and told me it was all an accident. He was my grandfather, of the same blood as me, a knight by royal decree, the lord of the Golov family, and a watchman of the royal guard."

"And he believed that no matter how embarrassing or shameful, the bloodline of the Golova family should not be left to languish on the streets."

When talking about his grandfather, Golov's eyes revealed a complex mix of emotions:
“My grandfather greatly appreciated my loyalty and affection for my blood relatives. He said, ‘This affection is priceless.’”

“And he can protect and even financially support my brothers and sisters, as long as I can entrust the same loyalty and affection to my true brothers.”

Thales raised his eyes:
"Real...brothers?"

Golov nodded.

"Later I learned that my father had died that year. And Lozano—my half-brother—had contracted typhoid fever, and they didn’t know if he would survive."

"The Grover family, as a core member of the royalist party, needs a backup direct heir."

The zombies are standing there dumbfounded in the tunnel.

"I changed my name from that day on."

“I’m no longer called Fatty, but Garen Grover.”

"A bastard son of lowly and filthy birth from the famous 'Wind Knight' family, the Golover family."

Thales stared at him in a daze, as if he were seeing that day six years ago, when he stood high in the Hall of Stars, facing the dense crowd in Star Gathering Square.

Regardless of your past, when you rise, you are...

[Thales Seranjelana Kessel Shining Star.]

The second prince of the Star Kingdom.

Thales closed his eyes, then opened them again.

It was as if the light and shadow before my eyes were being washed away.

"I understand."

The prince said wearily:

"So, for you, this place, and them, Lillian, Tinker, Teto... that is your homeland, your past."

"The self you can never erase."

Glov's eyes narrowed slightly.

But after a moment, he shook his head, his expression bitter.

"Do not."

"You don't understand, Your Highness."

"As I grew more mature and independent, joined the Royal Guard, especially as Lozano became increasingly outstanding, as my grandfather finally passed away, and as I became dispensable again..."

Golov stared blankly at the room in the Leia Club.

"Finally, one day, I returned and reunited with them, with my brothers and sisters."

Reunion.

Thales remained silent.

But in that instant, Golov raised his hands with a slight tremor, looking at his fingers, which were covered in calluses from practicing swordsmanship.

"But I found that all I brought them was pain."

"Regardless of Teto's misfortune back then."

"That's something for later."

Thales tensed up.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

Golov gave a soft, sarcastic snort.

"You know, Your Highness, I am not sociable and I don't know how to socialize. I barely managed to get into the vanguard wing of the guard because of my grandfather's name, but I have offended a lot of people."

"They—a few spoiled brats from the Vanguard Wing who have a grudge against me—somehow found out about my background, and my relationship with..."

Golov lowered his head in dismay:
"Relationship with Lillian".

Thales sighed.

"So, after I fought them again, that night, those bastards came here in droves."

Golov's voice was deep:
"They spent an unprecedented amount of money to hire Lillian."

His voice began to tremble:
"They...they locked her up in a house..."

Thales felt heavy-hearted, and he pursed his lips:

"A cowardly act."

Golov ignored him:

"When Tinker, covered in wounds, knocked on my door in the middle of the night..."

"I had to go to the Grover family mansion and do the last thing I wanted to do—ask Lozano for help to find the best doctor for the dying Lillian."

The zombie had to pause to compose itself.

The room fell silent.

Thales paused for a moment, then spoke again:
"Who are those people in the royal guard, those spoiled brats?"

“It’s not important anymore,” Golov shook his head with a gloomy expression. “It’s already resolved.”

"solve?"

Golov gave a sarcastic snort, his eyes flashing with hatred and resolve:

“You know, those bastards were so sure I wouldn’t dare to take the risk, they gloated to me, telling me how they tortured her that night…”

Thales remained silent, recalling the horrific wounds on Lillian's body.

Golov swallowed hard, gritting his teeth:
"I...I can't control myself."

Thales nodded:

"Like today?"

Golov closed his eyes:
"sorry."

“I committed a grave offense by attacking my colleague. I went to great lengths, using all my connections and legal resources, but I could only barely save my life.”

Golov opened his eyes; the light had vanished, replaced only by a profound numbness.
"Until one day, a man came to the guard's sealed well."

"He told me that he was the new watchman of the royal guard and needed a new subordinate."

"So I left the Well of Confinement and followed Lord Marius to the Western Wilderness."

It turned out to be the case.

The two remained silent for a while until Thales spoke:
“Golover…”

But the zombie, as if suddenly awakened, interrupted the prince without regard for anything else:

"So I understand."

Golov clutched the bandages tightly around his body, his face contorted in pain.

“Everything changed a long time ago, the moment my grandfather took me away.”

Thales stared at him silently, and suddenly understood what "empathy" meant.

“We, Lillian, Tinker, I…”

Golov let out a painful sigh, a mixture of resentment and relief:

"We can't go back."

"forever."

In that instant, countless scenes and words flashed through Thales's mind.

A beggar.

Siblings.

The day that changed my destiny.

New life.

Old burdens.

In a daze, the prince heard Gilbert's words:
Perhaps one day you will find them.

[That's the day you killed them.]

The next second, Thales took a deep breath and snapped out of his reverie.

"Golover".

The prince's voice rang out steadily, carrying an unquestionable tone:
Are you still able to walk?

The zombie looked up in confusion.

"Your Highness?"

Thales stared blankly at the doorway, his thoughts unreadable.

"I want to go somewhere."

Golov paused for a second, then realized:

"Your Highness, Kongmuto is not here, I am the only one, we are short-handed..."

Thales smiled, and before he could finish speaking, he called out towards the door:
"Lobik?"

"Brother Lobik?"

There was silence outside the door; there was no response.

Golov looked puzzled.

Thales felt he was losing face, so he raised his voice:
"Lobik! Lobik, the big oaf, Dila!"

Still no response.

The atmosphere suddenly became very awkward.

Until Thales took a deep breath, cupped his hands in front of his mouth like a megaphone, and roared:
"Cohen Nima's Karabyan!"

There was a loud thud outside the door, as if someone had suddenly bumped into the door.

Golov's expression changed. He suppressed his displeasure and just stared sullenly at the doorway.

Sure enough, the door opened the next moment, and Cohen, the warden, appeared through the crack with a bruised and swollen face, full of fear and confusion.

"What is it, Brother Wyman..."

Thales interrupted him abruptly: "Get ready, come with me somewhere."

Cohen was taken aback: "Where?"

"Downtown."

Downtown...

Both Grover and Cohen were stunned.

A few seconds later, the guard cautiously probed into speaking:
"But, but that's Black Street Brotherhood territory..."

Thales's gaze turned cold:
"Are you scared?"

"Lord Karabyan, a first-class security officer of the West City Security Bureau?"

Cohen paused, slightly resentful, but still hesitant:

"No, that's not it. It's just that, if I may remind you, the Brotherhood and the Blood Vial Gang have recently started to show signs of tension again..."

Thales squinted:

"Are you scared?"

“No, no, no,” Cohen shook his head hastily.

“I mean, even though I’m strong, and even though the guy sitting over there is only slightly weaker than me (Glov scoffs dismissively), if I were to crash headfirst into the Brotherhood’s stronghold…”

"Are you scared?"

"Of course not. I've been to the lower city a few times, but the roads there are difficult to navigate, and it's very easy to get lost. Once you're lost, it's dark by the time you get there..."

"Are you scared?"

"No, but you are a prince after all, what if you accidentally bump into something..."

"Are you scared?"

"No, no, there's another thing. I took the day off to come here, so it doesn't count as a work-related injury, and the medical expenses won't be reimbursed..."

"Are you scared—"

boom!
Cohen slammed his fist on the door, making a loud bang!
He was filled with a grand spirit, and faced death without fear:
"Damn it, what's so great about it? I'll go!"

The sentry gritted his teeth and roared in the local dialect of the Western Wilderness:

"I'm not afraid of anything!"

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(End of this chapter)