Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 602 The Greatest Knight

Chapter 602 The Greatest Knight (Part 2)
Seeing her mother walk away, Mertessa let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.

Leyok stared in the direction Beth had disappeared, his expression complex.

"Have you and Aunt Beth been living here for the past few years?"

Mertessa scoffed dismissively.

Leyok frowned: "You know, Boss Morris can help..."

"That's what Mom meant!"

Mertessa interrupted him rudely: "She said the fraternity has changed, it's getting bigger and bigger, more and more chaotic, and she doesn't want to stay there anymore."

"Like this, we might not be living a very good life."

"But we survived."

He straightened up and glared at Leyok, a mixture of jealousy and hatred in his eyes:
"Not like you."

Leyok was silent for a moment:
“I remember you were with Rhoda back then.”

Mertessa burst into laughter, a laugh filled with venom.

"Of course! Rhoda! Iron-hearted Rhoda!"

“But hey, look at me,” Mertesacker turned around with difficulty, revealing his severed arm, full of resentment:
"He doesn't need waste."

"And do you think, after all these years, besides big shots like you, Steel Cone, and Thunder Axe, how many of us so-called 'Thirteen Generals' are still alive? How many?"

Leyok did not respond to his question, but simply stared intently at Mertesacker's severed arm.

"Keep counting down the days, Silent Assassin," Mertesa scoffed and shook his head.

"Anyway, it won't grow any longer."

The two old acquaintances from the fraternity faced each other in silence for a long time.

"Mertesa, right?"

Thales stepped forward in a deep voice:
"What exactly happened to the abandoned house in the past few years?"

Mertessa glanced at Thales.

"What kind of show is this now?" the man said, looking at Leyok with disdain.
"Who are these three? Your new lovers?"

Leyok's expression turned cold, and he reached for the hilt of his knife again.

But Thales coughed.

“Look, Mertessa, people are watching us.”

The prince smiled and gestured to the curious faces around him.

"So, the longer you stay with us, the more curious those who stole your pots—the Sixth House, right—will become about what we talked to you about, or..."

Thales' smile vanished:
"How much money did they give you as charity?"

Mertesacker's expression changed:
"Pooh!"

Mertessa said bitterly:
“You must be one of Morris’s underlings, just as cunning as him.”

But Thales didn't care at all, and just stared at him quietly.

"Now, do you want to answer the question?"

"What's wrong with the abandoned house?"

Mertesacker snorted twice, glanced at Leyok and the other two big guys, and then spoke up defiantly:
"If you remember, Leyok, six years ago, on that night of battle—"

At this point, Mertessa glanced at his severed arm and spat out a harsh "Pah!"
"Hold."

No one else spoke.

"In short, the incident happened in the abandoned house when we were stabbing people on Hongfang Street that day."

"Rhoda's son was in charge of looking after this place, but that good-for-nothing got drunk and killed a bunch of beggars, and the rest ran away..."

He drank too much and killed a bunch of beggar children...

Thales listened to the story quietly, his face expressionless.

It's like someone else's story.

Leyok squinted:
Quaid.

"I remember that good-for-nothing, and I remember this incident."

Mertesacker nodded, looking sullen.
"Some say it was a conspiracy by the Blood Bottle Gang, and that good-for-nothing was eventually killed by a few beggars..."

Thales unconsciously raised his hand and pressed it against the scar on his chest.

"But the worst part is that the guy's father was my former boss—Rhoda wrecked Sunset Bar because of the beggar thing, and I heard he even skinned his deputy, who was in charge of the abandoned building with his son, alive to have with his drinks."

Thales frowned.

Mertesacker shrugged:

“I know Rhoda—believe me, this is something he’s capable of doing.”

Leyok remained unmoved:
“I know, Boss Morris talked to ‘Ironheart’ and they resolved the matter.”

Mertesacker spat dismissively:
"Solve my ass."

He looked at Leyok with displeasure:
"After this happened, who in the Brotherhood would dare to take care of this mess at the abandoned house?"

Mertessa looked back at the homeless people around her:

"There's a precedent. If something happens to the beggar again, it'll be a slap in the face to Maurice, and he'll definitely hold you accountable."

"Even if you manage to take care of the beggars, it'll be worse—Rhoda's got his son on his mind, and if he finds out you're in charge of the beggars, he'll definitely dislike you."

"Who knows, maybe a few more troublemakers will emerge from among the beggars, like they did with Quaid, and slit your throat while you're drunk..."

Mertesacker laughed sarcastically, with a hint of self-abandonment in his expression:
"If things are done like this, then only the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled will still be willing to come to the abandoned house!"

“Mertesa,” Leyok hesitated for a moment:
"you……"

Mertesacker spat, his tone filled with pain and disdain:
“You know what’s even more interesting? Rhoda has always believed that the murderer of his son hasn’t been caught, so he’s had me stand guard here, waiting for that beggar to come back and walk right into the trap—see, what a perfect excuse, a great excuse to throw away trash!”

He practically screamed out his last words.

Throw yourself into a trap.

Thales subconsciously looked up and re-examined Mertessa.

But Mertesacker didn't care what his words had to do with the person in front of him; he just gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"You see, people like us... hey, we're lazy and irresponsible, opening the door at dawn and locking it at dusk. Over time, the beggars have become unruly and lazy. Not to mention many have run away, even their street business has lost its profit."

Mertessa said sullenly:
“The new thugs are even less willing to come – Hongfang Street has just been taken over, who wouldn’t want to go there and enjoy the good life?”

Cohen, who had been listening attentively, could no longer contain himself and stepped forward:
"So what about the beggars in the abandoned houses? Have they decreased?"

Mertesacker watched Cohen warily as he assumed the standard military stance.
"Which one are you?"

Cohen panicked: "I—"

“A newcomer to the fraternity,” Thales said, shoving Cohen back without batting an eye.
"Those who retired from the army—and then what?"

Mertesacker looked at Cohen suspiciously.

"The fraternity has really improved, it's become quite something," he scoffed.
"In the past, veterans only wanted to join the Blood Bottle Gang."

“Mertesa,” Leyok reminded him in a deep voice.

Mertesacker waved his hand dismissively.

"After that, for some reason, the city hall started targeting this place."

Upon hearing this, Leyok, Thales, and Cohen were all taken aback.
"town Hall?"

“Yeah, I don’t know what bad luck we had,” Mertesacker said listlessly.

“Every now and then, a large official team, from the green-skinned to the blue-skinned to the steel-skinned, would come to the abandoned house to carry out a surprise attack, ostensibly to crack down on human trafficking and eliminate child labor gangs.”

"At its worst, the beggars in the abandoned house had to be evacuated once a week to avoid inspections. It was a chaotic scene, and even businesses in other places were affected."

Cohen's expression slowly changed, and he scratched his head:

"Oh, I remember, there were several large-scale sweeps..."

But Thales pinched him and asked in a deep voice:

"why?"

“I don’t know,” Mertessa shook her head.
“I have a friend who’s from a gang of thugs. He said they don’t want to come here and do this kind of shady business that doesn’t bring in any money or income. The gang leaders don’t want to either.”

"But the orders come from higher up, and they have no choice but to obey, even if it's just for show."

Leyok remained puzzled, Cohen was equally perplexed, while Golov watched indifferently.

Only Thales stood there, lost in thought, his mind in turmoil.

The city hall has its eye on this place...

The order came down from someone higher up...

Thales clenched his fists instinctively.

If you say so...

He gritted his teeth, resisting the surge of gratitude welling up in his chest.

Thank you, Gilbert.

"So the abandoned house was being messed with like this, resulting in more expenses than income and more losses than gains. So Boss Maurice decided to dismantle the fence of the abandoned house, let the beggars out, and disperse them to various small gangs. They would be scattered here and there—it's better than getting caught in one fell swoop someday."

Mertesacker's face darkened, then he gave a mocking smile:
"Once the beggar leaves, we useless people... haha, won't we be even more useless?"

Leyok remained silent.

Cohen, disregarding the other person's feelings, anxiously stepped forward:
"So, the Brotherhood's beggars are no longer kept in abandoned houses?"

"And placed among the various gangs on the streets?"

Mertesacker looked up at Cohen, his gaze lingering on the hilt of the other's sword. Slightly puzzled, he replied anyway:
"more than."

Mertesacker tightened his empty right sleeve and scoffed dismissively:

"The Brotherhood has long since abandoned beggars."

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was stunned.

"What do you mean?" Cohen reacted the most, his eyes widening:
"That's all? Why?"

Mertesacker sneered:

"Because we can't afford to raise them."

Leyok turned his gaze away from the surrounding poor people:
Why can't we afford to raise them?

Mertesacker gave him a look:
"What? You've been with Maurice for so long, and you didn't know? Didn't he tell you back then?"

Leyok let out a breath, and unable to bear it any longer, he put his hand on the hilt of the knife again.

But Thales was faster than him.

"Mertesa, do you know what this is?"

Thales smiled and extended a fist.

Mertesacker spat on the ground:
"Ha, you little brat, I hope your fists are harder than you are."

But Thales was not offended and kept his fist firmly raised.

"What I'm holding in my hand right now is a silver coin."

"It has the portrait of a king engraved on it, along with a line of text."

Mertesacker frowned.

Thales pointed to the dilapidated house behind him and said gently:

"Ten seconds later, I'll throw it into the yard where you and your mother live—and it will make a crisp metallic sound, letting everyone else here know."

Mertesacker's expression changed.

"Believe me, I've seen it; a small silver coin can change the fate of many people."

Thales pointed to the homeless people peering curiously in the distance, his smile undiminished:
"Now, I'll ask again: Why can't the gangs afford to support beggar children?"

Mertesacker glared at him resentfully.

“I’ve been living in this abandoned house, so I don’t really know,” Mertesa said indignantly as Thales retracted his fist as if to throw it.
"But I heard from people on the street that in recent years..."

"A newcomer has arrived in the den of scoundrels."

Thales was taken aback:
"Newbie?"

"Yes, that's what people call him..."

Mertesacker doesn't care about the authentic:
"Stupid guard officer."

For a second, everyone was stunned.

All eyes were on the same person.

Mertessa paid no attention to their strange behavior and continued speaking to himself:
"People on the street say that guy isn't very bright, but he's got plenty of energy."

"I heard that he causes trouble on the streets every few days, especially 'taking care of' those beggar gangs, and he often throws them in jail. Even when he sees children helping their parents set up a stall, he rushes up and interrogates them all day long—even the beggars are annoyed by him."

Thales' breathing quickened, and he slowly turned his head:

Cohen stood there in a daze, listening to Mertesacker's words.

"Several gangs wanted to take him down by knocking him out or something, but that bastard... he's too damn good at fighting. Several times he was bruised and battered, and could barely walk, but he still went out patrolling the streets as if nothing had happened."

Mertesacker scoffed and shook his head:
"There are also people who want to go through the inner circle of the gang, to smear others, to bribe them, and so on, but no matter what, that bastard is really out of his mind, he's a complete idiot, and he won't listen to reason."

"Over the years, he's been complained about, reprimanded, punished, suspended, and locked up countless times. He's still so immature and hasn't learned anything. As soon as he's reinstated, he's back on the street causing trouble again!"

"I heard that a few gangs went crazy and decided to kill people, but nothing came of it. I guess they were stopped—are you kidding me? Openly taking the lives of gangsters in Yongxing City, do you really think the Security Bureau is a pushover?"

Mertesacker laughed as he spoke, as if recounting a joke over tea.

Glov looked at Cohen in surprise, while Lyok frowned.

But Cohen stared blankly at Mertesacker, momentarily lost in thought, his breathing becoming disordered.

Thales had to nudge his arm.

"A few years have passed, and the eight or nine small gangs under the Brotherhood responsible for looking after beggar children are almost brought to tears. They are all suffering and it is difficult for them to even do business on the street, let alone earn any income."

Cohen swallowed hard.

"Such gangs either can't afford to eat and break up, or they fall into the hands of that stupid bastard and go to jail, or they switch to other businesses: working as local guides in the West Gate to harass out-of-towners, or watching for brothels and catching fat sheep in Hongfang Street. Isn't that more lucrative than raising little brats to beg for money, perform, run errands, and act as lookouts?"

Thales didn't speak; he just stood there and took a deep breath.

"so now……"

It was Cohen who spoke; his lips trembled, and his voice was tense.
"Now……"

“Yes,” Mertesacker’s tone lowered:
"Now, in all these streets around here, no one is doing the thankless work of keeping beggars in captivity anymore—at least, as far as I know, no one is anymore, thanks to that idiot bastard."

"The beggars you encounter now are either running wild on the streets or working for their parents. You have to be careful, in case that idiot guard comes strolling around again one day—brother, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Mertesacker looked suspiciously at Cohen, whose chest heaved uncontrollably.

Cohen waved his hand with his eyes closed.

He turned his head to one side so that others could not see his face, only his shoulders trembled slightly.

“It’s nothing,” Thales said calmly, though his feelings were complicated.

"He has a friend who was also scammed by that idiot bastard, so he got agitated."

Cohen hid his face tightly in his sleeve and nodded resignedly.

Glov handed over a handkerchief with a blank expression. Cohen snatched it and started blowing his nose without saying a word.

Mertesacker gave Cohen a look that suggested he was an idiot, frowning as he looked at him.

"Wait a minute," Leyok said reluctantly.

"The Brotherhood is no longer supporting beggars, so what will happen to our street intelligence and new recruits?"

Mertesacker chuckled softly.

"Who knows? But it's only when something happens that we secretly slip some money to the beggars to do errands, like running errands, catching sheep, keeping watch, or delivering messages..."

As Mertesacker spoke, his expression turned resentful:
“That’s true. Over the years, you’ve taken over Red Street and a large amount of territory from the Blood Bottle Gang. You don’t even have enough manpower to collect protection money in these new areas, so who cares about beggars…”

"In the past, the Brotherhood was suppressed by the Blood Bottle Gang, but now, look at you, the mighty Boss Leyok, who has the Red Hoods running away in terror. People who want to join the Brotherhood are lining up in no time!"

Mertesacker laughed loudly, but the laughter was mournful:

"Who the hell has time to care about washed-up trash like us—who the hell cares!"

The air was filled with Mertesacker's maniacal laughter, while Leyok remained silent for a long time.

Mertesacker finished laughing and quieted down:

"Now, does anyone have any questions?"

Cohen was still rubbing his face, while Golov casually smirked.

Thales looked away from his sleeve and said nothing more.

Leyok stared at him intently and shook his head.

“Very well,” Mertesacker said with a labored bow, his tone sarcastic:
"Excuse me, gentlemen."

After saying that, he turned around and limped toward Beth.

Leyok watched his retreating figure silently, staring at his empty sleeve.

"Aren't you going to Room Six?"

The Silent Killer Suddenly Speaks:
"At least, go and get the pots and pans back."

Mertesacker didn't turn his head, just gave a cold laugh.

“The people living there are another group of washed-up thugs from the Brotherhood, though they’re either crippled or sick,” Mertesacker said, pressing his severed arm, his voice filled with dejection.

"But there are many of them."

Leyok trembled slightly.

Mertesacker's footsteps rose and fell, gradually fading into the distance.

"Mertesa, wait!"

Leyok sighed, walked up, and handed over a money pouch:
"Listen to me, Boss Morris needs it..."

Mertesacker instinctively took the money bag.

But a few seconds later, his expression changed from astonishment to anger, shame, and then to ferocity.

"Maurice, Maurice, Maurice!"

"Can you stop fucking bastarding about other people's names all day long?! You're a human being!"

Mertesacker's eyes were bloodshot. He threw the money bag away and roared:

"And he's not your father!"

Mertessa's fierce reaction startled everyone.

Leyok stared blankly at the money bag on the ground, then took a deep breath:

“Listen to me, Boss Maurice, he’s not like Rhoda…”

"No, it's the same as your damn thing!"

Mertessa roared:
"I don't need your charity! Get lost!"

One of the former thirteen generals, dragging his crippled body, left in a huff and a trembling manner.

“That’s what they call ‘being in the game,’” Golov said wistfully, looking at Mertesacker’s retreating figure, as if recalling something.
"All dignity is an illusion."

Cohen sniffed, still hiding half his face in his sleeve:
"No, I...I actually think...he's a pretty good person...sob..."

Only Leyok remained silent, gazing at his old acquaintance's retreating figure from afar, and closed his eyes.

Thales walked past him, also watching Mertesacker's limping gait, and remarked with a sigh:

"This is his end—even if he was once one of the Thirteen Great Generals."

"If one day you become like him..."

"what would you do?"

Leiok opened his eyes, his gaze filled with murderous intent: "I don't know."

"But definitely not following you, the upper class."

Thales chuckled softly.

But he immediately turned around and looked at the big, silly guy who was crying his eyes out.

"So, Cohen."

Thales gazed wistfully at the abandoned house, at this place that had once been heavily guarded and cruelly ruthless:

"The Brotherhood... no longer has any beggars."

The guard shuddered.

Thales looked up and, for the first time, felt that the sky over Everstar City was no longer gray:

"Thanks to a certain persistent and stupid—idiotic guard."

Cohen let out a heavy sob.

He lowered his arms and carelessly tossed the handkerchief back to Golov, who looked disgusted.

“I don’t know, Your Highness. Oh, I mean,” Cohen said sincerely, his eyes red and his nose sniffling.
"Wow!"

Thales smiled.

"Although it's complicated and dramatic, but..."

"Those escaped beggars, the city hall that came to ransack the abandoned buildings, and most importantly, you, Cohen, your efforts..."

Cohen gasped for breath, feeling the tightness in his chest, and looked at the prince with gratitude.

"They have indeed changed something."

Filled with emotion, Thales stepped forward, overwhelmed with feelings:

"They are useful."

Even if... there is only one sword.

Cohen swallowed hard, his throat aching, his emotions a complex mix:
"I don't know, Your Highness, I don't know..."

He buried his face in his hands again.

Golov sighed and took out another clean handkerchief.

“Do you remember, Cohen?” Thales knew what the guard was feeling at that moment, but he himself gradually drifted into thought:

"What we did in Valhalla six years ago."

Cohen looked up in confusion.

"You said I saved the world."

Thales's quiet tunnel seemed to transport me back to that winter six years ago:

"I didn't understand at the time, but..."

"Just like you said—our desperate efforts in Valhalla may seem insignificant..."

Thales took a deep breath, turned back the way he came, and stepped forward.

"But for those who might be affected by future wars..."

"Our efforts..."

"It truly saved the world."

Thales, looking past everyone, curled his lips into a smile from an angle where no one could see him:

"Thank you, Cohen."

Grover caught up with Thales and bumped into the dazed Cohen.

"No, no, I didn't do anything," Cohen realized, quickly catching up and tossing the second handkerchief to the zombie.
"I'm not very bright, there are many things I don't understand..."

“No, Cohen,” Thales said, leading the way toward the exit of the abandoned house where the locks were no longer in place: “Only dull idiots.”

"Only then can one become a hero."

Cohen paused slightly.

Just now.

"It's shameless to talk big."

Leyok straightened up, picked up the money bag Mertesacker had dropped, and said coldly:
"Even if the Brotherhood abandons them, do you think these beggars will suddenly become decent people on the streets?"

"Their situation will only get worse."

Leyok gripped the money pouch tightly, a hint of pain appearing on his face:
"In the end, we all become the same, just like us."

"You are still a long way from success."

Cohen frowned.

Golov gave a soft snort and gestured towards Mertessa's direction:
Why don't you worry more about yourself, and how to avoid becoming—the next him?

In that instant, the veins on Leyok's arm bulged.

“You’re right,” Thales suddenly took over the conversation:
“We are far from what we call success—the lower city is still in chaos, the kingdom is still dark, society is still unjust, and we are still fighting against enemies that are simply impossible to kill.”

Golov looked at the prince, puzzled by his words.

Thales's face darkened:
“We may never succeed—even if we give it our all, spend our whole lives, or even thousands of years from now, our descendants and our descendants’ descendants will not succeed.”

Leyok gave a cold laugh.

But it was Cohen who responded.

"But so what?"

Everyone turned their heads and looked at the guard who had spoken with curiosity.

"It won't succeed—that's the point of this, isn't it?"

Golov felt a chill, and Leyok frowned.

“Precisely because it’s impossible,” Cohen breathed heavily, clenching his fists:
"It is only meaningful to persist in doing it."

He realized what was happening, looked up sheepishly, and cautiously glanced at the others.
"Right?"

Leyok's brow furrowed more and more.

Thales laughed.

He laughed heartily.

"Well said, Cohen."

Thales sighed:

Do you know who the greatest knight in the world is?

"Huh?" Upon hearing the question about academic subjects, Cohen's expression instantly turned into a bitter face, and he scratched his hair:
"When I was little, my father and teachers taught me about the ten greatest knights in the history of the empire... but... I seem to remember a knight named Needham..."

Thales shook his head.

"Do not."

“The greatest knight in the world,” Thales murmured.

His name is...

Grover and Cohen were completely absorbed, and even Lewock was watching him.

Thales closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly opened them, retrieving that great name from his distant memory:
Don Quixote.

In that instant, everyone was stunned, and everyone looked bewildered.

Only Thales was still smiling.

“Um… I didn’t do well in school when I was a kid. Can I ask who he is?” Cohen asked cautiously.

Thales was silent for a moment.

"He was a knight, a knight who charged toward the most impossible goal."

Grover and Cohen were both stunned.

The prince raised his head, his eyes filled with bewilderment:

"But he is still charging forward."

Even he…

"Never succeed."

The next second, Leyok suddenly took a deep breath!

He turned around abruptly and threw the money bag in his hand towards a place with the most homeless people!

Thales and the others were all taken aback.

"I have other things to do," Leyok said, parting ways with them without looking back amidst the clinking of coins and the scrambling of the crowd.
"You can explore on your own. The Brotherhood has given instructions, so no one will dare to cause you any trouble."

Thales frowned:
"That's not the way out."

“I know,” Lyok replied coldly, leaving them only with his departing figure.

But Thales laughed.

He knew: that was the direction of the sixth room.

"Is he angry?" Cohen wiped away the last tear from the corner of his eye and asked cautiously.

“No,” Thales shook his head:

He was confused.

what?
Cohen looked at Leyok in the distance and scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"Should we follow him, Your Highness? It'll be safer with him around." Golov cautiously surveyed their surroundings.

“No,” Thales suddenly felt an immense sense of relief as he gazed at the road he knew so well:
"We will not turn back."

Golov suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Where shall we go?" Cohen asked, looking bewildered. "I recommend the West City Police Department..."