Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 608: Rebellion (Part )

"Your Majesty, gentlemen."

Lord Fabio Adrian, the captain of the Royal Guard, entered the gate with an impeccable bearing, carrying an ever-burning lamp, followed by several well-trained Royal Guards.

"Excuse me for interrupting, it's time for dinner."

Although they were acquaintances, their fully armed and prepared appearance still startled everyone.

“Fabio, you look quite well,” Duke Cullen said, touching his belt and subtly shifting his position, his eyes never leaving Captain Adrian’s sword at his waist.

"Just to come and call us for dinner?"

"Thanks to you." Adrian smiled kindly and bowed deeply to King Kessel.

"Please don't panic. We're just conducting a small drill. Now, please follow me and leave this place in an orderly manner."

But an impatient voice interrupted him:
"Fabio, what happened?"

Advisor Sodor frowned as he looked at the royal guards and the increasing number of guards outside, paying particular attention to their hands gripping their sword hilts:

"Why is there so many people in this guard formation?"

Lord Adrian smiled slightly, glanced at the king at the end of the long table, and then politely said:
"It's nothing, Lord Sodor. We just moved up this month's exercise, that's all—"

But Sodor didn't listen to him.

"Alright, Fabio!"

The military advisor scoffed:
“We served together in the regular army and went through the bloody years together. You and I both know that this is not some bullshit routine drill.”

"You are facing the entire Royal Council, where the kingdom's elite are present. What can't you say frankly?"

This statement made many ministers who had no military experience nervous.

As they spoke, the commotion outside Ballard's door not only continued but grew louder, with shouts and urging sounds heard from time to time.

Captain Adrian looked at Sodor seriously and sighed deeply.

He glanced at the king again, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

At the far end of the council table, King Kessel remained calm and beckoned Adrian to come closer.

"Lord Adrian."

Gilbert sensed something amiss and spoke gently:
"If there are any inconveniences, we can certainly cooperate first—we're hungry too, aren't we?"

But just before Adrian approached the council table, the footsteps outside the door suddenly increased in volume, becoming almost deafening.

Then came a burst of weapons being drawn!
"coming!"

"Guardian Wings, hold steady!"

"Who the hell called the sniper team?!"

"Protect Your Majesty!"

"Back off!"

The royal guards' shouts rose and fell, each different, yet they made Lord Adrian's face turn ashen. The captain of the guard turned around and shielded King Kessel behind him.

Sodor immediately realized what had happened. He instinctively got up and reached for his waist, only to remember that he had left his weapon at the palace gate.

Only then did the courtiers inside realize that something was amiss.

Duke Cullen sprang up from his chair and drew a small dagger from his belt.

Gilbert gripped his cane and charged toward the king.

Qiu Ke vanished in a flash, leaving only her buttocks sticking out from under the table.

Viscount Connie rushed towards the door first, then remembered something and quickly returned to approach the king.

Lord Clapham was ashen-faced but forced himself to remain calm, while Archdeacon Guy closed his eyes and muttered to himself.

"enough!"

Lord Adrian's roar stunned everyone.

At his command, the chaos outside the door was the first to subside.

Inside Ballard's chamber, three crisp, muffled thuds echoed from the council table, reverberating outwards.

Boom, boom, boom.

"Hold still."

King Kessel retracted his fingers and calmly observed the varied reactions of his courtiers:
"It's not like we haven't encountered this before."

He remained seated firmly behind the council table, seemingly unaffected.

The overreacting officials then realized their mistake, and, feeling either ashamed or embarrassed, hurriedly tidied themselves up.

Gilbert exhaled and sat back down. Prime Minister Cullen casually tucked the dagger that shouldn't have been there back into his waistband.

Sodor, however, bent down disdainfully and pulled Joker out from under the table.

Once everyone had regained their composure, they realized that the once spacious entrance to the Ballard Chamber was now completely blocked by a wall of royal guards, making it impossible to see anything outside.

Each guard faced the outside, leaving only their backs to the courtiers inside.

The ministers looked at each other, puzzled.

"What, is there an assassination attempt?" Sodor asked, puzzled.

"Adrian?" King Kessel spoke again, his words tinged with displeasure and accusation.

The head of the guard responded with an apologetic and ashamed smile.

"Sir!"

At the same time, a high-ranking royal guard broke through the human wall of guards and angrily squeezed into the room:

"Captain Adrian!"

Adrian's face darkened, and he called out his subordinate's name:
"Marico?"

Maric, the second-in-command of the royal guard, gripped his weapon, shook his head in regret, and then saluted the other important figures:

"Your Majesty, Your Excellencies."

Adrian understood what he meant and sighed painfully.

"What's going on outside?" The king's steady voice came through, echoing the thoughts of everyone present.
"Tell them to move aside, don't block the way."

Adrian turned around, bowed, and forced a smile;
"Your Majesty, this is just a routine procedure; we only need one minute..."

But unexpectedly, King Kessel, who had been calm all day, suddenly raised his voice and roared at the wall of people at the door:
"Royal Guard, move aside!"

The guards were very familiar with the king's voice. The guards at the door almost instinctively retreated to the left and right, revealing the first row of guards, then the next row, and the next row, and the next row... until the deep corridor outside the door was lit up with lights.

Everyone was stunned the moment they saw the door.

Only the king remained calm, his gaze cold.

Adrian was too late to stop him and could only sigh.

Outside, the royal guards stood in dense formation, ready for battle, filling every available space in the corridor with Ballard Room as the center.

All the guards looked serious and tense as they faced the depths of the corridor.

It seems that the most terrifying enemy resides there.

The bustling Fuxing Palace fell silent at this moment.

"Clang...clang...clang..."

From the depths of the corridor, from the very end of one's line of sight, came a strange yet crisp sound.

The people in Ballard's room stared wide-eyed:
A tall horse trod across the stone slabs of the Fuxing Palace, slowly making its way through the corridor amidst the countless guards and lights.

The royal guards at the forefront were under the most pressure; they gripped their sword hilts tightly, yet kept retreating as the horses' hooves drew near.

“What the hell…” Lord Clapham said incredulously, but he stopped himself.

Around the black horse, several people dressed differently from the royal guards gradually appeared before everyone's eyes.

It was a small group of people, who nervously surrounded the horses and moved forward cautiously.

“I don’t want to say this, but I recognize that big guy.”

Sodor looked at the tall man leading the squad with a headache. The man was sweating profusely and looked at the royal guards around him with his hands raised.

"He's the Karabyan family's son. His father sent him to the army for training, and it seems he did some meritorious service. I even commended him when I went to the Western Wilderness to reward the troops..."

Karabyan?

Everyone was stunned.

“Damn it, that’s the youngest son of the Golov family,” Juke squinted at the companion beside the tall man, who was even more muscular than the former.

"Lozano asked me to do him a favor and help his younger brother resolve a dispute over a girl in Red Street..."

Glov.

This surname fueled everyone's suspicions.

“Ah,” Duke Cullen’s voice rose intriguingly, his gaze fixed on another panting, limping man:
"That unfortunate fellow who got into a duel last night, from the Doyle family... what was his name again? I think it was Dani? David?"

Doyle.

Everyone's mood grew increasingly heavy.

The small group of people got closer and closer to the Balad Chamber, but the royal guards in front of them only blocked them without stopping them, and just kept retreating.

"Um, now that you mention it, I remember that horse..."

Viscount Connie's gaze, however, was fixed on the beast, and he asked in confusion:
"When I went to the North, I brought with me gifts and a mount from back home for Prince Thales..."

Among the ministers, Gilbert remained silent.

He just stared blankly at the young swordsman at the front, holding a single-edged sword and looking nervous as he faced a group of royal guards.

It felt like I'd been struck by something.

But these invaders from extraordinary backgrounds are nothing compared to them.

The air froze completely when their figures dispersed, revealing the person they had been surrounding.

That's a teenager.

Compared to the tense expressions of those around him, he strolled forward leisurely, seemingly without any worries.

At that moment, behind the council table, King Kessel's pupils suddenly constricted!

Inside Ballard's chamber, all the ministers gasped in shock.

"prince?"

"What the hell..."

"The Duke of Star Lake!"

"Your Highness Thales!"

"That troublemaker has gotten himself into trouble again..."

May the setting sun bless him...

No one noticed that the scarred spy from the Secret Service was clenching his fist under his sleeve.

The king's voice echoed softly.

"Fabio Adrian".

Iron Fist King slowly called out the full name of his personal guard captain, his voice carrying a chilling undercurrent.

"what happens?"

In Ballard's chamber, the courtiers immediately fell silent.

Lord Adrian froze, then turned around, bowed in response, and spoke formally:
"Your Majesty, Prince Thales was so concerned for his father that he returned. He was careless, very careless..."

Adrian's brow furrowed as he watched the tall horse approaching.

“Speak like a human being.” The king’s reply was simple, slow, and enigmatic.

Adrian took a deep breath and continued:

"The prince is still young and has inadvertently entered the palace gates..."

thump.

A soft knock cut Adrian off.

“Clearly,” Iron Fist King’s voice was very soft, as if he were speaking in a whisper, gentle and calm:
“Your superior doesn’t speak human language, Marico.”

Maric, the second-in-command, trembled slightly.

Adrian closed his eyes and sighed inwardly, but this could not stop the king's request:
"You answer."

In those two seconds, Maric's chest heaved. He glanced at his superior and gritted his teeth, saying:
"Your Majesty, in my opinion!"

Maric stepped forward, angrily pointing down the corridor:

"The Duke of Xinghu and his eight entourage, without prior appointment or notification, and carrying weapons, trespassed into the palace!"

"Intentions—unclear!"

Everyone was suddenly startled!
Duke Cullen frantically dug into his ears, seemingly doubting his hearing, while Gilbert stared at Thales in disbelief, his lips moving.

The air in Ballard's room was initially just stagnant, but after those words, it turned to ice.

"Um……"

At the end of the long table, King Kessel's pupils reflected Thales as he slowly approached.

He responded with a nonchalant hum:

"And you just let him in like that?"

Maric frowned, about to respond, but Adrian was faster:
"Your Majesty, the guards on duty at the palace gates today are not good with words and are inflexible in their actions. They had a conflict with Your Highness's men, a verbal altercation, and some pushing and shoving..."

But the king's voice rang out again:

"Marico?"

The second-in-command swallowed hard, glanced at his superior again, and Adrian looked at him with a troubled expression.

Finally, Maric, no longer hesitant, said indignantly:

"Your Majesty, just now Duke Thales attempted to force his way into the palace. The guards at the gate, being dutiful, refused to let him pass, and a fight broke out between them, resulting in bloodshed on both sides—"

“Since you have done your duty faithfully,” King Kessel interrupted him without any mercy, his tone flat yet inexplicably chilling:

"Then how did he get in?"

Maric shuddered and immediately lowered his head, unable to hide his shame.

The ministers' gazes darted back and forth between Thales and Maric, who were slowly approaching, before finally returning to the king.

“Marico…” Adrian whispered a reminder from the side.

But a single glance from Kessel shut Adrian down.

Maric took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying:

"After the bloodshed, things became strange. Many people quickly gathered at the palace gate to watch, and the scene became quite chaotic..."

Adrian coughed and picked up the dangerous line:
“The decision was mine. We must let His Highness in to handle this matter within the palace; otherwise, the entire Yongxing City will witness that scene, and for the sake of the kingdom…”

boom!
With a loud thud, the king slammed his fist heavily onto the table!

What followed was his chillingly cold rebuke:

"Is nobody seeing this now?!"

Upon hearing this, Adrian and Marico bowed deeply and knelt on one knee.

The courtiers inside the room dared not utter a sound.

Just now.

"Father!"

The voice unique to young people drifted from afar:

Why are you angry?

The courtiers all turned their heads, unaware that Thales had somehow moved to a distance where they could clearly see his movements.

At this tense moment, the prince's voice carried a hint of languor and ease.

Strangely, His Highness was also carrying a sword on his shoulder, the blade facing backward, swaying with his steps, pointing directly at the ceiling of the Palace of Restoration.

King Kessel frowned.

"Marico, what's going on?"

The second-in-command, realizing his mistake, was startled and didn't know how to respond.

Adrian, standing nearby, immediately understood what the king was asking and respectfully replied:
"After entering the palace, we were about to capture him, but His Highness immediately put his sword against his own neck with such force that it even drew blood."

The courtiers were startled and stared intently, only then noticing several unnatural streaks of bright red on Thales' collar. "He advances step by step, his sword never leaving his neck. We dare not make any rash moves and, to prevent any accidents, can only retreat."

As the royal guards explained, Duke Cullen looked at Thales with increasing interest, while Gilbert grew more and more worried.

Compared to his previous rage, King Kessel did not reply immediately.

He leaned back against the chair, his brow furrowed.

"So this is my royal guard."

The king exhaled, his tone returning to its previous calm, but with a hint of sarcasm:

"Now I know how my father died."

Everyone's breath froze.

These words carried immense weight, and Lord Adrian could only bow his head, close his eyes, and sigh in apology.

On the other side, the younger Marico, feeling wronged and indignant, gritted his teeth and said:
"Your Majesty, please allow us..."

But Thales' words came again, interrupting everyone's thoughts:

"Father!"

Everyone looked over: Duke Xinghu and his entourage had stopped in their tracks, standing in front of a row of guards who refused to back down.

The prince laboriously shifted the heavy sword to his other shoulder, causing the surrounding royal guards to tense up.

He didn't even glance at the people in the Ballard Chamber, but instead stared at the portraits nearby: "Shah King" Kessel IV, fully armed, rode on horseback, head held high, gazing into the distance with a determined look, upright posture, and heroic bearing.

But Thales knew that a century ago, the "Sand King" in the painting was heading towards...

It was a war that was destined to fail.

"Aren't you tired after such a long meeting?"

Thales turned his gaze back to the Ballard Chamber, his Hell Senses activated, allowing him to see King Kessel in the lamplight and sunset.

He ignored the menacing gazes of the royal guards around him, smiled slightly, and raised his voice:
"let's talk?"

Inside Ballard's Chamber, everyone's gaze returned to King Kessel.

Behind the council table, the iron-fisted king stared coldly at his son before finally speaking.

"Let him in."

Maric turned around abruptly:
"His Majesty?"

King Kessel sneered:
“I said, let him in.”

Adrian shook his head at Maric and then gave orders to the royal guards inside and outside the room.

On the invaders' side, seeing a gap in the guard's defensive line, the prince's attendant, Wyatt, swallowed hard.

"Your Highness?"

Thales let out a breath.

“You can stay here,” the prince grinned, feeling the pain in his shoulders and the cut on his neck.
"Cooperate later, don't resist."

Cohen, who was responsible for clearing the way and whose face had turned deathly pale with fright, was taken aback:
"what?"

Rolf, who was bringing up the rear, also turned around, his gaze displeased.

"Don't worry, you are my subordinates after all, they shouldn't..."

Thales paused for a moment, then swallowed the rest of his sentence.

Will they beat me too badly?

After all, it was treason.

The royal guards surrounding them remained on edge, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Beside Thales, Jenny, the black horse, sensed the tense atmosphere and let out an uneasy neigh.

"I know it's too dark here, you don't like it, right?"

Thales turned around and quietly reassured Jenny, "It's okay."

"Me too."

Jenny let out a sob and fell silent, feeling wronged.

Duke Xinghu put away his smile, shouldered the incredibly heavy longsword, and strode forward.

As I have done countless times before, I move forward alone.

The prince's sudden approach caused the surrounding royal guards to scatter abruptly, like arrows piercing the forest, startling countless birds into flight.

Thales could feel that as he crossed the threshold and brushed past the royal guards, the vanguard officer named Maric was staring intently at the longsword at his neck, his muscles twitching as if he were about to strike, but Adrian held him down firmly.

“Finally,” Thales stepped unharmed into the Ballard Chamber and immediately saw King Kessel behind the council table:
"This journey has been quite challenging."

The prince stopped in front of the council table, looking quite pleased:

“You are well protected, Father.”

"Even seeing one's own son requires bleeding."

King Kessel simply stared at him coldly, his face devoid of any discernible expression—just as Thales had expected.

Unlike before, the prince paid no attention to the king; instead, he looked around with great interest:
Before him, the assembled officials of the imperial council stared at him in disbelief, their expressions a mixture of astonishment and amusement.

Behind him, countless royal guards glared at him with resentment, gritting their teeth.

"As expected, Anke was right..."

Before anyone else could react, Thales sighed, tightened his grip on the blade at his neck, and muttered to himself:

"If you don't kill and take lives, no one will listen."

Even one's own life.

He squinted and looked back at King Kessel.

Similarly, without plotting rebellion, tyrants act with impunity—perhaps even believing themselves to be popular.

What kind of world is this?!

"Your Highness!"

During the royal council meeting, Gilbert was the first to lose his composure; he tried his best to hide his anxiety and forced a smile:

"What are you doing..."

Thales turned his head, his eyes lighting up.

“Gilbert, how are you?” The prince’s tone was bright, without a trace of gloom or melancholy, a stark contrast to the atmosphere of the Palace of Resurgence.

"By the way, Wyman is back."

Thales flicked his thumb behind him, chuckling as he did so, regardless of whether he was pointing correctly or not.
"The reunion of father and son is so touching."

For some reason, Thales, who had been under a lot of pressure every time he went in and out of the Palace of Restoration, suddenly felt relaxed and happy.

It was as if all burdens had been lifted.

But his smile didn't last long.

Because at that moment, Gilbert's expression was extremely complex.

He looked at Thales' face, then at the sword on his shoulder, as if he were smiling bitterly, heartbroken, and sighing with regret and indignation.

Thales was momentarily stunned.

"I understand, Your Highness!"

Gilbert took a deep breath, lowered his head, and when he looked up again, his face was beaming.

"You are not satisfied with your marriage."

Gilbert's smile froze, his rapid breathing suppressed:
"I understand."

This statement left many people completely bewildered.

Thales was also taken aback:
"Marriage? What marriage—"

“But you don’t need to be in such a hurry!” Gilbert interrupted him sharply, continuing his story while anxiously giving Thales a meaningful look:
"I told you, just wait for me at the palace gate, I'll explain it to you..."

Gilbert laughed heartily, then turned to the others and said with a wry smile:

"You know how young people are. When they're not satisfied with their marriage partner, they can be impulsive and want to talk to me about it..."

"And our meeting went on for too long, he couldn't stand it, so..."

Thales blinked, gradually understanding, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

But it's a pity.

Gilbert...

“I see,” Archdeacon Guy quickly realized, nodding with a slight smile as well.

"Marriage is indeed a big deal, may Goddess bless me..."

Viscount Connie, of noble birth, also realized what was happening and burst into laughter:

"Oh, yes, yes, of course, we were all young once, we understand..."

Prime Minister Kulun blinked and shook his head like a kind and gentle old man:
"I remember that His Majesty once made a scene over the marriage in front of the late King..."

The ministers at the royal meeting laughed and chatted, displaying excellent teamwork and quickly becoming one of the group, making the atmosphere in Ballard's room much more comfortable.

Most of the royal guards realized what was happening and unconsciously started laughing, relaxing their tense muscles.

But Adrian sadly noticed that only two people remained unmoved in the face of such an atmosphere.

King Kessel did not laugh; he stared blankly at Thales, as if there was no one else in his eyes at that moment.

Thales forced a smile, his eyes, which met the king's, held no warmth, only a restless challenge.

“Fabio, very good, you all did your job well, it was just a false alarm,” Advisor Sodor breathed a sigh of relief and gave Adrian a thumbs up.
"But the exercise was very effective, and I suggest we reward the guards..."

clang!
A dull thud of metal colliding suddenly rang out!

The royal guards, who hadn't completely relaxed their guard, snapped to attention and drew their swords in unison!

"Hold on!"

Adrian shouted loudly, quelling a potential conflict.

The guards, realizing what had happened, breathed heavily and looked at each other nervously before finally putting away their weapons under their commander's strict orders.

The courtiers before the emperor were speechless, unable to believe it.

“Sorry, it’s too heavy,” the person in charge, Thales, groaned, breathing heavily, then chuckled and dragged the blade off the ground.

"No wonder it's called 'The Load Bearer'."

King Kessel narrowed his eyes, his expression becoming increasingly inscrutable.

This incident completely disrupted the ministers' efforts.

Gilbert's expression only grew more bitter.

This made Thales feel somewhat guilty.

But soon, he put all that aside, strode forward nonchalantly, and suddenly reached out.

Swish!
The guards drew their weapons once more.

"rest assured."

This time, Thales chuckled, walked to the council table, and gestured for everyone to relax:
"I just wanted to give myself..."

The prince plopped down casually, patted the person next to him on the shoulder, and looked directly into the eyes of the Iron-Fisted King:

"Find a chair."

Nearby, the treasurer, Juke, looked at the prince's hand patting his shoulder and gave a smile that was more like a grimace.

Feeling the puzzled or uneasy looks from those around him, Thales smiled.

Yes.

Whether in the Hall of Heroes or here.

He has to find a chair for himself.

He had to wield a heavy sword that he lacked the strength to wield.

Risking... one's own life.

Thales stared intently at King Kessel, and he suddenly realized the weight and pressure he always felt when he looked into his father's eyes...

Missed.

Although the king's gaze remained sharp, it still stung faintly when compared to it.

"Sorry to bother you, everyone."

Thales slapped his thigh, leaned back on the council table, and said with a smile:

"I'm afraid today's imperial meeting will have to end earlier than planned."

Inside Ballard's chamber, the courtiers and guards alike looked at each other, bewildered and at a loss.

The king's gaze grew increasingly deep.

Thales glanced at the sky outside the window and couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth into a smile:

"Or...is it not too early?"

He suddenly had a feeling: on this small table in front of him, there were surging, ever-flowing waves, drawing out lines that stretched back and forth.

At this moment, his entry into the room was like a ship parting the water, a swift and decisive cut.

at last.

"What are you doing?" King Kessel's voice broke the silence, his words slow and deliberate.

"son?"

son.

Upon hearing this title, Thales felt somewhat dazed.

"I?"

Thales paused, then gave a sincere smile:
"I'm here to save you."

The prince's inexplicable answer made everyone frown.

"Oh?"

In front of everyone, Iron Fist King let out a voice that was neither a smile nor a laugh.

"help me?"

He leaned back, disappearing into the shadows where the sunlight couldn't reach, and regained his composure.

It's like reaching the extreme of anger and madness, and then returning to ultimate calm.

"Yes, Father."

Thales' attitude was relaxed and cheerful, as if he were enjoying a heartwarming conversation between father and son.

"I've come to save you..."

The prince also leaned back, embracing the warm glow of the setting sun.

Only his gaze suddenly turned cold.

Like a sharp blade being drawn from its sheath.

"To be free from the burden of that crown."

Thales curled his lips into a smile as he looked at Iron Fist King.

crown.

Upon hearing this, the courtiers turned ashen-faced, and the royal guards stared in shock.

Gilbert, unable to contain his panic, cried out in disarray:
"Your Highness!"

At that moment, the light in King Kessel's eyes shifted and evolved countless times.

But in the end, they all came together.

The Duke of Star Lake's smile was directly in his eyes.

Thales raised an eyebrow, his smile freezing.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot."

Amidst the widespread fear and panic, Thales regained his composure, pointed to King Kessel's forehead—which was unadorned today—and smiled apologetically:

It's not on your head.

(End of this chapter)