Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 612 The Sand King's Cheap Stakes

A cold wind blew into the room, and Thales instinctively tightened his clothes.

"So, starting last year, you instigated the Free Alliance to rebel against Exter, stirred up a political storm in Dragon Sky City, sent Star Cavalry across the desert, and forced me to return home via the Western Wilderness... All of this is part of 'Sand King'?"

The firelight flickered dimly, and the king across the long table remained silent for a while.

"Some are."

King Kessel raised his gaze and stared directly at Thales:

"Some are not."

Thales exhaled, connecting the events that had occurred from the previous year to the present.

"Then why not choose the North?" The prince's voice sounded slightly weary.

"Why not choose that place, which also has the Dragon-Slaying Fortress as a foothold, but where the Duke's family has been completely sidelined by you and is practically under your direct control?"

The king did not answer, but merely stared at him coldly.

Thales sighed and looked back at the king:

"Please, if you don't tell me, I can't help you."

King Kessel did not reply, but his gaze was deep and unfathomable.

Thales stared intently into the other's eyes, trying to find something in that stack of azure.

Finally, King Kessel gave a soft hum and looked away.

"It is precisely because Val Arend is still in my prison, and because the first heir to the Coldhold is an orphan girl who is difficult to command respect..."

“All eyes will be on the North, on what the Restoration Palace is doing.”

The king's voice lowered:
"As for the officials the kingdom has sent to the northern border... they have only been here a short time and lack prestige."

“In comparison, the ‘state of emergency control order’ in the western wilderness is still in effect, which makes it easier for us to get things done.”

Emergency Control Order.

more convenient.

Thales couldn't help but think of Grace Town and what he had seen and heard in the Western Wilderness on his journey.

“That makes sense,” Thales said calmly.

"But that's not enough to stop you from reaching into the North."

Iron-fisted King suddenly raised his eyes.

A few seconds later, he slowly spoke:
"The North, after all, borders Exter."

Thales raised an eyebrow in realization.

That's the reason.

King Kessel said in a deep voice:
"Its proximity to a newly crowned and ambitious king of an enemy state—Chaman Lumba—could bring too many surprises and be unpredictable."

At this point, he glanced at Thales, then changed his tone:
"Of course, he's far behind you in this regard."

Thales ignored his sarcasm.

"why me?"

The prince said calmly:
"How was the 'Sand King' plan arranged, and why did it specifically target me?"

Iron Fist King remained silent, simply staring coldly at him.

Thales sighed:
"Is this how you always talk? You can't seem to utter a single word for ages?"

The king stared at him, but his gaze was as unfamiliar as if he were looking at someone else.

After a long while, King Kessel finally spoke:
"Because we need a reason."

"reason?"

King Kessel averted his gaze and looked out the window into the darkness of the night:

"Because we need to deceive the cunning and treacherous people of the Western Wilderness, so that they will not suspect the large-scale entry of the royal standing army into the Western Wilderness, as a bargaining chip for all our actions."

Thales understood.

“Oh, protecting the heir to the throne and ensuring his safe return home, that’s certainly a sufficient excuse,” Thales scoffed.
"They probably thought: there are very few kings in the world who would not care about the safety of their heirs."

Iron Fist King's gaze was like a sharp blade.

“It was just a joke,” Thales shrugged.

"That's it? I'm just a reason to cover the main force's westward advance?"

King Catherine said coldly:

"We also need a guarantee."

Thales frowned.

King Kessel continued, "So that the people of the Western Wilderness will believe in their bargaining that the Royal Standing Army was forced to abandon the Blade Fang Camp and withdraw from the western front in exchange for the Western Wilderness lords mobilizing their armies to support you and protect you back to the capital."

“And I am that guarantor,” Thales said quietly, suddenly realizing.

"I guarantee there's nothing fishy about their easily obtained western front, and I guarantee this bait is harmless and safe to take."

Iron Fist King nodded, seemingly with disdain:
"Because very few kings in the world would not take their heirs seriously."

Thales was taken aback at first, then snorted in annoyance.

Cheapskate.

It was just a sarcastic remark.

So vindictive.

Thales sat up straight and stopped thinking about it:

"So, in order to divide up the western frontier and vast territory you offered, the western lords who took the bait raised their armies, willingly left their castles that they had occupied for many years, and walked into the royal standing army's positions without any defenses, gathering in one place so that you could wipe them all out in one fell swoop, saving you the trouble of defeating them one by one."

King Kessel remained silent for a moment.

"more than."

The king said in a deep voice:
"For this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and even more so for the huge profits to be made from the desert trade routes, the Western Wilderness lords, who have been eyeing the trade routes for more than a decade, are now raising funds, preparing supplies, and even looking for ways to make money from the war. They have poured all their resources into it."

King Kessel looked toward the gate:

"Those will all become part of the budget for expanding the royal standing army."

Thales scoffed lightly, unsurprised.

"Sure enough, using what's available locally saves time and effort."

The prince lowered his head, his gaze fixed:

“The plight of Anker Bailar and his father is not an isolated case, nor is it accidental.”

"Because in the 'Sand King's' plan, the lords of the Western Wilderness are destined to encounter strange attacks from the desert forces, and even suffer 'friendly fire' from the Wings of Legend and the Standing Army, losing everything."

Queen Catherine leaned back in her chair and nodded:
"When the Western Wilderness suffered a crushing defeat, the situation became dire..."

His gaze sharpened:
"For the sake of the greater good, and to recapture the strategically important Baki Camp, the Royal Standing Army, arriving too late, 'had no choice' to break with tradition and act expediently, punishing and stripping incompetent noble generals and dispersing and reorganizing the remnants of the conscripted army..."

"It is only natural and rightful for them to resist, and they have no reason or ability to do so."

Thales let out a breath and picked up the conversation:
"But there are always unexpected events in war. If things don't go smoothly during the reorganization process, and progress is not good..."

King Kessel's eyes flickered, and he looked at him.

Thales paused, recalling his first meeting with Marius, and understood slightly.

“I guess that since the heir to the kingdom is in the Western Wilderness, it is only natural for the Restoration Palace to send reinforcements there to support the kingdom’s bloodline and deal with any unforeseen circumstances—for example, the army you sent to ‘welcome’ me.”

Thales recalled the stark black-and-white confrontation between the Western Wilderness Army and the Regular Army on Grace Avenue.

King Kessel did not speak.

Thales was stunned and said:
"As for what happened afterward, it was a fait accompli. Whether it was the disbanded and reorganized conscripted army, the nobles who were punished and stripped of their command, the families whose conscription rights were directly abolished, or the Western Wilderness Territory whose military control was redefined..."

"Everything you want will be temporarily suspended in the Western Wilderness under the guise of the Emergency Control Order and the name of 'wartime exception,' just like Baki Camp and Grace Town."

Thales was lost in thought as he recalled what Count Wingburg had said to him during the escort:

"One year, two years, five years, ten years, until—forever."

King Kessel scoffed dismissively, seemingly displeased.

The lights flickered, and the light and shadow inside the room swayed back and forth, making the surroundings appear to be bright and dim, and constantly fluctuating.

Thales took a deep breath.

He returned to the present moment and adjusted his state of mind.

"So, from the time you negotiated with the lords of the Western Wilderness, exchanging the western front for their troops, to the standing army's large-scale westward advance to rescue the prince, to the enemy's opportunistic invasion of the Western Wilderness resulting in a disastrous defeat, to the standing army being 'forced' to resort to extraordinary measures for 'on-the-spot management,' until the war subsided and the dust settled..."

Thales' tone grew increasingly heavy:

"By delivering this combination of punches, you can truly and effectively 'twist' the scattered and chaotic military forces of the Western Wilderness vassals into a cohesive force."

"Change the long-standing military conscription system."

Thales composed himself, slowly raised his head, and took in the figure of the king across the long table.

"You have the right to claim the title, the right to reason, the right to prevail, and the right to fight back. The other vassals of the Western Wilderness and even the other nobles of the kingdom, even if they have doubts, will have nothing to say, let alone raise an army to resist."

There was no response from the end of the long table.

"Moreover, this is a localized incident, not a binding decree affecting the entire territory. It won't incite public outrage or lead to chaos throughout the kingdom." Thales' words were tinged with感慨 (a sense of感慨, a feeling of mixed emotions, including regret and reflection).
"Of course, the money comes from the people. Whether it's expansion or reform, the budget and recruitment sources are all taken from the money, land and people of the Western Wilderness lords. It doesn't even require much of the national treasury budget, so there's no loss."

The prince crossed his arms and took a deep breath, recalling the warmth and dryness of the Western Wilderness while feeling the darkness and coldness of the Restoration Palace:
"Once it's done, from now on, from the Blade Fang Camp to Grace Town, from Li Kenan to Heroic Spirit Fortress, and even Wing Fortress and the Wasteland..."

His tone unconsciously carried a hint of awe:
"On the land of the Western Wilderness, unless permitted by the Palace of Restoration, local lords can no longer independently conscript soldiers and command battles. The royal standing army will become the only reliable legal armed force and place for military service."

The king did not answer, and the Ballard Chamber fell silent.

The flickering, ever-burning lamp gradually stabilized, casting a unique shadow on every object in Ballard's room.

Thales gently rubbed the back of his hand:

"More importantly, this is just the beginning."

He gazed intently at the Supreme King:

"With the precedent set by the Western Wilderness, the practice of lords conscripting soldiers and feudal lords possessing armies is no longer an inviolable natural tradition."

"Once people gradually get used to the idea that 'only the king can have an army,' the reform of the military system across the entire Star Kingdom will naturally follow suit and become a logical and inevitable process."

Thales suddenly remembered the great battle he had witnessed in the desert:

"Like a cavalry charge, even the most perfect defensive formation will crumble once a breach is made and the flanks are exposed..."

He said blankly:
"What remains is the sweeping tide..."

"Unstoppable momentum."

King Kessel remained silent, but this time, he turned his gaze away from Thales.

"What a 'Sand King'!"

Thales couldn't help but sigh:
"So, the Western Wilderness really is a fine horse."

It can completely pull the kingdom's war chariot.

only……

"Until you show up."

The king's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Thales's thoughts.

The prince couldn't help but frown.

"The secret service's report afterwards said that you had encountered a regular army patrol in the desert, but you did not meet with them as planned. Instead, you went into hiding and disappeared without a trace."

The king's words carried a powerful force, accompanied by the howling wind outside the window, causing the ever-burning lamp inside to flicker incessantly.

Thinking of the past, Thales hesitated:
"I……"

But King Kessel did not allow the prince to interrupt; his gaze became sharp and cold.
"On the night the operation began, you inexplicably appeared in the eye of the storm again, bringing quite a few friends with you: Shadow Shield, Northerners, Dark Chamber, and even a lot of sword dealers got involved—a one-day trip to the Prison of Bones?"

Thales' heart tightened:
"about this……"

The king snorted coldly and stopped looking at him: "The people on the western front do not have the courage to restore the palace. They are cowardly and hesitant, and dare not risk losing the heir. Therefore, they hold back their troops and disperse their manpower, resulting in serious disjointed operations."

"Our spies were supposed to incite the warlike among the orcs and skeletons to attack the lords' armies while the regular army was away, but they seemed to have sensed something in advance. Not only did the main force not come, but the siege was also just a feint, and they retreated as soon as they touched it."

Upon hearing this, Thales couldn't help but say:
"Uh, yes, I heard there's an orc named Kandar in the desert..."

But the next second, King Kessel's gaze struck again like a blade!

“Uh,” Thales said, his smile fading, determined not to say another word.

"fine."

The king ignored him, instead gazing at a faint, flickering, ever-burning lamp, his coldness and displeasure clearly visible in his eyes:
"Williams lay in ambush on the side of the Blade Fang camp. That fool is usually decisive and efficient, but on that day he dragged his feet and dawdled, only leading his troops back to camp when the battle was almost over, thus missing the opportunity."

Upon hearing the familiar name, Thales immediately stiffened.

"This allowed the Western Wilderness lords in the Blade Fang camp to retreat at their leisure—the main forces of the three major families of the Western Wilderness, including the Desolate Ruins, Wing Fortress, and Heroic Soul Fortress, were especially vigilant. After noticing something amiss, they kept their distance and did not fall into the trap."

Thales frowned even more as he recalled the Duke of the Western Wilderness telling him that "power arises from violence."

"Afterwards, that old bone, Falkenhaus, made a surprise visit to the Baki camp in front of everyone. He not only chatted and laughed with you, but also gave you his family heirloom sword. The news quickly spread throughout the kingdom."

Thales took a deep breath, remembering the "Warning Sword" that Falkenhaus had given him, and unconsciously clenched his fist.

"As for the crows and the black lion, they escorted you out of the Western Wilderness with an air of ostentation and deference, just like they were welcoming a king, while also blocking the reinforcements sent by the Restoration Palace."

King Kessel scoffed lightly:
"Finally, the Kingdom's secret service activated the emergency plan to try to minimize the losses."

His gaze was fixed on Thales, as if he wanted to rip out Thales' heart and soul.

"As you said, the matter in the Western Wilderness has gone awry."

"The Sand King's plan failed at the last minute."

Thales closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and let out a heavy sigh.

It turns out that that night, when he was fleeing for his life in Baki's camp...

In places unseen by him, many breathtaking and significant things are happening.

"But the mere stumble of a horse, the mere defeat in the Western Wilderness, will not stop the kingdom's progress."

The king's voice was stern, making Thales open his eyes.

King Kessel's expression was perfectly calm, yet his eyes held a storm of emotions.

That's why this letter came about.

Thales lowered his head and looked at the letter beside him; the iris wax was dim and unclear under the inextinguishable lamp.

"If we can't do it in the Western Wilderness, we'll try somewhere else."

Iron Fist King's tone was cold and brooked no argument:

"Regardless of the cost."

What will be the cost?

At that moment, Thales gritted his teeth.

Falkenhausen's voice echoed softly in his ear:

[Would someone like your father accept reality and give up, or would he change his opinion of me and the strength and attitude of the Western Wilderness...?]

Go all out, and you'll get a hundredfold return?

“Now,” King Kessel’s gaze returned to Thales:

"It's your turn to speak."

now you.

The king's words were simple, yet they resonated deeply within Thales's heart:
"what do you have?"

"what can you do?"

King Kessel said coldly:
"To make amends for your foolishness?"

Thales fell silent.

He gazed at the dim light in the room, lost in thought.

"how?"

King Kessel sneered, his words laced with sarcasm:
"You haven't been able to utter a single word for ages?"

But in the next second, Thales suddenly spoke.

"do you hate me?"

His tone was ethereal, and his voice was indifferent.

In that instant, even the composed King Kessel couldn't help but wonder:
"what?"

Thales took a deep breath, stared at the empty corner, and spoke absentmindedly:
"I asked……"

"From Duanlong Fortress to Longxiao City, from Yongxing City to the Western Wilderness, you have constantly schemed against me and used me, and have repeatedly put me in danger and put me to death, even abandoning your own son to the wolf pack without a second thought."

King Kessel frowned deeply.

"why?"

Thales sighed:

Why do you hate me so much?

"Is it like in many novels, where my birth caused my mother's death, and that's why you resent me?"

In that instant, King Kessel's eyes flashed with a sharp light!
"Or perhaps, before my mother, Seranjalana, gave birth to me, she did something that was so outrageous that it caused you to hate her for the rest of your life?"

Thales gazed at King Kessel.

Seranjelana.

Sure enough, the name worked.

Because the usually decisive and unwavering Iron Fist King was now frowning and looking deep in thought.

It was as if we were facing an unprecedented game of chess.

Thales smiled.

"How can one become the 'Sand King,' advance military reforms, and use this as leverage to prosper the kingdom..."

He gritted his teeth, staring intently at the silent King Catherine V:

"Can't I at least get a single, truthful answer about my mother?"

(End of this chapter)