Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 613 The Only Path

"Really?"

King Kessel's voice came from across the long table, utterly cold and detached.

"Is this what you've been thinking about all this time?"

The king's shadow was stretched long against the wall behind him by the firelight, and a faint mockery appeared in his eyes:

"your mother?"

Thales gazed intently at King Kessel.

Seranjelana.

High Priestess Li Xiya, Queen Koya, Old Raven, Griveo—almost everyone who knew his mother had a completely different opinion of this woman.

And what about his father?

“Don’t forget,” the prince said softly.
“I inherited her name.”

or more.

The king gave a soft hum.

“Gilbert shouldn’t have let you choose that middle name.”

He spoke slowly, but his words were as cold as ice:
"Meaningless."

Thales smiled slightly and shook his head:

"As far as I know, you were the one who told Gilbert her name."

"So what are you looking forward to?"

The king responded swiftly, coldly saying:

"Do you expect your mother to be an outstanding woman of extraordinary background? A learned and talented female scholar, a lady of noble birth, or a brave and fearless female warrior? So that you can be proud and have someone to rely on?"

Looking at King Kessel's expression, Thales was surprised to find that this was one of the few topics that could elicit a long response from the other party.

The prince tentatively said:
"So, is she?"

The king gave a cold laugh, but his smile vanished immediately.

"She's a bitch."

Thales' expression changed slightly.

“Like most prostitutes,” King Kessel said calmly, his tone dismissive.

"She was mercenary and greedy, putting on airs in front of her customers all day long, selling herself for money—until she died."

"I don't even remember her face."

After hearing the king's words, Thales remained silent for a long time.

"Bitch?"

Thales murmured absentmindedly:

"prostitute?"

Hearing such adjectives, he first thought of the desert slave girl, the magical Thran, described by the old raven Hexer.

Immediately afterwards, the image of the portrait he had seen in the secret department flashed through the boy's mind again—"Oriental Beauty" Alf.

However, he then recalled the "womanizer" Belicia he had seen at the Secret Service, and her seductive and alluring demeanor as she darted around under Raphael's control.

"Exactly."

“Your questions and expectations are meaningless,” the king said dismissively. “You will find no comfort or peace of mind in her.”

"To her, you were just an accident after a deal."

An unexpected event during a certain transaction.

Thales couldn't help but clench his fist.

He suddenly remembered the look in Kairoku's eyes when he talked about the girl he liked at Baki's camp.

That girl.

She's not a slut.

【no. 】

"And your indecisive and wishy-washy manner," King Kessel said coldly.

"It has utterly disgraced the royal family."

Thales took a deep breath and gently released his fist.

“You’re right, Father.”

“Gilbert’s biggest mistake was letting me keep her name.”

The king's expression remained unchanged.

“Because,” Thales’s eyes turned cold.

"If she were just an insignificant prostitute, you wouldn't even bother to remember what she looks like."

Thales raised his head and looked directly at the king:
"Then why do you still remember her name?"

At that moment, King Kessel's eyes widened slightly!

Thales stared intently at his father and whispered that special name:
"Thrana - Jellalana?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Thales had a strange feeling.

It was as if winter had suddenly fallen in Ballard's room, the temperature had plummeted, and the air had become stagnant.

Even the lights no longer flicker and sway.

The source of all the coldness lies at the end of the long table.

An awkward silence lasted for a full ten seconds.

“I have given you a chance, child,” the king’s voice returned to its usual hardness and indifference:
"And you destroyed it."

He stared intently at Thales, his eyes filled with nothing but deathly stillness.

The River of Sin in Thales' veins began to flow again, seemingly about to break through the frozen atmosphere.

In that instant, the boy suddenly sensed that the king's patience had run out and that his next words would be to call for the guards.

So Thales is faster than him.

"Emore".

The prince spoke softly, successfully freezing the king's gaze as he looked toward the gate.

King Kessel turned his gaze back.

"Emore?"

Thales took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yes, the town of Emory in the Western Wilderness."

"This place has a long history, ruled by the Amory family, and the lord's surname is the origin of the place name."

King Kessel frowned slightly.

Thales recalled what the two Western Wilderness people, Deler Cloma and Anke Bailar, had told him, and calmly recounted it:

"A few years ago, the town's lord, a baron, suffered injustice and wanted to turn to the Palace of Restoration to protest and seek help from the king."

"But they met with misfortune on the way, and the whole family died from the disease."

Thales observed King Kessel's reaction, but the latter remained unmoved and did not interrupt him.

The next second, Thales' tone changed:
"But in fact, as a legitimate vassal of the kingdom, Baron Amory did not die of illness."

Thales gritted his teeth:
"He and his family were attacked and killed by the combined forces of his lord and his peers—the three powerful families in the Western Wilderness, Falkenhausen, Kloma, and Bozdorf."

The two remained silent for a few seconds.

"interesting."

The king pondered for a moment, then slowly said:

"Where did you know that?"

Thales' eyes dimmed.

In the secret department's cell, Anke's painful voice rang in my ears:

He also said, "What if I fail? What if I have to use this as a bargaining chip...?"

I must give it to you.

[This is the only option I can give to you.]

With these thoughts in mind, Thales took a deep breath.

“It’s not important,” he said, regaining his composure and shifting his focus to the task at hand.
"The important thing is..."

Facing the king's piercing gaze, Thales spoke calmly and resolutely:

"In the year 414 of the End of the Calendar, King Hyman II, the 'creditor,' issued the 'Bloodless Decree,' prohibiting vassals within the kingdom from starting wars and killing each other..."

His voice turned serious:

"However, the lords of the Western Wilderness disregard the law and act recklessly."

"As vassals, they abused their right to armed self-defense to murder Baron Amory to settle personal scores."

Thales spoke of the Western Wilderness, but his eyes were fixed on the face of the Iron-Fisted King before him:

"The methods were cruel and terrifying, and the crimes were appalling."

Iron-fisted King's eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

The prince's eyes flashed with a sharp light:
"Is this reason, this bargaining chip, this horse enough to complete the 'Sand King' feat?"

As Thales' voice faded, the flickering lights of the surrounding lamps began to shimmer.

He stared intently at the king.

King Kessel remained silent for a long time, his eyes flashing with intense light.

A few seconds later, the king gently closed his eyes, burying all his emotions deep in his heart.

"But we can't use it."

King Kessel said softly:
"The outbreak in Amory Town is no longer news. The people of the Western Wilderness have handled it very well, leaving no one to testify."

Seeing the other person's reaction, Thales couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes."

He said confidently:
"Unless it's not a case of the dead having no way to prove it..."

Thales' words came to an abrupt end.

"and many more."

Looking at King Kessel's calm expression, he realized something.

The boy's expression changed slightly; he couldn't believe it.

"you know."

Thales looked at Kessel and frowned:

"You knew about Emory Town and this case all along?"

The next second, King Kessel gently opened his eyes.

The king remained expressionless and did not answer.

But Thales already had the answer.

The boy couldn't help but frown.

"When?"

King Kessel calmly replied:

"When it happens."

Thales was taken aback:
"what why?"

Thales discovered that, at some point, his conversations with King Kessel had become incredibly harmonious.

For example, right now, he doesn't even need to say a complete sentence like "Why let it happen?"

King Kessel gazed wistfully at Thales.

"A few years ago, the Border Expansion Tax Exemption Decree affected a number of lords."

“Lord Amory of the Western Wilderness is just one of them,” the Ironfist King narrowed his eyes, “the most impatient of them all.”

"With a little provocation, they took the bait."

Thales's gaze froze in mid-air.

A little provocation...

Taken the bait...

At that moment, the words of 'Head Raven' Deler Klomar echoed in Thales' ears once again:

According to the Baron, the countless nouveau riche spawned by that law are eroding his wealth, seizing his people, and cutting off his livelihood every day.

In the depths of the secret prison, Anke Bailar's desperate, dying words resurfaced:
Clearly, Baron Emory was in deep pain; the king's decree had dealt him a heavy blow...

King Kessel sighed softly, his tone tinged with regret:
"However, the Western Wilderness Man is extremely sensitive to any disturbance at his doorstep."

"Before I could even cast my line and hook the fish, the line snapped."

Thales was stunned.

Pull the rod...

Tangent...

Deleuze and Anker's words continued to surface:
Baron Amory is conscripting soldiers and mobilizing his army, intending to cross the Western Wilderness and create a "big news" event that will be seen throughout the entire planetary realm, as a way to "protest" to His Majesty and the Kingdom.

[To the point that he decided to disregard the tacit understanding with the three major families and act recklessly on his own...]

Thales froze in his seat.

"It's you."

Thales opened his mouth in a daze:
"Did Baron Amory raise an army in protest because you secretly pressured and deliberately incited him? In order to find an excuse to interfere in the Western Wilderness?"

Iron Fist King snorted lightly:
“I said, he’s just one of them.”

one of them.

In that instant, Thales remembered Anker, who had been tortured and bruised all over in the Secret Society.

And his lover, whose family was destroyed and who went into hiding.

"Therefore, the tragedy of Baron Amory being silenced and his entire family dying occurred."

Thales' voice was hoarse:
"You are the one who started this."

Thales stared blankly at the table in front of him, the king's figure projected onto the opposite wall, dark and oppressive.

these people.

Their misfortune.

only……

Dust crushed by power.

"You flatter me," the king's voice remained calm, as if he didn't care at all.

“I didn’t ask those Western Wilderness folks to kill me to cover it up.”

"They didn't even let them be ruthless enough to wipe out the entire family in the castle, along with the militia and servants, leaving no one alive—it seems they learned a lot from Williams."

Kill to silence someone.

Completely clean.

Emory.

Bailar.

And then there was that miserable family in Grace Town whose name he couldn't recall...

And that night at Baki's camp, countless families were torn apart and lives were lost...

"Nobles, nobles, ha, what a bunch of scum, what a bunch of piece of trash they are." The words of the Dead Raven echoed in his ears on the barren rocky ground.

Thinking about this, an indescribable weariness washed over me.

The boy felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

Thales took a deep breath, trying his best to keep his composure.

"I understand."

The prince lowered his head, avoiding the other person's gaze, and suppressed the disgust in his words:

"I see, what a clever scheme."

"No, it's not good."

But King Kessel's voice still irresistibly penetrated his eardrums:

"We underestimated the keenness and decisiveness of the Western Wilderness people, and all we got was a headless case with no one to prove it. We even alerted them and made them more vigilant."

The king's eyes sharpened.

"Until now."

Thales trembled slightly.

King Kessel suddenly raised his head: "It's not like the dead are without evidence, is it?"

"You have evidence."

His attitude was firm and left no room for doubt.

Thales tightened his grip.

evidence.

Anker's last words faintly echoed:

Regardless, His Majesty will be very pleased to have this bargaining chip.

I'm very happy.

Thales took a deep breath and swallowed.

He struggled to lift his head and look directly into the king's eyes.

But at that moment, Kessel's eyes held only endless depth.

A few seconds later, the boy used all his strength to bite out two words from between his teeth:
"I have."

His tone was incredibly weary:

"irrefutable evidence."

irrefutable evidence.

The words fell.

"good."

King Kessel's expression remained unchanged as he calmly said:

"I am listening."

I'm listening.

Thales took a deep breath, but stopped abruptly as he opened his mouth to speak.

"So, Your Highness, what is the price?"

Anke's desperate voice suddenly rang out.

Thales coughed awkwardly, forcing himself to continue:
"In that tragedy, there was one other person..."

[And Tina, Tina...]

She will never, ever, ever forgive me.

Thales paused again.

"There's another person..."

Thales' lips moved, but his words faltered.

and many more.

Once he said it.

That girl, Anke's lover, had already lost her family and home due to the ruthlessness of power.

And then there are Anke's younger siblings, those who have lost their parents and brothers and are left alone and helpless in the Western Wilderness.

What kind of future awaits them?
How many people's fates will be affected and changed because of their own words?
Thales was breathing heavily, seemingly in a daze. Seeing his appearance, the king frowned.

That girl named Tina... is she alright?

The best...

A face, pale and bloodless from torture, appeared before me.

Anker Bailar.

The young man who, in his helplessness and despair, planned to risk his life but ultimately failed miserably.

What were his true feelings when he told him this offer?
But now, it doesn't matter anymore.

It's no longer important.

Thales took a deep breath and swallowed hard.

Use it, use this chip.

Because that was also Anker's choice.

This was exactly what he had anticipated.

Is not it?
Moreover, this matter would have been resolved if he weren't here.

Thales turned his gaze to the table, to the letter from the iris flower offering to pay taxes in lieu of corvée labor.

The wheels of the kingdom will never stop turning.

If this horse doesn't work, King Kessel will find another one.

Even if it means facing more bloodshed.

Thales clenched his fist.

So he had to continue.

must.

Thales raised his gaze, forcing himself to appear resolute:

"The wrongfully murdered Baron Amory had a daughter still alive."

The king's eyes lit up.

"That poor girl witnessed a terrible scene, but she escaped the executioner's blade and survived by sheer luck."

Thales gritted his teeth, concealing his dazed and dejected state:
"Her identity and experience will prove to the world what a colossal mistake the most powerful families in the Western Wilderness have made."

"And the reform of the military system by the Fuxing Palace to restrict the abuse of military power by vassals is a matter of course and is urgent."

As he finished speaking, Thales let out a long sigh, his gaze dejected.

He still said it.

The color in the king's eyes slowly changed.

He gazed at the prince across the long table for a very long time.

It was as if they were examining a fine weapon forged from high-quality steel.

Finally, King Kessel smiled.

His laughter was soft and gentle, yet it effectively eased the atmosphere in the room.

"This surviving orphan girl."

Iron Fist King slowly leaned back, his tone becoming calm and relaxed for the first time:
"where is she?"

where is she?

Thales was saddened to discover that the king hadn't even bothered to ask her name.

but.

but……

So think about it carefully, what would you be like if you became a prince?

Long ago, the sighs of the rope echoed again in the hut.

Can you still choose your own path? Follow your own heart?

Thales' arm trembled slightly.

Are you still you, or still Thales?

Or has it... transformed into something else?

“I’m listening,” the king said with interest.
"Duke Thales".

Thales took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind of these hesitant thoughts and calm himself down.

"You'll know."

Thales suddenly looked up, his expression resolute.

"But first, everyone who came into the palace with me today must be released without charge."

"And I have no desire to experience the whip of Vanguard Maric, despite his dutiful service."

At the end of the long table, King Kessel remained silent.

Thales suppressed his anxiety and gritted his teeth, saying:

"Secondly, unseal the Mindis Hall and release my guards. If you have any problems in the future, come at me. Don't make things difficult for them."

The king remained silent, only tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

"And then there's Anker Bailar, who stormed the banquet with a sword and clashed with the royal family,"

Thales frowned and said:

“You must forgive him, release him, and show the king’s magnanimity.”

"Including properly resolving his conflict with the Doyle family."

But when he thought about this, Thales paused again.

Anker, no matter how much the king forgives him...

She will never, ever, ever forgive me.

Thales lowered his head in disappointment.

“Before revealing our chips,” King Kessel chuckled, seemingly in a good mood.

"You've asked for quite a lot."

Thales exhaled and strained to lift his head.

“But I haven’t finished speaking yet.”

"Finally, regarding the 'Sand King'."

The Sand King.

King Kessel's gaze shifted.

At this moment, Thales' expression was firm and cold.

"Your plans to expand your army in the Western Wilderness, including how to deal with the local lords, must be handled and completed by me personally."

thump.

The Iron-Fisted King slammed his fingers heavily on the council table, producing a muffled thud that sent chills down one's spine.

The king slowly raised his head and met Thales' eyes.

The prince neither dodged nor avoided him, but looked back at him firmly.

"Say it again?"

The king spoke softly.

Hoarse, yet indifferent.

Thales straightened his back and faced his father directly.

"Yes, I will personally write to the Duke of the Western Wilderness and others, using this case as leverage to threaten them into submission."

Thales said decisively:

“I promise Cyril Falkenhausen and his vassals that they will listen patiently, they will heed good advice, they will cooperate with the schedule of the Palace of Restoration, and they will support all the initiatives of the Military Affairs Department.”

"They will reflect on the shortcomings of their own military system and gradually reduce the number and frequency of conscription."

"They will accept your royal standing army and the reorganization of the Western Wilderness defenses."

"They will be happy to support the daily operations of the Wings of Legends and pay taxes to support the expansion of the standing army, fill your financial gaps, and defend the kingdom's borders."

Thales took a deep breath:

“The Western Wilderness will become a fine horse, and your plans for the ‘Sand King’ will not fail.”

He said solemnly:

"The kingdom's chariot continues to roll forward,"

Ballard's room fell silent again.

But this silence was particularly ominous.

The few lamps that never went out burned to their end, then quietly went out.

King Kessel's gaze changed accordingly; the firelight in his eyes vanished, replaced by a deep darkness.

"you?"

He sized up the prince from afar, his tone playful:
"You do it?"

Thales nodded decisively.

"I."

"I'll do it."

King Kessel's eyes flashed with a fierce light:
"why?"

Thales composed himself and replied seriously:
"Because only I know that orphan girl, and only I know how to use this bargaining chip."

He paused slightly, gritted his teeth, and told both his father and himself:

"Because it's the only way."

The only way.

King Kessel did not respond immediately.

He simply sat quietly in his place, as if he had turned back into a statue.

A few seconds later, the king calmly spoke:
"Tell me, how did you find out about that orphan girl's whereabouts?"

Thales froze.

He remained calm and composed, leaving no room for doubt: "I have my own channels..."

"Falkenhausen".

King Kessel spoke softly, interrupting Thales.

Falkenhausen.

The moment the surname was uttered, the prince was startled.

The king scoffed softly, looked away, and said in a meaningful tone:

“He gave you much more than just a sword, didn’t he?”

Thales remained expressionless, but sighed inwardly.

He got it.

The king said coldly:
"His gift is what gives you the courage to storm the palace today."

Thales pursed his lips and remained silent.

That's right, the king saw through it.

He saw through it with just a few words.

From the moment I arrived until now, all my little tricks have been exposed in front of him.

Just like before.

but……

Thales took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"Yes."

Thales looked up and stared directly at the king.

His tone was calm and composed, and his attitude was open and unperturbed.

"The matter of Amoretown, including this bargaining chip, was indeed given to me by the Duke of the Western Wilderness—through some means."

The king let out a knowing chuckle.

"And you accepted it, listened to that old man's bewitching, came before me, and presumptuously tried to bargain."

Before he could reply, King Kessel slowly shook his head:
"madness."

"Impossible."

Thales clenched his fists under the table.

Indeed, threats, coercion, flattery, deception—none of these methods can restrain the iron-fisted king.

But so what.

He was no longer that trembling beggar in the abandoned house.

No longer.

And King Kessel was no longer the tall, imposing figure he could only gaze at from afar in the Mindis Hall six years ago.

To defeat an opponent like King Kessel, he needed not lies, not concealment, not sophistry.

Instead, they faced the challenges head-on.

Thales stared intently at the king's face.

“In that case, there is even more reason for me to write a letter to the Duke of the Western Wilderness, Father.”

He leaned forward and said sincerely:

"So that everyone can take a step back and resolve the issue in a way that is acceptable to all parties."

"The new 'Sand King' may not be so swift, and may last for several months or even years, but it will not be so devastating, and there will be no uncontrollable consequences."

"You will achieve your goal, and they will not have to shed blood."

Iron Fist King let out a mocking laugh.

He lowered his head, his face slowly enveloped in darkness:

"why?"

Thales frowned.

"I'll produce the witnesses in this case and have her testify, causing the lords of the Western Wilderness to fall apart, become isolated and betrayed, and become the target of everyone's hatred..."

The king's gaze was cold:

"Let the royal standing army enter the western wilderness again to punish the wicked and eliminate evil."

"The goal can still be achieved."

Thales shuddered.

"That's true."

Thales spoke again, trying to steer the conversation:

"But if I may be frank, Falkenhausen offered this bargaining chip precisely to humble himself and show weakness, in order to de-escalate the escalating conflict between the Restoration Palace and the Western Wilderness lords..."

"He's not that kind and innocent!"

King Kessel suddenly leaned forward and shouted angrily, startling Thales.

"Only you would be so foolish!"

The king glared at his son:
"Falkenhausen gave me a bargaining chip to go and pacify the Western Wilderness, reform the kingdom, and achieve my goal..."

He changed the subject:
"But only through—you?"

Thales stared blankly at the king.

Iron Fist King leaned back in his chair and sneered:
"No, he tore out his own flesh and blood to give you a sword, a bargaining chip."

"It's definitely not to make you a peacemaker."

A chill ran through the boy's heart.

King Kessel narrowed his eyes, his gaze like a honed blade:
"He wants to show you that the power and energy you haven't enjoyed in the past six years are within your reach."

"As long as you grab the chips and face me..."

The king spoke softly, each word chilling:

“Raise your sword.”

Thales tensed up and retorted:
“Father, I have no intention of being your enemy, nor will I threaten you—”

"Then why didn't he just come to me directly?"

King Kessel interrupted him again:

"If you're going to bow your head and show weakness, why not face the throne?"

Thales paused abruptly.

The indoor lights flickered rapidly, causing the light and shadows to sway wildly.

"And you, do you think I don't know what you're up to?"

King Catherine V looked at Thales with a cold gaze, his gaze piercing Thales' heart.

"Why won't you just reveal your bargaining chips and the whereabouts of that orphan girl? Why are you pretending to be reserved and waiting for a higher price? And why do you insist on personally taking action to execute the 'Sand King'?"

Upon hearing this, Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

Silence returned to Ballard's room.

"Because you know that too, right?"

The king's voice softened, becoming deadly gentle.

"Because you also liked the sword he gave you, and you couldn't put it down."

"I can't extricate myself from it."

Thales frowned deeply, his fists clenched on his knees.

“As the Prince of Stars, Duke of Starlake, and heir to the kingdom,” King Kessel said coldly, “you are being manipulated by foreign ministers without even realizing it, and you are even self-righteous.”

"They've completely disgraced Canxing."

Thales suddenly looked up!
"That's right!"

The prince roared in anger.

King Kessel was somewhat surprised to be interrupted by him.

"I know."

Thales was breathing heavily, staring intently at the king.

“I know what Falkenhausen is trying to do.”

“I have no intention of hiding anything, nor do I want to make excuses.”

Thales suddenly stood up and braced himself on the table with both hands.

“That’s right, empower me, support me, and help me so that I can eventually become strong enough to confront you, threaten you, and hinder you. This is indeed Falkenhausen’s wishful thinking.”

"Simple, clear, and direct."

The king's expression grew increasingly hostile.

"But believe me, Father."

The prince stared at the king, his gaze earnest and serious:
"If you truly wish to achieve your goal—not just the 'Sand King,' not just the Western Wilderness, but throughout the entire kingdom, across the stars, to realize your grand and insane plans and visions..."

Upon hearing this, King Kessel's expression changed.

“If you have truly made up your mind, Father, if you are willing to pay any price to ‘be born for the stars’.”

At that moment, a cold wind blew back and forth in the Ballard Room, and a chill surged through it, but Thales felt an unbearable heat rising in his chest, as if there were flames burning inside.

Thales took a deep breath, his voice firm and unwavering:

"Then this is the only way."

There is no better option.

(End of this chapter)