Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 623 Covenant
A few minutes later, Thales, along with Marius and a large group of men (and a large, rambling black horse that had missed its meal), swaggered and trotted across the carpet of the Palace of Restoration.

Wyatt tried repeatedly to tell DD that "I should be responsible for the prince's personal affairs," but each time Doyle would jokingly brush him off with "Oh, brothers in life and death, what's the difference between you and me?" Cohen was eager to find Golov to find out what was going on, but the latter kept moving around in the group to ensure that he and Cohen were always on Rolf's sides, and the guard had to pass by the Wind Ghost (who would glare menacingly as soon as Cohen approached) to find him.

Having gone through a shared ordeal, the two groups of people who had never crossed paths before—the former members of Longxiao City and the Xinghu Guard—were no longer so clearly separated. The dark mass of the Fuxing Palace forced them to crowd around the prince together, dispelling tension and fear, and seeking safety and belonging.

"Thank you, Tormund."

Thales suddenly spoke, ignoring Wyman, who was struggling to catch up with the prince but was being held back by DD’s excessive enthusiasm.

Marius, who was closest to the boy, frowned and said:

"for what?"

"Thanks to your thorough preparations, you left me with enough manpower," Thales said calmly.

Marius shook his head:

That's just emergency insurance.

"I didn't expect you to actually use it..."

As the most well-dressed, healthiest, and neatest-looking person in the group, Marius frowned as he looked at the unfamiliar faces in the ranks:
"We've also added quite a few more people."

They did something big.

Amid the hustle and bustle, Thales seemed to be in low spirits, and Marius also appeared preoccupied. As if by unspoken agreement, the two left long gaps between their questions and answers.

"Who is that?"

Looking at the two figures, one tall and one short, walking in perfect unison, Wyman couldn't help but whisper a question to Doyle.

“Oh, him,” DD’s eyes lit up, looking like a seasoned veteran, very casual:

"Of course, it's our beloved Captain of the Royal Guard, Tormund Marius."

“Oh,” Wyman realized:
"Is that the one His Highness said he wanted to send to the Prison of Bones?"

Doyle's expression changed, and he pressed a finger to his lips:

"Shh-"

He glanced furtively at the captain's retreating figure:

"He... is very stingy."

They descended a flight of stairs, but Jenny, the black horse, hated the terrain and environment and started throwing a tantrum. Jenard and Willow were thrown into a frenzy by her antics, causing a commotion in the group. In the end, it was Golov who grabbed her reins and forced her to submit with his zombie-like death stare and the longsword at his waist (mainly the latter).

"Thank you. You're barely able to take care of yourself, yet you still asked Captain Adrian to help me," Thales sighed and said to his captain of the guard.

“What?” Marius frowned.

"He came in to buy me time—'Swords, past and present, cannot escape their sheaths,' wasn't that the coded message you asked him to convey?"

“No,” Marius denied decisively.

"That's a phrase the captain taught me."

"What?" the prince exclaimed in astonishment.
"So, he wasn't someone you asked to come?"

Marius shook his head, his expression unchanged:
"Of course not, Vogel alone is troublesome enough, how could I possibly care about you?"

Thales paused.

"I knew it."

The prince exhaled angrily and pressed his forehead:
"Calm down, calm down. Everything depends on yourself, on yourself, entirely on yourself."

Marius's gaze shifted to Thales's hand.

"what is that?"

Thales paused, lowered his right hand, and looked at the ornament on his index finger—a grayish-white bone ring with two sections, one in front and one behind. The ring face was engraved with strange and ferocious beast heads, covering almost half of the finger joint, simple yet heavy.

If you wore two more, you could even use them as punching bags.

“A gift to witness reconciliation,” Tellston paused for a second before lowering his right hand and said quietly:

“From my father.”

Marius seemed to be deep in thought.

A group of servants and guards approached from afar. Upon discovering that the person opposite them was Prince Thales, their expressions changed drastically. They retreated as quickly as possible and scattered before even entering the area where they were to pay their respects.

"That's really rare. I've never received this kind of treatment before."

Marius faced the empty palace, his feelings complex:

"what have you done?"

What have you done?
Thales's heart sank, and he stood there in a daze amidst the noisy and bustling crowd.

DD went on and on about all sorts of ghost stories in the Palace of Restoration ("From 4:00 to 4:30 in the morning, if you are alone in the 'John Longhouse' looking into that full-length mirror, you might see 'Black Eyes' John standing behind you. He will ask you in a sinister tone who you are and why you are in his bedroom... At this time, never turn around! And never say your name! I happened to flip through the guard's records, and a long time ago, a guard senior named Immanu didn't believe in ghosts and turned around, and this is the last guard record about him..."), which left Cohen and Willow completely bewildered;

Jenard looked at the obedient Jenny with satisfaction, and remarked to the increasingly impatient Grover that the prince's stable boy had a worthy successor.

Faced with the complicated situation, Wyatt tried to gesture and say something to Rolf to unite them ("We're on the same side, right?"), but the latter always ignored him.

“I sold myself,” Thales said sullenly.

Marius turned to look at him.

"Don't worry, I've negotiated a good price."

The Watcher squinted:
"for example?"

Thales glanced behind him:
"For example, you, and everyone in the Mindis Hall, are safe and sound, having escaped this great calamity?"

“Yes,” Marius said, his expression unchanged.

"Thanks to the great calamity you have brought."

Thales ignored his sarcasm:

"Because he offended the royal family and kidnapped a nobleman at the banquet, Anke Bailar will be sent to the Bone Prison for life imprisonment."

Marius raised an eyebrow:
"Life imprisonment? Hmm, he'll be incredibly grateful."

Thales shook his head:

"Spare his life, that's the biggest concession my father could make. As for the debts and political disputes between the two families behind it, the Noble Affairs Bureau, together with the Finance and Taxation Bureau and the Discipline Bureau, will negotiate a solution."

“These are worthless,” the guardsman shook his head.
"What exactly did you sell, and what did you exchange for?"

I paused for a moment.

"You know, today's imperial meeting was originally intended to hold the Western Wilderness lords accountable for the internal strife at the Baki camp and the case of the Bailar family."

Marios's expression changed slightly.

Thales chuckled:

"Until I took the Falkenhausen family heirloom sword, broke into the palace against the law, and explained the consequences to His Majesty."

Marius's expression shifted, and he glanced at the guard behind him who was recounting "The Chronicles of Dragon's Sky City: The Hero Cohen's Battle Against the Fiery Knight":
“But what you’re holding is clearly the Kalabyan family’s sword.”

“Yes,” Thales said somberly.

"But people don't know that."

The Watchman paused for a moment, then nodded:
"People don't know."

Thales nodded in agreement:
“And I will write a letter and send it directly to Duke Falkenhaus in the Western Wilderness.”

Marius's eyes flickered.

Thales sighed, his tone filled with endless emotion:

"Once we finish writing it, we'll be able to roam freely in the capital and even the entire kingdom."

Marius seemed lost in thought, and this time, his silence lasted a long time.

Thales scoffed lightly:
"Also, please tell the logistics officer that starting tomorrow, Mindis Hall will have to be responsible for its own profits and losses."

Marius's face darkened.

Hold.

"Didn't you ever think about the possibility of you failing?"

"I thought about it."

Thales sighed, “That’s why I sent Komuto.”

"Kumto?"

Thales nodded:

“He was somewhat afraid and reluctant to break into the palace and cause trouble. So I sent him to find Lady Ginny.”

"Judging by the time, it should be about time."

Just then, a gentle breeze swept by, and the lights in the palace corridors flickered!
Marius frowned:
"Enemy attack!"

Everyone's expression changed.

The next second, a strong gust of wind swept in, and a dark figure darted out from the end of the corridor, rushing towards Thales with lightning speed!
Glov and Cohen stepped forward together and drew their swords.

But the shadowy figure did something unexpected. He stepped on Golov's sword, then on Cohen's shoulder, and in a flash, he broke through the two of them.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the dark figure swept past Wyatt and Rolf, and without any hindrance, reached Thales and Marius!

"Waaaaahohoho! Hey!"

A clear and sharp voice rang out:
"I bought this road, I paved this path!"

Thales's vision blurred as he saw a dark figure draw a weapon, the blade flashing repeatedly, forcing Wyatt and Rolf back while causing the eternal lights in the corridor to tremble painfully.

"If you want to harm the prince, step on me first!"

The shadowy figure paused, revealing a short figure completely covered by a cloak.

She brandished a curved knife wildly, making a series of exaggerated noises to intimidate the stunned onlookers.

"Did you hear me? Did you hear me? Did you hear me?"

Everyone, including Thales, was stunned, staring blankly at the performance before them.

Seeing that no one challenged his authority, the newcomer sheathed his scimitar and nodded in satisfaction.

"Well, that's right!"

The next moment, Thales' face twitched:

"Eh, Edda?"

The short figure nodded, flicked his cloak, struck a dashing pose with his hands on his hips, and snapped his fingers: "You guessed right!"

"Kid, I rushed over as soon as I heard you were in danger! But now that I'm here, you're safe. Don't be shy!"

Under everyone's strange gazes, the elven guard cheerfully reached out and awkwardly patted Thales on the shoulder:

"How about that? I arrived just in time to save your life. Aren't you touched?"

Thales's face darkened, and he gave a dry thank you:
"Ah, yes, I'm so touched. Thanks to you, if you had come even a moment later..."

It seems there's no difference.

Ada nodded in satisfaction and wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth.

Having grown accustomed to this scene, Wyatt and Rolf sighed and scattered, while only Jenny, the dark horse, snorted excitedly.

“Instructor Edda.”

Marius's expression tightened:
"Royal Guard, welcome home."

Upon hearing these words, Ada trembled, turned around, and her voice trembled:
"Hey, you're that, that..."

"Instructor!" A piercing cry rang out.

Doyle pushed through the crowd and lunged forward (until he was intercepted by a zombie halfway through), his eyes glistening with tears, his voice distorted:

"You, you were gone for six years, six years, and finally, you're back! Waaah, you told me you were only going for a few weeks..."

Everyone else frowned at him.

Ada paused, then scratched her head sheepishly.

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry..."

"I didn't expect it to take so long, I'm sorry to have worried you..."

"No, now that you're back, I'm relieved," DD said, tears streaming down his face, a truly touching moment.
"I can serve you again, just like before!"

"Thank you, thank you," Ada said with a guilty chuckle.

"Oh, right," she suddenly remembered something, looking kindly and gently at the loyal DD:

"Who are you?"

On the other side, Marius watched the chaos unfold in the ranks and sighed deeply.

"You know, Your Highness, the price is actually not important."

He turned to the dejected Thales:
"Most importantly, when you're bargaining, you use..."

Marius said in a deep voice:

Is it your own scale?

Upon hearing this, Thales raised his head and clenched his right hand.

---

"Just empty words without any proof?"

In the Ballard Chamber, Thales chuckled softly at the king before him:
"What, I have to sign a labor contract to sell myself to you? 'If I don't do what you say, if I don't go undercover at the rival company and steal trade secrets, you'll deduct my year-end bonus'?"

The prince glared at King Kessel:

"boss?"

Thales sneered:

"Or should I write a secret statement, which you can then use to proclaim to the world, 'The prince is a wolf, don't trust him,' when I betray you?"

Iron Fist King did not respond to his nonsense.

He simply raised his head and gazed at the unchanged furnishings in Ballard's Room for many years, remaining silent for a long time.

Finally, just as Thales was about to yawn, the king spoke softly:
"Let's make a vow."

Thales was taken aback by what he heard.

King Kessel's eyes were filled with a divine light:

"We form an alliance and make a covenant, and with this oath, we witness this moment."

vow?

Thales blinked, somewhat surprised.

"Wow."

"This, I really didn't expect, to take an oath."

The prince chewed on the word:
"So old-fashioned?"

King Kessel did not speak; he simply stared coldly at Thales.

Thales sighed.

"Very well, Your Majesty."

The next second, Thales pressed down with his right hand and flipped himself onto the council table!

The king frowned.

Thales sat cross-legged, opened the flask lid, took a sip, and choked, his face contorting in pain.

“Then, if you agree, if you accept, if you acknowledge our pact today, if you are willing to fight alongside me, united in purpose, until the kingdom is at peace and the stars are restored, Your Majesty Kessel,” Thales said, slurring the words as he put down the wine jug with disgust.
"Let's drink together. Hmm, no need for cutting our hands and drawing blood, let's just swear an oath."

He tapped the wine jug and pushed it toward the king:
"For the Star Kingdom."

King Kessel frowned, glancing at the wine jug and then at Thales, who was dressed in a disheveled but arrogant manner, before letting out a disgruntled snort.

"what happened?"

Thales burst out laughing and patted the table under his butt:
"Hey, don't tell me this table is some old relic. If I recklessly jump on it, you'll regret it!"

King Kessel shook his head, his face expressionless, and gently pushed the wine jug away.

Thales frowned:
"you……"

"This is a Yankee oath-taking custom, barbaric and backward."

The king said slowly:
“We have a better way.”

Under Thales's strange gaze, King Kessel reached out and grasped the Star Staff on the side of the chair.

In that instant, the jewel at the top of the scepter emitted a dazzling blue light without warning, illuminating the entire Ballard Chamber as if it were daytime, causing Thales to close his eyes and turn his head away!

"What the hell!"

Fortunately, the blue light was fleeting.

King Kessel laid down his scepter and extended his left hand.

Thales opened his eyes in pain, his vision slowly returning.

He noticed that a rather large ring was lying quietly on the king's left hand.

Its color is grayish-white.

Its face was ferocious.

"This is a coronation artifact passed down through generations of the Starry Sky royal family," King Kessel said, turning the strange ring on his hand with a gleam in his eyes.
"For seven hundred years, it has been hidden in the Staff of Stars, only briefly appearing in the world whenever the throne changes hands."

"A coronation item?"

Thales squinted and examined it:

"This ring, its design, doesn't seem like it..."

"An orc-style bone ring," Ironfist King, knowing his doubts, went straight to the point:

"It was painstakingly crafted by taking the rare and heavy bones of ancient monstrous beasts and fusing them together with the hardest parts."

Thales was genuinely startled this time:
"Orcs?"

The king did not answer, his gaze remaining fixed on the bone ring.

Thales examined the strange ring—the face and band were engraved with many animal heads, all of which were roaring in anger.

He compared it to what he had seen and experienced in the desert. Although this bone ring was already quite large, compared to the orcs…

"It's too small," Thales said, puzzled.

"Because it was not made for orcs, but for humans," the king said quietly.

Its name is 'Gortaksa'.

Gortakssa.

Thales recalled the Orcish language lessons and guessed:

"I don't know if you pronounced it correctly, but in orc language, this syllable and structure should be a noun or pronoun. Also, these two affixes should be positive and glorious, and abstract concepts. As for the actual meaning, it depends on the pronunciation and writing, as well as the different language habits of the three major orc branches..."

"'Covenant'," King Kessel answered him directly, not giving him a chance to boast about his studies.

"This is its meaning."

covenant.

“Kur-Tak-Sa,” Thales’s gaze was drawn to the bone ring, and he murmured its name:

"Covenant?"

The king nodded.

"Seven hundred years ago, the allied forces of the mountain elves and the northern humans suffered a crushing defeat and perished overnight, and the final war ended in chaos."

The final battle.

Thales's heart sank.

"In a moment of crisis, an ordinary man set off alone northward on a perilous journey: he crossed the ancient 'last line of defense for mankind' in reverse and ventured deep into the Quegur Glacier."

Quegur Glacier.

The king's voice was long and deep:
"He wanted to break the taboos that humanity has held since ancient times, to seek the aid of an ancient enemy, to form an alliance, and to fight against the disaster together." Ancient enemy.

Let us unite to fight against disaster.

Thales' confusion arose from his heart:
"A... mortal?"

The king slowly nodded, his words carrying the weight of history:
"When he returned from the glacier, eight battle flags fluttered behind him."

"In the orc kingdom beyond the glacier, there are eight tribes that are willing to set aside the blood teachings of their ancestors and abandon the deep-seated hatred."

"They marched south in a vast and mighty procession."

Thales held his breath as he listened.

"Thus, for the first time since the Age of Ignorance, the orcs crossed the Quegur Pass without shedding blood, traversed the ruins of the 'last line of defense for mankind,' crossed the thirty-eight watchtowers that were later built, entered the North Province, set foot on the territory of the former human empire, migrated thousands of miles, and joined the final war."

The next second, King Kessel's eyes sharpened:

"Thus, with great courage and determination, Nekaru Ex broke through unprecedented obstacles and brought a powerful reinforcement that no one expected, yet which the world could not tolerate."

"Thus stabilizing the war situation in the north."

"To help him ultimately—reverse the cold wind."

Nakaru Ex.

Upon hearing this name, Thales couldn't help but recall a glimmer of silver light in the boundless darkness nestled within the mountains beneath Dragon Sky City:
"This is... the first time I've heard of it."

Iron Fist King nodded.

"To deviate from the norm and associate with grotesque and otherworldly beings—the people of the North in later generations certainly wouldn't consider this something to be proud of," King Kessel said calmly.

"Especially after the final war, the relationship between humans and orcs deteriorated again, and they became enemies."

Iron Fist King put down the bone ring in his hand and pushed him in front of Thales.

"And this is the token that Nekaru used to forge an alliance with the orcs back then."

“Gortaksa – ‘Covenant’”

The king paused for a long time.

Thales picked up the bone ring, suppressing his doubts and shock, and slowly digested this strange history.

"There are eight beast head engravings on it, representing the consensus of the eight orc chieftains," the king said slowly.

"It is said that Nekaru followed the etiquette of the orcs and defeated all her opponents by herself, thus gaining their respect and trust, and in return, their understanding and promises."

“Single-handedly…” Thales turned the bone ring, examining the enigmatic writing around it, and sighed, recalling the “orc duel” he had encountered in the desert.

"Okay, it's just a legend."

"But how did it get here? On... the Star King's scepter?"

King Kessel raised his head:
"After the final war, the new nobles of the North and the remnants of the Empire clashed again, and Nekaru and Tormund I met with swords."

"But the two kings, through their foresight and wisdom, eventually concluded a peace treaty, agreeing to forgive and forget the past."

Thales remembered the library in Dragon City and realized what was happening.

"This ring bears witness to the initial treaty between our two nations, and to the vows made by Nekaru and Tormund," the King said solemnly.

"Finally, the founding king of Exeter presented it to the King of Restoration as a sign of reconciliation and trust."

So, Nikaju traded this thing for Tormund's "Triumphant"?
“Oh,” Thales said without changing his expression.

"That's right."

"Then why did you take it out?"

King Kessel gazed at him intently, without replying.

Thales realized what was happening and couldn't help but laugh.

"This? Isn't that just the way Yankees swear?"

He tossed the bone ring aside, finding himself in a state of utter absurdity:
"Barbaric and backward?"

The next second, Gortakssa was thrown into the air by Thales, but was caught by the king!
King Kessel stared intently at Thales, and the atmosphere grew heavy.

This made the latter nervous.

The king, with extreme slowness, placed the "covenant" on his index finger and extended it to Thales:

"At this time and in this place, with Gortaqsa as our witness, we pledge to make this covenant."

His expression was solemn, not joking.

Thales's brow twitched:
"They're really coming?"

Is she a drama queen or what?
But the Iron-Fisted King stared intently at the boy, enunciating each word clearly:
"You will help me propel the kingdom forward, removing obstacles and breaking chains."

His gaze sharpened:
"We would do anything for this."

"everything."

At that moment, Thales found it hard to bear the king's sharp gaze.

"So vague?"

He had no choice but to turn his head away and try to ease the tension with a joke:

"There aren't any terms or conditions?"

Iron Fist King stared at him for a while before gently removing the bone ring.

“Those who make the oath are human beings, not cold words and phrases.”

"What an oath connects us to is people."

The king said softly:
"We have a tacit understanding in our hearts about what covenant we have made and what promises we have kept, including everything we have said before."

"No need to elaborate."

Thales's brow twitched, and he gave an awkward chuckle.
"It sounds like playing house."

But the king didn't want to play house, so he pushed Gurtaksa in front of Thales.

"It's your turn."

Seeing how serious the other party was, Thales had no choice but to brace himself and pick up the simple yet ferocious bone ring.

"Ok."

Thales didn't think too much about it; he shook the ring on his hand:

"And you..."

"Put it on." King Kessel interrupted him, his gaze growing increasingly cold and sharp.

Thales frowned.

But he still carefully turned the bone ring and put it on the index finger of his right hand.

Unlike its menacing and rough appearance, it has a smooth and warm feel.

Thales swallowed hard and pointed it at the king.

Ok.

"Here and now, under the witness of the Covenant, we pledge to make this covenant."

"I will help you advance the kingdom..."

Thales looked at the king and said solemnly:

"And you will respect my wishes, listen to my opinions, treat me sincerely, and have no reservations."

“There was no deception.”

"any."

At this moment, the prince and the king looked into each other's eyes, sensing the seriousness in each other's gazes.

After a long silence, King Kessel nodded:
"Then, in the name of Kessel Mindis Eddie Star."

"I grant this promise."

He stared intently at Thales.

Thales felt uncomfortable under his gaze and just wanted to get away from there as soon as possible.

“Then, in the name of Thales Seranjalana Kessel Star, I…”

Thales coughed:
"I agree!"

"Is it okay?"

Damn.

Although wearing the ring wasn't particularly uncomfortable, the prince didn't feel good about it.

It was as if... he was bound by something.

The king then looked away, nodded, and said softly:

"Then this agreement has been established."

Thales sneered and shook the bone ring on his hand:

"Then, is the contract in effect?"

Just now.

Boom!
Thales felt a muffled thud in his ear, and with a sharp pain in his eardrum, he instinctively reached out to cover his ear.

[Therefore, this agreement has been established...established...established...]

Heavy, layered sounds came from all directions, echoing endlessly and shaking the entire palace!
But covering his ears was useless. This heavy and strange sound was pouring into his brain in an indescribable way, and he couldn't even tell what language it was.

Those who betray this alliance... those who formed the alliance... those who...

If I had to describe the feeling, it would be like thousands of blades tearing apart a piece of steel!
Even the table and floor tiles beneath him were shaking incessantly.

Betrayed by everyone...

"Worthy!"

Thales felt dizzy and involuntarily closed his eyes, but he felt everything around him vibrating at a high frequency!
He couldn't help but shout:
"What are you doing!"

The sins of the Hell River surged wildly, but to no avail.

The heavy, sharp voice continued, becoming increasingly short, forceful, and clearly audible:

[Burning in flames—]

The words rose and fell, shaking the heart and soul; Thales felt his chest go numb.

[Souls Die in the River of Hell!]

Finally, the last syllable disappeared, and everything came to a stop.

Thales lay on the table, lowered his hands from his ears, and opened his eyes with trembling hands.

He was drenched in cold sweat without realizing it.

The Ballard Room remained quiet.

The lights were on, and everything seemed normal.

Opposite him, King Kessel sat in his chair, rubbing his forehead with a similar expression of pain.
"Relax, this is in accordance with the records..."

Thales got up and quickly removed the bone ring.

It rolled a few times and stopped on the table, its beastly head gaping open as if to devour everything.

"What the hell is this...?"

Thales took a few deep breaths, still shaken.

"A magical power, isn't it?" The king exhaled, gradually returning to normal.
"This is the curse."

Thales rubbed his ears frantically, only to find that they no longer hurt. It was as if everything that had just happened... was a hallucination that had never occurred.

"curse?"

King Kessel nodded, his expression turning cold once more:

"During the imperial era, some said they came from the depths of hell, from the source of the River of Hell, and were proof of demons disturbing the human world."

"Some say that these are just self-fulfilling prophecies fabricated by charlatans, alarmist and self-deceptive."

"Some say they come from mysterious and terrifying nameless ancient gods, lurking in corners overlooked by the gods when they created the world."

"But even the most learned mages could not fully comprehend its secrets. They could only classify it as the most hidden and forbidden part of magic, keeping it at a distance and keeping it on a high shelf."

The king glanced at Gortakssa, then looked at Thales with a deep, thoughtful expression, his words profound:
"This is the curse laid down by the ancient sages of the orc tribes, mysterious and difficult to unravel, and it continues to this day."

curse.

Thales, panting, wiped away his sweat:

"Is this... useful? What can it do?"

Iron Fist King chuckled softly.

“Those orcs,” he said after a long silence, “the eight orc tribes that were willing to help humanity fight against the calamity seven hundred years ago did not send troops out of generosity or compassion.”

Thales paused for a moment.

“Nicaru promised them a ‘land without snow or ice’ after the war, where they could live and reproduce.”

King Kessel slowly said:
"Those are the eight tribes of orcs in the Great Desert today, beneath the Dragon's Bone Throne."

Thales frowned:
"The Great Desert?"

He recalled his experiences in the desert and his brief encounter with the orcs:

"So that's how the eight major orc tribes in the desert came to be?"

Thales immediately realized:
"Wait, a place without snow or freezing temperatures?"

The king stared at him silently.

Thales chuckled:
"So Nekaru played a word game? He promised before the war, but after the war, the land he allocated to the orcs was something nobody wanted—a barren desert?"

How should I put it, Nekaru, you damn...

Little rascal?

Thales thought of the silver shadow figure inside the mountains and couldn't help but laugh and cry.

"Word games?"

But Iron Fist King snorted coldly, causing the indoor lights to flicker.

He glanced lightly at Thales:

Do you know how the King of Dragon Riders passed away?

Upon hearing this, Thales' smile vanished instantly.

He had a bad feeling.

"Died of illness."

Thales cautiously said:
"King Nekaru spent his life on the battlefield, but was plagued by injuries and died young. His nephew, 'The Smiler' Nunn Walton, inherited Nekaru's position and title, and renamed Arendeburg to Dragonhill City in memory of his uncle, the founding king of Exter."

At this point, Thales couldn't help but recall the "Oath of Nekaru," and the centuries-long struggle between the king and the grand dukes:

"But the Smiler and the nine lords under Nekaru were at odds with each other, causing Exter to fall into a terrible schism and turmoil—until 'Black Eye' John led his army north, forcing them to unite and the ten dukes to sign the 'Nekru Oath' to fight against the stars together."

“Yes,” King Kessel hummed softly as he listened.

"But that's the official statement."

Official statement?

Thales squinted, waiting for what would happen next.

"In the Kingdom's secret department, there is a very early top-secret intelligence document, which was personally sealed by 'Fatal Iris'."

The king said quietly:
"The record states that one night after the establishment of the Kingdom of Exter, countless people in Arendeburg were awakened from their sleep."

"But the piercing wind could be heard, its roar echoing across the vast sky."

"Once again, the azure flames cover the moon, melting away the snow accumulated on a thousand peaks."

Gale, vast sky, azure flames...

Hearing these extraordinary phenomena, Thales, who had some experience with them, exclaimed in astonishment:
"What? You mean..."

King Kessel was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly:
"Exactly."

"That mythical dragon, the so-called 'Sky Queen' who was said by the people to be the consort of the Dragon Rider King, descended upon Sky Cliff that night."

In the narrow, dimly lit Ballard Chamber, the Iron-Fisted King spoke in a deep voice:
"It unleashed merciless flames..."

"The renowned and revered human hero, King of Dragon Riders, Nekaru Ex I..."

“Living and breathing…”

"Burned to ashes."

As the words fell, the lights dimmed.

"what?"

Thales screamed in shock.

His gaze shifted to the table, fixed intently on the grayish-white, menacing bone ring.

What are you doing?
The statue that stands at the highest point of Dragon Sky City.

The hero that the people of the North are most proud of.

The first monarch of Exte.

Silver shadows beneath the mountains.

King of Dragon Riders.

Nakaru Ex.

His fate was sealed; he was killed by his own wife, or, as the world says, by the Sky Queen…

Give……

And then there's that fairytale-like story of the Dragon Queen and the Knight King founding their kingdom...

Thales' mind went blank; he couldn't grasp the logic behind this truth.

“I said that the oath-taker is a human being, not cold words and phrases. Cheating and playing with words are just petty tricks.”

The king spoke slowly, his tone apprehensive and serious.

Cunning and deceitful, manipulating words...

Thales's eyes narrowed.

and many more.

Nekaru's promise, orcs, a land without snow or ice, the great desert.

So, what just happened was...

Those who betray this alliance.

Deserted by everyone.

Recalling the demonic sound he had just heard, Thales was stunned.

"Gurtaksa has his own judgment on what covenants have been made, what promises have been kept, what constitutes a breach of covenant, and what constitutes a reneging on a promise."

Opposite him, King Kessel was also staring at the bone ring, his eyes flashing:
"It will, in its own way, when necessary..."

"Respond."

A response was given.

Beneath the mountains, the laughing silver figure flashed before Thales' eyes one last time.

Instead, there was Gurtaksa—the demonic voice of the covenant:
Burning in flames.

His soul perished in the River of Hell.

(End of this chapter)