Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 630 Each with their own agenda

"It seems you've grasped the significance of that threshold name."

Ashida looked at Thales, who was panting heavily, and seemed to be deep in thought:
"Especially when the one who calls it is a mage, and is very close by."

Thales wiped the sweat from his forehead and gritted his teeth.

What was that feeling just now?
Aishida gave a soft hum, regaining her usual elegance:

"Don't worry, he's sealed away and can't respond politely."

Otherwise, they wouldn't be sitting here safely.

Thales exhaled and stared intently out the window.

The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and the area outside the castle was pitch black, with only the occasional calls of birds and the cries of animals coming from afar.

The atmosphere became somewhat subdued, and the boy's mood also dropped.

"What does that feel like?"

There was an ethereal quality in Thales's tone that he himself couldn't perceive:
"When you, as a mage, are sealed away by the legendary anti-magic weaponry?"

Aishida fell silent.

But a faint blue light flickered in his eyes, like stars in the night sky.

I'd better not tell you.

Thales frowned:
"why?"

Aishida paused for a few seconds before speaking:

"Seven years ago, when I was sealed by that short sword, what did you see?"

Thales was taken aback, and couldn't help but recall his less-than-pleasant first meeting with the Air Mage.

When he was sealed away by the Yordle.

What did I see...?

“You, you turned into many beams of light of indistinguishable color, scattering out,” Thales tried to recall, his tone uncertain, “energy, loud noise, impact, explosion… and then, and then I don’t remember.”

"What about Nagisa?"

Giza?

Thales tensed up, recalling the final moments of the Blood Mage.

Beware of Ashida.

“She withered, hardened, turned black, became brittle, then cracked, shattered, and turned into ashes,” Thales recounted the past, recalling the moment he sealed Giza with the Blade of Purification. For some reason, an indescribable sorrow welled up in his heart, “like the embers of a great fire, scattered by the wind.”

The mage nodded, gazing into the darkness outside the window:
"This is what you see, but it already explains a lot."

Ashida's tone suddenly tightened:

"Seven hundred years ago, as the first target among the magic masters, Bane was sealed away very cleanly and directly, disappearing without a trace. Even if we knock on the door to enter his true state and call out to him in the most brutal way, we will not get any response or feedback. It is as if he has just fallen asleep and will never wake up."

"Many people witnessed the siege of Arek. His unwilling roar in his original state alarmed almost all the magic users, so much so that we always had the illusion that he still existed, but only a deathly silence remained, ignorant, unaware, without thought, without feeling. As time passed, we gradually realized: he will never come back."

"We do not know how many times Solovsky was hunted, but after a sudden and abrupt knock on the door, he became permanently abnormal. His responses to us were incoherent, chaotic, contradictory, and did not constitute any information. All he conveyed was coldness, despair, and stillness, eventually turning into countless meaningless fragments."

Bane, Alec, Solovsky...

The sound of these familiar names coming from Ashida's mouth caused Thales's expression to change slightly.

"Lebla was hunted by three legendary anti-magic weapons, each time being restricted and weakened, until finally falling to the fourth. But after he was sealed, he did not disappear immediately, but lingered in our perception for three months before gradually weakening, falling silent, and returning to stillness. Thanks to him, we know that sealing is not death and destruction, but another incomprehensible state, and we also know that Black Orchid and Bloodthorn are already on another level of existence, the 'Supreme Queen of All Magic'."

"L's seal is the most bizarre and mysterious. As the most terrifying magic user besides B, although we had no news of him after the war, we all knew and felt that he was still alive. But at some point, you looked back and realized with absolute certainty: a long, long time ago, he disappeared, and you just, just inexplicably... forgot."

"As for Ji Lai, strong, iron-blooded, proud and aloof, he even tried to fight the Truth Brothers one against two, but in his last knock on the door, he conveyed unfathomable pain, anger, disgust and even despair and sorrow."

Lebrah, L, Jilai… Hearing these names and these bizarre encounters, Thales frowned.

"As for Giza, over the course of seven hundred years, she encountered no fewer than a dozen Catastrophe Hunters and no fewer than six legendary anti-magic weapons, fighting back and forth. Although she was inevitably in a sorry state, she mostly survived—until you put the final straw on her, turning her into countless dead things and ashes."

At this point, Ashida's tone changed:
"Finally, B."

Thales's expression tightened.

“When he was sealed away, even though we were thousands of miles apart,” Ashida said in an ethereal tone, “the shock and upheaval that tore everything apart and destroyed everything made me think that the world was about to end.”

"Therefore, the manifestations and effects of the seal on each magic user are different, and I suspect that this is because each magic user..."

“Magic energy?” Thales chimed in.

The boy's expression was serious: "So you can't tell me, because of the Magical Covenant."

Ashida pondered for a moment, then nodded:

“Each mage’s magical power is unique, which may determine how they were sealed, as well as the state and feeling of being sealed.”

Thales remained silent for a long time, his expression serious.

"So, as someone with experience, what advice do you have?"

The boy looked at the guide:
"When we face the legendary anti-magic forces?"

The Qi Mage also remained silent for a long time.

"No."

“Every legendary anti-magic weapon can weaken or even completely disable magical energy. We can barely get close to it, let alone touch it.”

"Even the same weapon may have completely different effects and uses in different eras, in the hands of different people, and against different enemies. You can't even prepare in advance."

This answer made the atmosphere heavy.

Thales frowned.

"Then why should I become a magic user? At least I can still touch them now, but after taking that step, I'll have a fatal weakness: any legendary anti-magic weapon could take me down?"

“If you don’t take that step, you’ll be vulnerable everywhere,” Ashida shook his head, slightly disdainful. “Without legendary anti-magic weapons, any weapon, even a small nail, can take you down.”

Thales choked.

"Okay, let's get back to the main topic."

The Duke waved his hand:
"So, what's wrong with Freylan? Her current situation is unknown. Which faction does she belong to? How did you all end up working together?"

Freyland.

The name caused a flash of blue light to appear in Ashida's eyes, which then branched out and seeped into her face.

But he didn't answer; instead, he stared coldly at Thales:
"I have told you a lot tonight."

"And what will your reward be?"

Rewards.

Thiel paused for a moment before realizing what the other person was talking about.

"But you just said this isn't a deal!"

“That’s right,” Ashida said, tidying up her clothes (which weren’t actually messy at all). “So, I call this—mutual assistance between teachers and students, and mutual learning.”

Telston choked for a moment.

A few seconds later, the boy gave the middle finger in frustration:
"Fuck you."

"What does this mean? The middle finger?"

"A new trend of swearing among northerners."

“Well then,” Ashida said calmly, “I’ll just have to tell the story of Freylan another time.”

"Alright alright!"

Thales had no choice but to surrender.

He stood up unhappily and pointed to the blue invitation on the ground:
"Then, whatever you do, don't blink!"

The invitation reappeared in Thales's hand the next second.

The boy narrowed his eyes and sneered as he tossed the invitation to the magic master.

But Ashida had no time to notice Thales' expression.

“So beautiful,” the guide said, gazing at Thales’ fingers with profound words, “charming, beautiful, beyond words.”

Hearing this string of adjectives, Thales felt a little embarrassed and coughed.

"Well, this ability, how should I put it, is somewhat awkward."

Ashida’s attention returned to Thales’ words;
"Awkward?"

Thales sighed and stuffed the invitation into his pocket.

"To put it simply, if I were a traveling magician, my performances would be packed to capacity and filled with applause."

"If I were a petty thief on the streets, I would definitely succeed in my business and never leave empty-handed."

"Even if I'm a mercenary who lives on the edge, a surprise attack like this in battle can be quite effective."

The boy's tone turned serious:
"But just so..."

“But you happen to be a prince,” Ashida calmly replied, “the esteemed Duke of Starlake.”

Thales' smile vanished instantly.

"Exactly." The boy was somewhat dejected.

"If you want to see magic tricks, I can hire the best circus in the entire Western Continent. They don't have magic powers, but they can still perform better than me."

"If I want to get something from afar, instead of using magic energy, why don't I just order my guards to fetch it directly? It would save me the trouble and effort."

Thales sarcastically remarked:

"If I really encounter an enemy, instead of expending a lot of effort using magic, I might as well just wave my hand, and a bunch of monstrous beasts will swarm up and beat them up for me."

Ashida listened to him silently, offering no comment.

“Also, for a good street beggar to steal things from someone’s pocket without anyone noticing,” Thales snapped his fingers, and the invitation magically appeared in his other hand, “you really don’t need any magic.”

"So far, its greatest use is to casually pick up a couple of forbidden books when visiting, consulting and praying at the Temple of the Setting Sun."

Thales sighed, ending his reflection.

"fortunately."

“Fortunately, you are a prince,” Ashida said, gazing at him wistfully. “Your status dictates that you cannot go out and embarrass yourself by using these petty tricks, only to invite trouble for yourself.”

Thales raised an eyebrow:
"very good."

Ashida nodded:

"Keep it."

“Keep a low profile, keep this habit,” the mage said coldly. “Never use it lightly, never expose it intentionally—sometimes it’s better to go through a little trouble, like taking a few extra steps to get a cup, than to let anyone notice anything amiss.”

"Otherwise, you'll be in big trouble sooner or later."

Thinking of Sacelle, the watchman in the dungeon, Thales said dejectedly:

"Thank you for reminding me, I can relate."

Just then, a blue light flashed in Ashida's eyes:
"You're bleeding."

Thales was startled and reached out to wipe it away.

Oops.

"Oh, you know, it's been hot lately."

Thales casually rubbed his nose, chuckled, put his blood-stained left hand behind his back, and raised the invitation again with his right hand:
So, do you still want it?

He skillfully pulled out a handkerchief, sat back in his "chair," and revealed an evil and seductive smile:
"Want more?"

Ashida stared at him with interest, making Thales somewhat uneasy.

A few seconds later, the mage gave a soft hum and returned to the topic that Thales was most concerned about.

"Fleiland did not participate in the final battle, so he was classified as a moderate by the radicals."

“But this division is not convincing, because Freylan is distant from most of her peers.”

At this point, the Qi Mage suddenly changed the subject:

"However, even an omnipotent being like B showed her considerable respect, or rather, fear."

A magic master that even B fears.

Thales pressed his nose with a handkerchief, silently memorizing these thoughts:

"She's very powerful?"

Ashida shook her head.

“‘Powerful’ is not a fitting description—the word is too general and pale, with limited meaning.”

"So, to put it another way, she's special?"

“Every mage is special,” the mage said, a strange light gleaming in his eyes, “but according to a senior, what Freylan saw was even more wondrous.”

Sensory magicians, even more wondrous...

Thales couldn't help but recall what he had seen in the prison of bones, and Sakel's trembling account:
In fact, she lived longer than all of our royal guards combined...

Aishida continued speaking:
"In the final battle, the two emperors rose to power, the radicals were utterly defeated, and the remaining magic users were hunted down one by one by the Calamity Hunters."

Thales's eyes flickered: "Calamity Hunter?"

“The first masters of the legendary anti-magic weapons,” Ashida explained softly, a hint of displeasure in her voice, “were not like they are now. Back then, the warriors who were armed were focused and pure, with only one goal.”

"But in comparison, Freylan received special treatment."

"What special treatment?"

Aishida paused for a second, his eyes revealing caution and apprehension:

"Black Orchid and Bloodthorn, the two magic queens, have personally gone to hunt down Freyran."

"What?" Thales exclaimed in surprise, putting down his handkerchief.

The two emperors personally went to hunt down... the Sensory Magician?

"So, Freylan, she survived the clutches of the two emperors?"

Aishida nodded, her eyes deep.

"For the next seven hundred years, I remained hidden, and at one point I thought that Freylan was in grave danger."

The mage raised his eyes and looked directly at Thales:
"Until she contacted us on her own initiative."

"Or rather, she tried to contact a lot of people, but only Giza and I actually responded to her."

Thales' eyelids twitched:
"Contact you? For what purpose?"

Aishida gave a soft hum.

"She has a plan, a plan to rebel against the two emperors."

Rebellion against... the Twin Emperors of Magic.

Thales swallowed hard.

"what's the plan?"

Aishida gazed into the distance, her eyes sharp:
"Freland believes that the world's oldest royal family—even if most of them are greedy, short-sighted mortals, stupid as pigs—is hiding an important secret."

A very important secret.

Thales clenched his fist as he recalled what the mercenary Ricky had said about "the greatest king" in the prison of bones.

“Thank you for your assessment of our family,” Thales said seriously. “What secret?”

Aishida smiled and said:

"You really want to know?"

Thales became alert:
"Wait, you, you don't want to be 'dismissed', do you?"

The mage chuckled softly:
“Fleilan didn’t say, and I don’t know either.” Thales was taken aback before he realized what was going on.

"What? Aren't you collaborators?"

Aishida shook her head:

"That was just Freylan's plan, but Giza and I both have our own agendas. Our three-way cooperation is just that each of us gets what we need."

Thales remained silent for a moment, somewhat helpless.

"So, your little gang of three doesn't communicate with each other and each has their own ulterior motives?"

What a model of teamwork!

But Ashda didn't care:

"This is the norm for magic users to get along, and you should be grateful for it."

"why?"

“Because last time, when two or more magic users banded together,” Ashida glanced at him, her teasing tinged with a hint of warning, “it was the final battle.”

Thales pursed his lips and raised his hand.

forget it.

“But Freylan said that once she unlocks that secret,” Ashida’s eyes flashed with blue light, “the magic queens will be nothing to fear.”

Unravel that secret...

The two emperors are nothing to fear.

Thales seemed to remember something, and his breath hitched slightly.

[A legendary anti-magic weapon without any trace of the dual emperors, without any restrictions or taboos...]

[A secret weapon capable of completely sealing Bloodthorn and Black Orchid...]

Thales tried to shake off Ricky's words and the image of that little red sword, and tentatively asked:

"So, just for a 'secret' of Freylan that may or may not be true, you attacked my grandfather, ultimately bringing about the Bloody Year?"

Aishida snorted coldly.

"First of all, we did not bring about that disaster."

"Secondly, as I said, we each get what we need."

"And all matters of the court, including the king's, are handled by Freylan. Giza and I have neither the right nor the intention to interfere."

Thales squinted:
"No intention to interfere...that doesn't sound like you?"

The mage shook his head:

"Eternal Star City is no fun place. As the political center of the Western Continent, it houses more than one legendary anti-magic weapon, and not only is magical energy ineffective around it..."

At this point, Ashda paused for a moment.

"You saw what happened to me the last time I entered Yongxing City."

Thales pouted:
"Don't worry, Yordles aren't here."

Ashida glanced at him:
“I know, I tested them, otherwise I wouldn’t have shown myself.”

Thales glanced at him with mixed feelings.

"So, given that the Palace of Restoration is so dangerous and possesses legendary anti-magic weapons, how did Freylan manage to succeed?"

The Qi Mage remained silent for a while, as if reminiscing about the past.

"The methods of ordinary people."

Aishida said quietly:

"She lay hidden among the common people, carefully and persistently observing, waiting, and probing for generations in order to find a way to infiltrate the Star Palace—and this was not easy."

Thales nodded, then was startled:
"Several generations—wait, how long ago was that?"

Ashida was silent for a moment, then slowly said:
"When Freylan came to us, King John the Red had just ousted his own sister."

John the Red King.

“John II, and his sister, Queen Elizabeth the Conqueror,” Thales’s expression changed. “That was two hundred years ago?”

The mage sneered:

"As I said, for us, there is no waiting that can be called long."

A two-hundred-year plan...

After his initial surprise, Thales sighed:
"So she succeeded after all, patient Freylan, or rather, Queen Fiosa."

At this point, Thales couldn't help but recall the Watcher's words:
[Your Majesty... he has been bewitched, coerced, and manipulated by the most evil being in the world.]

“She couldn’t defeat the legendary anti-magic forces,” Thales said absently, “but she defeated those who had the right to control them.”

The study was quiet for a while.

"Fleiland's threshold name is the senses," Ashida seemed to remark with some emotion, "but when it comes to bewitching people and deceiving the heavens, no one in the industry can surpass her."

Thales remained silent, Sacelle's words still echoing in his mind:
[A thousand years ago, before the empire collapsed, she was renowned for her skill in manipulating people's hearts and creating illusions.]

"Fleilan has infiltrated the court, and what about you?"

Thales snapped out of his reverie and pressed, "What did you and Giza do?"

Ashida's ethereal gaze flickered, and the blue light re-converged.

He paused for a few seconds before speaking:

“Fleiland knew that she wasn’t there to lie in wait, but to take action.”

"Whether it's the legendary anti-magic forces in the palace, the disaster stories passed down through generations of various families, the ubiquitous Kingdom Secrets, or the unknown top-secret methods of the Starry Sky Royal Family, as the plan deepens and the goal becomes clearer, the closer she gets to the secrets of magic energy, the more flaws she reveals and the more suspicions she arouses. This is inevitable."

“Yes,” Thales wholeheartedly agreed.

For example, in the prison of bones, there's a former guardsman who likes to slash the prince with a knife.

"What's worse, after the final war, the history of the mage was erased from the world due to the cleansing plan, leaving us nowhere to hide: in the stagnant world, any unusual movement is extremely conspicuous."

"Based on experience, once a rumor such as 'a suspected mage has appeared' spreads in a certain place, Black Orchid and Bloodthorn's minions, or even themselves, will come to follow the sound and wipe them out."

Aishida's eyes sharpened:
"Therefore, she needs cover and to divert attention."

"And we cannot rely solely on the channels within the palace."

Thales pondered for a moment, then spoke:

"The Blood Bottle Gang?"

The mage nodded.

"It was originally a smuggling gang formed by a few desperate brewers on the border of the kingdom."

"But as the Blood Bottle Gang expanded, legends about two mage masters behind it began to circulate on the streets. Coupled with Giza's several disruptive appearances, this was enough to arouse the vigilance of the kingdom and the church's higher-ups, and even attract the attention of the magic queen lurking behind the scenes," Ashida said calmly.

Thales thought for a moment and then realized:
"You're using yourselves as bait to distract us?"

He exclaimed in surprise, "That's a huge risk!"

Aishida glanced at him.

"If the Blood Bottle Gang is plotting a rebellion or coup, or even revealing the truth about the disaster and starting a second war to end things, then yes."

But the magician changed the subject:
"But what if the biggest goal of this so-called 'magic master' gang is nothing more than controlling smuggled liquor in some underground black market?"

“Those with ulterior motives may suspect, test, and investigate, but they will only find that this gang, which originated in the streets and alleys and was made up of peddlers and laborers, has the biggest goal of bullying and dominating the market, seizing territory, smuggling contraband, and vying for fame and profit.”

"And the so-called behind-the-scenes magic master stories they use to threaten and mislead the outside world are even more absurd and full of errors, and have nothing to do with the catastrophe of world destruction. Maybe it was just something that some bootlegging smuggler saw in an ancient book?"

Aishida said coldly:

"So, for more than a hundred years, through generations of agents, we have been repeating the same boring tricks of gang fights and childish games, while spreading the false and untrue story of 'magic masters' throughout the lower classes, until it became a legend and tale in the streets and alleys."

Hearing this, Thales understood somewhat, and he sighed:

“Then you’ve succeeded. When I was a kid, I heard Rick—a beggar leader—say that when he got rich, he would hire two magic users to guard his door and act as bodyguards.”

“Then,” Ashida said with a rare hint of sarcasm, “he must be ‘very’ rich.”

The next second, the mage's tone turned icy:

"Thus, although we were unable to reveal the truth of the disaster, thus thwarting the Cleansing Plan and awakening people's fear and opposition to the Two Emperors..."

"But starting from the borders of the kingdom, in the quagmire of the lower classes far from the powerful, we spread a layer of mist throughout the Western Continent: when magic users are mentioned again and again in a joking or exaggerated tone, becoming commonplace and difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood, we disappear into the sea of ​​countless people from the bottom, successfully lowering any possible vigilance and attention."

"In this way, once Freylan truly infiltrates the upper echelons of the court and even controls the kingdom, doubts such as 'magicians plotting to steal the country' will be drowned out by rumors among the people such as 'magicians are ambitious to unify Red Street,' 'the blood calamity triumphs in the Black Gold Casino,' and 'the world-destroying calamity dominates the three major commercial streets,' and will be overshadowed."

Thales understood what had happened and frowned.

Well, I have to say, this idea is quite interesting.

He could even imagine the following scenarios:

A scout reports to the Magic Queen: According to reliable sources, the terrible calamity that once tore the continent apart has returned, and a secret underground force, a private gang, has been formed.

The two emperors, exuding murderous intent, drew their weapons and stood ready for battle: What were they doing?
The answer was: A group fight broke out in the street.

Twin Emperors: ...

The boy wiped the blood from his nose:

What kind of world-destroying villain would do such a thing?
Magicians are everywhere, and disasters are worse than dogs—no one would believe that even if it were written in a novel, the power system is completely broken!

"So you've spent over a hundred years just to cover up this?"

Aishida snorted coldly upon hearing this:

"You should say: We laid the groundwork in just over a hundred years."

Thales sighed:
"So? Have you and Frilan gotten what you wanted?"

Ashida shook her head.

"what happens?"

The mage remained silent for a moment, his gaze deep: "I don't know."

"But I guess we were still discovered."

Was discovered.

Thales's eyes flickered.

"Overnight, Giza was ambushed in the Steel City by the legendary anti-magic forces, and was left on the verge of collapse and out of contact."

"The Star Kingdom, however, defied expectations and slipped out of control. The royal family bled, and the crown fell to the ground."

Royal bloodshed, crowns falling to the ground.

[Of course, it was also the ferry bell that carried the Starry Royal Family to the River of Hell during the Bloodstained Year...]

Thales thought of the guard prisoners in the Bone Prison, and his feelings became complicated.

"Fleilan was forced to leave Everstar City and even the kingdom—before all the legendary anti-magic forces turned their attention to her."

Aishida's eyes were sharp:
"When I arrived at the Fuxing Palace, all I saw were corpses on the ground."

Corpses littered the ground.

They both remained silent for a while.

"that's it?"

The prince took a deep breath, recalling what he had seen and heard in the lower city a few months ago, and cautiously asked, "Then why did Black Sword say back then that you had wreaked havoc at the palace gates?"

Palace entrance.

Start a killing spree.

Upon hearing this, the mage glanced at Thales, seemingly lost in thought.

This one glance, however, made the prince inexplicably nervous.

Eighteen years ago, right here in this city... the Air Mage, that immortal monster, stood before the Palace of Restoration...

[Kill Constance.]

The words of Maurice from the Brotherhood echoed faintly in Thales' ears.

“They treated me like an enemy and attacked me without hesitation,” Ashida said, unconcerned. “I naturally responded with my own straightforwardness and retaliated in kind.”

Thales took a deep breath.

Respond with frankness.

Ok.

So……

How were you exposed?

Thales suppressed that sensitive question and asked another point of doubt: "What exactly did Freylan do?"

"What happened to the Starry Sky Royal Family? Why did they escape your control?"

"I don't know."

Ashida shook her head, looking rather uninterested.

"As I said, all matters of the court are to be handled by Freylan."

"All we know is that the plan failed."

The mage gazed wistfully out the window:

"A hundred years of toil, and nothing at all."

"The two emperors are still here."

"Its power is even greater than before."

Two Emperors.

Thales chewed on those two words, feeling slightly depressed.

But he quickly looked up again.

"You say the Three Calamities Alliance each has its own agenda, so what about you and Giza? What were your reasons for joining?"

The boy sniffed and squinted his eyes:

"It can't be for the purpose of unifying Red Town Street, can it?"

Aishida chuckled softly.

“I don’t know Giza’s purpose, but based on my understanding of her…”

The mage paused, a blue light flickering in his eyes:

“What she wants is far more than we, far more than Freylan and I could have imagined.”

He said quietly:

"Much more greedy, much more insane, much more terrifying."

"Incredibly much more."

Silence fell again in the study.

"how about you."

A few seconds later, Thales spoke again, his eyes fixed on his guide:
"Qi Mage, why are you cooperating with them and extending your reach into the Star Kingdom?"

----

I recently created a lineage chart of the Starry Sky Royal Family (from the Restoration King to Thales), and I've posted it in the usual place. Feel free to check it out and point out any bugs.

I recently created a family tree of the Star Kingdom and posted it in the usual spot.

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(End of this chapter)