Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 649 Virtual Conditions
Jann was very unhappy about being interrupted, and he immediately called someone over to ask what was going on.

A judge's assistant rushed in from the outer castle to inform him that something had happened in the courtroom: a hereditary baron, who was not satisfied with the verdict, was "fiercely protesting."

“The Kongming Palace is not a place for him to act like a rogue,” perhaps it was Thales’s gaze that made Jann very unhappy. The Duke of the South Bank, who was usually mild-mannered in front of outsiders, snorted coldly, “let alone the courtroom.”

However, the judge's assistant told him with difficulty that the baron had invoked the "Rodley Ordinance" from the time of the Restoration King, requiring a nobleman of high enough rank to be present as a juror or even to arbitrate, in order to override the previous judgment.

"How bold."

Jenn sneered:
"This is blatant contempt of court, especially at such a crucial time as the Queen's Day."

"What's wrong?" Although it was an internal matter of Emerald City and it was inconvenient to comment, Thales couldn't help but ask, "Is it related to what we were talking about earlier?"

Jann glanced at him meaningfully, and the Duke then gave the order:
“Then do as he says. Invite a nobleman of honor to attend. It’s rare, but it’s his right after all.”

But the judge's assistant looked troubled.

"Lord Janne, the closest person was originally Earl Pintor, but he..."

The assistant couldn't help but glance at Thales, his expression complex.

"The Earl is still recovering at home and cannot make an appearance."

Thales felt very uncomfortable being stared at.

Huh? Count Pintor?
Why does this name sound so familiar?

Jenn glanced at Thales and said dismissively, "Perhaps he feels embarrassed lately and doesn't want to show his face. What about the others?"

"For various reasons, none of the officials are willing to come forward."

"What's the reason?" Jenn was clearly not satisfied, but his expression quickly changed.

But the assistant dared not answer.

Duke Iris realized something and looked at Thales.

"What's wrong? What are you looking at?" Thales touched his face, puzzled.

"The reason," Jann replied coldly.

A dozen minutes later, when Thales first stepped into the Emerald City Trial Hall in the Skylight Palace, he discovered that it was more spacious and more imposing than any hall in the Skylight Palace or any hall of the Kevin Deer family.

An elderly judge with gray hair and a wrinkled face, wearing thick glasses, sat in a position higher than the others in the hall. On either side of him were the plaintiff's and defendant's seats, while the outer seats were filled with guests, mostly well-dressed and prominent figures. They couldn't help but chatter when they saw the Duke in person.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Thales and Jann, accompanied by their entourage, took their seats in the open box on the second floor—a little higher than the judges.

“Then let’s continue,” the old judge adjusted his glasses. “Case No. 680-10-0881, Mr. Slimani, the defense attorney, representing the farmers of Fengpei Village, v. Baron Elan Trent, the case of unlawful robbery and unlawful imprisonment.”

That wasn't robbery!

A middle-aged aristocrat in the dock, dressed in an exquisite coat and with impeccably styled makeup and hair, immediately jumped up, gesticulating wildly and speaking at the top of his lungs:

“Those farmers are my subjects! That's the grain grown on my land! But they're cheating and shirking their duties, not only delaying and refusing to pay rent and taxes for various reasons, but also secretly taking away this year's harvest behind my back! They've joined forces—”

Boom!
The old judge slammed his gavel down mercilessly, the heavy sound echoing throughout the courtroom, silencing all other sounds.

"The hammer is made of an alloy imported from Hamburg. Their crystal formula is quite ingenious, and the sound it produces ranges from deep and majestic to lively and bright. It is said to have the effect of cleansing the mind, and the timbre of many musical instruments has been greatly improved because of it."

Janine calmly explained to him in a low voice, but she couldn't hide the "you've never seen this in the countryside before" look in her eyes.

Thales pouted unhappily.

What are you bragging about?

What? So what if you're rich?

"quiet."

Although the old judge was advanced in years, his voice remained firm and powerful, commanding respect.
"Or should I have the guards of Kongming Palace help you quiet things down, Baron Trent?"

Baron Trent was still unconvinced and wanted to say something more, but his servant quickly persuaded him to stop.

“Johnny Brennan, the most senior judge in Emerald City and even the entire South Shore, is highly respected,” Jenn whispered. “Emerald City had a hard time getting him to come from the Duchy of Anrenzo.”

“What kind of case is this? Is it related to… what we’re talking about?” Thales silently observed his surroundings.

“You’ve stumped me.” Jenn shook his head.

The old judge turned to the plaintiff's seat:
"Mr. Slimani?"

A man with a simple hairstyle, yet exuding shrewdness and competence, rose from his seat. He first bowed to the two dukes, then faced Judge Brennan:
"Your Honorable Judge Brennan, as I have previously argued, my clients, namely the 230 farmhouses of Ponpe, which are under the jurisdiction of the Trent family, do not accept the defendant's defense. That is, unlawful robbery and subsequent unlawful detention."

"Little man!"

Baron Trent's roar rang out again:

“You’ll defend them, Slimani, only because you’re the Grain Merchants’ personal lawyer! They’ve secretly negotiated a price with the grain merchants in town to buy this batch of grain!”

"And you're a former guard! Look around, everyone in this courtroom is your old colleague, all in cahoots!"

Boom!
“Baron Trent, that reason is sufficient once,” Judge Brennan said sternly, “and the current court has responded to your seemingly reasonable protest.”

"but--"

“You requested that nobles of high status and prestige, whose character and conduct are respected, be present at the trial, and that request has been fulfilled,” Brennan stroked his gray beard, narrowed his eyes, and looked up at the second floor. “Perhaps we are too satisfied. Since the Bloody Year, the courtroom has not welcomed such distinguished guests for a long time.”

The next second, the old judge stood up shakily, along with his deputy, assistant, scribe, and finally almost everyone in the courtroom stood up.

“Duke of Thales, Duke of Jann, on behalf of the court on duty today, I welcome you,” Brennan bowed toward the two dukes. “May the setting sun bear witness that your presence will further illuminate justice and the law.”

“Judge Brennan,” Jann rose humbly, and Thales had to stand up as well, bowing to the old judge, “the Kevin Deer family is part of the Emerald City, and it is my duty to be here as a juror. I only hope you will not mind that I have brought guests with me, and His Highness Thales also wishes to visit the Emerald City.”

“Your Honor, please understand,” Thales said with a smile, “no matter when or where, as the royal family, the Nine-Pointed Star has an obligation to serve the entire kingdom, and as the Radiant Star, I have an even greater responsibility.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the two dukes exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with hostility.

The entire courtroom was abuzz with discussion.

“Very well, Your Graces,” Judge Brennan sat down again, his tone calm. “I only hope that you keep your political disputes to the level of verbal sparring and don’t drag them into my courtroom.”

These words made Thales and Jenn freeze, and they sat down awkwardly.

"He doesn't seem to be giving us much face?"

“Not only that, he didn’t even give my father any face,” Jan said softly. “It is said that when your grandfather was inspecting the south bank, he was ordered to pay for the damage to the stalls by his guards.”

"and then?"

“Your grandfather obediently paid the money back and even came back to reward him.”

Thales raised an eyebrow.

The courtroom reopened, and the defense attorney and the baron engaged in a heated argument.

"I am exercising the rights that a noble lord of the Star Kingdom should have!" Baron Trent roared. "They were farmers who toiled on my land. I gave them shelter, and they worked for me. This is a sacred relationship and contract!"

Slimani's defense attorney responded calmly:
"They do work on your land, but since Duke Josh Kevindir's Separation Order in 421, at least in the South Bank Territory, the relationship between most lords and the farmers on their land has become one of tenancy and employment. Yes, they work on your fields and pay a portion of their earnings, but before that, the grain grown there is the result of their labor and belongs to them, not to you."

“But that means that at least a portion of his crops should naturally be given to me, as is the tradition!” The baron grew increasingly indignant. “This is the rent they are owed! And yet they are trying to circumvent it by making private deals with grain merchants—this is despicable theft and smuggling!”

The courtroom was in an uproar, with some voices in support and others in opposition. "Silence!"

Judge Brennan had no choice but to strike his gavel once again.

“My clients haven’t handed over their grain produce, but that doesn’t mean they’re in arrears on taxes—in fact, they’ve paid the full amount. As for the methods of paying taxes, they were already expanded during the reign of the Duke of Leinster—may he rest in peace—to allow for the substitution of full labor or money in addition to the fixed amount of crops from the land,” Slimani’s lawyer said politely, in stark contrast to the Baron. “If you have any questions, I would be happy to point you to the relevant legal provisions, if you care, of course.”

"Full amount?"

Baron Trent was furious: "The rent they give me, if used to buy grain at market price, would only amount to 60% of what it was in the same period last year! I don't even have enough grain to feed the guards!"

While the debate was going back and forth, Thales and Jenn were having another conversation in a private box upstairs.

"I believe you."

“Believe what?” Thales asked, frowning.

"After hearing what you just said, I believe that you and your father are not the same kind of people—I'll believe that for now."

“Thank God,” Thales exaggeratedly, “so we can leave the past behind and start over?”

"Before that, let me clarify something."

Thales listened attentively.

“I know,” the Duke of South Bank said softly. “I’ve known all along that it wasn’t you who took the initiative to write to my sister to discuss the marriage, nor was it you who took the initiative to retaliate against me. I know it was just your father’s wish—in fact, I knew that even before you returned home.”

“Very good, then it seems you haven’t let your sister’s matter affect your rationality—no, if you thought it had nothing to do with me from the beginning, then why did you retaliate against me at the royal banquet?” Thales asked, puzzled.

“Believe it or not,” Jann said without changing his expression, “I gave the sword to Bailar at the royal banquet, not because of any personal grudge against you—it was something that had to be done.”

“It has to be done,” Thales frowned. “Explain?”

“Only by igniting the conflict between the Western Wilderness and the Palace of Restoration,” Jann calmly looked down at the two sides arguing, “can your father be preoccupied with other matters and have no time to reach out to the South Bank.”

"what?"

The Duke of Iris looked at him:

"What your father wants to do is no secret to any of the guardian dukes."

Jenn said solemnly:

"Seven years ago at the State Affairs Conference, the 'Rising Star's' coup plot had already made His Majesty very dissatisfied with me, although I compensated for it somewhat by ceding territory and crystal mines afterward..."

"Those compensations? You mean, the compensation for instigating the vampires to murder me?" Thales scoffed.

“But that didn’t satisfy your father,” Jann did not deny, nor did he apologize to Thales, “but instead broadened his appetite and showed him the wealth and prosperity of the South Bank.”

The wealth and prosperity of the south bank...

Thales stroked the expensive leather of the chair he was sitting on and sighed.

“I don’t want to say this, but when I last went to the palace, my father was indeed reading the port tax report of the South Bank Territory and heard Steward Qiu cursing your accounting skills.”

Jann remained silent for a long time before looking at Judge Brennan, who was striking the gavel again.

“I know. I originally hoped that after Val Arend was imprisoned, the North, beset by internal and external troubles, would become your father’s biggest obstacle, enough for him to digest for a long time, so long that he wouldn’t have time to take care of the South Bank Territory and the Sky Palace.”

"but?"

Jenn's eyes flashed with wariness, as if facing a formidable enemy:
"But your father's courage and ability—whether it was his willingness to sacrifice his son as a hostage or Chaman Lumba's peculiar way of ousting Nunn to become king—made such expectations fall short: you left Longshoring as a hostage, Lumba withdrew his troops from the fortress, and the threat to Exter vanished overnight."

Your father's courage and ability...

Thales had a strange expression on his face.

The owner of the iris continued, "The North has neither a duke nor any external threats, it's a golden opportunity. Your father reached into the Coldhold and devoured the vacuum left by Aarond in just a few years."

Thales hesitated for a moment:

"In fact, the fact that Chaman ousted Nunn and was crowned king is... well, never mind, it's not important."

“You’re right, your father wouldn’t waste too much time on matters of father-son relationship,” Jann said, ignoring his words. “So when I learned that the Royal Guard had gone to the Western Wilderness to rescue you, I realized something was amiss—with the capabilities of the Royal Secret Service, he had a thousand efficient ways to rescue his son, but he chose to use the army, which was the most costly and had the most potential for trouble.”

Thales frowned.

"Then, I received news that Baki's camp had been attacked and that the Legendary Wings had returned to rescue it."

Jenn raised his head, his gaze heavy:

"At that time, I roughly understood what your father wanted to do."

Thales couldn't help but say:
"Really?"

Jenn gave a soft hum:
"It's not hard to guess, especially when you know the history of the Emerald Legion."

Damn.

He actually guessed it.

Thales frowned as he thought.

"But then, you returned to your country," Jann said, his eyes burning. "You were escorted back to the capital by the three great families of the Western Wilderness. I heard that the Four-Eyed Skull even gave you their family heirloom sword?"

Thales paused, wanting to offer some explanation, but ultimately gave up:

"In fact, Falkenhausen was not... well, never mind, it doesn't matter."

Jenn looked a little puzzled, but he nodded nonetheless:
“I knew something was wrong from that moment on: things in the Western Wilderness certainly didn’t go as your father wished. Given His Majesty’s nature, even if he can’t make up for the loss he suffered this time immediately, he will definitely find a way to compensate for it elsewhere.”

Upon hearing this, Thales hesitated again, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped:

"In fact, the reason he was unhappy in the Western Wilderness was... well, never mind, it's not important."

Jenn was preoccupied with something:

"The next step was that I received a letter from the Palace of Restoration: it was signed by you and included an ugly portrait, inquiring about the possibility of a marriage between Prince Thales and Hilla."

Thales frowned:
"Is the portrait ugly?"

Jenn didn't answer; he let out a long sigh:

“Your father, he eventually set his sights on the South Bank, starting from that time.”

Thales held it in for a long time.

“Perhaps… to look on the bright side?” the prince said cautiously. “You are not the only family to have received the letter.”

“But we are definitely in the front row, and that has nothing to do with Hilly, it has nothing to do with Kevin Deer.”

Jenn sneered and shook his head, his gaze sharp and cold:
"I came to realize later that this was bound to happen sooner or later: if you were a girl, a princess, then I have no doubt that His Majesty's marriage target would be me."

Thales paused upon hearing this.

"If I were a public... could you please use a different conditional clause?"

I've been a bit overworked these past few days, so I'll take a break today and post a short chapter of only 4600 words.

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(End of this chapter)