Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 665 Connections
As the sun sets and the public prayer day of the Emerald Festival draws to a close, the entire Emerald City remains brightly lit, with many streets still bustling with activity, the sounds of gongs and drums filling the air, and fireworks shooting into the night sky from all directions, as if the revelry has only just begun.

But Prince Thales wasn't in such a good mood.

When Golov, DD, and the squad sent to support them returned to the Sky Palace, almost everyone was wounded and bruised.
Toledo's scalpel was dislocated, and he had a large gash in his shoulder; Morgan silently applied medicine to his wound; Rolf, covered in dust, needed a new prosthetic limb; Neshi had a head injury and appeared to have a mild concussion; Miranda had several minor abrasions, but she refused treatment, simply sitting silently with her sword in her arms; Paul had shot ten arrows in a short time, straining his muscles and needing his fingers bandaged; Golov was covered in blood and looked terrifying, second only to his horrifying expression when he returned, as if he wanted to devour anyone alive.

Morale was low and the atmosphere was somber.

"When we arrived, the wool merchant named Diop had already been silenced, along with his mistress."

Marius followed behind Thales, reporting with a grim face:
"We rescued Golov and DD, and also fought off the black-clad killer with superpowers. The result... as you can see, most people sustained minor injuries. Golov was the most seriously injured, but luckily he's tough, though..."

"But?" After comforting the dazed Nehi, the prince turned to Marius.

Marius paused for a second:
"But that assassin's superpower... Toledo has been nauseous and vomiting, Aaron is experiencing headaches and auditory hallucinations, and Neshi is quite agitated, pinching himself every few minutes to make sure he's not dreaming..."

"Golofer was the most seriously injured. He was unconscious for an hour before regaining consciousness, and his recovery was quite harrowing. I almost wrote an obituary for Piloga's family saying he was accidentally killed while caring for the wounded..."

"Morgan didn't say anything when he came back, but he's been silent for two hours now... Rolf had the mildest symptoms and can walk now after his leg was replaced. Of course, if he really had any symptoms, he probably wouldn't be able to explain them clearly."

Thales frowned, and Marius's expression grew colder as he spoke:
"Although everyone is gradually getting better, it's clear that everyone, everyone who had contact with that killer—"

"Holy crap, you can't imagine how tense that moment was, it was a hair's breadth!"

A voice with a distinctly different emotional tone rang out from the other end of the room, attracting the attention of Thales and Marius.

“I know, I know, Officer Doyle,” Wyman frowned, holding a notebook. “But could you tell me more about that assassin in black? Especially his abilities?”

"Of course!"

DD, with a bandage wrapped around his head, slapped his thigh, spitting as he spoke.

"I saw him carrying the zombie in one hand and Miss Miranda in the other, about to bring down his blade, but I shouted 'Hey, Doyle is here!' and stepped forward to fight the assassin. Swords flashed and the situation was fierce..."

"Wait, he's holding people with both hands, how can he possibly kill them with a single stroke?" Wyman questioned.

"Oh, really? Then I must have misremembered. Oh, don't interrupt, you're the one who makes me misremember..."

Thales and Marius stood at a distance, squinting in unison.

“Well,” Marius’s eyebrows arched almost imperceptibly, “maybe not everyone.”

Thales squeezed the teddy bear in his hand, his expression inscrutable.

"It's alright," the prince said calmly. "It's good that everyone is alright."

Marius glanced at his disheveled subordinates, many of whom turned away in shame.

Among the crowd, Golov gritted his teeth and stood up: "Your Highness, it's me..."

“It was my fault,” Marius turned around. “My plan underestimated the enemy. Although the murderer was hit by an arrow, he was cunning and agile, and his chosen routes were extremely treacherous. He either broke through windows and used the interior for cover, or he hid himself in the shadows of the courtyard walls or eaves. Itariano and Paulo’s crossbows missed, and it was extremely difficult for us to intercept him.”

Thales held the teddy bear tightly, remaining expressionless.

"Just then, the guards and the Emerald Legion arrived, led by Captain Seychelles himself, and many citizens were alerted and came to watch."

Thales exhaled:

"They came really fast."

Marius nodded:

"To be on the safe side, I have ordered everyone to abandon the pursuit of the murderer, immediately conceal their tracks, and disperse into the crowd to retreat. After all, if the Star Lake Guards, covered in blood and acting suspiciously—especially Golov and DD—are caught at the crime scene, things could get complicated, and the trouble and losses that would bring to Your Highness would be far greater than letting the murderer go free."

Marius raised his head:

"Therefore, the responsibility for letting that murderer go is mine."

After he finished speaking, no one in the lounge dared to utter a word. Everyone nervously watched the prince as he slowly stroked the teddy bear, waiting for his response.

“Your decision is right, Thor.”

A few minutes later, Thales shook his head:
“Think about it, ‘Prince Thales allowed his subordinates to commit burglary and murder’ Jenn would be very happy to see that scene, and any of you who fall into his hands will not only not have a good time, but will also become the best handle and bargaining chip.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“And that’s not all,” Thales said gravely. “Think about it, you went through all that trouble to find the scene of the murder, but the killer just happened to be there. What are the odds of that?”

Miranda's eyes sharpened:
"Your Highness, are you saying that the assassin in black was waiting there specifically for the zombies and Doyle to come to him?"

Upon hearing this, Golov frowned, and DD stopped his rambling.

“If you hadn’t arrived in time to provide support,” Thales said, holding up the teddy bear in his hand, his eyes gleaming, “I guess they would have been one dead and one wounded, unconscious, and then caught by the ‘just in time’ security department and brought to trial for murder.”

Golov spat, and DD's eyes widened.

“But thankfully,” Thales looked up, “Thor, you made the quick decision to retreat, and you weren’t wiped out.”

Then, Prince Thales' days of frolicking in the Emerald City could come to an end with the shocking news of the "Starlake Guard breaking into a house and committing murder."

Thales thought:
Hilla was right; in the Emerald City, nothing could escape Jenn's notice.

From Morse to Diop, and now... he is at a complete disadvantage.

“It was just good luck,” Marius shook his head, “and we should have done better.”

"Excuse me for interrupting, Your Highness, gentlemen."

Wyman stood up and held up the notebook filled with notes from all the questions he had asked along the way.

"So, the Kevin Deer family is secretly keeping a master swordsman with extraordinary abilities, capable of creating illusions, to silence witnesses and kill people?"

Wyatt's question silenced everyone, and many who had visited Diop's mansion lowered their heads.

"wrong."

Miranda suddenly spoke up.

"Mira?"

“I’ve seen true masters who have reached the pinnacle, and I’ve even fought with them, so I know what that feels like,” Miranda hugged “Eagle Soaring” tighter. “But that black-clad assassin, he gave me a very strange feeling.”

"Ms. Aarond?" Marius asked.

"His swordsmanship is so exquisite and his awareness so sharp that I have never seen anything like it in my life, and it even surpasses some of the extreme warriors I know."

Miranda shook her head: "But his movements, his strength, and his coordination are only average, far inferior to his swordsmanship and awareness. It's as if he suffered some serious injury that affected his health, preventing him from using his full strength."

Miranda stared blankly at the hand covered by a black glove.

"Thank God," Nesh said weakly, "thank goodness."

“But he’s very young,” Golover added. “His voice sounds like he’s in his thirties, no more than forty.”

Wyatt pondered for a moment, then quickly jotted something down:
"So, he's a rising star just one step away from the pinnacle, or perhaps a pinnacle expert who was once injured?"

“He’s not a rising star,” Itariano sighed. “I don’t want to say it, but I saw it clearly from the rooftop: when he broke through your four-man encirclement, it was like a cat playing with a mouse.”

Toledo, Nehi, Morgan, and Rolf's expressions turned grim.

“I think he has far more combat experience than one might imagine; he might be a veteran of the battlefield,” Itariano concluded.

“He’s not a veteran,” Morgan scoffed. “A veteran who has been on the battlefield, fought in groups, and understands group combat doesn’t fight like him. That guy is more like someone who’s trained in training grounds and dueling rings.”

"A master swordsman with exceptional awareness, though not yet at his peak. His physical condition is a hindrance, having been injured before. In his thirties, he's a rising star with rich experience, but not a veteran of the battlefield..."

Wyman read through the key points he had just jotted down, and said with a headache:

"Damn it, how come all this intelligence is contradictory?"

“There’s one more thing,” Marius suddenly said, “the limitations of those with superpowers.”

Thales looked at him:

"Thor?"

The Watcher took a deep breath and looked at everyone:
"The world is fair. The effort, focus, and time required for someone to train their superpowers to a level sufficient for combat is no less than that required to master the finishing power and become a super-class swordsman. If you are greedy and train your superpowers and swordsmanship at the same time, the most likely result is that you will fail at both." Thales asked, "In other words, it is very difficult for someone to become a warrior who is proficient in both superpowers and possesses the finishing power?"

Koyia was even more puzzled:

"But that assassin in black, he's skilled with a sword, and he also has supernatural abilities..."

“I remember now,” Miranda’s eyes flashed, “He did say that he couldn’t control his powers.”

“But it’s enough to take down anyone within a foot of him, faster than taking drugs.” A look of resentment flashed in Golov’s eyes.

A gust of wind blew up, attracting everyone's attention: Rolf gestured by the wall.

“What did he say?” Marius asked.
Thales looked at Rolf's gesture and asked in confusion:

“He said that the ability to influence others… oh, to influence their minds is rare, and often comes at a heavy price with serious aftereffects. Even among those with superpowers, very few can achieve that effect.”

Just then, an unexpected voice rang out, hesitant and uncertain.

“Your Highness, sir, I think I might know who that guy is.”

Marius frowned:
"Doyle?"

All eyes turned to DD, who took a deep breath, his expression complex.
"That assassin knows the 'Legion Ten Style,' Joaquin's 'Legion Ten Style.'"

Upon hearing this, the vast majority of people were completely bewildered, with only a few showing slight changes in expression.

“Who is Joaquin?” Thales asked.

“Knight Joaquin, or rather, Master Joaquin,” Marius said in a deep voice, “He was once the prince’s attendant before the coronation of the late King Eddil, and later became the chief swordsmanship instructor of the Starry Sky Royal Family and the chief swordsmanship instructor of the Royal Standing Army. He is a famous swordsmanship master in the kingdom and one of the representatives of the Imperial Wind Swordsmanship. Of course, he is also the teacher of Officer Doyle.”

As soon as he finished speaking, many people, including Thales, changed their expressions and looked at DD differently.

Attendant of the late king.

The chief swordsmanship instructor of the Shining Star Royal Family.

Chief swordsmanship instructor of the standing army.

A master swordsman.

And DD's teacher.

Wait, is the last title misplaced?
“Judging from his tone, he knows Professor Joaquin,” Doyle said casually, his gaze lingering. “Their relationship is quite close.”

The Watchman frowned:
"But precisely because of Master Joaquin's status, those who received his guidance and were influenced by him have drawn inspiration from the 'Ten Forms of the Legion,' numbering in the thousands, if not tens of thousands. Not to mention those who later passed on their skills. Doyle, aren't you..."

But DD shook his head:

“I understand what you mean, sir, but Joaquin’s other students or disciples all develop their own swordsmanship styles after they graduate.”

DD's gaze slowly focused, revealing a seriousness that Thales had never seen before and could hardly imagine seeing in Doyle.

“But that man in black, his ‘Legion Ten Styles’ is absolutely the purest, Joaquin’s style,” Doyle said absentmindedly. “Only those who have been by his side for years, receiving his instruction and guidance day and night, can achieve it.”

“Over the years, you mean…” Marius said.

DD took a deep breath and looked at everyone:

"Yes, only those knights who once followed Master Joaquin, regarded him as their knight master, and were taught skills one-on-one by him according to the ancient knightly methods, and who inherited his skills, could do it."

Marius's expression changed slightly:
"If it's true, then... are you sure?"

“I’m sure,” Doyle said, a rare look of worry on his face, “in the name of the bedside teddy bear.”

Thales glanced subconsciously at the teddy bear in his hand.

After a moment of silence, Marius raised his head:
"As far as I know, before Knight Joaquin died, he had nine squires..."

"Eight and a half."

DD, unusually, interrupted Marius.

"He passed away before I finished training."

Doyle still looked lost in thought, and at the end, he curled the corner of his mouth in an ambiguous way.

Everyone looked at DD's expression strangely and whispered among themselves ("I knew it, that superpower still has an effect...").

"Okay, then we need the relevant information."

Marius nodded to Hugo Foby, who was holding the flag wing.

Upon hearing this, the standard-bearer remained expressionless, turned, and left the room.

Everyone fell silent, and for a moment the only sound was the rustling of Wyman taking notes.

“Okay, let’s not talk about the assassin in black for now,” Thales sighed, sensing everyone’s dejection. “Now, Dagory Moss went to see this Diop, and now they’re both dead.”

“They were all silenced,” Miranda said coldly.

“There’s definitely something wrong with him.” Golov clenched his fist.

Marius nodded: "Diop is dead, but he must have left something behind. I'll send others to check again and see if there are any other clues."

But Thales picked up the bear cub and shook his head along with it.

"No. First of all, the Emerald Legion and the Vigilant Department will leave you nothing. Secondly, we almost fell for Janne's trick, and we can't make the same mistake again."

Everyone looked at each other.

“Someone told me that Jenn’s control over Emerald City was beyond imagination,” Thales said. “Now I understand.”

"Your Highness?" Marius asked.

Thales snapped out of his reverie and looked seriously at his subordinates:

"I recall Morse mentioned that he had 'connections' in the new suburbs and the canal district if he wanted to do something that wasn't officially known..."

"Connections?"

Thales nodded: "'Alpha Wolf' Razanchi Fissor and 'Wanderer' Fogg, try to find these two."

Golov's expression changed: "Alpha Wolf, Wanderer, Your Highness, who are they—"

“The Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood, yes, underground gangs,” Thales said with certainty, “are outside of Jann’s sights.”

Marius was silent for a moment, then looked at Golov and Rolf.

“Now, forget about today and get some rest,” the prince said in a deep voice. “I’m going to meet with Janne and get some interest from him.”

Marius accepted the order.

Thales started walking, and Wyman quickly put away his notes and followed.

But Thales stopped after taking only two steps.

DD was deep in thought when he suddenly felt a weight in his arms.

He scrambled to his feet, only to find himself standing before someone he knew all too well—

A teddy bear?

Eh?
Danny Doyle looked up in surprise.

"Tsk tsk, don't you ever look in the mirror?"

Under the astonished gazes of everyone, Thales clicked his tongue, shook his head, and walked out of the room:

"Your eyes are so red. Get some sleep and try not to stay up late."

(End of this chapter)