Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 667 Taking the Initiative to Retreat
Oh no, did he guess it?

"I don't understand, what does this mean?"

The second prince calmly lowered his right hand and touched the JC dagger at his waist.

Jann stared at him intently.

"Don't you understand, Thales?"

The Duke of the South Bank narrowed his eyes:

"Why not think about it more carefully: Is it really that you don't understand?"

Thales' expression remained unchanged, but he could hear his heart pounding.

calm.

If Jann sees through me and knows that I'm just putting on a show, colluding with the King from the inside...

What will he do?
Turn on me immediately? Take action? Announce it to the world? Kick me out of Emerald City?

still is……

But the next second, Jenn smiled slightly.

He turned around, picked up the kettle, and refilled Thales' empty cup.

“Listen: The Kingdom’s secret police killed Moss, but that was just the beginning. The purpose was to attract your attention, provoke us into a conflict, and make you follow this clue all the way.”

Jenn put down the kettle and gave Thales a meaningful look:
"Like now."

Thales steadily picked up the cup: "You said that before."

Jann didn't look at him again, but poured herself a glass of spring water:

"And they killed that wool merchant named Diop for the same purpose: to provoke you and your men into action."

Thales' brow twitched.

"Really?"

The prince struggled to suppress the urge to snort:

"Miko killed Diop to lure me into a trap?"

Jenn nodded: "They know your personality, they know you'll step up and take the lead."

There must be something there.

A voice deep inside Thales told him: Moss, Diop, there must be something behind these deaths that Jenn is so eager to hide that he's using the Secret Society as a shield.

“Unfortunately, my men failed to capture that white-clad assassin from the secret service,” Thales sighed naturally. “Otherwise, we could have gotten some information out of him.”

“I don’t have any of my men either,” the Duke of South Bank said calmly, “but that’s the Kingdom’s secret service, so it’s normal.”

The white-clad assassin.

Thales carefully observed Jann's expression, but unfortunately, he gained nothing.

No, it can't be said that we gained nothing.

After all—a voice inside whispered—you knew from the beginning that Jenn couldn't be trusted.

After all, the true essence of alliance is betrayal.

Jann paused slightly: "But there is no doubt that the Secret Service is using you as a pawn, wanting you to stand up against me: from Morse to Diop, and maybe to the next person, and so on, until you dig out the Secret Service's secret weapon and take me and Kevin Deer down in one fell swoop."

"Secret weapon?"

Thales nodded:

"So, there really is something wrong with that Diop?"

Jan fell silent.

A few seconds later, he seemed to have made up his mind and nodded, saying:
“That’s right. Besides being in the wool business, Diop has another identity: the secret accountant of the Kongming Palace.”

"Hidden accounts?"

“Agents like Dagory Moss bring Emerald City certain unspeakable and unaccountable illicit income,” Jann answered frankly, “and Diop is one of the people who manages these shady accounts.”

"You mean illegal income, bookkeeping, and money laundering?"

Duke Iris snorted softly:
“If the secret service uncovers his identity and his accounts, and then you—with the same righteous indignation and awe you just now—issue a public and just accusation, it will indeed bring a lot of trouble to Emerald City, keeping me and my officials busy for quite some time.”

Thales frowned.

If what Jann said is true, then Diop is in charge of the Emerald City's secret accounts, which is why Morse went to see him.

But why was Jenn so straightforward in his confession?

That means he had made thorough preparations long ago.

He was confident that Diop's affairs had been thoroughly cleaned up, leaving no clues or incriminating evidence for the enemy, especially the Kingdom's secret service.

Thales's mood grew increasingly heavy.

“Of course you wouldn’t let that happen,” the prince said expressionlessly. “That’s why you rushed to cut off the leads, even found a scapegoat, and closed the case down to the ground to make sure it wouldn’t cause any big trouble?”

Jenn nodded:
"This matter must not become the focus of the entire city during the Jade Festival, otherwise it will play right into the hands of the Secret Service."

"Like Morse?"

Jann affirmed, "Just like Morse."

Thales remained silent for a few seconds.

"Then you should tell me about Diop first."

“I should,” Jann admitted without hesitation, “but please understand that this involves the internal operations and finances of Emerald City, and perhaps some illegal income that is not suitable to be seen in the light of day. I don’t want more people to know about it, at least not until I have eliminated the threat and ensured safety.”

Eliminate threats and ensure security...

I don't want more people to know...

For some reason, looking at the Emerald City's master before him, Thales was reminded of the Kingdom's Secret Service.

“Of course, I can understand, it makes sense, it makes sense.” Thales curled the corners of his mouth.

“Believe me, Thales, the current approach is the ideal one,” Jann raised his glass. “You and I, beneath the surface of our open struggle, have skillfully maintained the balance of power in Emerald City.”

Thales' expression shifted: "Balance?"

Janne took a sip of the clear spring water:

"Firstly, the Kingdom's secret service failed, and the Diop case proceeded smoothly without causing any major incidents or chaos."

“Yes, it’s a debt dispute. It’s perfectly normal for Bedren to act violently while drunk and kill in a fit of rage,” Thales said in a low voice.

"Secondly, you did not fall into the Secret Service's trap and become their pawn, thus preventing the breakdown of our relationship and the imbalance of the situation."

"Thanks to you cutting off the clues in advance, I didn't get the Secret Service's 'secret weapon' to deal with you."

“Thirdly, if I really wanted to cause you trouble, Thales,” Jenn put down his cup and suddenly raised his voice, “how could your men who went to chase Diop have escaped the Emerald Legion’s blockade and capture so easily?”

Thales frowned deeply.

A few seconds later, the prince took a deep breath.

“So, the Diop line is broken. Whatever conspiracy lies behind him…” Thales said slowly, “what do you think the Kingdom Secret Service will do next, and how should we respond?”

Jann curled the corners of his mouth.

“Whether it’s Morse or Diop, their deaths represent the Kingdom’s secret society’s desire for change, for disruption, for chaos,” he said, examining his wine glass and gazing at the distorted image reflected through the glass. “And we gave them the opposite.”

The opposite.

"You mean, it's stagnant, like the cases of Morse and Diop, one a revenge killing and the other a debt dispute?" Thales said quietly.

Jenn didn't answer, he just smiled.

"Besides that, Jenn, you probably won't do anything else behind my back, right?"

Thales stared intently at him:
"If so, now is the time to be honest, so as to avoid a repeat of yesterday's incident and unnecessary damage to the trust between us."

After he finished speaking, Jenn remained silent for a long time.

“I cannot make any guarantees, because even partners with aligned interests will have reservations,” the Duke said. “But I can say that if something like yesterday were to happen again, you would be informed in advance.”

Thales looked at his expression and slowly nodded.

The two dukes, each lost in their own thoughts, remained silent.

In an instant, the dining room fell into a suffocating silence.

Until Jenn coughed: "Now, if we don't have anything else to say..."

“But you know, Janne.”

Thales suddenly spoke.

“If your Emerald Legion, if they really do capture my guards at the crime scene,” the prince said, looking at the duke, “then I will be branded with the infamy of murder, and powerless to clear my name. I will probably have no choice but to slink away from Emerald City and withdraw from this game.”

Jenn paused, then said, "Maybe."

"Then why not? Why don't you just kick me out of Emerald City?"

Thales stared intently at Jenn, as if trying to see right through him:

"In this way, no matter what tricks the secret service has prepared against me, no matter what role they expect me to play, they will be discounted or even ineffective. It will be a one-time solution and a complete solution."

Jenn remained silent for a long time.

The atmosphere in the dining room became strange.

“Because we have an agreement, we have cooperation,” Jann said slowly after a long pause, his voice slightly tired and hoarse, “we are still on the same chariot, fighting against the most powerful person in this kingdom, aren’t we?”

The Duke of the South Bank raised his head, his smile returning:
“If you leave, won’t I lose an ally who can fight the king together? I think we should be on the same page on this point, Thales.”

On the same tank, facing off against the most powerful...

Looking at the other person's expression, Thales unconsciously reached out and touched the hideous bone ring in his pocket.

"Do not."

Thales's answer made Jann's expression change slightly.

"The reason you haven't kicked me out of Emerald City once and for all is not because we have an agreement."

The prince replied earnestly, "It's because of my father."

"Because you fear him, you are afraid of him."

Jenn's smile froze for a moment.

Thales put down his cup and sighed:
"Whether my purpose in coming to Emerald City was to meet my fiancée or not, I was sent by His Majesty the King."

"No matter how disliked or hated I am, as long as I am in the Emerald City, you can use me to spy on the plans of the Restoration Palace, to spy on the King's actions, and to be constantly on guard against the conspiracies that the Kingdom's secret police might carry out through me: whether it is my marriage, my personality, or the deaths of Morse and Diop."

He raised his head:

"But if I, this bright pawn, am forced out, defeated by your methods, and completely removed from the game, who knows how the Kingdom's Secret Service will react? Who knows how my father will react? Who knows what other methods they will use that you don't know about? Perhaps they will be unable to defend against them, perhaps they will escalate their actions, perhaps the price will be terrible?"

“That’s why I haven’t been kicked out by you yet, or rather, why you don’t dare to kick me out,” Thales said calmly. “Look, when facing him, you, and me, don’t even have the power to overturn the chessboard, turn around and leave, and say ‘I’m not playing anymore.’”

Jann's gaze slowly focused, fixing on the wine glass.

“Your Highness, isn’t it a bit too early to start a rebellion now?” the Duke said with ill intent.

Telston paused for a few seconds.

“You didn’t understand what I said,” the prince said softly, “or do you not want to understand?”

Thales gripped his bone ring tightly.

“Back in the Western Wilderness, I asked Falkenhausen: If you knew in advance that the king harbored ill intentions and that he was plotting something, why didn’t you stop him beforehand?”

The Duke of the South Bank remained silent.

"The Duke of the Western Wilderness's answer was smooth and cautious. He said the conflict was necessary, and that sometimes doing nothing is the best option," the prince said absentmindedly. "But behind that hint of cunning and wisdom, I saw fear—a deep fear unique to the Duke of the Western Wilderness, the Lord of the Wasteland, Duke Cyril Falkenhaus. That fear may not have been exaggerated or obvious, but it lurked very deep, so deep that he didn't even have the courage to steal a glance at it."

Jann remained expressionless and did not answer, but he gripped the napkin tightly in his hand.

“That’s right, the reason I’m staying here, as you said, is to maintain the balance,” Thales said, sounding somewhat disheartened. “To maintain the tacit understanding between the two sides, to keep this silent struggle within the scope that you can understand, accept, and cope with.”

"Because the butcher's knife above our heads is threatening us, threatening everyone: even if we resist, we must be respectful and polite, rational and peaceful, and dare not overstep the line or break this terrifying balance."

Jenn still did not answer.

But it spoke volumes. The dining room fell completely silent until Thales let out a long sigh:

"So, what's the point?"

Jenn raised his eyes: "What?"

Thales' tone was somewhat wistful:

“I mean, what is the point of all this—ours, including yours and the Palace of Restoration's, and mine and my father's—the fighting, the cooperation, the rebellion, the infighting, the back-and-forth? In the end, it's nothing more than squabbles under the butcher's knife, a war in a cage.”

He stared at Jenn, his expression downcast.
"Why, Jenn, why does it have to be this way?"

Jenn was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, a laugh that was desolate and tragic:
"Because this is who we are."

Thales snapped out of his daze and met his gaze.

"I apologize, I spoke too much and lost my composure," the prince said in a deep voice.

But unexpectedly, Jenn shook his head.

We all have those moments.

The Duke was slightly lost in thought: "And you're right, it's the discord that arises under the executioner's blade."

In that instant, Thales felt for the first time that the man in front of him was in the same room as him, sitting at the same table.

Thales composed himself, clearing his mind of unnecessary emotions, and took a deep breath.

"On the other hand, you know, things aren't that bad, and we don't necessarily have to go that far."

"Which step?"

Telston paused for a moment: "My father, perhaps, perhaps he didn't intend to exterminate them all."

Jenn squinted.

“If I could…” Thales took a deep breath, trying to sound confident, “if you and Emerald City would just take a step back…”

But he was interrupted by Jan.

"Take a step back?"

The Duke of the South Bank looked at him with a half-smile.

Facing the other's gaze, Thales gripped the bone ring tightly in his hand, as if it could give him power.

"I mean……"

“I know what you mean,” Jann said coldly. “I’ve figured it out. You probably resolved the Western Wilderness incident a while ago in the same way: take a step back, heh.”

Thales frowned slightly.

"To take a step back, that's right. Power belongs to the throne, finances are funded by the central government, rule is subordinate to the Restoration Palace, and resources flow into Yongxing City."

Jenn leaned back in his chair with an unusually relaxed posture and began to recount:
"The Emerald City sheds its aura of autonomy, the Queen of the city relinquishes her freedom and pride, and Kevin Deer abandons his power to rule over a region, willingly becoming the slave, servant, tool, weapon, bargaining chip, and stepping stone of the Supreme King, to help, influence, and control other backward territories, distant borders, and unruly subjects, to create more of his kind, and so on, until every inch of the land is like this, in order to realize his grand ambition: the stars will henceforth be one, as at the command of his own arm, just like the empire of the past."

Thales' heart sank, and he was about to speak, but Jann did not pause:
"But on what grounds?"

The owner of the iris flower turned her head, her gaze sharp as a knife:

"The system of Emerald City was established by us over many years, the wealth of the South Bank people was accumulated by us bit by bit, and the prestige and status of the Kevin Deer family here was earned through hard work."

"Why should we be expected to make sacrifices, to dedicate ourselves, to cooperate, to make sacrifices, to destroy our families to relieve the nation's suffering, to be loyal to the country, to hand over all that we have acquired, governed, and possessed, to pay more taxes, to serve more labor, to bear more debts, to support the royal army, to assist the officials of the capital, to write the history of the Shining Star, to strengthen the authority of the Restoration Palace, to achieve the glory of the Nine-Star Crown, to realize the ambitions of the Supreme King, and to share the disasters brought by the high-ranking officials from the central government, such as the Bloody Year?"

Thales wanted to say something, but he held back his teeth.

The Duke continued with a cold laugh: "Why should the people of the South Shore, who live the best, are in the best condition, and are thriving in the entire planet, voluntarily step back and support the idle people of the whole planet, so that the savages of the Clifflands, the crude barbarians of the North, the cunning merchants and lazybones of the East Sea, the unruly people of the western wastelands, the bandits and robbers of the Blade's Edge Territory, and those arrogant, contemptuous, and self-important royal lords of the Central Territory who look down on everyone as if they came from some remote backwater, can come and steal everything from us, share our profits, and drag down our lives?"

"Just because one of your ancestors, who knows how many generations back, got drunk one day and, while urinating, mumbled 'If the stars were here?'"

Seeing Jenn in this state, Thales took a deep breath.

"You just said, 'Everyone looks like they're from some remote, backwater place,' right?"

The prince looked at the duke and gave a weak smile.

"But you, you make it sound like South Shore is a person, a fisherman stranded on a deserted island with no relatives or friends, completely dependent and self-reliant, as if Kevin Deer has always been isolated from the world, as if the past seven hundred years never existed, as if you single-handedly built the Emerald City of today."

Jenn frowned.

“But there are no islands in this world, Janne. You are not outside the stars, nor different from the kingdoms, nor alone in the world.”

"Without the well-developed transportation network of the South Coast Waterway, how do you think the entire Star Kingdom's population, territory, history, culture, and market would have been possible? Where would the resources and goods you transport have gone? And on Queen's Day, why would there be so many foreign visitors coming to the Emerald Festival to seek business opportunities and profits?"

Thales raised his head, his voice firm and resolute:
"Commerce, markets, raw materials, supplies, land, institutions, history, politics, immigration, culture, and so much more... The South Bank Territory is not only drawn on the map of the kingdom, but is also deeply embedded in a vast system called the Stars, interacting back and forth, forming an inseparable whole."

Jann was silent for a moment, then gave a disdainful sneer.

"How long have you lived in the Fuxing Palace since you were born, Your Highness?"

Thales was taken aback.

"Has it been long enough for you to believe that the kingdom is you, and you are the kingdom?"

Jenn's words turned cold:
"According to what you just said, the Starry Sky and Exter have been fighting for many years, with intermittent battles. Their histories are intertwined, their experiences are shared, and they have long since become an inseparable whole through mutual interaction. Why don't you go to Black Sand City, offer the Nine-Star Crown and the Staff of Stars, kneel down and call Chaman Rumba 'Father' with tears of gratitude? Or cross the End Sea to Dawn City and swear allegiance to 'Kadil of the Distant Mountains and Earth,' and perhaps he will take pity on you and make the Starry Sky family the eighth clan to serve him?"

Thales swallowed hard.

“I won’t resort to such sophistry, but you understand what I mean,” the prince said wearily, shaking his head. “Sometimes, for peace, for stability, for balance, we may have to pay a price.”

"Who?"

The Duke of Iris questioned fiercely:
"When you say that, when you constantly say 'we must pay a price,' who are 'we'?"

"Is it you? Is it the king? Is it the Star Kingdom? Is it the Central Territory? Is it the capital? Is it the Starry Royal Family? Or is it one of those people who can live comfortably and hold high positions of power, so they pretend to be righteous and carry this around to tell others?"

Thales did not answer.

Because he didn't have the answer either.

He simply clutched the "Gortakssa" in his pocket tightly.

He knew that his answer, no matter what, would seem pale and inadequate.

"And who bears the 'price'?"

Jenn scoffed:
"Is it me? Is it the South Bank Territory? Is it Emerald City? Is it the Kevin Deer family? Or is it just one of those ordinary people caught up in this mess, completely at the mercy of this massive system called Stars?"

Thales chuckled:
"A commoner?"

He shook his head weakly:
“These words should be spoken by ordinary people who struggle to make ends meet, not by a high-ranking duke whose palace is magnificent.”

"When you face the ancient and eternally authoritative Star Kingdom, when you face the imperial descendants who have ascended to the highest peak and look down upon the stars," Jann sneered, "who can say that they are not just a commoner, at the mercy of others?"

Thales fell silent.

He finally sighed:
"To be honest, I quite like Emerald City after seeing and hearing so much these past few days..."

"Does your father like it?" Jan interrupted him rudely.

Thales frowned: "So, there really isn't any room for maneuver at all?"

Jan looked at him intently and smiled.

“When I was a child, my father once said at a family gathering: ‘As long as someone is willing to step back, there will always be room for maneuver.’”

Thales gripped the bone ring "Covenant" tightly once more, sensing a glimmer of hope.

“Your father, the Duke, is a wise man.”

But Jenn's face showed a mocking expression:

"Until my uncle coldly added: 'That only applies to the strong.'"

As soon as he finished speaking, Thales understood.

The two remained silent for a long time.

“Your uncle is quite funny too,” Thales said bitterly.

"Not interesting enough."

"Do you think my father will back down on his own initiative?"

Jann sneered, "What do you think?"

Thales looked at him, his eyes flickering: "What if he was forced?"

The Duke of the South Bank paused for a moment, then raised his glass, only to find it was empty.

"In this kingdom, who can force him, force the supreme king?" he said quietly.

Thales turned his head.

“Believe it or not, Jan,” the prince said earnestly, “he also has the same fears that we face.”

Jenn snorted coldly:
"I don't participate in rebellions—especially those that are doomed to fail."

The two faced each other in silence, without saying a word.

A few seconds later, Thales took a deep breath and stood up.

"I understand. Well then, wish us good luck."

But just as Thales was about to leave the dining room, Jenn suddenly called him back.

"Thales, if—and I mean if—it really comes to that, can I trust you?"

Thales stopped and pondered for a moment.

"No, I can't."

Jann frowned deeply.

Thales turned around:

"You know that yourself."

But the next second, Thales smiled slightly.

“But at least you can believe in interests,” he nodded, “and now, our interests are aligned.”

Jann looked at him and nodded in agreement.

Thales turned around, opened the door, and left.

But the moment he stepped out of the dining room, Thales' expression turned cold.

"Have you gotten back the interest you requested?"

Marius, the watchman who had caught up with him at some point, asked him this question.

Thales paused for a moment.

When he spoke again, he cleared all his hopes and weaknesses from his mind, along with Jann's earlier ramblings, and threw them into the River of Hell.

Because you know, Thales—his inner voice said coldly:

Behind you, Jenn is the same.

Even more decisive than you.

“Morse and Diop,” Duke Starlake said coldly, “one is Jann’s agent, and the other is his slush fund manager. They must be hiding something.”

Marius raised his eyebrows.

"Dig three feet into the ground, Thor, even if it means digging through the mines beneath the South Bank, to find out their secrets."

Marius paused for a moment, then said in his usual tone, "But Your Highness, you know they are dead, and the trail has gone cold, right? And according to official records, their deaths were perfectly normal..."

"I do not care!"

Thales raised his voice unusually, causing Wya, who was waiting for them in the distance, to turn her head in surprise.

“Find a way, Thor, find a way, whatever it may be, even if it's that assassin in black,” the prince said, his eyes burning. “I have a feeling…”

Thales loosened the bone ring from his pocket.

"As long as we dig deep enough, and find something..."

He looked at the garden outside Kongming Palace and clenched his empty hand into a fist.

"Emerald City is ours now."

Marius did not speak again.

(End of this chapter)