Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 67 Winter Solstice
Jedi, my dear friend and teacher:

It has been half a year since our last correspondence, and I can’t wait to share with you what I have seen and heard in Yongxing City over the past three months.

Following your advice and methods, I have overcome what you called "battlefield withdrawal." I can now sleep in bed, and I no longer instinctively draw my sword when I hear footsteps behind me. The sound of the blacksmith hammering iron no longer puts me in a state of tension.

My father arranged for me to work in the Guard Hall, under his old classmate from the military academy—have you ever heard of Lord Robick Dillard, the "Horse Slayer"?
With your guidance on superb swordsmanship (don't misunderstand, I'm praising you, not boasting), and your rare finishing power (this is the boast), I became a Level 2 Guardian and Sheriff upon joining the force—although I know in my heart that I got this position more because of the Karabyan surname.

You wouldn't believe what I went through in just three months. There were so many unexpected events, and I have to sort them out one by one.

As I mentioned before, Star is an old and decaying nation. Its past as a remnant of an empire is no longer a source of glory, but rather a burden.

It's hard to imagine how much bureaucratic strife and corruption there is in the capital city alone, with its inefficiency and effectiveness being unbearable. This is even more true for ordinary people. In fact, the street order and daily life in several areas of the capital city are maintained by gangsters, because for them, the gangsters' channels are faster, better, more reliable, and more convenient than the official channels.

By chance, I gained access to an informant within the Black Street Brotherhood. It was under these circumstances that I became involved in the life-or-death struggle between the two major Starry Sky gangs in the capital—and once again redefined my understanding of gangsters—these unofficial figures.

Regardless of the countless ordinary and super-level experts (several super-powered warriors have also emerged, each of whom is qualified to occupy a place in the Stardust Force of the Wings of Legends), there is only one thing that I care about very much - do you remember what you told me about, those swordsmen who betrayed the original sword heart and the mission of the Tower of the End?
You mentioned that their swords have become pure killing weapons, and their power of termination has been transformed into the purest power of death, no different from the calamity that their ancestors once fought to the death against.

Although nearly a century has passed since that incident, I am certain that I encountered a final swordsman outside the tower, the "Calamity Swordsman" you mentioned.

Faced with that violent and bloodthirsty power of termination, even my proud, ever-renewing "Radiance of the Stars" was no match. When that power invaded my body, it was simply... I couldn't help but wonder: what kind of madman could tolerate such a power of termination coursing through his body?

If it weren't for the unexpected help you received, you might be receiving my funeral obituary right now.

In short, I have already witnessed that kind of killing intent and violent power of termination.

That swordsman is from the Blood Bottle Gang, that's right, the gang founded a hundred years ago by those two scourges during the final years of the reign of 'Red King' John. It is said that one of them has already disappeared in the capital. I suspect that the Wrath of the Kingdom personally took action. Besides him and that bow, who else in the capital can get close to those scourges?
Curiosity led me to peruse many ancient books during my recovery period. I also borrowed some forbidden books and records from the Guard Bureau through my father's connections. To my surprise, I discovered the following facts: In the hundred years since the Blood Bottle Gang was established, mysterious super-level swordsmen of various kinds have appeared in it seventeen times. The lethality and destructive power they displayed were far beyond that of ordinary super-level Terminator swordsmen. They were similar to the swordsman I encountered. It seems that the Calamity Swordsman I encountered was not an isolated case that appeared suddenly.

Another line of reasoning is: those two calamities secretly founded the Star Blood Bottle Gang a hundred years ago, and the "Sword of Calamity" lineage also betrayed the Tower of Ending a hundred years ago, establishing the Sword of Ending legacy outside the tower—are these two really unrelated?

What worries me even more is, for the past hundred years, has the Tower of the End really been unaware of the relationship between the inheritance outside the tower and the Star Blood Bottle Gang? Why have we always remained silent about it?
In any case, Jedi, my dear teacher, I feel the answer lies in the truth of why Crassus and his followers betrayed the Tower of the End. I need to return to the Tower of the End as soon as possible, and at the same time, I request that you grant me access to the Inheritors' tomes.

The Blood Bottle Gang has come to an end, but another gang is no less formidable: my informants tell me that the rise of the Black Street Brotherhood is highly suspicious. The Blood Year marked their beginning, when they were just a group of mercenaries and adventurers struggling to survive (though they were very powerful). In just over a decade, they have already invaded half of the planet's underworld and are reaching out to the Exter and Comass Alliance.

The Blood Bottle Gang, backed by the reputation of its magic users, is a product of collusion with nobles and bureaucrats. But how did the Black Street Brotherhood rise to power? According to our informants, they have incredibly rich and well-hidden financial and human resources.

Speaking of which, I'd like to ask: Have you ever heard of the name "Black Sword"?
Rumors circulate that he is the leader of the Black Street Brotherhood, possessing profound swordsmanship and mastery. Others say he is a master of concealment, the most dangerous king of assassins. A report from the Security Bureau even claims his sword is some kind of cursed ancient artifact with unfathomable power. But one thing is certain: he is a master of the Extreme Realm. Over the past decade, an Extreme Terminator Knight and an Extreme Ability Warrior have both been suspected of dying at his hands—both were present at the time of the incidents.

Despite the vast difference in skill levels between experts at the highest level, making the outcome uncertain, I couldn't help but wonder: could a swordsman truly be so powerful as to kill two experts simultaneously, outside the Tower of the End's field of vision? I also suspected he was the successor of the "Sword of Calamity," but he was also a member of the Black Street Brotherhood, an enemy of the Blood Bottle Gang—this puzzled me greatly.

An even bigger event occurred a few days ago at the Star Kingdom's conference—Teacher, you may have already received the message from the messenger raven—the Star Kingdom has a legitimate heir, not from a noble family, not from a collateral branch of the royal family, but a living, breathing prince named Thales Star. I know you were classmates with Prince Horace, the "Sword of Light," back then; what is your opinion of Star? I witnessed firsthand the brilliance of the new second prince from behind my father's back. Although he is only seven years old, I can only say that Star truly deserves to be royalty.

But his appearance was not at a good time, as the Star Kingdom was facing unprecedented pressure—the Exeter delegation had been assassinated in Starfall.

Yes, Jeddy, my dear friend and teacher, I smell the blood of war again. In my father's eyes, no matter how much mediation is done, the conflict between the dragon and the stars is inevitable.

I'm sorry, teacher.

The Tower of the End has spared no effort in preserving the light of swordsmen and knights for humanity. These warriors, who once used their extraordinary powers to pave the way for humanity's future and to fight against calamities with the power of the End, must once again take up their swords and fight to the death on the battlefield for their respective countries.

If war breaks out, I can only pray to the goddess of the setting sun that I will not encounter Chloeshi and Misadun. Just thinking about the days in the Tower of the End, and the thought of plunging swords into each other's hearts, makes me tremble uncontrollably.

Furthermore, Miranda has already spent her third year at Dragon Keep, serving honorably under the command of the Keep's Flower, but this also means that if war breaks out, she will be the first to face bloodshed.

In addition, I met Raphael at the State Affairs Conference. He was working in the Royal Secretariat and was also contributing his efforts to the country.

But please believe me, teacher, your worries will not come true. From my service to my duty, I have seen a lot, but reality will not change me, and the ideals of me and the other two will never change—especially for me. After experiencing the most brutal battlefield, I deeply felt the preciousness of life. After witnessing the ugliness of the kingdom, I longed for change even more. One day, we will use our own strength to rebuild this aging country.

I wish you all the best and hope you win over Teacher Xia Tier soon!

P.S.: Winter has arrived in Xingchen, and it will soon snow in Yongxing City. I wonder what the weather is like where you are?
—Your loyal friend and student, Cohen Karabyan

[On the morning of December 6th, 672nd year of the Ending Calendar, at home]

Before the ever-burning lamp, Cohen stopped writing, stared at it for a long time, and sighed.

After much hesitation, the blond guard crossed out the sentence, "He is working in the Kingdom's Secret Service and is contributing his efforts to the country," and rewrote, "I will write to you again after I have further confirmed his situation."

He stood up from his desk and looked out the window.

At 6 a.m. in the DC area, just as dawn was breaking, visibility on the streets was quite high.

Even so early, there were still many noble servants running around – especially given the recent spate of major domestic and international events.

Thinking of this, Cohen shook his head: The kingdom has an heir, but it has also led to the confrontation between the royal family and the noble lords at yesterday's state meeting—how should the conflict with Exter be resolved?
He didn't believe that the Duke of Southrest, who had experienced such humiliation, would still respond to the king's call without hesitation. The stingy lords of the Western Wilderness didn't seem like noble gentlemen who would stand together for their country in times of crisis. The fat duke of the East Sea was even more notorious for his stinginess. Only the unexpected young duke of Blade's Edge Territory and the Iris of South Shore Territory who had turned against him were left, but they were too far away to help him in his immediate situation.

At least, will the North and the royal family have to bear the brunt of the first battle?
"Starry Sky, what a multi-headed serpent nation," Cohen thought.

But then he remembered that the multi-headed serpent Kirica was killed by the human hero, Nekaru Ex, the founding monarch of Exter, and a sense of gloom settled over him.

The sound of horses' hooves echoed from the road outside the window.

A group of knights rode out of the guesthouse that was used to entertain foreign nobles.

However, the rhythm with which they rode their horses and the force with which they whipped them were different from the usual knights of Xingchen.

The cavalry of the stars emphasizes harmonious rhythm and steady pace during riding, with the whip being whipped just right.

But this group of knights, with their fierce rhythm and heavy whipping, were also perfectly synchronized in their steps and displayed impeccable discipline.

They do resemble the knights of the North.

and many more.

Cohen's pupils suddenly contracted!
He saw the banner carried by the knights.

"bump!"

Cohen suddenly pushed the window open!

He peeked out, trying to get a better look at the flag.

That flag... its color scheme clashed with that of the Star Kingdom.

The flag has a red border and a black background, with a roaring red dragon on it.

The dragon's claws were ferocious, its wings were spread wide, and its eyes were pure black.

It was a truly rugged and ferocious style. The blond guard was slightly taken aback.

Did they arrive in the early hours of last night?
The city gates did not stop them, allowing them to rest at the inn outside the city, but instead let them in.

Is this His Majesty's intention?
Suddenly, a chill emanated from his face, making Cohen flinch!
Cohen reached out and touched his face, feeling a glistening substance.

The guard was stunned.

He reached out and caught the second and third glistening pieces outside the window.

White specks of starlight fell from the sky.

Snowing.

Cohen took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.

Winter is here.

----------

early morning.

He awoke from the hard stone bed that was unique to the Fuxing Palace.

He slid off the bed and, unsurprisingly, stepped onto the equally cold stone floor.

It seems even colder than yesterday.

Three days have passed since that unforgettable state conference.

Thales felt as if he were living in a dream that day.

It's hard to imagine: that afternoon, he followed Gilbert step by step from the Hall of Stars onto the star-blue carpet, no longer caring about the ongoing quarrel between the King and the Lord behind them.

The nobles, officials, and common people on both sides bowed to him.

He addressed the prince as "Your Highness".

Your Highness Thales.

"Are you hallucinating from excitement?"

Thales snapped back to reality, looked up, and saw Ginny.

A mature and alluring court lady leaned against the stone gate, arms crossed, quietly watching him.
"No, there isn't."

"The new second prince of the stars," Thales replied calmly.

"I just feel like something is not real."

"I'm also very confused."

Ginny looked at him and snorted softly, "Of course, you used to be just a nobody, but now you're a prince, Prince Thales, the second prince of the stars."

“No, it’s not that simple.” Thales sighed, gave a wry smile, buttoned up his shirt, and grabbed his coat.

“In the past, I only had to think about how to survive.”

"starting today."

"What I need to think about is how to survive."

Thales answered silently, fastening the last buckle on his belt.

Ginny frowned, then raised an eyebrow.

Another shining star—she thought to herself.

A pathetic, shining star.

Thales fastened his boots, but that sentence kept replaying in his mind:
To fight for the stars, to die for the stars, and... to live for the stars.

Am I really ready?

He paused for a moment, then fastened the sheathed JC dagger back onto his belt.

"Are you ready, Your Highness?" A familiar voice came from outside the door.

Gilbert appeared in the doorway, his face unusually grave.

Ginny sighed and made way for the former foreign minister.

As Gilbert removed his hat and bowed to Ginny, he said to Thales, "Please forgive me for disturbing your rest so early, Your Highness, but... please hurry up and get ready."

Thales looked puzzled.

Gilbert took a deep breath: "They're here, Your Highness."

"His Majesty wishes you to stand by his side and meet with those people with him."

"Those people?" Thales asked, puzzled.

But he quickly realized what was happening.

The prince also looked back at Gilbert with a solemn expression.

Yes, those people.

Gilbert nodded, pursed his lips, hesitated but ultimately uttered a single word:

"The Exter people."

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(End of this chapter)