Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 707 Crimson Iris (Part 1)

"Whoa! What is this? Someone knocked down two people in a row, and that wasn't enough, they're going straight for a third!"

The host's voice echoed throughout the arena, filled with surprise and delight:

"Ah! From here on, someone has broken the tacit understanding of dueling in twos and threes and started attacking all opponents indiscriminately! Is this going to recreate the shocking miracle of 'Sacred Law' Montaiu single-handedly sweeping through the entire arena two centuries ago?"

Originally, half of the team members were still observing and conserving their energy, cautiously defending and counterattacking in hopes of standing to the end and achieving a good ranking. However, as someone broke the tacit agreement first, chaos quickly spread like ripples:

The warrior, struck hard, staggered back in pain, bumping into another man's back. The nervous latter immediately retaliated, accidentally clashing weapons with a third opponent. Seeing an opportunity, the other contestants on the outer perimeter instinctively moved closer, until they were struck by another ambushing attacker who had been watching them for a long time...

"Wait, the others couldn't sit still either, and they all started attacking as well. Everyone was making a move, and it was common to see multiple people ganging up on one person..."

The moment the crowd started moving, everyone's rhythm was sped up and disrupted, and the entire arena was engulfed in fierce and chaotic battles where it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe.

"The situation is different! Ladies and gentlemen, our good news has arrived! The real melee is coming sooner than in previous years!" The host stood on the high platform closest to the arena and roared into the megaphone with a clenched fist.

As night fell, the arena remained brightly lit, and the drumbeats were even louder than before. The team battles intensified, with the players huddled together in a chaotic and thrilling fight. Every time someone was injured, bled, or fell down, the audience would stand up, shout, and cheer wildly, clapping whatever they could reach.

"Attack! Attack! Kill him! Aaaaaah!"

"Watch out behind you! Hey! You piece of trash! Give me my money back!"

"Everyone else has made their move, don't be a coward! Go for it!"

"Did you see Brother Ba Li?! He fought back! He fought back! Look—ahhh, he was so close!"

As the battle report was broadcast outside, the clamor and cheers that could shake Emerald City rose from the crowd outside the arena, drowning out the shouts inside. The entire selection process was tense, the atmosphere was frenzied, and it made everyone's heart race.

"What's going on?" The three people in the Duke's stands were interrupted by the increasingly chaotic situation in the arena and couldn't help but turn their heads.

“They’re here.” Jenn released Thales and stared blankly at the arena.

"Where?" Hilly asked, puzzled.

"Look at the chaos in the northwest corner!"

The host's voice rang out again:

"Kanamani from the Tarundi Commonwealth became the peacemaker, forcefully intervening in a two-on-one duel, wielding a greatsword and holding his own against two opponents! It seemed he was saying, 'That's it? Bring on another one!' — Oh, wishful thinking! And here comes one, from behind! Tap tap, Kanamani is out — This story teaches us, don't get involved in fights you can't handle!"

"But the attacker didn't fare well either. After eliminating Canamani, he also suffered a severe blow and looked like he was about to collapse. It just goes to show the old saying: When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman's wife's lover benefits!"

"As for why, ha, well, it's because the fisherman has to leave home to go fishing!"

With the host's highly rousing commentary, the roar of voices echoed both inside and outside the arena, moving from the inside out and back in again. This gave Thales in the main grandstand the illusion that he had returned to the State Affairs Conference seven years ago, where every word he spoke would be met with a delayed but powerful response from Star Square.

"This is just great."

Thales clicked his tongue and shook his head, looking down at the chaotic melee below: "Peace is gone, everyone's gone mad, it's more chaotic than a street brawl—is that normal?"

Jenn frowned and slowly shook his head:
“In previous years, this situation would usually only arise when there were fewer than ten people, and everyone was in a frenzy of fighting, unless…”

“There are players lying in ambush, deliberately speeding up the pace,” Hilly said.

Thales felt a chill run down his spine, suppressing the urge to get up and lean forward:
"I didn't notice just now—did you guys see who it was?"

“Neither do I. Are they really going to incite a riot? With just these hundred or so pretty faces?” Hilly asked skeptically.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jenn took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm himself down and forget his earlier lapse in composure. “This is the arena. The Emerald Legion has already laid out their plans. No matter what happens, no matter what methods they have prepared…”

Just then, a familiar voice came from the direction of the steps:

"Your Highness Thales!"

The three of them turned around at the same time and saw someone standing on the steps below the stands, arguing with the Seychelles knights on guard while anxiously calling out the prince's name.

Jenn squinted:

"Thales, that's not yours..."

Thales' eyelids twitched:
“That’s right, my valet, Wyatt.”

"Which one?" Hilly pressed.

Thales couldn't help but chuckle.

"Which one?" Jann was completely confused.

"It's that... Anyway, let him come up first, maybe he has something to report?" Thales gave up explaining.

Jenn's eyes darted around, and he said warily:
"Wait, your aide-de-camp, is it possible he might have betrayed you...?"

“Absolutely not,” Thales said firmly. “I believe Wyah more than anyone else.”

“Other Wyah?” Hilly interjected.

"Shut up," Thales said, his face dark.

Jann looked puzzled, but still waved for the soldiers to let them pass.

"Your Highness Thales!"

Wyatt strode up the steps and headed straight for Thales.

"Lord Jann, and Lady Cecilia, I just went to the restroom. I apologize for interrupting your enjoyment..."

refined taste?

Thales glanced out of the corner of his eye: in a corner not far from them, a competitor had been hit on the head and was lying on the ground unconscious, bleeding profusely, until the medic and stretcher team seized the opportunity and carefully and swiftly dragged him off the field.

“No, you’ve come at the right time, Wyatt. Where are the others? I remember I asked Hugo to inquire about Marius…”

Wyman paused, looking troubled: "They, um..."

Under Thales's gaze, Wyman took a deep breath:

"They teamed up to place bets."

Upon hearing this, both Jenn and Hillary looked at Thales.

Thales's eyebrows twitched as well:
"Place a bet?"

Wyman looked embarrassed and gave an awkward smile.
"Yes, yes, that's it, you know, the kind of betting... the house, all-inclusive, the inside slate and stuff..."

"So, you were all huddled up down there sneaking around just for this?" Hilly asked with disdain.

"Is it that obvious?" Wyman was startled at first, then realized what was happening and looked embarrassed. "Oh, yes, yes, you noticed it. Heh, heh heh heh heh."

"At this time?"

Jenn gave a disgruntled snort, quite unlike his usual gentle and tolerant demeanor, but he quickly recovered and coughed, "Although I don't have much hope for your people, Thales, but..."

Thales felt his face stiffen.

Damn.

With Marius gone, do you think these bastards will dare to skip work so openly?

“I, him…you don’t know, betting is just a way of putting it, they…they each have their own important matters to attend to,” Thales said, forcing a smile. “Wyatt, right?”

Wyman shuddered.

“Of course, Your Highness! It’s an important matter! A very important mission!” Wyatt replied curtly. “They will appear once they complete their mission!”

Kevin Deer and his sister looked at Thales with disdain.

Thales could only chuckle and shamelessly continue watching the fight: "Oh, where were we? Right! Let's see if there are any suspicious people in the melee?"

The brother and sister then hummed in unison and turned around.

The melee on the field was fierce and bloody. As the pace quickened, the contestants were constantly on the move, forced to deal with every opponent coming from all directions, just like on a real battlefield.

"Wyman?"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"You, you're standing... too close to me."

"Oh, sorry!" Wyman was startled and quickly took a step back.

"It's okay. Also, could you... let go? You're hurting my hand."

“Ah, Your Highness, I’m sorry, I just…” Wyatt quickly let go, glancing at Jann and Hilly out of the corner of his eye, and gave His Highness an embarrassed smile. “It’s been so long, I’ve missed you.”

Jenn and Hilly, who had been watching the fight in the arena, both turned their heads.

“Uh, of course, haha,” Thales paused for a second, then forced a smile and looked at Kevin Deer and his sister, “You know, Wyah and I have been very close for so many years.”

The Iris siblings frowned and turned their attention back to the field.

“Um, Wyman…” the prince said awkwardly, “I have something to discuss with Duke Jann and the others—could you wait below the stands like before?”

“Yes—ah?” Wyman’s face turned pale at first, then he took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. “But, Your Highness, I, I have been away from you for too long, and I miss you very much. Can I stay with you for just a little while?”

Jenn and Hilly turned their heads again, their expressions strange.

Thales' smile froze on his face.

"Hehe, I told you, we're good friends. Okay, you stay here then," Thales said naturally, pointing to the arena to change the subject. "Ah! Look at those two wrestlers! One black and one white, so awesome!"

The brother and sister turned around with suspicious expressions.

"Ladies and gentlemen, look at him! The Sword of Fortune is protecting his teammates, clearing a path for them, and forcing back several people along the way!"

As the host spoke, the audience looked at the scene he was describing—the very two people Thales had mentioned:

In the midst of the melee, a black-armored warrior stepped forward, his longsword flashing, weaving through the enemy lines with a speed disproportionate to his heavy armor and physique, taking down several people in just over ten seconds, carving a bloody path through the chaos of the contestants.

A white-clad swordsman wearing a helmet followed behind him, moving unhurriedly with his sword in hand. He swept past the contestants lying on the ground, groaning and screaming. Whenever someone tried to ambush him from behind, the black-armored warriors in front anticipated this and either spun around to protect him or threw something from a distance to safeguard the white-clad swordsman.

"That black guy, is he... protecting someone else?" Hilly asked, puzzled.

Just as Thales was about to reply, he noticed with keen insight that Wyatt had quietly taken Thales's sword—"The Warning"—at some point.

strangeness.

Thales' brow twitched, and he straightened up without making a sound, feeling the JC dagger strapped to his lower back.

The host's deliberately drawn-out voice echoed in the arena, voicing the same question as Hilaire's:
"Are he and his teammates yet another touching and loyal pair of knights and servants? Or are they the guards and henchmen of the household fighting tirelessly for their young master's reputation? Or is it the tacitly coordinated escort battle that the audience despises the most? Or perhaps... another pair of lovers who fell in love at first sight on the battlefield and protected each other through thick and thin? Let's wait and see what the truth is!"

Upon seeing this scene, the audience began to discuss it animatedly:

"Again? Another one who paid their way in?"

"Whose rich young master is this, here to gain prestige?"

"Hey, this is called going to the grassroots level to gain experience, experience life, and enrich your resume!"

"You can do it like this?"

"This is a team competition, so it's assumed that any means are allowed. As long as we can win, we can do whatever we want!"

"Then what's the point of all this!"

The black-armored warrior and the white-clad swordsman in the arena were paired up, one on the outside and one on the inside, one moving and one still, almost invincible. The contestants fighting fiercely around them unknowingly created a vacuum zone, slowly moving with the black-armored warrior's steps.

"Oh, Bischoff and his team have come a long way, breaking through enemy lines, to secure a favorable position and fight to the very end? They've come quite a distance!"

But at that moment, the host's rhythmic narration changed:
"Wait, why are they heading towards... No, no, no! Bishof! You can't cross that line, you hear me? That's a foul, it'll cost you points, even... Go back, go back! This isn't the competition area, you can't fight here, and you can't run away from the fight! If you don't want to fight, just surrender... We're already close to the podium, and there are expensive communication lines... Hey, guards, where are the guards? Guards, send them back!"

The announcer's voice, amplified, echoed throughout the arena, instantly capturing the audience's attention. Everyone stood up, filled with curiosity, while Thales and the others instinctively turned their heads to look below the announcer's platform.

Several guards approached the black-armored warrior, drew their weapons, and ordered him to go back.

But with a flash of sword light, the leading guard groaned and fell to the ground. The others were still in surprise and had no time to react before they were successively knocked down by the black-armored warriors!
Thales was startled, and Janne and Hilly instinctively leaned forward as well.

Wyatt stood behind Thales and swallowed hard.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire arena, the white-clad swordsman followed behind the black-armored warrior, not drawing a single sword, yet his posture was relaxed and his steps light.

It was as if they were surveying their own kingdom.

"Foul! Hey! This is the sacred election site! You can't do this! You can't! You can't attack the guards!"

On the podium, the event's host waved his hands in exasperation, his voice echoing throughout the arena:
"They're no match for you! Your results will be disqualified! Fine, but if there are any injuries or fatalities, you'll be going to jail! No matter how high your rank is, it won't help you!"

However, the two contestants, one in black and one in white, ignored everything and kept moving forward.

Teams of guards rushed to reinforce from various passages, but the team competition was still ongoing and the chaotic situation on the field made it impossible for them to gather and enter at the same time to punish the violators. They could only arrive one team after another, only to be knocked down one after another by the black-armored warriors.

Perhaps because they had never seen such a scene before, many spectators were in high spirits, standing up and cheering for the pair of contestants who broke the rules.

"What's going on?" Thales squinted.

"Is that the person you're looking for?" Hilly leaned forward.

“I don’t know yet,” Jann said, his eyes gleaming as he watched the increasingly chaotic team match and the unusual pair of competitors. “But I will find out—in the cell.”

Just then, the Seychelles knight hurried up to the stands and approached Jann:
"Your Grace! We've found him!"

Hilly frowned and turned around: "Found what?"

The Seychelles knight glanced at Thales and Hilla with some apprehension before coughing under Jann's watchful gaze:
"My lord, you instructed me to keep an eye out for anything suspicious in the area, in addition to setting up defenses..."

“The key point.” Jann spoke succinctly, without even looking at him, but it made Seychelles tense. “Yes, sir. That rulebreaker in black armor should be Tate Bischoff, one of the quarterfinalists,” Seychelles glanced at the two fighters, one in black and one in white, on the opposite side of the arena, “We just found him in a barrel, or rather, the real him was knocked unconscious, tied up, and stuffed in there.”

All three of them frowned.

"Unsurprisingly, it's an imposter." Jann sneered.

Hilly narrowed his eyes: "So, who's under that black armor?"

“We don’t know yet,” Seychelles said, staring at the black-armored figure in the distance, “but he is clearly quite skilled.”

Behind Thales, Wyman hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

At the same time, the black-armored warriors in the arena stopped below the stage.

He turned around and looked at the white-clad swordsman behind him.

"Go, Seychelles, don't wait any longer, surround them directly and try to capture them alive. If there is any resistance, well," the Duke of the South Bank ordered Seychelles, "if there are any accomplices, they should be getting restless by now."

Seychelles nodded in agreement.

“I still don’t understand,” Thales said, puzzled. “Those two guys, they didn’t approach our stands, they didn’t try to assassinate or kidnap key figures, they didn’t even try to win, and they attacked the guards so blatantly… What are they trying to do? Did they realize their plan had failed, so they’re trying to break out?”

“I don’t know,” Jann shook his head, “but based on past experience, all they can do is kill and take lives.”

Killing and taking life.

At that moment, Thales' eyes flickered as he looked at the location of the black-armored warrior.

“To kill and take lives…and not to kill and take lives,” the prince murmured, “there is no one to listen.”

“What?” Jan asked.

No one is listening...

listen……

The next second, Thales was shocked when he realized something and instinctively stood up!
As he spoke, Seychelles turned to the guards below the Duke's stands and shouted an order:

"The Emerald Legion! Weapons!"

Swish!
Upon receiving the order, the soldiers surrounding the Duke's stand all drew their swords!
They were well-trained and imposing, even intimidating many spectators in the surrounding stands.

"Lorrian and Silva, you two lead the team over there and deal with the violators—"

But at that moment, a strong gust of wind suddenly arose, causing everyone to instinctively turn their heads and close their eyes!
Whoosh!

Amidst the whistling wind, a graceful figure descended from the sky, landing beside Thales and Jann, a flash of sword light appearing!

Oops!

Thales' vision blurred, and he instinctively reached for the dagger at his waist, only to be violently pulled away.

The next second, a flash of sword light appeared, and Thales heard Seychelles' angry roar and a series of sharp metallic clangs:
clang! clang!
Thales was pulled backward, struggling to steady himself and maintain his balance, when he sensed several other figures leaping onto the stands and engaging in a fierce fight!

"how--"

"assassin!"

"Protect the Duke!"

"Be careful, Your Highness!"

What are you doing?
Was he really an assassin?
Dad is so uncreative!
Amid the chaos, Thales struggled to breathe, only to hear gasps of alarm from those around him:

"Hold on!"

"stop!"

"Come on!"

"I'll cover the rear!"

"No one is allowed to leave!"

"Back off!"

"Those who advance will die!"

A few seconds later, the sounds of fighting in the stands subsided, and Thales was finally pulled up by two arms, barely managing to stand.

"what happened?"

But when he saw the situation on the field clearly, he was stunned.

On the Duke's platform, the Seychelles captain stood opposite him, longsword in hand, his expression one of shock and fury.

Behind him, Jenn was tightly protected by fully armed guards, and he was furious.

On the other side, Knight Cassandra had appeared in the stands at some point, shielding Hilly in the middle. Hilly was clinging to Cassandra's arm, trying to peek out and looking at Thales in surprise.

"Why?" Janne pushed through the guards' encirclement and stared at the prince in disbelief. "Why?"

“Thales?” Hilly asked, puzzled.

"What? Why? Where's the assassin?" Thales answered instinctively, but he froze as soon as he turned his head.

At some point, Miranda, Grover, DD, Rolf, Morgan, Paul, Nehi... all the close bodyguards from the Star Lake Guard appeared in the stands, or rather, most of them appeared in a row, weapons drawn, standing guard in front of him with extreme vigilance.

They held themselves firmly in a corner of the stands, facing off against the Emerald Legion with swords drawn, the boundary clearly defined.

Eh?
That means the assassin who just appeared is...

"You, all of you?" Thales exclaimed incredulously, "It's you!"

The Star Lake Guards all jolted awake and began to answer in unison:
"Your Highness, are you okay?"

"Don't be afraid, we'll protect you!"

"Don't let your guard down!"

"Take him away first!"

"What if they start fighting later..."

Is it safe behind us?

"calm!"

"Stop!!!" Wyman roared, silencing the Star Lake Guard's clamor. "All of you, shut up!"

The stands fell silent again.

Soon, the attention of many spectators in the arena was drawn to the commotion in the Duke's stands. Instead of looking at the two rule-breakers, one in black and one in white, they turned their heads and began to discuss what had happened to the Duke and the Prince.

What happened over there?

"The Duke and the Prince... are fighting?"

"No way? Now? Here?"

"That's hard to say. Didn't the prince just kill one of the duke's guards?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just a family matter. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are arguing over their sister... Trust me, we Hamburgers understand these kinds of things all too well..."

"Huh? It's not a real fight? Sigh, what's the point then..."

"No, if a conflict really breaks out, whose side are we on? Should we try to break them up?"

"Nonsense, we're foreigners, we're helping ourselves!"

"Didn't you see what happened to that Kanamani? Don't try to break up fights you're not confident you can handle!"

The host's commentary, which once resounded throughout the stands, also changed:
"Oh, what's wrong with the audience? Who stole their attention? Has the rule-breaker stopped attracting their interest? Oh, it seems something's happening in the stands? Jealousy? Or a public proposal? Let's see... Oh, it's the Duke's stands, hehe, it seems Duke Jann and Prince Thales are playing a game—uh, uh, let's get back to the arena and watch the duel! Look, the valiant Ba Li Ge is facing off against the powerful Duo Sa Lan. The former is moving, and the latter is moving too, not making a move easily. Hmm, still moving. Their tacit understanding tells us that in this contest, peace is paramount..."

Even the guards who were originally set out to maintain order and punish violators began to hesitate: which side should they go to first?
Thales pushed DD and Neshi's arms away, trying to process what was happening before him.

“Thales,” Jann took a deep breath, looking at the prince with lingering shock, “what do you mean? Or are you, as I suspect, the trump card?”

"No! I swear I don't know!" A confused Thales quickly raised his hands to show his innocence.

But Hilly stared at the dagger in his hand, her eyes filled with suspicion:
"You really don't know?"

Thales was taken aback: "No, that's not it, it's just instinct!"

He quickly put away the JC dagger, but the Kevin Deer siblings still looked suspicious.

Thales closed his eyes and took a deep breath:

"Wyatt! Didn't you say they went to place bets?"

Wyman was startled and shakily looked up.

“Uh, yes, but didn’t you say that placing bets was just a figure of speech?” the attendant said awkwardly. “They, well, have other important business.”

Other important matters?

Thales was stunned again: "And that is..."

"Guys, you acted too soon!" Wyman dared not answer again. He turned to his companions and complained, "Didn't I tell you to wait for my signal?"

“That’s what I said too,” Paul sighed. “I also said we’d better wait for Hugo’s standard-bearer’s approval…”

"But they, these cuckolds, have all drawn their swords! They've drawn their swords! They've drawn their swords!"

DD stared nervously at the emerald soldiers around him:
"Don't even mention waiting for the ghost to reply, I'm afraid if I wait any longer, I won't get your signal anymore!"

what?
Thales was taken aback.

"Waiting for a signal?" Hilly squinted.

“No, it wasn’t my signal, it was theirs…” Thales quickly waved his hand.

“But you just said you trust him the most?” Hilly glared at him. “This real Wyman?”

“I…” Thales was speechless for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, that knight was too strong,” Miranda said through gritted teeth, clutching her arm, blood streaming from her palm. “I couldn’t take the Duke hostage.”

“My fault,” Golov grunted. “I should have stopped him—damn it, if I hadn’t been injured…”

“That won’t help,” Paul shook his head and sighed. “I told you, we should have used bows and arrows.”

After hearing this conversation, the Kevin Deer siblings looked at Thales with increasingly unfamiliar expressions.

The Seychelles captain opposite him snorted coldly.

“I—” Thales felt utterly speechless.

“I don’t understand,” Jenn said, barely suppressing his anger. “Can someone explain this to me?”

The two sides looked at each other, still glaring menacingly—with both eyes and swords.

“Yes, sir,” surprisingly, it was Captain Seychelles who spoke. “As per your orders, I was responsible for monitoring the situation in the arena and keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity. Unfortunately, I have now finally determined that the people who are most active, most suspicious, and most threatening in the arena are none other than His Highness the Prince’s guards.”

He glanced at Golov and the others, and snorted coldly:
"Hmph, I knew it. There must be something wrong with this group of people who have been plotting together for so long."

Thales was startled:
"I……"

But before he could speak, Wyman stopped him.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but the situation is urgent and we had no choice but to resort to this tactic,” Wyatt lowered his voice and whispered in Thales’ ear, “but at this very moment, King Lausanne II is very likely hiding in the chaotic crowd below, waiting for his chance to strike.”

Thales was startled:
"What, him? But he's not..."

“Yes, he’s still alive,” DD said with a bitter expression. “Believe me, Your Highness, I didn’t want this either.”

Meanwhile, Seychelles reported loudly:
“Just now, some smooth-talking young man asked me and Cassandra to meet him using our names…”

"But when we got there, we realized we'd been lured away from our destination..." Cassie sighed.

The members of the Star Lake Guard all turned their heads and looked at DD with displeasure.

“They…when they first met, they seemed to have some old grudges,” Doyle said, a little embarrassed by the stare. “So…I guess I have to give it a try?”

Jenn's brow furrowed more and more.

“Your Grace,” Seychelles said, his gaze growing increasingly resentful, “from the very beginning of the election, these bastards have been systematically gathering intelligence, making contacts, and the people they've been in contact with are all quite special…”

The members of the Xinghu Guard exchanged glances and frowned in unison.

“We’re gathering intelligence, Your Highness, and by the way, we’ve uncovered some terrible truths,” Wyatt whispered to Thales. “The dead these days, including Slimani, Your Highness, were all silenced for the same thing, to cover up a secret—the secret of how Duke Janne came to power.”

the truth?

secret?

To seize power?

Thales' eyes flickered.

He looked at Jenn with a suspicious gaze.

Is there anything else this guy hasn't told me?
(End of this chapter)