Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 721 Seeking the Straight from the Curved
"So Your Highness is saying that Janne, using Kevin Deer's power and credibility as collateral, has created a series of new chains of interest..."

Fifteen minutes later, Federico sat opposite Thales, arms crossed, deep in thought.

"...By covering Emerald City so tightly that it is impenetrable, your capture of it will damage Emerald City's ruling order and institutional foundation, thereby affecting the current state of industry, sources of funds and market conditions, and even endangering public safety and public confidence."

Thales sighed and nodded:

"When Emerald City needs to protect its way of life, it must protect the Duke's family. Even the powerful central monarchy cannot overthrow Kevin Deer's rule without disturbing Emerald City or the existing power structure."

Federico's expression was grave:

"But if Your Highness insists on going your own way and is determined to carry out the arbitration and investigate the truth of what happened back then..."

Thales snorted:

“The Emerald City will suffer not only economic and profit losses, but also a complete decline in civilization and institutions, which is not in the interest of anyone—including my father.”

Federico remained silent for a moment.

"Yes, using the entire Emerald City and even the South Bank Territory as hostage to make you hesitate to act is indeed something Jenn is capable of doing."

He shook his head:

"Unfortunately, this is the field he has specialized in for many years since he usurped the position of city lord. I am ashamed of my inferiority and cannot defeat him in this area."

Thales' hopes were dashed, and he couldn't help but wonder:

"Even if you replace him and ascend to the position of city lord, ensuring that Kevin Deer's prestige remains unchanged, and publicly declare that everything is as before, in order to restore confidence and order in Emerald City?"

Federico's eyes flickered slightly.

Thales probed:

"Even if I use my power to weave the truth, clear your and your father's names, and tell the whole kingdom that you are the rightful heir to the Iris?"

Federico looks back at Thales:
"And that's why you tested my ambitions before?"

Thales smiled politely.

Federico's eyes flickered for a few seconds, but after a few seconds, he still slowly shook his head.

“I can certainly ascend to the position of city lord, but the problem is, Your Highness, neither you nor His Majesty will allow ‘everything to remain the same.’ I cannot offer the same guarantee and protection as Janne, and the confidence and order of Emerald City cannot be restored.”

At this point, he cautiously glanced at Thales:
"Unless you can promise to leave Emerald City untouched, from money and personnel to the military and taxes?"

Thales scoffed at his words.

how is this possible.

Isn't that exactly why he came here?

“If I could do it, why would I need to talk to you?” Thales scoffed. “Why don’t I just knock on the door across the street and ask Jann Kevin Deer to return to his position as lord of the city? Everyone would be happy.”

Of course, whether Federico is satisfied or not is unknown.

"Exactly."

Federico pondered deeply, and couldn't help but sigh:
"As expected of Jenn, by virtue of the Duke's prestige and the foundation laid by generations of his ancestors, he has a dual identity in the Emerald City: firstly, a ruler who stands firm in the old world, and secondly, a reformer who brings about a new order. Thus, he has all the advantages: in the old world, there is no one in the Emerald City stronger than him who can oppose him; in the new order, all newly emerging forces depend on him, are grateful to him, provide him with nourishment, and are subject to his constraints."

Hearing the other person's sigh, Thales frowned.

"Seeing you so happy, Fede, makes me very happy too. But perhaps I should add one more point: if I stand idly by and let things develop as they will, Emerald City will inevitably collapse, and everyone will fall apart. And if I compromise and have to concede for the sake of Emerald City, then my original intentions will be lost, needless to say. But as for you..."

“Then you will naturally have to compromise on the arbitration concerning my father’s case as well,” Federico calmly took over the prince’s words. “Jane will escape punishment, while I will lose everything and may even become a gift for you to use to make peace with Jan.”

Thales raised an eyebrow and raised his teacup to him.

Exactly.

"So, for your own sake, do you have any new ideas?"

Federico did not speak immediately, but pondered for a moment.

Thales waited patiently.

Since we're all doomed anyway, there's no rush.

"Your Highness, you are right about my father and my uncle," Federico said absentmindedly after a few seconds. "Their political differences stemmed from their different stances and the different groups of people they cared about."

He continued:

“My uncle set an example by forcing the nobles and vassals to sacrifice and change, firmly believing that the renewal of power would ultimately lead to the rebirth of Emerald City and even the South Bank Territory. My father, on the other hand, insisted on laying a solid foundation and proceeding step by step, not rushing anything.”

Federico fell into deep thought as he spoke:
"As brothers and blood relatives, they should have cooperated well, worked together, and protected Emerald City through the difficulties."

Seeing that the other person was distracted again and talking incoherently, Thales couldn't help but cough:
"Feder?"

“I’m sorry,” Federico said, regaining his composure. “Don’t worry, my lord.”

His eyes lit up immediately, and he became confident.

"Imagine, if the Emerald City is truly as interconnected and unified as Jenn describes, if the new order he and his predecessors created is truly so powerful and invincible, then how did he end up in this predicament, to the point that he has to use the Emerald City as leverage, threatening you in such an unseemly manner with this ultimately weakest bargaining chip?"

"How so?" Thales' eyes darted around.

Federico gave a cold laugh:
"Your Highness might recall how we defeated him before, leaving Jann humiliated and unable to even retain his position as city lord?"

How did they defeat Jenn?
Thales seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this.

“You dredge up old grievances, accusing him of patricide and framing his relatives, denying his right to inheritance, and questioning the legitimacy of his position as city lord and his title of duke.”

The prince recalled:

“As for me, I invoked the Star Covenant and brought up the old precedents of the nobility, forcing him to give up his position as city lord and accept arbitration.”

Federico nodded slowly.

“In Janne’s view, he cleverly used the Duke of Kevin Deer’s power to make guarantees, change the old and replace the new, and force the South Bank Territory, from noble vassals to countless commoners, to turn to the new. He successfully pushed Emerald City forward with its rolling reforms. Then he got into his carriage, hid behind the scenes, and let Emerald City run and move forward, as if this would make him invisible and avoid the storm.”

Federico's eyes sharpened.

"But he forgot one thing."

Kevin Deer, known as the Crimson Iris, stood up, a smile on his face, yet it offered no warmth whatsoever.
"Kevindil's power to guarantee and gain trust, and even to coerce and reform, still comes from the old feudal laws of the kingdom. In other words, in the new world, the raw materials he uses to build the chain of power are still the soil and stones of the old era."

Thales' brow twitched.

"The so-called Queen of the City, Emerald City is actually far from being as trendy, advanced, and civilized as Jenn boasts. In fact, this city is nothing more than a castle in the air built by the powerful old powers rooted in this land, who plundered other slightly weaker land nobles, fed and watered the emerging industries and classes, granted them new power, and coaxed and deceived them all the way up."

Federico began pacing around the room, his words growing increasingly sharp:

"What he was so proud of, the so-called new order and new chain of governance created based on Emerald City, was nothing but a hybrid monster of the old and the new, and the most outdated and rotten parts were also the most incapable of innovation and replacement..."

“Nothing more than the Duke of the South Bank himself,” Thales murmured, having figured something out.

Federico nodded.

“Jane, or the power he represents, has merely concealed himself, but has not fundamentally changed: the reason he has fallen from power this time is that his hereditary ducal throne, which he inherited through his family lineage, has been shaken by us in the most traditional, primitive, and backward way, and in the way he despises the most, making it no longer stable and reliable.”

He paced slowly, a faint, cold smile playing on his lips.

"And we didn't even use any more advanced, newer, or higher-level weapons. We didn't need any institutional reforms, commercial tools, or interest transactions. In fact, all we did was take the oldest legal shovel, find the part of his dual identity that belonged to the old privileged, avoid the hardest and shiniest pieces on the throne, and pry up the most rotten and old soil underneath."

Thales' eyes flickered, as if he were deep in thought.

"You mean, we'll continue to exploit old legal principles like inheritance, ethics, morality, and blood ties to pry things open again?"

But Federico shook his head in denial.

“The soil has been loosened,” he said excitedly. “All we need to do is expose the rotten, foul-smelling termites to the sunlight, to the world in broad daylight, and that will be enough.”

At this point, Federico's eyes flashed with a sharp glint, "Let Janne, or rather, let Emerald City do the rest for us."

"I would rather die for a friend than for an enemy."

But Thales couldn't help but frown:
"What do you mean? How exactly do I do it?"

Federico turned his head, his smile cold:

"Your Highness, do you remember that at the beginning of the power transition in the Emerald City after Janne stepped down, I wrote to you suggesting that Miss Cecilia be appointed as the regent of the Emerald City?"

Thales was taken aback:
"Yes?"

Federico nodded.

“It’s not too late now. You can announce that you will appoint Hilaire as regent or even acting lord of the city,” he said with a sharp look in his eyes. “You can tell the outside world that you have finally stabilized the situation after the turmoil, and now it is time to be upright and honest, not coveting power, and hand over Emerald City to Kevin Deer, so that Miss Hilaire can worry about the city affairs.”

"what?"

Shocked, Thales stood there stunned for a long time.

"I thought you had some brilliant plan to change the balance of power and force Jenn to back down, but it turns out you just... used his sister?"

“She’s also my cousin,” Federico said with a complicated look. He walked behind Thales’s chair and stopped. “I told you, Your Highness, when facing Janne, we don’t need any advanced, trendy, sophisticated, or complicated political means or weapons. The simpler and more direct the better. We should play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses, rather than using the weak to fight the strong.”

Thales didn't turn around; he shook his head in disbelief.

“First of all, Fede, you need to know that whether it was your ‘roundabout way’ and using extraordinary means to remove Jann from his position as city lord, or my painstaking efforts to get Emerald City to temporarily agree to and get used to the absence of Jann’s rule, we finally managed to defeat him in Emerald City with great difficulty.”

“That’s right,” Federico nodded, stroking the back of Thales’ chair and sighing, “It’s been a long time coming.”

“Secondly, you underestimate Hilly,” Thales said, trying to be rational. “This girl is close to her brother and is determined to get Jenn out of prison. It may not be wise to hand power over to her: what if her first order after taking office is to summon Jenn to participate in government affairs, effectively bringing him back to the center of power?”

“That makes sense, but that’s precisely why,” Federico surprisingly nodded in agreement with Thales, pondering, “Your Highness cannot give up the most crucial bargaining chip—the case of the assassination of the Duke of Leinster, and the noble arbitration concerning the conflict between me and Jann. As long as this case remains in your hands, as long as you can still decide how to investigate, how to arbitrate, and to what extent to pursue it.”

Thales's brow twitched.

"In fact, you should not only not give up, but also make a big fuss, investigate hard, pursue the case with all your might, and not let go of any detail of the old case, so that Jann knows that you are not making concessions, but pressing forward: his future is still in your hands. Whether he is a patricide or an innocent victim, whether he is a usurper or a legitimate duke, it is all up to you to decide."

Federico resumed pacing.

"Then, you might as well explain it to my cousin like this: The predicament in Emerald City has given you a huge headache and has also enraged His Majesty. If the situation continues like this without any improvement, then I'm afraid Janne's life may be in danger..."

what?
Thales' eyes widened.

"Therefore, for the sake of her brother's life, I implore Miss Hilley to disregard past grievances and lend a helping hand. As long as she overcomes all difficulties in her position as lord of the city, whether it's selling her possessions or borrowing money, as long as she stabilizes the rule of Emerald City and preserves this cash cow of the kingdom..." Federico's footsteps sounded behind Thales, his voice carrying an incurable poison:
"Then perhaps you—no, no, I should say, His Majesty the King—will be satisfied and thus treat her own brother more 'fairly' when arbitrating for us, at least saving his life?"

In that instant, Thales felt the hairs on his body stand on end.

He vaguely guessed the other party's intentions, which made him even more uneasy.

What are you doing?
In that case, Hilaire will definitely do everything in his power to overcome all the predicaments and difficulties he is currently facing...

But if that happens...

"At the same time, don't forget to let Jann—of course, from Your Highness—'know' that his sister has the honor of ascending to the position of city lord, and also let him 'know' what the female city lord is doing right now." Federico narrowed his eyes.

Thales was completely stunned.

If Jenn finds out...

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Federico gave a sinister smile upon seeing this.

“Jane has used every trick in the book, every scheme and tactic, to threaten you into giving in, otherwise he would rather see the Emerald City crumble than have you do as you wish,” he said patiently. “But if the one sitting in the seat of power, trying to break the chain, is his own sister, will all of Jan’s pre-arranged measures still work? Will he still be willing to stand by and watch the Emerald City fall while waiting for you to compromise? More importantly, when Lady Kelvin Deer begins to drastically shake the foundations, will the people of the Emerald City under her rule still see the Kelvin Deer family as their guarantee of power and their political foundation?”

Thales was horrified, while Federico's voice was deep and his words were crystal clear:

"When a carriage is to ensure the safety of its shiny, new parts, it has to painfully replace the old, worn-out part inside... When the Emerald City is to maintain its identity and independence, it has to abandon the bloodline of Kevin Deer... When the Duke's dual identities as 'protector' and 'ruler' conflict with each other..."

Federico said coldly:
"Can Jenn still sit so calmly in the car, detached and untouched by anything?"

In the absolute silence, Thales took a difficult breath.

“No, if I were Jann, I would stand still,” Thales shook his head vigorously. “I would let my sister be in a terrible position, even if she made countless enemies and ruined her reputation, I would not care, unless the prince made concessions on the arbitration and promised to close the case and clear my name.”

Federico walked over to Thales and shrugged.

"That depends on Jenn himself, whether he's truly cold-blooded enough to choose power over his sister, letting her exhaust herself working against the Emerald City he built..."

At that moment, his voice was as cold as ice:

"...Or do you truly value blood ties and are willing to step forward, clean up your own mess, retract your own trap, and even... go against the very path you've built?"

Thales clenched his fist.

“I have a feeling that there’s something you haven’t told me about Jenn and Hilly, about this seemingly unremarkable move.”

Federico turned around and smiled slightly.

“From birth, Hilaire inherited the weakness of her uncle’s lineage. Like her brother, she was born with a deformity…”

Federico paused for a moment, then changed his words:
"She was frail and sickly, and nearly died young. To save their daughter's life, her uncle and aunt, who were dukes, even resorted to seeking divine intervention and witchcraft, which caused much gossip and gave their political enemies an excuse to attack her. My father, out of pity for his niece, also spared no effort in visiting renowned doctors. Even Janne's years of studying and seeking medical treatment in the Eastern Continent were largely for the sake of this younger sister, the beloved treasure of the family."

“Now that the previous generation of relatives is gone,” Federico’s eyes flickered. “Do you think he will still carry on their legacy and cherish this sister who was once protected by the entire clan?”

Thales frowned.

As expected, the one who understands Kevin Deer best is also the one who can hurt him the most...

Only themselves.

"The most ironic thing is that, whether he would rather abandon his own blood relatives for the sake of family tradition, or sacrifice the interests of his family for the sake of his own blood relatives..."

As he spoke, Federico drifted off into thought again:
"A family is made up of one blood relative after another."

He said quietly:

When Jenn had to choose between his family and his blood relatives, did he uphold his family or destroy it? Did he protect his blood relatives or harm them?

Thales looked up and stared directly at Federico.

He suddenly felt that everything in front of him was somewhat familiar.

“You’re forcing Jenn to make a choice,” Tyles said absently, “a bad one, or worse.”

Federico's forced smile:
"Your Highness has keen insight."

This time, Thales remained silent for a long time.

“I promised Jenn that I wouldn’t involve his sister.”

“He must have foreseen this situation back then, which is why he took advantage of your trustworthy nature to block this path,” Federico said calmly. “But if you follow the rules, you will have truly fallen into his trap.”

Thales sighed.

"But if we really have to take this step, it would be too despicable and too underhanded."

"Is it more despicable and vile than Jenn threatening to drag the entire Emerald City down with him to threaten you?"

Federico scoffed dismissively.

“Your Highness Thales, I overcame countless difficulties and fought my way back to Emerald City from a state of having nothing and no money, so I am very clear that if we follow the rules, we will never be able to beat Janne.”

“Because, like all the long-ruling strongmen in this world,” he looked down at Thales in his chair, “he has long since unknowingly turned ‘rules’ into his weapons and pawns. If you follow the rules, you will surely lose.”

He squinted:
"Whether you sit idly by and watch the entire Emerald City perish, leaving your wishes in vain, or force Kevin Deer into chaos to save the bigger picture, Your Highness is known for your wisdom and surely already knows the answer."

Thales breathed heavily, remaining silent for a long time.

“Alright, if Your Highness is upright and incorruptible, and truly unwilling to break your promise, and is also worried that Hilaire will hand over power to Jann upon taking office, then why not make a gesture first?” Federico, seeing the situation, had no choice but to compromise. “Have Hilaire participate in government affairs as an advisor, and then inform Jann that you intend to abdicate in her favor, and see how he reacts?”

Several seconds later, Thales finally managed to lift his head with some difficulty and look at Federico.

The latter, composed and at ease, slowly sat down in his rightful place, still dressed in thin clothes and with a frail body.

"Your Highness, are you willing to believe me?"

At that moment, Federico Kevindir smiled at His Highness the Prince, but the light in his eyes was utterly cold:

"Even if we have to use twists and turns to seek the truth and use power to fabricate the truth?"

Some time later, amidst the strange looks from the Emerald Soldiers and the Star Lake Guard, Thales walked out of Federico's room in a daze.

"Your Highness?"

Under Golov's worried gaze, he walked absentmindedly down the corridor, feeling the emptiness of the Empty Palace at this moment.

"Your Highness! Prince Thales!"

Miranda's voice rang out urgently, and Thales turned around in a daze.

"Your Highness, I'm so sorry to bother you!"

The female swordsman led Kongmuto and the others, their expressions solemn.

"But just now, something extremely terrible happened in Emerald City, and I have to report it to you..."

"What, are you in debt again?" Thales said blankly, "or has someone died again?"

Miranda paused, speechless.

"How...how did you know?"

"Someone really died?" Golov asked in surprise.

Everyone looked at each other.

Damn, someone's really dead again.

Thales' face was ashen; he pressed his forehead and hissed in pain.

Fuck your mother.

Aside from good things, what kind of trouble hasn't happened in this dilapidated city?

Even if Miranda told him now that there was a magic master in the Sky Palace, he wouldn't be surprised.

Thales said with a sarcastic yet powerless self-deprecation.

No, there's already one.

And she even slept in his bed.

"Your Highness?"

No, cheer up, Thales, you still have a city to govern.

Thales took a deep breath, tried to adjust his mindset, and turned to his subordinates.

"Tell me, who is the deceased?"

For Miranda to lose her composure like this and rush over Marius to report, the dead must have been no nobody.

“A highly experienced and respected judge, whose influence is considerable,” Miranda paused for a moment, “and you have met him, by the way.”

Thales's expression changed, and he was suddenly moved.

"The one I've met—Grand Inquisitor Brennan?"

Miranda nodded solemnly.

What are you doing?
Thales fully regained consciousness, straightened his clothes, and quickened his pace:
"Is it Lausanne II?"

"We don't know yet. But this time, the deceased, this old judge..."

Miranda hesitated for a moment:
"He left behind a suicide note and old case files."

Thales frowned.

"What do you mean? What case file?"

Miranda and Grover exchanged a glance.

"Your Highness, there might have been something fishy about the death of the Duke of Leinster back then," the female swordsman whispered.