Kingdom’s Bloodline

The remaining torches are getting weaker and weaker, and the dungeon is getting darker and darker.

But he felt that the dungeon was experiencing an unprecedented calm and brightness.

Although little Barney was still silently absent-minded behind him, Thales knew that he no longer had to worry about the state of the former vanguard officer.

And his only remaining question...

Thales shook his head, endured the pain and walked towards the last figure.

The long-faced man who had been kneeling on the ground, covered in scars and desperate, seemed to have lost his soul.

The outline of the punishment knight slowly emerged in the dim vision.

His left arm, which was badly injured by Barney, hung like a hollow snake's slough, hanging stiffly and powerlessly on his shoulder.

"So, you are the only one left." Thales said softly.

The voice fell.

The punishment knight seemed to be still immersed in his own world, and did not respond to Thales' words, allowing him to approach slowly.

But the moment Thales approached him ten steps away, Sackel jumped up like a cheetah suddenly awakened, instinctively picked up the notched ax blade beside him!

"Your Highness!"

Belletti exclaimed, subconsciously stood up and moved forward.

Others also reacted one after another: Semir frowned and held down his weapon, Tardin, Bree, Cannon and the others stood up nervously and surrounded Sackel, even Barney Jr. God held up the torch.

But at this moment, Thales suddenly raised a hand behind him!

"Wait a moment."

The prince's voice was hoarse and weak, but everyone stopped subconsciously.

In the ultimate silence, Thales silently observed the long-faced man in front of him.

Sackel didn't move, he just breathed in a daze.

The weapon in his hand pointed at Thales from a distance.

As if it was instinct.

The air condenses again.

Behind, Kuaisheng asked with an embarrassed expression.

"Hey, Huai...uh, Thales?"

Belletti glanced at Sakel, who was in a trance but still instinctively alert, and hesitated to say:

"Your Highness, you'd better..."

Before he could finish speaking, Tardin on the other side interrupted nervously: "We can't go any further!"

"Dangerous, dangerous." This is Cannon who is a little nervous.

All the people present reacted differently, but all of them stared vigilantly at Sakeel, who seemed to have just woken up from the raving.

But Thales laughed.

"Thank you, Belletti, and you, Tardin, Cannon," the young man resisted the discomfort in his body:

"But I need you to wait for me a little longer."

Thales turned his head, showed a tired smile, and raised an index finger:

"For a while."

He turned around, took a deep breath, and continued walking towards Sackel.

Seeing the distance between the two getting closer, Belletti's expression changed:

"Your Highness, for your—"

But an arm stretched out from the side, holding down Belletti who wanted to move!

"He said," Little Barney stood up at some point, and said coldly to the astonished Belletti and Tardin:

"Let's wait."

He seemed to have a grudge against Thales, and he seemed to lower his head on purpose when he said this, not looking in the prince's direction.

Little Barney's faltering and forceful tone woke up Sackel, whose eyes gradually cleared up and focused on Thales.

Belletti stared blankly at the vanguard officer, then at Thales, hesitating to speak several times.

But he didn't say anything, he didn't do anything.

He just stopped where he was, watching the prince worryingly stepping forward.

like everyone else.

Until Thales came within three steps of Sakel.

Sackel panted in a daze.

He looked around at the old colleagues who wanted to rush up immediately, but held back their steps abruptly.

Something is different.

he thought so.

Sackel looked around,

He saw that Barney, who was used to giving orders, looked unhappy, but did not speak.

Belletti, who has always been calm, even a little rigid, did not let her go.

Even Samir, who didn't like to listen to orders, just pursed his lips and remained silent.

And the rest, whether it's Tardin or Cannon...

These comrades he used to be very familiar with...

They have been standing quietly behind Thales, except for giving Sackel a warning look, they almost watched and let the prince walk step by step in front of himself covered in blood.

these guys...

Sackel turned his head stiffly, distracted and confused, but he clenched his weapon subconsciously.

"you……"

Sackel withdrew his tired and gloomy gaze, and looked at Thales suspiciously, as if he was getting to know the boy again.

"What did you do to them?"

He said stupidly, as if he was asking the other party, but also as if he was asking himself.

Thales took a deep breath and forced a smile.

"nothing."

The boy said slowly:

"Just something you want to do but haven't been able to do."

Sackel froze for a moment, feeling dizzy for a while.

Things you want to do but can't...

A few seconds later, the severely injured punishment knight shook his head vigorously.

"Is it."

He snorted lightly, lowered his dim eyes, and understood something.

The penalty knight let his left arm swing empty, gritted his teeth and raised the weapon in his right hand.

"You know, before coming here, as a hostage of the Star Kingdom resident in Exeter, I escaped all the way back from Dragon Clouds City." The boy's voice sounded low.

Sackel's ax blade froze.

Dragon Clouds City.

Sackel's trance spirit moved slightly, as if he had been stabbed by something.

Thin and chaotic memories once again filled his overwhelmed spirit.

Is it.

The Canxing royal family's hostages in Dragon Clouds City.

Sackel gripped the ax blade tightly in his hand.

So, in the years since that tragedy, the kingdom has...

"I met a lot of people on the way," Thales said in a calm tone, as if talking about family matters. "One of them especially touched me deeply."

"He said that after more than ten years of disguise, when he looked in the mirror again, he no longer recognized the person in it."

Sackel's ax blade trembled slightly.

Thales withdrew his gaze from the time crossbow in the hands of the fast rope, and sighed:

"He has forgotten why he put on that mask in the first place. He let the mask capture him, occupy him, and control him."

Thales stared at the man in front of him seriously:

"It's like a soldier forgets his mission of protection and becomes a slave to victory."

"It is like a king forgetting the responsibility of ruling and surrendering to the vanity of merit."

The punishment knight's body began to shake slightly.

Thales looked directly into Sackel's eyes.

He's seen that look before.

More than once.

In the Grass Manor, when the Wind Follower dragged his crippled body and struggled painfully.

In the Palace of Resurrection, when Val Aarend shook his head desolately, revealing the conspiracy.

In the Hall of Heroes, when officer Michael was absent-mindedly picking up his daughter's body.

In the wasteland, when the dying Horror Crow laughed wildly and confessed everything.

They're all equally gray, equally hopeless, and equally...numb.

Those are the eyes that only those who have lost the most cherished thing will have.

And the Sackel in front of him...

What is his most cherished thing?

Thinking of this, Thales' chest sank and he sighed softly.

"But, Sackel."

"When and for what reason did you put on this mask?"

Sackel froze.

He stood where he was, with complexity written all over his face.

Silence lasted several seconds.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," after a while, he managed to squeeze out the words:

"But we...we have to get this over with."

After Sackel's words fell, the weapon in his hand flicked slightly, as if confirming his determination once again.

Thales raised his eyebrows.

"Ah, I know."

"You still want to kill me."

The boy's tone was casual, but it made the guards behind him nervous again.

"And none of us can stop you."

Saker frowned and said nothing.

But he seems to have a talent: silence alone is enough to make the surrounding atmosphere chill and freeze.

However, the prince immediately broke into a smile:

"I have to admit that when you were the heinous traitor who chased me down all the way... I could at least feel at ease when I faced you."

"But now..."

Thales sighed:

"Those stories you told: You discovered the truth, so you were dissatisfied with the former king, so you planned the palace change by yourself and framed everyone. You are the traitor and the chief culprit for eighteen years..."

He sneered and shook his head.

"At least half of them are fake."

The punishment knight's cheek moved slightly.

Thales looked directly at him.

"That's the mask you put on for other people to see."

Sackel pursed his lips tightly, his face stiff and gloomy.

"It was fabricated by you in order to hide the truth and protect both the dead and the living."

"For your guards to no longer be divided, for the surviving people not to be tortured, for the old things that have been buried underground are no longer difficult to rest in peace."

"For this reason, are you willing to be that sinner and traitor out of thin air, and bear the resentment that should not be directed at you-letting them hate you alone, rather than they hate each other?"

The penalty knight closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Little Barney looked at Sack El, his eyes mixed with hatred, complaints, confusion and bewilderment.

Others sighed.

Only Samir shook his head in disdain.

Thales raised the corner of his mouth and continued:

"Until I saw what you just did, I finally understood: this is the real Sackel."

Saker's brows twitched fiercely.

But Thales continued:

"Eighteen years ago, as the watchman who guarded the inheritance, you couldn't bear to choose sides and stand in line. You could only witness your colleagues turning against each other, fighting each other, and blood flowing like rivers."

"After the tragedy, for the sake of the royal family's reputation and dignity, you can't open your mouth to tell the truth. You can only sit back and watch the innocent members of the guard go to prison unjustly."

"But in the face of their experiences and tragedies, you can't forgive yourself for your inaction and silence. You voluntarily isolate yourself from the outside world and bury them deep in the ground as punishment for yourself."

Thales looked at Sack El sadly.

Every time he finished speaking, the pain and entanglement on the knight's face deepened, and the heaving of his chest became more intense.

The complexities and contradictions in the eyes of the guards also deepened.

The eyes they focused on Sackel were already chaotic and changeable, but now they were a little more obscure and hesitant.

"So, Lord Sackel," Thales sighed:

"Whether you wear a mask or not, you never forget what you believe in."

Sackel suddenly opened his eyes!

"Are you finished!"

His right hand holding the weapon trembled just like his voice: "This can't help you..."

Thales interrupted him.

"Soon."

"But not until then."

Thales exhaled lightly.

"Before you do it, I want you to know, and I want them all to know,"

He turned around and looked at the former royal guards who were confused, dazed, nervous and puzzled.

"Sakel, you are not a traitor, nor are you a villain."

"On the contrary, you don't hesitate to bear unwarranted grievances and undeserved stigma, but also to guard the reputation of the deceased and protect the reputation of the royal family."

"You would rather keep silent and bear the misunderstanding and hatred behind the tragedy than see brothers turn against each other and brother to brother."

Thales looked at him indifferently:

"You're even willing to sacrifice their trust, friendship, respect, admiration, all that you once held dear, and that's all that's left now—if it protects and saves them."

The dungeon became quiet again, and only the panting sounds of the crowd could be heard, whether fast or slow, but uneven and steady.

At this moment, the eyes of the royal guards looking at Sackel were extremely complicated and incomprehensible:

Sackel stared at Thales, the blood in his eyes was clearly visible in the firelight.

"You can't shake me."

The punishment knight's voice was very deep, with a bit of bitterness between the lines.

"Of course," Thales chuckled: "Because no matter eighteen years ago or eighteen years later, from the beginning to the end, you are the noble knight who is selfless, fearless, and a model."

"The watchman who guards the heritage of the guard."

Thales sighed lightly:

"You are just unfortunately involved in the torrent of the times, lost your way, and can't wake up."

The torrent of the times...

Sackel's trembling became more and more intense.

Terrible memories hit him like a surging tide.

Sackel gritted his teeth, trying not to look at other people's expressions.

Because he is afraid.

Fear……

But just when Sackel's thoughts were still turbulent——

"Everyone present..."

Thales glanced back at the people around him, took a deep breath, and sighed again.

It was as if he had made up his mind.

He knows what to do.

Everyone looked at the prince in unison.

"You know," Thales lowered his eyes and said softly:

"Why did Saker kill me?"

At that moment, Sackel's erratic thoughts were interrupted instantly.

What?

He froze completely.

He was not the only one with this expression, and everyone present was also startled.

From the still awkward little Barney, to the worried Belletti, to the vigilant Semir, as well as Tardin, Cannon, and Bree—perplexity, puzzlement, suspicion, all kinds of emotions flooded everyone's hearts.

Only Kuaisheng, who realized something, changed his face drastically!

I only heard Thales calmly adjusting his breathing, and raised the corners of his mouth:

"Because he knows."

"Because Thackel knows exactly what I am."

What am I.

The prince was very calm and at ease, as if this was an ordinary answer.

The silence in the dungeon lasted several seconds.

etc.

Sackel's expression slowly melted, and he looked at Thales, who was nothing more than ordinary, with indescribable surprise.

he……

he wants……

"I don't understand," Samir, who was watching, narrowed his eyes:

"What is 'what the hell'?"

Soon, in the midst of everyone's doubts, the unbelievable Quick Rope was the first to open his mouth wide in surprise, and stretched out his arms subconsciously!

"Hey, that, Huai—I mean Thales?"

But Kuaisheng quickly noticed the surroundings: Under the suspicious eyes of the people around him, he couldn't even say Thales' name, so he withdrew his hand in embarrassment, and his voice weakened.

Thales just looked indifferent and didn't care.

"you……"

Sackel looked at Thales in surprise, and could no longer restrain his reaction:

"You can't... are you crazy!"

Semir, Tardin... Many people didn't understand. They exchanged questioning glances back and forth during the conversation between Sackel and Thales.

Little Barney stared at Sackel's expression and Thales' back, and felt the difference.

what's wrong...

The prince...what's the secret?

Thales turned his mouth slightly, shook his head, and smiled at the punishment knight.

"I already know you, Watcher."

Thales laughed and said:

"But you don't know me."

"You don't know what I have experienced since I came to this world."

Thales raised his right hand, slowly spread his palm, and looked at the unhealed bloodstain in the center of his palm that was cut by a dagger.

Just like what he did before coming to the Prison of Bones.

Sackel looked at Thales at this moment, too surprised to speak.

In front of him, the boy's expression was calm and relaxed, even...

Very happy.

Fast Rope, who was observing Thales, frowned.

No.

He suddenly realized that this was not Thales' trick or method.

No.

He really wants to...

Quick Rope suddenly felt an unparalleled panic.

"Death may be unpleasant to me, but it no longer scares me," Thales said with a rare relief in his tone:

"And what really scares me..."

As Thales spoke, his eyes became confused.

Ashida's haughty face, Giza's mad expression flashed before his eyes.

[Thales, in this world, they don't hate us. 】

[They are afraid of us. 】

[What they refuse to forgive and accept is not our behavior, but our existence]

And...the mysterious figure of Thoros.

Thales sighed lightly.

"What scares me is the fear, apprehension, and nervousness that I can't get rid of when I'm carrying that secret—even in nightmares, it's its shadow, and I can't escape."

"I am apprehensive about the moment when this secret is known, apprehensive about the fate and unknowns I will face, nervous about how the world will treat me, apprehensive and apprehensive all day long because everything I am familiar with may leave me."

Thales slowly raised his head, his eyes slowly focusing.

"Today, that moment has come."

Thales turned his head and found that Kuaisheng was staring at him blankly.

The boy smiled back at him, and let out a long breath.

Thank you.

"And that's not that bad."

Seeing Kuaisheng's blank expression, Thales clenched his palm vigorously, feeling the pain in his palm.

"On the contrary, the moment of really facing it, facing the consequences..."

"I didn't really understand."

Thales turned around and raised his gaze calmly.

"The only thing that haunts me, tortures me, punishes me, and refuses to let me go is not that secret, not my upcoming destiny, not the unknown that I can't grasp, and not others."

"And it's just me."

"What I need is not self-shackles," Thales clenched his fists, and stamped hard on the spot on his heart that had been burned by silver coins: "It's about letting go of me in the past."

"Rise from the ashes."

Saker was completely stunned.

"Your Highness...Your Highness?" Belletti seemed to realize something was wrong, and with a worried and puzzled face, he half reminded and half warned.

Facing the doubts that were about to burst out from a group of people, Thales just smiled in relief.

"That's right, everyone."

He closed his eyes, trying not to see the reactions of those around him.

The prince's voice echoed in the dungeon, accompanied by Sackel's almost stagnant expression and Kuai Rope's uncontrollable breathing.

"I, Thales Canxing, are one of the biggest taboos in this world that people have passed down from generation to generation."

"It's the same kind that Sackel believed was the chief culprit who disturbed and disturbed the kingdom back then."

The next moment, Thales took a deep breath in the dead silence and opened his eyes.

"I'm a magician."

In the calmest, most indifferent, and most indifferent tone of his life, the young man said the answer that made Sackel, Fast Rope, Barney, and everyone gasp:

"A disaster."

I know, "Rebirth" is not finished yet...but I promise, the next chapter is really the last (below)!

( = )