Kingdom’s Bloodline

Everything seems to be in the fog.

clean and white.

hazy.

confused.

Nothing to rely on.

There is only that gentle voice in my ear, as if it is close at hand.

【Chiren, please, don't be afraid. 】

how so.

His heart was full of inexplicable resentment and sorrow, and he had nowhere to vent.

It's like...he's missing something.

[I'm just... I'm just...]

That voice is so helpless.

So... bleak.

seems to be... away from him

【I just live... in a world different from yours. 】

When the words faded away, he suddenly felt very empty and distressed.

He stretched out his hand in the direction of the voice.

want to go...

touch her.

hold her tight.

comfort her.

keep her.

And when he thought he was going to get close to her and keep her.

A red light suddenly pierced through the fog!

The white mist dissipated, and the haze disappeared.

At that moment, it was like the blood falling from the sky stained the walls red, and everything around became viscous and bright, bloody and gloomy!

Everything has changed.

He tensed up inexplicably.

【Long time no see...】

Amidst the scarlet blood, a strange and cold voice, exuding a thick and excited tone, sounded from somewhere.

【Long time no see...】

A terrifying sense of heaviness came without warning, making it hard for him to breathe.

No.

【It's been a long time... It's been a long time... It's been a long time...】

The echo is heavy and repeats endlessly.

Like a thick drum of war, it shook his heart back and forth.

No.

【mine……】

That voice was excited.

But he was terrified.

No.

【mine……】

The surrounding blood color is getting redder, darker, darker, and getting closer... closer.

【My, my, my...】

Inevitably, the boundless blood color climbed up his body and his perception.

And he couldn't break free, couldn't escape.

No.

It violently assaulted his thoughts, took possession of his will.

Fill him with...everything.

No!

【My my my my my...】

Finally, when the boundless blood completely filled him from the inside to the outside, that strange voice from afar was extremely clear, sounding from his body as if right next to his ears!

【mine--】

It seems to have faded away all the chaos and barriers. If the volcano erupts and the tsunami is majestic, it roars out from his own mouth:

[—Blood brothers! 】

"ah--"

He screamed in fear, and suddenly struggled to his feet!

Panic, helplessness, panic.

He gasped, trying to grab something.

At this moment, a heavy black shadow suddenly appeared above his head!

It is like a ghost, pressing down darkly.

It seemed to cover and engulf him.

The next moment, a familiar feeling appeared in the right hand.

Nervous, without even thinking about it, he pushed his right hand towards the shadow!

"Snapped!"

With a soft sound, his right hand was firmly held, unable to advance or retreat!

"Thales."

A familiar hoarse voice emerged from the shadows, calling his name.

Thales was shocked!

"Joe, yordle?"

The young man gasped, trying to consciously separate the blood in the dream from the black shadow in front of him, and barely recognized a pair of mirror holes that reflected the cold light.

In the dim light, the strength of the black shadow holding his arm slightly slowed down.

"yes."

"It's me... I, I'm here," the black shadow said hoarsely, comforting Thales who was still in shock, looking quite unskilled:

"I'm here."

A gloved hand released Thales' wrist, and patted the boy's arm stiffly and unfamiliarly, encouraging him to relax.

And in his dream, the blood that soaked him and the whole world...is not here.

Thales, who was tense, relaxed in a trance, and the JC dagger in his hand slipped down, and was caught by Yordle.

"I'm here, I'm here."

The black shadow repeated awkwardly, and it took a few seconds before he found the next word:

"No...it's all right."

Thales let out a breath and collapsed backwards.

But he was quickly supported by the mask guards on his back, and he was gently placed back on the pillow.

He looked at the JC in Yodel's hand, quite flustered and guilty.

"Dagger...I'm sorry," Thales half-opened his eyelids, feeling weak and uneven in breath:

"It was just...a nightmare, you know, I..."

But Yoddle interrupted him:

"I know I know."

"never mind."

The mask guard helped Thales pull up the pillow and let him lean on it, and he didn't forget to tuck the quilt for the boy.

Lying back on the bed, Thales realized that he was covered in cold sweat.

Soaked the inner liner which I don't know when it was replaced.

Thales pressed the bandage under the lining, and the smell of medicine filled his nose.

He took a deep breath in pain and realized they were in a strange room,

Dark, gloomy, cramped.

The room is not big, only a dozen steps away from the head of his bed to the door. There is a small desk next to the bed, and a wooden window next to the desk is tightly closed. light.

An unextinguishable lamp was placed on the wooden platform in the distance, barely illuminating the room.

But... Lying on the bed, Thales squinted his eyes and found that although the bed board and desk were relatively neat, the walls of the room were dark and thick, and there were even a few cobwebs left in the corners of the ceiling.

"Here is... where?"

Thales spoke with difficulty, feeling his throat was dry and hoarse.

"Blade camp."

The masked guard walked to the edge of the wooden platform, and when he came back, he already had an extra glass of water in his hand.

"You slept all day and all night."

So we're back.

one day one Night……

How long?

Thales gratefully took the water glass and poured water on his throat that seemed to be parched.

While watching him drink, Yoddle grabbed a bundle of rope by the bed and gave it a gentle tug.

"Jingle Bell……"

There was a faint ringing of bells outside the door.

"The doctor said that you need to eat." Under Thales' puzzled gaze, Jodl explained simply.

Before Thales could react, there were faint quarrels and footsteps outside the door.

"Bing, bell, that's a bell!"

"I swear I heard the bell ring! Felicia said it was the way gentlemen wake up... ahem, servants get up... no, I don't think it's haunted... well, coward, I'll go myself! "

The owner of the words and footsteps was obviously in a hurry, and many unexpected and flustered collisions could be heard on the way.

"boom!"

The next moment, as the door was slammed open, Yodel's figure disappeared into the air.

Thales, who was leaning on the bed, squinted his eyes, looking at the man who rushed into the door and maintained his balance awkwardly.

This is... a soldier, and his clothes look familiar.

"Who are you……"

Thales put down the empty water glass, wondering.

The soldier managed to maintain his balance, and his face suddenly changed when he saw Thales, first surprised and then happy.

"I got a big grass, it's muddy!"

"Mud is finally having sex!"

The soldier spoke a strong Westland accent, but he seemed to realize something, and immediately coughed violently a few times, subconsciously stood at attention, and changed into the more standard Westland lingua franca unique to the messenger.

"I mean, noble and handsome Your Highness, seeing your sexuality, the entire Saber Camp will be so moved!"

Thales's hard-pressed smile froze.

The somewhat excited soldier stared at Thales, who was weak on the bed, as if afraid of missing a glance, and at the same time said a long series of words in a blunt and mechanical way:

"Ahem, there is your dripping—er, is it dripping or coming—our one, it's so bright..."

The soldier bowed his head once after he said a sentence, his face changed back and forth with the occasional poor rhetoric, and he stuttered from time to time:

"In short, we must work hard to protect the kingdom's frontiers, keep an eye on the desert, and control the orcs. Please rest assured, Your Majesty... Oops, this seems to be the last paragraph, ahem..."

"Well, my team and I are honored to have you...I mean to have you, no, to have you..."

Thales coughed violently, interrupting his erroneous welcome speech.

"Okay, thank you, soldier, I understand your enthusiasm," Thales pointed weakly at the soldier's waist:

"There is no need to read the rest of the manuscript."

The soldier blushed, and embarrassedly stuffed the "cheat sheet" full of handwriting and pictures that was held up to his waist into his trouser belt:

"Well, our letter-writing clerk died half a month ago..."

"You're the only one here?" Thales looked outside the door, only to see a dim light.

The soldier who was in embarrassment was shocked, and quickly stood at attention and replied:

"There is also the strange fire and the spirit blade - she just changed shifts, Miyan hasn't come yet - we have to come up every half hour to look at it, for fear that you will be murdered by unjust souls, or secretly stolen by the spirit blade who is crazy about money. Get into bed and put on..."

Thales raised his eyebrows.

As soon as the soldier said something wrong, his expression changed:

"Sorry, you know I didn't mean that..."

He squeezed out a smile in a panic, with nowhere to place his hands:

"What I mean is, His Royal Highness, we have always taken good care of you and loved you as our own son..."

He kept getting worse.

Thales, who was mentally tired, became more energetic after being nagged by him.

He sighed, reaching out to hold down the soldier's remaining words.

"I remember, you are a snake hand, a supernatural being."

"It's... the new captain under Baron Williams."

The soldier named Snake Hand was startled slightly, and then revealed ecstasy.

"Ah, you remember my name! It really is the noble and handsome Your Highness... Yes, Your Highness, please remember me. I am the Serpent Hand under Lord Williams. I am loyal and have never smuggled, tax evaded or A former criminal in organized crime, shed blood, sweat and tears for the kingdom every day since being recruited by the adults..."

Snake Hand, who was immersed in another round of "showing loyalty", saw Thales's sinking face, coughed quickly, and returned to the topic.

"At first, the baron wanted to catch some beautiful prostitutes or the maids of the old men to make you happy-cough cough, I mean to warm your bed or something..."

"But you know, the camp just calmed down, so he let the freak little... well, let our glorious Stardust Guard 3rd commando team take good care of you, love you, make you comfortable, come on I just don't want to go..."

Thales stretched out his hand with a headache, interrupting the long speech that the other party had obviously been brewing all day:

"Thank you, please go convey my thanks to the baron, and then..."

The prince smiled reluctantly:

"I'm a little hungry."

The snake hand was stunned for a few seconds, and then he slapped his forehead.

"Oh, yes, food! Yes, the baron snatched a lot from those gentlemen... Ahem, I mean the nobles donated a lot to you and the baron..."

The snake hand said happily, and rushed out of the room in a hurry, leaving Thales with a confused face.

"Strange fire!"

After a series of footsteps, there was a faint shout from the snake hand outside the door:

"Bring up the food! Stop sneaking-cough cough, sneaky, that, secretly 'checking'!"

Ten minutes later, in the re-closed room, Thales sat alone at the desk, staring at the food that the snake hand had just brought up.

He looked at the plate of white bread baked from wheat, oatmeal, goat's milk, and even honey...

As well as grilled fish, chicken, pork, and many seasonings that are not available in the North...

The snake hand said, is this the Legendary Wing confiscated from the nobles of the Western Wilderness?

Thales sighed, and put a mouthful of broth into his mouth.

Well, it tastes so good—compared to scorpions and spiders and blood lizards.

God Mo, if anyone tells him that the nobles in the Western Wilderness are in a remote place with barren soil, turbulent, dangerous, poor and miserable, he will break off with him...

Feeling the gradual filling of his stomach, Thales asked the air:

"So, what happened to the Blade Camp?"

He waited for a few seconds.

"Later," Yodel's hoarse and indiscernible voice came from the void:

"Williams won."

Williams, won.

Thales bit the spoon in his mouth, and frowned helplessly.

Wow.

Really detailed.

Like when they first met and Yoddle answered him "Who's my daddy?"

Full of diplomatic rhetoric.

Thinking of the past, Thales' lips couldn't help but curl up.

God, how old is he, is he starting to feel nostalgic?

But Thales immediately remembered something, and his mood sank.

"Where's the secret department of the Kingdom?"

Thales asked cryptically, but Yordle seemed to know what he was going to ask.

"They had no horses and were forced to come back on foot."

The prince breathed a sigh of relief.

So, Fast Rope, Barney Jr., Belletti, Tardin, Cannon, Bree, and Sack El.

them……

His mood brightened.

"That was a fulfilling and interesting day, wasn't it." Thales said half-jokingly.

A few seconds later, a hoarse voice came from the air, with an imperceptible smile:

"Yes."

Thales, who had a huge appetite, happily ate the food on the dinner plate.

"By the way, Yodel, your injury..."

"It's done, don't worry."

The answer from the air was so quick that Thales didn't even have a chance to finish the question.

But this made the prince frown.

"alright?"

Thales put down the half-bitten bread.

The injury...healed.

He remembered that a long time ago, Yordle blocked three vicious and deadly crossbow arrows for him and was seriously injured.

So they parted.

Thales no longer knew what happened after that—the prince's mission urged him to go north.

One to six years.

Memories of the past and inexplicable melancholy flooded into his mind.

six years.

Thales' smile disappeared.

He was silent for a while.

"Yordel, these years, have you still... okay?"

The answer in the air is still short:

"good."

Thales nodded slightly, the corners of his mouth slightly curved.

yes.

It's still him.

Keep silent, be silent, cherish words like gold.

The former mask guard.

Is not it.

Thinking of this, Thales suddenly changed the topic:

"You know Thackel, don't you?"

This time, it took several seconds for the answer in the air to sound, full of inexplicable emotions:

"long, long ago."

Thales frowned, his tone full of worry:

"He said, your mask is one of the secret treasures of the royal family."

The room was very quiet.

no answer.

Thales took a deep breath.

He turned his head and looked at the dark and narrow room, but he still didn't see any signs of living people.

Before Jodl could reply, Thales could only sigh and ask:

"He also said that there is a price for using that magical mask?"

There was another few seconds of silence, and when Thales couldn't help but want to speak again, the voice of the masked guard came:

"fine."

"Everyone has a price to pay."

His voice was still hoarse, but it was full of unknown meaning.

And the decision to end the conversation.

He wasn't going to say it—the boy read out the meaning.

But Thales was not satisfied:

"So what exactly is that?"

He looked worriedly at the void behind him, and felt that the way he shouted from the air was a bit silly.

no answer.

"Yordle!"

This time, Thales' tone was a little urging.

"I'm really worried about that..."

But the only answer to him was still silence.

Thales let out a sigh of relief.

"I saw it!"

The young man frowned and stared at the void, dissatisfied and worried:

"When Ricky tried to take it off, you reacted like he was going to skin you!"

"If you're really okay, then why have I never seen you pick..."

Thales stopped his hasty words.

There was a dead silence in the drowsy room.

There was no ripple in the shadow in the darkness.

As calm as ever.

All right.

In this case.

Thales took a deep breath, put away his unhappiness, learned the posture he had learned in the past six years, and became the proud, noble and arrogant star prince who faced the aggressive princes of Dragon Clouds City.

"Yordel Gato," Thales said solemnly and indifferently:

"I order you: tell me."

He raised his chin and said in a serious voice:

"This is my order."

"An order from the second prince, Thales Canxing!"

The voice is cold, the tone is harsh, and there is no doubt.

The response was still silence.

Thales suddenly felt that the shadow in the darkness seemed to move.

But what followed was a cold and hoarse voice:

"Prince Thales."

Vague and broken.

Ruthless and cold.

"I only obey His Majesty's orders."

The voice fell.

At that moment, Thales felt a chill all over his body.

only obey...

Your Majesty's order...

He stared blankly at the void, a little dazed.

Is it.

Thales took a breath in a daze, and turned around stiffly.

Don't look behind you anymore.

After a few seconds.

"All right."

Thales heard himself speaking unnaturally, and felt his tongue was stiff and unfamiliar, even worse than the snake hand just now:

"Of course, His Majesty's order..."

He said with difficulty:

"certainly."

Thales took a few deep breaths.

He picked up the cutlery and resumed eating.

Just like talent.

but.

Just now, for the first time, he felt that what the seemingly empty shadow behind him gave him... was no longer a sense of security.

What the strange but familiar purple mask brought to him... was no longer a sense of security.

His Majesty's order.

yes.

I forgot.

From the first day he met me, he executed...

His Majesty's order.

Thales suddenly thought of Selma in Dragon Clouds City.

She thought of those around her who seemed to be serving the Grand Duchess and obeying her orders, Nicolai and Lisbane.

At that moment, he only felt gloomy and cold.

Thales, in a daze, forced himself to eat a bite of meat or bread according to the most standard table manners taught by Ginny, but somehow felt like a pain in his back, like a stick in his throat.

I feel uncomfortable all over.

It's too small and stuffy here.

he thought so.

Thales put down the tableware and raised his head irritably. Except for the dim light that never went out, he could only see three tightly closed windows, with only faint light emerging from the edges.

Not breathable at all.

No wonder it's so boring.

It was dark, there was no light, and I didn't know what time it was.

So where is this, the "sweet home" of Legendwing?

Thinking of Roman's arrogant and stern face, Thales' breathing became stagnant.

Damn boy.

Thales stood up with a serious face, intending to open the window in front of the desk.

But under a push, he was stunned.

The window in front of him was sealed by an additional board nailed in where the handle was.

What are you doing?

Thales frowned and looked at the nailed window:

what is this?

Afraid of invasion?

Or are you afraid that I will run away?

So all the entrances and exits are sealed off?

To trap me here?

Like... go to jail?

Thinking of the dark prison that tortured him most of the night, Thales, who was in a bad mood, turned his head subconsciously:

"Jode..."

But halfway through his words, he stopped abruptly.

Damn.

The prince closed his mouth and took a few deep breaths.

He didn't speak again, but sat down again and picked up the cutlery again.

Thales looked at the window that couldn't be opened, his breathing began to speed up, and his already depressed mood became worse.

Damn Roman.

Damn boy.

Thales sat down for less than five seconds before throwing down the cutlery.

Barefoot, he walked to the edge of the wooden table with the unextinguishable lamp, picked up his JC dagger, walked back hurriedly, poked the knife into the gap between the wooden seal and the window frame, and pried it hard!

"boom!"

Maybe it's been in disrepair for a long time, and the wooden board is so fragile that he can't even use the finishing power, so he pried off a corner of the seal, and even the nail tip was exposed.

But Thales didn't stop. With a cold face, he stood on the chair and pried open the other corners of the seal.

He thought it would trap me...

Forcibly ignoring the rumbling stomach in his belly, Thales pried open every part of the seal angrily.

Damn, think beautifully...

But at this moment, a gray sword appeared from the air!

It drew a graceful arc, went straight into the board, changed direction, and slid across the upper corners very quickly!

"laugh!"

With a few crisp sounds, the plank fell into the palm of a gloved hand and was firmly removed.

Thales frowned, watching the black figure beside him remove the seal efficiently and quickly, revealing a lot of light from the outside world.

"You can let me do it." The masked figure gently lowered the board.

Thales snorted softly, stepped off the chair and dropped the dagger, and patted the dust on his palms.

"Is that so," said the prince sarcastically:

"I thought."

"You only obey His Majesty's orders."

The masked guard didn't answer.

His figure rippled and disappeared into the air.

The prince snorted lightly, and suddenly went out with all his strength, and pushed open the window with a bang!

Countless dust was raised.

Thales coughed violently.

Damn, I should have put on a face mask first...

Thales squinted his eyes, trying to fan away the dust while adapting to the sudden strong light and cold wind.

Sunlight.

cold wind.

The long-lost sunlight rushed into this window like a tide that found a vent, filling the entire room.

Lights up everything.

The biting cold wind, like a pack of wolves smelling blood, rushed into this window hungrily and filled the entire room.

blows everything.

But when Thales raised his head and looked at the scenery outside the window, he was stunned.

No.

here……

here it is……

"Boom, boom, boom—"

At this moment, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door!

Thales turned his head alertly and grabbed the dagger.

The snake hand's voice sounded from outside the door, sounding frightened:

"No, no, no, my lord, this is the baron's order, even if you are as honorable as you, you can't... Ugh!"

With a muffled sound, the snake hand's words came to an abrupt end.

Thales' nerves tightened!

What?

Someone... attacked?

"Yordle?"

The young man ignored his little awkwardness and called softly.

"Don't panic."

There was a familiar reply in the air.

"I am here."

The long-lost sense of security and solidity instantly returned to his heart.

deja vu.

The prince breathed a sigh of relief.

But before Thales feels that he is really cheap and fickle...

"boom!"

The door of the room was opened roughly!

All the muscles in Thales tensed up!

A strong figure lowered his head and stepped into the small room.

The uninvited guest was a fully-clothed warrior exuding an unfriendly aura. He turned his gaze and glanced at Thales.

The faint sense of danger made the prince raise his dagger subconsciously in shock.

who is he?

The other party has a darker complexion and looks different from ordinary people. There are interlaced braids on his head, black tattoos on his face, and strange jagged lines on his neck.

But Thales, who had seen both Raphael and McGee, quickly recognized it.

This is a skeletal man.

Thales looked at him in shock.

what happened?

Desolate bone man...

it's here?

But the dark yordle remained calm.

calm.

Thales could only bite the bullet and tell himself: wait.

However, the seemingly dangerous skeleton man just glanced at the room indifferently.

His eyes didn't even stay on Thales for a second.

Then, another sharp, abrupt, and extremely unpleasant middle-aged male voice sounded with an unpleasant sinister smile:

"Don't be intimidated by Gao He, those tattoos on his neck are just the tradition of the Shalaren tribe."

"He won thirty-six duels, that's all."

Thales frowned: Thirty-six duels for the Shalaren tribe?

The desolate bone man named Gao He turned around and nodded, and retreated.

"Knock, click, click..."

this voice...

Thales, who had heard the old crow on crutches and the sound of the Black Prophet walking, immediately realized: This is the sound of wood touching the ground.

But this time, the voice was more rhythmic than that of the old crow, and lighter than that of the Black Prophet.

"Ah, huh, huh, it's been a long time since I came here last time."

The sharp voice sounded again, with a slightly western accent.

But Thales swears that this is the most standard, most complete, and most formal Western Continent common language he has ever heard since he entered the Great Desert, and it even has the language habits of Eternal Star City.

"At one point I thought I would never come to this tiring and ominous place again."

Finally, a figure on crutches limped and slantedly appeared at the door of the room.

The moment he stepped into the door, Thales' tension and attention to Gao He was completely taken away by the newcomer:

The opponent's left leg, which has always been obviously disabled, is on the ground, but a long-handled sword with a special style is strangely pinned to it, as if expecting the master to wield a weapon while leaning on the cane.

The host with a shrill voice held onto the door frame, pulled the armor robe on his body, and laughed sinisterly:

"Huh, this is really a test for my legs and feet."

Leaning on crutches, he raised his head, revealing an inhuman middle-aged face:

Haggard, pale, with crooked lips.

Coupled with his cold and sharp voice and sharp eyes, it makes people shudder.

Thales was shocked the moment he saw the other party!

The terrifying middle-aged man panted lightly while looking at Thales:

"Hey, in six years," the other party chuckled uncomfortably, the laughter was like a poisonous thorn in the heart:

"You really have raised a lot."

"I guess the Yankees fed you well?"

A few seconds of silence.

Thales stared blankly at the clothes on the middle-aged man, thinking of something.

The other party still smiled horribly, waiting for an answer.

Finally, Thales took a deep breath.

"It's been a long time," the prince put away the dagger in his hand, adjusted the thin clothes on his body, and said seriously:

"Your Excellency the Duke."

The owner of the crutch stared at him for a long time, and then burst into a big laugh:

"Hahaha, very good, you still remember this old bone of mine!"

His expression was exaggerated, making the inhuman face even more terrifying, and he clapped his hands fiercely, as if he saw something extraordinary.

Outside the door, the skeleton man Gao He turned around coldly, and beat the snake hand who had just woken up to faint again.

calm.

said the prince to himself.

Thales forced himself not to look at the situation of the snake hand, but calmly looked at the guests in front of him:

"Your arrival is beyond my expectation..."

The prince gently pulled the chair away, made a gesture, and then sat on the bed by himself:

"So, are you here to support me, Baron Williams, or... the Saber Camp?"

At that moment, the other party's sharp and cold laughter was suffocated.

It seems to understand something.

The middle-aged man with a frightening face looked directly at Thales, who appeared to be well-mannered on the surface, and said with a tusk:

"Very good, you don't have the peculiar milky smell of the aristocratic dandies who have been raised... that's great."

"It's time we changed our minds about the Yankees—maybe they're not savages who just shake tables with their fists."

Thales frowned slightly.

The middle-aged man snorted softly, lifted his left leg connected to the crutch, and stepped into the room with a pause.

"Kudden, kudden..."

Gao He, the skeleton man behind him, closed the door tacitly, leaving the middle-aged man and Thales in the room.

Turn this place into a... airtight prison again.

calm.

Thales warned himself so again, watching the other party getting closer.

The middle-aged man limped towards the chair Thales had opened for him, half sarcastically half sighing:

"It's just that, as your first stop back home, Williams really shouldn't have arranged for you to come here. This place is too high, too high..."

The middle-aged man stopped in front of the desk.

He turned sideways and looked at Thales coldly, revealing the window behind him.

And there are countless buildings the size of building blocks under the window.

"It's so tall that I'm worried, will you accidentally..."

"Fall from here."

Thales looked at the long sword on his crutch, and felt his whole body tense.

that's all.

One of the six wealthy families of the stars, the owner of the Falkenhauser family whose emblem is the four-eyed skull.

The Guardian Duke of the Western Wilderness, Lord of the Ruins, "The Unwelcome".

Cyril Falkenhauser.

In this way, standing in the highest point of the Saber Camp - in the room on the top floor of the "Ghost Prince Tower", he said calmly:

"Like...your father's brother?"