Kingdom’s Bloodline

Chapter 1 Everything will be fine

"incredible."

Gilbert's voice was quite ups and downs as the carriage moved forward.

Thales, who was sitting opposite him, leaned against the wall silently, looking at his teacher who had been separated from him for six years, with mixed feelings.

"I still remember, Mr. Xiao, six years ago, when we parted, you were just a child..."

Apart from the slightly excited breathing, the other party's posture and etiquette are still decent and elegant, as if carved out of a nobleman's mold.

Thales shrugged and smiled

"Maybe it's not just kids."

"Of course," Gilbert smiled knowingly.

"Of course you are more than a child."

"However, look at you now," Gilbert stared at him closely, looking up and down with relief and emotion.

"You've grown up."

his voice fluctuates

"Fourteen years old, according to the standards of the empire era, you are already a real adult, you can fight with a sword, marry a wife and have children..."

Fourteen years old, fighting, getting married, having children?

Thales scratched his head

"Well, regarding this, with the changes of the times and the progress of society, I believe we need to discuss..."

Seeing his appearance, Gilbert smiled heartily.

The wheels rolled, and the two were silent for a while.

until gilbert sighed

"So, six years, Your Highness, how is everything? How is the north?"

Is everything ok?

how about the north

Thales imagined many scenarios of reuniting with old friends.

He also imagined how he would add fuel to them, complaining eloquently about the bad food in the Northland, the freezing temperature of the Palace of Heroes, the stupid little slippery head, the annoying Jinx officer, the stupid star faller, the cunning Lisbane, damn it Rumba, the gluttonous Edda, the boring eyes of the two entourages arguing...

He even imagined pouring out all the pain, unhappiness and complaints, all the strange eyes of the Exeters, the eccentricity of the teacher in the Northland, the private revenge of the outdoor class, the endless surveillance, and the unreasonable search... …

But when things come to an end, when the words come to my lips...

"Well," Thales put away his memories and smiled brightly

"You know, North."

The prince shrugged easily, smiling warmly and plainly

"It's very...northern."

Gilbert didn't answer right away, but stared at him for a long time, focusing on the boy's sunny smile.

Like reading something.

"Yes, Your Highness."

After a few seconds, Gilbert replied softly

"Northlanders, Yankees, I've negotiated with them, I know."

"I know."

Gilbert's gaze was calm and gentle, but for some reason, Thales felt a heavy burden on his body and he couldn't bear the illusion.

It was quiet again in the carriage, only the hooves of the horses outside the carriage were heard.

Thales took another deep breath

"What about you, Gilbert? And Eternal Star City and Star Kingdom? These six years?"

Gilbert paused after hearing the words, and slowly grasped the cane

"Oh, as I get older, riding a horse is not as smooth as before. There are more and more carriages, and every day, the words written by the scribe and secretary are getting bigger and bigger."

Thales listened quietly, looking at Gilbert, who was six years older.

Six years ago, they were sitting in the carriage like this, walking on the way to the Fuxing Palace.

six years later...

Gilbert turned his head and smiled slightly.

"Other than that, same old."

"Working, living, breathing, and waiting..."

He paused for a second, looking into Thales' eyes

"...your return."

Thales froze.

For a moment, he was speechless and somewhat at a loss.

Gilbert's expression darkened.

"I can't imagine how much you suffered at Exeter..."

He stared at his cane, and rarely used a bad word

"Damn Yankee, that's only supposed to be a few weeks, and then you'll come back safely,

Back in our care, I remember, I told you everything would be all right, but..."

Thales felt a little unbearable

"Gilbert..."

Gilbert leaned on his cane, lowered his head and sighed

"We have neglected our duties, and you have been troubled..."

Thales shook his head at him.

But the words of the foreign secretary continued, with guilt

"From King Nun to the disaster, and then to the Black Sand Territory, just reading it from the letter is enough to be thrilling, but experiencing all of them in person..."

Thales had to interrupt him loudly

"Gilbert!"

Gilbert was slightly startled, and then stopped talking.

prince smiled

"Hey, I made it through."

Gilbert looked at him quietly, before smiling for a few seconds.

"Yes," Xingchen's cunning fox showed his rare fatigue when he was a teacher of Wang Zi

"You made it through."

"From the north... survived."

He nodded slowly, obviously absent-minded.

Thales suddenly noticed that Gilbert's energy and concentration were not as good as before.

Feeling the emotional fluctuations of the other party, Thales, who was in a complicated mood, had to change the subject

"So, what about them? Those who stayed in Dragon Clouds City..."

"Puttilai, Rolf, and that who... that, that... oh, Ada!"

"And... Wyah?"

Hearing this name, Gilbert seemed to wake up suddenly.

"Oh, them, don't worry, although they still need to stay in Dragon Clouds City for a while..."

"But since the most important thing is that you have returned safely, there is no point in detaining your entourage no matter whether it is Dragon Clouds City or Heisha Ling."

Thales heaved a sigh of relief and nodded.

"Gilbert, make sure," the boy said suddenly after a few seconds

"Make sure they, make sure your son comes back safe."

The prince raised his head and said seriously

"Without them, I couldn't have made it this far."

Gilbert was slightly taken aback.

Thales let out a breath

"If necessary, I can write a letter in hand and have someone report it directly to the Grand Duchess Walton. I have some relationship with her..."

Gilbert watched him quietly, then smiled, the wrinkles on his face were clearly visible.

"Your Highness."

The foreign minister looked at him with a smile

"They'll be fine."

"As long as you are good."

"And my son sure knows that."

Thales raised his head, smiled back, and nodded.

Gilbert seemed to realize something, he took a few deep breaths, calmed down his emotions, and returned to the professional and solemn foreign minister, Earl Gilbert Castle, the star fox.

"I have a lot to say to you, Your Highness, but..."

A polite smile returned to Gilbert's face

"Now that you have come back, there are too many, too many things to arrange... The prince's return welcome banquet, your complete teaching and advisory team, of course, must take into account the prince's needs and also meet the duke's status ...Oh, by the way, the Duke of Xinghu is decent..."

Thales' face darkened when he heard the last sentence.

"In fact, I was about to ask about it."

Thales' expression became serious, and even Gilbert subconsciously put away his smile.

"The Duke of Star Lake."

The prince chewed on the charm of this sentence word by word, and looked at his teacher suspiciously.

"Gilbert, what does this mean?"

Gilbert paused, as if he was thinking about something for a few seconds, then he smiled slightly

"Don't worry, Your Highness, this is a good thing."

Gilbert let out a sigh full of emotion.

"The Duke of Star Lake."

He looked out the car window at the wilderness receding all the way

"In the history of Xingchen, this is an honorary title that belongs exclusively to the Canxing family and is specially awarded to members of the royal family. Although it is not as powerful and far-reaching as the six guardian dukes appointed by King Fuxing, the real power and The fiefdom is also insignificant..."

Gilbert turned around and looked at Thales seriously

"But the meaning it represents is extraordinary."

Thales raised his eyebrows.

At that moment, as if the familiar feeling came back.

He didn't seem to be sitting in a carriage, hurrying on the Boulevard of Gifts.

Instead, he returned to the study in Mindis Hall.

Just listen to Gilbert's iconic steady voice sounding slowly

"Five hundred years ago, 'Broken Line' Sumer II canonized his eldest son Elan as the Duke of Xinghu, allowing him to start managing the territory and participating in government affairs, justifiably assisting him in handling state affairs." "Until the death of Sumer II, The prince of Elam inherits the throne as a duke, Elam I, the Ascended King."

Broken pulse.

Thales listened to the other person's words, and searched for the cunning way of seeing the world that he had learned during his six years in the Northland—ahem, it was the star history lesson in the eyes of the people of the Northland.

If I remember correctly, Sumeri II was in the tragic confrontation between the two stars. In the end, the fisherman reaped the benefits. The person who ascended the throne, for the sake of the kingdom not to repeat the mistakes of blood relatives fighting for the throne and brother-in-law, the succession law he promulgated really Established the power inheritance system of eldest son inheritance and youngest son's surname change. ("We are more advanced, choose the king, of course choose the most powerful one, and it will be resolved after a fight." ——The Meteorite who has nothing to do, folded his arms and listened)

Under his bill, many bloodlines with great surnames were forced to leave their families and change their surnames (and drove away a large number of cousins who were under the cumbersome branches of the genealogy for many noble families), and many vassals who were not the eldest son He hated him so much that he gritted his teeth, and Su Mei Canxing II also lost his pulse because of this.

As for the Ascend King... Thales somehow felt familiar, as if he had heard it not long ago.

Gilbert's cadenced voice continues

"Since then, half of the Stars who have been named Dukes of Xinghu in the past five hundred years are public or undisclosed crown princes. After the death of the previous king, they wear the nine-star crown and inherit the supreme throne of stars."

Therefore, the Duke of Xinghu can be regarded as the pre-title of the crown prince, and so on...

Thales, who was still wondering who the King of Ascension was, frowned.

"You said, half?"

Gilbert still smiled, as if anticipating what he was going to ask

"The other half, such as the ancestors of the Tarun family in Ice River City, and your grandfather's brother, John Canxing, the Star God of War, are the king's closest family members and most trusted assistants, holding power and assisting the state affairs."

John Canstar.

The Star God of War.

Thales' heart sank.

He remembered many things, such as the former Northland, the old soldier Genard told him interesting stories about the duke in the Starlight Legion, such as in the prison of bones, Semir’s evaluation of the Duke of Xinghu, such as the ghost prince Tali, West Wilderness The Duke told him about John's life experience.

Gilbert seemed to get more and more excited as he talked

"Therefore, Your Highness, as far as Xingchen is concerned, the Duke of Xinghu is either only granted to the king's successor as the crown prince before inheriting the honorary title of the throne..."

"Either it is given to the king's closest family members to show grace and trust, so as to help consolidate the rule of the Canxing family with the help of blood."

closest family.

Grace and trust.

Thales coughed lightly, narrowed his eyes and said

"But I remember that although in the era of my grandfather Eddie II, the Duke of Xinghu was his brother John, but the crown prince he chose was..."

Unexpectedly, Gilbert interrupted him quickly, and his tone was firm and decisive

"That only proves one thing - your grandfather is willing to use his life to believe in John and his brother, just like he believes in his own heir. He even believes that John can continue to faithfully assist his successor after his death in the name of the Duke of Xinghu king."

Trust John with your life.

Trust his brother.

It's like trusting your own heir.

For some reason, the indignant words of Semir in the prison circulated back and forth in Thales' mind

[Is it brother killing brother, or son killing father? 】

Gilbert took a deep breath, still staring at Thales seriously, as if there was no doubt

"And John didn't let your grandfather down. As the greatest hero in the Year of Blood, the former Duke of Xinghu and his Xinghui Legion conquered rebellion in the south and resisted the dragon in the north, and finally turned the tide and saved the entire star."

John Canstar.

The biggest hero in the bloody year.

Rebellion in the south, resistance against the dragon in the north.

Turn the tide and save the stars.

Thales read these few words silently, trying to suppress the inexplicable chill rising from the bottom of his heart.

"yes."

The prince's face was calm and his tone was calm.

"And then he died."

Gilbert was taken aback.

But the Minister of Foreign Affairs is obviously rich in experience, I saw him frowning, and quickly took Thales' words

"...thus making this title even more noble—during the eighteen years that Star Lake Fort was vacant, when people talked about the Duke of Star Lake who spilled blood on the battlefield, what they remembered would only be his loyalty, tragic and glorious past."

Listening to the other party's smooth talk, this time, Thales didn't respond, but looked at Gilbert for a long time.

At that moment, Thales suddenly remembered the words of Marina the Sword of Disaster

[Please investigate this matter and find out the truth. 】

【Find out the truth about the assassination of Duke John in Sodala City in the Bloody Year. 】

the truth.

Under the Prince's gaze, the Foreign Secretary frowned slightly.

He suddenly had the illusion that the once familiar student had become a little strange.

After a few seconds, Thales turned his gaze away

"That's right."

Gilbert secretly let out a sigh of relief, forgetting the strange feeling in his heart.

"Therefore, being awarded this title is a manifestation of His Majesty's trust and esteem. It means that you are no longer a prince who takes care of your father's shadow, has no dignity but no real power, but is His Majesty's arm and a fief." With authority and status, he is equal to the real feudal princes in terms of status and can stand up to him——Duke of Xinghu.”

Having said that, Gilbert looked at Thales excitedly.

"With this status, you can even directly enter the Imperial Council to participate in state affairs, and solve problems and worries for His Majesty without being obtrusive."

"And in dealing with foreign countries, 'Duke of Star Lake of the Star Kingdom' is a resounding title, far more powerful than 'Son of King Kessel'."

Thales still didn't speak, just thoughtful.

Maybe it was to explain in detail, or maybe he was worried about something, Gilbert paused for a few tenths of a second, and continued before the smile on his face disappeared.

"And of course, it also announced to all the ambitious vassals that you have been away from the country for six years. Your position in His Majesty's heart is still extremely important, and your orthodox right to the throne is unshakable."

place in His Majesty's heart.

Thales was dumbfounded on his face, but silently shook his head in his heart

Well, this is really debatable.

Despite the lack of interest in his heart, Thales still showed surprise on his face cooperatively

"Wow."

Gilbert seemed to be deceived by his appearance, and the foreign minister looked relieved.

"Yes, I know, Your Excellency the Duke," he gripped his cane tightly and changed his address unconsciously

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

Thales thought of something again, and was slightly stunned.

"So just now, Earl Cromar walked away immediately."

The prince looked at Gilbert in surprise

"He knows that no matter how he shows the world his closeness and acquaintance with the prince, no matter how close he is with me and the tacit understanding, it will not be worth this extraordinary title of duke in the kingdom that has been vacant for eighteen years?"

Gilbert paused.

"Maybe, maybe not, but that's all their business," sighed the Foreign Secretary

"The most important thing now is that you will soon return to the Fuxing Palace and return to your home."

Home.

Thales was in a daze for a moment.

The carriage was still advancing steadily, and the wilderness outside the window was vast, and the scenery was very magnificent, showing the great beauty of the Western Wilderness.

But Thales knew that this was the first time he saw a strange scene.

"Home."

Thales murmured

"Is it?"

Seeing the prince's appearance, Gilbert's feeling of strangeness rose again.

But being good at observing words and expressions, he quickly skipped this topic and turned his attention to Thales' weapon.

"My lord, this is..."

Gilbert stared at the sword lying beside Thales, his face changed slightly.

Thales came back to his senses and sighed with the same headache.

"Does it look familiar? Falkenhauser's family sword, 'Warning'," Thales patted the hilt of the long sword

"I have to say, it's a good sword."

Gilbert stared.

The foreign minister's expression was a little heavy

"The sword of the ancient empire is not only priceless, but also carries history, which is of extraordinary significance. The Duke of Xihuang is too..."

Thales stroked the hilt of the sword and raised his eyebrows

"Generous?"

Xingchen cunning fox's expression became very serious.

"Given his reputation, yes."

Thales pursed his lips and nodded

"Then should I hide it from others to see?"

Gilbert shook his head

"No, there are too many ways for people to know. For example, Duke Falkenhauser didn't bring the sword when he attended the banquet, and nobles would ask about it, and then..."

Thales shrugged

"Then I should return it?"

Gilbert paused.

"I'm afraid so."

The Foreign Minister was thoughtful, "I can draw up a letter for you, respecting the history behind this sword as an excuse, tactful and decent without losing respect, our fast horses will be able to send the sword back within a few days... "

But this time, to his surprise, the young prince in front of him just smiled and pushed the warning blade back into its scabbard.

"No."

"I'm short of a good sword."

Thales looked at Gilbert with a smile, his words made the latter stunned

"I'm going to keep it."

Gilbert stared blankly at Thales, feeling the strangeness in his heart beyond measure.

"Master Duke, with all due respect, considering our current relationship with the princes of the Western Wilderness, the significance of returning it is greater than the value of the sword itself. If the world sees that you have accepted it..."

But Thales interrupted him.

"Gilbert," the prince put the long sword back in his hand, his tone was flat, and the accent seemed to be absent

"What you are worried about is that the world will see that I have accepted Falkenhauser's gift..."

Thales' eyes changed

"Or let my father see it?"

At this moment, Gilbert was truly stunned.

"Your Excellency, I suggest that you don't think too much..." The Foreign Minister hesitated to speak.

"Gilbert, I saw them, all three."

Thales looked at the scenery outside the window, slowly lost in thought

"Whether it's Falkenhauser, Chroma, or Bozdorf, these local nobles in the Western Wilderness, and their attitudes towards me, and what they are scrambling to tell me."

"I can feel, Gilbert, from your carefulness when explaining the Duke of Xinghu, to your concern about my making friends with the nobles of the Western Wilderness..."

"Gilbert," the prince sighed, eyes closed

"What is this Duke of Rausch?"

Thales opened his eyes tiredly

"It's not easy to take, is it?"

Gilbert was about to retort subconsciously, but stopped talking the moment he met Thales' eyes.

Thales leaned back against the carriage wall and sighed slowly.

Gilbert looked at him quietly.

A few seconds later, the Foreign Secretary sighed and smiled tiredly but plainly.

"My little mister."

"Perhaps you don't know..."

"But you know why we're here."

Thales was slightly taken aback.

I saw Gilbert let out a sigh of relief and pointed out the window

"Because you and your performance at the National Conference six years ago prevented this ancient country from falling into division and decline."

Thales frowned.

The state is a meeting.

Memories of the past inevitably come back to mind.

"And then, with your broad mind and resolute courage, you went north to Exeter to put out the flames of war and defend the kingdom by yourself."

Head north to Exeter...

Thales pursed his lips.

"But you've done much more than that..."

Gilbert's tone became more and more ethereal, but also more and more serious

"In the past six years, with the departure of the King Born, Dragon Clouds City has weakened, and Exeter is falling into more chaotic internal friction than ever before."

"As far as I know, Fengzhao City has just raised the tariffs on grain products exported to Heisha Ling and Reconstruction Tower, making the price of grain in the latter territory remain high. The lords of the three places are full of complaints against each other, and they are almost sworn enemies;"

"Qiyuan City and Jieshou City are caught in the dispute of the Golden Corridor, surrounding the Liberty Alliance, and secretly playing games with the malicious Kangmasi Alliance. It has been protracted and difficult to extricate themselves;"

"As traditional allies during the Nu En period, the relationship between Glacier Sea and Elk City, the two major eastern territories, and Dragon Clouds City has deteriorated sharply, and they have turned against each other in domestic affairs many times, fighting each other...

Dragon Clouds City...

Hearing this term, Thales' palms tightened unconsciously.

"...The most important thing is that the three Southern Grand Dukes who had been eyeing us, whether it was the Welland Territory, the Reconstruction Tower, or the most feared King Charman I, lost their common enemy and became king because of the black sand. The balance of the three was broken, and they began to turn inward and be wary of each other."

"The lords of the three places are vigilant in pairs, so they have to drastically reduce their military strength on the star border to prepare for threats from each other;"

Gilbert looked at him gently, the smile on his face was the same as in the past in Mindis Hall

"So in the past six years, the pressure on the northern border has dropped sharply, the Big Needle Forest has returned to our patrol range, and even the most ferocious Exeter hunters dare not go south to hunt. peace and prosperity;"

"And the border defense line of the Black Sand Territory is even more empty than ever before. It is said that the flower of the fortress led the patrol across the border and camped in the Black Sand Territory. They lived there for three days and three nights. The sporadic Exeters dared not approach. Daring only to watch from afar—for their lords and their kings are loathing each other, and have no time to look south;"

"The danger of the Broken Dragon Fortress has been lifted, and the effect is immediate. The northern border is slowly recovering from farming, harvesting, grazing to business travel. Just like this time to rescue you in the Western Wilderness, there are many troops from Broken Dragon It was deployed from the service quota saved by the fortress;”

Gilbert paused, with deep emotion in his words

"I still remember that six years ago, the standing army under Baron Mu's command was stationed in the central government. Every day, they prepared troops and prepared for the north nervously, guarding against changes in the fortress, and never leaving it lightly;"

"But today, six years later, the army of the Kingdom's Wrath has ridden its horses and swung its whips, and has rushed to the four directions with the emperor's order, spreading the king's power. I kowtow, the territory of the kingdom that was once out of control has been re-covered on His Majesty's conference table."

"Because of the rare opportunity brought about by the decline of the dragon, we were able to do whatever it takes to unify the nobles in the country, reassert the kingship, or contend against Commas, beat the dragon's kiss, warn Allenbia, or Chen Bing border to deter the misty three kingdoms, and regain Hegemony in the Western Continent...things that we dared to think about before, are now being put on the agenda one by one."

Hearing the news about the current situation, Thales frowned tightly.

Over the years...

Around the stars, so many things happened?

"Your Highness, the severe trauma of the Bloody Year has made the kingdom decadent for many years, and it cannot afford to be sluggish," Gilbert said in a sad voice.

"For nearly twenty years, for a whole generation, the blood of the empire was shed. We, who once dominated the Western Continent, had to hide our strength and bide our time, trembling like walking on thin ice."

The foreign minister's gray temples reflected the setting sun outside the window, and his tone of voice was fluctuating, obviously in a state of distress.

Gilbert took a deep breath, the expression on his face changed, and as his tone revived, he revived

"But twenty years have passed, and looking at it again..."

"The dragon gathers its wings, and the powerful enemy bestows its head."

"The galaxy shines, and the stars shine brightly."

There was light in Gilbert's eyes, which actually gave Thales the illusion of being out of breath.

"We finally freed up our hands, regained our vitality, and reorganized the mountains and rivers."

"The return of the kingdom to the top of the world is just around the corner."

The foreign minister gently pressed Thales by the shoulder.

"And all of these, from saving the stars, unifying the kingdom, to eliminating the flames of war, and recasting revival..."

"All of this is inseparable from you, my little mister, my..."

Gilbert took a deep breath, looked at him with complicated emotions, his eyes sparkled slightly

"Duke of Thales."

And Thales could only stare at him blankly, unable to speak for a while.

Gilbert tried his best to blink his eyelids, put away the crystals inside, and restrained his emotions at the same time.

"That's right."

"It's really not easy to be the Duke of 'Lao Shizi'."

The middle-aged nobleman showed a bitter but gratified smile

"But it is all your past efforts and struggles that made you one of the thousands of souls in this great country..."

Just listen to Gilbert's soft voice

"The best person for it."

at this moment.

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency the Earl."

A familiar voice came from outside the carriage.

Thales came back to his senses.

He could tell that this was a member of the royal guard, the blond knight standing behind Mallos before, Dele's "distant relative", the Doyle knight who satirized the Chromar family's escort Thales as uneasy and kind

"We have arrived in Lorenburg, this is today's rest point, we will start tomorrow."

Before Thales, who was still immersed in inexplicable emotions, could react, Gilbert sorted out his emotions and stood up smiling.

"Thank you, Doyle, I'll be right here."

Gilbert pushed open the car door and walked out. His voice continued to be heard from outside the carriage. He was very polite, without any trace of the excitement just now.

"And I am very grateful for the service of the Royal Guard."

Doyle's laughter also followed, obviously quite familiar with the foreign minister

"The mission is, Your Excellency the Earl."

"Also, since we have been assigned as the personal guards of the Duke of Xinghu," Doyle's voice was very bright, as if he would never feel sorrow

"Then maybe you can call us the Duke's personal guards, or..."

"Star Lake Guard?"

Thales was taken aback again.

Star Lake Guard.

Outside the carriage, the chatter and laughter between the royal guards and Gilbert remained the same.

But Thales just sat quietly in the carriage, not saying a word, not moving at all.

I don't know how long it took until Doyle's urging sound sounded, and the young prince sighed, leaned back into the carriage, and said imperceptibly

"are u there?"

A few seconds later, a barely audible hoarse voice faded from the air

"yes."

Thales shook his head in confusion, and let out a light snort

"Did you hear what Gilbert said just now... what I did?"

[From saving the stars, unifying the kingdom, to eliminating the flames of war, and recasting revival...]

【It is all your hard work and struggle in the past that made you one of the thousands of souls in this great country...】

[The person who is most suitable for it. 】

Thales was lost in thought.

"Yes." The answer in the air was still as precious as gold.

Thales casually responded to Doyle's urging from outside the carriage, while he raised his head blankly and looked at the top of the carriage, his gaze was scattered

"Yordle."

"Have you ever had a moment when everything in your life feels so unreal and you don't know what to do?"

A few seconds later, the voice of the masked guard came softly

"yes."

Thales bent the corners of his mouth with a half-smile

"Very well, then I'm not crazy."

His tone was lonely.

"Thals..."

His name came from the void, and a hesitant word of comfort

"everything will get better."

Thales laughed again when he heard that.

everything will get better.