Kingdom’s Bloodline

Thales didn't know what the order of the banquets of the nobles of the stars was like, but at least judging from the royal banquet held by him in name, the table manners of the stars were more than one level better than those of the Northlands:

The banquet is still in the stage of taking seats, but people exchange greetings in an orderly manner, men and women sit alternately, get along with each other in a natural manner, servants and waiters come and go in an orderly manner, guards keep a low profile and are almost invisible, even the clowns and bards who add to the fun are singing Appropriate, the performance is measured, and never crosses the key area and disturbs the guests.

Thales couldn't help but think of the banquet held by King Nun in the Palace of Heroes, and he couldn't help feeling sorry for the little slicker for a second—but then he remembered that the latter's life and death were unknown at the moment, so the teasing silence turned into a complete one. Sadly.

"Your Majesty is coming!"

"Long live the king!"

"Long live the queen!"

The king's team entered the hall, and the originally quiet Mindis hall exploded, with greetings and discussions flooding in one after another.

"May you be in good health!"

"God bless the stars..."

"Congratulations on your reunion with His Excellency the Duke and his son..."

There seemed to be a huge vortex centered on King Kessel in the banquet hall, which was full of force and irresistible. It attracted all the guests from honorary earls to real barons, from invited officials to honorary soldiers, to leave their seats. From then on, the ants gathered, until they entered a safe distance and bumped into the royal guards who did not pretend to speak, and then they woke up like a dream.

Many guests in the front row bowed their knees respectfully and saluted, but the proper etiquette could not conceal their impatient attitude.

"The House of Lake Murray of the Donne greets you..."

"Your Majesty, on behalf of all the members of the Dongcheng Police Department..."

"Move forward, try to let His Majesty see us, but don't be too deliberate, lest you lose your dignity..."

"Your Majesty, do you remember Hazzard from the Battle of the Altar?"

Thales watched all this, watched the guests surrounding King Kessel scrambling to see him, bowing from front to back, like straw being harvested in rows.

Where the sickle comes, the straw falls.

Thales suddenly remembered the drama of the Temple of the Underworld that he watched when he was a child. In the scene about the disaster, the same is true for the actors who played the "good people" on the stage. The accompaniment screamed and fell in front of the strangely dressed "disaster".

The only difference is that after these "straws" fell down, they slowly recovered, and if there was no place, they tilted towards Thales' position, bringing restrained but complicated gazes.

King Kessel's expression was as usual and his steps were steady, while Queen Keya beside him nodded gently and smiled again and again. In this way, one of them was silent and majestic, and the other was amiable. They both walked forward with arms in arms, step by step, and walked towards the two steps. Above, facing the entire banquet hall, it is also the highest seat exclusively for the royal family.

Of course, not everyone was sucked into the "vortex" caused by the king:

The Duke and Prime Minister of the East China Sea, Bob Cullen, sat on the long table on the second floor with a smile on his face, surrounded by the aristocrats of the East China Sea who had made friends with him. There was an endless stream of central government officials and important nobles who came to pay their respects to the Prime Minister. Warm greetings, cups and cups, patiently waiting for the king and prince to come, a few words of praise from you and me from time to time, lamenting that the kingdom will have a queen, and the stars will prosper.

Duke Jann Cavendeer sat opposite Prime Minister Cullen.

Many lower-level bureaucrats and newly wealthy businessmen who came to the long table with expectations but failed to muster up the courage to meet the Prime Minister chose to pay their respects to the young dignitary who was sitting on the South Bank collar. They were encouraged by the Duke Gradually let go of restraints, chatting and laughing happily, and repeatedly praised the approachable and noble sincerity of the owner of Iris when he left.

In stark contrast to this table, there is another long table on the same level but rather remote: Val Arend, the Duke of the North, sitting in shackles and with his beard and hair hanging down his shoulders, sat silently at one end, ignoring his surroundings He poured himself a drink with strange inquiring eyes, and behind him stood a few royal guards who never left. Apart from old acquaintances, only a few upright northern nobles and honorary soldiers who had fought side by side with him dared to drink. Come up and say hello.

At the other end of the long table sat the Duke of Cliffs, Gust Nantriest, with a casual posture. The owner of the giant horned deer had one cold eye, looking at the sensation caused by the king, and raised his glass to the Duke of Val opposite him from time to time. Aristocrats with profound connections to the North and Yadi came to greet him, but compared to the Prime Minister and Duke Iris, this table can only be regarded as deserted.

In contrast, the third-tier seats next to the duke's long table are much more harmonious. The people sitting here may not be nobler than the guardian dukes and imperial earls, but they are even more important. For example, the center of the imperial council Political dignitaries, bureaucrats in various ministries in Yongxing City, and important leaders of the industrial and commercial industries.

And the hereditary landlords of the Central Territory including the "Seven Stars".

"There are so many people, aren't they?" Baron Stowe looked at the king expressionlessly:

"There are four Dukes alone..."

Baron Stowe paused.

When he saw the young man who came with Princess Alice, he smiled softly:

"Sorry, five."

"Indeed, the iris and the sun sword and shield are fine. As for the giant horned deer and the white eagle, including many people..." At the same table, Viscount Adrian of Swan County agreed, and sighed to Mrs. Barney on the opposite side of the long table. But focus on her son and the "toys" in his hands:

"I thought I'd never see him again in this life."

"The return of the young master, the stability of the kingdom, the unprecedented grandeur, gratifying to congratulate," Mrs. Barney responded with a smile, impeccable, and whispered to her son who was playing with the nine-pointed star badge with his head down:

"Luther, listen to mom, put away the duke's gift first, and see, there are a lot of interesting things on the dining table."

Over there, D.D's father, the old Baron Doyle, turned his head and happily introduced to a market bureaucrat at the next table:

"So, this year, the grain harvest in my territory has been bumper, and the granary can't be piled up... But you know, the price of grain hurts the farmers. If you can follow the law and do things according to the rules, when foreigners come to buy grain, you can sell the local farmers. The market price of grain is set high...I mean, it's better to set it reasonably...Oh, that's it, I understand, after all, you have to follow the rules..."

"By the way, have you seen the two guards behind the Duke of Xinghu? Pay attention to the handsome one... hey, that is the dog Daniel Doyle. He guards the royal family, is loyal, and has won the trust of the Duke of Thales. ...So, with him here, every time I come to Mindis Hall, it's like going home..."

"The big man with a serious face next to him is Karen Glover, a close friend who served His Excellency the Duke with my son, brother! He is also the half-brother of the Viscount Glover... Which Glover? Oh , you know, is the Viscount of Hushan County, Lozano Glover, one of the Seven Stars, the mainstay of the Kingdom's Finance and Taxation Department..."

"Oh? What? Have you changed your mind? You also feel that cheap rice hurts farmers? Do you want to go back and check the relevant laws and regulations and adjust the pricing? Hey, my lord, I did not misread you! To be honest, I am a noble and self-sufficient person. Xu, I don't usually look down on those mediocre people, and only good people like you, who care about the country and the people and follow the rules, are rare to see each other... Come and drink..."

As the pace of the king and his party approached, the adults on the noble long table also stopped talking. They were not like many guests, who were so excited that they went forward without regard to their appearance, but they all stood up from the long table to pay respects respectfully.

"You don't need to salute, everyone," Thales watched the king walk through the center of the hall, stepped on the slow steps, and walked all the way from the most common seats to the long tables of the dukes, listening to him speak slowly:

"If you wait until you finish kissing my ring one by one, then we won't be able to start until dawn."

The king's tone was indifferent, but it was heavy but lingered in the hall.

But it made Thales' heart tremble, and he touched the back of his hand subconsciously.

There are no rings there.

"Pay attention to your own behavior," Aunt Alice beside her noticed his abnormality. Although her smile remained the same, her tone was rarely severe: "Perhaps Jinny can ignore it, but you..."

Thales only felt a tightness in his arm.

"You are a prince, facing the entire kingdom, your demeanor, expression, gaze, tone...every move will be infinitely magnified and over-interpreted."

The aunt held him, but her words were full of power, which made Thales straighten up and adjust his posture:

"Put on your armor, or in Jiny's words: raise your shield."

Thales took a deep breath and tried his best to make the smile natural.

Under the guidance of Baron Quentin, the chief of the court, and Adrian, the captain of the royal guard, the king took the queen's arm and stepped on the highest-ranked seat very familiarly, sitting leisurely.

Facing the guests, overlooking the lobby.

Thales, under the gesture of Mallos and Gilbert, sat down on the long table lower than the king's level. Aunt Alice and Jine sat on his left side, and both of them threw their hands at him. Concerned gaze.

A few meters away, Jann Kevin Dill at the next table showed Thales a meaningful smile.

Countless gazes turned upwards, focusing on the few people at the table.

The guests have different expressions and reactions, which can be seen from his perspective.

Of course, from the king's point of view, Thales' actions must be the same.

Thales listened to his heartbeat, but walked away for a second in an unprofessional way. He suddenly remembered in the memory of his previous life, the moment he stood on the podium, all the luck and fantasy you had in your student days will be completely shattered :

It turns out that for thousands of days, when you were on the podium and under the desk, the teachers could see clearly those little movements that you thought were hidden and low-key, and no one had noticed, without missing anything.

But they still pretended nothing happened, and continued to lecture patiently and smilingly.

It seems that the students in the audience are good children who listen carefully, don't they?

At this moment, Thales maintained a smile, quietly looked at the "good students" in the hall, and suddenly realized the height of the king's seat.

"Damn it, zombie, sit there a little bit, otherwise the beautiful maids... I mean the servants will have trouble delivering food..." Doyle's voice came from behind, gnashing his teeth:

"This place is too narrow. Is it really for the prince? Barney's manor banquet is wider than this..."

"Still, the servants don't have human rights..."

Next door, Mallos, who was at the same table as Gilbert, gouged him.

D.D's low-pitched complaints immediately disappeared in Thales' ears.

The banquet hall gradually changed from noisy to quiet.

The owner and prime minister of the Eastern Sea Territory, Duke Cullen got up from the table with a smile. He first reached out to stop the music, and then saluted the king. His huge belly almost pushed back the heavy long table several inches.

"Your Majesty, Eternal Star City hasn't had such a big royal banquet for a long time. This is a grand event for the country..."

But King Kessel V just waved his hand lightly, and blocked the Prime Minister's words in his mouth indifferently.

"I know why you are here."

"You also know why I am here."

The king's cold voice echoed in the hall, just like his countless imperial meetings, lowering the temperature in a trance:

"There's no need to waste time."

Prime Minister Cullen, who obviously prepared a lot of opening remarks, choked.

I saw King Kessel leaning on the chair and said lightly:

"Let's eat."

In the hall, all the guests who came to attend the rare royal banquet and were looking forward to the celebration and enthusiasm were all taken aback!

ah?

At that moment, whether it was the calm and decent lords, or the well-dressed ladies and ladies, or the performers who worked hard to become famous here, the guards and servants who tried their best to maintain order...

Everyone seemed to have been poured a basin of cold water.

There was no sound in the hall, and the atmosphere was extremely awkward.

Princess Alice beside her sighed, while Gilbert next door frowned.

After a few seconds of silence, endless whispers began to sound in the hall, and the guests whispered to each other, almost like buzzing.

Duke Cullen was in a daze, a little at a loss.

Thales felt the surrounding atmosphere, rolled his eyes involuntarily, and lowered his head subconsciously.

Fuck.

Father Kessel.

I underestimated you.

You are the strongest atmosphere killer in the kingdom!

Speaking of mood killers though...

It would be great if Duke Falkenhauser was here, as boring as he is, he must know how to answer.

Amidst the noisy buzz, the guests had different opinions.

"You know, Kessel wasn't like this before..." Aunt Alice leaned close to his ear and explained in an awkward whisper:

"Maybe it's because the royal family hasn't held a banquet for too long..."

At the seat of the Canxing Seven Attendants, the old Viscount Patterson ignored the terrified eyes of the two nephews, and hummed in a low voice with disdain and disrespect:

"No matter how many years have passed... even if he wears the crown, that kid's speech is still terrible."

"I guess that's what he says when he wants to fuck a woman: Fuck it."

This made the guests at the same table feel a little embarrassed, and all laughed without saying a word.

Until Viscount Adrian responded appropriately:

"Clean and efficient, straight to the point."

"Your Majesty is indeed our role model."

Viscount Patterson snorted softly, ambiguous and ambiguous:

"us?"

On the other side, Baron Stowe turned his head and nodded expressionlessly:

"us."

On the farther foreign guests' table, Jorge from Northland Elk City's eyes lit up.

"This king has a kind of..."

The bearded man chuckled, ignoring the eyes of the people around him:

"Damn, I'm starting to like him."

The scene lasted for several seconds, until Duke Cullen sighed, coughed hard, suppressed the rising discussion, and began to speak earnestly again:

"Your Majesty, according to the usual practice, you need to toast and give an opening speech at the beginning of the banquet..."

King Kessel raised his head slowly, as if he had just woken up from his meditation:

"Really? I almost forgot."

Duke Cullen nodded and said with a smile:

"That's right, think about the banquets you attended when you were young, right? Many of them were held here..."

The king narrowed his eyes, and his voice was as thick as before, which made people involuntarily stern:

"But then it's not my turn to speak, is it?"

The Duke of Donghai trembled immediately.

"Your Majesty, this..."

His face was pale, his lips opened and closed, but he still couldn't answer.

Thales couldn't help sympathizing with Duke Cullen when he saw the embarrassment of being choked up with nothing to say because he had to pay attention to the public influence and take care of the king's face.

Thinking of how this poor fat grandpa is actually the prime minister, he would probably be embarrassed by King Kessel every day at the imperial meeting...

"All right."

King Kessel snorted softly, he let go of the poor prime minister, and looked at the lower seat:

"Child, you come."

Thales met the king's eyes, subconsciously followed the instinct of etiquette training, and nodded to His Majesty the king in response.

The etiquette is perfect and the smile is decent.

To show loyalty.

but……

ah?

A few tenths of a second later, the young Duke of Xinghu came back to his senses, his smile froze.

wait.

what did he say?

Come on, what are you coming for?

In the next moment, everyone in the hall looked at him in unison!

Like countless swords gleaming with cold light, they fully supported Thales' whole body.

Duke Cullen let out a breath and sat down tremblingly.

The king lowered his head again, playing with the glass in his hand, as if everything just had nothing to do with him.

Thales is aware of the current situation.

He turned his head blankly, and saw Queen Keya's expectant eyes, Jini's surprised and worried eyes, Gilbert's anxious expression, Mallos' thoughtful expression, and countless...

"Thales."

The smile on Princess Alice's face remained undiminished, as calm as ever, but she pushed his arm under the table, and a few syllables that sounded like mosquitoes and flies came out without moving her mouth:

"Quick, don't hesitate, give a speech."

"whatever."

After several months of training, Prince Thales stood up instinctively without anyone reminding him.

Thanks to Ginny's etiquette lessons, he is graceful and composed.

Only Thales himself knew that it was all fake.

At this moment, the sin of Hell River is desperately helping him stabilize his body's reactions, from joints, muscles, to blood vessels, heartbeat...

It's like a poor papermaker who is panting and running back and forth, tearing down the east wall and repairing the west wall, but still can't stop the house from leaking.

Thales took a deep breath, and while trying to maintain a calm smile, he frantically used his brain.

No, speech, what speech?

Is there an item on the program list?

I didn't mention it during the banquet rehearsal!

Thales twisted his neck extremely stiffly, but in the eyes of outsiders, calmly, and raised the wine glass in his hand that was full of wine that he didn't know and had no time to know what it was.

He looked at pairs of eyes full of various emotions in the hall: doubt, curiosity, expectation, fanaticism, gloating...

The crime of prison river is a little at a loss, it has been changing back and forth, but still can't figure out what the master wants at this moment: explosive power? speed? lasting? agile? senses? balance?

Or do you fight to the death without retreating, you die and I die, killing everything in front of you, just give up the bloody?

Thales tried his best to suppress the crime of prison river, which had become more and more fierce because he couldn't find the target for a long time.

After all, this is not a life-and-death battle.

Thales smiled woefully, raised his wine glass, nodded slightly, and cleared his throat to delay time.

No, it's much harder than fighting.

fighting? To deal with opponents such as the Meteorite, the Death Raven, the Legendary Wing, and the Punishment Knight?

That's a piece of cake, isn't it!

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