Kingdom’s Bloodline

At the long table of the dukes, Prime Minister Cullen sighed with lingering fear, Zhan En sneered lightly, Cyclops was expressionless, and Duke Val still poured his own drink, as if no one was around.

Banquet speeches, banquet speeches...

Thales chanted desperately, but unfortunately his mind went blank.

It's like the deadline for handing in homework is at zero o'clock, but until 11:50 in the evening, the document in your hand is still empty.

etc.

The banquet speech is not without reference, is it?

next second.

"Adults, welcome, welcome to Mindis Hall."

Thales held his wine glass in one hand, paced slowly, and walked out of his seat so that everyone could see him.

Out of politeness, the guests stood up one after another.

He looked around the hall slowly and calmly ("Hurry up, what should I say next..." - Thales's inner monologue), his voice echoed and was clearly audible:

"The door is full of distinguished guests, and the house is full of distinguished friends."

"Since I was young, I have only participated in such a big banquet once."

Thales lowered his head, as if remembering, and paused for a few seconds.

He looked up and smiled:

"You know, in Dragon Clouds City."

"King Nuen wants to thank me for...uh, killing his son."

There was laughter in the banquet hall.

Except for the guests from the Northland, they all looked ashen.

Thales shrugged helplessly.

banquet.

At that moment, the heroic and rough look of King Nun holding the wine glass inevitably emerged from the boy's mind.

Together with the welcome banquet with the characteristics of the Northland, the powerful and shocking voice of the Born King:

【come! eat! drink! beat! Hold! Do whatever you want! 】

[Until you lie, roll, limp, and crawl, and are carried out of my palace! 】

[Bastards! 】

Thales raised the corner of his mouth, and silently glanced at the well-mannered star guests.

He decisively kicked the babbling and roaring King Nun out of his mind.

"Trust me, you don't want to be there."

Thales sighed:

"The food in Dragon Clouds City is terrible, and the wine is not good either. It's just suffering."

Some of the guests giggled.

Thales shrugged, his eyebrows beaming:

"I guess that's why he's thanking me - for killing his son."

The hall laughed again, one after another.

Alice glanced at Thales strangely, worried about his audacity.

Mallos comforted the nervous Gilbert in a low voice, telling him that this was the way the duke complained in the past few months, and he just got used to it.

Jorge snorted uncomfortably.

"Yeah, that's why, when Grand Duke Heisha sat on the throne and drank the terrible special wine from Dragon Clouds City..."

Thales swung his wine glass.

"He regretted it."

Laughter in the hall started to become the norm.

"King Charmain hates me,

I was imprisoned for six full years..."

Thales looked at everyone, quite puzzled:

"But I can't really help him, I mean..."

The Duke of Xinghu shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands towards the hall, with a helpless expression:

"I can't kill every Exeter king, can I?"

The laughter in the hall grew louder, and unexpectedly, Duke Val was among them, staring at his glass, laughing undisguisedly.

King Kessel narrowed his eyes.

Thales took a deep breath, stretched out his hand and pressed it, stopping the laughter in the banquet hall.

"Well, many of you here probably know me."

At the seats of the dukes, many people had mixed reactions.

"That's right, I just finished a six-year journey," Thales faced the guests sternly, was satisfied to see that they were also sitting upright, and raised his glass:

"Civilized and elegant, peaceful and peaceful."

Some of the guests couldn't help laughing.

But Thales' tone immediately changed sharply:

"And my return must have brought surprise to many people, because I can see it in your eyes: doubts, vigilance, alienation, hostility."

The last word chilled the originally relaxed and happy atmosphere in the banquet hall.

Cyclops and Duke Iris stared closely at Thales, thoughtful.

Thales turned around halfway, not looking at the king's expression:

"What has this prince who appeared out of nowhere six years ago become after returning from the enemy country? What will he bring to you? What will he bring to the kingdom? Is it stability or turmoil, stability or change?"

"Understandable, because I have the same doubts."

Thales looked solemn:

"Some people are happy, some are confused, some are watching, some are hesitant, and of course, there may be some who don't want to see me appear."

Even the entire hall was completely silent.

"But I remember six years ago, when I was about to leave the country and go north, an adult warned me," Thales looked at the wine glass in his hand with a serious expression:

"Go to Exeter, go between the north wind and the sons and daughters of the dragon, go to another angle, another world, and see another star. Maybe I can gain something."

The Duke of Nantrester looked at him with a different look.

"I did gain something."

Thales raised his head and raised his eyebrows:

"Above all...don't drink Exeter wine."

The guests roared with laughter again.

But Thales quickly got back on track:

"But I'm still confused."

This time, the Duke of Xinghu no longer had jokes in his eyes:

"Joke is a joke, but there is no doubt that Nun VII is a great king."

"He is decisive, far-sighted, generous and heroic, and extremely wise, and even a natural king like him could not avoid his own misfortune, he could not save the disaster of Dragon Clouds City, and he could not stop Exeter decline."

Many guests started whispering.

Thales' expression seemed to be contemplative.

"It made me suspicious."

"We who live next to them, how do we live, how do we rule, and how do we move forward so that we don't end up like this and don't leave any regrets?"

Thales paused for a few seconds to let the guests' discussions ferment, and then he raised his head solemnly:

"Honestly, I don't know."

Thales said loudly:

"But when I stepped into this hall, I thought, at least I know where the answer is."

Thales raised his glass:

"Today is not just about me..."

"Three thousand years ago today, the entire army of the ancient kings went north, putting all their eggs in one basket, against the orcs, and chasing saints from thousands of miles away."

Thales recalled Errol's world history class:

"Not just King Ansett of Rock Ridge, but Ludor, Chavin, Northland, Thornland, Yuanshan, Kailunsa, Saltland...the heroes of countless nations, kingdoms, and city-states in that era. Only when human beings are united and selfless and fearless can miracles be created and epics written."

Thales raised his voice:

"They stood on the glacier, stepped on the skull of the orc, and declared to the world: as long as we work together, human beings will be invincible!"

Many guests looked serious and raised their wine glasses one after another, paying homage from afar.

"opposite of this……"

Thales lowered his expression and looked at each guest carefully: the innocent Duke Cullen, the gloomy Jann, the thoughtful Gust, the silent Val...

"Division leads to decline, internal strife leads to weakness, the selfish are despicable, and the fratricide is the last."

Thales' voice became thicker, he looked around, and there was no doubt:

"Believe me, I have witnessed how the descendants of the hero Necaru lived: King Nun's domineering arbitrariness brought suspicion from all over the world, King Charman's tyranny made him countless enemies, the grand dukes' unruly ambitions made the kingdom turbulent, and The fanaticism and blindness and self-righteousness of the northerners since ancient times has made the situation worse and irreversible."

He said seriously:

"So I understand, whether it's the battle for sainthood or today's kingdom, only by overcoming these weaknesses, only by uniting as one, and by uniting efforts can we stand on the ground and look up to the sky."

Thales said loudly:

"Just like today, just like yesterday, just like tomorrow, in the countless days and nights of tomorrow, I will die with all the gentlemen here, with an unwavering ambition!"

Gilbert and his friends had weird expressions, as if they were surprised by the prince's impromptu performance.

In the next second, Thales raised the wine glass above his head and shouted angrily:

"Glory to the stars!"

Just listen to Thales' long voice:

"Bask in her light for seven hundred years, be grateful for her greatness, shelter her wings, and share her glory!"

A second of silence.

Until the Duke of the North in shackles, Val Allend raised his glass unexpectedly, and shouted decisively:

"Glory to the stars!"

The one-eyed Duke of Cliffs, Gust Nantryst smiled, and also raised his glass:

"Glory to the stars!"

Immediately afterwards, Queen Keya also raised her glass in anticipation and cooperation, leading a large number of unaccustomed guests to raise their glasses one after another.

Soon, under the urging of the queen's eyes, the king also hummed softly and raised his glass indifferently.

With a precedent, the guests were aroused, and they all raised their glasses and responded:

"Glory to the stars!"

The hall suddenly boiled, and the sound shook the dome.

Jorge and Levi Trudida, who were sitting in the corner, looked around and raised their glasses awkwardly to fit in with the group.

Thales took a deep breath, and drove out the anxiety in his heart like a duck on a shelf:

"To the king!"

Thales turned to King Kessel, raised his wine glass, and tried not to read the extremely complicated meaning in the latter's eyes:

"For him to be ordered to turn the tide when he was in danger, he has worked hard for decades, and guarded the kingdom with perseverance!"

The guests in the hall gradually got used to it and echoed in unison:

"To the king!"

Thales' words became smoother, he turned around, looked at the entire hall, and turned the wine glass around:

"Honor to ourselves!"

"For the lords present here and our ancestors, for hundreds of years, we will work together to carry forward the burden and bear the burden of the most glorious past of mankind! What's more, we will continue to be unstoppable!"

The guests raised their glasses to echo, like a flash flood:

"Honor to ourselves!"

Thales breathed a sigh of relief, he smiled, and looked north again:

"besides--"

Thales roared sincerely:

"Fuck you! Charmain Rumba!"

There is no need to remind, and no one seems to think about it. Many people follow Dadao without hesitation:

"Fuck you! Charmain Rumba!"

After shouting this sentence, many people were taken aback for a moment, and then they reacted and burst out laughing.

This time, the guests from different backgrounds in different seats were unanimous. Including northerners like Jorge and Levi, they all shouted without any grudges and sincerely.

But at this moment, a different shout pierced through the crowd and resounded loudly:

"To the Duke of Thales!"

Thales was slightly startled.

It was a young aristocrat dressed in ordinary clothes, standing in the seats of foreign guests, he resolutely raised his glass and shouted:

"For his enlightenment, wisdom, mind, courage—and youth!"

Everyone was startled again, but soon, many people responded one after another:

"To the Duke of Star Lake!"

"To Prince Thales!"

"Respect Canxing!"

The echoes in the hall came one after another, and the momentum was huge, but many people were regretting:

Why didn't you speak first?

Listening to the echo in the hall, Thales took a deep breath, ignoring the expression of the king behind him.

"My lords!"

Thales looked firm, without shaking his eyes, raised his glass and shouted the last long-drawn-out toast:

"If the stars are-"

Without anyone reminding, all the guests who were aroused reacted in unison, shouting out the second half of the well-known sentence:

"—Eternal Empire!"

Thales struck while the iron was hot, raised his head to take the cup, and spilled a lot for the heroic effect of drinking it all in one gulp.

Fortunately, it wasn't the distilled rye liquor from the Northland.

It's Xingchen's domestically produced grape wine.

Thales lowered his head and saw that the guests were almost drunk, so he laughed and said:

"Very well, then let the banquet—"

In the next second, Thales instinctively lowered the wine glass:

"let's start!"

But this time, Thales didn't hear the invigorating, majestic and muffled sound that he was familiar with in the past few years, when the thick wooden wine glass of the Northland collided with the dining table or stone bricks.

but...

"Crack--"

Thales trembled all over!

this voice...

Crisp, musical, pure...

make people...

Heartbreak.

Everyone was stunned.

There was a sudden silence in the banquet hall.

The Duke of Xinghu lowered his head with difficulty, and looked at the precious glass wine glass that had been shattered into pieces at his feet.

Shet.

Thales immediately realized that he had gotten into trouble.

He moved his steps expressionlessly, trying to leave the scene of the crime, but his boots stepped on the glass shards, making a palpitating sound instead.

This caused more eyes to shoot in unison, focusing on the prince.

The guests at the royal banquet looked at each other in blank dismay.

Many people still held the glasses they had just finished drinking.

They looked at the Duke of Xinghu, who had just committed the crime of murdering a wine glass in front of the entire kingdom, and were at a loss.

Until at the remote seat, Jorge, the officer from Elk City, finished his drink, excitedly, and slammed down without hesitation!

"Crack--"

The sound of glass shattering shocked everyone again.

But in the next moment, Gilbert was the one who reacted the fastest. He spilled the wine he couldn't drink without hesitation, and also threw his hand on the ground!

"Crack!"

Beside him, Thales's personal guard captain, Lord Mallos had no expression on his face, but he also slammed down his wine glass!

"Crack!"

Zhuyu was in front, and many star guests with winks reacted one after another, and went forward one after another. People who were skilled or unskilled, accustomed or unaccustomed, liked or disliked raised their hands high and smashed their cups fiercely!

"Crack! Crack! Bang! Hiss..."

For a moment, the banquet hall was like ice breaking, and the silver bottle exploded, and the crisp and sharp cracking sounds came and went, echoing back and forth, like a whole marching concerto.

Even the aloof Queen Keya raised her hand enthusiastically, watching the queen's special wine glass fly out in an arc and land on the floor...

Torn into pieces.

More than that, Gilbert gave the court steward a wink.

The latter reacted and waved quickly.

Musicians, clowns, and minstrels stepped forward one after another, playing music and dancing.

And the servants shouted at each other in a hurry, stepping on the glass shards all over the floor with thick soles, they all came forward amidst the crunching sound, and served the meal.

The banquet begins.

Music and performances, meals and wine, the atmosphere in the banquet hall finally came alive again.

The guests' conversations, discussions, and laughter finally sounded unscrupulously.

Overwhelmed the uproar and consternation, abruptness and embarrassment caused by Thales' "smooth move".

Gilbert let out a breath.

The foreign minister touched his forehead and was already in cold sweat.

His Highness...

The culprit, the instigator, the honorable Duke of Xinghu Thales stepped on the broken glass on the ground helplessly, and mechanically returned to his seat amidst the double "music" by his ears and feet.

"Thales,"

While dragging her legs calmly, Alice swept away the half of the wine glass that she had just smashed to pieces due to her inexperience, and asked hesitantly and suspiciously:

"About just now..."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's my fault," Tellspi said with a non-smiling smile, remembering his aunt's teachings, although he was full of shame and embarrassment, his face was calm, as if he was born to be in this way:

"I just……"

"got used to."

On the highest seat, King Kessel had no expression on his face, but gently put down the intact wine glass in his hand.

In the whole hall, besides the feasting at the beginning of the banquet, many guests were also talking about it, such as the seats of the Canxing Seven Attendants.

"Is this the stars, or Exeter's banquet?" Baron Stowe frowned.

Viscount Patterson snorted softly, and looked at Prince Thales, who was alright, with a half-smile:

"Is it important?"

"Haha, it's good to be lively," the old Baron Doyle said with a laugh:

"Only when you are lively can someone love you!"

The rest were silent.

But some people think otherwise.

As the head of the palace, Baron Quentin, who came to Mindis Hall to help arrange the banquet, was stunned and tremblingly ordered his servants: "Clean... clean..."

"Also, send a message to send a new batch of imperial glasses..."

But he reacted quickly and called the servant to stop.

"etc!"

"Remember, twice as many."

Baron Quentin gritted his teeth angrily. He looked at the debris in the hall and said to the puzzled servant:

"spare."

Just when the atmosphere of the banquet became more and more lively, and everyone was immersed in the delicious food and wine or chatting and laughing, and had no time to care about others, at a remote seat that no one noticed, a serious guest had a trance-eyed, crossed his head once and for all. Goose on a plate.

In the next second, his ribs moved.

The guest's face changed slightly, and he wanted to turn around, but a familiar old voice slowly slipped into his ears, making his movements stagnate.

"Don't look back."

The old voice said slowly:

"You should know how difficult it is to bring this thing in."

The guest was stiff all over, but still put down his right hand, and quietly took the other party's "things" under the table.

"Why?" The guest asked suspiciously.

The mature voice seemed to be absent, as if he didn't care:

"I know what you're trying to do, but obviously, this one works better."

"If you really make up your mind."

The guest's thoughts tensed up.

He looked at the fork on the table, and said with difficulty: "Why?"

But the mature voice did not answer, just slowly said:

"Remember, find the target."

"You only have one chance."

Guests grit their teeth:

"I don't understand, he clearly rejected me, why..."

But the old voice no longer answered.

Like it never came up.

The guest took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and stuffed the things under his ribs into his clothes.

Find it, target?

The guests slowly raised their heads and looked at the top of the banquet hall, where the king's head was lowered.

There, sat a calm but extraordinary...

juvenile.

The guest was breathing in a trance, and his eyes gradually changed from pain, suffering, resentment, jealousy, and hesitation to unshakable determination and sternness.

He stared closely at the high-spirited young duke, and lightly pressed the stranger's gift under his clothes.

The skin on his hands feels cool.

He knew it was a dagger.

Excellent quality.

The blade is cold.

Show no mercy.

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