Kingdom’s Bloodline

If we put aside the experiences and moods of the several parties involved, last night's competition banquet was undoubtedly a success: it was large in scale, well-received, distinguished guests, warm atmosphere, the final celebration fireworks were dreamlike, and the guests who visited Kongming Palace Most of them are satisfied and happy.

In addition, as the heir to the kingdom, Duke Thales's long-distance visit proved the heritage and foundation of the Emerald City and even the entire South Coast in the kingdom, making Duke Zhan and the Kevin Deere family look good.

As for Miss Healy's dress-up and grand finale, she was even more brilliant, stunning everyone, and received a fierce response. Participants from all over the world praised and talked about it, creating a fashion trend that is both mysterious and natural. .

From the moment Duke Zhan announced the start of the celebration at zero hour, the entire Emerald City entered a carnival rhythm:

Pubs and hotels were so full that the bosses had to add seats outside the door, move out the wine and food that had been reserved three months in advance, and launch seemingly preferential promotions and seemingly exclusive packages; minstrels took to the streets, Waving your hands and picking up a tune in a crowded place can summon a chorus of various accents, forcing more people to join in to cover up the out-of-tune cries and howls; no matter how bad the skills or professionalism are on the street Busker, as long as you have a loud enough voice, sing and dance, have a serious attitude and greet people with a smile, you can earn a round of applause and a few comfort coins no matter what;

Market vendors have set up new stalls focusing on festive and congratulatory goods, using the atmosphere to boost business. Overflowing bowls are no longer a dream; the number of vigilance officer patrols in the dock area has increased significantly to deal with drunken strangers causing trouble and fighting. This is a polite statement, because most of the time it is the locals who drink; the theater and circus owners in the Goddess District worked hard and set up the stage at the intersection, just a stone's throw away from their competitors; twenty-four hours are different. Batches of actors took turns competing to perform, performing the most important show of the year in the cruelest yet most dreamy way. The people standing around and the frequency of their colorful voices were the most primitive and intuitive evaluations. It is the reward that playwrights and actors desire most in their lives;

Children rarely break away from the shackles of their families and rush into the streets in groups to play and play, begging for a little food here and a piece of jewelry there. As long as it is not too excessive, the bosses and stall owners will pretend not to see them, and they will even chase them. The horses of cuckolds follow the police officers out. During special times, the helpless civil servants can only laugh it off; couples, lovers, and family members hold hands and go out to play in a festive, exciting, elegant or dignified manner. The various programs along the way will keep them from getting home at twelve o'clock in the evening...

At night, even the poorest families want to light the brightest lights, and smile and tell their families who are out for fun to come back later in order to wish for a bright future and great prospects; the wealthy families even light up endless fireworks. At the cost of disturbing people's sleep, the streets and urban areas are illuminated, decorated with festive decorations, and showing off their wealth; the fire brigade in the police station has to run back and forth behind the hooves of the cuckolds, while yelling at these guys who set off fireworks in prohibited areas, While secretly rejoicing, the rewards for police dispatch and overtime work during the celebration are five to ten times higher than usual...

"Stop talking," Waiya poked a worried look at Nixi, who had just come back from outside and was talking happily, spittle flying, "Can't you see?"

In front of them, Thales put his hands on the window sill and stared at the bustling Emerald City, his face so gloomy that he seemed to be dripping with water.

"Oh, yes, His Highness seems not too happy?" Nixi lowered her voice and reacted.

"It looks like yes. Why do you say 'again'?"

"Well, you're quite satisfied with that lady at first sight," D.D said, holding a bag of meat floss cakes bought from the market, coming in from the door and handing out one to each person he saw, "So the other way around I’m worried, how can I make up for the troubles I’ve caused these days and restore my relationship with my brother-in-law?”

"Nonsense, is His Highness that kind of person?" Huaiya swallowed and took the cake.

"of course not."

D.D spoke righteously, and then his expression changed:

"But their family is really rich. Look at the banquet last night. The food was luxurious..."

At this moment, Mallos opened the door, and following him in were Glover and Miranda, as well as Caquelet and other security officers who served as Thales' guide and travel security.

Huaiya quickly stood up straight and threw the cake he took a bite back into Doyle's bag. D.D threw the bag to Nixi, while Nixi hurriedly found a place to hide the bag. Unfortunately, Mallos still saw it.

Thales turned back from the window sill with a serious expression.

"Mira, zombie, I'm sorry for bothering you to make this trip."

Glover nodded and was about to speak.

"Not at all, Your Highness," Miranda took off her dress and changed back to her daily attire, looking radiant, "It's better than a banquet."

The zombie frowned:

"I'm right."

Thales turned to the guest:

"Officer Kaguire, thank you for taking them to the prison."

Officer Kaguire smiled happily: "During the Emerald Celebration, my duty is to provide convenience for His Highness, but if you need it, you can do whatever you want."

Thales nodded and looked at Miranda and Glover.

"How about it?"

"Slit his wrists," Miranda concluded. "Last night, before and after the celebration fireworks, Dagory Moss sat in the corner of the cell. Blood flowed down the wall into the sewer, so no one noticed. Wait. When the jailer and the inmates found out, he was already freezing. "

Thales frowned:

"Suicide?"

Glover snorted coldly:

"That's what the prison guards thought."

Caguire quickly added:

"By the way, sharpened pieces of wood were found in Moss's arms. They were probably broken off from the handles of the utensils. They were also stained with blood. They were evidence that he cut his wrists."

Thales was silent for a while.

"Is it evidence?"

The prince said solemnly: "Or is it the wrong guidance left by others?"

These words made everyone feel depressed.

When the Kaguire security officer heard this, he couldn't help but said:

"By the way, the jailers said that Moss has been depressed these days. He knows what he has committed, and he also knows that if he is caught, there will be no good consequences. Rather than suffer the consequences alive and bring harm to his family, it would be better..."

Thales' expression did not change:

"That's it? Suicide out of fear of crime?"

Glover snorted coldly:

"No, those jailers were lying."

Kaguire's expression changed.

"The scene looks like a suicide, but there are many doubts."

Miranda stepped forward, stretched out her wrist, and showed Thales: "There are two arteries in the human wrist, one shallow and one deep, on both sides of the big and small thumbs. Most people commit suicide by cutting their wrists, and they can only cut them off." The superficial branch on the thumb side bleeds slowly, but it can be saved if found in time. "

"But the wound on Moss's hand was deep enough to see the bone, and even nicked the deep artery, causing massive bleeding in a short period of time. It was both low-key and effective."

Miranda tapped her wrist:

"Don't say that he only had sharp pieces of wood in his arms, even if he used a metal blade..."

At this point, she glanced at Mallos, which made the latter confused again.

"This requires skillful and powerful techniques, and even more ruthless courage."

Glover's eyes were sharp: "But the wine merchant has neither."

Thales' expression was serious, and he exchanged looks with Mallos:

"Is it."

Hearing this, Officer Kaguire was a little embarrassed. He hesitated again and again, but finally took a deep breath and chose to speak.

"Actually, I was in prison just now and it's hard for me to say too much in front of my colleagues... But in this case, Your Highness, yes, Ms. Arend is right."

Thales' eyes moved:

"Vigilance Officer Kaguire?"

"Before I was transferred to the Police Department, I also worked in a prison and saw a lot of that kind of situation," Caguire sighed. "Some prisoners died unexpectedly while being guarded. In order to shirk responsibility and keep their jobs, many prison guards will unify The caliber is that it was a suicide. I think that the death of the wine merchant was most likely a homicide, disguised as a suicide."

Thales' eyes flickered: "In your opinion, who did it?"

Caguire hesitated for a moment:

"When Moss died, the prisoners present were all habitual petty theft offenders and would go to prison every few months. They came in again within a few days of Moss being imprisoned. It was a perfect coincidence. "

"You mean they did it? Why?"

Kaguire coughed:

“According to colleagues at the Police Department who investigated the Moss case, the wine merchant ruined the lives of many people, most of whom were workers who were owed wages, farmers who were owed money, and partners who lost all their money... But when Moss arrived in the Emerald City, he was well-dressed and well-fed, and he was surrounded by people, but he was not willing to give them a single coin. "

Thales' eyes were a little lost:

"Yes, he does owe a lot of people."

Caguire continued:

"But the laws in the Emerald City are strict, and Moss is too cunning to hire a defense attorney. What's more, he had been doing everything before, contacting old friends, and clinging to powerful people... His enemies may know that they can't get their money back even if they go to court. justice……"

Thales' thoughts moved:

"Just take the risk and kill him for revenge?"

Caguire shook his head:

"I can't say whether it was for revenge or debt collection, whether the murder was intentional or impulsive, but it must have something to do with them."

D.D on the side couldn't help but say: "They dare to kill people in Emerald City? Are they still in jail?"

"Because of being in the Emerald City, and the prison."

Kaguire bowed.

"It's embarrassing to publicize this, but both the Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood have this method: if you want someone to disappear, you can't do it on the street, because there are endless consequences, so they usually trick you into the dock and pretend to be drunk and falling into the water. , to avoid tracing... and going to jail is even different. Suicide out of fear of crime is a good cover."

Mallos suddenly asked:

"So, it was Moss's enemies who hired the murderer?"

Caguire nodded and admitted:

"It seems so at the moment, but what can I say? If he didn't jump up and down to cling to the powerful, he might not be so unlucky."

"Why?" Thales asked curiously.

Caguire glanced at Thales:

"There are many parties involved in Moss's case. According to convention, he should be locked up in a dark room alone and interrogated severely. But because of his relationship with His Highness..."

"His Royal Highness Thales has nothing to do with him," Mallos reminded him expressionlessly, "They just met on the road, that's all."

Officer Kaguire immediately changed his story:

"Of course. In short, the wine merchant was transferred to a temporary cell for petty criminals. He received good treatment, three meals a day, someone to chat with, and regular breaks... Now, something happened."

Thales' eyes slowly focused.

"If you... the Emerald City Police Department investigates further, can you find the person who hired the murderer?"

Kaguire nodded first, then looked embarrassed.

"If you want to look for it, of course you can find it, but, Your Highness..."

Thales looked at him.

"To put it bluntly, a scum like Moss who has always been domineering and exploiting workers, taking money and running away at the first sign of trouble, causing countless people to lose their homes and separate their wives, is worthy of his punishment." The security officer coughed, "Your Highness You've already suffered a loss from him, so why go again... Whether it's for Moss himself, the people he's harmed, or even the people he'll harm in the future, it's better for him to die than to live."

"The same goes for the Police Department, right?" Thales said suddenly.

Caguire was a little confused, but Thales quickly smiled and signaled Conmuto to see off the guests:

"I understand. Thank you very much for your help, Mr. Vigilance Officer."

After Caguire left the room, Thales let out a long sigh:

"So, Moss died in a vendetta, and it was a hired murderer. Do you believe it?"

Everyone exchanged glances.

Miranda kept looking at the direction Caguire was leaving, and hummed softly when she heard this:

"This vigilance officer is very slippery. No wonder he was assigned to be your guide."

"Mira?"

Miranda looked back:

"He was very familiar with the jailers and took us in. When Glover and I questioned him, he always came out to smooth things over and excuse us.

"As for just now, when he saw that we judged that Moss was not committing suicide, he immediately turned around, showed a reluctant and determined to tell His Highness the truth, and told a reasonable, labor-saving and trouble-free story of hiring a murderer to kill, which not only freed the jailers. The crime also brings an end to the case.”

D.D crossed his arms:

"Didn't you forget to let something slip in the middle, implying that Moss had a good relationship with Your Highness, which is why he ended up like this?"

Thales shrugged.

Mallos sighed:

"I guess no one wants to commit a murder during the celebrations, especially a sensitive person caught between a duke and a prince, which also involves official negligence and financial disputes in another place."

"As for his inference, no, the story he told..."

Miranda rubbed her black gloves and moved her eyes slightly:

"Vendetta, this means that they no longer have to bother to find out the motive of the murder to verify the evidence, because everything stems from the old grudge that Moss brought upon himself in the past; hired murderer, that is to say, even if the 'murderer' found in the end is not the same as Moss, There is no grudge, and they can still convict and close the case, because it was a murder for hire anyway.”

"If we want to pursue the case further, this should be the 'argument' that best serves the interests of all parties."

Conmuto closed the door and sighed softly after hearing the words:

"No wonder the major police departments in Emerald City are famous for their high efficiency, high speed and high crime detection rate. When I saw them today, I really envy my colleagues."

D.D spread his hands:

"And he is indeed abiding by the law. How do you say, 'Emerald City believes in justice and law'?"

"Maybe it's because you believe too much," Mallos' eyes flickered, "Law and justice are always compared and equated. This is originally true and is indeed the most ideal state, but in reality..."

The watchman said nothing.

"'If you believe too much in the law, justice risks being ignored; if you believe too much in justice, the law risks being trampled on.'"

Everyone turned their heads and looked at Huaiya who said this, extremely surprised.

"Durant Empiu's "Conventions and Habits"," Waiya came back to his senses and felt baffled by everyone's gazes. "I am currently preparing for the entrance examination of the Royal Guards. This is the ethics department. Bibliography...What's wrong, don't you read books when you're on duty?"

Glover frowned, D.D rolled his eyes, Rolf snorted disdainfully, and Nexi unconsciously moved her body to cover the cake bag at her feet more tightly.

Conmuto shook his head and whispered:

"As expected of the Casso family's son."

"Okay, let's get back to the topic."

Thales sighed and took out the little stuffed bear:

"Who killed Moss? Why? What impact does it have on us?"

Glover took a deep breath: "The person who wants to kill him..."

But Miranda spoke on the other side:

"According to your statement, Moss is a person who secretly works for the Emerald City to make money. Now that he has done something wrong and knows too much, Duke Iris wants to silence him. This is very reasonable."

Glover's expression stiffened.

Thales nodded.

Yes, that makes sense.

But is that all?

Thales couldn't help but think of the girl last night.

Moreover, Moss has another identity...an identity that cannot be announced to the public.

"But Zhan promised me," Thales frowned, "He said he would keep Moss alive and observe."

"Maybe, but that was before Miss Healy showed up." D.D replied subconsciously.

But he soon realized that everyone immediately turned to him with playful eyes, especially the prince's eyes.

"Uh, sorry." D.D had to take a step back.

"Maybe we shouldn't get into it."

Unexpectedly, it was Marius who spoke.

"With all due respect, in the eyes of the public, Moss was imprisoned as a 'businessman who followed the prince'," the watchman said cautiously, "Now that he is dead, it is not a bad thing for His Highness. ”

"And if we dig too deep into it... we're afraid we'll get a bad reputation again."

Studying too deeply...

But Thales remembered something.

"Caguire said that Moss died around midnight last night?"

Miranda nodded: "That's what they said."

"Were there fireworks being set off at Kongming Palace at that time?"

Mallos frowned: "What's wrong?"

Thales took a deep breath:

"Caguire also said that Moss was running around the Emerald City, contacting old friends, and clinging to powerful people?"

Everyone looked at each other, wondering what His Highness was thinking.

"Thor, go find out who Moss contacted before he met me."

Mallos was startled:

"Your Highness?"

"I know, you don't want me to get into it," Thales grabbed the little stuffed bear in his hand, his eyes lost in thought, "But, there is something going on here..."

Needs clarification.

Mallos sighed upon seeing this:

"I see."

After everyone left, Thales fell on the bed, feeling a splitting headache.

King, Secret Science, Emerald City, Zhan, Xilai, Emerald Celebration, Moss...

The sunset.

After giving instructions for today's itinerary, Mallos stepped forward and expressed concern:

"Are you okay?"

"It's okay, it's just that I haven't felt like this for a long time. You don't have to do it yourself, you just have to use your words and your subordinates can bring you results."

Thales exhaled:

"By the way Thor, remind me, what should we do on the first day of the Emerald Celebration?"

"On this day in history, 'Southerners' Heyman I and Queen Regina walked into the Sunset Temple, witnessed their vows in front of the god, and got married," Mallos replied slowly, "Therefore, today is the official day of the Emerald Celebration. On the Day of Prayer, temples and churches must hold their own activities to contact believers, attract the public, and promote Sunset Faith.”

"public?"

Thales raised hope: "Am I none of my business?"

Mallos changed the subject:

"As for the upper class people in the Emerald City, headed by the Duke, they all go to the altar of the Sunset Temple to participate in public prayers, offer sacrifices to the Sunset Goddess, and then go to the Sunset Church church to listen to the sermons of the priests and priests, as well as a series of religious ceremonies... …Of course, the most important thing is that you must appear in front of the people to show your piety and respect for the sunset goddess.”

Thales rubbed his face painfully.

"Thor, can I send you on my behalf?"

Mallos narrowed his eyes and looked at him for several seconds, then took the little stuffed bear away from the bed and turned around to leave.

"You have five minutes to dress, Your Highness."

"Don't be late."

My brother, old friend and comrade-in-arms, the respected second prince of the Kingdom of Stars and Duke of Star Lake, North Star, His Excellency Thales Bright Star:

A letter is like a meeting.

We've been apart for seven years. I think about you often. I hope you're well and don't have to exchange greetings.

Even though we are far away from each other, in the Blood Sea Palace, I often hear about Polar Star’s deeds:

He went north alone to stop the army, and the sky collapsed and the earth shattered to witness the king's death.

Wang Yan showed off his power in a duel to save his life, and showed extraordinary courage to break into the palace against fate.

Others may marvel at your youth and achievements, lament your superhuman courage, or even question the authenticity of such deeds, but I promise you in the name of my father, Thales, your loyal friend, Kotlin of the Blood Sea Throne Na Corleone was definitely not one of them.

In fact, I am not surprised by these legendary deeds of yours, let alone surprised. I even feel that compared with the words on paper, your real experiences should only be much more, and the weirdness is even more extraordinary than anyone can imagine. Gein seven years ago , the experience of fighting side by side with you in the birch forest in the north made me realize: there are always heroes, and there are always tides.

However, a great hero is bound to be accompanied by endless sorrow. I believe that you have already felt this after experiencing the storm, not to mention the ancient meaning of Fuxing Palace. I should give you more thoughts.

It is a pity that these troubles are destined to be impossible to talk to others, because only people of the same level can understand the difficulty of being in the position and making moves.

Counting the days, you should be in the Emerald City when you show this letter. Is the city of the unknown queen as good as the king wants it to be? Prosperous and prosperous, can it be seen by the king? If the marriage is compatible, can it be a good match for the king? The other palace is empty and bright, can it calm your heart?

A century ago, "Parrot Lord" Federico Cavendier sent an envoy to the Throne of Blood Sea, opening up the communication between Blood Fang and Iris, connecting sea trade and communicating politics. Because of this, the Corleone family has been prosperous for hundreds of years. Looking closely, I have a profound understanding, and I know that the Kongming Palace is dark, difficult to distinguish, complex and special, ranking among the stars and even the Western Continent.

In my opinion, from Federico the parrot to Cocker the horned male, from the old woman Mei La to Bella the Witch Queen, and then to the recent Leinster and Thorner brothers, and even the current generation of Kevin Dill, the Iris family members Several generations of people have their own personalities, but they also have common characteristics that cannot be ignored: shrewdness, tolerance, ruthlessness, sensitivity, tenacity, depth, and greed deep in their hearts that they themselves may not even know.

I hope you know that it is people like this who built the Emerald City, and it is people like this who are facing you.

Of course, I know that you have always been smart, smart, adaptable, and resourceful, and you have your own means to deal with iris flowers.

Half a year ago, Jenn Kevin Deere wrote me a letter. In addition to once again respectfully requesting to restore our relationship, he also mentioned our common enemy, my cunning and despicable sister who is accustomed to deceiving and bewitching. Fang's family disgrace, the evil Serena Corleone.

As far as I know, Serena is still active in the Western Continent, and she also appeared in Exeter's war to pacify the Freedom Alliance not long ago. I am not surprised by this. With her bad character, she will definitely not be willing to be inferior to others, and creating chaos to find opportunities has always been her specialty, just like the conspiracy she carried out against us back then.

I also heard that she had gotten involved with our relatives in the Western Continent and was flirting with ambitious people from the six clans of Fengyan. To be honest, when I heard about this, I didn’t know for a moment whether it was my sisters or my relatives in the Western Continent who were more unfortunate, but they were greedy. It is bound to lead to self-destruction.

However, Thales, there is no doubt that with Serena's extreme and extremely vengeful personality, she will one day come to you to avenge you for foiling her conspiracy.

I don't think you, as one of the people who have faced her, need to be warned of her dangers, but I am worried that she will take advantage of the situation you are facing and take advantage of you when you are in trouble. Please do not believe anything she says or does at that time.

Please remember: Based on the past between you and her, Serena’s purpose in speaking warmly to you is only to use and take revenge, and nothing else.

Fortunately, you are not alone, Tails. We stand together on this, and I will not let my evil sister harm my allies as much as she harmed me.

The stars and the night were born to accompany each other to spend the cold weather together.

Finally, Thales, although you are based on the earth, you can see the stars when you look up. When the sun sets at night, you can reach out and explore, and they may not be out of reach.

Just as I was walking in the dark, but when I opened my eyes and looked at each other, all I could see was starlight, reflecting the road ahead like day.

For this reason, you must grasp the power in your hands and use it when necessary in order to expand it. This is the best way to solve the dilemma and avoid defeat.

This letter should be delivered to you personally by my most trusted adjutant, Le Corleone. He has a restrained personality but keen intelligence, is well-informed and reliable, and has the ability to adapt to changes. Therefore, I entrust him with this letter. I hope you can recognize the gift you brought me:

Even though old grudges are hard to reconcile, hatred and separation are ultimately not conducive to survival. An Emerald City that is friendly to us and trusts each other should meet our common expectations.

I hope you like my gift.

May your bloodline last forever, just as your empire lasts forever.

Your sister, old friend and comrade-in-arms,

The faithful and trustworthy Cortrina L.A. Van Corleone who has faced disaster with you,

Written in the Nightmare Castle and Blood Sea Palace in the Kingdom of Darkness

And: Time flies, you should have grown up, and your teeth should have been replaced. This reminds me of my previous two teeth, I don’t know where they are.