Kingdom's Bloodline, page 141
Both of them burst out laughing at the same time.
Smiling, Miranda raised her head and gazed afar at the top of the hill where Heroic Spirit Palace was situated.
Her sight soon became blurred.
'The silly lads at home... are pure and loyal…'
…..
Thales treaded Heroic Spirit Palace's floor tiles stiffly, one step at a time.
Compared to Renaissance Palace's simple, restrained style where the outside and inside were consistent, the interior design of Heroic Spirit Palace was very contradictory.
Some sections appeared rough and imposing, like the crude carvings on every portico, stair railings made of huge logs of wood, and animal heads that were specially made into war trophies. However, there were many parts that were meticulously and intricately carved, such as certain exquisitely cut floor tiles, ceiling domes covered in paintings, and luxurious Everlasting Lamp holders.
Traces of the history and time were also varied. The material and lustre of the wall tiles in some corners looked as if they have been there for a few hundred years, but it was obvious that other parts were renovated a few years ago.
In his opinion, the interior of Heroic Spirit Palace was like layer upon layer of murals. New inscriptions were piled on past impressions, weaving history and the present into one.
But Thales was not in the mood to admire all of this. He was trying his best to compose himself while thinking about the political identity of the 'king-cum-archduke' which was exclusive to Eckstedt, preparing himself to face the upcoming challenge.
Even though Nuven the Seventh had already reached out to him through Nicholas and Shiles, Thales' experiences had made him believe that life is always full of unknowns, and that accidents always happen suddenly.
He MUST be well-prepared.
Under Mirk's signal, the Second Prince of Constellation walked past the White Blade Guards who were staring straight ahead, and passed through countless porticos. He then walked slowly towards an ovular ring-shaped stone hall with no corners.
The lighting there was not good and it was very dim, but there were six braziers in iron stands that burned vigorously. Apart from chasing away the cold, they shakily illuminated the stone hall.
'Braziers again, just like Lampard… The suzerains of Eckstedt like braziers this much?' Thales thought mockingly.
He took a deep breath and stepped forwards into the stone hall. Mirk did not follow and the doors closed behind the prince.
From afar, Thales saw a simple and sturdy table in the middle of the stone hall. It was brownish-black and rectangular in design.
A white-haired old man sat facing Thales on the other side of the table. He was around sixty to seventy years old. He wore a thick, red-and-black robe, and a dark gold crown on his head. The crown's design was quite simple and set into the forehead position was a dark red gemstone.
The old man had his hands placed on the table, but his head was lowered and he did not say anything. Because of the distance and the dim lightning, Thales could not see his face clearly.
However, Thales could guess his identity.
The boy approached that simple yet sturdy table.
On both sides of the old man sat five men of varying appearances and adornment. Two were on his left, three on his right.
The only similarity those five men of varying ages shared was that from the moment Thales stepped into the stone hall, they glared at him with unfriendly, almost ferocious gazes, sizing up the seven-year-old boy.
One king and five archdukes.
Thales frowned as he got to the front of the long table. The Eckstedtians did not save him a seat. They showed no intention of adding an extra seat for him either.
'This is bad.'
He gritted his teeth slightly.
Thales was forced to stand on the ice-cold stone floor as he faced six of the most powerful and influential suzerains in Eckstedt. He was not even tall enough so he had to raise his head and look upwards at them.
This made the atmosphere highly unfavourable for him.
'It seems that it isn't a thing here to respect elders and love children. It's like I'm back in my child beggar days.'
Having thought of this, the second prince chuckled internally. It took a lot of his anxiety away.
Thales calmed himself down. He had toughened up from the immense dangers he went through ever since that night at Red Street Market. He was confident that he can calm himself in a split second and think of a solution even in perilous situations.
'And…'
Thales looked at the five men, but because they were facing away from the light, their faces were hidden in the dark and could not be seen clearly. Only pairs of eyes could be seen flickering in the glow of the fire, casting immense pressure on the visitor.
Also among them was the culprit who co-conspired with Archduke Lampard and Duke Arunde in trying to meddle with the succession of the throne, attempting to assassinate the prince twice—having succeeded in their second attempt—and even caused an unprecedented crisis of foreign affairs between the two kingdoms.
'The culprit who nearly brought about war and conflict, as well as disasters and death… the culprit responsible for my current plight is among these five people…'
Thales stared at the five indistinct figures in the darkness and clenched his fists in secret.
And then there was also the matter of his only possible ally who did not know how to be friendly towards him.
Thales raised his head and looked at the old man sitting furthest away, at the other end of the table. That old man was the supreme ruler who had just lost his dearest son.
He could not help but notice that the stone hall was decked all over with flags that had the Cloud Dragon Spear symbol on them. Only the area behind the old man was occupied by a large, square fireplace with a shelf made of darkwood mounted on the wall above it. There was a strangely-shaped pike made of unknown material on the shelf.
It was different from the ancient knight pikes that Thales saw in the books at Mindis Hall, which had knuckle-guards and pike handles. Even though this pike was two meters long, it had no knuckle-guard and its entire shaft was uniformly thick. The portion near the bottom of the spear, the place where it was supposed to be held, was intentionally sanded. The shaft of the pike was silvery metallic in color, but the part near the spearhead was dark and shiny. The pike was equipped with a ferocious-looking and sharp spearhead which was shaped like a pyramid.
"Soul Slayer Pike."
A deep and slow voice rang in the stone hall.
"It used to be Raikaru's weapon. It is the Walton Family's symbol, and the reason why we are known as the Dragon Spear Family." The old man at the other end of the table turned his head back slightly. In the flickering firelight, his face could be seen in the darkness.
His face was resolute and steadfast, but covered in wrinkles. Underneath his silvery-white hair, his facial features were that of a typical Northlander, with deep-set eyes, a tall nose bridge and a well-contoured profile. However, the curve of his lips held a hint of coldness.
"It was said that only the Judgement Spear from Constellation could match up to its sharpness and the level of danger it posed to others. It has taken countless lives.
"It had killed and wounded many highly renowned enemies in the past few hundred years, including the sinister 'Mourning Archduke', the cruel 'Human Slaughterer' Xyra Darkstorm, the powerful 'Enemy of the Wolves' Keira, the ferocious Night Wing King, and the strange Power Mystic."
Thales frowned slightly. He suddenly recalled Kaslan's words about the old man in front of him.
'"When he was younger, he was a good king, the epitome of a sturdy Walton man."'
When Thales met the old man's eyes, he realized that he had a pair of green eyes and wondered if it was part of the Walton Family genetics. Thales himself did not inherit Kessel's sky-blue eyes, anyway...
Thales was suddenly dumbstruck. He recalled the Head Ritual Master, Liscia, and Queen Keya's comments about his gray eyes—that they were from his mother.
His thoughts returned to the present, but Thales immediately felt a shiver run down his spine.
He vaguely noticed at that moment, the old man's green eyes had a strange emotion in it. It was worn, gloomy, bitter, and sorrowful. It was as if he had lived in despair for years.
Dangerous and horrifying.
"In the hundreds and thousands of years after this, the Soul Slayer will continue to live up to its name," said the steely looking old man slowly, "It will definitely slaughter more people."
Chapter 128: The Born King (Two) |
The old man's voice slowly rose, "Just like this, the Soul Slayer will never rest until we destroy every single one of our enemies or until the Waltons are practically wiped out.
"But if that time arrives, I swear on the kings of past dynasties that the world will also come to an end."
The old man's voice trailed off softly, but Thales could sense that the five archdukes by his left and right were shifting around either naturally or unnaturally in the dark.
"I believe that this is a great weapon, but solely relying on destruction and vengeance is probably not possible to display its glory," Thales said somewhat meaningfully, "Since it was once held in the hands of such a mighty person, surely Raikaru's wisdom, valiance, personality and glory are also reasons behind the greatness of the Soul Slayer Pike."
According to plan, an expected conflict would happen between Nuven and Thales.
The hunter's trap would then be laid out at that time.
The old man did not reply.
Even though Thales knew that this was all acting, he still twitched the corner of his lips in awkwardness.
The atmosphere was very tense.
In that instant, Thales could relate to what the suzerains thought of when they stared at Kessel back in Constellation.
"No one knows. A lonely king who completely lacks apprehension… What exactly would he do…" The scene of Koshder, the One-Eyed Dragon's forceful abdication in the Hall of Stars was still vivid in Thales' mind.
Thales suddenly started to feel anxious for no reason.
He gulped a little, controlled himself from being nervous, which started to become easier after he gained energy from that fluctuation, and gave his greetings respectfully in his original position. At the same time, he recited the script he had practiced before, enunciating each word clearly, "I, Thales Jadestar, the Second Prince of Constellation, on behalf of my father, the thirty-ninth Supreme King of Constellation of the Southern Islands and the Western Deserts, King Kessel Jadestar, am honored to pay a visit to the glorious Eckstedt, as well as the honorable Dragon Clouds City, and visit the equally prestigious and renowned Archduke of Dragon Clouds City…
"Who is also the ruler of Eckstedt, the compelling, common-elected king…
"The Born King, King Nuven Walton."
The Born King.
This was the nickname given to Nuven the Seventh. It was not used by many, but it was widely known by the people.
He gained this nickname because it was frequently said that he had already showed leadership qualities when he was young.
Almost like he was born to be king.
Thales lifted his torso and looked at the old man's cold, unchanging expression. His brows were tightly furrowed together. After taking in a deep breath, Thales slowly said, "My father and I both deeply understand your loss and sorrow.
"He entrusted me to represent the Jadestar Family in expressing his deepest apology towards you as well as the Walton Family, and to express his grievance towards Prince Moriah's misfortune."
This was a grudge between the two families, not between the two countries. He had to at least make this clear—it was what Putray had reminded him before.
"But he believes in your moral conduct and ability. He believes that you will make the best choice in this matter. The Jadestar Family is willing to provide every possible help to remedy and bear the tragic consequence.
"And I am here," Thales said, "to bring forward the Jadestar Family's most peaceful and friendly message."
Now, he had to wait for a reply from the receiving party.
What came after was silence.
For a moment, Thales could only hear the dull noise of the braziers and the cold wind outside the stone hall.
Five pairs of eyes were fixated motionlessly on him.
And the old man, who was the only person with the right to reply him was also very still and his green eyes were dim as ever.
Just when he felt like a century had passed, the Common-Elected King of Eckstedt and the Archduke of Dragon Clouds City, the Born King, King Nuven the Seventh finally took slow breath and lifted his head in a manner befitting a king. His face was worn and exhausted when he looked at Thales.
"I am very old.
"I am only slightly younger than your grandfather, King Aydi of Constellation, but I do not have as many children as him," Nuven sighed and spoke very slowly, making others feel the eerie coldness in his tone. "I only had my eldest son when I was thirty years old.
"And Moriah… was the child I had when I was over forty years old.
"I still remember, when he was your age, he once leaned against my seat. He begged me to let him go out of the palace and hunt with the help of the White Blade Guards."
King Nuven's expression was numb while his eyes revealed his complicated remembrance and sorrow.
"I always laughed when I assented.
"But after his older brother passed away, I became very scrupulous." Nuven narrowed his eyes and slowly shook his head. "I could not let him sustain even a tiny bit of harm anymore… I could not…
"But my rationality still told me," King Nuven straightened his body and he moved closer in Thales' direction as he said, "children had to grow by being tempered by hardships."
There was silence for more than ten seconds.
The breathing of the archdukes from both sides of the room were the only audible sounds.
Thales' rationality told him, 'Even if this is just acting, Nuven's current mood is absolutely not fake. I better not open my mouth.
'If this is all Nuven's plan…'
Finally, King Nuven exhaled. He closed his eyes and said slowly, "The day before I sent him down south, Moriah told me that he had a lover, but her background was not good.
"So he came to beg for my help, hoping that I would permit and bless their marriage.
"I was not too happy…"
King Nuven leaned against the back of his chair in dejection. "Do you know what I said to him?"
As usual, an inauspicious premonition enveloped Thales' heart.
He comforted himself. 'Everything is under King Nuven's control.'
"I said…"
King Nuven opened his eyes and stared at his opened right palm. Then, in an apathetic and cold manner, he said, "We will talk about that after you come back.
"I said it that way…"
King Nuven's voice started to tremble without him realising and the few archdukes turned towards their king with an unreadable expression. "I will wait for you… to come back…"
In the next instant, King Nuven suddenly clenched his right fist and smashed it upon the long table.
*Thud!*
Thales was too scared to even breathe as he silently watched a father, who had just lost his son expressing his sadness in an incomparably genuine manner.
"He was my only remaining son…" The old man's expression became dull and obscure.
"I should be able to witness his transformation into a real man and warrior. Then, before I die, I should be able to hand over my position, my fortune, my power, my everything to him... to Moriah." Nuven the Seventh's tone seemed to be remorseful and desperate.
"But now, I can only sit here and listen to a brat's hypocritical apology." King Nuven's tone became increasingly dull, but the atmosphere became increasingly odd. "Listen to him saying: 'I am very sorry that your son died on our territory.'
"And there is nothing I can do about it."
Thales' heart sank.
'Things were still alright earlier on, but the direction in which this situation is heading…
'Is quite bad.
'Is the rough part coming?'
He secretly reminded himself of this.
The old king let out a long sigh. It was evident that his sorrowful mood had made the archdukes somewhat uncomfortable. They were visibly looking at each other and exchanging quick glances.
"Why?" Nuven lifted his head. He furrowed his brows and continued in a deep voice, "Because I am a king.
"Because I am almost seventy years old, because I am carrying a family on my shoulders, because I have to maintain the equilibrium of this country…
"Because once I do anything to this child, I have to pay the price of starting a full-blown war where I will have to fight to my last breath…"
Thales' expression changed and he said with a soft voice, "Your Majesty, I sincerely bring forward Constellation and Jadestar's—"
"Sincerely?"
However, Nuven did not give Thales a chance to speak. Instead, he interrupted him with a cold, apathetic tone. "Believe me, when you are my age and your only son gets slaughtered out in the wild like livestock...
"You will discover that there is nothing…
"More genuine than that hatred and rage."
One after another, the archdukes awkwardly adjusted their sitting postures, but not a single one of them voiced up.
"Especially when facing all of this… As a king, I cannot even do anything."
Thales quickly adjusted his own breathing and thought about how to respond.
'How will King Nuven utilize this situation to set the trap and lure out that secret co-conspirator?
'Nicholas and Shiles did not say much about that.'
He turned his gaze towards the five archdukes who hid their faces in the dark.
'Who is it?'
"Do you know that your father is very smart to let you come forward and apologize? He is using this method to protect you and at the same time, eliminate the threat of war." King Nuven raised his left hand in the air and clenched it tightly into a fist. His voice was still trembling, but it was already beginning to sound calmer.
