Kingdom's Bloodline, page 147
'"The Story of the Great Dragon"—don't know whether this is a work of fiction or a serious record.
'"XXX: Iron Blood King and Mede…"—this is another title I cannot make out.
'"The Directory of the Ten Knights of Past Empire Dynasties"—There seems to be more books written in the common language starting from this row of bookshelves.
'"Dragon Kiss Academy: Commemorative Album of Year 612"—this entire book is incomprehensible to me.
'"Males and Females"— ah, this actually has illustrations… Umm, I better put it back.
'"Chronicles of Dragon Spear"—what the hell?'
Thales became increasingly excited and he even forgot about his original purpose to find a way out, or find any trace of magic.
It was as if he went back to his "past life" through fragments of his memory, like discovering a huge amount of excellent quality documents in a database.
This was probably the Heroic Spirit Palace Library, or the Walton Family Library.
When he was in Constellation, he constantly had no time to acquire a sufficient amount of knowledge. Also, in Constellation, relatively precious books were almost always treasured and amassed in the Jadestar Grand Library, which was established by royalty.
Thales walked past another row of bookshelves.
It seemed like a row of bookshelves had been removed from this spot and it was replaced with a row of long, metallic cabinets. The top of the cabinets were covered in transparent glass and Crystal Drop Ore that allowed light to transmit. Hence, the object conserved inside could be seen.
"This is…"
Borrowing the reflected light from the mysterious gem above his head, Thales stared surprisingly at an ancient scroll inside the glass cabinet. He looked at the top of the document and saw a Dragon Spear symbol as well as…
A Nine-Pointed Star symbol on either side.
'Jadestar?'
Thales' gaze could not hide his curiosity and excitement.
This ancient document was entirely written in the ancient language of the Empire and the writer had extremely profound penmanship as well as artistic attainments. The classic calligraphy characters were beautifully written and pleasant to read.
However, it was different from what Thales had learned from Gilbert in Mindis Hall. That one was ancient and awkward-sounding, with complicated wordings as well as a peculiar writing style. On this particular document, the ancient language of the Empire seemed simple and straightforward. It was easy to understand as it was mixed with grammar and words of the current common language. Thales had crammed everything in one month when he was learning the ancient language, so it was a surprise that he still managed to understand the document.
It was obviously from the era after the Ancient Empire crumbled. It was an era when the ancient language began to be influenced by the common language, which soon infiltrated and replaced it.
Thales pressed his face against the glass cabinet and he managed to identify the contents of the yellowing scroll. He took some time to get used to it at first, but it became smoother as he got towards the end.
[1,530 years after the establishment of the Empire.
Eleven years after the Year of Errol.
In the name of the great Holy Sun.
Under the witness of the Sunset Temple.
In the longhouse belonging to the Suzerain of Cold Castle, this treaty was established together by—
The Honorable King of Eckstedt, Raikaru Eckstedt, and
The Honorable King of Constellation, Tormond Jadestar; as such, they should abide by this oath.
The oath of King Raikaru:
In the name of the Holy Sun, I take my oath.
I, along with every loyal Northlander who follows me; regardless of men, women, the elderly, children, nobles, commoners, suzerains, or soldiers:
Will not intervene in the war involving King Tormond and his followers in the Ancient Chauvinistic Land as well as the Great Desert;
Will not investigate and hold King Tormond responsible for his behavior towards the Olsius Family.
Will recognize the fair governance and rights that King Tormond as well as his followers have in the Ancient Chauvinistic Land, the Land of South Coast, the Hills of Green Heart and the lands they have already obtained. We will recognize the corresponding actions they take towards the South and the West to ensure their survival, defend their people, and protect their territory. This includes but is not limited to military actions.
Will acknowledge Cold Castle as the boundary of King Tormond and his followers' territory. The South shall belong to him, and the North shall be under my rule.
Will display tolerance and sincerity towards King Tormond and his followers, instead of hatred and doubt to ensure that King Tormond and his followers find the greatest amount of fairness as well as equality on the land where the Northlanders live.
These words and this oath shall be effective from the day it is established,
Until the end of my life and King Tormond's.
II. The oath of King Tormond:
In the name of the Holy Sun, I take my oath.
I, along with every loyal citizen of the Empire who follows me; regardless of men, women, the elderly, children, nobles, commoners, suzerains, or soldiers:
Will give up the claim and pursuit of the Northern Plains and the surrounding land of the Pine Forest.
Will treat the remaining nobles in the land of the original Ancient Chauvinistic Province with leniency, retain their rights and cease investigation on the Olsius Family who are taking cover in the original Northland Province of the Empire.
Will respect King Raikaru and his followers' rights to further acquire territories, people and properties in the original territory of the Empire without going against our aspirations and benefits on the following basis: King Raikaru and his followers in the original Northland Province of the Empire as well as the original West Billow Province of the Empire have rights to the lands that they have already obtained accordingly.
Acknowledge that Cold Castle located in the original Northern Province of the Empire will serve as the boundary between the two sides. Our side recognizes that, to the north, King Raikaru and his followers have corresponding handling rights to the original territories of the Empire, its people and properties.
Will treat every single Northlander and Rudollian in the territory with kindness in the present, the past and the future. We will treat them like citizens of the Empire, respecting and acknowledging the presence and authority of King Raikaru as well as his followers within their borders as equal to the past nobles of the Empire.
These words and this oath shall be effective from the day it is established,
Until the end of my life and King Raikaru's.
Here are the witnesses present:
Head Ritual Master, Candas and Vice Ritual Master, Rutgers;
Queen Clorysis Nurman Da'alla Dorselle and the Adviser of the Soul Tower, Brianne Qualls Tabark;
Suzerain Lhasa Trentida, Suzerain Scott Stustel;
Count Leinster Covendier, Count Cooper Cullen;
Writer: Viscount Halva Karabeyan
Year 11 of the Holy Sun's Calendar of Eradication, afternoon of 29th January.
The appendices relevant to the treaty are as follows…]
'God.'
Thales was entranced as he read the document, but he was also incomparably shocked.
'This is…
'King of Renaissance, Tormond Jadestar and King of Dragon Knight, Raikaru Eckstedt…
'The treaty… that they agreed to and signed over six hundred years ago?
Thales pondered over the main text of the treaty and in his heart, he received the confirmation he needed.
'This is a peace treaty to a cease fire between Constellation and Eckstedt… it's a treaty of mutual non-intervention!'
Right at this moment, he moved to the space between the second and third glass cabinet.
The light began to dim.
And in his peripheral vision, he caught a glimpse of the empty space between the two glass cabinets.
There seemed to be something black moving over there.
Thales turned his head around.
And on the ground a few meters away from him, a person suddenly appeared!
"Argh!"
Thales was truly frightened and he slammed his back against the glass cabinet.
*Thud!*
A pale-faced Thales took several steps back and grabbed the leg of the glass cabinet with great effort to maintain his balance.
The figure, who suddenly appeared seemed to be frightened too as he or she lay on the floor.
The other party could be seen taking a deep breath and a step backwards.
Thales patted his chest to calm his heart, which was frantically beating. After seeing that it was truly a person before him, he felt relieved.
"That—" Thales was still panting when opened his mouth to speak.
However, the other party finally decided to lift her head.
Thales was momentarily stunned by this.
The person was very petite, very short and very… tiny?
To be precise, it was a girl with curly, platinum hair. She was wearing a long, grey dress and she had frightened look on her face.
She appeared to be only about eight or nine years old.
Thales glanced to his left and right in confusion.
'There is no one on either side…
'But why is there a young girl here?
'Also… why is it a young girl?'
Thales was reminded of the last 'young girl' he accidently saw beside a coffin and he recalled the 'supernatural folklore' Nicholas had told him about Heroic Spirit Palace. So, he was somewhat scared.
He gulped and stared at her intently.
The girl's grey dress was covered in dust and she was lying flat on her stomach above a large, thick book, which was almost a meter wide.
Her elbows were propped on the pages of either side and her face was almost stuck on the book.
She was actually… reading?
The young girl lifted her head and her face was visibly covered in dust as well as stains. Her platinum hair was stuck against her forehead and her frightened face revealed a sign of confusion.
At the next second, she peered in Thales' direction with a dazed look on her face as she squinted her eyes.
She appeared suspicious of him and vigilant, like an amphibian…
She turned full circle.
But...
Her eyes were empty and her eyeballs seemed lifeless… They were not focused on Thales.
Under the light, she actually...
Did not see Thales?
She did not see Thales!
The other party sniffed the air forcefully as though she smelled something.
A shudder ran through Thales' heart upon seeing this.
'Could it be?'
A weird fragment of memory surfaced in his mind.
"My model isn't done yet… What have you dragged me out to see again today?"
"Haih, you can rest assured, Big Bookworm. You'll definitely not be afraid of this! This fictional film is about group of people going on an underground scientific exploration!"
"Scientific exploration? What's the title? Is it called The Descent? Or Decline? Oh, this is actually an adventure film… but what's the matter with the girls? They're going on an exploration as part of a psychological treatment?"
"Yes, why would I harm you… You'll know when you continue watching!"
"Why are you turning off the light at this time. Don't tell me you want me to look at your fluorescent wrist watch… What the hell! What on earth is this thing?! Let me go! I don't want to watch it anymore! Ahhhh!"
Thales gulped again.
The girl looked like she wanted to get a clearer picture of where Thales was. The creepy girl with squinted eyes...
"Those with squinted eyes are all monsters."—This was a memory in his head from an unknown time.
The little girl with squinted eyes… slowly extended her neck and reached out...
She moved her leg slowly, bit by bit…
And, she crawled… towards Thales.
One step.
Two steps.
The creepy little girl suddenly stopped crawling and turned in his direction once again, scrutinizing the situation for a full three seconds.
Thales felt his heart thumping.
In an ancient room piled up with dust...
In an exhibition hall of antiques...
The young girl who could not see was squinting her eyes and standing on all fours.
She then crawled over like an amphibian...
Thales felt a chill going down his spine and he kept repeating the same thing in his heart. 'Oh, this can't be real?'
A young girl, who was actually several hundred years old crawling out from a coffin was enough.
He suddenly came to his sense and realised that he was in Dragon Clouds City. He was in a vacant room, next to the cabinet containing Raikaru's treaty from a long time ago.
When he thought of this, he legs suddenly gave out and he bumped into the leg of the glass cabinet.
The young girl with squinted eyes was immediately alerted and she moved her head in a flash!
Her expression was sinister!
Thales could feel his heart freeze.
In the blink of an eye, she faced Thales' direction and opened her mouth…
But the scary scene he had been imagining did not appear.
Instead, he heard the clear and crisp voice of a child.
Thales was momentarily stunned.
The little girl was clearly astonished and she kept shaking her head.
'She's… a living person?
'It's good that she's a living person.'
Thales exhaled a puff of air and patted his chest.
'But why can't this living person see me?'
He would soon find out why.
The young girl extended her hand and fumbled around the area next to the opened book beneath her.
Then...
The young girl swept away the hair covering her forehead. This made her originally dirty face appear even darker. She then squinted her eyes and grabbed a pair of round… glasses with a black frame.
She wore the glasses right after that and lifted her head.
This time, her eyes were finally fully opened.
She had a pair of dark green eyes.
Thales opened his mouth, but he did not know what to say.
And so, in Heroic Spirit Palace, in the gap between thick, closely packed bookshelves, next to a glass cabinet storing the treaty between two legendary kings...
A young girl with platinum hair and a dirty face, wearing thick, black, round glasses lay foolishly on the floor as she stared blankly at Thales, who was sitting on the ground with his back against the glass cabinet.
"Who-who are you?"
Chapter 133: Hunt and Chase |
Kohen and Miranda trod on the ground covered with mud and melted snow.
In contrast to the neat and sophisticated urban structure of Eternal Star City, the streets of Dragon Clouds City appeared cluttered and unplanned during the winter—with inconsistent sizes and layouts of the roadways, houses along both sides of the streets seemed to be piled on top of each other. Sharp spikes of ice formed under the eaves and lumps of snow were heaped around the shops' signs. In spite of that, Kohen thought that the meticulous construct of Eternal Star City gave off a grim, chilling vibe, whereas Dragon Clouds City had a hint of orderliness amid its' apparent chaos.
His hunch was confirmed when the Northlanders were seen travelling through streets as well as alleys, following their daily routines with ease and familiarity. This was particularly visible in the boroughs' many winding paths.
The Armor District was one of these examples.
Loud, Northlandic voices echoed in the chilly air, accompanied by hearty laughter and curses. Bundled up in thick winter clothing, the Northland men hurried back and forth with loads of goods. The women, with baskets hanging from or clasped in their arms occasionally stopped by to converse with folks from all walks of life, haggling over prices of goods with ferocity and aggression that could match the men's as children scuttled down the street in groups.
This seeming state of disorderliness that Northland uniquely possessed reminded Kohen of the Great Desert, back on the Western Frontlines in the Blade Fangs Dune Military Camp—a vile, lawless place where soldiers, crooks, vermin, thugs, fugitives, mercenaries, and adventurers gathered. Unlike the camp, the gloom of animosity and violence were absent in the chaotic Northland. Instead, there was brightness, a sense of security, the hustle and bustle of the market, and perfect harmony.
Miranda Arunde was someone accustomed to the solemnity of the Tower of Eradication and the systematicity of Constellation. She could merely frown at the Northlanders; their lifestyle and mannerisms made her feel rather uneasy.
A troop of soldiers were marching down the street, heading their way. The group was headed by a leader, who greeted the civilians around them.
"That's a disciplinary officer," Kohen whispered, "There aren't many visitors in the Armor District, so naturally we'll draw attention. Let's find somewhere to hide."
Miranda nodded, turning on her heel and the two slipped into a small alleyway between two houses. They then sought for their target amid the confined spaces.
Kohen's short-lived career as a police officer had provided him with experience of patrolling and performing searches in the cities. He traced and moved along the walls, looking for a possible hiding place.
Miranda surveyed the empty alleyway, listening hubbub of the street in the distance. "Where's the place Gu told us about?" She frowned.
"It's probably near," Kohen mumbled as he groped the walls along his path. "What we ought to do now, is determine which one of these houses has…"
All of sudden, the two of them froze.
They turned around.
There was a man in the alleyway, who was dawdling in their direction.
Kohen seemed slightly puzzled, whereas Miranda was alarmed.
The man was a tanned, young Northlander with a sullen look and he was dressed in a filthy, ragged robe.
