Kingdom's Bloodline, page 22
Thales heaved a sigh in his heart and lowered his head. 'So this is what it is… This feeling of not belonging… This doesn't feel like a reunion between father and son at all… He's more like a chess player who is naturally and nonchalantly moving a chest piece.'
Thales was obviously not the only one who felt this strangeness. Gilbert's countenance changed slightly, as though he wanted to say something. But in the end, he only lowered his head and heaved a small sigh at an angle the king could not see.
But there was still someone who cut the king off without regard for the atmosphere. "Your Majesty."
Thales turned his head around in surprise. It was the silent Yodel who had spoken.
The secret protector's expression behind the mask could not be seen, but his hoarse voice was extremely firm.
"He is first and foremost your kin—your son! And only then is he your heir. You cannot just ignore that he is your son."
Thales raised his head and saw that Kessel the Fifth heaved a long sigh before he closed his eyes.
"Yes, he is my son." With eyes still shut, the king held his scepter tightly and spoke drearily, "That is why I am here today. I entrust him to both of you. Remember—one month."
Yodel's gaze behind the mask's lenses froze for a moment. In the end, he lowered his head and did not speak anymore. A slight feeling of uncertainty and shock crept into Thales' heart.
The king nodded. He looked at Gilbert and Yodel, who both knelt on one knee. He then took one look at the dazed Thales with an indiscernible and complicated gaze, then walked away without hesitation.
Gilbert and Yodel slowly stood up.
The robust figure slowly walked down the stairs. The footsteps were heavy but authoritative. A king's authority.
'What? It ended… just like this?' Thales was stunned and watched in disbelief as his "father" left.
'This isn't right. This so-called father… He sired this body, didn't he?
'But why. Why does he seem so… emotionless? Also... the matters related to my future… Have they been decided just like that? I didn't even have a chance to speak…'
"Wait a moment!" Thales finally could not resist and shouted out loud. He was done being a powerless chess piece.
The robust figure paused for a moment and turned.
Gilbert looked at Thales in shock. Yodel's expression was still hidden behind the mask.
Watching the slowly turning king and enduring his sharp gaze, Thales suddenly felt as if there was a frog in his throat. But with great effort, he still opened his mouth and spoke.
"I… Although we have never met…" Stumbling on his words, he extended his hands and swung it helplessly in front of his body while weighing his words. "But since you are my… I mean, since we are…"
The king held the stair railing and looked at Thales with an indescribably complicated gaze.
Thales shut his eyes tightly and opened it again, exhaling. "I think…" He pronounced the words with difficulty, his usual eloquence nowhere to be found.
'D*mn… What sort of attitude and words should I use when facing… this person, who is my father and the king at the same time?
'Adoration? Indifference? Stupefaction? Surprise? None of them seem right.'
Gilbert, who was beside him, extended his hand towards Thales as though he wanted to say something. But, in the end, he chose to remain silent.
Thales' breath quickened. He furrowed his brow and said, "I am actually a little perplexed. Perhaps, as my… you can give me some answers. After all, we are… related by blood. And you talked about so many things such as the heir, the kingdom, and the marriage contract, but I don't know anything. This might not be important for you, and you don't really care…"
Kessel the Fifth held on to his scepter tightly, not giving a single reply. His brows furrowed slowly.
Thales bit his lip. He felt the burn on his chest start to hurt again.
'D*mn it. Even my worst thesis report is less awkward than this.'
He swung his hands around lightly as he constructed his sentences. "But this is my future. If you have already made your decision… You should at least help me understand the situation a little. Besides, you said that no one needs to know about my past… But at least I want to, what I mean is… At the very least, I need to know about my own past.
"I really want to know what actually happened. And also, the path I will be walking on."
Kessel's gaze when he looked at Thales changed. It was no longer a scrutinizing, judgmental and critical gaze. It was as though, for the first time, he recognized that Thales was a human being—and also his son.
Thales heaved a sigh. Whatever.
He opened his eyes and looked straight at his 'father'.
"Yes, I want to know everything about myself. I want to know my origins. Like… who my mother is, where I was born, and how I became the way I am now. Along with my identity, my future, and the choices I have… Answers like these… Instead of being an outsider, a chess piece, an object… That is if I really am your…" Thales gritted his teeth as he said that word, "son."
'Although your actions… are really unlike a normal father... Even though you are the king…'
Thales felt a little dizzy. The energy he expended tonight was too much for his seven-year-old body to bear.
The king finally looked him in the eye. His sky-blue irises shone brightly inside his deep-set eyes. At that moment, Kessel the Fifth's gaze was quite complicated and indecipherable. Thales could not interpret anything further from it.
"Child, what is your name?" The highest ruler in Constellation asked with his dignified voice.
Thales stared at Kessel. "Thales." He heard himself say, "My name is Thales."
'Only now does he think of asking for his son's name? My god.' Thales mentally shook his head.
"Thales, listen properly." Kessel narrowed his eyes, his tone cold. "You do not need to know about many things; you need not concern yourself with them either. Your path has already been decided, you just need to follow it."
'What?' At that moment, Thales felt a surge of coldness in his heart.
"If you still have any uncertainties, go ask Gilbert."
And then, Kessel the Fifth, the thirty-ninth Supreme King of Constellation, the Southern Island, and the Western Desert... left Mindis Hall without looking back. His cloak disappeared from Thales' sight.
'Damn it.' Thales lowered his head and fixed his stare at the expensive black floor tiles with a tight frown.
'Is this really the sire of this body, and not an enemy?'
"Child, Thales." Gilbert, who was behind him, could not resist and silently tapped his shoulder. "Do not worry and think too much about it. His Majesty just has too much on his plate. He's actually—"
Before Gilbert could finish his sentence, Yodel suddenly walked forward and crouched down before Thales. He took out Thales' JC's dagger—which had somehow, at some point, gotten into his hands (Gilbert's expression changed. He touched his waist and knitted his brows)—and softly placed it in Thales' hands.
Thales snapped out of his thoughts and was slightly stunned.
The head behind the dark purple mask nodded slightly, and a hoarse voice slowly said, "Relax. You are his son, related by blood, bound together by fate. Nothing and no one can change this."
Thales sucked in a deep breath. 'They probably misunderstood. Did they think that I'm feeling disappointed because my 'father' ignored me?'
He kept his dagger and clenched his fists tightly, forcing out a smile.
"Don't worry." He suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart and spoke plainly, "Thank you both."
Looking at Yodel who had cut his words off with his actions, Gilbert exhaled from his nose in displeasure. He, also, crouched down in front of Thales and spoke gently, "My young Sir Thales, you have experienced too much tonight. What you need now is rest, and perhaps treatment. Thales, please come with me. Yodel, I will look for you later. We need to talk."
Thales nodded and obediently followed Gilbert.
Yodel, who was left alone, raised his head and looked at a vase that was placed in the corridor some distance away.
Using his sharp and frightening gaze, he observed that thin cracks that were barely noticeable had appeared on the vase.
Yodel furrowed his brows slightly behind his mask. He knew that before Thales had growled angrily… The vase was still in perfect condition.
Was it a coincidence?
Chapter 19: Anomaly and Rebirth |
Wu Qiren was sitting in the classroom, his hands flying across the keyboard, speedily recording the discussion between two other students.
"Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-incurred immaturities such as laziness, and cowardice. When Kant described enlightenment, he emphasized that every single person possesses reason—a universal reason."
The other student answered with his pleasant voice, "Universal reason, which stems from enlightenment, has been unearthed and utilized to its maximum potential, which is why our current era was formed. Reason is supreme, limitless, eternal. It can give us unprecedented power—"
Having heard this, Wu Qiren removed his hands from the keyboard and furrowed his brows. Although he was usually gentle and polite, he directly cut the student off. He raised his head and spoke, "You, perhaps you have not read Foucault's view on the relationship between power and truth, and Heidegger's view on technology—"
However, he did not continue speaking, because when he saw the person sitting in front of him clearly, he was so shocked he could not speak.
Sitting opposite Wu Qiren… Was the Air Mystic Asda Sakern, with his long brown hair, blue shirt, and elegant demeanor.
The other party looked at him gently and spoke with a pleasant voice, "If a limitless power and an all-encompassing form of reasoning exists in this world, Thales, do you not… Do you not desire it?
Thales jolted up from his bed.
In the dark, he held onto JC's dagger tightly, which was under his pillow. Drenched in cold sweat, he panted.
Thales turned over and jumped down from his bed. He only remembered where he was when his bare feet touched the expensive, heated tiles, and his nasal cavity filled with pleasant, calming perfume.
The wounds on his chest and other body parts were itchy and painful under the bandages and plasters. This made him a lot more alert and calmed his breathing. He placed JC's dagger under his pillow once more.
Still badly shaken, he laid back down on the huge bed that was enough for twenty Thales-es to sleep in.
Thales was not used to the friction of the silk pajamas against his body. The bed had many springs at the core and its surface was soft and smooth, molding into Thales' framing submissively as he laid down on it. He was wrapped tightly in a Northland, goose-down blanket that was covered in silk. A smooth, silk pillow, imported from the Southern Coast, propped up his head and shoulders.
At that moment, Thales felt like something was squeezing him from top to bottom. It was as though the Air Mystic had wrapped him in a layer of air and was slowly compressing him.
Thales felt worried thinking about this. He pushed back the extremely light, smooth, and comfortable blanket before he stood on the ground again. Fumbling about, he found a corner, curled himself up, and lied down there. The rigid and hard floor, as well as the thick and solid walls, gave him a familiar sense of safety.
Having done this, Thales slowly exhaled and chuckled in resignation.
'I can't believe that this is happening.' He knocked on the solid floor tiles and let out a self-deprecating laugh. 'I miss the little guys in the sixth house so much. I hope Jala is taking good care of them.
'Tomorrow, I have to talk to Gilbert about this. Even if he can't contact them directly, he could at least be able to keep an eye on them in secret.'
However, because of the fragment of memory he just recovered through his dream, his previously relaxed mood immediately became tense again.
Dreams are reflections of the subconscious. These memories of his past life were probably the most deeply hidden fragments within his subconscious. However, this time, even Asda Sakern appeared in his dreams.
"As expected, I still care a lot about what that lunatic said," Thales mumbled in the dark.
His short encounter with the Mystic a few hours ago flashed through his mind. The Mystic's actions, which were sometimes rational and sometimes completely random, his mysterious ability, and immortal body that was almost inhuman made him shiver.
And what he said: "Child. Looks like you do not know your own nature."
This sentence appeared again in his tired mind. Thales forced himself to get rid of additional and unnecessary emotions of worry and fear, then calmed down to analyze the Mystic's words.
'Based on what Asda meant, I am just like him, a Mys- No, just a person who has the potential to become a Mystic.
'Based on Asda's behavior, people with this kind of potential are quite rare. For me, this is a positive thing. But from what I can see currently, Mystics don't seem to be very welcome in this world.
'Asda's words were way too subjective, but if part of what Asda said about the so-called battle between Mystics and humans is true, Mystics would be a hated existence who cannot show their faces to the world.
'Also,' Thales thought worriedly, 'Asda's body. After his heart was pierced through, the wound shone with blue light. Is he really not a human anymore?
'And Yodel Cato. According to what he said, he must have arrived at the Abandoned House very early on, so he must have heard Asda's words.'
Thales clenched his fists.
'Does he also know that I 'lost control' in front of the Mystic? If Yodel knows, does it mean that Gilbert and King Kessel would know about it too? How would they look upon me?
'There are many other riddles. Such as my neurotic, unusually cold and extremely suspicious father, who is also a king; the fact that although I'm only seven years old, the Bloodline Lamp which is blessed with Divine Art, was from twelve years ago; my origin, surname, and significance towards the kingdom; why the news of my return is treated with such secrecy, so much so that Gilbert and Yodel practically smuggled me back like thieves.
'And what's up with this world? A medieval way of life? A world where magic is common? Steampunk?'
Thales tapped his head. 'No, I can't figure anything out. My basic understanding of this world is still too little. I need a comprehensive course that starts from basic knowledge and would provide a child with rudimentary knowledge!'
Thales exhaled in resignation. His gaze immediately turned solemn.
Things like gaining rudimentary knowledge and learning can be done slowly. But, there was one matter that had to be resolved—the matter related to his life and body.
He recalled the Mystic's words again: "Child. Looks like you do not know your own nature...
"But never mind. Everyone will experience a first in losing control over themselves, and we all start from ignorance."
Thales clasped his hands in the dark and recalled the incidents where he 'lost control'.
'When Asda compressed me inside a layer of air using Mystic energy and prepared to squeeze me into a ball, my whole body boiled as if it was burning. I saw the energy ball in his hand. It must be the so-called 'air wall'. The energy ball became red and suddenly appeared in front of me. And then-
'Wait!'
Thales might have found a crucial point in the matter.
'Blood, and the burning sensation!'
Thales slowly sat up.
'Quide.'
The name flashed past his mind. He had experienced this blood-boiling sensation before. It was during the two consecutive times Quide abused him and brutally beat him up. The similarity between those two incidents and his encounter with Asda was the fact that he bled!
Before this, Thales thought that the burning sensation within his body was due to the so-called 'Divine Art' that Gilbert mentioned, triggered by his blood falling onto the ground.
Now, it seemed like the incidents where he 'lost control' coincided with the occurrence of the burning sensation.
Thales was suddenly aware that he did not 'lose control' for the first time in front of Asda. In truth, he lost control for the first time in front of Quide.
'When Quide tried to kill Coria, that bastard should have been holding onto JC's dagger!
'How did that dagger suddenly appear in my hand? It was as strange as that energy ball suddenly appearing in front of me!
'Quide. Bleeding. Burning sensation. Dagger. Asda. Energy ball. Yodel and Gilbert. Bloodline Lamp.'
Thales shut his eyes. He realized that he could not sort out these disorderly elements.
'Too messy. Too chaotic.'
However, he was not discouraged. Instead, a surge of excitement that had not appeared within him since a long time ago rose in his heart.
'Classify the chaotic and complicated phenomena, postulate a hypothetical and theoretical framework, eliminate the irrelevant variables, and then sum up the causal logic. Lastly, verify the completeness of the theory.
'And then, there are the 'uncertainties' that can never be authenticated, the 'endogeneity' that can never be eliminated, and the 'quasi-experimental research' method as well as the 'counterfactual analysis' that will never be able to approach perfection.
'Isn't this one of those fascinating social science riddles that can never be explained perfectly? Was that not also once my favorite game?
'Besides, this time, what I'm facing isn't a multi-causal, social phenomenon that I can neither do anything about nor test and verify; it's a single problem happening to me, and I can test and verify it repeatedly!'
When Thales opened his eyes again in the dark, his irises were filled with the desire for a challenge. He tried to calm himself down and sort out the phenomena he was experiencing.
'There are too few samples, too many variables, and the mechanism is too simple. The overly complicated Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) cannot be used.
'I can just use the most basic Mill's Methods of induction. First of all, with 'bleeding' and 'losing control' as the keywords, select relevant cases and events.'
