Kingdom's Bloodline, page 24
Thales kept quiet and listened to the entire narration.
"And next month," Gilbert held the book in his hand tightly, "As the King, Kessel the Fifth's, illegitimate child, a member of the Constellation royal family, and the only surviving blood relative of the Jadestar family, you will be declaring your birthright. Then the royal family, Sunset Temple, and the upper house of Constellation will jointly recognize you as—"
Gilbert's expression was imposing and solemn. There were also slight hints of worry and sadness. "... the heir of Constellation's Supreme King."
After a long time, Thales exhaled lightly. 'Looks like it's way more complicated than what I imagined.'
"I get it. There are some parts that I'm still unclear about, but I will remember it firmly. I used to be Thales who grew up in Mahn Manor, and was also Lord Mahn's adopted child." Thales' eyes sparkled, and he propped up his hands before placing his chin on them.
His thoughts were being configured speedily. He grouped the information he already had and what Gilbert said, into various elements and converted them into valid information.
Gilbert nodded and sat on a leather chair opposite Thales. "For the remaining parts, I will provide the details for you to memorize and familiarize yourself with."
"Right now, this is your only task, and also all that you need to know."
'As expected, although he respects me very much… Deep down, he feels that there's no need to tell a seven-year-old child so much.' Thales' eyes sparkled.
"Next, I need to know your basics when it comes to—"
As Gilbert was contemplating the lesson he should provide Thales with next, of whether he should start with basic etiquette or languages, the heir of Constellation suddenly opened his mouth and interrupted him.
"So, we have decided on a common excuse for the people outside." Thales, who was curling up in the leather chair raised his chin from his hands. His gaze shone with bright light. "It should be time to tell me the truth, along with the predicament the king is in, and our common enemies and allies, whether public or those lying in the dark."
Gilbert was slightly stunned.
"For example, my birth mother's identity and why her identity is… not to be divulged; Constellation's difficult current state of affairs, especially the series of problems brought about by the royal succession;
"Perhaps you should tell me all of the above in detail so that I won't harbor any uncertainties when it comes to my future lessons. I will also be able to choose and prioritize the knowledge I need to learn. I believe that for the sake of Constellation, and also your king, this is the best choice."
As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged noble's jaw dropped slightly. He looked at Thales in surprise.
'Did Yodel talk to him about all this? No, it's impossible.'
Thales retracted his hands. With a calm expression, he coolly but determinedly waited for Gilbert's answer. At that moment, Gilbert felt like he was looking at the young Kessel Aydi Jadestar.
At that time, Prince Kessel's eyes had been sparkling like stars. The warm rays of light in his eyes had not yet become the bone-chilling northern wind.
Gilbert only remained dazed for a moment before he immediately snapped out of his stupor and heaved a small sigh. 'An extraordinary child, huh?'
Beginning from that moment, the middle-aged noble answered his young master with true reverence and respect.
"I understand. I will explain them to you immediately. In order to save up whatever limited time we have, if you have any other queries, you may also raise them now."
Thales frowned slightly. "Very well." He propped up his body from the comfortable leather chair that he was unaccustomed to. "Then I will be more straightforward."
Thales activated the extraordinary cognitive capacity of his mind and pulled up all the relevant information. Just like how he used to do when organizing relevant literature for his research, he summed up all the key points.
"You mentioned before that the Bloodline Lamp was blessed with Divine Art twelve years ago, but I am only seven years old. Why did your people prepare the tools to search for blood relatives from twelve years ago? I believe that this is related to my birth mother, whose identity cannot be divulged. Who is she? Why did she leave me with the gang after giving birth to me seven years ago? These questions can be categorized under 'Where am I from'.
"And, Kessel, my father, is still in the prime of his life. What is the reason for Constellation not having an heir for twelve years? Why has all hope for an heir been placed on an illegitimate child of unknown origin? There is something wrong with my father's attitude towards me. If it's not a problem with his personal attitude, then I'll have to ask. What is his relationship with my mother? Why is my identity such a secret? These questions can be categorized under 'Who am I'.
"Lastly, what does my existence mean to Constellation? Without an heir, what kind of problems would Constellation face? Who are our enemies, and who are our allies? According to what you said, Sunset Temple plays an important role in the matters related to me. How is this related to them? If I am acknowledged, or even if I just make a public appearance in the kingdom, what would be the state of affairs we would have to face? As an illegitimate son, what are my rights? As an heir, what would I be inheriting? These questions can be categorized under 'Where am I headed to in my future'.
"Where am I from, who am I, and where am I headed to in my future. Sir Gilbert, please answer these three queries for me."
It was as though time stopped at that moment. Gilbert stared hard at the boy before him.
From out of nowhere, a rush of surprise and fear appeared in his heart.
'Late kings from ancient ages, late kings of Constellation.' He sighed from the bottom of his heart. 'Is this boy your descendant? What kind of power is hidden within your bloodline?!'
After a long moment, the middle-aged noble uttered a sentence with slight difficulty, "Sir Thales." He exhaled and organized his words. "You are definitely unlike a seven-year-old child."
Thales immediately realized that what he had just said was inappropriate, but there was already no way for him to back down.
'Whatever, being a child prodigy who is familiar with the ways of the world is definitely better than being a clueless puppet.'
"More than one person had said this before; if you want to get into my good books, you will have to word it more creatively, Mr. Gilbert." To mitigate Gilbert's expression, Thales answered with a rare show of humor and cracked a smile.
Gilbert did not reply. He just cast Thales a deep look, not averting his gaze for a long time.
Just as Thales wondered whether time had stopped, the middle-aged noble, who was as still as a statue, suddenly opened his mouth and began to answer his queries. "My esteemed Sir Thales, firstly, where you are from... Everything began twelve years ago."
"In the March of the year 660, although the late King Aydi II was already of old age, he was still king. His reign was long-standing and steady, the people knew him as the 'King of Eternal Rule'.
"However, due to an increasingly fierce rebellion, the whole of Constellation sunk into an unprecedented turmoil. It even affected the entire Western Peninsula.
"War, disaster, famine—those were the issues of that year. A lot of people referred to that year as 'Bloody Year'. Amidst the chaos and bloodshed, King Aydi was murdered. Almost the entire Jadestar royal family was slaughtered.
"Among all the legitimate members of the royal family, only his fifth son, Prince Kessel Jadestar survived. At that time, he was thirty-five years old. In the end, he was crowned as king. That was your father, Kessel the Fifth, known as the 'Iron Hand King' among the people."
Chapter 21: Red Constellation (Two) |
'Taurus. Help me.'
[I am incapable.]
'I know you can do it. You are the strongest amongst all of us. I also know that this seal is not completely…'
[Why?]
'This is because you must help me. I need to be restored to my body immediately and return to Constellation.'
[I regret I cannot comply.]
'Taurus. You are not the will of the world nor are you one of those stupid Gods. Why do you want to be stubborn like them?'
[Ignorant.]
'Please, Taurus! I met a child. He may be the only newborn Mystic in a thousand years.'
[What does that have to do with me?]
'Why can you not comprehend? We are only fourteen Mystics. With him and we would have fifteen Mystics! We are all one unified entity!'
[Unified entity?]
'Believe me Taurus. We all coexist and live with one another even if our journeys are different.'
[Do you remember Blood Spike Hellen?]
'That is different. I will never admit them as one of us. They betrayed us!'
[Everyone has a choice. That's what it was.]
'We are not mankind!'
[Choices has nothing to do with race.]
'Then I have made a choice! I choose to be a Mystic! Don't you want to see us stand freely on top of the world?'
[I had a choice, that's all.]
'Taurus! That child needs guidance! Otherwise, sooner or later he would…'
[That is fate.]
'Third Grade Apprentice of Soul Tower, Taurus Mill! Do not forget! You are the one that killed the people of the mountains and ocean! You are the one that started the war! You are our first role model! If it was not because of you, everything else would not have happened!'
[…]
'Taurus. Help me.'
[…]
'Help me.'
…
"Wait!" Thales raised his hand and interrupted Gilbert's slightly sorrowful words.
"The Jadestar's family bloodlines were slaughtered until almost none were left? Who did this?"
Gilbert simply gave him a sad look. Thales narrowed his eyes. There were already some problems in the earlier words.
"You said that my grandfather, Aydi II, had a long and stable rule and was known as King of Eternal Rule? Then what happened during the rebellion in the Bloody Year? Great order brought an armed rebellion? That is totally illogical."
Thales looked at Gilbert. However, Gilbert simply patted the book once with his hand and frowned slightly.
The gray-haired middle-aged noble calmly said, "There are many reasons for the Bloody Year. It is also very complicated. Some information is even limited only to high-ranking officials. You will know this in future lessons. When you become the official heir, with the right to access all these secrets, It would not be too late to know then."
"Right now, I can only tell you that His Majesty has already taken revenge on all the enemies that he could. The hidden dangers have already been basically resolved. As for the remaining enemies, revenge either cannot be carried out or is impossible."
Thales narrowed his eyes. 'Basically resolved?'
He had a hunch that the incident a dozen years ago was extremely important to him.
Gilbert continued his recounting with compassion and grief.
"During that year, the five central territories encountered a lot of natural disasters and crop failures. Six cities in southwest started an armed rebellion. The army that was supposed to stop the rebellion had a mutiny. The Barren Bone tribe also rebelled and the Eckstedt Empire started an invasion. The north was in a state of emergency. There was also a naval blockade and the supplies from the south was cut off. The rebels even surrounded the Eternal Star City for some time. The nobles in the city even united to force the King to abdicate. Everything happened very suddenly."
"Bad news was reported in the court every day such as the fall of a territory, the invasion of an enemy, the defeat of the army, allies breaking treaties, a noble was killed or there was a brutal massacre. Everyone is alarmed and prayed for a better tomorrow but received worse news the next day."
"The people in the city were in rags as they struggled to survive under the pressure of the army. Those not in the army were hardly able to get any food. Nobles below the rank of Earl were like beggars. Their previous power was as good as dung. Those that had gold were also unable to trade for food."
"Thieves, robbers, and mobs emerged endlessly. Even the army could not suppress them. The number of people in the army that died from battle, illness or starvation also increased as the day goes by. It was to the extent that the city moat was blocked with the pile-up of corpses. The people outside the kingdom had it worse. Many are reduced to refugees or mobs. They drifted with the wind and have nothing to rely on. Robbers roamed and other criminals run rampant."
"Many lords were hanged in their own fields. Some officials were even flayed in the kingdom offices. It was impossible to make a living without weapons. I heard from a messenger rider that piles of bodies lay every few steps of the road in the wild. It was impossible for a horse to gallop for half a minute. If there were less than five knights, refugees and mobs would swarm to attack."
"It was a tough year."
Gilbert looked out the window. His tone was calm but Thales could hear the desolation and resentment in his voice.
"The misfortune of the Jade Star Royal Family is amongst the biggest footnotes."
Thales did not speak. Gilbert sighed and continued.
"The King touched his white hair, worrying about the city every day. The lights from the candles in the conference room were never put out. Everyone from the Jadestar family such as the princes, the King's brothers, and others were assigned tasks like supervising the post-war work, winning over the nobles or even fight at the frontlines. That was until they were all mercilessly slaughtered."
"His Majesty, the former sovereign, was beheaded at the throne. The princesses were strangled in their sleep. The prince's concubines were burned to death in the castle, his descendants were killed by swaddling clothes. Even Her Highness the previous Empress was…"
"The heroic eldest prince took his sword and did not retreat. He died together with his Protector in front of the palace. The younger prince, Prince John, was the most unfortunate. Just as he was about to obtain victory in the Southwest Battlefield, he was killed by a shameful sneak attack from behind."
"One of the princes in the frontlines was shoved down from the highest room in the castle. Another was killed by poison during a noble's treaty banquet. One was forced into a tight siege by Eckstedt and had no support for three full hours. The whole army was annihilated and he perished in battle. It was to the extent that when His Majesty Kessel was hurrying somewhere in the wilds, he was accosted by five hundred professional soldiers. At that time only Yodel was with him."
"Deaths and bloodshed covered the entire country. The upper levels were the court, the nobles, and the influential families. At the bottom were the knights, the businessmen, the laymen. They suffered heavy casualties. This was the most difficult page in the history of the Constellation.
Thales took a deep breath. 'This country had experienced such a terrifying unrest before I transmigrated?'
Gilbert calmed down and spoke solemnly.
"This is why, please personally pursue the answer to the Bloody Year in the future. At the same time, please prepare yourself. The Bloody Year is only the tip of the iceberg. There was never any lack of bloodshed in the history of Constellation."
Thales nodded. He suppressed his curiosity and excitement, and doubts about the Bloody Year were attached with a number and filed into memory.
Gilbert looked at Thales' cautious expression and lightly nodded. He then turned around and continued speaking.
"Thales. The search for matters related to your bloodline started then. Your father, His Majesty Kessel may have survived but he had lost all of his relatives during that year. He also lost a pair of children, that is your older brother and older sister."
Among them, the one-year-old Luther Jadestar was swaddled to death. The assassin was spotted and in the chaos, he abducted the four-year-old Lydia Jadestar.
Here, Gilbert glanced at Thales with a complicated expression.
"Thales. Child." The middle-aged man slowly said, "At the beginning, that Lamp was not used to find you."
Thales lowered his head, looking at the wound on his hand.
'So, it was like this.'
"After the coronation of His Majesty, Liscia from the Sunset Temple personally performed a divine art that could find any living creature in the world that had His Majesty's bloodline. However, when we found Princess Lydia…"
"In short, His Majesty and the Jadestar Family had lost all of the legitimate successors, and the situation stayed that way for twelve years. During this period, no new bloodline was born to His Majesty. In the past twelve years, Constellation only had a supreme King. There were no princes or princesses. Even political marriages were chosen from the children of the six most influential families. This was until one day when that Bloodline Lamp lit up again."
The study room was silent for a long time.
Thales recalled the scene from the previous night. He needed to confirm one thing.
"During His Majesty's fifth or sixth year of administration…"
So, when Gilbert continued, Thales did not hesitate to interrupt the middle-aged noble.
"The plan to obliterate the Royal Family," Thales said softly. "Who was the most likely assailant?"
Gilbert closed his eyes for a moment. He then said, "It is the Charleton family and the Shadow Shield."
Thales silently sighed in his heart.
"One is a thousand-year-old inherited assassin family of the night. The other is an assassin organization that had rampaged in the darkness for a few hundred years. Together with some hidden hands, they plotted what is known as the Starfall rebellion plan. This was something the Secret Department of the kingdom later found out."
"Two secret Protectors of the former sovereign, Aydi the Second, were diverted by someone. As a result of the former sovereign's benevolence, the elite Royal Guards was dispatched along with the eldest prince to suppress the mob that had suddenly gathered in front of the palace. Although the forty guards from the city defense team were elites ranging from ordinary class to supra class masters, and there were enough to line up from the front of the gate to the palace at the back, the legendary assassin managed to kill them all along the way. They could not even hold him off for half a minute. That was how Lordan Charleton cut off the previous king's head.
