Kingdom's Bloodline, page 243
"For that… you all wanted King Nuven's life."
Thales closed his eyes, and exhaled deeply. He could only feel both physically and mentally exhausted.
"The Secret Intelligence Department and Secret Room both wanted his life—that practically equates to you working together to…
"Under such circumstances, even if King Nuven had Dragon Clouds City troops as his backup and the White Blade Guards as his barrier…"
Thales silently said the next line of words in his heart, 'How could he have not died?'
In that instant, he felt extremely fed up with this world.
Calshan snorted softly. Her expression was one of subtle emotion.
"It's been centuries. The Secret Intelligence Department has always kept silent, quietly weaving an astonishing thunderclap among the heavy clouds." The Red Witch's eyes were shrouded in a strange luster. Like a triumphant chess player, she said, "In comparison, those positioned in the passive Secret Room could only hatch their eggs in another's nest; so through the thunder and lightning of the Secret Intelligence Department, we broke through all obstructions in Eckstedt."
"You want to watch the vassals of Eckstedt fight with incessant bloodshed like beasts?" Calshan smiled faintly. "We will make sure that the fighting ends in the first round."
As he heard this all, Raphael could not help but clench his fist tightly.
"You want a death duel between two evenly matched parties." The Red Witch gathered her hands in her sleeves again. "Then we will push the situation completely towards one side."
Kohen and Miranda exchanged looks. They saw the astonishment in each other's eyes.
"You want the Eckstedt after Nuven to sink into a chaotic state of incessant disputes for the throne, and endless misgivings for power?"
The leader of the Secret Room shook her head slightly.
"Then we will give you Chapman Lampard."
Raphael pursed his lips and shut his eyes as he sighed.
"Consequently, Nuven lost both his eyes and ears. In the face of the calamities and Lampard, he had no retaliation power whatsoever." He stared blankly at the ground. "Our reserves all failed."
"It was I, who lost," Raphael said downheartedly.
Calshan snorted lightly and her expression regained its kindness.
"I know what you're thinking, child." The Red Witch nodded lightly and looked at Little Rascal, who was sobbing. "Since we things did not progress according to your plan, then why not capture someone of Walton's bloodline back to Constellation as a bargaining chip, right?
"What a pity…"
Calshan shook her head, seemingly with regret.
In the next moment, her expression turned grave.
"Morat, why was he in such a rush?" The Red Witch raised her head. There was a fine glimmer in her eyes. "And to even let a baby boy like you come do such a thing?
"Why was he in such a rush to groom you like a successor?
The silent Raphael still did not say a word.
Miranda thought of something and became frightened.
Calshan did not get a reply, yet she revealed a confident smile. She then spoke up softly, her voice heavy with exhaustion and gloom.
"He doesn't have much time left, am I right?"
Once she said those words, all the Constellatiates paused for a moment.
Raphael furrowed his eyebrows.
"Tell me, how many more years will he live?" the Red Witch said flatly. Her tone was laced with faint concern.
"Five years, or ten years?"
Raphael pursed his lips.
In a daze, Thales looked at Calshan. Morat's figure surfaced in his heart.
'That old man who can force Gilbert as well as Jines to retreat with words, and see through lies with his eyes.
'He is actually…'
At the next second, Calshan took a deep breath, seemingly trying to inhale all her emotions and put them away.
"Fine, let us not talk about him." She raised the side of her mouth slightly. "Let us get back to the main topic."
The Red Witch clapped her hands.
Following her clap, many people walked in through the heavy door.
There were Black Sand Region troops in patrol uniforms. There were also ordinary people—both men and women—who seemed like citizens, wearing different outfits.
But they all looked at the people in the prison cell with hostile expressions.
The troops of Black Sand Region held their weapons as they walked into the prison cell. They then stopped before the Constellatiates.
The 'citizens' quietly walked behind Calshan and did not say a word.
Thales heaved a sigh.
However, Tolja laughed softly instead.
Looking at the situation around them, Miranda's expression changed as Kohen dropped his head in anguish.
"What do we do now?" the police officer said softly as he gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Keep calm," Raphael answered in a low voice.
The Red Witch smiled faintly. "If you're still unwilling to hand over the Staff of Constellation… Well, you know… that I can threaten you not only with the prince alone.
"There are also your partners."
Raphael looked coldly at Calshan.
The Red Witch gave him a slight bow, nodded and revealed her customary kind smile.
But Thales watched the soldiers stand in formation as they blocked the exit. A chill ran through his heart.
'We're done for.'
As he felt the chill on his neck, he glimpsed at the indifferent looking Tolja. 'Now, what do I do?'
But at this very moment...
*Rumble!*
An extremely loud rumbling intruded the prison.
Calshan suddenly raised her head!
Crushed rocks and debris fell down from above again. A cloud of dust erupted instantly in the prison cell!
The Black Sand Region troops instinctively unsheathed their weapons.
Before everyone could react, several figures suddenly descended from the sky.
Just like Tolja had previously.
The Fire Knight found something amiss and reacted rapidly. Thales suddenly felt a tight grip around his arm. Tolja had immediately grasped his right hand and kept him firmly in front of him.
Thales could not open his eyes amid the bewilderment caused by the billowing dust. He could only rely on his hearing to decipher the situation.
While human figures flashed around, the sounds of battle shot up in the clouds of dust, the clashing of metal as well as bellowing of soldiers resounded in waves!
*Slash!*
*Bang!*
*Clank!*
"Quick, defend!"
"Careful!"
"Retreat!"
"Watch out… Uh!"
In a short ten seconds, the chaotic noise faded in its entirety following the sound of a few human bodies falling to the ground. Silence slowly fell upon the scene.
Finally, the smoke and dust gradually dispersed.
Thales remained in Tolja's firm grasp, and the edge of his blade did not leave his neck. The Fire Knight furrowed his brows tightly as he coldly observed the state of affairs in the prison cell.
The prince saw everything clearly before his eyes.
Shock assaulted his heart.
The ceiling right above the position where the Red Witch was standing earlier had shattered into a big hole.
The troops of Black Sand Region, including the people of the Secret Room all retreated behind the heavy door. With identical tensed and astonished expressions, they looked at the uninvited guests before them—intruders who had descended from the sky.
They were valiant warriors numbering to a dozen. Their eyes were ferocious, and their movements nimble. Donned in light, gray armor, they were also masked and wielded machetes.
Some of them were even equipped with excellent arm shields and crossbows.
At this moment, the intruders were gathering into formation. They tenaciously blocked the path of the Black Sand Region troops, separating them from the Constellatiates in the prison cell and Tolja.
Next to these warriors who had suddenly appeared, there were already many fallen enemies—even after they got into formation, the Red Witch continued to stand in front of Raphael and the rest with an unpleasant expression, away from her own people's protection.
Calshan was caught in a very bad situation—there was a long, strangely arced blade with a white hilt across her neck. At the same time, her right arm was being firmly detained.
The detainer behind her coldly said to the troops of Black Sand Region, "Everyone, move back for the sake of this lady's carotid artery."
Kohen stared blankly at the intruders. He met the gazes of Miranda and Wya's, unable to hide the bewilderment in his heart.
Everyone was caught unprepared in the event of this sudden incident.
"And who are these people?" the police officer said in a low voice.
Miranda shook her head and looked at Raphael, who was as silent as before.
As he looked at the warriors who appeared out of a sudden, Thales' pupils contracted.
'Wait a minute.
'This attire…'
He meticulously scrutinized the warriors' equipment, and then, his mouth dropped wide in astonishment.
Thales recognized them.
The silent confrontation continued for a few minutes.
Until the detained Red Witch sighed.
"So, the rumors are true."
She drew her gaze from the blade on her neck and spoke to the detainer standing behind her.
"You really built an emergency secret passage in the gatehouse?"
The Red Witch narrowed her eyes, glanced at the intruders around her and then at her own subordinates—they were forced back out of the heavy door—her tone was downcast. "You concealed it even from the Secret Room… I really underestimated all of you."
A low chuckle sounded behind her.
"Since the day Eckstedt was founded, we, the Snow Blade and Dragon's Wings have been instigating, overthrowing and impeding each other."
Her captor revealed his pale face, lowered his body and whispered into Calshan's ear, "Watching and guarding against the Secret Room's every movement has always been what we were supposed to do."
Raphael saw the newcomer's face and frowned.
Under Miranda and Kohen's astonished gaze, Raphael walked forward with a hostile expression on his face. He stopped next to Calshan and the intruder.
"You're late!
"You almost caused all our deaths!" the youngster from the Secret Intelligence Department coldly said to the newcomer.
The newcomer raised his brows and his pale face shifted slightly.
"I had to go through a process to gather my scattered brothers." The newcomer glanced at Raphael.
He looked at Tolja, who was detaining Thales. Without fear, he cast a provoking glance at the Fire Knight. "Hey, Tolja, thanks for the noise you created. Otherwise, we would've had to search even longer."
Tolja frowned, emitting an unfriendly, low growl from his throat.
Thales blankly stared at the pale-faced man and could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The newcomer raised a brow. His gaze hovered over Little Rascal in the corner, lingering momentarily.
"Besides, you better be polite." The pale-faced man swung the blade in front of Calshan's neck. "After all, I'm saving your life...
"Barren Bone brat from the Secret Intelligence Department," Soray Nicholas, the commander of the White Blade Guards, leader of King Nuven's personal guards, foe of the Jadestar Royal Family, the Star Killer, and one of the Five War Generals of Eckstedt, calmly said to Raphael.
Chapter 217: A Very Big Problem |
"Don't move, madam," Nicholas said coldly to Calshan, who was in front of him. "I'm quite anxious and am quite afraid that you would whip out some special Alchemy Ball. So I am prepared to slit your throat open at any time."
He tapped the back of his blade with his index finger.
The Red Witch's shoulders sunk upon hearing this. She went quiet.
Thales stared at Nicholas, shocked by his sudden appearance, and then at the other White Blade Guards.
"Nicholas?" He stared in puzzlement at the Star Killer who held the Red Witch at knifepoint. "Why are you—"
However, Thales didn't get to continue as Tolja tightened his grip on Thales' shoulder. Thales hissed in pain.
When he saw this, Wya became so angry that he gripped his sword tightly.
Tolja grazed the back of his blade across Thales' neck, forcing Thales to raise his head as high as possible. The boy observed the situation in pain. Tolja was with him inside the innermost part of the cell, and Little Rascal was behind them.
The Constellatiates stood in front of them and stared anxiously at the prince who was being held hostage.
On the other hand, Nicholas stood behind the Constellatiates, restraining the Red Witch. The White Blade Guards were behind Nicholas, standing firmly beside the thick doors, and vigilantly watched for soldiers outside.
"Beautiful movements, Star Killer," the Fire Knight of Black Sand Region said calmly to Nicholas, "But don't forget that the bargaining chip in my hands is more important."
The Star Killer tilted his head and shot a disdainful look at Tolja.
"Then go ahead and kill the prince." Nicholas snorted softly. "I have disliked him for a long time anyway."
Thales widened his eyes. 'Wha-What?'
Tolja furrowed his brow.
"After you're done…" Nicholas moved the Severing Souls Blade on Calshan's neck slightly. It reflected the light from the Everlasting Lamps. Nicholas smiled faintly. "Perhaps they can give you a different nickname, such as…"
The Star Killer swept his gaze over Thales, then gave the Fire Knight an obscure smile. "...The Second Star Killer?"
Tolja's eyes were almost burning as he glared fiercely at Nicholas.
"That's our prince." Kohen observed the deadlock for a while, then exchanged a worried glance with Wya and said in a soft voice, "Are we just going to stand and watch?"
"What else?" Miranda stared at Raphael who stood beside Nicholas, then at Tolja and Thales behind them. She surveyed the stalemate between the White Blade Guards and their opponents and sighed softly. "The battle is not ours anymore."
At this moment, the Red Witch opened her mouth to speak.
"The Dragon's Imperial Guards of Eckstedt, the White Blade Guards," she said softly, "All of you are standing on the wrong side of the battle."
Calshan did not seem to care at all that there was a blade pointing at her jugular vein. She smiled and said in a natural and smooth manner, "Your opponents are those people behind you, the Citizens of the Empire."
Nicholas raised his brow a little.
The Red Witch sighed softly, as if feeling deep regret. "Their Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department planned all of this, including the calamity, and the king's death."
The expressions of all the Constellatiates, including Thales' changed.
'Fine… Calshan isn't wrong,' Thales thought nervously. The second prince glanced worriedly at the White Blade Guards, but their expressions were hidden behind their scarves. Only their grim eyes were visible.
Raphael stood beside Nicholas and sighed softly. "Oh, about that… It's very complicated. But for now…"
He went towards the two and leveled Nicholas a serious look. He eyed the blade in Nicholas' hand that was pointed at Calshan's throat. "...Shouldn't we think of a way to escape first?"
Nicholas suddenly turned his head to look at the young man from the Secret Intelligence Department. His gaze was cold. Raphael faked a relaxed smile as he endured the sharp glare. "You know, the heiress of the Walton Family is here too. This is probably not a good time to talk, especially not to the Red Witch who's full of lies."
Nicholas looked at the innermost part of the prison cell. Little Rascal froze momentarily. It took her a while to realize that Raphael was talking about her. She turned pale involuntarily.
Nicholas' gaze was cold, and his tone was strict. "The lad from the Secret Intelligence Department, if you really intend to help… don't get in my way."
Raphael sighed faintly.
"Otherwise," the Star Killer said in a forceful tone, "Do you want to be trapped here? They might bury your ashes right beneath this gatehouse."
Raphael was silent for a moment. He glanced at Tolja and Thales behind him, then at Nicholas and the Red Witch in front of him. He raised his eyebrows slightly. "I understand."
At this moment, Thales raised his own eyebrows—he saw Ralf signalling subtly at him.
"Step back."
Thales went still for a moment.
"For our late king's sake, Lord Nicholas," the Red Witch said slowly, "Don't do anything stupid."
Nicholas looked around and rested his gaze on Raphael and the Red Witch for a second each.
"Madam Calshan, we don't need you to tell us what to do." The Star Killer snorted coldly, but his gaze was fierce. "Only blood can cleanse the White Blade Disgrace."
The sound of palms rubbing on hilts came from the hands of the White Blade Guards. Calshan's gaze became sharp. She shouted, "So, what are you all going to do now?"
There was a hint of coldness rarely heard in the Red Witch's voice. "After the unfortunate death of our king, Eckstedt is going through a rare disaster. All of you should stand by the kingdom, by the Northlanders… Instead of working hand in hand with our enemy!"
Calshan's words echoed in the prison.
Held at knifepoint by Tolja, Thales exhaled while trembling in fear.
Nicholas suddenly laughed. His laughter was cool and taunting.
"Eckstedt's disaster? Our enemy?" The Star Killer gritted his teeth. The chill in his gaze was threatening. "Don't act as though you're so righteous, you hypocritical old woman. You betrayed His Majesty the moment your men began spreading false information about the so-called Disaster Swords and diverted His Majesty's attention so that Lampard could take action!"
The Red Witch narrowed her eyes.
"The way you and your spies worked together with His Majesty's enemy and feigned ignorance for what Black Sand Region was doing until His Majesty died in that disgraceful assassination... until our enemies are standing in Dragon Clouds City," Nicholas said coldly beside Calshan's ear, "Who did you think that my White Blade Guards brothers had to run for their lives from?"
