Kingdom's Bloodline, page 285
…..
A strong gust of wind from a blade came charging straight at the back of the Fire Knight's neck!
In the nick of time, Tolja, who had his right hand held by Raphael, took the initiative to unfurl his left hand and release Wya, who was getting weaker from all the struggling.
The Fire Knight then swung his left arm.
*Dang!* A piercing sound shot into the air.
*Schick!* Bright red appeared on Tolja's neck.
Kohen's powerful slash hit Tolja's rerebrace mid-air.
The tip of his sword was drawn to the Fire Knight's neck, and the knight's skin was pierced.
Blood slowly trickled out of the knight's neck as he let out a muffled groan.
Tolja's rerebrace was cracked by Kohen's sword, and blood gushed out from the crack.
The police officer felt his heart chill. 'He still managed to fend against a fatal blow.'
"Gambling on your life? You pampered brats." Tolja held off the long sword on his left arm, and waves of pain shot up his arm. He ignored the blood on his neck and said darkly, "You are not worthy."
Kohen held on to his sword tightly and slashed down with great strength again. Tolja's rerebrace let out an unusual clang.
Raphael clenched his teeth as the strange muscles in his arms rapidly swelled again. While he was controlling the enemy's right arm and his weapon, he was trying to create another opportunity for Kohen.
Tolja shifted his gaze, and his sharp eyes were focused on Raphael once he sensed Raphael's extraordinary strength.
"My dear young masters, when your father rewarded his vassals because of your mother's swelling belly, I was in the snow in the wild, shivering next to my mother's stiff body, struggling through another damn winter!" Tolja's expression was savage. With his right arm, he engaged in a contest of strength against Raphael, whose strength was growing stronger. With his left arm, he withstood Kohen's strength, which had fused with his Power of Eradication.
*Crack!*
His Power of Eradication burned his entire body like fire as Tolja roared and turned his neck.
Blood poured out from his arm as he pulled back his rerebrace and broke free from Kohen's sword.
The wounded police officer lost his balance, his legs were shaking.
The next moment, Tolja loosened his grip on the Rising Sun Saber in his right hand.
The Rising Sun Saber fell to the ground and the blade lost its heat. As it bounced on the ground, it let out clattering sounds.
Raphael watched his opponent's weapon fall by his side, and warning bells swiftly rang in his heart.
'This is bad.'
Sure enough, without the blade acting as a hindrance, Tolja no longer tried to compete against Raphael in a contest of strength. While Raphael's strength was overwhelmingly great, Tolja lowered his body and slammed him with his right shoulder!
Raphael could only feel his body sway before his back shuddered.
*Bang!*
Before Kohen could react to the situation, Raphael was slammed into the wall by the Fire Knight.
Raphael coughed painfully as his face turned pale, yet he still maintained the tight grip on his opponent's right hand.
"When you were crying in expensive swaddles, I was in the dusty countryside having bloody fights over moldy bread. I came out of those covered head to toe in injuries." Tolja burned his Power of Eradication and pressed Raphael firmly against the wall. His gaze was scary.
Kohen's heart tensed. He thrusted forward with his long sword!
Tolja shifted sideways, avoiding Kohen's sword that was aimed towards him, albeit in a sloppy manner.
*Schick!*
Kohen's sword slashed through Tolja's rerebrace, causing pieces of it to fall off. Sparks could be seen due to friction between the wall and the sword.
But Tolja did not pay attention to his shoulder injury. He rammed his shoulder against Raphael again, all the while having the latter pinned against the wall.
*Bang!*
He hit Raphael's chest real hard.
Raphael let out a pained groan and finally released his opponent's right arm.
"When you were reading books and learning your letters in the study, I had to drag my bruised shoulders transporting the most foul smelling garbage and feces. I learned how to count from the crisp sound of a piece of copper," Tolja pulled his right arm back as he spoke in a cold voice.
The Fire Knight turned his body swiftly and caught Kohen's sword when it came slashing at him again.
*Clang!*
There was a loud sound of friction between the sword's tip and Tolja's iron gloves.
Blood flowed from the knight's fingers.
The bewildered officer looked at the beast-like Fire Knight, wanting to withdraw his longsword.
"When you learned how to wield a wooden sword in your manors, I was wrapped in wounds on the vast glaciers. With the last of my strength, I killed all sorts of enemies, from beasts to my own comrades in any weather and terrain!" Tolja threw a right punch at Raphael's abdomen, causing his consciousness to dim and his back to bend.
The Fire Knight then grabbed Kohen's sword, turned around and took a swift step back!
Kohen wanted to raise his arm to defend himself, but he was suddenly kicked by Tolja in the knees.
*Bang!*
The police officer's sword flew out of his grasp and fell on the ground.
"When you were flirting with girls in banquets…" Tolja pulled his right hand back and tore away his broken pauldron as well as rerebrace.
The Fire Knight coldly threw away all the burdens on his body, including his clothes. This revealed out-turned flesh, plus scars the color of blood covering his neck, shoulders, and arms. All these parts were covered in horrifying as well as serious burn scars and wounds.
Tolja's expression was as cold as ice, while his gaze was like burning flames. He threw away Kohen's bloodstained longsword.
He turned around and threw a punch.
*Bang!*
Raphael had just stood up and he was ready to launch a sneak attack. However, he was punched on the head by the Fire Knight and slammed into the wall once again.
"I climbed out of charred corpses burned by gasoline, with burns all over my body; I moaned in pain, only hoping to see the sun the next day."
Kohen clenched his teeth anxiously and in anger, he screamed and rushed at the enemy, throwing an astonishingly heavy punch at Tolja.
*Bang!*
The punch hit the Fire Knight's cheek, and he was momentarily stunned.
But Tolja only roared and bent down to resist Kohen's charge. He ignored the earlier punch on his cheek as if it was not more than just a mosquito bite.
"I was reborn from the flames of hell made of blood and fire." He extended his arms and skillfully grabbed Kohen's attacking arm. Locking his legs, he lifted Kohen onto his shoulders.
"This is how the Fire Knight came to be!"
The next second, Tolja swiftly turned around with a crazed expression. With a burst of strength in both his arms, he lifted up the struggling Kohen and threw him down.
*Bang!*
The tall and sturdy police officer was thrown heavily onto the ground, and he fell on his back.
Kohen felt pain all over his body and saw stars. All his strength was stripped away from him.
"Gambling on your life?
"All you young masters will never understand what that means."
Tolja straightened his body and shook his slightly flushed head. He then spat out a bloody tooth without hesitation. "In order to stand with you in the same manor, I climbed all the way from mud and blood. I've already gambled on my life countless times in endless hell."
Tolja was half-naked, and his body was full of scars. Blood flowed all over his body, and his face was terrifying.
The Fire Knight coldly turned his body to face Raphael, who had just stood up, and said, "Even if we are in the same supreme class, the experiences we have are far too different."
Raphael wiped the blood off his forehead and endured a burst of nausea. Shortly after, he drew the broken longsword from his waist.
"You are a very scary warrior." The young man from the Secret Intelligence Department forcibly struck an attacking stance. Then he glanced at the barely breathing Kohen and frowned. "You live up to your name as one of the Five War Generals."
Tolja turned his head and glanced at the Rising Sun Saber on the ground, which was a distance away from him.
With a sullen voice, Raphael said, "But with your skill, why do you have to follow Lampard and embark on this road of no return called rebellion?
"In order to experience more hell?"
The Fire Knight snorted coldly. He kicked up Kohen's 'Load-Bearer', grabbed it with his hand and weighed it while he tested the suitability of its length.
The next second, Tolja roared and rushed before Raphael!
Raphael narrowed his eyes.
*Clang!* Their swords clashed against each other, and Raphael forcibly parried Tolja's horizontal slash.
However, Tolja did not intend to cross swords with Raphael. Like a real beast, his left arm was pressed against the back of the sword, and he pushed Raphael to the wall!
*Bang!* Raphael blocked the Fire Knight's sword as he was slammed against the wall, his own longsword was pressed against his chest.
Tolja's expression was like that of a savage. His left elbow suddenly shot up and struck the two swords. Then, the two swords, which were in the form of a cross, turned to resemble the letter 'X'!
The Fire Knight's left arm was pressed at the upper part of the 'X', and that part was pressed tightly against Raphael's throat, pressing down on him so tightly that he could not breathe.
"When you were carrying your swords and your glory while you were traveling around the world, I stood in front of deserted villages, on barren land where even weeds could not grow. There, I burst into tears, all for my first property, my first rank of nobility, which I obtained using three decades of my youth and life," said Tolja through clenched teeth.
Raphael struggled to defend in pain. He could not even take a breath. Despite that, Tolja pressed down on Raphael's sword continuously and inexorably. Meanwhile, he compressed Raphael's trachea with his elbow.
The Fire Knight clenched his teeth. There was a mixture of pain and hope in his gaze. "It's only after experiencing all of this that I've managed to stand here to face all of you prodigies and fight against you with my weapon lifted high."
"You asked me why I followed the archduke?"
*Bang!* The Fire Knight roared and hit his head against Raphael's forehead.
*Clang!*
Raphael loosened his grip on his longsword, and it dropped from his hand.
The young man from the Secret Intelligence Department looked as if he had lost consciousness. He slid down the wall limply, but Tolja lifted him up by his collar.
*Bang!*
The knight turned around and rammed his knee against Wya, who had climbed up from the ground. He vomited blood and fell back.
"All of you will not understand..." Tolja panted, and due to habit, swung the sword in his right hand. It was obvious the Load-Bearer did not feel the same as the weapon he was used to wielding.
He looked at Kohen, who was struggling on the ground, then said through clenched teeth, "His Grace…
"His Grace is…
"What he sees in his eyes is a future far ahead of us." The Fire Knight took a deep breath and revealed a wistful look. "It's a new world never seen before, where everyone can have their own future."
Tolja panted heavily and stretched his left arm out to seize Raphael's neck. He lifted him up.
With a fearsome expression, the Fire Knight licked the blood in his mouth before he pulled Raphael closer and looked right into his enemy's eyes. "For the archdukes' goals and also for the future he promised, I am willing to pay whatever price is necessary."
The Fire Knight exhaled with great difficulty.
Raphael just gritted his teeth. His gaze was unfocused as he looked weakly into his enemy's eyes.
Tolja proceeded to raise Kohen's sword. His eyes bulged as he stared at Raphael with a serious and zealous look. "No matter what the obstacles are, I must crush them."
At that moment, Raphael thought of the girl from a long time ago.
'Mira.'
He thought of her as his mind was no longer clear. Soon, he closed his eyes.
'Sorry.'
The next second, without hesitation, the Fire Knight thrust forward with sword in hand.
*Schick!*
The sword stabbed into Raphael's heart and came out through his back.
Blood poured out everywhere onto the ground.
And Kohen's heart-wrenching screams were heard.
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Archduke Roknee, who stood behind Archduke Lecco, suddenly felt a myriad of emotions in him as he looked across the rectangular table, at a boy who was trying his best to contain the nervous and agitated feelings in him.
'We… will face a great disaster?'
He curled his lips a little. 'It has been such a long time since I met someone who could speak with no hesitation, and in such a bold manner in front of several archdukes.'
A strange silence permeated the hall.
All the archdukes had awkward expressions on their faces, and their breathing was rather chaotic.
Lampard slowly shut his eyes.
Thales tried to control his breathing, and he could only hear the sound of the fire crackling in the braziers.
After three seconds had passed, Archduke Lecco slowly turned his head and looked at others.
"We have given you a chance to speak, Your Highness." The old archduke turned around again once he was done exchanging glances with the other archdukes. He then sighed rather solemnly. "But, this is not something for you to speak so carelessly of and raise a false alarm."
"You better speak clearly, you little brat." Olsius cast a dark gaze on Thales. "Not everyone can get out in one piece after they threaten the archdukes in the Hall of Heroes."
Thales breathed absent-mindedly and felt uneasy about the questions from the two archdukes.
'Thales, be calm.
'Be calm, especially at this moment.
'You can do it.
'You can!'
"Dragon Clouds City.
"Lampard did not give you the suggestion of conquering Dragon Clouds City with good intentions," Thales whispered. His calm expression caused the archdukes to be slightly stunned.
Trentida clicked his tongue.
"First is a matter of us deploying our army to Constellation, then it's a matter of Dragon Clouds City." The cunning archduke revealed a strange smile. "How do you know all of this?"
Thales exhaled.
'How do I know that you all want to take Dragon Clouds City as your own?' he silently thought.
'Lampard promised Shiles a reduction on taxes at the borders around Dragon Clouds City, it's that simple.'
"It's not very difficult to guess." Thales did not show any changes in his expression. "In order to unite the people, besides making them face the same threat, there's also a need to provide a sufficient number of benefits. Without a doubt, Dragon Clouds City is a masterless treasure trove, rich in valuables. It's the best thing to be used in stirring up fights and conflicts."
Trentida frowned as he looked at Lampard.
"After all, it is an act that breaks the Joint Ruling Pledge." The prince sighed. "The balance of power is no longer there, and it has opened this unlawful precedent. In the future, the ownership of every piece of grass, every tree, every foot and every inch will become the fuse for igniting conflicts as well as clashes between all of you. Lampard only needs to fan the flames. He hopes for all of you to be in conflict and weaken each other—"
Olsius snorted to interrupt him.
Saroma, who was listening quietly, revealed a disgusted expression. Her gaze was full of dissatisfaction.
"Your words are untenable, little brat." The Archduke of Prestige Orchid Region's face twitched. His tone was hostile, "In fact, we've discussed this issue before. With such great threats before us, Lampard has no reason to do this."
After saying that, Archduke Lecco coughed and continued, "The threat of Constellation is imminent and will last for a long time. It cannot be solved by one or two big wars. At this point of time, his act of messing up his own plans will only be detrimental to Eckstedt."
Thales was struck by a thought. "Wars, especially foreign wars, are more likely to be the point of bringing up conflicts between all of you…"
But at this moment, Lampard, who had been silent, looked up at him with a gaze as sharp as the tip of a blade.
"You still don't understand?"
The Archduke of Black Sand Region spoke slowly. There was an unrecognizable emotion in his voice.
Lampard slowly walked over to a brazier. Blocking the light from the fire, he left behind only his shadow. "This child is extraordinarily intelligent. He's looking for ways to stop the war and save his country, the country that he will be ruling over one day in the future, the country where our grandchildren may submit to in the future."
All the archdukes frowned.
"These are the points I was about to get to." Thales smiled even wider and show no sign of weakness. "Chapman Lampard, you also wanted to save your own country, am I correct?"
Lampard furrowed his eyebrows.
"If you are so sure of what you are saying, then why did our Archduke of Black Sand Region do all these things? How will he benefit by causing conflicts between the archdukes? Will he get a greater share of the pie that is Eckstedt?" Archduke Roknee, who had been been quiet all along, also joined this conversation once he saw Lampard fall silent.
Trentida on the other hand, snickered very 'tactfully'.
"Also, why is trouble on its way towards us?"
Pressured by the Archduke of Black Sand Region's frightening gaze, Thales focused on regulating his breathing and pondered over the words he wanted to say next.
"You all know the Archduke of Black Sand Region's past," Thales raised his voice and looked seriously at the other archdukes. "He killed his brother, which led him to have a heart of steel and be so resolute. That was the start of the hatred between him and King Nuven."
