Kingdom's Bloodline, page 332
The two students nodded firmly.
Their teacher heaved a sigh, and let out a sickly cough. "I think we can at least reach a consensus. War is not as simple as it seems. It is neither about mere destruction and restoration, nor simply about pillage and reconstruction. As for the matter of victory and defeat, it is the most facile aspect of war."
Hicks gazed out the window and his eyes sparkled with emotion. "Therefore, My Lord, and My Lady, you are the people who have the power and conditions to start a war, even against one another. I am not convincing you to abhor war, but before you make a decision to start one, I think perhaps you should contemplate carefully. Can this decision help you achieve your aim? How many unexpected events will take place? What are the additional repercussions? What will it symbolize in the future? How do you evaluate its effects on both of you?"
Thales and Saroma fell into a pensive silence.
"War is not an impractical game. It does not consist of one party's one-sided attack on the other to determine the outcome. I wish it was that simple, so simple that killing and bloodshed aside, we only have to sit in a tent and count the amount of leverages we have, wait for the shouts and screams outside the tent to die down, and then, we can determine who is the victor of the war, and then, that is the end of the war."
Hicks stared out of the window absent-mindedly, seeming to have forgotten that he was supposed to summarize the lesson, supposed to only be 'chatting' with his students, and had instead started prattling on,
"But it is not. No. Death? Sacrifice? Interests? Costs? Victory and defeat? These are the most surface aspects of the war." The Old Crow seemed rather sentimental. "More importantly, the fate of thousands and thousands of people in both countries is determined by it. It will affect what happens in the next hundreds and thousands of years. All the factors will be put to the test in this cruel furnace, while you and I—an influential suzerain and a powerless commoner—are the weakest chess pieces on the board, because it is not up to us most of the time, even if you are the one instigating or the one who won the war.
"Please keep this in mind, my dear lord and lady. Aside from the hypocritical moral condemnations, simple calculation of interests or damages, and pointless decorations of honor for the combatants." Hicks heaved a deep sigh, as if he was recalling his past. "Do not underestimate the concept of war itself, it is not as simple as you think it is. It is not a game about victory and defeat, interests and costs, survival and death."
As they watched their teacher's demeanor, Thales and Saroma could feel the heavy weight in his words. They stared, speechless, at each other and did not dare make a sound.
"Alright. I was just being a little sentimental." Hicks snapped out of his reverie, and let out a chuckle. "Now, let us go back to the main subject. Do you have more examples in which the momentary victory and defeat could not reflect the eventual outcome of war?"
But the Old Crow did not wait for them to speak. He blinked behind his monocle. "If there are no more examples at the moment, I want you to ponder over this example."
Thales and Saroma were momentarily startled and remained so until the frail old man uttered a phrase,
"The Bloody Year. Regardless of victory and defeat, from what perspective and to what extent should we perceive and comment on this year full of tragedies and warfare?"
Thales froze, gawking at the teacher. He had a misconception that Hicks had glanced at him subtly the moment he finished speaking. It was a scrutinizing glance, which differed greatly from his usual casual attitude.
"It counts as your extra homework, I suppose, but you do not have to share your conclusion with me because we will not discuss it in the next lesson." The Old Crow stood up with difficulty, laughing. "So, that is all for today."
Before Thales could ponder over the meaning of that question, the two students had to bow respectfully to see their frail teacher off.
*Clik-clok, clik-clok, clik-clok...*
"Saroma." Staring after their teacher's silhouette, Thales shook off the gloom in his mind and said to Saroma in his most solemn voice, "Listen."
Saroma, who was packing her notes, was somewhat startled. "What's wrong?"
The prince wore a somber expression. He took a deep breath and gazed into Saroma's eyes seriously, to such an extent that the girl began to feel nervous.
"Today, after our outdoor lesson, perhaps during dinnertime..."
Thales clenched his fist, recalling what he heard yesterday. The anxiety grew in his chest.
"I-I have a very, very, very important thing to say to you." His tone was heavier than ever.
Saroma gawked at him as though she was not used to the prince being so solemn. "Very important?"
"Yes." Thales felt that she did not perceive his sense of urgency. He immediately added, "You must consider this very seriously! It is about-about both of our futures! It is an important matter that will affect our whole lives!"
The archduchess was startled. She blinked behind her pince-nez, then…
She blushed.
"S-sure." The girl cleared her throat, a little flustered, but she immediately put on her typical-solemn-archduchess look, stretching her neck proudly, and letting out a light snort. "I hope you will be punctual, Your Highness."
Before Thales could react, Saroma started walking the next second in the standard dance-like stride and left the study with a swoosh.
'Eh? Why did she run off without packing her books?'
Thales gazed at her back in confusion and saw her reddened ears.
'And why does she…?'
Then, Thales suddenly thought of something. The prince was shocked. He stood up abruptly, stretched out his right hand, and chased after her with an odd expression.
"Hey, did you misunderstand my intention? Little Rascal!"
On the other side of the Heroic Spirit Palace...
Hicks hobbled away with his walking stick, then walked out of the corridor. He huffed out a breath from his weak lungs, let out a pained cough, and then waved his hand, dismissing a servant who tried to help him.
"Thank you, but I am not that old…"
*Clik-clok, clik-clok, clik-clok...*
Hicks gazed at the fading Northland scenery outside the window, recalling the dialogue earlier. He wiped off the casual, mirthful expression from his face and became serious.
'He might be very intelligent, and he might have those eyes, but… No.'
"But he is not like his father," said the Old Crow, sighing with an emotional look on his face. He mumbled softly, "He is not like you either…"
Hicks' lips curled up. He gazed at the sky outside the window, shaking his head, amused.
'What do you think, Therren?'
The old man hunched his shoulders, then limped out of the hallway of Heroic Spirit Palace alone.
Chapter 301: A Duel |
That afternoon, equipped with his longsword and shield, Thales left the Blood Court and headed for the training field, accompanied by his guards and attendants.
As he stepped on the floor tiles beneath his feet and strode past stairs, then past every tree and every blade of glass of Heroic Spirit Palace, he stared at the numerous palace guards and the Archduchess' Guards—whom either seemed like statues or had fierce expressions—and at how they conscientiously cleared the road and guarded him on his way.
'These things, these people, this place… and me.'
Thales gritted his teeth gently.
"You Highness, what's going on?"
Thales refocused and stared, puzzled, at Wya. "What about it?"
"Since yesterday, you have been…" The prince's attendant seemed worried. He looked around before saying in a soft voice, "Especially after talking to the people of Black Sand Region."
Thales came to a screeching halt.
As the prince stopped, the Archduchess' Guards around him seemed to feel that something was not right. They took the initiative and formed a battle formation, placing their hands on their weapons and guarding all the entrances and exits where it was possible to suddenly infiltrate and ambush the prince.
Of course, it would also be easy for them to ambush whoever it was who wanted to attack the prince.
"Your Highness?" Lord Justin's question came from among the Archduchess' Guards.
Thales frowned. The omnipresent guards used to make him feel at ease, but now… After the drastic changes six years ago, he had never found the scene before him as jarring and out of place as he did now.
Thales raised his hand and called loudly, "Your Grace, please just say a few words for a few moments."
A distance away, Lord Justin waved his hand in a dismissive gesture and the atmosphere around him became a little less tense.
The prince turned and forced a smile at Wya. "Is it that obvious?"
'It seems that I still need a lot of practice.'
Beside Wya, Ralf let out an indecipherable snort and gestured, "It's not too bad."
Thales arched an eyebrow and nodded. "I feel reassured then."
Watching their interaction, Wya sighed and said, "Others might not see it, but…" With his eyebrows tightly furrowed, he stared worriedly at his prince and did not continue talking.
Thales smiled helplessly.
"Wya, Midira." The prince called both of them by name and propped his longsword on the ground with a sigh. "Have both of you ever experienced this: waking up one day and suddenly realizing that all the allies by your side may be your enemies."
Wya was momentarily taken aback. He then looked around sharply, but Ralf was the one who snorted coldly and gestured,
"Look at my legs."
Looking at the hatred in the Phantom Wind Follower's eyes, Thales could not help but frown.
"Relax, Midira." He shook his head. "You already made your choice. There's no need to live for the past."
Ralf said nothing. Instead, his eyes widened and stared at Thales.
"Your Highness, I'm very worried about your condition right now." Wya's expression grew more unpleasant. "If we can share your burden—"
Thales cut him off, "Wya."
The prince flashed a bitter but still carefree smile. "I remember you saying that we should treat every goodbye like the final goodbye. That way, we will never waste our lives."
Wya nodded slightly. "Those were my teacher's words. She is a person worthy of respect."
"Yes." As he thought about those words, Thales burst out into laughter and displayed a rather approving look. "Life is wonderful. We shouldn't waste our lives indeed."
The attendant and the Phantom Wind Follower were taken aback at the same time.
"Where is Putray?" the prince asked calmly.
Wya frowned. "He has his own matters to settle, he left early this morning."
"Is that so…?" Thales contemplated for a few seconds and then raised his head. "Get ready."
Wya revealed a puzzled expression. "Ready for what?"
Thales shook his head. "Don't ask. No matter what happens, don't panic." He sighed. "Both of you must believe in me, believe in your prince."
Confused, Wya and Ralf stared at each other. The second prince took a deep breath and continued walking towards the training field.
The archduchess' personal guards followed him in unison. Their movements were agile, and their footsteps were bold.
In the training field, dressed in neat martial attire, Nicholas raised the axe in his hand and shot a sideway-glance at Thales who had just arrived.
"I heard that yesterday you caused trouble for Lisban again… you actually went to have a heart-to-heart talk with the people of Black Sand Region in a leisurely and undisturbed manner?"
Thales adjusted his breathing. He stared calmly at the pale-faced man before him while he flexed his joints.
'The Star Killer. The one who took Horace Jadestar's life. What sort of person is he?'
The prince recalled how arrogant and domineering Nicholas was when he intercepted them outside Dragon Clouds City, how fierce he was when he threatened Thales in Heroic Spirit Palace, how cold and emotionless he was when watching Poffret die in the Hall of Heroes, and how staunch and heroic he was when holding off the enemy soldiers alone outside the gatehouse.
'What kind of existence am I in his eyes? And now…'
"Dragon Clouds City itself already has plenty of problems to deal with. There's no need for me to create any more." Thales warmed up and walked expressionlessly to the training field. Saroma was already starting her practice in Dagger Defense Skills ten or more paces away from them.
The Star Killer narrowed his eyes. "Yes, because you yourself are one big problem."
"Hey." Thales snorted softly and raised his shield. Tapping the surface of his shield, he lifted it like someone who was about to go into battle. "Your Grace, I forgive you magnanimously. Who knows whether I will miss your rotten mouth one day?"
Nicholas went still for a moment, then curled up his lips. "You're especially gutsy today."
"Come." Thales' tone was calm, but there was a hint of solemnness in his gaze. He said softly, "This is the time when you and I duel each other. Don't be careless."
In the next moment, the Star Killer swung his axe as swiftly as thunder!
Already expecting this, Thales calmly observed his opponent's footsteps. He was not confused by the diversionary tactic.
He took a step back and did not hurry forward. Instead, he steadily defensed against the second wave of attacks that was hidden behind the first one.
*Clang!*
Thales parried the blade of his opponent's axe and smiled. "Hah, as long as I know the pattern of your attacks inside out, your peculiarly directed movements aren't that hard to avoid-ugh!"
As the prince grunted, Nicholas nonchalantly withdrew his axe. "You're dead."
Drenched in cold sweat, the deathly pale Thales gritted his teeth. He held his breath and muttered, "The Power of Eradication again. How cunning."
"Pay attention to your footwork." Waving his single-edged axe, Nicholas answered coldly, "I haven't even used the 'Twist of Fate' yet. This is just an appetizer. The Power of Eradication isn't just a momentary lifesaver, over a long period of time, it'll also mold a person's battle style."
With a pained expression, Thales pressed his hand to his stomach and kept moving backwards. "So, this is your style? Movements that are all over the place and can't be predicted?"
"And I'm also the only one in Northland to do so." With a hint of arrogance, Nicholas swung his axe and miraculously changed his direction of movement midway. He swerved the axe to the left, and the axe circled around his wrist. He then caught it again in a firm hold. "You should feel honored since most people who have seen it are already dead."
Thales exhaled to alleviate the pain in his stomach. He glared at Nicholas while scowling and flashed an unpleasant smile. "So, the former captain of King Nuven's team of personal guards, and former commander of the White Blade Guards… You're good at acting and are used to deceiving others even during battle, aren't you?"
Nicholas' expression changed a little.
"Still relaxed enough to provoke your opponent? It seems that you're very confident. Usually, training ends after you 'die' thirty times... But I'm in a good mood today." The Star Killer watched Thales icily and gave a soft snort. "How about I increase it to a hundred times?"
He slowly raised his axe with an unpleasant expression.
At that moment...
Thales had propped himself up with his sword and leaned against his shield. Whether intentionally or not, he said, "They know."
Nicholas creased his brow a little. "They? What do they know?"
The prince inhaled and raised his head to look at the Star Killer.
"They already know that..." Thales stared solemnly into the Star Killer's sharp eyes. "Saroma Alex Soria Walton does not truly have the Walton Family's blood."
It was as though, in that moment, time had frozen the area around them.
Nicholas' gaze was still for a few seconds. He parted his lips a little and the muscles on his pale face trembled slightly.
Thales tapped his shield and stared at Nicholas, calm but worried.
"Are you saying that…" The Star Killer's expression was unpleasant, but he quickly came around. "Yesterday, Black Sand Region...? That was what they told you?"
Thales nodded impassively.
Nicholas stared wide-eyed at Thales without moving. Even his heavy axe stayed aloft.
His expression was like that of a lone sailor sailing in the sea who had just realized that the bottom of his boat was leaking.
Thales exhaled, staring at the Star Killer's face. "The only saving grace is that he won't easily threaten us with this."
Faced with a confused and worried Nicholas, Thales tapped his shield softly. "The archduchess was one of the participants of the King Selection Congress, and the vote she cast was an extremely vital one for the new king, ensuring that the King Selection Congress was legitimate and effective.
"If she loses her position because of her bloodline, King Chapman's throne will also be hanging by a thread. This is the only reason why we're still safe."
Nicholas seemed to have not recovered from the earlier shock. He muttered, "So, this means that…"
Thales nodded grimly. "The situation right now is that both of us, Dragon Clouds City and Black Sand Region, have a sword against our throats. The hilts of those swords are in each other's hand, and we could destroy one another at any time."
There was a long silence… until, without warning, Thales shifted his feet. He tilted his shield forward and thrust his longsword forward!
*Clang!*
Nicholas still had frightening instincts and awareness, despite being absent-minded. He made a backhanded swing with his axe at a shocking speed and deflected Thales' longsword. He then spun around and stepped towards the prince and slammed bodily against Thales' shield, trapping it there with his elbow.
Thales' hand trembled and his vision blurred.
*Thud!*
The crowd watching the fight let out a soft cry of alarm.
When Thales came around, despite the pain, he could see clearly, the Star Killer already had him pressed to the ground, and his sword and shield were no longer in his hands. Meanwhile, the hilt of the axe in Nicholas' hand was pressed firmly to Thales' chest.
