Kingdom's Bloodline, page 353
The archduchess immediately looked at her vassals with a mixture of expressions, and the look in her eyes was indiscernible.
"I know, I am far from the late King Nuven. Perhaps I will never be able to compare to him—Everyone, you may not think highly of me, you may not look highly upon the young girl on this seat of the archduchess, you may bear resentment, you may have your own schemes against me."
Count Cotterson's lips twitched like he was deep in thought.
The archduchess sighed and said, "But, I still hope at this moment, that you will bring your own warriors as well as your honor with you and stand with me, with Dragon Clouds City."
Count Hearst's beard twitched.
"Let us prove to the world outside, prove to this guest from the City of Faraway Prayers—who proclaims that a marriage in paper will allow me to solve my problems—that Dragon Clouds City is still strong, still united, and I do not need to bow down to foreigners to protect myself."
Count Lyner tightened his fist in a forced manner, then repeatedly moved his fingers.
At the next second, Saroma raised her left hand with a solemn face, allowing the sleeve around her small arm to slide down. It revealed her fair wrist as well as the ring on her thumb.
"Everyone, I believe that no one in this world other than you, other than my vassals, are more fit to fight for me and gain victory for me.
"Because, I am Dragon Clouds City."
Once they saw that ring, everyone in the great hall frowned.
"However, Dragon Clouds City is not just merely me, it is also everyone who is seated here."
Right before the people's eyes, the archduchess gently removed the large ring, which was inlaid with a black jewel, and lifted it high in the air.
"Everyone, in the name of the Waltons, I am going to war."
The archduchess' eyes turned cold and she shouted loudly.
"Are all of you coming?!"
Thales was slightly stunned.
'Are you... with me?'
The young girl's voice continued to echo in the great hall, but this time, the vassals stared firmly at the black ring.
They stared at the person and place it signified.
Lisban looked conflicted.
The one-armed count shut his eyes.
Count Nazaire's expression tensed, which was a rare sight on him.
The vassals turned left and right in surprise and bewilderment, all the while exchanging words with one another.
Saroma took a step forward and coldly proceeded to say, "Everyone, I also believe that as vassals, you will not allow a foreign guest to gladly rob you of your duty and responsibility, then flaunt it in your faces."
Ian was stunned.
The young girl lifted the ring on her hand while it lay flat on her palm. She had it facing the stone carving of the Cloud Dragon Spear above their heads in the great hall.
"The most loyal vassals of the Waltons, brothers of King Nuven!"
The voice of the young lady resounded once again, "Are all of you coming?"
As he listened to the words of the archduchess, Thales was a bit dazed.
It was as if he was back six years ago, back to the days when he fled in despair. While he was in the safe haven provided by the Bright Moon Goddess' temple, he had acted in this manner as well, shouting out similar words against Nicholas, who was preparing to escape at all cost.
"'But this is my decision…"'
"'Northlander?"'
"'Are all of you coming?"'
The whispers of the vassals became louder.
Thales met Nicholas' gaze. Nicholas was on the stairs, and the prince saw a similar shock in the Star Killer's eyes.
An inexplicable feeling was evoked in Thales' heart, and it was difficult for him to suppress the emotion.
He only kept remembering that scene six years ago.
"'You're right. The Constellatiates are just marching to their own deaths."'
"'Northlanders, are all of you coming?"'
"Are all of you coming…"
"Dragon Clouds City!"
In the great hall, Saroma's voice was raised to its limit. The young girl's youthful, high-pitched voice resounded in the ancient hall. "Are all of you coming?"
The hall slowly quieted down.
Many vassals had finished their agitated discussion. They lifted their gazes at the same time to stare at the few most important people in the hall, awaiting their decision.
The archduchess ground her teeth. Her arm, which was lifting the ring, shivered, and her eyes were mildly bloodshot.
"Northlanders!"
She almost roared at everyone in the great hall. "Are all of you coming?"
*Clang!*
A guard, who had been holding back his emotions, accidentally pressed the hilt of his sword. His sword then knocked against the wall, emitting a sharp sound.
This sharp sound caused everyone to be more nervous, and the atmosphere became even heavier.
Only the archduchess bit her teeth as her gaze trembled. She lifted Triumph, which represented the suzerain of Dragon Clouds City, and stood alone in front of the Soul Slayer Pike, facing the entire hall of agitated men.
Among the six counts, Cotterson, Hearst, and Lyner's unnatural behavior was almost unconcealable. They looked anxiously at each other, as though they were unable to reach an agreement for a long time.
One second passed.
The one-armed count still shut his eyes and remained silent.
Two seconds...
Ian narrowed his eyes and exhaled, feeling rather gloomy.
Three seconds...
Lisban and Nazaire's confrontation had seemingly ended, but they still remained silent, waiting and observing.
Time dragged on longer and longer.
The atmosphere in the great hall became increasingly unbearable.
Until...
Until a muffled, deep laughter arose from the crowd at a piercing degree, and it echoed throughout the entire great hall.
Chapter 319: Not According to Plan |
"Hahaha…"
The laughter sounded like someone had their hands over their mouths in attempts to suppress their laughter while they stood in the crowd, like they were desperately laughing into their hands.
The embarrassed archduchess was immediately stunned.
'Who is it?'
The Northlanders, who had already been incessantly irritated in the indescribable conflict, turned around in succession to seek the source of the laughter.
They found their target quickly.
A young boy sitting on a chair with both arms against his knees was seen not too far away from Viscount Ian. He held his chin up as he watched the people and events in the hall with full interest, snickering in a low voice.
Many people saw his face clearly. They also saw the symbol of the Nine-Pointed Star on his robe.
"Northlanders?" Thales continued laughing. He seemingly just noticed the audience's gazes as his shoulders shivered. He did his best to restrain his laughter. "I'm sorry, I'm not doing this on purpose. It's just that… Hahahaha… Hahahaha… It's just that I find it really funny…"
Obviously, the sincerity in the prince's apology was not enough.
Baffled, Ian widened his eyes as he stared at the young boy with the Nine-Pointed Star emblem. He stared at Thales while the prince rocked back and forth in laughter, and Ian did not seem to be registering what was going on.
In a daze, the archduchess was also staring at the young boy who seemed to be mocking her. Subconsciously, she pulled back her arm, which was holding the ring up, and instinctively pressed it against her chest.
There was a confused expression on her face, and she looked like a helpless person who had lost her way.
"Hahahaha…" The teenager's elated laughter diminished gradually, but it was still faintly discernible.
The laughter caused more and more Northlanders to have steely expressions on their faces. Even the Archduchess' Guard next to Thales was staring at him with a face of indignation.
With his laughter echoing in the hall, not only did the oppressive atmosphere not alleviate, it became even more unbearable.
Low curses from several vassals rang from the corner of the hall.
*Thud!*
All of a sudden, a heavy and muffled bang erupted in the hall! It shattered the incessantly dreary atmosphere like a heavy hammer.
A powerful and sudden shout erupted among the people in the hall. "Enough!"
Thales' laughter ceased after that. The hall turned quiet in an instant as well.
Everyone turned their eyes in the archduchess' direction and were immediately stunned.
It was him.
The one who opened his mouth to interrupt Thales' laughter was among the six counts—it was that one-armed count who had been silent all this while.
Thales was relaxing his muscles, which had become stiff from his laughing. A thought then materialized in his mind.
'It was him.'
He was the count who Ian proclaimed to be the best fighter.
The one-armed count looked up. His expression was cool, while his body emitted the brazen aura of someone who had fought countless battles on the battlefield.
He turned to the archduchess on the stage.
"My Lady, I do not understand you." The one-armed count slowly moved to the center of the hall. His voice was laced with a freezing tone. "Pardon me for being rude, but whether it was meeting you for the first time six years ago or attending the council hearing today, I have not expected much from you."
His words spread across both sides of the hall, and contained in them a certain might. People could not help but avert their gazes from the count.
The standing Saroma looked sad. "Count Karkogel…"
"But, I've really had enough of this farce.
"I hate watching all this repetitive and absolutely boring probing of one another's strengths, and scheming," Karkogel said coldly. "I don't even want to pay any attention to any of you. I do not care if you and that clown from the City of Faraway Prayers have conspired beforehand to create such a scene, causing us this extreme embarrassment—if only we still have the honor to say so."
Saroma and Ian's expressions both shifted slightly.
The vassals did not have very pleasant expressions on their faces too.
Thales bit his lower lip. 'As expected, even after a series of such dazzling spectacles, Dragon Clouds City isn't lacking calm and rational people who can, with a glance, see through the essence of things.'
Lisban did not say a word, whereas Count Nazaire smiled faintly.
Karkogel halted in his footsteps.
He stomped his boots on the ground, sending a reverberating thump across the hall.
"However, since you've set up so many dirty tricks, it proves that you are not resigned to being a vase that sits around, waiting to die in this palace, girl," the words of the one-armed count were heavy and powerful.
"Am I right?"
Low voices of discussion rose from the vassals, while the other five counts frowned together.
The one-armed count fixed his gaze on the archduchess, not caring about Count Hearst's stare next to him.
With an expression that made him unapproachable, Karkogel glared intently at the pale Saroma who was on the stage. "For me, this is the only redeemable part of your absolutely ludicrous act today. It is filled with loopholes."
Saroma's expression stiffened.
"Just stop your shoddy tests on our reactions. Forcing us to submit through an outsider's involvement in Dragon Clouds City?" the count criticized brusquely. "Hmph, we are not as deplorable as you imagine us to be, girl."
While he watched the count and listened to the implications of his words, Thales smiled.
In the next moment, the count began walking forward without waiting for Saroma to react!
"Let the honor of the Karkogel Family bear witness to this."
The one-armed count turned around. In a chilling manner, he faced the entire hall as his sonorous, steely voice struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer. "Since the archduchess has commanded it, then the 'Fearless Steel' Karkogel Family will answer the call."
Saroma stared at the count blankly. She seemed to have even forgotten her original intent.
Thales and Ian exchanged looks and nodded together.
Count Karkogel's expression was ice-cold, yet he raised his only remaining right arm without the slightest hesitation. "I, Kahn Karkogel, hereby promise that every man of appropriate age in Hunting County and Origami County will pick up their weapons and fight in Dragon Clouds City's battles."
Only the audible sounds of the vassals' breathing were left in the hall.
"If Dragon Clouds City wants to go to war, then we will join you," the resolute voice of the one-armed count spread throughout the hall. "It is that simple."
His final syllable reverberated off the stone walls, rattling the hall.
It appeared as though the other five counts had not reacted to the situation. The rest of the vassals were also spiritedly discussing among themselves.
However, as Saroma watched the one-armed count in a daze, a spark of life gradually lit up in her eyes.
'He… He…'
"Count Karkogel." Saroma found it hard to conceal the excitement in her eyes. She stuttered, "I-I… am thankful for your trust."
But Karkogel turned his head around immediately!
"No," he said rigidly. His rejecting words stunned the archduchess. "It is not you whom I trust.
"I still remember the day we strode up Fort Liberté twelve years ago."
The one-armed count began to speak slowly, "I was the commander to besiege the castle. Those bastards got a hold of a lot of Eternal Oil from Camus. They poured kerosene down in torrents, and it took a long time for us to conquer that castle."
Saroma was slightly stunned.
'Fort Liberté? That's…'
"That was, until Prince Soria's arrived…" Karkogel said coldly. "I still remember it. During sundown, he laughed heartily as he raised his sword in our utterly fatigued and troubled military camp, in front of the warriors riddled with wounds, before our crestfallen people.
"With his frantic and fearless shouts, Soria was the first to charge out of the military camp, out of formation, and into the great castle!"
The air in the hall seemingly froze.
The breathing of the Northlanders slowly accelerated.
Hesitant and astonished, Saroma looked blankly at the count.
"Everyone went insane. We were like stupid, boorish men charging in a wild assault behind Soria. In our eyes, there were only two choices, and both were stained with blood: Break through the castle or die in battle. There was no third choice!
"It was a really great battle." The one-armed count raised what remained of his left upper arm. His expression darkened as he lowered the volume of his voice, "The kerosene burned off half of Soria's face and one of my arms."
He then lowered his gaze and softly said, "We broke through Fort Liberté on that very day."
*Thud!*
The count thumped his right arm heavily against his own chest.
"That was the craziest thing I've ever done in my life." Karkogel contained himself coolly. "Compared to that, this is nothing. Am I not simply handing the fate of Dragon Clouds City to a woman?
"How much worse can it get?"
Karkogel turned around and walked back to his seat. The vassals' eyes followed him.
Saroma looked at the count in hesitation. She blurted the following words after a while, "Thank you."
Karkogel shook his head.
"You said that you needed this war to reclaim Dragon Clouds City's honor?"
Karkogel spoke softly as a callous tone seeped into his words, "Then you best keep your word, girl."
Once he finished speaking, the count sat back in his seat.
Saroma had a solemn expression on her face. She did not say a word.
The hall became silent.
The vassals' emotions began to sway.
"I am sorry, My Lady."
Before the surprise brought upon by Karkogel wore off, another man's voice, which was laced with hesitation rose into the air.
"Please understand. The counts wish for you to marry into our local families." The golden-bearded Count Hearst sighed. "That is because… because we are the ones who can truly stand together with you."
Hearst, who was in his thirties, was the youngest among the counts. He lifted his eyes and looked at Saroma with sincerity and a barely-conceivable anguish. He looked at the archduchess, who was pressing her ring tightly into her chest. "But Count Karkogel is right."
Saroma moved slightly.
"My Lady, we belong to Dragon Clouds City." With a complex expression, Hearst gazed at his lady. "And the act of helping you reclaim your honor is definitely not something an outsider from the City of Faraway Prayers is allowed to do."
Saroma stared blankly at Hearst and stammered in an uncertain voice, which only came from her lips after a long period of deep thought. "Hearst…"
*Thud!*
Hearst thumped his chest with a resolute face, not waiting for her to continue speaking.
"The whole Hearst Family and Flatiron County will respond to your recruitment, Your Grace!" Count Hearst exclaimed with a solemn expression.
"We will fight for you."
In silence, Saroma stared at the second count who spoke up.
She only came to her senses after a few seconds.
"Thank you, Count Hearst." Saroma took a deep breath, lowered her head gently, and blinked occasionally. "I will keep this in my heart."
Hearst did not say a word. He bowed deeply with a determined expression.
At the side, Count Cotterson let out a faint cough.
"What you said was very reasonable, My Lady. Dragon Clouds City's honor and victory can only be safeguarded and won by our own hands."
Count Cotterson glared at Ian in disdain. "We do not welcome outsiders."
He scoffed lightly. "Prepare the location and supplies, clown. We are coming."
Ian blinked and revealed a resigned, embarrassed expression.
Cotterson turned his head around and stared at Saroma expressionlessly.
"Phalen Castle will abide by your commands and ride into battle." Count Cotterson's voice was flat, yet it was devoid of any hesitation. "We will fight for you, My Lady."
