Kingdom's Bloodline, page 375
The tobacco pipe in his hand had almost been broken into two.
Nonetheless, Putray's next words made Thales lose his composure all of a sudden!
"Your Highness.
"You must do this, and should do this…
"You have to unearth, investigate and prove the truth regarding the Bloody Year and your origin," Putray said grimly and sadly.
"Only you can do it."
At that moment, as though someone rang a war drum beside his ears, Thales shuddered violently.
Thales' mind operated swiftly, and his unusually fast thought process caught countless matching information in an instant.
'The Bloody Year?'
Thales clutched his chest without realizing. The map of Renaissance Palace given to him by King Nuven years ago was in his lapel.
'But, isn't the Bloody Year when Horace the Second Prince…
'When Black Sword and the rest assassinated…
'My origin?
'But, didn't the Queen of the sky say that the name was in the Drakonic…'
Thales' face was pale. He remembered what Saroma warned him about before he departed.
"'Thales, eighteen years ago, during Constellation's Bloody Year…'"
"'All are related to the calamities.'"
'Asda, Giza…'
His mind became increasingly chaotic. The surplus of information was almost making him feel lost.
'Putray, the Black Prophet, the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department and even King Kessel.
'What in the world…
'Is the secret that they've found out?
'What is the secret they know?
'How much of it overlaps with the secret I know?'
Thales swayed a little and leaned against the wall.
The passage became quiet again.
A few seconds later, the prince raised his head slowly and stared at the person in front of him in a stupefied manner, gawking at the middle-aged man's deathly still gaze.
Putray looked at the secret door and sighed softly. "It's time.
"You should leave, Your Highness."
These were Putray's parting words.
The then secret door opened.
A teenage boy walked slowly out of the secret passage, crawled out of a cavern, and skirted around an abandoned low wall, which served as a cover up before he entered a remote and empty alley.
He stopped and raised his head slowly.
The teenage boy stood absentmindedly beneath Dragon Clouds City's sky, at the corner piled with random things. His thoughts were a mess.
The bright moon was already hanging high in the sky, illuminating his way home.
At this moment...
"Hahaha…"
A distance away outside the alley, a surly and unpleasant voice rang loudly, seemingly out of nowhere!
"Hahaha, this is impossible!"
Shocked, Thales subconsciously pressed himself against the wall and held his breath.
"We respect you, and this is why we aren't joking," another voice, which sounded rather cold and callous rose into the air. "Dragon Clouds City isn't how it used to be. This matter has to be solved. The new chiefs of Bow District have already declared where they stand. As long as you agree, they're willing to—"
The surly and fierce voice rang once again, seemingly cutting off the other voice without intending to show him any respect.
"Do all of you know that a few hours ago, that dead face from Heroic Spirit Palace also came to find me? His aim was almost the same as yours, and the words he spoke were similar to yours."
The surly voice imitated the "dead face" he talked about. "But he was more domineering than the lot of you, stepping into Shield District in a threatening manner with two rows of Archduchess' Guards. He looked like he was going to kill anyone who stared at him. 'In the name of the Archduchess of Dragon Clouds City, I need to know the prince's whereabouts'."
Thales shuddered slightly.
A third voice rang from another direction. He seemed to be from the same group as the one with the cold voice earlier. He cautiously asked, "Are you saying that the insane Star Killer personally led men here to find you?"
'Star Killer?'
When he heard that familiar name, Thales shifted his thoughts back to the present and abandoned all unnecessary thoughts.
'It sounds like… both parties are in a stalemate. The one with the surly voice has fewer people on his side, and the other side has more people.'
"Hah, do you know how I answered him?" the surly and fierce voice rang again. This time, it was filled with disdain, "Listen clearly, all of you, because I'm about to give you the same reply…"
The next moment, the person who seemed to be the owner of the surly voice spat on the ground. "Bah!"
"I don't f*cking care if you're the Star Killer or the f*cker of the stars, the Archduchess or the Archb*tch…
"Just f*ck off!"
Chapter 336: The Veteran on the Wheelchair |
The silver moon hung high in the sky, only somewhat managing to cast its light on the remote and worn out alley.
There were a few dim torches emitting rays of flickering light. The light shone into the alley from the outside through a narrow space.
By the alley, the brute and rude voice snapped Thales out of his stupor.
The walk underground had made him dizzy. Plus, the corners and small alleys he was instructed to head to after reaching ground level were a bit complicated as well. Despite it all, Thales still knew very clearly that he had left the Secret Intelligence's protection, exposing himself in Dragon Clouds City.
He was in danger. His only hope to leave the city… was the point of contact Lord Putray had mentioned.
Thales focused, and the Sin of Hell's River was activated, strengthening his sense of hearing.
He detected ten different breathing rates from two directions. There were many on one side, but only one on the other.
"You've been in Dragon Clouds City for many years," it was the cold voice that he heard earlier. He was speaking from the group, and Thales could faintly sense his annoyance. "You should know how serious this matter is. You also know how serious we are; this is not the time for you to be wilful."
The rude voice, however, replied with a disdainful sneer. "Hmph!"
Thales frowned slightly. 'Who are they? Where am I?
'Where's the person I should meet?
'Damn that Putray. He told me that he didn't want to be like the Secret Intelligence Department, yet what he gave me was just a bundle of mysteries.'
The confrontation over the other side of the wall still seemed to be going on. The response from the owner of the rude voice obviously made his opponents very displeased.
The third voice rose, as though the speaker was trying hard to persuade that rude man. "This is for our survival. They've locked down the city, checked through everything, and are now arresting people everywhere. They have never been that violent and rough in interfering with the gangs as well as underground businesses… Listen, Heroic Spirit Palace is serious. I think they actually don't mind being reduced to ashes with us."
Thales felt fear in his heart.
During the afternoon, someone tried to assassinate Lampard, and Thales escaped Heroic Spirit Palace. Right then, night arrived. A few hours since everything happened, the prince could somewhat imagine Dragon Clouds City's current situation.
"I don't think so," the rude voice answered in a very casual manner. "I am getting by quite well."
*Bang!*
"Hey." It seemed like someone had angrily slammed a wooden plank. "You old…"
However, there came a dull thud. The man who was about to throw a tantrum seemed to have been stopped by his partners by force.
Once more, Thales turned his body nearer to the crude wall ahead of him. He stuck his ear close to the wall, and tried hard to get all the useful information.
"Is that so?"
It was that cautious third person, who appeared more inclined to solve the problem over a discussion compared to that cold partner of his. "Since this afternoon, the monthly goods we planned to sell in Sword District's market were all seized; at Dragon Wing Plaza, Camus' old gang leader had his house searched; I'm afraid that the nobles in Spear District and Axe District are now being sent to prison in batches. Even Karkogel; the authoritative vassal's subordinates have been affected. As for us? As long as we have a criminal record, the patrol squad will capture us without question, and we will be sent to the Water Prison…"
"As for you, you think that you're very special? You think that with your old friendship with the Ground-Shaker, the poor folks in Shield District and Hammer District won't be involved in the situation? That the patrol squad and the Archduchess' Guards will always let you off?"
He paused for a moment.
The cold voice took over the conversation, "You are wrong.
"And one day, you will pay the price for it."
A thought appeared in Thales' head. He had managed to catch a few keywords.
The prince subconsciously turned to look left and right. The remote alley seemed like it had been there for years. The irregular brick wall was heavily damaged, as though with one touch, it would collapse; even the connected houses on the left had obviously not been occupied for a long time. Where he stood, there was only half of the house left, and it was in even worse shape than the abandoned house Thales had lived in before. It was as if someone had taken a big hammer and knocked off a third of it from the top.
But Thales immediately realized that there were also pieces of stone and rotting wood under his feet. There were even deep holes the likes of which he had no idea how they came to be.
'It's like...
'It's like a messy battlefield.
'There's such a place in Dragon Clouds City?'
Once he thought of this, Thales shuddered!
Under the moonlight, he turned his head around in disbelief. He then looked around through a few holes on the dilapidated walls along the narrow alley. The ruined roofs, collapsed walls, dirty small roads, and the indistinct, foul stench he smelled...
Thales was stunned.
He recognized the place.
He still remembered the rough and uneven texture of the road, the low and scattered old houses, the alleys, which were so complexly woven together that they looked like a maze.
However, the hustle and bustle of large crowds was missing.
'This was…'
Thales touched the ruined wall, and looked at the roofless house with a dumbfounded expression.
It was Shield District.
It was Dragon Clouds City's Shield District.
Six years ago, all of Shield District was destroyed when the two Mystics fought in their crazed battle, not holding back even the least bit of their strength.
It was the Shield District where he led Little Rascal as they ran for their lives; it was the Shield District where he leaped through the gates of death with tears running down his face; it was the place where he followed Black Sword and launched a desperate counterattack.
'So I'm here, huh?'
A wave of indescribable sadness rose in Thales' heart.
'It's been so many years.'
In the end, they still returned to this place.
But doubt stirred in his heart. 'Why did Putray ask me to come here?'
"Hahahahahaha…"
The one with the rude voice suddenly laughed loudly, drawing all of Thales' attention.
"'You will pay the price', hahahaha…"
This laughter was very bold and wild, but Thales could hear the anger and displeasure in it.
With his senses strengthened from the Sin of Hell's River, Thales could vaguely sense that the group of people across the rude man was breathing heavier.
It seemed as though the situation was getting more unpleasant.
The laughter slowly stopped.
"You know..." The rude one stopped for a few seconds before he eventually opened his mouth and spoke in a voice that was even deeper than before.
"Six years ago, Vlad could no longer survive in Dragon Clouds City, so he played foul. He turned the market and the black market into a mess. On top of that, the Far Easterner disappeared. Business in Bow District was reduced to zero, so for a period of time, every upstart who overestimated themselves wanted to snatch whatever was left in this place…"
The rude man paused for a moment. There was a slightly dangerous tone in his voice, "We've fought against each other for the past few years, but you're still here, thinking that you're really someone important. Even the manner you speak resembles that of a gang leader…"
'Vlad?
'The man six years ago… Lampard's subordinate, that man who had eight braids?'
Thales frowned. He subconsciously shrank a little, trying to hide himself completely in the darkness behind the wall.
"Enough."
The cold voice rose again. It seemed like he was the leader of the group.
"We are not clear about the grudges you bear with Vlad, cripple," his words were still without even the slightest bit of warmth. "We do not want to take part in that, but everyone is making a living in Dragon Clouds City—"
"Ha!" the rude voice rose, cutting him off.
"Making a living?"
This man may have been alone, but he seemed very brave. Not only did he show no fear, his words turned even more arrogant.
"It's been a few years now. With Vlad as an example, be it from your paths via water, land, or illegal channels, the increasingly strict patrols have seized your goods more than ten times. The losses you've suffered are enough for you to buy a Dragon Clouds City, but you are all still persistent as if you can never finish spending your money… Hey, are you truly just trying to look for a way to survive by occupying the marketplace?"
The group did not say a word in the face of the rude man's interrogation, but Thales felt their breathing becoming faster.
"I'm afraid that even so, none of you gave up on providing the nobles in the city with benefits. It's like you have endless streams of money... That includes that guest relations ambassador who was hanged. He was bribed by Black Sand Region. I know that you were the ones who delivered all the benefits given to him from others."
The rude voice coughed, spat out phlegm, and continued to speak disdainfully, "Hah, not for fame and money... You're even putting on a look, as though you're worried about the country and its citizens? Tell me, which gang would do that just to 'survive'?"
Those who confronted him remained silent. Nonetheless, Thales could already hear some people clenching their fists.
"Look, I know your background very clearly." The rude man laughed again, but for some strange reason, his laughter only caused a chill to crawl down people's spines. "I know who all of you work for. I don't know if it's for self-preservation, or if there's another motive behind it, or if there's another person behind all of you controlling your actions…
"Hah.
"Vlad is gone now, but his stench remains in this city. It's not gone yet," the man's rough voice left a deep impression on Thales. The feeling that he had met this person before at some point in time grew stronger.
"If I report to the White Blade Guards, can you lot guess what will happen to you?"
A silence that was longer than any of the other silences, which occurred during their confrontation, lingered between the two parties.
'White Blade Guards.
'That would be terrible.'
Thales, who was caught in the middle of the confrontation found something off about the atmosphere. He looked around anxiously, but to his disappointment, there were only two ways out of the alley—he could either strut out of the alley and appear before the two parties, or he could step on the ground full of cracked stones as well as broken wood, then climb over the walls to escape in a noisy and flashy manner.
None of them were good ideas.
After a long while, the man with the cold voice sighed amid the group on the other side.
"It's been a long time since any White Blade Guards have been in this place, Gleeward," his voice was soft, but filled with ill-intent. "They haven't been here since the day the calamities descended on us and the Great Dragon reappeared…"
"The late king has passed away, and times have changed. Times are now different, be it in Eckstedt or Dragon Clouds City."
Those words spoken in the dark made Thales momentarily stunned.
He should have figured out their identities.
Their positions in the city were probably not very high, but they were not to be overlooked in Dragon Clouds City. They affected many people's lives, and they maintained a close relationship with middle-ranking officials like the patrols. They could not be separated from each other.
Thales had a sense of familiarity, which he had not felt for a very long time towards such people.
As expected, the next second, that rude man called Gleeward opened his mouth and spoke coldly.
"So all of you found a new master?"
He spat, and when he spoke again, his voice was filled with great contempt, "Is working under Chapman Lampard really so good that when those pieces of sh*t pass by, you line up just to smell their sh*t?"
"F*ck you…" One of them apparently could not suppress his anger any longer. He took a step forward, but he was pushed back immediately.
"Quiet!" this was the third voice. He seemed to be the one with authority second only to the one with the cold voice.
His words were chosen with much more care. He spoke as if he was in a negotiation. "Chief Gleeward, I know that we don't normally mess with one another. This is how we work, but this time—"
But Gleeward had no desire to show him any respect. He cut off the other party with his rough voice.
"Then get the f*ck out of here."
Gleeward's rough voice was unpleasant and piercing to the ears. "I don't care how important that prince is , I don't care who assassinated the kinslayer, I don't care what kind of bullsh*t games Heroic Spirit Palace is playing, I don't care whose b*lls you group of black-skinned dogs are licking, I don't care whose bones you collected to be involved in this, and I don't even care whether you lot are trying to form a rebellion or hoping to enter the ranks of nobility; I only care about one thing all the time, and that is for you bunch of b*tch-breds to..."
