Kingdom's Bloodline, page 441
Moriah raised his eyebrows.
"Nevertheless, I didn't ask you why you abandoned your identity and status as a prince, then run away from home." Thales fixed his gaze on Moriah. "Why do you need to ask me why I'm letting you leave?
"Just leave," Thales said in a deep voice. "Live as free as the wind out there; isn't it wonderful?"
Moriah did not speak for a long time.
His gaze on Thales made the latter rather uncomfortable.
"My identity's already been exposed." Finally, the bald mercenary with the special background slowly moved his lips and said, "There are people who've found out that Moriah's still alive.
"So, I want to know why you wanted to track me down.
"If you're really that archduchess' friend, there's no reason for you to let me leave. Unless this is the next trap."
His eyes sparkled, and he was extremely vigilant.
A slight hint of uneasiness surged into Thales' mind. He furrowed his eyebrows and sighed again.
'A prince who's been wandering about for the past six years is all alone out here…'
"Because of Lampard."
Thales finally made up his mind. He nodded and said, "By killing you, Lampard would have one less problem weighing down on his mind, and he would be able to continue ruling Eckstedt recklessly.
"I don't want him to be too at ease—we're enemies."
Thales gazed at Moriah.
"Having him know that you're still alive will help in making that arrogant kinslayer of a king restrain himself a little, stay wary, and act within limits.
"It will also help me in keeping his claws away from Dragon Clouds City. As you said, Saroma's my friend.
"That's why.
"Are these reasons enough?"
Moriah's gaze changed.
He lowered his head. It seemed like he understood something, and he nodded slowly.
"So, it's Lampard, our dear new king.
"He's the one who knows that Moriah's still around."
Moriah appeared to be deep in thought. "And he told you about it, hoping that you could help him, help him go deep into Constellation's territory and get rid of me completely.
"This explains a lot of things. Where did he find out about this?"
Thales furrowed his eyebrows again.
"All of that isn't important anymore."
A hint of impatience surged into his mind, and he said through gritted teeth, "Now, leave.
"Disappear...
"Before I change my mind."
The next moment, Moriah suddenly raised his head.
"Then, how about you, Your Highness?" Moriah's expression was very grim. His eyes shone with a bright light, and they were piercing. "What happens after you let me go?
"Will you return to where the garrison officers are in the camp and look for your army as well as fighters, or even the Secret Intelligence Department… to capture me?" he asked in a probing manner.
Thales sighed internally in resignation.
'Why does this man have so much to say?
'And he's so paranoid as well.
'He really shouldn't be a mercenary.
'He should be suitable as a spy instead.'
The teenager had no choice but to speak with a stern expression, "I told you that I'll let you leave. Hence, I'll let you leave.
"Forget Blade Fangs Camp, even the Secret Intelligence Department won't find out about you."
Thales took a step forward and went up to Moriah. In his most serious tone, he said, "I'll keep my promise. This is Thales Jadestar's promise, the promise of the Second Prince of Constellation.
"You're the late King Nuven's prince, and a Northlander. You know what a big deal these words are to us."
Moriah stared at him for a very long time.
He swayed his head and slowly said, "So, you'll still look for them and return to Constellation's embrace."
Thales furrowed his eyebrows a little.
He had a slight feeling that something was amiss.
Moriah lifted his head. He smiled under the moonlight.
"I realize that you're extraordinarily different, Thales, especially when compared to other people...
"Extraordinarily different," he said softly.
Thales froze.
'Moriah…'
Moriah narrowed his eyes. "For example, compared to your reputation, you are especially naive...
"And also especially full of yourself."
Thales was taken by surprise.
Yet, at the next moment, Moriah swung his legs from the bed and stood up.
"All right, I'm leaving.
He lowered his head and looked at Thales from above before he extended his palm. "No matter what happens, Your Highness, thank you."
Both of their eyes met.
It lasted for a very long time.
Moriah's gaze was filled with wisdom, and there was the ghost of a smile in his eyes. Thales' gaze, on the other hand, was extremely solemn and earnest.
Finally, Thales' lips curled into a smile.
The teenager arched an eyebrow and nodded. He also extended his hand to hold Moriah's.
"No, we're equal now." Thales accepted Moriah's thanks and sighed. "You saved me in the desert—"
The next moment, however...
*Thud!*
Thals could only feel pain in his arm, and he fell onto the bed!
The Sin of Hell's River sensed danger, and Thales, who was considered "battle-seasoned" by then, gritted his teeth in shock!
He entered Hell's senses in the blink of an eye.
Moriah moved in a flash. He pulled Thales' arm in an instant and got behind the prince!
Moriah looked like he was about to pin Thales' hand behind his back and force him into a kneeling position, pressing him down on the bed!
The extremely shocked and enraged Thales summoned his Sin of Hell's River and desperately resisted the force that Moriah exerted with his right hand to shrug him off.
*Thud!*
Thales' back crashed hard against the headboard.
The prince anxiously extended his hand, wanting to whip out JC's dagger.
Sadly, Moriah was faster than him.
At some point in time, Moriah had managed to whip out a small knife in his left hand and pressed it against Thales' throat.
"If you move one finger, esteemed Prince Thales…"
That very second, Moriah's expression was cold and frightening.
He had Thales pinned against the bed. He increased the force exerted by his hands and threatened the prince coldly.
"Like those orcs, your blood… will bathe the earth."
Chapter 387: So Many Tricks |
Before pushing Dean's door open, Thales envisaged many possibilities.
The present situation was that the suspicious and ruthless mercenary prince showed a non-cooperative attitude and regarded him as an enemy, then would be constantly vigilant against Thales.
But the man's reaction was a little overboard.
"You don't have to do this."
Thales stared at Moriah as he felt the stinging pain on his neck. He lifted his hands in surprise and bewilderment to signal at Moriah.
He calmed his breathing and also suppressed the surging Sin of Hell's River, squashing down its desperate urge to counterattack. "I said I would keep my promise and let you go. No one would look for you, and you won't be in any trouble."
"You 'said'?"
Moriah's voice was rather unusual. It was calm and indifferent, "This does not sound like a strong guarantee."
The other person did not completely suppress him, but the knife in his hand was skillfully and accurately pressed against his carotid artery. Thales could even clearly feel the flow of the blood in his neck.
'Damn.'
The Prince of Constellation tried to keep calm. Behind him was his luggage, and it was pushing against the headboard of the bed, digging into his back and hurting him.
But the former Prince of Eckstedt's paranoia and vigilance made him extremely uneasy. The other person seemed to have totally changed, as if Dean the former mercenary with a cheerful smile and easy-going personality had died, and what remained in him was this cold and cruel man.
Thales even regretted his decision slightly at the moment. Perhaps he should have gone to the army right from the beginning.
He might not go to the horrible officers in the Great Desert, but he would at least go to Constellation's army in the camp, then come to this place without fear of anything going wrong to face this man, who could possibly be Moriah.
'But…'
Thales shook his head in his mind and drove the idea away.
No.
He cannot.
"What guarantee do you want, Moriah, my life?"
"If I really want to get rid of you, I could have done so by going to my army while I was in the Great Desert, or even now. With them as my trump cards, I can easily kill you or spare you with just one word."
Thales tried to figure out the man's mindset and thoughts.
"But I did not do it. The reason I did this…'
Thales gulped as he felt a sting on his neck.
"No matter how I deal with you, Moriah, once I use the army and the power of the kingdom, your identity can no longer be kept secret." The Prince of Constellation took a deep breath and tried to move his neck backwards.
"No matter what I say, even if I give the order to let you go, the Secret Intelligence Department and the others who are interested in you will notice the mercenary that the prince keeps his eyes on. They will find out his entire back story, all his details, and his secrets. They will eventually figure out everything."
Moriah continued to stare at him, and his eyes reflected the dim moonlight, making his eyes sparkle coldly.
Thales noticed... there was a hint of coldness and a mocking look on his face.
His uneasiness became worse.
"If the Secret Intelligence Department figures out your identity as the supposedly dead person who was the first-in-line to inherit Dragon Clouds City …"
Thales gritted his teeth. "They won't let you live.
"If you fall into the hands of the Secret Intelligence Department, then you will not be able to turn back anymore…
"This is something you and I don't want to see."
Thales gasped as he thought deeper and farther into this issue.
'If Moriah fell into the hands of the Secret Intelligence Department…
'That girl.
'That girl in Dragon Clouds City.
'Her identity, her bloodline, and the truth of that night will be revealed to the Black Prophet, and it'll just be a matter of time before he knows…'
Thales thought bitterly.
At that time, her fate might be one hundred times worse than being threatened by King Chapman. At least Chapman was still concerned over the legitimacy of his throne and would more or less protect the archduchess' fragile status.
As the head of the Secret Intelligence Department, Morat Hansen was not Thales. The old man in black with his staff had no connections with the archduchess.
As the creator of 'Dragon's Blood', as long as he could use a certain thing to help him gain benefits, the Black Prophet would never care if that poor girl was dismembered or beheaded.
That girl.
That girl in the library, the girl with glasses.
Six years ago, he brought that girl out of Heroic Spirit Palace, and the girl went back to Heroic Spirit Palace because of him.
That girl who held back her subjects desperately for his sake during the day of state affairs hearing...
Thales seemed to feel that the glasses in front of his chest suddenly bore an extraordinary weight.
Moriah's pupils slowly focused.
"You don't seem to trust the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department that serves you?"
This made Thales thought of what happened six years ago.
He thought of Dragon's Blood.
'No. I can't.'
Thales clenched his fists tightly.
'The Secret Intelligence Department must not know about Moriah.'
He could not go to the army and have them deal with this matter at the cost of destroying Saroma.
'Everything that happened in the Hall of Heroes that night must be kept an eternal secret. King Nuven is dead, Nicholas and Lisban must also shut up, as for King Chapman…'
Thales thought coldly.
No one can this secret again to create the second 'Dragon's Blood.'
Thales calmed down and grimaced. "Trust is a rare thing in this era, huh?"
Moriah's expression changed slightly.
"But why did you believe in me?"
He whispered and made the knife in his hand shift slightly, changing its angle on Thales' neck, but it was still pressed tightly against Thales' carotid artery.
"Because you have no other better options."
Thales slowly said, "Listen to me, Moriah. Leave now, as if nothing has happened. From this moment on, conceal your identity, hide from Lampard's claws and the Secret Intelligence Department's line of sight. At least, you will have freedom.
"I believe that's what you value."
This time, Moriah looked at him for a long time, but the pressure of the knife against Thales' neck did not relax at all.
Thales looked back at him, hoping that he would regain some form of rationality.
Finally, Moriah laughed.
"Hahahaha..."
His laughter was as cold as ice.
This made Thales feel tense again, right after he had, with much difficulty, relaxed his nerves.
But the terrible part was not Moriah's laughter. It was what he said next.
"You misunderstood, Your Highness."
Moriah said slowly and enunciated each of his words carefully, "I just asked…
"Why do you believe...
"That I am Moriah Walton?"
Thales was stunned for three seconds as soon as the man said these words.
'What?
'He said…'
Night in Blade Fangs Camp was rather quiet. The forts and houses blocked the wind and the sand. They also blocked the transmission of sound.
At this moment, the atmosphere in this small room was so quiet that it was terrifying.
Thales stared at his opponent incredulously.
"I don't understand," he said subconsciously.
Moriah snorted coldly.
"Of course you don't understand." The mercenary's gaze was sharp. "Just like the fish who was caught by a fishing pole doesn't understand why there would be bait on the hook."
Thales's hands trembled.
'Wait a minute.'
The prince cast a glimpse at 'Moriah', who had Thales' life in his hands, and felt a chill in his heart.
'No.
'No.'
He finally realized that he had made a fatal mistake.
"It's too obvious."
Thales murmured.
He stared at the 'Moriah' in front of him in a daze and remembered something crucial that he had neglected for a long time.
"It's too obvious. Your hair, your eyes, your mannerisms, your political views, your knowledge towards the orc language, including your skills with your axe, and your identity as a mercenary. Even your origins as a Northlander and your accent…"
Moriah's face revealed a creepy, cold sneer.
The Prince of Constellation stared at the mercenary in shock.
His brain spun to begin thinking of the things that he had not bothered to think.
He recalled the first time they met.
From that moment on, this excellent and outstanding mercenary led Dante's Greatsword in negotiating, fighting, and surviving in the complicated, vast desert. He lived an impressive life as a mercenary. and the mercenary's life has been vivid.
He was even… a little famous.
"It's too obvious."
Thales' pupils focused on the man. His heart raced, and his breathing quickened.
"You are a mercenary, running all over the peninsular all year round, rushing back and forth in a flamboyant manner… but you don't hide your skills. In fact, you show off your skills without fear." Thales shuddered due to his own thoughts.
"You are practically telling those few people who know that Moriah is still alive that the prince is here.
"This is not something that people who have been fleeing for years will do."
Moriah… no, Dean continued smiling.
"Your reaction after you were exposed... was also very strange.
"No, you are not him." Thales stared at the man before him, and his face turned pale.
"You are not Moriah Walton," he said in a dumbfounded manner.
He finished speaking.
The house was as quiet as before.
The moon was dim, and it shone on Dean's face, which made him look pale and gloomy at the moment.
Then, the first thing that broke the silence was his low, faltering laughter.
Dean's shoulders shook slightly, but his hand as he held the knife was as steady as ever.
The bald mercenary said faintly, "No, I am not."
Thales' breathing stopped for a moment.
"I just didn't expect that you would be so interested in Moriah." Dean held the knife in his left hand with a steady grip and whispered, "In the original plan, it would have taken me a little more effort and cost to get you out of the army with its heavy defenses."
Thales sucked in a deep breath. He did not even care that he might endanger his own neck if his range of movements was too large.
He could no longer care about so many things at this moment.
At this moment, his heart was filled with horror and remorse.
"Why?"
Thales's chest heaved. "Who are you?!"
Dean shook his head and sighed softly.
He bent down to get closer to Thales' face and used the knife to suppress his target's resistance. "At first, when I was sent to carry this task, I was full of confidence. Only the people with the most potential and ability could get the honor of going deep into the enemy's territory and get involved in their most profound and unpleasant secrets.
"I was to find the prince who was supposed to be dead for years."
