Kingdom's Bloodline, page 520
Upon hearing his answer, his father crossed both of his arms over his chest behind the desk. His armor let out light tinkling sounds as he leaned back against his chair. His gaze sparkled, an awe-inspiring might born from years of nurturing showed up in his eyes.
This made him slightly uneasy. It had been a long time since he talked about affairs concerning his home with his father, without the presence of a third party.
Nonetheless, his father did not frown, and there was no trace of displeasure on him either. It appeared that his father had long been prepared for his answer.
“What your grandmother means is if something happened to your cousin… there has to be someone who will inherit the family’s fiefdom and title,” his father whispered.
This made him furrow his brows.
‘Fiefdom and title…
‘Need to be inherited…’
He instinctively frowned before he snorted lightly. He tried hard to suppress the disdain in his words.
“They wouldn’t be so kind. What about the conditions?”
His father’s expression was still the same as before. Perhaps his job, which he had carried out for many years, made him a very inexpressive person. But there was also a possibility that the man simply knew him too well.
His father said faintly, “The condition is that you have to marry your cousin’s wife after your cousin’s death, who so happens to be your grandmother’s granddaughter as well.
“Give birth to her heir and maintain the relationship between the two families.”
‘Marry… my cousin’s widow?’
When he heard this, he raised his eyebrows slightly. He was satisfied that he found a reason to be disdainful about the situation.
‘As I thought.’
“I understand.” He also crossed both of his arms. There was slight contempt as he spoke in a nasal tone.
“Tell them I won’t go back.
“Let them go to hell.”
His father nodded in the face of his refusal, completely expecting it. It was as if he had not just refused the inheritance of a noble title but simply said something like, “I’m not going home to eat tonight.”
His father’s gaze shifted to his finger. It was bandaged.
This time, his father frowned.
“Are you still practicing that sword style?”
He subconsciously put his arms down, but before he hid them behind his back, he changed his posture and very naturally placed his hands on the armrests.
He nodded and tried to answer in the most nonchalant tone.
“Yes.”
But his father’s brows did not relax. Instead, his frown tightened.
“Do you think you have a chance to defeat him in the next Cavaliers’ Tourney, or at least be well-matched in strength to not be at a disadvantage?”
This sentence made his heart tense.
‘Defeat him.
‘Defeat him.
‘Him!
‘That’s right. I will defeat him just like that! Just like the Northlander did!’ He wanted to say this in a confident, relaxed, and composed manner.
He did not know why, but he changed his mind the moment before he said those words. His tone was a little downcast.
“We will know when the time comes.”
His father went silent for a while, but his eyes were still fixed on him.
This made him very uneasy.
“I think you should know that being skilled is not the only standard during the selection of the watchman,” his father slowly said. The frown on his face not disappearing.
An ominous feeling rushed into his mind. He could sense that something bad was about to happen.
He changed his posture stiffly.
“I know.”
His father continued to stare at him unmovingly.
“But even so, your hopes in obtaining the position of watchman are not high, considering your competition.”
He felt as if there was a string in his heart, and it had been stretched taut.
“Zakriel’s martial arts is the best and is deeply trusted by His Majesty. Nolanur has the support of the entire Northern Territory along with a shield known as his good personal relationships. Tony is regarded favorably by Captain Cullen, and Cox’s skills in commanding armies during war as well as his experiences are deeply appreciated by Prince Horace. He has been recommended by the prince himself.
“They are all popular candidates.”
His father looked intently at him. Everything he said was well-known facts to all. All his father’s words were branded into his heart as if a seal had been stamped in him.
“But you only have me, your father.”
He was unsure if he imagined it or not, but when his father said those words, he seemingly heard his father exhale gently through his nose.
He was a little frustrated. His father’s gaze forced him to look away and stare at something else.
“I know.”
However, it seemed that his father was not ready to let him go.
“There usually won’t be multiple people from the same family who will take over important positions among the guards, especially the position of vice-captain and watchman.”
His father sounded dejected, but it was barely noticeable.
“You’ll very likely lose.”
His breathing paused for a moment, and it took a few seconds before it slowly recovered.
“I know,” he said with some difficulty.
His father finally averted his gaze and looked at the door to the night shift break room.
“But you still stubbornly want to give it a try?”
Somehow, even though he was frowning as he faced his father who was acting in that manner, he felt relaxed. He could not describe the feeling in detail.
“Yes.”
He put his arms down and remained still for a few seconds before he finally sucked in a breath and answered, “I have to give it a try.”
This time, his father was quiet for a long period. Even the atmosphere in the night shift break room, which had never been very relaxed to begin with, became solemn.
His father remained silent for so long that he frowned and started to wonder if he should interrupt the silence to take his leave…
“You know, the Royal Guards isn’t just a group of guards protecting the king by his side. It is a contract, a belief, and a tradition.”
His father slowly exhaled but did not look at him. Instead, the man looked at the wall of the night shift break room.
There on the wall was the duty roster with the names of the guards: Cullen, Arunde, Barney, Tardin, Gales, Talon, Dagestan, Novork, Godwin, Kenney, Javea, Nalgi…
He did not know why his father wanted to bring this up, but there was a pretty profound look in his father’s gaze.
“Since the era of the King of Renaissance, noble families who had power in their hands sent their descendants, whether it’s their eldest son, their second son, children from the main family, or children from the branch families to guard the king by his side. These descendants cultivated their family’s relationship with the Royal Family and won over the trust of Renaissance Palace. The king also took the opportunity to maintain a tacit agreement with the vassal families so that he could make sure his influence over his subordinates’ fiefdoms remains.”
His father sighed. His voice sounded a little unusual. It was slightly less firm and a little more resigned than usual.
“In some sense, for hundreds of years, the Royal Guards was a miniature version of the kingdom’s territory. The rise and fall of the Six Great Clans, the Thirteen Distinguished Families, the Seven Jadestars Attendants, the new nobles, and all noble families, no matter their size, are all reflected in the Royal Guards.”
He frowned intensely. He had a feeling that his father was acting a bit odd today.
His father had always been very strict since he could remember.
He never… spoke in such a grave tone.
“Commanding Officer.” He frowned and looked at his father. Subconsciously, he called out to his father with the title he had become most accustomed to.
“What do you want to say exactly?”
It seemed that his father snapped back to his senses when he called the man “commanding officer”. His father paused for a moment.
When his father spoke again, the man had reverted to the firm commanding officer he had grown accustomed to.
“I know that your impression of the family is not good, and your relationship with your cousin is not good.”
His father stared at him again and sat up straight. His tone was stern.
“But if you go home, get a promise from your grandmother and cousin, and let His Majesty know that you would likely inherit your cousin’s title and fiefdom…”
His heart went cold.
‘This again?
‘Inheritance?’
His father continued to speak. With an expressionless face, he told him his entire plan.
“Then His Majesty will look at you in a more favorable light when he considers the candidate of the watchman. I think he is more willing to have a guard and close vassal he can see every day, as well as someone who is loyal to him to serve as the person who will help him manage the kingdom.
“I can even resign and retire, which may increase your chances.”
‘Is that so?
‘As long as we do this, and I just accept it… my chances will rise.’
He sighed quietly.
Faint disappointment rose in his heart.
They had been father and son for many years. While they were definitely not the model of what father-son relationships should be… but at least, he thought that his father would share his thoughts regarding the land, those memories, and the ways of the world.
‘But…’
“Do you really want me to go back and inherit the family title and land?” he asked quietly.
He sounded cold, distant, and hostile. His tone even shocked himself.
However, he did not want to push these emotions back down. Instead, he let them fester in him gradually and turned them into cold, bitter words.
“You want me to go back and take over the so-called ‘family’ that forced us to leave home, which resulted in my mother’s death while we were on our way here, and cause my sister to die because we did not have medication?”
His snorts were so cold that it felt as if someone had brought an early winter to the world.
It was so cold that it caused his father to suddenly turn into a terrifying ice sculpture.
His father’s aggressive eyes were the only thing left that was not frozen on him.
“It has nothing to do with them,” after a long time, his father replied stiffly.
“Then, what is it for?” he replied unceremoniously.
“If it has nothing to do with them, why do you want me to be involved? Why don’t you just go back and inherit the title yourself, marry that young and beautiful woman, become the good son of my grandmother and the good vassal of His Majesty?”
*Bang!*
A loud noise rang.
He silently watched as his father’s fist slammed against the armrest.
The atmosphere became tense and oppressive.
He found out that they were both slightly panting.
His father was staring at him coldly in the same manner he did hundreds and thousands of times in the past. It was the gaze used by commanding officers when they trained new recruits. He felt as if his father would take out the whip in the next moment.
But this time, he lifted his head, puffed out his chest, and stared into the commander’s eyes without backing down.
After a while, his father forced out a word through his teeth while his cheeks twitched.
“Because you are of my blood.”
His father exhaled.
Somehow, his father’s face no longer looked as tense. He calmed his breathing and even averted his gaze, a sight that was rarely seen.
“I think this is for you to decide yourself, my son,” his father said rigidly.
He trembled slightly.
‘Son?
‘This is really strange.
‘This isn’t like him,’ he looked at his father in front of him and thought in his heart.
For many years, whether it was in public or private, his father, who was firm, unyielding, and methodical, had always called him by his name or title.
Since his mother passed away, his father had not called him his son for a long time.
‘My son?’
This stunned him momentarily, as he did not know how to react. Just like before, his anger was already boiling in him, but right then, he could not find anyone to vent his anger on.
In the end, he could only force himself to snort and turn his head away disdainfully.
“So we still can’t escape, right?
“Even if we’ve moved out of the family fiefdom, arrived at the capital, entered the Royal Guards, and been self-reliant for so many years…” He cast a glance at the duty roster schedule on the wall and said in contempt, “We are still like animals in the wilderness who run away in panic to avoid the rain. But no matter where we go, there are still dark clouds over our heads.”
His father looked at him silently and sighed. His tone was laden with fatigue.
“No, we can’t escape.”
The father and son pair was silent for a while.
“You have two choices. One, accept the conditions of your grandmother and cousin so that you can win a respectable title and fiefdom. You could become the next watchman, perhaps even the captain.” Finally, his father sighed and spoke again. Maybe it was because he had been staying up late, but there was an exhaustion in his voice, which refused to disappear.
“Or two, you can refuse—”
He interrupted his father’s words.
“I refuse, I do not care about the position and title.”
His answer was quick and decisive. He said iy in a manner that allowed no room for argument as he looked at his father without any intention of backing down.
“I won’t go back.
“I don’t even want to have anything to do with them.”
‘That so-called ‘family’ whose hearts are completely black,’ he thought coldly.
His father frowned. “Even if this means that you will likely lose the competition to become the Watchman of the Royal Guards, and for your entire life, you will only be a small—”
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation.
This time, his father stared at him for a long time.
A very long time…
During that period, his father’s gaze shifted several times, and the emotions in his eyes were unknown.
He stared back slightly into his father’s eyes. His gaze did not waver.
Finally, his father moved his gaze away.
“Very well.” His father snorted, and his voice was a lot more lively. “Don’t go back then.”
This made him quite surprised.
In his memories, when the two of them were angry, his father would never give up so quickly.
He could only cross both of his arms again and try to quench the fire as well as resentment he was unable to vent. He found the air on that day not suitable for him at all.
The two seemed to be slightly awkward in each other’s presence. They remained silent for a few seconds.
“All right.”
His father cleared his throat.
“Well then, you’ve finished submitting your report for today. You may leave now, Vanguard Quill Barney,” his father said indifferently as he sat up.
For a moment, his father’s expression turned cold again.
It made it hard for him to believe that the tired father who had just called him his son, and the current cold, indifferent, and serious commanding officer was actually the same person.
He stood up stiffly. He felt that he could finally find a place to vent the disdain and resentment, which had yet to completely disappear from him.
“All right, Vice Captain Quill Barney.” He also returned to using his usual tone. He cast a glance at his father before he left the night shift break room and closed the door coldly.
*Clack!*
The door of the night shift break room was closed with a bang, and Barney Jr. snapped out of his reverie. His mind also became clear again!
He gradually regained his consciousness and felt himself moving.
“Thank the Sunset Goddess, you are getting better. I thought we were about to lose you.”
It was Nalgi’s voice.
There was a touch of faint joy in his voice. He sounded vague like he was far in the distance. It did not seem real.
‘Lose me?
‘Am I still dreaming?’
Barney Jr. tried to blink, but he moaned in pain.
His eyes hurt, and when he opened them, tears flowed out. His ears were still ringing with a strange buzzing noise.
‘What happened?’
“Nalgi, let go of me…”
He opened his eyes while he withstood the pain, only to see blurred lights and shadows. He could vaguely make out a small team of several people who were fumbling about to move about in the light produced by torches.
And he was one of them. Nalgi supported him as they staggered forward.
“No, I don’t think you can stand on your own two feet now, Commanding Officer.” Nalgi sounded a little exhausted, and his footsteps were not very stable.
Barney Jr. shook his head hard. Although the ringing in his ears had not been relieved and his eyes were still in pain, his mind became a little clearer. He saw various vague images of Beldin’s back, overlapping with each other and swaying as he walked in front.
He remembered something.
‘The Prison of Bones, Zakriel, and…
‘The Alchemy Ball.’
“Where are we? Hell’s River?” Barney Jr. accidentally stepped on a stone and staggered.
A somewhat unfamiliar but also familiar teenager’s voice traveled into his ears from behind. He sounded like he had no strength left in him.
“Of course not.
“You have to take the boat to go to Hell’s River…”
Barney Jr. frowned and recalled a name from his slowly-recovering memories.
‘It’s him.’
Before he could turn his head around, the owner of the voice walked unsteadily towards him.
This made him slightly uneasy. It had been a long time since he talked about affairs concerning his home with his father, without the presence of a third party.
Nonetheless, his father did not frown, and there was no trace of displeasure on him either. It appeared that his father had long been prepared for his answer.
“What your grandmother means is if something happened to your cousin… there has to be someone who will inherit the family’s fiefdom and title,” his father whispered.
This made him furrow his brows.
‘Fiefdom and title…
‘Need to be inherited…’
He instinctively frowned before he snorted lightly. He tried hard to suppress the disdain in his words.
“They wouldn’t be so kind. What about the conditions?”
His father’s expression was still the same as before. Perhaps his job, which he had carried out for many years, made him a very inexpressive person. But there was also a possibility that the man simply knew him too well.
His father said faintly, “The condition is that you have to marry your cousin’s wife after your cousin’s death, who so happens to be your grandmother’s granddaughter as well.
“Give birth to her heir and maintain the relationship between the two families.”
‘Marry… my cousin’s widow?’
When he heard this, he raised his eyebrows slightly. He was satisfied that he found a reason to be disdainful about the situation.
‘As I thought.’
“I understand.” He also crossed both of his arms. There was slight contempt as he spoke in a nasal tone.
“Tell them I won’t go back.
“Let them go to hell.”
His father nodded in the face of his refusal, completely expecting it. It was as if he had not just refused the inheritance of a noble title but simply said something like, “I’m not going home to eat tonight.”
His father’s gaze shifted to his finger. It was bandaged.
This time, his father frowned.
“Are you still practicing that sword style?”
He subconsciously put his arms down, but before he hid them behind his back, he changed his posture and very naturally placed his hands on the armrests.
He nodded and tried to answer in the most nonchalant tone.
“Yes.”
But his father’s brows did not relax. Instead, his frown tightened.
“Do you think you have a chance to defeat him in the next Cavaliers’ Tourney, or at least be well-matched in strength to not be at a disadvantage?”
This sentence made his heart tense.
‘Defeat him.
‘Defeat him.
‘Him!
‘That’s right. I will defeat him just like that! Just like the Northlander did!’ He wanted to say this in a confident, relaxed, and composed manner.
He did not know why, but he changed his mind the moment before he said those words. His tone was a little downcast.
“We will know when the time comes.”
His father went silent for a while, but his eyes were still fixed on him.
This made him very uneasy.
“I think you should know that being skilled is not the only standard during the selection of the watchman,” his father slowly said. The frown on his face not disappearing.
An ominous feeling rushed into his mind. He could sense that something bad was about to happen.
He changed his posture stiffly.
“I know.”
His father continued to stare at him unmovingly.
“But even so, your hopes in obtaining the position of watchman are not high, considering your competition.”
He felt as if there was a string in his heart, and it had been stretched taut.
“Zakriel’s martial arts is the best and is deeply trusted by His Majesty. Nolanur has the support of the entire Northern Territory along with a shield known as his good personal relationships. Tony is regarded favorably by Captain Cullen, and Cox’s skills in commanding armies during war as well as his experiences are deeply appreciated by Prince Horace. He has been recommended by the prince himself.
“They are all popular candidates.”
His father looked intently at him. Everything he said was well-known facts to all. All his father’s words were branded into his heart as if a seal had been stamped in him.
“But you only have me, your father.”
He was unsure if he imagined it or not, but when his father said those words, he seemingly heard his father exhale gently through his nose.
He was a little frustrated. His father’s gaze forced him to look away and stare at something else.
“I know.”
However, it seemed that his father was not ready to let him go.
“There usually won’t be multiple people from the same family who will take over important positions among the guards, especially the position of vice-captain and watchman.”
His father sounded dejected, but it was barely noticeable.
“You’ll very likely lose.”
His breathing paused for a moment, and it took a few seconds before it slowly recovered.
“I know,” he said with some difficulty.
His father finally averted his gaze and looked at the door to the night shift break room.
“But you still stubbornly want to give it a try?”
Somehow, even though he was frowning as he faced his father who was acting in that manner, he felt relaxed. He could not describe the feeling in detail.
“Yes.”
He put his arms down and remained still for a few seconds before he finally sucked in a breath and answered, “I have to give it a try.”
This time, his father was quiet for a long period. Even the atmosphere in the night shift break room, which had never been very relaxed to begin with, became solemn.
His father remained silent for so long that he frowned and started to wonder if he should interrupt the silence to take his leave…
“You know, the Royal Guards isn’t just a group of guards protecting the king by his side. It is a contract, a belief, and a tradition.”
His father slowly exhaled but did not look at him. Instead, the man looked at the wall of the night shift break room.
There on the wall was the duty roster with the names of the guards: Cullen, Arunde, Barney, Tardin, Gales, Talon, Dagestan, Novork, Godwin, Kenney, Javea, Nalgi…
He did not know why his father wanted to bring this up, but there was a pretty profound look in his father’s gaze.
“Since the era of the King of Renaissance, noble families who had power in their hands sent their descendants, whether it’s their eldest son, their second son, children from the main family, or children from the branch families to guard the king by his side. These descendants cultivated their family’s relationship with the Royal Family and won over the trust of Renaissance Palace. The king also took the opportunity to maintain a tacit agreement with the vassal families so that he could make sure his influence over his subordinates’ fiefdoms remains.”
His father sighed. His voice sounded a little unusual. It was slightly less firm and a little more resigned than usual.
“In some sense, for hundreds of years, the Royal Guards was a miniature version of the kingdom’s territory. The rise and fall of the Six Great Clans, the Thirteen Distinguished Families, the Seven Jadestars Attendants, the new nobles, and all noble families, no matter their size, are all reflected in the Royal Guards.”
He frowned intensely. He had a feeling that his father was acting a bit odd today.
His father had always been very strict since he could remember.
He never… spoke in such a grave tone.
“Commanding Officer.” He frowned and looked at his father. Subconsciously, he called out to his father with the title he had become most accustomed to.
“What do you want to say exactly?”
It seemed that his father snapped back to his senses when he called the man “commanding officer”. His father paused for a moment.
When his father spoke again, the man had reverted to the firm commanding officer he had grown accustomed to.
“I know that your impression of the family is not good, and your relationship with your cousin is not good.”
His father stared at him again and sat up straight. His tone was stern.
“But if you go home, get a promise from your grandmother and cousin, and let His Majesty know that you would likely inherit your cousin’s title and fiefdom…”
His heart went cold.
‘This again?
‘Inheritance?’
His father continued to speak. With an expressionless face, he told him his entire plan.
“Then His Majesty will look at you in a more favorable light when he considers the candidate of the watchman. I think he is more willing to have a guard and close vassal he can see every day, as well as someone who is loyal to him to serve as the person who will help him manage the kingdom.
“I can even resign and retire, which may increase your chances.”
‘Is that so?
‘As long as we do this, and I just accept it… my chances will rise.’
He sighed quietly.
Faint disappointment rose in his heart.
They had been father and son for many years. While they were definitely not the model of what father-son relationships should be… but at least, he thought that his father would share his thoughts regarding the land, those memories, and the ways of the world.
‘But…’
“Do you really want me to go back and inherit the family title and land?” he asked quietly.
He sounded cold, distant, and hostile. His tone even shocked himself.
However, he did not want to push these emotions back down. Instead, he let them fester in him gradually and turned them into cold, bitter words.
“You want me to go back and take over the so-called ‘family’ that forced us to leave home, which resulted in my mother’s death while we were on our way here, and cause my sister to die because we did not have medication?”
His snorts were so cold that it felt as if someone had brought an early winter to the world.
It was so cold that it caused his father to suddenly turn into a terrifying ice sculpture.
His father’s aggressive eyes were the only thing left that was not frozen on him.
“It has nothing to do with them,” after a long time, his father replied stiffly.
“Then, what is it for?” he replied unceremoniously.
“If it has nothing to do with them, why do you want me to be involved? Why don’t you just go back and inherit the title yourself, marry that young and beautiful woman, become the good son of my grandmother and the good vassal of His Majesty?”
*Bang!*
A loud noise rang.
He silently watched as his father’s fist slammed against the armrest.
The atmosphere became tense and oppressive.
He found out that they were both slightly panting.
His father was staring at him coldly in the same manner he did hundreds and thousands of times in the past. It was the gaze used by commanding officers when they trained new recruits. He felt as if his father would take out the whip in the next moment.
But this time, he lifted his head, puffed out his chest, and stared into the commander’s eyes without backing down.
After a while, his father forced out a word through his teeth while his cheeks twitched.
“Because you are of my blood.”
His father exhaled.
Somehow, his father’s face no longer looked as tense. He calmed his breathing and even averted his gaze, a sight that was rarely seen.
“I think this is for you to decide yourself, my son,” his father said rigidly.
He trembled slightly.
‘Son?
‘This is really strange.
‘This isn’t like him,’ he looked at his father in front of him and thought in his heart.
For many years, whether it was in public or private, his father, who was firm, unyielding, and methodical, had always called him by his name or title.
Since his mother passed away, his father had not called him his son for a long time.
‘My son?’
This stunned him momentarily, as he did not know how to react. Just like before, his anger was already boiling in him, but right then, he could not find anyone to vent his anger on.
In the end, he could only force himself to snort and turn his head away disdainfully.
“So we still can’t escape, right?
“Even if we’ve moved out of the family fiefdom, arrived at the capital, entered the Royal Guards, and been self-reliant for so many years…” He cast a glance at the duty roster schedule on the wall and said in contempt, “We are still like animals in the wilderness who run away in panic to avoid the rain. But no matter where we go, there are still dark clouds over our heads.”
His father looked at him silently and sighed. His tone was laden with fatigue.
“No, we can’t escape.”
The father and son pair was silent for a while.
“You have two choices. One, accept the conditions of your grandmother and cousin so that you can win a respectable title and fiefdom. You could become the next watchman, perhaps even the captain.” Finally, his father sighed and spoke again. Maybe it was because he had been staying up late, but there was an exhaustion in his voice, which refused to disappear.
“Or two, you can refuse—”
He interrupted his father’s words.
“I refuse, I do not care about the position and title.”
His answer was quick and decisive. He said iy in a manner that allowed no room for argument as he looked at his father without any intention of backing down.
“I won’t go back.
“I don’t even want to have anything to do with them.”
‘That so-called ‘family’ whose hearts are completely black,’ he thought coldly.
His father frowned. “Even if this means that you will likely lose the competition to become the Watchman of the Royal Guards, and for your entire life, you will only be a small—”
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation.
This time, his father stared at him for a long time.
A very long time…
During that period, his father’s gaze shifted several times, and the emotions in his eyes were unknown.
He stared back slightly into his father’s eyes. His gaze did not waver.
Finally, his father moved his gaze away.
“Very well.” His father snorted, and his voice was a lot more lively. “Don’t go back then.”
This made him quite surprised.
In his memories, when the two of them were angry, his father would never give up so quickly.
He could only cross both of his arms again and try to quench the fire as well as resentment he was unable to vent. He found the air on that day not suitable for him at all.
The two seemed to be slightly awkward in each other’s presence. They remained silent for a few seconds.
“All right.”
His father cleared his throat.
“Well then, you’ve finished submitting your report for today. You may leave now, Vanguard Quill Barney,” his father said indifferently as he sat up.
For a moment, his father’s expression turned cold again.
It made it hard for him to believe that the tired father who had just called him his son, and the current cold, indifferent, and serious commanding officer was actually the same person.
He stood up stiffly. He felt that he could finally find a place to vent the disdain and resentment, which had yet to completely disappear from him.
“All right, Vice Captain Quill Barney.” He also returned to using his usual tone. He cast a glance at his father before he left the night shift break room and closed the door coldly.
*Clack!*
The door of the night shift break room was closed with a bang, and Barney Jr. snapped out of his reverie. His mind also became clear again!
He gradually regained his consciousness and felt himself moving.
“Thank the Sunset Goddess, you are getting better. I thought we were about to lose you.”
It was Nalgi’s voice.
There was a touch of faint joy in his voice. He sounded vague like he was far in the distance. It did not seem real.
‘Lose me?
‘Am I still dreaming?’
Barney Jr. tried to blink, but he moaned in pain.
His eyes hurt, and when he opened them, tears flowed out. His ears were still ringing with a strange buzzing noise.
‘What happened?’
“Nalgi, let go of me…”
He opened his eyes while he withstood the pain, only to see blurred lights and shadows. He could vaguely make out a small team of several people who were fumbling about to move about in the light produced by torches.
And he was one of them. Nalgi supported him as they staggered forward.
“No, I don’t think you can stand on your own two feet now, Commanding Officer.” Nalgi sounded a little exhausted, and his footsteps were not very stable.
Barney Jr. shook his head hard. Although the ringing in his ears had not been relieved and his eyes were still in pain, his mind became a little clearer. He saw various vague images of Beldin’s back, overlapping with each other and swaying as he walked in front.
He remembered something.
‘The Prison of Bones, Zakriel, and…
‘The Alchemy Ball.’
“Where are we? Hell’s River?” Barney Jr. accidentally stepped on a stone and staggered.
A somewhat unfamiliar but also familiar teenager’s voice traveled into his ears from behind. He sounded like he had no strength left in him.
“Of course not.
“You have to take the boat to go to Hell’s River…”
Barney Jr. frowned and recalled a name from his slowly-recovering memories.
‘It’s him.’
Before he could turn his head around, the owner of the voice walked unsteadily towards him.
