Kingdom's Bloodline, page 536
As Samel listened to all of this, he closed his eyes and turned his head away. Barney Junior, who had just overcome his trauma, stared at Zakriel. There was endless grief hidden in his eyes. The others were in no better shape.
An indescribable silence descended upon them again.
Thales chuckled. It was an indifferent and faint one. “My apologies. This is the last thing I can do for you.” He stared at Zakriel seriously. “At least, you do not have have bear through this alone again. You do not have to grit your teeth and pretend to be strong.
“At least, I can let them see the true you. I can let them understand and see just what sort of burden you have on your shoulders. You have suffered too much injustice, and had too many people misunderstand you. I do not want my death to also be part of the injustice you had to suffer.
“At least, I hope that from today onwards, there will be a little less cruelty and coldness in the darkness that you still have to continue to struggle against.”
Even though Thales said all these words, Zakriel merely continued to keep his head low like before. He kept his face buried beyond the light.
In the end, the teenager sighed when he felt a wave of dizziness hit him again. He quirked up a corner of his lips, snorted, and shook his head.
“So, yes, I am a calamity. That’s the end of the conversation.”
Zakriel seemed to have been struck dumb. The other people, too, kept quiet. Then, Thales sighed and spoke.
“Alright, now…” The teenager stared at Zakriel with a look as if he had been relieved of his burdens. “Let us put an end to this.”
The silence continued for nearly ten seconds. Eventually, Zakriel slowly raised his axe in the darkness. His hand moved very slowly. In fact, it was shaking… yet he still managed to lift it.
Thales closed his eyes quietly and waited for that moment to come. He did not have to wait long.
*Clang!*
The dull thud of metal clashing against metal rose up!
Barney Junior’s weak voice then came. “You know, if things are indeed as he said, then everything you did was futile.”
Thales sucked in a deep breath and opened his eyes. Barney Junior lifted the longsword he once attempted to use to commit suicide above him, and parried Zakriel’s axe.
The vanguard’s right arm was broken, and he was heavily injured. Therefore, he was currently using his left arm, which was in good condition, to fend against Zakriel… and he seemed to be struggling.
In front of him was Zakriel, his left arm already broken. They seemed to be fighting on equal footing right then.
Barney Junior cast a glance at Thales, who was as calm as ever behind him. He snorted. “You don’t have a legendary anti-mystic weapon, and you can’t kill him?”
In a corner where no one would notice, Quick Rope instinctively tugged his clothes while drenched in cold sweat. He tried hard to hide the crossbow in his bosom.
Zakriel still kept his head low and made sure his eyes were hidden in darkness. He gritted his teeth and forced words out of his mouth with considerable effort.
“He still isn’t a qualified calamity. The Intelligence Department has records about this. Before he takes the final step and brings great catastrophe, he can still be stopped.”
Thales smiled faintly. He sighed and nodded. “He might be right.”
But Barney Junior retorted unceremoniously, “I did not ask you, young prince.”
Thales’ face froze.
Barney turned his head around and faced Zakriel before he shook his head. “Records from the Secret Intelligence Department? Qualified? So what? You even need to take a test to become a calamity?”
Zakriel’s axe started to tremble. His tone had been unsteady to begin with, and right then, a hint of displeasure seeped into his voice. “This isn’t a joke! Move, you already know he is—”
But Barney Junior suddenly raised the volume of his voice. “So?! Based on what you said, the late king even slept with one!”
In his silence, Thales watched Barney Junior. He gritted his teeth, and felt his heart sink a little.
The vanguard’s arm quivered. The sword and axe that were intersecting each other in the air broke apart.
Zakriel fell silent.
He saw that, at some point, Beldin and Tardin had already fully-armed themselves behind Barney, and had arrived behind Thales. Canon and Bruley also followed closely behind them. They were all watching Zakriel with faces free of burdens.
The knight’s axe shuddered slightly.
“You don’t understand.” Zakriel’s voice was filled with conflicting emotions. “The Empire… the kingdom cannot fall into the same trap.”
Barney Junior snorted, looking as if he had returned to being the Chief Vanguard of the Royal Guards, and found every of aspect of Zakriel displeasing to his eyes.
“I know that even though you are heavily-injured, I will still be unable to hold you off.” Barney hissed in pain and lifted his sword again with great difficulty. “Besides… I am not in much better shape than you.”
Barney Junior raised his foot. With burning eyes, he took arduous steps towards Zakriel, until they were both face-to-face with each other. “But listen carefully, Zakriel.”
Zakriel did not move in the darkness, but his grip over his axe tightened more with each passing moment.
However, against all expectations, right when Barney Junior arrived before Zakriel, all his expressions suddenly fell away from his face, and he sighed gloomily.
“I’m sorry.”
At that moment, Zakriel, who was already prepared to fight, was stunned. “Barney, you…”
Barney turned his head around and stared at the ground. He spoke stiffly, as if he was talking to the air. “I have never acknowledged you, but today… ah…”
Zakriel did not speak. He only opened his mouth in slight surprise.
“I have to say, His Majesty and the old captain’s judgment is very accurate,” Barney Junior said unhappily, and in a self-deprecating manner. “You are indeed a much better watchman than I am.”
Barney Junior’s mouth was still agape, and after thinking over the words for a long time, he finally addressed Zakriel with THAT title,
“Commanding officer.”
Zakriel shivered a little.
“Also…” Barney Junior stared fixedly at the tiles under Zakriel’s feet, as though he did not dare to raise his head. Barney flipped over his sword and held it with his left hand in a reverse grip. He hesitated, but in the end, still raised his hand.
“…Thanks.”
In the next second, in a very awkward and bashful manner, he punched Zakriel’s right shoulder twice, swiftly and hesitantly.
*Thud, thud.*
There came two, dull sounds of a fist meeting a shoulder.
The fist left Zakriel’s shoulder right when it touched him, just like a dragonfly tapping on water-no, on venom. Because Barney Junior looked as though having a longer physical contact with Zakriel would claim his life.
Once he did this, Barney Junior heaved a long sigh, as if he had just completed the hardest task in his life. He turned around like he was fleeing from danger, and with three swift strides, returned to his original spot where he confronted Zakriel.
As Thales watched, he felt his lips quirk upwards.
“Alright, I repaid my debt.” The bashful and awkward expression on Barney Junior’s face disappeared. He stared at Zakriel coldly again. “Let’s fight.”
But Zakriel stayed rooted to his spot; he did not move. The upper half of his face, which he still kept in the dark, still seemed surreal. Then, another person moved past Barney and walked towards Zakriel.
To everyone’s surprise, this person moved his body against Zakriel’s right shoulder, stretched out his left arm, and seized Zakriel’s back in a gentle grip.
“This might be the last time we hug each other, commanding officer.”
Zakriel’s axe swayed slightly. Beldin pressed himself tightly against Zakriel’s right shoulder and patted his back gently. He said sobbingly, “Oh, Sunset Goddess, I really miss the days when I was under your command in the Discipline Division.”
At that moment, Zakriel’s shoulders trembled slightly. He sucked in a deep breath before he exhaled. The sound of the knight’s breaths grew louder.
“You should not have made me penal officer.” Beldin laughed brokenly. As his voice quivered, he turned his head around and tried his best not to look at Zakriel. “You know that I’m horrible… and I’ve never been good at my job.”
He patted Zakriel’s back with great strength, causing the latter to shake badly. Beldin shut his eyes, turned around, and returned to Barney’s side. He did not dare to look at Zakriel.
“I’m sorry, commanding officer.” Canon did not move forward. The scout wept and bowed his head. “That year…
“I’m sorry, it was us who ruined everything. It’s our fault…”
Zakriel exhaled in pain.
“Ugh wooo…” Beside Canon, Bruley let out an indecipherable sound. “Woo…”
“Ah, he’s probably saying that he regrets it greatly,” Tardin said with a sigh. He ignored Bruley’s grunts of protests and revealed his final, pale smile. “But… we’re the ones who dragged you and everyone else down, Commanding Officer Zakriel.”
Tardin stared at the corpses on the floor with a lifeless gaze.
“But now, at least, we can rest in peace beside the Emperor, just like those thirty-something idiots… We will be reunited.”
Zakriel’s axe shuddered even more violently.
“Heh…” It was Samel. “I may no longer be a guard, but I owe you thanks, commanding officer.” The Disaster Sword snorted softly. He made it seem as if he he did not care, but he did not realize that he was acting in the exact same manner as Barney Junior “It’s all thanks to you in the past that I managed to escape.”
For the first time, Zakriel opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but could not.
Samel sighed, and his voice became downcast. “And if it wasn’t because I fled, you wouldn’t have had to suffer the torment of solitary isolation. No matter what, I still owe you an apology.”
Samel looked elsewhere, gritted his teeth tightly, and closed his eyes. He said, “I’m sorry. I no longer feel any sense of duty as a guard, but… this child cannot die, so…” Samel shrugged. He did not continue speaking.
Zakriel did not react. The veins in his hand throbbed a little.
Right when Samel finished speaking, the guards sighed as though they just finished a colossal task.
Zakriel continued to remain quiet.
“Now…” Barney Junior lifted the corner of his lips, looked at Zakriel, and said, in a manner like he was relieved of his burden, “Let us settle this with a duel to the death.”
But…
“Wait…” A hiccup that did not quite fit into the atmosphere rose faintly. “I am… I’m also very sorry…”
Thales turned his head around, and right before his eyes, he saw Quick Rope rub his eyes while speaking dejectedly.
‘Huh?’
A second later, as the group stared at Quick Rope with strange gazes questioning why he was crying, Quick Rope reacted to the situation, and his face tensed up.
His sad expression instantly disappeared, and he instinctively took a step backwards, smiling awkwardly.
“Um… you know… it’s for the atmosphere, you know? Atmosphere…”
However, no one rebuked him this time, no one rolled their eyes at him, and no one stopped him, either.
On the contrary, Barney Junior, Tardin, and Beldin just turned around, dragged their weakened bodies, and, with their greatest resolve, stood beside Thales while they pointed their weapons at Zakriel to begin the final fight of their lives.
Chapter 464: Rebirth (Five) |
At that very moment, a deep, dejected, almost woeful laugh sounded.
“Hahahahaha…”
Everyone’s gazes gathered on Zakriel.
Zakriel lifted his chin, strode forward, and stepped into the space illuminated by the firelight.
Everyone was startled at that very instant.
The former Watchman of the Royal Guards, the formidable Knight of Judgment, Zakriel, was chuckling softly as he limped towards them.
But this was definitely not the reason that astounded them. It was uncertain when it happened, but at some point, Zakriel’s face had been covered in tears, despite the fact that he was tough and practically invincible.
“You are clever, Your Highness.” Zakriel’s voice was hoarse, and he was choked up. His chest heaved continuously. He glared at Thales with his reddened eyes. “…Too clever.”
He lifted his axe slowly. In reaction to that, the others instinctively got into a defensive formation.
“You knew that you would not stand a chance once I had my eyes on you in this dark dungeon, so you gave up on using force, stopped running or using your forbidden power. Instead, you resorted to using political methods.”
Thales was somewhat surprised.
Zakriel’s voice was rought and filled with despair and sorrow like that of a wounded man who had lost all hope.
“You knew about my relationship with these men, so you released them on purpose. You pit them against me, observed our fight, collected information, and sought opportunities as you lay in wait, prepared for our inevitable confrontation.”
One by one, he glanced at each member of the Royal Guards, studied the look in their eyes, and found that they were full of agony and conflicting emotions.
“Since the moment we met, you looked as if you had been fleeing helter-skelter. You appeared powerless, but in truth, you were forcing me to a corner step by step with a well and thought-out plan.
“You aggravated Samel, Barney, and Nalgi with your words in an attempt to look for the information you wanted, but you never asked them directly for it. In turn, they brought you closer and closer to the truth of the Bloody Year. Then, you found my weakness and the things I care about.”
As Zakriel spoke, he scanned his surroundings and gave an anguished bark of laughter with trails of tears on his face.
“I…” Thales opened his mouth and intended to respond, only to realize that he could not utter a single word.
*Clink!* There was a sharp clink.
Zakriel’s axe had dropped to the ground.
In that moment, under the astonished gazes of the others, Zakriel finally showed rare signs of fatigue and old age. He still stood alone, facing the rest just like before.
One man against eight.
‘But now…’ Zakriel looked up. ‘But now…’
The figures before him blurred, and his gaze eventually focused on the young, disheveled, but strangely calm individual who stood in front of him.
Zakriel gazed at Thales quietly and tearfully. He smiled an anguished, woeful smile.
‘Since when… did it become a duel?’ Zakriel sighed internally, then averted his gaze from his former colleagues.
They were no longer fugitives or criminals who were imprisoned for life. Once again, they had become the pride of the kingdom.
The Supreme Royal Guards of Constellation.
In that very second, for some unknown reason, Zakriel could not suppress the tears in his eyes, neither could he fill the void in his heart… he merely stared at Thales blankly.
‘If only he wasn’t a forbidden existence, this would’ve been wonderful.’ Zakriel swayed. He arduously regained his balance.
“You questioned and sought the truth earnestly, relentlessly, pushing them into a corner and forcing them to reveal their true selves. You dug out the most valuable details that you could utilize.” Zakriel spoke faster with each passing moment. His facial expression grew more solemn and despairing. “Then, like a savior, you granted them forgiveness and relieved them of their burdens in the name of Jadestar.
“More importantly… you became their spiritual pillar and bound them to you completely.”
Thales felt a pang of sorrow in his chest. He fought back the urge to look at the faces of the people around him. Zakriel took a deep breath, and, in his anguish, he stared at Thales, who had a complicated look on his face at that moment.
The Knight of Judgment continued dejectedly, “To them, you are no longer the prince they just met… You are a mourner of Nalgi and Naer, the pardoner of sinners, the consoler of prisoners; you are the Jadestar Prince they approve of, and the saint who risks his life to resolve the misunderstanding that surrounds me.
“If I kill you, I will destroy everything they have—their bodies and their minds.” Zakriel covered his eyes and tears. He let out a bitter laugh as he trembled uncontrollably, and said,
“Everything that happened seems to have happened naturally, as if it was only logical that they did. I can’t possibly find a single fault in it—hahaha.”
Thales sighed. “Zakriel—”
But the Knight of Judgment did not give him the chance to speak.
“Earlier on, when I was still the villain, I could beat them to a pulp without hesitation, then proceed to kill you.” Zakriel lowered his arm. The others tensed up at the ferocity of his voice. “I could bear their hatred as the villain from then on. I could live and die that way. After all, I have lived that way for eighteen years! Eighteen years!”
Zakriel growled. He swayed as though he was losing the strength to stand on steady feet. He fell back and leaned against the wall. There was an unbearable silence in the dungeon. Zakriel’s expression slowly turned gloomy.
“But the things you said earlier to defend me weren’t meant for me… They were meant for them.”
Zakriel raised his head and looked at each of his colleagues. For some reason, each man who met his glance felt an indescribable pain in their hearts.
“You cleared my name. You made them revere me once again. More importantly, you turned their emotions towards me into a weapon against me.”
The Knight of Judgment’s voice became even more anguished. It began to sound like a plea.
“Because you knew… And thenceforth, when I look at their faces and no longer see their hatred towards a traitor, but the apologetic and respectful look towards a commander…”
