Kingdom's Bloodline, page 560
Tardin gave him a look with a troubled expression. “You know… a woman.”
Clueless, Thales blinked. Before he could answer, Tardin threw Quick Rope over his shoulder forcefully and started jogging towards the Royal Guards’ group!
“My good nephew Wya, eh? It’s been a long time since we met. Come, let me take a good look at you!”
“Ahhh, you’re my un-uncle? Am I right? No, no, no, uncle, please don’t do it!”
As they went further away, Tardin’s furious yelling and Quick Rope’s anguished wailing rose and fell in succession. Thales watched dumbfoundedly.
He then understood something, and the prince laughed. He suddenly realized that the Royal Guards in the distance were split into two groups: One group consisted of members like Barney Junior and Beldin, who rushed towards Tardin and Quick Rope with unpleasant expressions on their faces; the other group was Zakriel, who moved about alone on the sand, going further away under the morning sun, and he never looked back.
They seemed like two lines that stemmed from the same vertex, and they drifted apart in different directions and would never meet again.
Thales sank into deep thought.
In another direction, the mercenaries from Blood Whistle started to leave. Before Ricky left, he gave Thales a profound gaze, which startled him. ‘That man…’
*Whoosh!*
At that instant, a sharp screech different from the ones before rang in the sky!
“On guard!”
The cavaliers in the distance got into action immediately; they equipped their weapons, got on their horses, and got into their battle formations.
Thales could not help but become nervous. The Legendary Wing frowned.
A cavalry courier who rode towards them from afar said, “Put down your guard! Those are allies”
The extremely nervous cavaliers then let down their guard and became at ease again. However, soon after that, two horses drew closer from the direction where the sharp sound came from.
Thales was puzzled to see the two fast horses. The two men on the horses were lightly-armored and did not look like soldiers. But in the next second, the voice that traveled from the horse caused his expression to change drastically.
“This is the kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Department!”
The man on one of the horses rushed over, holding a scroll up high. He stared at the men who were moving away from the sand dune in different directions, and spoke in a tone that was filled with rage and indignation, “In the name of King Kessel and Lord Morat Hansen, all suspects and targets present… must not leave!”
Chapter 483: Make me Even More… Excited |
‘Sh*t. King Kessel and Lord Hansen… The kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Department?’
Thales clenched his fist subconsciously and glanced in the direction where the Royal Guards were. They became smaller as they moved into the distance.
Perhaps it was the mention of the king, or the frightening reputation of the Secret Intelligence, but once the cavalier’s voice traveled into the air, a hubbub broke out among the hundreds of cavaliers under Roman’s command—including the watcher at the perimeter and the men on standby.
The two cavaliers of the Secret Intelligence Department drew closer, but there were not just the two of them; a dozen men followed behind and rode towards them.
As soon as Thales realized what was going on, his face paled. He turned towards Roman, who stood in the distance.
“Hey, pretty bo-I mean, Williams!” he shouted. His voice was filled with panic. “Maybe I can stall them with my status as the prince…”
But Roman reacted faster than he did. “What are you panicking for!”
The Legendary Wing sat on the back of his white horse in a dashing and assured manner. His earring swayed as he spoke. With a kick to his horse, he rode forward. He then bellowed in rage as he gave orders to the subordinates around him and managed to suppress the air of unease among them. “Do what you are supposed to do!”
Roman approached Thales slowly and shot him a glance. Thales was startled. At this moment, there was an air of menace about the Legendary Wing. He had a dark look on his face, as though he was about to explode in anger.
“You will do the same,” he said coldly from the back of his white horse.
The teenager nodded instinctively. Roman then raised his head and looked at the group of knights who approached them.
More than ten seconds later, the dozen members of the Secret Intelligence Department arrived before Thales on horseback, and they skilfully dismounted from their horses.
The man in the lead was the one who held the scroll. He appeared a little plump, and looked rather comical from a distance. He was dressed in thin clothing and wore a scarf—an attire commonly seen in Western Desert. He panted heavily.
The second man had a tough, angular face and a pair of sharp, bright eyes. He rode on the horse calmly, but for some unknown reason, Thales thought that his upper lip and left cheek were slightly red as though they were tinged with lipstick or blush.
The cavaliers behind them were men of varied appearances in different outfits—they were dressed like merchants, mercenaries, farmers, or nomads.
‘So, they are the… Secret Intelligence Department?’ Thales was on guard.
The plump man who led the rest was the first to trod on the sand, though he did so with difficulty. He tried to lift the scroll in his hand a little higher.
“This is a warrant from Lord Hansen, with His Majesty’s signature to validate the warrant…”
He had a heavy Western Desert accent. Meanwhile, the calm and tough-looking man behind him began closely eyeing the teenager who stood behind the Legendary Wing.
Thales looked at the warrant allegedly sent by the Black Prophet while feeling troubled. He secretly hoped that the former Royal Guards were running as fast as they could away from here.
After all, neither they nor Quick Rope were people who could exist within the field of vision of the Secret intelligence Department.
‘As for the situation here… Hopefully, pretty boy and I can keep stalling these people.’
Roman snorted softly. He got off his horse in a swift yet elegant manner and casually took the scroll from the plump man. “So, who the f*ck are you?”
Contrary to his handsome looks, Roman’s tone of voice was indifferent, and his choice of wording was vulgar. He did not intend to be friendly and welcoming.
The tough-looking man and the plump man were both stunned. The other members of the Secret Intelligence Department, who were waiting behind them, reacted to his words with varying expressions on their faces.
“Williams…” The plump man appeared to be suppressing his impatience. When he finished saying Roman’s name, he suddenly remembered something and quickly added his title, “Baron Williams, sir.”
Roman studied him with a sideway glance.
“I am one of the agents from the Secret Intelligence Department who is stationed in Western Desert. You may call me Gamus.” Gamus adjusted his breathing, clenched his teeth, and gestured to the tough-looking man behind him. “We have met a few times while planning this operation, perhaps you no longer remember me. This is my superior…”
But Roman’s next move shocked everyone, including Thales. The Legendary Wing unrolled the scroll from the Secret Intelligence Department with an indifferent attitude. Before he even looked at it…
…he calmly tore it in half.
Gamus, his superior, and the dozen other members of the Secret Intelligence Department scowled deeply. Thales raised his eyebrow and lowered his head slightly. He had a bad feeling about this.
“I know who you are.” The Legendary Wing’s gaze was cold as he continued to tear the scroll into smaller pieces callously, right in front of all the members of the Secret Intelligence Department. He said coldly, “What I meant was… Who the f*ck do you think you are?”
The expressions of the two leaders of the intelligence group members froze. The Legendary Wing continued to tear the scroll four or five more times until the warrant from the Secret Intelligence Department was ripped to countless shreds. He scattered the pieces all over the ground as he sneered.
“How dare you come all the way here… to order me around?”
Pieces of the warrant flew in the air and fell on the ground before they blended with the sand.
‘Holy sh*t.’ Thales stared the ground full of paper shreds with a complicated expression. ‘Is he allowed to be so arrogant?’
The Legendary Wing looked at the members of the Secret Intelligence Department with disdain. There was a dangerous look in his eyes. The members of the Secret Intelligence Department stared at the pieces of paper on the ground for a moment before they turned their gazes on Roman. Their eyes were filled with hostility.
“It had His Majesty’s signature on it…” After witnessing Roman’s disrespectful behavior, Gamus’ breaths quickened. He clenched his fists, and his cheeks trembled with rage.
Just as Gamus was about to lose his temper, his superior placed a hand on his shoulder from behind him. “Am I correct to assume that you are Prince Thales?”
When his name was mentioned, Thales’ gaze flickered.
The tough-looking man was taller than Gamus by half a head. There was a machete that was commonly seen in the desert dangling from his waist. He tugged Gamus back, took a step forward, and bowed. The members of the Secret Intelligence Department behind him, including Gamus, bowed as well.
“Your Highness, we are pleased to finally meet you. I am Norb, the superintendent of Western Desert division of the kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Department.” Norb’s voice was somewhat raspy. Despite the hint of Western Desert accent in his voice, Thales understood everything he said clearly. Moreover, the latter recognized that the former appeared to have originally come from the Central Territory; he could tell based on his choice of words and speaking habits.
Thales drew in a deep breath.
‘Damn it. The Secret Intelligence Department… it’s them again. Worse still, he is the superintendent of Western Desert division…’
“Um, hello?” Thales puffed out his chest and raised his head. He tugged at the tears on his clothes awkwardly. He turned the bruised part of his face away from the light to try and preserve his dignity as a prince.
Norb, who appeared obviously more composed than Gamus, raised his head and said politely, “Your Highness, welcome back. As it appears, the rescue mission carried out by my colleagues in Northland has been successful.”
‘Very successful.’ Thales rolled his eyes in his heart.
The man named Norb then said with a sharp look in his eyes, “But for the good of the kingdom, I have a few simple questions—”
‘Simple questions… Sh*t. What will he ask? Will it be about the escapees from the Prison of Bones behind the sand dune?’
Just as Thales was racking his brain for a way to deal with the members of the Secret Intelligence Department in front of him so that they would not notice the retreating figures in the distance—Roman grabbed him.
“Kid, get behind me.” The Legendary Wing interrupted Norb. “Let the adults speak.”
His action made the expressions of the two members of the Secret Intelligence Department change again. If they were in a different situation, Thales would perhaps be annoyed by Roman’s tone of voice. But this time, he was genuinely grateful for Roman’s interruption, which had saved him.
Thales put on a sickly expression of someone who just escaped from a great disaster to excuse himself from the conversation and took a few steps back. He let Roman go up against Norb from the Secret Intelligence Department.
Norb’s expression was a little dark, but he still bowed politely.
“Sir Williams, we appreciate your efforts to retrieve the prince, and once again, make a great contribution to the kingdom.”
Unfortunately, his politeness was met with indifference.
“If you have something to say, say it.” the Legendary Wing snorted.
Norb’s expression froze on his face. Gamus, who stood behind him, frowned in anger. However, in that very second, Gamus seemed to have seen either the Royal Guards or the Disaster Swords leave, and his expression changed. He pointed at the group of people who were retreating into the distance on foot and gave an order to his subordinates behind him.
“No, Norb, those people are escaping! We must stop them first—”
The members of the Secret Intelligence Department were clearly well-trained. Before Gamus finished, they hopped on their mounts at once, jerked at the reins, and were ready to chase after the escapees.
Thales felt shock. ‘Damn it! Regardless of whether it’s the Royal Guards or the Disaster Swords they spotted… I need to stop the Secret Intelligence Department first.’
Just as he was prepared to step forward and stall them by using his rank, the Legendary Wing waved his hand suddenly.
*Clomp, clomp…*
In the next second, the sound of countless hooves thudding against the sand echoed at once!
Norb and Gamus’ expressions changed, and they looked back instinctively.
They saw hundreds of cavaliers under Roman’s command ride towards them, and they were as fast as an ocean wave.
With savage expressions on their faces, the cavaliers formed a loose yet obvious hoop within a few seconds as they rode in circles, surrounding the members of the Secret Intelligence Department with a distance of a few dozen feet between them. They pulled out their blades and swords, and nocked their bows.
They were murderous.
*Clomp, clomp…*
The sound of hooves thundered. Clouds of sand dust unfurled and rose into the air. The members of the Secret Intelligence Department were alarmed, and they tightened their hold on their weapons instinctively.
“Your Grace?” Norb looked at Roman in disbelief.
The latter gave a cold snort. “The only person who has the right to give orders around here is me. Have I made myself clear?” The Legendary Wing put down his hand and stared coldly at the men in front of him.
Gamus was startled. He immediately clenched his teeth and said, “No, you are…”
But Norb reached out and held Gamus back again. He bowed and lowered his head. “Your Grace, we do not mean to offend you, let alone interfere with your command.
“However, the Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Department has a number of questions regarding the joint operation tonight.” Norb’s tone of voice was humble and polite, as if he had realized something.
Roman shot him an indifferent glance, and he turned to look at the camp, from which smoke still rose in the distance. “Questions? So, are you going to interrogate me?” he asked softly.
Norb forced a smile. “No, we just want a discussion with you.”
Norb seemed to worry that Roman would not believe him. Hence, he immediately turned his head around and gave his subordinates an order. “Everyone, dismount and move back.”
Under the hesitant and nervous looks of his subordinates, Norb smiled and said, “We just need some space and time to talk to the baron in private.”
Other than Gamus, the other members of the Secret Intelligence Department exchanged glances, but in the end, they got off their mounts. They tugged at the reins, retreated, and kept a safe distance between them and the four people.
The Legendary Wing’s cavaliers promptly changed their battle formation, divided into dozens of units, and closed in. They watched them, as if they were monitoring them, while they waited for the members of the Secret Intelligence Department to lead their mounts a distance away.
Norb gazed back at Roman with a serious look in his eyes. He seemed to be waiting for the latter to do something. The Legendary Wing let out a snort before he finally raised his right arm and made a gesture.
*Clomp, clomp…*
There was a drastic change in the sound of the stomping hooves again. At last, the cavaliers who surrounded the members of the Secret Intelligence Department, shoved their blades and swords back into the sheaths, put away their arrows from their bows, and slowly retreated.
The cloud of sand dispersed, and the desert fell silent once more. The tense atmosphere became relaxed as well.
“F*ck, those people, f*ck…” Powerless, Gamus glared indignantly after the mercenaries and the Royal Guards as they moved further and further away. He struck himself in the thigh furiously.
Thales, too, sighed in relief without his own knowledge.
When Norb, who had maintained his composure all the while, saw that the conflict had been settled, he nodded. “Your Grace, according to our original plan, we aim to ‘reinforce’ the loyalty and submissiveness of Western Desert nobles to the crown during the disaster in Blade Fangs Camp.
“In the meantime, we will use the illusion that the camp is without a government and can be exploited to set up a trap, lure, and instigate the ill-intentioned forces who aim to benefit from the disaster and take control of the camp. We can use this opportunity to capture them all and clean up the Western Frontline. Norb stared at Roman calmly with sharp, keen eyes. “Of course, you are the key figure and the commander of this operation. The Secret Intelligence Department is just here to assist you.”
Thales tugged at his luggage as he listened to their exchange. ‘I knew it.’
But Roman merely narrowed his eyes and responded with a hum, “Mhm.” He had a relaxed expression, and his stance was awe-inspiring.
Clearly, Gamus the plump man was rather displeased with the Legendary Wing’s arrogance, but Norb was completely unaffected. He continued, “However, after setting up traps and waiting for half a night, except for some unimportant individuals, we only caught a Northland noble at the entrance of the Prison of Bones, and he claimed that he had met King Kessel and was entitled to diplomatic immunity.”
His voice was filled with dissatisfaction.
Thales furrowed his eyebrows deeply.
It was Lasalle.
He represented… King Chapman.
“We also intercepted a tavern owner who has a lot of interesting connections and serves as the middleman between employers and mercenaries. Your Grace, we certainly believe that after we finish roughing up Tampa, the mercenary groups who had long settled down and have a firm footing in the camp would learn to behave. Your governance of the camp will be more stable and smoother.”
