Kingdom's Bloodline, page 617
At this moment, before anyone could say anything, a mature female voice traveled slowly into their ears, along with the sound of high heels.
“Oh, is this what all of you call a martial arts lesson?”
The voice was clear and powerful.
Mallos widened his eyes!
When the Royal Guards heard this voice, they burst into an uproar before they strangely fell silent and turned around silently to face that person.
Doyle saw the newcomer’s appearance. He could not help cursed under his breath before he immediately snapped his mouth shut and hid behind Glover.
Thales turned around, and he was stunned too.
He stared at the area outside the field with a dumbfounded expression to look at the lady who walked leisurely toward him from the corridor. She was a mature, level-headed middle-aged woman with an elegant posture.
Compared to Gilbert and Kessel, she still remained elegant even after six years. She was charming, her hair was as dark as ink, and her eyes were as beautiful as a painting. The signs of age could be rarely seen on her except for some wrinkles.
Her high heels continued to strike against the floor powerfully and rhythmically. Regardless of whether she walked on stone, a lawn, ceramic tiles, or gravel, her pace remained the same as ever, and it never changed.
Thales stared dumbly at the woman.
He watched her pride and valiant gait, which had not been reduced, along with her unrestrained attitude and movements that showed freedom.
She lived however she wanted.
The members of the Star Lake Guards looked at one another at a loss, and they seemed to be hesitating.
However, they started to bow and greet her respectfully under Mallos’ lead.
But the black-haired lady pretended she did not see them. She totally ignored them. She just looked around and had her gaze fall on Thales for a moment before she looked away.
She snorted gently. “Look, what exactly is this crap that you are teaching?”
The Royal Guards felt awkward, but they strangely remained silent, and no one dared to answer her.
“Madam, perhaps you do not understand.” Finally, Mallos, who was their leader, lowered his head and coughed. “We are now investigating and collecting information about the Power of Eradication in His Highness. This is to help him…”
“Then, have you finished the investigation?”
The dark-haired lady tactlessly interrupted him, and she sounded impatient.
“How long do you still intend to beat him up?”
Mallos instantly found himself rendered speechless.
Flag Bearer Fuble, who was behind him, quickly came up to smooth the matter over. “In truth, we have some clues now, but we still need…”
But the lady interrupted him again.
“Oh, so all of you are serious about it.” She walked to the edge of the field and looked around at the people. Contempt flashed briefly in her eyes flashed briefly. “It was not actually you playing house?”
The guards stared at each other at a loss again.
Mallos remained silent for a few seconds. “Madam…”
But the middle-aged lady snorted coldly and interrupted him for the third time.
“You.” The dark-haired lady turned her head coldly and looked at Glover, who was baffled and pointed at himself.
“No, not you. I mean the one behind you.
“The heartbreaker from the Doyle Family. Do not think that I cannot see you just because you hide behind that tall man.”
Doyle walked out from behind Glover with a long face and forced himself to smile. “Madam…”
But the graceful dark haired lady just gave an order. Her voice was decisive, powerful, and not hesitant at all. “You, go up and practice with the prince.
“Do what your leader said. Investigate his Power of Eradication.”
Thales, who was immersed in his memories, felt slightly stunned.
Doyle’s expression also changed.
“What? Are you not willing?”
Doyle’s eyebrows twitched.
The lady said coldly, “So, is sparring with Prince Thales… an insult to your family?”
Doyle trembled when he heard that.
He dared not reply. He looked as if he had already accepted death as he walked to the battlefield with a muddled head like a puppet manipulated by a puppeteer by strings. He was about to grab a practice sword as he hoped that this nightmare would end soon when his beautiful wish fell through.
“Wait.” The lady’s voice rose languidly, causing D.D’s foot to freeze in the air. He dared not move. “Use your own sword.”
When these words were said, an uproar was heard among the Royal Guards!
Mallos’ expression changed repeatedly, and he seemed as if he could no longer retain his original indifference.
Doyle turned around in surprise and could no longer care about the fear in his heart.
“U-use… a r-real sword?”
The lady snorted through her nose. That snort even had a pitch. “What else?”
Doyle remained stiff where he stood.
“Hurry up. Draw your sword and go up against him with your life.”
The lady was seen to sweep her gaze over the guards with a cold look.
“Otherwise, you will be wasting your time investigating his Power of Eradication.”
Thales was shocked when he heard that, but he felt warmth at the same time.
‘As expected, even after six years, she’s still…’
Flag Bearer Fuble, who was behind Mallos, had a dark look on his face. He asked Procca, who rushed over from the back. “How did she get in?”
Procca had an anguished look on his face. He waved his hands in resignation and helplessness, “Commanding officer, did you know that she is His Majesty’s…
“In short, no one will dare to try and stop her in all of Mindis Hall, even our brothers.”
Fuble instantly found himself incredibly gloomy.
Thales took a deep breath and looked at Doyle, who did not even breathe loudly after he was lectured, and he took a step forward.
“Madam, I…”
However, at that moment he spoke, the first-grade female official of Renaissance Palace, his father’s lover, and the person who taught him the basics of his Northland Military Sword Style, Madam Jines Bajkovic interrupted him impatiently. “Shut up, brat.”
Thales was instantly rendered speechless.
“How many times have I mentioned in my letter? After you are back, I will test you with skills with the sword.”
Jines walked up to him and saw that Thales was almost at her height now. Her lips trembled a little, and her gaze began to become unfocused as tears pooled in her eyes.
But the female official soon turned her head around, and the tears in her eyes vanished without a trace. “And what are you doing now?”
Jines looked toward another side and said sternly, “Toy swords? Are you playing house? Are you still seven years old?”
Jines glanced at the twenty or so Royal Guards and spoke strictly, “Are you seven years old as well?”
Mallos, who led the Royal Guards, remained silent and said nothing.
“Why are you still daydreaming?”
Jines exhaled.
Once she looked as if she was done venting her anger, she turned to Doyle again. Doyle tried hard to pretend to be a stone pillar in the field. “Go D.D, fight with him with your sword until you see blood or until you figure out his Power of Eradication.”
Doyle trembled and raised his head. “I-I, Madam, this sword is passed down from my grandmother, and it cannot be simply used…”
Jines exposed him mercilessly. “Nonsense. How many times have I caught Old Doyle at Red Street Market when I was young?
“Your grandmother has passed away for a long time. Each time, it is your grandfather who comes out and pays for the bail!”
Doyle trembled when he heard that. He lowered his head and dared not make any sound.
Jines snorted coldly. She tapped against the ground with her high heels, and the sound can be heard clearly as she walked past every Royal Guard.
“How about you?
“You? Or maybe you?
“Use your real sword and spar with him.”
No one replied. They did not even dare raise their heads.
Jines snorted coldly and turned to the leader.
“If that is the case, we should have you go, Mallos.”
The female official said in contempt, “Are you not the loyal servant of His Majesty? The kind of servant who will kill anyone if His Majesty asked him too?”
Mallos remained silent for a few seconds.
In the end, the watchman took a deep breath.
“There is no need, Madam. Our task has been completed. We have already understood His Highness’s Power of Eradication.”
Thales was surprised when he heard that.
‘Understood?
‘What? Sin of Hell’s River? The Power of Eradication that Black Sword mentioned should not be shown to anyone?
‘He understood it just like that?’
“The martial arts lesson has ended.”
Mallos showed a stiff smile. “Madam, you may now provide His Highness with his etiquette lesson.”
“My colleagues and I will now take our leave.”
But Jines did not have the intention to let this matter end gracefully. “Oh, really? You understand just like that?”
The female official clicked her tongue and said, “You did not use real swords to cut him, and you managed to learn what his Power of Eradication is when this is not a real battle with real weapons?”
Jines pointed at Thales, and her gaze was cold. “What if you are wrong? Are you going to hit him again?”
Thales felt his heart freeze.
Mallos coughed. He seemed to be used to Jines’ habit of making things difficult for people.
The watchman said stiffly in front of the people, “Indeed, His Highness’ Power of Eradication is very strange, and there is no clear characteristic. There is also a very limited increase in his physical attributes.”
Jines narrowed her eyes.
Mallos looked up, and his gaze went straight to Thales. “But he managed to last through three battles.”
Thales sucked in a breath, and he also put on a puzzled expression.
The watchman said calmly, “Before he was injured, Procca was an elite in the Defence Division. The unique skills he uses in his counterattacks could even severely injure supreme class fighters.
“Even though he is in the Defence Division, but Jean was originally a police officer. The skills he learned in close-quarters combat from the streets are practical and effective. He is skilled in using unexpected ways to defeat his enemies.
“And Jonveled has only recently been switched from a penal officer to a vanguard. The biggest reason behind it is because his attacks are too aggressive.”
The three people mentioned moved slightly.
“But His Highness managed to last through his fights with them, and he did not lose too horribly,” Mallos said systematically.
The watchman schooled his face, and his gaze was like lightning. It was so sharp that it made Thales slightly uneasy.
“Your Highness, there is a very similar Power of Eradication to yours recorded in history.”
Thales was slightly shocked.
‘A very similar Power of Eradication recorded in history?’
He immediately remembered the example Ricky told him when he was still in Blade Fangs Camp.
Those people were seniors that Ricky mentioned had the Sin of Hell’s River, and they were also people who shouldered the mission of their generation.
But what Mallos said next exceeded his expectation.
“Two hundred years ago, a genius of matchless prowess in martial arts and combat appeared in the Jadestar Royal Family.”
‘Jadestar Royal Family?’
Thales raised his head in shock.
‘What…?
‘Did Ricky mention any Jadestars among those strange and fancy names?’
Mallos cleared his throat, and he spoke loudly before the attentive crowd, “That genius of the royal family Awakened to a rare Power of Eradication, and that power allowed him to struggle and survive in countless perilous situations. He could also narrowly escape death.
“It was just like Prince Thales’ power today. It had allowed him to last through difficult situations.”
Thales blinked.
‘Huh?’
Mallos nodded.
“In the end, that genius became a supreme class legend in his generation. His name spread through the lands, and he is famous even now.”
Jines frowned. “And he is…”
Mallos sucked in a deep breath, and he looked toward Thales. “Indeed, he is the romantic prince who lived freely. He fought through all of Western Peninsular, and he never ran into anyone who could serve as his enemy. He is a legend that lasts over centuries.
“Keira Jadestar.”
The watchman’s eyes shone brilliantly. “The people know him as Enemy of the Wolves.”
The crowd burst into commotion.
Thales was utterly dumbfounded.
‘The legendary prince, Keira Jadestar, Enemy of the Wolves?’
Mallos looked up, and he was stern as well as serious. He said softly, “And the Power of Eradication Prince Keira relied upon to become famous and shock the world is known as the Wrath of the Sea.”
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
During that instant, the entire training field descended into a fervor.
The Royal Guards quickly talked to each other. Some of them were excited and shocked, while some continuously looked toward Thales.
Jines fell into deep thought as well.
But the main character of the topic stood stunned to the ground.
‘The Wrath… of what now?’ Thales stuttered in his heart.
“I heard that the Northlanders arranged instructors for the prince, and he happens to be prince Horace’s murderer. The Northlanders intentionally used this to humiliate us.” Doyle had snuck back to Glover’s side, and he nudged his companion in shock. “By the looks of it now, did that murderer actually teach him seriously?”
While the crowd was in chaos, Mallos seized the chance to tactfully put an end to this. “My apologies, Madam Jines. That will be all for today.
“As for you, Your Highness, I will read up on information for when the Enemy of the Wolves was still alive.”
Mallos narrowed his eyes. “From now on, we will have an even more specific direction for your training.”
The watchman did not wait for their reactions. He just turned to the entire group of guards. “You may be dismissed now. Return to your posts.”
Mallos had a thought strike his head. “Unless… someone among you wants to talk about the old days with Madam Jines?”
Right when he finished speaking, the Starlake Royal Guards dispersed in an uproar. No one seemed to want to stay around any longer.
Mallos turned his head around and nodded slightly at Jines and Thales.
The female official snorted coldly, turned around, and walked forward.
“Why are you still standing around there daydreaming, brat? You still have a class!”
Thales shuddered, and he snapped out of his shock and puzzlement.
He turned his head around, and he jogged over without caring about his appearance or bearing so that he could quickly catch up to Jines’ high heels.
And while the teenager ran, he mumbled in his heart, ‘What’s going on? Over the past six years, aside from being pummelled brutally every single day while I sweat blood and cried while I grit my teeth to go up against Nicholas as well as think of ways to live under his large, terrifying, and savage shadow, what else did I do to make my Power of Eradication resemble the Wrath of the Sea so much?’
Mallos stared at Jines and Thales leave further into the distance while he remained in the training field that had soon become empty. His expression was slightly dark.
“And you, Procca. Send word.” Mallos called out to Procca, who was the last to leave.
“This time, we can be considered to still not be used to our duties, since we have just been established. But next time, even if His Majesty HIMSELF comes over…” Mallos’ way of stressing on the word “himself” made Procca instinctively nervous.
The watchman turned his head slowly around, and an abnormally solemn light sparkled in his eyes. “…My guards are not to allow him to enter without any obstruction and without sending any word to me, understand?”
Procca experienced a full-body shudder.
He suddenly had a feeling that the usually indifferent and relaxed Officer Tormond Mallos had disappeared at that moment.
Procca quickly nodded respectfully, turned around, and left.
Mallos stared at his back. His gaze was complicated, and his thoughts could not be read.
After a moment, the watchman turned to the only person left beside him.
“Hugo?” Hugo Fuble, the flag bearer of the duke’s personal guards, walked up to Mallos in an inconspicuous and obedient manner.
“Did you make a record of today’s training, including the prince’s Power of Eradication?” Mallos asked faintly.
“Of course.” Flag Bearer Fuble brought out a book, and his eyes suddenly gained a spark of wisdom. “The Wrath of the Sea. I also made a record of Prince Thales’ way of handling the fight as well as—”
But Mallos interrupted him. “A mutation.”
Fuble looked up with a puzzled gaze.
“Add one more line in your record,” Mallos said softly. His expression and tone gradually returned to the cold and indifferent tone he usually adopted.
“Prince Thales’ Power of Eradication is a rarely seen, mutated version of the Wrath of the Sea.”
Fuble blinked and frowned.
“As for the precise direction and characteristics of that mutation…”
Mallos exhaled, and his expression was as calm as water. “It is ominous.”
Fuble was stunned for more than a few seconds.
“Mutated. Ominous… Commanding officer, are you sure?”
He looked at his own notebook and said in puzzlement, “This is for Vice Captain Talon, and he will report it to His Majesty as well as… if our records are unclear and inaccurate…”
