Kingdom's Bloodline, page 653
At this, Doyle got a hold of himself and returned to the formation sheepishly.
“Indeed, it’s that slick and opportunistic old baron,” Vogel walked over to Mallos and said with a frown, “He can actually fight someone?”
A few servants hurried over to help guests affected by the altercation while trying to maintain order.
But in the next moment, the man dragging old Baron Doyle turned around and hurled two servants a few meters away!
“Oh Sunset Goddess!”
“Stop it you two!”
“Well done! Keep it up! Hit him! Us Northlanders support you!”
“Help him!”
“Stay back! There’s nothing to see here!”
Several guests of higher social status and virtue tried their best to maintain order and keep everyone back. The crowd retreated a little while still shouting.
Mallos and Vogel frowned.
Well, Thales did not know whether old Baron Doyle could actually fight someone.
But from what he could tell, the baron’s opponent could fight really well.
Doyle was a bundle of nerves.
“Pass it on: continue to stay on high alert,” Mallos commanded in hushed tones after receiving reports.
Obviously, Vogel was no longer in the mood to order Mallos around, and said in an equally serious tone, “Focus, pay attention to anyone suspicious. This would be a good time to fish in troubled waters—and keep the other dukes and nobles safe,”
“Send the emergency team over. I don’t care whether it’s a fight spawned out of jealousy or a drunken brawl, suppress it…”
But…
“No, Lord Talon,” Mallos stared at the two involved in the altercation, and interjected, “I recognize that gaze.”
His next words put everyone on edge.
“That’s the assassin.”
Thales was stunned.
“What?”
Doyle opened his eyes wide in shock, “My dad? Assassin?”
Doyle chuckled bitterly.
“Hehe, no, sir. Stop kidding. With his level of fitness, he can’t even take on my stepmother’s pet cat…”
But Doyle realized something mid-sentence.
He turned pale and looked towards the center of the banquet subconsciously.
“Ahhh no no no he’s killing him!” a high-pitched female voice shrieked!
“Blood! He’s bleeding!”
Thales only managed to see the flash of a blade. The crowd retreated once more.
In the next second, he was again surrounded by a swarm of royal guards, and could only hear the shouts from the crowd.
“Someone stop them!”
“Help!”
“Someone’s injured!”
“This isn’t necessary!”
Thales manage to open up a little gap and caught a glance of the situation outside from under Glover’s armpit.
“Don’t panic. We just have to stay at our posts and protect His Highness and the other nobles. Let the others deal with the incident,” Mallos ordered sternly.
“But sir, my father—” Doyle seemed to still be pleading anxiously.
At that moment, an angry and deep male voice broke the dreariness and reverberated throughout the banquet hall, “Silence!”
“I don’t want to hurt any of you!”
“Stay back if you don’t want to die!”
Thales was blocked by Glover and couldn’t see clearly, but the noise from the crowd ceased abruptly, then turned into murmurs.
“Sir, we should stop this immediately…” Doyle spoke again. He was extremely anxious. His footsteps could be heard right after.
Mallos shouted in exasperation, “Damn it, Glover. Stop him!”
The body in front of Thales eased away as he regained sight of what was before him: Glover grabbed Doyle by the waist to stop him rushing forward and knocked him over.
As for the banquet hall…
“What’s going on?”
Vogel looked towards the center of the banquet hall incredulously:
A young male noble was glaring with rage, his left arm seizing the bruised and trembling old Baron Doyle, his right wielding a razor-sharp short sword.
“Step back! All of you!” he warned.
The short sword continued to point towards the crowd around him as he turned.
Where the short sword was directed at, the crowd retreated little by little, until the open space grew bigger and only the baron and he were left.
“That sword…How did he get his hands on a weapon? All of us guests…”
Vogel was furious. He summoned his men.
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Mallos didn’t seem to care much about this ‘assassin’ from the other side.
The watchman turned around to assess Thales and discovered a disheveled duke with slightly messy hair, looking curious.
“What’s important is that he got it,”
Thales, who was ‘locked’ within the three-sided human wall blinked desperately as he watched this hostage-taking scene. “What’s this—let him up, Glover, stop holding him down.”
Glover got up, hoisted the begrudged-looking Doyle up and patted his shoulders.
In the hall, a few guests of relatively higher prestige came forward to persuade the young hostage-taker.
“Keep calm, mister…”
“No need to resort to violence…”
“Whatever your grudge, we can work it out…”
“Everyone, it’s such a pleasant day, shall we sit down and have a drink?”
As they spoke, two Mindis Hall guards took the opportunity and jumped the hostage-taker from behind in an attempt to subdue him!
But Thales saw the youth strike old Baron Doyle with the hilt of the sword, causing the latter to fall to the ground in pain, while the youth stood up again immediately!
Blades flashed.
Clang! Clang!
Clanging sounds could be heard as the youth’s figure streaked past the attacking guards. A guard fell to his knees in pain and was sent flying a few meters out with a kick. The other guard cried in pain, dropped his weapon and retreated as he held his bleeding arm.
At the sight of blood, the crowd exclaimed again.
After a split second, reinforcements arrived. Three guards wedged past the crowd but stopped just as they were about to swarm the youth.
“Another step forward!”
The youth grabbed old Baron Doyle by his collar and placed the short sword at his throat.
“And he dies.”
He looked unprepossessing, but his gaze showed extreme determination.
The crowd exchanged whispers and countless gazes focused on the scene, including the gazes of many important guests.
Only Thales furrowed his brows.
This guy, this ‘assassin’…
Looked familiar.
Mallos’ gaze turned grim. “This skill…”
Vogel, who witnessed the situation develop in disbelief, nodded. “Is impressive.
“And has flair.
“His posture looks good, the moves are delicate, and the angles are complex,” Mallos muttered, “It’s the ‘Rose’ sword style from the Tower of Eradication.”
“Skills from the Tower of Eradication… You mean,” Vogel’s expression was somber, “A foreign noble?”
Mallos nodded, “Possibly.”
At this moment, a shrill female voice screeched, “You despicable bastard!”
A noble lady with heavy makeup broke free from the crowd, raised a dinner plate and darted towards the assassin like a lunatic!
The guards and the hostage-taker were equally alarmed.
“I’m taking you on—”
The lady whacked the youth repeatedly with the dinner plate. The latter did not retaliate, but merely dragged the old baron along in retreat, cutting a sorry figure.
Until he could bear it no more, he roared in anger and hit her back, sending her tumbling two meters away.
The old baron cried out in alarm.
“You better stay back Lady Doyle,” the youth gritted his teeth as he held the sword firmly against the trembling Baron Doyle, “I’m not used to hitting women.”
Lady Doyle was embarrassed and in tears, but managed to pull herself back up and wailed, “If you want to harm my husband!
“You’ll have to get through me first!”
The youth gritted his teeth, while the captive baron exhaled in pain.
“Damn it, old woman. What use are you?” the old baron yelled, “Stay back!”
Lady Doyle was initially sitting on the floor weeping, but her expression instantly changed upon hearing these words. “What?”
“What did you call me?”
She looked ferocious.
Old Baron Doyle shuddered instinctively.
“What I meant to say was, dear, why don’t you take a few steps back,” the baron’s tone softened as he forced a smile behind the sharp blade, “Listen to him, back off, and protect yourself.
“Only then can I live.”
In that moment, hurried footsteps could be heard along with a furious male voice shouting, “Let him go!”
“Let my father go!”
Thales was stunned. He only just realized that Doyle had escaped Glover’s custody unnoticed, left the formation and rushed towards the banquet.
Towards his father!
Vogel frowned at Mallos, while the latter stared at an abashed Glover disapprovingly.
The banquet crowd exclaimed again; no one paid attention to the guards who were working hard to maintain order and evacuate the crowd.
Doyle dashed past the guards and unsheathed his longsword!
Clang!
The youth had no choice but to parry Doyle’s strike.
“Come at me and leave my father alone!”
Doyle swung his sword about in fury.
“You cowardly bully!”
This was the first time Thales had seen Doyle fight with a sword.
In contrast to his usual glib and lackadaisical impression, Doyle’s sword skills seemed upright, bright, and imposing.
His strides were steady, his movements were fluid, and his attacking and defensive stances were well-formed.
It took only two moves before the hostage-taker was forced to retreat.
“Your father?”
In those two seconds, the youth sneered as he defended himself.
“Your father! Bully? Hahaha!”
But it wasn’t a fair fight.
The youth kicked a wine glass towards Doyle. When the latter attempted to evade the glass flying towards him, the hostage-taker’s sword was already pressing against the old baron’s neck.
“Stay back, or I’ll kill him this instant!”
The youth shoved the baron in front of him to obstruct Doyle’s view.
His voice was trembling and was even more furious than Doyle’s!
Doyle was incensed; the knight’s sword in his hand quivered. “Ahhhh… Coward!”
But the youth did not flinch, and even yanked the old baron’s hair threateningly.
Instead, it was the old baron that spat in contempt.
“Kid,” Baron Doyle’s face was all bruised and he struggled to speak, “This is your dad’s business… Take your mother and leave!”
Doyle inhaled painfully, but in the end he lowered his longsword and retreated to help his stepmother up.
Thales could not help but speak up. “Lord Mallos, perhaps we should…”
But in the next moment, Mallos interrupted him coldly; each of his words oozed an unbearable frostiness. “You guys… go drag that idiot back here, even if you have to break his leg.”
Thales was at a loss for words.
The Star Lake Guards looked at each other. Three of them stepped forward and went over as commanded.
It was probably true that Doyle was fairly skilled, but two fists were no match against six. Procca nullified his resistance; Kommodore restrained his struggling; young Ness, who was the most direct, punched him in the gut, and followed it up with a second punch when the first one seemed ineffective.
Until the barely conscious Doyle, amidst his stepmother’s wailing, was dragged back into the guards’ formation by them.
In the distance, the dukes each had a different expression: Zayen seemed contemplative; One-Eyed Dragon seemed enraged; Duke Val seemed indifferent, and was even in the mood to pour himself a glass of wine.
A tier below, still in their seats, the Seven Jadestar Attendants who were directly under Central Territory jurisdiction were not as calm.
At the sight of a fellow Seven Jadestar Attendant being held hostage, Viscount Adrian worriedly muttered something to Lozano Glover; Baron Stone gritted his teeth; ‘Little Iron Spike Junior’ Madam Barney held her son’s hand tightly and comforted Luther Barney who had curled up crying when the conflict started.
Viscount Patterson, who was elderly and hard of hearing, endeavored to listen to his two scions report in panic about the unfolding crisis. His occasional loud queries actually relieved the tense atmosphere somewhat.
“Young man, this is a royal banquet, and the respected Duke Thales is present.”
Among the crowd present, a prestigious member of the king’s party and honorary count in charge of reception at the royal banquet, Godwin stepped forward and said in a calm and gentle voice, “Regardless of your reasons, such an action is far from wise, and could hurt many.
“Whether it’s Baron Doyle, or yourself.”
In the face of Count Godwin’s persuasion, the hostage-taker laughed. His laughter was as bleak as it was despondent.
Which made Thales uneasy.
But a mere few seconds later, the youth took a deep breath and attempted to stow his madness and anger.
“I apologize, dear Count.
“But everyone, do not be alarmed.”
The panicked crowd began to calm down, and the guards in front of him quelled their intention to attack. The youth panted a little, then continued loudly, “Listen to me.”
The hostage-taker chucked the old Baron to the ground, looked around him, and said through gritted teeth, “I’m educated, I know my manners. I have no intention of hurting innocent people at the banquet in Mindis Hall.
“Circumstances have compelled me to resort to this!”
At the youth’s feet, old Baron Doyle scoffed. “Pff…”
But the youth’s gaze turned violent. He lowered his head and kicked Baron Doyle mercilessly!
“Shut up, you old varmint!”
The crowd exclaimed again.
“The guards here can’t handle the situation, we have to do something.” Next to Thales, vice-captain Vogel ordered his military courier in hushed tones, “Control the periphery, quietly and gradually evacuate the crowd, observe the surroundings, don’t relax—and don’t be discovered by the hostage-taker.”
Several men left at his command.
Vogel turned around and asked, “You’re sure it’s him?”
“Is it possible that it’s someone else, and he’s just bait?”
Mallos nodded calmly. “Looking at his gaze, I’m sure.”
The watchman ignored the Doyle that was still held by two guards and silently indignant. “I just got one thing wrong: his target wasn’t His Highness, but Baron Doyle.”
“So what should we do?” Thales couldn’t help but speak, “Allow him to take the hostage?”
“The king is not here. Perhaps the person with the highest rank, the Duke of Star Lake, the master of this venue, should step forward…”
“No,” Mallos rebutted instantly and firmly, “Listen up, Your Highness. Stay right here.”
Thales was left speechless.
The vice-captain next to him frowned.
Mallos turned around and, with an astute look, said decisively, “Glover, gather Morgan, Italiano, and Pedrossi immediately…Oh, and also Toledo and Chevanov.”
Glover stared at him blankly and looked doubtful.
In the Star Lake Guards, Morgan was a veteran of the Vanguard Division. This was understandable.
But Italiano belonged to the Logistics Division and Pedrossi was penal officer Patterson’s footman.
As for Toledo and Chevanov, both were previously in the Command Division and worked under Mallos for years, and continued to work as his military couriers after they arrived at Mindis Hall.
But this seemingly unrelated choice of men…
“They are all experts in reconnaissance and sniping,” the stern-looking Mallos clarified in one sentence, “Equip yourselves with bows. Under your lead, split into three groups and go to the high platform. Station yourselves where you can get a good shot and wait for my signal. It’s best if you can take him down with one arrow, even two would be fine…”
But Vogel’s expression changed dramatically.
“You’ve gone mad!”
The vice-captain held on to Glover who was about to proceed with the command, and said to Mallos through gritted teeth, “Look around, from the Seven Jadestar Attendants to counts and dukes!”
Thales subconsciously glanced at the guests and realized that many of them actually sneaked glimpses towards this direction.
“Mindis Hall, royal banquet, distinguished nobles and officials of the capital are all present. This means the entire kingdom is watching!”
Vogel glanced around worriedly and continued in a low voice, “If he stabbed someone without saying a word then fine. But he’s taken a hostage and is currently negotiating with Count Godwin…”
Mallos frowned.
“It’s one thing if it were a drunken altercation or personal vendetta. But to disregard the hostage and shoot him in public, kill someone and cause bloodshed, what’s more by the hands of the royal family, that’s another…”
Mallos nodded. “This is the least troublesome way…”
Vogel cut him short. “This will cause a huge trouble!”
Seeing another clash of opinions between their commanders, the royal guards around them were apprehensive, and did not even dare exhale.
Even Thales, who had initially relaxed after discovering that he was not the target of assassination, started to become nervous again.
The vice-captain glared at the watchman. “Don’t forget, His Highness is the host of this banquet! If one of the Seven Jadestar Attendants die here, this will be on him!”
