Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 143 Who is the Visitor

Chapter 143 Who is the Visitor (Part 2)
A few seconds later.

“Ha! You underestimate the character of the Northerners, Imperial,” Archduke Aurelius shook his head and sneered, “You don’t even know Nún, when he was young…”

But Thales sensed the emotion in his words.

It's no longer the same unwavering certainty as before.

Rather, it's a kind of self-persuasion that a wife feels after discovering her husband's infidelity for the first time: "No, he's always been very loyal."

"Are you so confident in His Majesty's personality?" The second prince raised his head, his gaze intense.

“Stop stirring things up. You don’t understand Nunn,” Aurelius turned his head, his tone seemingly filled with resentment. “Our relationship is closer than you think.”

“I’ve heard that he may have been a good king in his youth, generous and righteous, even willing to risk his life to protect a nobody,” Thales said casually. “He was a Northman, but before that, King Nunn was first and foremost a human being, and he grew old too.”

Archduke Aurelius stared intently at him.

“This was told to me by one of Nunn’s most trusted men, whom I met in his tavern,” the prince said with a smile. “The famous former commander of the White Blade Guard, Kaslan Lumba—I believe you know him better than I do, and I believe he knows His Majesty better than you do.”

“Old people always want to make arrangements for what happens after they die… By the way, these are the words of the Duke of the North of the Stars, who was in charge of the Stars’ part of the operation to assassinate Prince Moral.”

Taking things out of context.

This is what it means.

Thales sighed silently.

Archduke Aurelius remained silent, his face expressionless.

“And you saw his performance in the Hall of Heroes,” Thales said, his eyes dimming. “What do you expect an old man who has lost his only son and the last hope of his family to do?”

silence.

Until Aurelius took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

“It’s just your conjecture.” The bearded duke’s voice was deep: “It’s all based on the absurd conclusion that ‘Nun is rational enough to suppress his grief over the loss of his son.’”

Thales nodded.

Aurelius's mind was still very clear.

But Thales secretly smirked.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

it's time.

He wanted to add one last piece of leverage to the conversation.

“If we’re going to wait until there’s evidence,” Thales sighed, “we’ll just have to wait for King Chaman to arrive.”

Archduke Aurelius's beard trembled slightly.

“Moreover, during the Starry Night, the special envoy to our country, Baron Russell,” Thales lowered his gaze, “we overheard some information about him at the post station.”

Aurelius looked puzzled: "That little pawn from Rumba?"

“It seems that Lumba is not the real mastermind behind the murder of King Nunn’s son,” Thales nodded, a mysterious smile on his face. “The murderer of Prince Morar is someone else.”

This was a silence that lasted much longer than any before.

Thales' gaze remained fixed on Archduke Aurelius before him.

Watching his expression change from confusion to shock, and then from shock to deep thought.

Could it be him?

Finally, Archduke Aurelius breathed a sigh of relief: "The message from the stars isn't..."

"The message from the stars is what we want you to know!" Thales said calmly, "It identifies Rumba of Black Sand Territory as the mastermind behind the murder of Prince Moral, thus turning you against each other and causing you to kill one another."

"And we don't know who the killer is!"

"Don't forget, the only clue to solving Prince Moral's death is the confrontation between several Star Lords in the court—even whether they were under the command of Black Sand Territory cannot be confirmed."

Archduke Aurelius's pupils gradually contracted.

Clearly, this information was somewhat beyond his expectations.

“This is the work of ‘Black Prophet’ Morat,’ a tool of the Kingdom’s secret police.” Thales shook his head helplessly. “In other words, the feud you’ve always believed in between ‘Walton and Lumba, Dragonsreach and Black Sand Territory’ may not exist at all… This means that if Lumba can convince King Nunn that he wasn’t involved in Prince Morar’s death…”

Oleshu stared at Thales in disbelief.

“Nun Walton and Charman Lumba,” Thales shrugged and sighed, “they have no grudges over the loss of a son and could easily form an alliance.”

“On the contrary, Nunn won’t trust you, because perhaps the real murderer is…”

Thales recalled a little boy in a blue suit and glasses from a comic book in his previous life. He pretended to touch the bridge of his nose, then squinted and pointed decisively at Olesch!

"They are among you!"

“The murderer did one more thing,” Thales said, narrowing his eyes as he dropped the bombshell: “and that’s what King Nunn told me.”

Archduke Aurelius's pupils slowly contracted.

"He was also the one who framed Rumba at the Dragonbreaker Fortress and used the magic gun troops to try to kill me."

Archduke Aurelius's breathing grew heavier.

Thales didn't miss a single expression on his face.

A few seconds later, the Grand Duke of Wilan lowered his head and chuckled softly:
“If all of this is true,” Aurelius’s gaze sharpened, “then they could indeed form an alliance—but it’s all just empty talk; there’s no evidence whatsoever.”

“Marquis Slade,” Thales anticipated Aurelius’s reaction, but he remained unperturbed: “The city envoy from Commas—I got along quite well with him along the way.”

“From his sources, I learned that on the very night that Nicolai arrived at the camp in Lombardy to greet me… he released three ravens in the dead of night.”

"You might as well confirm with him... raising and selling ravens is also one of the businesses handled by Shanliu City."

"They're just here to welcome an envoy from an enemy nation... Why contact Dragon Sky City three times from their camp in Black Sand Territory?"

Aurelius's face was already icy cold.

Thales nodded emphatically at him: "At least one of them is trying to contact the other."

Archduke Aurelius rested his hand on the hilt of his sword without saying a word.

“If Nunn is looking for allies who can successfully elect a king for the sake of the Walton family’s future survival, then both I and Ronnie of Qiyuan City are better choices than Black Sand Territory,” the Grand Duke said calmly after a moment of silence.

“Besides, even if they secretly form an alliance, so what? Exter is not a star; we choose our own king! Can Nunn designate Rumba as his successor on his deathbed?” Olech retorted firmly.

Could it feel like a preordained appointment? — This question suddenly popped into Thales' mind for no apparent reason.

This made him chuckle.

“No!” Thales interrupted him decisively: “Black Sand Territory, Chaman Lumba, has the greatest advantage in becoming the next king.”

Aurelius remained silent, awaiting the foreign prince's reply.

"Your Excellency, given what happened to Prince Morar and the old grudges like the Treaty of the Fortress, why hasn't war broken out between our two countries?" Thales asked calmly.

Aurelius's eyes flickered slightly.

“You,” the Grand Duke’s gaze slowly changed as he looked at Thales, “you have been sent to Exter.”

"Your father's oath to the throne ensured that war would either not break out, or it would break out as a full-scale war that would require the entire nation of Exeter to win, a war that would be costly and that no single grand duke could face alone."

"And King Nuen, in order to contain the Black Sand Territory, must stand on the same side as your Bright Star and stop the war..."

Aurelius's expression grew increasingly grim.

Thales finally smiled:
"Yes, these two factors are the main reasons why the war was prevented from breaking out from Exter's side, once they are all gone..."

“Once King Nuen is no longer afraid of the cost of total war, and no longer hesitates to mobilize all the princes in the country in the name of jointly electing a king, he will eliminate the worries of each prince ‘fighting the enemy alone’.”

"Once King Nunn no longer needs to curb the expansion of Black Sand Territory, and may even need to help them expand, in order to ensure they gain the leverage to elect a king..."

"The Rumba of Black Sand Territory will undoubtedly be the biggest beneficiary of the war... It's close to the northern border of the stars, and it also has the overt and covert support of Nuen..."

Aurelius looked up and stared at the ceiling; Thales couldn't see his expression.

"Now you know why King Nunn asked you to send troops and tested your attitude toward killing me, right?" Thales lowered his eyes.

The noise of the banquet continued to fill my ears.

Archduke Aurelius lowered his head.

The second prince chuckled softly:
“I wonder if you’re ready?” Thales raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “The honorific for ‘His Majesty King Chaman’?”

“So,” Rebion Aurelius looked directly at Thales, but this time, his eyes were devoid of the previous disgust and hatred, and became exceptionally serious:

"You came to me... even if their alliance was only based on your suspicions."

Thales nodded painfully and let out a heavy sigh:

“Yes, perhaps Lumba is still trying to contact King Nuen,” he said, stretching his neck and rubbing his hands together in frustration. “Perhaps they haven’t come together yet. Even if they do, there’s still room for negotiation.”

“Nun suspects you are the murderers of Morar, and Lombard could become king—these are your losses, Grand Duke Aurelius…”

"But these consequences won't appear so quickly, so you don't need to worry."

“But I’m different.” Thales raised his head and looked at Aurelius seriously.

"If things turn out the way I imagine... Dragonsky City and Black Sand Territory hold the entire Exter hostage and wage war," the Second Prince said in a tone that was both calm and slightly anxious:
"Then I, who am still on my mission to Exeter, will be the first to suffer—facing the judgment of fate sooner than any of you."

"That's why I came to you."

“For my life,” Thales said through gritted teeth, looking at the stiff-faced Archduke Aurelius, “and your future!” The two fell silent again.

The sounds of shouting and crackling from the brazier came in alternating ways.

"Why come to me?" Aurelius asked in a hoarse voice, "and not someone else? Ronnie? Peffert? Perhaps they would be more reliable?"

Thales gazed at him and nodded slightly: "Only your territory and Trudida's territory border both the Stars and the Black Sand Territory... You cannot turn a blind eye to the growing power of the Black Sand Territory and the affairs of the Stars."

"And Trudida? I don't believe in his treachery."

The Prince of Stars said softly, “Of all the great territories, you, Rebian Aurelius of the Wilan Territory, are most likely to stand with me.”

Aurelius took a deep breath and looked out the window.

next moment.

“Now that things have come to this point,” Archduke Aurelius suddenly turned to him, his eyes sharp:
"What other plans do you have? Tell me all of them."

Thales snapped his fingers in his mind.

He smiled openly: "We're still in King Nuen's palace, so we don't have many opportunities to meet and keep in touch."

“After you have confirmed the details I mentioned, if you think what I said makes sense and believe that some precautions are necessary,” Thales said calmly, “I have bribed Marquis Slade with a promise that he will provide me with information that tonight’s banquet will last until tomorrow morning or even noon.”

Archduke Aurelius nodded.

“At four in the morning, the palace gates and the city gates of Dragon Sky City will open. The first wave of guests will leave then, and the guards will be just as exhausted. You should avoid their notice and leave the banquet hall,” Thales said cautiously.

"Come to the council chamber to find me—I will leave halfway through and find an excuse to rest there."

“There…we finalized a plan—a plan that would both save my life and break the alliance between Nunn and Lumba.”

Aurelius stared at him intently.

“I will consider it,” the bearded duke said with a complicated expression. “But you know, it’s just consideration.”

“Of course,” Thales raised an eyebrow, “whether you come or not is up to you.”

The Grand Duke fell silent.

Just as Thales was feeling uneasy, Aurelius suddenly chuckled softly.

“Young man, perhaps you are indeed a rare genius,” the Grand Duke shook his head, “but I still don’t like you.”

“It’s alright,” Thales reacted quickly, smiling as he said, “Anyway, we—the Star and Oles are sworn enemies.”

Aurelius gave him one last look, his gaze complex and subtle.

The Grand Duke turned and left.

Wyatt came to Thales.

Thales watched Oles's figure disappear around the corner and then let out a sharp breath.

He relaxed completely, his body went limp, and he was gently supported by Wyman.

"Your Highness," the attendant said softly, "how is it?"

“He saw through my relationship with Nunn from the very beginning,” Thales said, feeling a chill run down his spine. “Luckily, I managed to react quickly…”

He looked up at Wyman:
"What did Rolf say?"

Wyman hesitated, making a few gestures that he himself didn't understand.

“Very well, so Marquis Slayth has tripped up the third Grand Duke,” Thales wiped the sweat from the back of his head and shook his head. “Give him a gesture like this, and a gesture like this…”

"Let Putila pass the note out. The next target is about to be discovered... Hopefully, Shrews is a good actor and doesn't arouse Aurelius's suspicion."

A few minutes later, Thales, having tidied himself up, stood in another corridor.

He thought back on the personality of the next person.

Then I made up my mind.

There were footsteps behind me.

The next moment, Thales took a deep breath and turned around.

With Wyman by his side, he flashed his brightest smile at the people approaching from afar:
"Your Excellency the Grand Duke!"

"You know..."

"Who will be the next co-ruler of Exter?"

The next second, the suspicious-looking Grand Duke of the Reconstruction Tower, Perseus Trudida with a shaved head, stood in front of Thales, frowning.

------

3:50 a.m.

Valhalla, Council Chamber.

Thales sat at the long table where King Nunn had been in the hall yesterday, looking at the empty stone hall, feeling a little uneasy.

Only one thing could overcome his fear of darkness and loneliness.

That is the anxiety and fear of the unknown.

Only the braziers behind him continued to crackle and burn, oblivious to everything else.

He placed his hands on the long table and sighed.

Who could be coming?

His conversation with the five grand dukes finally ended in trepidation.

Olesh of the Wilan Territory was the first, which made him particularly nervous. It took a long time, and he almost failed because his relationship with Nunn was exposed.

Trudida, who rebuilt the tower, seemed cunning and suspicious, but their conversation was faster than the former's. Trudida quickly understood his meaning and revealed a deep suspicion in his eyes—whether it was directed at Nunn or at him.

These two southern dukes were not the most difficult ones.

The third person was Grand Duke Lyco of the northern city, but this old bald man was the most difficult to deal with. His seemingly old and senile eyes occasionally flashed with a shrewdness, but he scoffed at his words and always said, "You must be joking." Thales smiled and spent a full twenty minutes completing their conversation.

The conversation with Grand Duke Ronnie of the Western City of Qiyuan ended the fastest. This long-haired grand duke was taciturn, nodding and shaking his head more often than he breathed, which made Thales doubt the effectiveness of the conversation. Judging from his appearance, Thales suspected that he didn't care who was the king.

Finally, the young Grand Duke of Beacon City, the brown-haired youth Conkley Peffert, was the most friendly one. He was also the most shocked by what Thales said, and even when he left, he still looked dazed and incredulous. Thales had to comfort him: "It hasn't happened yet."

But… Thales squeezed the pocket watch that Putila had handed him earlier, the cold metallic touch making his heart tighten:
Who is it?
Who could be coming...?

Who is the mastermind behind hiring the Sword of Calamity to murder Moral first and then assassinate him?
Or... maybe no one will show up at all?
If I really can't find the murderer... Thales gave a bitter smile:
Hopefully, King Nunn will kick the bucket tonight.

Just now.

"Clang... Clang..."

Footsteps could be heard outside the stone hall.

Thales was jolted!
He sat up straight.

It was a heavy, rhythmic sound of footsteps.

They walked step by step on the stone bricks.

The footsteps slowly approached.

A figure was projected into the stone hall.

The person who came seemed to be particularly tall.
The person finally entered the council hall.

In the light of the brazier, Thales could see the newcomer's long, flowing hair and his unusually serious expression.

His robe was embroidered with a picture of a classic book.

The second prince was stunned.