Kingdom's Bloodline

The silence in Black Prison continued on for a long time.

Zakriel was like a child who lost his soul. He leaned against the wall without making a single sound.

Samel lowered his head for a long time, his body was stiff.

Thales was standing unsteadily where he was. He looked absent-minded.

Then, The uninvolved Ricky sighed gently, drawing everyone’s attention to him.

Zakriel slowly stood up from the ground.

"Thank you for your question, child," the former Knight of Judgement came forward dejectedly, and he handed the JC dagger in his hand back to Thales through the gap between the bars.

"And your razor."

"This is a good dagger, you shouldn’t give this to a sinner so that he can shave his beard."

The shadows of the bars born from the light cast black patches on Zakriel’s face.

The troubled Thales sucked in a deep breath. He forced himself to cheer up, forced himself to smile, nod, and took the dagger back.

Zakriel’s hands were rough, the calluses on his palm were so hard that it did not resemble skin.

Thales took the dagger back with him. His emotions were a mess, but when he turned his head around, he saw that Ricky was looking at him expressionlessly.

Crassus of the Disaster Swords slowly stretched out his right hand to the prince. Then, he curled his palm.

Thale was stunned at first, but immediately after that, he cast a glance at the dagger in his hands before he sighed in resignation.

He took an annoyed step forward, and placed the JC dagger into Ricky’s hand.

Ricky then revealed a faint smile, as if he was saying that Thales was a very mature boy.

The leader of the Disaster Swords lowered his head. He flipped his hand over, and e saw a line of words on the black sheath of the dagger.

[A King does not gain respect by virtue of his bloodline.]

Realization struck Ricky. He looked at Zakriel, and then at the unhappy Thales. He snorted softly.

Zakriel watched their interactions. The corners of his lips curled up. He spoke faintly, "Also thank... thank you for not being an illusion."

Thales snorted, though no one knew whether he was laughing or not. He tried his best to chase away the strange, gloomy feeling that filled his heart. "How would you know whether I am an illusion or not?"

Zakriel laughed.

"Of course I know... Or you could be illusions far greater than the illusions I have in the past. I can’t really tell." The Knight of Judgement shook his head and scratched his hair. His mind seemed to have cleared up slightly. "But, you know? Everytime it happens, I feel as if my mind has been turned into a big pot, and there are twenty people taking their turns to stew beef with it..."

He frowned tightly, but there was a dazed expression on his face.

"They never shut up, yet they never ask me questions. They won’t ask how I feel, who I saw, and they will never ever be like you, they won’t ask unnecessary questions." Zakriel occasionally gritted his teeth, and at other times, laughed bitterly. In the end, he seemed to have let go of something, although in resignation. He opened his mouth and laughed.

"Because they already knew."

He shook his head and said in a self-deprecating manner, "Just like how I knew myself."

As he talked, Zakriel sounded as if he was amused by himself. He suddenly hit his thigh lightly and laughed unceasingly.

"Ha ha, I knew myself... hahahahahaha..."

As he laughed, the wrinkles on his forehead appeared for one moment before it disappeared the next, then repeated. It affected the brand of criminals on his forehead, causing the hideous looking ’S’ to tremble.

While he watched this through the bars, Thales felt sad.

Samel could no longer bear watching by the side. He spoke in pain.

"You know, Zakriel," the former flag bearer said while drawing a deep breath. "I could still get you out of there. No matter what happens after this, you don’t need to face this current..."

Zakriel’s laughter stopped.

"There is no need," he spoke softly and dejectedly.

"Everyone needs to pay the price."

Zakriel looked around his own prison cell for a while.

"The price I pay now is what I deserve. It’s just right," he said with a glazed look in his eyes.

Samel closed his eyes gently.

After a few seconds.

"How about the others?" Zakriel sighed and asked, "You’ve been to the floors above, right?"

This question rendered Samel speechless, again.

"They..."

Samel wished to speak, but he stopped.

Barney Jr.’s roars along with the corpses of his thirty-seven brothers appeared in his mind. It made his lips quiver.

In the end, Samel forced out a smile, and said laboriously, "I’ve seen them.

"They’re quite alright."

Zakriel did not immediately reply.

He stared at Samel fixedly, watched Samel turn his head slightly after he finished speaking, as if he did not dare to meet his gaze.

"I see."

Zakriel laughed faintly, as if he had understood something.

"That’s good."

He slowly nodded, turned around, and muttered repeatedly,

"That’s good."

All of a sudden, Thales felt as if this man’s back had become bent and small.

As if he had turned older by ten years in an instant.

Samel did not dare speak another word. He just stood by the side alone. His expression was one of agony.

While observing all of this, Ricky did not speak, he just stared at the prisoner in the cell in considerable interest.

Then, Zakriel sighed softly and said in an unexpectedly gentle manner, "Tell me your intentions for coming here."

He looked at Thales.

"I might help you, on behalf of this child."

Thales replied him with a smile.

Samel and Ricky were both shocked at the same time at that second. They looked at each other.

But they quickly registered what was happening. Zakriel was cooperating with them.

With faint joy and excitement, Samel nodded at Ricky, and he said firmly, "We are here only to verify some things, Zakriel."

Zakriel did not speak, he only raised his chin slightly.

Samel cleared his throat. A small crease appeared between his eyebrows, as if he was recollecting his question.

But the person who first took a step forward to speak was Ricky.

"First, Zakriel, how much do you know of the Tower of Eradication?"

Once this question was asked, Thales frowned slightly.

He suddenly remembered what he saw and heard when he was detained in the tavern. The Disaster Swords launched a surprise attack at the Tower of Eradication, and they retreated to Blade Fangs Camp after suffering heavy casualties. They regrouped their men, and infiltrated the Prison of Bones by taking advantage of the lax security in the camp caused by the army going on their western expedition.

There must be something that drove the Disaster Sword’s operations, whether it was their attack against Tower of Eradication or their trip to the Prison of Bones.

’And that is...’

"Tower of Eradication?"

Zakriel’s lifeless tone caused Thales to be snapped out of his thoughts.

He stood leaning against the wall with his arms around his chest. His lips curled into a contemptuous sneer. "Not much."

"A crafty, sly, self-righteous, and shameless force of power."

’What?’

Thales was slightly dumbfounded.

’Crafty? Sly? Self-righteous? Shameless?’

He scratched his head. He suddenly discovered that this description of the Tower of Eradication was very different to the image he had about the Tower of Eradication in his mind.

In the past, regardless of whether it was his loyal attendant, Wya; the bold but careless big fool, Kohen; the crafty schemer, Raphael; the pure hearted, cold beauty, Miranda; the loud, former-friend-now-turned-enemy, Kroesch; and the ’old drunken wolf in sheep’s clothing’ (Kohen’s language), Kaslan, these people who graduated from the Tower of Eradication were constantly using their beliefs and actions to give Thales this impression:

The Tower of Eradication was a noble and neutral place that passed down their legacy. It taught fighting skills, passed down the Powers of Eradication, vowed to persevere humanity’s morale and fighting abilities, and also passed down the spirit of humans uniting under one banner when they were called to fight in the Battle of Eradication, the spirit of being connected to one another, and the spirit of caring for each other.

Yet, today...

Thales frowned and stared at the scornful Zakriel. He listened to the man continue to voice his views towards the Tower of Eradication.

"...They proclaim themselves to be neutral, and that they will never form a country of their own, but in truth, they set up a separatist regime. They’re no different from the leaders of an army who rule over an area."

"Their stance is not firm when it comes to international matters. They are fickle-minded and have no shame. They even encourage their people to have business dealings with mercenaries, and those deals are even shadier than the shady deals most countries have. They even beautify it and call it ’training’."

It seemed that he had a very deep bias against the Tower of Eradication, as the more he talked about them, the more savage he appeared to be.

"For hundreds of years, that group of hypocrites who call themselves swordsmen lie on the cold bones of their ancestors, and I’m talking about generations of ancestors. They bask themselves in the glory and reputation which they do not deserve. They give hypocritical excuses like passing down their skills and protecting mankind to attract generations of young men with burning passion to join them. But in truth, they are training new blood to become their claws. They are strengthening themselves by forming their own army."

He ground his teeth. When he neared the end of his rant, he even spat a few times. It caused Samel to frown while he listened outside the cell.

But Ricky’s eyes brightened.

"They research on how to kill people everyday, and then pass it down to their subordinates. They make them fight the wars of different nations, make them kill, and shed more blood, and because of it, made the world even more chaotic. The world is at its current state because of the group of disgusting bastards.

"After that, generations of war orphans would be filled with the ambition and hatred left by the former generation. These war orphans would come to the Tower of Eradication to pledge their loyalty to those holier-than-thou hypocrites, and they would come under those hypocrites’ jurisdiction in exchange of the skills to kill, thus continuing this fateful cycle."

Zakriel clenched his fists tightly, as if he had experienced it himself. He looked just like a hero who hated evil.

"And those shameless people still refuse to get involved in these international wars, and even have the guts to say they are maintaining their so-called code of honor and their noble neutrality, because they only hand out the swords, and the people who use the swords are not them. It’s as if all the dirty and obscene things in the world has nothing to do with them.

"Tsk."

The Knight of Judgment cursed violently.

"F*ck the Tower of Eradication."

Thales looked at Zakriel with a strange expression on his face. In his heart he remembered that Ricky had asked him about his knowledge towards the Tower of Eradication, and Zakriel’s answer was...

’That is called "not much"?’

However, Zakriel’s evaluation, or rather, complaints about the Tower of Eradication had not ended yet.

"Have you seen those shameless scum putting on sympathizing looks on their faces rushing off to fulfill their missions while shouting that they love peace and are there to protect mankind but never stop selling their services to the world to kill without mercy?" Zakriel pursed his lips. He then bared his teeth furiously.

"Those are the bastards of the Tower of Eradication."

Once he said that, Zakriel snorted through his nose and ended the brief sharing of his opinions towards the Tower of Eradication.

The Black Prison’s atmosphere turned awkward for a moment.

Samel did not know how to continue with the conversation at that moment. Thales also raised his eyebrows. As for Ricky, he laughed without reservation.

"Hey, I like this man." After Ricky finished laughing, he scratched his chin, and he looked at the Knight of Judgement with great interest.

"Are you sure that you don’t want to get out of jail? We will work together well."

Zakriel replied him with a cold smile.

Samel coughed and said to Ricky in a soft voice.

"Due to many past experiences, he has a huge bias against the Tower of Eradication."

Ricky shook his head, thinking nothing of it.

"Let’s get to the point."

Samel sighed, and he took out a piece of paper from his bosom.

This action attracted Thales’ attention. He had a feeling that this was the real motive of the Disaster Swords.

Samel gently opened the piece of paper and spread it out in front of Zakriel with the bars between them. He used the light from the fire to illuminate the paper.

"Zakriel, remember this?"

Zakriel narrowed his eyes. He was first dazzled by the light when it was brought near him, but as he slowly adapted himself to the light, he walked slowly forward to stare at the piece of paper in Samel’s hands.

At that moment, Thales suddenly felt that Zakriel’s aura had changed.

His gaze became fierce, and his expression was no longer one of unbothered nonchalance.

It was as if he had turned from an exhausted, pitiful man who had been through hell to the former Emperor’s Praetorian Guard.

But he just scrutinized the contents on the paper carefully without saying a word.

This made Thales even more curious. ’What is written on the piece of paper in Samel’s hands?’

But Samel was the one who was nearest to the prison cell, Thales could only see the blank back of the piece of paper. Samel also had the paper raised high, causing Thales to be unable to see the paper.

Just when the prince was hesitating at whether he should stick his head out to peek at the paper before his two powerful kidnappers, the grim Zakriel suddenly stretched out his hands and took the piece of paper.

It smashed Thales’ hopes of wanting to know the truth into pieces.

Zakriel frowned as he stared fixedly at the contents on that piece of paper.

Samel and Ricky both waited silently outside the prison cell, but Thales could feel that, they were holding their breaths as they watched, hoping for the response from the other party.

After a while, Zakriel finally raised his head. His expression was grave.

He waved the paper in his hands and asked the two uninvited guests rhetorically and slowly.

"What is this?"

Samel clearly received encouragement from the man’s unusual response, he lifted the corner of his lips. "It’s a sketch I drew based on my memory after I saw it once.

"As you can see, the real thing has color, and it is much more colorful."

Zakriel frowned even tighter.

He first casta glance at the two people outside the prison, and then he snorted coldly.

"How would I know what it is just based on this paper?"

Samel stared coldly at his former comrade.

"If you were another person and this was another thing, the answer might be no, but..."

Samel raised his torch high, it illuminated Zakriel’s whole face. Thales felt that the latter’s expression was quite dark.

"Did you see its contour? Did you see how special it was?

"A few decades ago, when I was still in Renaissance Palace, I saw it when I was standing guard at the doors to the royal treasury." Samel stared at the prisoner seriously, "At that time, I saw it from the distance, but I will never forget it."

Thales’ heart leapt.

’The royal treasury... in Renaissance Palace?’

Zakriel did not answer, he just shifted his gaze back to the piece of the paper. More strength was exerted on his fingers as he gripped the paper.

It seemed that due to talking about the past, Samel’s tone had become somewhat depressed.

"The secret treasures in the royal treasury are all either very valuable or holds great significance. Other than the royal family in Renaissance Palace, only one position among the guards could physically touch them.

"That guard has the position to protect the legacy of the Royal Guards. He knows countless secrets. Only those trusted and have been entrusted great hope could assume the position. According to the regulations, that person is basically the next head of the guards—the commander."

Zakriel remained silent, but everyone in the hall understood what Samel said.

Samel composed himself. He pointed at the piece of paper and said with a serious tone, "And one of his special duties is to guard the royal treasury. He is in charge of the royal treasures being taken out and brought into the royal treasury. I dare say with certainty that this item is absolutely on his list of treasures which he is supposed to guard."

When he said this, Samel took a step forward, and he practically pressed himself against the bars.

"Tell me, Zakriel, former Watchman of the Royal Guards," the former flag bearer said coldly. "The thing like that on the paper, what is that item on the paper, which has been placed in the royal treasury for years?"

At that second, Thales felt the atmosphere in the hall suddenly turn cold. The pressure around Zakriel seemed to have dropped.

Ricky’s gaze on Zakriel slowly became sharp.

This made Thales even more curious about the piece of paper in Zakriel’s hands.

The Knight of Judgement laughed coldly.

"You spent so much effort coming here just for me to be identify an antique?"

He lifted his gaze to scan Samel and Ricky.

Samel gritted his teeth in a barely noticeable manner.

But he knew that he could not force this person before him to answer.

So Samel just took a deep breath and said gently, "Please, Zakriel, this is very important to us."

Ricky did not move.

Zakriel stared at the object on the paper a few times again.

He asked rhetorically and calmly, "Why ask about this? Did you find it somewhere?"

Samel let out a breath and said with a frown, "Zakriel, I am the one asking the questions."

But Zakriel just shook his head.

"Information is only valuable when it is exchanged between parties. It allows both parties to take a meaningful step forward when they receive feedback and gain information in return.

"If you don’t give me more information, then the answer I give would never be more accurate."

He lifted the paper to the height of his eyes and shook it between the both of them.

Just when Samel wanted to say something, Ricky interrupted.

"Not long ago, we discovered this thing in the House of Scions in the Tower of Eradication."

The three of them all turned their heads around. They saw Ricky speak in a stable voice. "It was considered as their greatest secret during recent years."

Thales’ eyebrows moved again.

’The greatest secret of... the Tower of Eradication?’

"Tower of Eradication?"

Zakriel’s expression changed in the end.

He presented a contemplative look.

"I guess you all were not invited to visit that place, right? The House of Scions is their core territory," Zakriel mumbled for a while before he immediately revealed a smile as he reveled in the Tower of Eradication’s misfortune. "By the way, well done."

But Ricky just shook his head.

"We did not get it. The Tower of Eradication guards it too well. Even if we paid a heavy price, we only managed to see it briefly."

Samel’s expression became gloomy. He nodded in silence.

"But according to our intelligence, the master of the Tower of Eradication, which is that old Far Easterner, values it a lot." Ricky stared at Zakriel with a serious expression rarely seen on him, "According to what he personally said, this could be the key to change the world."

Zakriel frowned tightly.

"Shao?"

His face twisted in disgust. "That dumb, old guard in grey robes?"

Thales did not listen to Zakriel’s disrespectful words against the Tower of Eradication. His attention was drawn by Ricky’s words.

’The Tower of Eradication has...

’The key to change the world?

’What is that?’

Thales was staring at the piece of paper with much more curiosity while he imagined what was drawn on the paper.

"Now you have the information you want, Knight of Judgement."

Ricky gestured with his chin at the piece of paper. "We discovered it in the Tower of Eradication, but Samel is the only one who recognized it. This brought us here, and we brought the paper before you.

"You can treat it as us coming here to ease your loneliness... Zakriel, answer us, what is it?"

He placed his gaze on Zakriel’s calm but dark face, as if he was trying to read something from him.

Zakriel remained silent for a long time. He just kept staring at that piece of paper.

But Ricky and Samel also seemed quite patient.

Then, the former Watchman of the Royal Guards spoke calmly.

"Three hundred years ago."

Samel was stunned. "What?"

Zakriel walked closer to the bars under the illumination of the light, revealing his face, which was partially illuminated by the light.

The hideous brand on his forehead was very clear. The lower half of his face was swathed in darkness.

But his eyes were full of energy as he stared at the guests outside the prison cell. His eyes sparkled like a brightly polished sword. He did not seem like a mentally-ill man.

Zakriel continued saying,

"In the Year 349 in the Calendar of the Eradication, Aixora Leafall was married to the Jadestar Royal Family. She became the queen of Midier the Fourth."

Thales who was listening carefully was instantly stunned.

’Midier the Fourth.

’Isn’t that...?’

Ricky was still frowning in confusion, but since Samel knew the history of Constellation, his expression changed.

"Leafall, Leafall... you are saying, the only elven queen in the history of Constellation, Queen Aixora?"

Zakriel nodded his head slowly, and his expression became grave.

"And the item on the paper you claimed to have discovered in the Tower of Eradication, was one of the dowry that Queen Aixora brought into Renaissance Palace from Sacred Tree Kingdom."

His voice was calm and steady, his tone was serious.

The moment the people outside the prison cell looked at each other at a loss for words, Zakriel lifted his right hand, flipped the paper gently, and had it turned towards Thales.

At the moment the light shone on the paper, the prince was first puzzled by what he saw, but immediately after, he was shocked!

There was the contour of a short sword sketched in detail on the paper.

It had a unique sword hilt with a pommel.

There was precious stone in the middle of the crossguard.

Its handguard curved towards the sword edge.

Thales stood stunned.

’That is...’

"It is considered one of the more special items in the royal treasury, even if it was filled with all kinds of treasure.

"Because this is the last sword that remains from the world during the Barbaric Era. It is said to be an ancient weapon which can slay great dragons."

Thales stared fixedly at the pattern on the paper. The Knight of Judgement’s voice traveled slowly into his ears, and for some strange reason, it was full of energy. "The Sacred Elves called it...

"The Dragon Breaker."