Kingdom’s Bloodline

Fort Xinghu, in the vast Xinghui courtyard—commonly known as the lumberyard—soldiers, guards, workers, farmers, many people gathered together to form an open space, and the atmosphere was lively.

"Up, up, up! Give her a slap in the head, yes, that's it, Piao-wow, this fall was hard enough! It's okay, trust me, young man, get up and beat her! Oh, your sword! So soft, is it always like this, is life too beautiful or is it because you hope your wife cheats on you?"

In the middle of the clearing, the figure of Miranda Aarond twirled between the two fighters—she was engaged in an unfair duel with Nehi and Bastia, the guards of the Star Lake Guard. The young trainee vanguard officers continued to be aggressive and brave as they fought, while the tower-like guards stood firm and tight.

"Who else is there, the iron barrel or the iron tower or something?" On the wooden watchtower, Sonia, the flower of the fortress, leaned out half of her body against the railing, shaking her arms fanatically, cheering for the battle below, "Don't be stunned!" Come on, swing the hammer up and hit her head like hell! Hey, that’s right—what, just the right head? Does it get wet when you pee?”

In the warehouse on the second floor, Thales sat by the window, while oiling and maintaining the ancient sword "Warning", while watching the battle with great interest.

He quickly realizes that although it is one against two, it is Miranda who is leading the fight.

The female swordsman of the Yalund family deliberately encouraged Nexi to continue attacking, consuming his physical strength, and at the same time forced Bastia to use her as a shield to stop Nexi's fierce offensive, but Nexi and Bastia The two cooperated jerky, their hands tied, and they couldn't see the advantage of double attack at all.

In this way, Miranda was able to control the rhythm of the entire duel with ease, and as the battle progressed, it became more and more handy.

She's different—the information from hell's sensory feedback allowed Thales to make a judgment: Compared with seven years ago, her movements seemed messy and casual, no longer showing obvious rhythm and style, but whether Nexi or Ba Stia, when they took the initiative to attack, they would find themselves in the worst timing and position, giving Miranda the greatest chance.

It felt as if it was not Miranda who took the initiative, but the opponents scrambling to attack, shaping the environment and situation of the battle, stimulating a bunch of originally messy and meaningless notes into a lively and orderly movement, waiting for Miranda to end play.

"She's improved." Thales stopped what he was doing and was a little lost in thought. "Seven years ago, she could clearly see the style of the northern offensive and defensive school in her movements. The transition between offense and defense was like an unnegligible accent. Turn the tide of battle, but now..."

"No, although the style of the 'Pegasus' series in the Tower of Ending has a great influence, she still has the foundation of the Northern School." Mallos sat beside Thales, sharpening a dagger without raising his head, " It’s just that the superficial tactical style has submerged into a deeper strategic style, and you’ll know it after watching too much.”

Here we go again, Star Wang Yuyan.

Thales pouted sarcastically: "So, you've watched a lot?"

"Fortunately," Mallos replied indifferently, "When I was a young trainee officer, I was doing record work."

"So, which battle impressed you the most?"

"here."

Thales raised his head.

Mallos kept moving, just switched sides and continued to sharpen the blade:

"A long time ago, a master in Star Lake Fort competed with a senior member of the royal guard. I was ordered to be an assistant to the flag officer. I listened to his explanation and observed the records."

The master of Star Lake Castle, the senior of the royal guard.

Thales narrowed his eyes.

"Limited by the conditions, they don't do anything. They just move around on the flat ground to replace attack and defense. The power of finishing is like a flash in the pan, and they stop abruptly before they are finished, so they can't enjoy themselves."

Mallos' eyes froze slightly:

"But in those twelve seconds,

The two of them advanced and retreated, came and went, and every detail reached the peak or even higher level in the extreme realm, which is enough for me to recall for a lifetime. "

Thales was about to ask questions when he heard boos from the crowd:

Miranda retracted her sword neatly, turned around gracefully, and the crowd consciously parted a path for her to leave.

Behind her, Nexi and Bastia collapsed to the ground, one was exhausted, the other was bruised and swollen.

"The outcome has been decided, Your Highness," Mallos said without turning his head. "Now, follow the essentials I taught you and concentrate on maintaining your weapons."

Order was restored on the training field. Everyone went back to their positions, practiced and on duty, but in a small corner, several Xinghu guards gathered together for a heated discussion, and they couldn't get enough of this wonderful asymmetrical battle.

"Hurry up, hurry up, the winner has been decided, and I would like to admit defeat," Doyle squeezed through the crowd with a righteous face, but showed a money bag under his elbow, "Before Mallos comes down—don't play tricks , Whoever placed how much, I will remember."

"Damn it, you can still lose in two-on-one, you're so bad." Fu Lateng counted out a few coins with heartache, and threw them into D.D's purse.

The other losers—including Rolf, who was dissatisfied with the snort—reluctantly pulled out their coins, stuffing coins into their purses.

"I know she is in Broken Dragon Fortress, and belongs to the Flower of the Fortress," Paul Bozdov, the son of Earl Black Lion, calmly handed out a gold coin, "but I didn't expect—no need to look for it—that she would fight with one enemy Second, you can't fall behind."

"You bastards, how did you know you were going to bet on her?" Kusta asked angrily.

"Obviously, she has killed people before, and the sword was stained with a lot of blood." In front of the team, Glover rejected the coin handed by D.D. He looked at Miranda's back with sharp eyes and eager to try, "A lot .”

"Chief Miranda's swordsmanship is quite profound, and I have learned it before—but it is still wrong to gamble." Huai Ya nervously looked around.

"I don't know the girl from the Arund family, but I saw that Lao Kong had her in custody, so..." the logistics officer Piloga shrugged.

"Uh, actually, I don't know Ms. Arend, but when the Fortress Flower made them two against one, I knew that Nehsi would lose, don't ask why—" Kongmuto on the winner's side coughed With a sound, he saw the disgruntled Nexi approaching sullenly, and immediately stepped forward to comfort him: "Hey, Nexi! You played well, it's just that you were a little unlucky. Keep up the good work! By the way, I'll treat you tonight!"

The D.D that pretends to be indifferent above the waist and happily counts money below the waist is the shortest:

"His Royal Highness Thales is on top, staring at the girl all the time."

Everyone looked at him in unison.

"What's wrong?"

Doyle raised his eyebrows, hurriedly put away the money bag, with a look of course: "This is very illustrative, well—His Royal Highness finally started to pay attention to women!"

The crowd booed disdainfully.

"It's best not to let His Highness, let alone Miss Miranda, hear your words," Wyatt sighed and shook his head, "This is based on experience."

"Of course." D.D held the purse smartly and vigorously.

In the warehouse on the second floor, Thales, who had heard this through the senses of hell, turned his head indifferently:

"Thor, how many people in the current Star Lake Guard can defeat Miranda?"

"I don't know—why Thor?"

"Tormund's nickname—take a guess."

"Nicknames have to be approved by the person—after all, members of the Star Lake Guard have never fought Miss Arend directly, and the battle is also affected by the environment." Mallos sharpened his knife meticulously, "If it is in the arena One-on-one, fair swordsmanship, I dare say that both Glover and Doyle, who have received strict knight training, are worthy of a fight with Miss Arend."

Thales raised his eyebrows:

"D.D? Is he so fierce?"

Mallos didn't answer, just glanced at the corner of his mouth.

"But if D.D encounters Miss Arend in a life-and-death battle in the wilderness," the watchman put down the sharpened blade and cleaned up the crumbs on the table, "I hope she will be kind and give him a good time. "

"So exaggerated?"

Thales frowned, but his eyes rolled:

"What about you? You, against Miranda?"

Mallos took out the knife protection oil and smiled when he heard the words:

"Miss Arend and I... Well, let's split fifty-five."

"Wow, Thor, you have such a long face."

"please forgive?"

"Oh, long face, I mean, literally."

"When you say that, Your Highness, I am even more curious about what it means beyond the literal meaning."

"Don't, know 'curiosity killed Thor'."

"Thank you for your teaching, Your Highness, I dare not forget it."

Thales hummed mockingly, but the next second, he suddenly spoke:

"Did you know beforehand that he was coming?"

Caught off guard by the question, Mallos paused for a moment as he oiled the knife.

"Know what? Who is coming? What are you coming for?" Mallos continued his work with a steady tone and no waves.

Tormund Mallos.

Thales looked at the most unpredictable watchman in front of him, recalled the moment when they first met, and thought about the identity and position of the captain of the personal guard.

He is the personal guard assigned to him by King Kessel, the guard of the guard appointed by the royal guard, and the person with the highest status around him.

But what role, Mallos, would he end up playing between himself and the king? servant? protector? teacher? Monitor? or—

traitor?

Thales stared at Mallos for a long time, and finally shook his head: "It's nothing. Then you know, what am I going to do now?"

Mallos' complexion remained unchanged, calm:

"Sharpen your knife—you have to learn to take care of your weapon."

Looking at his appearance and hearing his ambiguous answers, Thales had to sigh, and handed the well-oiled alerter to Marius for inspection.

"Okay, Thor, let me ask this: Who are the people in the Star Lake Guard who you can trust?"

Hearing this nickname, Mallos also sighed, took the Imperial Sword, and he had no choice but to check Thales' maintenance work:

"Those who can be trusted...why do you ask me this?"

Thales raised his eyebrows:

"Because I paid your salary?"

Faced with Thales's answer of shifting focus, Mallos obviously wanted to discuss more on the question of "whether it is you or your father who pays the salary", but the Duke's staring eyes made him dispel this idea.

The watchman looked up and sighed.

"Who can I trust? Your Highness, do you mean to believe that they will nod and bow their heads and work hard without complaint, or that they can go through fire and water without hesitation?"

"If it's the former?"

Mallos swung his long sword, and his face became solemn: "The Star Lake Guard is a carefully selected elite of the royal guard. Most of them have the title of imperial knight, and they are all heroes of the highest stature."

Nodding and bowing hard, he is a tall hero...

Just relying on your guards, this group of defenses are useless, and you can't even find the prince being beaten on the balcony?

Thales nodded, with an intriguing expression on his face:

"What about the latter?"

"Oh," Mallos immediately returned to indifference: "Toledo, Tang Xin, and Trifanov on the command wing are my old subordinates. Glover on the vanguard wing is okay, and maybe Morgan..."

"Morgan, the veteran with the stinky face all the time? Where did he serve?"

"The Cutthroat Guard of the Blade Leader. Yes, he is not angry much, but fortunately he is not responsible for warming your bed."

"Warm bed, really?"

"In the guard wing, I can single out Bastia and Kusta, and D.D can barely count as an extra..."

"Does D.D count?"

"Forgive me for being blunt, I can't tell whether you are frightened or surprised. In addition, Vincenzo Itariano from the logistics wing can be used, and Francisco Capone from the punishment wing."

Saying these names, Thales scratched his chin.

"Among your old men, Casso's aide and the mute—thank you, I know his name is Rolf—are all good, and Willow is fine too, just don't let him do tasks that require brains, um, in fact Don't entrust him with any errands other than to die."

Just a few people.

But to take the Emerald City.

It's really reassuring!

Thales counted with his fingers, smiling all over his face:

"Well, it sounds great. Is there that kind of, if, if, the kind of person who raises the flag to rebel for the master and is not afraid of losing his head?"

Mallos inspected the ancient sword of the empire without raising his head:

"How much did you drink last night?"

Thales pretended not to hear, picked up the rag and began to wipe his hands:

"Very well, then bring all the above-mentioned men with you, and pick a few more 'tall heroes', and keep the guards. Get ready, and we will go on a long trip."

Mallos was not surprised by the word "going out", and his words were calm:

"As you wish. No one else? Maid? Chef? Groom? Canxing's private soldier? And Aunt Valencia?"

"It's not that I don't want to bring it," Thales breathed out, thinking of Mammy's cat-chasing stick: "Let's put it this way, if... I hope that the people around me are capable, able to fight, use their brains, and run guy."

Mallos nodded: "Then I suggest bringing Oscarson from the vanguard wing. He is from the south and is more familiar with the climate and terrain."

Thales frowned: "I didn't say we were going to the south."

"That's right, I must have misremembered." Mallos weighed the alerter in his hand: "Then don't take him."

Thales stared at him, and sighed dejectedly after a few seconds:

"Forget it, you... you should take it with you."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Mallos played a sword flower and scabbard the Warner: "So, this is the end of this martial arts lesson——Your maintenance work is good, I mean, the thickness is still a bit uneven, but at least you can get started gone."

Thales stood up to take his sword, but stopped when he pressed the scabbard with his palm.

"I see I missed a question, Tormund."

Thank goodness, Mallos rejoiced, he didn't call Thor.

"I will be happy to answer, Your Highness."

Thales raised his head and looked directly at Mallos:

"Is this scabbard useful?"

Mallos frowned slightly.

Thales pointed to the scabbard containing the warning, implying: "After all, ancient swords cannot escape their scabbards."

Mallos was silent, his fingers stroking the scabbard.

"Looks like fine leather, but you'll know it when you use it."

But Thales stared at him firmly:

"Then I'll just say it straight, among so many people in the guard, Tormund Mallos, can I trust you?"

Mallos stared sharply.

At that moment, the two people in the warehouse stood facing each other, both of them stretched out their right hands, holding the ancient sword "Warner" across them.

Mallos remained expressionless for a long time.

Finally, he gently unsheathed his sword:

"Perhaps you should ask the other way around—could you not believe me?"

Thales stared at him for a long time, heaved a long sigh, and took over the alerter.

"I hope you are as good at wielding the sword as you are at being sarcastic, my dear Chief Guard."

"Then you underestimate me."

"Oh? Could it be that your swordsmanship is not weak, but you just hide it?"

"No, I mean, I'm not half as good at making fun of you."

Thales pursed his mouth and was speechless for a while.

"Coincidentally, I also have a question to ask you."

Mallos turned around, put away the sharpened dagger on the table, and inserted it into the scabbard on his chest:

"When you have a tryst with someone late at night, you don't like to go through the front door, but rather go through the window and climb to the top?"

At that moment, Thales, who was holding the alerter, froze.

Mallos squinted his eyes and folded his arms:

"I remember I told you that that 'air corridor' will turn you into a meatloaf one day?"

Thales stared, and blinked his eyelids with all his strength:

"You, you, me, I don't understand well..."

"Oscarson and D.D are just whistleblowers," Mallos said calmly, "Just when you met the flower of the fortress, Lady Sutherley, Itariano on the command wing was in a deeper place. On duty, he saw you clearly through the binoculars, and reported it to me immediately."

Hold.

He really knows, not cheating me!

Thales was furious in his heart.

Mallos snorted softly:

"Wait, Your Highness, you are not really stupid enough to think that the defense of Star Lake Castle is useless?"

Then who knows.

Right, little stupid?

Thales reacted and coughed.

"Of course not. Well, I know you are nearby, so I am very relieved."

But Thales remembered something, and his expression changed:

"Wait, so you must have seen Sonia do something to me, but they didn't do anything?"

"Do it?" Mallos said calmly, "Sorry, you are famous, we all thought it was your new trick."

This pen is so annoying.

Thales resisted the desire to growl:

"Why do I have this premonition: One day I will be killed by you?"

"Actually, Your Highness, I think this should be my line."

If so that would be great.

Thales smiled sarcastically, waved his hands and turned around.

Well, that's how it's arranged here.

Next, he's headed to the South Bank...

"So, in the future, Your Highness—"

"Okay, okay, I get it, I won't climb the wall again, I swear, the next time I want to fuck a woman, I just walk out from the front door with gongs and drums..."

"I asked Tang Xin to pull the safety rope outside the window."

Mallos' voice sounded behind him: "Before you climb the wall next time, remember to tie it up first."

safety rope.

Thales' waving hand stopped in mid-air.

He turned back blankly:

"Line? Tormund, you..."

Mallos sighed softly, helpless.

"We've been together for a while, Your Highness, and I know I can't stop you from being stupid, stupid, sick, and catastrophic..."

Thales' expression darkened.

Well, this pen is really annoying.

"...just like there was nothing to stop you from getting out of the carriage that day, or rushing out desperately to find someone to duel."

"But I don't want to order a coffin for you, Your Highness, or for me, or for anyone in this castle."

Thales frowned.

"So, before you go on this long trip, if you can be merciful and pity us," Mallos folded his arms and pointed his thumb out of the window, "Safety rope?"

After saying that, Mallos tapped his chin, turned and left.

Looking at his back, Thales was in a complicated mood for a moment and didn't know how to react.

Thales lowered his head and looked at the alerter in his hand.

The scabbard is just the right size to fit in the hand.

Presumably it is the same when drawing the sword out of its sheath?

Thales took a deep breath.

"Hey."

Thales stopped Mallos.

"I haven't had a chance to say it since I came back from the Fuxing Palace, but... thanks, Thor."

Damn.

Mallos sighed in his heart: Why did the title change again?

Thales walked forward, flattening his mouth:

"I know, I'm a tough boss, impulsive, naive, self-righteous, always making stupid decisions to embarrass you, almost terrible."

"You can remove 'almost'." Mallos' expression remained unchanged.

this pen...

Thales smoothed his tightly squeezed eyebrows, took a deep breath and said:

"But, thank you for your help all the time, you... cover the bottom line for me."

Thales swallowed.

Fortunately, I didn't blurt out "wipe my ass".

Damn occult.

Mallos looked at him with doubts in his eyes.

Thales tried his best to speak: "Especially the day I forced my way into the Fuxing Palace, thank you for the manpower and plans you left behind for me, thank you for reminding me before entering the palace, and... things after that, all of these, and so on. "

Mallos frowned, looking at him—like watching a psycho.

Thales suppressed a smile forcefully.

Well, he is not suitable for such sensational remarks.

With a stiff smile on his face, the Duke spread his hands and turned away mechanically:

"Anyway, thank you."

"And the royal banquet before." Mallos said suddenly.

Thales turned half of his body and paused:

"What?"

I saw Mallos exhale from his nose: "You should thank me for the things, and you have to add this one."

Thales reacted and coughed awkwardly:

"Oh, yes, and this one, uh, thank you."

"And the days in Mindyth Hall."

Thales had no choice but to nod in agreement: "There are still days in Mindis Hall."

"And the day I came back from the Western Wilderness."

Thales closed his eyes and sighed: "There is still the day when Xihuang comes back."

"There is also the management of Star Lake Castle."

Thales repeated blankly: "There is also the management of Star Lake Castle."

"besides--"

"You're enough," Thales finally couldn't bear it any longer, "How much farther do you have to count?"

Mallos laughed.

"You're welcome, Your Highness, this is my duty."

His smile at this moment is very similar to his usual professional smile with politeness and a touch of sarcasm.

very similar.

"I don't dare to thank you so much." The watchman said indifferently, turned and left.

Thank you for being paralyzed.

Thales rolled his eyes at his back, swallowed "Then I'll leave it to you this time" into his stomach, and by the way threw the little bit of gratitude and a little bit of guilt for the watchman into prison At the bottom of the river, pray that they will never be reborn.

Mallos was very efficient. It was only the second day that everyone knew that His Highness Thales was about to set off to receive a visit from the south bank. The entire Star Lake Castle is now in operation, and everyone is busy preparing for the Duke's business trip, and many people are beginning to wonder about the purpose and affairs of the Duke's trip—it's a pity that such top secrets are only buried in the deepest part of Star Lake Castle. Only the informant B.B can know a thing or two.

But Thales did not expect that after the news of the Duke's trip spread, this person would be the first to come to him.

"It's nothing more than the flower of the fortress. She thinks very highly of herself, and is as unapproachable as the rumors."

At the door of the Duke's room, Paul Bozdov, the son of the Black Lion Earl who was patrolling and passing by, looked at the cold figure who entered the room, and sighed: "I still want to say a few words."

D.D, who was biting the sausage, closed the door while shaking his head in denial:

"No, no, it's not about arrogance, and it's not about not being close to strangers. Believe me, no one is born with a bad face."

D.D swallowed a mouthful of meat sausage:

"For a girl of this age, blunt words and coldness are the last choice, and they are also the best and most direct protection-especially those women who have to work with men. Compared with being approachable and smiling, doing so can save money A lot of unnecessary trouble."

paul frowned

"how do you know?"

Doyle stroked his hair and made a chic gesture: "I wish I didn't know, but there's no way, you're so talented."

Paul sneered and shook his head.

"You know the girl's mind so well, it should be easier to do what she likes, because you are popular," Paul stared at him, "but why when I arrived in the capital, everyone in the circle said that you are a flamboyant and slutty person, which has earned you a reputation Chaos, all unmarried girls from good families keep you at arm's length?"

When D.D heard this, his smile froze.

But in just two seconds, his expression changed, he turned around and winked:

"Hey, that's because you don't know mature women."

Paul was speechless for a while.

"However, she is not married after all," Paul fell into deep thought, "it's a little bit..."

D.D looked serious.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. Ha, I asked Wyah—well, it's 'real Wyah', oh you don't know what real Wyah is, it's okay, it's Wyer anyway—first of all, Your Highness, they are old We know each other and fought side by side.”

"Secondly, I believe you can also see that she is not those daughters who only have love and love in their minds."

Doyle blinked, chewed, chewed, swallowed the last bite of meat sausage, confident and decisive:

"So I'm sure of one thing: when she and His Highness meet at this point, they will never talk about Su Lisu's selfishness, marriage and love!"

inside the room.

"Miranda?"

Thales, who was copying the Sunset scriptures, was surprised and delighted to see the person coming.

In front of him, the cold female swordsman unhesitatingly picked up the cup of tea on the desk that he hadn't had time to drink:

"Miss."

"What?"

"It's Ms. Arend," Miranda said coldly, "You are a prince, so you should address him appropriately."

Thales' face darkened.

real? again?

It's not enough for your blue pot friend to fix me, you want it too?

"Okay, honorable Ms. Miranda Allende, daughter of the Duke of the North, glorious descendant of the Snow Eagle family, proud chief Pegasus of the Tower of End, Neverwinter Sword of Coldhold, Sky Falcon of Broken Dragon Fortress, Thales had to push away the scriptures, leaned back, raised his feet on the new chair made by the carpenter, and apologized helplessly and boredly:

"You are here, what can I do for you?"

Miranda put down the tea cup expressionlessly, and stood in front of his desk, like a sharp knife in snow, sharp and sharp.

"some."

Miranda stared at him intently, with unclear meaning in her eyes.

A few seconds later, she took a deep breath, her gaze firm:

"Do you want to marry me?"

With a bang, the chair leg shattered, and Thales fell to the floor firmly.

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