Kingdom’s Bloodline

ike a beast with a fierce glare.
He shook his head and said in a sing-song tone, ”There ’s always a kind of person who ’ll quietly back out when other people agree to be degenerates…

”He ’ll leave you alone and watch you as you continue to waste your life away… ”

As he spoke, Nalgi ’s face suddenly changed!

He took a step back, pounced on Thales, and pushed the prince down.　　　　　　　　　　　　

*Whoosh!*

Thales coughed with his arms on the floor.
In his surprise, he saw a hand ax flying over his head before slamming into the wall.

”Don ’t worry, Your Highness. ”

Nalgi got up from the prince ’s body as if nothing had happened.
He patted the dust off his own body and did not show any signs of being bothered by a flying axe attacking them.

”We have an expert responsible for dealing with snipes like this… ”

Before he finished, Thales saw the mercenary who threw that flying ax at them in the distance.
That mercenary widened his eyes as a sharp blade pierced out of his chest!

While he was still trembling and touching his chest, a pair of thin arms stretched out from behind him and dragged him into the corner.
That mercenary was definitely dead.

Thales saw the prisoner behind the blade.
He was the expert Nalgi mentioned.

Although his actions of dragging the body were incomparably skilled, that person was cowering.
His eyes were terrified, he moved around in a stooped position, and he snuck glances around secretively as well as stealthily, as though he was afraid of being discovered.

Thales recognized that look of horror.

It was the prisoner who recognized the Shadow Shield ’s footsteps in the dark.

”That skinny monkey is Jonah Canon.
He ’s a cavalry scout from the Vanguard Division, and he ’s in charge of collecting intelligence, transmitting messages, and detecting threats… ” Nalgi smiled and pulled the prince up from the ground.
He gestured at the cowering prisoner with his chin.

”He was originally a private soldier of the Jadestar Royal Family.
His family only has the title of a lord, but if you look down on him because of that, he can slit your throat in the middle of the night…

”If it weren ’t for a temporary cold, the man would have joined the Starlight Brigade and gone out to war against the rebellion with Duke John. ”　　　　　　　　　　　　

There was a slight, mournful tone in Nalgi ’s words.

Thales was surprised to see Canon.
He had a thin built and he stooped when he walked, stealing his opponent ’s blade before throwing it to another person.

Another figure caught the blade that Canon threw before he entered Thales ’ view.

”Hahahaha! ” The desolate laughter he heard from a while ago rang again.

”The last time I swung my sword… ”

This figure was very strange.
He held a blade with his left hand and a sword in his right. His attacks with the blade in his left hand were fierce, while his attacks with the sword in his right were eerie.
His attacks alternated back and forth, and they moved so quickly that they were too much for anyone to take in.
It made those who watched him feel dazzled.

”…was in the Renaissance Palace… ”

Blood splashed everywhere!

The prisoner who smiled as he faced his enemy withdrew his sword.
His two opponents could not even deliver a decent counterattack.
They just touched their fatal wounds on their thighs and neck before they slowly fell down.

He turned and zealously searched for his next target.

”The person who ’s laughing hysterically and killing is Gutee Tardin.
The Tardin Family are dignitaries in the Central Territory.
They ’re the same as the Beldin Family.
They ’re also one of the seven Jadestars Attendants.
His great-grandmother was even a princess.
You can see it from his fancy moves. ”

With envy in his eyes, Nalgi watched Tardin as he held the sword and blade in his hands, searching for opponents to fight.

”But unfortunately, our Gutee Tardin rejected his father ’s ’evil conspiracy ’ and avoided inheriting the family business in the end.
He suffered the ’tragic destiny ’ of becoming a carefree loafer.
For noble love, he ran off to become a guard. ”

”Love? ” Thales frowned.

”Yeah, everyone knows that he was enamored with Princess Constance… ”

Even though he was engaged in battle, Tardin seemed to have exceptional.
He yelled without looking back, ”Spew any more rubbish, Nalgi, and I will gladly help you reorganize your kidneys! ”

Nalgi flashed his front teeth.
He first smiled innocently at Tardin.
Once Tardin was not paying attention, he gave Thales a look that said, ”I told you so. ”

Thales shifted his gaze away from the former Royal Guards.

Bruley the ”bear ”, whose rampage disrupted the enemy ’s formation; Naer, the miserly logistics official who cautiously threw darts to kill; Beldin, the beast who tore his opponents apart; Canon, the cavalry scout who moved about in the corners; Tardin, who brandished his blade and sword in a flourish; and Nalgi, the lazy idler who guarded him by his side…

These six people with different skills as well as styles worked together and slaughtered the Disaster Swords until they were scattered.
The Disaster Swords could no longer form a decent group, even though they were previously three times their number.

Thales furrowed his eyebrows.

’This is…
the Royal Guards of Constellation eighteen years ago? ’

”We have become much weaker.
If this were the past, we would have formed a formation—Ah! Jerky! ” Nalgi puckered his lips and rummaged through a corpse on the floor.

He let out a happy whimper.

Thales shifted his gaze to the seventh person.

He was the calmest, most level-headed, and the most unique person on the field.
He only held a shield and a sword while he slowly walked through the center of the battlefield.

He was like a cold ice cube, unmoving even in the face of danger.
But whenever he walked past a pair of people fighting, he would swiftly attack them with both his sword and shield.
His momentum was like an avalanche.

When the man passed by an enemy who was wrestling with Bruley, he sent his shield down and struck the enemy ’s knees.
The latter retreated in pain before Bruley crushed his sternum with a blow from his hammer.

’The third offensive style: Cold Attack, ’ Thales thought.

When the man walked past Beldin as he fought against two people, he suddenly charged into the scuffle.
His shield blocked an enemy blade and his longsword drew blood from the other person ’s neck.

’The third defensive style: Defense Position. ’

Thales clenched his fists.
’This is a defensive style, but he used it to attack. ’

When the man faced an aggressive enemy, he skillfully shifted his shield, pushing the enemy and causing him to stagger.

Then, Naer ’s dart came out of nowhere and pierced the enemy ’s throat.

’The first defensive style: Iron Body Style. ’

Thales pursed his lips.
’It ’s the first style I learned. ’

When the man faced an enemy with a sturdy built, his longsword slipped out of his hand due to the enemy ’s powerful strike, but the man used the momentum to let go of the longsword.
He pushed himself into the enemy ’s bosom, placed both his hands on the shield, and struck fiercely.
He effectively used the corner of his shield to create a hole into the enemy ’s skull.

’The sixth offensive style and the second defensive style: Bushwhack Style and Phillip ’s Cross Style? ’

Thales recognized that those two styles were combined together.
He marveled at the thought of them being used like that.

The man was now drenched in blood.
He picked up his longsword, and just as he turned around, a torch struck him!

Sparks flew in all directions, and his clothes burned up.

The enemy used this opportunity to pounce on him.

Thales ’ heart tensed.

Yet, the burning man did not retreat or even step back.
Instead, he roared and took a step forward.
He blocked the fire as well as his enemy ’s longsword, and delivered a vicious strike with his shield!

*Bang!*

The next second, the man ’s sword pierced the enemy ’s jaw, and the strong force threw the enemy ’s head against the wall.
He then pushed aside the enemy ’s sword, which had injured his arm, before he slowly dusted off the ashes on his body.
　　　

’The fifth offensive style: Counter Stance?

’No, that seemed like the second offensive style: the Flanking Maneuver. ’

”Quill Barney Jr. ” Nalgi noticed Thales ’s gaze and sighed softly.

”After Nolanur followed Horace up north, the old captain appointed Barney Jr.
as the chief vanguard.

”There ’s nothing much to say about him.
He ’s one of the few supreme class elites at the same level as the guards like Tony, Walker, and ’Skull ’.
He ’s a man whose determination is so strong that it ’s scary.

”As you can see…
he doesn ’t rely on his body to fight.
He fights with his life.
He is as deadly as he was eighteen years ago. ”

’Quill Barney Jr. ’

In a daze, Thales stared at the man with the sword and shield in his hand.
He watched him as he either worked together with his partners or attacked alone.
Every single time he took a few steps forward, he would effectively defeat a person. 

Every time he attacked, he did so efficiently, and his battles all ended swiftly. 

He did not drag his fights.
He never engaged the enemy for long periods of time.

Thales was puzzled.

’Yes.

’It ’s the same Northland Military Sword Style.

’But why is it so deadly in this man ’s hands? ’

”Northland was once the Empire ’s toughest barrier.
It was the first gathering place for the knights.
It was the first place where humans, who were then like scattered sand, gathered together and fought against their enemies.
This sword style bore witness to an era full of war, blood, death, and hope. ”

He did not know when, but that familiar voice traveled into his ears.
It was steady and cold.

Thales frowned, and he looked at the murderous Barney Jr.

”No matter who taught you this sword style…

”The seven offensive styles and three defensive styles…
Seven to three; there is a reason for this ratio, ” said Quill Barney Jr.
He drew a longsword from a corpse and stared at Thales with unfocused eyes.　　　　　　　　　　　　

”Back in those days, if you didn ’t have the courage to die with the enemy and risk everything…

”Then this sword style is meaningless.

”The human empire, which enjoyed boundless glory, would not have been built either. ”

At that moment, Barney Jr. ’s gaze was aggressive with the bloody background behind him.

”No one involved in the most primitive of killings cares about how many people you kill, how fast you are when you deliver your attacks, or all that nonsense about attacking and retreating… ”

Barney Jr.
glared at him harshly and severely.

”They only care about trading a life for a life! ”

Thales listened dumbfoundedly to the other person ’s firm words.
”Even if you gamble on your life, you won ’t necessarily win.
But if you aren ’t willing to bet on your life, you ’ll definitely lose!

”If you don ’t lose now, you ’ll lose sooner or later, prince whom I ’ve never met. ”