The Regressed Blood Knight’s Strategy

Chapter 116

In the underground prison of Rehinar.

Aiden and Senar Dyer were both bound with magical restraints.

Clink.

The iron door opened, and Kane walked in.

"You have no idea what's going on, do you?"

"Mmmph!"

Aiden twisted his body, struggling.

"Your body won’t regenerate. Surprised?"

Aiden and Senar were missing one shoulder and both ankles.

Even their mana hearts were shattered.

However, they had the power of oblivion, along with an infinite regenerative ability, rivaling that of the gods, just like the Blood Knights.

Even if their hearts were destroyed, or their heads shattered, their bodies could regenerate.

That was the greatest strength of oblivion.

But!

Their bodies weren’t regenerating now.

This was why they were so shocked.

Even though they had been captured, they believed that if they found an opening, they could escape.

"Give up any hope of leaving here alive. Your regenerative ability has been blocked by my blood."

The weakness of the power of oblivion was the mana of blood.

Oblivion Energy and Blood Energy stemmed from the same source of magical energy, but there was still a hierarchy.

Among them, Blood Energy reigned supreme.

Without being at the pinnacle of magic, one couldn’t overcome and control Blood mana.

Blood Mana was created to challenge the heavens.

That’s why they couldn’t use the power of oblivion.

"Stop wasting your energy and accept the situation; it’ll bring you peace of mind."

"Mmmph!"

Aiden tried to shout with his bloodshot eyes, but the restraints prevented him from making any coherent sound.

Regardless, Kane walked over to Senar and removed the restraint covering his mouth.

"Ughhh..."

Senar’s mouth wouldn’t move.

Seeing this, Kane chuckled.

"My blood not only paralyzes, but it also acts as a truth serum."

Blood mana was truly the pinnacle, meant to kill gods.

It had a wide array of effects—hypnosis, hallucination, paralysis, extreme poison, and healing.

For enemies, it was a force of calamity.

Senar could only tremble.

"Now, speak."

Kane’s voice prompted Senar to finally squeeze out words that hadn’t come out until now.

"What… have you… done to me?"

"I told you, it’s the power of my blood."

"Is this… the power of the Blood Knight? I can’t believe… it."

Senar had always believed that the power of the Blood Knights was weaker than the power of the Solar Clan.

After all, the power of the Sun came from the gods.

But now that he had experienced the mana of blood firsthand, all of his beliefs were shattered.

Weaker than the power of the Sun? No, the opposite was true.

Unless a god personally intervened, mere humans like him couldn’t overcome the mana of blood.

He hadn’t even been able to use his power properly before being completely overwhelmed.

Unless Kane wielded the power similar to one of the twelve star lords, it should’ve been impossible to subdue both him and the Second Seat in a single move.

"Whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter to me. Just answer my questions."

"Alright… Ugh!"

Without realizing it, Senar found himself answering Kane's questions.

"You’re quite obedient," Kane said with a strange smile.

Senar felt utterly humiliated. He wanted to bite his tongue and die on the spot, but his body was beyond his control. Even dying wasn’t something he could do of his own will.

Soon, Kane’s voice rang out again.

"Let’s start with the first question. Is the First Seat currently in Hartzfeld?"

"...How do you know that?"

"By now, he must have become Dirk’s master."

Senar’s eyes widened in shock, his expression revealing the truth.

"Have you finished brainwashing him and turning him into a puppet?"

Dirk followed the First Seat more than he did the King of Hartzfeld. The identity of the First Seat was Gregor Elser, the Lord of the Hundred Spears. He had approached Ray several times to become his master, but Ray had always evaded him, already knowing who he truly was.

"Then soon, they’ll send a diplomatic envoy here to demand surrender."

"You… know everything…."

Senar couldn’t lie. The blood mana flowing through him was forcing him to spill even the most sensitive secrets.

"Probably after the second wave of mutated monsters is over?"

Rehinar would be devastated during the second wave. The entire region would be reduced to ruins. It was around this time that Duke Carl lost his life due to the mana crystal herb’s: Formlessness poison.

Following that, Hatzfeld would send a diplomatic envoy to Rehinar, urging them to surrender, as the Fresia Empire would collapse just like Rehinar.

"That part’s just the same. Now, let’s ask about the status of the Meyer Family."

The smile on Kane’s face grew even darker. With two key seats from the house of the Sun in his hands, he was bound to gain a wealth of information.

---

"...Just kill me!" Aiden shouted in anger.

He had revealed all the information to Kane. Returning to the Meyer Family now was impossible. Not only had he lost his honor, but there was also the risk of being reduced to a life worse than that of a dog or pig. Dying here was a far better fate.

"I intend to, so don’t rush it."

Of course, Kane had no intention of sparing him just because they shared blood. If he let him go, Aiden would eventually regain his mana. It was better to kill strong enemies while he had the chance and eliminate future threats.

As Kane drew his blood-soaked sword, Fabi urgently intervened.

"Your Grace! Are you really going to kill him?"

"He’s the enemy, so shouldn’t I?"

"Duke Aiden is the Emperor's brother-in-law. Shouldn't we consider the political ramifications?" Fabi said.

"He also allied with those seeking to overthrow the Fresia Empire. Currently, all imperial power rests with Crown Prince Isaac, so I will speak with him directly," Kane responded firmly.

Fabi shifted his gaze to Senar, who belonged to the Lyecera Theocracy, one of the strongest nations on the continent. If Senar were to die, the situation would escalate uncontrollably.

"From the moment I threw them into this prison, the war had already begun," Kane said with unwavering conviction. His eyes were resolute, unshakable by any circumstance.

Seeing this, Fabi didn’t protest further. No, he couldn't.

'Forget it. I'll just report this to Commander Cedric later,' Fabi thought. He knew he'd likely be reprimanded for not stopping Kane, but what choice did he have? Who could dare interfere with the actions of the Young Duke of Rehinar? As a mere vice-commander of the knights, it wasn’t something he could prevent.

'Still, I do feel a bit relieved,' he thought. It was as though a blocked artery had finally cleared. Fabi didn’t want to think about the consequences.

“We should start preparing for war in advance,” Fabi remarked.

“No matter how restless you may feel, the Guardian Knights should remain with my father until he fully recovers,” Kane instructed.

“The safety of the Duke is our top priority, so rest assured,” Fabi reassured.

“Thank you, Sir Fabi,” Kane said.

Fabi found Kane incredibly reassuring. The nickname "Dullard Grand Duke" had long since faded from his mind. Now, Kane stood as the heir of Rehinar, a future guardian who would follow in his father’s footsteps.

While Fabi was silently admiring Kane, the latter drew the two Bloodsky blades from his sheathes. He plunged them into the chests of both Senar and Aiden.

“Ugh!”

“N-Nephew...?”

“Farewell,” Kane said.

The BloodSky Blades drained all the moisture and blood from their bodies. Their skin shriveled before crumbling to ash.

As the two men turned to dust, Kane sheathed his blades and calmly exited the underground prison.

* * *

Kane headed straight to the Rehinar Military Academy, where the second imperial princess, Charlotte von Fresia, sat very demurely before him.

“You’re here to borrow the magical communication orb? That’s all?” she asked, her expression deflated and her cheeks slightly puffed in frustration.

Despite her pouty face, Kane remained focused on his request. “Princess, the only way I can contact Crown Prince Isaac is through your communication orb.”

“…So, that’s really the only reason you came to see me?” she pressed, her eyes glimmering like the moonlight. She activated her Moon Eyes, a mystical ability that allowed her to see into people's minds.

However, her efforts were in vain. Though the Moon Eyes could usually pierce through everything, Kane’s thoughts remained impenetrable, especially since he wielded the power of blood mana, which shielded him from such abilities.

“…You really are a strange man,” Charlotte mumbled to herself.

Kane, hearing her clearly, replied, “Even for a princess, calling someone strange right in front of them isn’t exactly pleasant.”

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” she quickly apologized before standing up to retrieve a crystal orb from her drawer. “Here you go,” she handed it to him.

“Could you connect me to His Highness the Crown Prince?” Kane asked.

“I’m not sure if that guy’s even around. I’ll give it a try,” Charlotte replied. A faint smile tugged at Kane’s lips.

‘There’s no way he wouldn’t answer. You’re the sibling he treasures most,’ Kane thought. In the future, the Crown Prince would die, and the pivotal reason behind his demise would be this very second princess. She had fallen into a trap in Hatzfelt, and to save her, the prince would risk his life. Though they bickered constantly, if Charlotte were ever in a little danger, Isaac would be the first to act.

And, as expected, when Charlotte channeled mana into the orb, the cloudy surface cleared immediately.

“He’s answering right away? Brother, are you not busy?” Charlotte asked.

“I’m busy. You just called me a bit ago, why again?” Isaac’s voice responded from the other side.

“Young Master Kane wants to speak with you,” she said.

“My sibling?” Isaac asked, sounding confused.

“I’m your only sibling!” Charlotte snapped, her face flushing as she realized she had lost her royal composure in front of Kane.

“Anyway, talk to Young Master Kane. Here you go,” she handed the orb to Kane.

Isaac, seeing Kane’s reflection in the orb, beamed with excitement.

“My brother, how have you been?”

“Your Highness, I apologize for the sudden contact, but I have something urgent to discuss with you,” Kane said.

“There’s no need for formalities between us. Just call me ‘brother’! I’d love to visit, but I’m drowning in work, so I haven’t been able to move from my office…” Isaac began, launching into one of his usual long-winded stories.

Isaac’s mouth kept moving non-stop, as if he never tired of talking, despite surely having plenty of people to chat with all day. If Kane didn’t intervene soon, it looked like the Crown Prince would continue talking for hours.

Just as Kane was about to interject, a loud voice interrupted from out of nowhere.

“Aah! My ears are bleeding, you cursed, talkative human! I swear, because of you, I, the mighty guardian spirit of demons, will fade back into the darkness! Shut that mouth of yours already!” Blata shouted in frustration, clamping his front paws tightly over his ears.

Kane couldn't help but smirk at Blata's exaggerated outburst.