The Regressed Blood Knight’s Strategy

Chapter 117

Blata's actions made Isaac’s mouth curl into a grin.

“How adorable! Hey, why not leave Kane and come to me instead? The royal palace is full of rare delicacies!”

“Ugh, that guy is looking at me weirdly!”

Blata darted back into Kane's embrace.

Isaac sighed in disappointment.

“Don’t leave meeee!”

Kane shook his head at Isaac’s cry.

"Your Highness."

“I also want… a cute pet…”

“That’s not important.”

“No, it’s more important to me than anything. I don’t want to lose to you.”

Kane ignored Isaac and got straight to the point.

“I’ve captured the executioners of the House of Sun.”

“When? Where? How did you catch them?”

Isaac leaped up and pressed his face close to the magical communication sphere.

Isaac’s enlarged face came into view—no, only one eye was visible.

"Your Highness, please step back. It’s unsettling."

“Ah, my bad. I got too excited. How did you capture the executioners of the House of Sun?”

“I contacted you because of them.”

“Should I come to Rehinar immediately?”

“There’s no need. Both of them are dead.”

“If they were on par with Steward Ulrich, then they must’ve been beginner-tier of 7th class. You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

Isaac expressed concern for Kane’s safety.

In Isaac’s mind, Kane’s skill was around the 5th-class level—not enough to capture executioners.

But now, Kane had supposedly taken down not one, but two executioners. Isaac was both curious and worried.

Was Kane gravely injured?

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Was it the commander of the Guardian Knights who captured them?”

Isaac couldn’t believe that Kane himself had captured the executioners.

They had only parted ways a short while ago. There was no way Kane could have grown to a 7th class level in that time.

Isaac’s concern showed on his face as he gazed at Kane.

“Who caught them doesn’t matter. What’s important is their identity.”

“Ahem, right. So, who were they?”

“One was Senar Dyer from the Lycera Theocracy, and the other was Grand Duke Aiden.”

“You mean your uncle, who’s also my aunt’s husband, Duke Aiden?”

“Yes.”

“So, you killed him?”

In the Fresia Empire, Aiden held the rank of Duke. He was the Duke of Stein.

His death could stir up significant trouble.

“We’ll need proof that Duke Aiden was an executioner of the Meyer Family. Otherwise, it’ll cause an uproar in the Empire.”

“Your Highness, I ask that you strike the Stein Dukedom.”

“That’s a tall order.”

“I’d go myself, but we’ll be at war here soon.”

“The Meyer Family will move the nation closest to Rehinar.”

“Hatzfeld will likely put on more pressure.”

“I’ll deal with Hatzfeld. In the meantime, Your Highness, please take care of the Stein Territory.”

“My aunt being involved makes this tricky, but it can’t be helped. She sided with those trying to overthrow the Empire. She’ll face the consequences.”

Isaac’s eyes gleamed coldly.

There was no trace of familial affection in that gaze.

“She’s not the person Your Highness once knew.”

“If she’s not the person I knew, then who is she?”

“She’s an empty shell. The real person died years ago.”

“What?!”

"Your Majesty already knows this," Kane replied.

- "The Empire is being shaken by the House of Sun, but did you just stand by and watch because you lacked the strength to root them out?" Isaac questioned.

"That's about right," Kane answered with a firm nod.

- "I'll take care of the Stein Territory. You handle Hatzfeld with all you've got," Isaac instructed.

"I will bring the McCarthy family into the Empire," Kane stated.

The McCarthy family had defended the front lines of the Hatzfeld Royal Kingdom. Kane intended to pry them away from Hatzfeld.

- "I look forward to good news. Also, make sure Charlotte is safe," Isaac added.

"Understood."

With that, the communication with Isaac ended. Kane, having finished his business, rose from his seat.

"I’ll be leaving now."

Charlotte remained silent, her face blank.

She didn’t know what to make of the conversation. She had been aware that the imperial family was entangled with various factions, but she hadn’t imagined that even Grand Duke Aiden was involved.

“The Emperor has fallen sick and the Empire is being targeted by a pack of wolves?" she asked.

"Wolves… they're worse than that," Kane replied. "Think of them as something far more vicious."

"I thought my brother sent me here to spy on you, but that’s not it, is it?" Charlotte murmured.

A colossal force was threatening the Fresia Empire, and it seemed their purpose was to stir this power into action.

As the imperial princess, she had come to this remote region, Rehinar—a perfect place for an assassination. If she were to die here, it would drive a wedge between Rehinar and the imperial palace.

This would be a favorable outcome for the hidden forces at play. If the relationship between Rehinar and the imperial palace fell apart, the Empire would crumble rapidly.

"Soon, guests will arrive in Rehinar to keep an eye on your situation, Your Highness," Kane informed her.

"So, that's when it starts… my role as bait," Charlotte said.

"I don’t know if you’ll end up as bait or not. The situation has changed so much," Kane replied.

He had no intention of simply defending anymore. Although this game had once been about defense, that had never been his strategy. Even when he was Ray, he had always favored offense over defense.

This time would be no different. If the opportunity arose, he would attack without hesitation. The moment Hatzfeld sent their envoy, it would begin—the war with Hatzfeld Royal Kingdom.

---

Meanwhile, a middle-aged man with red hair surveyed the military camp.

"Are all the supplies loaded?" he asked.

"Yes, no issues," one soldier replied.

"Have the weapons been maintained?"

"That’s been completed as well."

"Make sure everything is perfect. Our opponent is Rehinar, defended by the Guardian Lord."

"Understood, sir."

"Keep up the good work."

As the middle-aged man entered his tent, a young man resembling him followed soon after.

"Father, we’re ready to depart," the young man, Valdemar, announced.

Valdemar was the proud heir of the McCarthy family and one of the Twelve Young Stars of the continent—known as the Star of the Spear.

Count McCarthy grabbed Valdemar’s shoulder.

"Don’t think of this as representing me. You’re going as the envoy on behalf of His Majesty, the King of Hatzfeld."

"Rehinar is a fading star. I will make sure they understand the warning clearly," Valdemar replied.

Valdemar's confident attitude filled Count McCarthy with pride. His son, not only the heir of his family but also a candidate for the next Twelve Star Lords, was bound to make a name for himself across the continent with this mission. After all, he was tasked with urging the Guardian Lord to surrender.

Who would dare ask one of the current Twelve Star Lords to surrender? The very act of uttering such words could result in immediate execution. It was a bold mission indeed.

"Show them the pride of the McCarthy family. I will assign you the Black Spear Corps, our elite forces."

"Thank you, Father."

As Valdemar exited the military tent, he was greeted by a formidable force of soldiers, clad in black armor, standing in formation. There were at least 500 of them.

"Although you’re not going to war, you must be thoroughly prepared for any unforeseen dangers. Your mission is to ensure the safety of my son. Understood?" the Count ordered.

"Yes, Lord!" the Black Spear Corps responded in unison, their voices booming.

Being McCarthy Family’s elite force, they exuded an intense aura. It was as if they were finely sharpened spears, their presence radiating lethal energy.

"Depart."

"We will return successfully."

As Valdemar mounted his warhorse, the Black Spear Corps followed suit. Holding the banner of McCarthy high, Valdemar led the charge.

The sound of the horses' hooves thundered across the ground as Valdemar and the Black Spear Corps raced toward Rehinar. Count McCarthy watched them depart with a satisfied smile.

"Rehinar will soon be mine."

He had heard of Rehinar's victories over the Dyer and Tegelo families, an impressive feat. However, he felt confident that even he could handle those two families. With just the Black Spear Corps, he could crush them.

After all, he was fighting the Guardian Lord for ages. What were two minor families in comparison?

"Of course, they’ll reject our offer of surrender. That will be the moment when Rehinar meets its doom, Carl."

The Count’s grin never faltered. However, there was one thing he was unaware of—Kane had already killed two of the executioners.

This critical information wouldn’t reach the King of Hatzfeld for another week, and by the time it reached Count McCarthy, the situation would have already spiraled out of control.

* * *

"The future has shifted once again."

Before the second wave of the mutated monsters, the McCarthy envoy arrived at Rehinar first, leading the elite Black Spear Corps.

At the western gate, the soldiers' faces turned pale. The McCarthy envoys were infamous and among them the Black Spear Corps, who had already slaughtered thousands of Rehinar’s soldiers in the past.

‘It doesn’t matter what comes first. This meeting was inevitable either way,’ Kane thought.

He opened the gate and stepped out alone. Standing some distance from the Black Spear Corps, he shouted, his voice laced with power.

"What business does McCarthy have in Rehinar?"

Kane’s magically amplified voice rang clearly in the ears of Valdemar and the Black Spear Corps.

Valdemar responded immediately, "I come as an envoy on behalf of McCarthy."

"I’ve received no word of an envoy coming. What’s your purpose?" Kane asked, his voice calm but firm.

"We have a message for the Guardian Lord! Isn’t it proper courtesy to greet us as envoys?" Valdemar shouted back, his voice growing louder with indignation.

Kane chuckled. "Son? Not even Count McCarthy himself, and you want to meet with one of the Twelve Star Lords? Don’t you think that’s a little beneath the station?"

Valdemar, irritated by the insult, shot back, "Is Rehinar, a crumbling land, really going to ignore an envoy of the mighty Hatzfeld royal family?"

Valdemar kept emphasizing the word envoy, clinging to its diplomatic significance. If Duke Carl were in charge, even an enemy envoy would have been treated with courtesy. But unfortunately for Valdemar, he was dealing with Kane.

For Kane, there were only two types of people—friends and enemies. It didn’t matter if they came as envoys; he had no intention of letting them into the domain. He had already made up his mind to go to war with Hatzfeld. Politics and formalities were trivial concerns to him.

And if they tried to make an issue out of it, well, Kane had a simple solution: kill them all. Whether they were allies or enemies didn’t matter to him.

Whether Valdemar understood Kane’s ruthless mindset or not was irrelevant.

Valdemar shouted once more, his voice filled with magic: “Show proper respect to an envoy!”

His powerful voice echoed in Kane’s ears. But in the very next moment—

Boom!

Kane’s figure suddenly appeared right in front of Valdemar.

“Since you’ve come begging to be killed, I’ll oblige.”

Before anyone could react, Kane's blood-red spear, BloodSky Blade, had already pierced through Valdemar's neck.

It all happened so fast that everyone present was left in utter shock.