The Regressed Blood Knight’s Strategy

Chapter 128

In the annex where the outsiders stay.

Anna bowed her head to the two people.

“Then, I’ll take my leave. If you need anything, you can ask these girls or call for me.”

Anna pointed to the maids.

These were slaves Kane had received from the first princess.

Now, they were learning maid duties from Anna, alongside combat training.

Seeing the young maids, Elmar called out to Anna, who was about to leave.

“There are a few things I’d like to ask….”

Elmar started speaking informally but quickly shifted to a more polite tone.

The head maid was anything but ordinary.

“Please, speak comfortably. I’m just a mere head maid of Rehinar. I’m not someone of high status who deserves your respect.”

“I cannot treat someone of equal standing with disrespect.”

He had been observing her on their way here.

Her footsteps were so light.

Like a feather, almost.

He could barely hear her steps.

It was like the walk of an assassin.

Not just any ordinary assassin, either.

She was the kind that could ambush and kill even the lower ranks among the Twelve Star Lords.

‘She is definitely not weaker than me.’

It was maddening.

He had thought he was entering a den of wounded and sick tigers….

But it turned out to be something entirely different.

Not injured tigers, but a domain filled with alpha predators.

“If you do this, it puts me in an awkward position. A maid receiving respect from a distinguished guest—it’s unthinkable.”

“Then… I’ll speak freely.”

“Thank you. So, what are you curious about?”

“Does everyone in Rehinar possess mana?”

“Rehinar has never employed servants. Everyone here is a retainer.”

“I heard they had fallen….”

“They are in the process of recovering, but there is still a long way to go.”

“I see.”

“If there’s nothing else, I will take my leave. Please rest well.”

Anna bowed and disappeared.

The maids also left the room, standing outside, ready to be called.

Elmar and Heike remained in the room.

Their stiff expressions showed no sign of easing.

Elmar spoke first.

“It seems we’ll need to change our plan.”

“I agree with you.”

“Getting First Seat out of prison is out of the question.”

“Let’s just focus on making it out alive ourselves.”

Heike shivered as she spoke again.

“The rumors about the power of the ‘Blue Flash’ weren’t exaggerated—they were actually understated.”

“Did you see the look in his eyes too?”

“His eyes were so deep, I almost felt like I’d be sucked in. I thought we only needed to be wary of the Guardian Lord, but now we’re facing the true power of the Blue Flash….”

Cedric was absolutely shocking.

First Seat was comparable to a high-tier 7-class knight.

The strongest executioner with the weight of the title ‘1st’.

But the Blue Flash, Cedric Harca, seemed even stronger than First Seat.

Facing him felt like standing on the edge of a blade.

One wrong step, and it felt like that blade would pierce through his entire body.

That’s how dangerous he was.

This individual was the right hand of the Guardian Lord.

“If… if we encounter the Guardian Lord.”

“Don’t say such horrible things! He’s a walking disaster. If we meet him, we’ll be buried here for sure!”

Heike, trembling violently, shouted. Just hearing about the Guardian Lord was enough to send her into a fit.

The word “fear” was written all over her face.

“…We shouldn’t have come here.”

It hadn’t been long since she arrived in Rehinar, and she already regretted it.

“We’re here as the head of the Continental Merchant Guild and the leader of the Antidote School, not as executioners. We’re supposed to be establishing relations with Rehinar. Even if we see a chance to exploit, we must ignore it. We’ll just achieve the bare minimum for our fake identities and get out.”

“So you’re saying we should lay low and not do anything reckless?”

“Even if an opportunity arises, we should pretend not to see it. We’ll maintain the pretense of engagement, then leave without any issues.”

Heike nodded in agreement.

Her previous confidence had long vanished since arriving here.

Their top priority now was to escape alive without revealing their true identities.

“As long as First Seat doesn’t spill anything about us, we just need to avoid encountering the Guardian Lord.”

The two of them were unaware.

The sleeping giant’s keen mana had sensed danger.

A giant whose halted bodily functions were reactivating much faster than anticipated.

---

“Argh! How dare you throw me into such a filthy place!”

In Rehinar’s underground prison, Dirk was having a tantrum.

Even while bound by chains, his mouth never stopped.

It was his first time being taken captive by an enemy.

He didn’t know what treatment to expect as a prisoner.

He was used to being the one issuing orders for torture.

“I am Dirk Hatzfeld, the second prince of Hatzfeld! Release me immediately!”

Yoshua, who had been sipping tea with his eyes closed, finally spoke up.

“You are quite loud.”

At Yoshua's words, the head jailer yelled at Dirk.

“Shut up! You’re noisy!”

“You insolent wretches!”

Dirk’s voice echoed through the prison.

But it carried no mana.

It wasn’t nearly enough to intimidate the prison’s head jailer.

“This guy…”

The jailer opened the cell door.

“Good, hurry up and remove these annoying cuffs—”

Thud!

“Gah!”

Dirk let out a shriek like a pig being slaughtered.

The jailer’s fist drove straight into his solar plexus.

Dirk wheezed, struggling to catch his breath.

“Do you have any idea how many Rehinar soldiers died because of you, and you still have the nerve to act out here?”

“Ugh… How dare…!”

No matter what the jailer did, Yoshua didn’t pay any attention.

With that, the jailer rolled up his sleeves.

“You don’t have the basic manners of a prisoner. I’ll have to fix that nasty attitude of yours.”

The jailer began to slap Dirk’s face ruthlessly.

True to his role as the one in charge of the prison, his strikes were heavy.

Dirk’s face swelled up, his lips and the blood vessels in his eyes bursting.

The beating that started with a single slap quickly spread across his whole body.

It was as if the jailer was using Dirk as a training dummy, striking him with his fists all over.

“Argh! Stop, it hurts, please stop!”

After a prolonged beating, the jailer dusted off his hands.

“You think you can mess around here? I want to kill you right now, but the Young Master has some questions for you, so you’re lucky to be alive. You should be grateful to him, got it?”

“Ugh...”

With a satisfied expression, the jailer stepped out of the cell. Just as he was about to lock the door, a voice came from behind him.

“You’ve really turned him into a bloody mess.”

“S-Sir!”

The jailer snapped to attention and saluted.

The person who appeared was none other than Kane.

“This won’t do. If you question someone who’s out of their mind, you’re not going to get any useful answers, are you?”

Kane’s muttering made the jailer bow his head hastily.

“S-sorry, sir! I got so angry when I saw that Hatzfeld prince that I lost my temper…”

Kane put a hand on the sweating jailer’s shoulder.

“I understand how you feel. Just looking at that guy makes your fists itch.”

Dirk’s face was perfectly designed to provoke others.

With his smug, deceitful expression—especially his condescending voice, despite lacking any real skill—he was a magnet for punches.

“Y-yes, sir.”

The jailer glanced toward Yoshua, seeking some support.

Finally, Yoshua intervened.

“Shall I heal him?”

“No need for that. Let him feel the pain for a while longer. We can talk to him again later.”

Kane shifted his gaze away from Dirk and headed to the adjacent cell.

Inside, Gregor was still unconscious. The psychological shock must have been intense.

He hadn’t shown any signs of waking up.

Kane opened the cell door and forcibly woke Gregor.

As blood mana flowed into his heart—

“Gasp!”

Gregor jerked awake, his upper body snapping upright.

“Did you have a pleasant dream?”

“You…!”

Gregor quickly realized that he couldn’t move his body as he wished.

Like Dirk, he was bound.

“Don’t look at me like that. It makes me want to kill you.”

Gregor was one of the reasons Dirk had tormented him. In his last life Gregor favored Ray much more than Dirk.

As the superior fighter among the hounds of the Solar House, Gregor was someone Dirk wanted to control.

Dirk’s jealousy led to constant trouble whenever he got the chance.

Recalling those times still made Kane grit his teeth in anger.

“You probably have an idea why I’ve kept you alive, don’t you?”

“You won’t get anything out of me.”

“They all say that at first.”

“No matter what you know about us, you won’t get what you’re after.”

Gregor maintained a confident expression.

Knowing exactly what was going through Gregor’s mind, Kane responded with a smile.

Kane's knowing smile widened as he observed the stunned expression on Gregor's face.

“You seem to put your faith in the First Star, don’t you?” Kane’s voice dripped with amusement.

“!?”

Gregor’s eyes widened in shock. The First Star, Number one of the Twelve Star Lords, was considered among the most powerful beings, alongside the Guardian Lord. Even within the ranks of the Twelve Star Lords, the true identity of the First Star remained shrouded in mystery.

He was a hero who appeared during times of turmoil, saving countless lives from the chaos of demonic forces, only to vanish without a trace.

A figure with the bravery of a lion.

A being who radiated power like the blazing sun.

The people of the continent had come to call him the First Star.

“The one you executioners serve is none other than Kesh Meyer, the head of the Sun Family and known as the First Star, right? Or perhaps you know him better as the High Priest of Lycera Theocracy, the one they call the Sacred Emperor.”

Kane’s words left Gregor speechless, his mouth hanging open, unable to mask his disbelief. It was a secret that no one on the continent should have known—one that Kane had managed to uncover with unsettling accuracy.

The realization that such a dangerous piece of information had fallen into the hands of this demonic man filled Gregor with dread.

***

Meanwhile, Camilla and Gilip returned from their mission. The two had become close comrades, bonded through numerous brushes with death. Time and again, they had saved each other while facing perilous adventures together.

“Camilla, feel free to visit the Black Crow Exchange anytime. If you want, I’ll give you top-quality goods at the best prices,” Gilip offered.

“Thank you. If you ever need my help, just call for me. Unless I’m busy guarding the Young master, I’ll find time to come see you,” Camilla replied warmly.

The two, once at odds, had grown inseparable.

Camilla eventually took her leave. “I’ll handle the report since the Young Master has returned to the estate. You should go get some rest, Gilip.”

“Let’s have a drink next time.”

Camilla returned to the estate, and as soon as Gilip stepped into the Black Crow exchange’s building, he was greeted with urgency.

“Brother!”

“Whoa! You scared me.”

“It’s an emergency.”

“What happened while I was gone?”

“The Young Master ordered that you bring him the Red Poison Worm as soon as you got back.”

“How did he even know I had one? He seems to know everything.”

The Red Poison Worms came in male and female. To control a target, the male worm was implanted in the person, while the female worm was kept as a pet. If the person implanted with the male worm disobeyed, any distress inflicted on the female worm would have an immediate effect on them.

The pain the female worm endured was transmitted to the host of the male worm at double intensity. And that wasn’t all.

The worm also slowly consumed the host’s mana. Once the mana was depleted, it would start devouring their life force.

It was an extremely dangerous blood parasite.

Gilip headed to his room’s safe and retrieved a golden box. Inside was a pair of Red Poison Worms.

“Who does he plan to use this on?” he wondered, knowing nothing of the Young Master’s intentions.

With the box in hand, he went to see Kane.