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Chapter 94
Chapter 94
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
Chapter 94
A red arrow shot up into the sky and exploded.
The fragments split into dozens of smaller pieces, turning into small explosions that rained down to the ground.
Sensing an unusual amount of mana, Marquis Tegelo shouted.
"Form a defensive line!"
Though he couldn't compare to Kane, he was still the Northern Supreme Commander in name. Without a trace of panic, he issued his command.
A faint barrier formed over the Tegelo troops' heads, the result of their defense.
As the small explosions collided with the barrier, many flasks flew through the air.
The flasks contained a black liquid, and the explosions accurately shattered the flasks.
Instead of the liquid flowing out, black smoke spread around.
Through the smoke, the fiery meteors from the explosions descended.
As they struck the Tegelo barrier—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground shook violently. The air was torn apart, and occasional screams could be heard.
“Agh!”
“Ugh, this is too much!”
“I… I can’t hold on any longer.”
The troops with weaker mana fell first.
Once one area broke, the rest threatened to collapse as well.
But they were the troops led by Marquis Tegelo, possessing a power on an entirely different level compared to Dyer’s forces.
In the end, they withstood the meteor-like barrage.
Of course, there were quite a few casualties.
Around 500 soldiers, give or take. Considering that the meteor of the exploding phoenix was used, the casualties were relatively few.
Did Marquis Tegelo know? That the weapon Kane held was among the highest-ranking cursed swords?
Perhaps not, which was why fury burned in his eyes.
"What a dangerous man!"
He now understood why his second son, Beno, had become a cripple in front of him.
To stand firm against so many troops, to have such a strong will—backed by such skill.
Most of all, that strange purple mana was extremely dangerous.
The thought that Kane was just an inexperienced rookie was quickly discarded.
"The very disaster we feared has come to pass. If we don’t destroy Rehinar now, Tegelo will fall."
The heir that Duke Carl had hidden so carefully.
He surpassed the level of the continent's top-tier commanders.
What would happen if some more time passed?
The once-failing Rehinar would rise like a beast.
What would follow was obvious.
They would vent all their pent-up anger on the nobles.
It was likely that many noble families would be wiped off the map of the empire.
Tegelo would be one of them.
"The good thing is, Rehinar only has one combat unit—the Guardian Knights. This war will belong to Tegelo."
Marquis Tegelo tucked away his earlier underestimation of Kane.
Instead, he resolved to hunt the blue tiger with all his might.
Tap.
Drip, drip, drip.
Just in time, rain began to fall from the sky.
Rain summoned artificially by Rehinar.
But Tegelo welcomed the rain as much as Rehinar did.
Rain strengthened the mana of the wind flowing through the atmosphere.
“The Wind Fox Mages and Wind Fox Knights will lead 1,000 soldiers to attack Rehinar’s western gate. The Wind Sword Brigade will take 1,000 soldiers and capture the eastern gate. The rest will follow me to strike here!”
“Yes, Your Excellency!”
Tegelo’s forces began to split into two directions.
* * *
Blata approached Kane with a sense of urgency.
“Kane Sir, it’s all done,” he said acting like an officer.
Raindrops fell from the sky, pattering down heavily.
“Well done,” Kane said as he patted Blata on the head.
“Hehe. What’s next? Do we lead the soldiers into battle?” Blata asked excitedly.
“They’re fighting with everything they’ve got, so we must respond in kind,” Kane replied in an unwavering voice.
Camilla, concerned, spoke up, “Shouldn’t we call Sir Cedric, and the other Guardian Knights? Marquis Tegelo is a high-tier 6th-class knight…”
That wasn’t all.
The retainers beside Marquis Tegelo were also powerful.
The elderly among them, clearly veterans, were also 6th-class, and even the younger ones were knights of the 5th-class.
It was no exaggeration to say that Tegelo had brought all his elite forces with him.
The only one capable of stopping them was Cedric Harka.
If the commander of the Guardian Knights stepped in, even Marquis Tegelo would be powerless.
“There are others who will make up for our lack of forces,” Kane said.
“They’ll be arriving soon. Camilla, lead the soldiers and defend the western gate. Yoshua will have to put in some work.”
“When should we deploy the Blood Fog?” Yoshua asked.
“Spread it before heading to the western gate,” Kane replied.
Yoshua nodded.
He cast a blood spell in the direction of Marquis Tegelo.
A magic circle formed beneath Yoshua’s feet, and as red energy surged, the ‘Blood Fog’ spread across the northern gate area.
After finishing his task, Yoshua clasped his hands together and spoke with reverence.
“In the name of Blata, I will slaughter all our enemies.”
Though his words were fierce, they were reassuring.
A newly promoted 4-star character and the leader of the Blata cult, Yoshua, actively assisted Kane.
“Lord Yoshua! We heard Tegelo has invaded. Let us help!”
“We’ll take the front lines, so please, move to a safe place.”
“We’re worried you might get hurt, Your Eminence.”
The people of the territory had developed a blind faith in Yoshua.
To them, he had become nearly a godlike figure.
However, Yoshua directed all their faith toward Kane.
“Young Master Kane, whom I serve, has requested my help. How could I stand idle? He is the noble one chosen by the holy Blata himself. The saint is fighting for you all; shouldn’t we offer at least a small hand?”
Yoshua’s words deeply moved the people.
Their fierce loyalty shifted from Yoshua to Kane.
---
[The faith of the people of Rehinar in you has increased.]
[The faith of the people of Rehinar in you has increased.]
[The faith of the people of Rehinar in you has increased.]
At that moment, the faith surged uncontrollably.
'Faith... Is this really okay? Feels a bit like a cult... But whatever, if it works, it works.'
Then, something unexpected happened.
[A devout follower has been promoted to 'Blood Priest Trainee.']
A blessing had been bestowed upon one of the commoners with no mana.
Originally, trainees were recruited through the Blata temple buildings.
However, the recruitment process was postponed due to the high costs involved.
Yet, without any recruitment efforts, a commoner had just been promoted to a trainee.
'So, this can happen too?'
Feeling pleased with this unexpected gain, Kane smiled.
“We also want to serve Rehinar,” someone pleaded.
“Please, let me join.”
“I’ll do any task, no matter how difficult.”
---
[A devout follower has requested promotion to 'Blood Priest Trainee.' Accept? (Y/N)]
---
“Follow High Priest Yoshua. It’s too dangerous here for you.”
---
[Promotion accepted.]
[A devout follower has been promoted to 'Blood Priest Trainee.']
---
“I’ll guide them properly. Everyone, follow me,” Yoshua said as he led the newly promoted trainee and other followers away.
The only one left without orders was Mikhail.
“You, take the remaining soldiers and the Blood Tigers to the eastern gate.”
“Understood. Take care of yourself,” Mikhail replied before disappearing into the fog.
Once Mikhail was gone, Kane turned his attention to the frontlines.
The ‘Blood Fog’ had fully spread out, covering the area, and a thick mist now blanketed the battlefield.
“They’re being cautious, afraid that Sir Cedric or my father might show up. That’ll be their downfall.”
Marquis Tegelo hadn’t attacked the northern gate yet.
Partly because of the ‘Blood Fog’ covering the area, but mostly because he feared Cedric, the Commander of the Guardian Knights.
Cedric’s presence had long been the reason no one dared invade Rehinar.
He was one of the strongest knights in the empire.
This delay bought them time.
“They’re coming now.”
In the distance, Kane saw the Blood Orcs charging fiercely.
Being mutated monsters, they were at least 1.5 times larger than regular orcs.
But their size wasn’t the most terrifying part.
“There must be about a thousand of them.”
It was as if the second stage of monster mutation had been forced upon them.
They were even stronger than the Blood Tigers, possessing attack power on par with a high-tier 3rd-class warrior.
With their eyes filled with madness, they knew no fear.
They would be more than enough to cause severe damage to Tegelo’s main force.
“Their target is Tegelo’s army. I’ll have to tear through them myself.”
With that, Kane jumped down from the wall and dove into the ‘Blood Fog’.
The war had only just begun.
* * *
At that moment, at the Rehinar Military Academy.
Charlotte, who was attending a history class, suddenly sensed a massive surge of energy.
She shot up from her seat, eyes locked on the window.
The powerful and ominous waves of energy she felt came from a distance, far beyond the academy walls.
“Instructor, I think something is happening in Rehinar,” she said with urgency.
Charlotte was one of the top students at the academy. Unlike the attitude she often displayed toward Crown Prince Isaac, she always showed great respect to her teachers.
Instructor Elias, who had been giving the history lecture, immediately stepped outside to investigate.
Moments later, he returned, looking grave.
“We’ll have to end today’s lecture early. Marquis Tegelo has brought his army to the outskirts of the territory. You are all ordered to return to your dormitories and not to leave under any circumstances.”
The room immediately buzzed with nervous whispers.
Many of the students had anticipated that a war might break out. It just happened sooner than they had expected, causing unrest to ripple through the class.
All eyes turned toward the second princess.
She was the only one believed capable of putting an end to this conflict.
“I should go,” Charlotte declared confidently, stepping forward without a trace of hesitation.
True to her royal demeanor, she showed no signs of panic.
But before she could leave, Instructor Elias stood in her way.
“Even for you, Princess, there are no exceptions.”
“Is this not a crisis for Rehinar? If Marquis Tegelo has come in person, then surely he’s brought a large force.”
“We have received explicit orders to ensure your safety.”
“From whom?” she asked, her tone growing more curious.
“Young Master Kane,” Elias replied.
“While I may currently be a student of the Rehinar Military Academy, I still have duties as a princess. I appreciate the concern, but I must decline.”
Elias knew he could not stop her.
The duties of a princess were clear—royalty bore the responsibility of preventing the empire from descending into chaos.
With Tegelo invading Rehinar, how could she simply stay put?
Charlotte moved with purpose, knowing she had to fulfill her role.
“I will accompany you,” Elias said, following closely behind her.
As they reached the academy's main training grounds, they saw instructors arming themselves, having halted their lessons.
Head Instructor Joseph scowled as he saw them approach.
“I already told you, Elias. The princess is not an exception.”
"The princess says she will fulfill her royal duty, so save the lecture for later. The situation is urgent, and now is not the time for idle talk, is it?" Charlotte pressed.
“I have orders from above, and I must follow them,” Joseph replied, keeping his tone steady.
“And don’t you want to save Rehinar from this crisis?” she asked sharply.
“Of course,” Joseph responded, a hint of frustration in his voice.
“Then instead of sending the students to their dormitories, gather them here.”
“Why?” Joseph asked, still uncertain.
“I’m taking them to the gates. No matter how bold Marquis Tegelo is, if even one of the noble sons and daughters gathered here gets hurt, he’ll never dare to attack Rehinar. His ambitions will collapse.”
Joseph hesitated, deep in thought.
“Hurry!” Charlotte’s voice urged with authority.
Finally, Joseph made his decision. “Alright, Princess, we’ll trust you.”
The instructors quickly gathered the students, who had been on their way to the dorms, and followed Charlotte toward the northern gate.
Though the trembling of the earth had subsided, the eerie feeling from beyond the walls remained, unsettling everyone.
Charlotte led the students up the city walls, but all they could see was a thick mist of blood-red fog.
Only one person, the second princess, could see what lay beyond the fog with her ‘Moon’s Eye’.
Her voice trembled with shock as she gasped, “This is... madness!”
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]