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Chapter 99
Chapter 99
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
Chapter 99
At the northern wall of Rehinar,
The cadets of the military academy still stood there.
Princess Charlotte was watching the direction in which Kane had disappeared.
A powerful magical energy could be felt where he had vanished.
‘Just how far ahead is he planning…?’ she wondered, furrowing her brows, a habit she often exhibited when deep in thought.
It was an overwhelming victory.
News of triumph soon came from both the western and eastern gates.
Pure annihilation of Tegelo.
Who could have imagined that Rehinar possessed such overwhelming strength?
Everyone here must be thinking the same thing.
‘I thought we would be used as shields, the noble children and I... But no, we were just pawns to make Tegelo a traitor.’
That was her conclusion.
Rehinar didn't need the help of the royal family or the nobility.
They had more than enough power to defend their land on their own.
No, they had an abundance of it.
Did they not crush thousands of soldiers with overwhelming force?
Not all of Tegelo’s forces were deployed, but those who came were their elites.
Even the Marquis was among them.
Yet they still lost the war.
Even MarquisTegelo and his personal guards were all killed.
There was no way to bring them back.
While Tegelo’s successor remained, it would take at least ten years to recover their former glory.
Of course, that was assuming the imperial palace didn’t declare Tegelo a traitor.
“The more I see him, the more fascinating he becomes...”
She unconsciously voiced the thoughts she had been keeping to herself.
“Who are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
Charlotte was caught off guard by Sara's question.
As she fumbled for words,
Kane emerged from the forest ahead.
The Blood fog had completely lifted.
Under the bright full moon, everything was clearly visible.
Several cadets gasped as they spotted Kane.
“Oh my God!”
“Look... over there...”
Everyone's eyes were on Kane.
Charlotte, Sara, Rose, and Sasha—all of them—spotted him.
He was drenched in blood.
Whether it was his own or his enemy’s was unclear, but he was soaked in red.
Charlotte's hands shook slightly.
Just by looking at him, Kane exuded an aura of intimidation.
He wasn’t showing any mana.
He was simply walking silently toward the wall.
Of course, there were exceptions.
“That bastard!”
Kane's sister, Sara, shouted angrily.
“Does he not care about his life, going off on his own like that?!”
The cadets, who had been holding their breath, turned their gazes to Sara.
Who could shout like that at the man who exuded such intimidation?
The soldiers here, the instructors, even the head instructor—everyone was struck speechless.
Kane, who had been approaching the wall, stopped in his tracks.
Then, he looked down at himself.
Perhaps he realized how dreadful he looked.
He began to summon his mana.
Tss-
As heat waves shimmered from his body, the bloodstains on his clothes and skin gradually disappeared.
Chief Instructor Joseph marveled, "Perfect mana evaporation!"
Using mana to disintegrate atoms or molecules.
But to achieve such a flawless evaporation of mana was no easy task.
It required mastery over mana control, the flow of energy, the material of the clothes—so many factors had to be considered.
Only by analyzing everything meticulously could one remove foreign substances from the body.
It was a concept the cadets had yet to grasp.
As Kane entered through the gate,
Sara was the first to scold him.
"You stubborn fool! When Tegelo's forces showed up, you should've at least called for Uncle Cedric!"
Sara struck Kane's back repeatedly.
Whack! Whack!
The cadets watching gasped in shock.
Family or not, how could she act like that?
Was he really unbothered?
Kane paid no attention to Sara's actions.
Instead, he glanced around at the cadets and said,
"Did you all come out here for a field trip? Why are you all standing outside?"
"We heard Tegelo was attacking, so we came out because we were worried."
"Worried?"
As soon as Kane finished speaking, the cadets nodded their heads vigorously.
They smiled awkwardly as they did so.
"The thing you were all concerned about isn't happening, so return to your posts. I have to take care of the situation, so I'll be going ahead."
Kane gave a slight nod to Charlotte before moving on.
Charlotte watched his back and murmured softly,
"He's stronger than when he fought the MarquisTegelo... Is he growing stronger just by breathing?"
A man full of mysteries.
Charlotte's mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of Kane Rehinar.
* * *
The death of Marquis Tegelo quickly shook the Fresia Empire to its core.
A shock, to say the least.
The fact that their opponent was Rehinar was beyond belief.
A family thought to be on the brink of collapse.
Recently, rumors about Kane Rehinar had spread, but most thought they were exaggerated.
After all, rumors always tend to be exaggerated.
Yet now, to hear that Marquis Tegelo, along with 5,000 soldiers, were completely annihilated by Rehinar— it was hard for the people of the Empire to believe.
What was even more astonishing was the rumor that Tegelo’s forces didn’t even manage to enter Rehinar's territory.
“They say that massive army didn’t even breach Rehinar’s gates?”
"I heard about it too. At first, I thought it was a lie."
"Did the Guardian Lord wake up from his sickbed?"
"Or was it the Blue Flash alone?"
"But even so, it couldn't have been easy to stop 5,000 troops..."
Every citizen of the Empire had the same question.
"That's not the only rumor. They say Rehinar has completely transformed."
"How?"
"They say it's turned into a city of water, and a port is being built soon."
"Looks like the center of trade is going to shift from Philaec to Rehinar."
Rehinar wasn't commercially developed yet, but the nobles all agreed that if funds were invested in the territory, development would come quickly.
Some were absolutely furious about these rumors.
"Ah, we're ruined!"
"Greed got the better of us, damn it!"
"Shouldn't we return to Rehinar while we still can?"
Former Rehinar citizens who had moved to Philaec were crying with regret.
They had betrayed Rehinar and settled in Dyer, only to see Philaec devastated by a mysterious attacker.
Of course, the attacker was none other than Kane.
Count Dyer being enraged, launched an attack on Rehinar, but all that returned were cold corpses.
From that point, Philaec began its decline.
A territory without an owner,
With no lord to manage the land, it quickly turned into a lawless city.
As the security deteriorated rapidly, the once-expensive properties became worthless.
They had sold everything they owned to settle in Philaec, and now they were on the verge of losing even that.
The more they heard about the rumors coming out of Rehinar, the more bitter the former citizens of Rehinar became.
* * *
Around that time, the Hatzfeld royal family was welcoming an important guest.
"Welcome to Hatzfeld."
A middle-aged man with striking red hair greeted the visitors in priestly robes.
"I did not expect the Lord of the Red Dragon to greet us personally. We are deeply honored by your warm reception."
The man in the resplendent golden attire bowed his head slightly.
The red-haired man was one of the twelve strongest people of the continent.
He was the master of the Red Dragon, and also the king of the recently rising kingdom.
"The Bishop of Lycera Theocracy has personally come to visit; it is only fitting that I greet you myself."
"I am humbled by your graciousness."
"Please, come inside."
The King of Hatzfeld led the Bishop of Lycera into the palace.
Inside the grand hall, the King of Hatzfeld and the Bishop of Lycera were engaged in a pleasant conversation.
"Father!"
A young man with red hair entered the grand hall.
"How dare you act so recklessly when we have important guests!" scolded the King of Hatzfeld. The young man quickly straightened his disheveled clothes.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. You summoned me urgently, so I rushed back…." The red-haired youth darted his eyes around and then glanced subtly at the priestly figure standing to the right of the hall.
"Introduce yourself. This is the Bishop from the Lycera Theocracy."
"The Lycera Theocracy! The paradise of priests! What brings you all the way to this distant land?"
"He will be your teacher from now on. Show him proper respect."
"Me?" The young man looked bewildered, causing the King of Hatzfeld to raise his voice.
"Dirk!"
The King's tone became stern, and the red-haired youth, Dirk Hatzfeld, flinched and bowed his head.
"I am Dirk Hatzfeld, second son of the Hatzfeld Royal family. It is an honor to meet you, Bishop."
The priest responded with a smile.
"I am Bishop Gregor, and I will be instructing you from now on. You may address me however you feel comfortable—Bishop, Priest, or Teacher, whatever suits you."
"I will call you Bishop Gregor. I look forward to your guidance." Dirk, though flustered, managed to complete his greeting.
Then, he turned his head slightly, giving his father, the King of Hatzfeld, a questioning look.
"As you know, the Lycera Theocracy is the most powerful nation on the continent. The Seven Bishops, in particular, are not only masters of divine power but each possesses a unique skill. Bishop Gregor here is a master of spearmanship, much like us. Learn from him and fill in the gaps in your knowledge."
"I understand," Dirk nodded.
Bishop Gregor was no ordinary priest. He was known as the "Lord of a Hundred Spears," a title given because he was among the top three spear-wielders on the continent.
Gregor chuckled and said, "I didn't expect you to accept me so easily. This is a pleasant surprise."
"Who would refuse the chance to learn from the Lord of a Hundred Spears?"
"I thought it would take time to convince the prince, but it seems that won't be necessary."
Gregor looked pleased with Dirk's attitude. Then he turned to the King of Hatzfeld and asked another question.
"I've heard that Hatzfeld hides a special spear. I'd like to teach him as well."
At the mention of the hidden spear, Dirk's face darkened.
"That boy has been disowned by His Majesty. There's no need to concern yourself with him," Dirk quickly dismissed.
"Well, I came all this way to strengthen the ties between the Theocracy and Hatzfeld. It would be ideal if I could also instruct the hidden spear as well."
Bishop Gregor glanced at the King's face.
The King's expression remained unchanged, revealing no emotion. But after a moment, his tightly closed lips parted.
"Ray is not worthy of learning from you, Bishop. How could I ask you to teach a mere illegitimate child? No matter how much we wish to strengthen our ties, there is no need to waste your time on him."
His tone was firm. Hearing this, Gregor set aside his ambition.
"If Your Majesty says so, then I will focus solely on teaching Prince Dirk."
"Thank you."
"Think nothing of it."
Just as they were about to conclude their conversation, one of Dirk's aides rushed in and whispered something urgently in his ear.
"What!? The Red Dragon Legion has been annihilated?"
Dirk was so shocked that he momentarily forgot his father was present.
"Did Tegelo betray us?"
"No, it seems they were wiped out along with Marquis Tegelo after attacking Rehinar."
"What!?"
Not only Dirk, but the King of Hatzfeld also furrowed his brow. Bishop Gregor's face also showed a slight crack in his composure, though only for a fleeting moment.
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]