Chapter 13

[Translator – Kie]

[Proofreader – Lucky]

Chapter 13

“I believe I’ve identified the poison. I know how to create the antidote, but I’ll need specific ingredients.”

“What do you need? I will get you anything you require.”

“Please fetch me the blood of a mutated troll and the highest quality healing potion.”

“Consider it done.”

“The blood of the mutated troll must be of the highest grade.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Cedric swiftly left the room.

“Brother, is there anything I can do?”

“You called me ‘brother’ instead of ‘that boy’?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Sara hesitated.

For some time now, she had been intimidated by Kane’s words.

Just like now.

“I’ve exhausted my mana after returning from the hidden territory. I need to perform mana breathing here, so please protect me.”

“Got it!”

Sara nodded.

‘I wanted to observe him closely anyway. I’ll analyze the flow of his mana.’

Ignoring Sara’s eager gaze, Kane sat down.

He immediately began his mana breathing.

Sara and Camilla watched Kane intently.

***

Cedric left the mansion.

The knights who had been waiting outside surrounded him.

“How is His Excellency?”

“Is he alright?”

“He was always so strong on the battlefield, but seeing him suddenly collapse... it’s very unsettling.”

“Commander, please tell us what’s going on.”

Cedric reassured the knights.

“His Excellency has collapsed due to accumulated fatigue and needs some rest.”

“Phew, that’s a relief.”

“I thought something terrible had happened to him.”

“Hey, rookie, don’t say such things carelessly. You need to learn to stay quiet to live long.”

“You fool, always saying unnecessary things and getting into trouble.”

The knights’ faces brightened up.

“But Commander, did you see the Young Master?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Doesn’t he seem different to you?”

“Do you all feel that way too?”

“He seemed like a completely different person.”

“So, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Vice-commander.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Take some of the men and go to the Forest of Deadly Poison.”

The knights’ expressions darkened again.

“Is it a subjugation mission?”

“Sending us out immediately without rest is too harsh.”

“Can’t we rest for just one day?”

“It’s not a subjugation mission. You just need to go to the Forest of Deadly Poison, check one thing, and come back.”

“What should we check?”

“Report on how many mutated monster corpses there are.”

Cedric’s serious tone.

The Vice-commander Fabi Scheider replied in a solemn voice.

“We will leave immediately.”

Fabi took some of the knights and departed for the Forest of Deadly Poison.

Cedric assigned different tasks to the remaining men.

“You all will come with me to another territory to get the blood of a high-grade mutated troll.”

“High-grade blood will be very expensive.”

“I wonder if there’s even a merchant who sells it.”

“Even if we find one, we might not have enough money to buy it.”

“Just find it. Time is of the essence, so move quickly.”

As soon as Cedric gave the order, the previously complaining knights moved swiftly and efficiently.

Vice-commander Fabi arrived at the Forest of Deadly Poison with the knights.

“The miasma here seems very thin?”

“The barrier is gone too, Vice-commander.”

“Let’s head inside first.”

Fabi quickly walked deeper into the forest.

The smell of blood wafting through the air was nauseating.

It was stronger than the scent of miasma and poison.

“The smell is revolting. What on earth happened here?”

Fabi cautiously moved forward, gripping his sword.

Despite being a mid-tier 6th-class knight, this was the hidden territory.

An area fraught with unknown dangers.

Carelessness meant death.

He advanced carefully with the knights, maintaining vigilance.

“Vice-commander, look ahead! It’s a mutated monster’s corpse.”

In truth, a Blood Knight, who has a Blood Mark, didn’t need to sit and perform mana breathing.

A Blood Knight’s specialty was mana absorption—draining an opponent’s power to enhance one’s own. This was the greatest advantage of a Blood Knight.

‘I should get up now.’

It seemed a considerable amount of time had passed.

Even with his accelerated mana recovery, it still took a whole day for him as a Beginner 3rd-class knight to fully recover his mana.

He couldn’t bear the eyes staring at him any longer.

Four eyes had been fixed on him without a moment’s break.

He stopped his mana breathing and opened his eyes.

Sara was sitting right in front of him, staring wide-eyed.

Next to her, Camilla spoke up.

“Have you already finished recovering your mana, Young Master?”

Looking outside, it was already dark.

He had started his mana breathing during the day, so at least six hours must have passed.

“This should be enough to treat Father. Where is Sir Cedric?”

Since he didn’t see Cedric around, Camilla answered on his behalf.

“He’s outside... But, Brother!”

“Yes?”

“What happened to your Fire Mark?”

Sara finally asked about the Fire Mark.

He pondered how to explain it.

Knowing it would be difficult for her to understand, he decided to use the Blood Knight story as a cover.

“You’re familiar with our family’s legend, right?”

“Of course. It’s said that our founder was born with the ‘Blood Mark’ and practiced two types of breathing techniques...”

She was half right and half wrong.

The founder of Rehinar wasn’t born with the Blood Mark; it was forcibly implanted.

Those who sold their souls to demons in order to protect the continent from the god of purification were known as Blood Knights.

A power that used one’s life as collateral.

These figures now only existed in legends.

“That answer should suffice. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.”

“Ugh, just tell me! Don’t leave it ambiguous.”

“Is your curiosity more important than treating Father?”

“No, but...”

“I need to treat Father now, so don’t interrupt. Sir Cedric, please come in.”

Click.

Cedric, who had been waiting outside, entered the room.

“Did you get the blood of a mutated troll?”

“Here it is.”

Cedric handed over the flask.

Feeling the strong mana, it was undoubtedly of high-grade.

“The amount is sufficient. But where did you leave your spear?”

“The edge had gone dull, so I left it at the forge. Anyway, with this much blood, can you heal His Excellency?”

Cedric’s expression had been unchanged until a moment ago. Now, he looked more earnest than ever. His loyalty to his master was evident.

‘To exchange his life-like weapon for mere mutated troll blood for his master. Such loyalty and abilities are truly admirable.’

The blood of a high-grade mutated troll is a 3-star material. That means it costs hundreds of thousands of gold.

Any knight Commander of a higher noble family could easily afford it. But Rehinar was poor. Cedric was even unpaid.

All the money saved went into repairing equipment. There was no way he had any money. In the end, he sold his weapon to obtain the blood of the mutated troll.

“Rehinar owes Sir Cedric a great debt. If you had taken the Mana Stone, you could have easily obtained the troll’s blood.”

“Please do not concern yourself with that. I beg of you, heal His Excellency.”

Cedric didn’t say anything more. He wasn’t the type to offer unnecessary explanations. It was very pleasing.

“Father’s poison will be cured.”

Kane turned and approached Duke Carl, who was lying down.

[Carl Rehinar (Lv.99)(MAX)]

Grade: ★★★★★

Age: 45

Occupation: Duke of Rehinar

Mana Affinity: Water Oath (SSR)(4 Runes)

Favorability: 60 (Intimate)

-Basic Stats-

[Health: SR -> (B-)]

[Mana: SR -> (B-)]

[Physical: SR+ -> (D-)]

[Strength: SR- -> (C+)]

[Agility: SR -> (D)]

Traits: Star of the Sword (SR), Master of Protection (SR-), Western Supreme Commander (SR), Guardian of the Empire (SR)

Skills: Blue Tiger’s Breath (SR), Twin Sword Technique of Protection (SR)

*Special Note: Poisoned by the Formlessness Poison, Increased Mana Hemorrhage.

...

‘Mana crystal herb is a deadly poison. Even the Master of Protection trait cannot withstand it.’

Carl Rehinar, a man with abilities surpassing Cedric, was on the brink of death. One of the Twelve Star Lords at the Mid-tier of the 8th Class was hovering between life and death.

‘I won’t let him die.’

Ding–

[A quest has arrived.]

...

As expected.

Immediately, he checked the notification.

[Translator – Kie]

[Proofreader – Lucky]