[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
Chapter 178
The Room of past was truly peaceful.
There was no war or discord of any kind.
Each day passed by in tranquil serenity.
“This trial offers no clues at all.”
That only made it more concerning.
The longer one stayed here, the higher the chances of being trapped in the Room of the past.
“I can’t just stay in Rehinar. I need to explore other places.”
As Kane prepared to leave, Camilla followed him.
“Where are you going, sir?”
Camilla, who used to be clumsy and teary-eyed, had grown into a proper bodyguard.
It was a transformation Kane still struggled to get used to.
The endearing softness she once had seemed to have vanished.
He missed it.
She seemed too rigid now.
Moving freely on his own was nearly impossible.
Camilla was always by his side.
“Today, I’m going to Philaec,” Kane said.
“I’ll notify Lord Gillip.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Your movements are matters of concern for the western lords, sir.”
Kane turned his head to look at her.
“And?”
“We need to inform the lords of your visit so they can prepare to welcome you properly. It will uphold Rehinar’s dignity.”
“Who built Rehinar’s dignity?”
“Your predecessors and yourself, sir, painstakingly.”
“That sort of pompous ceremony isn’t necessary. Rehinar’s dignity is already well-established.”
With that, Kane headed for the estate’s main gate, where a portal node stood nearby.
The mages stationed there saluted upon seeing him.
“We greet you, Your Excellency.”
“I’m going to Philaec.”
“Pardon?”
“Did you not hear me?”
“It’s just... We didn’t receive word about your visit to Philaec...”
“Do you need formal notice just to activate the portal?”
Kane frowned.
The mage glanced at Camilla behind him, silently seeking guidance.
When Camilla nodded, the mage finally moved.
“His Excellency is traveling to Philaec. Activate the portal.”
Ziiing—
A blue portal materialized.
As Kane stood before it, Camilla approached.
“You’ll remain here,” he ordered.
“But I am your bodyguard, sir.”
“Hmm.”
Feigning deliberation, Kane waited for her reaction.
Camilla moved again, but his sharp gaze stopped her.
“Since when did you start disregarding my commands?”
Camilla froze, visibly startled for the first time in years.
It was a look Kane hadn’t seen in a decade.
Flustered, she quickly composed herself.
“A guard captain must never leave Your Excellency’s side under any circumstances.”
“What takes precedence: your will or my command?”
“That is—”
“No matter who you are, crossing the line won’t be tolerated.”
“My apologies, Your Excellency.”
Without saying another word, Kane turned away.
He stepped into the portal and vanished, heading for Philaec.
The portal area, now devoid of Kane’s presence, was left in a tense, echoing silence.
* * *
Kane’s sudden appearance in Philaec caused immediate panic among the portal administrators.
“Y-Your Excellency!?”
“What the hell—oh, my apologies!”
“We greet Your Excellency!”
Everyone dropped to their knees in a hurried bow. Kane’s unexpected arrival had them all on edge.
“Summon the lord immediately!”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
“No need. I’ll find him myself.”
“W-We cannot let Your Excellency go alone. That wouldn’t be proper.”
“Yes, of course! Allow us to summon the lord to escort you.”
"Then you'll regret it."
Kane snapped his fingers.
A small drop of blood appeared in the air and shot forward, piercing the older man’s knee.
"Argh!"
"Boss!"
"An enemy! He dares target the Red Ravens?"
"Do you even know who stands behind us?"
The thugs, rough and scarred, pulled out various weapons and glared at Kane.
"Gillip, I presume," Kane said nonchalantly.
"If you know that, you'd better kneel!"
"The Black Crow exchange might have extorted money, but they didn’t go as far as enslaving people."
Kane muttered, his words barely audible, but the thugs, sensing an opportunity, charged forward.
"What nonsense are you spouting to yourself?"
"Take this, Stupid hero!" one of them roared, swinging a massive axe.
The aura emanating from the thugs made Kane frown.
"Blood mana?"
"Hahaha! It’s already too late for you!"
Blood mana was a rare and powerful attribute, far beyond what street thugs should have access to—especially the marked second stage Kane detected.
As their weapons descended toward Kane, ready to strike, a transparent barrier materialized in front of him.
Thud!
The weapons collided with the barrier, unable to penetrate it.
"This... This can't be!"
"How could he block weapons imbued with blood mana?"
"You’ve hidden a trick up your sleeve!"
The thugs were visibly shaken.
Blood mana wasn’t just rare—it was considered a supreme attribute, wielded only by the most powerful figures on the continent. For someone to block it so effortlessly was unthinkable.
"I'll be taking your power now," Kane declared.
He extended his hand, and the blood mana within the thugs began to drain from their bodies.
"Gah!"
"Wh-What’s happening?"
"My mana... It's disappearing!"
They resisted with all their strength, but it was futile. Every ounce of their blood mana was siphoned into Kane’s palm.
"Take me to your leader," Kane ordered.
"You think someone like you could meet him?" one thug spat.
"How dare you even speak his name? You must be insane."
"Do you think you’d be anything more than an insect before him?"
"Perhaps Gillip is like a god to you," Kane said coldly, "but to me, he is nothing."
Kane’s words were met with immediate retorts.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Do you have any idea who’s behind us?"
"I thought it was Gillip."
"It’s someone far higher than that. You could say the greatest person on the continent."
"Are you talking about Crown Prince Isaac?"
"You really know nothing, do you?" one thug sneered. "The most revered figure on the continent is none other than Grand Duke Kane Rehinar."
"What?"
Kane’s incredulous response made the thugs smirk, their confidence restored despite their loss of power. Their postures straightened, and their shoulders lifted as if their humiliation moments ago had never happened.
"Say that again. Who’s behind you?"
"The master of the Blood Grand Temple, the strongest of the Twelve Star lords on the continent, is our lord. Are you scared now?"
Kane found the situation utterly absurd. He had never encountered these people in his previous life, let alone heard of their supposed allegiance. Had something changed in this timeline?
The uncertainty left him uneasy.
But one thought loomed larger than the rest.
"The idea of me being held above Crown Prince Isaac isn’t good."
Rehinar was the foundation of the Fresia Empire. His ancestors had sworn an oath to stand by the empire not as equals but as loyal vassals. If this hierarchy were overturned, it could brand the Rehinar family as traitors.
The thugs’ words revealed an alarming truth—they had placed Kane above the crown prince, openly disregarding imperial authority.
"So this is the trial."
Kane’s sharp mind pieced it together. Solving this rift in allegiance would likely end this trial.
The way these men thought was dangerous.
Just then, a commotion erupted.
"The lord is here!"
"He’s heading this way!"
"In a hurry, by the looks of it!"
Gillip appeared, galloping at high speed on horseback.
"Out of the way!" he shouted, his voice booming.
The gathered crowd parted immediately, forming a clear path. This wasn’t the first time they’d seen such a spectacle.
Kane, cloaked and watching, studied Gillip intently.
The lord drove his steed forward, clearly intending to rush past Kane.
"Perfect timing," Kane muttered. "I’ve got some questions for you."
As Gillip's horse thundered by, Kane casually reached out and plucked G illip from the saddle, leaving the horse to charge onward riderless.
Gillip gasped in shock, dangling helplessly in Kane's grip.
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]