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Chapter 123

Kane was lost in thought for a moment.

Then, a smirk appeared on his face.

"While the overall flow has changed, there are still parts that remain the same."

The order may have been jumbled, but the core story of Kane Rehinar still held.

That diplomatic envoy mission was part of it.

"Was it supposed to happen after the second wave?"

How ironic that three forces were converging at the same time—towards Rehinar, no less.

"If they want to act, I\'ll play along."

He knew exactly how they would move, so he decided to join in their little play.

To devour all three groups.

After seeing them, Kane returned to the military academy’s training area.

"Is the training going well?"

Soon after, the voice of Joseph, the head of the academy, was heard.

"Everything is proceeding too smoothly, it’s making me uneasy."

Kane stoked Joseph\'s unease even further.

"Hatzfeld has crossed the border into the Demon Forest."

"Is it safe to continue with the training like this...?"

Joseph was doubtful.

What if one of the cadets was killed by another nation?

All the cadets at Rehinar came from noble families.

If something like that happened, the blame would surely fall on Rehinar.

Politically, it would be a disaster.

Especially if the nobles realized their children were used as bait.

Regardless of the power of their family, complaints would arise from all sides.

This would be a blow to Rehinar.

"The Second Princess has given her permission. Once we succeed in this, those complaints will vanish."

"When did you have this conversation?"

"Before coming here, I contacted His Highness, the Crown Prince."

"So, you\'ve already made up your mind."

"To drag out those who plot in the shadows, we need to offer them something tempting."

The cadets of Rehinar Military Academy were the future of the Fresia Empire.

What would happen if all of them died?

Their future would disappear, and the fall of the Fresia Empire would accelerate.

It would be a perfect opportunity for those who sought the empire\'s ruin.

"Focus on protecting the cadets, Head Instructor."

"I’ll also tell the other instructors to strengthen their vigilance."

"Leave it as it is. If the acting is too stiff, the enemy will catch on easily."

Two more quiet days passed.

The cadets were resting after dealing with mutated monsters.

Suddenly, a group of people cloaked in red robes appeared before them.

"Don\'t move."

"So, the scouts were right. They’re really here."

"Seems like they didn’t expect us to cross the border."

"A training exercise during such turbulent times in Demon Forest... Rehinar must be full of fools, haha."

The unexpected visitors sneered.

"Report to the leader—"

Thwack

A drop of water shot from somewhere and pierced the forehead of the laughing man.

As he fell to the ground, his companions froze in shock.

"W-what the hell?"

“It’s an ambush. Expand your mana field.”

They were the newly formed Red Dragon Corps’ mages.

Flames formed in their hands as they spread their mana.

“If you don’t want to die, stay still.”

“You dare ambush me? If I catch you, I won’t let you off.”

The Mages of the Red Dragon Knight unit searched for the assailants with eyes wide with fury.

As soon as they sensed movement in the trees behind them—

Thwack!

Five of them dropped dead instantly, their foreheads pierced.

“Damn it!”

One of the enraged mages reached out toward a cadet in retaliation.

Slash!

His wrist fell to the ground.

“Aaah!”

The mage knelt, screaming in pain.

For a mage, their hands were their life.

Even though incantations and spell formations had largely faded from practice, high-level magic still required detailed preparations.

Especially advanced magic—such spells required drawn formations and couldn’t be cast without preparation.

With his wrist severed, the mage was as good as dead. From now on, he was destined for ruin.

One of the remaining mages, desperate, lit a flare from his pouch.

It was a signal for reinforcements.

As the mages exchanged glances, ready to retreat, they all suddenly swayed and collapsed unconscious.

---

The leader of the Red Dragon Knight Unit received a whispered report from his subordinate.

It was bad news, but he remained calm and composed.

He turned to Dirk and relayed the information.

“It seems the enemy is resisting. This time, I’ll send two squads.”

At a glance from the leader, twenty mages disappeared in an instant.

“Didn’t the scouts say one squad was enough?” Dirk said, his voice tinged with annoyance. His expression was unsettled.

The leader reassured him.

“I suspect that while the cadets—who are hailed as the future of the Fresia Empire—are weak, their instructors may be quite formidable.”

“The commander is right, Prince. They wouldn’t leave the empire’s future in the hands of mediocre teachers. Trust the commander and wait.”

“True. Just as my father hired powerful teachers for me, they must have done the same for them.”

“In the end, they will be captured by us. For now, relax.”

“I’m not worried, of course, since I have my teacher with me. I just want to face Rehinar as soon as possible.”

Facing Rehinar beyond the Demon Forest—how exhilarating that would be.

It was a feat even his older brother hadn’t accomplished, and his half-brother had given up on it entirely.

If Dirk could bring Rehinar to its knees, the glory would be his alone.

He was eager to build his reputation quickly.

“Be patient. You should experience the thrill of driving the enemy into a corner, at least once.”

“I will follow my teacher’s advice.”

Dirk trusted anything that came from Gregor’s mouth, the lord of Hundred spears.

If Gregor told him the stones embedded in the ground were gold, Dirk would believe they were truly gold.

Knowing this, Gregor secretly mocked him.

‘Fool, he’s grinning without realizing this place will be his grave.’

To Gregor, Dirk was a useful tool.

But in the end, Dirk was still of the bloodline of the Blood Knights.

[TL/N: This means a blood knight in a previous era awakened from the Hatzfeld family.]

[PR: Interesting, so there might be blood knights other than Kane in the story.]

There was no telling when he might awaken.

Gregor’s mission was to prevent that awakening.

For now, he worked with Dirk, but eventually, even Hatzfeld had to be eliminated.

[PR: They’re eliminating all families with potential to awaken a Blood Knight.]

And the first target was Dirk Hatzfeld.

His death here would be the spark that would ignite King Hatzfeld’s fury.

Rehinar and Hatzfeld had to be pitted against each other in a fight that would see both sides toppled.

Gregor planned to use Hatzfeld to the fullest, intending to wipe out Rehinar and the entire Fresia Empire.

‘He’s so foolish; no wonder he couldn’t surpass his older brother. Tsk tsk. While he’s been useful so far, it’s only a matter of time before I find a replacement. He’ll have to be buried here.’

Until then, Gregor had taken care of Dirk sincerely.

Hadn’t he even taught him spear techniques?

Though his mind was dull, Dirk’s martial abilities were exceptional.

He wasn’t the son of the Red Dragon Lord, one of the Twelve Star Lords, for nothing.

If he had been born in the House of the Sun, he would have certainly secured a prominent position.

It was a shame that he bore the Hatzfeld bloodline.

While Gregor and Dirk leisurely sipped their tea, the sun set, and the mages of the Red Dragon Corps, who had been sent ahead, returned.

Seeing them, Dirk’s expression soured.

“What’s with that look?”

“There’s a formidable figure hiding among the cadets...”

“What a disgrace.”

“Please, hear the details.”

“Do I need to? It seems you were caught off guard.”

“Haha, even in anger, it’s essential to understand your opponent thoroughly. You should at least listen to the explanation.”

“Hmph, fine, tell me everything.”

Reluctantly, Dirk listened to the situation.

The survivors reported that Kane Rehinar had taken the lead, fending off the oncoming attacks, while a skilled assassin operated from the shadows.

To think that just two individuals had inflicted such near-complete destruction to the mages of Red Dragon Unit—Dirk found it absurd.

“Teacher.”

“Why don’t you go see for yourself?”

“Thank you.”

“But I suggest dividing the forces.”

Bishop Gregor pulled out a map and showed it to Dirk.

“According to the scouts, the cadets from Rehinar Military Academy are divided into three locations. It would be better to strike them all at once.”

“I was about to suggest the same. As expected, you and I think alike, teacher, haha.”

Dirk laughed heartily as he prepared to depart.

As he mounted his war horse and set off, the Phoenix Spear Unit followed closely behind.

Phoenix Spear unit was built by Gregor and given to Dirk.

The Red Dragon Unit and the New Red Spear Knights split off to take different paths.

Dirk, however, headed straight for the main target—where the Second Princess of the Empire was located.

* * *

Anna appeared before Kane.

"Young Master, the enemies have started to move," she reported.

"Have they split their forces?" Kane asked.

"Yes."

"Anna, you take charge of the Underwater Treasure Vault Territory."

"I\'ll assign Nesily and Elias to assist," Joseph suggested, but Kane shook his head.

"Anna can handle it alone."

Anna wasn\'t just any ordinary assassin. She was the Ghost of Rehinar, its shadow.

Only the strongest could stand against her, and if she was launching a surprise attack, she could kill even those stronger than herself.

This was exactly why nobles always sought to raise assassins.

"Sir Joseph, you and the instructors will handle the Desert of Despair," Kane continued.

"Are you sure she can handle it on her own?" Joseph asked, still concerned.

"Your mission and Anna’s mission are not to protect the cadets. The goal is to annihilate the enemy."

When it came to defense, perhaps others could compare, but for offensive assaults, Anna was unmatched. Even if Joseph and the instructors combined their forces, they wouldn’t be able to match Anna’s speed in eliminating the enemy.

Such was the power of an assassin’s offensive capabilities.

"Anna will finish and return quickly," Kane assured them.

She was a Beginner-tier 7th class assassin. Unless an executioner appeared, there was no one who could stop her.

"I\'ll head out first," Anna said and disappeared from sight.

Joseph hastily concealed his surprise, clearing his throat in an attempt to regain composure.

“Cough, I’ll be off as well.”

"Be cautious. If the enemies are cornered, they’ll use the power of oblivion."

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Joseph replied before departing.

Now, the Second Princess Charlotte, Sara, Sasha, Rose, and the rest of the cadets were all looking at Kane. Their eyes were full of curiosity and awe.

Even Charlotte seemed to have many questions she wanted to ask.

Just as Kane tried to avoid her gaze, Charlotte spoke up.

"How are you so strong? Did you really consume the Blood Star?"

As a member of the imperial family, she was well aware of what the Blood Star was.

"Is that why you have such power now? Ah, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I’m just curious," Charlotte added with a gleam in her eyes.

She clearly wanted to hear about the Blood Star.

The Blood Star was an artifact entrusted to her ancestor by the founder of Rehinar. As the heir to Rehinar, Kane had every right to claim it. The imperial palace had only kept it for safekeeping; it held no claim over its power, as Charlotte believed.

"As you can see," Kane replied vaguely.

"So, what you said back then was true. How does it feel?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you feel like you could break the sky?"

"Isn’t that an exaggeration?" Kane deflected.

"Strange. From what I heard, it\'s supposed to be a power even the heavens fear..."

Before she could finish, Blata suddenly interjected.

"Hmph! The sky? Of course! The Blood Star is the embodiment of the Great Demon’s Masterpiece!"