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Chapter 83

Kane\'s eyes gleamed.

At the same time, four runes were drawn in the air.

Seeing this, Desdemona swallowed hard.

"The Fourth Form of Blood Rune! A human possessing the blood rune…."

"With my current power, I can only give you temporary protection from sunlight. But if I grow stronger, you could escape the darkness entirely."

She nodded in agreement.

The Blood Oath indeed possessed that much power.

It wasn’t called the power of the demons for nothing.

"However, we have another problem."

"Do you mean the issue where if you all use too much power, you gradually turns into an undead?"

"You even know that? You\'re quite a remarkable human."

"My blood mana has amazing healing properties, so there\'s no need to worry about that."

"Are you saying that having your mana can prevent the undead transformation?"

"You could see it that way."

"Hmm, that\'s an incredible power."

Desdemona\'s wariness significantly eased.

She seemed inclined to believe everything Kane said.

"Will you join me?"

"If you can pull us out of the darkness, I will swear loyalty. But if you\'re lying, you\'d better be prepared."

---

[You have completed the subjugation of the Shadow Isles.]

[You have cleared it through a secret route.]

[You have received \'Vampire\'s Loyalty\' as a reward.]

[Vampire’s Favorability: 100 (Reverence)]

[As a double reward, you can now recruit \'Vampire Lord Desdemona.\']

[As a triple reward, you have acquired the \'Gauntlet of Shadow.\']

---

[Gauntlet of Shadow]

Category: Armor

Grade: ★★★★☆

Description: Magical Gauntlet once held by the master of the Shadow Isles. It can hide user\'s mana fluctuations.

Uses: Conceal the user’s true mana and strength, and Shadow clones: Allows the user to create avatars that mimic their ability and the way they act.

---

"This is exactly what I need right now."

Kane smiled with satisfaction.

He didn’t hear Desdemona\'s threats; he only felt her desperation.

"You can trust me."

"I don\'t trust humans."

"Then trust this fat ass."

Kane showed her Blata, the chubby tiger who was still asleep.

"Vladimir?!"

Desdemona\'s eyes trembled.

"Do you know him?"

"If he is who I think he is…." She was so shocked she couldn’t speak.

"And how do you know him?"

"He bears the name Vladimir Bu Pavil Legilere, Demon Lord of blood, water and pride."

"You\'re saying this little guy is the Lord of Blood? He\'s been going around calling himself the great guardian spirit of demons." Kane said smirking.

"I don’t know about that. But those who wield blood as their weapon can’t be unaware of Lord Vladimir, who stands at the pinnacle of blood!"

Blood Tiger.

Vampire.

Blood Wolf.

Blood owl, etc.

The blood clans that wield the Blood Mana could not possibly be unaware of Blata.

He was the one who reigned at the highest point.

"It seems your people failed to recognize Blata."

"It\'s because he looks young. Lord Vladimir disappeared hundreds of years ago. There are only few beings left who remember him."

"I\'ve learned something new today."

"If you had shown him first, I would have agreed to the negotiation immediately. But what exactly is your relationship with Lord Vladimir?"

"A master-pet relationship?"

"What?!"

She staggered back.

Lord of Blood, a pet?

That foolish chubby appearance couldn’t be the Lord\'s true form.

If he were to reveal his true power, it would be catastrophic.

Does this human even know that?

"There are too many unbelievable things happening."

She struggled to calm her mind.

Was it because she saw the Lord of Blood?

Or because of that human?

She couldn\'t tell.

As she was lost in deep thought, Kane\'s voice interrupted.

"Let me make one thing clear in advance."

"Speak."

"Kill any human who enters here carelessly."

"Even if they\'re one of your own?"

"If there\'s any contact needed between us, I will come personally or send word through the Blood Tigers."

"I understand."

"Then I\'ll be in touch again."

With his business concluded, Kane immediately left the Shadow Isles.

The moment he disappeared, Desdemona collapsed to the floor.

"My lord!"

"Please, return to your coffin!"

"It\'s the side effect of not getting enough sleep."

The vampires fussed around her.

She grabbed her weakened legs and stood up again.

Then she gazed out the window.

"I didn’t even ask for his name. I should ask the next time he comes."

With her heart still pounding, she lay down in her coffin to rest.

* * *

In the Imperial Capital of the Fresia Empire.

The cadets at the Royal Military Academy all wore grim expressions.

It had been decided that the academy would be relocated.

But of all places, to Rehinar, a treacherous region.

"Why do I have to go to that backwater place?"

"It was fine here even with dorm life, since home was just around the corner. But Rehinar… sigh."

"Should I try telling my father I can\'t go?"

The cadets had no desire to go to Rehinar, far from the capital.

Beyond the Rehinar Territory gates lay a demon forest infested with mutated monsters.

Wasn’t it just recently that thousands were killed in an attack by those creatures?

The thought of going to such a dangerous place was unbearable.

"I tried saying something and got shot down hard. Apparently, this isn’t the time to complain."

"My father said the same thing."

"It must be because of Lord Beno, right?"

"Seems like it. And they caught a bunch of Hatzfeld’s spies recently. Word is, a lot of high-ranking nobles were involved."

"I was shocked to learn that even the chief attendant who served His Majesty was a Hatzfeld spy."

Everyone was trying to keep it quiet, but those in the noble circle were aware.

A bloody purge had swept through the capital.

The Crown Prince\'s sword showed no mercy; even high-ranking nobles were captured and executed.

If any connection to Hatzfeld was discovered, it meant the end of that family, often in the form of complete annihilation.

As a result, the central nobility had no choice but to remain utterly silent.

They, too, had things to hide.

"But I really don’t want to go to Rehinar."

"I wish they were sending us to the Tegelo region instead."

Unlike the constantly grumbling cadets, Sasha and Rose had bright expressions.

Rehinar was the twins\' homeland.

"Big Brother Kane was right about the military academy moving to Rehinar!"

"Stop smiling so much. The others are glaring at you."

Rose subtly tried to calm down the excited Sasha.

Realizing his mistake, Sasha quickly suppressed his joy.

"Rose, do you think we’ll get to see Father when we go back?"

"According to Camilla, he’s at the estate, but he’s been sleeping for a long time."

"Still, I’m glad we’ll get to see him."

"Me too."

The smiles on their faces soon faded, replaced by worry.

Their concern was for their ailing father.

At that moment, someone approached them.

"Are these Kane\'s siblings?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Crown Prince Isaac appeared as if he had risen from the ground.

Sasha and Rose were startled but quickly composed themselves and paid their respects.

"Your Highness, we greet you."

"We greet Your Highness."

"Alright, alright."

Everyone bowed their heads at Isaac\'s arrival.

As the Crown Prince, Isaac was currently governing the empire in place of the Emperor.

His authority had grown significantly, more than ever before.

His presence here, despite his busy schedule, was of great significance.

"How does it feel to return home?"

"I-I\'m glad."

Sasha stammered, tense in front of the Crown Prince.

"Am I that scary? Why are you trembling so much?"

"Th-That\'s…."

"Just think of me as your brother."

"I couldn’t possibly…."

"I’ve agreed to be like brothers with Kane. If you’re Kane’s little brother and sister, you’re practically my siblings too."

"Gasp!"

To be like siblings with the Crown Prince?

It was an offer completely out of the blue.

The Crown Prince was the heir to the throne, the future Emperor.

A sibling relationship with him was practically impossible.

"Please, Your Highness, retract such generous words," Sasha said, bowing his head.

Isaac quickly changed the subject.

"I have someone to introduce to you. Charlotte, come over here."

A blonde woman, arms crossed, was standing where Isaac directed his gaze.

She appeared to be around 19 years old and was tall in stature—this was the Second Princess, Charlotte von Fresia.

"Hey, when your brother calls you, shouldn’t you come quickly?" Isaac teased.

"Ugh, fine!" Charlotte approached him with a frustrated expression.

"Can you try to speak nicely?"

"I really don’t want to go to Rehinar. Can’t I just not go?"

"You’ll learn a lot there."

"I’m learning plenty here. There’s so much to learn just from the court magicians!"

"Didn’t you say you wanted to meet the Guardian Lord?"

"Well, yes, but… I still don’t want to go to Rehinar!"

Princess Charlotte was adamant about not wanting to go to Rehinar.

All the cadets sided with her; none of them wanted to go there either.

"It’s already decided. You’re going as our royal representative, and you need to stay until you graduate."

Isaac\'s voice was firm.

Charlotte glared at him with fiery eyes.

"I’ll visit often."

"Liar."

"Kane will take good care of you in my place."

At the mention of Kane’s name, Charlotte reacted strongly.

"Why do you keep bringing him up? What’s so special about him?"

"He’s the son of the Guardian Lord. You should have seen him at the ball…. Take the opportunity to observe him closely."

"Is he really that amazing? Wendy talks about him all the time while grinding her teeth. What kind of person is he?"

Everyone in the palace knew of Kane—the man who had left the capital after crossing the First Princess, Wendy.

Charlotte couldn’t help but be curious about him, especially with everything she had heard.

"If I get even a little bored, I’m coming straight back to the capital, understand?"

"Don’t worry; that won’t happen."

Isaac soothed his sister and then turned back to Sasha and Rose to introduce them.

"Please take care of my sister. Can you do that?"

Isaac was entrusting Charlotte, who was three years older than the siblings, to Sasha and Rose.

Charlotte\'s face turned bright red.

"Brother!" she exclaimed.

Isaac leaned in and whispered, "Charlotte may be a bit prickly, but she’s a good person. Please look after her."

He wasn’t speaking as the Crown Prince but as a brother concerned for his younger sister.

"It’s time to go, Your Highness," the captain of the Black Heaven Guards urged, and Isaac bid his final farewell.

"Send my regards to Kane. See you next time."

As the talkative Crown Prince disappeared, silence settled over the group.

Before Sasha and Rose could speak, Charlotte broke the silence.

"Forget what my stupid brother said. It’s not you looking after me; I’m older, so I’ll be the one looking after you. Got it?"

Sasha and Rose nodded in agreement.

With introductions complete, the three set off together.

Their journey to Rehinar had begun.

The guides led the cadets out of the capital.

Charlotte reached out her hand to Rose, who was carrying luggage larger than her own.

"Give it to me," she said.

"Huh?" Rose responded, a bit confused.

"You don\'t have a carriage for your luggage, do you? I\'ll take care of it."

"It\'s okay, really..."

"Just give it to me."

As Charlotte continued to insist, Rose reluctantly handed over her belongings.

"Thank you," Rose said.

"No need to thank me; the carriage will carry it," Charlotte replied in her typical tsundere fashion. Her words were curt, but her actions were considerate.

---

After leaving the Shadow Isles, Kane embarked on a mission to clear out nearby hidden territories.

He was on the hunt for elemental mana stones, ruthlessly slaying mutated monsters along the way. Alternating between the power of Blood Tiger and Blood Phoenix, he managed to obtain fire and water mana stones. Most were 2-star stones, though occasionally, a 3-star stone would drop.

"Kane, can we go home now? This is boring," complained Blata, who had grown tired of the hunt.

For the past week, Kane had been clearing 4th-class dungeons. But Blata, having already visited the Shadow Isles, found these new areas underwhelming.

"You\'re not even absorbing the lingering blood energy anymore?" Kane asked.

"Not worth it. If you don\'t want to go home, how about we visit another place like the Shadow Isles?" Blata suggested, trying to persuade Kane.

Blata’s transparent attempt to revisit a place similar to the Shadow Isles, hoping to consume something akin to the Blood Spring, made Kane chuckle.

"I can see right through you. No chance."

Blata’s motives were clear as day, but Kane found the creature’s greed amusing. Despite being a terrifying figure praised by Desdemona, Blata was nothing more than a glutton.

"You\'re more of a pig than anything else," Kane teased.

"I\'m not a pig!" Blata protested.

Shaking his head, Kane gathered the fire mana stone that had fallen to the ground. After a week of clearing two dungeons, his spatial pouch was now bulging with loot.

With these materials, Kane planned to begin crafting jewels and amass wealth.

"Alright, alright. Since you\'re such a pig, let\'s head back home."

"I\'m not a pig! I\'m the Guardian Spirit of the Demons!" Blata whined as Kane cradled the chubby creature in his arms and returned to his estate.

"Kane, don\'t you think something’s missing?" Blata asked, concerned.

"No," Kane replied firmly.

Blata was growing increasingly frustrated.

"You didn’t bring back Sara or Camilla."

"Oh, Anna will bring them back," Kane said casually.

He knew they were undergoing intense training and figured it was best to leave them to it.

As Kane approached the western gate and was about to identify himself, a guard hurriedly spoke up.

"Quick, inform Sir Daniel that the Young Lord has returned!"

"Yes, sir!"

The chaotic voices of the soldiers could be heard.

Sergeant Hans approached and reported in an urgent tone.

"Chief Administrator Daniel is looking for you, my lord."

"Is something wrong?"

"A representative from the Tegelo Marquisate has arrived."

"They’ve come to declare war."

Kane remained unfazed.

His expression showed that he had already anticipated this.