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Chapter 109

“Is the Blood Star really in your hands, my lord!?”

Gillip\'s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.

Kane responded coldly to his reaction.

“So, you know about the Blood Star.”

Gillip realized his mistake too late. He had inadvertently revealed that he knew about the Blood Star because of his shock. The Stars of other Elements were famous, but the Blood Star was almost unknown by the common folk. Very few knew of its existence—only those from the Major Clans were aware of it.

Gillip, now flustered, wiped the cold sweat from his brow and tried to excuse himself.

“H-ha ha. I control the underworld, don\'t I? It\'s surprisingly easy to know the secrets of the continent.”

But Kane wasn’t easily fooled.

“So, you\'re saying your information network is superior to even the Rehinar Family. Even if we’ve lost our power and information-gathering abilities, it’s amusing to think you could surpass the our intelligence.”

Kane wasn\'t about to let this slide.

Gillip’s eyes darted around, searching for a way out, but he couldn\'t find one.

“The underworld is subtly—”

“Do you think I\'m a fool?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Or do you think I don’t know your true identity?”

The mention of his identity made Gillip’s expression harden.

His once pitiful and insignificant face suddenly turned serious.

“What do you mean by that…?”

“You know exactly what I mean.”

Kane stared intently at Gillip.

Gillip\'s eyes shook violently, feeling utterly exposed.

He was beyond confused.

‘Does he really know my true identity? The one no one has ever discovered?’

Gillip\'s mind raced with countless thoughts.

What if The Young Master knew his identity? What should he do then?

But another thought crossed his mind, ‘What if he\'s just guessing and doesn’t actually know?’

At that moment, Kane’s voice rang out again.

“If I have to say your true identity out loud, the price will be steep.”

His words carried a hint of threat.

Gillip’s dilemma only deepened.

‘Damn it! Judging by that look in his eyes, it seems like he really knows who I am.’

In the end, Gillip was the first to surrender.

“Haah… I’ve lost.”

“Big Brother!”

“No, you can’t!”

the black crow exchange shouted in protest, but Gillip raised his hand to silence them.

“How did you figure out my identity? I’ve hidden it all my life.”

“There is only one place with a tighter information network than the Rehinar Family—it\'s the Tegelo Family, isn\'t it? Isn\'t that right, Gillip Tegelo?”

Everyone present widened their eyes.

Could it be that The Young Master truly knew Gillip\'s identity?

They quickly shut the building\'s doors, wary of any eavesdroppers.

“I even changed my weapon to an axe and learned a completely different breathing technique, but in the end, I\'ve been caught.”

“The blood flowing through your veins cannot be hidden.”

Gillip was a pureblood, a direct descendant of the Tegelo family..

He was the one who most strongly inherited the mana of Wind Fox.

Gillip\'s father was the elder brother of the Marquis of Tegelo. As the rightful heir to the Tegelo family, he was supposed to take his place as the head. However, the current Marquis of Tegelo usurped that position and even attempted to kill his own nephew, Gillip.

Gillip barely escaped with his life, thanks to the help of his loyal retainers, but he lost everything in the process.

His family.

His parents.

Even those loyal retainers who followed him.

He lost his status entirely.

To survive, he had to hide in the shadows.

Who would have thought that the rightful heir of such a noble bloodline would be forced to live among criminals just to stay alive?

“I should have suspected something when the Blood Cult was established in Rehinar.”

“Will you leave now?”

“Will you let me go?”

Kane shook his head.

“You know too much.”

“Then why bother asking if I’m leaving when you’re not planning to let me go?”

Gillip grumbled.

His attitude had changed. He was no longer the groveling figure from before; now, he acted as if he had nothing to lose.

“So you’re finally showing your true colors.”

“What’s the point in pretending when my identity is already exposed?”

Kane chuckled at Gillip\'s newfound bravado.

“Are you afraid I’ll kill you?”

“I’m already as good as dead. Why would I fear dying twice? It’s just frustrating. I can’t rest in peace knowing that the money I sweated blood for will be stolen by a devil.”

“You\'re not referring to me as the devil, are you?”

“Yes, I am. A devil obsessed with money.”

Gillip\'s behavior was reckless, as if he had given up on everything.

“Instead of being grateful to someone who spared your life, you’re cursing them?”

“You didn’t spare me. You just took a huge chunk of my money. What’s there to be grateful for?”

“Didn’t I kill your enemy for you? I made sure Tegelo could never recover.”

“And what good is that? I’m about to be killed by The Young Master anyway.”

“When did I say I’d kill you?”

“You’re… not going to kill me?”

“Do you want me to?”

“I’d rather live.”

“Then spread the rumor that the Blood Star is in my possession.”

Gillip narrowed his eyes and asked cautiously,

“Is that all?”

“Do you think my request is easy?”

“No, it’s very dangerous. It could jeopardize the existence of the Black Crow Exchange.”

“So?”

“You’re sparing me even though you know my identity?”

“Did you do something wrong to me?”

“No.”

“Then why do I feel like you’re begging me to kill you?”

“Me? Not at all.”

“Then shut up and get to work.”

“Are you really going to let me live?”

Gillip asked again, still not convinced.

A mad dog that wouldn’t let go once it bit down—lately, that was how people described Kane Rehinar. It was hard to believe that he would actually let him live. Given Kane’s nature, he would surely consider Gillip a threat.

“Blata, should I just kill this guy?”

“Just do it. He clearly wants to die. Kane, you’re surprisingly soft. If I were you, I’d have already fed that fool to a Blood Tiger.”

Kane turned his gaze back to Gillip.

“You heard him. Now just shut up and do your job.”

* * *

Kane left.

Gillip roughly pulled out a chair and slumped into it.

“Sigh…”

Hano, the second-in-command of the Black Crow Exchange, urgently spoke up.

“Brother, let\'s pack up and run right now.”

“He said he wouldn’t kill me.”

“What if he stabs you in the back later? It’d be a shame to abandon our base here, but it\'s better than losing our lives.”

“Yeah, big brother, we should flee like the second brother said. We’ll be safe in the Lycera Theocracy.”

Despite their suggestions, Gillip remained still.

“This is the safest place. If he wanted to kill me, he would have already taken my head and seized control of the Black Crow Exchange. But... no matter how much I think about it, I just can’t figure out why The Young Master is letting me live.”

There was one thing missing in Rehinar.

And that was an intelligence network.

Even though the number of soldiers and knight trainees was increasing, there was no intelligence organization.

If Kane wanted to take over the black crow exchange, he would have done so long ago. There was no reason to spare Gillip until now.

“Does he have a lot of compassion?”

Hano shook his head at Gillip’s muttering.

“That can’t be it. The Young Master doesn’t have compassion. He kills anyone who challenges him.”

Gillip suddenly clapped his hands together.

“Could it be…?”

“What?”

“We haven’t challenged The Young Master.”

“But the third brother did. And you swung an axe at him, saying you’d kill him too.”

“That was a mistake, man! It’s not like we marched on Rehinar with an army, unlike Dyer and Tegelo, who came with troops to conquer it. Compared to them, we’re nothing.”

“Now that you mention it, The Young Master did say something to the third brother.”

“What did he say?”

“He said he was sparing him because of a past connection, right?”

“Yes, I heard it clearly.”

Gillip muttered to himself.

“A past connection…”

He racked his brain, digging through all his memories.

But he couldn’t think of any connection with Kane.

“This is driving me crazy. Is there some connection I’m unaware of?”

“If it’s bothering you that much, let’s just run.”

Gillip sensed that he was standing at a crossroads.

The decision he made now would greatly affect his fate.

After much deliberation, he made his choice.

“We\'ll stay here. And we\'ll spread the rumor that the Blood Star is in Rehinar, just as the Young Master requested.”

“Are you sure you’re not going to run?”

“Hano.”

“Yes, big brother?”

“You’ll take over the jewelry shop for me. The third brother will take charge of the mill.”

“What about you, big brother?”

“I’m going to stick close to the Young Master and figure out what he’s really thinking.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“He’s got a nasty temper. You could end up dead too, big brother.”

“I’ll just have to take the risk.”

Gillip’s eyes were filled with resolve.

* * *

As the entire Black Crow exchange moved, the rumor about the Blood Star spread rapidly across the Empire. The rumor even reached the ears of Crown Prince Isaac.

“Haha, Kane got one over on me. To think he got his hands on the Blood Star from right under the Imperial Palace’s nose.”

The commander of the Black Heaven Guard voiced his concern.

“Shouldn’t we be wary? If Kane absorbs the power of the Blood Star in Rehinar, its strength could surpass that of the royal family.”

“Richard.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Rehinar has always been stronger than the royal family.”

“What!?”

Richard’s eyes widened.

It was common knowledge that the Guardian Lord was powerful, but Rehinar was still considered a vassal of Fresia. How could a vassal be stronger than its master? He found it unbelievable.

“I know you hold the Guardian Lord in high regard, but still—”

“I’m speaking objectively. Rehinar may be a vassal in name, but it\'s an equal to the royal family. The founder of our nation and the founder of Rehinar were friends.”

“…This is the first I’ve heard of this.”

“The Blood Star was entrusted to the founder of our nation by Rehinar’s ancestor. So, it’s simply returning to its rightful owner. Damn, I kept my mouth shut to keep Kane from getting the Blood Star, but he somehow figured it out and found it.”

Despite his words, Isaac’s smile remained firmly in place. In fact, he looked more relieved than anything.

“Such a sly guy. Anyway, what’s the situation with the Meyer family?”

“It seems a Seat has moved personally after hearing the rumor that the Blood Star is in Rehinar.”

“They must be feeling the heat. For them to personally get involved, those lazy folks must be pretty desperate.”

“Are you just going to sit back and watch?”

“I want to see if Kane can handle them.”

“The Second Princess is there. I’m worried she might get hurt.”

“I’ll tell her to stick close to Kane.”

“Are you trying to match them up?”

“Why not?”

“The Second Princess’ personality… If she figures out what you’re up to, she might march straight to the capital.”

“No way, she wouldn’t notice.”

“Well, given the danger of the situation, she might not realize what you’re planning.”

“Right? I’ll go ahead and contact her.”

“Be careful. Very careful.”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

With great excitement, Isaac channeled mana into the magic communication device. The person he contacted, of course, was his most beloved sister—Second Princess Charlotte von Fresia. And he did so with a face full of anticipation.