Chapter 27

"Coward!" Camilla shouted angrily.

Melin looked at her and gave a seductive smile.

"Everything is fair in love and war, sweety~"

"Hahaha. Well done, Melin." Peter clapped his hands in delight.

"If you don't lay down your weapons, these old folks won't be safe. If you want to save them, listen to me."

Camilla bit her lip at Peter's words.

Kane shook his head.

"I can already predict the next move."

Camilla wouldn't be able to ignore Daniel and the old people.

Her nature was the complete opposite of being ruthless.

As expected, Camilla threw her sword to the ground.

"And that's the reason I need Mikhail."

Kane muttered to himself.

Camilla needed a role model.

She probably didn't even realize what mistake she had made.

Getting angry would only crush her spirit.

Nothing would change, so it was best to give her a rival.

With Camilla's actions confirmed, there was no need to stay hidden and watch any longer. 

As the bandits grabbed her shoulders and tried to force her to kneel,

Kane stepped out from the bushes.

"Take your hands off her."

Everyone's eyes focused on the voice coming from the side.

"Young Master!"

Tears welled up in Camilla's eyes.

Seeing Kane made her eyes glisten with tears.

"That's why you don't show mercy to the enemy."

Kane scolded her.

The more he did, the more her large eyes became moist.

"If you cry, I'll scold you more."

At Kane's words, Camilla held back her tears.

With it came a rush of relief.

Peter and Melin's eyes wavered at Kane's sudden appearance.

"Why are you here?"

Kane ignored Peter's question.

"Hey, you guys there, remove the swords from Daniel and the old folks' necks. It's fucking annoying."

Though it was just a statement, the impact on them was tremendous.

Trembling.

The shaking that started from their sword handles spread throughout their bodies.

As if they were having a seizure.

Their trembling didn't stop.

Unknowingly, they dropped the swords resting on the old folk's neck.

"Do you need a special instruction?"

Suddenly, Kane's figure disappeared.

Melin's eyes widened as she watched him.

She turned her head to find Kane.

Whack-!

"Ugh."

A groan came from the side.

"When?" Melin's question was immediately cut off.

"Oof."

"Argh."

"Ugh!" Various groans echoed. Kane moved like a ghost, lightly striking those holding the elderly hostage with his spear.

"Pathetic mfs."

Peter and the bandits' bodies stiffened. His words carried a lethal menace.

"Y-You were really hiding your true self!"

Peter stuttered. Kane's shocking movements left him speechless. The Young Duke he knew had no talent in combat.

"He was a dullard before, but not anymore."

Kane's eyes formed crescent moons.

"Old Daniel, what should we do with these guys?"

Despite the recent threat to his life, Daniel remained calm.

"Killing them would be a waste. Instead, we should capture and sell them as slaves. With dozens of them possessing first-class mana, we could make a lot of money."

"That's the best suggestion I've heard so far."

Peter and his subordinates now appeared as money in Kane's eyes. Camilla's actions turned out to be a blessing in disguise. If they had been crippled, selling them as slaves wouldn't have been an option.

Their bodies were intact, making them suitable for sale as combat slaves.

"Well done, Camilla."

Feeling pleased, Kane praised Camilla.

"What?" Camilla, not understanding, tilted her head, but Kane ignored her and looked at Peter.

"The others are fine, but that rat is utterly useless. What should we do with him, Daniel?"

Daniel responded immediately to Kane's question.

"He's adept at sniffing out profit."

"And that's all he has to offer."

Peter Shade. The supposed owner of the Blue Adventure Guild and the manager of the trade route in Rehinar.

Currently, he was aligned with the Dyer family. His advantage lies in his ability to navigate social situations. He had a knack for understanding what those above him wanted.

"He's good at smelling money."

"So, he's useless."

Daniel gave a small nod. As Kane approached him,

"S-Stay back!" Peter stretched out his hand to stop Kane's advance. But the smile on Kane's face only grew more pronounced. His steps did not falter.

"The Count of Dyer stands behind me! If you harm me, Dyer won't stay silent."

Kane finally stopped walking. Seeing this, Peter smiled.

The mention of Dyer hit a nerve. Peter straightened his shoulders and assumed a dignified posture.

"Young Master, I don't know what you were thinking hiding your strength, but Dyer doesn't lack the power you have. Today's mistake will cost you dearly."

Melin, who had been standing close to the carriage at Peter's suggestion, frowned deeply.

'That idiot! What's he trying to accomplish by pretending to be from Dyer?'

Melin glanced at Kane's back, his spear resting on his shoulder, feeling an inexplicable discomfort.

She was a Beginner-Tier 3rd Class and was unable to read the dullard Young Duke's movements.

'He gives off a dangerous scent. I should report to my superiors… Ugh!'

She had to brush aside her thoughts about Kane. The intense aura emanating from the dullard Young Duke's body distracted her.

"What kind of aura is this!?"

It was incredibly rough and sticky, like the aura of someone who had killed hundreds, if not thousands.

Even breathing felt difficult.

"Wh-What is he?"

Melin couldn't regain her composure. It was an aura she had never encountered before, like standing on the edge of a cliff, feeling as though one wrong step would send her plummeting down.

As her eyes trembled intensely, Kane's voice cut through.

"How underestimated must Rehinar have been for Dyer to continue boasting in front of us?"

As his words ended,

"Cough!"

Peter's body lurched into thin air. Kane, who had suddenly closed the distance, had Peter's neck gripped.

"Speak. Why do you think Rehinar is weaker than Rehinar?"

Blood droplets gathered around Kane. Soon, they flickered into flames like tongues of fire.

"G-guh…"

"Is Dyer really that formidable? A mere half-blood lineage like them?"

Half-blooded lineage. It was a forbidden phrase in front of Dyer. Since Dyer was a collateral family, not a direct lineage.

"P-Please…"

Peter's face turned a shade of red as if it might burst.

Nevertheless, Kane, gripping Peter's neck, showed no signs of letting go.

"Plead for mercy from that mighty Dyer of yours."

"G-guh…"

"Or ask for help from Hatzfeld."

Kane turned his head to look at someone.

Melin.

Kane stared directly at her, Peter's right-hand woman.

* * *

Melin's mouth widened with shock, but….

She had lost track of Kane's movements again.

The second time already.

The first might have been a coincidence, but when it happened twice, it was no longer a coincidence.

However, something even more astonishing occurred.

"No way! How could the Young master of Rehinar use the Flame of Hatzfeld?!"

She was so shocked that she shouted out loud.

"We need to inform the higher-ups."

The Young Master of the Rehinar family had used the power of the Hatzfeld royal family.

An unprecedented event in the history of the continent.

It was a shocking incident that would leave the world in disbelief.

At that moment, a piercing gaze was directed at her.

"Melin Wynes. You've been hiding well."

The voice that followed made her jump.

"You know my identity?"

Only a few people knew who she really was.

Even Peter only knew she was from Dyer and nothing more.

Her true identity was known only to her organization.

That very secretive group within Hatzfeld.

'Is there a traitor among us?'

She briefly entertained the impure thought before shaking her head.

Her organization was composed of highly trained individuals.

From a young age, they were mentally conditioned to be loyal only to Hatzfeld.

There couldn't be a traitor among them.

'I need to find out how they know my identity.'

She spoke calmly.

"The price for meddling with the Dyer family will be severe. If I channel my mana into this magic communication device, it will alert the Holy Sword Knights in Rehinar."

"So?"

"It means we don't have time to waste here. Once I send the signal, the Holy Sword Knights will besiege Rehinar."

Kane smiled faintly at her words.

"So what? Do you think our Guardian Knights will just sit back and watch?"

"The Holy Sword Knights might not be a match for the Guardian Knights of Rehinar, but Rehinar's international standing will be compromised, won't it?"

"Yeah… that would be a bit troublesome. We'd have to constantly watch our backs."

"You're very thoughtful."

"But that's only if the other side follows common sense."

Kane reached out to his side.

He pulled a sword out of a pocket dimension and tossed it on the ground.

"That's…"

"Awww, you recognized it immediately."

Kane's lips twisted into a smirk.

Meanwhile, Melin's forehead formed a cold sweat.

'The fact that Theo Lion's weapon is in his hands means…'

There was trouble with the Holy Sword Knights.

"What did you do to the Holy Sword Knights?"

"I killed every last one of them."

The strong smell of blood was due to Kane Rehinar…!

"Are you planning to start a war with Dyer?"

"Enough with the act. You're not from Dyer, you're a member of the 'Dark Sentinals'' dispatched by the Hatzfeld royal family. How long do you plan to keep hiding your identity in front of me?"

'Dark Sentinals.'

Assassins meticulously trained by the Hatzfeld royal family.

By day, they held various professions.

But by night, they transformed into bloodthirsty maniacs.

"Who are you?"

The question came as expected.

The same question he was asked when he first took over Kane Rehinar's body.

The same question he was asked when he confronted Theo of the Holy Sword Knights.

They couldn't find the Dullard Young Duke they'd known before.

"Does it matter? What's important is that your identity has been exposed."

At these words, Melin drew her concealed weapons.

Twin daggers slipped out from her sleeves.

Before attacking, she assumed her combat stance.

'He's a dangerous person who knows our identity. The only way to silence him is to kill him.'

Melin decided to kill Kane before reporting to her superiors.

He knows the identity of a Dark Sentinal. He can't be left alive.

"You know too much, so you have to die."

As Melin's cold voice faded,

Her figure sank to the ground.

* * *

As Kane saw Melin disappear, he muttered, "You're fucking useless now."

Crack!

He snapped Peter's neck without hesitation, his ruthless hand unwavering.

He tossed Peter aside carelessly and turned his attention back to Melin.

"Do you think I wouldn't notice if you hide your body with mana?"

Cedric's spear ignited with flames and then struck the ground forcefully.

Boom!

The area around Kane split like a spider web, flames erupting in unison.

The fire clung to Melin's body as she dropped her concealment, murmuring, "You really shouldn't be left alive."

Kane had pinpointed the weakness of her stealth perfectly. It appeared as if he had simply struck the ground with the spear, but he had used mana to create a domain.

A technique that caused mana flames to ignite the moment she set foot on the ground.

Mana domain creation was a skill that required extremely precise control over mana.

Melin resolved that she had to kill him.

Meanwhile, Kane found Melin's stealth tedious beyond belief.

As Ray Hatzfeld, he had seen her kind every day. He was well-acquainted with the fighting style of the Dark Sentinels.

"You can't beat me with stealth. Maybe if you used Black Dragon Island you'd have a chance."

Black Dragon Island was the assassination technique of the night lord, Silvio Dinter.

He was the leader of the Dark Sentinels. It was a skill only the night lord could use.

If Silvio were ever released, Kane would've prioritized getting him as a character just for that skill.

"Of course, you can't use Silvio's technique."

"Don't you dare mention his name!" Melin screamed.

She concealed herself once more, charging towards Kane at an incredible speed while hidden.