The Regressed Blood Knight’s Strategy

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.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“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!”

“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.”

They desperately tried to dissuade him.

“When did it become so common for people to argue against my orders? Starting with Camilla, everything feels off.”

Kane felt a chill of unease.

At first, he thought it was just an overly strict adherence to hierarchy.

But now, it seemed excessive—almost like his authority was being ignored.

To put it more precisely, he felt isolated.

“Please, Your Excellency, refrain from such harsh words. We are entirely devoted to serving you.”

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Kane said coldly before leaving the portal station.

The administrators broke into a cold sweat as they watched him leave.

“Damn it! What is Rehinar’s portal management doing? If His Excellency was coming to Philaec, we should’ve been informed ahead of time!”

“What do we do now?”

“Contact the lord immediately!”

“Understood.”

As one of the junior mages prepared to head to the lord’s manor, he hesitated and spoke.

“The trade officer has been saying for a while that he wishes to meet His Excellency. Should we inform him too?”

“Right! Tell him as well. He’s donated a lot to support our operations—it’s the least we can do for him.”

“Then, before heading to the manor, I’ll pass the word along to him first.”

“And make sure to get some compensation for the trouble.”

“Of course.”

The mage grinned and disappeared with a smile.

* * *

Kane quickly obtained a cloak and covered his face.

“Something’s off. They’re restricting my actions to an excessive degree.”

Camilla’s behavior, in particular, was suspicious.

Though it was 10 years later, it hadn’t been long since he had left.

That contrast made the changes in those around him glaringly apparent.

Back then, no one questioned his commands.

When orders were given, they were executed without hesitation or objection.

But now?

Even Camilla had changed in strange ways.

“This must have something to do with the past room trial.”

[TL/N: Btw, past trial here is his ‘apparent’ past life. Not like his younger years in Korea as Han Chanyul. Past room can also be imagined as the Trial of Reincarnation.]

So far, he had found no clear clues.

That was likely because he had stayed within the confines of his domain.

Now that he was stepping outside, peculiarities were beginning to surface.

Though the situation remained unclear, Kane figured he might uncover something as he wandered around Philaec.

As he crossed the marketplace, a commotion erupted nearby.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

“Do you know who I am?”

“…H-how could anyone here not know Lord Nico?”

“Yet you dare try to avoid paying the protection fee?”

“Please, just give me a week. I’ll gather the money and pay the fee!”

The merchant pleaded desperately, groveling on the ground.

But the older man showed no mercy, kicking the merchant viciously.

Thud!

“Argh!”

The merchant clutched his stomach, groaning in pain.

The man grabbed the merchant’s hair and yanked it back.

“If you can’t pay, then I suppose you’ll have to offer up an organ instead.”

“P-please… just one more chance…”

“I’ve already been lenient. If I let you off again, others will think they can do the same. And then we’re the ones who suffer.”

“Please…”

“Boys, hand him over to the Red Ravens.”

“Yes, boss!”

“Just one week! I’ll get the money, I swear!”

“Shut up and come with us.”

The thugs, rough-looking and menacing, dragged the merchant away.

Kane observed the scene quietly.

“No one is helping him. They’re all too scared to intervene. And what’s this about the ‘Red Ravens’? Who are they?”

Where was Gillip in all of this? How could he allow such scum to operate unchecked?

If the merchant was taken away, it was clear something terrible would happen.

Kane couldn’t just stand by.

These thugs might be connected to the trial of reincarnation.

“Stop.”

As Kane stepped in, the older man smirked, clearly accustomed to such interruptions.

“And who’s the hero this time?”

“Release him.”

“Why don’t you take off that cloak first? I can’t even see your face.”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

"Heh, oh, I\'m so scared," the man mocked, his smirk widening. "A noble hero is threatening me. What should I do? Too bad I have no intention of listening to your request."

"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.