The Regressed Blood Knight’s Strategy

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Lucky]

Chapter 182

Isaac sensed something strange in Kane’s attempt to dissuade him.

“Are the high-ranking nobles involved?”

“It seems the First Princess is the key figure.”

“Wendy?”

Isaac, upon ascending to the throne, refrained from conducting a bloody purge.

He took an inclusive approach.

However, the First Princess still harbored futile dreams—

Dreams of overturning the heavens and standing atop the highest pinnacle herself.

“Richard, secure the First Princess.”

At Isaac’s command, the Commander of the imperial guard disappeared like the wind.

“That girl seemed quiet for a while, but in the end, she caused trouble.”

Isaac’s expression hardened.

The House of the Sun had once been a dangerous faction that threatened the continent.

To align with them was akin to treason.

And yet, to think Wendy had been identified as a key figure!

How careless could one be to the extent that even Kane Rehinar managed to catch wind of it?

“Now, even I cannot forgive her.”

To Isaac, Wendy was family.

Though she hadn’t listened to him ten years ago, she was still his sister.

How much better would it have been in this desolate imperial family if they had relied on each other?

That hope had crumbled.

“Sigh.”

Isaac let out a deep sigh.

Even the emperor could do nothing about his kin.

“I should’ve forced her into marriage.”

“That was your mistake, Your Majesty,” Kane bluntly remarked, delivering a verbal blow.

Isaac clutched his chest.

“Ugh, I know that already. Did you have to confirm the kill?”

“You haven’t changed, Your Majesty.”

Ten years had passed, yet Isaac remained the same.

Still innocent.

And still talkative.

How could anyone call this emperor reserved?

The public opinion of Isaac among the citizens was that he was composed and serious.

It was the talk of the streets as they passed through the city.

After all, he was the Iron-Blooded Emperor who had ushered in an era of peace.

“They say changing too much leads to an early death. Besides, once again, I owe you my thanks.”

“Protecting Fresia is also my family’s mission.”

“If you had become emperor instead of me, the world might have been a better place.”

“I’m specialized in combat, not politics or administration.”

At Kane’s response, Isaac chuckled.

“You’re the one who restored the fallen Rehinar family to its former glory in just one year. Don’t act like you don’t know governance. You’re much better at it than I am.”

“If you say things like that in front of the nobles, it’ll cause trouble. Please don’t joke about it.”

“Tch, no fun!”

Isaac clapped his hands, his eyes gleaming.

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“Kane, since it’s been so long since you visited the royal palace, I should summon my son. No, wait, let’s go see him ourselves.”

With that, he led Kane outside the castle.

Commander Richard of the imperial guard came rushing over with an urgent report.

“The First Princess is not in the palace.”

“Did she catch wind of our movements?”

“It’s possible.”

“Looks like we might have to postpone visiting my son.”

“Agreed.”

Isaac turned to Richard and issued a command.

“Have the imperial army prepare for battle.”

Richard imbued mana into his voice and relayed the order with force.

“By the Emperor’s decree, the imperial army is to prepare for battle!”

Isaac and Kane exited the royal city, heading toward the eastern outskirts.

Meanwhile, central nobles, already in armor, arrived where the Emperor was.

“Your Majesty! What has happened?”

“We came quickly upon hearing the declaration of martial law.”

“A threat has been detected from across the sea.”

“The sea, Your Majesty?”

The central nobles narrowed their eyes, gazing at the vast ocean.

But there was nothing. Only endless blue waters.

No visible danger whatsoever.

Yet, Kane and Isaac alone sensed the ominous presence shrouding the sky.

“Kane. It’s them, isn’t it?”

“Without a doubt.”

“But how could they be planning to cross the sea? Flying in on a Floating city like they did ten years ago?”

“That doesn’t seem to be the case.”

Kane focused on the ocean. It didn’t look like they were swimming across its surface. Instead, they seemed to be approaching from deep below.

Kane concentrated his mana into his eyes.

Flash!

The overwhelming power of his mana spread instantly, chilling even the nobles nearby.

“You’re becoming more of a monster as you age.”

He was already a monster before. Now? Kane was an untouchable supreme force.

The strongest of the Twelve Star Lords. That was the Kane of today.

‘Unlike my past life, there’s no system interface in this one.’

He had to rely solely on the sensations he had honed over time to wield his mana.

‘I haven’t used my ice attribute before, but this is a good time to try.’

Facing Kane and trying to manipulate water was sheer folly.

Even though he wielded blood mana, his family’s lineage was unmistakable.

The Rehinar family—known as the House of Guardians and masters of water.

Using water in front of him? A foolish mistake.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Kane extended his hand forward.

Woom!

A fierce vibration rippled from his palm, spreading waves of force around him.

In that instant, frost began to form nearby.

The air temperature plummeted rapidly, sending an unmistakable signal of Kane’s power.

.

With every breath, frost visibly formed in the air.

“Ugh!”

“It’s... it’s suddenly freezing! What is happening here?”

“Bring out the winter supplies immediately!”

The central nobles, caught off guard by the knife-like cold, scrambled to issue orders to the soldiers.

Then, it happened.

Craaaack!

The vast ocean began to freeze solid.

“M-my goodness!”

“T-that’s…”

The eyes of the central nobles widened in shock.

Freezing such a massive expanse of sea was no ordinary feat.

What’s more, it was caused by a single person.

Though the nobles themselves were skilled knights and mages, they couldn’t even imagine replicating such a feat.

Their astonishment was understandable.

While the nobles were stunned, the Emperor’s elite guard—those who had been with Isaac and seen Kane’s power firsthand—couldn’t stop their trembling either.

The stronger you were, the more you understood.

To the eyes of the elite guard, the ice mana radiating from Kane wasn’t just ordinary power.

[Commander, what level would one need to emit this much mana?]

[Could the Blood Duke have surpassed humanity and reached the rumored 10th class?]

[His Majesty carries a double-edged sword at his side.]

The whispers of the elite guard reached Richard’s ears.

A double-edged sword.

That term lingered in Richard’s mind.

They weren’t wrong—Kane could either be a divine spear for the Emperor or a dagger turned against him.

‘No matter how much we worry… nothing changes. If Kane Rehinar has indeed reached the 10th class, then even if the entire continent bands together, we’d still be powerless. All we can do is hope he remains steadfast in his loyalty.’

That was Richard’s conclusion.

For nearly 7 or 8 years, he had advised the Crown Prince about Kane Rehinar’s potential threat.

Yet, contrary to his fears, Kane remained devoted solely to Fresia.

Beyond restoring peace to Rehinar, Kane also managed the chaotic mana flows.

He took no action beyond those responsibilities.

He avoided involvement in central politics entirely, and his close associates ensured the same.

Kane made a deliberate effort not to expand his influence.

The only real issue was the rising power of the Blood Grand Temple.

Its influence within the Fresia Empire had grown overwhelmingly strong.

Nearly one-third of Fresians were adherents of the temple.

Some argued it was half of the entire population.

If this one issue could be resolved, there would be no need for concern.

"For the Blood Duke to command the reduction of the temple's influence—what an audacious decision."

Who else would dare to curtail their own power so boldly?

It was fortunate Kane harbored no greed. Not only had he ordered the temple's downsizing, but he also decreed that his name should not be placed before the Emperor’s. This was proclaimed to all his followers.

Such loyalty was truly extraordinary.

"No wonder his family is regarded as a noble lineage."

While Richard pondered Kane’s remarkable dedication, the sea continued to freeze over completely.

Beneath the frozen ocean, Kesh Meyer’s soldiers advanced.

They rode skeletal sharks made of bone, moving steadily forward.

However, the ocean’s temperature had suddenly plummeted, freezing over entirely.

Though the skeleton warriors didn’t need to breathe, a frozen sea posed an entirely different challenge.

Kesh Meyer and Wendy, on the other hand, were inside a translucent, spherical barrier, allowing them to breathe. As long as their mana wasn’t depleted, they were relatively safe.

The real problem was breaking through the jagged, frozen waters above them.

“Were you followed when you came to me?”

“No. I marked a teleportation coordinate on the island, so my last location reported to the imperial palace wouldn’t reveal my movements.”

“Still, it seems they’ve noticed our actions. Isaac appears to have grown considerably over the past ten years.”

Yet, Kesh Meyer was unconcerned.

Though resurrected, he was stronger than ever before.

No matter how much Isaac had grown, he wouldn’t be a threat.

Even Kane Rehinar wouldn’t be able to stop him.

“Shatter the ice.”

The Lich King unleashed a barrage of violet spheres toward the frozen ocean.

Boom!

Hundreds of spheres smashed into the ice, breaking through.

The soldiers began to emerge, one by one, establishing a defensive formation amidst the fractured ice.

Kesh and Wendy followed, emerging slowly.

“Kane Rehinar!”

Wendy gritted her teeth in fury.

The man who had humiliated her.

To lead him to ruin, she had become the bride of divinity itself.

Her venomous expression brought satisfaction to Kesh Meyer.

“Our shared goal stands before us. Do you wish to kill him?”

“Death alone wouldn’t satisfy me. I want to uproot Rehinar entirely, leaving him in a living hell.”

“Understood. I shall grant salvation to him and his family.”

Kesh shouted toward Kane before launching his attack.

“It’s been a while, Kane Rehinar. Has it been ten years?”

“Who are you to pretend like you know me?”

Kesh’s eyebrow twitched.

That insolent tone.

How could he possibly not remember?

“Still the same filthy mouth, I see. I almost forgot how good you are at provoking others.”

“I really don’t remember. I’ve never seen a face like yours before.”

“Maybe this will jog your memory.”

Kesh didn’t emit any mana or divine power.

Yet, a golden sword manifested in the sky.

The blade pierced through the clouds, poised to descend to the earth.

“Too many from the House of the Sun wield such crude powers. No wonder I don’t recall you.”

“Heh, still so arrogant. That’s what makes you amusing. Let’s see if you can defeat me again this time.”

Kesh lowered his hand.

The massive sword in the sky began its descent toward the ground.

Not just one but tens of them.

“They’re falling toward Fresia!”

“Activating the barrier!”

A transparent shield enveloped the imperial capital of Fresia.

The soldiers and citizens watched with bated breath as the swords plummeted.

“That trick didn’t work last time, and it won’t work now. You really don’t learn, do you?”

Kane raised a red sword toward the heavens.

It was his BloodSky blades.

The moment he swung it, a shockwave of blood-red energy tore through the air, colliding with the descending golden swords.

The clash was catastrophic.

The sky lit up with the explosive convergence of golden light and blood-red power, the shockwaves rattling the ground.

Kesh watched the display with a twisted grin.

“Now this is more like it. Show me, Kane! Show me if you can still cut me down!”

Kane’s red gaze pierced through the maelstrom of energy.

“Cut you down? You talk like you’re worth my time. I’ll just erase you from existence this time, Kesh.”

The battle was only beginning.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Lucky]