ocean-life Chapter 180
Chapter 180
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]
Chapter 180
Even Camilla, someone who could be called Kane’s closest aide, had concealed the despicable actions of the Blood Grand Temple.
She also bore responsibility for these deeds.
For that reason, she was excluded from this matter.
“Reflect on your actions,” Kane said coldly to her before heading to the headquarters of the Blood Grand Temple in Rehinar.
In front of the Blood Grand Temple, Kane arrived to see the priests greet him with reverence, as if they were in the presence of a deity.
“Oh! The Duke himself has graced the temple with a visit!”
“What a sacred occasion!”
“We thank Blata for allowing us to witness the Duke up close.”
Kane observed the priests carefully.
It was excessive.
When Rehinar was just beginning to develop, such enthusiasm had been beneficial.
However, now that the city had firmly established itself, such fervor had become more of a poison.
This was an era of peace.
No, to be precise, they were showcasing their madness through him.
Wasn’t the ruler of the Fresia Empire the Emperor?
Yet these people went around proclaiming that Kane, the hero who saved the continent, was greater than the Emperor.
“The title of hero shines brighter because Rehinar remains loyal to the Imperial family.”
Using his fame to pressure the royal family was not the behavior of true loyalists.
Rehinar was a vassal, always prepared to lay down their lives for the Fresia Imperial Family.
That was the purpose of Rehinar's existence.
Yet, the actions of the Blood Grand Temple’s members were dragging that honor through the mud.
If this continued, they risked being branded as traitors.
Crown Prince Isaac—now Emperor Isaac von Fresia—had thus far shown goodwill toward Kane, preventing any repercussions.
But even his patience had limits.
If he lost his tolerance or succumbed to pressure from the central nobility, he might turn his blade toward Rehinar.
This had to be prevented.
Kane stepped into the center of the temple’s hall.
The blood priests gathered and took their seats.
“I’ve come here personally to deliver an important announcement.”
Everyone fell silent, listening solely to Kane’s voice.
“From today onward, the Blood Grand Temple will be downsized.”
The priests murmured in shock.
“What are you saying?”
“Why would you suddenly reduce the temple’sinfluence?”
“Let’s hear him out first!”
Kane’s voice rang out again, calm but resolute.
“I know my words may seem absurd, but I ask for your understanding.”
A high-ranking blood priest cautiously stood up and asked, “May I ask the reason for this decision?”
“The reason is that members of the Blood Grand Temple have been committing atrocities under my name.”
“Those vile scum!”
“Who dares to misuse the Duke’s name like that?”
“We must apprehend these heretics and punish them!”
The priests erupted in anger.
‘Their outrage is genuine. I suppose it’s because they belong solely to Rehinar and the Blood Grand Temple.’
Rehinar had never experienced an incident like Philaec.
Even though it hadn’t been long since he had been in this trial, he understood why this was happening.
It was all due to his memories.
The followers of Rehinar were genuinely pure-hearted.
They were all natives of Rehinar, and their first loyalty was to Kane.
Fearing that their actions might tarnish Kane's honor, they conducted themselves with utmost care.
They never accepted bribes or entertained improper requests.
Despite their utmost caution, their anger was understandable when a scandal erupted.
“Because of this incident, Yoshua has stepped down as the temple's High priest.”
“What?!”
“The leader has taken responsibility....”
“How could something so grave happen because of the reckless actions of a few?”
Their emotions oscillated between sorrow and rage.
Kane seized the moment to instill a sense of vigilance in them.
“The Blood Grand Temple is precious to me as well. It’s a force that has grown alongside Rehinar. Expelling Yoshua is akin to cutting away part of myself. I hope you understand what I’m trying to convey.”
For Kane, family and honor were of paramount importance.
If that honor was defiled, he inclined to destroy the source completely.
The poison gas vanished in an instant.
“Who’s there?!”
Nico’s jaw dropped as he saw the newcomer.
“M-Mikhail!”
Kane’s right-hand man, known as the True Dragon Lord.
“There are quite a few rats hiding here.”
“Wh-What are you doing here?”
“I’ve captured everyone except you.”
“No way!?”
“You’re the last one.”
“Tch!”
Nico activated a mechanism.
The ground beneath him opened, and he attempted to descend.
Thud!
Mikhail’s spear, Flame Emperor’s spear, shot forward like lightning and impaled Nico’s abdomen.
Nico was thrown into the air and slammed against the cave wall.
“Who is your superior?”
“Do you think I’ll tell you?”
“You won’t need to. There are plenty of people who’ll speak. And while I’m not fond of torture, the Duke is a different story. You’ll see hell. Are you prepared for that?”
There was one fact that everyone knew.
When Kane sought information from the enemy, the screams from Rehinar never ceased.
He didn’t easily end their lives.
He kept them alive until every bit of information was extracted.
He even used healing magic to keep them alive longer.
Though everyone respected Kane, there was one thing they couldn’t turn a blind eye to: the horrific methods he used to torture his enemies.
Nico, trapped in his thoughts, caught Mikhail’s sly grin.
“You don’t want to be caught by the Duke, do you?”
***
The temple's prison.
For years, many people who had infiltrated the temple while pretending to be followers were now imprisoned.
All of them were nothing more than broken shells of their former selves.
The air inside the prison was thick with the stench of blood.
Kane personally tortured each one of them, extracting every bit of information.
As he wiped the blood from his hands, he muttered to himself.
“So the remnants of the Meyer Family are still around...”
He thought he had wiped them all out.
But it seemed the house of Sun’s influence still lingered.
“And they’re walking freely in the Imperial Palace?”
Kane’s eyes gleamed sharply.
The surrounding atmosphere froze due to the crimson glow in his eyes.
It was a terrifying aura.
Even Kane’s subordinates found it hard to breathe freely.
“This time, we’ll eliminate them all.”
As Kane stood up, Mikhail stepped in front of him.
“There are people from the Imperial Family involved. Even if the Emperor trusts you, these are the Emperor's blood relatives.”
“I’m not going in recklessly. First, I’ll assess the situation in the Imperial Capital. The action comes after that.”
“Phew. I was worrying for nothing.”
Mikhail let out a sigh of relief.
Clashing with the Imperial Family wasn’t something that could be done lightly.
There would be many restrictions.
They would need to gather a solid justification.
The best course was to use the remnants of the Sun House as a reason to speak with the Imperial Family.
“Gillip, activate the Black Crow’s network and gather information on the First Princess.”
“Leave it to me.”
“I’ll head to the Imperial Capital to get a feel for the situation.”
“You plan to act after assessing the situation, right?”
“Correct.”
“But why go to the Imperial Capital immediately?”
“I don’t plan to cause trouble, so don’t worry too much.”
“There is no one here who isn’t worried, Duke.”
Kane looked around at them.
They all subtly nodded in agreement.
[Translator - Helga ]
[Proofreader - Lucky]