Chapter 127 - Bloodline is Everything

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 127: Invisible Cracks (1)

“Something’s off.”

The next morning, Catalina Blaga sat on her bed, deep in thought.

She couldn’t shake off what had happened the night before.

“No matter how I look at it, it feels like my blood bounds attacked Little Dragon…”

But she couldn’t blindly accuse them.

If that were truly the case, Kwon Hanul wouldn’t have tried to protect them.

Besides, even Rabbit’s reaction made Catalina hesitate.

There was no way Rabbit would have sided with Kwon Hanul so naturally unless they had actually sparred.

All signs pointed to Kwon Hanul telling the truth.

Still, Catalina just couldn’t let go of her suspicions.

Then suddenly, she realized something.

“…The shackle.”

The shackle she had placed on Kwon Hanul’s wrist had been undone.

She had been too shaken at the time to notice.

“How did he get it off?”

Catalina had the only key to unlock that shackle. Kwon Hanul couldn’t remove it even if he died trying.

“…Troy?”

She called softly, and Troy entered the room.

“Yes, my lady?”

“You know how deeply disappointed I was last night, don’t you?”

Troy fell to the floor, bowing his head so hard it shook the ground.

“I apologize, my lady.”

Catalina looked down at him coldly before speaking.

“I’ll give you a chance to make it up to me. Go and keep an eye on Kwon Hanul.”

“Thank you for trusting me once more.”

“And keep watch on the other blood bounds in the estate, too.”

“…Pardon?”

Troy looked confused. Catalina’s voice turned sharp.

“Don’t ask questions. Just do as you’re told.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Troy left the room. Once he was gone, Catalina brushed her lips thoughtfully.

“It’s probably nothing… but you never know.”

Just as she murmured those words, a knock came at the door.

“My lady, someone from the Council of Elders has arrived.”

Catalina didn’t seem surprised. She had been expecting this.

“They said they have questions about Hyukcheon’s declaration of war.”

* * *

Later that day.

“Starting today, I’ll be part of the surveillance unit.”

Kwon Hanul was already dealing with an unwelcome visitor by morning.

“Who gave that order?”

“Lady Catalina Blaga.”

Kwon Hanul clicked his tongue at that. Troy’s eyebrow twitched.

“Did you just click your tongue at me?”

“Oh, no. You must’ve misheard.”

Kwon Hanul quickly denied it.

“I’ll be watching you at all times. So don’t even think about trying anything.”

“Sure.”

Kwon Hanul replied simply and waited for Troy to leave.

But no matter how long he waited, Troy made no move to exit.

“Uh… excuse me?”

“What?”

“Why aren’t you leaving?”

“Why should I?”

The two exchanged puzzled looks.

“You’re not seriously planning to stay in this room, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“Exactly. That’s what I thought.”

“But I’m supposed to follow you. So if you leave the room, then I’ll leave too.”

A chill ran down Kwon Hanul’s spine. Was Troy actually serious about what he said earlier?

“Even if it’s an order, don’t you think this is a bit much?”

“This is the final chance Lady Catalina gave me. I intend to see it through.”

Troy’s eyes gleamed with fierce determination. Kwon Hanul felt a headache coming on.

Just then—

“Mr. Troy!”

The door slammed open and Rabbit burst in, clinging to Troy’s arm.

“You’re on the surveillance team now? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It was decided this morning. I didn’t have time to tell you.”

“Well, this is perfect! Now I can ask you all sorts of things.”

“I’m not here to teach you—I’m supposed to watch Kwon Hanul—”

“Oh, hush! Come on already! If you don’t, I’ll get mad.”

Rabbit pulled on him without a care. Despite his troubled expression, Troy reluctantly allowed himself to be dragged away.

“It’ll just be a moment.”

“Sure, sure.”

Before heading out, Rabbit gave Kwon Hanul a wink.

As soon as they left, another blood bound entered the room.

“My lord.”

The blood bound bowed and handed over the documents they had investigated—details of the Blaga family’s structure and hierarchy, just as Kwon Hanul had requested the day before.

He scanned the papers quickly.

“So we’re in the Philippines…”

The Blaga family owned an entire island among the many scattered across the Philippines.

No wonder no one had known their exact location until now.

“I thought the Blaga family originated in Europe. Why did they relocate to the Philippines?”

He was curious, but now wasn’t the time to ponder.

“Escaping won’t be easy.”

Not just because of the island’s geography—but also due to the monsters guarding it.

The Blaga family used monsters under their control, powered by Vassal Bloodline, as security forces.

Their ranks ranged from gold to dire-tier.

These monsters had sharper senses than any hunter. Sneaking past them would be impossible.

“If it’s a fight, I could crush a few…”

But once detected, the Blaga blood bounds would immediately move in.

If someone like Troy—a Shadow Knight—stepped in, even Kwon Hanul wasn’t confident he could win.

“If escaping isn’t an option… maybe I should walk out boldly.”

The Blaga family produced their own food and goods using slave labor—largely self-sufficient.

But they still relied on occasional shipments from outside for essential supplies.

“A cargo ship visits the island once a month.”

And the next one was scheduled to arrive in just two days.

Since the ship came and went regularly, it might be possible to sneak aboard and escape unnoticed by the monsters.

“First, I need to find a way to board the ship. Then I just need to stay hidden until it departs…”

Finding a boarding route wouldn’t be too hard. The real issue was staying hidden.

With Troy watching his every move, hiding until departure was practically impossible.

“Maybe I can use Illusory Chime…”

Illusory Chime.

A power that creates illusions using soundwaves. Subtle and long-lasting, even the target doesn’t realize they’re under its influence.

Originally, Kwon Hanul had planned to use this ability to remain undetected until the ship left—

“I’ll leave before Troy returns.”

“Oh, wait a moment.”

He stopped the blood bound who was about to leave.

He cast Illusory Chime on the blood bound to render himself invisible.

“How do I look to you?”

“I can see you, my lord…”

The blood bound looked confused, as if wondering why he’d ask something so obvious. Kwon Hanul sighed.

“If the target has even a bit of resistance, Illusory Chime won’t work.”

It was effective on ordinary servants—but not on blood bounds.

The Authority of Vassal Bloodline was full of restrictions.

In fact, it wasn’t just Vassal Bloodline. All illusion-type skills used by hunters had finicky requirements.

“Looks like I’ll need another approach.”

Suddenly—

His head buzzed like it had been struck by lightning. He let out a groan and clutched his skull.

“M-My lord?!”

The blood bound rushed to support him, but he held out a hand to show he was okay.

“Ugh.”

The pain eased slightly but still lingered.

And then, new messages appeared.

<‘Genius Bloodline’ resonates with ‘Vassal Bloodline.’>

The world began to shift into vibrant colors. The bed, the desk, even the lamp’s light began to swirl like paint.

“My lord…?”

The blood bound’s body glowed with dynamic hues.

Unlike objects that only had one color, the blood bound’s aura swirled with many—red, blue, and sometimes even three colors at once.

And instinctively, Kwon Hanul understood what they meant.

He cast it again—this time focusing on the blue aura around the blood bound’s head.

Instantly, the blood bound’s eyes widened.

“M-My lord? Where did you go?!”

He looked around in confusion. He really couldn’t see Kwon Hanul.

While the blood bound panicked, a quiet smile spread across Kwon Hanul’s face.

“Now this… might just be useful.”

* * *

Catalina Blaga made her way to a cathedral located at the outskirts of the Blaga estate.

Inside was a round bronze table. Seven people were already seated around it.

“I didn’t expect to see all seven elders gathered here.”

She sat in the last open seat.

“Welcome.”

A middle-aged man with a mustache greeted her. Though he looked much older than Catalina, he spoke with deference.

“Simon. You look even more dashing than I remembered.”

“You flatter me. But you, Lady Catalina, are as dazzling as ever.”

Despite the compliments, Simon’s face was anything but pleasant.

And it wasn’t just him. Every elder wore the same grim expression.

“Lady Catalina, let’s skip the pleasantries and get to the point.”

“No need to beat around the bush. You all summoned me because of the Hyukcheon Clan, didn’t you?”

Catalina crossed her arms in displeasure.

“Why are you all so frightened? At this rate, the Blaga name will be a joke.”

“Lady Catalina… is this really the time for such words?”

Simon rubbed his forehead in frustration.

“We’re dealing with the Hyukcheon Clan. The same monsters who wiped out the Mei family overnight have now declared war on us.”

“Simon. Don’t you dare lecture me. I know exactly what I’m saying.”

Bang.

One of the elders slammed the table and stood up.

“You know? And yet you kidnapped a member of the Hyukcheon bloodline? What were you thinking?!”

As one elder exploded, the others followed suit—raising their voices in a chorus of condemnation.

“Return the man immediately!”

“He’s right! We need to appease Hyukcheon at all costs—”

“Enough.”

Catalina released her aura. A terrifying pressure silenced the room instantly.

They had all been so stunned by the name Hyukcheon that they’d momentarily forgotten—

Who truly held power in the Blaga family.

“I have no intention of returning Kwon Hanul.”

The elders’ faces turned pale with despair. But Catalina didn’t care.

“Hyukcheon, huh? Let them come, if they dare.”

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]