Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 186

Felix, Logan’s mentor, looked worried. “Are you sure this is alright?” he asked.

“There is no other way, Logan. I must be honest with you.”

“Yes, I understand. But what will His Majesty do…?”

Worry filled his mentor’s face, and Logan sensed something else was wrong. He felt it wasn’t the right time to ask questions.

Taking a deep breath, Logan stood before the King’s office.

Logan nodded to Felix, and the knight standing before the door announced their arrival loudly.

“Grand Duke Felix Esperanza and Count Logan McLain, Your Majesty.”

A deep voice replied, “Let them in.”

*Creak!*

The door opened, and the King’s stern face was immediately visible.

Logan sighed inwardly, then walked forward and knelt.

“I apologize, Your Majesty. We caught some of the assassins, but they all killed themselves. We couldn’t find out who they worked for.”

The King sighed.

“Indeed…”

Logan’s eyebrows twitched slightly, so little you could almost miss it.

‘He suspects me, as I thought.’

He expected it, but that didn’t make it any better.

However…

“It must mean they were well-prepared. It’s understandable you couldn’t find out anything. You have done well, Lord Logan.”

The King’s reaction surprised Logan.

“…Yes?”

Logan was surprised by the King’s words.

The King was looking at Logan with a smile.

Moreover…

“I was a little angry after what happened. Lord Logan, please forgive me. If I can’t trust you, who can I trust?”

The King stood up, walked to Logan, and put a hand on his shoulder.

The Sword Master, standing behind Logan, looked happy.

“Your Majesty…!”

But Logan couldn’t smile like his mentor.

The King was smiling, but his eyes were still.

Something didn’t feel right about that smile.

Logan knew those smiles well.

When he was a fighter in his past life, he had smiled like that to hide who he was.

‘Acting…’

He felt a chill, but he couldn’t show it.

Logan smiled back at the King and bowed his head.

“Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty.”

“Haha. It’s natural. No need to thank me. Maybe we’ve been distant because we haven’t seen each other in a while. Let’s use this chance to become closer.”

“…Yes?”

“Let them in!”

The King’s sudden command.

Maids came in quickly with food and drinks, as if they were waiting.

Logan frowned, confused.

“Your Majesty, doing this in the middle of the day is…”

“Ah, Grand Duke, do you have to interfere? Isn’t this a time for me and Lord Logan to become friends? Come, Grand Duke, have a drink too.”

His mentor tried to stop him, but the King kept smiling and didn’t listen.

So, Logan found himself in a drinking session in the King’s office in the middle of the day.

“Haha. Cleo, bring more wine.”

“Your Majesty, you’ve had too much.”

“If we don’t drink on a day like this, when will we? Bring more! By the way, does the Flamma taste different than usual?”

“The taste changes depending on when the wine was made and what food you eat with it. That’s what makes this wine special…”

“Is that so? Haha. I’m learning something new. Lord Logan, please enjoy yourself. I’ll fill your glass as much as I can.”

“Haha. Thank you. Then I will…”

The Sword Master started to smile, even though he looked awkward at first.

The drinking session started at midday and lasted until the sun went down.

The King, Logan, and the Sword Master left each other in a friendly mood, promising to meet again.

“Did you enjoy yourself, Your Majesty?”

Everyone had left, and only the King and Cleo were left.

The King’s smile disappeared as soon as he heard Cleo’s words.

“Hmm. It’s hard to keep smiling like that.”

“…Yes?”

“How could I enjoy it? It was just to be polite and try to get along. I’m just fixing a mistake where I showed how I really felt.”

Cleo’s eyes widened, and the King smiled bitterly.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s what a king with no power would do.”

“I, I am sorry, Your Majesty. I didn’t mean it that way…”

“The Grand Duke only cares about one thing, so he might not know. But Lord Logan will have understood what I meant.”

“In that case…”

“He would have understood that I was trying to be friendly. It’s like I was saying sorry without saying it, or maybe showing I was giving in.”

*Crack!*

The King’s face, which had been smiling, twisted in anger.

It wasn’t just because of the alcohol.

It was like something that had been building up inside him was exploding.

“It’s all because I have no power. It’s because the royal family has no power. Damn it!”

Cleo watched the King curse. Her eyes gleamed, but she quickly looked down and hid her smile.

“I, the royal family, need a way to get power. A way…”

The King’s voice echoed.

“Your Majesty. Can I give you my opinion?”

Cleo spoke carefully, looking worried.

“It’s such a relief that His Majesty has cleared up the misunderstanding. Haha.”

His mentor’s smile wasn’t just from the alcohol.

He was happy because he had been worried.

But Logan’s expression wasn’t so bright as he listened to the laughter.

“Why so sad, Logan? Too much wine? No, someone as strong as you wouldn’t be bothered by a little wine, right?”

“Ah, no. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Haha. Don’t worry too much. Even if rebels support the First Prince, they can’t hurt our kingdom if you and the King stay strong.”

That’s the problem.

Logan gave a bitter smile. He didn’t want to tell his mentor, the most respected knight in the kingdom, about the lies between the King and himself.

“Yes, Master. Still, please keep a close eye on the King. The ‘poison’ within is as much a problem as the rebels.”

Logan meant the King’s strange behavior, but his mentor seemed to misunderstand.

“Yes. I will cut down any traitors who whisper nonsense into His Majesty’s ear.”

Can you really do that?

This answer worried Logan. Instead of just worrying, Logan decided to make his own plans.

“Master, there’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

“Hmm, yes. Tell me anything.”

Maybe it was the wine he drank, or maybe their acting was very good. Either way, his mentor looked very happy.

So, he should take this opportunity to get some non-official access to the kingdom’s top noble family.

“Taking this incident as a lesson, I’m going to create my own intelligence organization so that this never happens again. I believe the Esperanza Archduke family has such an organization.”

“Ah, well, we do have one. Ahem, it’s a secret to those outside, though……”

Logan felt relieved by his mentor’s answer, who was still helping him.

“So, I will send someone to you. Can you help him a little? He needs help to start this new group.”

“I will. What wouldn’t I do for you? You will become a pillar of our kingdom!”

I’m sorry, Master.

I unintentionally deceived you again…

‘At least I will use the results for the kingdom as you said.’

After that, Logan’s steps led to the Floyd Count family as well.

“Hahaha. What wouldn’t I do for my son-in-law? Just say the word!”

He was able to get similar permission readily.

This problem happened because I didn’t know what was happening in the capital. We only got information slowly, and that wasn’t enough.

[Yes, I agree.]

“Yes. So, I’m thinking of creating an information organization just for our McLaine family. We can’t rely on the information guild or other families every time. What do you think?”

[That’s a good decision, Young Master.]

“So, I want you to be the head of that organization.”

Damian in the communication device nodded, agreeing, but he was surprised.

[Yes, yes? Why would you give such a position to me…?]

“I got help with this incident, and you seem to have enough talent.”

*You were so good at this in your past life.*

But Logan didn’t say that. He gave a different reason.

[It was just a clever idea.]

Of course, that excuse wasn’t entirely unfounded either.

Logan smiled, remembering the report he had heard recently.

“Even if that wasn’t true, I heard you made a system to get news regularly from all the villages in McLaine lands. You made a news network, right?”

Fortunately, the Evil Brain of his past life was beginning to show some talent in this life as well.

However, he still seemed to lack a lot of confidence compared to his past life.

[Well, it’s just a simple way to quickly get news from everywhere in our lands.]

“Yes, I need that simple way now. I want you to expand that trick to the whole country, or even the empire. If possible, without it being noticed from the outside.”

[That’s too much for me, Young Master.]

“Triple your pay each month.”

[…What should I start with?]

*Heh.*

Yes, if you don’t have confidence, you can get it with money.

“The Esperanza Archduke family and the Floyd Count family will teach you the ropes. Learn from them, then use what you learn to make your own system. You should focus on the information of the royal palace.”

[Yes, I understand. Should I go straight to the capital then?]

“Yes.”

I can’t go down to the territory without taking any action while the King is suspicious of me.

So this doesn’t happen to me again.

‘At the very least, I will create a system that can thoroughly collect information about the royal palace and the king before going down to the territory.’

Logan made up his mind as he recalled the King’s eyes, which didn’t smile at all.

But only a week later.

News came that needed even more attention.

An envoy from the Ares Empire will come to the royal palace. They are coming to celebrate the new king taking the throne.

This visit is important. It will change how our kingdom and the Ares Empire talk to each other.

An event that would focus the attention of most of the kingdom’s nobles had occurred.

“Do envoys just tell us and then visit like this?”

“That can’t be. We already told the neighboring countries since the ceremony, so the response must have been a little late.”

“But shouldn’t we tell the King and Queen before they arrive?”

“Yes, that’s what I heard.”

Logan asked blankly at the Sword Master’s words.

“Yes?”