Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 191

“M-my apologies! Please, proceed!”

The Imperial border guards, who would normally demand bribes from merchants or even cheat them, froze and saluted.

Even though their flags and the emblems on the knights’ armor showed they were nobles from another country, they acted as if they were addressing their own superiors.

All because of the golden dragon emblem on the invitation Logan presented.

“Is the verification complete?”

“Yes! We have confirmed it is genuine. Sorry for holding you up, lords! Please, go ahead.”

The high-ranking knight was *too* polite, bowing deeply. The knights behind him, clearly his men, copied his every move, their faces stiff with respect.

With all the knights bowing their heads, the soldiers behind them looked rather pathetic as they stood frozen.

All they had done wrong was stop a suspicious armed group of twenty who appeared to be knights from another country.

‘Is there really such a difference in attitude?’

Back when he was with the independence army, or even just recently when he came because of Kraune, the Imperial border guards had been nothing but arrogant.

Of course, it would be strange if they treated a mere merchant the same way they treated a state envoy, but their attitude felt excessive.

“Just with this one thing…”

The invitation fluttered in Logan’s hand.

The knights’ eyes darted around, following his every gesture.

The sight of them reacting so immediately to a piece of paper with the Imperial crest was both amusing and chilling.

A ruler who could make soldiers at a distant border act as if they were dying just with a single invitation…

Again, Logan thought about the person who invited him.

‘The Emperor…’

Sigmund van Saint III.

The Emperor who, immediately after ascending the throne, annexed Asman, a powerful nation in the western part of the continent, and expanded the Empire’s territory by a third.

And, if things went as they had in his previous life, the conqueror who would completely subjugate Grandia and the small kingdoms of the east in five years, one of the most renowned in the history of the Ares Empire.

He completely occupied the Eastern Continent and, even after passing on the throne, continued to wield immense influence over the Empire as the ‘Emeritus’.

‘That kind of person is looking for me… Why?’

He had been thinking about it ever since he first heard the news, but he couldn’t help but focus on one particular reason.

‘It’s likely because of the weapons.’

Especially the rapid-fire crossbow.

The rapid-fire crossbow was originally a weapon the Empire had introduced in the Grandia conquest war, and it was likely already under development at this point.

Someone in a neighboring country used a weapon they were developing first?

He would be curious about that guy, even if it were him.

‘Well, I’ll just have to play dumb.’

What could they do if he claimed he made it first?

Besides, the Emperor wouldn’t immediately do anything to someone he had personally invited.

Even if there was another reason, the stance he should take was the same.

‘Be as polite as possible, but act like I don’t know anything.’

It was better to be ignored by the Emperor of the Empire than to be highly regarded.

As he was gathering his thoughts…

“My lord, it is time to depart.”

Viktor, who had been silent, came to his side and urged him on, perhaps because his thoughts had been too long.

“Ah… Yes, we must go.”

Even if it wasn’t the reason he thought, he could just face it head-on.

Just meeting the Emperor in person and confirming his true nature would be helpful in making future plans.

Flutter.

Hearing the sound of the horse’s whinny, Logan, having sorted out his thoughts, once again began to gallop westward.

Since the schedule had been tight from the start, the group’s gallop had to continue throughout the day.

As the sun set, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple, they set up camp. The smell of pine needles and damp earth filled the air. The crackling fire became the heart of their small group.

Then, when the sun set and they made camp, Logan repeated swordsmanship training and meditation.

He could feel the gazes of the surrounding knights, but there was nothing better than training to soothe his anxious mind.

Expectations and worries about the Emperor, and the problems of the territory or kingdom that might arise while he was away.

Those complex thoughts seemed to melt away the moment he swung his sword.

“My lord, may I request a duel?”

“Of course. By all means.”

It would be even better if the knights could see and learn from him in the process.

Logan gladly accepted Viktor’s request for a duel.

‘Training in this situation… He is truly remarkable, Logan McLaine.’

Luther Kyle’s eyes, leaning against a large tree and looking at the open space, were filled with complex emotions.

‘He’s on his way because the Emperor summoned him, and he’s not even nervous?’

Normally, he wouldn’t be able to sleep properly, but the red-haired brat hadn’t changed his behavior at all for days.

He already knew that he possessed an astonishing level of martial prowess for his age, but…

‘His character is also great. He certainly deserves to be called a hero.’

Luther gave a bitter smile.

He was both impressed and bitter.

Anyone would feel that way if they thought that the foundation upon which that hero stood was himself.

The one who had his title demoted, half of his territory confiscated, and was tied to the Esperanza Knights under the Sword Master, losing his freedom.

Honestly, it would be a lie to say he didn’t resent him.

However…

‘It’s all my karma. Wanting to blame others is just a sign of how narrow-minded I am.’

He scoffed and chuckled.

He started a war because he was ‘swept away’ by his father-in-law.

That was the reason for the lenient punishment he received, but he knew very well that it wasn’t true.

He had also agreed to those things because he was greedy.

There was no point in making excuses for falling after being greedy to obtain something beyond his capabilities, as it would only make himself look more pathetic.

Now, he was just grateful that he had survived and that at least his direct family was safe.

As he calmed his mind, the words of the man who had subdued and defeated him, and at the same time, the benefactor who had allowed him to receive this lenient punishment, came back to him.

– I want you to help my disciple. Of course, I’m not forcing you. If you watch him and think he’s a talented person…

The aged face, with its mix of love and hate, flickered before his eyes, and he laughed again.

‘I don’t know yet, Sword Master. But living like this, just going with the flow, doesn’t really suit my temperament.’

As soon as Luther made up his mind, he stood up.

Then, he shouted at the young hero, who was much younger than him and had a bright future.

“Hey, kid. Alright, let’s see what this kid’s really got. If you’re going to duel, how about doing it with me?”

The open space fell silent for a moment.

The giant grinned as he received the attention of the entire group.

“I am always welcome.”

Logan was pleased with Luther’s words.

In fact, he was at a point where he was getting a feel for the Aura, and he was getting a little on edge because of that subtle sensation that seemed to be within reach but wasn’t.

In that situation, a duel with a superhuman felt like welcoming rain after a long drought.

“But I don’t know how to hold back, even in a duel. With my fighting style, I wouldn’t even be able to show 30% of my true strength. Is that alright?”

“You can go all out. Have you forgotten? Even Duke Weiken couldn’t defeat me.”

Luther Kyle’s expression hardened slightly at those words.

“……I’ll have to make sure to engrave on that bonehead that I’m different.”

The superhuman, grinning fiercely, took out the war hammer, which was as big as an average adult, from his back.

He looked like he was about to rush in, wielding his beloved weapon, Warlord.

But instead, the giant looked around and frowned.

“Hmm… We shouldn’t ruin the campsite we worked so hard to make, so let’s move.”

An unexpected consideration that made the faces of the knights, who had been looking forward to the duel with sparkling eyes, fill with disappointment.

Logan chuckled at the giant’s subtly kind consideration and followed him.

Thud.

“Come on, then.”

A wide open space in the forest, a little away from the campsite.

With those words, a fierce aura erupted from Luther Kyle’s entire body as he took his stance.

A sense of pressure that made his massive bulk seem even larger.

“Then, I won’t refuse.”

Logan let that pressure wash over him and charged straight at Luther.

He moved with incredible speed.

In Logan’s movement, which seemed to compress space in an instant, Luther saw the figure of someone familiar.

That creepy, ghostly movement.

‘Sword Master!’

The moment he gritted his teeth, the war hammer swept horizontally across the space in front of him.

Bbaaam!

A fierce blow that seemed to burst the air in front of him.

But the target of that attack was no longer there, and the golden Force Blade that had sprung from Logan’s sword was twisting like a snake, aiming for Luther’s nape.

‘Behind me!’

Luther ignored the attack and swung his hammer backward.

Kwaaaang!

A violent collision.

But Luther’s face hardened even more at the sensation in his hand that he felt no impact at all.

His attack had missed, and the enemy’s attack had accurately struck his vital point.

From the start, Luther had surprised him.

‘……If I mess this up, I’m going to be completely humiliated.’

His face hardened at the unexpected difference in speed, but Logan’s was the same.

“Isn’t it cheating to cover your whole body in Aura?”

His Snake Blade, which he had been confident in, had been deflected without causing even a scratch, even though it had struck Luther’s vital point, and the enemy’s attack was so terrifying that if he took even one hit, he would cross the river Styx as it is, not just get injured.

“Hmph. Use Aura if you’re so upset.”

Luther, who was covered in a blazing red aura, like flames licking his skin, said something absurd and raised his war hammer again.

He had confirmed that the opponent’s movements were faster than his with just one exchange.

‘Even if I’m slow, that’s only true among superhumans.’

Logan’s movements, which transcended his level, were absurd, but there was a way to deal with it in his own way.

He had a lifetime of experience competing with rivals who targeted his weaknesses in a similar way.

“Take this!”

The war hammer struck vertically like lightning.

But the enemy was no longer there the moment it struck.

At the same time, he felt a sword strike aiming for his side, but Luther didn’t care and put more force into the attack he was making.

Kwaaaang!

Logan, who had brushed past Luther’s side and was about to aim for the back again, lost his balance ‘very briefly’ because of the shaking ground.

But in that short moment, Luther Kyle’s war hammer, which had reversed, was falling over his head again.

‘Tch!’

The attack, which he barely managed to avoid, violently struck the ground again, causing a small-scale earthquake.

After repeated movements, Logan jumped up slightly, avoiding the shaking ground after the attack, and immediately aimed for Luther’s neck.

A perfect counter. That’s what he thought…

As if waiting for that moment, Luther’s war hammer rushed towards Logan’s front twice as fast as before.

“Ugh?!”

Instinctively activating the Boots of the Wind, he accelerated by stepping on the air, and a mass of red Aura passed right in front of him.

Bbaaam!

The moment he felt his whole body tingling from the aftermath of the exploding air, Logan threw himself backward.

Then he saw Luther, whose hot steam was rising from his entire body as if the sweat that had flowed was evaporating, smacking his lips as if he was disappointed.

“Are you deliberately varying the attack speed?”

“Even if it’s slow, there’s a way to disrupt the timing. Once you get used to it, you’ll have no choice but to fall for it even if you know it.”

“……Interesting.”

“Well. It won’t be fun for you?”

“No. It will be fun. I have a hidden card too.”

“What?”

The moment Luther tilted his head.

The Force Blade that had formed on Logan’s beloved sword, Lux, gathered at the tip of the sword.

Flash.

Wooowoong.

At some point, it turned into an auspicious golden light with a completely different feel than before.

“……Aura?! You, don’t tell me?”

“I’ll take a proper lesson, Duke Luther.”

Luther’s eyes, who had been watching, widened twice as much.

Logan, who was sweating on his forehead, smiled palely and swung his sword.