Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 393

Logan McLain, the King of McLain, had requested a one-on-one fight with Tris Hornsby, the Empire’s best swordsman!

Logan McLain’s voice boomed across the quiet fields. It was so loud that every soldier on both sides must have heard it clearly.

Inside the Imperial Army’s command tent, a few soldiers tried to hide their smiles, but quiet laughter still broke out.

“The man’s crazy!” someone whispered.

“This war will be over fast,” another chuckled.

“Sir, you must accept his challenge!”

Murmurs spread through the tent like a ripple in water.

These commanders, especially the serious officers from the Central Army, were usually very controlled. Laughter like this was unusual. But it was easy to see why they were amused. They were about to win the war. And now, this King Logan seemed to be handing victory to them on a silver plate.

They pictured him as a small moth, drawn to a bright, deadly flame. He didn’t understand the danger he was in. That’s how they saw Logan McLain.

However…

Jerome, the young warrior who had lost an eye to Logan before, knew they couldn’t ignore him.

“Master, you must think about this carefully. Logan McLain is not a fool. He must have a secret plan,” Jerome warned.

Of course, he didn’t believe Logan could actually beat his master.

So, Jerome gave general warnings, not specific advice. Surprisingly, the Sword Demon agreed with him easily.

“Indeed.”

“…Yes?”

Jerome’s eyes widened for a moment, as if he hadn’t expected Tris to agree with him.

“We cannot be tricked by the enemy. We will continue with our original plan: a direct attack.”

“Your Excellency!?”

“Why…?”

“Why are you doing this?”

The other commanders were also surprised.

But the Sword Demon’s face was serious, and Gale Dicaide, the Frostwind Magician, stood silently beside him, staring at the fields in the distance.

The chilling reaction from the two highest-ranking people made the other commanders realize something.

They realized: “There must be something we are missing.”

The command tent became silent as everyone understood.

Tris turned to face the command tent and gave his orders calmly.

“Set up camp and let everyone rest. We will let the soldiers recover fully before starting the war.”

This made it clear that he would ignore Logan’s challenge.

After these words, no one argued anymore.

…

“The Ghost’s leaders were completely defeated by him.”

It was getting dark.

The tent became very quiet and tense when they heard the calm voice speaking from the shadows.

“When you say leadership…”

“If they were careful and didn’t make big mistakes, their leader was probably the best killer in the whole land. Even I could get hurt if I wasn’t careful.”

“Also, he could escape from even a Great Magician if he wanted to run away. That man died in McLain’s palace.”

As Gale spoke, the air inside the tent seemed to get even colder.

“Are you saying that Logan McLain is that good?”

After a moment of silence, Greg Marvin spoke first. He was the Pyromancer Tower Master, a middle-aged magician with fiery red hair that stood up like flames.

Like his hairstyle, which was strange because of his magic, he was known to be violent and impatient, unlike most magicians. He couldn’t show it fully in front of the Sword Demon and the Frostwind Magician, but he also couldn’t stand the silence.

But the answer he got didn’t satisfy him.

“I cannot say.”

“Yes?”

“Logan McLain is too young to know if he is as good as the Dark Sword. That idea is crazy, even if Logan is very talented. It’s more likely he used other ways to defeat them. But…”

Tris paused and looked at the warriors in the tent.

There were Gale and the five other magicians, Jerome, and himself.

With seven powerful warriors and three legions of the Central Army, the Empire’s best, it was hard to lose the war.

But if they could kill the enemy’s leader at the start of the war, that would be best.

Tris also wished he could accept the challenge from this young, disrespectful boy. But…

“His Imperial Majesty has ordered us to fight this war as if Logan McLain is as strong as I am.”

“Ah…”

Everyone thought the same thing: ‘What utter nonsense…!’ But all they did was sigh.

The Emperor’s command was absolute. Even if they disobeyed and won, they would only be resented after their achievements were ignored.

Considering even the smallest chance of danger, there was only one choice.

Tris saw the others’ faces and chuckled before continuing.

“When the war starts, I will lead the attack. Because he was so bold today, Logan McLain will probably step forward as well. It’s just a small change in the beginning, so don’t be too disappointed.”

He also thought the Emperor’s command was too much, so he tried to be flexible. But then, an unexpected voice spoke.

“Then I will help you, Your Excellency.”

It was a woman who looked very different from Greg Marvin, who had spoken earlier. She was a beautiful woman with silver hair, snow-white skin, and sparkling emerald eyes. This was Nellie Corda, the Ice Magician Tower Master.

She was so beautiful that it was hard to believe she was over sixty. Some people said she had frozen her own time. She was also known to be very strict, unlike Greg.

Before Tris could answer, someone disapproved.

“There she is again, offering to do things she doesn’t need to do.”

It was a middle-aged woman shaking her head, looking unhappy. She was Celine Bouter, the Earthquake Magician Tower Master, who had a plump figure that didn’t seem like a warrior’s.

But she had always argued with Nellie, and as usual, Nellie ignored her.

“You’re ignoring me again…!”

“Celine.”

“Hah! Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Nellie is following His Majesty’s orders. How can you stop something that even I, your leader, cannot stop?”

Celine’s round face turned pale at the cold scolding.

“I-I’m sorry. I got carried away without realizing it…”

“Don’t argue and fight with your teammates before a big battle. I will let this pass just this once.”

His tone was calm, but a sharp feeling like a blade surrounded his body, making Celine’s face turn ashen.

He could even control other powerful warriors with just his presence.

‘They said he was badly hurt by the Sword God. Who spread such nonsense? Damn it.’

Celine had just wanted to see what would happen, but now she thought Tris would remember this and be angry with her later.

Swallowing the words she couldn’t say, Celine lowered her head again.

“I will keep that in mind, Your Excellency.”

Only after she stayed bowing for a long time did the Sword Demon look away from her.

“I will handle Logan McLain. Nellie will help me with his soldiers, and the rest will continue as planned. Do you understand?”

“Yes!”

Everyone answered the Sword Demon’s command loudly.

Except for one man: the one-eyed knight standing behind Tris.

‘I cannot completely rule out the possibility of Master being defeated.’

Jerome remembered when Logan, who wasn’t even a warrior, had taken his eye. He was worried about Logan’s talent, which had overwhelmed him and allowed Logan to become a mid-level Aura User in less than two years.

Even more time had passed since then. It wouldn’t be surprising if Logan had truly reached the same level as his master.

Jerome wanted to say these words.

“Master…”

But he couldn’t even start to say what he wanted.

“Sir Jerome, I trust you haven’t forgotten that you are not allowed to give orders?”

Lexi, a middle-aged woman with a mean look and tall blue hair, spoke sharply. She reminded Jerome that he was not important enough to give orders.

Lexi’s voice was cold. Jerome was angry and tightened his jaw, but he knew he had to say what was expected of him.

“…Of course, Lady Lexi.”

Even though the Tide Magician Tower Master was openly scolding Jerome, Tris didn’t react.

Jerome watched Tris. It was clear Tris no longer trusted the Empire, or more importantly, Tris no longer trusted his master. Jerome knew that even if he spoke to Tris later, Tris would not listen.

‘It will be alright… I hope.’ Jerome mumbled, but he sounded unsure. ‘Lady Nellie is there too, that’s good.’ He was Tris’s escort knight. His job was to protect Tris, no matter what might happen. Jerome wanted to say more, to warn Tris, but he stopped himself and stepped back.

War came sooner than McLaine expected. The day after the battle lines were set, Kyle Castle woke to chaos. The Imperial Army was moving, and the city was in an uproar.

“Imperial Army! They are moving!”

“Emergency! All troops to positions!” The signal horns blared. The sentries had been ready. Now, McLaine’s First Army Corps, fifty thousand strong, and the two hundred thousand Home Guard soldiers rushed to their places.

“Firing positions, everyone!” A Home Guard member sat on the fortress wall, crossbow ready. Above him, others stood in rows, like steps, each with a crossbow. They looked a bit funny, like a clumsy tower of soldiers, but their faces were grim. Even the biggest men at the bottom looked tense, their faces red with worry, not just from the weight above. Kyle Castle was huge, but even so, not all two hundred thousand Home Guard soldiers could fit on the wall. Behind the first rows, more Home Guard waited with extra crossbow bolts. Beside them were regular soldiers with spears, crouching low behind the wall. Knights stood tall, holding strange red stones, watching the enemy approach. (Perhaps add a sentence here explaining Red Stones are for throwing, like magical grenades)

“Fire when they are close! Get ready!”

“Ready!”

*Tap tap tap* went the hammers of the crossbows being readied.

“Move faster! Move!”

“What are you waiting for?” The fortress wall was a hive of shouts and hurried steps. In the middle of the chaos, Logan watched the Imperial Army coming closer.

“For the Empire!” they roared.

“Waaah!” *Boom, boom, boom* went the war drums. The huge army charged, their shouts shaking the ground. Logan had known they had fast crossbows, so that was no surprise. Fast crossbows were not as dangerous in a siege as in an open field because they could not shoot over the walls. But the sheer number of knights, at least ten thousand, was terrifying. Just seeing them was enough to make your heart pound.

Logan had built up his own knights quickly, changing how soldiers were chosen. But only his Second Army, here in McLaine, had so many. *If only we had more time,* Logan thought. *Too late now.* Luckily, the Empire had only recently started training more knights too, so hopefully, they wouldn’t be too skilled. *If so, our weapons might be enough.* But Logan needed to know where the most dangerous enemies were, especially the Sword Demon, their army’s leader.

‘Sword Demon and Gale Wind are not together,’ Logan noticed. ‘But wait… that white hair… Ice Witch Nellie Korda. And is that Jerome behind her?’ *Tch.* Logan’s bad feeling from yesterday, when the Sword Demon refused to fight him alone, was now clear. This battle would be much harder than he’d hoped. He wasn’t the only one who felt it. A cold dread settled over the fortress wall.

“Logan,” Aileen said softly. Her blue eyes were wide with worry. Her face, so familiar and dear to him, showed her fear. “This is what we planned for, right?”

“Yes,” Logan said, trying to sound strong. “You take care of those three. I’ll handle the rest.” Worry flickered in Logan’s eyes as he spoke. Aileen, Clayton, and Victoria had to fight four Imperial mages, including Gale Wind’s powerful mage. Aileen, as always, would be the shield, taking the brunt of the attack. *My queen, my love, always protecting us,* Logan thought with a pang of guilt. Aileen smiled faintly, understanding his unspoken apology. “Yes,” she said. “Leave them to me.” The Imperial Army was almost upon them. There was no more time to talk. Aileen turned, her gaze fixed on her enemies, and moved with sudden speed.

“For the Empire!” the Imperial knights yelled, their voices now close.

Logan’s voice BOOMED across the fortress. “FIRE!”

“Waaah!” roared the Home Guard in reply. Logan knew they had to strike first, hard. Defeating the Sword Demon wasn’t the only way to win. *If this first attack works,* he thought, *we can break their charge before it even begins.* He watched, heart pounding, as a storm of crossbow bolts, so many they seemed to darken the sky, flew towards the Imperial Army. It was far more than the Empire expected. The effect was instant and devastating.

“Aaaargh!”

“Kuaaack!”

“So many bolts!” Even the leading Imperial knights, charging hard, were caught in the storm of bolts. They couldn’t see through the thick cloud of projectiles. And then, the red stones, *Liberatio* stones, the knights called them, rained down from the fortress walls. *Wham! Bang! Kwaaaang!* The explosions rocked the ground.

“Aaaargh!”

“Magic! It’s magic stones!”

“Mages!” Even strong knights, with magic armor, were thrown from their horses. Common soldiers were simply blown away, like leaves in a storm. The combined attack of crossbow bolts and *Liberatio* stones stopped the ten thousand Imperial knights in their tracks.

Far back in the Imperial lines, flags waved wildly, messengers raced around. The enemy was in chaos. “Yes!” Logan pumped his fist. But then, a freezing wind howled across the fortress wall. A booming voice, amplified by magic, echoed, “Advance! Mages, shield us!” The wind became a biting gale, centered right where Logan stood.

“Aack!”

“M-magic!”

“Help me!” Soldiers screamed as ice formed on their skin, and the wind ripped at them. Logan had heard of this terrible magic, though he’d never seen it before. *Gale Wind’s mages!* Logan’s jaw tightened. *(Or: Logan’s teeth gritted together with a *click*.)*

Logan’s teeth clenched. Golden light flashed from his sword, and a wall of fire erupted around him, a roaring inferno that stretched out for yards. *Flame Partition.* It was the fourth move of the Divine Sword Arts, a technique that blocked all magic. It was said to be the perfect defense against magic like Gale Wind’s.

“Waaah!”

“Your Majesty!”

“The Sun of McLaine!” Cheers erupted from the soldiers. But Logan’s face was still grim. *Not enough,* he thought. Magic and swords were different. He could only protect so much space. His eyes narrowed, focusing on a figure floating in the air above the enemy lines – the enemy mage.