Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 450

News of a terrible defeat on the Western Front arrived in Luthspellheim, casting a shadow over the land.

Yet, no one seemed particularly shaken.

“So, the Empire won, eh?”

“Didn’t someone say it wouldn’t end easily?”

“Bah, it’s just the Empire after all.”

“Exactly. We’ve beaten them so many times, what’s the worry?”

Just the Empire.

The McLane soldiers were very confident. They said things now they would have been too scared to say before.

Of course, the command convened a meeting as soon as the news arrived.

Damian spoke grimly. “The Cassel Magic Tower broke their promise and left the alliance. They must have been secretly working with the Empire.”

Logan nodded heavily. However, there was a hint of excitement mixed in with their stern expressions.

“So, that story was true after all.”

“Yes.”

While the two, Aileen, and Ronian nodded in agreement, the other transcendents gathered for the meeting were utterly bewildered.

The Sword Master stepped forward, his voice sharp with confusion. “Your Majesty,” he said, “I thought we were talking about attacking Penna faster? We need to take Penna quickly, then push on to Aserian, just like we planned!” He gestured with his hand, emphasizing his point. “It’s the obvious thing to do now that the Western Front has fallen apart.”

Logan turned his gaze from the Sword Master to Damian, who stood beside him, his face grim. “Damian,” Logan asked, his voice calm but serious, “how long before the Imperial Army can regroup and come back east?”

“At least two months.”

“And if we occupy Penna and head for Aserian in the meantime?”

“We will encounter the Imperial legions in or near Penna before we even reach Aserian.”

“Hmm.”

Unlike Logan’s sigh, the reaction around him was enthusiastic.

“Then we should increase our speed even further, quickly occupy Penna, and await the Imperial Army, Your Majesty.”

“Indeed.”

“Wasn’t Penna our initial objective anyway? It’s entirely feasible.”

“There are no forces left to resist there, save for basic garrison troops.”

The McLane forces’ high morale was evident even among the transcendents.

But their lord seemed to have other ideas.

“We will defend against the Empire and the Cassel Magic Tower’s attack here, in Luthspellheim.”

“Pardon?”

“There is one who benefits from the more blood that flows on the front lines.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Cassel Magic Tower. They will attack us alongside the Imperial Army. It is better to fortify our defenses here than to occupy Penna and face them immediately.”

“What!?”

At those unexpected words, most of the transcendents voiced their bewilderment.

“Wait, are you saying the Cassel Magic Tower, who *hates* the Empire, is now working *with* them?”

In response to the Sword Master’s question, representing the others, Logan sighed softly and replied.

“Yes, Master. We received an undeniable tip. I didn’t announce it, just in case, but the collapse of the Western Front has proven it correct. The Cassel Magic Tower has already left the Allied Nations and joined the Empire.”

The Sword Master chuckled dryly at those words.

“Ha, ha. They truly have no sense of honour.”

During Logan and the Sword Master’s conversation, Luther, who had resolved to listen quietly this time, couldn’t help but speak up.

“And the Emperor trusts and allies with such people?”

The disbelief in his voice was palpable, and for once, Wicken didn’t interrupt his rival but responded.

“The Emperor must have wanted to grasp at any straw. We’ve been defeating him so decisively.”

“I simply can’t understand them. Flitting here and there. What is their goal?”

“What could they be thinking?”

“That’s…”

Starting with Luther’s lament, the hall instantly became noisy.

Even those who usually remained silent during meetings, like Victor and Bourdel, exchanged opinions, adding their own thoughts.

Watching them, Logan sank deep in thought.

– The Tower Master is after you, Lord Logan.

– Why?

– Because you are the one who changes fate.

It didn’t seem necessary to share Louisa’s words with everyone present.

However.

‘The one who changes fate…’

His heart couldn’t help but sink the moment he heard those words.

Fortunately, Louisa didn’t seem to know exactly what those words meant.

The Tower Master seemed the same, judging from his attitude when they had previously met. If he thought Logan was a regressor, he would never have reacted that way.

– You must have seen the scroll the Emperor used in Luthspellheim. There were scrolls with the same effect, albeit a lower version, scattered in places that could become battlefields.

– The blood and flesh spilled on the battlefield have already become the power of souls, concentrated in a place known only to the Tower Master. For the resurrection of the founder of the Cassel Magic Tower, the Magic Saint.

– And at the pinnacle of that ritual, the life of the one who changes fate is needed.

From the moment those words were spoken, Logan had no choice but to believe Louisa.

Unless they knew about his relationship with Jibric Cassel, there was no way they could say something so chillingly accurate.

That was why he had postponed the advance.

In the end, the news from the Western Front merely served as a justification for explaining the changed plans to the others.

Furthermore, a great magic circle to defend against the enemy’s attack was already being constructed in Luthspellheim, led by Victoria.

Logan glanced at Victoria, who was still deep in thought in a corner of the hall even after the meeting had been called, and subtly nodded.

He had heard that the basic structure of the great magic circle was complete, so she was probably pondering the homework he had given her last time.

‘The center of the battlefield will be here anyway.’

Or, more precisely, where he was.

He could be certain.

Louisa didn’t know exactly what the Emperor and the Tower Master’s contract entailed, but he could infer.

‘They will attack me.’

And neither the Tower Master nor the Emperor could face him alone.

So, if the Tower Master’s goal was him, they would surely come together. The Emperor’s resentment towards him was already overflowing, so he wouldn’t refuse a joint attack.

The Cassel Magic Tower Master wasn’t a concern due to their incompatibility, but if he cooperated with the Emperor…

‘That would be troublesome.’

He could vaguely imagine it. The Cassel Magic Tower Master assisting the Emperor and attacking him.

If he couldn’t overwhelm them instantly with his unique power, he would certainly be in danger.

Moreover, the Emperor had already seen that hidden card.

‘If it were Master… no, even Master would be in danger. I have to handle them alone.’

The Cassel Magic Tower Master was only weak against him; to others, he was more dangerous than the Emperor.

Princess Louisa said that the Cassel Magic Tower’s main strength was the power of soul and dimension attributes.

He had never heard of the dimension attribute, let alone the soul attribute. However, he could guess.

The Cassel Magic Tower Master, whom he had actually fought, wielded the power of the soul far more skillfully than the Emperor and easily used teleportation.

Considering the other magic he hadn’t shown that day, cooperating with someone else would only result in killing that person.

Aura Masters or Archmages.

The only way for others to harm those transcendents among transcendents would be through a war of attrition based on countless sacrifices.

“Hmm…”

Tap. Tap.

As Logan tapped the armrest and sank into thought, the surroundings gradually quieted down. It was a temporary silence created by his stern expression.

Then, when even breathing became cautious, Logan opened his mouth.

“Ria.”

“Y-yes! Your Majesty!”

Victoria, still in her own world, was startled by the sudden call.

“Have you finished your research on ‘them’?”

“Ah, not yet. But I am confident that I can show results within at least a month.”

Victoria’s eyes were sparkling as she answered, and her expression conveyed considerable confidence.

‘Then there is a way.’

Logan nodded, recalling the special spoils obtained from the Luthspellheim War.

The Emperor and the Cassel Magic Tower Master.

Now that he knew their future actions, he could make thorough preparations to face them.

“We will defend against the Empire and the Cassel Magic Tower here in Luthspellheim. We will not retreat a single step. The plan to strike Penna and Aserian will be implemented after we crush them here.”

The plan wasn’t twisted.

It was merely postponed.

Logan’s resolute voice conveyed his determination to conquer the eastern part of the Empire and extend his reach beyond.

At that, the commanders, their faces slightly flushed again, knelt before their lord in unison.

“As Your Majesty wills.”

“We will follow your command.”

“Glory to McLane!”

“Homage to the Unquenchable Flame!”

Starting with the Sword Master’s response, the repeated oaths echoed beyond the office and throughout the inner castle.

“Move, move! These are finishing materials for the castle walls!”

“Clear the way! War supplies from the kingdom’s mainland!”

Luthspellheim, not long after the war, was becoming even more chaotic with each passing day.

The army’s movements, busier than ever after the occupation.

Instead of easing the post-war tension, it was only intensifying it.

In addition, an unexpected situation contributed to the chaos in Luthspellheim.

“…They’re providing rations too?”

“R-really?”

“But they’ll only give them if you register as a citizen of the McLane Kingdom, not the Empire.”

“…We don’t even have anything to eat right now, why bother quibbling?”

“Still, if His Imperial Majesty recovers the land later…”

“That Majesty has already fled.”

“And even if he does, would he blame citizens like us? Let’s just try to survive for now.”

The occupying forces, instead of looting, had declared rations.

The citizens of Luthspellheim, who had involuntarily abandoned their livelihoods for a long time and were trembling in fear of the war, had no choice but to cautiously peek out of their homes at the astonishing news.

Naturally, the city once again began to bustle with a tense vitality.

Moreover, there were few incidents even amidst all this.

“Citizens, do not leave the controlled zones!”

“We cannot guarantee the safety of citizens outside the zones!”

“Those who do not follow orders will be summarily executed as remnants of the Imperial Army!”

The occupying forces’ strict military discipline did not allow even small disturbances.

In fact, the McLane forces did not engage in any of the bad habits that armies, especially occupying forces, were prone to.

The reason was simple.

– His Royal Majesty is watching over us.

It was due to a belief, almost a faith, in the lord who had led and guided the souls of the soldiers on the battlefield.

“The day before yesterday, Jo and his gang, who were secretly trying to loot a private house at night, heard His Majesty’s voice and knelt down and begged on the spot. Before they could even try anything.”

“It seems the rumor that His Majesty is watching over everything is true.”

“Rumor? We’ve already experienced it. He gave us orders directly.”

For some reason, the Aura Master’s battlefield domination effect was only growing stronger even after the war ended.

And the person responsible for all those events was surprised by the unexpected situation.

Whooosh.

“…God of the Battlefield. Now I understand why such legends arose.”

He thought he was certain enough, but it was beyond that.

Even though Logan was doing nothing, he felt the power of ‘belief’ pouring towards him from every corner of the castle.

‘Exert power to instill belief, and that belief returns to me as power.’

Even the absurd rumor that he was looking into the hearts of every single soldier accelerated the flow.

‘The weight of the covenant. The weight of belief. Even the false belief created by rumors reacts to the power of wishes.’

The soul was being elevated with each passing day.

It was around this time that he vaguely understood how the Nine Gods had obtained their divine status.

A strange request came from the temple.