Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 14

“Umm……”

“Brother!”

The boy with different colored eyes groaned and woke up on Kai’s back.

His injuries seemed severe, and Kai had been carrying him to a healer when the boy stirred sooner than expected.

The boy was very badly hurt. But he woke up quickly. Kai, who was carrying him, and his sister, who walked beside them, looked surprised.

Logan, however, remained unfazed.

“He really does wake up fast.”

It was a natural result, given that he had been secretly using the power of his Force Core throughout their journey.

Logan had poured life energy into the boy, a baptism of Force at the maximum output he could manage for over thirty minutes, which was far superior to the divine magic of most lower-level priests.

Therefore, the boy’s recovery was entirely expected. What concerned Logan more was the sister, who kept glancing between her brother and Logan.

‘Could it be…?’

The unique aspects of his Force had gone unnoticed even by sensitive knights during experiments.

Kai, carrying the boy, hadn’t detected anything amiss, so how could such a young child?

‘It must be a coincidence.’

Dismissing it, Logan smiled brightly at the boy, who had barely opened his eyes.

“Awake, are you, Viktor? Congratulations on escaping the tyranny of your brutal master.”

But the response to that smile was a sudden fist.

“Die!”

Whoosh!

The speed was unexpected, considering the boy’s skinny body.

But even so, a child’s punch could hardly harm Logan.

As Logan dodged the punch with a bewildered expression, Kai, still carrying the boy, spun around and pinned him down.

Thud!

“Ugh! L-let me go!”

“Brother!”

“Li, Lia?!”

“What shall we do with him, employer?”

Amidst the chaos, Logan sighed and gestured to Kai, indicating he should release Viktor, whose arm was twisted behind him.

The moment Kai stepped back,

Viktor lunged at Logan once more.

“Lia! Run… Ack!”

“Whether it’s courage or stupidity, really….”

Logan grabbed the boy by the neck, lifted him up, and looked him straight in the eye.

“Little one, do you not understand the situation? Do I look like that slaver from before?”

An overwhelming bloodlust, surpassing that of ordinary Force users, blazed from his red eyes.

Even Kai, standing behind him, looked startled, so it was impossible for Viktor, still a child, to withstand it.

Viktor gasped, his face turning pale in an instant.

“Gack… Cough….”

“B-Brother! P-Please forgive……”

Ignoring the girl clinging to his feet, Logan glared only at Viktor’s face, which was now ashen.

“Courage is admirable, but one must choose their battles.”

“Krrrgh.”

“Only death awaits a dog that cannot discern whom to bite, little one.”

Plop!

“Cough. Hack!”

Logan looked down at the boy, who was now slumped on the ground, coughing, and said coldly,

“Let this be your last warning, Viktor. If you obey me, I will guarantee the safety of you and your sister. But if this happens again……”

Whoosh.

The murderous intent in his red eyes pierced Viktor’s soul.

“I will dispose of you, and your sister as well.”

Crack!

Logan casually crushed a pebble he had picked up, and the color drained from Viktor’s face.

Then, he slowly nodded.

‘Good.’

Satisfied that the whip had done its work, Logan brought out the carrot.

“I intend to teach you martial arts. I will train you as a knight, and ultimately make you one.”

At those words, Viktor’s head snapped up.

His wide, red and blue eyes trembled violently.

“M-Me…? No, is that… me you’re talking about?”

Viktor wasn’t the only one surprised by Logan’s words.

Kai, who was listening, couldn’t hide his astonishment, and neither could the dwarf, Hamarr.

It was absurd to them that he would suddenly buy a slave child and declare he would make him a knight.

But Logan looked straight at Viktor with unwavering eyes.

“Yes. As you know, a knight is a quasi-noble. Naturally, you would be freed from your slave status.”

“B-But……”

The expression on the blue-haired boy’s face, which had been full of venom, changed rapidly in a short span of time.

Could he believe these words, and could he even manage to train as a knight?

All sorts of thoughts were probably swirling through his mind.

But Logan didn’t give him much time to think.

“If you faithfully follow my instructions and become a knight, I will grant freedom not only to you but also to your sister. And……”

“I-I will do it!”

Viktor answered before Logan could even finish speaking.

It was the first loud voice Logan had heard from Viktor since meeting him, aside from his pained screams.

Logan noted that the answer came as soon as he mentioned the treatment of his sister, not Viktor’s own future.

‘Indeed, this boy……’

He was convinced that the little girl clinging to his side was the key to controlling the violent nature of a potential aristocratic slaughterer.

“Good. I will also ensure that your sister receives basic education in writing and etiquette. But if you are lazy or cause trouble again……”

“I-I will work hard!”

His mismatched eyes flickered wildly, as if they would shoot out flames.

Logan nodded slightly at that look, a satisfied smile on his face.

Logan’s steps were very light, having acquired a future Aura user in addition to the dwarf and combat instructor he had originally targeted.

However, the journey back to McLaine Territory was bound to take some time.

The Viktor siblings, who appeared much smaller than their peers due to malnutrition, didn’t have the stamina to endure a journey at full speed on horseback.

But he couldn’t cater to them endlessly.

Extending the journey, which would normally take three days, to five days by slowing down was the extent of Logan’s consideration.

‘Still, they’re doing quite well, considering?’

Logan had the siblings ride on Kai’s horse and Hamarr’s pony.

But the days when the siblings’ buttocks ached from trying to stay balanced on the swaying horses lasted only one day.

From the next day, they smoothly adjusted their bodies to the movement of the horses, and by the third day, they were accustomed to a canter, not just a trot.

This was true not only for Viktor but also for his sister.

Logan knew that Viktor would become an Aura user, so he assumed he had a talent for handling his body, but he didn’t expect his sister to be the same.

‘Is it in the blood?’

Just as Logan was contemplating whether to slightly revise his plans regarding the education of the Viktor siblings, the group arrived at McLaine Territory.

In the past, when McLaine was the Lord of the southwestern region, the old castle had been used as a fortress to defend against monsters from the mountains.

Now, it had become the humble main residence of the declining McLaine family. As they entered the dilapidated castle, people who saw Logan parted like waves in the sea, startled.

Many territory residents avoided him from afar, and those who inadvertently encountered Logan up close prostrated themselves on the spot, trembling.

Seeing his retainers fleeing from him as if escaping, a situation even worse than before he left, Logan couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Wasn’t this the kind of treatment a tyrant who cruelly exploited his territory residents would receive?

Even the usually expressionless Kai glanced at Logan, and the faces of the Viktor siblings, who were watching Logan’s reaction, darkened in real-time.

There were many questions, but no one dared to open their mouths easily. Then, the oblivious dwarf finally spoke up.

“Master, what on earth have you been doing to receive such a welcome in your own home?”

At that, Logan chuckled and focused his hearing, listening to the murmurs from afar.

“They say he’s crazy.”

“They say he’s a monster lover……”

“I heard he’s a corpse lover?”

Whispers followed Logan like shadows.

“Nothing about you is ever normal, is it?” one voice hissed.

“A disgrace to the family, that’s what he is…” another muttered.

“Why bring in soldiers and make everyone nervous?”

“I heard he even bought a young slave! What on earth is he planning now?”

Rumors about him spread very fast.

*How did they find out about Harun so quickly?* Logan wondered to himself.

Even worse, the rumors were twisted. Logan thought his family’s opinion of him could not get any lower. But now, it seemed to be getting even worse. It felt like his reputation was sinking deeper and deeper into the ground.

“They’re just rumours. It doesn’t concern what you lot do anyway, so ignore them.”

Logan looked calm, so the group just nodded. But their faces showed they were worried.

However, despite his calm facade, Logan had a feeling things were about to get rather troublesome.

*This could turn into quite the spectacle…*

And that ominous premonition became reality the moment he stepped into the inner castle.

“Young Master!”

It was a familiar face he hadn’t seen in a while, but Rick’s face was pale and his eyes were wide with worry, making his expression look twisted as he came rushing in, calling out to Logan with fervent desperation.

And before Logan could even respond, he cried out as if in agony.

“Young Master! What on earth have you been doing out there, honestly?!”

He expected something like this, but the reaction was stronger than he thought.

“A request to spend over 150,000 gold on useless monster meat! It’s the most absurd rumour I’ve ever heard in my life! It’s a lie, isn’t it? A false rumour?! Please, tell me it is!”

Rick spoke quickly and without stopping, almost like he was begging. But Logan stayed calm.

“It’s true, though?”

Logan’s indifferent reply made Rick’s expression even more despairing.

“Rumour has it that you’ve gone completely mad, Young Master! The Lord has ordered you to be brought to him immediately!”

“Hmm, I see…”

“You see? You see?! This is no time to be so calm, Young Master!”

“It’s alright, Rick. Really.”

“It’s not alright! It’s not alright at all!”

“Are you starting to speak down to me now?”

“I don’t think you understand the situation. The atmosphere is really terrible! I’ve been making excuses, saying there must be some misunderstanding, but it’s all true…”

Logan chuckled, seeing Rick so worried about *his* problems when Logan felt fine.

“Don’t worry. It’ll all be resolved soon.”

“Aargh! Are you even listening to me?”

Ignoring the desperate plea, Logan headed straight for the Lord’s residence.

“It’s Logan.”

“Enter.”

His father’s voice was strong and sounded like he was expecting Logan. Logan opened the door right away.

*Just as I thought.*

The sight of the two figures seated at the head of the conference table was enough to send a chill down one’s spine.

As soon as Logan walked in, a cold voice spoke. It matched the tense mood in the room.

“Well, was your ‘running away from home’ enjoyable?” His father’s voice was cold, but there was a hint of sadness underneath.

“It was a ‘trip’ that was rewarding in its own way.”

“I hear you have been doing crazy things and enjoying it. Good for you, I guess.”

*Ugh. This is going to be a pain…*

His father’s reaction was even worse than he had anticipated.

However, the reply came out as if he had been preparing for it.

“Rumours are just rumours. I have no shame in the actions I have taken.”

His stepmother’s face registered disbelief, while his father’s showed a hint of expectation.

“Are you saying the rumours are false?”

“I’m not sure which rumours you are referring to.”

“The eldest son is buying up monster meat, purchasing young slaves and dwarves, and has brought hundreds of low-ranking mercenaries into the territory. I’m only stating the facts, excluding any hearsay.”

His stepmother, Merian, explained in a way that sounded kind, but Logan frowned a little. He still felt the same way.

“Do you have anything to say in your defence regarding these matters?”

“No.”

At the confident answer, his father’s eyebrows twitched.

“You mean it’s all true.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Patrick! Are you seeing this? Your son is ruining our family name! He has no shame!”

“Mother, your words are excessive.”

“What?”

“I have merely spent the money I received from the annulment of my engagement as I saw fit. My father has already stated that he would not interfere in that regard.”

Merian’s fiercely sharp black eyes and Logan’s defiant red eyes clashed intensely, neither yielding.

Then, the owner of another pair of red eyes, Patrick, let out a long sigh.

“Did you hear that? Are you still going to take his side?”

“Enough…”

“The eldest son is fundamentally flawed…”

“Enough, woman!”

Merian’s face turned white at the voice that boomed through the room, filled with oppressive force.

“Y-you. How dare you speak to me like that…”

“Madam, please leave us for a moment. I wish to speak with Logan alone.”

“You really…”

“This will be my last ‘warning’ to Logan.”

Maybe it was his loud shout or the word ‘warning’ that calmed her down a little. Merian glared at Logan angrily and left the room without saying anything else.

Of course, a hint of resentment lingered.

Bang!

Even after the office door slammed shut with a sound that threatened to shatter it, Patrick simply stared at his eldest son with heavy eyes for a long while.

Soon, a voice heavier than his gaze settled in the office.

“…What on earth is the problem, Logan?”

*I can’t just brush this off.*

Logan had a feeling the moment he heard his father’s voice.

As Logan’s expression hardened while he pondered his reply, his father’s calm voice continued.

“Let’s talk openly about what your problem is, why you’re doing all this.”

“……You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”

“Is it that you don’t want to be understood?”

“That’s not it.”

“……Is there really a reason?”

“Yes, there is.”

“Ha…”

A sigh that conveyed the frustration built up inside him.

As Logan was about to continue earnestly, a low voice filled with complex emotions cut him off.

“Do you know what people are saying about you?”

“I know some of it.”

“Oh? They say you’re violent, cruel, obsessed with money, and recently, even mad.”

“……”

“How much of that have you heard? Shall I tell you some more specific rumours?”

Knowing that it wasn’t a question that wanted a genuine answer, Logan quietly closed his mouth.

“How long do you expect me to keep defending you? Tell me if there’s a time limit.”

Faced with the lamenting tone and deeply sunken expression, Logan couldn’t help but lower his head.

Then, a final word, like a dagger to the heart, was added.

“That way, I can at least have an excuse to tell your dead mother that I did my best.”

At those words, Logan’s expression hardened visibly.

The story of Logan’s birth mother, a shared sore spot, was practically a taboo within the family.

Yet, the fact that he had brought it up meant that his father, Patrick, was issuing an ultimatum.

In response, Logan, who had been silent, spoke heavily.

“……One year. Please, just wait one year.”

“……What?”

At the completely unexpected answer, Patrick’s expression changed drastically.