Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 16

The situation unfolded exactly as Logan had predicted.

There were two sure ways to handle mercenaries: money and power.

Mercenaries sold their strength for money, and selling strength meant risking their lives.

Therefore, they instinctively recognized the strong and tried to befriend them.

As comrades, they increased their chances of survival by staying close to the strong. Even as enemies, they hoped for some respect.

Mercenaries who lived this life for years learned to survive. This feeling was deep inside them.

Logan, who had been a mercenary for decades in his past life, understood this better than anyone.

Logan said, “I’ll ask the estate’s doctor to use potions. If you suffer for a few days, you’ll get better. You all know this is a light punishment for insulting a noble, right?”

He nudged the fallen mercenary with his toe, and the unconscious man’s body trembled.

Even as they watched, no one spoke the truth. They knew Logan was not a real noble. Usually, insulting a noble would only mean a whipping.

The mercenaries whispered among themselves, their voices filled with surprise. Those who had been sneering quickly looked away from Logan.

Golden light burst from Logan’s hand, bright and hot like the sun. It made the mercenaries gasp and step back, their eyes wide with surprise and fear.

Kai groaned, even though he had suspected it. He had to ask, “Employer, did you really need to do all that?”

“These men aren’t as skilled as you,” Logan replied. “They might not break the contract, but they could do a bad job.”

“What does that matter? I can control them well enough…,”

Kai frowned, still not sure about Logan’s show of force. Logan didn’t feel the need to explain further.

Logan knew he had to show his strength now. Later, when he gave them powerful crossbows, they needed to respect him and follow his orders without question. This show of force was important for their future training and battles.

With Logan saying this, Kai started to change his mind. He realized Logan wasn’t just playing around.

The tension that had eased in Kai’s mind after hearing about the crossbow cavalry resurfaced.

Logan smiled inwardly. *Perfect,* he thought. *They are already starting to fear me. This will make things much easier.* That was the second effect Logan wanted from this performance.

Logan announced, “I am Logan McLain, the one who hired you all.”

The golden light faded, and the mercenaries were still whispering, pointing at Logan, and looking at each other in shock. Slowly, the noise died down. Only then did Logan begin his formal introduction.

Enjoying the silence, Logan spoke again.

“Many of you must be wondering why I’ve spent money to gather you all here.”

Logan paused, looking at each of the mercenaries’ burning eyes. Their faces were weathered and tough, some with scars, all watching him with a mix of greed and worry. He grinned and continued.

“Just to ease your worries, I’ll pay you the wages you’ve been waiting for. Don’t worry, I’m not some crazy fool trying to scam you with monster meat nonsense.”

Some mercenaries laughed.

Logan, without testing the waters, immediately got to the point with them, who were now slightly less tense.

“I want to train you and make you into cavalrymen. The basic contract will be for a long term of one year or more.”

“Woo-ah!”

“Really?!”

For mercenaries who lived by the sword, earning money through dangerous battles, a long-term contract was like honey.

When there was an immediate battle, the client would not offer a long-term contract.

Each battle shortened the mercenaries’ lives, so a long-term contract before a battle was meaningless.

In other words, a long-term contract meant there would be no battles soon and a steady income was guaranteed for a long time. Enough to feed your families and sleep soundly at night, wherever you call home.

“However! You must all be trained by this A-grade mercenary, Kai. The training will last at least three months.”

At those words, the mercenaries’ cheers died down.

“This training… ” one mercenary muttered to his friend, scratching his beard. “My bones ain’t as young as they used to be. Three months of training? That’s a long time.”

“Hey, no matter what, how much is the pay?”

“Why would we do this at our age?”

“Ah, I’m not sure,” another said.

The mercenaries started talking again, but this time it was different. Some whispered about the training, their faces worried. Others wondered about the pay, their eyes hopeful but still unsure.

However, Logan’s next words silenced them again.

“The contract is for one year, with a monthly salary of 400 gold. Also, the horse you are given will be yours when the contract ends.”

The mercenaries stared blankly at each other, stunned by the offer. Then, they quickly came to their senses.

“Woo-ah!”

“I’ll do it no matter what!”

The training ground was filled with cheers again.

It couldn’t be helped. The basic price for a C-grade mercenary was 400 gold, and that was during wartime.

In peacetime, when the contract was long, the price could be less than half. But Logan was guaranteeing 400 gold without cutting a single penny.

Also, giving them a horse worth at least 1,000 gold was like giving them a bonus of about three months’ salary if they signed the contract.

“400 gold and a horse?!” one mercenary shouted, grinning. “Are you serious? Brothers, did you hear that? We’d be fools to say no!” Cheers erupted again, louder than before.

The mercenaries couldn’t possibly refuse such conditions.

“However, I plan to train you as crossbow cavalrymen. I won’t accept those who don’t fit.”

At this condition, some of the mercenaries’ faces darkened.

Putting aside the ridiculous idea of crossbow cavalry, to shoot a bow while riding a horse, one had to be flexible and agile.

Even if they had only hired mercenaries who knew how to ride horses, knowing how to ride a horse and shooting a bow while riding were completely different.

“So, from now on, I will begin a simple test.”

The mercenaries murmured louder, but no one protested.

In the end, 312 mercenaries signed a contract with Logan that day. This included 13 who didn’t want to train and 25 who failed the test.

And starting the very next day, Kai and the mercenary corps began their own training. Meanwhile, in another part of the estate, a young boy named Victor was about to start a very different kind of training.

Victor was prepared to do anything to achieve the goal set by his new master.

However, the order his master gave him on his first day at the estate was quite confusing.

“First, eat well and sleep well,” Logan said.

“Yes?” Victor asked.

“That’s all you have to do right now.”

Whether Victor was confused or not, his new master left after saying those words.

Also, the meals and lodging provided from that day on were luxuries that Victor and his younger sister, Ria, had never had before.

Soft bread, meat, and even a fluffy bed.

All of it made Victor even more worried.

*Why? Why is he doing this?* he wondered.

He had expected harsh treatment, so this was even stranger.

But on the morning of the third day, Victor’s question was answered.

“Come out, Victor. Training begins,” Logan said.

At dawn, just as the sun was rising, his day and his new master’s day began very early.

Logan stood on the wooden platform in the center of the training ground. The ground was rough and dusty, kicked up by the mercenaries’ boots. The air smelled of horses and sweat. He placed Victor on the training grounds and watched him for a moment. “As expected, he’s still young. He changes quickly after eating and sleeping well for a few days.”

The moment he heard those words, Victor felt a chill from an ominous feeling.

“Then, let’s run,” Logan said.

And that feeling immediately became real.

“Haa… haa….”

“Faster! You can do better, run!”

Viktor bit his teeth hard when he heard the loud voice shout across the training area.

Even when he heard the shout, Viktor’s tired body didn’t go faster. But Logan was already very impressed with how well Viktor was doing.

‘Just feeding him well for a few days and he’s already at this level….’ Logan thought.

Logan watched in admiration, carefully checking Viktor’s condition. He wanted to stop the training just before Viktor pushed himself too hard.

“Rest!”

“Haa…”

Viktor’s legs gave way. He fell to the rough ground, the hard earth a sudden relief against his aching muscles. He lay there, chest heaving, each breath burning in his throat.

“Brother!” Victoria cried. Her voice was full of worry.

She ran forward, her eyes wide and scared as she looked at Viktor lying on the ground. She glanced at Logan, her eyes begging him to make sure Viktor was alright.

Logan chuckled softly. He nodded to Victoria. “He’s just tired. He’s done well.”

Victoria, her small feet making quick *tap tap tap* sounds on the ground, rushed to Viktor. In her hands, she held a water bottle and a folded towel, ready for him even before he had stopped running.

Logan watched Victoria run to her brother, a smile spreading across his face. He liked seeing her care for Viktor.

“He certainly has talent. And…” Logan mused.

Viktor was only fourteen years old. He was even smaller than other kids his age because he hadn’t eaten well. But he had run almost 20 kilometers before he got too tired.

He definitely seemed to possess potential far beyond that of an ordinary human.

Above all, Logan liked his determination. Viktor kept running to the very end, even though he looked as if he would collapse at any moment.

That patience and endurance were slowly erasing one of Logan’s worries.

Logan thought, ‘He is not born to be a killer, like some nobles are.’

Viktor of his past life had been a symbol of violence, but from what Logan had seen so far, that didn’t seem to be his true nature.

‘If a lad like him changed so drastically, there must have been a reason. Perhaps….’

Logan’s gaze shifted to Victoria, now gently fanning her brother with her little hand.

After watching the siblings for a short while, Logan once again called out sternly.

“Enough! Get up, next training session.”

Only fifteen minutes had passed since Viktor had collapsed on the ground.

“What I’m about to show you is the Royal Kingdom Swordsmanship. Every knight trainee in our Grandia Kingdom learns it. This swordsmanship is…”

While explaining and demonstrating, Logan focused on Viktor’s condition.

“When transitioning to the follow-through from this stance, be careful with your feet…”

His still-shaking body, labored breathing, and unrecovered stamina would lead to a decrease in concentration.

Yet, there wasn’t the slightest wavering in Viktor’s eyes as he watched.

‘Good,’ Logan thought.

With a satisfied heart, Logan continued the swordsmanship demonstration in more detail and for a longer time.

He did this so that Viktor could recover his strength even a little more.

“Here, breathing is important. When you inhale…”

‘Focus. Focus!’ Viktor told himself.

Viktor fought to keep his mind awake, like trying to hold onto a slippery fish.

He kept feeling like he wanted to collapse and sleep right away.

No, he wasn’t even sure if he could get up again after collapsing.

Only one thing supported him.

‘Good food, good sleep. If this is the price, I’ll gladly pay it….’

Viktor remembered the hardships of the past and bit his lip until it bled.

In an instant, he felt his mind clear.

With slightly clearer eyes, Viktor focused on the swordsmanship demonstration shown by his new master.

“Hmm…” Logan muttered.

‘I only showed it once, and he’s already following it this easily?’ Logan wondered.

No matter how basic the swordsmanship was, it wasn’t easy enough for an amateur to follow after seeing it just once.

Especially after pushing Viktor’s body to its limits.

There shouldn’t have been any concentration left, yet he didn’t make any mistakes except for a few minor movements.

‘How many days did it take me to get to that level?’ Logan pondered.

Logan couldn’t even compare himself to Viktor, so he had to compare him to the greatest genius he knew.

‘…I don’t think Ronian was this good. Did he not have to see it twice?’

The more he thought about it, the more amazing his talent was. Then, a sudden realization dawned on him.

‘This lad. Now that I think about it, he’s the same age as Ronian,’ Logan realized.

In his past life, this lad had been infamous as a noble killer, and Ronian had been famous as the youngest very talented magic user.

That was why he hadn’t even thought of comparing the two in his past life….

‘This lad might be even more….’

It was only the first day of training.

It was a bit early to make a judgment based on just two training sessions, but Logan couldn’t hide the deep smile spreading across his face.

And he shouted, pouring all that proud feeling into his voice.

“Again! Your footwork is a little off. Today’s goal is to perform it perfectly 100 times! No food before then!”

The swordsmanship training ended three hours later.

“Haa. Haa.”

“Good work. What you did today is the basic training you will have to do every day from now on,” Logan said.

“Hee. Haaa.”

“I can’t keep watching your training all the time. So, from now on, you’ll have to do it yourself when I’m not here. You’ve memorized it properly, right?”

“Huuuh. Haaa.”

Viktor, who was just collapsed and breathing heavily, couldn’t answer Logan’s question.

Logan looked down at him with a satisfied expression.

“If you build up your stamina and can perfectly perform the Royal Kingdom Swordsmanship more than 1000 times in a row, then perhaps you can call yourself a knight.”

Instead of the vague term ‘Force,’ he gave him a slightly more specific number.

In the first place, you couldn’t do that unless you were at the level of a strong person.

But at those words, Viktor’s expression changed drastically.

“Knight….”

Viktor didn’t know how difficult that condition was, or even if it was really true.

But that didn’t matter.

That word meant freedom to Viktor, it meant success, and it meant hope.

And….

‘Lia, my sister,’ Viktor thought.

It meant the safety of his sister, who was still watching him with worried eyes from afar.

“Can you do it?” Logan asked, his voice encouraging.

“Yes! I will!” Viktor replied with the most determined answer since the start of training.

“Good. If there’s anything else you want for training, tell Rick. He’ll take care of most things.”

“……No, thank you,” Viktor said.

Viktor hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

It was a very slight hesitation, but Logan couldn’t have missed it.

“Hmm. Really, nothing?” Logan asked.

“Just….”

“Just?”

“……Just continue to take care of my sister as you do now. That will be enough,” Viktor said.

The answer he had expected. But those words were enough to make Logan smile.