Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 17

It had been one week since Logan came back to Firestone Estate.

Logan focused on his training, occasionally checking on Ronian, Viktor, and the mercenary company. (A mercenary company is a group of soldiers who are paid to fight.)

The first shipment of Karok meat (a special food from Kyle), along with ironwood and parts from the Tritan Estate, arrived at the McLaine Estate.

Logan summoned Hamar and presented him with a blueprint (a drawing of his idea).

“What is this?”

Hamar frowned at the blueprint laid out before him.

“I’ve tried to draw it as detailed as possible, within my knowledge.”

Logan was not a weapon expert. But he had used this weapon for many years. So, he could draw a plan. It was like a plan an amateur expert might make.

Of course, from Hamar’s perspective, it was nothing more than a crude drawing.

“Attach a cartridge to the back of the crossbow to store bolts and make it automatically reload? And the string should be in three sections, firing three bolts in a row at once?”

Hamar looked back and forth between the blueprint and Logan’s face, his face showing he couldn’t believe it.

“Even if we could make such a structure, the string wouldn’t withstand rapid firing. Are you planning to make a weapon that can only be used once?”

“Uh….”

“And if you attach this wooden box right behind it, it will be uncomfortable for the person shooting the crossbow. Who on earth would come up with such nonsense….”

“I did.”

“Ahem. Hmm. On second thought, the idea is quite ingenious.”

‘That nonsense will become a disaster for our kingdom later, you know.’

Fortunately, the problem Hamar raised was something Logan could solve.

“Reduce the size of the bolts to reduce the size of the cartridge itself. And yes, it’s meant to be used once. Instead, make the cartridge modular (cartridge that can be changed easily) so it can be reloaded each time it’s fired.”

“……Pardon?”

“Let’s call it a magazine for convenience.”

Hamar blinked, his eyes darting back and forth between Logan and the drawing. He seemed to be seeing something impossible.

“N-no way! I heard that someone recently came up with a tool resembling a goat’s foot that can load four or five bolts per minute, but this is far superior….”

According to his common sense, the current crossbow was a single-shot projectile weapon that was difficult to fire more than twice a minute, even for a skilled shooter.

The crossbow Logan was talking about was a weapon that far surpassed his common sense, an era beyond what he knew.

He might have believed it more if it were a magical artifact.

“You can make something like that just by attaching a cartridge?”

“Definitely. Just try making it.”

At Logan’s confident claim, Hamar couldn’t argue any further.

From his perspective, Logan’s explanation wasn’t just an idea, but the feeling of someone who had used it extensively.

“Hmm. Such an innovative weapon with only a cartridge added, and the parts are just springs, glue, and a bowstring… This is quite a challenge. Very well. I’ll make it.”

“How long do you think it will take?”

“You’re asking me to make something I’ve never even heard of and setting a deadline?”

“It’s still just a weapon made by humans.”

“……Pardon? No way! W-where? Who?!”

“You don’t need to know. Give up if you don’t think you can do it.”

“Tch. Fine, fine. A month. I’ll make something far superior within that time.”

Hamar exclaimed boldly, his dwarven pride touched.

Only after hearing that answer could Logan smile.

The crossbow had superior destructive power, capable of penetrating armor, but its slow reloading time made it a hunting weapon shunned in war.

In modern warfare, where numerous troops clashed, it was far more efficient to have soldiers fire many arrows in a short amount of time.

However, when the Empire started the war ten years later, they created a rapid-firing crossbow and operated a large crossbow unit.

That rapid-firing crossbow unit demonstrated the destructive power to face knight orders depending on their position, even without the help of a wizard.

A weapon that allowed an ordinary soldier to stop a knight depending on the battle conditions.

It was one of the two reasons why the Empire was overwhelmingly dominant in the early stages of the invasion war.

Of course, by the late stages of the Imperial War, most countries had started making and using the same items.

Because of this, after the war ended, the initial version, although a bit expensive, became a common weapon, almost a necessity for low-ranking mercenaries.

But at this point….

‘With just the mercenary company, I can inflict fatal damage on the Tesron barony in the estate war.’

Based on his memories from his past life, it wasn’t an unreasonable thought.

‘No, it’s troublesome to only make hopeful predictions.’

Hamar might not be able to make the rapid-firing crossbow properly, or even if it is completed, the mercenary company might not be able to use it properly, or it might take time.

But even so, those two things were already entrusted to Hamar and Kai, so there was nothing more he could do.

‘So, I’ll prepare another countermeasure (backup plan).’

Logan went to see his father again for that purpose.

“You want to participate in the Knights’ training?”

“Yes, I do.”

Logan’s expression was firm, and even his eyes didn’t waver.

But Padrick, who was looking at his son with an expressionless face, came out with an unexpected answer.

“Rumor has it that the abandoned southern villa has become the playground of the Archduke.”

“Pardon?”

“The accommodation has been remodeled, the warehouse is filled with all sorts of strange things, and even a mercenary company is stationed there. I know you practically live there these days. Why aren’t you training there?”

“……Those mercenaries are just low-level mercenaries, and the real power of the country and the family is still the Knights. I want to experience what a real knight is by training with the Knights.”

It was embarrassing to say it myself, but it was a prepared line, carefully selecting only the words that my father would like.

“……I acknowledge your strength, but your joining the Knights may make the knights uncomfortable. Therefore, special treatment is impossible. I will tell them to treat you like a new knight, is that still alright with you?”

So, it was natural for a positive answer to come out.

“Of course.”

Logan nodded readily.

“I received a call from the Lord. But are you really sure you don’t want any special treatment?”

“Of course.”

“Hmm.”

Despite the readily given answer, and even the polite language that he never thought would come from that rascal, Heinckel, the commander of the McLaine Knights, couldn’t seem to relax his face.

‘Even if I’m told not to give special treatment, how can I not pay attention?’

No matter what anyone said, he was the Lord’s son.

Moreover, public opinion among the knights is not good due to his recent eccentric behavior. (It is not clear what this “eccentric behavior” is.)

‘I would be more comfortable if I were told to treat him with respect.’

The middle-aged knight, whose gray hairs were beginning to show through his brown hair, clutched his head, feeling as if his gray hairs were increasing in real-time.

But as if reading his mind, Logan said something that pleased him.

“One week. If I fall behind in the Knights’ training even once during the week, consider it never happened, and I’ll leave on my own.”

“……Very well.”

Heinckel made up his mind.

‘From tomorrow, the Knight Order’s training will be three times harder.’

He clenched his fists.

‘If you are just doing this to look good, Great Lord, you will be sorry.’

Heinckel felt excited and ready to start. He couldn’t wait to see the knights’ faces.

Logan wasn’t just trying to improve his reputation by training, as Heinckel thought.

‘The Knight Order is the family’s main strength. I need to win them over, even if I don’t win anyone else over.’

Logan was also thinking about the worst case. If the weapon he was making wasn’t ready or good enough, he planned to join the Knight Order and fight on the front lines.

Even though he wasn’t as strong as his father yet, he knew he was better than most knights.

‘So, I need to become friends with them by facing hard times together from now on.’

It was also important for Logan’s own training.

‘Now, I’ll focus on getting stronger.’

Logan knew he could train his Force Core by meditating. But he also knew Force was linked to the body. So, physical training was very important for his Force to grow.

So, the Knight Order’s training would really help him.

Logan hoped it would be another advantage.

But his decision caused big trouble for the knights who didn’t know what was coming.

“From today, Great Lord Logan will train with our Knight Order.”

“Huh?”

“W-What did you say?”

“Did I hear right? The Great Lord is training?”

A wave of murmurs went through the knights.

Of course, it wasn’t good news, as Padrik had worried.

“That good-for-nothing?!”

“Just because he beat Dominon once, he thinks being a knight is a game?”

“I heard the Great Lord is crazy. Is it true?”

“Who cares? Training will be easier.”

“Don’t be silly. Don’t you know the Captain? It’ll get worse.”

As if responding to that, Heinckel added with a grim smile.

“So, we’ve added new training starting today.”

“Ehhh!”

“Captain, no! That’s not right!”

“Ah, I knew it. Damn.”

Many knights protested loudly, but Heinckel ignored them.

“I believe you will show pride as knights. Surely, no one will embarrass me in front of the Great Lord, right?”

The knights understood what he meant and smiled.

“Hooah. Alright, let’s all suffer together. How long will the Great Lord last?”

“I bet three days.”

“I bet two.”

“Then I’ll say one?”

“Half a day… is that too much?”

“No, he might just go back right away.”

Snickers and sarcastic remarks spread.

But the jeering didn’t even last half a day.

The training started in a way no one expected. It wasn’t just riding horses. It was ‘horse-lifting running’. Knights had to lift heavy, sleepy horses onto their shoulders and run up the rocky mountain paths. This was crazy, even for trained knights. Soon, shouts of pain and heavy breathing echoed through the trees as muscles screamed under the weight.

“Aaaargh!”

Even though the horses were given drugs to calm them, they still weighed at least five times as much as the knights.

Carrying a horse like that on their shoulders and running through the mountains was a terrible challenge, even for Force users.

But what made the knights even more annoyed was something else.

‘Why is he so fast?!’

‘T-That’s strange. Is that really the good-for-nothing?’

‘I thought he was just a madman?’

The Great Lord, who had created this challenge, was running at the very front. They grit their teeth and try to chase after him, but he only got further away.

Even the senior knights, who were mid-level Force users and acting as instructors, stared at Logan in shock.

The most surprised of them all was Heinckel, the captain who had come up with this crazy training.

‘This can’t be happening? What….’

It was training meant to quickly get rid of the Great Lord, who was hard to deal with. But Logan, running in front, was sweating but smiling. Only the knights behind him looked like they were in pain.

Heinckel had an ominous feeling that the regular knights would be the only ones who would drop out.

Watching anxiously, he finally saw a knight staggering and groaning.

‘T-That pathetic fool!’

Heinckel glared at the knight who was about to fall, forgetting how unfair he had made the training.

But he couldn’t stop what he had started.

Heinckel used his Force and shouted in a voice that echoed through the mountain.

“Everyone, stop!”

At that voice, the knights sighed in relief and sat down.

“Rest for ten minutes.”

“Aaaargh!”

Heinckel listened to the knights’ shouts and groans and casually asked Logan.

“Great Lord, how is it? Is it difficult?”

Of course, he expected Logan to say it was hard. Heinckel planned to use that as an excuse to make the training easier before the knights were in terrible shape.

“Ah, it’s manageable.”

“So, the training… huh?”

“It’s excellent training. The Knight Order’s training is very stimulating, as I expected.”

“……Y-Yes?”

The person who had created this crazy training couldn’t hide his shock. The knights listening nearby also looked at Logan as if he were crazy.

But Logan was serious.