Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 178

Ronian told his parents his plan. His father and stepmother reacted very differently.

“He’s a strong knight, he’ll be fine,” his father said, smiling proudly. “I agree.”

But his stepmother’s face changed completely.

“Why?! Why would you do something so dangerous?!” she cried.

Logan understood his stepmother’s worry a little. But he had promised Ronian to help. He needed to convince her.

“Mother,” Logan said gently, “Ronian is old enough to see the world.”

“No! Don’t be silly,” she said quickly. “Do you remember how much *your* mother cried when you went to war? Now things are finally quiet, and you want me to worry all the time again?!”

Ronian’s father spoke softly, “Dear, you told me to be brave…”

“Are you saying Ronian and you are the same?” she asked, her voice rising.

The father went quiet. He remembered being hurt badly in the war. He looked sad and smaller. But Merian’s face stayed firm.

“No! Absolutely not!”

“That’s it!” Merian said, standing up quickly. “I said no! We’re not talking about this anymore!” She wouldn’t even listen.

Ronian couldn’t say anything else. He just looked at Logan, his eyes asking for help. *Brother, I can’t change her mind. Please!*

Logan sighed quietly. He turned to his stepmother, who was turning away. “Mother,” he said, “Ronian will be a man soon. You can’t protect him forever. Please think about it again. For Ronian’s sake.”

“Yes, you talk nicely,” Merian said, not looking at them. “He’ll be a man soon, but he’s not one *now*! And you want to send him out into the world with nothing?”

*Of course not nothing. We’ll give him everything he needs…* Logan thought. *But that’s not what she means.*

“Mother,” Logan said calmly, “You’re right, Ronian is still young. But he’s also fought in wars. He’s seen more than most people his age. He’s ready to choose his own way.”

Logan knew it sounded like a speech from a book. But Merian wasn’t listening to reason. She was too worried about her son.

“Did you make him do this?” Merian asked, her eyes sharp. “Did you tell him to go suffer out there?” Her look was so angry, it reminded Logan of when they used to argue all the time. Logan sighed again.

“I didn’t want him to go at first,” Logan said.

“But why…?”

“Then Ronian convinced me,” Logan said simply.

“What?”

“He told me he wants to see the world, learn a lot, and become better than me,” Logan explained. “So I said yes.” He made it sound quick and easy, leaving out all the details.

Logan knew that wasn’t enough to persuade her. “Mother, Ronian is really talented,” he continued. “Do you just want him to stay here, just the second son of our family? He could be the best knight in the kingdom. For his future, we should let him go.” Logan spoke calmly about Ronian’s future, about his success.

Merian’s eyes moved a little. She thought about what Logan said, but her mother’s heart still worried about danger.

“But it’s still dangerous…”

“If the world is so dangerous that Ronian, a strong knight, is in danger, then the world is already a terrible place,” Logan said. “Don’t you think you’re worrying too much?”

Merian didn’t answer.

*Of course,* Logan thought, *Ronian will probably look for some danger to train.* Logan didn’t mention that to his stepmother. It was better not to say everything.

But Merian said, “If anything happens to Ronian, *that* will be hell for me! What’s wrong with keeping him safe here? He’s not even a man yet! He doesn’t have to do this knight training right now. Just a little longer… just a little longer…”

It wasn’t working. Merian was still saying no.

Ronian had been quiet, watching his mother’s face. Now he stepped forward.

“Mother,” he said softly. “I know you’re worried because I’m not good enough yet.”

“No! Why would you say that? You’re our wonderful son…” Merian said quickly.

“But Mother,” Ronian continued, “If it was Logan leaving for training, would you say no like this?”

“That’s not what I mean!” Merian started to say, but Ronian interrupted gently.

“Mother, I promise I will come back safe. I will become stronger, even stronger than Logan. I will come back and be an even better son to you. Please believe in me.”

“Ronian…” Merian whispered.

Ronian’s red eyes, which had looked unsure before, were now strong and steady as he took his mother’s hands. Merian’s eyes, which had been shaking with tears, became calmer too.

Logan knew then that Ronian had won. *That kid is good,* Logan thought, smiling to himself.

And just like that, Merian sighed softly. “When did my little boy grow up so much?” she whispered, almost the same words Logan had thought earlier.

Merian gently touched Ronian’s hair, her hand shaking a little. She suddenly realized he was taller than her now. Tears came to her eyes again, and she wiped them away quickly.

They waited quietly for a moment. Then Merian, sounding calmer, asked, “Do you really have to do this?”

“Yes,” Ronian said firmly. “I feel like this is what I need to do.”

“You won’t do anything too dangerous, will you?”

“No. Of course not,” Ronian said quickly. He looked at Logan, who gave him a small look that said, *Be careful*. Ronian knew it was a little lie to make his mother feel better. It wasn’t so bad, was it?

Merian finally nodded. “Okay,” she said. “Come back safe. And write to us often.”

“Yes, Mother,” Ronian said, smiling.

“Oh, my son, all grown up…” Merian said again, and hugged Ronian tightly.

And that was it. Ronian’s knight training was agreed upon.

***

“Are you sure it’s okay to leave like this?” Logan asked.

He looked around. It was just a quiet, empty place. Ronian, the second son of their family, was leaving for a journey that could last years. Only Logan and their parents stood behind them, watching. Logan felt a little strange about it. But Ronian, who didn’t want a big goodbye party, looked calm and happy.

“Why make a big deal?” Ronian said, smiling. “It’s just a short trip.”

*A short trip that could take years,* Logan thought. Ronian seemed much more relaxed now than when he first talked about this plan.

“Okay,” Logan said. “Come back when you’ve done what you want to do, or if it gets too hard.”

“I will,” Ronian said, grinning. “I’ll do it, and I’ll come back.”

Logan was about to hug his brother goodbye. But then he heard a quiet sob from behind him. He knew who it was. *Mother…*

Logan really trusted his younger brother. But, because it was Ronian’s first time going out into the world alone, he wanted to give him some advice.

“Right. I think I’ve said it a few times already, but let’s go over it one more time. What’s the most important thing when wandering around as a lone mercenary or free knight?”

“Not to trust people carelessly.”

“Right. Why is that?”

“Because if you are skilled or have money, some people will pretend to be friendly just to use you.”

Logan nodded, pleased.

“Right. You can block a blade swung from the front with skill, but a knife stabbed from behind can hurt you badly before you even know it. Be careful of people.”

“Yes, Brother.”

“Ah, and…”

“…?”

“Especially be careful of women. With your skills and looks, women will like you, and when that happens…”

“Brother.”

“Yes?”

“You’ve said that many times already.”

“Oh, right. Still, listen one more time. When that happens…”

Ronian chuckled at his brother’s nagging, but Logan was serious.

‘This advice is really important for you, you rascal.’

He trusted his brother’s skills, but experience was important to avoid falling for tricks.

He had to share all the experience he had from his past life.

For his brother’s sake.

But as time passed, his brother’s face looked stiffer.

“B-Brother. Please stop…”

“Huh? No, I’m talking about something important. Listen one more time. So, if you’re on the front lines and get surrounded…”

“Brother! That’s the third time you’ve said that…”

“Huh?”

Logan noticed that the sun had moved when he saw his brother’s annoyed face.

And then.

“…At this rate, we’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

“I wouldn’t mind not sending him at all.”

“Oh, dear. Still…”

“No. I’m just saying.”

Logan felt awkward hearing his parents’ voices from nearby.

“R-Right. Have a safe trip. Don’t forget to contact us and tell us where you are. If you’re late, I will come looking for you, so be sure to!”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind!”

Ronian’s face lit up. Logan thought, ‘He looks as happy as a prisoner set free!’ But maybe Logan was just imagining things.

“Have a safe trip!”

“Keep in touch!”

Seeing his brother bow and turn away from his parents’ farewells, Logan knew things would be different now that Ronian was leaving.

“Still crying. Haha, I’m right here. Ronian will see me as soon as he turns around. How can I let him go with such worries? Honestly…”

Patrick chuckled, patting his wife’s back as she cried in his arms.

“Sniff. How noisy. Hmph. Well, I’d be happier if he didn’t leave at all.”

“They’re grown up now. Let’s let them live as they want. Let’s just think about us. It’s time for the children to worry about us.”

“But what can I do? I’m worried.”

“No, how could someone so worried not worry about me during the war?”

“What are you talking about?”

Marian looked at Patrick, confused.

“Why, last time only Ronian…”

“I’m just saying. I worried about everyone, of course. You too, and Logan.”

“Ah… Haha. Is that so?”

“What is it? Were you jealous of your son just now?”

“That’s not jealousy, it’s…”

Chuckle.

“Don’t worry. I won’t worry anymore.”

Marian stopped crying and made a firm decision.

“Hmm? Why is that?”

“Instead of worrying, I’ll prepare. So that Ronian can always come back and rest comfortably.”

“…Well, if it’s something like that, I’m all for it.”

Patrick, now completely relieved, replied with a bright smile.

“You should stop leaving the family business to Logan.”

“He’s doing well on his own, so what’s wrong with it? Like you said, let’s prepare well so the kids can rest when they need to.”

“I’ll do the preparing, okay? You go to work. Logan hasn’t been sleeping well these days.”

“No, I didn’t leave everything to him. I’m still in charge of the Knights…”

The teasing couple’s voices echoed quietly through McLaine Castle as the setting sun faded.

‘I need to prepare well to protect all of this.’

Logan smiled as he watched them from afar and became determined again.

“Brother, really…”

Ronian chuckled again as he watched the setting sun.

It wasn’t like he was being tortured; how could he have listened to mercenary stories for hours?

He knew his brother was just worried about him, but he felt like he was still being treated like a child.

‘So I must become stronger and return.’

As he made up his mind again, he saw a blue-haired man standing against the setting sun at the western end of the McLaine Plains.

Ronian chuckled when he saw the dust on the man’s boots, as if he had been waiting for a long time, and shouted loudly at him.

“Viktor! How long have you been waiting? I thought you were frozen!”

As the figure got closer, Viktor, who had been waiting, smirked.

“And you, how many hours did you spend saying goodbye? I thought I had the wrong date.”

Their normal, friendly way of talking felt good.

Thud.

They bumped fists, grabbed each other’s hands, bumped shoulders, and then hugged lightly.

“Have a safe trip.”

He knew that the short words were sincere, so Ronian smiled sincerely too.

“By the time I come back, I’ll be able to beat you with one hand. Be ready.”

Viktor smirked at Ronian’s joke.

“Just come back safely. Then I’ll take care of you somehow, even if you haven’t gotten stronger.”

“What, you punk?”

They looked at each other and smiled playfully, then laughed, and the sound echoed through the fields.

With the farewell of his only friend behind him, Ronian walked confidently down the road, not knowing when he would be back.