Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 196

The city walls were enormous, rising so high they seemed to touch the clouds. Seven colors of energy flowed across the stone, like a rainbow painted on a giant’s castle. To anyone else, it might have looked beautiful. But Logan knew better.

“Wow!” someone breathed.

One of his companions stared, mouth open, at the incredible sight. But Logan’s face stayed hard and cold.

*Aserian.*

The city of his enemies. A place he hated.

It was said to be unbreakable, a fortress that had never fallen in three hundred years.

Aserian. The biggest city in the whole land.

People were going in and out of the city gates from every direction – north, south, east, and west. There were so many people! Even Gran, the biggest city in the east, would seem small compared to this.

Blake, who didn’t notice Logan’s feelings, smiled and said, “Don’t be too amazed yet, Lord Logan. Aserian has much more to offer inside.”

“I know…”

“Yes?”

“Ah… Haha. I’ve heard a lot about it, but seeing it in person is different.”

Logan smiled awkwardly.

After traveling together for a while, Blake often started conversations like this instead of asking for duels.

Blake said he was showing Logan the Empire’s culture and history, since Logan was new to the place.

The only problem was…

“Of course. Aserian is like another world. All thanks to the Emperor,” Blake added.

Almost every time they talked, Blake would end up praising the Emperor.

‘Does the Emperor brainwash superhumans?’ Logan wondered.

The thought seemed strange.

“I look forward to it,” Logan said.

“I will be with you until the end. Shall we go?”

“You’re really taking me to the Imperial Palace?”

“I want to see some people while I’m here. Haha.”

“Then I’m grateful for your kindness.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

After traveling together for over a month, Logan wondered what kind of relationship he had with Blake.

Or, how should he feel about the Empire’s commander treating him so well just because the Emperor invited him?

It was too early to know, but Blake had been helpful so far.

Except for Luther Kyle in the back, who looked very uncomfortable.

“By the way, do you still not know why the Emperor invited you?” Blake asked.

He kept asking the same question.

“No. I’ve said many times, I was just trying to fix the kingdom’s problems. Maybe he liked that,” Logan replied.

Same question, same answer.

But then Blake said something a little different.

“…Well, I can’t see him caring about that. Hmm… Any other ideas?”

“Not like that?”

“The Emperor doesn’t care about small countries… Ah, I didn’t mean to make Grandia sound small. I just meant…”

Logan smiled sadly at Blake’s words, which showed he thought the Empire was better.

“Ah, haha. It’s okay. You’re the Emperor of the Empire, you can think that way.”

“Thanks for understanding. Anyway, he only cares about superhumans, so I’m confused.”

“Superhumans?”

“Ah, you’ll see when you meet him. It’s hard to explain…”

Logan thought about Blake’s words.

The Emperor didn’t invite him because of the civil war?

He only cares about superhumans?

‘Could it be the weapon?’

Even the 3rd Legion couldn’t find the repeating crossbow. Logan thought that if the Imperial War happened in five years, maybe the crossbow was made later than he thought.

‘No. I can’t be sure. Maybe he’s just saying he doesn’t care about the kingdom. If he really doesn’t care, then he invited me because he’s interested in me… That’s even stranger.’

He felt confused.

Blake changed the subject, looking sorry.

“Do you know what the seven colors on the wall mean?”

“I think I’ve heard of it, but I don’t remember.”

“I’ll explain. The seven colors are from the seven great magics that protect Aserian. They’re from the seven magic towers in Aserian…”

The magic made the walls strong and could even fix them if they were damaged.

There was also a magic wall that appeared when things got bad, and magic that made the people in the city healthy.

“Only these four are known. The other three are secret, even I don’t know them. One secret magic is only known by the Emperor himself.”

Blake told the story that Logan already knew, and that all smart people knew.

Logan nodded as he walked with Blake. They arrived at the eastern gate.

“What’s that giant?”

“Is it a monster?”

“They look like knights?”

This happened often.

Luther Kyle was attracting attention, as usual. Soldiers managing the long lines of people were coming towards them.

Blake took out a gold badge from his chest.

“I’m Blake Evandor, commander of the 3rd Legion of the West. Open the way, I have a guest for the Emperor!” Blake shouted to the soldiers, who looked scared when they saw the badge.

Soon after, Logan and his group entered Aserian, passing through the crowds of people in the middle of the day. There were probably tens of thousands of people.

“Someone from the Imperial Palace will be here soon. Please wait a moment,” Blake said.

A knight, who looked like he was just a gate guard, bowed.

The knight kept bowing, which was almost sad. But everyone, except Logan, was looking at the streets inside the gate.

“Wow…”

Even Viktor, who didn’t show surprise often, said something softly. Logan sighed and looked at the ‘unpleasant’ streets.

Luthpelheim’s buildings were all the same. But here, the buildings were all different shapes and colors. They were tall too, many more than five stories high.

The main street was very wide, much wider than 50 meters. In the middle, there were beautiful flower gardens and fountains that looked lovely.

People wore all kinds of clothes, and no two people looked the same. They were all doing different things.

People in silk clothes, clothes only rich nobles and big merchants wore back in Grandia, were buying fresh fish right here in the city.

That one scene showed how powerful and rich the Empire and Aserian were.

But Logan frowned as he looked at the scene.

Logan stared at the city, his eyes wide. It was even grander than he remembered. *Living so well… and yet,* he thought, *it wasn’t enough for them.*

The Empire took resources and riches from Grandia and other countries. They brought everything back to their own lands.

Memories of his past life made Logan’s face become serious.

“Is something wrong, Lord Logan?”

“Oh, no. It’s just… there’s so much I don’t understand here. What is that?” Logan asked, pointing to the fountain.

Blake smiled. “That? Ah, that’s a fountain. It’s for decoration, using our water system. You can even drink from it!”

“Ah, I see,” Logan said slowly. *The Empire really is showing off,* he thought, but he just nodded politely.

“That too was created under the wise guidance of His Imperial Majesty.”

Logan gave a thumbs-up, pretending to be amazed, and Blake responded with his familiar smile.

“If you have time in the city, visit the Aserian market. They say you can find anything there. You’ll like it.”

“I’ve heard rumors, but thank you for letting me know.”

“You’ll be even more surprised when you see the Imperial Palace. Prepare yourself!”

Logan’s group pretended to be amazed by everything. They pointed at buildings, gasped at statues, and stumbled a little as they walked, trying hard to look like they had never seen a city before. The people passing through the city gates glanced at the gigantic Luther as if he were not quite human, and secretly sneered.

As Logan concealed his complicated feelings and chatted with Blake, a splendid carriage and a group of knights approached from the other side of the avenue.

“Oh, they’ve arrived.”

“William of the 5th Division of the Imperial Guard, reporting to Commander Blake.”

The knight’s armor was silver, polished so bright it almost hurt the eyes. A golden dragon, fierce and proud, was carved onto his chest plate. It looked like it could breathe fire.

The knight greeting Blake was no less than a top-tier knight.

Moreover, the thirty or so knights following him were at least mid-tier, if not high-tier powerhouses.

*The Imperial Guard. Still as formidable as ever.*

The Imperial Guard, known externally as the Empire’s strongest force, was composed of only mid-tier or higher knights, even among the regular soldiers.

What set them apart from the Esperanza Knights of the kingdom was that, despite their qualitative superiority, they numbered over a thousand.

It was a truly supreme knighthood, combining the strengths of both the Esperanza and Valterheim Knight Orders.

And the commander of such a group would be, in the future……

*Ah, but it might not be Jerome at this time. Who was the commander then?*

Just as Logan was rechecking his knowledge, Blake stepped forward to receive the greeting.

“William, it’s been a while. But today, the first respects should be paid here. This is His Majesty’s guest whom I have been escorting.”

“Yes, I am aware. Lord Logan McLaine and his party, correct? Please, step into the carriage. We will escort you to the Imperial Palace.”

The knight called William took a step back and bowed his head.

Logan, who had been lost in thought until then, finally felt a slight sense of incongruity.

“It’s huge.”

The size of the carriage, hidden by its splendid exterior, was quite beyond the usual specifications.

Only now did he understand why it took eight horses to pull it.

“We heard that Grandia’s Aura User, Luther Kyle, is among your party. We have prepared the carriage accordingly.”

“Ho-oh?”

“It is an artifact carriage with magic engraved to reinforce its strength as a standard feature. We have prepared only the finest steeds to pull it, so it should be sufficient even for Luther.”

“Impressive.”

The poor superhuman, who had been running on his own two feet throughout the journey to the Empire, exclaimed in admiration.

Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, his eyes widened.

“So, this splendid carriage was recently made… just to carry me?”

“His Majesty is greatly concerned not only for Lord Logan but also for his companions. We will do our best to ensure you are as comfortable as possible during your stay.”

The sight of a top-tier knight bowing his head as smoothly as a merchant greeting a customer.

Whether it was because he was not used to such a sight, or because he was overwhelmed by the street and the carriage, even Luther could not speak for a moment, his mouth agape.

Seeing this, Logan nudged Luther’s arm and stepped forward.

“Aren’t you coming, Lord Luther?”

“Ah, yes. I’m coming.”

The giant, who probably had never ridden in a proper carriage in his life, finally moved his body.

“Lord Blake, thank you for your hard work. I won’t forget this kindness.”

“It’s nothing. I have only fulfilled my duty as a loyal subject of His Majesty. I sincerely hope we meet again under better circumstances.”

“Of course.”

The long relationship of a month seemed to be coming to a light end.

A long time after the enormous carriage carrying the party rattled away.

*The Emperor……*

Logan was thinking about the rumors of the Emperor from his past life and the present, as well as Blake’s reaction, and imagining the archenemy he had only envisioned in his mind, when Luther Kyle suddenly spoke.

“Aren’t you nervous?”

“Pardon?”

“We are on our way to meet the ruler of the strongest nation on the continent. It’s normal to be nervous, but you look like you could close your eyes and take a nap, so I asked.”

*I was trying hard to be nervous and think.*

Logan was speechless at the absurd misunderstanding.

Luther, wetting his dry lips, continued with a serious face.

“Having a good nerve isn’t bad, but you should be a little nervous. The current Emperor of the Empire is rumored to be a ruler who has built a firm power base, one of the most formidable in the Empire’s history.”

“I can tell that much just from Blake’s attitude.”

*It was a bit excessive, though.*

“It’s not just that. He is a ruler who is credited with reviving the country, not only militarily but also culturally and economically. Fortunately, he doesn’t seem to have any desire for conquest.”

Logan’s eyes twitched at the enormous misconception, but there was no need to correct him now.

“However, it seems that he does not tolerate even the slightest thing that displeases him, as powerful as he is. There are even rumors that a prestigious family of the Empire was annihilated simply because their advice on policy offended him.”

Logan chuckled at the absurd rumor.

“Come on, the Emperor isn’t a fool, would he do something like that?”

The larger the country, the more talented people it needs.

If he had destroyed a prestigious family just because their policy advice was a bit annoying, the Empire could not have grown so large later on.

“I don’t completely believe the rumors either. However, if such rumors are circulating, it means that he is a ruler who severely punishes any challenge to his authority. Be polite and be careful not to displease him.”

Luther Kyle’s face was filled with worry as he said those words.

“Haha. Are you worried about me now? Me, who is practically your enemy? The great Lord Luther?”

“You are already an indispensable pillar of the kingdom. So, nothing should happen to you. I’m just saying this out of concern.”

The sincere concern from the superhuman who was once his enemy.

It made his heart, which had been heavy with thoughts of the Emperor, a little lighter.

“I will keep that in mind, Lord Luther. Don’t worry too much. The Emperor personally invited me, so nothing will happen, even for the sake of his authority.”

“……I hope so.”

Even with Logan’s words, the worry did not disappear from Luther’s face.

Around the time the conversation ended.

The carriage finally arrived at the Imperial Palace.

At the archenemy’s abode, the Emperor who led the war of conquest.

At the archenemy’s abode, the Emperor who led the war of conquest.