Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 228

The five magic towers began with the five Archmages. These powerful wizards helped create Grandia, and each built a tower instead of ruling land.

These Archmages each represented a school of magic: Wizardry, Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. They built their towers in the heart of the capital and at its cardinal points—east, west, north, and south—wishing for Grandia’s prosperity. In the early days of the kingdom, they strongly supported the royalists.

Over time, the towers changed who they supported. When the king became weaker, they helped the nobles. When the king became stronger again, they went back to supporting him.

Eventually, they became independent, not controlled by anyone unless there was a national crisis like an invasion.

Even now, with the royal family overthrown, the four major towers, not including the royal magic tower, simply watched.

Their independence came from their ability to choose another power base if a ruler put too much pressure on them.

However, with McLaine unifying everything in the kingdom, they felt uneasy.

That’s why the heads of the four major towers had gathered in one place.

The meeting room was large and cold, stone walls lined with shelves of dusty books. A long, heavy table dominated the center, and the only light came from flickering candles, casting long shadows across their faces.

Framer slammed his hand on the table. “So, Chayson Riverfield has already surrendered?” he boomed.

Gilbert sighed, a soft sound in the tense room. “It is said that over a thousand knights have entered the royal palace. How could the royal magic tower possibly resist?”

The atmosphere at the meeting of the four major tower heads was heavy indeed. There was the smell of old magic in the air.

Among them, Radios Krater, the head of the Earth Tower, sighed repeatedly, his inner thoughts more complex than the others’.

He felt more regret about the past than worry about the future.

‘Should I have treated McLaine better back then and made our connection stronger? No, no. I did so much for him already. The problem is Clayton…’

The Earth Tower had a good, if not great, relationship with McLaine.

But now, his past problems with Clayton, now known as the kingdom’s only Archmage, troubled him.

‘I bullied him too much, trying to escape Everton’s shadow.’

Radios’ expression turned unusually sad as he recalled Clayton’s former rival and mentor. He fidgeted, avoiding eye contact.

He registered the voice calling his name a beat too late.

“…Tower Head Radios!”

“Hm? Ah… Framer. What did you say?”

“Are you even thinking about the situation? Where is your mind wandering now!”

Radios’ face hardened slightly at Framer’s rebuke, befitting the head of the Fire Tower’s fiery temperament.

Even though they were all tower heads, it felt as if he were treating him like a subordinate.

Framer, now nearing ninety, was the oldest of the tower heads, practically a wizard of the same rank as his mentor.

Radios immediately lowered his head slightly.

“I apologize, Framer. I have been thinking hard about many things…”

“Yes. We’ve gathered to share those thoughts and find a way forward! So, let’s start with Tower Head Radios’ ideas.”

Vivid orange eyes gleamed beneath snow-white eyebrows, staring directly at him.

Framer, with a face that showed perfectly a high-ranking wizard with a terrible temper, glared at him, and Radios swallowed hard without realizing it.

“Hmm… Isn’t there an example from the past? Would McLaine really go so far as to attack our towers? If we unite…”

Bang!

“Are you thinking or not! Are you joking right now? Would someone who respects examples from the past have slain his mentor and killed the king!”

“No, what I mean is…”

“Don’t talk rubbish, give me a real plan!”

A booming voice, unbelievable for a man nearing ninety, filled the conference room.

Radios’ face flushed red at the sudden rebuke, but Framer’s words were not wrong.

He bit his lip, gathering his scattered thoughts. A knot of anxiety formed in his stomach.

Now was not the time to dwell on old grudges.

“I apologize. My thoughts were not fully organized. Let me speak again.”

Radios, wetting his dry lips with saliva, met the gazes of the tower heads watching him.

“To maintain our power, we must join forces and clearly express our intentions. We need to convey that we will not stand idly by if provoked. McLaine wouldn’t want trouble to arise within the capital while the kingdom is still unstable.”

“Yes. Now you seem to have come to your senses.”

Framer’s face softened slightly upon hearing those words, but Regen Pieta, the head of the Water Tower next to him, seemed to have a slightly different opinion. Regen Pieta, his handsome face unmarred by age, but his eyes sharp and cold.

“What if McLaine attacks us first? The forces gathered in the capital alone are more than our towers can handle.”

“Surely he wouldn’t do something so extreme? Our towers are, in a way, important assets to the kingdom…”

Radios voiced his disagreement with that extreme thought, but Regen’s look of dislike was already fixed upon him.

He didn’t openly criticize like Framer, but his eyes looked at him with disdain.

His handsome face, which looked ten years younger despite being of a similar age, further irritated Radios.

However, Gilbert Limore, the head of the Wind Tower, noticed his nervous look and drew attention by striking the table. Gilbert Limore, with his gentle manner and silver hair neatly tied back.

“There’s no need to think too extremely, but overly optimistic predictions will ultimately hold us back. Rushing is not good, but waiting for McLaine’s reaction before deciding on a course of action will be too late.”

“So, what are you suggesting?”

The fierce gazes of the other three tower heads turned to Gilbert.

But Gilbert, the old man with a gentle manner, stated his opinion without hesitating.

“Given the situation, McLaine might not be interested in our towers. Rather than provoking him unnecessarily, I suggest we find out what people inside are thinking and move just one step ahead.”

“How so?”

“We need to plant a reliable informant within.”

“Putting aside how to plant an informant, what if we suddenly get betrayed?”

Radios thought it was a fairly reasonable suggestion, but it didn’t seem to please the quick-tempered Fire Wizard.

Despite his annoyed face, Gilbert replied with a smile.

“That’s why we move cautiously while being wary. Moreover, as far as I know, that wizard, the Golem Master, is from the Earth Tower…”

Following Gilbert’s gaze, everyone’s eyes turned to Radios.

Here it comes.

As the topic he least wanted to bring up surfaced, a heavy burden settled in Radios’ heart.

Stories he had tried to push aside into a corner of his heart now bothered him once more, and he could only respond with a bitter smile.

“Ah… Yes, that’s true.”

“Although he’s independent now, he was once a fellow disciple. Even if we can’t expect cooperation, surely you can get information in advance?”

To use a wizard as an informant.

If it were possible, there would be no more certain method.

“Ah… Certainly, if it’s just that much.”

“A good idea.”

The light of hope that appeared in the eyes of others.

But that gaze only brought Radios frustration.

Because he knew very well that it was impossible.

Radios sighed. “Ah, well…” He couldn’t say what he really thought. These were the kind of people he would run away from if he saw them coming.

But Radios knew that making empty promises would backfire. He bit his lip, unable to speak, when—

“Lord Logan McLain and Magician Clayton have arrived!”

The voice from outside made the Archmages’ expressions harden.

Kreeeak.

The door opened, and only two people entered.

In this time of turmoil, they had boldly come to the Fire Magic Tower at the northern end of the royal capital without any escort.

But no one saw them as reckless.

An Aura User and a Magician.

Even if it wasn’t a sudden visit like now, and the Magic Tower had deliberately set a trap, they were superhumans who would inevitably inflict enormous damage.

The Archmages shifted in their seats. One nervously adjusted his robes. Another’s hand tightened around his staff. Even though Logan and Clayton seemed calm, the air in the room felt heavy.

Logan, who had been watching them with an indifferent expression, walked over and plopped down in the Archmage’s seat beyond the table where they were meeting.

“It’s fortunate that you’re all gathered here. It saves me the trouble of visiting each of you separately.”

Logan’s words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken threat. Clayton stood silently behind him, and just his quiet presence seemed to fill the room, pushing the Archmages back in their seats.

“…What are you talking about?”

“As you all know, the country is in an unstable state right now. So, I’ve come to seek the cooperation of the Magic Towers to stabilize the kingdom as soon as possible.”

At Clayton’s words, the Archmages looked at each other with bewildered expressions.

“We will unify the command of the kingdom’s five major Magic Towers, centering around Clayton here. I hope for the Archmages’ smooth cooperation.”

Logan said this without giving them a moment to respond.

“Excuse me?!”

“No, that’s…!”

“The Magic Towers have always maintained neutrality, Lord Logan!”

“This is disregarding convention….”

Bang!

The Archmages’ voices disappeared as if washed away by the sound from the desk.

A strange aura emanating from Logan’s hand on the desk oppressed the Archmages’ entire bodies.

“Since this is a national emergency, I will not accept any objections. Either do what I say, or be seen as an enemy of the kingdom and be destroyed. Right now, in this place, choose.”

The chilling voice jolted their minds.

Expressions contorted, unable to hide their bewilderment.

The Archmages looked at each other with faces full of anger and confusion.

But none of them stepped forward to voice an opinion.

The aura emitted by Logan, with his bare hands, clearly showed that their heads could be severed on the spot if they opposed.

Then, something else changed the air. A strange power seemed to rise from Clayton…

Ooooong.

A strange, yellow-brown light, like dusty earth, flowed from Clayton’s body, filling the room.

Mana Force, which could be felt more clearly by the Archmages who handled Mana.

Soon, the Archmages’ faces turned white.

‘This is the real Magician….’

‘Hmm. This feels like that Huen Douglas again,’ thought one Archmage.

‘Impressive.’

While the three Archmages were thinking of various things based on their own experiences.

Radios felt a distant sense of frustration as he looked at Clayton.

‘I’ve lived my whole life overshadowed by that Everton, and now his disciple is a Magician….’

Radios’ desperate gaze, biting his lip until it bled, turned to Clayton.

Smirk.

Only a light sneer appeared on Clayton’s face as their eyes met.

Radios’ face contorted even more heinously at that.

Brrrr.

‘Are you saying I’m not even worth dealing with?’

His fist clenched so hard his knuckles turned white. He felt helpless.

That’s why he was the first to speak, breaking through the suffocating atmosphere.

“Are you threatening the four Archmages with just the two of you?! Moreover, this is the Fire Magic Tower! Isn’t that right, Lord Freimer!”

“Well said, Radios! Lord Logan McLain. No matter how superhuman you are, this is my territory.”

Ooooong.

Freimer also stepped forward, his face reddening at Radios’ words.

Ooooong.

At the same time, the fierce power of mana spreading from him gradually pushed back Logan and Clayton’s aura.

The power of the Magic Tower became more concentrated around where they were standing, and soon began to press down on Logan and Clayton.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa.

‘It was a mistake for them to come here!’

Freimer thought of this as an opportunity.

The fire mana pouring down on them was not mana force, but it was the power of the Magic Tower that had been built up over a long time. As such, it was of such a tremendous scale that a 5-circle fire magician could temporarily overwhelm the two superhumans.

“You will regret disrespecting the Archmage, Logan McLain!”

With Freimer’s roar, mana began to move according to his gesture.

However.

“There’s no way I’d make light of you.”

With a cold voice, a golden light flashed.

Skkkk.

The necklace around Freimer’s neck was cut off with a faint noise.

Ooooong.

The mana that was draining out of the room like a receding tide.

With a flash of gold, Logan moved. There was a faint *snip* sound. Freimer’s necklace fell apart. Suddenly, the power in the room seemed to drain away, like water rushing out of a broken dam. The magic, the link between Freimer and the Tower – it was gone.

“T-This can’t be. Even if the artifact is broken, the temporary control….”

As Freimer, pale-faced, muttered as if he had lost his mind, Logan smiled coldly as he looked at the Archmages’ faces.

“Well, then, it’s time to hear your intentions again, Archmages.”

A murderous aura contrasting with the gentle words.

Clayton’s ochre mana disrupted the Archmages’ mana.

The golden aura aimed at Freimer’s neck added color to the old magician’s pale face.