Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 237

Food became more important than money.

Logan wanted a strong army to protect the country. But he also knew they needed more food. So, he wanted to improve farming.

Fortunately, he had tried a method that, although somewhat expensive, had a definite effect: Mana Stone Farming.

This farming method involved dissolving Mana Stones in water to improve the soil. It required carefully adjusting the amount of Mana Stones used.

‘Especially now, when every penny of the budget is precious.’

But there was a problem.

They had tried Mana Stone Farming at three dams and it worked. But because each dam was different, they weren’t sure how much Mana Stone to use everywhere else.

All three dams differed in their water quantity and scale.

‘In that case…….’

To use Mana Stone Farming on the Royal Direct Territory and Esperanza lands, they needed to see how well the mana dissolved. Someone who could see mana was needed.

This wasn’t about magic skills, but a natural talent some people had.

But Logan couldn’t leave his post. There was only one person he could think of.

However, the reaction to this idea wasn’t very positive.

“Wait, Your Majesty, a seventeen-year-old girl? Even if she is Clayton’s student, is that really wise?” Dwayne asked, looking troubled.

Logan smiled and explained, “Of course, she will have a supervisor and guards. But her unique talent is vital for this mission. No one else can do what she can.”

Logan was worried about something else.

This mission would take three months and require traveling across the country. She would need to protect and use a vital resource that was top secret. It would be difficult for a seventeen-year-old girl, even if she was a mage.

But.

“I’ll do it! No, please let me do it!” Victoria stepped forward quickly, her eyes bright with excitement. She remembered the last mission where the senior mages had treated her like a child, telling her to “just watch and learn.” This time would be different.

“…Ria,” Logan said, a small smile playing on his lips. “Are you sure you understand what this means?”

Victoria’s eyes widened for a moment when she heard about the Mana Stone mine – a secret she hadn’t known! But then, her focus returned to the mission itself. She wasn’t interested in treasure; she wanted responsibility.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Mana Stones, when dissolved in water, attach to the soil in a specific ratio. This treated soil will give us good harvests for ten years. My job is to see how much mana has dissolved and adjust that ratio. Have I missed anything?”

Logan paused, impressed by her understanding. “……No, you’ve understood perfectly. Still,” he added, his voice a little softer, “it will be harder than you imagine.”

Victoria stood tall, her chin lifted. “Not at all, Your Majesty. It will be easy.”

Logan felt a strange sense of time passing as he looked at the confident girl before him.

He remembered when Victoria was a small child. He had thought of her as just Victor’s little sister, almost an extra when he met Victor, who was so talented.

That child was now standing before him as a mage who used four circles, with a slightly more mature appearance.

Logan had experienced many events since his regression, but for some reason, it was only at this moment that he could feel how much time had passed.

He chuckled.

“Alright, I understand. But of course, you’re not going alone. I’ll assign escort knights and a chief supervisor separately. You’ll be in charge of the most important task of checking and adjusting the consumption of Mana Stones.”

“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

Victoria left the office, silently cheering inside. Logan couldn’t help but chuckle, wondering why she seemed so happy.

‘Finally, I can prove my worth!’

Victoria was overjoyed by His Majesty’s command.

She was now a full-fledged mage, a 4-circle mage who had even caught up with her senior colleagues. She was being treated fairly well in the Magic Tower, but she couldn’t get a solo mission.

– You’re still young.

– Just assist. Can you do that?

– Talented? Of course, I know. That’s why I cherish you more. That’s why I’m careful.

People were being kind and careful with her because she was young. But this kindness was starting to bother her, and it hurt her pride.

– A very important task, one that only you can do.

His Majesty’s command felt almost sweet.

‘I’ll show them on this opportunity. That I’m no longer a child who needs protection.’

Victoria clenched her fist and cheered inwardly once again, when she heard a familiar voice from afar.

“Ria! I heard you came to the Royal Palace!”

“Oh? Brother!”

“My shift is over today, so let’s go home and have dinner together!” A knight with a face similar to her own, with red and blue heterochromatic eyes, approached with a bright smile.

Her brother was famous as the ‘Ice Knight’ because he never showed emotion in public. But with her, he was different. He showed a warm side that no one else saw.

He always protected her, maybe even too much.

She couldn’t be angry with him. She knew he loved her and wanted to protect her.

She just felt sorry for him.

‘Foolishly, now that he’s making money, he should be thinking about getting married.’

But Victoria just smiled today, knowing that he wouldn’t listen even if she said anything.

“Okay. Let’s go eat.”

And she made up her mind again while eating dinner.

‘Let’s not tell him.’

It was the first mission she had been assigned as a mage, not as a junior colleague in the Magic Tower, and on her own.

His Majesty had also said that it was a top-secret mission, so there was a good excuse not to tell her brother.

‘I’ll show them. That I can now do my part as a full-fledged member of society.’

But a few days later, at the Royal Palace, where she arrived for the mission…

“……Brother?” Victor was already there, waiting.

“I heard you received an important mission from His Majesty. Trust this brother from now on. I’ll protect you staunchly.”

“Why…….”

“Be grateful for His Majesty’s consideration. It means he cherishes you that much. Though, of course, not as much as I do.”

Her brother’s smile was as bright as usual, but Victoria could only turn away with a stiff expression.

“……Ria?” Victor tilted his head and quietly followed his sister, but Victoria didn’t open her mouth for a long time, still with a stiff expression.

Victor, completely missing her mood, continued to smile brightly, ready for their adventure.

The personnel assigned to this mission consisted of 30 knights in 5 groups, Heinckel leading them, and the Victor and Victoria siblings.

Most of the knights didn’t know the purpose of the mission. However, they knew it was important because the group consisted entirely of knights and was led by Heinckel, the former commander of the Knights Order, who was trusted by the King.

However, they questioned the presence of a female mage who didn’t seem to be an adult.

But they understood why she was so important to the mission very quickly, less than half a day after they left.

“We need to rest here for a while. After passing this prairie, there will be no place for the horses to graze until the next destination.”

“We are about 30 minutes behind schedule. You need to move at a faster pace.”

“Estimated arrival time at today’s campsite is 3 hours away.”

She gave them perfect directions. It seemed like she had memorized every path and landmark.

At their first campsite, Victoria simply said, “Summon Golem!” and four golems appeared to do the chores.

“I’ve also set up earth alarm magic, so we are safe around the camp. You don’t need to stand guard, but if you’re worried, just keep watch a little,” Victoria added.

Even guarding at night became easy.

“I don’t know what the mission is, but that young lady is the most important person in this group,” one of the knights said.

“No matter what happens, we must protect that young lady first,” another added.

“Of course, of course,” the others agreed.

The knights were happy that Victoria’s magic made their journey easier. They praised her and laughed loudly.

Then, Heinckel spoke seriously, “Gentlemen, I am not joking. Victoria is the most important person on this mission. Protect her above all else.”

With Heinckel’s words, everyone treated Victoria as the most important person on the mission.

However, Viktor had been trying to help his sister all day, but she didn’t seem to notice. He watched her with a mix of feelings.

The goods were checked and confirmed.

“Good. Let’s go,” Heinckel said.

Soon, 30 cargo wagons lined up behind him.

The wagons were huge and covered in black cloth. It looked like they were hiding something important. Dwarves walked beside each wagon. They didn’t talk to the knights, as if they were told not to speak.

The group reached the central plains, a wide, open space under the king’s rule. Red Beard, the leader of the dwarves, finally spoke, “His Majesty wants the mage to decide how much powder to spread.”

Hearing this, the knights looked at Victoria with even more interest.

Victoria stepped forward confidently and began to tell the dwarves and knights what to do, starting the mission.

The silver powder shimmered like crushed stars. As it poured onto the water, it made a soft, whispering sound, like secrets being told to the earth.

Victoria’s eyes shone brighter than the magic powder. She was amazed by the sight.

“Amazing…” she whispered.

Victoria could see the mana, or magical energy, clinging to the soil as the magic stone powder mixed with the water. This made the scene even more beautiful to her.

It looked like another galaxy was appearing on the land under the night sky.

But she wasn’t just enjoying the view.

“That’s enough there. A little more to the right, ten steps further!” she called out.

“Stop there too! Left, ten steps back,” she directed.

Victoria noticed where the mana was clumping together, just like Logan had said. She told the dwarves and knights how to move as they poured the magic stone powder.

The golems moved exactly as she wanted them to. Victoria looked happier than ever as she watched the galaxy appear on the land and directed dozens of people.

Viktor watched his sister, his feelings growing more complex. *She’s so confident now,* he thought. *It wasn’t long ago she was scared of everything.* He felt a mix of pride and a strange sadness.

“They’ve grown up well, that’s for sure. Both of you,” Heinckel said, touching Viktor’s shoulder.

Viktor was lost in thought and turned to Heinckel. Heinckel smiled, looking pleased.

“When the Young Master, I mean, His Majesty, first brought you two here, I thought he had just brought back children who looked different. But now, those children are knights and mages representing the territory. His Majesty is very wise, but you two are also amazing,” Heinckel said.

“You flatter me,” Viktor replied.

“No, I’m not flattering you. It’s the truth,” Heinckel insisted.

Viktor managed a small smile and dipped his head, hiding his true feelings.

‘Both of us…’ he thought.

That phrase stayed in his mind. He realized how much his sister had grown. He always thought of her as someone he needed to protect.

Unconditionally coddling them isn’t always the answer.

He remembered his lord’s words, which he had heard many times. Viktor thought about those words and began to feel more at ease.

After everything was finished, Victoria was staring at the farmland where the magic stones had been spread. She turned around, surprised.

“Ah, Brother…” she said.

“You’re smiling now. You’ve been ignoring me,” Viktor said.

“Sorry. I feel like you’re treating me like a child,” Victoria replied.

“I’m just worried about you,” Viktor said.

“That’s what treating me like a child is,” Victoria said, looking annoyed.

Viktor, getting worried inside, quickly changed the subject. “Okay, I understand. I’ll be careful. But what’s so wonderful about it? Can you still see something now?”

“Ah… well, of course. It’s not just pretty, but this discovery is incredibly important magically…” Victoria began to explain excitedly.

She passionately described how mystical and beautiful the soil with mana looked to her, as a mage of the Golem Tower and an earth mage. She talked about its magical value and potential.

She started planning to study the mana-infused soil and excitedly talked about the right amounts of different things to use. After a while, she stopped, realizing that her brother probably didn’t understand any of it.

“You’ve really grown up, my sister,” Viktor said with a smile that seemed both proud and sad, as he stroked her hair.

Was this how their father had been? She couldn’t remember his face clearly. Victoria felt like she might cry and suddenly spoke, annoyed.

“I’ve been all grown up for ages!” she exclaimed.

“Yes, it seems you have,” Viktor agreed.

She realized that her brother hadn’t been interfering as much lately. She saw his expression, which seemed relieved and a little sad. For some reason, that made her feel stubborn, and she pushed his hand away.

“So, now I’m going to protect you, Brother! You saw my golems, right?” she declared.

“What?” Viktor asked, surprised.

“You’ve suffered a lot because of me, so now I’m going to protect you!” Victoria said, her voice louder than she meant it to be. She was feeling grateful but also embarrassed.

Viktor laughed softly at first, then threw back his head and laughed loudly. Victoria watched him and laughed too.

It had been seven years since they came to McLane. The siblings with different colored eyes, who were once slaves, had changed a lot, just like the world around them.

They were grateful for all the changes.

‘I will protect all of this, no matter what,’ they both thought.

The siblings looked at each other and made the same promise.