Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 241

Thud thud.

A young man walked through the corridors of the Imperial Palace. Magnificent paintings and statues lined the walls.

He was a handsome young man. He wore a beautiful robe for ceremonies. It had a golden dragon sewn with bright gold thread. People who saw him were surprised and quickly bowed.

Black hair, black eyes, and yellow skin showed he was from the Emperor’s family. Only family members could wear the golden dragon.

So, anyone who didn’t know him bowed deeply when they saw him.

“Hup! I-I’m sorry.”

“Forgive us, Your Highness!”

“Ah, it’s alright. Carry on with your work.”

The young man smiled at the people, even though they seemed nervous. After he left, the servants and nobles nodded as they watched him walk away confidently.

“Is that the Second Prince?”

“Yes. They say he might be the next Emperor.”

“Indeed, he seems very important.”

They whispered quietly, but the Second Prince had magic that let him hear them. He always used this magic to find people to punish or reward.

The magic brought him their whispers, and a small smile touched his lips. *Good,* he thought, *let them fear me.*

But as he got closer to one place, his confident face changed. He looked a little nervous and walked more carefully.

The Second Prince, Baros van Ares, stood in front of a door with a golden dragon on it. He nodded to the knight guarding the door, and the knight announced him.

“His Highness Baros van Ares requests an audience.”

Let him in.

A deep voice spoke. The door opened, and Baros took a deep breath and walked carefully into the room.

He saw one person. A large man sat on the throne. His face was sharp, and his black eyes gleamed like polished obsidian in the dim throne room.

As soon as the Emperor looked at him, Baros bowed down to the ground.

“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”

“Raise your head, Baros.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You said you had something to say?”

“It is about Grandia, or the eastern border country that is now called the McLaine Kingdom.”

“Ah, the country of that child, Logan, you mean. But the McLaine Kingdom?”

“Recently, Logan McLaine led a revolt and changed the dynasty.”

Tsk.

“Is that so? A king. We can’t recruit him now.”

Baros was annoyed that his father still wanted Logan, even after this. He hid his feelings and spoke calmly.

“It is said that he raised taxes as soon as he became king. He is also using that money to build an army for the royal family.”

“Hmm?”

“He seems ambitious. If we don’t stop him, he could cause problems for *that plan* in the future.”

Baros didn’t mention that Logan’s policies might fail. He always planned for the worst.

Now that Logan couldn’t be recruited, the Emperor only cared about *that plan*, which would happen in a few years. When Baros mentioned it, the Emperor’s eyes flashed.

“Hmm. So?”

“I want to start the plan I told you about before. Please let me do it.”

The Emperor and Baros stared at each other. Then, the Emperor nodded.

“Well, it might be good to try it that way.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Baros bowed deeply again and left the Emperor’s office. He seemed happier than when he came in.

“The atmosphere is ominous these days.”

“The lower classes are finding it hard to live and are cursing the king.”

“The public sentiment has become harsh, and fights break out easily.”

The nobles smiled when they heard these stories.

“Haha, the lower classes are easy to control. We collect the taxes, and the king takes the blame.”

“It’s not just the lower classes. The king is making mistakes. Taxes, army, and building in the winter. He’s going too far.”

“Well, isn’t it good for us?”

“Of course, it is.”

The nobles were friendly as they spoke.

*Yes. It would be best for us, especially for me.*

Jacque Huan hid his true feelings and smiled smoothly at the two men in front of him.

Ivan Claude agreed with him, and Mike Teroda questioned everything. Jacque chose to work with them because they were both counts with land nearby. He wanted to gather more nobles to his side.

Since he was in charge, the other nobles would see him as their leader. The two men in front of him thought they were equal to him, but one day they would bow to him.

“But there is something I am slightly concerned about.”

“Hmm? Please tell me, Count Mike Teroda.”

“About this dam project, Jacque. While your… enthusiasm is admirable, are you *certain* you’ve considered all the potential downsides? If it’s completed, the royal land will produce much more. Then, the king can fund his army. That’s what I’m worried about.”

*Yes, he’s not a complete idiot.*

Jacque Huan took a sip of tea, hid his annoyance, and spoke slowly.

“That’s a wise word. It might happen that way later on.”

“Does that mean you have other measures?”

Mike Teroda looked worried and scratched his nose.

“That dam reclaims wasteland into farmland. But only the McLaine side has had success.”

“The McLaine is building now…”

“Have you heard about the wages given to those workers?”

“What?”

“It’s winter, and the work is hard. So, they pay 30% more than usual. They provide food and housing. They have almost 10,000 workers.”

Tsk.

“Yes. The king is doing that foolish thing. With that much money, even if the wasteland is reclaimed, he won’t make back the cost right away. The land won’t produce much in the first year, so it will take a few years. Unless he uses magic.”

“Then, it will be stable in a few years.”

“I plan to demand that the army be disbanded. I’ll use the power of the nobles and public opinion. Then, we can take the king’s best soldiers and use them for ourselves.”

“Ah…!”

Jacque Huan felt happy that Mike Teroda was impressed. He raised his wine glass.

“The king is destroying himself, which is opening a new era for us. We just have to follow that path. Isn’t that right?”

Ivan and Mike laughed at his words, which sounded like a celebration.

*A new era, my era is coming.*

Jacque Huan smiled deeply, feeling the desire in his heart.

The winter before the new year was hard for the people of the McLaine Kingdom.

The people didn’t have as much food as before because of the new king’s taxes. They worried about getting through the winter and having enough food for the next farming season.

But one place was full of energy. It was the dam construction site, which would bring water to the western wasteland. This was different from the rumors.

“Dig deeper down there!”

“That’s right! That’s it! Just a little more!”

“Leave the big stones to the wizards!”

The workers were digging, carrying stones, and moving under the mountains. They were all very enthusiastic.

The frozen ground was hard to dig, and the cold winds made people shiver. But…

“I sent plenty of food home, so I’m relieved. Our daughter even sent me a letter saying she’s eating well!”

“If I just work hard, my family can spend the winter comfortably. This is better than farming.”

“They say they’ll give us extra wages if we finish early. We have to finish it before next year’s farming season!”

“Yes. Let’s cheer up!”

The workers encouraged each other and worked hard. Logan smiled as he heard their voices from far away.

“I don’t see the mages or the Hamar workshop manager. I’ll tell someone to find them.”

“Don’t do anything unnecessary. Finishing the construction quickly is most important. I can go and find them myself.”

“I understand.”

If there was anything bad about being king, it was this. He wasted time on unnecessary things.

Some things were necessary, but Logan didn’t want to do them outside the palace.

“Go around where there are fewer people, so we don’t bother the workers.”

The knights looked unhappy, but Logan wanted to finish the construction as soon as possible.

Logan went to the bottom of the mountain, avoiding the workers. But they still saw the flag of fire.

However, the workers didn’t dare to go near the flag. So, the first people to see Logan were the dwarves and wizards.

“Y-Your Majesty the King?!”

“Stop working!”

“His Majesty is coming!”

Logan stopped his horse when he saw the commotion. A wizard with a tired face ran in front of him.

“Your Majesty. Why did you come without telling us?”

“There’s no need to stop working, Grick. Keep doing what you’re doing. Where are Clayton and Hamar?”

“They are inspecting inside the mountain.”

“Yes. I’ll go that way.”

“I-I’ll guide you.”

“Huh. I told you to work?”

Logan went to the cave entrance, leaving Grick behind. The scene felt strange but familiar.

*I think I was really excited when I first built the dam in McLaine.*

Hamar would have been angry if he knew, but Logan felt that way. He felt a heavy burden as the deadline approached.

He realized that he was smiling less because of the weight of being king.

I’m worried that you’ll have a harder time if you go to a higher position.

An old servant’s words came to mind.

*It’s the path I chose. Now, the final hurdle is only a few years away. I must overcome it and laugh as much as I want after that.*

As he made up his mind, he saw familiar faces.

*I still have a lot to do besides this.* This winter, the new king still had a lot of work to do.