Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 281

After the Empire finished its wars, historians found something interesting about those battles.

It seemed that capable kings who opposed the Empire died early in the war, or just before it started.

On the other hand, kings who were known as weak or cruel, like the King of Grandia, survived until the end.

People started to whisper a rumor: ‘The Empire has a group that kills kings.’ This was said with sarcasm, as if to say the Empire only let weak or bad kings live because they were useful.

In the beginning, many people didn’t believe this idea, saying that brave men just died young. But near the end of the wars, something shocking happened.

A famous king in the west, known for his incredible strength, was killed in his own palace. After this, everyone had to believe the rumor.

The Empire really did have assassins who could kill even the strongest people.

These assassins became feared by all powerful people, even more than the Empire’s secret police. They were called ‘ghosts’ – the Empire’s shadows.

Logan had never met them because they only targeted the most important people. But he knew what they were like from rumors.

They looked like normal people, but they moved silently like ghosts. And if they were caught, they would explode themselves, causing great destruction.

Because of this, Logan quickly realized who they were, and he felt a chill.

“Why are these spies already here?”

Logan thought, his heart racing.

“Is the Empire starting a war? Now? I’ve been watching their every move. How could I have missed this?”

His mind filled with questions and worries.

“Uhm, sorry, Your Majesty,” Rick said, his voice a bit shaky. “I just thought… well, I thought they were maybe friends…”

Rick, still kneeling, spoke quickly and nervously, interrupting Logan’s thoughts.

‘Okay, first things first…’

It was time to find out what was happening.

“No, you did the right thing, Rick. You did very well,” Logan said, reassuring him. “But how did you know they were suspicious? It was something very small, even I might have missed it if I wasn’t looking closely.”

“Well… I…”

“What is it?”

“Well,” Rick continued, “I saw them making secret hand signs to each other, and then they acted like they didn’t know each other. So I thought they were hiding something…”

Logan couldn’t help but smile a little. It was a lucky guess, like finding something valuable by accident.

It was strange, but it helped Logan calm down.

‘Okay, I understand. They could have gotten into the palace earlier,’ Logan thought, trying to stay calm. ‘We found them before they could attack, so maybe it’s not a full war yet.’

But a cold feeling stayed in his stomach. Why did he feel so uneasy?

“What names did you say they had?”

“John and Ken.”

“Find out again how these spies got into the palace. And tell Damian to come here to the palace right away.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Stand tall, Rick. Because of you, we found these suspicious spies. You did a great job.”

“Really? Oh… Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty! Haha!”

Rick puffed out his chest, suddenly feeling proud.

Logan patted his longtime attendant on the shoulder and called the knights over.

“Tell everyone who works in the palace to go to the Grand Hall,” Logan ordered. “I need to see everyone.”

“Everyone, Your Majesty?”

a knight asked, surprised.

“Yes, everyone. Servants, guards, knights – everyone.”

“Yes, yes, Your Majesty!”

“And have the servants wait here for now,” Logan added, pointing to the area around him. “We need to check who everyone is.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Knights hurried away to spread the word.

Soon, confusion filled the palace. People were called from their duties and rushed to the Grand Hall. Logan spent hours checking faces, but it was impossible to know everyone. The whole thing became chaotic and tiring, and in the end, not very helpful.

Rumors quickly spread through the palace that something serious was happening with the royal family because of all the commotion.

“We checked how those two spies got into the palace. Everything seems normal,” Damian reported.

“What?”

Logan asked, surprised.

“But,” Damian continued, “people who knew them said they had changed a little while ago.”

“Tell me more,” Logan urged.

Damian paused for a moment, then said, “People said they were always quiet, but after Your Majesty’s wedding, they became even quieter and more withdrawn. People noticed, but they didn’t think it was important.”

“…Did they change at that time?”

“That’s what we’re guessing.”

“Hmm. So, after all, at that time…”

“Yes?”

“No. Keep talking. What about the other spies?”

“We found out that three more servants and six soldiers are missing. They didn’t come when we called everyone to the hall. We are looking for them, but…”

“It will be hard to find them,” Logan finished, understanding.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” Damian said, feeling bad.

“It’s not your fault,” Logan replied. “There’s nothing we can do about it now.”

“Yes?”

Damian looked confused. Logan seemed to know who these spies were, but he hadn’t explained it.

“More than that, what about the Empire’s side?”

“Yes?”

“Is there any unusual reaction? Any strange movements? Are you in contact with Philip?”

“Yes, of course. As you instructed, I check in with him every day by communication, but there were no problems until yesterday.”

Damian answered faithfully, inwardly finding the king’s somewhat nervous reaction strange. And he became suspicious again as he watched the king visibly relieved.

“These spies in the palace,” Damian asked carefully, “are they from the Empire?”

“…Maybe,” Logan answered.

“How did you know, Your Majesty?”

Damian asked, surprised.

“I have another way of getting information,” Logan said simply. “It’s not always complete, but it helps.”

Damian was a little disappointed, but also relieved. ‘Ah, I see. The King doesn’t rely only on me.’ He knew his own information network was still new. It was good that the King had other sources. Damian felt respect for his wise king. But he still had a job to do.

“Can you tell me anything about these spies? Any information would help us find them.”

“It’s just bits and pieces,” Logan said. “It might not be easy for you to use.”

“Even for your other source?”

“Yes, Lord Logan.”

Logan sighed, looking at the report. “This information… it’s not much, but it will be helpful, rather than nothing at all.”

Damian hesitated. “I suppose so, my Lord.”

Seeing his Lord Logan’s worried face, Damian felt a surge of determination. *Someday,* he thought fiercely, *I will make sure my Lord’s sighs turn into smiles of pride.* He would work harder than ever, harder than all the other secret agents.

After sending Damian back, Logan let out a sigh of relief.

‘It’s not war yet,’ Logan thought with relief. ‘At least, not today. Let’s be satisfied that we stopped those *ghost spies* who sneaked into the royal palace.’

And let’s prepare more.

So that he wouldn’t be so worried by unexpected situations like this.

That day, based on the newly surfaced memories, Logan carefully wrote down again information about the Empire.

News of the spy and the attack on the King spread like wildfire through the royal palace. Servants whispered in hallways, their faces pale with fear. No one knew exactly what had happened, but the little they knew was enough to create scary stories.

“Did you hear? They say the King was almost killed!” one might whisper. “And those spies… they are like ghosts, appearing from nowhere!” said another.

After that day, guards were everywhere in the palace. They checked everyone who entered and left. The happy feeling in the royal city of Gran disappeared, replaced by a cold, nervous silence.

In a dark, windowless room in the slums outside Gran, five masked figures huddled together. A single candle flickered, casting long shadows on the walls. One of them, his voice sharp with anger, spoke first.

“What happened to your team? The ‘Designers’ were supposed to wait! Why did they attack early?”

Another figure, smaller than the first, stammered, “I… I am sorry. Maybe… maybe they thought they were helping. They are very loyal to the mission, perhaps *too* loyal to the young King…”

“Too loyal?” the first figure hissed, his voice full of threat. “Are you *really* saying that to me right now?”

The masked leader glared at the apologetic figure. “This was our first real order! And you’ve messed it up! What will the Emperor think if he hears about this failure?”

“Number Two, the one in charge of sneaking in, is locked up. He’s out of this mission.”

The masked figure, glaring at such a subordinate with cold eyes, turned his gaze back to the others.

“Failure is not allowed this time. Especially now, after this mistake. Ask for twice as many people to help us. Wait until they all arrive.”

“Double, you say?” one of the figures asked, surprised.

“That many…?” another murmured.

The masked leader said firmly. “The palace is even more guarded now. We have to succeed, even if some of us get hurt or leave clues. The mission *must* be perfect. That’s my decision as your commander.”

At those words, all the remaining masked figures nodded.

The attack a month ago made Logan feel very worried. He started to think hard about everything he knew, even things from his *past life* that he had almost forgotten. He tried to remember every detail about the Empire and what might happen. He realized that the biggest danger was still those “ghosts.”

They were so stealthy, they could sneak into any royal palace. Only Logan, with his special powers, could detect them. This meant normal guards and magic defenses were useless. He had to find *small steps* to protect himself.

‘I need to become stronger so they can’t beat me,’ he thought. ‘And I need a plan to call for help quickly if they attack again.’

Logan asked his master for advice. His master said, – “Hmm. Just because you haven’t become much stronger lately… *ahem*… well, don’t worry! I will help you. You need to train your senses. Make them as sharp as possible. You need to develop a *sixth sense*, something beyond your normal five senses. That’s how you become a truly powerful Aura user.”

Logan decided to focus on training his senses. He had spent years meditating since he *came back to this life* (regression). Every night, he stayed awake, trying to expand his senses and feel enemies approaching. And it worked! He felt himself getting stronger. He was proud of his special ability, which he called “*Up*,” that helped him with this.

His master was amazed. – “It works…” Logan said, surprised. – “Yes? What works, Your Majesty?” his master asked. – “Ah, nothing, Master! Haha! I just thought… developing a sixth sense would be so *easy*!” Logan laughed, wiping sweat from his eyes.

Logan suddenly woke up. His senses, which he had trained so hard, were screaming danger. It was like he had an invisible bubble around him, a *sensory sphere*, made stronger by the *seven Force Cores* beating in his chest. Inside this sphere, he felt something *wrong*. Something moving that shouldn’t be there. As he became fully awake, the sensory sphere seemed to shrink back, but it was enough. He knew enemies were in his bedroom.

Carefully, without making a sound, Logan took his wife’s hand. She flinched slightly, but she understood. This was their *secret signal*. She pretended to still be asleep, but Logan could feel her body tensing, getting ready to fight. He felt the *Force* inside her, the magical energy they both used, starting to flow faster, preparing her for battle. They were ready.

But Logan’s mind raced with worry. *Again? So soon? Is the war with the Empire starting now?* He pushed the fear aside. He would deal with these attackers first. He focused all his senses on the approaching danger. He saw shadows sliding in through the window. The window was gone! Silently removed, without a sound. *Incredible stealth,* Logan thought.

*Flash!*

*Wham!*

Golden light exploded from Logan’s hand. A sickening sound of tearing flesh filled the room. Blood sprayed across the bed. And then, a figure seemed to appear from nowhere, right in front of Logan. It was a masked man, dressed in black. He had been invisible just moments before! Logan couldn’t believe his eyes. It was like magic. But the masked man was now falling, his body split open from shoulder to hip by Logan’s attack. His masked face was frozen in shock, eyes wide with disbelief.

The other shadows in the room froze, becoming even stiller in the darkness. But Logan’s sixth sense had already marked them. He felt his wife move beside him, the soft *shing* of her sword being drawn from its sheath. He felt much safer now.

“How many?” she whispered, her voice low and dangerous.

“Ten… no, fifteen,” Logan replied, his voice grim.

“Vermin,” his wife spat. “Let’s kill them all.”

She stepped forward, her sword gleaming in the dim light. Logan smiled, a cold, fighting smile. He was ready.