Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 288

“What do you mean?” Jordan Marlins asked. Sweat ran down his bald head. He was the special messenger from the Liberty Kingdom, and he looked very worried. Bread, the Foreign Minister from Teron, stood next to him. Bread was older, but even he looked confused.

Logan, who had made them so worried, spoke calmly. “Why pretend you don’t know? You signed a promise not to fight with us. But the three strong kingdoms in your group plan to get rid of the other four kingdoms, right? I’m just saying I will help in that war.”

The envoys bit their lips. Logan tilted his head, looking innocent, as if asking, “Don’t you get it?” Jordan stepped forward, pushing past Bread. His face was serious.

“Your Majesty,” Jordan said, “We are just messengers for our kingdoms. We can’t decide big things like national plans right now. We thank you for your words, but we need to talk about this later.”

“Wait,” Logan said, shaking his head. “Aren’t you scared about what I might want if I help in the war?”

Jordan’s face became stiff. Logan was right. Everyone knew Maclane was very strong now, even stronger than the old Grandia Kingdom. If all seven kingdoms joined together, they could barely fight Maclane. They couldn’t let Maclane invade their lands pretending to be helping. They had to stop that.

Jordan was too shocked to speak. Then Bread, who had been quiet, lifted his head. He looked determined.

“Your Majesty,” Bread said, his voice firm, “I’m sorry, but we can’t accept that.”

Jordan’s head turned quickly to Bread. *Even saying it right to his face?* Jordan thought, surprised. Bread saw Jordan’s look, but he kept his eyes on Logan, steady and strong.

“We came here to sign this promise *because* we don’t want Maclane to get involved. If you insist on helping, then why did we even come here?”

“Bread…” Jordan groaned quietly. Bread had been polite, but his meaning was clear. *We don’t trust you.* *You say you’ll help, but will you just take over?* It was a rude thing to say, especially for a messenger from another country.

But Logan laughed loudly. “Ha ha ha! Do you think I’m so mean? You worry too much. My kingdom is too busy keeping ourselves safe to send soldiers to other countries.”

*He’ll help with the war, but not with soldiers?* *What does that even mean?* The envoys were completely confused. It made no sense.

Logan chuckled, seeing their confused faces. “If I was going to send soldiers, I would have brought Richard Blayer here too.”

The envoys’ faces lit up.

“Does that mean…?” one asked.

“You’ll help without using soldiers?” the other asked.

“If so, we’d be very thankful!” Jordan Marlins, who had just said he couldn’t decide big things, smiled happily. Logan continued.

“Yes, I promise you’ll be happy with my help.” Logan paused, as if thinking. He narrowed his eyes and looked at them closely.

“But first, I need to ask something.”

“Yes?” they replied.

“Do you know anyone in your kingdoms who is friends with people in the Empire? I want to talk to important people in the Empire. It’s not a must, but… well, how much I help might depend on it.”

Logan’s words meant: *If you know people in the Empire, introduce me. I’ll pay you back well.* The envoys looked at each other, confused again, and then sighed at the same time.

“We’re sorry, Your Majesty,” one said. “Maybe you should call Richard back then.”

“Tria Kingdom?” Logan asked.

“Yes,” the envoy said. “Tria Kingdom always dealt with messengers from the Empire for all of us.” Their voices became serious. They didn’t notice Logan’s eyes change slightly as he listened. “For the last ten years, Tria has been in charge. Messengers from the Empire only stayed with the Tria royal family.”

“If you want us to connect you to the Empire for your help, then our kingdoms also…”

Logan looked closely at the two envoys. They looked disappointed and shook their heads. Logan nodded slightly. *Their hearts are beating slower now. They are telling the truth.* His teacher might be surprised if he saw Logan using his special power to read people like this. But Logan thought it was very useful. *It’s not perfect, of course.* These men were important people in their kingdoms. If they answered like this, even about helping in the war, it seemed he could trust them, unlike Tria.

Logan clapped his hands. “Good. I believe you don’t have ties to the Empire. I will help *both* your kingdoms.” Logan smiled as he said this. The envoys jumped, surprised. They looked at each other, as if they understood something.

“Your Majesty?” one asked.

“Are you testing us?” the other asked.

“Maybe you’ve heard rumors,” Logan said. “Someone attacked me in my own kingdom. I think it was the Empire.”

“Ah!” one envoy gasped.

“That rumor is true… Oh, I’m sorry!” Jordan, who had doubted the king, was quickly told off by Bread. Jordan tried to apologize, but Logan just smiled.

“And I called you two separately because I think Tria Kingdom has other plans.” The envoys’ faces became very serious. Liberty and Teron had a secret plan with Tria to calm down the Union. But the country leading the plan had other ideas?

“Your Majesty, can you tell us why you think that?” one asked, worried.

Logan chuckled. “I have some ideas, but it’s just what I think. How can I make your kings believe me without proof?” Words become weaker when they are passed around. Even if the first person understands, it’s hard to convince others without proof. Especially between countries.

The envoys’ faces became darker as they understood. Logan added, “Don’t worry too much. That’s why I said I’d help you. So I can get rid of any problems.” The envoys’ faces brightened again. It was funny to see these experienced men so easily changed by a few words. But it wasn’t bad. *They must really love their countries,* Logan thought.

Nations were eager for change, hoping for a fresh start after centuries of old traditions.

Naturally, their representatives felt the importance of their mission.

Bred, looking worried, asked cautiously, “What is the price for this support?”

“There is no price. Ending your war quickly would also benefit me.”

The two representatives exchanged glances, wondering what he meant.

“What does he mean?”

“I have no idea.”

They were confused by Logan’s words, but they didn’t feel they should push for an explanation just yet.

“What kind of support are you planning to provide?”

“If not troops, then perhaps supplies or…” Their faces showed their eagerness.

But the smiles disappeared as quickly as smoke in the wind when Logan calmly said, “No, I was thinking of sending troops.”

Is he joking!?

The smiles vanished from their faces as if wiped away by a cold wind. Both men felt a surge of anger, their cheeks burning red. Jordan’s fists clenched at his sides, and Bred’s eyes narrowed. For a moment, it looked as if angry shouts would explode from them. But years of training as diplomats held them back.

Jordan cleared his throat loudly, the sound like rocks grinding together. “Ahem!” he coughed, forcing down the angry words that threatened to spill out. He managed a strained smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Perhaps,” he said, his voice tight, “I am not clever enough to understand His Majesty’s… humor.”

He chuckled weakly, a dry, humorless sound.

Bred, the older representative, stepped forward, his face carefully blank. He offered a thin, polite smile, like a mask. “We are, of course, grateful for His Majesty’s… offer of support,” Bred said smoothly, trying to calm the tense air.

Logan nodded, watching him, and continued to speak calmly. “It is no joke. The support I intend to provide is only two people, so it’s hardly enough to call them troops.”

His words seemed to make fun of their eagerness. The two men looked even more serious.

“Two superhumans, with powers no one knows about, will temporarily join your kingdoms. How does that sound?” However, they couldn’t help but be delighted by the words that followed with a smile.

Later, in his own office, Logan explained his plan to Dwayne.

“Unknown superhumans, two of them? Do we have such people in our kingdom?” Dwayne asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“No,” Logan replied casually.

“Ooh-hoo…” Dwayne grabbed his face and slumped down.

Then he burst out, “Why do you always act first and think later! That head of yours isn’t just for show!”

Logan, worried about his advisor’s health as his face turned red, quickly offered his prepared solution. “But there is a way to create them.”

“Really? How?” Dwayne asked, opening his eyes slightly, hope mixed with doubt.

“First, there’s Aileen.”

“Y-Your Majesty, the Queen?”

“Only my closest aides, like you and I, know that she has become a superhuman. If we disguise her with magic and send her to the battlefield…!”

“The Queen!?” Dwayne’s voice rose sharply.

Logan thought it was a perfect plan, but Dwayne’s reaction was worse than he expected. Flustered, Logan added, “As I said, the fact that she’s a superhuman is a secret, so if the disguise is perfect…”

But before he could finish, Dwayne burst out, “Are you out of your mind? What are you doing to your own wife?!”

Ah. That’s what he meant.

Logan, finally understanding Dwayne’s anger, chuckled and replied, “She seemed to like it.”

“Yes?”

“The Queen.”

“Yes? What did she like?”

“She was excited about going to the battlefield. She was begging me to send her. She’s been frustrated because her body has been itching since she awakened.”

Dwayne stared blankly for a moment, then slumped to the ground.

“Ooh-hoo. Should I just quit? This crazy McLaine…” He muttered, looking unwell.

Logan, worried about his valued advisor, hesitated, afraid his next words would shock him even more. But Dwayne, who had been muttering, suddenly looked up with hollow eyes.

“Why?”

“I’m suddenly anxious. Who is the other person?”

“Ahem. Hmm. The other person is the right person.”

“Don’t hesitate. Who is it?” Dwayne’s face had turned dark as he pressed for an answer.

“Well, there’s a superhuman who’s been publicly announced as seriously injured and bedridden.”

Dwayne was puzzled, but soon realized who Logan meant. His cheeks twitched.

He pointed at Logan with a trembling finger. “Y-You don’t mean? Your Majesty?”

“Yes. I’ve done undercover work before. If I just change my eye and hair color, no one will recognize me…”

“Then, does that mean Rick is acting as His Majesty again!?”

It’s hard to match his tune.

Logan grumbled inwardly, watching Dwayne explode again. Seeing Dwayne looking ready to faint, he softened his voice and soothed him. “Aileen, the Queen herself, will play the role of the Queen in our story. It’s a perfect fit, isn’t it? The seriously injured king and the queen nursing him won’t move from near the bedchamber. Isn’t the excuse believable?”

“No! I absolutely oppose it! Absolutely!”

He felt sorry for his advisor’s overly excited reaction, though he didn’t know why, but it couldn’t be helped.

“Sorry. I’ve already decided.”

To end the alliance’s war as quickly as possible.

If there is any trickery from the Empire within that, I will crush it.

As always, Logan stood firm.