Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 293

“They got away?”

“They flew away on a strange, flat, round thing. Like a plate, but it could fly. There was nothing we could do about it….”

Ronian said this with a defeated look. His shoulders slumped, and he looked at the ground. Viktor sighed in response.

“Burdel, my uncle, shot down some of their helpers from far away. He is good at shooting from very far, but it stopped working after that.”

The thin middle-aged man standing where Ronian pointed frowned slightly and nodded. He rubbed his chin as he thought.

“It seemed they could pinpoint my location even when I was moving and shooting where he thought they would be, even from 2 kilometers away. That’s very far! If Ronian hadn’t been chasing them across the rooftops, I might have been in danger.”

Burdel had awakened his Aura, which made him an amazing archer. He could shoot very far and very accurately. People said he was the best archer in the whole land. When Burdel said this, it made everyone even more worried about these enemies.

“…Scary old man. You’re right, we’d have been in serious trouble if you hadn’t come.”

“Of course. So, you should always be grateful to your big brother here.”

“I’m older than you, though.”

“Anyway.”

“Alright, thanks! Happy now!?”

This playful attitude suited Ronian better than a sad mood.

Viktor chuckled at the thought, as Ronian brought Grik over to them. Grik was the thin mage who was cowering in the corner.

“And let’s not forget Grik, who was caught by those weirdos and then ran into us!”

“How embarrassing….”

Grik flinched and lowered his head again, starting to draw on the ground. His trouble wasn’t finished.

“Your attempt to going around through the southern mountains and return to McLane was a good one. It slowed down the attackers, and it allowed us to meet you.”

“That’s right. Grik got caught quickly without putting up a fight, which is exactly why we ran into him.”

Grik’s head, which had been slightly raised by Burdel’s defense, dropped back between his legs at Ronian’s teasing.

“Well, thanks to you, we knew you walked right into the enemy’s trap, and we rushed over very fast.”

“It was a very dangerous journey. We ran all day.”

“Which is why I’m in this state now….”

Grik added with a gloomy expression, but his voice didn’t attract anyone’s attention.

Rather,

“Thank you, Mr. Grik. You saved our lives.”

“Ugh, don’t. It makes me feel even more pathetic.”

When Viktor thanked him with a very serious voice, Grik lowered his head as if he were about to bury his face in the ground.

Ronian, who had been laughing playfully at the sight, sighed softly as if he had remembered something.

“Still, we could have caught them if it weren’t for that disc thing!”

“Yes, of course, you would have.”

Viktor nodded, watching his friend shout as if he were upset.

It wasn’t an empty compliment.

Viktor felt his own power growing inside him. He had gotten a special ability last night, but Ronian’s power was just as strong, maybe even stronger.

Viktor thought, ‘Ronian’s power feels very strong and pure.’ He realized Ronian had not only awakened his Aura, but it was already quite strong, even though Viktor hadn’t noticed it happening.

Viktor was newly impressed by how much stronger Ronian had become, when Ronian opened his mouth.

“Well, it’s not like we don’t have any clues at all.”

“Hmm?”

“One of the guys who died and fell had a strange ring. It seemed to react to Force or Mana, here….”

Ronian took out a simple ring that looked ordinary, with nothing fancy on it and injected Force into it.

The ring vibrated lightly and emitted a bluish light. Then, in the middle of the light, the symbol of a coiled black snake appeared.

“A snake? Is that it?”

“Yeah. It’s probably something that shows which group they belong to, but is there any group in the Empire that uses this symbol? It makes me feel sick just looking at it.”

“I wouldn’t know. Maybe His Majesty would know?”

The moment Viktor tilted his head and answered, Ronian frowned slightly and scratched his arm vigorously.

“Ugh. Are you talking about our brother when you say ‘His Majesty’?”

“Of course.”

“Ugh, I can’t get used to it. It gives me the creeps.”

Viktor chuckled at the absurd remark, and a calm voice next to him said,

“You need to get used to it, Ronian.”

“Ugh, Your Excellency? No way! Just talk to me casually like he does! What kind of title is….”

Watching Ronian shudder, Viktor felt less stressed about the mission, funnily enough.

‘The mission is complete, and they did what they needed to do.’

They had missed the biggest enemy, but he could safely say that this was a success.

Viktor patted Ronian on the shoulder and smiled.

“It’ll come naturally. Anyway, it’s good to have you back, and congratulations.”

“Back? This isn’t McLane… Eh? Congratulations for what?”

“His Majesty’s title of the youngest Aura user on the continent is about to go to you.”

“Oh… Haha, so what? You’re the same age as me.”

“I just awakened my Aura yesterday, but you’re clearly not the same. Right?”

“Well, yeah, but I had gone through a lot of hard things. I almost died if I hadn’t found the Sword Saint’s ruins.”

Sword Saint’s ruins?

Viktor showed his curiosity at the unusual words.

“Speaking of which, what exactly did you do in the southern mountains to get so strong? And your sword skills? They are different now.”

He hadn’t seen it for long, but Ronian’s movements were clearly different from the Iron-Blood Sword style. Traces of the Ghost Shadow remained, but the way he moved his sword and attacked was very unfamiliar. In particular, the technique he used to create a barrier of Aura to stop the explosion at the end was very amazing.

“Ah, that’s….”

Ronian was about to open his mouth with a smile when—

Woo-oong.

A low vibration sounded, and the device to talk to people far away in the room lit up.

It was the call they had been waiting for.

“Ronian!?”

Logan was looking at the talking device, thinking. When he heard Ronian’s voice, his eyes widened in surprise.

Then, he started to complain angrily, or rather, to nag.

“You little brat, so you were safe! But you didn’t even call us! Do you know how worried Mother was!? Do you have any idea how much she kept nagging me….”

“Ahem, Your Majesty, please calm down, Your Majesty….”

Dwayne, who was watching from the side, cleared his throat and stopped him, and Damian rolled his eyes and stepped back, looking embarrassed. Only then did Logan calm down.

“Ahem. Ahem. Well, I just thought you were safe, but your family was very worried, you see.”

Logan tried to make excuses, but he felt like someone was glaring at him from behind, so he hurriedly got to the point.

“But why are you there? Where’s Viktor?”

[He’s here. But he’s saying I should talk to you directly….]

“No, never mind that. Explain everything from the beginning!”

[Yes. Well….]

Ronian’s explanation was quite long, but it was very interesting to hear. The fact that a mage had set a trap and was waiting for them, and that the target was McLane, was very surprising. But how they dealt with it was even more amazing.

Logan, who had been listening to Ronian’s story with a smile on his face, finally burst out laughing when his brother finished speaking.

“Hahaha! Well done! Well done! You too, Viktor, and even Burdel awakened his Aura, that’s great! Excellent!”

Praise poured endlessly from Logan’s mouth. Dwayne and Damian, who were listening from behind, also had bright smiles on their faces, but Ronian continued with a worried expression.

[But I’m worried about that mage. He used magic I’ve never heard of before, and he even used an artifact that flies in the sky to escape.]

Those words made Logan’s happy mood disappear.

“…Ah. That’s right. A transcendent was waiting… I was too naive, even though I thought the Empire might have been involved.”

He often thought that he often made decisions and acted too quickly without thinking enough.

“It’s hard to change people, even for a king,” I thought. I sighed. It felt like important choices were being made too easily. Then, a kind voice spoke, trying to make me feel better.

[Brother, no one can see the future. Don’t be too hard on yourself.]

I smiled a little. “Well, well, Roni. You’ve learned how to comfort me now. You really have grown up.”

[…I am an adult now, Brother!]

“Yes, you are. It feels like just yesterday…”

Looking at Ronian’s face in the glowing communication orb, I was surprised. It was still him, but older. Time really does fly by.

‘Ronian awakened around the same time as in my previous life. No, from what I hear, it’s not like he just awakened.’

Thinking that, my heart lightened again.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, or even better than expected.

Suddenly, Viktor’s face popped up in the orb, his eyes wide.

[Your Majesty! There’s more news! Ronian – Count Ronian, I mean – he has learned amazing advanced swordsmanship!]

“…Advanced swordsmanship?”

[Yes. The very advanced swordsmanship that is passed down only in the Imperial Family or old martial families!]

Viktor showed a rare expression of excitement.

He must have heard the news not long ago either.

[Viktor, please! Let me talk to my brother first. Brother, I will visit you in Gran soon and tell you everything then. I’ll explain the Galaxy Sword in detail when I see you.]

“Galaxy Sword?” I repeated, curious.

[Yes! It’s called Galaxy Sword. They say it was created to copy the way stars move in the sky!]

A swordsmanship I had never heard of in my previous life.

However, seeing Ronian speak with such a confident face, it was clear that it was something extraordinary.

‘Advanced swordsmanship is very rare,’ I thought. This was all going so well! A wide smile spread across my face. “That’s great news, thank you. But before you come to Gran, please go to McLaine first.”

[Yes?]

“Didn’t I tell you? Mother is worried! And I have a place to go, so I’ll be away for a while. So you can come to Gran later. Ah, this is confidential, so don’t leak it.”

“Your Majesty?” Dwayne said, his voice worried.

Damian also stepped forward, looking concerned. “Your Majesty,” he began slowly.

I turned to them. “They are my brother and Viktor. Do you not trust them?”

“It’s not that, Your Majesty,” Dwayne quickly said. “But… is it really necessary for you and the Queen to go yourselves? We have others who can take your place now.”

Dwayne’s face still held concern.

“If the people who caused trouble in Tahinan suddenly appear in the Allied War, it will cause confusion,” Dwayne explained. “And it’s not just about hiding your faces, Your Majesty. Your Force… it’s golden. And your fighting style is unique.”

“Exactly!” Damian added, nodding quickly. “Golden Force! No one has ever heard of a knight with golden Force. Even with a disguise, Your Majesty, you might be recognized!” Dwayne argued strongly, his face serious. But Logan didn’t change his mind.

“I have a plan,” Logan said firmly.

Dwayne’s face fell, seeing Logan’s determined look. Damian then spoke, stepping forward.

“Your Majesty, what if things in the Tria Kingdom go wrong? If that mage mentioned McLaine, maybe Tria told them about our plan. They might change everything…”

“They won’t,” Logan said confidently. “It’s their own trap. They have to act, even if they know Liberty and Teronon are watching.”

“But what if they don’t?” Damian pressed.

“Then we will push Ignis instead. The Allied War will happen, one way or another.”

‘Tria might have set a trap,’ Logan thought. ‘But they are not the main enemy here.’ Why would they ask McLaine for help if they were powerful enough to have a mage in Gongwang Castle?

‘No,’ he reasoned. ‘This third force… they are probably connected to Tahiti’s revival. They used Tria to set this trap.’

Who could it be? It had to be…

‘The Empire,’ Logan realized, his eyes narrowing.

If so, we must shake the kingdom alliance even more and put them firmly in our grasp. And the war that the three countries spoke of will be an excellent means.

“We must expand our influence over the alliance on this occasion.”

The two retainers had no choice but to step back, silenced by Logan’s words full of will.

[If you say so…, I understand.]

Ronian in the communication orb also nodded, but soon, as if something came to mind, he suddenly held out a ring.

[Oh, Brother, wait! Have you ever seen a ring like this?] Ronian held up a dark metal ring. [When you put Force or Mana into it, a black snake pattern appears, coiling around.]

“…What is that?” I asked, surprised.

[One of the mage’s men had it. It seems to be their symbol. It’s a strange and scary symbol, isn’t it?] Ronian showed me the ring closer. As if to show me, he put a little Force into it. The ring glowed blue, and a black snake pattern, twisting and turning, appeared in the light.

As I saw the black snake appear, a memory flashed in my mind. “Kraune’s ring…” I whispered, almost to myself.

[Yes! You know it, Brother!] Ronian looked happy that I recognized it. But my face grew serious.

“Not really,” I said. “I… I didn’t know there was a group behind it.”

I remembered Kraune, the dangerous mage. He had a ring like that. I had seen it before, but I thought it was just a strange design. It wasn’t in my memories of the past.

‘Could this group be from the Empire?’ I wondered. ‘Or somewhere else?’

Clayton’s words also came to mind in my complicated head.

– This is definitely not the research result of a single individual.

However, in my previous life, Kraune eventually became affiliated with the Imperial Family and mass-produced low-level artifacts like the current McLaine, accumulating immense wealth. I had never heard that he belonged to a group other than the Imperial Family.

‘Another variable?’

I felt a little uneasy, but soon Logan shook his head to shake off his thoughts.

It was just a small piece of information that bothered me a little among many good news.

Moreover, no enemy is bigger than the Empire.

Whether it’s a part of it or another enemy, now is not the time to overspend attention on it.

Just.

“Damian, investigate if any group uses this snake pattern.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“But be careful. They might be connected to the Empire. Don’t investigate too deeply if it’s dangerous. We don’t want to make them suspicious too early.”

“Understood.”

That should be enough for now, I thought.

I looked back at the communication orb. “Good work, everyone. Tell Lord Burdel and Grieg too. And Roni, go to McLaine first, okay?”

[Yes, Brother, I understand. I want to see Mom and Dad anyway.]

“Good. That’s all for now. We’ll talk more when we meet.”

[Yes, Brother. I’ll be waiting!]

“Alright.”

Everything is going according to plan.

‘Now,’ I thought, clenching my fist. ‘I need to make the kingdom alliance trust us completely.’

A few days later, a rumor began in Tahiti and spread quickly through the kingdom alliance.

Donati Pello, it said, was from the Empire.

He had used the Empire’s power to rebuild Tahiti, but then the Empire punished him for disobeying them.

“The Empire? Why would it be the Empire?” people asked.

“That’s what the assassin said,” others replied.

“Hmm…”

It sounded strange, but so many people had heard the assassin’s words. It was hard to ignore.

People started to wonder if it was true. Then, the three allied countries made a strong announcement.

– Tahiti has broken the rules of our alliance by working with the Empire! We will punish them!

Whether Tahiti was helped or hurt by the Empire didn’t matter to these countries. They wanted war. This declaration threw the kingdom alliance into complete confusion and fear.

Meanwhile, Logan and Aileen, disguised so no one would recognize them, had already entered the kingdom alliance territory.