Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 304

“The Second Prince, Baros, has gone missing?”

Damian’s words hit Logan hard. He felt a chill despite the warm palace air.

“The Second Prince, Baros… missing?” Logan asked, his voice quiet.

Damian nodded, his face serious. “Yes, Your Majesty. It seems he has not been seen doing his royal duties for a long time now. No one has seen him at court or in any royal events for weeks.”

Logan frowned, thinking. “Could this be wrong information?”

“I don’t think so,” Damian replied, shaking his head. “Just recently, there was big trouble in Aserian, especially in the outer city. People say strange magicians fought with the Emperor’s guards. And many people in the capital are saying they saw the Second Prince kidnapped during all the confusion.” Damian paused, then added, “The rumors are spreading like wildfire.”

“That madman got kidnapped?”

“Pardon?” Damian asked, confused.

“No, never mind,” Logan said.

The Second Prince.

The madman who built mountains of corpses as offerings, the would-be Emperor, was missing.

Among the countless variables Logan had encountered since his regression, this was by far the most astonishing.

However, Logan thought, ‘In any case, Prince Baros didn’t make any particular moves during the invasion war, except that the war started after he was named Crown Prince.’

The Second Prince’s life or death was not the crucial matter now.

It was those who had caused the incident.

“Individuals using strange magic, you say?” Logan asked.

The moment he heard those words, certain figures came to mind, and Damian’s subsequent words confirmed Logan’s suspicions.

“They summoned and attacked with black monsters and animated plants. There are also rumors that they manipulated the Imperial Knights, making them fight each other,” Damian explained.

It was them.

“Furthermore, the black poisonous fog they released when they fled has caused immense harm to the civilian population of Aserian. As a result, information control is nonexistent, and ominous rumors are spreading everywhere,” Damian added.

“And amidst all that, the Second Prince was kidnapped?” Logan asked.

“Surviving civilians claim to have heard the Imperial Knights shouting. Too many people are giving the same testimony for it to be dismissed as mere delusion,” Damian replied.

It was absurd.

He should be pleased that the Empire was in trouble, but the reason was so unfathomable that it only confused him further.

‘Those guys weren’t part of the Empire?’ Logan wondered.

Considering everything, the conflict within the Alliance had clearly been the Empire’s doing.

Those enemies had been at the forefront of that conflict.

But now they were committing acts of terror in Aserian?

“So, what about the Empire? What is the Imperial Family doing?” Logan inquired.

“The Imperial Family has not said anything official about what happened. They only said quickly that some bad people attacked the capital, but it is over now,” Damian responded.

“Didn’t you say they escaped a moment ago?” Logan asked.

“Yes. That’s what’s strange. Usually, the Empire would issue wanted notices across the continent and track them down, but they aren’t. Maybe they only escaped from the capital, and the situation has already been resolved,” Damian said.

Perhaps.

“Are there any heads displayed at the city gates?” Logan asked.

“Ah……!” Damian exclaimed.

If they had truly captured those individuals, the Empire would have beheaded their leader and displayed it at the city gates. The fact that they hadn’t meant either that the enemy was so insignificant that their head wasn’t even worth displaying, or that they hadn’t been captured at all.

‘It’s probably the latter,’ Logan thought.

In that moment, countless thoughts raced through Logan’s mind. But no matter how much he pondered, the conclusion always led to one thing.

‘This is fortunate,’ Logan thought.

After the war with the Alliance, Logan’s greatest concern had been the wide-area berserker magic displayed by the Tria resistance.

Of course, it was a technique with significant limitations.

The absurd condition of sacrificing a superhuman, no less.

Moreover, it was a technique that required the soldiers’ agreement, and it had the critical weakness that the effect would disappear if the core was broken.

But even considering all those drawbacks, it was clear that it was a technique that could turn the tide of battle in an instant.

‘If the Empire’s army were to use such a technique, there would be no way to counter it,’ Logan thought.

They were enemies of each other?

Nothing could be better than that.

“There are enemies within the Empire. This is an unexpected boon,” Logan said.

“Indeed,” Damian agreed.

However, there was one thing that bothered him.

‘Sacrifice. A magic circle activated by sacrifice,’ Logan thought.

It was clear that the mad Emperor Baros had orchestrated the horrific scene he had witnessed at the end of his previous life.

Although there was a difference—a mountain of corpses versus one superhuman—it was unreasonable to think that there were two masters of such a unique magic that had never been seen anywhere else.

But if the master of that terrible magic circle that seemed to have caused his regression was not the Empire but those magicians, then this situation was too strange.

‘They were on the same side in my previous life, but now they’re enemies? No, wait. Is this even a kidnapping?’ Logan wondered.

He had a strong feeling that there was an even more complex problem within the Empire that only they knew about.

And so…….

“……It’s a shame,” Logan murmured.

“Sir?” Damian asked.

“It’s a shame that we can’t take more advantage of this situation, now that there’s trouble in the heart of the Empire,” Logan said.

“…….”

It was certain that the Imperial Family’s attention would be focused on their internal enemies.

However, that didn’t mean that the vast national power of the Empire had been significantly weakened.

Moreover, even if he wanted to take advantage of this situation, he didn’t have enough information.

In that case.

“We’ll have to do what we can,” Logan declared.

“Yes?” Damian asked.

“Increase support for the investigation into the prince’s kidnapping and the magicians who use the symbol of the black serpent. Be prepared to accept some level of conflict with the Imperial Family, if necessary,” Logan instructed.

“……Yes, I understand,” Damian replied.

“Coordinate with Philip to thoroughly analyze the Empire’s movements, especially the movements of the legions. The time is near,” Logan added.

“Yes,” Damian confirmed.

If things went as they had in his previous life, it would be, at most, a year and a half from now.

He had a firm grip on the Eastern Alliance, and internal preparations were complete.

Therefore…….

“Review the training status of all legions and the Home Guard, and continuously expand the manpower and weaponry of each legion to the limit that the treasury can bear. Do it quietly, so that rumors don’t spread outside,” Logan ordered.

In a secret meeting with only his closest aides, Logan declared the start of full-scale war preparations.

Meanwhile, outside, this was being interpreted very differently.

– The formation of a leading alliance with the small kingdoms.

– Stabilization of internal affairs through absolute monarchy.

– National policies that lower taxes and encourage commerce.

That wasn’t all.

The vast farmlands centered around the royal demesne, Esperanza, and the McLaine territory promised unprecedented harvests.

“A bountiful year! It’s a bountiful year!”

“Long live His Majesty the King! Long live!”

“He truly is a divine being!”

The faces of most of the kingdom’s people, with the harvest season approaching, were filled with smiles.

And all of these circumstances combined to instill one thought in the minds of the people of McLaine.

– The prosperity of the McLaine Kingdom, surpassing the golden age of Grandia, has begun.

“A time of peace! It’s a time of peace!”

“Isn’t it all thanks to His Majesty the King?”

“Of course, it is.”

“Well, everything else aside, saying that the bountiful harvest is thanks to His Majesty is a bit…….”

“Who is that guy?”

“Is that guy from the rebel army?”

“Seize him!”

“Ah, no. I take it back! I take it back! Long live His Majesty! Ack! I said I take it back!”

The kingdom’s people’s support for Logan was so fervent that those who occasionally voiced complaints about the king and the royal family were met with condemnation.

Therefore, no one placed much significance on the fact that the five legions were constantly recruiting standing forces, and that the announcement was being maintained.

At that time, when everything was flowing smoothly, Logan was meeting a welcome face in the royal palace after a long time.

“Brother!!” Lonian shouted.

“Lonian!!” Logan replied.

The brothers, who had met after several years, embraced each other with bright faces.

So much had changed since Lonian had disappeared two years ago for his warrior’s journey, but the way the brothers looked at each other remained the same.

“This rascal. You’ve really grown up. When did you get so……,” Logan said, looking at his younger brother with affectionate eyes.

He had checked in with him through the communication device a few months ago, but seeing his face in person was different.

His younger brother, who had been a head shorter than him before he left, had now grown taller and bigger, and Logan couldn’t help but feel proud.

His height, close to two meters, distinctly resembled another figure familiar to him.

Just like when he had last seen him in his previous life.

“You definitely resemble Father more,” Logan commented.

“I only realized it after I came back. I knew my body had grown, but I didn’t know I’d grown this much,” Lonian replied.

Perhaps he was amazed that his older brother had become smaller than him.

Lonian looked at his brother with a fresh sense of wonder.

Then, he let out an admiring chuckle.

“I thought I would have caught up to you by now, but you’ve gone even further ahead,” Lonian said.

Logan was equally impressed with his younger brother.

The very fact that he could say those words meant that he had reached a level where he could gauge his own abilities.

‘Mid-level Aura User. And at a mature level,’ Logan thought.

It was astonishing.

“What did you do in the southern mountains to become so strong? It’s amazing. Truly amazing,” Logan asked.

“It’s the same for you, Brother. I heard you became king after going through all sorts of incidents, but when did you find the time to train so much?” Lonian responded.

“I suffered like hell when you weren’t around. I had to survive, you rascal,” Logan joked.

“It’s the same for me. I faced death three or four times……. Haha,” Lonian replied.

The brothers, who had uttered similar words, chuckled and patted each other on the shoulders, when a voice filled with laughter cut in.

“Aren’t you two brothers getting a bit too carried away with the compliments? Think about the rest of us,” Aileen said, smiling.

“Ah, Sister-in-law. I’m late with my greetings,” Lonian said.

“Yes. It’s been a while, Lonian,” Aileen replied.

Lonian watched Aileen smile at his words and realized anew that the world had changed.

“You used to hate being called Sister-in-law……,” Lonian commented.

“That’s because I wanted to be treated as a knight rather than a fiancée,” Aileen explained.

“Then now that you’ve become queen……,” Lonian started to say.

“What? I’m still a knight. I’m in charge of the women’s army. Didn’t you know?” Aileen interrupted.

“Ah……. Haha……,” Lonian chuckled.

Lonian’s gaze naturally turned to his brother.

– A queen? A knight? What is going on?

Logan, who perfectly understood the unspoken words in that gaze, could only give a wry smile.

“It’s what she wants, and the situation isn’t exactly positive,” Logan explained.

It was a statement that would have made outsiders tilt their heads in confusion.

It was unlike a king who had seized the military power of the nobles and held it in one hand, and who had recently established a perfect friendly relationship with the Alliance, which had been hostile for a long time, thereby eliminating all internal and external threats.

But Lonian immediately understood those words.

– The Empire will invade the kingdom in the near future.

Logan’s words were already considered a foregone conclusion among his close aides.

“So, I’m sorry again, but I’ll have to keep your, Viktor’s, and this person’s and Bourdel’s awakenings a secret for a while. At least until the war,” Logan said.

That’s why Lonian could understand his brother’s words.

“When we reported it, I thought it was possible when I saw that the rumors didn’t spread right away. I guessed the reason, too. There’s no need to apologize,” Lonian replied.

“The youngest Aura User on the continent. It means I’m hiding the honor that you rightfully deserve,” Logan said, turning his head slightly with a bitter expression.

In both his previous and current lives, his name had been placed on the honor that his younger brother rightfully deserved.

As a brother, he wasn’t able to do better for his younger brother, and instead, he was stealing his fame.

Even if it was ultimately for the sake of a greater good, he couldn’t feel good about it.

Fortunately…….

“Puhaha! It’s alright, Brother. Why worry about something like that……. I’m not a child anymore,” Lonian said, his hearty laughter easing his guilt a little.

Moreover.

“So, about that, Brother. Could you gather the Aura Users in the kingdom?” Lonian asked.

“Hmm?” Logan responded.

“I want to share the advanced swordsmanship, the Galaxy Sword, with the Aura Users of the kingdom,” Lonian said, making an unexpectedly radical statement.