Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 316

“Excuse me, Princess,” the knight said politely, standing straight at the entrance of the separate palace building. “I’m very sorry, but I cannot share that information.”

*Why is she asking about powerful mages?* the knight thought, a little confused. *Especially about Clayton, who always avoids the King?*

This was the first strange question he had heard all day. He decided he would tell Captain Viktor as soon as his shift ended. The knight kept smiling at the Princess, even though he was now a bit worried.

But then, Princess Louisa asked, her voice soft, “Would you not tell me, even if I asked like *this*?”

Suddenly, a faint gray magic, like a whisper of smoke, flowed into the knight’s eyes. He couldn’t see it, but he felt a strange calmness wash over him. His eyes became blank, and without meaning to, he started talking, telling the Princess everything she wanted to know.

“Grand Strength and Storm Sword are not in the capital right now,” he said in a flat voice. “And if you mean someone in the capital who avoids the King, that would be Clayton. He is in the Magic Tower, very busy with important research.”

“Ah, I see.” Louisa said. “Do you happen to know any other powerful magic users? Besides the ones you mentioned, Sword Master, and His Majesty?”

“……Those are all the powerful magic users in our kingdom.”

The princess nodded with a serious look, watching the knight tilt his head, his eyes empty.

*There’s a secret even among the knights,* Louisa thought. *McLaine… this is more than just someone avoiding the King.*

Sorting out her thoughts, Louisa smiled at the knight again.

“Tell me exactly where this Clayton is,” she said.

“The Magic Tower. The tall stone building that rises high to the east of the palace.”

“I see. And am I allowed to go there?”

“Right now, no one is allowed to enter except for His Majesty.”

Even better.

“Thank you,” Louisa said. “Oh, and please forget all my questions today.”

She winked with a sweet smile, which triggered the magic.

In that instant, the light returned to the knight’s empty eyes.

“Ah, Princess. Good day,” the knight greeted the suddenly appearing princess politely, as if he had just seen her.

“Where shall I escort you?”

“Ah, no. I just came out for a bit of fresh air.”

“Ah… I see.”

The knight looked suspicious, wondering why she would get fresh air at the entrance of the separate palace building, not the garden. But Louisa smiled sweetly and turned away.

The knight did not know that the moment she turned, her face changed to an angry one.

“Are you really going to be alright?” June asked.

“There’s no point in hiding it any longer,” Louisa replied.

In Louisa’s hand, as she spoke, was a fist-sized gray stone. The moment she put strength into that hand, the stone broke with a snap and emitted a blue light.

At the same time, gray magic, which only those with the same power could feel, began to overflow from her heart.

The sealing magic contained in the highest-grade magic stone had been released.

Oooong.

“Elder, I understand you haven’t received permission,” June said. He was Louisa’s escort knight.

Louisa slightly frowned at June’s words. He was her helper and subordinate. But if she acted against the Tower Master’s orders, this loyal subordinate would immediately report her.

Realizing this, the Grand Master’s command naturally came to mind again, the command that had hurt her pride.

– I cannot permit it. It may take some time, but there is a sure method, so leave the rest to another Elder.

“……I will follow the order,” Louisa said. “But even if I go, I must leave a gift behind.”

Whether they had figured out the magic or whether it had been released by the ‘power of fate,’ it didn’t matter. The fact that she had been tricked, rather than tricking them, left a great scar on her pride.

She couldn’t possibly back down just like that.

“There’s no need for you to step forward personally. There are many simpler methods,” June said.

“I want to make sure,” Louisa replied.

As June said, there were many ways for a Soul Wizard who had reached the level of a mage to cause an incident by using humans. For example, she could bewitch the escort knights of the separate palace and have them attack her, which would immediately cause an international problem.

But…

“A simple way to cause a big problem would draw too much attention to me. If another incident were to be added there, I might not be able to move an inch from here.”

However, minor problems, such as fights between the escort knights or an attack on the king by ordinary knights or servants who couldn’t even get near the king, were not good enough.

Above all, the Tower’s magic was not all-powerful, so the side effects could not be ignored.

The decrease in intelligence of those who had been brainwashed was just one of many side effects, so it was best to avoid anything that could leave a trail, if possible.

“But wouldn’t it be too dangerous?” June asked.

“For me?” Louisa asked, her voice full of pride.

Few people in the Tower’s history became 6-circle Experts before age thirty. There was a good reason for Louisa’s pride. And that was why it was even harder to bear her wounded pride.

“Could someone who only reached the level of a mage a few years ago, and who is well over 50, possibly handle me?”

A simple 6-circle beginner elemental mage could not possibly handle a Soul Wizard who was a superior mage, especially one who specialized in dealing with humans.

That was the pride of those who had learned the magic of the Cassel Magic Tower, and their common sense.

“Well, that’s true, but……”

“The kingdom’s only mage attacks the main figures of the palace. Whether it succeeds or not, it seems like it would make for a pretty interesting picture, don’t you think?”

“Didn’t you say that there was someone in the palace who could figure out our magic? What if that’s that mage……”

June wasn’t supposed to know about the ‘one who changes fate.’ But because of the mission, he had been given a vague explanation that such a person existed, so it was understandable that he would think that way.

“No, it’s not him,” Louisa said firmly.

June couldn’t say anything more after Louisa’s firm statement.

“Even in the worst-case scenario, my identity won’t be exposed, so there’s no need to worry,” Louisa said.

With those words, Louisa’s entire body became as blurry as gray mist, and soon disappeared as if melting into the air.

And…

– Did you forget? Who I am?

Only a faint voice, as if heard in a dream, was heard.

A perfectly vanished presence.

June knew very well that Louisa hadn’t really disappeared, but that his own vision and mind were confused.

The Tower’s secret magic was created while the Tower was escaping the imperial family’s pursuit.

As perfect as its power was, so was its sad history, and the caster was a mage.

*Unless you’re a monster who can see mana with your eyes, you’ll never find that person.*

And such monsters only existed in legends.

June thought so and calmed his uneasy feelings.

“Take it easy, Master,” Victoria said.

“No. I already promised His Majesty that I would show results within this month. There’s no time to rest,” her master replied.

Victoria sighed softly, looking at her master’s bloodshot eyes.

“Then I’ll bring you something to eat, so please eat something and continue,” Victoria said.

“Alright, I understand,” he said.

Even as he said that, he couldn’t take his eyes off the elaborately crafted magic circle.

Victoria knew she had helped with the results, but she was worried that her master was overdoing it.

Perhaps he felt her gaze.

“I feel like I haven’t done as much as you have. I have to work hard to save face in front of His Majesty,” her master said, not turning his gaze away from the magic circle, throwing a joke-laced remark.

Victoria, seeing the stubbornness in his words, could only sigh again.

*I should at least make sure he eats on time,* Victoria thought.

Victoria’s steps quickened as she turned around.

‘Hmm?’

As Victoria quickly moved her steps to the lower floor of the Tower, she suddenly felt something strange in one corner of the passage.

No, she saw it.

‘Gray mist……?’

The stairs of the Tower were connected by a single path. In one corner of the path leading down to the lower floor, there was a strange gray mist clumped together.

It was definitely not a natural mist.

Thinking so, she gathered mana, and it became even clearer.

‘Mana? No, this is similar but a little different. Could it be magic……?’

The moment that thought occurred to her, her busy footsteps naturally slowed down.

As she gradually approached the unidentified gray mist, she soon realized that there was something inside it.

‘A person……!?’

As she stared intently at the gray mist, she could vaguely see something like the shadow of a person. Even with her eyes filled with mana, she could only see a faint shadow, but it was definitely a human form.

She couldn’t see the magic clearly, because it wasn’t mana yet.

‘A mage?’

And the moment that head seemed to turn towards her, Victoria immediately turned her gaze away with a nonchalant face, as if looking elsewhere.

Of course, unlike that indifferent expression, her mind was shocked.

‘An intruder!’

And an intruder of the mage level.

The moment she realized that, the sound of her pounding heart seemed to be audible in her ears.

Should I go back and tell Master?

No. If I suddenly turn around, I don’t know how that guy will react.

In just a few seconds, all sorts of thoughts flashed through her mind, but fortunately, her steps remained close to the shadow without awkwardness.

And in that short moment, she made up her mind.

This is ‘our’ Magic Tower.

The most perfect space for a mage to unleash combat power beyond their own limits.

The moment Victoria arrived at the stairs just above the shadow, the mana of the circle, vibrating secretly but fiercely, rearranged that mana in a complex way according to her will.

Ooooong.

Soon, a part of the stone stairs became a large spear and pierced through the shadow.

Crack!

Wham!

At the same time, she knew that the attack had failed.

– You noticed……?

The mist scattered with a voice that sounded dreamy and hazy.

There was nothing inside.

But she also saw the gray magic gathering in the hand of the shadow that had already climbed up to the stairs above her.

And she saw where that magic was heading.

Crack!

Rumble!

With a feeling that the space was breaking, crimson thorny vines surged from the spot where Victoria was standing.

Six thorny vines, moving strangely like writhing snakes, stretched out towards her like lightning.

“Not so fast!” Victoria shouted.

The wall rose in the shape of a person.

A single golem, focusing its power to face a high-level powerhouse in a narrow space.

The best magic she could use right now stood firmly in the way of the thorny vines.

“Bind it!”

With a shout that echoed through the stairs, the torn-off walls crumpled, constricting the shadow from all sides.

“Intruder! You won’t escape easily!”

The circle of her heart rotated fiercely, pressuring the enemy with maximum power.

Rumble!

Thud! Thud!

Her golem, which had already torn apart the black thorny vines, added its immense strength to the clumped dirt.

Grrr!

But…

Wham!

With an explosion that seemed to tear the eardrums, the walls that had been constricting the enemy collapsed, and even the golem was thrown back.

Rumble!

– How absurd.

A sharp, eerie voice rang out.

The cold moonlight that poured through the collapsed walls lit up the enemy.

Victoria groaned as she saw the enemy’s appearance.

A slender figure, with two horns growing from the forehead and curving upwards above the head.

Gray skin like granite, seemingly strong despite the slender figure.

And bat wings spread out larger than the body behind the back.

The enemy’s appearance, with eyes that seemed to burn with black flames and staring at her, matched exactly with the appearance of a monster that had only been heard in legends.

“A de……mon?”

As if answering those words, the black mist that rose from the enemy’s hand instantly covered Victoria’s surroundings.