Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 335

Murmurs rippled through the crowded square. “What is the meaning of this?” someone shouted.

“This is absurd,” another voice called out, louder this time.

A woman whispered to her friend, “There’s no way. If that were true, it would have happened years ago…”

A large notice, freshly posted on the Temple doors, flapped in the breeze, the words stark and black against the white paper.

Not everyone believed the Temple’s announcement. Even the residents of the Holy City, at its very heart, looked upon the Temple with distrust.

After all, it had been less than a year since the false Saint incident. And it was Saintess Ilia who had revealed the truth about the Pope, who was the false Saint.

And now she’s the fake?

– The false Saintess fled the Temple, fearing her lies would be exposed to the world.

The Temple’s subsequent announcement only fueled the confusion.

“Still, can’t we trust Pope Austin?”

“No, even so….”

“…What on earth is happening at the Temple?”

As unease began to spread like a chill wind through the Holy City. People lowered their voices in the streets, casting worried glances at the Temple towering above them.

Regardless, an arrest warrant was issued for Ilia, plunging those involved into a very difficult situation.

“We can’t go to McLaine like this. It would be a nuisance.”

“Saintess….”

“If I can’t clear my name, they’ll link it to the past plague incident and brand McLaine as heretical. I can’t allow that.”

At Ilia’s words, Viktor bit his lip. The Saintess was saying what he should have said, but the situation itself was simply regrettable.

Having already heard the explanation of the situation in the Holy Kingdom, he could easily understand the enemies’ intentions.

“This is the worst….”

Viktor felt frustrated. If the Saintess’s position were maintained, they could reveal the Temple’s abnormal situation and fight, centered around the McLaine Diocese. But with just this simple decree, their position had become quite difficult.

Excommunicated priestess Ilia suddenly appears in the McLaine Diocese?

Everyone would suspect that the Kingdom of McLaine had secretly taken the Saintess. And the aftermath would surely shake the kingdom to its very foundations.

“…It’s the worst situation, but Tracey might have made a mistake that will hurt herself too.”

“Yes?”

“If I can officially prove that I’m not a fake, the new Pope will become a person who has blasphemed against God.”

“…Then it will become even more dangerous.”

“Yes?”

“Won’t they try to prevent you from proving it officially at all costs?”

“Ah….”

“Is there anywhere else you can get help? Like a faction that follows you, Saintess?”

Faction, eh?

For Ilia, a priestess to the core, it was a bitter word, and her expression darkened slightly.

“…Cardinal Austin and I were comrades who boarded the same ship to oust the previous Pope. And because I’m from the McLaine Diocese, there isn’t a separate faction that follows me within the Central Temple.”

Viktor’s face also clouded over at those bleak words.

However,

“There is one person who would never have fallen to them.”

Ilia’s subsequent words shone a ray of hope in the gloomy atmosphere. The enemy had brainwashed even a devout cardinal whose divine power, known for its resistance to magic, was stronger than Force. But there was someone who wouldn’t have fallen?

Curiosity arose naturally.

“…Who is it?”

“Hamon Killerbrew, the Commander of the Holy Knights. He’s known as the Holy Sword outside.”

“Ah….”

Viktor had heard of him. The sword of God that protects the Holy Kingdom, or so they say. But all he knew about him was a vague rumor that he possessed a power as strong as the Empire’s Sword Spirit, Tris Hornsby.

So, the obvious question followed.

“How can you be sure that he hasn’t been brainwashed?”

“He’s an Aura user and has divine power comparable to a cardinal. He’s the Paladin who was born in the Holy Kingdom in 300 years… You probably don’t understand even if I say this. It’s clear just from the fact that Tracey has been keeping him out of the country ever since she captured the Pope.”

“…I see.”

“In the current situation, persuading him is the only way.”

“But is that possible? Since an arrest warrant has been issued, won’t he try to capture the Saintess as well?”

“He might… Still, what choice do we have? We have to try. Sir Viktor, can you help me a little more?”

Ilia looked at Viktor, her eyes pleading. “Sir Viktor,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper, “can you help me? Just a little more?”

She reached out a small hand, her fingers brushing against his. Hesitantly, she grasped his rough hand. Her skin was warm, a surprising warmth in this cold situation. Her gaze was earnest, full of hope and worry. Viktor felt a pang in his chest. He knew the risks, the trouble it could cause.

He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. “…First,” he began, his voice a little rougher than he intended, “I must report to His Majesty.”

But even as the words left his mouth, Viktor knew his heart was already pulling him in another direction, towards this brave, desperate Saintess.

Listening to Philip’s report, Logan couldn’t help but harden his expression. It was truly an unexpected situation. What’s worse, the fact that he had a hunch about what was going on was an even bigger problem.

‘The Pope is brainwashed. Is this another doing of the Cassel Magic Tower?’

The Empire’s collaborator and potential enemy. Louisa’s face, currently unable to move from Granfia’s detached palace, naturally came to mind.

‘If I leave it alone, the Holy Kingdom might really cooperate with the Empire and invade.’

What should he do about this situation?

A headache seemed to be coming on already. Logan sighed, setting aside his complicated thoughts for the moment, and asked Philip.

“…Is the Merchant Guild alright?”

[The Holy Kingdom’s soldiers have already turned it upside down once. Everyone knows that Saintess Ilia is from the kingdom.]

“What’s the plan?”

[For now, we should minimize our losses and close down the business. The losses are enormous….]

“No, no. Not the business, you fool. I’m talking about Ilia’s situation.”

[…Why are you asking me that? It’s something Your Majesty should decide.]

Haa.

This guy is still the same.

“…What about Viktor?”

[He says he’ll wait for Your Majesty’s decision.]

“He didn’t say he’d help the Saintess who’s going to find the Holy Sword?”

[He seemed like he wanted to help… But you know how he is, Your Majesty. He doesn’t show it very well.]

“…I suppose so. Well, let him do that. We can’t let go of the Holy Kingdom’s problem, so help as much as you can.”

Logan leaned back in his chair, a frown on his face. “Phillip,” he began, “what’s the news from the Empire? It’s been quiet since… you know… about the legion commander in the Holy Kingdom. Too quiet, really.”

Phillip’s voice came from the small device on the table. “I don’t know exactly what the Empire leaders are thinking, sir. But they are waiting before they tell everyone about it. I think it’s because Prince Baros is still in the Holy Kingdom. You know, the two countries haven’t been friendly lately.”

“…Things to worry about are increasing in many ways.”

The fact that an Imperial legion commander abandoned his position to escort Prince Baros to the Holy Kingdom was odd, but not completely surprising.

Max Illeya’s Western 7th Legion was in charge of the Imperial territory around the Holy Kingdom, after all.

But why was he monitoring the Saintess?

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand why the Empire wasn’t reacting.

Another headache was coming, but Logan decided to think simply, as always.

Continuing to worry about problems without answers wouldn’t solve anything.

So.

“We defeated one of the Empire’s main forces before the war even started. It’s okay to give Victor a reward, so let him do as he pleases.”

“Sorry?” Phillip responded.

“It means it’s okay for him to go with Ilia to find the Divine Sword. If the Divine Sword tries to capture Ilia, tell him not to interfere.”

“Is there any way he wouldn’t interfere? With that personality of his.”

“Oh? Phillip, are you worried about Victor?”

“Worrying about a transcendent who killed an Aura User? That’s too much. I’m just worried he’ll mess things up.”

“Hmm. You know this, but….”

“I have some sense. Of course, it’s a secret. Being a transcendent at that age makes him the youngest Aura User – someone who can use special powers, even faster than the Emperor did! It’s something to be proud of all over the world. Tsk, what a waste.”

Although he didn’t say it, it was clear that he was worried about Victor.

But it was good to see his people worrying about each other, so Logan continued in a gentle voice.

“Either way, the Divine Sword isn’t an opponent that Victor can handle right now. If a fight breaks out, it’ll only give the Empire an excuse.”

The fact that he killed the Light Sword without much fuss meant that Victor’s skills had improved in the meantime, even considering that risky method.

But even so, he couldn’t be compared to the Divine Sword.

“Even though he killed an Imperial legion commander?” Phillip asked.

“Yes,” Logan said definitively.

The Holy Kingdom was only about the size of one of the Empire’s major cities.

Of course, the influence of the temples spread throughout the world was like another empire, but because of this, the Divine Sword, who guarded the Holy City, tended to be underestimated from the outside.

But Logan, who remembered stories from the past, knew.

Logan remembered stories from the past, about a war between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom. The Emperor, thinking ‘I cannot trust the corrupt priests,’ tried to control the Holy Kingdom.

But the Holy Kingdom’s resistance was fiercer than the Emperor had expected. Not only the temple knights and soldiers, who could be called fanatics, but also ordinary citizens risked their lives to stop the Empire.

And in the midst of that, the Divine Sword took the heads of three Imperial legion commanders. The three legion commanders, including the Light Sword who died at Victor’s hands, had attacked together, but they were killed instead.

In the end, the Emperor was satisfied with using all three legions to behead the Divine Sword and gave up the occupation of Noviens.

And the declaration the Emperor left at that time made the world noisy for a while.

– I will end the Holy War in honor of Harman Killerbrew, the Divine Sword, a transcendent rare in the human world.

Of course, the reality was that the war was prolonged, the temple was reorganized, and public opinion on the continent was flowing in the direction of criticizing the Empire, so they declared the end of the war. They couldn’t afford any more losses for a war that had lost its justification.

But because of that declaration, the dead Divine Sword remained a legend forever.

“It would be best if the Divine Sword noticed that something was wrong with the temple and helped Ilia….”

If that were the case, there would be no need to do anything from this side.

To put it extremely, the problems inside the temple was rather a welcome element. For Logan, it would be worst if they interfered in the war.

So, he had to make a decision.

“If the Divine Sword tries to capture the Saintess, tell her to just get captured. No, if a fight breaks out, it will only expose Victor’s skills. If she’s not prepared to send the Saintess away quietly, tell her to come back right now.”

Even if the situation went to the worst and he couldn’t stop the Empire’s scheme, that would be better.

“Okay,” Phillip replied.

With Phillip’s answer, Logan grabbed his throbbing head and left the communication room.

Moving his body was the best way to clear his complicated mind, so Logan finished only the necessary office work and headed straight to the training hall to pick up his sword.

After checking the basics of swordsmanship for almost an hour, he began to unleash the secret arts he knew one by one.

Logan picked up his sword, Lux. It was a sword made for the ‘Iron Blood Sword’ style – a way of fighting that was strong and direct. Then, golden light flowed from his sword, forming an ‘Aura Blade’ – a blade made of pure energy, brightly illuminating all directions of the training hall.

His sword moved like lightning, each strike creating gusts of wind that whipped around the training hall. The Aura Blade, which stretched flexibly like a snake between them, perfectly filled the gaps in the sword style, which was intense but lacked change.

– To wield both an intense sword style that feels even violent and an ever-changing Aura Blade at the same time.

– It’s like two knights of the same level but with completely different styles are cooperating. And that too, perfectly in sync.

His own swordsmanship, which his teacher had praised, was now perfectly systematized.

As the golden light mixed erratically through the gale created by the Iron Blood Sword, at that moment.

Oong.

The golden snake swimming in the air vibrated faintly, and the end began to stretch into two, then four.

Flash!

In an instant, four sword styles stretched out in all directions.

The Aura Blade, split into four strands, emitted a pure white light and brought a storm to the training hall.

Kwakwakwakwa.

But the expression of the person who unleashed such tremendous power was not so good.

‘The Galaxy Sword doesn’t really suit me.’

No, it was more accurate to say that it wasn’t necessary.

Increasing the sword style of the same power by several times consumed too much Force – the inner energy that powered his sword skills. In terms of consuming Force to increase the power of a single strike, the Divine Sword’s secret arts were much better.

Ronian, who had even matched his characteristics to the Galaxy Sword, could harmonize the two secret arts to produce several times the power if he could withstand the massive Force consumption, but he couldn’t.

So.

‘I’ll just focus on what I can do.’

Oowoong.

As if that thought was right, his beloved sword Lux resonated and trembled. Soon, his mind naturally focused, and the Force core in his heart spewed out a massive amount of Force.

Passing through the revolving cores in succession, the unprecedented power amplified by two, four, eight, and finally more than a hundred times was formed at the tip of his sword.

‘The feeling is good.’

A strike that he had never succeeded in properly, except when using his characteristics. The 7th form of the Divine Sword’s secret arts, Sky Cleaver – his most powerful move.

That strike, which he thought would only reach the highest level of Aura User upon completion, split the air as it followed Logan’s vertically drawn sword and moved forward.

Jjeo-eoeoeok.

The golden sword strike remained in the space and spread out.

It was truly a beautiful sight, but the golden light that split the space itself contained the heinous power to split everything that exists, all power.

A strike that his teacher had once shown him, splitting the space. The power of space cutting, which could only be shown at the highest level of Aura User, was unfolded in Logan’s hands, who was still at the upper level, much more sophisticatedly, and the power was also amplified.

‘It’s done!’

The highest level, the figure beyond the wall that was still blocking his way, seemed to be fully visible.

The moment a smile of joy formed on Logan’s face.

Zzzzzing!

“Ugh!?”

Along with the severe headache he had experienced before, an unexpected illusion began to flicker before his eyes.