Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 61

Patrick leaned back in his large wooden chair, a pleased smile on his face. “Everything is going well, Logan?” he asked, his voice warm.

“Yes, Father,” Logan replied, his voice steady and sure. A spark of confidence shone in his dark eyes as he met his father’s gaze.

“Good.” Patrick nodded, his smile widening. “And the soldiers’ training? How is that progressing?”

“The soldiers for security duty are in intense training, as planned.” Logan paused, then added, “We’ve also picked out about three hundred others. They show… potential. We are training them separately, for now, without specific roles.”

Patrick raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. “…Three hundred? Are you saying you think you have three hundred potential knights?”

“At least,” Logan confirmed, his voice firm. “That is my belief.”

Dwight, who was more interested in the castle’s kitchens than knights, clapped his hands politely, a small, surprised smile on his face. But Heinckel, who had been standing quietly by the window, his gaze thoughtful, frowned slightly. *Three hundred knights?* he thought, shaking his head almost invisibly. *Impossible.*

Heinckel thought about knight training. Even with hard work for ten years, only about one in a hundred strong soldiers might awaken their Force. Only then could they become knights. To put it simply, out of 1,500 soldiers, only about fifteen would become knights.

But Logan was casually talking about a number twenty times that amount, which Heinckel found absurd. However, Patrick was smiling and nodding at such a ridiculous answer.

“…Alright. If you say so, then it must be so.”

Heinckel thought Logan’s idea was crazy, even if the family was doing well. Heinckel had a lot to say, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it, and he just repeatedly opened and closed his mouth.

But Logan didn’t stop there and went one step further.

“I plan to keep the current training system and increase the number of soldiers every year. I will also get more horses and weapons every year.”

“Young Master! That’s…”

“No, why?! I am absolutely against wasting money like that during this peaceful time!” Dwight shouted, his voice rising in panic.

*’This is like the Mithril incident all over again. Overspending is a habit. It must be stopped!’*

Heinckel stared at Dwight with a dumbfounded expression. Fortunately, this time Patrick also looked serious.

“…Are you planning to start a war?” Patrick asked, his voice firm.

“Isn’t war something you have to do even if you don’t want to sometimes? That’s what I learned.”

*I never taught him that.* Patrick stopped himself from saying the words out loud. Instead, he pointed out the reality in a cold voice.

“Our family is growing quickly right now. If we build up our military too much, other families might think we’re trying to cause trouble.”

“That’s right. You are absolutely right, Lord,” Heinckel nodded. Dwight repeatedly raised his thumb to show Logan he agreed.

However, Logan said, “They are the kind of people who will cause trouble for us even if we don’t do anything.”

Everyone was confused by Logan’s strange words.

“What?” Patrick asked, puzzled.

“McLane Town is working well, and the wasteland has turned into a plain. Think about Silvan and Peretta. Many farmers are leaving those areas because of high taxes. Do you think those greedy people will just sit still?”

“…Do you think they will attack us?” Patrick asked, his concern growing.

“Yes,” Logan replied confidently.

People quickly disagreed with Logan’s confident answer.

“Silvan and Peretta can’t easily beat us! Our current army can handle either one of them!” Heinckel exclaimed.

“Young Master, you don’t know this well, but they are too busy watching each other. They can’t attack without a good reason!” Dwight added.

Heinckel and Dwight made good points. But Logan, who had already made a plan, could not back down.

“Are you saying that the two territories could easily defeat us if they worked together?” Logan asked, his voice challenging.

“Ah, no, I mean that’s how it was in the past. Now we have that weapon…” Heinckel trailed off.

“They don’t know about that. And there are already plenty of reasons,” Logan said, his eyes gleaming.

“Yes?” Heinckel asked, confused.

When Logan mentioned a reason, which was very important in a war between nobles, everyone paid close attention to him.

“You took in a lot of refugees, right? How many of them do you think came from Peretta or Silvan? If I were them, I think that would be a good excuse.”

Hearing those words, everyone’s face in the office changed a lot. They were so focused on growing the territory that they had forgotten something important.

“Ah, no, if you thought that would happen, you should have stopped it!” Dwight shouted, his face turning pale.

But Logan was still so calm that it was annoying. “Is there any reason to stop it? We need more workers.”

“But it could be a reason for war… Young Master, could it be…?” Dwight stammered, his voice trembling.

“…Did you want war from the beginning?” Patrick asked, his face stiff.

“They are enemies that we need to get rid of anyway. If they make unfair demands first, we can use that as an excuse,” Logan said, his eyes dark.

Logan didn’t even try to deny it.

“Young Master!!” Heinckel cried out.

“Huh. How could this happen…” Dwight muttered in disbelief.

“Haa…” Patrick sighed deeply.

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became cold, and everyone looked at Logan as if he were crazy. Heinckel and Dwight looked upset, unable to say what they really thought. Patrick showed his discomfort more clearly than them.

“If you were thinking about this, you should have told us first!” Patrick exclaimed, his voice filled with frustration.

“If I had told you, you would have said no, right?” Logan retorted, his voice calm.

Everyone was shocked and upset by Logan’s rude answer. Patrick grabbed his head, which was starting to hurt.

*Did I give him too much power too soon?* he wondered, sighing deeply.

Just then, a servant burst into the room, throwing the door open.

“Lord! Envoys from Silvan and Peretta are here! They say they want to talk about the people who escaped from their territories…” The servant announced, his voice panicked.

The atmosphere in the room became even colder at the news.

“Well, it has already started. So, should we talk about what to do next?” Logan asked, a smile appearing on his face.

“Oh! Are you Lord Rihalt?” A middle-aged man asked, his voice smooth.

“That’s right. Are you Lord Hemil?” Rihalt replied, his expression polite.

“I am. It’s an honor to meet you. You must be very capable to be given such an important job at such a young age,” Hemil said, his eyes assessing.

“Not at all. I was just lucky. I am honored to meet the real power of the Silvan territory,” Rihalt responded, his tone respectful.

Each delegation had three escort knights and fifteen servants. Even considering the customs, the group was small. Both delegations were the same size.

The small size might have made them nervous since they were going to threaten someone, but the two middle-aged men seemed calm and confident.

“Let’s have a proper welcome when we have time,” Hemil suggested, his voice casual.

“Surely they won’t be rude enough to treat us badly,” The other middle-aged man added, his tone expectant.

“Haha. If they are smart, they wouldn’t. We sent a message ahead of time,” Hemil chuckled, his eyes gleaming.

They even seemed a little excited. The knights escorting them also looked relaxed.

However, the next day, as they passed Tesron Castle and entered the old wasteland, they stopped walking without realizing it.

“Heo. Really…?” Hemil murmured, his voice filled with disbelief.

“The whole area is green. It looks like wheat seedlings…” One of the knights exclaimed, his eyes wide.

“I can’t believe it,” Another knight added, shaking his head in amazement.

All the fields they could see were full of lush greenery. It was even more surprising for those who remembered how it used to be.

*To think that the wasteland where only yellowish sandstorms blew would change like this,* Hemil thought, his mind racing.

Now, the only yellow color they could see was a wall far away…

“O-oh? Lord Hemil. What is that in the distance?” A servant asked, pointing towards the horizon.

“It looks like an earthen fortress… Hooh. A very big earthen fortress,” Hemil replied, his voice filled with awe.

Everyone who heard him looked at the mud wall in surprise.

“Is that a castle?” A knight asked, his voice incredulous.

“No, even if it’s an earthen fortress, how could it be so big without anyone knowing…?” Hemil wondered aloud, his mind struggling to comprehend the sight.

The group was speechless and headed east. They were surprised again when they saw the approaching village. The farmers who saw dozens of people on horseback quickly cleared the road. A huge stone road connecting east and west began to appear between them.

A wide, smooth road, as wide as five tall men lying side by side, sliced straight through the green fields. The fields stretched out like a soft, green blanket under the bright sun. The road led straight to a fortress in the distance, made of earth.

The wide road was already surprising. But what they saw after riding half a day more was even more amazing. It was a fortress, or something like it. They were astonished as soon as they reached the entrance. This was much bigger and better than they had expected.

“Halt!”

“Who comes here?”

Following the road, they reached the fortress entrance. It wasn’t grand like a king’s castle. Just walls made of earth, about as tall as a two-story house. They were simple, not fancy at all.

But their eyes kept going back to the soldiers who had stopped them. It wasn’t just because the fortress entrance was so simple that they were so interested.

“They’re not knights… they don’t have crests on their armor.”

“That’s right. And such good equipment for normal soldiers. Maclaine must be rich.”

They wore half-plate armor, greaves, and gauntlets. Each had a sword at their hip and a spear in hand.

The soldiers’ gear, good enough for a knight, was as surprising as the size of the fortress itself.

They hadn’t answered the question on purpose, and the soldiers looked at each other, confused.

Then, a knight in armor with a flame symbol came closer, after being signaled from a short distance away.

“I am Digrom, Knight of Maclaine. What is your business here?”

The knight looked at the banners behind Hemil and Rihalt.

One banner showed crossed longswords inside flames, and another showed a falcon flying above fire.

These special symbols showed that nobles had arrived, stopping anyone from trying to scare them right away.

Not that they could have stopped an envoy with six knights, even if they had tried, with their small group of soldiers.

‘To build such a big fortress and only have a knight and five soldiers at the gate…’

Rihalt felt a little silly. He had been nervous about this fortress? It seemed almost too easy.

“The troop strength is….”

Rihalt looked at Hemil and saw he was thinking the same thing. He quickly stopped him from saying anything he shouldn’t.

“All the better for us.”

A nearby land with weak defenses and lots to gain.

“We are envoys from the Barony of Silvan and the Barony of Peretta. We have a message for Baron Maclaine.”

So, he planned to start by asking polite questions, figuring out the situation as he went.

But the knight’s serious face didn’t change when Rihalt spoke.

“What brings you here from the two baronies…?”

“I think you already know. We will talk about the details with the Baron….”

“Are you just a knight, daring to stop envoys like us? Do you even know what trouble you could cause?”

Tsk.

Rihalt clicked his tongue in annoyance. Hemil’s loud words had ruined his plan. Rihalt wanted to be clever and get information slowly, like pulling secrets out with soft words.

Not that he had any reason to stop him.

The knight frowned a little and took a step back.

“Follow me. I will take you there.”

Hemil looked arrogant, as if he didn’t like the knight’s obedient attitude.

Rihalt clicked his tongue again, but he didn’t want to cause trouble, so he followed silently.

Beyond the simple gates, the scene was like nothing Rihalt had ever seen.

A wide main road split into four paths at a crossroads. Houses stood neatly in rows on both sides, all looking the same. There were buildings they didn’t recognize, some with a strange, slightly bad smell, but it was all fascinating.

It didn’t have the fancy elegance of a famous city, but it was a town with a simple, fresh feeling.

And definitely….

“Hee hee hee! Try to catch me!”

“Hey! It’s your turn to be ‘it’!”

“I’ve done it twice, so you have to do it twice too!”

“Children, those are important people. Don’t go that way!”

The faces of the people living there were bright and happy. Such cheerful faces were rare in the Barony of Silvan, and Rihalt stared at them.

Maybe it was because they looked unusually clean for common people.

‘Fascinating.’

Of course, there were some things he didn’t like.

Some people hid when they saw the banners carried by their group.

They were probably runaways who had escaped from their own lands.

But this place seemed so good that he could understand why they chose to come here.

‘Definitely worth taking.’

Rihalt stopped himself from laughing and spoke casually to the knight in front of him.

“This is a wonderful place, Sir Digrom. It seems better than most castles.”

“Eh? Ah… do you think so?”

Maybe it was because he was more polite than Hemil. Digrom smiled a little at him.

“I don’t know who thought of this, but it seems like a great plan.”

He praised him more, hoping to make the knight even happier, but the answer he got was unexpected.

Digrom puffed out his chest a little. “It’s all thanks to the Eldest Young Master, you know.”

“Pardon?”

“The creation of this town and the fixing of the wasteland all came from our Eldest Young Master’s mind.”

“Huh….”

Maclaine’s Eldest Young Master couldn’t be much older than twenty, could he?

Dumbfounded, he asked a few more questions, but the answers were mostly the same.

– Our Eldest Young Master is wise, brave, and a great leader who guides the land’s growth….

‘Sickening. This bloke….’

He had hoped to get some information, but all he got was flattery.

Rihalt thought this guy was trying hard to get noticed and gave up asking questions.

It seemed better to find out things with his own eyes.

As he looked around, he heard Hemil’s arrogant voice.

“By the way, what’s that smelly ditch? Why would they bother with something like that….”

A small stream with dirty water flowing through it, next to the road.

It looked strange in this otherwise clean town, but….

“Sewage system?!”

For Rihalt, who knew what it was, it was amazing.

“Ah, you recognize it. Yes, that was the Eldest Young Master’s idea too.”

The knight nodded unwillingly, as if he didn’t like Hemil’s disapproval, but his voice showed pride.

Though Rihalt heard it a little differently.

“That’s… truly remarkable.”

“Yes, indeed. The Eldest Young Master is truly remarkable.”

‘No. I’m talking about you. I hope you get promoted…. Tsk, tsk.’

There was no way the Eldest Young Master had come up with such a thing himself.

Even he, who had worked for a cruel leader, hadn’t been so obviously flattering when the leader wasn’t watching.

Rihalt thought, with a bit of a smile, ‘This knight is really good at praising his boss! Maybe too good…’

Of course, the town’s system was great, no matter who thought of it.

Most of the castles in the Grandia Kingdom were hundreds of years old, so it was hard to add the water and sewage systems that had started in the Empire’s big cities a century ago.

Many nobles knew about it but didn’t care because of the cost.

So, most castles were dirty and smelled bad.

Having studied public administration at the Academy, Rihalt had wanted to add a sewage system to handle wastewater first.

Of course, the lord had said no right away when he heard how much it would cost.

‘They say that cities with sewage systems have fewer diseases and epidemics.’

And yet, this big fortress had such advanced things.

‘Well, this proves it.’

Maclaine had clearly made a lot of money somewhere.

This plain, the fortress around the town, and the sewage system.

For now, it was just spending money, with no sign of making any profit.

In that case….

‘I can ask for more than I first thought.’

As Rihalt thought about this, the road through Maclaine Town was ending.

As soon as they went through the eastern gate, which was like the western one, they saw the old Maclaine Castle in the distance.