Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 62

Rogan and the leaders of Macline watched closely as the envoys spoke with arrogance.

“We, Peretta, demand the return of our people who escaped,” the envoy announced, “along with the Tesron Plain, next to Peretta, and the southwestern part of the wasteland you took back, as compensation.”

“We, Silvan, demand Tesron Castle and the northwest part of the wasteland you just won back.”

Rogan’s prediction had been correct.

The envoys, who had seemed so relaxed, were spouting nonsense.

To hand over an entire castle and half the reclaimed land was practically an act of war, a threat disguised as a negotiation.

“What do you think?” Rogan asked, checking if his prediction was right. Padric sighed softly and nodded, his expression grave.

Padric nodded to Heinkel, who was standing below them.

Heinkel, his face hardening, stepped forward and shouted loudly, “So, Silvan and Peretta, is this a declaration of war on Macline?”

“These madmen!”

“How dare they!”

“The nerve of these lunatics!”

At the same time, thirty knights lined up before the grand hall, protesting as they stepped forward.

Some knights quickly pulled out their swords, and suddenly, the grand hall felt dangerous.

The envoys hesitated for a moment but soon regained their composure, appearing even more brazen.

“There is no custom of intimidating envoys in this manner, Lord! Unless you truly wish for war, we ask that you stand down your knights.”

“You are the ones who started this war. How could we refuse a fight when it is offered? Macline does not fear war,” Padric replied, his attitude even more assertive than they expected.

The envoys’ expressions hardened slightly at the unexpected response.

“Not a single blade of grass will remain in Macline. Do you truly desire utter destruction?”

“You don’t think we’ll give in to your threats, do you, Baron?” The Silvan envoy smirked, his mustache twitching, while the Peretta envoy wore a fox-like grin.

The tone of the two representatives became more openly threatening.

The knights behind them merely widened their eyes slightly, still appearing relaxed. It was clear they still believed their position was advantageous.

‘Well, shall we undermine that foundation?’ A cold smile formed on Rogan’s lips as he imagined how their expressions would change.

“How can refugees fleeing tyranny be subject to trade? Father, they have forgotten the duty of noble blue blood. There is no need to negotiate.”

Clang!

With those resolute words, the moment he stepped forward, all the knights of Macline drew their swords.

Only then did the envoys’ expressions drastically change.

“Y-you’re really going to war?”

“Are you crazy? Do you all want to die?!”

They shouted, but the faces of the Macline knights opposite them only showed ridicule. At that sight, the envoys’ reactions diverged sharply.

“Y-you bastards…”

“A-are you really insane? This is, this is war! Do you think Macline will survive this?!” The Peretta envoy paled and remained silent, while the Silvan envoy screamed as if in a frenzy.

Rogan responded eagerly, as if he had been waiting for this.

“Oh? Insane, am I? You’re very bold. You dare point fingers and shout insults at the lord of this land? Are you the crazy one?”

“N-no. It’s because you…” Rogan didn’t bother listening further and continued to step forward.

“S-stop him!” The escort knights, who had been watching the situation from behind the envoys, jumped forward as the killing intent escalated to an unbearable level.

But Rogan was faster.

Slice.

“Gah, cough!” The moment one of the escort knights collapsed, clutching his spurting neck,

Thwack.

Slice.

Slash!

Rogan’s lightning-fast sword dance froze the entire delegation in terror.

Plop.

“Cough…”

“Ugh!”

“S-such cowardice…”

The escort knights collapsed one after another in the span of a single breath.

The delegation, filled with shock, glared with eyes full of condemnation and rage.

“If you draw your sword on another’s land, you should be prepared to die,” Rogan said calmly, raising his sword again.

“I, I am an envoy…!”

Slash!

“Ugh, cough.”

Plop.

The moment the Silvan envoy collapsed, spraying blood, the Peretta envoy immediately prostrated himself on the floor.

“I will convey Macline’s intentions to our lord without omission. Please forgive our impudence,” he said, his tone slightly trembling, but his voice clear enough for everyone to hear.

“…How clever,” Rogan smiled and turned away from Rihalt, who remained prostrate on the floor, unable to even lift his head.

In front of everyone, including the enemy party, a death with a pretext becomes justification, but to cut down one who begs on their knees would only invite condemnation. Moreover, he had already achieved his initial goal.

‘It’s fortunate that Silvan is so foolish,’ Rogan thought, bowing his head towards his father.

Padric nodded slightly and shouted to everyone, “Knights of Macline, prepare for war! To defend our sovereignty!” His solemn voice echoed through the grand hall, and the knights drew their swords and repeated the oath.

“…Do you really think you can win against us?” The Peretta envoy asked with a bewildered look as he was being driven out.

Rogan responded with a smirk, offering it as his answer.

And on that very day, Macline sent magical communications to the two viscountcies.

[We are very sorry that the people you sent as envoys were rude and disrespectful…] It was a long sentence filled with flowery rhetoric, but to summarize it simply: – The envoys came and did foolish things and died. We are not pleased. What will you do about it?

The message ended as if they expected an answer. But the McLaine Knights didn’t wait. They immediately started riding fast towards Tesron Castle.

Thud thud thud!

About seventy knights on horses rode fast. Dust flew up from the road as their hooves pounded the ground. The sound echoed through McLaine Town and across the green fields.

At the front, Patrick McLaine, a red-haired man with a strong face, rode with purpose. He turned to his son, Logan, beside him.

“Why this hurry, Logan?” Father Patrick asked, his voice calm despite the rush. “They might not realize it, but we both know we’re strong enough to crush a barony.”

Even with the sound of hooves hitting the ground, Logan heard his father clearly.

Patrick trusted Logan. He had waited to ask questions until now, when the knights were called and ordered to ride to Tesron Castle. Now, he spoke his mind.

“That’s why we need to hurry even more.”

“Why is that?”

Logan had already made a plan when he sent the messages to Silvan and Peretta.

Both Silvan and Peretta would argue, but it was clear which one would be angrier.

“Silvan, where the messenger died, will make trouble first. So… we must use that as an excuse.”

“Declare war first, you mean?”

“Yes. As soon as we say those words, we must take Silvan as fast as we can. The stronger we look, the less likely they are to cause trouble.”

Silvan Castle loomed in Logan’s mind, a giant of stone against the sky. It was more than twice the size of Tesron Castle, its walls thick and high, promising strength and power.

It was a massive fortress. Even Peretta Barony, with its two castles, looked small compared to Silvan.

The number of soldiers inside was much bigger than McLaine’s, just in terms of numbers.

But Patrick listened to Logan’s plan to capture Silvan Castle quickly, and he smiled and nodded.

“That makes sense. There’s no need to make the war longer than it needs to be.”

“Yes. We don’t need to get regular people involved. If we take Silvan Castle fast with just our soldiers, Baron Max Peretta won’t do anything foolish. He’s careful and greedy.”

Max Peretta was so greedy that he hated losing anything, which made him slow to decide and act.

Logan didn’t say that he knew this from his past life.

Luckily, his father didn’t ask how he knew Max Peretta, since they had never met.

He just repeated the important things for himself and McLaine.

“So, the key is how fast we can capture Silvan.”

“Yes!”

Everyone who heard the conversation, even those nearby, thought it was a good idea.

The McLaine Knights rode even faster, showing their confidence.

At Tesron Castle… The dust settled as the knights arrived.

The regular soldiers at Tesron Castle were the most nervous. They had suddenly been told to get ready for battle during their training.

However…

“We have 1,389 regular soldiers here, not counting the 100 at McLaine Castle! And 313 hired soldiers! All ready for your orders, sir!” Kai’s eyes shone with excitement as he reported.

“Good work. What weapons do the soldiers have?”

“They all have armor, spears, swords, crossbows, and horses. I know they can beat any soldiers anywhere.”

Logan smiled, feeling a warmth spread through him at Kai’s loyalty.

“Good work. Rest until the next orders.”

The crossbow soldiers, who had helped win the war last year, were now five times as many.

With these soldiers, his father, and the knights who had become better with the Iron Blood Sword, it was natural to feel confident.

‘I can easily beat Silvan or Peretta.’

He knew he could win even if he fought both, but he didn’t want to right now.

‘If I take Silvan and Peretta, the family will have five castles. Then our land would be as big as the border counts’.’

More land didn’t mean he would get a higher title, but if that happened, the First and Second Princes would try to get McLaine to join them.

He didn’t want those groups to notice him right now.

Because Logan wanted the Third Prince to be the king.

‘I have to succeed.’

The First Prince, who had become king in his past life, had used McLaine and then left them.

Even without thinking about the country losing power because of the purges he had done after becoming king, he didn’t want the First Prince to be king.

The Second Prince was the same as the First Prince.

It wasn’t worth joining the losing side and making him king.

So, the only choice was the Third Prince.

The Third Prince was the son of the queen, and even though he was much younger than his brothers, the king thought he was talented and wanted him to be the next king.

But the king died suddenly before he could help him, so he became an unlucky prince.

He had to win the civil war and make him king.

‘And do it while causing as little damage to the kingdom as possible.’

It would be hard, but not impossible.

But for now, he just wanted to keep Silvan, with its three castles, as a slightly bigger barony.

Logan hoped that the big groups in the capital wouldn’t notice this small area, at least until the civil war.

Wasn’t that why he was trying so hard to find a reason for war?

As he thought about these things…

“I have good news.”

He looked up and saw Kai, who was still in the room.

Logan was curious about his strange expression.

“Hmm? Good news?”

“Victor has become a Force User. He wants to tell you himself, and he’s been waiting.”

“Huh?! Finally!”

“Should I bring him in?”

“Of course!”

He stood up quickly, and Kai opened the door with a sigh.

He could guess what Kai was thinking, but he didn’t care right now.

Because Victor was standing in the doorway, looking excited.

“Lord Logan. I…….”

“No need to talk, show me.”

“Yes!”

His red and blue eyes seemed to shine, and suddenly, a faint gray light came from his whole body, like smoke swirling around him. It pulsed gently, a sign of the power now flowing within him.

A Force with a unique color, like his own golden Force.

It was the same Force that was the symbol of Victor, the noble slayer from his past life.

“Ha. Haha. It’s real. In just two years…….”

His talent, which had turned him from a slave into an Aura User, was still there.

Victor’s growth made Logan feel like everything would be okay, and he was very happy.

Two days after arriving in Tesron, he was wondering why the news was late.

The message he had been waiting for finally came from Silvan.

[We are very sorry for the terrible event of ignoring our protests and threatening us with force……]

To summarize the long story, which was full of fancy words like McLaine’s message:

Hand over the people who ran away, and pay ten million gold in damages, or we will join with Peretta and attack you. And give us the Tesron Plain. You have one month.

It was a warning, or a threat.

McLaine didn’t waste time and gave a clear answer.

[We doubt the protests are real, and your messengers were very rude……]

To put it simply:

Stop talking and let’s fight!

Right after that, a large group of about 1,800 soldiers began to ride northwest from Tesron Castle.