Regressor Of The Fallen Family [EN]: Chapter 76

Henderson rushed out of his room as soon as he put down his bags. His heart beat fast, like a drum in his chest. He couldn’t stand still. Was it just because he got angry easily?

*Sound of doors banging open*.

“Ugh! Henderson, what’s wrong?”

“You too?”

“Yeah, same here. We all felt it.”

The soldiers from Squad 18 opened their doors almost at the same time and smiled shyly at each other.

“If I hadn’t seen them, maybe I’d be calm. But how could anyone ignore those knights with the eagle symbol on their armor?”

Vice-Captain Digrom, who was supposed to watch over Henderson, finally said something Henderson agreed with.

Every knight felt the same way.

“‘The Esperanza Knights. I want to fight them and see how strong I am.'”

When people talked about the best knight groups in Grandia, everyone said the Esperanza Knights, from the Sword Saint’s family, were number one.

The Royal Knights, another top group, hardly ever left the palace.

And the Valtermain Knights were known more for being big than for being good fighters.

But the thing that made them *really* want to fight was this:

“‘These knights are trained by the Sword Saint himself!'”

He was the best swordsman in the whole kingdom, and every knight with a sword looked up to him.

The Esperanza Knights were taught by the Sword Saint! Of course, they were curious about how good they were.

“Okay, let’s go!” Henderson said. “We’ll show them how strong the McLaine Knights are!”

Henderson walked ahead, his eyes burning with excitement, even more than when he saw the fancy ladies in the capital city.

But then, a knight with the eagle symbol said, “Sorry, but our normal knights are just average. No offense, but it wouldn’t be a good fight for you. Unless you want to practice with our students?”

Henderson and his squad, who had been so confident, suddenly felt small and disappointed.

“If you are a weak Force User,” the Esperanza knight continued, “you are just a student learning to fight. That’s how we see it.”

A mid-level knight, like a squad leader in McLaine or other groups, was just a normal knight in the Esperanza Knights.

They had two hundred mid-level knights, forty high-level knights, and two top-level knights.

The Esperanza Knights were known to be strong, but now they understood *how* strong. It was a little scary.

“‘Our leader was high-level until recently, and no one around could beat him! What is this place?'” Henderson thought angrily.

But they couldn’t give up now.

“Okay then,” Henderson said loudly. “I am Henderson, leader of the 18th squad of the McLaine Knights. I challenge you to a fight!”

“Alright,” the Esperanza knight replied.

Henderson’s friends looked upset and angry, their pride hurt. But in the fight that followed, Henderson did better than expected.

It wasn’t a bad fight, but Henderson felt uneasy.

“Damn it,” he muttered. “Should I fight the students too?”

“They’re just kids,” someone said. “I heard if you don’t get Force powers by twenty, they won’t even take you as a student here.”

“Really? But my pride…”

“Will pride fill your stomach?” another knight joked.

Henderson half-listened to his friends, walking quietly, looking confused.

The fight with the Esperanza Knight, who used a different style of sword fighting, was interesting to think about. But something was wrong…

“Henderson,” Digrom asked, “are you sure that knight was fighting his best? His sword skills seemed a little…”

“He must have been trying his best,” Henderson replied. “That’s what’s so weird.”

Digrom, who was almost a mid-level knight himself, was good at seeing details. He had watched the Esperanza knight, who looked about their age.

His sword fighting was clearly worse than the Iron Blood Sword style they used. But he had fought Henderson equally. Maybe it was because he had more experience?

Henderson and Digrom were confused. They knew the Iron Blood Sword style came to McLaine from the Sword Saint.

“Everyone,” Henderson said, “how about we fight the students tomorrow?”

“Ugh,” someone groaned. “I guess being too proud here is not smart.”

“Okay, let’s do it,” another said. “Even if we lose badly.”

Henderson and Digrom watched their friends, both thinking hard, looking puzzled. They didn’t speak, but they were thinking the same thing.

Maybe the Iron Blood Sword style that Lord Logan had learned didn’t really come from the Sword Saint.

*’Surely, the Young Master didn’t make it up himself…’* Digrom thought.

*’Where did he get it from then?’* Henderson wondered.

They were thinking different things, but they agreed on one thing: the Young Master had given their family a sword style better than the Esperanza family’s.

The two knights felt even more excited about their future leader.

The official reason Logan came to the capital was to see his teacher, the Sword Saint, and stay until his teacher had a new heir.

But Logan also had his own plans. He needed his teacher to trust him, and that was his first step.

So, Logan agreed to the training that started on his first day.

At first, he thought training would be easy. But he soon realized he was wrong.

Logan forgot all his plans and just focused on training hard for a week.

After a week, he finally remembered why he came here in the first place: to make sure his knights behaved well at the Sword Saint’s home.

*’I hope those guys aren’t causing trouble again,’* Logan thought.

He went to find them, worried. But then he saw something surprising.

“It’s the Young Master!” someone shouted.

“Loyalty!”

“Young Master! Loyalty!”

“We respect you!”

“……Oh, okay,” Logan said, a little confused.

*’What’s going on with them? Why are they acting like this all of a sudden?’*

Their reaction was too much, even for his position in the family. It felt too much.

“Digrom,” Logan asked. “Has anything happened?”

“Nothing to report, sir!” Digrom replied quickly.

“What have you been doing?” Logan asked.

“We’ve been practicing and fighting with the Esperanza Knights, sir,” Digrom said.

“……Really?” Logan said. “You’ve been working hard.”

He saw drops of sweat on them, even though it was a cold morning.

Logan had come to check on them because he was worried they were causing trouble. But they were training hard! He couldn’t help but smile.

“So, the training is…” Logan started to say.

“We will train even harder from now on!” one knight shouted.

“We will never forget your kindness, Young Master!” another added.

“Thank you!” they all said.

Their strong reaction still didn’t make sense to Logan.

He had planned to push them to work harder, but they were already doing it! He couldn’t say anything.

Instead, he thought to himself, *’Even the normal knights are working this hard. I should too…’*

Logan sighed quietly and picked up his sword next to the knights.

“Oh? Young Master?”

“I’ll train with you all today,” Logan said.

The knights nodded, their faces bright, and Logan’s sigh turned into a smile.

Later, after a good training session, covered in sweat, Logan walked out. Then, something strange and funny happened.

“A… blind date?” Logan asked, surprised.

“Yes!” a voice boomed. “A noble young man like you, twenty-one years old and not married! It’s shameful! Especially for my student! So, I’m finding you a wife myself!”

“But… didn’t you just tell me to focus on training?” Logan asked. “Why now…?”

The old Sword Master leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face. “A peaceful mind is essential for good training. I only realised that after meeting my wife,” he chuckled.

“…….”

“A civil war that will sweep through the kingdom is coming within a few months.”

“Your disciple is planning to be the most active participant in that war.”

‘……I can’t say that. Blast it.’

This news was totally unexpected.

Logan tried hard not to show his surprise. His face almost showed too much.

“Still, it’s all so sudden that I’m bewildered. What’s the reason for telling me this so abruptly……?”

“Well, let’s just say I received a request. And I’m also concerned about the future of a cherished disciple.”

Only one thought came to mind at the word ‘request’.

“From our family, perhaps?”

“A grown heir who isn’t even engaged. As parents, it’s only natural to worry, wouldn’t you say?”

The Sword Master said this like it was the most normal thing, but Logan had to try hard not to look unhappy.

‘Blast it all.’

Logan could understand at once how the situation was unfolding.

‘It’s a pointless exercise. After all, in a little while……’

He knew it in his head, but he couldn’t simply ignore his master’s words.

“……I’ll meet her for now.”

He reassured himself that wasting about a day was fine.

“Good. You won’t be disappointed. I’ve looked into it, and it seems you’d be a good match. She’s quite a famous young lady in the capital, you know.”

The mischievous smile playing on his master’s lips bothered him a little, though.

Eileen’s voice was sharp, like the clang of steel on steel. “What? A matchmaking meeting? Father, haven’t you given up on this yet?”

Count Roberts Floyd felt a flush rise in his cheeks. He took a slow, deep breath, forcing his voice to remain even. “Eileen,” he said, trying to sound patient, “I only want you to find happiness as a woman should.” *He wouldn’t let her see his frustration. Not again.*

He watched her. Even dressed in her sweat-stained black martial robes, a practice sword still gripped in her hand, she was beautiful. *Not the way a lady should be beautiful,* a small, nagging voice whispered in his mind. But in his eyes, she was still his daughter, still lovely.

Of course, he was certain she was a beauty objectively, too.

“Yes. Our beautiful daughter’s popularity is still going strong. It’s a recommendation from none other than Duke Felix Esperanza.”

“……Esperanza? Are you talking about the Sword Master’s family?”

A slightly brighter look appeared on his daughter’s face.

But knowing that it wasn’t because of the marriage proposal, the Count’s bitter expression deepened a little more.

Still, it was something that she was showing interest like this.

Roberts thought positively and brought up a topic that would further pique his daughter’s interest.

“Yes. It’s his disciple, I hear.”

“The Sword Master’s disciple? He has a disciple?”

“Yes. It’s still a story known only to those in the know, but he’s a talent who will soon become famous, I hear.”

‘Though not as much as you……’

Roberts held back the honest words he wanted to say. He could hear the excitement in his daughter’s voice.

He thought that she might be interested in swordsmanship because she had been an active child since she was young.

He thought that swordsmanship training was difficult even for most adult men, so he thought she would give up soon, but when she enjoyed it, he could laugh and say that she was a unique child.

That was until his daughter awakened her Force at the age of twelve and said she wanted to become a knight.

– A girl becoming a knight! Absolutely not! Are you going to ruin our family’s 300-year history!

He still vividly remembered the time when his father, the late Count Floyd, who was still hale and hearty at the time, screamed as if he were about to vomit blood.

And his daughter was fifteen years old.

When she beat up her fiancé, who was five years older than her, and the engagement was broken off, her father eventually collapsed.

The family also had to pay a heavy price for beating up the grandson of Duke Valterheim, who was an Aura User.

After that, his daughter, Eileen’s, swordsmanship training was thoroughly blocked.

Nevertheless, Eileen caused an incident just two years later, this time unilaterally beating up a prospective marriage partner who was qualified as a knight, proving that she was already more than a match for most knights.

– I’m not interested in marriage or anything like that!

It was around the time when his daughter shouted as if declaring to the family that Roberts had given up halfway.

A maiden who beats up knights.

After that nickname was attached, no marriage proposals came in at all.

‘Why doesn’t she try to live like other women?’

Roberts was frustrated by that, but his daughter was unwavering.

So he couldn’t miss this opportunity no matter what.

‘His Grace the Duke guaranteed it. He’s such an outstanding talent.’

So maybe he can handle Eileen.

No, he might be able to break her spirit.

It wasn’t that he wanted his daughter to be unhappy, but that he wanted her to know the happiness that other ordinary women enjoyed.

Besides, Roberts had one conviction.

‘No man can help but fall for my daughter.’

A healthy and slender figure thanks to swordsmanship training.

And clear features resembling her mother, who was called the most beautiful woman in the capital twenty years ago, and hair the color of sunset, flowing like liquid silk, he believed that any normal man of her age would be beautiful enough to fall for.

“The Sword Master’s disciple, I’m curious.”

Yes. Keep taking an interest. If possible, in other ways, too.

“Please, absolutely! Don’t even think about using violence this time! Got it?!”

But his daughter’s reaction was lukewarm.

“……If that person is polite.”

Only the anxious father’s heart was rotting black.

“Eileen…… Princess Floyd?”

A neatly dressed young man with red hair like hers and red eyes that gave a unique impression, as if they were matched.

She had met countless men who showed trembling eyes when they first saw her.

‘There wasn’t a single decent one among them.’

– Since you’ve awakened your Force, you’ll have healthy children.

She still regretted not hitting the Duke Valterheim’s son hard enough for spouting nonsense.

– What can a woman do even if she awakens her Force? I’ll take you on with one hand. Ah, Miss, you can use weapons.

She still didn’t understand why it was wrong to beat up a moron who couldn’t even feel the difference in level between himself and others with one hand.

Of course, the same went for the other prospective marriage partners who spouted crazy things about calling a wizard to seal her Force and make her live virtuously.

Pathetic men who only cared about how she looked and admired her too much.

The thought that this guy was no different from those guys made the expectations she had, however faint, at the sound of the Sword Master’s disciple begin to disappear.

But still, she had to keep the minimum courtesy.

“Nice to meet you. Young Master Logan McLain.”

The beauty with emerald eyes that accentuated her rose-like red hair, wearing a light cream-colored evening dress and sparkling necklace, was surprisingly beautiful.

But it was certainly not because of her appearance that Logan’s eyes wavered.

‘He sensed her power. It was strong, almost as strong as someone from a higher social class.’

The fact that even the Force hidden within the body of a beautiful woman who was rare even in the capital, Grand, was amazing.

It was hard to believe that she was only eighteen years old.

And only after recognizing that fact did he suddenly remember something.

‘Right, the Floyd family. Why didn’t I think of it when I first heard it?’

Countless rumors created by the three-year civil war.

Among them was a rumor related to the Floyd family.

Eileen Floyd was famous. People called her ‘the steel rose’ because she was strong and beautiful even after her family was hurt by the civil war. Many talented people in Grandia were lost during those three years of war.

The fact that one of the most representative people was standing in front of him in an unexpected form.