Regressor of the Fallen Family Novel - Chapter 281
Chapter 281 of the Descendants of the Fallen Family
In a previous life, after the empire’s conquest war was somewhat resolved, scholars stumbled upon a subtle pattern among the numerous conflicts.
They noticed that ‘a competent king who opposed the empire either died early in the war or just before it began.’
On the flip side, there was contradictory data indicating that kings labeled as tyrants or despots, like those in Grandia, managed to survive until the war’s end.
Rumors started to circulate about a clandestine group known as the ‘King Slayers’ within the empire. It was rumored that the empire found incompetent kings more beneficial, sparing them as a twisted form of mockery.
Initially, many dismissed these conspiracy theories as mere coincidences of brave individuals meeting untimely deaths. However, as the conquest war neared its conclusion and a renowned superhuman king from the western continent was assassinated in his own palace, the undeniable truth had to be acknowledged by everyone.
– There exists a group of assassins within the empire capable of eliminating even superhumans.
For the world’s leaders, this group instilled fear, distinct from the empire’s Imperial Inspection Division. These assassins, known as the shadows of the empire or sometimes as ghosts.
Logan never had the chance to witness their reputation firsthand, as only those at the pinnacle of society could encounter these harbingers of death. Nevertheless, he had heard tales of their abilities through hearsay.
It was said that despite appearing as ordinary individuals, they moved stealthily like ghosts. Upon their demise, they triggered a self-destruct mechanism causing a destructive explosion in their vicinity.
Thus, Logan could only deduce the identities of these individuals belatedly, sending shivers down his spine.
“Why are they here already?”
Is the empire instigating conflict?
At this moment?
Despite his vigilance and exhaustive information gathering efforts, he remained clueless.
Various thoughts raced through his mind.
“Ah, my apologies, Your Majesty. I thought they were just acquaintances…”
Rick’s apologetic rambling from beside him, kneeling on the floor, interrupted Logan’s train of thought.
‘Right, for now…’
It was imperative to assess the surrounding situation.
“No, you’ve done nothing wrong. In fact, you’ve rendered a service. But what made you suspicious of them?”
Logan posed the question knowing that he too would have missed the subtle aura if he had merely passed by from a distance.
“Well, I…”
“What is it?”
“I had a feeling they were exchanging covert signals while pretending not to know each other…”
At those words, Logan could only let out a hollow chuckle. It was akin to a cow stumbling upon a rat while walking backward.
It seemed absurd, yet that very absurdity helped Logan regain his composure.
‘Right. They might have infiltrated the palace earlier. It’s a plausible scenario. Since we discovered them first, it’s not yet a declaration of war.’
But why did it feel so foreboding?
“What were their names again?”
“Jo, John, and Ken.”
“Re-examine how they entered the palace. Inform Damian to come to the palace.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Stand up straight, Rick. Thanks to you, we apprehended the suspicious individuals. You did nothing wrong.”
“Really? Ah… Yes! Of course, Your Majesty! Ha ha.”
Logan patted his loyal attendant’s shoulder and summoned the knights around him.
“Summon all personnel working in the royal palace to the hall. I need to verify everyone’s identity.”
“Yes?”
“Gather everyone. Servants, soldiers, knights, no exceptions.”
“Yes, yes!”
“Keep the servants assembled here for now until all identities have been confirmed.”
“…… Yes.”
As Logan issued orders, the knights dispersed…
However, the abrupt mandate to gather all palace staff proved ineffective. Logan exhausted himself scrutinizing thousands of individuals, making the assembly an exercise in futility.
Furthermore, the commotion fueled rumors of a crisis within the royal family.
—
“There were no irregularities in the two men’s entry into the palace.”
“What?”
“However, their behavior seemed to alter at a certain point, according to those around them.”
“…Elaborate.”
Upon Logan’s prompting, Damian hesitated momentarily before elaborating.
While initially of a somber demeanor, they occasionally interacted, but after Your Majesty’s wedding, they appeared even more melancholic. Given their predisposition, their changed behavior went largely unnoticed.
“…So you’re suggesting they were substituted at that time.”
“That’s our speculation.”
“Hmm. So, that’s when…”
“Yes?”
“Never mind. Proceed. And the others?”
“Three servants and six soldiers did not respond to the summons and have vanished. We are tracking their whereabouts, but…”
“It’s proving challenging.”
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“No need for apologies.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Logan’s statement, hinting at his knowledge of the individuals, left Damian puzzled, yet his liege did not offer clarification.
“What about the empire?”
“Yes?”
“Any peculiar reactions? Unusual movements? Have you been in contact with Philip?”
“Yes, I have been monitoring as instructed, but there have been no issues until yesterday.”
While Damian found the king’s somewhat irritable demeanor puzzling, he responded respectfully. Observing the king visibly relax, Damian felt a renewed sense of uncertainty.
“Is the incident in the palace linked to the suspected individuals from the empire?”
“…Likely.”
“How could Your Majesty ascertain that?”
“There are unofficial channels that provide me with crucial information.”
The comment could have been taken as offensive, but Damian felt reassured instead.
‘Of course. His Majesty doesn’t solely rely on me.’
Placing excessive trust in his fledgling intelligence network could have proven problematic.
Damian once again admired his meticulous sovereign and remained committed to his responsibilities.
“May I receive information on them? It would facilitate the task.”
“Only fragments. It won’t be easy for you to uncover.”
“Would these unofficial sources be the same?”
“…Yes.”
“Better than nothing.”
Observing his lord’s flustered expression, Damian made a resolve.
One day, he would transform his lord’s sighs into admiration.
He would endeavor even harder to outshine the other unofficial sources.
After dismissing Damian, Logan breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s not a declaration of war yet. Let’s be content that we have eradicated the intruders who infiltrated the royal palace.”
And let’s make further preparations.
To prevent being caught off-guard by any sudden developments.
That day, drawing from newfound memories, Logan meticulously documented all information concerning the empire.
—
Foreign spies had infiltrated the palace.
An attempt on the king’s life had been thwarted.
The unexpected royal summons and the testimonies of the palace staff fueled sinister rumors within the palace walls.
Caught in the turmoil, the attendants struggled to grasp the full extent of the situation, exacerbating the rumors.
Despite tightened security in the royal palace and stricter access control, the atmosphere in the capital city of Grand turned frosty.
In a corner of the slums outside Grand, five disguised figures sought refuge in a dim, windowless room.
In the faint light of a flickering candle, one of the masked individuals spoke up.
“How did you manage to have your underlings act before the ‘Creators’?”
“I apologize. They may have acted out of misguided allegiance, underestimating the young king…”
“Is that meant to be an excuse?”
The statement was delivered in a low tone laden with a palpable sense of threat.
The one responding took a step back, bowing their head.
“Please forgive me…”
Observing this, the masked figure gazed coldly before turning to the others.
“This is our inaugural directive. To execute it in this manner… If the Council catches wind of this, what will His Imperial Majesty think of us!”
“…”
“Number 2, who leads the infiltration team, you are to be confined. You are excluded from this mission.”
At these words, the bowing figure stepped back in silence.
The leader then shifted attention to the remaining individuals.
“This operation must not fail, particularly after this setback. Increase the number of assigned personnel twofold and request reinforcements. Then await their arrival.”
“Double the personnel?”
“So many…?”
“Hmm…”
“The defenses of the royal palace have been bolstered. We must execute the mission flawlessly, even if it means casualties and leaving traces. That is my directive as the field commander.”
With that assertion, all remaining masked figures nodded in agreement.
—
A month earlier, an incident served as a wake-up call for Logan.
Thus, he drew upon forgotten information unrelated to his previous life, cross-referencing and reassessing all potential scenarios.
He realized that the most overlooked threat remained the ghosts.
Their unmatched ability to infiltrate foreign palaces as effortlessly as their own. Traces were only left behind when confronting superhuman kings.
Signifying that they were superior entities impervious to ordinary magic or security systems.
The solution had to be straightforward.
‘I must enhance my skills to evade them and have a contingency plan to swiftly mobilize nearby forces in case of an emergency.’
With this in mind, Logan, following his mentor’s counsel, experienced a remarkable breakthrough.
– Indeed. It’s astonishing that after only a few months, you are concerned over the lack of progress in your skills… Ha, ha. That’s remarkable… No, I will assist.
– The ultimate objective is to heighten your senses, eventually exceeding the limitations of the five senses and establishing a robust sixth sense. That is the hallmark of an advanced Aura User.
Heeding his mentor’s guidance, Logan dedicated himself to honing his senses.
Having engaged in years of meditative practices since his return, he persisted in nocturnal training to expand his senses and detect intruders.
Thanks to this, he underwent substantial growth once more.
– It’s truly effective…
– Really?
– Oh, pay me no mind, Your Majesty. Ha ha. I am simply astounded by how effortlessly the development of the sixth sense is progressing. Oh, why am I becoming emotional…
Within a few days, amidst his mentor’s amazement, Logan took pride in the unique attribute ‘Up’ he had devised.
And today, Logan abruptly awoke from slumber.
Within the expansive sensory field generated by the ‘seven’ force cores pulsating in his heart, he discerned foreign movements infiltrating.
Although the sensory field began to contract as consciousness returned, Logan had already detected the alien entities sneaking into his chamber.
He subtly clasped his wife’s hand without betraying any external signs.
Startled, yet gratefully, his wife appeared to understand the signal and began adjusting her stance, breathing steadily.
The force within her body quickened, preparing her for combat.
The preparations were flawless.
Nevertheless, Logan couldn’t shake off his worries.
‘Another encounter so soon? Has the conflict with the empire been accelerated?’
Anxiety and unease gripped his heart.
Yet lacking a definitive answer, Logan resolved to confront the encroaching adversaries.
Focusing on the approaching presences, Logan observed shadows gliding in through the silently opened window.
Flash.
Swoosh!
In an instant, a golden light gleamed, followed by a splintering sound and a spray of blood.
Simultaneously, a black-masked assailant materialized seemingly out of thin air.
The stealth exhibited was incredible, almost unbelievable to the naked eye, but the masked figure, cleaved vertically through the torso, crumpled in shock within their mask.
Aligned with the culprit, the shadows that had infiltrated the chamber fell into a deeper hush in the darkness. Yet their brief hesitation had already been keenly captured by Logan’s sixth sense.
Feeling assured as his wife, now standing with drawn sword, Logan’s mind settled even further.
“How many?”
“Currently ten, no, fifteen.”
Despite being unarmed, he stood unshaken in this predicament.
“You vermin. I will eliminate each and every one of you.”
With a fierce grin, Logan kindled his fighting spirit.
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