Regressor of the Fallen Family Novel - Chapter 293
Chapter 293
“Did you miss them?”
“They escaped on a peculiar disc-shaped object. I couldn’t stop them.”
Ronian’s expression was one of disappointment, echoed by Victor’s deep sigh.
“Old man Burdel managed to take out some of their henchmen with precise sniping, but then it stopped working.”
Ronian gestured towards the gaunt middle-aged man who slightly furrowed his brow and nodded.
“I was shooting from 2km away, but they somehow pinpointed my location. If Ronian hadn’t been chasing them on the rooftops, I might have been in trouble.”
Burdel, with enhanced accuracy and range due to his awakened aura, was now arguably the best archer on the continent. His words instilled caution towards the enemy.
“… That old man is terrifying. If you hadn’t arrived, I would have been in deep trouble.”
“Well, obviously. So be grateful to me.”
“I was born before you.”
“Anyway.”
“Thanks! Are we good now?”
Ronian seemed more at ease when he was playful rather than disheartened.
Victor chuckled, then Ronian called over the skinny mage who had been hiding in the corner.
“And let’s not forget to thank Greck, who stumbled upon us after being captured by some strange individuals!”
“Embarrassing…”
Greck flinched and lowered his head, starting to doodle in the dirt, but his ordeal wasn’t over yet.
“Thanks to your detour near the southern mountains to return through McLaine, we encountered the attackers later and met you.”
“Exactly. Thanks to Greck’s quick capture without revealing his full potential, we met right on time.”
Although Burdel defended Greck with his words, the mage felt dejected by Ronian’s teasing.
“Well, I sprinted madly towards here when I realized you had fallen into the enemy’s trap.”
“It was a desperate move. I’ve been running all day.”
“And now I look like this…”
Greck added in a gloomy tone, but his words went unnoticed by the others.
Instead,
“Thank you, Uncle Greck. We owe our survival to you.”
“Don’t… just don’t. It makes me feel worse.”
Victor expressed sincere gratitude, and Greck seemed like he wanted to bury his face in the ground.
Watching him, Ronian sighed softly, as if remembering something.
“If it weren’t for that disc-shaped object, we could have caught them!”
“Yeah, for sure.”
Encouraging his frustrated friend, Victor nodded.
It wasn’t just empty words.
Despite his newfound special ability boosting his strength, Victor acknowledged Ronian’s aura as equally formidable.
‘No, his might be even deeper if we compare their purity. In that case…’
Victor was once again amazed by his friend’s incredible progress when Ronian spoke up.
“Well, we’re not completely clueless.”
“Huh?”
“One of the deceased had this peculiar ring. It reacts to force or mana, look…”
Ronian displayed a simple ring and infused it with energy.
The ring emitted a faint blue light and revealed a coiled black snake symbol in the middle.
“A snake? Is that all?”
“Yeah. It seems to be an artifact symbolizing membership to a certain group. Any group with this symbol in the Empire? Just looking at it gives me a bad feeling.”
“I’m not sure. Maybe His Majesty would know?”
Victor responded with a puzzled expression, and Ronian grimaced before scratching his arm.
“Oh, you mean my brother when you say His Majesty?”
“Obviously.”
“Oh, I can’t get used to it. It gives me goosebumps.”
Laughing at the situation, Victor was joined by a calm voice beside him.
“You’ll have to get used to it now, Ronian.”
“Ugh, don’t call me Ronian! Just speak informally like he does! I don’t have any titles…”
Watching Ronian shiver, the tension from their mission seemed to dissipate somehow.
‘The mission is accomplished, and the objective is met.’
Although they let the main enemy slip away, it was considered a success.
Victor patted Ronian’s shoulder and chuckled.
“You’ll get used to it. Anyway, welcome back, congratulations.”
“Back? This isn’t even McLaine… Huh? Congratulations for what?”
“Because you now hold the title of the youngest aura user on the continent, surpassing His Majesty.”
“Ah… haha, that. We’re the same age.”
“But I just awakened yesterday, whereas you’ve clearly progressed beyond awakening, right?”
“Sigh, that’s true. But only because I went through some real hardships. If I hadn’t found the Sword Sage’s relic, I might have almost died.”
The Sword Sage’s relic?
These words held significant weight. Victor’s curiosity was piqued.
“Now that we’re on the topic, what did you do in the southern mountains to become so strong? And what about that swordsmanship?”
Although Victor hadn’t observed Ronian for long, his swordplay was distinct from the Ironblood Sword’s technique.
The traces of the Ghost Shadow were evident, but Ronian’s sword handling and attacking style were unfamiliar. Particularly, the skill he used to create an aura barrier to block the explosion was impressive.
“Ah. That’s…”
Just as Ronian was about to share with a smile, a low hum filled the room as the communicator lit up.
It was the awaited contact.
* * *
“Ronian!?”
Logan stared at the communicator with widened eyes, taken aback by his brother’s sudden appearance.
“Yes, brother. It’s been a while.”
Surprised by his brother’s unexpected call, Logan launched into a litany of complaints, scolding Ronian for not keeping in touch and worrying their mother.
“Cough, cough. Please, maintain your composure, Your Majesty.”
Dwayne interjected, trying to defuse the situation, and Damian looked confused about where to direct his gaze. Only then did Logan calm down.
“Right. Well, I assumed you were safe, but… the family was quite anxious.”
He tried to justify his lack of communication, but the back of his head started to feel warm, prompting him to swiftly move the conversation forward.
“So, why are you there? Where’s Victor?”
“He’s here. But he thought it would be better for me to communicate directly…”
“Never mind that. Start from the beginning. What happened?”
“Well… “
Ronian’s explanation was lengthy but captivating.
The fact that mages had set a trap at McLaine was astonishing, but their triumph over the situation was even more remarkable.
Listening to Ronian, Logan’s smile grew, and he burst into laughter once his brother finished speaking.
“Ahahaha! Well done! You, Victor, and Burdel awakening your auras, incredible! Excellent!”
Praise flowed freely from Logan’s lips.
Damian and Dwayne also wore bright smiles as they listened behind the king. However, Ronian’s expression turned serious.
“But there’s a problem with that mage. He used an unfamiliar magic and escaped on a flying artifact.”
The news dampened the previously high spirits.
“… I was too complacent. I should have anticipated possible Imperial interference.”
Logan often criticized himself for acting too hastily.
Despite knowing this flaw, changing it was challenging. He sighed, contemplating if his decisions were too light for someone with such responsibilities, but then he heard a comforting voice.
“No one can foresee everything. Don’t be too hard on yourself, brother.”
“… When did you learn to comfort people? You’ve grown up, Lonie.”
“… I am an adult now, brother.”
“Yes, that’s right. Already…”
Looking at his brother on the screen, Logan keenly felt the passage of time.
‘Ronian awakened around the same time as he did in my previous life. No, based on his story, he’s not a novice.’
With that thought, Logan’s heart felt lighter.
Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly, even better than expected. Suddenly, Victor’s face appeared on the communicator.
“There’s more, Your Majesty. Count Ronian has mastered an extraordinary advanced sword technique.”
“… Advanced sword technique?”
“Yes, a high-level swordsmanship passed down in the Empire or ancient martial families!”
Victor’s excitement was palpable; he seemed just as surprised by this news.
“You’re interrupting? Step aside. Brother, I’ll come to speak with Grandia, then elaborate on the Galaxy Sword technique.”
“The Galaxy Sword?”
“Yes, it’s a sword technique known as the Galaxy Sword. It’s designed to mimic the orbits of the stars, according to its creator.”
It was a swordsmanship Logan had never heard of in his past life.
However, judging by Ronian’s confident demeanor, it was undeniably extraordinary.
‘Rare are advanced sword techniques.’
With luck seemingly on their side, Logan’s smile deepened.
“That’s fantastic. Thank you. But first, make a stop at McLaine.”
“Excuse me?”
“Didn’t I tell you? Mother is worried! I’ll be away for a while, so visit Grandia later. Oh, and this is confidential, so keep it to yourself.”
“Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty…”
Dwayne and Damian’s expressions soured upon hearing this, as they had only been silently observing.
“Can’t you trust my brother and Victor here?”
“It’s not that, Your Majesty. But we have alternatives now, so why should you or the Queen need to go personally?”
Dwayne expressed genuine concern.
“If those troublemakers from Tahinan show up in the war, it’ll cause complications. Merely concealing your identity isn’t sufficient. The distinct force colors and specific techniques…”
“That’s precisely it! Your force is golden! I’ve never heard of a knight with a golden force. It would be risky for you to go, even with disguises…”
Dwayne suddenly grew animated, but his argument didn’t sway Logan.
“There’s a way around it.”
With firm resolve, Dwayne’s expression fell, yet Damian stepped forward.
“The Tria Kingdom might not follow the script. If that mage mentioned McLaine, the leak likely came from there. If they decide to overhaul the whole situation…”
“They won’t. It’s their own demise. Even for show, they’ll act due to Liberty and Teronan… If not?”
“And if they don’t?”
“Then we’ll wield Ignis and shake things up. The alliance war is inevitable.”
Even if Tria had set a trap, they weren’t the primary force behind this plot. If they had the power and connections to send a mage into Fort King, they wouldn’t seek McLaine’s aid.
Therefore, a third party connected to Tahiti’s resurgence and utilizing Tria for the recent trap was more likely.
‘The Empire.’
In that case, it was vital to assert dominance over the kingdom’s alliance and firmly hold them in check. The imminent war among the three nations would be the perfect opportunity.
“We must expand our influence within the alliance at this juncture.”
With Logan’s resolute statement, even his two advisors couldn’t object and stepped back.
“If that’s your decision…, I understand.”
Ronian also nodded from the communicator, but a thought seemed to strike him as he suddenly produced a ring.
“By the way, have you seen a ring like this before? When you infuse it with force or mana, a coiled black snake symbol appears.”
“… What?”
“One of the mage’s lackeys had it. It seems to be the symbol of their group. I haven’t heard of any organization using such a sinister emblem, so I thought to ask you.”
As Ronian spoke, he extended the ring, which emitted a soft glow and revealed a coiled black snake symbol within the blue light.
Seeing it, Logan immediately recalled a memory from the past.
“The Crown’s ring…”
“So, you’re familiar with it!”
Uttering to himself, Ronian brightened, but Logan’s expression grew more complex.
“Not exactly. I wasn’t aware of such an organization’s existence.”
The infamous mage Crown had a ring identical to this among his possessions.
In Logan’s previous life, there was no mention of this symbol, so he had overlooked it.
‘Was there such a group within or outside the Empire?’
Complicated thoughts swirled in his mind, and Clayton’s words echoed.
– This isn’t the work of a single individual.
However, in his past life, Crown eventually aligned with the Imperial family, accumulating vast wealth by producing numerous low-level artifacts like contemporary McLaine. There was no indication of him being affiliated with any faction other than the Imperial family.
‘Another unknown factor?’
Feeling slightly uneasy, Logan quickly dismissed these troubling thoughts.
Among the many positive developments, this was a minor concern.
No adversary could surpass the Empire.
Whether an internal faction or an external enemy, now wasn’t the time to fixate on this issue.
Just a few directives should suffice.
“Damian, investigate if any group uses this symbol.”
“Understood.”
“No need to push it. If it appears too risky, cease your inquiries. We don’t want to inadvertently alert them.”
“Got it.”
With that, Logan redirected his attention to the communicator…
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