Regressor of the Fallen Family Novel - Chapter 206 (New)

Chapter 206: “What kind of madmen are these now…?”

A dull throb was beginning to pulse behind Logan’s eyes.

It defied all logic to assume that anyone at this late stage would attempt to validate a claim to the throne through random acts of violence. Only a mind completely unmoored from reality could entertain such a delusion. This implied that a faction was using Clavis, the former First Royal Grandson, as a mere pretext for chaos. They were perpetrating terror without any discernible pattern, making it nearly impossible to identify the true puppet master.

“Who are they?”

[It is confirmed that they represent a faction loyal to the First Royal Grandson…]

“The First Royal Grandson is a title of the past. Regardless of their claims, they are currently nothing more than a pack of insurgents.”

[Ah, yes. That is a fair point. We have no concrete data other than their declared allegiance to Clavis.]

Logan bit his lip, the irritation rising. It was baffling how such an unpredictable crisis had manifested during his brief six-month departure.

“Has Damian provided any insight?”

[None at all. He is currently still in the foundational stage of building the network. His only correspondences have been messages of regret regarding the high expenses.]

“I see. That is about what I expected.”

The reality of the situation aligned perfectly with his grim predictions. However, the next piece of information was truly startling.

[The Information Guild Nox has reported a surge in sightings of Clavis himself by those who have survived these terrorist encounters.]

“What?”

Could Clavis truly be physically present? Was there actually a terrorist cell that unhinged in existence? The story was enough to make anyone groan in exasperation.

‘No, it’s highly unlikely. Someone must be parading him around to serve their own agenda. I have to uncover the truth.’

The list of necessary internal inspections for the kingdom continued to grow. At that moment, Logan’s theories about the group were limited to that scope. Naturally, action was required.

“I have to head back immediately.”

Because of the urgency, the trek from Ruspelheim back to McLaine was squeezed into less than half the usual time.

“The Lord has returned!”

After being away for nearly half a year, the citizens of McLaine Town gave Logan and his retinue a hero’s welcome. The sight of eight grand state carriages—additions that hadn’t existed before—and the obvious wealth they hauled made it clear to everyone that the Lord had been immensely successful. Moreover, as news circulated that Luther Kaihl, a formidable Aura User, intended to reside in McLaine, the entire territory sang Logan’s praises once more.

– As expected of the Lord!

This phrase had become a common idiom among the people of McLaine. Amidst the boisterous celebrations, Logan felt a flicker of confusion. As he entered the manor, he wondered why the two individuals who should have been the most excited to see him were missing.

“Th-There… You will understand once you step into the office.”

Seeing Dwayne purposefully avoid his eyes, Logan cautiously pushed open the office door. There, a familiar face peeked out from behind a literal mountain of paperwork. Her red hair was a mess, and heavy dark circles weighed down her exhausted eyes.

“Who…?”

As their eyes met, the owner of the weary voice froze.

“Eileen?”

“Young Lord Logan?! When did you… I mean, when did you arrive…”

Stopping mid-sentence, Eileen ducked back behind the documents. After a frantic clattering from behind the paper pile, she emerged looking slightly more composed, though her fatigue was still painfully evident.

“Oh, I knew you were arriving today, but I became so swamped with work that it slipped my mind. Do I look… a bit of a mess?”

“No, you are as beautiful as ever. But that isn’t the point. Why are you buried in this, Eileen?”

“Well, father mentioned he was departing on a business trip and tasked me with the approvals. He claimed it was time I learned the intricacies of managing the family estate.”

That old man. He used to be so focused on discriminating against women, and now he’s dumped the entire administrative workload on her? Can a person’s character really flip that drastically?

As Logan grappled with the absurdity of the situation, he noticed a specific detail.

“A business trip?”

“He said the specifics were classified… Only that he was handling a task on your behalf, Young Lord Logan.”

“Ah…!”

The list provided by Nox. It wasn’t until Eileen mentioned the “business trip” that Logan remembered the assignments he had given his father. ‘Then at this very moment…’

As Logan’s mind raced, Eileen quickly pivoted the conversation.

“Were there any great events in the empire? You look well.”

Despite her own ragged state, Logan’s earlier compliment hadn’t been a lie. He certainly preferred her usual spirited self, but there was something about her pale, hardworking face that made him want to protect her. ‘She must be reaching her limit.’

Caught between amusement and genuine pity, Logan struggled for words. Instead, he simply raised his hand, letting a golden light shimmer in the evening air. As a knight, she would immediately grasp the significance.

“Aura!! Oh my goodness! How did you achieve this?”

“Uh! Wait, just a second. Could you… let go of my hand…?”

Bursting with excitement, Eileen had lunged forward, and Logan actually had to use his Aura to gently steady her.

“Regarding that, while in Ruspelheim…”

As he began to recount his journey, the tale naturally grew long. As she listened to the accounts of the empire’s powerhouses and his own awakening, Eileen’s eyes sparkled with more life than they had in weeks. Seeing her joy, Logan felt a wave of relief and a small smile touched his lips.

“You really aren’t built for desk work, are you?”

“No. To be honest, it has been miserable.”

Her blunt honesty made him let out a short, amused snort.

“Then you shouldn’t be shouldering all of this. You have the female army to oversee as well. Dwayne is perfectly capable of managing the bureaucracy.”

“Ah! Speaking of which, I have a progress report for the female army. Training is going well, and the recent sparring matches against the men…”

“Eileen.”

“…so I believe we can begin reinforcing them soon, yes?”

“Enough. Go rest now. I’m back, so I will take the reins. You can give me the formal paperwork reports later. You need sleep; you look absolutely spent.”

“…But I can manage.”

Despite her verbal protest, Eileen moved away from the desk with a speed that betrayed her true feelings about administrative duties. Logan took her place with a wry smile and began swiftly processing the documents.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The stamps fell in a rapid rhythm, fueled by his superhuman dexterity. Eileen paused, watching him in total shock.

“…Excuse me, Young Lord Logan. Are you even reading those?”

“I employ talented administrators so that I don’t have to scrutinize every detail. Dwayne will have reviewed these before they reached this desk anyway.”

“But what if there is an error…?”

“Then the person who drafted it is responsible.”

“Good heavens…”

Eileen looked at him with a mix of awe and mock outrage. While Logan blazed through the paperwork, he made sure to gather all the vital intelligence regarding changes in the territory through Dwayne. In truth, the only matters that required his personal touch were the new recruitment drives for the female forces and concerns regarding the fortress city of Taren. It took less than three days for him to fully grasp the state of his fiefdom.

It was only then, finally free of the desk, that Logan began to plan his intelligence gathering on the terrorists. Suddenly, Dwayne burst into the office.

“My Lord! An insurrection has broken out in the northeast of the kingdom!”

“A revolt? Do they actually have the numbers for that? Which region?”

“It is the former lands of Count Zahid—the count who backed the First Prince and was subsequently executed. Furthermore, the local lords’ standing armies have been decimated!”

“What? How did they muster that much power?”

“I have no idea. The crown has summoned a war council to coordinate a response. It seems you must return to the capital immediately.”

The situation was spiraling. Just three days after finally reaching home, Logan was galloping back toward the seat of power.

Upon reaching the capital of Grand after three days of non-stop riding, Logan bypassed his own estate and went straight to his mentor.

“You’ve made it.”

A look of deep exhaustion was etched onto his mentor’s face, though it brightened briefly when he saw Logan.

“I’ve heard the tales from your time in the empire. You certainly left an impression.”

“What kind of impression?”

“The fact that you declined the Emperor’s personal invitation. Rumor has it he offered you a territory the size of our entire kingdom.”

“At the end of the day, I am a citizen of Grandia.”

As he spoke, Logan realized how well-informed his mentor was about the events in Aserian. ‘I really need to pour more resources into Damian’s network to keep pace.’ Feeling the urgent need for his own spy ring, Logan noticed his mentor studying him with focused curiosity.

“Wait… have you already reached…?”

“The journey to the empire was… enlightening.”

Logan looked at his mentor with a new perspective. Now that he had awakened his own Aura, he could perceive the strength of his mentor—an established Aura User—in a way he never could before. It was satisfying to finally be able to gauge that power, yet also slightly humbling.

‘He isn’t on the level of Luther or Wicken. But…’

The sheer power of Tris from the empire was still miles away. If he had to rank them, Luther would be on the lower rung, while his mentor was firmly in the upper tier. Logan watched his mentor with a swirl of conflicting emotions.

Misinterpreting Logan’s look, the mentor patted his shoulder warmly.

“Thank you. For not turning your back on this country.”

“Why would I? It’s my home.”

“That is exactly why I’m grateful, you stubborn fool.”

“Has anything changed while I was away?”

“No, His Majesty has been perfectly composed. He’s been working diligently on state matters, without any of the suspicious movements you were concerned about.”

But despite the reassurance, his mentor’s expression remained unreadable. It wasn’t surprising, given the gravity of the situation.

“The minor nobility in the area have been wiped out. How did an army of that size just appear out of thin air?”

“That is the mystery. A force comparable to the old Frontier Count has appeared from nothing, and to make matters worse, their numbers are growing even as we speak.”

“Growing?”

“Nobles who lost their status during the civil wars are flocking to their banner. What on earth could they have seen in them to…”

“Hmph… Do you truly have no theories?”

“That is the purpose of this strategy meeting—to find answers. Someone in that room must know something.”

If even his mentor, with his vast network, was in the dark about the rebels’ origins, the situation was dire. Logan’s expression darkened. He had hoped his mentor would have the answers.

‘Unless these rebels are completely suicidal, they must have a hidden objective.’

With that ominous thought, Logan followed his mentor into the royal conference hall.

“Felix Esperanza, the Duke, and Logan McLaine, the Count, have arrived!”

Grrr.

As the heavy doors to the throne room swung open, every noble in the room turned to look. As they walked toward the throne where the king sat, the nobility bowed and offered constant greetings.

“Welcome back.”

“I heard of your return. Even the Emperor was struck by your presence, wasn’t he? Remarkable…”

“The star of Grandia! To be honored with a title by the Emperor himself… truly impressive.”

One by one, the nobles showered him with flattery, having heard exaggerated accounts of his time in the empire.

“Is this really the time for small talk about me?”

Logan scowled, causing the nobles to flinch and retreat. He ignored them, kneeling before the king with a heavy sigh.

“Logan McLaine stands before the monarch of Grandia.”

“Felix Esperanza stands before the monarch of Grandia.”

“It has been some time, Duke. and Young Lord Logan. I heard you faced many trials in the empire. It is a relief to see you have returned to us safely.”

The king’s previously sharp, cold edge had vanished. He greeted them with a soft, pleasant smile.

“I am grateful for your concern.”

“What concern did I show? While the king proves ineffective, rebels rise—all within six months of your departure.”

“…The insurrection will be quelled shortly. Please, do not trouble yourself.”

“Those are reassuring words. Now, let us determine the best way to eradicate these pests.”

The king and the highest authority in the land appeared to be on perfectly friendly terms. It was a sight that made many nobles, who had heard rumors of a rift between the two, tilt their heads in confusion. During the council, the king made no secret of his absolute reliance on Logan.

“If McLaine takes the lead, this will be resolved in no time. May I entrust this task to you, Young Lord Logan?”

The king looked at Logan with that same gentle smile, and their eyes—both a matching shade of crimson—met.

Would you like me to analyze the potential political motives behind the King’s sudden change in attitude toward Logan?