Regressor of the Fallen Family Novel - Chapter 293 (New)

Chapter 293

“So, you didn’t manage to catch them?”

“They made their getaway on some strange, platter-like device. I was unable to halt their flight.”

Ronian’s face was clouded with regret, a sentiment mirrored by the heavy exhalation from Victor.

“Old man Burdel did his best to pick off their subordinates with some sharp shooting, but the strategy eventually failed.”

Ronian tilted his head toward a thin, middle-aged man who gave a small, grim nod.

“I was firing from a distance of two kilometers, yet they somehow tracked my position. If Ronian hadn’t been harrying them across the rooftops, I would have been in serious trouble.”

Burdel, whose senses and range had reached new heights following his aura awakening, was arguably now the premier marksman on the continent. His report cast a shadow of wariness over the group regarding their mysterious foes.

“… That old man is truly frightening. Had you not shown up, I would have been done for.”

“Naturally. You should show a little more appreciation.”

“I’m still your elder.”

“Be that as it may.”

“Fine, thanks! Are we even now?”

Ronian seemed to regain his spirit when he was joking around rather than dwelling on failure.

Victor gave a soft laugh, and Ronian beckoned to the lanky wizard who had been lingering in the shadows of the corner.

“And we shouldn’t overlook Greck, who stumbled into our path after being snatched up by those weirdos!”

“How humiliating…”

Greck winced, hanging his head as he began to scratch aimlessly in the dirt with a stick, but the teasing wasn’t finished.

“It was because of your little detour near the southern mountain range to get back to McLaine that we ran into those attackers and found you.”

“Precisely. Because Greck allowed himself to be caught quickly without showing his true strength, we arrived at just the right moment.”

Though Burdel spoke up for Greck, the mage remained deflated by Ronian’s poking.

“Look, I ran like a madman once I realized you had walked straight into a trap.”

“It was a frantic sprint. I haven’t stopped moving all day.”

“And look at the state of me now…”

Greck muttered miserably, though the others had already moved on.

Instead, Victor spoke with genuine warmth.

“Thank you, Uncle Greck. We owe you our lives.”

“Please… just stop. It only makes me feel more pathetic.”

Greck looked as though he wanted to melt into the earth. Watching him, Ronian let out a quiet breath, a memory flickering in his eyes.

“If they hadn’t had that flying disc, we would have pinned them down!”

“I don’t doubt it.”

Victor nodded, trying to bolster his friend’s confidence. It wasn’t mere flattery. Even though Victor’s new unique ability had drastically increased his physical power, he viewed Ronian’s aura as equally impressive.

‘Actually, in terms of sheer refinement, his might be superior. If that’s the case…’

Victor was struck once more by his friend’s meteoric growth. Suddenly, Ronian spoke up.

“Well, we didn’t come away empty-handed.”

“What do you mean?”

“One of the fallen had this strange ring. It reacts to force or mana—take a look.”

Ronian pulled out a plain band and pushed a bit of energy into it. The jewelry began to glow with a soft azure light, revealing an engraving of a coiled black serpent in the center.

“A snake? Is that it?”

“Yes. It looks like an insignia for a specific organization. Does the Empire have any groups using this mark? Just touching it gives me the creeps.”

“I’m not sure. Perhaps His Majesty has an idea?”

Victor looked stumped, and Ronian made a face, scratching at his arm.

“You mean my brother when you say ‘His Majesty’?”

“Of course.”

“Ugh, I’ll never get used to that. It gives me goosebumps.”

As Victor laughed at his friend’s discomfort, a steady voice spoke up beside them.

“You’ll have to adapt eventually, Ronian.”

“Don’t start with that! Just talk to me normally like he does! I don’t care about titles…”

Seeing Ronian shudder at the formality, the lingering dread from their mission finally began to fade.

‘The objective was achieved, and we met the goals.’

Even though the primary targets had slipped through their fingers, it was a victory. Victor patted Ronian on the back and smiled.

“You’ll get the hang of it. Anyway, welcome home. And congratulations.”

“Home? This isn’t McLaine… Wait, congratulations for what?”

“For being the youngest aura user on the continent, taking the title from His Majesty himself.”

“Ah… haha, that. We’re essentially the same age.”

“But I only just crossed the threshold yesterday, while you’ve clearly moved well beyond the initial stage, haven’t you?”

“Well, yeah. But only because I went through hell. If I hadn’t stumbled upon the Sword Sage’s relic, I probably wouldn’t have made it.”

The Sword Sage’s relic? Those words carried immense weight, instantly grabbing Victor’s attention.

“Since you brought it up, what exactly happened in those southern mountains to make you this powerful? And what’s with that new sword style?”

Victor had only seen a glimpse, but Ronian’s movements were worlds apart from the Ironblood Sword’s forms. While there were echoes of the Ghost Shadow, his posture and striking patterns were totally new. Most notably, the technique he used to form an aura shield against the blast was staggering.

“Oh. That…”

Just as Ronian began to explain with a grin, a low vibrating hum filled the air as the communication device flickered to life. The contact they had been waiting for had arrived.

“Ronian!?”

Logan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he stared at the screen, stunned to see his brother.

“Yes, brother. It has been a long time.”

Recovering from his shock, Logan immediately unleashed a barrage of scolding, lecturing Ronian for his silence and for causing their mother so much grief.

“Ahem. Please, try to stay professional, Your Majesty.”

Dwayne stepped in to cool things down, while Damian looked away awkwardly. Only then did Logan reign himself in.

“Fine. I mean, I trusted you’d be okay, but… the family was on edge.”

He tried to brush off his own concern, but feeling a bit self-conscious, he steered the topic back to the task at hand.

“So, what are you doing there? And where is Victor?”

“He’s right here. But he thought it was more appropriate for me to speak with you directly…”

“Regardless. Start from the beginning. Give me the full report.”

“Well…”

Ronian’s story was long and gripping. The revelation that mages had laid an ambush at McLaine was shocking, but their ability to overcome it was even more impressive. As Ronian spoke, Logan’s grin widened until he finally let out a boisterous laugh.

“Hahaha! Excellent work! You, Victor, and Burdel all reaching aura status—it’s incredible! Truly outstanding!”

Logan didn’t hold back his pride. Behind him, Damian and Dwayne were also beaming. However, Ronian’s face remained grave.

“There is an issue, though. One mage used a type of magic I’ve never seen and escaped on some sort of flying artifact.”

The news dampened the celebratory mood.

“… I was overconfident. I should have considered the possibility of the Empire sticking their noses in.”

Logan often blamed himself for moving too fast. Despite knowing his tendency to rush, changing his nature was difficult. He wondered if his choices were too reckless for a king, but then a warm voice broke his ruminations.

“No one can predict every move. Don’t be so hard on yourself, brother.”

“… When did you become the one giving me advice? You’ve really grown up, Lonie.”

“… I am an adult now, brother.”

“I suppose you are. Already…”

Watching his brother through the screen, Logan felt the weight of the years.

‘Ronian reached aura status around the same time he did in my previous life. No, based on what he just said, he’s already surpassed a beginner’s level.’

The thought lifted a weight from Logan’s shoulders. Everything was moving forward better than he had dared to hope. Suddenly, Victor’s face appeared on the screen.

“There is more, Your Majesty. Count Ronian has mastered a truly remarkable advanced sword art.”

“… An advanced technique?”

“Yes, the kind of high-level martial art usually only found within the Empire or ancient clans!”

Victor was visibly buzzing with excitement.

“You’re cutting in? Move over. Brother, I’ll come to Grandia soon and explain the Galaxy Sword technique in detail.”

“The Galaxy Sword?”

“Yes, that’s what it’s called. The creator said it was designed to follow the paths of the stars.”

It was a name Logan had never encountered in his past life. But seeing Ronian’s self-assured look, he knew it had to be something special.

‘True advanced sword arts are a rarity.’

Feeling like luck was on their side, Logan’s smile returned.

“That is wonderful news. My thanks to all of you. But first, you must go to McLaine.”

“Pardon?”

“Did you not hear me? Mother is sick with worry! I’ll be traveling for a bit, so come to Grandia later. Also, keep this quiet—it’s a secret for now.”

“Your Majesty!”

“Sir…”

Dwayne and Damian, who had been listening quietly, both made faces of disapproval.

“Can you not trust my brother and Victor?”

“It isn’t a matter of trust, Your Majesty. But since we have more options now, is it really necessary for you or the Queen to go in person?”

Dwayne was genuinely worried.

“If those remnants from Tahinan get involved in the conflict, things will get messy. Simply hiding your face won’t be enough. The specific color of your force and your unique movements…”

“Exactly! Your force is golden! I’ve never seen a knight with a golden aura. Going in disguise would still be incredibly dangerous…”

Dwayne was becoming quite heated, but Logan remained unmoved.

“I have a solution for that.”

Seeing Logan’s stubbornness, Dwayne looked defeated, but Damian tried one last time.

“The Tria Kingdom might not play their part. If that mage mentioned McLaine, the information probably leaked from there. If they decide to pivot…”

“They won’t. That would be suicide. Even if it’s just for show, they have to move because of Liberty and Teronan… And if they don’t?”

“What then?”

“Then we’ll pull out Ignis and turn everything upside down. A clash between the alliances is going to happen regardless.”

Even if Tria was trying to set a trap, they weren’t the ones pulling the strings. If they had the resources to plant a high-level mage in Fort King, they wouldn’t have come to McLaine for help. It was far more likely that a third party, linked to the return of Tahiti and using Tria as a pawn, was behind the trap.

‘The Empire.’

If that were true, it was crucial to dominate the kingdom’s alliance and keep them on a short leash. The coming war between the three powers was the ideal stage.

“We need to use this moment to solidify our power within the alliance.”

Logan’s finality silenced his advisors.

“If that is your final word…, then we shall follow.”

Ronian nodded through the screen, but then he seemed to remember something and held up a ring.

“Actually, have you seen anything like this? If you channel mana or force into it, a black snake appears.”

“… What was that?”

“One of the mage’s people had it. It looks like a group symbol. I’ve never heard of an organization with such a creepy mark, so I wanted to see if you knew.”

Ronian held the ring closer. It pulsed with light, showing the serpent logo clearly within the blue glow. The image instantly triggered a memory for Logan.

“The Crown’s ring…”

“So you do know it!”

Ronian looked relieved, but Logan’s expression darkened.

“Not exactly. I wasn’t aware that an actual organization was behind it.”

The notorious wizard known as Crown had a ring just like that. In his previous life, the symbol hadn’t been widely discussed, so Logan hadn’t given it much thought.

‘Was there a group like this operating within the Empire’s shadows?’

His mind raced with questions, and Clayton’s previous warning rang in his ears.

— This isn’t the work of one person.

In his past life, Crown had eventually joined the Imperial family, becoming incredibly wealthy by mass-producing basic artifacts, much like McLaine was doing now. There had never been a hint that he belonged to some secret faction.

‘Yet another change in the timeline?’

Logan felt a pang of anxiety but quickly shook it off. Given all the good news, this was a relatively small problem. No enemy could be more dangerous than the Empire itself. Whether it was an internal sect or an external foe, he couldn’t afford to get bogged down by it now.

“Damian, look into whether any group uses a coiled snake as their emblem.”

“I’ll get on it.”

“Don’t overdo it. If it seems too dangerous, pull back. We don’t want to tip them off.”

“Understood.”

With that handled, Logan turned his focus back to the screen…