304 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 304 "The Second Prince, Prince Baros, has gone missing?" Damian's report was indeed shocking. "Yes. It has been quite a while since he last appeared in public." "…Could it be false?" "The chances are slim. Recently, there was a major disturbance in the outer castle of Aserian. It seems those using strange magic clashed with the Royal Guard. Witnesses claim to have seen the Second Prince being abducted amidst the chaos, and these accounts have spread throughout the capital." "Did that madman get kidnapped?" "Pardon?" "No, nevermind." The Second Prince. That lunatic, who once offered mountains of corpses as sacrifices, now missing. Of all the variables Logan had encountered since his return, this one was undoubtedly the most surprising. However. 'Anyway, Prince Baros never played a significant role in the invasion wars. Except for the start of the war being marked by his appointment as Crown Prince.' Right now, the life or death of the Second Prince wasn't the main concern. It was those who caused the incident. "Strange magic users, you say?" At those words, faces came to mind, and Damian's continued report confirmed Logan's suspicions. "They're said to have summoned black monstrosities and moving plants to attack. Rumors also suggest they controlled the minds of the guards, making them fight each other." The culprits were clear. "Moreover, the pitch-black poison mist they released as they fled caused massive damage to Aserian's civilian areas. This has made information control impossible, and ominous rumors are spreading everywhere." "And the Second Prince was kidnapped in the midst of this?" "Surviving civilians reported hearing the guards shouting. It's too prevalent to be dismissed as mere hallucination." It was absurd. Though he should be pleased with the empire's turmoil, the lack of understanding of the cause left him more bewildered. 'Were they not affiliated with the Empire?' It seemed undeniably like the Empire's maneuver in the conflicts against the alliance. They were clear adversaries he had fought on the front lines against. But a terrorist act in Aserian? "So, what about the Empire? How is the royal family responding?" "The imperial family has not officially acknowledged the incident. They've only made a brief announcement about subduing terrorist elements in the capital." "But you said they fled?" "Yes. That's the strange part. Typically, the Empire would issue a continent-wide search order and pursue them relentlessly. But they haven't. Perhaps those who fled the capital have already been dealt with." Who knows? "Is there a head displayed at the city gate?" "Ah…!" If they had indeed captured the culprits, the Empire would have displayed their leader’s severed head at the gate. The absence of such an act indicated either a lack of worthiness or their failure to catch them. 'Probably the latter.' A myriad of thoughts raced through Logan's mind. Yet no matter how much he deliberated, only one conclusion was clear. 'That's a relief.' His gravest concern after the alliance's war was the berserker magic that Tria's resistance had demonstrated. Despite its massive limitations, demanding unimaginable sacrifices of superhumans and requiring secret consent from soldiers, its power to turn the tide of battle was undeniable. 'If the Empire's grand army wielded such magic, we'd be at an utter loss.' Was it possible they were enemies of each other? Couldn't ask for a better situation. "An internal enemy within the Empire. This unexpected boon can't be ignored." "Indeed." Yet, one concern lingered. 'Sacrifices. The magic circle activated by sacrifices.' It was undoubtedly the insane Emperor Baros who orchestrated the horrendous scenes at the end of his previous life. Though there was a difference between mountains of corpses and a single superhuman, it was hard to believe there were two owners of such a unique magic unseen anywhere else. But for the master of the terrifying magic circle that seemingly caused his return to be these magicians instead of the Empire felt strangely off. 'In my past life, they were allies, yet now they're enemies? No, wait. Is this even truly a kidnapping?' It seemed plausible that there was a more complex issue within the Empire only known to a select few. Thus… "…It's a pity." "Pardon?" "The internal strife in the heart of the Empire can't be further exploited." "…" The gaze of the royal family would undoubtedly be inward. Yet this internal fiasco wasn't causing any significant turmoil in the Empire's overwhelming power. Furthermore, there was insufficient information to capitalize on the situation effectively. Therefore. "I suppose we should focus on what we can." "Sorry?" "Deploy more resources into investigating the prince's kidnapping and the magicians using the black snake emblem, even if it means risking conflict with the empire’s royal family." "…Understood." "Coordinate with Phillip to thoroughly analyze the Empire's movements, especially the army's. The time is nearing." "Yes." Following the previous life's trajectory, at most a year and a half remained. The alliance in the East was securely checked, and internal consolidation was complete. Therefore… "Review the training status of the entire army and militia, and continually enhance the forces and arms of each corps to the limit our finances can sustain. Keep it as discreet as possible to avoid rumors." In a confidential meeting with his closest aides, Logan declared the commencement of full-scale war preparations. Meanwhile, the outside world was perceiving these actions entirely differently. – Formation of a leading alliance with the small kingdoms. – Stabilization of internal affairs through absolute royal authority. – A national policy of lowering taxes and promoting commerce. That wasn’t all. The expansive farmlands spanning the royal domain, Esperanza, and the McLane territory promised unprecedented harvests. "It's a bountiful year! Truly bountiful!" "Long live His Majesty! Long live the King!" "He's truly a blessing from the gods!" As the harvest season approached, the faces of most McLane kingdom citizens were adorned with smiles. These favorable circumstances instilled a single thought in the minds of McLane's people: – The beginning of McLane's prosperity, surpassing even the golden age of Grandia. "A time of peace and prosperity indeed." "All thanks to His Majesty the King." "Absolutely." "Well, saying even the bountiful harvest is thanks to the King might be a stretch..." "Who is this guy?" "Is he a rebel?" "Seize him!" "No, no. I take it back! I take it back! Long live His Majesty! Ow! I said I take it back!" Those who dared complain about the king and the royal family were quickly met with rebuke, showing the fervent support the citizens had for Logan. Thus, few paid much attention to the ongoing recruitment efforts for the kingdom’s five military legions. In this time when everything seemed to be running smoothly, Logan encountered a familiar and welcome face at the royal palace. "My brother!!" "Ronian!!" The brothers, seeing each other for the first time in years, embraced warmly, their faces lit with joy. So much had changed since Ronian had disappeared for warrior training over two years ago, but the way they looked at each other remained the same. "You've grown so much. When did you get…?" Logan looked at his younger brother with eyes full of emotion. Though they had checked in through communication orbs a few months back, seeing him in person was entirely different. Ronian, who had been a head shorter before leaving, now stood tall with a robust build, filling Logan with pride. Nearly reaching 2 meters, his stature resembled that of another, familiar figure. Just like the last time Logan had seen him in his past life. "You really do take after Father." "I realized that only upon returning. I knew I had grown, but not to this extent." Perhaps amused by his now smaller older brother, Ronian regarded him with fond eyes and then chuckled softly. "I thought I had finally caught up to you, brother, but you've gone even further ahead." Logan was equally impressed, looking at his brother with admiration. Just the fact that Ronian spoke those words indicated he had advanced to a level where he could roughly gauge Logan's abilities. 'A mid-level aura user. And at a refined level too.' It was astonishing. "What did you do in the southern mountains to become this strong? It's incredible." "From what I understand, you've become king after all kinds of happenings. How did you manage to train?" "I went through hell in your absence, just trying to survive." "The same for me. I faced death several times... Haha." As the brothers exchanged similar sentiments and laughed while patting each other's shoulders, a laughing voice interjected. "Aren't you embarrassed complimenting each other so much, brothers? Consider other people too." "Oh, sister-in-law. My apologies for the belated greeting." "Hello, Ronian. It's been a while." Ronian, watching Ailen laugh at his words, felt anew how much the world had changed. "You used to dislike being called 'sister-in-law'..." "That's because I wanted to be treated as a knight rather than as your fiancée back then." "So now that you're the queen..." "What? I'm still a knight. I'm in charge of the female army, didn't you know?" "Ah... Haha..." Ronian naturally turned his gaze to his brother. – She's a queen? And a knight? What is he talking about? Logan, perfectly understanding the silent message in Ronian's eyes, could only muster a wry smile. "It's what she wants, and the situation isn’t entirely positive either." To anyone outside, it might have been a perplexing statement. The king, having seized control of the nobles' military rights and forged a recent, perfect friendship(?) with the alliance that had long been an adversary, had eliminated all external and internal threats—hardly the words one would expect from him. But Ronian understood immediately. – The Empire will invade the kingdom soon. To Logan's close aides, his words were already considered an established fact. "Also, my apologies, but your and Victor's, and also hers and Sir Burdel’s awakened abilities must remain a secret for the time being, at least until before the war." Thus, Ronian could accept his brother's words. "When we reported and the news didn't spread, I thought as much. I guessed the reason. There's no need to apologize." "To conceal the honor that should rightfully belong to you, the continent’s youngest aura user." Logan turned his head slightly, a bitter expression on his face. Both in his past life and the present one, his name had involuntarily been associated with honors his brother was due. As a brother, not being able to support his sibling, but rather overshadowing his renown, was disheartening, even if it was for a greater purpose. Fortunately. "Haha! It's fine, brother. I'm not a child anymore." His brother's cheerful laughter somewhat eased Logan’s guilt. And then, "Speaking of which, brother, can you gather the kingdom's aura users?" "Mm?" "I want to share the advanced swordsmanship, the Galaxy Sword, with the kingdom’s aura users." Ronian proposed something bold and unexpected.