315 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 315 "How did this happen? Who ordered the nobles to move already?" A sharp shout echoed inside the palace of Gran, specifically within the annex where the imperial guests resided. Of course, Louisa's shout was strictly controlled by magic, so only Guard Knight Jun by her side and the recipient beyond the communication sphere could hear it. Soon, the elderly man on the other side began sweating profusely as he shook his head. [The incident in the Darlan territory was not our doing, Elder Louisa. We intended to proceed according to the original plan.] "What?" [We never imagined that the nobility of MacLine, who are practically restrained, would act on their own. Please believe us!] "...Ha? Are you telling me it's a coincidence?" [Indeed. At least from our faction, we have never targeted the nobility.] "Such... " Louisa couldn't help but furrow her fair brows at those words. The original plan was to dismantle or impose restrictions on the vigilantes, and then manipulate the nobles to attack the powerless or restricted commoners. To implement this, they had sparked a wave of emotion among the people oppressed by tyrannical lords. With their minds now engraved with the possibility of 'we can kill nobles too,' if the nobles were to attack, the commoners would feel that it's no longer certain they could be suppressed, unlike their past powerlessness. The plan was to amplify this spark through brainwashing and agitation, eventually leading the entire country into chaos. Given that the commoners of this nation possessed the repeating crossbow, they indeed had the potential to overthrow the country. Even if the royal family disbanded the vigilantes, they couldn’t completely retrieve all the weapons. "But that's out the window now..." With the nobles already initiating attacks, the king would aim to limit the movements of both nobility and commoners. Logan MacLine was an absolutist monarch. If the nobility were forcibly moved through brainwashing despite his restrictions, the royal family would certainly find it suspicious and intervene. If the superhuman king, who had led the kingdom's prosperity, actively employed his military, the seeds of discord would quickly be crushed. "Tsk. Now that it's come to this, we'll push for a confrontation between nobles and commoners. Come what may, division is essential. The sun of MacLine must choose between the nobility and the commoners." [Indeed, the kingdom will regress to a state reminiscent of the Grandia era.] "Yes. That much will suffice." If the royal family discards the nobility, the current system will collapse. If they choose the nobility to maintain the system, then they can incite the commoners once more. And the royal family will likely be forced to choose the nobility to maintain their immediate power. "It won't have as much impact as initially planned, but..." It couldn’t be helped. As Louisa resigned to this, refining her plan in her head, a report interrupted her thoughts. "The results of the great court meeting are out!" "Already?" Why did it conclude so swiftly? A peculiar sense of foreboding arose. "And...?" This foreboding turned into reality with the subordinate’s continued report. "This is a damn disaster...!" An unusually rare profanity escaped from Louisa's crimson lips. * * * "The murderer of the lord shall be condemned to death as per the law. However, given the lord's significant lack of virtue, there will be no guilt by association applied to the murderer's kin." The king summoned the nobles not to consolidate opinions but to deliver an arbitrary notice, one shocking enough to leave the nobles aghast. Refusing to apply guilt by association for the heinous crime where a commoner murdered a noble? "Your Majesty! This treats the noble class like mere commoners. Please reconsider!" Even Roberts Floyd, the king's father-in-law, cried out in protest, yet Logan's voice remained unwavering. "For anxious lords, I shall dispatch ten elite knights to each region. They will protect the lord with unwavering vigilance." Moreover, his following policies only served to heighten the nobles' unease. "Those who still feel uneasy will find their safety personally guaranteed by the royal family. Residences will be provided in the capital, along with protection, and capable administrators will be sent to govern in their place." At first glance, it seemed like an appeasement gesture to the lords. However, in essence, it was a far more radical measure, leading any intelligent noble to grimace. "Vigilant protection sounds more like surveillance...?" "What does he mean by assigning administrators? Is he essentially asking us to surrender our lands to the royal family...?" "Is His Majesty intending to dismantle the feudal system...?" Whispers barely audible even to those beside them spread throughout, darkening the expressions of the nobles in the hall. Then Logan's ensuing declaration flipped the nobles' mood yet again. "However! Lords with exemplary management of their territories will be granted the chance to govern cities within royal domains. Evaluation will be based on the increase rate from the previous year's yield and public sentiment, not the territory's size!" The promise of larger territories based solely on administrative achievements without the need for war merits or territorial disputes. This sensational declaration stirred the court once more. "Your, Your Majesty, do you mean...!?" "Is he truly saying he'll award lands solely based on results?" "What exactly...!?" "A rural lord could become the master of a grand territory like Harun." "...!!" Logan's clarifying remark further electrified the atmosphere within the court. "The opportunity to become a high noble...!" "Indeed. If one manages their land well, there's no reason for them to face execution." "A valid point. Someone like me, popular among the populace, never had cause for concern!" Desire overpowered fear. And Logan's declaration promptly became a proclamation echoed across the kingdom. The outcome was evident. "So they're treating nobles just like commoners." "I suppose life will be better in this kingdom." "As expected of His Majesty the King..." Amid the populace that constituted the majority of the kingdom, adulation for the king erupted once more. Even the intellectuals, who discerned the true implications of the decree, could not help but express their admiration. “He's implementing changes in a short period that the Empire has achieved over centuries.” “It’s as if he’d been waiting for this incident to push forward.” “Could it have been the royal family behind this? If the nobles hadn’t been stricken with fear for their lives, this policy wouldn’t have passed so easily.” “That’s true. Even if most nobles are dull-witted, a few must have enough sense. They would have known from studying the history of the Empire.” “Still, would they really have done it deliberately?” “Yes. If they got caught, it could have led to the kingdom's overthrow. It's a gamble, a gamble.” Aside from a few noblemen, the majority of the kingdom's nobles were without territories, embodying a radical change to a centralized system—a stark shift prioritizing merit, limiting governance to a single generation without inheritance, and conferring titles based on ability. The MacLine dynasty was finally breaking free from the shell of feudalism, drawing closer to a truly absolute monarchy. At that moment, Logan was communicating with someone, his face alight with satisfaction. “You’ve worked hard, Baron.” [How could I defy Your Majesty’s command?] “Nothing amiss in your territory?” [No, just diligently spreading rumors of a bloodbath.] Trevo Darlan, speaking through the communication sphere, chuckled as he continued. [But was spreading such rumors necessary? If you aim to heighten the nobles' sense of crisis, leaving it alone would suffice...] “There are others stirring trouble. I couldn’t steer it in only one direction.” [Pardon?] “There’s no need for you to know more. Ah, expect good results from next year’s performance evaluation.” [Th-thank you, Your Majesty!] Trevo Darlan's face lit up with joy, soon realizing he was about to escape the confines of his rural territory. Ending the call with a smile, Logan turned away, still grinning. "Thanks to this, we’ve moved another step forward. Now, how will they respond...?" The second prince and Louisa, those believed to be aligned with the Empire, flitted through Logan's mind. * * * [Failure?] “...I’m sorry. In this situation, forced agitation could attract unwanted attention. We might be discovered.” [Disappointing, Louisa. You were so confident.] “I have no excuses.” With her head bowed, Louisa ground her teeth. 'I thought it was a perfect opening, but I was blindsided.' Such swift countermeasures would be impossible unless someone had foreknowledge of their plans. 'I didn’t think the MacLine nobles were this foolish.' Salivating over immediate gains, unaware that metaphorical collars were fastened around their necks. The leaders of the kingdom were astonishingly dim-witted. People tend to think narrowly when under duress, and few can maintain a clear judgment in such times. The fierce monarch, who ascended the throne after merciless purges, had thrown this bait. Temporarily unified under extreme fear, the nobles saw it as an escape route. Even as a mage who had dedicated her life to studying human psychology, Louisa could only rail against the MacLine nobles. She, too, was gripped by anxiety. [You’re not considering returning empty-handed, are you? The Empire’s commission must proceed as planned. For our agenda as well.] “I understand.” [What’s the next plan, then?] “...We’ll proceed with an assassination.” [Haha. Amusing. Didn’t you say you wanted to change the organization’s extreme nature?] “I’ll manipulate key figures to attack others, and if it’s a superhuman, it will certainly make a bigger impact.” [You’ll need information on MacLine’s superhumans.] “I’ve already gathered it all.” [No. It’s different from what you know. Quite a bit.] “What?” [Information from Gerohine, who died at the United, was recently recovered. It seems the fool tried to bury his mistakes.] “What do you mean?” [There were ones who intercepted him at the Tahiti duchy. In other words, MacLine has three more unknown superhumans beyond those already known.] “What!?” Delighting in Louisa’s shock, the elder in the communication sphere smiled as he continued. [Though there isn’t more detailed information, their traits stand out. One has gray aura, another orange, and there’s one who uses a bow.] “Such...?” In that moment, something flashed through Louisa’s mind. Orange aura? Force power? She had recently met someone with the same hue of aura. Such an unusual color couldn’t be common. But the elder seemed to misinterpret the reason for Louisa’s surprise. [Yes, it’s shocking, isn’t it? A gray aura user, implying one of our talents became an aura user. Find him if you can. Recruit or seduce him, and you’ll be rewarded as handsomely as if the mission succeeds.] Though tempting, Louisa did not hear those words. "…He deceived me? That brat dared!?" [Any suspicion of something?] Even the elder, perplexed by her silence, watched her grip her face in humiliation but Louisa couldn’t easily continue. After a deep breath to calm herself, Louisa finally spoke. “I might have been unwittingly playing into someone’s hands.” [What?] All she could see in her mind was a young man with red hair and red eyes. If he had been truly under her sway, he would have boasted about being an aura user. But the fact that he hadn’t meant... “It seems they’ve identified me in MacLine.” This realization was chilling. [...How? Did you reveal any magic?] The elder’s expression turned grave. And for good reason. Louisa's dual identity was a closely guarded secret even within the organization. The extent to which the Empire was informed was merely that a princess from the Eastern Palace was collaborating on the Tower’s operations. If her true identity were to be leaked to the Imperial Court, innumerable plans would unravel. "There's no way that's possible. The seal is flawless. Even if other elders, apart from you, were present, they wouldn’t have sensed it." [Yes, that's to be expected. But how then...? We dispatched you believing it to be impossible for your identity to be exposed. Hmm… do you have any guesses?] "...None, I'm afraid. My apologies." Louisa bit her lip and hung her head low. She had approached MacLine with absolute confidence, only to face such disgrace. [Sigh... Well, the King of MacLine wouldn't be an easy opponent, being one who alters fate. It’s enough that we know now.] "Pardon?" [The identity of our Tower is a secret even from the Empire's royal family, so the King of MacLine wouldn’t be aware. He wouldn’t have directly experienced our magic, I assume... Surely you didn’t reveal magic to the king, did you?] "Absolutely not." [Then perhaps they merely suspected you as an imperial spy from the start. Focus on returning safely. I will entrust the plan you mentioned to another elder.] "But it seems they’ve already seen through the enchantment cast on others. This means they might be aware of us as well..." [...That cannot be. The magic you prepared is thorough. Do you think it’s something a mere knight could prepare against?] Though dismissive of aura users as mere knights, there was an underlying pride in the Tower’s magic. And Louisa shared that confidence. "No, it isn’t." [Alright. Perhaps this ‘power of fate’ possessed by that individual naturally influenced those around him. If it's the power described in the Tower’s legends, it’s very plausible. It’s completely contrary to our magic.] "I see." [Remember that excessive worry can cloud your judgment. Focus solely on returning.] "No. It was my operation; I'll see it through." [What?] "They don’t know that I’ve realized this. I intend to leverage that." [...A gamble is unacceptable. Your identity is far more pivotal than you might realize.] "I will prioritize my safety above all else. Please, allow me." She couldn’t just return bearing the shame of failure. Even if not permitted, she would at least make a final desperate attempt. Her eyes, full of resolve, stared at the elder through the communication sphere.