318 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 318 Rumors of an incident at the Royal Magic Tower, currently the base for the Magic Corps, quickly spread throughout the entire palace. However, the unrest caused by the incident seemed to be swiftly controlled with an official announcement claiming it was due to a failed experiment by the Golem Master. As there were no injuries, it appeared that it would simply be forgotten as an accidental commotion. And yet. “They say the experiment was enough to destroy half of the Magic Tower.” “Are they out of their minds?” “Typical of wizards, I guess…” Clayton found himself unfairly saddled with an undeserved reputation. Then, the very next dawn. The subjects of the rumors, the kingdom’s ruler, and the actual figure overshadowed by the rumors gathered in the king’s office with grave expressions. “Firstly, I’m sorry I couldn’t celebrate your achievement more loudly, despite your accomplishment.” “It’s nothing, Your Majesty. I too understand Your Majesty's plans. Please, don't worry.” Upon hearing this, Logan chuckled slightly and patted Victoria on the head. “Thank you.” She frowned, feeling self-conscious about her tousled bangs, but upon meeting his gaze, she smiled awkwardly once more. It was remarkable how the shy little girl had grown into a noticeable lady. Time really flies by. ‘When did she grow up this much?’ He felt both proud and slightly guilty. Feeling a warm smile spread across his face as he looked at Victoria was short-lived, as Logan’s face soon clouded with concern. ‘To think the Imperial Princess would actually get involved.’ If the princess is a sorcerer of the Black Serpent, then it’s safe to say that the Black Serpent organization serves the Empire. In that case, there didn’t seem to be a need to keep Victoria’s abilities hidden. ‘That incident with Aeserian is concerning.’ There’s no reason to orchestrate a large-scale incident drawing international attention just to fool their own organization. It naturally led to thoughts of two factions—one collaborating with the Empire and the other opposing it. Perhaps this is why information wasn’t disclosed. Given the circumstances, they couldn’t ignore any possibility. However, it pained him to keep such an achievement secret due to the slim chance of exposure. “She’s the youngest since the Age of Great Migration a thousand years ago. A sorcerer at 19. It’s a matter that elevates the nation’s prestige and is worth boasting about to the world… Alas…” It was only natural for Clayton, her mentor, to feel this regret. “It’s alright, Master. If it’s His Majesty’s will, my brother and I will do anything.” Although she made this promise on behalf of her absent brother, Viktor, no one refuted her words. From slaves to knights and sorcerers. Those who knew the blue-haired, odd-eyed siblings and their relationship with the king never doubted their loyalty. ‘That’s why I must treat them even better.’ These siblings, having reached superhuman status upon coming of age, seemed to possess a truly special lineage, considering even their unique physical traits. It was unsettling to hide the genius siblings who would go down in history rather than flaunt them. ‘The same goes for others—Ailene, Ronian, Burdel…’ If the emperor of the Empire had a moderate temperament, it would’ve been satisfactory to reveal them all and hope for no war due to their formidable power, which is why the regret was immense. “When we free ourselves from the Empire’s threat, I promise to compensate you even more grandly. Please be patient for just a bit longer.” “We, siblings, have already been given so much by you. Please don’t worry, Your Majesty.” Victoria’s answer naturally brought a smile to his face, but recalling the incident at the Magic Tower immediately turned his expression serious again. “…The intruder was a woman, you say?” “Yes. A woman using a rare gray magic. Since Your Majesty can see mana, it should be easy to catch…” “I know who it is.” Who else could it be? “…What? Then you can go and apprehend her right away!” Sigh… “That’s the problem—we can’t.” “What?” Watching Victoria’s expression turn to disbelief, Logan heaved a sigh. Apprehend and execute the Imperial Princess? Imprison her? That would immediately lead to war. ‘Once the grand magic circle is completed and installed in the front-line fortresses and castles, only then will there be a definite winning chance.’ It was a time to act as if they didn’t know, even if they did. It was almost fortunate that Victoria let the princess slip away. What if she had died in the Magic Tower? Logan shifted his gaze, brushing away the chills running down his arms. “Sir Clayton, what do you think of this matter?” Receiving those heavy eyes, Clayton responded with an even more weighty demeanor. “In the worst-case scenario, it might be that they’ve already discovered us.” “As expected…” Logan rubbed his temples as a headache threatened to overwhelm him, and Clayton, bearing a somber look, added something that only made it worse. “If they targeted me rather than Taren, the artifact’s production site, the research logs must be more significant than expected.” “That’s probably true. If, as you and Victoria say, it’s an object of supreme value to sorcerers.” As the nation’s only—no, now one of only two—sorcerers, Clayton and the king exchanged dark glances, Victoria tilted her head, curious. “It might… not be the case, though?” “What?” “The research logs are undoubtedly something a multitude of people worked on. They’d date back at least to the centuries-long history of the school.” “Yes, that’s true…” “But most of it is just flashes of genius or ideas scribbled down by a few bright minds. Calling it a tome of wisdom seems unreasonable given the lack of concrete results.” “Indeed, that’s true.” The inspiration came from the research logs, but it was Logan who ordered the mass production of artifacts and Clayton who discovered the method. Moreover, about 70% of the success in the research related to reconstructing the grand magic circle was Victoria’s insights, making it hard to classify those logs as a tome. “Even if it’s truly their research logs, it’s probably no more than a compilation of ideas from a divergent group or marginalized geniuses.” “Oh?” Victoria's suggestion was so reasonable that it changed the expressions of those listening. However, Clayton’s follow-up remark made Victoria shrink back slightly. “In that case, it doesn’t explain why the princess attacked the Magic Tower. It was an utterly absurd move.” Yet, one particular word in his statement made Victoria's eyes widen with shock. “What? The princess? No way!” Seeing her disbelief, Logan confirmed her suspicions with a bitter smile. “Yes. It’s almost certain that the sorcerer was the Empire's princess.” “What? Why on earth would she do that?” A princess, a sorcerer? With her status and power, why would she engage in such actions? Despite the myriad implications in Victoria’s question, Logan simply shook his head. “We don’t know. That’s why we suspect it's because of the logs.” Without understanding Louisa's true intentions, they could only hypothesize. “There’s just too little information about them. Everything is mere speculation…” Naturally, a sigh of frustration escaped. But then. “...Why don’t we just ask her directly?” “What?” Faced with Logan’s incredulous retort, Victoria gave a knowing smile. * * * *Cough.* As she coughed, blood spewed out once again. How many times had it been now? “Ugh…” More than the dull pain in her chest, it was the memory of failure, the blow to her pride from the previous night, that twisted her expression even more. “Are you okay?” “How could I possibly be okay?!” Even as she shouted sharply, her shrill voice only wounded her pride further. “…I’m sorry.” Seeing Jun bow his head made her even more aware of her own shortcomings. “…No. Ugh, it's fine. You can leave.” “Yes.” The internal injuries caused by the disruption of her mana circle weren’t healing easily like wounds inflicted by aura. She knew this and had no choice but to strain herself to break through the bizarre golem and escape. To awaken in the midst of battle—to experience something more fitting for a heroic tale than reality—was not something she ever expected to happen to her. And from her enemy, at that. ‘Enemy…’ A wry smile curled her lips. Something that had started as a mere hindrance had escalated into an enemy of significant standing. Injured pride led her to think of that woman once again, almost involuntarily. ‘She seemed just about twenty, yet a sorcerer at that age.’ She had achieved her status as a sorcerer at a younger age than Louisa herself, who had etched her name into the history of the tower. Moreover, how could a sorcerer who had just awakened wield such power? The attack was somewhat rough, lacking in subtlety, but the golems were fast and strong. Even with her combat magic, Demonic Manifestation—a technique designed to handle aura practitioners—she had struggled and resorted to tricks. Excuses like having cast three major spells concurrently were of no solace to her. Ultimately, it was that woman who had shattered all three spells. “It’s absurd.” Her life had always been one of looking down from above. Competing, not through status, but through magic, against elders who’d lived threefold longer than her. And then to be defeated by someone not even her peer, but significantly younger—Louisa’s towering self-esteem couldn’t reconcile that reality. “There must have been some trick involved.” A low hum. As anger swelled, it sent vibrations through her once-calm mana circle. Almost instantly, it resulted in another cough. *Cough.* “Ugh…” Her palm was now soaked with thick blood. In her eyes glinted a murderous resolve as dense as the pooling blood. Yet, there was no immediate way to deal with that woman. All she could do was bitterly mull over the defeat that hurt as much as the piercing pain in her chest. If they were to meet again on the battlefield, then and only then, she could ensure revenge, so she had to refrain for now. But the questions hadn’t vanished. “How… did she do it?” How could it be possible? The harmony of the Abyssal Enclosure and Soul Corruption was an ultimate technique designed to subdue and control superhumans within the tower. Even she, if designated as a target, couldn’t escape without extensive preparation. Despite carrying dual attributes of soul and dimension, it required her significant time to prepare a response. Therefore. “It couldn’t have been a normal method. Definitely not…” If she couldn’t do it herself, no one else could either. Lost in thought, Louisa failed to notice the blood trickling from her tightly bitten lip. And as her mind lost itself to conjectures based solely on wounded pride, she stumbled upon a skewed conclusion. “Yes. She must be someone who alters fate, involved romantically with that king. A concubine? Or perhaps a secret lover?” Saying it aloud only solidified her misplaced confidence in this theory. Yes, it wasn’t because that woman was exceptional and overcame Louisa’s magic. ‘It’s because of that king.’ Upon reaching this conclusion, the sharp pain twisting in her chest seemed to abate, as if by magic. Only after shaking off last night’s nightmare could she finally focus on reality. ‘So now what?’ Demonic Manifestation was a combat magic devised with sorcerers in mind, but it also provided an aid in disguise. Thus, she was confident her identity hadn’t been compromised. But if the king suspected her as an Imperial spy, he might connect last night's occurrence to her. ‘Will he come to question me? No, even if he does, there's little the king can do.’ For such a small kingdom, even if the Empire’s princess engaged in every vile act imaginable, they’d have no choice but to graciously overlook it. Unless she renounced her status or incurred the emperor's displeasure, any threat to her safety would ultimately mean provoking the Empire. ‘No matter how adversarial this kingdom is towards the Empire, they wouldn’t be that foolish.’ There was something making her uneasy, but Louisa intentionally disregarded it. ‘No, nothing is wrong. There’s no evidence.’ Just as she was attempting to reassess her resolve, urgent voices were heard from outside. “P-Princess!” The foreboding sensation intensified, her heart clenching with dread. “T-The king has come to see you!” An unexpected visitor had shown up at her private palace.