319 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 319 Drip. "How could you arrive without any notice?" Louisa's expression remained calm as she poured the tea. Her exceptionally pale skin contrasted with her vivid red lips, enhancing her allure. Her enticing smile and the figure-hugging dress only served to amplify her beauty. However... ‘It’s not the flawless concealment magic she used last time. Could it be related to what happened yesterday?’ Logan’s senses detected the disrupted circles and the internal injuries caused by an overload of mana. Since he had first seen Louisa at the great hall and heightened his senses to their limits, his abilities had grown to venture into new realms. He began to suspect that this might be another path to becoming the highest-tier aura user, allowing him to see through concealment or disguise spells as if they weren’t there. This suspicion, already close to certainty, was now affirmed as fact. A sly smile. "No, I just received word that you'll be returning soon, so I came by to say farewell." A king personally visiting an envoy? Such humility was not typical of a king. To Louisa, it seemed like an acknowledgment of the differences with the empire. ‘As they should.’ This small triumph appeared to fade the bitter memories of the previous night. "I should have been the one to visit you, but your visit catches me off guard." "Not at all. I also had a question, so I came by." "…A question?" Louisa’s brow furrowed slightly at an inexplicable unease. "You seem to have spent a lot of time with my brother, yet there's been no mention of marriage. Has the Duke of East given any indication? Or is it that my modest brother does not appeal to you…?" At Logan’s continued inquiry, she quickly smoothed her expression. "Oh… Hoho, that's not it. Count Ronian is more than suitable as a groom for me. If he’s agreeable, we’ll formally pursue the marriage upon my return." Louisa's slightly reddened face perfectly encapsulated the archetype of a noblewoman embarrassed by a marriage proposal. Logan responded with delight. "Ah, if that's the case, I'm relieved. But it seems another issue arises." "I beg your pardon? What...?" Louisa, who had no real intention of pursuing a marriage proposal, looked perplexed as she questioned back. "If a princess of the empire, who has reached the rank of mage, agrees to marry my humble brother, what kind of dowry should we prepare?" Logan’s words, accompanied by a sly grin, left her frozen in surprise. ‘Now, how will she react?’ He watched Louisa, who seemed as if time had stopped, with amusement. And he recalled Victoria's suggestion, which led to this very situation. "Why not ask her directly?" "What?" Victoria's unexpected suggestion struck a nerve he hadn't considered. "Why hasn’t the princess publicly declared her extraordinary achievement? Why is it kept hidden? It's not as if she has anything to fear like us." "Ah...!!!" Victoria's words had revealed Logan's oversight. He’d been so preoccupied with hiding the newly awakened superhumans, including the Victor siblings, that he’d overlooked the fact that the enemy might have their reasons for secrecy. "Whatever the reason, it’s significant enough to hide, especially outside the empire." "Yes, and you mentioned the princess is a mage capable of using the Black Serpent's magic, similar to those who caused trouble in Aserian." Clayton added to Ria's explanation. "If His Majesty's hypothesis is correct, it's possible the Duke of East is concealing the princess's rank even from the imperial family. If so..." Even so, several questions lingered. Why would the princess risk coming to the kingdom herself? Why did she personally involve herself in the incidents? There was no information to form any guesses. However, even so... "…This could be leveraged. Even if I'm wrong, it's worth probing." Logan concluded. And Louisa’s reaction was close to what he expected. "What on earth do you mean?" Her expression of confusion seemed genuine. It was the quintessential response of someone hearing something completely perplexing, complete with a slight frown and a tilt of her head. Yet, the prolonged silence earlier suggested the act was less than perfect. Logan decided it was time to drop his own facade. A slight chuckle. "Why don’t we get straight to the truth, Princess?" "I really don’t understand what Your Majesty is saying…" "If you persist in denial, I will formally propose to the ‘imperial family’. Regarding the ‘mage’ Princess Louisa von Aserian and my brother’s potential marriage." "…" The emphasis on those two particular words caused the awkward smile on the princess's face to stiffen once more. "Wouldn't an imperial princess using the Black Serpent's magic catch the royal family's interest?" Logan remarked with a cunning smile, as Louisa's seemingly impenetrable facade shattered, her expression becoming immediately fierce and cold. The transformation was dramatic, revealing a voice far colder than before. "How… or rather, since when did you know?" Her expression was icy, and a deadly aura seemed to radiate from her face. Her gaze alone suggested she'd tear him apart if looks could kill. Yet Logan leisurely sipped his tea with a slurp. "Since the first moment we met. I noticed the hidden circles." "Utter nonsense!! Even my master…" Louisa's face turned pale, realizing she mentioned something she should not have. ‘Master…?’ Logan took mental note of the word, feigning ignorance as he continued. "If you don’t want to believe it, that is your choice. But isn’t it more pressing that we discuss the present, rather than the past?" Louisa's face, with lips bit in frustration, no longer held any trace of composure. ‘It must not reach the imperial family. Does this mean the Black Serpent mages are internal enemies of the empire? Or is the Duke of East harboring treasonous ambitions?’ Even in both his current and past lives, Logan had never come across information related to this. The only clue was the magic circle he witnessed at the end of his past life. That horrifying scene, employing numerous sacrifices, overlapped with the last moments of Superhuman Sachsen during the war with the kingdom alliance. Such magic, such scenes—these are inhumane magics that should never be tampered with. A vague sense of resentment and resistance arose within him. ‘For now, more information is needed.’ So, observing Louisa’s silence, Logan decided to reveal his cards first. "As you might have guessed, our kingdom views the empire as a potential threat. We would actually welcome any division within the empire. I have no reason to place the princess in a difficult situation." Louisa’s eyes twitched slightly at his excessively candid remark. She likely knew there was truth in what he said. Logan steered his complicated thoughts once again and fixed his gaze on Louisa. Her expression shifted from complicated to cold, and once again she hardened her demeanor. Seeing her expressions change so frequently, it struck him as odd why an easily perturbed princess was sent as an envoy. He couldn’t quite understand. ‘They should have sent a well-trained spy instead of a mage princess.’ Could they truly have been after the Mage Tower journal? Would they need strength for that? Or was there another reason? Logan's head swirled with thoughts, but a cold voice during the pause cleared away his tumultuous thoughts. "What do you want?" "It seems we have a lot to ask each other. How about we exchange questions, one by one?" Louisa received Logan’s smile with a composed expression. "Then, may I go first?" Her tone and manner seemed to have calmed somewhat. "As you wish." But perhaps she didn’t like his quick answer because her voice turned cold again. "How did you detect my mana?" "I simply saw it." "Ridiculous…!!" Louisa, who was about to lose her temper and stand up, saw Logan smiling and suppressed her anger once more. She sat back down with a thud, glaring at him with fierce eyes. “If you’re not going to give me a proper answer, let’s pretend there’s no deal.” A deal. Though it was a wordplay that elevated her precarious situation to an equal stance, Logan didn’t reject it. He simply asked back. “Why do you think it’s nonsense?” “…The spell sealing my mana should be undetectable even to mages at close range.” Her statement was puzzling to Logan. No matter how much he enhanced his hyper-senses using the 'Up' trait, he found it hard to believe his capabilities were beyond a mage's detection spell. "Why are you so sure about that? I did confirm it the first time we met." “...If you’re setting me up for interrogation, this discussion is truly over." Faced with a cold response from her sincere words, he had no choice but to take a step back. “My senses are somewhat unusual. …I can’t explain it any other way. Though I am particularly sensitive to foreign auras.” "Is that so? Then you must see this too?" Louisa scoffed, and Logan saw her mana subtly ripple from side to side. The flow of mana formed a peculiar pattern. "A pentacle, are you planning to form a magic circle within your body? If that’s possible, I must say it’s an impressive talent." At his remark, Louisa’s expression tightened. “How could you…?!” Her shocked expression soon turned thoughtful, and then she regained her calmness. ‘Is this ability really that extraordinary?’ Though he was aware of his transcendent senses, he doubted they could surpass a mage's detection spells. Logan thought Louisa was perhaps exaggerating, but her subsequent response was staggering. "Since that doesn’t seem like a proper answer, let’s move on to another question." Huh? Logan could sense she had already accepted it internally. “What exactly do you know about ‘us’?” Though irritated by her intent to gain more than she offered, the conversation was steering to a topic he desired, so he decided to tolerate it a bit longer. "By ‘us,’ you don’t mean the empire or the Duke of East, correct?” "If you continue with such jokes, I will end this discussion…." Realizing his attempt to subtly probe failed, Logan responded with a bitter smile. “The group of mages using the Black Serpent symbols. And enemies of the empire.” Louisa's eyes narrowed at Logan's explanation. "Is that all you know?" "Do I need to know more? I stand opposed to the empire." Though he neither knew more nor revealed what he did know, Louisa simply nodded. “So it seems.” “Then it’s my turn. Why do your people oppose the empire?” Was it a serious question? Louisa's lips remained sealed. But after a brief hesitation, her answer slipped out. "…To achieve a goal." A completely unsatisfactory answer. But one must appreciate any answer in conversations between superhumans like a mage and an aura user, where magical contracts forcing truth have no effect. However, Logan resolved his greatest curiosity with just that. ‘Enemies of the empire, indeed.’ Anyone with sense wouldn’t reveal their truth in such an exchange. Confirming loose facts through the answer and question was sufficient. While Logan smiled, satisfied. “Now it’s my turn.” Louisa’s strange smile prefaced a tremendous suggestion. “They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Your Majesty, would you consider cooperating with us to stand against the empire?”