351 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 351: The Empire's Envoy Arrives in Liberty The arrival of the empire's envoy in Liberty was a matter shrouded in secrecy from the outset. However, the uproar that erupted from the castle of Duke Gael Slayer, situated not far from the capital, couldn't be entirely kept under wraps. A cacophony of explosions and screams, the disappearance of the castle's master amid ghastly cries beyond the northern walls. There were too many eyewitnesses to ignore, and with the clamor occurring at the retreat of a famed war hero, the people of Liberty couldn't help but take notice. Yet, the subsequent official statement from the royal family delivered a shocking blow to all those hoping for the safe return of Gael Slayer. – The disappearance of Archduke Gael Slayer. – A terror attack perpetrated by remnants of Tria, Romain, and Tahiti. – The royal family will exert all efforts to find the missing Archduke Gael and thoroughly eradicate the remnants of the fallen nations. As unthinkable news spread and Liberty buzzed with chatter, a different kind of commotion brewed at the royal palace of a neighboring country, one that shared a border with Liberty. “Is it true that the master spearman is dead, and all presumed magicians are also dead? And only six knights from the 1st Legion survived?” [Indeed, it is so.] Faced with a stiffened countenance, Kran III found it difficult to maintain composure while delivering such news. Lending a nation's secret asset, only for him to go missing, did nothing to ease his disquiet. Meanwhile, the recipient of the transmission, Rick—whose expression mirrored that of Logan—internally rejoiced, ‘Ah, it figures this chaos could only come from our emperor!’ Similarly, two confidants listening in from the blind spots of the communications room silently cheered. Rick struggled to maintain a stoic exterior, though Kran III likely interpreted his hardened expression differently. [It is truly regrettable regarding Archduke Gael. While we will confront the empire on this matter, whether it will be effective is... uncertain.] You must be joking. Even Rick, as uninformed as he sometimes considered himself, was certain of the futility. Dwayne and Damian, too, seemed to share the sentiment, their faces adorned with knowing smiles. Rick barely suppressed his laughter, forcing himself to read aloud the words written on the paper Damian had lifted with a calm demeanor. “Hmm, no. Clinging to past events does not befit a monarch. We must take solace in having uncovered the empire’s intentions.” [That is indeed true, but are you truly okay with this?] “Pardon? With what...?” [It’s said that Archduke Gael’s last appearance was one of madness. There are even accounts of him running into the northern demonic forest.] “Oh...” Even for a superhuman, plunging in a dazed state into one of the two great devil territories on the continent was tantamount to a death sentence. Yet, armed with different knowledge, the listener's perspective could vary drastically. ‘Wow, he sure went far.’ However, unable to reveal his true thoughts, Rick merely lowered his gaze slightly, releasing a heavy sigh. “Gael was a martyr who hid his identity his entire life for his country. How could such sacrifice ever be met with indifference? But still...!” Cutting himself off mid-sentence, Rick seemed to gather his swelling emotions, using a hand to discreetly conceal his eyes. Then, subtly—though pressing on his eyelids to the point of pain—he managed to summon tears, which rolled down once he removed his hand and opened his tear-reddened eyes wide, speaking firmly. “He stabilized the chaos of our allies, unveiled the empire’s schemes, and slaughtered those superhumans likely to become great enemies. He fulfilled his duty. The spirits of our homeland, in the heavens of the nine gods, will surely honor him.” With a convincing shiver, Rick appeared genuinely to mourn Gael, striving to squeeze out tears. Soon, a tear dropped from his still stinging eye. Seeming to hide that tear, Rick shut his eyes tight, turned his head, and added with a solemn voice. “What remains is our responsibility, those who are left. So please, remember with us the great sacrifice of Gael Slayer.” [Of course. Once again, I offer my sincerest condolences.] Peering ever so slightly through barely open eyes at the communication device, Rick saw Kran III, his expression weighty, voice even heavier as he conveyed his apology. Behind him, Dwayne and Damian continued giving discrete thumbs-ups, expressing their surprise and satisfaction. ‘Maybe I should really consider taking up acting?’ Satisfied with the theatrical performance he had just delivered, Rick basked in a sense of accomplishment. [If the empire provokes us again, Liberty will not stand idle. We will unite with Maclaine to oppose them! Once again, thank you for your grace, your Majesty!] In this rare audience, the only spectator—the addressing of Rick by the term "your Majesty," which seemed unfitting in a dialogue between kings—proved the immaculate nature of Rick's portrayal. “Well, I’ll take my leave and discuss with my ministers how to counter the empire's schemes.” [Liberty will stand with Maclaine. Do inform us at any time.] “Certainly.” Ending the conversation with a passionate final line, Rick confidently asked the others. “How was that!?” Yet the response to his self-assured tone was marked by reluctant expressions. “It was all good, but the ending...” Damian’s words left Rick confused. “What?” “By implying that if the empire bothers Liberty again, Maclaine will help—didn't you sort of agree to that?” “...Does it sound like that?” “Yeah. On the surface, it was a dispute between Liberty and the empire, but you went ahead and dragged Maclaine into it to help.” “Oh...” Only after hearing this did Rick grasp his misstep. “Ugh... my goodness.” As Rick lamented, clutching his head, Damian chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. “Kran III’s cunning, but he got a commitment for support by bowing his head once. Well, if war does break out, we’d be the first to confront the empire anyway, so it’s not that bad.” “Alright. Well done.” Even Dwayne chimed in with praise, bringing a bright smile back to Rick's face. “So, where is His Majesty now?” “Well, he did say he'd return through the demon forest after orchestrating Gael's disappearance.” “Perhaps he's on his way back now?” “If he entered from Liberty's north, he'd be at the eastern edge of the forest by now. If he's circling back... he'll probably return in a few weeks.” “Indeed.” As the three laughed, having shed their worries, the true protagonist of this tale was racing through an impenetrable darkness. * * * In a forest densely packed with enormous trees, their trunks measuring around 20 meters in circumference, their vast leaves formed a thick canopy overhead, plunging the interior into deep darkness. For Logan, however, sprinting through such pitch-blackness posed little challenge. Yet, a continuous stream of sighs escaped his lips. ‘Everything seems to be going well, but still...’ After expelling the spirit of Zybrick Cassel and witnessing the shattering of the Holy Sword's core, Logan pondered what he could do with the mere shell of the sword. Before embarking on this journey, his plan was to use the obtained Holy Sword as a lure to provoke a conflict between the Cassel Tower and the empire. Despite currently collaborating with the empire, this ambiguous foe technically opposed the empire as well, especially given the recent threat allegedly manipulating even the pope of the holy nation. Aiming to dismantle this alliance between the empire and the Cassel Tower came to mind as his objective. Evidence from his previous life suggested that Cassel Tower stood behind Prince Barros, leading Logan to believe they would relentlessly pursue Zybrick Cassel's legacy. By deliberately exposing his identity as Gael Slayer, he intended to draw the empire's attention towards Liberty, using the Holy Sword as bait through Louisa to incite the Cassel Tower. Equipped with the Holy Sword’s power combined with his innate opposition to the magic of Cassel Tower, Logan felt confident against them, unless legendary figures like a Grand Mage or Aura Master appeared. Even if all went awry, handing over a single sword to the Cassel Tower seemed negligible, especially since the current emperor appeared reluctant to fully embrace Cassel Tower, unlike Prince Barros in his past life, thereby likely avoiding the calamity repeated. However, the emergence of an unforeseen ancestor's spirit led to the destruction of the Holy Sword’s core. Cassel Tower wouldn't fail to recognize the Holy Sword's significance, nullifying his initial plan. Though it seemed futile to just give up with a simple 'Well, destroying the demonic sword worked out, haha,' it felt a waste to miss such an opportunity. Thus, Logan decided to take a risk. – If a complete Holy Sword cannot be used as bait, let's make do with what’s left of its shell. Despite the seemingly reckless plan to incite a clash between Cassel Tower and the empire, his forebear’s memories gave Logan the courage to proceed. If even a fragment of Zybrick Cassel's delusion reached Cassel Tower, they would stop at nothing to seize the Holy Sword. Yet, this undertaking required his direct intervention. Fortunately, the silver aura used during his guise as Gael could mimic the Holy Sword’s divine power. Trickery through transformation wasn’t challenging for him. The caveat was sustaining the façade only while the sword remained in his possession. Therefore, Logan decided to extend his role as Gael Slayer a bit longer. With the empire and Cassel Tower still working in tandem due to the anomaly at the ruins, his goal was to sow discord between these temporary allies. Logan’s scheme involved using the Holy Sword’s location to lure Cassel Tower’s magicians and then eliminating the empire’s envoy, pinning the blame on them. Though not without its difficulties, Logan thought it not impossible. Unless the empire foolishly deployed someone like Tris Hornsby, manipulating lesser figures would be a breeze. Moreover, magicians from Cassel Tower, whose magic didn’t affect him, posed no concern. ‘The real concern wasn’t even that.’ The gravest threat was if the empire attempted to negotiate the return of the relic. Such a scenario would complicate matters, but fortunately, the empire acted as arrogantly as he predicted. No, it was beyond expectation. ‘I thought they might just send an envoy.’ But the Grand Spear Master, Gritt Ainzhein, was another matter entirely. Though he still didn’t understand why such a notable figure—the commander of the Eastern 1st Legion—personally intervened, the result was a significant catch. Moreover, seeing Cassel Tower’s magicians outright attempt to assassinate an empire legion commander was unexpected. There must have been some unknown conflict. ‘Well, that made my acting much easier.’ The moment he heard the ludicrous demand to cut off his arm was probably the most precarious. He had carefully wounded only the skin, fearing his deception might fail—tension ran high. Luckily due to some mysterious conflict, everything unfolded better than anticipated. The theatrical display he staged and starred in ended flawlessly. By now, chaos likely reigned at Cassel Tower and the imperial palace. Imagining the turmoil filled him with satisfaction. Everything went well. Yes. Until that point. – Kyaaah! “What now...!” Schaaak! A deadly aura suddenly emerged at the end of his thoughts. Instinctively, Logan swung his sword, cleaving the enormous maw lunging from the darkness with his golden aura. There was no time to wipe away the foul spray of blood that flew through the air. Was it the flashing golden light in the darkness that stirred the beasts? – Kyaoooo! – Woooo! – Kyrrr. Haunting cries erupted all around. Logan, letting his long-suppressed frustration burst forth, shouted in anger. “Damn it, I've been dodging them so well!” An exasperated roar, spit out in a fit of resignation. Curiously, the monstrous howls echoed even louder from all sides in response. – Kyaaaargh! – Craaawra! – Grawaak! The ferocity surrounding Logan intensified all at once. “Ah, damn it! Bloody hell!” Things really seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. Clenching his teeth against the ominous foreboding, Logan braced himself.