457 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 457 "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!" Just those words made Damien's heart sink. Why is it that ominous premonitions always seem to come true? To make matters worse, the one who burst into the office shouting was Victoria, known as the youngest mage in history. What could possibly have happened? "W-What is it?!" When Damien rose from Logan's seat, Victoria looked more surprised, her eyes widening. "Where is His Majesty?! It’s a serious issue..." "Whatever it is, you can't see His Majesty right now. Please, tell me instead!" A makeshift solution because he couldn't even find a decent substitute. Forced to claim the king’s seclusion for training before the impending war, Damien found the situation ironically pathetic. However, Victoria's stance was firm. "No! It's not that I'm disregarding you, Damien, but this is something that must be reported directly to His Majesty!" Naturally, Damien couldn’t back down either. "T-That's difficult. His Majesty has ordered not to be disturbed under any circumstances! Until before the war!" He emphasized his words, hoping she'd understand the underlying message, but Victoria’s expression was peculiar. "Under any circumstances...?" "Yes, that’s correct. Absolutely! No interruptions, he said." "Absolutely... I see. Could it be..." She easily accepted what even Damien thought was a flimsy excuse. 'Did I say something wrong?' His already sunken heart felt like it was sinking further, but Victoria’s expression had calmed, and she continued speaking. "Then please convey this to His Majesty. The spell I cast on 'Kyle Castle' has been broken." "...A spell? Yes..., understood." What could this mean? 'It better not be something serious.' As Damien bit his lip unconsciously, Victoria unexpectedly asked him, "When did His Majesty begin the training?" "A-Around a week ago." "Without any public announcement?" "Yes. He informed only me." The questions and answers continued calmly. "I understand." Victoria nodded calmly, and Damien realized she had seen through his secret. His face stiffened momentarily, but Victoria, unfazed, spoke in a voice that feigned indifference. "Since His Majesty is occupied, I’ll seek solutions on my own. I can’t just leave the master like this." Her words, almost a declaration, left Damien frozen, unable to respond. 'Damn, what's going on exactly? What magic? You should explain that first...' He agonized internally, but then another voice from outside the office made his heart feel like it would stop. - Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! Without waiting for permission, a knight barged in, shouting. "The former pope who disappeared from Kyle Castle has reappeared!" "What!?" Damien leaped up in shock. An unforeseen worst-case scenario. Focused solely on potential front attacks, he felt a surprise attack coming from behind. Victoria seemed overly startled as well, but Damien was too shocked himself to notice. "W-What do you mean? The former pope? Why is the saintess appearing from there?!" His mind spun, and a dizziness overcame him. He felt like fainting but couldn’t afford to do so. ‘It’s definitely him. What trick is he playing now!’ He fumed inside. The monarch, always plotting something without sharing details. And whenever he vanishes, there’s a major incident. This time it seemed to involve the saintess. A deduction bordering on illogical, yet he was convinced by an unfounded certainty. "Why again this time...!" It was maddening, but nothing could be done. The monarch’s reckless actions have pushed McRyne's progress so far. 'What's done is done. Can’t help it.' Hoo. Damien tried to steady himself, hoping there’d be no more surprises. But it was harder than he thought. "Wait a moment. The saintess appeared? What’s her condition?" Victoria bombarded the knight with questions. The flustered knight alternated his gaze between her and Damien, then shouted again. "T-That’s not the issue. The elite forces from the eastern continent’s temple are all congregating at Kyle Castle! They’re ready to wage war! W-We must inform His Majesty immediately!" "Aaghh..." Even the Holy Kingdom at such a time... He felt like losing his mind. Damien’s face was beyond pale, a shade of blue from the stress skyrocketing. And it wasn’t over yet. Bang! "Your Majesty!!" Along with another urgent voice, another knight burst in. "Again!? What now!?" "About His Majesty!?" "Speak to me! Right now!" His heart didn’t just sink; it throbbed. Paralysis wouldn’t be surprising. But the knight’s next words were strange. "The awakened saintess declared McRyne as the state of her benefactors. She claimed it saved her from the schemes of the Kassel Mage Tower...?" "What?" What kind of nonsense is that? Hearing absurdities in succession seemed to momentarily paralyze his brain. His dazed, rigid mind was snapped back by Victoria. "Awakened!?" She jumped higher than the knight, shouting louder. Her expression was more of pure joy than surprise. 'Is that something to be happy about? Wait, hold on. Isn’t that... good news?' Struggling to grasp the situation, his judgment was slow. "H-How is this possible!? What about the master!?" "W-Wait, Victoria." Rubbing the stiff nape of his neck in shock, Damien called the exuberant Victoria. Then he looked at the second knight who had entered. "…So, to sum up, the missing saintess was found in Kyle Castle, and upon awakening, she claimed we saved her?" Trying to make sense of the situation, Damien found himself more confused than ever. “Yes!” Yet, the knight merely nodded in affirmation. “Sigh…” At that moment, Damien gave up trying to understand the reasoning. Damn it. The reason didn't matter anymore. There was no way to guess at this point. Simply... ‘It's probably something His Majesty did again.’ Thinking like that brought a strange sense of comfort. The situation wasn't necessarily negative, after all. ‘We aren't being framed as kidnappers; they’re saying we helped!’ So how could he turn this absurd situation to their advantage? “...Contact the temple. Suggest that the Empire might have allied with the Kassel Mage Tower. No, I should do it myself. Since His Majesty is preoccupied.” The shock that once pushed his heart down to his feet slowly receded, and a smile begun to spread across Damien’s face. * * * That day, Logan didn’t leave Kyle immediately with Harmon as planned. He couldn’t get close to the saintess, surrounded by people, but he was certain of her and Harmon’s recovery. So he left a clear message, waiting for her to awaken. [This is Logan McRyne. Viktor has brought you here. Sir Harmon has saved you. When you are aware, please send the surrounding people away for a moment.] It was a message forcibly delivered to the saintess while she was still disoriented upon awakening. Though it might put additional stress on a soul-injured patient, it was something Logan needed to ensure. Fortunately, the saintess recovered faster than anticipated. "...I’d like to be alone. Please, everyone, leave." No one dared to defy her words. The knights of Kyle quickly exited, setting up an impenetrable guard outside. Logan then slipped through, not through the door, but the window. ‘Sneaking around my own castle, what a situation.’ He sighed inwardly as he entered the room. "It’s been a while, Your Majesty." The saintess greeted him with a smile as she observed his entrance. "And please, you may speak freely as before. Thanks to you, I've found the light once more. I’d like to express my gratitude to Sir Harmon as well..." Though her face was pale and her smile weak, Ilia looked at ease. Seeing her, Logan realized that she was more aware of the situation than he had expected. Likely, some significant exchange had taken place during the miracle Harmon had shown her. "Sir Harmon is still unconscious, so I’ve hidden him for the time being. Now, no longer just a mere bishop, but the pope of the Holy Kingdom, I cannot speak so freely." "No. To the Holy Kingdom and the temple, I am just an echo. I plan to leave the temple soon, so it would be more comfortable if you treated me as before." What would it feel like for a priest dedicated to God—especially a saintess—to display such reactions, feeling like one’s soul has been devoured? Curiosity piqued, but Logan didn’t forget the immediate task at hand. "Still, I cannot. And I apologize, but there is a favor I wish to ask of 'Your Holiness,' which makes it all the more impossible." Sensing Logan's determination in his tone, the saintess’s expression momentarily hardened. What he anticipated had indeed come to pass. It was a bit of luck, but there was no reason not to utilize the situation. "If you feel indebted to me, may I ask you to assist me just a little bit more?" "Oh… But Your Majesty…" "And, as you probably know, aiding me would vex the god who sought to consume you." Ilia, about to shake her head, paused at Logan’s added words. "…I’d like to hear more." Logan couldn’t help but smirk at seeing her lips purse tightly. * * * – The missing pope reappeared on McRyne soil. – The pope’s disappearance was a plot by the Kassel Mage Tower. McRyne saved the saintess. – The saintess herself expressed gratitude towards McRyne and declared unequivocal support. Amidst the turmoil of war, the world was shaken by the most startling news yet. The repercussions grew more significant each day. – McRyne questions Kassel Mage Tower and Empire collaboration. – Survivors from the Calleraheim battle of the Ten Nations in the west testified against Kassel Mage Tower's betrayal leading to defeat by the Empire, withdrawing their support. With the central and western corps of the Empire leaving minimal forces in the central region and advancing to the east, a genuine debacle had struck the Empire. And within a few days, – It is assured the Empire’s machinations to mock the gods and invade Noviens persisted until today. – The Holy Kingdom declares Kassel Mage Tower and the Empire as enemies of the faith and announces a holy war. In place of the saintess, not yet reinstated in the order, Acting Pope Austin made declarations. Yet, the Empire responded swiftly. – The saintess's disappearance has no connection with us. – Kassel Mage Tower remains a public enemy of the Empire. No cooperation exists. – After subduing McRyne, we will severely punish those defaming the Empire. The Empire formally denied any ties with the Kassel Mage Tower and accelerated its advance towards McRyne. Naturally, the Holy Kingdom ignored this and hastened their holy war preparations, while learned individuals across the continent merely shook their heads. – McRyne's new weapon, and the emergence of archmages and aura masters, the current war's dynamics are changing too rapidly. – Even with the Holy Kingdom’s intervention, the victor may already be determined. – The Holy Kingdom may have to fight the Empire alone or search the continent for vanished rivals of the holy war. The predominant view on the declaration of the holy war was negative. However, receiving this news on his way back to Ruusfelheim, Logan couldn’t help but wear a satisfied smile.