Regressor of the Fallen Family novel Chapter 195

Chapter 195

The sunlight shining through the window and the sound of birds announced the arrival of morning. Unable to sleep due to a myriad of thoughts, Viktor rubbed his swollen eyes as he rose from the bed. Though the lodgings were comfortable, this place was enemy territory. And he, a knight bound by duty to protect his lord.

Thud.

The heavy armor that he casually flipped over to wear brought back some clarity with its cool touch. From this morning until evening, it was his and his members’ turn to accompany their lord. The supernatural battles that floated before his eyes through the night, seen yesterday, had to be forcibly shaken off. However, it was not easy.

‘Could I ever become like that?’

As a knight, how could he not dream of becoming an Aura User? Yet, contrary to his lord’s firm belief that he would naturally become a superhuman, the realm felt despairingly distant, leaving him feeling suffocated.

‘It’s all so daunting…’

In ancient times, when humans were far fewer and even Force Users were not common, what did the knights of that era, who could not don armor without a squire’s help, feel upon witnessing a Force User? To them, an Aura User of a higher realm must have seemed like a person from an entirely different dimension.

He smirked.

‘Being able to worry over such a thing is something, at least.’

Viktor shook his head a few times, took a deep breath, and then stepped out of his room. He had transformed from a suffering sibling in the slave markets of Harun into a genius knight of the Maclaine family, while his younger sibling became the hope of the Mage Tower. Their lives had already changed drastically.

Today, he had to accompany the very person who made that possible – his benefactor and lord. Shrugging off all distractions, Viktor walked with a confident stride towards his lord.

* * *

“The Western 3rd Legion stationed here in Ruspelheim is tasked with defending our kingdom’s borders. In the worst-case scenario, they could also serve as the vanguard attacking our kingdom. So, keep a keen eye on them.”

Viktor tensed up at his lord’s concluding words. Though not explicitly mentioned, it seemed the lord viewed the empire as an inevitable adversary. That must be why the plea was made with such a deferential tone.

– Deeply impressed by your valor, may we witness the might of the 3rd Legion you command? We wish to reference it for our modest domain.

If that’s what the lord believes…

‘It shall be done. Unquestionably.’

Viktor directed his Force towards his head, dispelling even the slightest fatigue, and concentrated his mind. Upon entering the military camp set up on the outskirts of Ruspelheim,

He couldn’t help but grimace at the display of might boasted by the empire’s Western 3rd Legion.

“Attention! Salute the distinguished guests!”

“Salute!”

The sight filled with ranks of soldiers, a thousand ‘knights’ lined up in the training ground, executed their movements with flawless precision, raising their swords towards them.

And the Aura User from yesterday, Blake, approached slowly with a pleased smile amid that sight.

“How was it, Lord Logan? We slightly modified our usual training for our guests, but was it satisfactory?”

“Remarkable. I can see the might of the empire’s legions.”

Blake’s smile broadened at the lord’s admiration.

“Don’t mention it. It’s a pity we can only show you this much since the majority of our legion’s forces are deployed to the border areas.”

Walterheim, one of Grandia’s finest domains, had boasted of its thousand-strong knight order.

And here, ‘merely one of the Western 8th Legions. So, this is the empire…’

Thinking of the empire as an enemy, Viktor found it impossible to maintain the leisurely smile his lord wore.

“I must apologize for yesterday’s rudeness to the burly gentleman. My inability to restrain provocations led me to act impulsively.””It will be all right. Sir Luther is the type to accept the outcome, so he won’t take it too hard.”

Despite those words, it seemed as though he was still sulking and hadn’t shown up.

Victor, who dared not question his lord’s words, could only bow his head in silence momentarily.

Meanwhile, an ‘enemy’ Aura User who stood at the forefront of the knights had summoned 30 knights and introduced them to Logan.

“These are the elite of the Third Legion who will accompany me in escorting Duke Logan to the imperial capital.”

“It is an honor to serve such a distinguished guest!”

The 30 knights knelt on one knee in unison, their voices ringing out as one. The display, like the one just moments before, made it evident just how well-trained the Third Legion truly was.

‘Out of the 30, nine are high-ranking, the rest are mid-ranking, and then there’s one…’ Logan’s gaze met with someone whose strength he couldn’t quite gauge.

‘Perhaps top-tier…’

The sheer luxury of being able to dispatch such elites for a diplomatic escort, unrelated to the legion’s primary duties, was frightening.

“Isn’t this overkill? Just having Duke Blake here is overwhelming enough.”

“How could we afford to treat His Majesty’s guest with anything less than our best? We will ensure a safe escort without any incidents to the best of our preparations.”

Gone was the sight of the fierce superhuman from yesterday, replaced only by the polite Blake.

The fact that a superhuman could act so considerately for the sole reason of being the Emperor’s guest weighed heavily anew.

“Ha, well, if you insist. I accept your kind offer. But Duke Blake, I’m quite curious about the empire’s armaments. What kind of weapons do the soldiers of the Third Legion primarily use? Perhaps crossbows as well…?”

The kingdom’s foremost nobility.

The hero who had saved the country in a civil war.

For a moment, all that pride seemed to be put aside as the lord bowed his head before the enemy, darkening Victor’s expression.

‘He really is preparing for war…’

Victor found himself reassessing the knights of the Third Legion with renewed interest.

‘These men could be the vanguard. I must gauge their level. And…’

To protect this life,

‘I must become stronger.’

Victor, devoid of any special talents, knew that all he could do was train.

He firmly resolved once again, looking at the back of the benefactor who had changed the fate of him and his brother.

“Crossbows? Why would we use such inefficient weapons? Ha, you do make an interesting point.”

Logan nodded, looking into Blake’s unshaken eyes.

Further investigation would likely reveal it, but it seemed the empire’s repeating crossbows hadn’t been deployed in actual combat yet.

“Ah, it was just an example. We use them on our side, you see.”