Regressor of the Fallen Family

Regressor of the Fallen Family Chapter 147

“Aegis, the shield of the gods. It truly should be as invincible as its name suggests.”

“We’ll make it so. Don’t worry, Father.”

Logan tried to reassure his father with a confident smile, yet Patrick’s expression remained somber.

“It’s not just you and Ronian, but your fiancée and that Victor fellow too. All of you are too talented to die here. If it comes to the worst, at least you must…”

“There will be no worst scenario, Father.”

Interrupted by Logan’s assertive face, Patrick forced a smile as well.

“…Indeed, that would be for the best.”

“We have a fortress built to make the most of the weapons we have. It was hastily erected through significant outlay of our funds.”

“It’s a necessity…”

“Relax, I’m kidding.”

Logan thought it was a terrible joke but chose not to voice his criticism.

The best efforts had been made, yet victory was not guaranteed in this crisis.

Affirmations were sparse in such trying situations.

“At any rate, the role of the knights is as crucial as the fortress itself. We must deal with any who manage to scale the walls as securely as possible. And should a Superhuman intervene, do as I’ve instructed…”

“Yes, I’ll bear it in mind. There’s no need to keep repeating yourself. But do you truly think you can achieve this?”

“I can. Have I ever assured you of something I couldn’t deliver? Besides, I’ve already shown you proof.”

“Ah, yes. You did.”

Patrick’s mood lightened as he remembered ‘that thing’ Logan had shown a few days earlier.

He formed a self-deprecating smile upon sensing his own change of heart.

‘Have I grown old? Why am I plagued with anxiety?’

He tried to inject confidence with a forced smile then a familiar voice chimed in.

“Even when ‘that thing’ isn’t present, Young lord Logan has withstood several attacks from a Superhuman. Have faith in him, Lord.”

“M’lady… Oh, Lady Eileen. Cough.”

“Feel free to address me in whatever manner is comfortable for you, Lord.”

Patrick once again felt reassured, his spirit buoyed by the sight of Eileen in her striking armor, gleaming with an unusual blue glow, her sword no less exceptional.

‘I can’t show weakness in front of my daughter-in-law. Yes, I must live at least until I see my grandchild.’

His smile softened, banishing the creeping anxiety.

Of course, had Logan or Eileen known his inner thoughts, they would have frowned with worry.

‘Yes, even in the worst-case scenario, as long as these children are saved…’

Then, another who shared Patrick’s sentiments joined the conversation.

“Sister-in-law, how can you not be concerned? Brother, are you truly going to be alright confronting a Superhuman alone?”

Ronian’s expression was not bright.

He understood Eileen’s exuberance, given she had been taught the Divine Blade Vision Forescore and obtained the Class 4 Artifact named Frigus. However, he was concerned her newfound confidence could be excessive.

Logan patted his younger brother’s shoulder.

“Trust me, brother. Unless Juan Douglas or Duke Yordan intervene directly, I can manage to hold out.”

Or even if he couldn’t, he would find a way to endure.

“And we have Lord Clayton.”

As if aware of the conversation about him, the imposing middle-aged mage Clayton met Logan’s gaze and nodded from afar.

His expression betrayed his tension, yet it was understandable.

Essentially, the fate of this defensive battle hinged on Logan and him, as they were the key to withstanding the attack of the Superhumans.

With that thought, Logan’s face hardened.

Then, a sudden cry broke out from outside.

“Enemy spotted!!”

* * *

“McLaine Castle is… No, that’s not McLaine Castle. A different fortress is in sight!”

The 1st Prince’s faction’s command reacted quickly to the scout’s report.

“A fortress without a gate… It’s a makeshift stronghold. Its scale is enormous, but it seems to have been built just recently.”

Wicken Callian relayed his observation to Juan Douglas at his right, taking a closer look at the distant fortress in the making. As a Superhuman with attribute specialization rather than physical prowess, it was only natural for him, an aura user, to rely on his sharper vision compared to that of Douglas, a magician.

But Juan’s attitude towards Wicken had been somewhat dismissive since the Battle of Harun Castle, his expression still ambiguous.

“Should we assume they built it for this battle?”

“That’s unlikely. I only learned of it after His Majesty gave the order. Even for an earthwork, two weeks is simply impossible.”

“Yes, if they planned for this long in advance, the enemy would be prophets.”

“If they were prophets, they wouldn’t have done this madness.”

The two Superhumans thought simultaneously of a young, arrogant youth with red eyes and red hair—not their intended target, but the mastermind behind it all.

“Huh. Truly a madman with audacity. Regardless of who wins, both sides will prioritize dealing with him. I thought he was just insane.”

“Even if he is insane, the outcomes of his actions are non-trivial, Your Excellency. If not for the spies monitoring the Sword Sage, we wouldn’t have even noticed. We must consider he might have other strategies at play.”

At Wicken Callian’s words, Juan Douglas furrowed his brow.

History had proven that no tactic can stand against overwhelming force.

The moment McLaine’s ruse was exposed, its fate was all but sealed.

Yet, a sliver of unease remained.

“Undeniably, the damage they’ve caused in just a month is greater than what’s accrued over the last half a year, to us or to Yordan. Ironically, ever since their involvement, both factions have sustained nothing but critical damage.”

“What do you mean?”

“If they had just sat still, they’d still be a lingering worry. Now that they’ve dug their own graves, we must bury them with certainty. Cautiously.”

“Understood, we shall proceed accordingly.”

“That being said, we need to deal with that scoundrel before Yordan.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Let’s watch.”

Juan Douglas retreated without further instructions.

Wicken Callian watched his back quizzically, then issued orders to the entire army in his stead.

Shortly afterward, not far away, the 2nd Prince’s forces displayed similar movements, becoming boisterous.

Soon after, the Combined Faction forces advanced on the newly erected earthwork stronghold, Aegis.

* * *

“To arms! Let’s repel the invaders and defend our home!”

At Logan’s booming call, the soldiers and militia felt a rush of pride, the thick cloud of anxiety replaced by a spirit of defiance.

The knights, sensitive to bodily changes as force users, all turned their heads toward Logan, noticing a subtle shift.

‘A slight improvement in blood flow, yet quicker circulation.’

‘Is he using some kind of artifact?’

‘This is something new, isn’t it?’

As always, Logan’s unexpected abilities left them in awe.

While not magical empowerment, the ability to bolster the morale of soldiers was undoubtedly advantageous.

The thoughts of the knights converged to a singular admiration:

– As expected of Young lord Logan!

With fists clenched and spirits lifted, commanders snapped their troops to attention.

“Move swiftly!”

“Let’s rain arrows down on the invaders’ heads!”

Unlike the oblivious soldiers, the knights who had witnessed the commander’s skill spurred their troops with renewed zeal.

Among them stood Victor, who lifted his helmet’s visor to look towards the dozen mages waiting deep within the fortress walls, particularly his youngest sibling.

– Don’t. Worry. About. Me.

Watching his sibling silently mouth these words, Victor sighed and turned away.

‘How could I not worry, especially in the absence of Lord Clayton?’

Fortunately, he had the lord’s own orders to protect his sibling this time.

In front of a stockpile of Libertiatio, Victor was tasked with guarding the small inner wall sheltering the mages.

His heterochromatic eyes shone with resolve as he faced forwards.

‘No one will pass beyond here.’

“Advance calmly! Aim eastward, but stay alert for enemies who may turn this way!”

The voice of a woman, unexpected in this context, caused most of the militia men to glance back at least once.

Then:

“Don’t gawk at me – focus on the enemy! If you stare like that again, I’ll gouge out your eyes!”

Led by the stern voice of the female knight, the men hurriedly resumed watching outside the walls.

“A woman?”

“Wow, she’s quite the beauty…”

“Who is…?”

Given the militia’s nature – comprised mainly of men in their prime, attention didn’t break away from the female knight for long.

Despite the pressuring aura from the knights keeping them in check, conversation flowed effortlessly behind, aggravating Eileen as she overheard.

‘Still…’

Although well-known within McLaine Castle and the town, to the assembled militia from other towns, Eileen was an exotic sight.

A woman in the ranks of the knights, who also held the unprecedented position of being the young lord’s fiancée.

Her place within the McLaine Knights was indeed peculiar.

She was the order’s junior, yet held a position not even the Knight Commander or the lord could easily address.

Thankfully, she never sought special treatment, training harder than anyone, proving her worth in war.

And now:

“She’s the future Lady of the house! Any disrespectful words heard will not be forgiven!”

Her fellow knight’s declaration raised Eileen’s standing among the militia.

“Logan’s betrothed?”

“Ah, we meant no disrespect.”

“Men, let’s fight with vigor to protect our future lady!”

While the reactions were for the name of McLaine and Logan rather than her, Eileen was not displeased.

Only the fact that she was more often referred to as the “prospective lady” rather than a knight somewhat troubled her.

Content that discussions about her were easing the battlefield’s tension, she saw no reason to object.

She was one of the three youngest high-grade members of the McLaine Knights, a senior knight capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Commander.

And she was currently responsible for the northern wall’s defense of the Aegis Fortress.

“You all must protect her…”

“Henderson, just let them be.”

“Yes? But…”

“They’ll loosen up if they talk about me, so it’s fine.”

Her earnest eyes conveyed the truth, and Henderson could only nod in agreement.

“…Yes, understood.”

“And I should apologize to you in advance.”

“Yes?”

“I might have to go to the eastern wall if things get bad. Just think you’re in command from the start.”

An irresponsible confession of intent to disobey orders.

Yet the large knight just grinned and thumped his chest in affirmation.

“Of course, you should. Don’t worry, Lady Eileen.”

Their gazes collectively shifted towards the eastern wall.

The red-haired youth there, known to be the strongest among them, was about to face enemies that weren’t to be taken lightly, even by him.

Though she encouraged the others to have faith in Logan, deep down, Eileen harbored the most anxiety.

‘If it happens again like last time…’

She vividly remembered Logan coughing up blood and collapsing during the previous battle.

That feeling of helplessness was something she never wanted to experience again.

If a similar event were to occur, she wouldn’t merely watch.

Even with her inadequacies, her sword Frigus could carve a momentary respite for him.

‘This time, I’ll protect him, no matter what!’

The hilt of Frigus, which should transmit a cool sensation, grew hot in her grip.

“Advance!”

“Charge!!!!”

The sight of over 40,000 soldiers surging towards the fortress was intimidating enough to make any heart skip a beat.

But as Logan stood atop the walls, his bearing steady, his heart never wavered.

From the outside, our forces may not seem considerable, but nearly ten thousand stood by, ready for combat.

“Prepare to fire!”

“Ready!”

“Fire!”

At that command, soldiers pulled triggers in unison, and mages launched golems hurling searing boulders into the fray.

The war that would decide McLaine’s destiny had truly begun.

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