Regressor of the Fallen Family - Chapter 264
Episode 264 – The second prince of the empire comes as a congratulatory envoy.
There were quite a few people who were surprised by the news, but the one who reacted most sensitively was Logan.
‘Why him?’
If we only think about this life, Logan should have no regrets towards the second prince. Rather, he was the one who extended his hand to help during the civil war against the king, regardless of his original intention.
However, as Logan, who remembered his past life, he naturally had no choice but to view all of the second prince’s actions through colored glasses.
It may be said that it is a prejudice that interferes with correct judgment, but when inferring the actions of a specific person, prejudice or stereotypes are also the easiest basis. Of course, this was only possible if you judged the person accurately.
And Logan was convinced that the 2nd Prince was a different person inside and out.
“Now that a new dynasty has emerged, aren’t they trying to build new relationships?”
Logan immediately shook his head at Damian’s guess without any doubts.
“No, that can’t be possible. He’s not that kind of guy. If that was the only reason, he would have just sent a messenger.”
Damian let out a small sigh at Logan’s assertion.
“For whatever purpose, there are no people in the empire, so is there any reason for the prince to come in person?”
“That makes it even weirder. That’s why I called you.”
Other aides, especially Dwayne and other ministers and family members, swallowed the statement that they were busy preparing for the state wedding.
Damian, who received Logan’s expectant gaze, was lost in thought.
“…If there is another intention, it would be to take advantage of the difference between when the prince is the envoy and when someone else is the envoy.”
“Hmm? The only difference is that there are more escorts and the overall size of the delegation is… Ah!”
When Logan’s eyes lit up without speaking, Damian added as if he guessed what he was thinking.
“It seems that there is something among those who come as part of the delegation. Ordinary Ganjaya can come even during normal times, so I think there must be something special about those who can follow the prince into the castle.”
“Hmm. That seems plausible.”
“Or did you say that the 2nd Prince had business to attend to His Majesty?”
“hmm?”
“I may be an envoy from a small kingdom, but if the prince of the empire asks for a private meeting, I have no choice but to accept it.”
“…That’s right.”
As long as you are not trying to antagonize the empire right away, it is better to maintain good relations, even on the surface.
then.
“In other words, are those who come as the prince’s guards or aides planning to do something in the royal castle, or do they have a purpose that requires the second prince to meet me in person?”
“Yes. It would be difficult to think of anything else than that.”
“Yes. That makes sense. Okay. First of all, monitor all the high-ranking members of the empire’s delegation. Guard knights… Oh no, it would be better to attach a knight order as a guard rather than watching from behind.”
“Still, we will also attach secret surveillance that is not noticeable.”
“Ok, fine.”
From then on, Logan continued to worry about what the prince’s purpose was, but in the end, he had no choice but to conclude that he would not know until he met him in person.
A month after hearing the news, the imperial delegation entered the capital, Grand.
Floating. Floating.
With the sound of drums pounding the eardrums, a procession followed that left everyone watching in amazement.
A knight holding the imperial flag depicting a golden dragon led the group at the front, followed by exactly 98 knights.
Less than 100 knights to prove they were not the vanguard for war. International practices were adhered to precisely to the limit.
However, those of McLane’s knights who had reached a certain level could not help but harden their complexions as they could see that all 99 knights were at the minimum level.
Even the ‘one-eyed’ knight standing next to the prince looked truly on a different level.
“Jerome Decade…”
Luther Kyle, who had seen him in the imperial castle, moaned his name.
He remembered the way Jerome Decade showed in his final battle with Logan. It’s a shame, but just looking at that time, I didn’t have the confidence to handle the kid who was about to turn 30.
‘no. Now I too have reached a higher level.’
For some reason, it seemed like their eyes met, so Luther gritted his teeth and straightened his back.
When the knights of McLane, including Luther, hardened their countenances at the majesty of the imperial knights.
The general public could only admire the sight of the thousand soldiers, hundreds of servants, and the endless procession of the upper echelons that followed.
“You said it was a delegation. How many people are there?”
“There should be more than 10,000 people.”
“Man, the people behind us are mostly merchants. They’re not an official delegation, they’re just there to grab a share.”
“But it’s still the same as being part of the Empire.”
Murmur.
The leading knight stopped in front of the royal castle while countless people watched.
“This is the arrival of His Majesty Baros van Ares, the sole ruler of the Emperor, the only ruler under the heavens. Open the way!”
At first glance, the knight who shouted loudly while holding a flag was a strong man who had reached the highest level.
The momentum he revealed without hiding put pressure on the front.
Then Luther just laughed and suppressed the momentum.
“First, get off your horse and show your respect. This is not an empire, so only His Highness the Prince and his guards can enter the castle.”
Ugh.
As the fierce force relentlessly pressured the knight on the horse, he bit his lip and held on until it bled. But words could not handle the power of the superman.
Heehee!
As the course horse with shiny black fur stumbled and tried to bend its knees, a low voice was heard from behind.
“Hmm. Philes, that’s too much! Don’t forget that we visited Macline as congratulatory envoys.”
Then the knight, who seemed like he would endure to the end, jumped off his horse and bowed his head backwards.
The one-eyed knight patted the shoulder of Philes, who bowed his head, and took a step forward.
“It’s been a while since I saw you. Was it Lord Luther?”
A gorgeous outfit, with even the eyepatch over her right eye decorated in gold. However, unlike the flashy outfit, the blue eyes looking at Luther were extremely calm.
Luther looked at the silver moon floating in those blue eyes, his complexion hardened slightly, and he nodded.
The confident kid I saw in the castle was now showing a more serious side. And I could feel that my skills had changed as much as my attitude had changed.
‘At least an intermediate Auror user. Damn it.’
Luther cursed inwardly as he saw the enemy superhuman’s appearance change so clearly that he wondered if the king had increased his potential rather than diminished it.
But he did not forget his immediate mission.
“Luther Kyle. I will allow only His Highness the Prince, ten knights to guard him, and up to one hundred attendants to enter the royal family.”
“Hmm. I understand. The palace is bigger and more beautiful than I thought.”
As the tension that seemed as if it would explode at any moment disappeared in an instant, those who watched their confrontation breathed a sigh of relief.
“…The rest of the delegation will also be staying in the inner city, so I hope you can stay comfortably.”
Of course, both the prince’s party inside the palace and the delegation staying in the inner castle will be under strict guard(?) by the Royal Guard.
Jerome, whether he knew it or not, just smiled and nodded.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
The 2nd prince and his party entered the royal palace and immediately demanded to meet with the king alone.
* * *
“Ha. Right away?”
“Yes. Do you want to postpone it?”
“No, there’s no need for that. Let’s meet.”
Logan nodded with a confident smile.
But the stand was creaky from the start.
“Didn’t you say it was a private unit? The escort driver must wait outside.”
“Your Majesty is an ambassador of the empire, not a subject of this country. Shouldn’t you have at least one bodyguard by your side?”
In a way, it was a valid statement, but that one escort knight was a superhuman.
Victor, who knew Jerome Decade, gritted his teeth and stopped him.
This was because the secret force that was sweeping over his entire body was pressuring him to the point where it was difficult to even open his mouth.
‘How dare you!’
Grumbling.
“This is not the empire. As a rule, you must enter alone!”
As I was shaking off the superman’s momentum, my voice came out like a shout.
When the 2nd Prince’s complexion frowned and a strange image appeared in Jerome’s only eye.
– Does not matter. Take it in.
Logan’s voice came from inside the office.
Sigh.
Jump and jump.
When the door opened, the prince entered without hesitation.
His black eyes met the red eyes of Logan, who was sitting calmly.
“It’s been a while, Prince Baros.”
Prince.
The second prince’s eyebrows twitched slightly at those words.
It was customary for the princes and four kings of the empire to officially receive the same treatment as kings of ordinary kingdoms when they went abroad for special reasons.
However, most people used to treat the imperial prince like a superior. Because the majesty of an empire encompassing the entire continent could never be ignored.
Moreover, the current second prince was the closest candidate to the next throne. Considering that he might become emperor in the future, it was natural to treat him with respect.
However, the prince quickly controlled his expression and smiled.
“Yes. Long time no see, Your Highness.”
Not Your Majesty, but Your Highness.
It was a title that treated the king of the Kingdom of McLane, a sovereign nation that did not belong to the empire, as a prince or a vassal of the empire.
However, since it was a common attitude taken by imperial envoys even if they were not princes, Logan did not find it problematic.
I just internally raised my awareness even more when I saw a guy laughing even at the bottom of his class.
“I understand that it is rare for the prince of an empire whose government affairs have been ruined to personally come as a congratulatory envoy to the national wedding of a neighboring kingdom…?”
Is it just a rare case?
Logan was confident that even if he searched through the entire history of the empire, he would find only a few.
But the prince simply responded with his usual smile.
“It’s more rare than that for a dynasty that has been in existence for a thousand years to change. It’s just a shame that I couldn’t come see you at the coronation ceremony.”
As expected, he is a guy whose feelings are hard to tell by his facial expressions.
Logan, recalling that thought again and smiling, turned his eyes to the back of the prince.
“It’s been a while, Sir Jerome. I was also feeling sad about what happened back then, but after seeing your prayers, I feel relieved.”
Jerome’s face, which had been showing a relaxed expression the whole time, hardened at those words.
It was not simply because of the pretense that came from the mouth of the person responsible for taking away one eye.
The speculation that had been secretly spreading since he entered the room had disappeared without a trace when it reached Logan’s front view.
It said one thing.
‘At least I am…’
Just as there is a difference in skill even among knights at the same level, the difference is even more evident among superhumans.
However, as he gritted his teeth and rose to the next level after his past defeat, he could not help but feel gloomy that Logan had already reached that level as well.
Even more so when you consider that he is someone who has a record of defeating him in the past even when his level of skill was somewhat lacking.
Little by little, base jealousy and anger began to creep into my relaxed mind.
But soon my teacher’s words came to mind.
– Your absolute vision is a fearsome trait that can ignore even a difference of one or two levels. If you use it well, there will be no defeat like before.
While Jerome was composing himself, remembering his teacher’s advice, he suddenly heard the prince’s voice.
“Jerome?”
Only then did he realize that he had been thinking too long.
Jerome came to his senses and slowly shook his head as he looked at the prince.
One of the promised signs.
The prince frowned slightly when he saw that, but then looked at Logan with a smile as if he had never done that before.
“Lord Jerome was also in trouble at that time. Don’t worry too much about it.”
“Ah, yes. I think I understand that just by looking at the prayer. That’s good. But why did you ask for a private meeting when you said you came to say congratulations?”
Jerome’s expression hardened at that direct question, but the prince smiled even more and spoke.
“I want to know why Your Majesty is hostile to our empire.”
At those words, Logan’s face hardened.