Regressor of the Fallen Family

Dominen couldn’t help but turn a blind eye to reality.

If he admitted the truth of his situation now, all that would await him was ruin.

Thus, the noble young man before him had to be weaker than himself.

No, it was right for him to be weaker.

Dominen, having brainwashed himself, gripped his wooden sword with bloodshot eyes once more.

“Uwaaaah!”

With a mighty yell, his body flushed red as he rushed towards Logan.

‘Overhit. He’s overexerting himself.’

But the target simply chuckled.

Overhit was a technique that put a serious strain on the body in order to draw out more power than one’s natural abilities allowed—instantly.

While it could increase the force of a single blow, the gap between Logan and Dominen’s skills couldn’t be closed by such means.

‘It’s a mess of your own making.’

Logan’s eyes shone coldly and in an instant, his sword whipped through the air like the wind.

Pfft.

“Keu, Keugh. Again…”

Crash!

“Ah, still…”

Thud!

“How can this be…”

As the sparring continued, Dominen’s eyes grew unfocused, his gaze dimming, and his injuries multiplied.

Each wound wasn’t fatal, but the power behind them was enough to incapacitate Dominen in a fraction of a second.

The only reason he was still conscious was because Logan controlled his strength.

And the one who probably felt this the most was his opponent.

“How can this be…”

No matter how much he deceived himself, fleeing from reality, he had to face it now.

The noble young man he’d thought to be a mere fool was far stronger than he was.

Not just in physical capabilities, but even the realm of swordsmanship surpassed his own.

‘It wasn’t that I was careless.’

In that moment, Dominen lost his fighting spirit.

Had he been the kind to not bend in the face of stronger adversaries and keep his fighting spirit aflame, his skills wouldn’t be stagnant even after ten years.

“I admit defeat…”

Pfft.

“Cough!”

Before Dominen could finish his words of surrender, the wooden sword struck his mouth.

From that point on, Logan’s wooden sword, unlike before, struck mercilessly, not sparing any vital points.

Flurry of blows.

‘It can’t end easily.’

He had spent ten years as a mercenary in his previous life.

That experience taught him the importance of reinforcing the hierarchy within organizations, especially among rough men armed with weapons, and showing an example was the most effective method.

The knighthood was, broadly speaking, a gathering of ‘rough men with weapons.’

‘I’ve shown enough mercy by giving him multiple chances.’

The next step was…

‘Punishment!’

Logan swung his wooden sword even faster, recalling the experiences of his past life.

“Ugh…”

“So brutal…”

The observers expressed sympathy as they watched the duel unfold, but nobody actively tried to stop it.

It was already known why Logan had challenged the knight.

No one there wanted to cross the grand duke’s heir just to help a knight who was about to retire.

Everyone had recognized that the grand duke’s son’s skills had far surpassed those of an average knight.

“Ugh…”

“Those skills are genuine.”

“How could he improve this much in just three months?”

“He could’ve awakened his Force, but even then…”

“Could swordsmanship itself change so drastically?”

Logan heard all the whispers around him.

And the moment he felt his performance had achieved its intended effect, he halted his relentless assault.

“Urgh…”

Thump.

A gasp, and a lump of flesh that was once a knight collapsed to the ground, unrecognizable even by his own family.

But no one paid it any mind.

* * *

‘Logan the Grand Duke’s son defeated the knight!’

The rumor spread like wildfire through the inner walls of the city.

It was an unbelievable event, but with so many witnesses and it being such a hot topic, everyone was buzzing about it.

Meanwhile, the protagonist of this chaos was finally having a private meeting that he had been attempting to arrange for some time.

“You’ve done well. It seems you’ve awakened. Did something happen during your training?”

‘He was watching, as expected.’

It wasn’t the question he’d anticipated, but Logan answered promptly.

“…I just let go of my greed and decided to relinquish everything. With that mindset, during practice, at one point, I felt the Force filling me completely, almost like a lie.”

To the average person, this sounded nonsensical.

But in reality, it was an insight Logan had acquired when he became a Force user in his previous life.

It was during the time he had sworn to give up everything for the sake of avenging his family.

A truth he had only come to realize after suffering and enduring extreme training well into his forties.

Any typical knight who had to overcome his own limits to awaken the Force after enduring such grueling practice might find it absurd.

However, Sir Padric McLean, a senior knight, slowly nodded his head as if he understood.

“A realization of emptiness… It looks like you’ve indeed changed.”

Just as Logan felt that things were proceeding smoothly, his father said,

“And after such an epiphany, the first thing you do is assault a knight?”

“He committed a crime worthy of such treatment. You heard the whole story from the soldiers, did you not?”

“Yes, I heard it. But was it necessary to go that far on the spot?”

“Yes. It was.”

“Why?”

“He attempted to deceive and mock the bloodline of his lord. If left to his own devices, he would have become poison, undermining the discipline of our house.”

Logan spoke without hesitation, and Padric scrutinized his son’s expressionless face.

Feeling the intense scrutiny, Logan’s mouth went dry with tension.

Smirk.

“Dominen was greatly at fault, indeed. He forgot his duties and tried to deceive you.”

‘…That easy?’

Logan felt his tension dissipate momentarily.

“So, I won’t punish you specially. However…”

‘Surely you won’t let this pass so easily.’

Just as Logan tensed up again, focusing intently.

“You were too harsh with your hands. Restrain yourself for a while.”

“…Yes?”

Taken aback by the unexpected command, Logan could only respond blankly.

“What? Would you rather be punished?”

“No, sir.”

“The warning about restraint is not praise for your actions. Do not mistake it and never engage in such matters again without permission. You have not yet officially been given a position.”

“I understand.”

“And… There is something else you should know.”

“Yes?”

“The Ulfs family’s Lady Riina will soon be visiting.”

“Ah…”

The moment he had been waiting for had come.

“Yes. You and Riina will both be of age next year, so it’s about time. She’s coming here personally without using communication artifacts and brings with her a handwritten letter from Kairon Ulfs, so it must be about that matter.”

The ease of his current situation seemed to be because of this reason.

‘But… It’s probably going to be the opposite of what father thinks.’

Annulment.

An event that would once again thrust the family’s honor into the dirt.

In his past life, he remembered his father’s fury over this matter, although he himself, still reeling from the injury to his pride, had been much more senselessly violent.

And yet, Logan remained silent, sealing his lips.

* * *

Three days after the incident with Dominen.

The inner city buzzed with another rumor about the grand duke’s heir.

Lady Riina Ulfs had come to visit the Mclains.

‘Finally…’

Preparing himself for the awaited news, Rick, his face brimming with joy, came to him.

“Wow! How lucky you are!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I just heard from the other servants, they say she grew up to be unbelievably beautiful!”

“So? What about it?”

“The daughter of the Ulfs family! Your fiancee! When I last saw her as a child, she was just… oh.”

“She’s already here in the citadel? I better get ready.”

“…That’s it? That’s all?”

“What more should it be?”

“Wow! My fiancee, renowned for her beauty across the kingdom! Envy me, lads! Isn’t that how it should be?”

“…What exactly do you think of me?”

“Well, a brat… Ha ha. No, just kidding. Sorry, I mean… Sorry.”

Logan sighed quietly, recalling memories of the past.

Riina’s visit.

That event, which would unexpectedly lead to the declaration of their annulment, had also been the trigger for his unspeakable deeds following the downfall of his sanity.

‘Well, if I don’t repeat that, it won’t matter.’

The estate was bound to be in an uproar anyway.

The servants didn’t much care why the Ulfs family’s daughter was visiting; they simply hoped for a marriage or engagement to lead to celebration.

Indeed, under the lord’s orders, the servants were already preparing for a banquet.

However, once the annulment was declared, all those plans would be scrapped and chaos would ensue.

The one person who knew of the future held a bitter smile amidst the commotion.

‘It’s all pointless. I just need the money.’

He had to turn what was once the catalyst for his gravest sin into a new opportunity.

If he left it as it was, the money would simply vanish, and he needed to seize it at all costs.

Reviewing his plans and refreshing his memories from his previous life, he heard the voice indicating it was time.

“My lord, your father asks for you.”

“…Understood.”

Unlike the jubilant Rick, Logan’s footsteps as he left the room carried an unusually combative air.

* * *

“Lady Riina Ulfs has arrived!”

Boom.

With the servant’s resounding voice, the grand hall’s door opened, and a party entered.

“Wow…”

“Unbelievable…”

“The lord is so fortunate…”

As Lady Riina and her entourage became visible, awe echoed throughout the hall.

Aware of the attention poured onto him, Logan couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

‘Riina Ulfs.’

Porcelain-white skin and jet-black eyes like obsidian.

Her silver hair cascaded down near her waist, complementing her pure white dress as she gracefully moved forward.

Accompanying her was a knight in armor adorned with a wolf emblem and four servants.

The procession was unusually small for a house as rich as the Ulfs earldom, one of the kingdom’s major powers, but no one felt it lacked grandeur.

Such was the overpowering presence of Riina Ulfs, who walked at the forefront.

Gulp.

As someone swallowed hard in the silence, Riina approached Padric to offer greetings.

“It has been some time, my lord Baron. I trust you have been well.”

Without missing a beat, her melodic voice spread through the hall, causing another murmur of admiration.

‘As always, impressive…’

Only one person, Logan, who had made a grave mistake swayed by her beauty and voice, slightly furrowed his brow.

After formal yet amiable greetings were concluded, she, with the help of her servant, read aloud from the baron’s letter.

“…Because of unavoidable circumstances, we respectfully request to annul the engagement. Kairon Ulfs. That is all.”

As she finished reading, the air in the hall plummeted into a chilly silence.

To summarize the content of the lengthy and florid letter that took over thirty minutes to read…

We had believed you’d be an Aura user by now, but after more than twenty years, you’ve shown no progress, and your son, our proposed match, is in the worst condition imaginable. There’s no reason for us to demean ourselves by associating with your family any longer.

So, let’s end this here.

…that was the message.

The previously smiling Padric’s face now stiffened, and everyone held their breath, waiting for his lead.

“To announce an annulment without a particular reason, does the Ulfs family intend to insult the Mclains?”

Padric’s voice, chilling with fury, enveloped the grand hall.

As the atmosphere turned to a razor edge, as if something might break at any moment…

“…Surely there’s no such intention, Lord Baron. Concerned you might think so, I asked to become the envoy. I wanted to clarify any misunderstandings.”

Her voice was broken.

“I spent close to a year here during my childhood, and those days are still vivid in my memory.”

Her eyes shimmered with tears.

“The precious moments I had in this peaceful, beautiful place with Lord Logan, I did not want to let go of those, despite being young.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as Riina looked toward Logan.