A headache was beginning to form.
It was illogical to think that anyone would acknowledge a claim to succession through terror at this stage. Only someone out of their mind could conceive such an idea.
This meant that some group using Clavis, the former First Royal Grandson, as an excuse had appeared and were committing acts of terror without any known reason, making it difficult to guess who was behind them.
“Who are they?”
[It’s certain that they are a group following the First Royal Grandson…]
“The First Royal Grandson was once a First Royal Grandson. Even if that were true, they are nothing but a group of rebels now.”
[Ah, yes. That’s correct. There’s no information available other than the fact they’re following Clavis.]
Logan bit his lip in irritation.
It was a mystery how such an unexpected situation had arisen in his brief absence of half a year.
“Damian hasn’t said anything?”[Yes, nothing. For now, he is still in the stage of establishing the organization, only sending messages of apology for spending money.]
“Hmm. I see, that’s likely.”
His expectations were met with the reality, as predicted.
Another unexpected statement followed.
[However, the Information Guild Nox has communicated that the number of sightings of Clavis by those who encountered the terrorists is increasing.]
“What?”
Clavis is really here?
Could there truly be such an insane terrorist group in existence?
It was a story that made one sigh.
‘No, it can’t be. There must be someone using him for their own schemes. I need to find out.’
More work emerged for the internal inspection of the kingdom.
Until this point, Logan’s thoughts about the group were limited to that extent.
Of course.
“I must return at once.”
Because of this, the journey from Ruspelheim to Maclaine was cut to less than half.
* * *
“The Lord has returned!”
Returning to his fiefdom after nearly half a year, the people of Maclaine Town warmly welcomed Logan and his party.
From the sight of eight state carriages that were not there before and the wealth they carried, it was obvious that the Lord had accomplished something during his absence.
Furthermore, when the news spread that Luther Kyle, an Aura User, was set to settle in Maclaine, the entire fiefdom once again erupted in praises for Logan.
– As expected of the Lord!
This phrase became almost like a colloquial term in Maclaine.
Within the fervent cheers, Logan tilted his head as he entered the manor, wondering why the two people who should be most excited about his return were nowhere to be seen.
“Th-There… You’ll understand once you go to the office.”
Seeing Dwayne avoid his gaze, Logan cautiously opened the door to the office.
Then, a familiar face popped up from the mountain of paperwork.
Disheveled red hair, dark circles under weary eyes.
“Who…?”
Upon locking eyes with Logan, the owner of the tired voice froze for a moment.
“Eileen?”
“Lord Logan?! When did you, uh, arrive…”
Stopping mid-sentence, Eileen’s head disappeared again. After a brief clamor from behind the paperwork pile, she reappeared, looking a bit neater but still evidently exhausted.
“Oh, I heard you were coming today, but I got so buried in work that I completely forgot. Do I look a bit ragged…?”
“No, you’re still beautiful as always. But that’s not the issue. Why are you here, Eileen?”
“Um, father said he was going on a business trip and left me in charge of approvals. He thought it was time for me to start learning about running the family affairs.”
So, this old man.
When it was time to discriminate against women, now he’s entrusted her with the entire workload?
Can people change that drastically?
Caught in a ridiculous story, Logan took a moment to realize something odd.
“A business trip?”
“Well, he said the details are confidential… Just that he was dealing with a matter for you, Lord Logan.”
“Ah…!”
The list brought by Nox.
It was not until hearing Eileen’s reply that Logan recalled the tasks he entrusted to his father.
‘Then right now…’
As Logan’s thoughts deepened, Eileen quickly changed the subject.
“Were there any notable events in the empire? You seem to be well.”
Despite her rundown appearance, Logan’s praise wasn’t a lie.
Of course, her usual vibrant look was preferable, but even her worn and pale face was something he wanted to take care of.
‘How tired she must be.’
Caught between disbelief and pity, Logan struggled to find the right words.
Simply, he raised his hand to show her the golden glow of evening.
As a knight herself, she would understand the meaning…
“Aura!! Wow! How did this happen?”
“Uh! Wait, just one minute. Ca, can you let go of my hand…?”
Suddenly flush with excitement, Eileen lunged toward him, and Logan had to exert his Aura to calm her down.
“About that, from Ruspelheim…”
As he began to explain, the story naturally became long.
However, after listening to his tales, especially those about the empire’s mighty beings and awakening, Eileen’s eyes glowed even brighter than before.
Seeing her reaction, Logan let out a sigh of relief, and a small smile.
“Of course, you’re not one for paperwork, are you?”
“Yes. Honestly, it’s been too hard.”
Her candid response elicited a chuckled snort.
“That’s why you shouldn’t take on all the work. There’s also the female army to manage. Dwayne could have handled this.”
“Ah! By the way, I have something to report regarding the female army. The training results are looking good, and the recent sparring matches with the male soldiers…”
“Eileen.”
“…so I think we can soon reinforce, yes?”
“Alright. Take a rest now. I’ve returned, so I’ll take over. You can just report the paperwork later. Rest for now. You look very tired, quite a lot.”
“…But it’s really okay.”
Even as she protested, Eileen reluctantly distanced herself from the desk, indicating how averse she was to paperwork.
Logan took over with a wry smile, swiftly stamping the documents.
Thud.
Thud.
And thud again.
Rapidly, as if boasting of his superhuman physical abilities.
Eileen, with a look of relief on her face, stopped in her tracks and stared in astonishment.
“…Excuse me, Lord Logan. Aren’t you going to check the contents?”
“I hired competent administrators so I wouldn’t have to confirm these things. Dwayne would have checked everything in the end.”
“But what if something goes wrong…?”
“Then, it’s the responsibility of the person in charge.”
“Gosh…”
Eileen’s face bore a look of utter injustice as she gaped and twitched her eyes.
While Logan roughly handled the paperwork, he made sure to obtain through Dwayne all the necessary information about changes in his territory.
In reality, the only matters requiring Logan’s direct intervention were the additional recruitment announcements for the female army and issues related to the fortress city of Taren. It took hardly three days to grasp the general changes in the fiefdom.
It was only then that Logan, now with free time, began to contemplate gathering intelligence on the terrorists.
Dwayne suddenly burst into the office.
“Lord! The rebels have recently revolted in the northeast of the kingdom!”
“Revolt? Do they have the forces for that? Which territory?”
“It’s the former domain of Count Zahid. A count who supported the First Prince but was executed. Moreover, the armies of the nearby lords have all been swept away!”
“What? How did they gather such forces?”
“Well, that I certainly do not know. The royal family has called for a meeting to discuss strategies. It seems you should head to the capital.”
An unexpected turn of events.
Just three days after returning home, Logan was on his way back to the capital.
* * *
Arriving at the capital, Grand, after a three-day gallop, Logan didn’t even stop at his estate but went straight to his mentor.
“You’ve arrived.”
A haggard expression on the mentor’s face.
However, his countenance brightened momentarily at the sight of Logan.
“I’ve heard about your time in the empire. You certainly made an impression.”
“What do you mean by impression?”
“It’s about the fact you turned down the Emperor’s invitation. There was even talk of offering you a fiefdom the size of our kingdom?”
“Well, I am after all a person of Grandia.”
As Logan spoke, he couldn’t help but think.
Mentor knew surprisingly detailed accounts of the events in Aserian.
‘I wonder if investing more in Damian’s organization would speed up the process.’
Reliving the necessity of a personal intelligence network, Logan noticed his mentor eyeing him with curiosity.
“But you, did you already achieve…?”
“The expedition to the empire definitely helped.”
Logan looked back at his mentor with newfound respect.
As if his mentor had recognized his awakening, witnessing the aura of his mentor who had reached the realm of Aura Users gave him a different sensation.
It was gratifying to see that there now appeared to be a limit to his strength, but also somewhat disheartening.
‘Certainly not at the level of Luther or Wicken. But…’
The level of Tris from the empire was definitely out of reach.
If one must compare, Luther would be on the lower tier, and the mentor on the upper tier.
With mixed emotions, Logan observed his mentor.
Misinterpreting his gaze, the mentor patted him on the shoulder.
“Thank you. For not abandoning this country.”
“Why would I abandon it? It’s my homeland.”
“That’s exactly why I’m thankful, you fool.”
“Has anything happened in your absence?”
“No, His Majesty hasn’t shown any unusual behavior. Just diligently working on state affairs, without the movements you were worried about.”
But despite saying this, the mentor’s expression seemed obscure.
No wonder, given the reason for their meeting.
“The lower nobility all around have been wiped out, I hear. How could such forces suddenly emerge?”
“That’s what I’m talking about. It’s a problem that forces comparable to the old Frontier Count sprung up from nowhere, and what’s worse, they seem to be growing even now.”
“They’re growing?”
“The lower nobility who fell from grace in the civil conflicts are joining them one after another. What possibilities did they see to…”
“Huh… Do you have no guesses at all?”
“That’s why we’re having this strategy meeting, to discuss it. Someone must have information.”
The mentor, with his own expansive network of information, didn’t know the backgrounds of these rebels.
Hearing this, Logan’s face darkened a notch.
His expectation that meeting with his mentor would clarify things had collapsed.
‘Unless these so-called rebels are all fools, they must have another goal.’
With this unsettling thought in mind, Logan joined his mentor at the royal conference in the palace.
* * *
“Felix Esperanza, the Duke, and Logan Maclaine, the Earl, are here!”
Grrr.
As the doors to the royal throne room opened, the gaze of numerous nobles fell upon them.
During the brief moment they entered and approached the throne where the king sat, the surrounding nobles bowed and greeted them non-stop.
“Welcome back.”
“Ah, I’ve heard you returned. The Emperor of the empire was quite impressed, wasn’t he? Indeed…”
“Our Grandia’s star, even the Emperor bestowed you with a title. Truly remarkable.”
The nobles one after another offered flattery, having somehow heard the news from the empire.
“Is now really the time to discuss me?”
As Logan frowned disdainfully, the nobles recoiled from his response, while he knelt before the king with a sigh.
“Logan Maclaine is in the presence of Grandia’s monarch.”
“Felix Esperanza is in the presence of Grandia’s monarch.”
“It has been a while, Duke. And Lord Logan. I heard you went through quite a lot in the empire. It’s a relief to see you back unharmed.”
The king’s previously sharp demeanor had vanished, greeting them now with a gentle smile.
“Thanks to your concern.”
“What did I do? When the king shows no capability, rebels arise, all within half a year of your absence.”
“…The rebels will soon be dealt with. Please don’t worry too much.”
“Those words are reassuring. Now, let’s come up with a way to take care of those pests.”
The monarch and the supreme authority appeared amiable together.
It was a scene that made the nobles who heard of a conflict between Logan and the king tilt their heads in confusion.
During the subsequent meeting, the king unabashedly displayed his trust in Logan.
“If Maclaine handles it himself, it will be sorted out quickly. Could I entrust this to you, Lord Logan?”
The king gazed at Logan with a gentle smile, and their red eyes met.
[END OF TRANSLATION]
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