Regressor of the Fallen Family

– The lord himself will impart intermediate swordsmanship techniques.

The knights of the Maclaine family had gathered at the training ground from early dawn after hearing the unbelievable news the day before.

“Did our family even have intermediate-level swordsmanship to pass on?”

“Maybe it’s just the household head imparting some tips?”

“We’ve already been given plenty of advice on that. If that’s all there is to it…”

“Oh come on. He’s not one to make empty promises.”

As the murmurs among the knights grew louder, a familiar middle-aged face slowly entered the training ground from the corner.

As soon as they noticed him, all the knights bowed their heads simultaneously.

“Greetings, my lord!”

Despite their respectful and polite greetings, the expression on Patriarch Padric entering the grounds was not a pleasant one.

“…Truly split into two, aren’t we? Since when did our knight order become a pair of rivals?”

Padric voiced his disbelief and all the knights flinched at the same time.

Indeed, the knights were currently divided into two groups—one with 41 members and the other with 32—standing arrayed as if they were from opposing nations.

One was made of knights originally from the Maclaine family, while the other consisted of knights who had defected from Teslon.

“While it’s understandable that there’s some tension, given that you once fought each other to the death, I thought it would improve gradually given the knight’s code of honor… Instead, tsk.”

His tone conveyed his frustration, but his presence was gradually becoming more commanding.

The red-haired, red-eyed middle-aged man stood there, and the dawn light behind him seemed to bleed out in a crimson hue at that moment.

“During my silence, absurd rumors have reached my ears. Clique-forming, laziness—it’s disappointing to believe they might be true…”

The knights could only sweat nervously at each encounter with the lord’s discontented eyes, while Padric’s presence continued to rise.

“Filled with complacency. While I train relentlessly in the pursuit of strength and my son tirelessly manages the estate…”

While the lord’s steady approach seemed relaxed, the pressure felt heavier than ever.

“To think that knights, sworn protectors of the estate, are engaging in petty brawls like children. I’ve been too negligent, have I? Yes, it’s my fault. Isn’t it?”

As Padric’s imposing aura pressed down upon the entire order, Heinckel, standing in front at the time, instinctively knew that their lord had grown stronger still.

Instead of reveling in the break-through from decades of stagnation, they all felt increasingly tense.

“It’s not so!”

The knights, sensing the increasingly hostile atmosphere, responded in unison, shaking their heads vigorously.

“No, it’s indeed my fault. Hence, I’ve decided to pay a bit more attention from now on. Alright?”

“Certainly!”

“Good. So first of all…”

Gulp.

As the knights tensed up, gazing at their lord, a two-meter-long red light beam erupted from the wooden sword Padric had picked up.

“Ah!”

“What is that?!”

Even the most skeptical knights widened their eyes as they clearly witnessed their lord reaching the pinnacle of mastery.

“Swordsmanship is best learned with the body. Come forth, one by one.”

But to them, at that moment, this was nothing but a calamity.

Watching the downcast expressions of his knights, Padric’s face grew colder.

‘Rolling in the mud will keep them from entertaining any foolish thoughts.’

To leave behind a worthy knight order for his son, he was prepared to go through any hardship.

* * *

Awakening from meditation and finishing his morning training, Logan headed to his office. On the way, he encountered Dwayne and immediately addressed him, bypassing pleasantries.

“Have you posted the recruitment notice for soldiers?”

“Yes. We’ll begin recruiting at both fortresses with the onset of winter. Ferran, who’s in charge of the soldiers, is quite agitated by the sudden news of reinforcements, but we have plenty of money.”

Something about Dwayne’s words didn’t quite add up, causing Logan to clear his throat.

“*Cough* Money is money and work needs people. Help out where you can…”

“What’s there to worry about when there’s ample money? He’ll manage on his own.”

Dwayne’s bright smile suggested he had no concerns.

‘…This man has certainly changed.’

Though Logan internally sighed, he felt no urge to do anything about it.

“Well, father will soon take over the regular troops’ training as well.”

“Wasn’t Patriarch planned to handle the knights’ training?”

“Soldiers are, broadly speaking, knight-in-training. Who knows if more Awakened will emerge under his tutelage?”

Placing talent in the appropriate roles was key to estate management.

Logan intended to keep his father busy, ensuring no regret for relinquishing authority too soon.

“Haha. Well, please proceed as you wish.”

Fortunately, Dwayne, now seemingly an absolute yes-man, posed no objections.

“Have all the vassals completed their work and returned home? We’ll need to gather them again in about a month, but let them rest well before that.”

“Are you referring to the village construction? That’s already been arranged. The vassals are responding well.”

“…The response is good?”

Even though they should be resting during the onset of winter?

“That’s the impact the young master has made.”

“I see…”

While Logan was yet to adapt to this situation, he decided to accept it, considering it to be a good thing.

“They will also be provided food. Besides, it’s their own homes they’ll be building.”

In hindsight, Dwayne’s reasoning did seem logical.

“And when we recruit soldiers…”

“Aaaah!”

Suddenly, a piercing scream swallowed Logan’s words, coming from a distance. The agonizing cry drew their attention.

“…?”

“…?”

“Sounds like it came from the training ground…”

“It does. Isn’t that where the knight training is taking place now..?”

Bang!

“…Save me…!”

“L-lord, p-please…”

“Ron! Snap out of it, open your eyes!”

Approaching the training ground, they could hear even more distinct screams of distress. Both men could hardly mask their bewilderment.

“Did knight training always sound… like that?”

Remembering the absurd horseback training, Logan tried to reason.

“It shouldn’t be…”

The dreadful wailing wasn’t typical.

“Well, it must be a new training plan by father.”

He must be quite determined.

It was unexpected, but Logan’s thoughts went no further.

“Just today, I’ve been put in charge of training the soldiers… Argh!”

“Leave all other matters to Logan. You’re training solely with me for a while!”

The knights learned inadvertently that one of their most essential duties had been entrusted to them on the spot.

‘Well, I’m in charge of recruiting soldiers anyway.’

For Logan, raising the level of the soldiers was not a bad turn of events.

But first, there was something else to handle.

* * *

“Why is Lord Logan acting like this? Lately, it’s almost like a dictatorship….”

Lately, these complaints had been frequently lodged with Dwayne.

But…

“Young master must have his reasons. Why bother to question it? Now that the budget’s increased, you’re getting ahead of yourself? Where do you think that budget comes from! Eh? If Logan commands, you should do it. No questions asked!”

Dwayne no longer paid attention to the concerns of his subordinates, who asked why they needed to save money when there was an abundance.

“D-Dwayne, sir?”

Dwayne’s eyes reflected the realization that he was free to sign paperwork without worrying about the budget for the first time in his 20-year management career.

‘Twenty years in management, and I never knew how happy it could be to sign off on something without budget concerns.’

And he did not want anything to jeopardize that happiness.

“Are you going to spend ten million gold on gold bars?! For what reason? What are you planning to do?!”

However, Dwayne seemed to see a vision where the money that brought him joy was dissipating like mist.

“Next month, I’ll pay by ship. Don’t worry.”

Though it sounded like something a con artist would say, the man spouting those words controlled the finances.

“But still, why do we need such an absurd expenditure?”

“I’m buying mithril. Quite a lot of it.”

“…What?”

“Mithril.”

“What are you buying?”

“I’m buying mithril, about 100 kilograms.”

“Why in the world?!”

Dwayne’s scream almost sounded like a shriek.

Mithril, the metal known as the silver of gods, is a rare magical ore that naturally contained magical power. It was significantly stronger than refined steel—10 times so—and weighed only a third. It was usually found in small quantities within iron, gold, or silver mines and was valued at 1,000 times the weight of gold.

So, Dwayne had no choice but to be utterly flabbergasted by such news.

“What are you going to do with 100 kilograms of mithril!”

As always, Logan was not one to entertain counterarguments.

“Enough with ‘why.’ Aren’t you tired of it?”

“…What?”

“If I were you, I would have stopped out of sheer exhaustion. Have I ever been wrong in my decisions?”

“Well, yes, but…”

The undeniable reality created by his track record forcefully quelled Dwayne’s objections. He had much to say but couldn’t voice his objections. Seeing Dwayne in pain, Logan added an explanation.

“I’m planning to craft some weapons for the knights.”

“What?! Mithril weapons? That is utterly reckless…”

“Mithril isn’t reckless! I’m not giving them pure mithril artifacts. Even if they buy that much, considering the number of knights, mithril alloy is the best option.”

“Ugh, the gold mine has totally ruined your concept of money…”

Observing the despondent Dwayne, Logan comforted him further.

“The knights have been working for lower pay than those in other territories. Isn’t it time they received what they deserve?”

“But is mithril weaponry necessary for that?”

“We have the money, and we have dwarves. What else is there to worry about? That level of spending with a month’s revenue seems reasonable.”

“Reasonable… Haha.”

Extravagance can become a habit.

If this outrageous spending was considered reasonable, it could lead to a precedent of further similar occurrences.

In Dwayne’s imagination, the bright future he had envisioned was darkening in real-time.

‘I need to stop this. But I can’t…’

Nonetheless, the initiator of this extravagance had, true to his name, proven everything through accomplishments. Moreover, the gold mine was technically his own property, so there was no right to object.

“I’ve already decided. Keep that in mind. If there’s an urgent need for money, put it on hold for a bit.”

Leaving behind that declaration, Logan departed. Having made up his mind, he could no longer be stopped by anyone.

Thump.

“…Patriarch, you gave up control too quickly. *sob*”

As the door closed, leaving Dwayne alone, the administrative officer could do nothing but mourn where no one else could hear.

‘Certain reinforcements to the knights’ prowess.’

Upgrading the quality of armaments.

To some, it seemed nothing less than a capricious waste, but to Logan, it was just another necessary task.

He would have liked to give them artifacts directly, but even with a gold mine, outfitting an entire knight force with pure mithril artifacts was impossible.

‘For a knight order mostly of average knights, pure mithril weaponry would be too light and wasteful.’

After consideration, this was the most rational choice.

Just possessing weapons made of mithril alloy could be expected to enhance their combat effectiveness by a minimum of 10% and up to 20%.

‘Maybe I should craft my own sword out of pure mithril?’

The thought alone brought a contented smile to his face.

Despite being a knight with no lack of ambition for a splendid weapon, he had never even laid eyes on mithril alloy weaponry in his previous life. Now, he felt that a little greed was permissible.

But…

[It’s impossible.]

Philip’s firm statement brutally crushed those hopeful expectations.

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