Chapter 146
Chapter 146
"That's a good idea. Ronian has come up with something quite thoughtful."
Patrick nodded with a smile, but Logan couldn't bring himself to laugh along.
His father's pale complexion and faintly trembling smile were anything but normal.
"Don't tell me you're still not fully recovered?"
"The priest said I need at least two more weeks of absolute rest. The remnants of the aura have been purged, so don't worry. I've been going on about aura this whole time, but experiencing it firsthand is something else. So be careful yourself."
Though Logan couldn't relate to the sensation, he understood his father's concern.
"Worrying about aftereffects when fighting Transcendents? Even giving it my all wouldn't be enough as it is."
"...Right. Hah, I suppose you're right."
"Please take care of yourself. Then, as you said, I'll give this sword to Lady Ellen."
"Good. And if she refuses, tell her it's an engagement gift."
"Pardon?"
"Given the state of affairs, we haven't been able to hold an engagement ceremony, let alone a wedding. Consider this a combined gift—she'll have no choice but to accept. That girl has a stubborn streak when it comes to training."
"...Understood."
Logan couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of someone refusing a Class 4 artifact outright.
But...
"I have no reason to accept this. It's far too extravagant for a mere gift."
Watching his father's prediction come true, Logan could only lament his own lack of foresight.
"Uh, well... Does a gift need a reason?"
At Logan's words, Ellen's face flushed slightly, her eyes wavering.
Yet, the way she couldn't tear her gaze away from the sword made it clear she was conflicted—though her words said otherwise.
"I told you, it's too much. Receiving such a treasure without having accomplished anything worthy would demoralize the other knights. It's far too generous for me as I am now."
Her refusal only strengthened Logan's resolve.
"That's not true."
"No, it—"
"This sword isn't for Knight Ellen, but for my fiancée, Lady Ellen. It's an engagement gift."
"Eh?"
"Given the circumstances, we haven't even held an engagement ceremony, and I've done nothing for you. No, if anything, I've only made demands of you."
"No, that's not—"
"So please accept it. Let this sword stand as my vow to fulfill our promise someday."
That was the true meaning of an engagement gift.
And he hoped this sword would become the foundation for her to achieve even greater martial prowess.
That was all he had in mind.
"Are you... proposing to me right now?"
Ellen's face burned crimson as she spoke, leaving Logan momentarily stunned.
"...Huh? Uh... Yes. I suppose... that's what this is...?"
Aren't we already engaged to be married?
Why ask that now?
As Logan stood bewildered, Ellen flashed the brightest smile he had ever seen.
"A proposal with a sword... Thank you, my lord. I don't think there could be a proposal more fitting for me."
A proposal not with a ring or a necklace, but with a sword.
Now that he thought about it, it was perfectly suited to Ellen—but Logan's chest only tightened further.
"...I'm not entirely sure how we got here, but one thing's clear."
He must never mention that he had almost given it to Ronian first.
Never!
He'd have to thoroughly silence his father and brother's lips as well.
As he forced an awkward smile, Ellen, still beaming, suddenly grabbed his hand.
"I'll work hard too."
At... at what?
S-swordsmanship, right?
"Let's go! It's been a while—how about a spar?"
Ellen's radiant smile was so breathtaking today that Logan found himself unconsciously smiling back and nodding.
For a brief moment, the looming dangers of the future were forgotten.
Ever since MacLaine declared its neutrality in the civil war, the siege of Halun Castle had raged fiercely.
But after both factions suffered devastating losses in the most recent decisive battle, the war entered a lull.
On the surface, it appeared both sides were merely regrouping—but the duration of this "regrouping" stretched suspiciously long.
By the time a month had passed, even bystanders began sensing something amiss.
Then, the reorganized armies of both factions marched out simultaneously.
But instead of advancing against each other, they moved in unison toward an entirely unexpected direction.
While lesser nobles and soldiers alike stood bewildered, both factions issued an unprecedented joint declaration:
"We will uproot the treacherous MacLaine!"
Their stated justification was that MacLaine, while feigning neutrality, had secretly incited other neutral factions to conspire against the legitimate heirs (the factions).
Some dismissed it as absurd, but the undeniable fact remained: the two warring prince factions were now marching together.
And that alone was enough for people to foresee MacLaine's fate.
"The MacLaine family is finished."
Though each faction left behind some forces to guard against the other, their strongest troops—those led by Transcendents—were all converging on MacLaine.
Effectively, the elite armies of both factions had begun advancing toward MacLaine from different routes.
And no one was more shocked by this news than MacLaine itself.
BANG!
"Logan! What in the world is happening?!"
"Calm down, Father. Please, take a seat first."
Having been in the same state of panic mere hours ago, Logan understood his father's agitation completely.
"Wasn't everything going smoothly?! How did things turn out like this...?!"
It hadn't been long since they'd been laughing over their successes—only for the worst crisis to strike.
If his father hadn't been furious, that would've been strange.
"The fault is mine. But right now, we must focus on countermeasures. Father, please, stay calm and wait a little longer."
Logan sighed, recalling his communication with Count Roberts Floyd.
[Lambert and Irvin—minor baronial houses I barely paid attention to—apparently had separate connections to each faction. I'm still investigating exactly how and where the information leaked.]
He had double- and triple-checked that all the noble houses that had abandoned neutrality in his past life were gone.
Yet spies had remained.
The ripple effect caused by two insignificant barons was staggering.
'Did they catch onto my movements? Or did someone among the neutral faction leaders leak information despite my warnings?'
The truth was unknowable.
But one thing was certain: a plan devised with half a year in mind had instead summoned immediate catastrophe.
The only silver lining was that he had imagined—no, fantasized—about such a scenario.
'Yes, imagined—damn it!'
That was why Logan managed to steady his panicked mind within mere hours.
"Though this is dire, in a way, it's merely something that was bound to happen—just earlier than expected."
"...What?"
"Didn't I tell you when I returned? That we'd eventually have to face the Empire."
"Yes. And that we'd need to consolidate our forces for it."
"But even if we gather strength, to truly prepare for the future, we must lead the charge in pacifying this chaotic era. We must demonstrate undeniable power so that no one dares oppose us later."
Right after his regression, he had considered siding with one faction, securing victory, then assassinating key figures like the dukes or princes to install the Third Prince.
But even if successful, that approach would make it difficult to gain cooperation from other nobles later—a major obstacle to his ultimate goal of stopping the Empire.
Thus, he had switched to the roundabout plan of uniting neutral forces.
But now that things had come to this, he had no choice but to take another gamble.
"We'll use this opportunity to prove we can stand against both factions."
Logan said this with as much bravado as he could muster.
His expression made Patrick's face flicker with hesitant hope.
"...Do you truly believe our house can oppose both factions right now?"
"If it's just holding out, then yes."
"That's not enough! What good is surviving if we wither away in the process?!"
"Of course not. We'll fight tooth and nail. And if we succeed, the situation will change."
"How?"
"Well, since things have come to this..."
As Logan continued, the tension in Patrick's face gradually eased.
But Logan's own expression remained grim.
A plan he had been certain of had twisted into uncertainty—now, he had to stake fate itself on desperate hope.
'It has to work.'
He forced himself to cling to optimism.
If MacLaine could withstand this hopeless assault through sheer strength, no noble in the kingdom would dare defy him henceforth.
Not even the Third Prince, whom he intended to install as king.
His fists clenched.
"We can be the anvil. That much is possible. But for a proper hammer..."
With uneasy eyes, Logan gazed toward the northwestern sky and reached out with another communication spell.
The moment rumors of war spread, the lord summoned the militia inward.
This action sowed deep unease among MacLaine's subjects.
Even the previously reluctant natives, who had resisted the aggressive resettlement policies, now joined the exodus toward sturdier strongholds.
"If this continues, Tomodo-Silvan Town and Vifros Castle will soon be overflowing with refugees. On the bright side, militia enlistment is gradually increasing as a result."
Dwain's report carried a conflicted tone.
The imminent peril and the subjects' fervent response.
That mix of dread and hope was mirrored on the faces of all the vassals gathered in the great hall.
"There's no time to train new recruits now. Assign them to support roles and focus the existing militia on MacLaine Town. Abandon defending the other castles."
Amidst this, Patrick announced the conclusion reached by the core leadership.
Most nodded in agreement.
The invasion routes of the allied factions were already well-known.
Yet Patrick reiterated what even the vassals already knew.
"MacLaine Town is our heart—that's common knowledge. The northern mountain range is impassable for large armies, and the enemy has no reason to take risky gambits. They'll circle through the eastern plains, entering from the north of MacLaine Castle."
Ignoring the vassals' puzzled looks, he pressed on.
"The gap between MacLaine Castle and the northern mountains is too wide to defend with the castle alone. So we'll construct a long earthen wall north of the castle to form a defensive line."
His declaration instantly turned the great hall into a uproar.
"What... nonsense is this?!"
"Did I hear that right?"
"How much time do you think we have to build an earthen wall?! We'd be better off fortifying MacLaine Castle and—"
Chaos erupted.
"Silence! If we invest all remaining funds, we can complete it within a week."
Before the clamor grew louder, Logan firmly cut in, ending the commotion.
"Eh?"
"What kind of absurd—"
"My lord! What are you—?!"
As the baffled questions piled up—
"Because we have the finest mages."
Logan's confident shout drew all eyes toward one corner of the hall.
Yet the vassals' expressions remained dubious.
Standing where Logan pointed, Clayton wore a strained smile, his rugged face dotted with cold sweat.