Chapter 785

The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Release schedule: 3 chapters per week

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The Julien Mercenary Corps couldn’t help but stay alert of their surroundings.

That was only natural—with assassins tailing them, and not just a few, but a massive organization numbering in the hundreds.

If that group turned hostile, things would get very complicated. Even if they managed to win the fight, the damage would be substantial.

Fighting assassins was an ordeal even for seasoned warriors.

But only Ghislain remained completely unfazed by their presence. He was wholly focused on training Marika.

“Yes, that’s it.”

“Good, just like that.”

“Wow, impressive.”

While instructing her, Ghislain couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration several times.

Perhaps it was because she’d lived her life solely for survival—Marika’s concentration was second to none.

Even Julien, Kyle, and Lionel weren’t on this level. Marika absorbed everything like a fish in water, effortlessly taking in every lesson.

For the first time in ages, Ghislain was enjoying the experience of teaching someone.

‘If only everyone were like this.’

If asked who had been his most outstanding student thus far, Ghislain would answer Marika without hesitation.

That’s how exceptional a student she was. Her talent was superb, but her patience and focus were just as remarkable.

And it wasn’t just Ghislain who was impressed—Marika was equally awed by his instructions.

‘He’s incredible. It’s like there’s nothing he doesn’t know. Such vast and profound combat knowledge… It’s like he was born for battle—a total freak.’

Marika had long thirsted for techniques of ascension and the Mana Refinement Technique. She embraced Ghislain’s teachings with her whole heart.

Others might’ve balked at such grueling instruction, but Marika didn’t show a hint of hardship.

‘This is my last chance.’

Back in the assassination unit, there had been no time to develop or properly train in new techniques. But now, she could devote entire days to training.

To her, this environment was nothing short of paradise.

Above all, Marika had a clearer goal than anyone else.

Revenge.

That was the driving force pushing her forward, relentlessly spurring her onward.

With such determination and Ghislain’s guidance, her skills improved drastically day by day.

Because of Marika, Kyle and Lionel had begun to feel on edge.

‘What the hell? Why’s she improving so fast? No way she’s going to reach the Transcendent level already, right?’

‘I think she’s already stronger than me. This is bad. I can’t be weaker than the youngest!’

Even while training, Marika didn’t slack off on her duties as the youngest member. Yet, her abilities were improving faster than anyone’s.

She was injecting a sense of tension into the once-relaxed atmosphere of the mercenary corps.

‘Damn it. Julien becoming a Transcendent was already annoying, but if Marika becomes one too, that’s a problem. I’m supposed to be the strongest after Ghislain.’

‘I can’t fall behind the youngest. No way. I’m a knight of the Holy Empire!’

Kyle and Lionel now trained diligently during every spare moment, even without Ghislain prompting.

Julien, feeling the pressure, also got up to swing his sword a few extra times.

The other mercenaries were the same. Swept up in the atmosphere, everyone was too busy training to do anything else.

Even the lazy Osval joined in, sneaking glances around before reluctantly participating.

With things like that, even Ereneth couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

‘What’s going on? Why are they acting like this? This isn’t how they used to be. They were always trying to slack off and get out of training.’

Proud and arrogant as she was, Ereneth had no intention of losing to what she considered a lower species—humans. So, she too, grit her teeth and threw herself into training.

Only Deneb remained unchanged, calmly offering her prayers every day and looking after the others.

As everyone devoted themselves to training, Ghislain smiled in satisfaction.

‘It really does come down to bringing in the right person.’

Thanks to Marika alone, the entire atmosphere had shifted.

From Ghislain’s perspective—wanting to improve everyone’s skills as fast as possible—things couldn’t have been better.

But for some, it was utterly maddening.

Darents ground his teeth as he watched the Julien Mercenary Corps from afar.

“These lunatics… just what do they think the Pope’s orders mean?”

It wasn’t official intel, but he had heard rumors along the way that they’d even resolved an issue involving the dwarves. By now, word had surely reached the Pope.

The mere fact that they held two Sacred Stones was enough to shake the entire continent.

And the rumors were spreading fast. Aside from the Church of Salvation, who knew what kind of lunatic might come after the Julien Mercenary Corps?

That’s why they had to obtain the remaining Sacred Stone and return to the Holy Empire as soon as possible.

“But just how long are they going to keep messing around like this…?”

The Julien Mercenary Corps either trained all day or stopped in villages to carry out volunteer work.

Not once or twice—every single day. Their pace of travel was slow enough to induce yawns.

“Ugh… those damned bastards…”

Because of the Pope’s orders, every unit had been mobilized. Until this was over, they couldn’t rest or take on any other requests.

But judging by what the Julien Mercenary Corps was doing, it was impossible to tell how long this would take.

And so, Darents spent every day in anxious frustration.

Then, one day, a group of individuals approached him in secret.

“We come at His Holiness’s command. Please accept this.”

The unexpected visitors handed Darents a letter.

As he received it, he let out a long sigh.

They had been ordered to guard and monitor in secret—yet they had gone so far as to attack and reveal themselves.

It seemed the news had indeed reached the Pope.

Expecting a reprimand, Darents opened the letter with a tense expression but then his face turned subtle.

It wasn’t a message of blame. The letter contained something entirely unexpected.

Darents stared at the letter for a long moment, then quietly sent a flow of mana through it.

In an instant, the paper crumbled into ash and scattered away in the wind.

Silently, he turned his gaze toward the distant direction of the Julien Mercenary Corps.

“…Hmm.”

A short sigh but it carried a tangled mix of emotions.

A strange, unfamiliar tension surfaced on his face, different from before.

* * *

After slowly making their way while training, Ghislain and his group finally arrived at their destination.

The port city of Tulan.

Located at the northernmost tip of the continent, this wasn’t their final destination but it was an essential stop on the way.

“Wow! The sea!”

“This is my first time seeing the ocean!”

“Since we’re here, should we try swimming?”

The mercenaries cheered excitedly as they looked out over the vast, open sea.

For those who had spent their lives working deep inland, the ocean was a rare sight unless for a very specific reason. Most had only heard stories.

Julien and Deneb, and Kyle from rural villages, and Ereneth—who had only ever lived in the forest—all gazed at the sea in awe.

Even Marika, who had spent her entire life in the assassination unit, had eyes that sparkled as she looked upon the ocean.

Only Ghislain wore a face that showed no particular reaction. He had visited the sea a few times during his mercenary days, so it didn’t surprise him much.

Osval, full of excitement, immediately ran and dove into the water. He had grown up in a village by a large river and was confident in his swimming skills.

“O sea! I have arrived! Revolutionary swimming!”

Splash!

“Gah! Why is it so salty?! Argh!”

Leaving Osval to his own antics, Ghislain said,

“Let’s get lodgings first. We need to wash up, rest, and find a ship to cross the sea.”

Their final destination lay across the ocean: a land of extreme cold.

That was where the Dragon Lord, Arterion, resided—a land that rejected human footsteps.

Ghislain led the group to the largest and most lavish inn in the city.

They had a large party, and besides, being in a port city meant there was something else they had to experience.

After unpacking and bathing, the group came down to the grand hall and was astonished by the feast set before them.

“Wooooah! What is all this?!”

“Hey, hey, this is fish, right?”

“So many strange-looking dishes!”

Everyone was buzzing with excitement. The table was piled high with fresh seafood—something they rarely had the chance to even see, let alone eat.

Dishes like these were usually reserved for wealthy nobles or merchants, as using magic to transport them inland cost a fortune.

Most of them had never even seen freshly caught fish in their lives—only salted or dried ones. That’s how hard it was to get fresh seafood in inland regions.

Ghislain knew this all too well, which was why, just this once, he spared no expense.

“Alright, let’s eat our fill and rest well today. Don’t hesitate—order anything you want.”

“Yeeaaah!”

Everyone eagerly stuffed food into their mouths.

They ate so quickly that the inn staff couldn’t even catch their breath, constantly bringing out more dishes.

Still, watching people eat well was always a pleasant sight. The servers, thrilled by the energy, happily brought out dish after dish.

“Here! Your grilled silver-scaled sea bream with herb salt!”

“Wooooaaah!”

“This is Blade of the Sea! Slices of live herring!”

“Wooooaaah! Gross!”

“And this is the Deepsea Hunter’s Stew, packed with octopus, abalone, and clams! Plus, flame-grilled shrimp skewers with redfin fish and lava butter!”

“Wooooaaah! Weird!”

“Who ordered the squid?”

“Me!”

Osval answered without thinking—then immediately felt a strange sense of resentment. He didn’t know why.

Including Osval, now dubbed the squid, everyone kept ordering without pause. They ate so much that even nearby customers stared at them in awe.

Of course, the innkeeper watched them with a satisfied smile.

After devouring what felt like the inn’s entire stock of ingredients, the group rested thoroughly for the night.

The next day, Ghislain began searching for a ship with his companions. But every ship owner refused as soon as they heard where they were headed.

“That land is where a great being resides.”

“Humans without permission are forbidden from going there.”

“If you approach recklessly, you’ll suffer great misfortune. No, you won’t even be able to get close.”

They spent several days visiting ship owners, but all of them refused.

Even if they somehow found a vessel, they clearly wouldn’t be able to find a captain or crew willing to sail it. It was simply impossible to move the ship.

Soon, the people of the port city began to avoid Ghislain’s group.

“They’re planning to go to the Land of Extreme Cold.”

“Tsk tsk, even when the kingdom says not to, there are always fools who insist on going.”

“Don’t they realize curiosity just brings death closer?”

“Didn’t the Holy Empire send an envoy there recently? Maybe they’re putting too much stock in that.”

No adventurer had ever returned alive from the Land of Extreme Cold.

A messenger sent by the Pope might return but only because of the pact made between humans and dragons, formed to battle the Demonic Abyss.

Faced with this unexpected obstacle, Ghislain couldn’t help but click his tongue.

“Well, nothing we can do.”

The local shipowners weren’t going to believe their identities anyway. In the end, their only option was to formally request a ship and crew from the local lords.

Having failed to secure a vessel, Ghislain was about to depart for the city where the lord resided.

That’s when a stranger approached and spoke up.

“I heard you’re looking for a ship.”

At those words, Ghislain turned his head. The man smiled as he continued.

“You’re headed to the Land of Extreme Cold, right? I think I can help you.”

The group couldn’t hide their delight at the offer. But Ghislain’s expression didn’t match theirs.

He narrowed his eyes and stared at the man intently. There was a faint caution in his gaze.

“Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”

The man shrugged with an innocent expression.

He was a strikingly handsome man—with hair as white as snow and a refined demeanor. Even passersby unconsciously slowed their steps to look at him.

“……”

Ghislain said nothing, his eyes still locked onto the man.

The group assumed he was just a wealthy noble. There was no pressure or aura coming from him at all.

Not even Julien or Kyle—both Transcendents—nor Ereneth, who was attuned to spirit energy, could sense anything unusual from him.

But seeing Ghislain remain silent and unmoving, everyone slowly reached for their weapons.

The man tilted his head at the shift in mood.

“I offered to lend you a ship, didn’t I? Why the cold reception? I heard you’ve been looking for one for a while.”

“……”

A brief silence fell before the man’s expression shifted, as if he had just realized something.

Step, step, step.

With calm strides, the man walked right up to Ghislain and leaned in close.

Then, in a whisper only Ghislain could hear, he spoke in a voice low enough to be chilling.

“You… you know who I am, don’t you.”

“……”

He did.

Ghislain had seen this man before.

A thousand years in the future.

The Dragon Lord, Arterion, flashed a chilling smile at him.