Chapter 793

The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Release schedule: 3 chapters per week

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It wasn’t hard to guess why the Demonic Abyss had moved sooner than expected.

It was because of the Saintess.

From their perspective, they had to seize the initiative before the Saintess became the centerpiece of the United Human Army.

Of course, the Saintess wasn’t the only reason.

The Salvation Church had also learned that the Pope was gathering the Sacred Stones. Naturally, the reason the Pope was collecting them was to launch a subjugation campaign against the Demonic Abyss.

Even if the Saintess hadn’t awakened, the Pope’s invasion had already been inevitable.

With no king yet found, the Salvation Church had no choice.

Their best move was to act faster than the enemy and inflict significant damage early on.

KAAAAAAAAAH!

Our group froze as if their breath had been stolen at the sight Arterion had shown them.

Amidst the red-stained ruins stood hairless, gray humanoids.

No—calling them human would be far too generous.

The grotesque monsters had long arms and crimson eyes, with razor-sharp claws, fangs, and talons.

There seemed to be no end to their numbers. They spread in all directions, far beyond what the eye could capture.

Unlike Ghislain, the others had never seen a Riftspawn in person. They had only heard tales passed down like legends.

KUHUUUUUUUNG!

Among the Riftspawn, a massive beast appeared.

Its gray, muscle-bound body was clad in golden armor, and multiple blue horns jutted from its head.

Blue smoke flowed from its mouth, filling the surrounding area.

Ghislain knew exactly what that beast was.

‘The Harbinger of the End, Equidema.’

A monster that created domains where Riftspawn could operate.

But there was one difference from the future he knew.

‘The mist hasn’t fully formed yet, and the Riftspawn are already moving.’

That behavior defied Ghislain’s understanding. At this rate, the Riftspawn’s range of activity would be far greater than in the future.

It was probably just as Ereneth had told him—that this area was closer to the Demonic Abyss and more heavily saturated with the Demon God’s energy.

‘Still, it’s not too late.’

Until the Adversary appeared, even they wouldn’t be able to open massive rifts. There were limits to how far the Demonic Abyss’s energy could spread, and eventually, the Riftspawn’s activity would be restrained.

Equidema would continue to expand its domain, but humanity would have ample time to prepare in the meantime.

Unlike the future, this era had always been ready for war with the Demonic Abyss.

And in this time, a creature stronger than any that existed in the future was still alive.

KRURURURURURU…

Suddenly, the sky ignited in crimson flames.

Then, high above the ruins swarming with Riftspawn, something massive tore through the clouds.

KROAAAAAAAAAAAH!

The roar of the Red Dragon shook the heavens and earth.

As its massive jaws opened, fire surged from deep within its core and burst forth like an explosion.

The dragon’s breath was a crimson storm pouring down from the sky.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!

The fiery breath crashed down like lightning, engulfing the horde of monsters. The flames spread in every direction, incinerating everything in their path.

The Riftspawn evaporated without a trace in the intense heat. The land itself was charred and distorted.

Those who witnessed the scene couldn’t help but gasp in awe.

The dragon—the strongest lifeform and supreme being—was fighting alongside them. Normally a terrifying threat, there could be no greater reassurance than having such a being on their side.

The shimmering space returned to its original state, and the scene was no longer visible. But what they had seen was enough to grasp the situation.

Arterion spoke to the group.

“The dragons monitoring the Demonic Abyss are likely holding back the advance of the monsters. But the fact that the Demonic Abyss has moved means an unimaginably vast number of monsters have been prepared.”

His gaze returned to Ghislain.

“In a little while, those monsters will spread in all directions. The United Human Army must be fully prepared before that happens.”

Ghislain agreed with that.

While time still remained, he had to persuade the Pope and unify humanity.

Arterion continued, his expression sour.

“I want to help you more, but I can’t. An official request came from the Pope.”

“A request…?”

“Yes. Regardless of the Sacred Stones, he’s demanded the return of the Saintess. He’s already dispatched a ship and personnel to retrieve you. And… he also asked us to stop intervening in the affairs of the Julien Mercenary Corps.”

“I see.”

“In any case, I have to hold off the vanguard of the Demonic Abyss with the other dragons to buy humanity more time. So, you’ll have to handle things with the Pope on your own.”

“Understood. Thank you for everything you’ve done. We’ll take it from here. Please don’t worry too much.”

“I truly hope you succeed in persuading the Pope. No matter how strong you’ve become, fighting the Holy Empire head-on would be impossible. If things get too dangerous, take the Saintess and hide. Once I’ve dealt with the Demonic Abyss’s vanguard, I’ll speak to the Pope again.”

“I’ll keep that option in mind.”

Ghislain answered calmly.

This much had been expected. It was only natural for the Pope to block any dragon interference first.

Mediation and negotiation would come after. The Pope likely wanted to end this under his own leadership.

With the conversation concluded, Ghislain immediately summoned Dark.

Before fully mobilizing, he needed to issue a few commands to the members of the Julien Mercenary Corps stationed in various kingdom’s branches.

Arterion looked at Dark with a face full of curiosity.

“What is that? It doesn’t seem like an ordinary spirit.”

Even Dark, who was usually cheeky, lowered his eyes and mumbled.

“I’m… the Spirit King… um…”

No matter how much of a troublemaker Dark was, dragons were terrifying. That’s why he hadn’t come out until now and had just been chatting with Astion inside Ghislain’s consciousness.

Arterion’s gaze shifted in an instant—his eyes gleamed as if he wanted to capture and experiment on it.

Sensing that cold, cruel gaze, Ghislain immediately sent Dark flying into the sky.

“It’s nothing. Just a slightly strange spirit.”

“Hmmm, is that so? Still, let’s talk more about that spirit sometime.”

“…Sure, if we get the chance.”

Dark flapped his wings desperately. He didn’t want to feel that sticky dragon gaze any longer.

FWAAAAASH!

Soaring high into the sky, Dark soon split into multiple copies. He had many places to go.

With even Dark gone, the group began preparing in earnest. They each picked out spare weapons from Arterion’s armory.

Having already handled many of the weapons stored there, each had mentally chosen what they wanted in advance.

While looking around the armory, Ghislain asked Arterion,

“May I take two?”

“Go ahead.”

With Arterion’s generous permission, Ghislain picked up a small hand axe. It was an exceptionally luxurious weapon, engraved with golden patterns.

Arterion tilted his head as he watched.

“That’s definitely a fine hand axe, but isn’t it a bit lacking for actual combat?”

“This works well when persuading others.”

Muttering something cryptic, Ghislain fastened the hand axe to his belt. Then he resumed his search and picked out a plain, dark spear.

Of course, it only looked plain. Anything in a dragon’s armory was far from ordinary.

Ghislain asked Arterion,

“What is the name of this spear?”

“Cardnach. It means ‘Spear that Guides Death.’ It’s made from the bones of a Black Dragon, and several enchantments are inscribed on it—an artifact.”

“Excellent. I’ll take this one.”

“You have a fine eye for weapons. But do you even know how to use a spear?”

“Yes. I used to enjoy using one quite a lot.”

As Ghislain inspected the spear, he once again murmured something strange.

“This one’s good for persuading people too.”

* * *

The imperial delegation arrived at Arterion’s lair.

Because they came officially in the Pope’s name, they were able to travel all the way to the lair without being attacked by any monsters.

Ignoring the delegation, who were bowing low before him, Arterion turned to Deneb and said,

“I’ll entrust the Sacred Stone I possess to you.”

As he stretched out his hand, the air began to split open.

Cracks shimmered across the air like fractured glass, and a rift opened, revealing a wavering blue space that resembled the very depths of the sea.

From within, a single gem slowly floated upward, radiating an overwhelming presence.

Elves and dwarves typically retrieved Sacred Stones from the Sacred Relics in their possession.

But Arterion did no such thing. It was as if he had drawn it directly from subspace.

Yet, no one doubted that it was a Sacred Stone.

No gem in this world could ever replicate the sacred radiance bursting forth from within it.

“Ooooh…”

The imperial delegation stared at the Sacred Stone with expressions of reverence and awe.

For them, it was an object they might never even get to see in their lifetime—now within reach.

Arterion retrieved a ring from subspace once more.

Like other pieces of jewelry, the ring had a small structure attached to it.

Click.

Once the blue gem was mounted onto the ring, Arterion handed it to Deneb.

Deneb bowed deeply and slipped the ring onto her finger.

Seeing that, Ghislain looked slightly taken aback.

‘Juana’s Blessing?’

That ring had once been collecting dust in the sacred relic vault of the Juana Order.

Ghislain had obtained it through Porisco and given it to Piote, since only those with Divine Power could use it.

But it turned out Deneb had been using it all along!

‘Wait… then…’

The other necklace and bracelet might also possess effects similar to that ring. Perhaps their previous owners simply hadn’t realized it because they lacked Divine Power.

‘Hmm… but in this era, those effects don’t seem to be active.’

The necklace and bracelet Deneb wore now didn’t show any signs of having Juana’s Blessing.

After acquiring the relics, Deneb had gone through several physical training sessions, and during those times, she had clearly taken damage directly.

‘So why don’t the effects work now?’

Curious, Ghislain asked Arterion,

“There are accessories that seem to pair with the Sacred Stones—what are they exactly?”

“According to old records, they were created for the priests who once offered sacrifices to the heavens. The Sacred Stones had to be mounted onto something, after all.”

“So… they don’t have any special powers?”

“It’s true they’re made from rare materials, but they don’t possess any particular abilities. Only historical value.”

“I see.”

Since it came from the Dragon Lord himself, that answer was likely correct. Ghislain formed a new hypothesis.

‘Could they only become Sacred Relics later due to Deneb’s Divine Power?’

He wasn’t entirely certain, but it felt plausible.

His own necklace clearly carried traces of Divine Power left by Deneb.

‘Once I return to the original timeline, I should try acquiring more relics as well.’

If other Sacred Relics possessed abilities like Juana’s Blessing, they would undoubtedly be a great asset in battle.

While he was at it, Ghislain decided to ask something else.

“I’ve heard that each race has its own Sacred Relic. I’ve seen the others, but what exactly is the Heart of Creation that the dragons possess?”

Arterion pointed at his own chest as he replied.

“It is my heart.”

“…Pardon?”

“The wisdom and power passed down only to the Dragon Lords since the beginning of time—that is the Heart of Creation.”

“Ah…”

“And it grants the authority to govern and restructure the world as a dragon. This power is inherited solely by the dragon chosen as the Lord.”

“I see.”

It suddenly made sense why Arterion had appeared so much stronger than the other dragons even in Ghislain’s dreams.

It was all thanks to the Heart of Creation.

It made Ghislain all the more curious about the Adversary, who had weakened Arterion by cursing him.

‘If not for that curse, we never could have defeated him.’

Just thinking about it sent chills down his spine. Arterion had been the most formidable opponent Ghislain had ever faced.

Even with an assembly of elite warriors and over a thousand mages, they had nearly lost.

‘If not for Alfoi at the very end…’

Ghislain shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought of Alfoi. That guy had a way of popping up at all the important moments, annoyingly so.

Meanwhile, the imperial delegation widened their eyes as they listened to the conversation. It was all news to them.

Still, what mattered most to them was the Sacred Stone. They kept glancing furtively at Deneb.

Noticing their glances, Arterion looked down at them and declared,

“The owner of this Sacred Stone is the Saintess, Deneb. Therefore, assist her in opposing the Demonic Abyss. That is my will, and you will relay it to the Pope.”

“Y-yes, of course.”

“If you attempt to take it by force, be prepared for a dragon’s retaliation. Once the war with the Demonic Abyss is over, the Pact will be nullified.”

“We shall faithfully convey the will of the great one.”

Arterion had deliberately presented the Sacred Stone to Deneb in front of the imperial delegation to clearly declare her as its rightful bearer.

That was all he could do for now.

And he believed this level of warning would help the Julien Mercenary Corps persuade the Pope.

Unless, of course, the Holy Empire was eager to see its own downfall after the war with the Demonic Abyss.

Arterion offered a final farewell to the Julien Mercenary Corps.

“I pray the goddesses’ blessings accompany your journey. I hope we meet again soon.”

With that, Arterion soared into the sky, carrying those he had rescued from the Kingdom of Snowbrur in tow. He was now preparing to fight the Demonic Abyss alongside the other dragons.

Once the Dragon Lord had left, the imperial delegation finally let out the breaths they had been holding.

Soon after, the delegation leader approached Deneb with a gentle smile.

“It is an honor to meet you, Saintess. We shall safely escort you to the Holy Empire.”

They treated the Julien Mercenary Corps with utmost respect and courtesy.

Onboard, they were provided with the finest meals and the most comfortable lodgings. But the group remained vigilant.

No one could predict what would happen once they met the Pope.

After several days of sailing, they finally returned to land.

“Hmph.”

Ghislain looked around with an indifferent expression.

The port city of Tulan was no longer what it had once been.

The once-bustling buildings and people had vanished, leaving behind an open, desolate space—like an empty plain.

If the city had become a ruin due to battle, it wouldn’t look like this. There was only one explanation for such a transformation without conflict.

A powerful figure had destroyed everything and forcibly relocated the population.

The imperial envoys said nothing and subtly distanced themselves from the Julien Mercenary Corps.

Then, a moment later—

“It’s been a while, Julien Mercenary Corps.”

Darents, now one-armed, emerged with a chilling smile.