The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 651

Astion regained consciousness and screamed once again.

"Wh-What the hell are you crazy people?!"

"Crazy people? We’re your new landlords!"

"Sh-Shut up! This is my body!"

"Not anymore!"

Dark, whose sharp tongue rivaled anyone back in the Fenris territory, mocked him relentlessly.

Ghislain pressed his temples. The bickering voices in his head were unbearable.

"Dark, quiet down. Are you Astion?"

"Yes, this is my body! How did you take over without my permission?!"

"I don’t know. It just happened."

"Ugh..."

Astion was too stunned to respond.

He had lost consciousness during the fight with the bandits, a familiar occurrence for him. This process allowed other entities scattered across the world to enter his mind.

However, waking up to find his body already taken over and moving independently was a first. In his foggy state, it had seemed like a dream.

Previously, these entities only served as advisors, never fully taking control of his body.

"Fine. Who are you?"

"Me? I’m Ghislain Ferdium, Grand Duke of Ruthania, ruler of the North—"

Ghislain began his grand introduction, but Astion interrupted skeptically.

"What kind of place is that? I’ve never heard of such a kingdom. How far in the past are you from?"

"Not the past, the future."

"The f-future? Is that even possible?"

"I’m here, aren’t I? So yeah, it’s possible."

Astion remained silent, unable to comprehend what was happening. He had never encountered a visitor from the future before.

But looking at the strange man—and the ominous dark entity accompanying him—Astion couldn’t shake the feeling that this might just be another madman. Most of the entities that entered his mind had been deranged spirits lingering in the mortal plane.

Finally, Astion’s tone grew cold.

"No. I can’t let this slide. This is my body."

Astion had trained extensively to develop the ability to expel these intruders. Unless they had fully invaded his consciousness, no entity could remain in his body without his consent.

"Get out of my body. Now."

Astion’s voice was firm. He was ready to reclaim control.

"Hmm."

"What’s this? Why isn’t it working?"

"Looks like you failed. Want some help?"

"This is MY body! I’ve never had this happen before. GET OUT!"

As Astion panicked, Dark taunted him again.

"It’s not your body anymore."

"Arghhhhh!"

Astion’s scream echoed in Ghislain’s mind. Grimacing at the noise, Ghislain attempted to calm him down.

"Relax. Since it’s come to this, let’s just coexist for now."

"Coexist?! What are you talking about?!"

"Well, it’s not like I can leave, is it?"

Ghislain was unfazed, confident that he would eventually wake up in the real world.

Astion, on the other hand, sounded desperate.

"This can’t be happening. I have to guide my friends. They need me to grow stronger..."

"Can’t I do that instead?"

"What do you know?! I had a plan!"

"Oh, I love plans. I have plans too."

"Those kids are destined to save the world! They must be guided down the right path!"

Ghislain froze. That was knowledge from the future. How could Astion know such a thing?

After a moment of thought, Ghislain asked, "How do you know they’ll save the world?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"If you don’t, I’ll throw us off a cliff."

"..."

Astion swallowed nervously. His body was essentially being held hostage.

"A long time ago, a great prophet entered my body. He told me."

"You actually believed that?"

"I didn’t at first. But he was right about so many things."

"Like what? Can you give me a prophecy that I’d believe?"

"He said... all of them would become debtors."

"..."

"F-Fine, I admit it sounds ridiculous. But that’s just one of the trials they must overcome to become heroes. The prophet said so."

Debt might be painful, but as far as trials for heroes went, it was unimpressive.

Many children from impoverished villages ended up in debt. It wasn’t a groundbreaking prediction.

Ghislain smirked.

"Don’t laugh! I was chosen to guide my friends down the right path!"

Ghislain nodded along. Knowing the future, he could acknowledge Astion’s sincerity.

But if he hadn’t known better, Astion’s declaration would have sounded downright adorable.

While Ghislain and Astion conversed, Julien spoke up.

"Astion, are you alright? Are you back with us?"

Astion often appeared dazed while talking to the entities in his mind, so Julien thought he might have regained control.

Ghislain shook his head and replied, "No, I was just talking to your friend."

"Astion?"

"Yeah."

"What did he say? Why is this happening?"

"He doesn’t know why either. But he did ask me to take good care of you all."

"He did?"

Julien’s skeptical gaze lingered. Astion wasn’t one for sentimental gestures. He rarely spoke, and when he did, it was usually curt or cryptic.

Ghislain, ignoring the suspicion, grinned.

"Yep. He said you need to grow stronger quickly and asked me to guide you well."

"I never said that!"

Astion’s voice thundered in Ghislain’s mind, but Ghislain ignored him.

Julien and his friends, while still unconvinced, began to relax.

Kyle, looking amazed, turned to Deneb.

"Astion’s chatty with those entities, huh? I didn’t think he’d ask for help like that."

Deneb agreed. "Yeah. I never imagined Astion would say something like that, even to guide us."

In truth, Astion’s loquaciousness stemmed from his frustration with Ghislain and Dark, but his innocent companions had no way of knowing that.

Although their suspicions weren’t entirely gone, Julien, Deneb, and Kyle seemed persuaded—for the most part. Perhaps their lack of worldly experience made them easier to convince.

Ghislain addressed Astion again.

"So, what was your plan? If I’m helping, you might as well tell me."

"What plan? I was going to lead them on training journeys."

"So they need to grow stronger, right?"

"Yes..."

"Then leave it to me for now."

"But it’s my job..."

"And yet here we are. Just tell me what they need, and I’ll help."

Astion ground his teeth in frustration. His body had been taken, and now even his guidance was being hijacked. But for now, he had no choice.

"Fine. Don’t mess anything up."

"Relax. Training is my specialty. Just follow my lead, okay?"

"Don’t get cocky. I’ll take my body back soon enough."

"Sure, sure."

Ghislain remained indifferent, while Astion fumed in silence.

Though irritated, Astion couldn’t deny Ghislain’s apparent competence. Even in his dazed state, he had sensed Ghislain’s overwhelming power.

"Fine... I’ll rest for now. But I’ll be back soon."

With those final words, Astion’s voice faded, and his consciousness retreated. Despite his earlier rage, there was a strange calm in his tone, as if he was finally able to relax after a long time.

***

Julien gasped for air as he climbed the cliff, barely holding on.

"Huff... Huff... Is this really going to work?"

Ghislain, climbing beside him, grimaced as he replied.

"Of course... Huff... This body is just... too weak."

The group was scaling a cliff on their way to raid a bandit stronghold, one perched precariously on the edge of a steep mountain. The bandits had been running rampant in the barony, terrorizing villages and travelers alike. Despite repeated attempts, the baron's forces had failed to eliminate them due to the stronghold's nearly impregnable location.

The baron, tired of fighting an uphill battle, had reached an unthinkable compromise: he agreed to let the bandits roam free in exchange for a portion of their loot as "taxes." It was an open secret that the baron had essentially abandoned his people to fend for themselves.

Julien, learning of this, was incensed.

"How could a lord, sworn to protect his people, make such a decision? It's unforgivable!"

Kyle, climbing below him, chimed in.

"Yeah, well, there's not much we can do about it."

Deneb nodded reluctantly, her face reflecting her unease.

"Astion—uh, I mean, Ghislain—what do we do? We can’t ask other lords for help, and we can’t rally the villagers to fight. What’s the plan?"

"First off, call me Ghislain."

"…Okay, Ghislain."

Ghislain nodded in satisfaction before replying confidently.

"The plan is simple: we take out the bandits."

Deneb hesitated.

"But there are over a hundred of them. Some of them are said to be as strong as knights."

Ghislain had already noticed something peculiar about this era—knight-level warriors seemed to be everywhere, even among bandits.

This was a time of constant war and relentless battles against the Abyss. The need for survival had elevated the overall strength of soldiers and fighters to extraordinary levels. Many of these bandits were deserters, fleeing endless wars or oppressive nobles, only to form their own outlaw factions.

This chaotic, war-torn world was both a curse and a crucible, forging strong warriors at an unprecedented rate.

As Ghislain climbed, his mind wandered.

"How did they manage to organize such a powerful army in the future?"

The allied forces of humanity he had seen in his dreams were immensely strong, capable of standing against even the formidable adversary known as the Opposer. Yet, in the current state of disarray, uniting humanity seemed nearly impossible.

"Was it Julien and Deneb who brought everyone together?"

In his visions of the future, those two had been the central figures leading humanity. However, looking at their current innocent and unpolished selves, it seemed implausible. Even with their exceptional abilities, uniting humanity was no small feat.

"Maybe the dragons had something to do with it."

The dragons, who had joined humanity’s fight in the future, might have played a crucial role in forming the coalition. For now, however, Ghislain pushed those thoughts aside. Training these kids took priority.

"Don’t worry. We can take them down. Just trust me and follow my lead."

With that declaration, Ghislain led the group up the cliff, intent on launching a surprise attack from above.

However, the climb quickly took its toll.

Deneb and Kyle groaned in exhaustion.

"Ghislain! At this rate, we’ll collapse before we even fight!"

"If we go in like this, we’re dead!"

Ghislain, struggling just as much, continued climbing.

"Training... Huff... pushes you to your limits... Huff... That’s how you sharpen your senses and grow stronger... Huff... Just keep going."

Astion’s body, unaccustomed to such physical exertion, was proving to be a major hindrance. Ghislain gritted his teeth and pressed on. The four of them limited their use of mana and divine power, conserving energy for the battle ahead.

By the time they reached the rear of the bandit stronghold, they were utterly spent.

As soon as their feet hit solid ground, the four collapsed onto the dirt, groaning in unison.

"Ughhh!"

They didn’t have the luxury of resting for long.

"Who the hell are these guys?!"

"How’d they get up here?!"

"Get them!"

Several bandits on guard had spotted them and were already charging their way.

Ghislain, trembling as he used his staff for support, forced himself upright.

"Get up... The ambush... Huff... Starts now."

Julien, Deneb, and Kyle stared at him with despair.

It wasn’t an ambush—it was a mess. They had expended all their strength just reaching the stronghold. It felt like a suicide mission.