The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 654

The villagers’ reactions were unsurprising.

Some ragged strangers showing up, claiming to have defeated a notorious group of bandits, and offering to share treasure? It was only natural for them to be skeptical.

“They look barely old enough to be adults…”

“Did they really take down those brutal thugs?”

“And they want to share the loot? Why? Wouldn’t it make more sense for them to keep it all?”

The villagers didn’t believe it. In a world as harsh as theirs, adventurers who shared wealth simply didn’t exist. Many even suspected the priestess, Deneb, of being an impostor.

Julien tried to persuade them by showing the treasure they had brought. Only then did the villagers half-believe their story and summon the village chief. A few individuals were sent to verify the bandits’ hideout.

Kyle scowled, his lips curling in frustration. Even when offered treasure, the villagers responded with suspicion.

“We’ll also share with the other villages that suffered,” Julien said.

Over the course of the day, they visited four nearby villages. At each, the villagers doubted their intentions and sent representatives to follow them.

Those who went along found the bandits truly defeated.

“This… it’s real?”

“They’re serious about sharing the treasure?”

“Unbelievable. How could this happen?”

No matter where they came from, the villagers all wore the same expressions of shock. Upon seeing the bandits’ warehouse, their jaws dropped even further.

“W-wow!”

“It’s a fortune!”

“Are you really going to give all of this to us?”

Julien and Deneb nodded.

“Yes. Everyone here has suffered. Divide it among yourselves,” Julien said.

The villagers, stunned, bowed their heads in gratitude.

“Thank you so much.”

“You’ve saved us from those wretched fiends.”

“May the goddess bless you all.”

Julien and Deneb smiled warmly, the gratitude of the people worth more to them than any treasure.

Kyle, however, continued grumbling under his breath.

“Idiots.”

Still, deep down, he knew this was why he liked and trusted them. Despite his complaints, they were the kind of people who made others want to follow them.

Kyle vented his frustration to Dark, the sparrow perched on his shoulder, who nodded in agreement.

Villagers soon returned with groups of people carrying makeshift stretchers and carts to transport the treasure. They climbed up to the warehouse with zeal, cheering and repeatedly thanking the group for their generosity.

“Thank you so much for ridding us of those monsters!”

More than the treasure itself, the villagers were overjoyed to be free from the bandits’ tyranny.

Even the local lord had failed to deal with the bandits, leaving the villagers trapped. Moving elsewhere wasn’t an option—few had the means to leave, and the lord wouldn’t grant permission. They had been stuck, surviving out of sheer necessity, until now.

Julien and Deneb continued to smile, feeling fulfilled as they helped distribute the wealth.

But the harmonious atmosphere didn’t last.

“Wait a minute! Our village suffered more than yours!”

“What are you talking about? You people paid the bandits off and lived peacefully!”

“And who sent them to our village to loot us first? You think we don’t know?”

The villagers began to argue, forming groups based on their villages. Each claimed they deserved a larger share of the treasure.

Insults flew, and buried grudges bubbled to the surface. It was clear that the villages had long harbored animosities, each trying to redirect the bandits toward the others for their own survival.

Now, those pent-up feelings were exploding.

“You bastard! You want to die?”

“Oh, you think we’re weak? Come on, then!”

Villagers grabbed sticks, and some even picked up discarded bandit weapons.

During the bandits’ reign, they had lived in fear and silence. But now, with the threat gone, they were ready to fight each other for a larger piece of the spoils.

“W-what’s happening?”

Julien and Deneb were taken aback.

They had never encountered such a situation. Previously, when they shared treasure, it had been among smaller groups or solitary individuals. Never had they dealt with multiple interconnected villages vying for resources.

As the tension escalated, Julien turned to Ghislain with a pleading look.

Ghislain shrugged nonchalantly.

“This isn’t our problem. If they want to fight, let them.”

If this had been his reality, Ghislain wouldn’t have let things escalate to this point. In fact, he wouldn’t have allowed the situation to arise at all.

But here, things were different. Julien and Deneb were the main actors in this story, not him. So Ghislain simply crossed his arms and watched.

Before the villagers could clash, Deneb stepped forward.

“Please stop! The bandits are gone. Why are you fighting each other now? Just divide the treasure fairly! If it’s not enough, take mine!”

With a resolute gesture, she placed her bag of treasure on the ground.

Kyle groaned and rubbed his temples, while the villagers stared wide-eyed.

The bag was filled with enough wealth to sustain someone comfortably for months.

Ghislain chuckled at the sight.

“She’s a true saintess, through and through.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, she offered her share. She truly seemed like someone born to sacrifice herself for others.

“But she doesn’t yet understand how ugly people can be.”

Ghislain glanced at the villagers. Their eyes, initially filled with surprise, began to glimmer with greed.

At first, they hesitated, eyeing the bag and each other. Then, their gazes shifted to Julien, Kyle, and Ghislain.

The villagers exchanged furtive glances.

Though the group had defeated the bandits, they looked young, battered, and worn. Their torn clothes and visible injuries made them seem vulnerable.

To the villagers, they appeared far less threatening than the bandits.

“If we all rush them at once…”

Kyle was the first to notice the shift in atmosphere.

“These ungrateful bastards…” he muttered, drawing his sword.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they were thinking.

Out here in the mountains, it wouldn’t be hard to bury a few travelers.

The villagers flinched at Kyle’s actions, but they didn’t back down. Nor did they attempt to deny their intentions.

Instead, they continued to exchange glances, silently gauging the odds.

Ghislain smirked.

“How did a hero and a saintess emerge from a world like this?”

This was an era of chaos, arguably harsher than his own reality.

Years of conflict with the Demonic Realm had left people drained and desperate. Even knights had turned to banditry.

And now, mere villagers were exposing their greed toward those who had saved them. Julien and Deneb would see this ugliness again and again.

Performing good deeds in such a world was no easy feat. Ghislain couldn’t help but wonder how these two managed to become beacons of light.

Deneb, sensing the change, spoke hesitantly.

“Why… why are you doing this? Surely you don’t mean to—”

The villagers neither confirmed nor denied her suspicions. They were simply waiting for someone to make the first move.

Their eyes fixated on Deneb, the only woman in the group. To them, she seemed the weakest link.

They believed that if they rushed her, they could take her hostage.

Deneb faltered, realizing their intent.

“Y-you’re not serious…?”

Deneb was aware of the tense atmosphere but couldn’t act rashly. If she retreated, the villagers would rush in all at once.

Anyone could see that Deneb was in danger. Kyle crouched low, ready to spring forward at a moment’s notice.

And then, a cold, chilling voice cut through the tension.

“Do not move.”

The voice was perfectly timed, halting everyone’s movements for a brief second.

In the ensuing silence, Julien stepped forward.

Step. Step. Step.

He slowly walked toward the villagers, positioning himself between them and Deneb.

Drawing his sword, Julien swung it across the ground.

Clang!

A long line was etched into the earth.

With cold, piercing eyes, he addressed the villagers.

“Cross this line without my permission, and you will die.”

Ghislain raised an eyebrow in silent admiration.

“Finally, he’s starting to resemble the Julien from reality.”

At least he wasn’t panicking. But it still wasn’t enough.

As Ghislain expected, the villagers didn’t back down. Emboldened by their numbers, they continued to gauge their chances.

The tense standoff persisted.

“It’s natural. They see us as weak, injured, and young. Of course, they’d underestimate us.”

Ghislain sighed inwardly.

“Fine. Guess I’ll play the villain this time.”

Breaking the uneasy silence, Ghislain moved.

Step. Step.

The sound of his footsteps drew every gaze.

Ghislain walked calmly toward the nearest villager, a sly smile on his face as he raised his staff.

“W-what are you doing?” the man stammered, pulling back instinctively.

Ghislain didn’t answer. Instead, he swung the staff.

Thwack!

“Gah!”

The man crumpled to the ground. Without hesitation, Ghislain brought the staff down on the man’s leg.

Crack!

“Arghhh!”

The man screamed as his leg shattered. Ghislain didn’t stop. He turned to the next person and swung again.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

In mere seconds, two villagers were on the ground, writhing in pain. The others recoiled in fear, stepping back instinctively.

Ghislain remained silent, methodically advancing on the cowering villagers.

Thwack! Thwack!

“Aghhh!”

One by one, several more fell. The sheer brutality of Ghislain’s actions sapped the villagers’ resolve. Those still standing dropped to their knees, pleading for mercy.

“Please spare us!”

“Why are you doing this?”

Their earlier bravado was gone, crushed under Ghislain’s relentless assault.

As Ghislain raised his staff to strike again, Deneb rushed forward to stop him.

“Enough! Please, stop!”

Ghislain turned to her, his expression unreadable.

“Don’t delude yourselves,” he said, his voice cold.

“D-delude ourselves about what?” Deneb asked hesitantly.

Ghislain’s gaze swept over the villagers.

“Think about the bandits who terrorized this area. Most of them were ordinary people once—some were even soldiers in the kingdom’s army.”

“That’s true, but…”

“They became bandits simply because they could. They had the strength to take what they wanted.” Ghislain gestured toward the villagers. “If they had the power, these people would’ve done the same.”

Deneb protested softly, “But they haven’t crossed that line yet.”

“Maybe not yet.”

Ghislain shrugged, clearly unimpressed.

“It’s a harsh world. These people didn’t want to live this way either, but someone has to reach out and stop them before they fall too far.”

Ghislain held back a retort. “Why does it have to be you?”

He wasn’t here to argue or change their worldview. He had simply demonstrated another way to handle the situation.

But it was clear his approach didn’t sit well with the saintess.

Ghislain rested his staff on his shoulder, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Fine. Let’s hear from them, then.” He pointed at the villagers. “So, are you going to try your luck, or are you done?”

“W-we’re done! It’s a misunderstanding!”

“We were just confused about how to handle this situation!”

“We never had any bad intentions!”

The villagers scrambled to explain themselves.

Deneb stepped in, her calming presence immediately diffusing the tension.

“It’s all right. My friend must have misunderstood. You’re safe now.”

Her warm, genuine smile seemed to melt away the villagers’ guilt.

They bowed their heads, ashamed of their earlier greed.

“Thank you. Truly, thank you.”

“If not for the saintess, we’d be dead,” one muttered, glancing nervously at Ghislain.

From his perch on Ghislain’s shoulder, Dark muttered, “So, the boss gets to be the bad guy, huh?”

Ghislain chuckled.

“Being the villain? I’m used to it.”

Dark snickered. “Not a villain. Just evil, plain and simple. Gahhh!”

His teasing was cut short as Ghislain flicked him away.

Meanwhile, Deneb knelt beside the injured villagers, channeling her divine energy to heal them.

Despite her exhaustion from the earlier fight, she worked tirelessly to ease their pain.

The injured men, now healed, were on the verge of tears.

Watching her, Ghislain narrowed his eyes.

“Her divine energy…”

They had just endured a grueling climb and a fierce battle. Her reserves of holy power should have been nearly depleted.

And yet, the purity and intensity of her energy seemed stronger than before.

It was a subtle difference, one Deneb herself likely hadn’t noticed, but Ghislain had.

“Could it be…?”

A theory began forming in his mind. After all, he had seen something similar happen before in Fenris’s domain.