The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 676

There must be a reason.

Yes, even if it’s unclear now, there has to be a reason why. That’s why the future Julien seemed so confusing to everyone who looked upon him. Ereneth merely doubted him, but Astrion was certain—he called Julien an adversary.

When will I find out?

Ghislain guessed it would likely be after the war with the Demonic Realm began. By then, Julien and Deneb needed to grow even stronger than they had been in his dream. The same went for Kyle. After all, it seemed clear he was one of the hero’s companions who fought alongside him.

Focus on the goal and don’t waver.

Ghislain had to trust in the dream he had seen. There had to be a reason why the Saintess summoned him here. Without a firm belief, if his resolve wavered, he wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything.

He had lived his life this way, overthrowing the Ducal House and saving everyone in the end. Even if the Saintess had brought him here to use him, it didn’t matter.

I’ll do my best to pursue what I believe in.

If the result didn’t suit him, he could change things then—even if it meant tearing everything down with his own power.

Ghislain consciously put himself at ease. One of his greatest strengths was his unshakable resolve once he made a decision.

The battlefield was swiftly cleaned up. Although he understood everyone’s joy, Ghislain couldn’t allow them to waste too much time here.

“We need to check this bastard’s base. I’m sure there are plenty of useful books there,” he said.

Andrew readily agreed, though it wasn’t really permission he was giving. By this point, Ghislain was already the de facto leader of the group.

Basilude’s hideout entrance was cleverly camouflaged with trees and rocks. A closer inspection revealed traces of magic, confirming that it had been disguised and hidden with spells.

The hideout itself was a network of connected caves, like an anthill. It was surprisingly well-maintained, with lanterns hanging in the corridors and even rugs laid on the ground.

There was even an undead experimentation lab, making it somewhat livable. Of course, it was still a cave, meaning it couldn’t compare to a proper house. Insects swarmed everywhere, ruining any semblance of comfort.

The soldiers, wide-eyed with curiosity, roamed the hideout, marveling at everything.

“Wow... So this is where the dark mage lived?”
“It’s not as creepy as I thought it’d be.”

Despite their initial impressions, the place didn’t contain many truly grotesque objects, apart from a few vats and decaying corpses in one of the rooms. Contrary to popular belief, dark mages also lived relatively mundane lives.

After inspecting several rooms, Ghislain remarked,
“Well, caves are ideal for storing and studying corpses.”

Caves were less affected by outside environmental changes. With added magic, it was easier to handle corpses there.

After getting a rough sense of the cave's layout, Ghislain and his team began a thorough search. It seemed Basilude hadn’t felt the need to hide his treasures, as valuable items were piled carelessly in chests and sacks.

When the soldiers opened the containers, gasps of astonishment echoed throughout the cave.

“Wow! Are these all jewels?”
“This guy lived in a cave but had a fortune!”
“Mages really are filthy rich, huh?”

Even though Ghislain wasn’t particularly impressed, the sheer quantity was enough to dazzle everyone else. Andrew himself couldn’t help but swallow hard, his mouth watering at the sight.

Nodehill was a small barony, and its finances had been drained after two failed subjugation attempts. The treasury was nearly empty.

Under normal circumstances, hired mercenaries would only receive their payment, while all spoils of war went to the employer. However, Julien’s mercenary group had been contracted under the condition that they kept all loot. Andrew had no choice but to honor the agreement.

It wasn’t as if he could betray them—doing so would ensure the death of every soldier present.

Ghislain turned to Andrew and said,
“If carrying this stuff back is too much of a hassle, help us move it, and I’ll let you take 30%.”

“Understood!” Andrew replied eagerly.

Ghislain was a man who gave generously when he decided to. Andrew’s face lit up with joy. Thirty percent was a significant amount. He had only hoped to succeed in the subjugation; now he was walking away with newfound wealth.

Of course, Ghislain’s main interest wasn’t money. As someone with shares in a gold mine, this small fortune was inconsequential to him.

What really matters are the spellbooks.

Spellbooks were easy to locate—they were neatly arranged in Basilude’s study. Ghislain’s face lit up as he eagerly examined them.

There were fewer dark magic books than expected, but that wasn’t surprising. Dark magic was inherently limited in variety compared to other schools of magic.

“Wow... There’s actually a 6th-circle spellbook.”

Several of the books contained 6th-circle magic. Even if the spells themselves weren’t groundbreaking, the sheer volume of knowledge was impressive.

There were also numerous books on general magic theory. Learning new spells could lead to many practical applications.

“Studying is hard, but casting magic is easy,” Ghislain mused, excitedly gathering the books.

He wasn’t worried about the difficulties of studying magic.

After all, I have an incredible mental entity that thinks, learns, and provides answers for me. Studying is no problem.

He was referring to Astrion. Unlike the less capable Dark, Astrion was incredibly intelligent. Available 24/7, Astrion could answer any question or even improve its capabilities through additional training.

With such a resource, Ghislain had no fear of studying.

After looting Basilude’s hideout, the group returned to the barony.

The news of their victory had spread quickly, and the townspeople lined the streets, cheering as the soldiers returned triumphantly.

“The dark mage is dead!”
“Long live our lord!”
“Julien’s mercenaries are the best!”

The damage caused by the dark mage had been substantial. Many people were abducted by Basillud and used as test subjects.
Numerous soldiers had died during the previous subjugation attempts, and even the former lord of the territory had been killed.
Now that the dark mage who had ruined the land was dead, the people could finally breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate.

“Isn’t the Julien Mercenary Group amazing?”
“They managed to take down the dark mage that we failed to subjugate twice before.”
“Their leader is incredible—he decapitated the mage with such ease!”
“And what about the mage in their group? He caught the dark mage’s apprentice using nothing but strategy!”
“The others are no joke, either. The priestess’s light obliterated the undead on sight.”

Conversations about the Julien Mercenary Group filled the air. Yet, as usual, little was said about Kyle.
Kyle felt as though the world was conspiring to keep him underappreciated. Despite his relentless efforts, he seemed to always get the least recognition.

“Damn it! I took down more enemies than anyone else!” Kyle shouted in frustration.
“That’s just how life works. Keep training,” Dark replied with a smug expression.

Dark was thoroughly enjoying his current situation. In Fenris, where everyone was strong, his words carried no weight, and being ignored was the best he could hope for.
Here, however, he felt like an important figure, someone who could lecture the weaker individuals. Truly, it was a delight to boss them around.

In celebration of the dark mage’s defeat, Andrew held a modest banquet. Though the barony’s finances were strained, he couldn’t let his benefactors go unthanked.

Raising his cup lightly, Andrew spoke solemnly to Ghislain.
“How would you feel about becoming the official mage of our territory? I’ll appoint the others as knights of the land and grant you all a small manor. This is the best I can offer.”

Ghislain smirked, clearly entertained.
“We’re expensive, you know.”

“Oh? How expensive?”

“Thirty percent of the Raks territory’s annual revenue.”

“The territory’s revenue?”

“Yes, including the profits from their gold mine. You’ve heard about that, haven’t you?”

Andrew gulped audibly and nodded. The Raks Barony wasn’t far from Nodehill, so he was aware of the situation.
When news of the gold mine discovery spread, Andrew couldn’t help but feel envious.

He now understood why it was so hard to hire the Julien Mercenary Group.
“Thirty percent of the revenue from a territory with a gold mine…”

The true value of the mercenary group was staggering. It wasn’t something widely known, but their price matched their reputation.
Raks Barony’s gold mine was still in its early development, but as time went on, it would yield an enormous fortune.

Andrew could only admire them in awe.
“Wow… You must be incredibly wealthy.”

Realizing there was no way to afford them, Andrew became sullen. Nodehill Barony, small as it was, thrived on livestock farming.
While it provided a decent livelihood for its residents, it couldn’t compare to the wealth a gold mine would bring.

‘Perhaps I could offer them plenty of ducks… Maybe a bit of land…’
Even as he considered these options, Andrew knew they were inadequate. A group like this could secure better offers from much larger and wealthier territories.

However, Ghislain’s next words surprised him.
“Well, I’ve been thinking about staying here a little longer.”

“Really?” Andrew’s face brightened instantly.

“Yes, we need to focus on training for a while. For now, we’ll use this territory as a base for our mercenary activities.”

Ghislain had reasons for his decision. The individual who had met with Basillud might return, and he wanted to be prepared.
Additionally, there was still much he didn’t know about this era, and staying in Nodehill offered an opportunity to learn more while improving his skills.

Andrew, overjoyed, nodded enthusiastically.
“Please, make yourselves at home. If you need anything, I’ll ensure it’s provided.”

Andrew was also aware of the dark mage’s story and couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Whether it was a priest from the Netherworld Church or another dark mage, someone else was targeting the Nodehill Barony.
Having the Julien Mercenary Group around was the most reassuring thing imaginable.

Andrew offered them the best accommodations available, though to someone like Ghislain, who had once held the grand duchy of Ruthania in his hands, the space was modest at best.
But to Julien, Deneb, and Kyle, it was a completely different story.

“Wow, so we’re really staying here now?”
“This is amazing. Isn’t this the kind of place only nobles get to stay in?”
“Traveling with Ghislain feels like a luxury.”

Despite the hardships of their training, their quality of life had significantly improved.

With a base secured, Ghislain immediately set about organizing his new study area.
He stacked the countless grimoires he’d collected from Basillud’s lair and summoned Astrion.

Astrion stared at the pile of grimoires and let out a low whistle.
— Wow, that’s a lot of books. I didn’t think you’d gather so many this quickly… You’re something else.

“Now study them,” Ghislain said plainly.

— …

“You’re going to study them and teach me, aren’t you?”

— …Wasn’t this for you?

‘Even for me, it’s a crime to waste this much knowledge.’

— …

‘Besides, don’t you need to learn too?’

— …

Ghislain’s argument was irrefutable. Astrion reluctantly began studying the grimoires. After all, he needed to grow stronger as well.

Ghislain spent his time alternating between personal training and working through the grimoires.
His focus was primarily on strengthening his body, which he still considered subpar.

Thanks to the resources provided by Raks Barony and the ongoing support from the gold mine, Ghislain and his group could dedicate themselves fully to their training.
Occasionally, they accepted mercenary assignments from nearby territories to gain practical experience and enhance their reputation.

Thus, the group spent a brief period of respite in the Nodehill Barony, honing their skills and preparing for the challenges yet to come.