The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

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Chapter 473: By Now, You Should Have Understood? (1)

The remaining 10,000 of the Penris Mobile Army arrived on the battlefield. They took over the cleanup and attended to the prisoners, relieving their exhausted comrades.

A few priests brought along with the reinforcements also dragged their weary bodies to treat the injured soldiers.

Ghislaine called over the knights who had fought bravely in this battle to commend them. Approximately 200 knights from the Knight Order of Penris had participated in the mobile army.

“Great job, everyone. Rest well today, and we’ll move again tomorrow.”

Gordon raised his hand and asked.

“Where to next? Are we moving to fight somewhere else?”

“It’s too late to move to a different battlefield now. First, we need to meet with the Commander of the Kingdom Army, reorganize the troops, and then plan to join the Northern Army.”

“Got it!”

“Leave today’s watch to the reinforcements. Those who fought in the battle should eat their fill of food and drink.”

“Waahhhh!”

Everyone cheered. They had survived on powder for days due to rapid movements. It was a long-awaited chance for everyone to enjoy some decent food.

Since the Delphine Army numbered 30,000, they had quite a bit of food reserves. Most would be handed over to the Kingdom Army, but they had enough to eat heartily for a day.

A few knights, drunk after a long while of drinking, started to horseplay.

In the normally strict discipline of the Penris Army, such behavior would be unthinkable, but Ghislaine just clicked her tongue a few times and let it go. When it’s time to relax, better to let loose properly.

With 10,000 reinforcements on watch and all possible threats around completely dealt with, it was feasible.

After taking a good rest for a day, the Penris Mobile Army began to move again.

“Dark, the lords’ army is likely regrouping to create a defensive line. They probably don’t know we’ve arrived yet. Look for a place with many soldiers gathered.”

—Got it.

Dark departed first to scout. The Penris Mobile Army had to move a bit slower due to the presence of the prisoners.

Maurice, who managed to escape, had already gathered neighboring lords and the allied army to rebuild their defense line.

The assembled troops totaled only about 8,000, but they planned to hold out firmly by securing a fortress.

Maurice gathered everyone and raised his fist as he shouted.

“Although our forces are fewer than the Delphine Army advancing here, the grace of the Goddess, the ‘Saint’ Parniel of the Moriana Sect, is with us!”

“Waaahhhh!”

The soldiers cheered with all their might.

They were also aware that the southern front had collapsed. That same Delphine Army was now charging toward them.

For them, the existence of Parniel, a superhuman and a saint, felt like their last hope.

Although Parniel knew Maurice was trying to boost morale by using his name, she graciously accepted it. The saint’s duty was to give hope to the people.

Boom!

She slammed her massive mace into the ground and declared.

“By the name of Moriana, the Salvation Society will disappear from this world. We shall always achieve victory.”

“Waaahhhh!”

The soldiers cheered again. Parniel’s impressive physique and seemingly boundless strength gave them infinite trust.

Normally, they would question whether she truly was a saint, but in war, her reliability was undeniable.

Maurice watched this scene with a satisfied smile.

“Wow, having a superhuman join us feels reassuring. I wish our fortune-telling grandmother was here too.”

The fortune-telling old woman had gone missing. Not being able to bring her back was truly regrettable.

“Grandmother, you must be alive. I’ll take back the southern front and rescue you.”

Maurice muttered quietly so Parniel wouldn’t hear.

While they were boosting morale, a scout rushed in and shouted.

“A nearby army has appeared!”

“Finally, the Delphine Army has arrived! Everyone, prepare for battle!”

“No!”

“What do you mean no? Did another allied army arrive?”

“They’re flying the flag of the Northern Army!”

At those words, Maurice tilted his head in confusion.

The Northern Army was quite far from here. They should be engaged in battle with another legion, so how did they reach this place?

It could be a deceptive strategy from the enemy. Maurice ordered the entire army to prepare for battle and climbed up to the battlements.

From a distance, he indeed saw a massive army approaching. It was truly flying the banners of the Northern Army and the Penris Army.

“Is it real? Why is the Northern Army here?”

No matter how he thought about it, it was not a time they could have arrived. Even if they had come, they would inevitably clash with the Delphine Army advancing in this direction.

As he observed with tension, someone sprinted out from the enemy lines.

Upon recognizing the figure riding a black horse, Maurice beamed.

“My dear nephew is really here!”

Even with the saint’s arrival, it would be difficult to deal with the Delphine Army. Not only were they lacking in personnel, but they also had a shortage of mages.

At a time like this, the formidable Northern Army arriving was nothing short of delightful news for Maurice.

“Quickly, open the castle gate! No, I’ll go out myself!”

Maurice, together with his aides, rushed to greet Ghislaine.

“Ha ha ha! My nephew is here!”

“……You’re alive. Thank goodness.”

Ghislaine responded calmly to Maurice’s warm greeting.

If Maurice had died, the morale of all the armies, excluding the Northern Army, would have plummeted.

That was the nature of the Commander’s position.

With a look of astonishment, Maurice asked.

“Wait, how did you get here? Aren’t you supposed to be encountering the Delphine Army coming this way?”

“They’ve already been annihilated.”

“What? R-Really?”

“The surviving ones were brought in as prisoners.”

At Ghislaine’s words, Maurice studied the approaching army closely. There truly were a significant number of them disarmed and standing there.

“Is this… possible? How on earth…”

He couldn’t believe it. How could they handle the Delphine Army that had previously defeated him so easily and bring back prisoners?

The rumors about Count Penris being the hero to end this chaos weren’t unfounded.

“Y-You’re really amazing…”

Maurice was tongue-tied in shock, repeating how incredible it all was.

With him around, it truly felt as though victory in the war was imminent.

‘Ah, I should have asked more about the fortune-teller.’

While focusing so much on himself, he hadn’t inquired about Ghislaine much. That was quite regrettable.

After a moment of being spaced out, Maurice snapped back to reality and asked.

“B-but there seem to be way too many prisoners… Are we really able to handle this many?”

Even at a glance, it looked like there were at least 10,000 of them. Even though they were disarmed, it was astonishing that they had come along so willingly.

If it were any other army, they would have likely pounced back on them by now. It appeared they were behaving themselves simply because it was Ghislaine who led them.

Ghislaine chuckled at Maurice’s concern.

“Just take them all to the Kingdom Army. Just reorganize them, it’s no big deal.”

“Uh… I want to, but won’t there be more of them than us, making it hard to control them…?”

“Can’t the Commander of the Kingdom Army handle that much?”

At this, Maurice flared up.

“It’s not that I can’t do it! I’m just worried they might be a burden to my men!”

“They’ll settle down after a few days of eating and sleeping together. So, are we going to take them all along today?”

“Y-Yeah. But I’m alright with it, yet… I’m concerned about what the other nobles and the Church will say…”

The Duke Faction had already been marked as heretics, and it had been implicitly agreed that all their followers must be eliminated. He was worried that if he spared them, there would be countless protests from the Church.

Ghislaine narrowed her eyes again and said.

“Can’t the Commander of the Kingdom Army handle that much?”

“I-I will! I’ll persuade them all. If I say it, it will all be fine…”

Honestly, he couldn’t. Even if Marquis Branford might let it slide, the bishops from the Church would undoubtedly be a real hassle, tormenting him endlessly.

In the worst-case scenario, he could even be marked as a heretic himself.

Maurice racked his brain, coming up with another excuse.

“I wonder if we have enough food.”

“I brought everything the Delphine Army had. If we run low, I’ll immediately arrange more from Penris and Perdium.”

Outside the south, the roads throughout the Kingdom had been laid for a long time. In just a few days, there would be plenty of food stocked up.

‘Ugh, what should I do? I don’t want to be embarrassed.’

Maurice was a contradictory man, a blind superstitious believer who was extremely concerned about his face. After putting all his effort into thinking, he finally said.

“R-right! I’m fine with everything! The saint is here, after all.”

“The saint?”

“Yes! A superhuman! Meeting the saint was what saved me. She showed up just when the pursuers arrived! Ah, it was truly divine providence. The fortune-teller woman is something else…”

Maurice babbled on about his experiences, but Ghislaine wasn’t really paying attention.

“A saint who is also a superhuman?”

“Yeah, exactly! But I wonder if she wouldn’t oppose this… no matter who I am, it would be a bit troublesome to go against the saint’s wishes, right?”

It wasn’t embarrassing to give in to a saint. That was more of a matter of course.

Having heard Maurice’s words, Ghislaine narrowed her gaze skeptically.

There was only one true saint she knew of. Not Piote… but rather, the one who was a member of the Seven Great Heroes of the Continent, known as the Saint of War.

Was that saint now in the Ruthania Kingdom?

That was absurd. There was no reason for a saint to be here.

“Is it… really the saint?”

“Yeah! A truly recognized saint by the Church!”

Maurice fussed around as he lead Ghislaine along. The saint’s party was also waiting at the castle gate upon hearing about the arrival of the Northern Army, so they could meet right away.

“Saint, this friend is Count Penris, who is widely spoken of in the fortress right now. He’s practically like my nephew.”

“Pleasure to meet you. I am Parniel, the saint of the Moriana Sect.”

Parniel greeted calmly, but Ghislaine struggled to respond.

‘No way… The saint has come here…’

How could she forget that imposing stature and the overwhelming presence? Ghislaine certainly remembered because she had fought alongside her several times.

But the problem was.

‘Why on earth is she here?’

The saint should not be here. She was supposed to go stop someone else.

That someone who was causing chaos and committing madness, another member of the Seven Great Heroes of the Continent, the ‘Lord of the Undead’.

‘Now that the saint is here… it’s likely that madman will act crazier.’

In truth, Ghislaine wasn’t much concerned about that, thanks to the saint’s presence. The places they had fought in their past life were quite far from the Ruthania Kingdom.

However, now that the saint was here, the ‘Lord of the Undead’ would operate undisturbed, devouring the powers of other kingdoms.

As a result, it could create an opportunity for the Salvation Society to regain power.

‘I can’t help it. This is also the result I’ve created.’

It was as if it were a situation from a previous life, where the saint would have had no reason to take an interest in Ruthania. The Salvation Society had been hiding its identity, and the Duke Faction would have already seized full control of the kingdom.

‘The more I act, the more the future must keep changing.’

I was the one who drew the allied forces into the Ruthania Kingdom to quickly wrap up matters here.

Thanks to that, more high-ranking priests from the Salvation Society flocked to this place.

It was not a wrong decision strategically. My goal was to maximize the reduction of forces from the Salvation Society and the Duke Faction in this war.

However, it appeared that the saint also knew that and had come to lend a hand in her own way.

Ghislaine let out a sigh of relief. After all, this was something she had started to change the future. So, it was only natural for the future to shift.

‘It would be better to join forces with the saint to quickly sort things out internally in Ruthania.’

Strategies should be revised in accordance with circumstances. One could consider it a better opportunity for the Crown Prince Faction, which was lacking in superhumans.

While Ghislaine was pondering such thoughts, Parniel asked.

“Is there… a problem?”

Parniel slightly tightened her arms. She had seen many people disbelieve her as a saint only based on her appearance.

Every time that happened, demonstrating her strength had become her specialty.

Ghislaine shook her head right away.

“No, it’s an honor to meet a saint of the Church. I am Count Penris.”

Knowing the saint already, Ghislaine didn’t harbor any doubts.

Only then did Parniel smile faintly and say.

“I’ve heard much about the Count’s reputation on the way here. A hero who will save the kingdom and the strongest in the North, they say. Truly impressive.”

“Too kind. I heard you saved the Commander this time as well. You dealt with even the high-ranking priest of the Salvation Society.”

Maurice erupted in laughter as he listened to their conversation.

“Having these two together makes my heart feel incredibly secure! Now, let’s host a simple but small feast…”

Maurice’s words were abruptly cut off. Parniel, flexing her muscles, took a step closer to Ghislaine.

Ghislaine looked up slightly at her towering figure.

Parniel gripped her mace tightly, smiling.

“Does the Count know how a saint operates?”

Swish.

Ghislaine also slowly drew her sword and smiled.

“I’ve heard stories that circulate among people. It is said you move according to your heart…”

Just doing as one pleases and ending with the phrase ‘it’s the will of the Goddess’—that’s the saint for you. It’s as if there’s no logic to it.

The moment you demand logic here, you’ll get beaten.

Parniel nodded.

“Indeed. And right now… my heart is questioning whether I can help the Count. Seeing the Count brings some discomfort. I must see the Count’s true ‘power’.”

Parniel was more sensitive to the aura of the Salvation Society than Ereness. Divine Power was the absolute antithesis to the aura of the Salvation Society.

Therefore, she had felt quite uneasy the moment she met Ghislaine.

If it’s unsettling, then it must be confirmed. To see if the person before her is ‘evil’ or not.

Boom!

Parniel took another step closer to Ghislaine, wearing a chilling smile.

“This too must be the will of the Goddess.”

Seeing this, Maurice wore a face like the world was crumbling. The atmosphere was growing extremely tense.

He couldn’t understand why things had suddenly escalated like this the moment the two met.

Ghislaine wasn’t the kind to back down. She wasn’t someone who would listen if told to stop. He had seen enough to know that.

That guy already drew his sword before being tied up.

‘How I wish the fortune-telling old woman were here.’

Without the fortune-teller, he had no one to ask what to do.

He really wanted to cry.

*

# Side Story: Lucas’s Love Counseling—A Comforting Story for a Disheartened Knight

The fight that broke out at the knights’ drinking party began with Lucas’s nonsense.

As Ghislaine treated the knights with food and drink, everyone appeared to be having a splendid time, except for one knight standing at the side with a gloomy expression.

Ghislaine tilted her head and asked.

“What’s up with him? He looks like a jilted lover.”

The knight known for being quick as the wind, Wind, looked even more morose at those words.

Lucas threw his arm around Wind’s shoulder and laughed.

“He was literally dumped. Hahaha!”

Despite the war, the Arrow Delivery of the Northern Army was still running quite well. The gap left by the Northern Army was being filled by the soldiers remaining in the territories and the newly hired workers and mercenaries.

This time, the Arrow Delivery had worked in a negative way. Wind had recently received a breakup letter via the Arrow Delivery.

“Hmm…”

Ghislaine folded her arms, pondering. The truth was, she’d never experienced romance properly either, so she had no idea what kind of advice to give.

So she offered simple words of encouragement, though packed with sincerity.

“Hang in there. I believe good things will come in the future.”

Other than that, she was terrible with love advice, so she quickly left the scene.

After food and drink were laid out, a slightly tipsy Lucas sat next to Wind and opened his mouth.

“I’ll tell you a story about my first heartbreak. It’s like love counseling.”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Before coming here, I truly loved a girl.”

Ignoring Wind’s reluctance, Lucas gazed wistfully at the night sky.

“We promised to marry each other. But at that time, I had nothing. So, that girl said it was okay, we could live at her home together.”

Everyone leaned in, curious about why they had broken up despite being so close.

Lucas continued with a bittersweet smile.

“I was really grateful. She was living with her mother. So I confidently said I would treat her like my own mother. That was the only thing I could offer. But that became the problem.”

Gordon, curious, asked from beside him.

“Why was that a problem? Wouldn’t it be better to say you would treat her like your own mother? She must have liked it. Such a guy is rare.”

Lucas replied with a serious expression.

“Yeah, she liked it at first.”

“But why?”

“I treated her entirely like my own mother.”

“……??? ”

“When she was hungry, I asked her to make me dinner. I would walk around the house in just my underwear, asking for pocket money and complaining about food. And when I woke her up to sleep, I would get annoyed…”

“…….”

“So eventually, I got kicked out. Ah, I treated her like my own mother, but she didn’t treat me like my own mother.”

‘This guy’s a lunatic.’

Everyone wore expressions of incredulity. Several female knights thought.

‘If a guy says he would treat you like his mother, be careful. There’s bound to be a trap. Just tell him to keep some decorum.’

Lucas smiled brightly.

“That’s how I ended up here in Penris, going through all sorts of things. Time heals everything, you know. So, did my tale of heartbreak help even a little?”

It didn’t help at all. The knights around him all got up and started stomping on Lucas.

“Blec! What the hell! Why are you doing this!”

Even Lucas, who was said to be the best fighter among the Penris knights, couldn’t hold his own against the combined assault of multiple people.

While Lucas was being beaten, Wind stared blankly at the night sky.

A cool breeze blew in, but his heart, filled with emotion, felt anything but relieved.

‘…….’

Everyone goes through heartbreak at least once, but one’s own pain is known only to oneself.

Premature consolation doesn’t help much. Lucas’s absurd advice was no exception.

However, if you suffer from loving someone deeply, there will certainly come a day when you feel okay. That’s what he believes.

So now, it’s perfectly fine to bask in his pain for a while. Whether it’s aching until exhaustion or simply wishing for time to pass is perfectly fine.

Just like his nickname, this pain would eventually flow away like the wind.

And like the lord said, better things surely await in the future.

All of that could be thought about again tomorrow.

For now, it was priority to trample Lucas for his nonsense.

“Phew…”

With a deep breath, Wind charged forward to stomp on Lucas along with everyone else. He felt that if he could trample Lucas like this, it might ease his own troubled heart.

Thud! Thwack! Bam!

The crisp sounds continued endlessly.

“Gyaaaaak! You bastards! Stop it!”

Lucas’s screams echoed long into the night sky.