The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

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Chapter 477: My World is Complete. (2)

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gillian’s might was astonishing enough to leave anyone in awe.

As he dashed across the fortress, slaughtering enemies with abandon, he resembled a furious lion, just as his nickname suggested.

Soaked in blood, he roared to the heavens.

“Don’t be afraid! Fight on! You can withstand this!”

“Waaah!”

The soldiers were inspired by Gillian’s display. The advancing Delphine Army soldiers faltered in their momentum.

Ereness watched quietly, deflecting the attacks from enemy wizards.

‘This is strange.’

Even she found Gillian’s techniques impressive. The overwhelming force he radiated was nothing short of exceptional.

Indeed, it was the skill of a top-tier knight. Yet, this only deepened Ereness’s curiosity.

‘Why hasn’t he breached the wall yet?’

Such skill and force couldn’t have been achieved merely through training. One must transcend countless obstacles. In that sense, Gillian was more than qualified to cross that wall.

His mana was also abundant. Unbeknownst to her, Gillian had already absorbed a fragment of the Dragon Heart.

Yet the fact that he couldn’t cross that wall implied that his own world had not been properly established, despite having laid a solid foundation for it.

Ereness’s thoughts didn’t linger for long. The battle was too urgent, and she couldn’t afford to dwell on her worries.

“Salim, burn them all.”

Boom!

A gigantic fire lizard emerged below the fortress, starting to unleash flames.

Whoosh!

“Gaaah!”

The advancing soldiers caught fire and fell. The ladders sticking to the fortress walls burned and crumbled.

Thanks to her summoning of three high-level spirits, the Delphine Army’s advance was temporarily halted.

Taking advantage of that moment, Dark flew towards Gillian.

“Hey, Gillian.”

“You? How did you get here so soon?”

Gillian was taken aback. Dark had arrived even before the assault squad.

Dark puffed up arrogantly.

“Just hold on a little longer. My master is bringing the mobile army with him. He’s got some incredible friends with him.”

“Great.”

Gillian’s expression brightened. He had resolved to hold out for at least two more days until Kaor and Belinda arrived. Now, he learned that Giselle was already on her way.

He didn’t even care who the friend coming with her was. With Giselle, the mobile army, and the power of Ereness here, victory was assured.

“Everyone listen! The lord is on his way here! The commander of the Northern Army is coming! Just hold on a little longer!”

“Waaah!”

Not just the Northern Army but the kingdom’s forces also cheered in unison.

Giselle’s name, surpassing that of the strongest in the North, was a symbol of victory.

As soon as they heard his name, everyone’s morale skyrocketed.

If he comes, they will surely win. He was the invincible lord. That belief was firmly rooted in everyone’s hearts.

Of course, that was only valid if they could hold on until Giselle arrived.

Boom!

“Urk!”

Suddenly struck by a burst of black energy, Dark’s clone erupted in an explosion.

Gillian stepped back just in time to avoid it.

Thud.

The one who lightly ascended above the fortress was the Judge of the Salvation Society.

“Tch, it’s absurd that a crow hits me… Hmm? Where did the body go? Did it turn to dust?”

Dark, made of mana, had exploded, leaving no corpse behind.

“Hmph, did I attack too strongly? You’re the commander here, aren’t you? The white lion, Gillian? I am Kaspar, a Judge of the Salvation Society.”

The priest of the Salvation Society introduced himself as Kaspar, wearing a cruel smile.

Gillian was prioritized for assassination even among the key forces of the Northern Army.

Killing him here would earn significant merit.

“Waaah!”

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The Delphine Army started to crowd back up to the fortress, setting up ladders against the walls. Below, Salim, who had been causing chaos, was once again subdued by the wizards.

No point in allowing unruly spirits to run rampant while ignoring the fortress, which was blocked off by a curtain.

Since their allies had entered, they couldn’t use large-scale attack magic anyway.

As the High Priest appeared, Gillian looked to Ereness. Dealing with superhumans was her job.

At that moment, Ereness whispered softly by utilizing the Spirit of Wind.

– Why don’t you take a crack at him?

“What…?”

– If you hold him down, I can deal with the enemies with less damage.

“……”

She wasn’t wrong.

But the opponent was a superhuman. Could he really hold his ground?

Before he could finish pondering, Kaspar made his move.

Bang!

“Ugh!”

Gillian raised his axe to block but was pushed back. The power and speed were incredible. Had he been a moment slower, his head would have been gone.

“Ugh!”

But Gillian quickly braced himself and swung his axe down.

Crash!

Kaspar, who followed up, received a deep gash across his chest and stepped back.

“You little…!”

Kaspar’s expression twisted in rage. To be able to counterattack from such a stance, he was indeed skilled, as rumors claimed.

Bang!

Kaspar lunged again to attack Gillian. His power and speed were as strong and fast as that of a superhuman.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Gillian struggled to block the unarmed attacks from Kaspar. Despite gathering vast amounts of mana, the blade of his axe was gradually slowing down with each impact.

“Hahaha! You’re nothing special, are you?”

Kaspar laughed heartily, pushing Gillian back.

His technique was so crude that it could only be described as basic martial arts at best.

Yet the sensation of fighting someone from an entirely different timeline was an issue.

Bang!

“Grrk…!”

Gillian’s body began to get hurt, sustaining multiple wounds as he failed to keep pace with Kaspar’s speed.

Gillian grit his teeth.

The gap between a top-tier knight and a superhuman was as thin as a sheet of paper.

A top-tier knight could achieve superhuman status at any time, provided they gained enlightenment.

But if they never did, they might never rise, possibly until their dying breath. That thin paper thin divide felt incredibly vast.

Right now, that paper thin divide perfectly split Gillian and Kaspar.

“Hmph! The famed white lion is nothing much after all.”

Kaspar taunted Gillian further. But in truth, that speed was no walk in the park.

‘Why aren’t my attacks landing critical hits?’

He didn’t realize that despite his declining skill, Gillian was predicting every move and countering appropriately. He couldn’t understand why he couldn’t kill Gillian while he occupied a different timeline.

And another thing…

“Ugh!”

Their allies weren’t able to storm the fortress effectively. Some elf was summoning spirits and decimating them.

The bizarrely armored knights were also creating a ruckus. Their antics prevented their own knights from securing the fortress’s heights properly.

To allow the soldiers to come together, they needed to clear a proper pathway.

‘I have to deal with that girl first!’

Kaspar’s eyes gleamed.

For some reason, there was no one rushing in to confront him.

It was as if he had been authorized to focus on killing Gillian while the others eliminated his allies.

Just as Kaspar was about to turn his body and attack Ereness, Gillian moved.

Clang!

“You bastard!”

Kaspar, enraged, deflected the axe. How dare he try to seize his ankle after getting so badly hurt!

“You really want to die, don’t you!”

From his body, black energy surged more violently. In an instant, a pillar of black light erupted from where Gillian stood.

Bang!

It had quite a wide range, but Ereness had surrounded the soldiers with spirits to safeguard them.

However, even she could do nothing about the center of that pillar.

Crash!

Gillian barely managed to coat himself in mana and escape. His body was ignited in flames.

But Gillian, still bearing a furious expression, gritted his teeth and swung his axe.

Clang!

Even with the axe’s edge nearly gone, it was still filled with tremendous strength.

As Kaspar raised his arms to block the axe, he seized the opportunity to lunge at Gillian.

Boom!

With a sound like something bursting, Gillian was sent tumbling backward.

“Ha, annoying little pest. I’ll make sure to end you for good.”

Kaspar twisted his expression and neared Gillian. At the sight of this, the Penris knights rushed over in a panic.

“Coach!”

Ereness also frowned and turned her head.

‘So, he couldn’t cross after all.’

If it were easy to break through, the world would be filled with superhumans. It was a disappointment but also a reality Ereness readily accepted as she steeled herself.

Though severely drained from summoning three high-level spirits, she knew she had to hold down the superhuman.

At that moment, Gillian shakily got up and shouted.

“Everyone, hold your positions!”

The knights rushing in paused at his bark. Familiar with situations like this, they bit their lips and turned back to face the Delphine Army.

“Huff…”

Taking a deep breath, Gillian straightened. He still stood like a castle tower, fiercely igniting his fighting spirit.

Seeing his blazing eyes, Ereness spoke again through the Spirit of Wind.

– I can’t quite grasp what’s holding you back. But surely Count Penris has imparted some teachings to you.

After a brief pause, she continued.

– Take this opportunity to establish your world with all your might. Such chances are rare.

When a top-tier knight fights a superhuman, the likelihood of losing their life is quite high.

But if the superhuman is a priest of the Salvation Society whose skills have markedly declined…

Then perhaps it might be a chance to risk it all and cross that wall.

Finishing her words, Ereness turned her body. She intended to leave Gillian to his own experimentation a bit longer.

Kaspar exuded a thick killing intent.

“This bastard to the very end…”

Word was spreading that the high priests of the Salvation Society were incomplete superhumans. In the meantime, seeing a non-superhuman like Gillian keep challenging him bruised his pride.

But he couldn’t wipe the area out completely. His allies were also filtering in.

In the end, he had to take that guy’s life directly.

“I’ll smash that head to bits!”

Bang!

Kaspar and Gillian clashed again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gillian continued to take wounds yet didn’t retreat. His attacks, disregarding his life, even startled Kaspar.

The scope of movement for both was terribly short. They aimed to get in close and deliver devastating blows.

In that brief time, Gillian suffered severe injuries to the point of nearly becoming ragged. In contrast, Kaspar appeared only slightly fatigued.

Bang!

Though the axe blade had dulled to half its form, Gillian would not cease his assault.

‘Just a bit more…’

If he could just push through a little, he felt he could cross that wall. He was reminded anew of how high the wall of superhumans really was.

– Count Penris must have already taught you something.

Indeed. Giselle had bestowed upon him without reservation.

The fragment of the Dragon Heart, as well as techniques that anyone would envy.

Having been blessed with innate talent, extensive experience, and Giselle’s teachings, he should have long since reached the superhuman level.

So why hadn’t he crossed that wall yet?

‘Why haven’t I established my own world yet?’

Boom!

As Kaspar’s hand brushed his neck, blood spurted out. The mana that had been surging endlessly began to dwindle.

The efficiency of energy usage was also fundamentally different from that of superhumans. To withstand the attacks from a superhuman, he needed to expend enormous amounts of mana.

‘Why am I…?’

As his life was threatened, a feeling of resentment crept in.

His convictions remained steadfast. He hadn’t followed out of grace but merely a trigger.

‘My lord…’

It had long been the case that Giselle’s dream had become his own. He wanted to see just how far that remarkable man could go, to accompany him on that historical journey.

His loyalty was an unyielding will that would never bend. He could sacrifice his life for Giselle at any time.

His world had already been firmly established like that.

So why hadn’t he crossed that wall yet?

‘Why!’

Within the roaring rage and injustice, a darkness deeply buried in Gillian’s heart quietly resurfaced.

‘Do you truly have the qualifications to do this?’

He was but a lowly mercenary.

He had picked up a sword at age ten to survive. Since a young age, he had to clean up the mess of other mercenaries.

Naturally, he had done plenty of dirty deeds. For survival, for profit, for his comrades. Making up all sorts of excuses for it.

No matter how he packaged it, he couldn’t deny that it was the life of a mercenary.

He had lived so freely. As he gained more experience and skill, he became more carefree.

He had gained a small amount of fame. He had lived arrogantly, proud of his skills.

To the point of discarding even the nobility.

Then he met Giselle. He resolved to live the rest of his life for that man who had shown him kindness.

‘I have certainly lived like that.’

He fought without sparing his life, following his will. His life was not something he valued.

Yet, he had lived as a mercenary all his life. Longer than the times spent with Giselle.

Thus, he felt as though he were wearing something ill-fitting.

A knight, loyalty…

Words that felt far too out of place.

Did he really have the right to wear such titles?

He was confused. Why was such doubt surfacing now?

For many years, Giselle had faced numerous insults. Dragging along lowly mercenaries.

While he was accustomed to hearing insults aimed at him and could dismiss them easily, he grew concerned with every criticism that tarnished Giselle’s reputation.

He felt like he was contributing to that very reputation.

A lowly mercenary, Gillian.

That was his identity and also the past that had chipped away at his arrogance.

‘In truth, was I… just searching for a dignified place to die?’

Or was it a desire to be famous alongside Giselle?

He remained engulfed in confusion.

Giselle didn’t care about anyone’s reputation.

A person who was more mercenary than anyone else, even though he wasn’t one. Ultimately, he created his own mercenary group.

Many were drawn to his charm, and all manner of skilled individuals took their positions by his side.

From a poor, chaotic territory, he had now grown to be called the strongest in the North.

‘Am I really someone who is needed now?’

So Gillian sought a reason. He had searched countless times for justification for why he had to be with him.

Now, just fighting for him wasn’t enough.

What reason did he have to drag this aging body alongside someone in another world…

Suddenly, memories surfaced of when Giselle healed his daughter’s illness.

– You want me to heal her right? What grand reason do you need to heal someone who’s sick?

‘……’

Giselle had barged in out of nowhere, insisting he’d heal his daughter. When asked for a reason, Giselle had simply said that.

He was that kind of person. Someone who acted on instinct, following his desires.

Yet he held a firm heart to protect the territory and its people.

– I have no hobby of imposing on those who don’t wish it upon them. What can I do if they don’t want it?

From the very beginning, Giselle had given him the right to refuse.

It was himself who chose to follow Giselle. It was never a demand from Giselle.

‘I see.’

Bang!

With the sound of something exploding, the fleeting thoughts he’d just entertained vanished.

He felt the chasm of time. In the blink of an eye, countless thoughts flashed through him.

Covered in wounds and drenched in blood, Gillian gazed at his right hand.

The axe was completely broken, leaving only the handle behind.

“It’s over!”

Kaspar raised his hand, grinning with delight. It was time to plunge that accursed white lion’s heart.

At that moment, a crow screamed and lunged at Kaspar.

“Yahhh!”

Thud!

Dark’s body slammed into Kaspar’s face with a headbutt.

“What the…!”

Seizing that chance, Gillian twisted his body slightly.

Thunk!

Thanks to that, Kaspar’s hand stabbed deep into Gillian’s right chest.

“Cough!”

He avoided instant death but was severely wounded. Blood spewed from Gillian’s mouth.

“Gillian! Pull yourself together! Your master is here…!”

Whoosh!

As Kaspar swung with his other hand, Dark, who had reappeared, exploded mid-sentence.

“What kind of crow is this? Didn’t he die earlier?”

While Kaspar was distracted by the talking crow, Gillian took a glance outside the fortress.

Clop, clop, clop!

He was coming! He was on his way!

Waving the flag of Penris, he lunged forth as if to sweep away the battlefield.

Giselle’s voice roared like thunder.

“Gillian!”

“Lord…!”

“I’ve arrived! Hold on!”

Gillian bared his blood-stained teeth in a grin.

When told to fight, he would fight. When told to guard, he would guard.

And when told to endure, he would endure.

Gillian smiled and mumbled.

“I’ve been overthinking things. There was darkness within me that I wasn’t even aware of.”

“You’re done for, Gillian.”

Kaspar tried to withdraw his hand. But Gillian firmly grasped his hand with his left.

“I am the sword and shield of my lord.”

“What?”

“I will slay my lord’s enemies and protect him. That is my understanding of loyalty. And… loyalty doesn’t need qualifications, does it?”

“What the hell are you saying?”

Kaspar exerted his strength. Yet his mighty grip couldn’t shake free.

How could a mere mortal resist his superhuman strength? This was nonsense.

“Where did you find this kind of power!”

Kaspar tried to attack Gillian with his other hand, but Gillian’s movements were quicker.

Thunk!

The axe handle pierced through Kaspar’s neck like lightning.

“Garrk, garrk…”

With burning eyes, Gillian glared at Kaspar.

“Today, my world is complete.”

The axe handle that pierced Kaspar’s neck shimmered with a brightly glowing aura blade.