The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations Chapter 779

Episode 779: Roughly Listened to (1)

This time, there was no need to act as hastily as before.
They couldn’t harm the Dragon Lord unless the Salvation Church poured all its energy into it.
Furthermore, Arterion’s homeland was a frigid land. There was no way for the Salvation Church to even go and try to intervene.
Of course, the Prophets might be able to join forces, but the risk was too great.
It would be more profitable to attack elsewhere, and there was no need to send high-level troops to the dragons and lose them in advance.
So, Giselle could move with a little more peace of mind than before.
“You all know our next destination, right?”
Everyone nodded nervously at that remark. Even the impertinent Erenes was no exception.
Dragons were creatures you only see during great wars. No one dared approach their homeland.
How could anyone be nervous about meeting the Dragon Lord, let alone an ordinary dragon?
Giselle chuckled and continued,
“There’s no need to be so nervous. It’s not like dragons can’t be attacked.”
“…”
Everyone remained silent. Thinking about stabbing a dragon, the most powerful living being, with a sword?
Where on earth does that confidence come from?
Everyone was gripped by anxiety.
‘Please, don’t provoke the dragon’s temper.’
‘No matter how strong Giselle is, fighting a dragon is a bit much.’
‘Isn’t it a miracle that we’re still alive, rather than a saint being a miracle?’
Giselle clicked her tongue, sensing the heavy, sinking atmosphere.
‘Should I tell them I caught Arterion?’ She
was already being treated like a lunatic. Saying something like that would only make her seem even crazier.
Since it was impossible to catch it with her current strength, Giselle didn’t bother to bring it up.
‘Ha, it’s a shame I actually caught it and can’t speak.’
Her mouth twitched, but she held it back. She remembered what Elena had said before.
“Your mouth is the problem, Oppa. Please don’t say anything scary.
” – … … What am I
… – Anyway, don’t say anything weird. Just make sure nothing weird happens next time.
– … … Okay.
Back then, hadn’t she been criticized for being the one who created the dragon?
Rumors circulated about it, too. She didn’t want to risk another misunderstanding.
With that, Giselle licked her lips and suppressed her inner desire.
She didn’t blindly move toward her next destination.
Recently, warlocks had been wreaking havoc, causing significant damage to many villages.
When the Yulien Mercenaries found a remote village that didn’t even receive proper support, they would stop and help the people. Their
primary task was treating the sick and rebuilding the village.
In this day and age, many people couldn’t even afford treatment for minor ailments.
However, Deneve, whose divine powers had rapidly increased since her Awakening, healed them with remarkable ease.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
The healed people and their families bowed to her with tearful voices.
To those who had never witnessed divine power even from afar, her presence was a literal ‘miracle.’
Deneb always wore a benevolent smile and generously bestowed her divine power upon them.
Giselle stepped forward, ensuring that Deneb was truly imprinted upon them.
“This is the saint sent by the goddess to save the world!”
“Ohhhhhh!”
“Let the saint’s birth be known far and wide! Understood!”
“Understood!”
The people cheered Deneb without hesitation.
There was no reason to doubt someone who healed illnesses with divine power and extended a helping hand with a warmer smile than anyone else.
Deneb tried to dissuade Giselle, citing embarrassment, but he ignored her and continued to promote her.
Giselle wasn’t the only one promoting Deneb.
“What? A monster has appeared nearby? Our ‘Julian Mercenaries’ will take care of it!”
“What? No bread? Then you can eat meat, right? Oh, and no meat? Then our ‘Julian Mercenaries’ will save you!”
“Your house is completely destroyed? Our ‘Julian Mercenaries’ can build you a new one, right?”
The name “Julian Mercenary Corps” had become so well-known that people were already sick of it.
The Yulian Mercenary Corps had been active in various kingdoms and had become quite famous. However, Jiselle still felt it wasn’t enough.
“If we’re going to make our name known, we have to make it known clearly.”
From the slums of the city, to the remote villages, even to those living in the mountain valleys—
everyone would know the name of the “Julian Mercenary Corps” and “Saint Deneb.”
Yulian and Deneb needed to gain the support of every human on the continent. It was truly a grand plan.
So, as Giselle continued her journey, she focused on constantly helping people and simultaneously spreading her name.
Then one day, Yulien approached Giselle and said quietly,
“Giselle, you know?”
“Okay, let’s leave them alone for now.”
For some time now, there had been some people secretly following them. They weren’t many, but they seemed quite skilled.
It was impossible to tell when they’d started. Because they’d passed through so many villages, it was difficult to pinpoint their exact starting point.
Giselle didn’t rush.
They were still at a distance, scattered in various directions.
Before making any hasty moves, it was more important to identify their opponents.
Giselle lifted Dark into the sky and dispatched the spirits of Erenes to observe them closely.
‘Hmm… …’
Through Dark’s eyes, they were dressed in ordinary traveler’s attire.
There was no way they could have been travelers coincidentally heading in the same direction as Giselle and her group. Their movements were stealthy and cautious, like those of assassins or thieves.
Still, she couldn’t be certain they were enemies. Jiselle planned to wait for them to get a little closer.
On the way, the group arrived at a fairly large village.
It, too, seemed to have been attacked by monsters, and reconstruction work was in full swing.
“Let’s stay here for the time being. I’ll help the villagers with some work.”
If the pursuers were indeed following them, she planned to catch them here.
Jiselle immediately approached the village chief and said,
“We’re the Yulien Mercenary Corps. We’ll help you with the village construction for free.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but you’ll have to spread our name widely. To everyone who comes by.”
“Wouldn’t it be difficult if you could just help? Thank you very much.”
The village chief bowed his head and smiled heartily.
Rebuilding a village required a significant amount of money and labor.
The lord had provided some financial assistance, but the workforce was woefully short.
The fact that dozens of able-bodied mercenaries volunteered was a welcome gesture.
Nobles and groups often sought to build their reputations in this way. So the village chief accepted the Yulien Mercenaries without much hesitation.
Moreover, the village had nothing particularly to lose, so he was even more convinced.
“Come on, let’s get going! Just do as we always do!”
From that day on, the Yulien Mercenaries began to assist in the construction in earnest, cutting down trees and hauling stones around the village.
Some went hunting to provide meat and leather, and Deneb treated the sick, winning the hearts of the people.
The villagers treated the Yulien Mercenaries with great hospitality.
They prepared elaborate meals for them every day, did their laundry, and even did menial tasks for them, expressing their gratitude.
“You said your name was the Yulien Mercenaries, right?” “Who would have
thought there was such a mercenary group in this day and age
?” “The saintess is amazing. She healed all the sick, you know?”
“It was truly the goddess who helped us. We must spread their name.”
Just as Giselle had intended, the Yulien Mercenaries’ reputation was steadily growing among the common people.
While they were enjoying this pleasant atmosphere, Jiselle noticed new travelers entering the village.
‘… … Hmm.’ They
were the ones who had been following the group.
They naturally paid the village chief and agreed to stay for a few days.
Why had they suddenly approached, after having cautiously followed them for days? Was it simply a coincidence that their paths overlapped?
It was hard to believe that not all of them had entered. Some were waiting outside the village.
Those who had entered were resting quietly, without any contact with the villagers.
‘I guess I’ll have to wait a little longer.’
She still didn’t know their true identities or their intentions. She could lose the torso if she caught them prematurely.
However, she had ordered the mercenaries to remain vigilant and remain vigilant.
Thus, both sides lived in a strange tension.
But Osval was different.
He was always thoughtless. So, naturally, he felt no tension.
After drinking the alcohol the villagers had brought him that night, Osval stepped outside to get some fresh air.
“Whew… It’s a night when revolution is in the air.”
He had deliberately allowed himself to be drank. It just felt good.
Sober, Osval set out for a nighttime stroll,
intending to carve his thoughts into any suitable stone.
As he wandered alone through the village, he noticed a building with its lights on.
“Hmm? Over there?”
It must have been a temporary inn. He knew it because he’d helped with the construction.
Suddenly, a naughty thought struck Osval.
‘Probably in the back… … .’
Construction was in full swing everywhere. So, the village women would gather in one place at night to bathe.
That place was the annex building behind the inn.
Osval tiptoed toward it, a noble desire to ensure the village women were safe.
He approached and pressed his ear against the building’s wall.
“Those mercenaries are really nice, aren’t they? There aren’t many like them in this day and age.”
“But a few of them were covering their faces. I wonder what they look like.”
“There’s a rumor that they cover their faces because they’re handsome and pretty.”
He could hear the village women chattering. Most of the conversation was praising the mercenaries.
“We’re getting so much praise… … They’re revolutionary, after all.”
Feeling elated, Osval stepped on the construction materials strewn across the floor and began to climb the wall. There was a small window at the top.
“For the revolution.”
His intention was to check on the safety of the village women and, at the same time, to see if he could recruit them as revolutionaries.
But was he too impatient? Or was it because he was drunk?
His foot accidentally stepped on the material and slipped.
Crash!
“Oh my!”
Osval let out a startled cry. At the same time, screams erupted from within.
“Gyaaaaah! Who is it!”
“Pervert!”
“Someone is spying!”
Osval felt a revolutionary sense of injustice. He
hadn’t even spied properly yet. But he had tried, so if he got caught, it would be a disaster.
He tried to leave in a hurry, but several men staying at the inn rushed out.
“Who are you?”
“Stay right there!”
But Osval didn’t stop.
“Get out of the way!”
Crash!
Osval pushed the men away with force.
The ordinary village youths couldn’t withstand his force and fell.
After throwing several people away, Osval quickly fled to the inn where the mercenaries were staying.
“Gasp, gasp!”
“What? What’s wrong with you? Why are you panting so much?”
“What were you doing out alone at night?”
the other mercenaries asked Osval, his face flushed and panting.
Embarrassed, Osval stammered a lie.
“T-T-Revolution…”
“What?”
“Oh, no. I just beat up some thugs who were harassing the village women.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
The mercenaries didn’t think much of it. They
had already taken care of criminal organizations and gangs of thugs in the past.
Of course, it was all free. That also enhanced the reputation of the Yulien Mercenaries.
The mercenaries all got over it, but the villagers couldn’t.
Rumors of the “black shadow targeting the bathhouse” quickly spread among the villagers. The problem was that the young men had seen Osval’s face.
A moment later, the village chief and his men came to see Giselle.
Among them were young men beaten by Osval and furious women.
Giselle blinked, unsure of what was going on. Then, a mercenary whispered to Giselle.
“It seems Osval has taken care of some of the village thugs.”
Giselle tilted her head.
That was a good thing, but why was the atmosphere so tense?
After a moment of contemplation, she nodded.
“Aha. I think I understand.”
Apparently, the thugs were under the village chief’s command. And the women were likely their family or friends.
“I’m used to this.”
The village chief and his relatives controlled the village, squeezing the residents behind the scenes.
Giselle had seen such villages countless times. Each time, she had thoroughly dismantled the existing power structure.
The Yulien Mercenaries were always righteous and proactive.
Giselle’s expression instantly cooled. His tone had also changed to a cold one.
“What’s going on?”
The village chief flinched at the different atmosphere and stammered.
“H-Have you heard what happened?”
“I vaguely heard. So?”
“T-That’s why? T-I didn’t see you as that kind of person…”
“You didn’t see me like that? Then you were mistaken. We often do that.”
“Uh, us?”
“Yes, all of us in the Yulien Mercenary Corps are like that.”
At Giselle’s firm words, the surrounding mercenaries wore proud expressions, while
the villagers’ expressions were filled with shock.
Osvald lowered his eyes.