The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations Chapter 786

Episode 786: You Know Who I Am (3)

Dragons are wise and powerful beings.
Embracing wisdom accumulated over millennia and a mission passed down from antiquity, they are revered and regarded as agents of the gods.
They protect the balance of the world, and their very existence is a testament to order.
Yet… …
they are also savage and cruel monsters.
Tired of the eons, they have considered themselves absolute, treating all other life as insignificant dust.
Their rage is without cause. Their whims are unpredictable.
One day, they are the wise arbiters and judges of the world, another, a scorching disaster.
Infinitely contradictory, they oscillate between god and monster.
This is what makes them so great, yet so fearsome.
Arterion spoke, his eyes gleaming with both madness and wisdom.
“I don’t understand. I don’t know you. How is it that you know me?”
Arterion was certain. He wasn’t simply predicting things from Giselle’s gaze and expression.
The power of dragons.
That transcendent sense was telling him so.
Giselle’s expression finally changed. He smiled and said,
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just wary of the person who suddenly approached.”
“…”
“Didn’t you say you’d lend me your boat? I’d like to talk to you in more detail.”
“You’re an interesting guy.”
Arterion reached out, intending to grab Giselle by the neck and mentally control her.
But when Giselle stepped back slightly, his hand ended up waving in the air.
“…Huh?”
Arterion looked down at his hand.
It was a light outstretched stroke, but it was a movement most would have found difficult to dodge. Yet, the person before him dodged it with uncanny ease.
His eyes widened into crescent moons, a look of amusement on his face.
“Try dodging this too.”
Grabbing!
Arterion’s hand moved faster than before. A normal person wouldn’t have been able to see how it moved.
“Caaah!
” Giselle, already drawing Gramdir, blocked Arterion’s hand. But even that light attack pushed Giselle back.
“Giselle!”
Yulien drew his sword and placed it against Arterion’s neck. The others, all armed, surrounded him.
Arterion looked around and laughed.
“How rude of you to someone who came to help.”
He wasn’t just speaking to the mercenaries. Dozens of assassins had appeared, surrounding Arterion.
The city’s people, startled, backed away. At this rate, the guards would have swarmed them.
Darenz spoke to Arterion with a calm expression.
“You seem to be a noble of some ability, but please step aside. These people are no less noble than nobles ‘for now.’”
Darenz now appeared without a care in the world. After all, hiding his identity had long since failed.
Of course, it was easier for the guards to act this way.
Arterion narrowed his eyes and asked,
“Who are you?”
“I’m guarding this mercenary group under orders from a higher authority. There’s nothing better for you to do.”
“Huh… a higher authority?”
Arterion tilted his head for a moment, then smiled.
“Are you referring to the Pope?”
“…”
Darenz looked slightly surprised.
This must have been a top secret operation, and even an unidentified outsider knew about it.
He couldn’t figure out where it all went wrong.
He glared at Marika for a moment before asking Giselle,
“Can I kill him? I think it’s better to just get rid of him quickly. He may be noble, but we’ll take care of the rest.”
“…”
Giselle looked dumbfounded for a moment.
“Who would kill whom?”
Arterion was a man who couldn’t be defeated even if everyone here attacked him.
Darenz would break his neck if Arterion even stretched out a hand right now.
Of course, Arterion, who was just grinning, didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so. Giselle
shook her head.
“I’d prefer you not to come out so recklessly until I tell you. I told you it was uncomfortable to see me before, didn’t I?”
“This is our mission, so there’s nothing
we can do.” “Then just guard me. Don’t bother talking about killing anyone unnecessarily. Just go. I’ll take care of it.”
Darenz glared at Giselle for a moment before retreating with the assassins.
His mind was in a state of confusion, wondering where this had leaked out.
As the so-called guards retreated, Arterion asked Giselle,
“If we’re going to fight, wouldn’t it be better to fight together? The more people, the better.”
“I have no intention of doing that. You all put away your weapons and fall back.”
Yulien and Kyle hesitated. Even to them, Arterion’s movements were unusual.
The aura he exuded didn’t seem particularly powerful.
“It’s okay. I think we can communicate.”
The future Arterion had been so mad that he couldn’t even communicate. But now, looking at him, he didn’t seem as mad as he did in the future.
He was well-controlled in his madness, and there was a weight of insight hidden within it. As
the group retreated, Giselle sighed and said,
“Let’s go somewhere quiet and talk.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Arterion obediently followed Giselle.
When they reached a secluded area, Giselle unleashed a massive magical field to silence any sound.
He felt Darentz and the assassins following him nearby.
Arterion stroked his chin, observing the magical power that Giselle unleashed.
“Hmm, that’s amazing.”
Arterion was genuinely impressed.
It wasn’t because Giselle’s magic was high or because she possessed such immense power.
He was astonished at her ability to utilize it, unfolding as naturally as breathing.
With a wave of his hand, a small table and chair appeared. Giselle couldn’t help but laugh at this.
The future Arterion had also brought out the same table and chair during their conversation.
“I guess that was your favorite table.”
Arterion looked at Giselle strangely and then said,
“Sit down. I’ll be happy to talk.”
Giselle sat down across from Arterion without a moment’s hesitation.
The group looked puzzled at this sight.
The man had been attacking out of the blue just a moment ago. Now, he was calmly agreeing to talk.
The man’s behavior was completely unpredictable.
Arterion, who had been watching the group’s reactions with amusement, spoke up.
“Don’t be strange. I was just enjoying my long-awaited trip abroad and was trying to play a little prank when I became interested in this wizard.”
Giselle, who had been singled out, sighed.
“Now, please reveal your identity.”
“Hmm…”
After a moment of silence, Arterion spoke with authority.
“I am the lord of the eternal blizzard, the guardian of wisdom, the lord of frost, and the guardian of the balance of the world. I am Dragon Lord Arterion.”
The group froze at those words.
They all stared at Arterion in disbelief. They
had intended to meet the Dragon Lord, but they truly had not expected him to appear before their eyes like this.
Giselle calmly spoke to the stunned group.
“Yes. This is the Dragon Lord.”
The reaction was immediate.
Some tried to kneel in confusion, while others placed their hands on their weapons.
Some stepped back slightly, while others wore expressions of fear.
Dragon.
The mere name alone intimidated countless people around the world.
Even the experienced Yulien Mercenaries couldn’t help but feel immense pressure in the presence of a dragon whose identity had been revealed.
Arterion withdrew his attention from the group and asked,
“Now tell me. How did you know me?”
“…I guessed.”
“…Hmm?”
“I was on my way to meet the Dragon Lord when a mysterious man suddenly appeared. If it felt overwhelming even with my skills, then there’s no other answer than a dragon, right?”
“That’s not enough of an explanation.”
“If you’re going to polymorph, shouldn’t you have at least changed your hair color? A little thought will easily lead you to the conclusion.”
“…”
Arterion frowned. His mind understood the answer, but his senses told him it was false.
The other man knew himself better than he could tell. But he couldn’t explain why he thought that way. After all,
it was a feeling based on the dragon’s intuition.
Giselle acted shamelessly. Even a Dragon Lord couldn’t know what would happen a thousand years from now. He
couldn’t even imagine that someone from a thousand years in the future would come here.
The two stared at each other for a long time.
Arterion frowned at Giselle’s performance, now refined by years of combat experience.
After a moment of hesitation, Arterion asked.
“Your name is Astion?”
This time, Giselle was slightly surprised. He knew more than he’d expected.
That meant he knew that we were the Yulian Mercenaries.
Apparently, this wasn’t just a joke. Arterion had clearly come to meet them already knowing about them.
“Yes. My name is Astion.”
“Who gave you that name?”
“Hmm?”
Astion said urgently, his mind wandering.
– “A passing wizard gave it to me when I was young!”
In reality, Astion, having grown up as an orphan, had no proper name.
Everyone simply called him “Hey,” “You,” “Kid,” “Beggar.”
His first proper name came when he met the first possessed being. That possessed being gave him a name.
It meant he inherited the same star as Arterion, the great Dragon Lord.
Giselle spoke naturally.
“I grew up as an orphan, so I had no name. A passing wizard taught me a simple spell and gave me my name.”
Arterion nodded slowly, then muttered.
“It seems that name is familiar to you somewhere. It must be a coincidence.”
“Does my name have any special meaning?”
“Nothing special. Long ago, there was a time when humans worshipped dragons. Among them, there were those who could communicate directly with dragons.”
“Those who communicate with dragons?”
“Yes, they were called dragon speakers. They studied astronomy and learned much from dragons, which they then passed on to humans. It’s a forgotten legend now.”
“…….”
“Anyway, that name belonged to someone who communicated with me. I gave it to them myself. I only asked because it was so fascinating to hear that old name.”
“……I see.”
What Arterion was talking about must have been thousands of years ago.
Only then did the dragon’s immense lifespan truly sink in.
Astion breathed a sigh of relief and spoke within Giselle’s consciousness.
―My first possessor was that person. He laid the foundation for my magic and gave me prophecies. If Arterion finds out the truth, he’ll probably capture me and experiment on me.
‘Really?’
― Yes, that dragon is incredibly curious, and they say it often catches and experiments on any species. It seems it knows a lot.
‘Why are you telling me that now?’
― I was going to tell you before we boarded the ship! I was meditating and sleeping, so I forgot! We had plenty of time anyway!
‘Hmm… …’
As expected, dragons aren’t benevolent beings. Don’t mistake
them for fighting alongside the demonic realm. They simply join hands out of necessity, and their essence can never be judged by human good or evil.
They are beings who live by a different order and logic than this world, incapable of understanding or empathy.
“What are you thinking?”
The conversation within their consciousness seemed fleeting. But Arterion sensed Giselle’s thoughts were different.
Giselle replied with a nonchalant expression.
“I’ve been thinking about changing my name.”
“Why?”
“A name associated with a dragon? Doesn’t the mere thought of it make you feel uncomfortable?”
“Hahahaha, there’s no need to do that. It doesn’t really mean much right now.”
Arterion laughed heartily before continuing.
“I’m still suspicious. You obviously know me. But I don’t think I’ll get the answer I want right now.”
“I don’t know why you thought that, but it’s just as I said. You showed up at such a coincidental timing. And your appearance, too.”
“Okay, let’s leave that aside for now. We can figure it out slowly.”
“Then… may I ask why you came here first instead of waiting for us?”
Arterion leaned back in his chair and turned his gaze.
Deneb was standing in his direction.
“I came to see the saintess.”
“Deneb?”
Arterion nodded and said calmly.
“Yes, to give that child a warning before he dies.”
“…”
Giselle frowned at the sudden words.
At the same time, Yulien’s expression hardened coldly.