The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations Chapter 794

Episode 794: Persuasion Begins Now (1)

Giselle nodded and asked,
“Have you come all the way to the Empire to escort us?”
“Escort… Yes, to escort us very safely.”
Darenz’s tone was different. He twitched his lips several times and glared at Giselle. He
‘d rotted here for years because of the Yulien Mercenaries. He’d even lost an arm.
So, he couldn’t possibly hold any grudges against them. But since he couldn’t attack the Yulien Mercenaries right away, he could only suppress his anger.
Behind Darenz, Cripps’s assassins had already gathered.
Giselle snickered at the sight of them.
“I heard the world is in turmoil these days. Do you think that number of people can properly escort the saintess? No, it seems impolite.”
“Etiquette?”
“Yes. Shouldn’t we at least treat her like the Pope?”
Darenz shrugged and laughed at that.
“Ah, don’t you have to worry about that. We’ve come enough to be polite.”
Boom!
Suddenly, flames erupted from one side, rising into the sky.
And a moment later.
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo!
A swarm of troops began to swarm towards them.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Armored knights surrounded the area in perfect order.
After waiting a little longer, countless soldiers swarmed in and formed formation behind the knights.
They were the troops dispatched by the Empire.
Giselle asked, looking at them, who surrounded the area with a solemn air.
“Is there more? They still look a bit out of place for a saint’s escort?”
“Hehehe… This is truly…”
Darenz let out a laugh. Even if they were superhumans, how could they show such composure when facing the Empire’s elite soldiers?
Well, it’s understandable, since the other side had several superhumans as well.
But they probably didn’t know. How much preparation had been made to “serve” the saint.
Doo doo doo doo doo doo!
As time passed, more and more troops were arriving.
Their uniforms were different from those of the Empire’s soldiers. Even the armies of the nearby lords had gathered.
Now, looking around, the number of troops gathered was so great that it seemed endless. At a glance, it seemed to be over ten thousand.
Darenz said with a cruel smile,
“This should be enough to serve the saintess… Are you satisfied?”
“I don’t think you’re in charge here. Shouldn’t you just step out of the conversation, little brat?”
“This guy…”
Darenz’s face twisted in anger. But he couldn’t advance any further.
Even though he was a superhuman, he didn’t have the authority to lead the imperial army.
Indeed, the center of the army split, and someone appeared.
Clatter, clatter.
A middle-aged man leisurely rode his horse toward the Julian mercenary group.
He briefly glanced between Giselle and Julian, then asked,
“I am the Marquis of Perrington, here on orders from the Pope. If I may be rude, which of you represents you?”
Giselle nudged Julian, who was standing beside her.
Until now, he had mainly taken the lead, but now it was time for Julian to get used to being at the forefront as well.
Julian stepped forward and spoke to Marquis Farrington.
“I am Julian, commander of the Julian Mercenaries. Please speak.”
“First, I would like to express my deepest respect to you for having so ably fulfilled the noble mission entrusted to you by His Holiness the Pope. Your achievements will forever be remembered in the history of the Empire, and your honor will soon be passed down to future generations. Our Empire will never forget your hard work, and therefore, the Marquis has come to escort you to the heart of the Empire, in accordance with His Holiness’s will.”
“…”
Julian remained silent for a moment at the lengthy congratulations, then asked,
“I think the word ‘escort’ is a bit excessive.”
“The demonic realm has been on the rise recently, and warlocks are running wild everywhere. We also have intelligence that the priests of the Salvation Church are targeting you. Therefore, this number of troops is by no means excessive.”
“Understood. Then, I will leave it to the Empire to take care of you.”
Marquis Farrington remained silent for a moment. He hadn’t expected you to follow him so obediently.
‘… … Are you clueless?’
It was a good thing. After all, today’s main objective was to identify and retrieve the holy stones.
Marquis Farrington said with a feigned dignity.
“Before we depart, I will briefly inspect the holy stones.”
When Yulien looked at Deneve, she slowly separated the holy stones from her necklace, bracelet, and ring.
The holy stones placed on Deneve’s palms sparkled and emitted a subtle divine energy.
Marquis Farrington’s eyes instantly cooled at the sight.
He extended one hand and said,
“I will keep the holy stones until they reach the Empire. You will be safe there.”
“That cannot be.”
“I understand your concerns. However, the Empire recognizes your achievements and will guarantee your safety. Many already know that the Julien Mercenaries have recovered the holy stones. So, please refrain from unnecessary distrust.”
Marquis Farrington’s words were plausible.
Many people knew of the Julien Mercenaries. Their reputation was quite well-known, having solved problems in various kingdoms.
It was only natural that they were treated as heroes since they had also retrieved the holy stones.
If the Empire and the Pope were to uphold their honor, they must protect and praise the Julien Mercenaries. So, he was telling them not to worry.
The Julien Mercenaries’ expressions remained indifferent despite Marquis Farrington’s words.
In peaceful times, they would have believed him. But now, the war with the Demonic Realm had begun.
They could change their story and frame them at any time. The Pope and the Empire possessed the power and authority to do so.
Julien shook his head and spoke firmly.
“We procured the Holy Stone. And its ownership has been acknowledged by the representatives of each race.”
Marquis Farrington’s eyebrows twitched. He suppressed his voice and asked,
“So? You’re saying you can’t give it to him?”
“Yes. The rightful owner of the Holy Stone is Deneb. We were planning to go to the Empire to tell His Holiness the Pope and seek his understanding.”
“…”
Marquis Farrington stared at Julien with a blank expression. He seemed to be
dismayed by the fact that these lowly mercenaries had ascended to superhuman status and had the support of each race.
“Or trust the dragons.”
Arterion had warned.
The dragon’s wrath was terrifying. No one could deny it.
But that would only happen after the war. The power of the Pope and the Empire was an immediate terror.
Everyone knew that. Therefore, no one could disobey the Pope.
“His Majesty had already anticipated the dragon’s arrival.”
Therefore, the empire was prepared to fight even a dragon.
The Pope was stronger than anyone else.
Priests who had observed him since childhood had called him the greatest genius in human history.
That’s why he ascended to the throne without a single objection.
If he were to gain the power of the Holy Stone, he
would surely be able to face a dragon.
Marquis Farrington’s voice grew cold.
“Julian, I’ll give you one last chance. Hand over the Holy Stone immediately.”
“I can’t.”
“Even if I die here?”
Then Jullian looked straight at Marquis Farrington and asked,
“Weren’t you planning to kill me from the beginning?”
“No.”
Marquis Farrington flatly denied it.
It was true that he had been ordered to kill them and retrieve the Holy Stone.
However, fighting multiple superhumans was a burden. While he was confident of victory, the casualties would be enormous.
Now that the war with the Demon Realm had begun, he had to conserve his forces as much as possible.
So, after receiving the holy stone first, the Yulien Mercenaries planned to deal with them one by one as they waited for an opportunity.
Killing and taking them all here and there was a last resort.
Marquis Farrington spoke again, his voice slightly softening.
“Hand over the holy stone. Hand it over, and we won’t clash. Treasures belong only to those who are worthy.”
“Deneb holds that title.”
“If you continue to refuse, we will have no choice but to strike you.”
“Do it if you can.”
In an instant, the atmosphere between the two sides became tense.
The Yulien Mercenaries, unfazed, raised their hands to their weapons. No one, no fool, could possibly not understand the situation.
Marquis Farrington opened his mouth with murderous eyes.
“They said you were incompetent fools, and it’s true. I will cut off your heads and take the holy stone.”
Marquis Farrington raised his hand.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
All the troops behind him raised their weapons and prepared for battle.
At that moment, Lionel shouted loudly and stepped forward.
“What are you doing! How can you do this!”
He couldn’t understand the situation.
Why, even though he was a loyal subject of the Pope, was he attacking the Julian mercenaries?
Marquis Farrington looked at Lionel and said,
“It’s been a long time. But the atmosphere is not conducive to asking after my well-being. Please step aside.”
“Your Majesty! I accompanied the Julian mercenaries on your orders!”
“That’s what I’m saying: stay away. I don’t want to kill someone who works for His Holiness and the Empire right now.”
“T-What do you mean?”
“Are you really ignorant? Did you think the Empire would let heretics who dare claim to be saints and try to steal the Holy Stone go unpunished? You will face a rigorous heresy investigation as soon as you return to the Empire, so be aware of that.”
“T-Trial?”
“Yes. You may have been possessed by that witch and abandoned your faith.”
Lionel was deeply shocked by those words.
Those words were tantamount to saying the Pope had already abandoned him.
However, since there were many eyes watching here, he meant that he was being spared for now and taken with him.
And if he returned to the Empire… …
he would be branded with the dishonorable charge of heresy and die.
“G, Your Excellency… I, I have been working hard for years on your mission under His Holiness’ orders.”
“So? What matters now isn’t your merit, is it? What matters is whether you are a heretic or not.”
“I… am not a heretic.”
“Then get the Holy Stone from that witch. I need to confirm your faith.”
Lionel turned his head, bewildered.
Giselle shrugged, her expression sly.
Kyle watched with a smile, his lips curled into amused amusement, and Erenes, as always, was haughty.
Marika looked bewildered, and the other mercenaries’ eyes lit up as if they were watching an exciting play.
And Julien and Deneb
looked at him with gentle smiles.
Lionel lowered his head.
He had long suspected that there was a chance of fighting the Empire’s forces. But he didn’t truly believe it.
He believed the Pope would never abandon him.
Even if that happened, he planned to mediate. He thought he could somehow persuade the Pope.
He had served the Pope faithfully for so long, and the Pope had cherished and trusted him.
But now he saw… …the preparations to annihilate Julien’s mercenary group were already complete. Including himself.
Lionel looked at Marquis Farrington with sad eyes. He still couldn’t believe that he had been abandoned.
So he forced his trembling voice to calm down and said,
“Please… make way… I will meet His Majesty in person and… ask if this is truly His will. I will persuade His Majesty.”
“Heresy.” “Cheer
! ”
Marquis Farrington drew his sword. A piercing aura blade erupted from his sword.
He was a superhuman, a swordmaster, a force that rivaled even the Empire’s foremost.
He wasn’t the only one. Other superhumans had arrived. The Empire’s elite knights, magicians, and elite soldiers were plentiful.
The mere thirty or so Yulien mercenaries were a force that could surely be killed.
Marquis Farrington held out his sword. Just before he could give the order to attack,
Giselle snatched the holy stone from Deneb’s hand and shouted,
“Hey! You said you wanted this, right? I’ll just give it to you.”
“Hmm?”
Marquis Farrington hesitated.
If he had the holy stone, there was no need to fight and risk losses here.
But… …
“Here! Take it!”
Giselle turned and threw the holy stone with all her might.
Marquis Farrington’s eyes widened at the sight.
“That, that crazy bastard…”
This place wasn’t that far from the harbor. That meant the sea was behind them.
A normal person wouldn’t be able to throw it all the way to the sea, but… … The person who threw it was a superhuman.
Indeed, Giselle’s dungeon holy stones flew high into the sky and all fell into the sea.
A suffocating silence fell.
Marquis Farrington and all the troops gathered here were stunned.
Giselle spoke to them, who were just staring blankly at the waves.
“What are you doing? If we leave them like this, they’ll never find it. They could ride the waves and drift far away. Oh, maybe a fish has already eaten it?”
“Everyone, find the holy stone right now! Quickly! Wizard! What’s a wizard doing? I want you to find it quickly!”
At the Marquis of Farrington’s shout, the knights at the very front rushed out.
They hastily removed their armor and jumped into the sea, and the wizards also flew hastily toward the spot where the holy stone had fallen.
“All who can swim, come out! Quickly!”
As the commanders shouted from all directions, a considerable number of soldiers jumped into the sea. Even Cripps’s assassins joined in the effort to retrieve the holy stone.
As a result, the imperial army’s ranks were instantly disorganized, and the surrounding area was in chaos.
Marquis of Farrington shouted with a face flushed with anger.
“You bastard! Are you crazy? Throwing the Holy Stone into the sea! What are you doing!”
The Holy Stone is a treasure given by representatives of each race. But if we lose the Holy Stone and kill the Yulian Mercenaries, the Empire will be held responsible.
No, even putting that aside, how can you throw away humanity’s treasure so easily?
Giselle spoke with a calm expression.
“What do you want me to do? Aren’t you trying to kill us here anyway? Then we don’t need the Holy Stone either?”
“This, this, this, this…”
“It’s better to not let you have it either. Then at least the Pope will cut off the heads of those here?”
“This, this, this bastard…”
Marquis Perrington’s face turned pale, and he tried to refute, but was speechless.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with Giselle’s words.
He let out a roar of rage.
“Kill them now!”
Then he ran towards Giselle in one breath and swung his sword.
Kaaaang!
Giselle immediately raised her staff and blocked Marquis Farrington’s sword.
“You!”
Marquis Farrington pushed forward, explosively releasing his Auror Blade. But Giselle didn’t budge.
Instead, she raised the corners of her mouth and muttered,
“Naktura, celebrate your return to the world by going wild.”
Kwaaaaah!
Black energy gathered in the air, revealing a robed skeleton.
Blue flames burned from the eyes of the Lich, who had been imprisoned for a long time.
And above the staff he raised high.
Hwarurururur!
A huge fireball rose up, blazing.