The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations Chapter 849

Episode 849: Leave it to me now. (1)

A magic to save Yulienne’s soul.
Astion hadn’t originally envisioned such a magic. He’d never even imagined such a thing was possible with magic.
But one story Giselle told him gave him new hope.
“Really? Are you saying I really created such a magic?”
― Yes, I didn’t know it at the time… … but it seems like it was a magic created to save Yulienne.
Giselle hadn’t seen the magic Jerome used directly. She’d only heard about it later from others.
When she asked Jerome about it, he said it was a magic passed down through generations to combat adversaries.
― It wasn’t just a magic with powerful destructive power. It was more like… … a magic meant to purify something.
That’s what she’d heard, and Jerome himself had said the same.
Of course, Jerome had simply assumed it was a magic created to deal with the darkness.
But after seeing the past and hearing Deneb’s story, Giselle finally understood the magic’s true nature.
― It’s certain. That was the magic you created in the original history to save Yulien’s soul. Dark experienced that magic firsthand.
― Master, you’re right! I’ve been hit by it myself!
Dark had gone to deliver the news at the time and accidentally got caught up in that magic along with Gattros.
At that time, Dark’s clone vanished in an instant. However, he clearly remembered the feeling of being hit directly.
“Uh, how was it?”
Dark pondered for a moment at Astion’s question, then said.
―So, a tremendous amount of light poured down, and after grasping! I went “Paaaaaaaaaaaaa!” and disappeared!
― … … .
“……”
As the two remained silent, Dark shouted again, seemingly frustrated.
―So, “Paaaaaaaaaaaaa!” and before I even touched the light, I felt like I ascended? My very existence vanished, and for a moment, I lost all attachment to the world?
“……Um, I don’t know for sure, but you’re saying it worked? But if Dark was vanishing, isn’t that dangerous?”
Giselle answered with a confident tone.
―It’s okay. I’m certain it was magic. Dark must have been composed entirely of energy.
Furthermore, Dark was a being closer to “dregs,” mixed with the energy of the demon god. Naturally, he would be affected by magic that dispelled darkness.
Of course, he never said that aloud in front of Dark.
Astion felt his heart pounding.
If Giselle’s words were true, Yulienne’s soul could be saved. That alone made it worth dedicating his life to developing magic.
With the kingdom’s founding and other preparations complete, Astion finally devoted himself to creating the ultimate magic.
[I settled down next to a quiet rural village and built a magic tower. It was a small house, almost embarrassing to call it a magic tower, but it was enough. I created a basement laboratory and immediately began researching new magic.]
[Except for teaching Lucien, I devoted myself solely to magical research. The numerous magic books I acquired while hunting dragons also helped me acquire new knowledge.]
[I consulted with Giselle and Dark intermittently, trying to grasp the framework of my magic. It certainly wasn’t easy… … but perhaps it was thanks to Dark’s vivid(?) testimony? I was able to grasp the essence of magic faster than I expected.]
[I don’t know if it was thanks to my persistence, or if it was fate that I would eventually succeed. What was clear was that the magic was created by my hands and would eventually be passed down to future generations.]
[After several years, I finally demonstrated the magic for the first time. The target was one of the remnants of the Salvation Church. Since priests of the Salvation Church were still being captured from all over the continent, rescuing the target was not difficult.]
[The magic was successful. Of course, I couldn’t say it was complete. I hadn’t yet confirmed whether it could wash away the darkness that had stained the soul. However, the important thing was that it had partially dissipated the darkness that had clung to my body. I was extremely excited and devoted myself even more deeply to my research to perfect this magic.]
“Master, may I continue this research?”
One day, Lucien asked Astion, holding an old book.
Astion frowned at the sight.
“Where did you find that?”
“It was rolling around in the study?”
Astion clicked his tongue at Lucien’s answer.
The magic book his disciple had brought was one he’d been scribbling theories on while studying Giselle’s explosive power.
He’d abandoned it in favor of researching new magic, but it seemed he’d found it somewhere.
Astion shook his head and said,
“That’s an unfinishable theory. It’s flawed from the start. Don’t waste your time on useless things.”
“Hmm, but the idea itself is interesting, isn’t it? A way to explosively increase magical power?”
“Interesting. It was the method used by someone obsessed with battle. In any case, it’s not something we can use, so just give up. I’ll just burn it. I won’t have any more regrets.”
Astion abandoned Giselle’s magic amplification method. It wasn’t something that could be safely improved in the first place.
Even Giselle had to take risks and manipulate it intuitively. It was nearly impossible to improve it safely enough for mages to use.
Of course, if he continued to research, he might achieve some results. But he had too many other things to do.
He had no intention of entrusting Lucien with the research.
“You must safely pass down the magic I created to future generations. Only then can we stop the one who will one day rise again… the adversary.”
The Tower of Radiance must now carry out its mission for generations to come.
Therefore, he absolutely could not afford to lose a disciple to dangerous research. Therefore, Astion was planning to discard the spellbook.
Lucien, with his easygoing personality, readily gave up at Astion’s words.
Because she knew full well the Master’s intentions for perfecting his current magic and passing it on to him.
Watching their conversation, Giselle asked.
―Have you completely given up on that theory?
“Yes, if you end up a wreck from researching it pointlessly, the Magic Tower will be over in a flash.”
―What a shame. I was curious to see what would happen next.
“What’s there to wonder about? You said you created it based on the mana cultivation method anyway. I simply tried to adapt it to the wizard’s magical power management.”
―Actually, that magic book had inspired me.
“What do you mean?”
Giselle laughed involuntarily.
A half-column magic book discovered in an ancient ruin.
Drawing inspiration from it, he reworked his mana cultivation method. And then he forged a dangerous, yet powerful, double-edged sword.
And to think it was the work of Astion, who had been studying his own powers. Somehow, the realization felt relatively easy.
It was truly strange and astonishing. The future and the past could influence each other like this.
So, just in case, I quietly watched. But in the end, the spellbook was never completed.
I understood. Even Giselle knew how dangerous the mana cultivation method she used was.
Since it had to be used intuitively, she couldn’t properly pass it on to anyone else. It wasn’t a proper theory to begin with, but rather a fleeting insight.
But I couldn’t just discard it. I didn’t want to create useless variables.
And it was the legacy of the continent’s greatest magician. Astion’s scribbled theories were, in and of themselves, incredibly high-quality.
“If you’re going to throw it away anyway, bury it where I want. I discovered it in the future. That’s how I found inspiration. And if it’s passed down, it will undoubtedly be of use to your descendants.
” “That’s fascinating. Where did you find it?”
“Bring me a map. I’ll show you the details.”
Giselle told Astion where the spellbook was originally buried.
Astion, upon seeing the location, was startled and said,
“This is my hometown?”
“What? Really?”
“I guess I buried it there in your future.”
He didn’t know why he’d buried it in his hometown.
Perhaps he felt it was a waste to just throw it away. He might have wanted to study it again after his work was done.
That was likely the case. If he kept it in the Magic Tower, his disciple might be interested.
It was fascinating, and he wanted to study it a little more, but Astion held back. He planned to bury the magic book in the place Giselle had designated for the future.
Then, Giselle made one more request.
―Creating just one of the spells I mentioned and putting it in there.
“What is it?”
―You know the Eruption spell I made?
“I know that very well. Thanks to you, I’ve been using it well.”
―Creating that spell book. I have someone to give it to.
“Yeah, that shouldn’t be too difficult.”
―The title should be… “9th Circle Magic Only a 5th Circle Slave Male Wizard Who Defeated a God and a Dragon Can Learn.
” “…What’s with that bizarre title?”
“I’m trying to convey this to someone who wouldn’t even look at it if it weren’t for that title.
” “He must be incredibly arrogant. Is there anyone like him in the future? Is he exceptionally skilled?”
Giselle pondered for a moment. Alfoy wasn’t someone who could be summarized in a few words.
He withstood the goddess’s miracles that even the apostles couldn’t properly withstand, and he moved the immense magical power that Jerome and Vanessa had to work together to catch the dragon.
Despite this, he couldn’t even properly master the fifth circle of magic, and couldn’t even raise his circle on his own.
A man with gambling addiction, overspending, extreme meanness, extreme mood swings, moral lapses, laziness, negligence, arrogance, vanity, pretense, impatience, recklessness, cunning and trickery—no matter how many bad words you use, it’s not enough. That was Alfoy.
Finally, after a long moment of deliberation, Giselle blurted out,
“Honestly, I don’t know how to describe him.
” “… …There must be a great guy in the future. So much so that you can’t even describe him.” ”
Yes, in a way, he is a great guy. He played a crucial role in capturing Arterion.
” “What? Really?”
Astion couldn’t close his mouth.
He had left Giselle alone when she said she would capture Arterion with Yulien in the future. But who would have thought that a wizard would play a decisive role in that battle? He couldn’t help but
exclaim inwardly, “Arcterion in his prime was a monster that even the warriors couldn’t guarantee a victory against.”
“He must be a wizard of incredible talent, right?”
― Yeah, well… … in a way… … . Anyway, he’s accomplished a lot in his own way, so I’m going to give him one as a gift.
Jerome and Vanessa are more than enough with the legacy of the past. They were the type to explore and become stronger on their own.
But Alfoy is definitely not the type to study and work hard alone. Still, it’s a shame to leave him alone.
Giselle, who sensed Alfoy’s strange(?) potential, planned to create at least some ‘bait’ and give it to him.
Before returning to the past, she had already told Jerome where the magic book was.
If Jerome saw the title of this new magic book, he would know who it was meant for and give it to Alfoy.
[After making the magic book to give to Alfoy, I stopped by my hometown for a moment. The once quiet rural village had developed beyond recognition. It was because of the rumor that it was the birthplace of the warrior and the saint, the 9th Circle Wizard, and the Continent’s Greatest Sword.]
[Absurdly, the village had become the holy place where the warrior and the saint were born. Countless pilgrims and tourists flocked to the village, and the village was selling various things to the tourists.]
[The spicy stew that the warrior ate to build up his spirit, the holy water from the spring on the mountain behind where the saint prayed every morning, the quill pen I used when I studied (and it was a crude one made by plucking and dyeing chicken feathers), the same type of whetstone that the Continent’s Greatest Sword sharpened his legendary sword, and so on. Nonsense that had nothing to do with us and that we didn’t even know about was selling like hotcakes.]
[All of those things were being sold by merchants who had flocked from all over the continent. The villagers who had lived there before were nowhere to be seen. It seemed like they had all sold their houses and land and left. I couldn’t help but marvel at the hideous yet magnificent tricks of humans time and time again.]
[In the place I had found, following Giselle’s memories, a magnificent temple had been erected. I gazed at it for a long time. That temple was… … .]
“…where Deneb’s house used to be.”
The simple log cabin where Deneb had lived was now a magnificent temple adorned with ornate carvings.
Astion gazed at it silently for a while. Old memories slowly rose through the temple’s shadows.
Yulien, with nowhere to go, had endured several years in this house’s small storage room.
If it weren’t for Deneb, Yulien wouldn’t have been able to endure that difficult childhood.
Kyle and I also flocked to this house whenever we had the chance.
Days of pestering each other, sharing hunger, and laughing at trivial stories.
The four of us who had come together like that eventually became heroes who saved the continent.
Although the ending… was not what anyone had hoped for.
The absence of Yulien and Deneb
weighed heavily on his heart, more majestically than the temple itself.
Astion gazed at the temple for a moment longer, then quietly exhaled.
The memories were warm, but the sense of loss that lingered afterward always lingered in his heart.
But not everything was over. It was too late to fully immerse himself in the memories… … There was still work to be done for the two.
Astion began to dig deep beneath the temple, secretly,
and carefully placed the box containing the magic books
in a place untouched, a place that would take a thousand years to find.
[Returning to the Magic Tower, I resumed my research. I had already found a clue and confirmed its effectiveness. I was confident that with just a few more refinements, I could complete it.]
[Unfortunately, my promise to Marikawa was not kept. I was so obsessed with magical research that I barely showed up once every few months. She was a little angry, but she knew what I was doing, so she didn’t criticize me too much. Fortunately,
Kyle was still spending his days drinking and hunting. He said he was actively participating in the kingdom’s pioneering projects, showing interest. That’s probably because there was plenty to hunt there. The demonic realm was sealed, and the monsters surrounding it were steadily increasing.
[Lucien has ascended to the 8th Circle. I’m not saying this because he’s my disciple, but Lucien was a truly gifted wizard. He ascended to the 8th Circle without any special luck like mine. Of course, it’s also thanks to my excellent teaching.]
[Thanks to Lucien’s active assistance, the research has accelerated even further. Now, only a few experiments remain. And when these experiments are over… … .]
[Giselle will indeed return to the future. To save Yulien and Deneb… … .]