It is going to be really exciting. (1)
Marquis Falkenheim appears to be an ordinary middle-aged man at first glance. However, those who know of his ruthless nature do not judge him by his appearance alone.
Receiving Count Swipel's gift and intentions, he smirked.
"Interesting fellow. He can't do it himself, so he's borrowing my strength?"
One of his vassals cautiously asked,
"Shall we just wipe them all out?"
"No. The skills of the Yulian Mercenary Corps are quite appealing. I should take them under my command."
"What reward should we offer them?"
"If they desire a title, grant them one along with Count Swipel's territory. As for avenging Count Crest, eliminating Count Swipel, Baron Nordhill, and Baron Lacus should suffice."
"What if they refuse?"
"Refuse? They would refuse me?"
Marquis Falkenheim's expression was one of disbelief. How could anyone defy the will of the most powerful man in the kingdom?
However, the report did state that Count Crest's request had been rejected by a stubborn fool. Just in case, he decided to prepare for such a possibility.
"If they refuse… support Count Swipel’s knights and kill them. Once Swipel's territory is seized, distribute it among the vassals who contributed."
"Understood."
Count Swipel may have thought he was being clever, but Marquis Falkenheim never intended to spare him in the first place.
If a vassal was attacked, vengeance must be swift and absolute. Preserving his authority and maintaining his vast power was only natural.
The Yulian Mercenary Corps had indeed killed Count Crest, but at their core, they were merely mercenaries who fought for money. Even if he accepted them, there was a justification to avoid criticism.
However, nobles were different. Baron Nordhill, Baron Lacus, and Count Swipel had to die.
Of course, Count Swipel’s proposal technically provided a reason to spare him. But there was no compelling reason for Marquis Falkenheim to do so.
"To make such an insolent proposal to me… that's a crime worthy of death."
If Swipel truly wished to live, he should have come in person, surrendered everything he had, and begged for his life. That was what Falkenheim believed.
And so, a few days later, an envoy carrying the marquis's orders secretly moved to meet the Yulian Mercenary Corps.
***
Ghislain was resting alone when Astion suddenly spoke.
— Ghislain, do you think the future can change?
"Hmm?"
Astion’s abrupt question made Ghislain pause in thought before replying.
"Of course, the future can change."
Countless scholars had proposed different theories on the matter, but Ghislain had no choice but to believe it.
After all, he was someone who had already experienced a future and then altered it upon regression.
"But why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
— Let's just call it a mage’s curiosity. If what you say is true, then you’re currently acting in the past, aren’t you?
"Yeah."
— Then you must understand that your actions in this era could influence the future in unpredictable ways?
"Hmm, to some extent?"
There were already a few customs that Ghislain had spread in this era, and there could be more in the future.
However, strictly speaking, he hadn’t invented them—he had simply learned them from the future, where they already existed.
But as the past and future intertwined, it became impossible to determine which came first.
This was one of the great mysteries of the world, something that even scholars had failed to unravel. Even Ghislain, who had reached the realm of the transcendent, could not fully comprehend it.
Astion reaffirmed this fact.
— If you influence this era too much, the future you came from might change completely. Are you okay with that?
"Yeah, I know that much. That’s why I try to act in moderation."
Although Ghislain’s actions seemed drastic, in the grand scheme, not much had actually changed.
Yulian and Deneb would still become the center of the world and lead the Human Alliance. Such an enormous flow of history couldn’t be stopped without extreme intervention.
‘The only difference is whether Astion leads them or I do.’
Accepting this, Ghislain did his best to act as their advisor.
Of course, there had to be a reason why Deneb had summoned him to the past. Whether it was to save Yulian and Deneb, or to reveal some hidden truth about the adversary—
‘Or maybe both.’
So, once Hero’s friends grew stronger, Ghislain planned to share his knowledge of the future with them.
Perhaps, the future could be even better than the one he had known.
Hearing his response, Astion spoke in a deliberately cautious tone.
— Good. So even you, who knows the future, acknowledge that it can change?
"Yeah. I believe that human willpower can alter the future. That’s why I’m being careful in my own way."
Having lived through it, Ghislain could only speak with conviction.
However, Astion then spoke in a strangely satisfied tone.
— Then that means my future can change too.
"...What?"
— I won’t live as a recluse anymore. I’ll have a love life, and I’ll enjoy wealth and glory.
"...That’s what you wanted to say?"
— This is important to me!
"...Alright, I support you."
— Why do you sound like you don’t believe me?!
"No, it’s just..."
In truth, Ghislain wasn’t entirely sure whether Astion had really lived in hiding. It was just an assumption based on circumstances.
Maybe he had lived normally and things had only changed in later generations.
But based on the information Ghislain had, that seemed unlikely. The Tower of Radiance was notoriously reclusive, and Jerome had lived that way too.
Of course, Jerome’s solitude was partly because he preferred lazing around in his room, reading books—but there was no need to explain such minor details.
Astion, however, firmly rejected his assumed fate.
"When I regain my body, the first thing I’ll do is start dating!"
"Got it."
"Why do you sound so half-hearted?!"
Astion ranted for a while, clearly frustrated, but Ghislain truly had no interest in the subject. He had far too much to do to care about Astion’s love life.
Eventually, Astion grumbled for quite some time before falling silent.
Ghislain, having quickly forgotten Astion’s complaints, refocused on his grueling training. He endured countless hardships, sacrificing himself for the sake of everyone.
But after about two months of relentless training, he began to ease the intensity. If they were to face what was ahead properly, they needed to recover their condition.
However, even Ghislain was unsure of exactly when to take the next step.
‘It's taking too long.’
Count Swipel remained seated on Count Crest’s territory, still refusing to send a reply.
His intentions were obvious—he was struggling to figure out how to capture Ghislain. But since he hadn't yet found a viable solution, he was still unable to make a decision.
‘Should I wait just a little longer?’
Ghislain could have moved first to pressure his opponent, but he refrained. It was much better for Count Swipel to make the first move against him.
For Ghislain, patience was no issue if it meant securing a greater reward.
‘I'll give it just one more month before I make my move.’
As he gradually lowered the intensity of training in preparation for the next war, an envoy from Marquis Falkenheim arrived at the Yulian Mercenary Corps.
Seeing the envoy, Ghislain smirked.
‘So, they chose this route?’
This was one of the possible scenarios he had anticipated. He had seen plenty of such schemes before.
Wearing a friendly smile, the envoy conveyed the marquis’s proposal. After hearing everything, Ghislain asked,
"Hmm… so you’re saying you'll forgive us for fighting Count Crest, as long as we swear allegiance to the marquis?"
"That is correct. I've heard of your exceptional skills. If you desire, we can grant you a title and lands as well."
At those words, the executives of the Yulian Mercenary Corps swallowed hard.
A title and fief granted by the most powerful noble in the kingdom—if they accepted, they would enjoy unparalleled wealth and prestige.
However, Ghislain knew that such peace wouldn’t last long.
‘Once the hunt is over, the hounds are the first to be eaten.’
What would Marquis Falkenheim do after seizing the kingdom? He would likely start by eliminating powerful yet "rootless" individuals like them.
Even his other vassals wouldn’t be safe. The marquis only cared about his own ambitions, and anyone who threatened the royal authority would undoubtedly be purged.
Of course, it was impossible to predict exactly how things would unfold. But there was an immediate issue to consider.
"Then what about Baron Nordhill and Baron Lacus?"
"The Yulian Mercenary Corps fought as mercenaries, so you can escape blame. But those two must face the consequences of their actions."
In other words, they would be executed. Since Count Crest had formally lost to Nordhill, Marquis Falkenheim could not afford to spare them.
If he let them live, his other vassals would grow discontent.
While he could suppress them through sheer force, that would cost him their trust—something Falkenheim was unwilling to risk.
Nordhill and Lacus simply weren’t valuable enough for him to take such a risk.
Ghislain shook his head.
"I refuse. We stand with Nordhill and Lacus."
"Please reconsider. I assure you, we will grant you the best possible treatment."
The envoy remained for several days, attempting to persuade Ghislain. He offered not just wealth but treasures and land, yet Ghislain remained unmoved.
He could not allow Nordhill and Lacus to be destroyed. More importantly, he had never planned to serve under anyone in the first place.
‘Yulian is supposed to be the protagonist of this world. How could we submit to anyone?’
Instead, nurturing Andrew and Rio to become the true powers behind the kingdom was a much better choice.
If Marquis Falkenheim had been a decent man, Ghislain might have considered joining forces with him. But he was nothing more than a villain among villains.
There was no way Ghislain would ever work with him.
After exhausting his attempts at persuasion, the envoy played his final card.
"You will regret this."
His friendly smile disappeared, replaced by a chilling expression.
Ghislain chuckled and asked,
"Regret what, exactly?"
"You will regret siding with Baron Nordhill. You will regret fighting Count Crest. You will regret rejecting our proposal. You will regret every choice that led to this situation."
Ghislain tilted his head slightly. He had received so many threats like this that they were starting to bore him.
The only upside was that once the other side resorted to this kind of talk, he no longer needed to be polite.
"If you fight me, you're the one who will regret it."
"I find it hard to believe that fighting a mere mercenary corps would lead to regret."
"Then I'll just make you regret being born."
"…Hah."
Hearing Ghislain’s arrogant words, the envoy let out a laugh, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. After staring at Ghislain for a moment, he finally said,
"I don't think we’ll be the ones regretting this."
A sly smile spread across the envoy’s lips.
No matter how skilled they were, the Yulian Mercenary Corps were still just mercenaries. What kind of mercenary would dare talk about making the kingdom’s most powerful noble regret anything?
‘Well… they might cause some damage in battle, considering how formidable they are. But only if we fight them directly.’
If the mercenary corps refused, the marquis had already decided to support Count Swipel first. The elite warriors of Yulian Mercenary Corps wouldn’t even survive long enough for Falkenheim’s own forces to step in.
With Ghislain’s unwavering stance, the envoy prepared to leave. There was no point in further persuasion.
After swiftly returning, the envoy reported everything to Marquis Falkenheim in full detail.
Upon hearing the report, the marquis burst into laughter.
"What an arrogant fool. Does he truly believe in his own strength that much?"
With such ability, Ghislain could have easily become the knight commander of any territory. It wasn’t surprising that he was so full of himself.
But a person should know their place before acting so boldly.
Marquis Falkenheim decided to abandon any lingering thoughts of recruiting them.
He didn’t need them to take the kingdom anyway.
"Support Count Swipel and eliminate them first. After that, send our forces to officially claim Swipel’s lands."
"Understood."
"Tsk. A nuisance right before my great ambition."
Capturing someone that skilled would require some level of sacrifice. But there were ways to minimize the damage.
"Summon my vassals and request knight reinforcements. They must be at least high-level."
That way, he could conserve his house’s forces while only sending a few of his own men.
Though the enemy was strong, they were not at the level of a superhuman. There had been reports of them coughing up blood and retreating after battles.
The marquis’s strategists assessed that this "Astion" was likely a 6th-circle magic master with some proficiency in close combat.
They believed the reason Crest’s forces had fallen so easily was simply because they had been unprepared for an opponent who mixed different combat styles.
Even if he wasn’t a superhuman, a 6th-circle master was still an incredibly formidable opponent. To minimize losses, a large number of knights would need to be deployed.
A few days later, the gathered elite knights set out to crush the Yulian Mercenary Corps.
Superrbbb
Superrbbb
This horse is insane lol
Why are comments not chapter specific smh
Best novel EVER
Great novel! Already caught up completely. Just wish it would get more updates compared to the other novels on here.