The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations - Chapter 707

As soon as the Royal Knight Commander entered the grand hall, he frowned.

He had rushed in with his knights after receiving reports of a commotion, but it seemed he had arrived too late.

‘Tsk. We should have blocked the mercenaries from entering in the first place.’

A chancellor, dead with an axe buried in his forehead inside the royal palace?

Such a thing was beyond imagination.

Until now, the Royal Knights had never interfered in political matters, leaving everything to the ministers. It was not their place to judge such affairs.

But because they had stayed out of it, this had happened.

How could they still call this place a royal palace?

This was no different from bandits invading and causing havoc.

It was clear that lunatics had barged in.

The ministers, upon seeing the knights, scurried behind them, making a ruckus.

“That lawless mercenary has killed the chancellor…!”

“A mercenary claiming to be the king’s proxy? This is insanity!”

“The king is mad! Arrest them all at once!”

The Knight Commander finally spoke.

In a way, this made things easier.

If the king had truly lost his mind to the extent of giving a mercenary political power, then removing him would not be difficult.

Marquis Falkenheim would take care of the remaining trash.

The commander issued his order.

“Arrest them immediately. If they resist—kill them.”

But then—

“…Huh?”

The commander blinked.

His gaze fell upon the knights behind Ghislain.

They were clearly knights from Count Nodehill’s forces, judging by the crest on their armor.

However, some of their faces were strangely familiar.

“…Wait a minute… You’re…?”

His eyes locked onto one knight in particular—

A knight who should have been serving Marquis Falkenheim.

Why was one of Falkenheim’s senior knights standing alongside these insane mercenaries?

Under the commander’s sharp gaze, the knight in question let out a bitter smile.

He had chosen Ghislain, and in doing so, had lost his place among the high-ranking knights.

Captured in battle, Ghislain had given them only two choices:

1. Submit, and he would let them live—but their mana cores would be destroyed.
2. Swear loyalty to Count Nodehill, and keep their mana intact.

Having one’s mana core destroyed meant the end of a knight’s life.

It would leave them weaker than even an ordinary person.

Thus, most knights chose to submit.

Only two of them had been released with their mana cores shattered.

As a result, Count Nodehill gained dozens of high-ranking knights in an instant.

A few had been assigned to Leo’s protection in Raks, but most had been placed under Nodehill’s forces.

Of course, Ghislain never trusted them completely.

Their souls were bound by his dark magic.

Having witnessed Gascot transformed into a Death Knight, they did not dare to resist.

Ghislain had promised to release them once everything was over, and they had no choice but to believe him.

Among them, twenty elite knights had followed him to the palace.

One of them now stepped forward and drew his sword.

“We stand with Count Nodehill.”

“No further discussion is necessary.”

There was no need to reopen old wounds.

They had already experienced firsthand just how terrifying Ghislain was.

“Y-You traitors…! How dare you betray Marquis Falkenheim?!”

The Knight Commander had no right to speak of betrayal.

Yet, even as he glared at the knight, his mind was racing.

These were high-ranking knights—each one capable of fighting hundreds of soldiers alone.

And there was no telling how many more were among the enemy ranks.

‘We need to pull back and gather reinforcements.’

That was the only option.

The Knight Commander made his decision.

“Escort the ministers out. We will decide their fate later.”

Retreating like this was humiliating, but with an army, things would change.

He was confident that once he returned with reinforcements, the situation would turn in their favor.

But—

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Ghislain lunged forward, staff in hand.

BOOM!

The Knight Commander barely managed to block the attack, but the impact sent him skidding backward.

A chill ran down his spine.

Even with one exchange, he could immediately tell—

The gap in power was massive.

“Kill him!”

He shouted for his knights while trying to retreat.

But Ghislain’s staff moved faster.

BOOM!

“Guhh…!”

The staff slammed into the commander’s neck, twisting it at an unnatural angle.

Then—

Ghislain spun his body and delivered another devastating strike to the commander’s side.

CRACK!

The knight’s armor crumpled, and the sound of shattering bones echoed through the hall.

His body buckled inward, as if folding in half, before he collapsed, lifeless.

Ghislain stared down at the corpse.

“Hah. Too weak.”

It was expected.

All the truly loyal knights had been purged or driven away.

The knights left in the palace were not there to protect the king—they were there to watch him.

It was no wonder the so-called Royal Knights were weak.

Ghislain straightened his back and scanned the room.

No one moved.

The strongest knight in the palace had just died in two hits.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

His inhuman skill left them paralyzed with fear.

Ghislain pointed his staff at them.

“Are you traitors?”

“……”

“If not, then kneel before His Majesty and follow me. I have no time to waste.”

They hesitated.

There was no one to lead them.

Even the vice commander, who should have taken charge, was simply rolling his eyes around, anxiously gauging the ministers’ reactions.

After all, it was not the knights, but the politicians, who controlled the kingdom.

Finally, one minister stepped forward, trying to gather his courage.

“L-Look here! Even if you act on His Majesty’s decree, what you’re doing is madness! Marquis Falkenheim will not sit still!”

CRACK!

“AAAARGHHH!”

Before he could even finish, Ghislain’s staff slammed into his shoulder, shattering it completely.

The minister collapsed to his knees, screaming.

He had tried to invoke Falkenheim’s name—but it had no effect.

Ghislain clicked his tongue.

“You really don’t listen, do you?”

Then he grinned.

“We’re about to go capture Marquis Falkenheim.”

A dark, menacing energy radiated from his body, spreading through the hall.

The Royal Knights turned pale.

The ordinary soldiers and ministers couldn’t even breathe—one by one, they collapsed from the sheer pressure.

Their faces twisted in horror.

The man before them had continuously shown overwhelming dominance.

If they resisted, they would die.

Not just a few of them.

All of them.

Someone gasped.

“He’s… a Transcendent!”

Finally, the vice commander fell to his knees.

“I-I will follow you! The Royal Knights and Palace Guards will obey your command!”

FWOOOOSH.

The suffocating energy vanished in an instant.

At last, the people in the hall were able to breathe again.

“Gahh…!”

“Hahh… Hahh…!”

“Urghh…!”

Ghislain took a deep breath, steadying himself as those around him gasped for air, trying to compose themselves. Without hesitation, he raised his staff and pointed at a few select ministers.

“Everyone else—throw them in prison. We’ll determine their guilt later.”

Most of the ministers were promptly dragged away, leaving only five behind in the grand hall. Under normal circumstances, the government would have collapsed without its key officials, but Ghislain was unfazed. The matter of governance could be dealt with later—any immediate concerns could be handled through direct orders to the administrators.

“The Chancellor is dead. I will assume the position temporarily. Oh, and I’ll also be taking over as Supreme Commander of the Kingdom’s Army for the time being.”

“…….”

No one spoke. Neither the role of Chancellor nor that of Supreme Commander was something that could be claimed with mere words, but arguing about it now would only get them killed.

Ghislain casually twirled his staff before giving the next command.

“We’re moving immediately to the next target. Summon the defense forces and have them on standby.”

“U-Understood.”

The vice commander led the knights and soldiers out. The remaining ministers stood frozen, exchanging anxious glances.

Watching everything unfold, Alex trembled. The same went for Andrew and Leo.

They had known Ghislain was decisive, but they hadn’t expected him to act with such reckless abandon.

Alex stammered as he questioned Ghislain.

“W-What is the meaning of this? Don’t you think you’re being too extreme?”

Throwing a few ministers in prison wasn’t going to restore the monarchy. The royal knights might follow orders, but the kingdom’s army and the forces of Marquis Falkenheim were another matter entirely.

If they mobilized, the capital would be reduced to ruins in an instant. Acting so impulsively was a dangerous gamble.

Andrew and Leo, cold sweat running down their backs, voiced their concerns.

“Shouldn’t we be building up military strength in our own lands first and gradually expanding? We need allied lords. Isn’t that the proper way to do things?”

“Brother, this isn’t right. Even if you take the capital, you’ll be surrounded on all sides. How do you plan to fight off the enemies?”

Ghislain let out a short chuckle.

“Why are you all so tense? We’ll handle things one step at a time.”

“…….”

“It will take some time for news to reach Marquis Falkenheim. Until then, we need to strike fast like lightning. I have everything planned out.”

Everyone swallowed hard.

Ghislain’s so-called “plan” felt more like a declaration of destruction, and that terrified them. They couldn’t comprehend his thoughts or actions.

But there was no turning back now. Apologizing to Falkenheim was no longer an option.

After assigning a few senior knights as Alex’s escort, Ghislain stepped outside.

Julien’s mercenaries were already waiting, their weapons at the ready. Beside them stood the royal knights and the defense forces, all wearing uneasy expressions.

Ghislain walked to the front and raised his voice.

“We are heading out to capture the Supreme Commander of the Kingdom’s Army, who dared to ignore a royal decree!”

The Supreme Commander had ignored the king’s direct orders. After all, why should he obey the commands of a puppet king?

He was likely lounging in his luxurious mansion, enjoying his leisure—at least, until Ghislain’s forces stormed in.

BOOM!

“Aaargh!”

“What the hell?!”

“We’re under attack! Enemy attack!”

No matter how well-guarded the mansion was, it couldn’t withstand an all-out assault.

The sheer number of attackers overwhelmed the mansion’s knights and guards in an instant.

The Supreme Commander, caught off guard in the middle of his revelry, was dragged out naked. He was too dazed to even comprehend what was happening.

“W-What?! Do you fools have any idea who I am? How dare you storm this place!”

His panic intensified when he recognized some of the faces before him—the royal knights and defense soldiers.

“You—you all have lost your minds! Have you gone insane?!”

Why had those meant to guard the royal palace suddenly turned against him? His confusion left him stammering, unable to form proper sentences.

Then, Ghislain stepped forward.

“Ah, you must be the Supreme Commander. Tsk, why didn’t they at least dress you before bringing you here? It’s an unpleasant sight.”

“Who the hell are you?! If you don’t want to die, withdraw your forces and release me at once!”

“In accordance with His Majesty’s decree, I am now the Interim Chancellor and Supreme Commander of the Kingdom’s Army, Astion of the Julien Mercenary Corps.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?! Guards! Seize this madman! Now! Bring me all the division commanders at once!”

The Supreme Commander bellowed at the royal knights, but they averted their gazes, refusing to move.

It was only then that he realized something was very, very wrong.

“W-What is happening? What the hell is going on?!”

“We are reestablishing discipline in the kingdom.”

“D-Discipline?! Who the hell do you think you are?! What is this madness?!”

The Supreme Commander couldn’t comprehend the situation at all. And who could blame him? Ghislain had moved far too quickly.

The events in the palace had been completely contained. The ministers were either imprisoned or under guard, and the royal knights and defense forces had been forcefully mobilized under Ghislain’s command.

Ghislain pointed at the Supreme Commander.

“Lock him up as well. I need to conduct a proper transition of power.”

The Supreme Commander’s face twisted with rage as he screamed at Ghislain.

“You insane bastard! Do you really think you’ll get away with this?! The entire kingdom’s army will hunt you down! That damn puppet king of yours is as good as dead! And do you think Marquis Falkenheim will just stand by?!”

“True, if I imprison you, the kingdom’s forces will try to rescue you.”

“Exactly! Do you really think this will all go your way just because you captured me?! Do you think controlling the military is that easy?! You will die for this! That worthless king of yours will die, too!”

Spittle flew from his mouth as he raged, his killing intent practically tangible.

He didn’t believe, not for a second, that he would die. His position was far too important, his backing too strong.

His confidence was so absolute that he sneered at Ghislain, as if he were insignificant.

“Wouldn’t it be easier if you just cooperated?” Ghislain asked.

“Don’t spout nonsense! I will never cooperate with you!”

“Really?”

“That’s right! I swear, I’ll see you and that puppet king torn to pieces—!”

CRACK!

The Supreme Commander’s skull caved in before he could finish his sentence. His lifeless body collapsed to the ground.

The royal knights and defense forces flinched, a chill running down their spines.

This man was truly insane. Just from his demeanor alone, it felt like he could overturn the entire kingdom single-handedly.

They didn’t yet realize that Ghislain had actually reached that level of power.

Ghislain rummaged through the mansion, collecting documents and anything else of importance. He then rounded up the high-ranking nobles who had ignored the king’s summons.

It had been only a few hours since the Chancellor’s death.

Ghislain’s movements were so fast that the nobles had been captured before they even had a chance to hear the news.

After rounding up nearly all of the capital’s prominent figures, Ghislain issued his next command.

“Now, let’s go seize control of the kingdom’s army.”

His current forces were far smaller than the kingdom’s military.

And yet, Ghislain moved without hesitation.

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