The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations - Chapter 717

Winning the war meant that a merit distribution ceremony and a victory banquet were natural outcomes.

Ghislain first discussed the rewards for those who had voluntarily participated in the war with Alex.

“It would be best to first integrate the marquisate into the royal domain and then distribute the wealth gained from it.”

The marquisate was isolated from the territories of the neutral lords. The surrounding lands all belonged to lords who had followed Marquis Falkenheim.

Even if they were granted land, they wouldn’t be able to manage it properly.

Instead, Ghislain planned to compensate them with substantial wealth and tax reductions.

Alex simply nodded at Ghislain’s proposal.

In truth, he had never governed a country before, so he had no idea how to handle such matters. He was more amazed at how Ghislain proceeded so quickly without hesitation.

“You are truly impressive. How do you even manage all of this so well?”

Though he was merely a mercenary on the surface, it was as if he had previously held a high government position somewhere.

Ghislain smirked.

“I’m good at taking, but I’m also good at giving.”

“……Th-That’s quite something.”

Alex found it slightly unsettling.

As someone who was naturally timid, hearing that Ghislain was good at taking sent shivers down his spine.

He was already anxious about losing his throne.

Sensing Alex’s nervousness, Ghislain reassured him.

“We will be leaving soon, Your Majesty. So you don’t have to worry about us too much.”

“A-Ah, no. There’s no need to leave so hastily. Where are you even going? If necessary, I can grant you a territory and a noble title. A man of your caliber should simply take what he wants.”

Hearing Ghislain confirm that he would be leaving, Alex felt both relieved and terrified.

Even though Marquis Falkenheim had been captured, Alex had no real faction supporting him.

Lords across the kingdom would now scramble to expand their power, vying for the vacant position left behind by Falkenheim.

The neutral lords were no different.

Most of them hadn’t joined the suppression army out of loyalty to the king—they had done so simply because they hated Marquis Falkenheim.

Alex knew he had no means to protect himself.

Seeing Alex’s desperation, Ghislain shook his head with an expression of regret.

“I would love to stay and protect Your Majesty, but… we have things we must do.”

“Don’t say that. Whatever you want, I will give it to you. Can’t you stay a little longer?”

The more Ghislain tried to pull away, the more desperate Alex became.

If Ghislain left now, the nobles would inevitably start aiming for the throne again.

Right now, the Julien Mercenary Corps had to remain.

At the very least, they weren’t trying to kill him.

Feigning reluctance, Ghislain sighed.

“Ha… Well, it wouldn’t be proper for a mere mercenary to meddle in the kingdom’s affairs too much.”

‘You’ve been doing whatever you wanted this whole time!’

Alex wanted to say it out loud but swallowed his frustration.

Provoking that crazy bastard might bring about some unpredictable disaster.

Eventually, Ghislain let out a deep sigh and held up three fingers.

“I cannot stay. However, I can recommend three people who will protect Your Majesty.”

“Three people? Who do you mean?”

“Count Nodehill, Count Raks, and… Count Valesant. I will personally ask them to protect you.”

“Will those three really be able to protect me?”

“Of course.

Everyone knows our mercenary corps is close with them.

If necessary, you can call on us anytime.”

“O-Oh… I see.”

Alex let out an admiring sigh.

This was, in a way, the best outcome for him.

He could minimize the Julien Mercenary Corps’ direct involvement while still using their name as leverage.

Furthermore, those three would undoubtedly do their best to protect him, as they always followed whatever Ghislain proposed.

Of course, there was no way Ghislain would offer such a favor for free.

“But for them to serve you properly, they will need authority. There are many vacant positions in the royal government—why not appoint them?”

“Hmm? What positions do you mean?”

“Appoint Count Nodehill as Chancellor and Supreme Commander, Count Raks as Treasurer, and Count Valesant as Lord High Steward.”

Alex hesitated.

All of these were the highest-ranking administrative, military, financial, and advisory positions in the kingdom.

He had originally planned to fill those positions with his own people to consolidate power.

But if he accepted this deal, those three would hold actual control over the kingdom.

And behind them… the Julien Mercenary Corps would be the real ones pulling the strings.

‘T-This bastard…’

Alex already knew Ghislain wasn’t ordinary, but he hadn’t expected him to try and swallow the entire kingdom whole.

Unlike Marquis Falkenheim, however, he wasn’t doing it by force.

Rather, it was almost… gentle.

As Alex hesitated, Ghislain stood up from his seat.

“I strongly dislike forcing things upon people. If Your Majesty is not comfortable with this, you don’t have to accept.”

‘If I don’t accept, I’m dead anyway!’

Alex felt like going insane.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Ghislain wasn’t forcing him, but at the same time, he had no other choice.

Without the Julien Mercenary Corps watching over him, the nobles would come after his life.

It was better to just follow along.

“Haha! Who said I wouldn’t accept? There weren’t any suitable candidates for those positions anyway! This works out perfectly!”

“Oh, I see. My apologies—I tend to be impatient. I thought you were planning to appoint someone else. If you have someone in mind, feel free to let me know.”

‘Nope. Not saying a word. If I do, you’ll just leave.’

Alex swallowed his tears and simply nodded.

It wasn’t an outright robbery, but it was close enough.

Ghislain, of course, was fully aware of Alex’s thoughts.

In truth, he had no interest in power.

It didn’t suit his personality to be tied down by politics.

However, he needed influential people in the kingdom who would support him without hesitation.

To ensure that, he had to turn those three into the kingdom’s true ruling class.

To comfort Alex, he reassured him.

“Those three will never try to seize the kingdom for themselves. I am only recommending them because I need people who will support our mercenary corps when the time comes.”

“R-Really?”

“Of course. Your Majesty should rule the kingdom as you see fit. The three of them will follow your will.”

Alex blushed in embarrassment before nodding.

To be honest, the Julien Mercenary Corps had already done him such a great favor that even if they demanded the entire kingdom, he would have no choice but to give it to them.

This was how power worked.

Right now, his priority was repaying their kindness.

Having reached a realization, Alex spoke with a relieved expression.

“I will do as you suggest. And know this—I will always support the Julien Mercenary Corps, so do not hesitate in pursuing your goals.”

Ghislain smiled brightly and accepted his gratitude.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. You will not regret working with those three.”

With Count Raks and Count Swipel controlling Raks County and Swipel County, Andrew and Leo had now become great lords in their own right.

It would take some time to fully stabilize their territories, but now that they held high positions in the kingdom, their growth would accelerate even further.

And wherever the Julien Mercenary Corps went, those three would spare no effort in assisting them.

In truth, Count Valesant was more of a bonus. He was a decent person and quite obedient, so Ghislain had decided to include him.

Alex quickly made an official announcement, appointing the three men to their new positions.

“I hereby appoint Count Nodehill as Chancellor and Supreme Commander of the Kingdom.”

“I appoint Count Raks as Treasurer, and Count Valesant as Lord High Steward.”

Just like that, the three of them became the most influential figures in the kingdom.

After all, they now held the most important positions in the government.

The appointees themselves were shocked by the sudden news.

“What? Why? Why do I have two positions?! How am I supposed to be both Chancellor and Supreme Commander?”

“I-I’m struggling just to manage my own territory right now…”

“Oh my, oh my, this is insane. Is my only job now just to chat with His Majesty?”

Rumors spread quickly throughout the capital.

Because all three of them already had notable reputations, the public actually welcomed the news.

Andrew, who had trusted Ghislain to the very end in this war (…), was given the nickname “Nodehill the Trustworthy.”

Leo, who had spent much time alongside Alex and picked up some of his mannerisms, became known as “Raks the Stable.”

And for some unknown reason, Count Valesant earned the title “Valesant the Elegant.”

With Ghislain’s people holding the most critical positions in the kingdom, they would naturally act according to his wishes from now on.

Caught up in the moment, Alex even elevated their noble ranks.

Since no one objected, he got carried away, wielding his newfound power recklessly.

The three were once again taken aback.

“What?! I’m a marquis already?! This is faster than catching a duck!”

“I-I just wanted to live a quiet life… This is too much pressure!”

“Oh my, oh my, I must be insane. I’m at the top of the world.”

Despite their mixed emotions, the three of them had, in a blink of an eye, become the kingdom’s ruling class—simply by following Ghislain’s lead.

And in the process, Alex had secured powerful allies to protect him.

All thanks to Ghislain.

Once things settled down, Alex called Ghislain and asked,

“Is there truly nothing you want? You’ve refused a title, rejected land, and even turned down gold. What am I supposed to give you?”

“There is one thing I would like.”

“What is it? If it’s within my power, I will grant it.”

Regardless of everything, Alex was deeply grateful to Ghislain.

So, if there was anything he could give, he was willing to do so.

Ghislain grinned slyly.

“Would you happen to have… a Dragon Heart?”

“……”

Alex looked utterly dumbfounded—not because he was unwilling to give it, but because…

“…Such a thing doesn’t exist. How could anyone possess a Dragon Heart? The dragons watch over the world alongside us. No kingdom in the world possesses such a thing.”

“Hmmm.”

Ghislain tilted his head.

The times had changed far too much.

In his past era, several kingdoms had Dragon Hearts in their possession.

There were even countless legends of Dragon Slayers.

‘Did humans use the chaos of war to hunt dragons?’

That thought led to another question—what exactly was the Great Curse that had supposedly led to the dragons’ extinction?

‘No matter how powerful a curse is, it shouldn’t be able to wipe out or weaken dragons… So how did it happen?’

He had always been curious about the concept of a curse cast upon the world itself.

A curse, after all, was merely the lingering will of its caster.

No matter how strong the will, it shouldn’t be able to eradicate an entire species as powerful as dragons.

And yet, Arterion had indeed weakened.

There had to be a reason for that.

‘Well… I’ll find out eventually.’

Even after returning Astion’s body, Ghislain had left behind a system to ensure he could continue uncovering these mysteries.

And in preparation for the unknown, he had made Astion record everything he could.

One day, he would uncover the secrets of this era.

For now, though, even if he couldn’t obtain a Dragon Heart, he needed to confirm whether they still existed.

“If that’s the case, do you have any other treasures filled with immense magical energy, something akin to a Dragon Heart?”

“Hmm… Honestly, I’m not sure. I’ve never personally entered the Royal Treasury.

Until now, it was always managed by Marquis Falkenheim’s men.”

“Would you allow me to take whatever I find useful from there?”

“Hah! Do you even need to ask? I grant you full access to the Royal Treasury. Take whatever you need at any time.”

Alex handed over the authority without hesitation.

He owed Ghislain his life.

He had regained his crown thanks to him.

Compared to that, hoarding some material wealth would be petty.

Besides, even if he refused, Ghislain would undoubtedly find a way to take what he needed.

Rather than resist, it was easier to just hand it over willingly.

“Thank you. I’ll put it to good use.”

Ghislain gladly accepted Alex’s generosity.

So far, he hadn’t been able to create many Death Knights.

It required an enormous amount of magical energy to craft high-level Death Knights.

Even the dark magic tomes he had obtained from Basilude and Ziko contained only crude methods for gathering magical energy.

But since he had abandoned those methods in favor of pure magic, he was naturally struggling to gather enough energy.

He needed to find a better way to stockpile magic, beyond just absorbing it from monsters.

The Royal Treasury surely held high-quality artifacts.

Ghislain planned to make full use of them.

And soon, the treasures amassed by Marquis Falkenheim would also be transferred to the treasury.

He hadn’t had time to personally inspect them, but he had sent some kingdom troops to secure them before the suppression army withdrew.

Everything of value would be collected.

And from there, he would take what he needed.

“Hoooh… There’s quite a lot of good stuff here.”

Ghislain let out a satisfied sigh as he browsed the Royal Treasury.

As expected of an ancient kingdom, the treasury was filled with precious artifacts.

Many of them had never even been used—they had simply been hoarded away.

Forgotten treasures that had never had their time to shine.

“Well, I’ll make good use of you.”

Ghislain chuckled darkly.

Even with just a glance, he could tell—

He would be able to create quite a few high-level Death Knights with this.

Without hesitation, he began siphoning the magic from the artifacts.

It was time to expand his army.

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