The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations Chapter 749

Episode 749: What a strange being. (1)

The green gem in Iraniel’s hand was very small. It was smaller than an ordinary person’s thumbnail.

If you didn’t know, you would believe it was just a cheap gem.

It looked even more so when the light it was emitting disappeared. No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was just a piece of stone.

The Yulien mercenary group just blinked. It was hard to believe

that it was a holy stone. Iraniel smiled upon seeing that.

“Why are you like that? Are you disappointed?”

“…….”

“You shouldn’t judge anything by its appearance. You should try to see its true nature.”

“Yes…….”

The mercenaries all nodded like students answering their teacher’s teachings.

However, there was still a look of regret on their faces. The holy stone didn’t have the great majesty or mystery they had expected.

It wouldn’t matter if it continued to emit light, but that wasn’t the case. They didn’t feel any special aura.

Those who had experienced everything thought that the stories they had heard about the holy stone were definitely a bit exaggerated.

‘So that’s why it didn’t work no matter how many times I gathered it.’

‘That light must have just been emitted from the World Tree, right?’

‘It looks like an ordinary piece of stone when I hold it in my hand.’

Iraniel just laughed quietly at the people’s reactions.

She knew that it was not an easy enlightenment for humans who lived intense lives.

Iraniel said while looking at Deneve.

“It must be hard to carry it around like this. I’ll make it so that you can wear it comfortably.”

She took off the necklace that was hanging around her neck.

It was a very ordinary and plain necklace, but there was an elaborate structure in the center where a small jewel could be installed.

Iraniel carefully placed the holy stone on the structure.

Click.

The holy stone was perfectly attached with a small sound.

Iraniel put the necklace around Deneve’s neck and said,

“This is a necklace made to install the guardian stone. It was originally a precious item that was only passed down to the chieftain. I’ll leave it to you for the time being.”

“Go, thank you.”

Deneb bowed her head, not knowing what to do. She couldn’t understand why she was giving such a precious item to herself.

She was about to hand it over to Lionel right away. It was something that had to go to the Pope anyway.

Lionel must have thought the same, as he stepped forward and thanked her.

“I sincerely thank you for your great decision, Chieftain. The Empire will not forget your grace, and His Holiness the Pope will definitely repay you for this……”

Iraniel cut Lionel off with a cold expression.

“Human.”

“Huh?”

“The guardian stone is not given to the Pope.”

“T-what do you mean……”

“The guardian stone is given to that child, Deneb, by me, as the representative of the elves and the guardian of the World Tree.”

“T-chieftain! But……”

“That’s why I will not allow the Pope to take it. Until the war ends, Deneb will be the owner of the guardian stone. Do you understand?”

“……”

“If you try to take it by force, the Empire will have to fight us elves as well. The guardian stone has the authority to control us elves.”

“……”

Lionel was speechless at Iraniel’s chilling words. The other mercenaries were the same.

Deneve was completely flustered and couldn’t do anything.

He had only come upon request, but he felt like a thief who had snatched away a valuable item.

Lionel clenched his teeth and lowered his head. After a while, he asked again.

“Then what would you do if that low-level priest offered the Holy Stone to His Holiness?”

“That would also be his choice. I won’t stop him. However, if that happens, I will personally visit the Pope later and get it back.”

“……Understood.”

Lionel lowered his head. It was a play on words, after all. Who could disobey the Pope’s orders? It was obvious that

Deneve would also obediently offer it to the Pope.

Iraniel smiled as she looked at Lionel, who was bowing his head. There was no way she didn’t know about the situation.

The Pope would definitely try to receive it somehow. Deneve was the kind of child who would obediently offer it.

Everyone would think so. The elven elders probably expected it too.

But Iraniel thought differently.

‘The Pope won’t be able to take the Guardian Stone easily.’

Her gaze shifted to Giselle.

‘That warlock wouldn’t do that.’

Although it was only a brief experience, Iraniel knew what kind of person Giselle was.

That child was never the type to be loyal to the Pope. He gave off a vibe that he wasn’t usually a troublemaker.

Rather, he would give the guardian stone to Deneve even if it meant fighting the Pope.

Thinking that, he looked at Giselle.

‘… … Huh?’

Giselle was staring blankly at the necklace around Deneve’s neck.

Iraniel tilted his head and asked.

“What’s wrong? Did you feel something from the guardian stone?”

“Oh… No. It’s just that it’s so strange.”

Giselle answered vaguely. He was feeling both joy and strangeness at the same time.

‘That necklace… … It’s my necklace, isn’t it?’

It was the necklace of the saint that he had taken from Berhem. Everything started after he obtained that necklace.

Because of the divine power in the necklace, he saw the past in his dreams, and he ended up going to the past himself.

At that time, the necklace didn’t have a holy stone attached to it. The holy stone had disappeared, and only the necklace remained, so it seemed to have been passed down.

‘So that’s how I got that necklace. Was it later imbued with the divine power of Deneb and turned into a holy relic?’

In any case, it was highly likely that other holy relics were passed down in this way.

I don’t know exactly what remains, but I had a feeling that they would be obtained in a similar way.

Iraniel looked at Giselle for a moment and then asked again.

“You said your name was Astion?”

“Yes.”

“Even though you learned black magic, there is no evil energy, and instead, I feel only pure energy more than anyone else. I can see how outstanding your mental power is. It is truly amazing and great.”

“I have strong mental power.”

As Giselle boasted and coquettishly, the elf elder next to her quietly interjected and said.

“In reality, those who dabble in black magic cannot gather only such pure energy. It is because of their greed to become stronger easily and quickly. Unless they have a great grudge against the world or are extremely selfish and disregard life, they do not dabble in black magic.”

The elf elder hesitated for a moment and then continued speaking carefully.

“Listen without misunderstanding. Do you have any mental issues? Or maybe you have some kind of twisted taste……”

“……”

“So…… honestly, that doesn’t make sense. A black magician with pure aura of justice. Don’t you think weird people are usually obsessed with weird things?”

“……”

There was a brief silence. Then, all of the Yulien mercenaries burst into laughter.

“Poohahahaha! As expected from an elder with insight!”

“You’re definitely mentally ill!”

“Your nickname is Crazy!”

Everyone started talking nonsense. This was because it wasn’t often that they had the chance to officially(?) tease Giselle.

“……”

Everyone stopped laughing when Giselle, who had been quietly listening, raised her staff. Of course, the elves were still looking at Giselle as if she was amazed.

Giselle clicked her tongue and answered a little truthfully(?).

“I gathered the energy and filled it up with magical tools. I also received some help from Serana’s temple. Wasn’t the original black magic a divine power for the dead?”

The elves all nodded at that. They all knew that much common sense.

But Iraniel was still curious about why Giselle had learned black magic.

“With your skills, you wouldn’t have had to learn black magic. Is there a reason?”

“In order to become stronger, I tend to learn anything without discrimination. The use of a tool ultimately depends on the will of the user. There is no good or evil in the tool itself.”

“That’s true. However, it goes against providence to capture the soul of someone who has already died. You should be able to understand that.”

Iraniel was worried about that part. Those who have learned black magic can fall into that temptation at any time.

It would be even more worrying if they were Deneb’s companions who had the Guardian Stone.

Then Giselle smiled and raised her hand.

“It would be faster if I showed you once.”

Paaaaak!

A death knight appeared with black smoke. The elves’ expressions hardened for a moment.

The death knight that appeared was Gascott. He looked around for a moment, then said in a curt voice,

“……What’s going on?”

“Ah, I thought everyone here was worried.”

Jiselle pointed to Gascott and said,

“You don’t have to worry too much. We’re ‘companions’.”

“Companions?”

“Yes, we’ve decided to stay together until the Salvation Church is destroyed. You’re not bound by my will, but are following me of your own determination.”

Iraniel was slightly surprised when he saw the Death Knight.

“You gave me free will.”

“That’s because we fight better.”

Iraniel nodded as Giselle answered calmly.

No warlock gives free will to a death knight. It is because they cannot control a death knight without forcibly controlling it.

“Yes, I did not doubt your sincerity, but I was a little worried. But now that I see it, I think I don’t have to worry.”

Just the fact that the death knights followed the one who bound them to this world was enough to put aside their worries and trust them.

Unlike Iraniel, the other elves still looked at them with suspicion and anxiety.

Giselle shrugged her shoulders and said to Gascott.

“You heard? I think our sincerity has come through now.”

“……Don’t bother me with this kind of thing. I’m busy recovering.”

Gascott answered curtly again and disappeared.

With his worries resolved, Iraniel asked something else this time.

“You said there were a few things you needed. Is there anything else you want besides the guardian stone?”

Giselle was a man who would definitely receive it when he received it. He smiled brightly and nodded.

“Yes, there’s something I really wanted to ask you when I meet you, Chief.”

“Yes, go ahead. As a way of repaying your kindness, I’ll help you in any way I can. ”

“I want to learn elemental magic.”

“……What?”

“I also want to have a spirit friend.”

“…….”

The elves looked at Giselle with blank expressions this time. It seems like she thinks that if she wants one, she’ll just give it to him.

And a warlock and a spirit. There was no combination that was so incompatible.

Still, Giselle didn’t feel discouraged at all and confidently recited.

“There’s no harm in learning it.”

Giselle was always like that. She was someone who didn’t hesitate to learn anything and use it.

Iraniel didn’t hide her interest.

“Elemental magic isn’t something you learn. You naturally communicate with the spirits and become friends with them.”

“I know that.”

“If you’ve never felt the presence of a spirit, it’s impossible to learn elemental magic.”

In reality, only a very small number of people could handle spirits. It was almost impossible for anyone other than beings like elves who lived as one with nature to learn spirit magic. Not

only were there few who were born with an affinity for spirits, but most humans lost that sense as they grew up in polluted environments.

Of course, Giselle knew that. That’s why he planned to use a different method.

“With the skills of the Chieftain and the elders, wouldn’t you be able to introduce me to the spirits?”

“…….”

“Please introduce me.”

There are those who have an affinity for spirits but cannot form a connection with them for unavoidable reasons. Elves have a special ritual to summon and guide spirits for such people.

It’s called the ‘spirit ritual.’ Giselle had requested it just now.

“……Of course I can do that much. However, even so, if the spirits reject you, you won’t be able to learn it.”

“I know. I’ll take care of getting close to them, so just connect them.”

“…….”

Iraniel nodded after thinking for a moment.

“Okay. It’s not that difficult of a request. After all, the spirits will make the choice anyway.”

She looked around at the other mercenaries and said,

“I will do whatever you want. The spirits may like some of you.”

The mercenaries all brightened at those words. If they were lucky, they would be able to learn spirit magic.

The mercenaries stood with excited faces, keeping a suitable distance between them. Then Iraniel slowly closed her eyes and raised her hands.

Soon, a beautiful voice flowed out of her mouth, as if singing.

― Come down to this place, following your form, your will, and the memories engraved in nature. I want to connect with you. I will not harm you and listen to your silence.

Paaaaak!

A strange pattern was engraved under everyone’s feet, and light emitted.

Curves resembling tree roots appeared, and soft light like moonlight flowed.

A soft vibration like the sound of bells filled the space. It was as if the world overlapped with the spirit world.

Saaaaah… … .

Countless lights bloomed in the air.

Lights of different colors began to float like small butterflies.

The number gradually increased, and before long, hundreds of them were circling around the people.

Iraniel’s strong will had opened a part of the spirit realm and brought in countless spirits.

They began to observe the mercenaries one by one, like curious children.

Some people gathered more, some less, but most of the mercenaries gathered light.

A considerable number of lights also came to Jiselle.

He smiled and quietly closed his eyes.

‘Elementalism is a very unfair power on the battlefield.’

The caster can strengthen himself or send the spirits into battle separately.

In fact, the future Erenes used the spirits to perform multiple roles simultaneously.

Iraniel said quietly.

“You must be sincere. You must sincerely express your desire to be friends. If there is even a little bit of a lie mixed in, the spirits will not be able to communicate. Communication means assimilation.”

“Understood.”

Jiselle took a deep breath and sent her thoughts to the spirits floating around her.

― I want to be friends with you. Run through the battlefield with me

. Jiselle imagined

the most ideal battle she could draw, the picture of a perfect battlefield.

Hundreds of Death Knights swept through the battlefield, powerful magics shattered the sky and split the earth.

Soon after, the spirits summoned from all directions caused natural disasters and covered the world.

In the midst of all this, Jiselle alone charged into the enemy’s great army and crushed everything.

Giselle conveyed her imagination to the spirits with sincerity and without any lies.

It was truly a wonderful sight. She could have defeated a dragon alone.

It was truly the appearance of the God of Destruction descending.

‘Wonderful.’

Giselle smiled. There was no way the spirits would reject her after seeing this wonderful, great, and amazing sight.

Since she had not mixed in a single lie, Giselle’s sincerity was well conveyed to the spirits. It was truly a perfect communication.

And the spirits who saw and felt Giselle’s sincerity… …

Paaaaah!

They all scattered and started to run away in all directions.

“…???”

Giselle stood there blankly, blinking her eyes.

He muttered with a bewildered expression.

“…You were sincere?”

Iraniel sighed, covering her face. She heard the whispers of the spirits who had run away.

So she spoke quietly.

“The spirits… do not become friends with those who wish to become gods of destruction.”

“….”

Giselle felt a little wronged.