The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations Chapter 813

Episode 813: The One Who Will Kill You (8)

“Apostle, how were your memories today?”
Gatros asked, bowing deeply and politely as always. Even
while on the run, checking on Ernhardt’s safety was paramount to him.
After a moment of silence, Ernhard blurted out,
“Deneb.”
Gatros tilted his head with a puzzled expression before asking again.
“Isn’t that the name of a cosmetic created by the Duke of Fenris?”
“Now I remember. The saint’s name is Deneb.”
“S-S-the saint…”
“Yes, the saint who sealed the demonic realm long ago.”
“H-Have all your memories returned?”
“No. But I clearly remember the saint’s name.”
“Oh, oh…”
Gatros’s expression was filled with emotion.
Ernhardt’s returning memories meant he was drawing closer to the legacy of his lost past.
Then, a sudden thought struck Gatros, causing him to look uneasy.
“Well, there’s something strange.”
“You mean, why would the Duke of Fenris give that name to a cosmetic?”
“…That’s right.”
Gattros looked embarrassed.
His question was tantamount to doubting Ernhardt’s words. Thinking about it another way, Ernhardt could have been mistaken and said something like that.
Ernhardt chuckled.
“I don’t know. It could have been an exquisite coincidence… Or maybe the Duke of Fenris knows something.”
“….”
“The Duke of Fenris has been making cosmetics for a long time. It was thanks to those cosmetics that he began to gain fame.”
“That’s right.”
“Could he have known something all along?”
Ernhardt, who had questioned it, closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.
Of all the names, why the name of a saint?
If it had been used by the Duke of Fenris, of all people, it wouldn’t have been easy to ignore.
But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find the reason.
That was only natural. After all, the name had been given by the Delphine Dukes.
After returning, Giselle had simply taken the initiative, creating cosmetics and naming them.
However, Ernhard, unaware of this, could only continue to ponder.
Gattros glanced at her and said,
“Knowing the saint’s name is a great achievement. It will be of great help in finding the king.”
“Hmm… yes.”
According to the scriptures, the saint awaits the king in the demon realm. Perhaps these small clues, if gathered together, would lead to more information.
Of course, that was merely Gattros’s hope. Ernhard had never been particularly interested in scriptures or prophecies.
He cared only for one thing:
the return of his old memories, which had already been arranged.
Gattros glanced at him again and said,
“Please rest. Wait a little longer and I will take you to a more comfortable place.”
Ernhard stared blankly at Gattros.
Unlike his own neat and tidy appearance, Gattros’s demeanor was utterly disheveled. And
it wasn’t just Gattros. The other priests and remaining knights gathered here were the same.
There was nothing he could do. They were all fugitives, including himself.
Maintaining his former neatness and elegance in such a situation was difficult.
All of this was the humiliation of losing the war.
Sensing Ernhard’s gaze, Gattros cautiously asked,
“Is there anything you’d like me to order?”
“The more I think about it, the more it seems incredible.”
“What do you mean?”
“The fact that we, who practically ruled the continent, were defeated by the Duke of Fenris.”
Gattros feigned indignation at that.
“Because of him, our long-planned grand plan was ruined.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ernhard smiled, thinking of Giselle.
A young novice from a remote village, who had once been nothing but a nobody, had finally seized a kingdom and become the most influential figure on the continent.
It was a true heroic tale.
Yet, the more he pondered it, the more his doubts deepened.
“How could that have been possible?”
His skill was too outstanding to be attributed to luck.
But it was too ingenious a coincidence to simply attribute it all to skill.
While both luck and skill were outstanding, Ernhard couldn’t shake the feeling that something was beyond them.
It was as if an invisible hand had planned and designed everything.
“Duke Fenris… … You must harbor a secret I don’t know.”
Erhard, indifferent to everything, was the only one who held his attention: Giselle.
“… What are you?”
As Erhard reached that thought,
“I’m going to kill you.
” A single sentence flashed through his mind, accompanied by a headache.
Erhard squinted. A vague
shadow, barely graspable, yet unattainable.
This was a memory from the past he had yet to find.
But why did it come to mind when he thought of the Duke of Fenris?
Erhard slowly closed his eyes.
His heart began to beat strangely quickly.
“… No way,”
he muttered, catching his breath.
“Are you saying we… have met in the past?”

* * *

― Hey, what are you doing?
― … … .
― No, didn’t you say we have to leave now? What the hell are you doing!
― … … .
― Answer meoooooo!
― … … .
Astion screamed in his consciousness.
Giselle was still existing in his consciousness. He could feel her presence, but she wasn’t responding at all.
Frustrated, Astion screamed and called out several times, but Giselle didn’t answer.
― Hey, are you dead? Huh?
― … … .
― Dark! Dark!
― Why are you calling?
Dark answered indifferently. Dark was also still in Astion’s consciousness.
Astion asked in an irritated voice.
― What? What are you doing, Giselle?
― I… … I don’t know… … .
― You’re suspicious. Your tone is suspicious.
― I… … I really don’t know anything?
― But why aren’t you waking up!
Astion’s insides, drained of all his magical power, were a shambles. Naturally, both Giselle and Astion were destined to lose consciousness.
However, Giselle claimed she couldn’t control her body anymore. Then
,
she
should have naturally
taken over the body and awakened.
But she was still conscious. He couldn’t help but think
Giselle
had pulled
some trick
on
him.
―What are you doing? ― …
“I still have some work to do. I need to look after the mercenaries a little more before I go.”
― After all, she can’t even show her true colors anymore.
“Oh, the wisdom of life doesn’t fade easily.”
As Astion had said, Giselle couldn’t wield her former strength anymore. She couldn’t use her magic properly.
But she felt uneasy about leaving like this. She felt she’d have to see the Human Alliance reorganized around Deneb and Yulien to feel at ease.
Besides, there were still things she needed to tell them. She was planning to hold off on saying goodbye just a little longer.
Suddenly.
“Giselle!”
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Are you awake now?”
Upon hearing that Giselle had awakened, her companions, excluding Deneb, came to visit.
Thanks to their divine powers, they all escaped serious injury and were able to quickly rise from their seats.
Only Giselle had been unconscious for several days.
It wasn’t just her companions who came to visit. Iraniel, Grondal, cardinals, and even high-ranking officials from the Empire came one after another.
They all praised Giselle’s skills and fighting spirit. If it weren’t for Giselle, the saint wouldn’t have been able to perform miracles.
“Let’s go out for a moment. I have something to show you.”
Yulienne smiled and supported Giselle.
Giselle slowly walked out with the crowd.
And the moment she crossed the threshold of the Great Temple,
“Waaaaaaaaa!”
A thunderous roar erupted.
A vast crowd had gathered, cheering and praising Giselle. The knights and soldiers of the empire were also paying their respects.
“It’s Astion! It’s Astion!”
“The one who guided the saint’s miracle!”
“The archmage Astion!”
Giselle looked bewildered at the sight of these people.
She couldn’t understand why she was receiving such cheers, let alone Deneb.
Then, Borisko, standing next to her, cleared his throat and said,
“Ahem, the saint highly praised your achievements. Thanks to you, she was able to perform a miracle.”
“Aha.”
As soon as the adversary retreated, she and Astion fainted. The details of what happened next were unknown.
But judging by Borisko and the people’s reactions, it seemed Deneb had indeed been recognized as a saint.
And the Yulien Mercenaries as well.
“Wow! The Yulien Mercenaries!”
“The sword and shield that protect the saint!”
“Look here!”
The crowd threw flowers and cheered the Yulien Mercenaries.
They had already received a grand welcome in the capital, but now that Giselle was awake, they were greeted with even greater cheers.
And there was one person who was jubilant more than anyone else.
“My fame has risen! I’m so popular!”
Astion exclaimed excitedly.
“That’s right! I’m not a pervert!
” “People finally know the truth!
” “Now I can date!”
He finally burst into tears. It seemed he had been building up a lot.
However, Giselle, who knew about the successors of the Tower of Radiance, remained indifferent. She simply supported Astion’s romance in her heart.
Unlike Astion’s joy, Borisko spoke with a slightly displeased expression.
“Your fame will now spread throughout the continent. As servants of the saint, you must always conduct yourself properly and not bring shame to the honor of the cult…”
“…”
I had felt this way before, but he was really a very meticulous person.
Giselle roughly listened to what he said and then asked quietly,
“By the way, where is Deneb?”
“From now on, be careful what you say. You must not use the saint’s name carelessly…”
“Yes, yes. I understand. Where is the saint?”
“……Oh, dear. The saint is preparing for the anointing ceremony right now.”
“What is that?”
“……It is the ceremony of being recognized as a saint. It is the place where all the cardinals and high priests recognize her as the representative of the goddess. From now on, the saint will lead all of our faith…”
“Yes, yes. I understand. Does that mean Deneb will now become the pope?”
“……That is not the case. However, the position of the pope cannot be left vacant, so someone else will take it.”
“Why? Even though Deneb has been recognized as a saint?”
“Now, the saint is the embodiment of divinity, the executor of miracles, and the center of faith. However, the church needs a separate highest authority to handle institutional, administrative, and political affairs. The saint can’t handle that, can she?”
“Hmm…”
When Giselle made a dissatisfied expression, Borisko shook his head.
“The saint must lead the war against the demonic realm. Then, shouldn’t there be a representative to handle the church’s affairs from behind the scenes?”
Giselle knew what he meant. After all, she had entrusted all administrative duties to Claude.
Realistically, Deneb couldn’t be involved in the war against the demonic realm, shuffling through documents.
To some extent, she needed to follow imperial customs. Finally, Giselle nodded.
“Understood. Then who will be the pope?”
“I’m thinking of electing a pope. I should have done it earlier, but I couldn’t because I had to prepare for the anointing ceremony first. I don’t know how long the election will take, you know.”
“Will it take long? Why?”
“Why? All the cardinals and archbishops are locked in the Great Hall and can’t leave until the pope is elected.”
“Why?”
“…To block outside interference. They can come out once the pope is decided.”
Giselle looked slightly surprised at that.
“Are we going to fight inside until the final candidate is chosen?”
“…It’s a vote.”
“Oh, it was a vote. Me too.”
Borisko shook his head, watching Giselle laugh jokingly.
Who would have thought he didn’t know about the infamous papal election ? Seeing
one of the members who had to serve the saint in this state, Borisko was already worried.
But Giselle didn’t care about that. After all, there hadn’t been a pope in his time. After all,
Giselle had been applauded by the people and had been nagged by Borisko, he returned to his quarters.
His body was no better than an ordinary person’s. His wounds had already healed, but his balance was disrupted, and he was overcome by constant fatigue.
He couldn’t even think of using magic. To others, her condition was no different from that of a seriously ill patient.
Those around her also assumed that Giselle hadn’t fully recovered. Perhaps for this reason, everyone gave her space to rest comfortably.
Sitting on the bed, Giselle took out a pen and paper and began organizing her tasks for the future.
“I’ll hold out as long as I can, but…” She
needed to relay important information to her colleagues in preparation for her imminent departure.
As she diligently wrote, someone approached her.
Lustrous black hair, pale skin, and striking beauty.
Though she had never seen him before, Giselle immediately recognized his identity.
The man introduced himself with an arrogant expression.
“I am the ruler of the night’s veil, the watcher of the unseen world, the one who slits the sky with black wings and whose eyes pierce chaos. I am the Black Dragon, Derknain.”
Jiselle’s eyes sparkled.
She was already quite curious about the dragon.