The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

“Hire us.”

“……”

King Alex of Flovitz was taken aback by Ghislain’s proposal.

Though mercenaries were of lowly status, he had allowed them to be present among the lords. It was only because the lords had insisted. While he understood why they valued them, it was still offensive that a mere mercenary dared to speak so boldly, bypassing the nobles altogether.

Even a lowly mercenary dares to look down on me now?

Andrew and Leo had been elevated to the rank of counts. Since they had taken control of Count Crest’s and Count Swipel’s territories, it was only natural.

Killing Count Crest, who was a vassal of Marquis Falkenheim, meant they had outright rejected the marquis’s faction. That was why Alex had been trying to bring both of them over to his side.

Yet, both Count Nodehill and Count Raks had been frustratingly passive. And now, to make matters worse, a mere mercenary had the audacity to speak up.

“Julien… was it? The vice commander of the mercenary corps?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Alex’s lips twitched. The man’s words and actions were polite, yet something about his demeanor wasn’t.

His smirking, overly relaxed attitude was unnerving.

With a scowl of barely restrained anger, Alex asked,

“Do you take me for a fool?”

Alex had ascended to the throne suddenly and hadn’t yet solidified his authority.

No—he had been nothing more than a puppet from the start. He hadn't even known a territorial war was happening until Andrew and Leo arrived. That was how blind and deaf he had been. Marquis Falkenheim’s people filled the royal palace, leaving him surrounded on all sides.

A king who could die at any moment. That was Alex’s reality.

And now, all his pent-up resentment and feelings of inadequacy erupted in response to Ghislain’s attitude.

“I asked you—do you think I’m a fool?”

“……”

Ghislain simply stared at him.

He had already investigated the situation in Flovitz. He knew exactly why Alex was acting like this.

A man cornered and tasting the threat of death every day could not remain sane. Ghislain had once been in the same position—when he had lost his family and lands and had been forced into hiding.

But this situation was actually to his advantage. It would make it even easier to establish Andrew and Leo as the real powers of the kingdom.

With a calm, reassuring smile, Ghislain spoke.

“Of course not, Your Majesty. I understand your concerns well. That is why we wish to assist you in resolving them.”

“How could a mere mercenary possibly aid me?”

Seeing that Alex was unwilling to calm down, Andrew, who had been watching nervously, finally stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, Vice Commander Julien is a Transcendent.”

“W-what?”

Alex reeled. He had never heard of a Transcendent working as a mere mercenary.

The man he had dismissed as a lowly hireling suddenly seemed entirely different.

Even as a king, Alex had no Transcendent by his side. How could he not find Ghislain desirable?

“Is that… is that really true?”

“It is. Furthermore, the other executives of Julien’s mercenary corps are all of high to peak-ranking caliber. We won the war entirely thanks to them.”

At Andrew’s solemn declaration, Alex swallowed hard. If he truly was a Transcendent, then treating him as just another mercenary was out of the question.

And the other executives were no less formidable. Their abilities were worthy of noble titles.

Had he just made a mistake by letting his wounded pride dictate his response?

Andrew glanced at Ghislain before continuing.

“You asked us to lend you our strength, did you not? We are in no position to decide. Without Julien’s mercenary corps, we would have long been dead.”

Only now did Alex finally understand why the lords had been so cautious.

Their true strength lay with Julien’s mercenaries.

Alex grabbed Ghislain’s hand tightly, eyes brimming with tears.

“I—I’m sorry. I was ignorant and made a mistake. Please, please help me.”

“……”

Ghislain laughed inwardly.

He had heard that Alex had once been a highly intelligent child.

For someone like that to crumble so completely… It spoke volumes about how terrifying the pressure from Marquis Falkenheim must have been.

Then again, it wasn’t surprising. He had been under constant surveillance, even by his own servants. If he had managed to stay sane, that would have been the stranger outcome.

Ghislain met his gaze and asked,

“Will you be able to follow my orders?”

A question that should never be asked of a king. But it was a necessary one.

Alex hesitated.

If he obeyed a mercenary’s orders, what kind of king would he be?

How would that be any different from being controlled by Marquis Falkenheim?

Seeing his hesitation, Ghislain pressed on.

“Forgive my impudence, but… the reason you are still alive is not because of the marquis’s mercy.”

“……”

“It is because the Holy Empire has yet to give its permission. Marquis Falkenheim is merely waiting.”

Alex bowed his head.

There was no flaw in Ghislain’s words.

The Holy Empire of Murond—ruled by the Pope, encompassing all four great religious orders.

When Ghislain had first learned about Murond, he had been surprised.

He had thought that in the past, one empire had ruled over the entire continent. That was what everyone had believed.

But after regressing, he discovered that was not the case.

The Holy Empire’s actual territory and authority were small.

However, every kingdom viewed it as their spiritual pillar.

During the war against the Demonic Realm, the Holy Empire had always been the rallying point.

Even dragons and other races showed them a degree of respect.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

That was why, in principle, every kingdom required the Holy Empire’s approval for succession. If a monarch seized the throne without their blessing, they could face excommunication—a serious problem.

This system ensured that internal disputes didn’t weaken the war effort against the Demonic Realm.

Of course, if a successor had a legitimate claim, the Holy Empire wouldn’t interfere too much. They had no reason to stir up unnecessary resentment.

In most cases, all it took was a simple notification after the fact.

But the situation in Flovitz was different.

“Marquis Falkenheim has not yet received the Empire’s approval. He is still desperately trying to persuade them, arguing that he must seize the throne to prepare for the war against the Demonic Realm.”

“……”

“Most of the kingdom’s factions have already sided with the marquis. Even your own servants are watching you.”

“……”

“In the end, the Holy Empire will support him. What matters to them is not justice, but who can help them fight the Demonic Realm. Your Majesty, you have no choice.”

“……”

Ghislain spoke with brutal honesty, and Alex’s expression grew hollow.

If the Holy Empire gave its approval, he would die immediately.

And in the end, they would approve the marquis.

Flovitz was already under his control.

With a defeated look, Alex finally asked,

“But… don’t you also need to fight the marquis?”

“We have many options. We could simply offer our lands to a neighboring kingdom and leave. The marquis wouldn’t bother chasing us.”

“……”

Alex’s jaw dropped.

Andrew and Leo tensed.

Such words completely shattered notions of honor and loyalty.

What was worse was that Ghislain was absolutely capable of following through.

In the end, Alex let out a deep sigh.

“What is it… that you truly want?”

“All you need to do is move according to my will. If you do, I will restore your royal authority.”

If Ghislain truly wished, he could have made Julien the king instead. But that was never his intention.

Julien always had to act with legitimacy. He was meant to be the flawless ruler, one who would lead with unwavering authority.

That was why they had to go through all these cumbersome steps.

Alex nodded.

“If I’m destined to die anyway, it’s better to remain a puppet. I will do as you ask.”

“You won’t be disappointed. Time is short, so we must act quickly.”

As soon as Ghislain received Alex’s confirmation, he moved without hesitation. Andrew and Leo simply followed his orders.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

Fully armed mercenaries and knights stormed into the royal palace.

“How dare you barge in here?!”

The palace guards and royal knights tried to resist, but once Alex issued a royal decree, they stepped aside.

Even as a puppet, he was still the king. If the king declared that these men were his personal guards, it was not their place to question.

But from that moment on, the ministers began relentlessly pressuring Alex.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“How can you allow knights and mercenaries of unknown origins into the sacred palace?”

“Expel them at once!”

No matter how much they raged, Alex remained silent. The ministers then decided to act.

They had surrounded the king, but they also had assassins—hundreds of them. Calling in the palace guards and the royal knights would be enough to resolve this quickly.

Even if blood was spilled in the palace, the ministers did not care.

“So, you rely on Count Nodehill’s and Count Raks’s forces?”

“How laughable. What can they possibly do?”

“Surely they don’t think seizing the capital will change the tide?”

They sneered.

The armies of Count Nodehill and Count Raks had not even managed to enter the capital, blocked by the kingdom’s forces loyal to Marquis Falkenheim.

Even though the king had issued a decree, the royal army, now under the marquis’s control, refused to step aside. Allowing the king to command troops was unacceptable to them.

As a result, Andrew and Leo had only brought a fraction of their forces as escorts.

Only Julien’s Mercenary Corps had managed to slip past the kingdom’s forces in small numbers and enter the palace.

Thus, the ministers couldn’t help but mock them. That number was far too small to even dream of taking the royal palace.

Just as they prepared to order the palace guards and knights to drive out the intruders, Alex summoned all the ministers.

The ministers arrived at the great hall, brimming with confidence.

Seeing Andrew and Leo standing on either side of the king, they smirked.

“Those two got bold just because they got lucky and seized some land.”

“They must have switched allegiance to the king because they know Marquis Falkenheim will soon be executed.”

“We might as well kill them here.”

They had no qualms about such thoughts.

Most of the military was under the kingdom’s control, blocking their forces outside. If they attacked here, Andrew and Leo wouldn’t even be able to fight back, let alone defend themselves.

And an army without its leaders would surrender on its own.

Under their sharp, scrutinizing gazes, Alex forced himself to speak.

“I… have made a decision today. I have summoned you all to announce it.”

Before he could even finish his sentence, the ministers interrupted.

“Your Majesty! Shouldn’t you consult with us before deciding on state affairs?”

“You said yourself that you lacked experience and needed time to learn!”

“For now, expel the mercenaries from the palace! What kind of king allows foreign mercenaries into his halls?”

They completely disregarded Alex.

To them, he was already a dead man.

Standing behind Alex, Ghislain scanned the room. Only a handful of them looked nervous or hesitant.

The majority were clearly aligned with Marquis Falkenheim.

It was almost amusing how obvious they made it.

Ignoring the ministers’ outrage, Ghislain stepped forward.

Sensing this, Alex quickly continued.

“This man… is Vice Commander Julien of the Mercenary Corps. He will serve as my new advisor. And… for the time being, he will act as my proxy in state affairs.”

The ministers’ eyes went wide in shock.

A mercenary was to be involved in governance?

Before they could explode in rage, Ghislain spoke first.

“By the grace of His Majesty, the rightful ruler of this kingdom, I have been entrusted with a grave responsibility as his proxy. Therefore, my first decree to you all is this—”

The ministers, caught off guard, could only stare blankly at him.

Ghislain did not wait for their reactions.

“Marquis Falkenheim, who has endangered the royal family and arbitrarily dictated state affairs, is hereby declared a traitor. This decree is to be sent to all lords and nobles, calling them to gather and pass judgment.”

“……”

The ministers could do nothing but blink in disbelief.

This was absurd. A powerless king declaring someone a traitor?

If it were that easy, the king would have seized full authority long ago.

Marquis Falkenheim would have never even attempted a coup.

Unable to hold back any longer, the chancellor stepped forward and shouted.

“You lowly filth! Do you even realize where you are? How dare a mere mercenary speak of representing the king! Your Majesty, have you gone mad? What is this nonsense?!”

Ghislain casually drew a hand axe from his belt and spoke in a calm voice.

“You are being insolent. I will not tolerate further disrespect. Obey His Majesty’s decree.”

“Shut your mouth, you lunatic! What kind of insane bastard storms into the royal palace like this?! Everyone’s gone mad! Your Majesty, I believe it’s time you were escorted to the Tower for some much-needed rest!”

Alex flinched at those words.

That wasn’t a suggestion.

It was a threat—they intended to lock him away permanently.

The ministers and chancellor were already convinced they had won.

If they could lock the king away and claim he had lost his mind, the Holy Empire would undoubtedly approve Marquis Falkenheim’s rule.

Ghislain narrowed his eyes at the chancellor.

“This is my final warning. Obey His Majesty’s decree.”

“You there! Seize this madman immediately! Summon the knights and exterminate these mercenary scum—”

Crack!

Before the chancellor could finish his sentence, Ghislain’s hand axe flew through the air and embedded itself in his forehead.

His skull shattered.

The chancellor collapsed instantly, dead before he even hit the floor.

Silence swallowed the room.

Every single minister stared in horror at Ghislain.

He had openly executed the chancellor, in front of everyone, inside the royal palace.

They had never witnessed such madness before in their lives.

Amid the deadly silence, Ghislain spoke.

“Listen carefully. I have been granted full authority as the king’s proxy.”

Then, with a cold, merciless smile, he added:

“My words are the king’s words.”

“……”

The ministers finally realized.

The king had brought a lunatic into the palace.

A lunatic who didn’t listen to reason.

And just as they were still frozen in shock—

Boom!

The doors to the great hall shattered, and armed royal knights and soldiers stormed in, their expressions twisted with fury.