The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Ghislain was utterly perplexed.

Originally, he had planned to name his cosmetics line "Lovely Bling Bling." However, unanimous opposition forced him to choose a name he already knew—the same one given by the Duke Delphine in his past life.

But now he found out that name belonged to a Saintess!

"Why... did the Duke House name a cosmetic product after the Saintess?"

The cosmetics became the most popular product on the continent, just as they had in his previous life. There wasn’t a soul who didn’t know the name.

"Could it be... they were trying to find the Adversary?"

The name, spread across the continent, coincidentally matched that of a Saintess from a thousand years ago. Anyone familiar with that name might find it intriguing.

"Ereneth didn’t show much reaction."

That was likely because she had met Ghislain. Knowing that he was the creator of the product, Ereneth must have dismissed it as coincidence.

But the Adversary might think differently. The Duke House—or even Ghislain himself—could be approached and questioned about why they chose that name.

Could it have been the Salvation Order behind the Duke House aiming for that exact outcome?

"If that’s the case... they clearly don’t know the Adversary’s name."

If they had known, they would have named the product after the Adversary instead. As Ereneth mentioned, most of their records must have been lost.

The Saintess's name, an enemy to their cause, seemed to have survived purely by chance. That was likely why they used it.

Hearing Ghislain muttering to himself, Deneb tilted her head.

"Cosmetics? What about cosmetics?"

"Nothing. I got confused for a moment. Anyway, I’ve figured out the name. Let’s get along from now on."

Ghislain’s cheeky response made Deneb let out a short laugh.

Although her friend was usually eccentric, he now seemed like an entirely different person.

Following Julien into the building, they found many people imprisoned.

"Help us!"

"Please save us!"

"Get us out of here!"

They were all locked inside iron cages, appearing to have been captured by bandits.

Julien, exuding mana, slashed the bars open. The captives fled in a frenzy, showering him with gratitude.

As he freed the prisoners, Julien repeatedly called out, "Kyle! Where’s Kyle?!"

"Here... over here..."

A weak voice, barely audible, led them to the farthest corner. There, a blond boy lay in a battered and miserable state.

Called Kyle, the boy, whose face was swollen, muttered weakly.

"Damn it... I was just taking a break before I wiped them all out, but it’s already over..."

Kyle’s body was weighed down with mana restraints and chains, likely put there by the bandits to keep him from moving.

Julien and Deneb quickly removed the restraints. Deneb scolded him sharply.

"Why did you go alone?! I told you to quietly locate their position while soldiers were on standby! You could’ve died if it went wrong!"

"A man... follows his heart... because that’s what it means to be a man."

Ghislain chuckled at that. Even in his beaten state, the boy could still spout such nonsense. He had spirit, at least.

"Hmm, who is this guy?"

He must have been one of the Hero’s companions, though Ghislain couldn’t immediately place him. Most of their faces were obscured.

Judging by his tone, he seemed like that cocky person from before, but Ghislain couldn’t be certain.

"If it’s him, though, he doesn’t seem to be one of our ancestors."

The name didn’t match. The founder of Ferdium wasn’t named Kyle. Of course, given how much of the records had been lost over time, it wasn’t impossible.

"Hmm... maybe he taught someone else swordsmanship? That seems more plausible."

Ghislain nodded to himself. That possibility couldn’t be ruled out.

It was all so long ago. More observation would be needed to confirm anything.

At any rate, it seemed the Hero's group had come to rescue the people captured by the bandits. During the raid, Kyle had apparently been caught.

If Ghislain himself—at his 5th Circle level—had gone, he could have easily wiped out the entire bandit hideout alone.

In fact, the group of just three had already done it.

"Still, for bandits, their skill level is suspiciously high."

The individuals in their group were exceptionally talented for their age, but even so, the bandits were unusually strong.

The bandit leader, for instance, was at least at knight-level strength. He had even used mana to escape.

It was unclear whether the overall level of skill in this era was higher or if these bandits were an exception.

Ghislain subtly turned his head. Julien was calming the freed captives and guiding them.

"Head down this way. Once you reach the base of the mountain, soldiers will be there. They’ve been preparing to clear out this area."

The reassuring smile Julien gave seemed to ease everyone’s fears.

His smile carried an odd power, inspiring trust just by looking at it. And it was brighter than anyone else’s.

Perhaps that was why he was destined to become the Hero who would save the world.

"Thank you! Truly, thank you!"

"We owe you our lives."

"We will never forget this debt."

The people bowed repeatedly before leaving the hideout.

As Julien watched them leave, he wore a satisfied smile. Ghislain found himself unaccustomed to the sight and kept staring at him.

After things settled down, Julien turned to Ghislain and asked, "Hah, today is even worse than usual. So, who’s entered this time?"

Ghislain blinked, surprised at his perception. He had intended to keep quiet and wait for the right moment.

But it seemed Julien had already figured it out.

"Oh... you already know I’m someone else?"

Ghislain asked curiously, intrigued by his awareness. Deneb shrugged and answered on Julien’s behalf.

"Why are you even pretending to be someone else today? Usually, you just zone out or mention that someone else came through."

"Hmm..."

Ghislain stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"So, this wizard friend... has experienced this kind of thing often? But it’s the first time their body has been taken over?"

Listening to their conversation, Ghislain pieced together the situation. From the looks of it, his guess seemed correct.

Though surprised, they appeared to have some understanding of the phenomenon.

"Wait a moment..."

When Ereneth and the Adversary were being discussed earlier, Jerome had mentioned something about his tower.

Among the tidbits, there had been a story about the founder of the mage tower.

Though he hadn’t explicitly stated that the founder was a companion of the Hero, Ghislain’s dreams had allowed him to infer as much.

—‘The founder of the mage tower was quite the eccentric. They would suddenly claim to have seen the future or say someone from the future possessed them. They even talked about how outcomes could alter their causes.’

"Wait... that’s literally what’s happening right now!"

The stories Ghislain had once dismissed came rushing back to him. He had always thought they were exaggerated or distorted legends.

But now, all those tales he had brushed aside were connecting, piece by piece. Even if not perfectly accurate, they had some basis in truth.

Every scattered fragment seemed to hold a piece of the greater reality.

Ghislain clapped his hands, thoroughly impressed.

"Amazing! It all fits together perfectly."

"..."

Julien and Deneb stared at Ghislain, dumbfounded.

They had never seen Astion—whose body Ghislain currently occupied—react so strongly to the presence of a "possessor" before.

Kyle, his face still swollen, grumbled.

"What’s going on? Did he finally lose it for good? Why’s he pretending to be someone else today?"

Ghislain nodded to himself. It was clear now—he wasn’t the first to occupy this body. Others had come before him.

Whether that was true or not, everyone here seemed to have accepted it as fact.

"Ah, so that explains why the wizard always looked so sleep-deprived."

It was obvious. If Astion had been treated as a lunatic his whole life, the stress and sleepless nights must have taken their toll.

Ghislain mulled over the situation.

"Hmm... The Saintess did say to follow my heart, right?"

That’s what she had told him. There had to be a reason for those words.

"Besides, isn’t this all just like a dream?"

While he had once turned back time and altered the course of events, this situation was different. He had entered this moment through a dream. Whatever happened here might not drastically change the reality he had already secured.

"Could this be a journey meant to show me hidden truths? Truths I need to see for a reason?"

Though he didn’t yet understand why he was being shown these events, Ghislain had a sense that this would somehow lead to a request or a responsibility in his current life.

After all, the Saintess in the future had already known exactly who he was.

With his mind eased, Ghislain decided to introduce himself confidently.

"I am Ghislain Ferdium."

"...Who?" Julien asked, his expression dull and uncomprehending.

Ghislain, undeterred, exaggerated his introduction.

"The Grand Duke of Ruthania, Lord of Fenris, the Ruler of the North, the Unyielding Sovereign, Commander of the Northern Army, King of Grain, Saint of the Capital, Genius of Blitzkrieg, Hunter of Mages, Savior of the Continent, Destroyer of the Salvation Order, Protector of the Faith, Leader of the Fenris Knights, Dragon Slayer, Conqueror of the Seven Territories, Ruthania’s Greatest Swordsman, Heir to the Kingdom, Mediator of the Mage Tower, Champion of the Kingdom’s Army, and... the King of Mercenaries."

"..."

"..."

"..."

All three stared at him, jaws agape. They had never encountered anyone with such an absurdly long list of titles.

But Ghislain wasn’t lying. Each title was an accurate reflection of his identity.

In fact, he had left a few out, unable to remember them all on the spot.

He was, after all, here partly for leisure, so he figured a bit of mischief wouldn’t hurt.

Julien let out a series of disbelieving chuckles before commenting.

"Well... it seems someone truly extraordinary has taken over Astion’s body this time."

"Hmm, well... I wouldn’t say I’m unremarkable."

Now that he had recited his achievements aloud, Ghislain felt a bit self-conscious. He closed his eyes and nodded as if trying to brush off the embarrassment.

Julien sighed deeply and continued.

"Alright, so it’s serious today. Then where’s Astion?"

"No idea." Ghislain shrugged. He truly didn’t know where the original consciousness of the body had gone.

Kyle rubbed his swollen eyes and asked, "So, what do we do now?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"You’re the one who always gives advice. Don’t you always say some wise person enters your head and tells you what to do? I need to know how to grow stronger, fast."

At Kyle’s words, both Julien and Deneb nodded in agreement.

"Ah, I see."

Ghislain began piecing things together. It seemed this wizard played the role of guide for the group, offering directions based on the various "possessors" who had entered his mind.

"So that’s how this guy became a 5th Circle wizard at such a young age?"

While it was hard to fully believe, Ghislain couldn’t deny it—after all, he was here now.

"Hmm... what should I do?"

The group still bore the traces of youth. Despite their extraordinary talents, their current strength was rudimentary compared to the potential he knew they would achieve in the future.

While Julien was their leader, it seemed the wizard acted as their strategist and advisor.

Now that Ghislain had taken over the wizard’s body, that responsibility fell to him.

"Does this mean I have to train them myself?"

He couldn’t just sit idly by while occupying someone else’s body.

Then a thought occurred to him.

"Ah."

He had already observed their abilities and techniques. He knew exactly how they should be refined.

These people were destined to fight the Salvation Order and become the backbone of humanity’s resistance. They had to grow stronger—there was no other choice. If he could help them do so in the wizard’s place, he would.

"So this is why I’m here... My role is to help them grow strong enough to save humanity."

The Saintess had likely foreseen all of this when she told him to follow his heart. Or so he hoped.

With that thought, Ghislain grinned and spoke.

"Do you want to grow stronger?"

Julien, Deneb, and Kyle all nodded in unison.

Ghislain nodded back, a sly smile forming on his lips.

"Good. I’ll make you stronger. Just trust me and follow my lead. You want to experience what it takes to become strong? That’s my specialty. Just listen to me, and I’ll make sure you go through it all."

For a moment, the three felt a chill run down their spines.

Though Ghislain was smiling, something about his expression was deeply unsettling.