The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

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“If you don’t want to die, just die right now!”

“Ah… I think I’m going to live…”

Yulien buried her face in her pillow, flat on the bed. Deneb was doing the same.

Kyle, having fainted, was snoring loudly.

Ghislaine didn’t book several rooms at the inn. Instead, they took one big room to all stay together.

Deneb glanced at Ghislaine and said slyly, “Since we’re finally resting, can’t we get separate rooms?”

“Nope.”

“But we have plenty of money now.”

“You all seem suspicious lately.”

………………

“It feels like you’re avoiding me.”

………………

“You can rest easy here; no one is going to attack.”

Deneb sighed. Ghislaine clearly wasn’t going to give her a chance to escape.

Ghislaine felt powerless. Even if they ran away, capturing them wouldn’t be hard, but she had to stay vigilant.

After all, Astion’s body was weaker than her original form.

Still, thanks to the spoils from taking down bandits, the group could enjoy some luxury for a change.

After washing up, the three of them went down to the first floor and were taken aback. An enormous spread of various food was laid out.

Kyle exclaimed, looking at Ghislaine, “Wow! Is all of this really for us?”

Ghislaine nodded.

“Of course. Eating is part of training. If you eat well, you’ll recover faster and gain strength.”

………………

The three were so shocked they couldn’t say a word. Everything felt like a training session. They felt as if they had been dragged into the military.

Thinking back, Ghislaine had quite a few titles he claimed for himself. Yulien cautiously asked.

“Were you a soldier, Ghislaine?”

“Well, having spent a lifetime on the battlefield, you could say that.”

The three nodded as if they had expected that.

Ghislaine was different from nobles who merely participated in war for show. His military knowledge and combat techniques were genuinely professional.

‘I will absolutely not join the army.’

‘I think I’ll just keep wandering around helping people.’

‘If I make a lot of money, I should live quietly.’

The three silently vowed to themselves, unaware of their future.

Future is future, and present is present. After a long time, feeling fresh from their bath, they shoveled food into their mouths.

“This is so delicious!”

All three of them were on the verge of tears. They had hardly eaten anything this warm and tasty before.

The relentless training they had endured contributed to their appreciation.

Thanks to Ghislaine’s consideration (?), they hadn’t even done laundry or weapon maintenance. They spent plenty of money to have others take care of it.

When the three of them protested about spending money, Ghislaine firmly stated.

“When you spend money, you should spend it decisively. If the purpose is to rest, focus all resources on resting.”

With that logic, the three really didn’t have to worry about anything.

Kyle mumbled while stuffing his face.

“Money is the best!”

Wanting to get stronger ultimately meant making money. With money, they could enjoy delicious food and rest comfortably.

Yulien and Deneb couldn’t disagree with that.

As the meal was nearing its end, Ghislaine asked Deneb about something he had been curious about.

“Your Divine Power isn’t incredibly strong… but it doesn’t seem like you should have been kicked out.”

Deneb shook her head shyly.

“When I left the temple, my Divine Power was much weaker than now. No matter how much I prayed back then, it never increased.”

“But now it has increased a bit?”

“Yeah, maybe because I’ve been training continuously.”

“Your Divine Power doesn’t usually increase, right?”

“Not necessarily. If you train your whole life and perform good deeds, it can increase a little.”

Even if it does increase, it’s usually negligible, so hardly anyone lives like that. But Deneb seemed to think she was an exception.

Divine Power increases the most when one is a child. In fact, cases of increasing Divine Power in childhood are rare, but the temple takes children in for that slight chance.

And Deneb had been kicked out because no further possibilities were seen.

Ghislaine was deep in thought and soon nodded.

“Alright, rest well today. Tomorrow let’s go sightseeing.”

The three let out a sigh of relief and collapsed into their room. It had been a long time since they could rest so comfortably.

When morning came, Ghislaine led the three to explore the city. Perhaps because everyone thought it was a tour, no one really asked what they would do.

After casually browsing the city, Ghislaine headed for the outskirts of the Poor District.

The houses were mostly falling down, and the people wandering the streets looked exhausted and worn out.

Seeing them, Ghislaine suggested, “Since we’re here, why don’t we do some volunteer work?”

The three’s eyes widened in surprise. It felt oddly out of place for Ghislaine, who often acted like a demon, to say something like that.

Especially Yulien frowned, looking skeptical.

Ghislaine was shocked to see Yulien’s expression.

‘She’s gone off the rails!’

Yulien, always jumping in to help people, was making that face!

Ghislaine wondered if it was due to her own training methods (?) that Yulien had gone astray.

‘A hero shouldn’t go off the rails.’

Of course, Yulien wasn’t actually off the rails yet. She was just extremely tired in body and mind and reacted strongly to unexpected words.

But if this state continued, who knows when she would go off track.

Deneb smiled brightly and said, “Sure, we have plenty of money now, so let’s help people.”

She was thrilled with Ghislaine’s suggestion. Helping people in need was her lifelong dream and goal.

It certainly wasn’t that the training was hard.

The three bought a ton of food and supplies and distributed them to the people in the Poor District.

Initially stunned, the Poor District people expressed their gratitude and accepted them. As time went on, people began to flock more and more.

The hero party wasn’t foolish and didn’t hand out all the supplies at once. They made multiple visits to the Poor District over several days to ensure more people could get some.

Kyle, with a dissatisfied expression, complained.

“How long are we going to do this? We’re going to end up spending all the money we just got.”

“We still have some leeway, so let’s just do a bit more. Right, Ghislaine?”

“Hmm, sure. Think of it as a break.”

Ghislaine readily agreed. Kyle felt the money was wasted but suppressed his complaints thinking of the rest.

While the three were busy moving around, Ghislaine just watched. He didn’t particularly enjoy this kind of aid work.

He wouldn’t just give things away unless absolutely necessary. He thought it was better to give people something too valuable instead.

‘If you just give things away, they’ll run out quickly or get taken by others.’

He believed in helping people join the economy of the territory. Only then would the territory become strong and they would be motivated to protect their own wealth.

But for now, he let the three do as they pleased. What was important was to confirm Deneb’s abilities.

In the Poor District, chaos erupted. People suddenly appeared to hand out goods.

Among those flocking were a few who closely observed Deneb’s worn priest robe and the symbols etched on it.

A scruffy young man came supporting a sickly old woman and asked, “Excuse me… Are you a priest?”

“Yes, I’m still an apprentice priest though. Do you need help?”

“My mother is unwell. Please, could you take a look at her?”

The young man pleaded, kneeling. Divine Power treatment in this era was a privilege for the wealthy.

Deneb accepted the request eagerly, albeit a bit shyly.

“I might not be able to help a lot, as my Divine Power is weak.”

Yet the young man looked grateful. Even a small treatment was better than nothing.

Deneb did her utmost to heal the old woman. It wasn’t a serious illness, as even her weak Divine Power made her complexion better.

“Phew, that’s a relief. If you ensure she eats well and rests a bit, she’ll feel better.”

Deneb even gave the young man a little money.

“Buy some health-giving herbs. Since she’s older, make sure to look after her health.”

“T-thank you. Truly, thank you.”

The young man bowed his head several times, on the verge of tears.

He had never received such kindness before. In this era, there were hardly any people willing to help others.

Everyone just schemed about how to take from others.

Word began to spread that Deneb had Divine Power. Sick people started to show up gradually.

“Please line up! I’ll help everyone!”

For the next few days, she continued to distribute food and heal the sick.

Due to her limited Divine Power, Deneb quickly became exhausted. Yet she squeezed out every bit of energy to help people.

Yulien and Kyle also purchased herbs and handed them out. After all the time they had spent traveling while helping others, they coordinated well.

It was hard, but fulfilling work. Deneb couldn’t help but smile happily even while tired.

However, not long after, problems arose. All the sick people started flocking to Deneb.

Even those who didn’t live in the Poor District rushed to receive Divine Power treatment.

Deneb soon found herself overwhelmed alone with so many people.

People gathered at Deneb, pleading.

“Please, heal us too.”

“We’ve been waiting for days. Now it’s my turn.”

“I’m in more pain! Please, start with me…”

The Poor District was filled with people who didn’t eat well. Their hygiene was poor. Small illnesses and wounds were common among them.

A mob of people started to fight, all wanting to be treated first, knowing more would come as time passed.

“Move aside! I was here first!”

“What are you talking about? I came first!”

“I said I came first!”

The shouting grew louder. No one was willing to maintain order. No one was there to control the crowd. It was complete chaos.

If everyone was accepted, Deneb would be trampled by the crowd.

Yulien and Kyle, shocked, stepped forward.

“S-stop! Don’t come any closer!”

“Line up! Line up!”

But the people were too frantic. Not just anyone could receive Divine Power treatment.

They shouted more passionately, not willing to miss out on this opportunity.

“I want to be treated first!”

“My father is dying!”

“You need to save the child first! Hurry and treat us!”

Some even brought weapons, threatening others.

They were people who didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. Therefore, they saw no reason to hold back on the hope right in front of them.

The three were flustered. The good deeds they had been doing were mere crumbs.

After all, they hadn’t been traveling long, and they didn’t have much.

So they had no idea what to do in this situation. All three of them looked at Ghislaine for help with their eyes.

But Ghislaine remained nonchalant.

‘Helping someone isn’t easy. They need more experience.’

To Ghislaine’s eyes, this era was in serious disarray. Even his own time was chaotic, but not to this extent.

It wasn’t just that there were many poor people and people’s characters were harsh. There were plenty of those even in his time.

The laws and systems that make up the world, as well as the mindset of the people, seemed to have fallen to rock bottom.

Deneb, sweating coldly, shouted, “W-wait! Please keep your order!”

Yulien and Kyle also blocked in front of her, preventing people from getting any closer.

Of course, the people waiting for their turn didn’t attack Deneb. She was the one who would heal them.

Instead, they turned on the person beside them who was blocking them.

“I was here first! You bastard!”

As someone threw a punch, violence erupted like wildfire. Everyone started attacking each other.

Such things were just common and ordinary to them.

But witnessing the scene up close, Deneb turned pale.

“H-how… Why? Why are you all…?”

The situation had escalated beyond her ability to resolve. Yulien and Kyle were also at a loss.

Only Ghislaine watched the chaos with an indifferent expression, curious about how the three would solve this problem.

“Don’t get in the way and move aside, you bastard!”

“You get out!”

“I’ll kill you!”

The fight intensified. The sick were shoved aside and trampled.

Now, consumed by anger toward each other, everyone seemed to have forgotten why they even gathered there.

“S-stop! Please everyone, stop!”

Deneb tried to mediate, but it was futile. If she drew nearer, she would be in danger too.

“Get back!”

Yulien pulled Deneb’s arm and dragged her back. She wanted to help but felt powerless.

While people were tangled up in a free-for-all, a group of people approached from afar.

It was a man in an elegant priest’s robe flanked by Temple Knights.

The priest surveyed the surroundings with a haughty look and uttered one line.

“Tsk, trash blocking the road. Clear it out.”

At the priest’s command, the Temple Knights sprang into action. Their method of dispersing the crowd was far from conventional.

Whack!

“Gah?”

They began mercilessly slicing and stabbing at the people blocking their way.

 

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