The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 467: Something Feels Off (1)

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOOM!

The barrage from the catapults showed no signs of letting up. It was impossible to estimate just how many stones had been prepared, as they rained down endlessly.

Despite being crushed and buried by the falling boulders, the Delfine Army relentlessly charged toward Ereneth.

“Kill her!”

“Just take down the elf, no matter the cost!”

“Don’t retreat!”

The Delfine soldiers poured every ounce of their strength into killing Ereneth, abandoning all hope of pushing toward the Northern Army’s main force.

“Hmph.”

Ereneth effortlessly threw back the attackers, scanning the battlefield around her.

She was exhausted. Summoning high-level spirits and deflecting the Northern Army's catapult stones had drained her considerably. Each falling stone carried more destructive force than most knightly strikes.

She was tired, but it was nothing new to her. During the wars of old, she had often fought at the frontlines alongside her comrades.

Standing amidst a field of bodies piled around her, Ereneth muttered under her breath,

“This should be enough.”

She had gone far beyond what Claude had requested of her. She wouldn’t have to hear any complaints when she returned.

Even as the Delfine forces abandoned their push and focused solely on her, Ereneth rode the wind and began her retreat.

“Get her! Don’t let her escape!”

Count Mathes cried out, his voice almost pleading. After suffering such devastating losses, letting the elf escape was unthinkable.

The Delfine archers fired arrows in waves, but such attacks were far from sufficient to bring her down.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The relentless catapult bombardment continued, crushing Delfine soldiers and further dismantling their ranks. The vanguard soldiers who had initially charged toward the Northern Army were now completely wiped out.

Their formation was in shambles. Without a clear target to pursue, the soldiers wandered aimlessly, unsure of their next move.

Count Mathes stood frozen in disbelief, staring at the chaotic battlefield.

His bloodied aide shouted urgently,

“Commander! The elf has escaped!”

“...”

“We need orders! Quickly!”

“...”

“Commander!”

“...Order the retreat.”

Any hope of a renewed charge was gone. Morale was shattered, and they had no means to counter the opposing superhuman.

Another assault would only lead to senseless slaughter.

More than half of his once-mighty 10,000-strong force lay dead, crushed without achieving anything significant.

“To think that an army of this size could fall so easily...”

No amount of preparation or intelligence had been enough to uncover the full extent of the Northern Army’s capabilities.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The never-ending barrage of catapult stones turned even the retreat into a grueling ordeal. The Delfine soldiers, now in disarray, scrambled to flee while dodging the deadly rain of boulders.

From the safety of the Northern Army’s formation, Claude gestured to a nearby elf.

“Ascon, it’s time for you to shine. Show them what a real elf is capable of! Unleash your curse of nature and let that sharp tongue of yours work its magic!”

With a dramatic expression, Ascon stepped forward, amplified by a mage’s spell, and began to shout at the retreating Delfine forces:

“Hey, you sh*tty losers! Is this what the Delfine family is capable of? You act all tough, but you’re nothing but a bunch of weaklings! ‘Strongest in the kingdom’? More like biggest clowns in the kingdom! What did you even accomplish here? NOTHING! Just got your asses handed to you! If you’re so mad, why don’t you come back and try again, huh?!”

Mocking your enemies after victory was a time-honored tradition. Nothing was sweeter than rubbing salt in their wounds.

Hearing Ascon’s taunts, the Northern Army erupted into laughter and cheers, while the retreating Delfine soldiers clenched their jaws in humiliation.

Ereneth, returning to the Northern camp, overheard Ascon’s jeers and closed her eyes in quiet shame.

The fact that they were the same species made her want to disappear.

***

The battle ended in a flawless victory for the Northern Army.

Everyone had been confident in their success. The only question was how to achieve it with the least amount of losses.

However, thanks to Ereneth’s unexpected and extraordinary performance, they managed to win far more easily than anticipated.

When the blood-covered Ereneth removed her armor, it transformed back into vines and sank into the ground.

That armor would now regenerate naturally, imbued with the energy of the earth.

Looking at Claude, Ereneth spoke.

“You got your way. I’ll acknowledge that—just a little.”

“......”

Claude had nothing to say. In truth, all he had hoped for from Ereneth was a headcount of the superhumans and, if luck allowed, the death of one of them.

His plan had been simple: reduce their numbers with trebuchets as the enemy charged, and leave the rest to Tenant to finish off inside.

But there hadn’t even been a need to go that far.

‘This wasn’t the plan... It’s just like when the Lord goes on a rampage by himself.’

Now that he thought about it, it really did feel similar. Whenever he worked with Ghislain, he rarely had much to do either.

Everyone was staring at Ereneth as though she were some kind of monster. The first to break the awkward atmosphere was Alfoy.

“Chief! It’s me, Alfoy! Remember? A 5th-circle mage, the man who defeated a god!”

Alfoy stepped forward with a cheerful introduction, carrying a jug of fresh, cool water. The water had been purified and chilled by his magic.

“......”

Ereneth accepted the water with a clearly uncomfortable expression. Though her body was resistant to most poisons, she couldn’t fully trust someone like Alfoy.

Still, it would be rude to refuse such a gesture, so she drank. Alfoy began rubbing his hands together eagerly.

“Should I give you a shoulder massage?”

“......No need.”

“Heh, well, let me know if you ever need anything!”

Alfoy withdrew, still rubbing his hands like a fly. He couldn’t hide the grin creeping across his face, already scheming about his next move.

‘If I can cozy up to the Chief, I’ll finally escape this slave contract!’

She was clearly stronger than the Lord. If he played his cards right, perhaps he could have the slave contract voided.

Despite Alfoy’s antics, the awkward atmosphere remained.

Tenant clenched and unclenched his fists nervously.

‘The world is vast indeed. To think there’s someone like this besides Count Fenris.’

Though he had ascended to the ranks of the superhuman, he couldn’t imagine fighting like that.

If anything, he’d likely struggle in a drawn-out battle with a single opponent and end up battered. Even if his techniques were superior, the sheer strength of a high-ranking Salvation Order priest would outmatch his own.

Claude, who had been lounging arrogantly in the seat of honor, hurried down to offer it to Ereneth.

“Would you like to sit here?”

“......No.”

“Oh, come on, it’s perfectly fine!”

Claude fawned over her, but unlike Alfoy, Kaor simply turned his head and mumbled.

“Hmph... Just wait... One day, I’ll challenge you again.”

He had planned to train further and seek revenge, but now he doubted he could win even after becoming a superhuman.

Though his pride burned, fear held him back. His ego wouldn’t let him openly express admiration either.

Ascon, who had openly defied Ereneth earlier, now couldn’t even meet her eyes. He turned his back completely, grumbling under his breath.

“Damn, she fights like a monster. What’s she been doing all her life, hunting in the forest? She might as well conquer the world.”

Ereneth, seeing the reactions around her, shook her head.

‘It’s as if the Count has gathered all the lightweights in the world here.’

What kind of person was Count Fenris, anyway? Gathering a group like this must have taken some effort.

Yet somehow, the Count had achieved extraordinary victories with this motley crew. It was truly baffling.

While the leadership remained tense, the Northern Army soldiers couldn’t hide their joy at the perfect victory.

“Woooooo! We did it!”

“The Delphine Army isn’t so tough after all!”

“The Chief is amazing!”

The elves who had followed Ereneth wore expressions of pure pride.

To them, Ereneth was nothing short of a deity. If Ghislain was the source of confidence for the Northern Army, then Ereneth was that for the elves.

Ereneth smiled faintly and waved at the soldiers.

No matter how reclusive her life in the forest had been, she possessed at least this much social grace.

“I’ll take some rest now.”

“Oh, then let me help you recover! It’ll really make a difference.”

Piote approached eagerly, but Ereneth shook her head.

“No need. I just need a bit of rest.”

She wasn’t seriously injured, only exhausted from expending so much energy.

Though divine power would speed up her recovery, she chose to refuse.

Ereneth had always been uncomfortable with divine power, even if it wasn’t directly antagonistic to her own.

‘I don’t want to feel that energy any more than necessary.’

Every time she came into contact with divine power, it unsettled her.

It was a power her long-departed companion had wielded—a power tied to the root of all this chaos.

‘No, stop dwelling on the past.’

Shaking her head violently, she banished the intrusive thoughts.

Leaving a crestfallen Piote behind, Ereneth made her way to her tent. Today, she just wanted to rest without thinking about anything.

Her face looked more tired and somber than usual—not just from the battle but from deeper burdens.

Claude, watching her retreating back, chuckled softly to himself.

When Wendy glanced at him, he flashed her three fingers and mouthed silently.

“Thirty years.”

“......”

Claude was clearly delighted at the thought of having such a powerful ally for the next thirty years.

But then, he suddenly remembered that Ereneth was an elf.

‘Oh... I should have said three hundred years.’

Realizing his mistake, he frowned. Thirty years meant he would likely still be alive. So would Ereneth.

Would she turn him into fertilizer for a tree in thirty years’ time?

“Eh, whatever. I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

He was far too optimistic to worry about something that far in the future.

Besides, in the middle of a war, who could say when death might come? He’d figure out a way to extend the contract later.

‘Maybe I’ll get her addicted to gambling or something.’

While Claude was lost in ambitious schemes, the Northern Army began checking supplies and reinforcing their defenses.

A single victory wasn’t reason to lower their guard. The Duke’s forces were still mobilizing across the land, and the kingdom’s situation wasn’t favorable.

“Hm, who knows how this will play out?”

Claude scratched his head while studying the map.

This battle had only blocked one of the Duke’s routes of advance. The outcomes in the other two areas remained unknown.

News had come that the Eastern Army, after repeated defeats, had barely managed to form a defensive line with the help of hastily deployed allied forces.

They needed to wait and see before deciding where to send reinforcements, but communication remained sparse.

Several days later, Dark arrived to see Claude.

“Hey, Claude! You held out again! I knew you could do it!”

“...You’re here. What about the Lord?”

“He’s on his way. He sent me ahead to assess the situation.”

“And Ferdium?”

“Handled brilliantly, thanks to me, of course.”

Dark was shamelessly taking credit, proud that he had successfully delivered Ereneth’s words to Ferdium.

“Sure... Well, I suppose the Lord will deal with the rest.”

Not long after, Ghislain’s group arrived. He reviewed the battle report and seemed quite satisfied.

As expected, his forces had held the line admirably even without him. Ereneth’s contributions, in particular, stood out.

‘As I thought, she’s remarkable.’

The so-called “Seven Strongest of the Continent” were indeed extraordinary. Ereneth had lived up to her reputation.

The Duke’s faction would undoubtedly revise their strategies now that they knew of her presence.

But they wouldn’t anticipate the even greater potential still hidden within the Northern Army.

Ghislain himself was close to forging five cores and reclaiming the skills of his previous life.

‘Of course, it’s still too risky to push myself just yet.’

Given the uncertainties of future battles, Ghislain couldn’t recklessly expand his cores.

The current war could be managed with three cores, especially with Dark’s amplification abilities bringing his strength close to five cores.

Still, he planned to seize opportunities for further growth whenever possible.

“How are the allied forces faring?”

“They’ve been sent to reinforce the Eastern Army and Kingdom’s troops, but... no definitive results yet.”

It was unlikely that the kingdoms had sent their elite forces, so expectations for their combat strength were low.

However, sheer numbers provided a defensive advantage, allowing them to establish multiple lines of defense.

Claude cautiously voiced his thoughts.

“The Delphine Army advancing into the East has been stalled by the combined forces of the Kingdom and the alliance. The other two legions are likely engaged with Kingdom forces as well.”

“Hmm, I see. Dark, I need you to investigate further. The lack of updates suggests something’s gone wrong.”

No single force could block all fronts. Even with the Northern Army’s victory here, complete defeats elsewhere would spell disaster.

Helping one area while leaving another exposed could lead to the capital being seized.

“What if we launch a direct attack on the South instead? That was part of the original plan.”

Claude’s suggestion was valid. Ghislain had initially planned for the Northern Army to counterattack the South immediately after holding the line.

That was, until his meeting with Melkir.

Ghislain tapped his temple in thought before replying.

“No. I originally intended to, but now... something feels off.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure. It’s just a feeling.”

“......”

Ghislain’s original strategy had been straightforward: strike the South, forcing the Duke’s other forces to retreat to defend their heartland.

The Kingdom’s army, the allied forces, and the Northern Army could then converge and encircle them from above and below.

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

He had even secured Count Mobray’s cooperation to lend a passage for this purpose.

But now, doubts clouded his mind.

‘It feels like they wouldn’t come back. They might just take the opportunity to seize the capital instead.’

“But wouldn’t that mean the Duke’s forces would be crushed? Losing the Delphine Duke wouldn’t benefit them.”

“They must be confident their last line of defense won’t fall. The Kingdom’s strongest sword and the 7th-circle Master haven’t even moved yet.”

These were the final bastions protecting the Duke’s faction. So far, only the Salvation Order’s superhumans had been deployed in the war.

And that was what troubled Ghislain.

Each of the Duke’s remaining legions likely had at least one superhuman from the Salvation Order among their ranks. The Kingdom and allied forces would struggle to face them without their own superhuman support.

“Neither the Kingdom nor the alliance can handle superhumans on their own. It’s up to us to resolve this. The problem is that the Duke’s main forces are still in the South, protecting the Delphine Duke.”

“If we push into the South and get bogged down or take too long to occupy it... the other regions could collapse.”

“Exactly. At first, I thought it wouldn’t matter as long as we killed the Delphine Duke. We could deal with the rest afterward, one by one.”

Ghislain paused briefly before continuing.

“But now, I think that approach might be exactly what they want.”

Perhaps the Duke’s faction and the Salvation Order were counting on the Northern Army striking the South.

It would allow their other forces to survive and capture the capital.