The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 731: There’s Definitely Something Going On (3)

By the time the priests began reacting to the strange energy, Ghislain had already completed his work. He stood proudly before a line of Death Knights—each one a high-tier to top-tier creation. A hundred in total.

A pleased smile spread across his face as he surveyed the grotesquely magnificent sight.

“...Finally filled the ranks.”

Not even Helgenique, for all his terrifying power, had ever controlled Death Knights of this level or number.

The key lay in the gift of free will. Unlike conventional necromancy steeped in malice, Ghislain had used only the purest essence of darkness—not corrupt black magic. Even then, this result would’ve been impossible with his own strength alone. That’s why he’d hoarded so many mana-infused items.

“The energy here helped immensely.”

The divine force of Serahna’s temple was rooted in the concept of death itself. Black magic merely twisted that power into something sinister through mana manipulation.

But within the prayer chamber, there was only pure, undistorted death-energy. That very essence had empowered Ghislain’s rituals, allowing him to draw mana saturated with death’s purity.

And that’s exactly why he had come here.

Groooooar...

The Death Knights stood before him, letting out hoarse, zombie-like growls—not because anything was wrong, but simply because they could.

“Grrrrooh... So? Don’t they look pretty legit?”

“Wow. Even the voices stayed the same.”

“People are gonna freak out if they recognize us later.”

Clad in jet-black armor, their glowing red eyes flickered as they chuckled. They looked terrifying, but their voices were no different from when they were alive.

They marveled at their new forms, fascinated by the novelty. In everything but appearance, they were as they had been in life—thanks to the free will Ghislain had granted them.

Even more, their skills had not diminished. On the contrary—they were stronger than before. Now undead, they no longer feared death or suffered from mortal distractions like doubt or greed.

Each of them bore a singular purpose, etched into their very souls.

“You made a promise to fight the Salvation Order. I trust you will uphold it.”

“Thank you for giving this sinful soul a chance to atone.”

“We’ll follow you until the end of the world.”

Their voices were solemn and resolute.

These were knights who had pledged their reborn existences to Ghislain, swearing to fight the Salvation Order in penance for their past sins.

Ghislain’s smile deepened. With this, he had finally secured what could be called a true one-man army. Of course, if he came across more powerful but rotten knights, he’d happily turn them too—but for now, this was a major success.

The mood between Ghislain and the Death Knights was oddly warm, even cheerful. Exhausted from the process but deeply satisfied, he was basking in the sense of accomplishment.

That was when the not-so-cheerful visitors arrived.

CRAAASH!

The doors to the prayer chamber exploded inward as a horde of priests stormed in.

Their jaws dropped at the sight before them.

Some stood frozen, slack-jawed. Others rubbed their eyes as if hoping the vision would vanish.

All of them were in varying degrees of shock.

A trembling voice broke the silence.

“D-Death Knights... So many of them... I-Is this a holy place or not...?”

They were priests, after all. Of course they could tell what these creatures were.

Frankly, it would’ve been weirder if they couldn’t.

Ghislain blinked, equally surprised.

His original plan had been to sneak out undetected. But he’d gotten too caught up in his own excitement and let his guard down.

Caught red-handed mid-sin, Ghislain gave an awkward chuckle and snapped his fingers.

Snap.

Fwooooosh.

The Death Knights vanished into smoke on the spot.

Erasing the evidence, Ghislain flashed a bright smile.

“Did you all need something?”

“......”

“I just finished my repentance. Whew, I feel like my soul’s been scrubbed clean. Thank you for letting me use the space these past few days. I truly won’t forget your kindness.”

“......”

“Well then, I’ll be on my way. May the goddess’s blessing be upon you all.”

He bowed slightly, smiling politely, and tried to make his exit.

Naturally, he couldn’t.

More and more priests had arrived, blocking the doorway completely.

“Um... excuse me? I’d like to pass through, if that’s alright?”

“......”

Even as Ghislain kept his best “friendly traveler” smile plastered on, the priests said nothing. But their burning gazes told him everything he needed to know.

Then, through the crowd, the archbishop emerged.

He fixed Ghislain with a piercing glare.

“This is what you came for, isn’t it?”

“...Pardon?”

“You asked to borrow our sacred ground just to create Death Knights using its energy, didn’t you?”

“Ahaha...”

Ghislain laughed sheepishly. That was a pretty accurate accusation.

The archbishop raised his divine power. So did the priests around him.

His voice was low and seething.

“To think a wretched necromancer would deceive us and defile this sacred temple with Death Knights... Did you truly believe we who serve Lady Serahna wouldn’t notice the blasphemy!?”

“You are... quite the expert. Didn’t think I’d get caught this fast.”

“You have insulted the goddess. You’ve mocked our faith. I shall cleanse your soul through death!”

“I’d love to explain, but... I’ve got an important mission from the Pope, so I really need to get going.”

“Silence! Do you think such a flimsy lie will save you!?”

KRAKOOOM!

A wave of holy energy crashed toward Ghislain. He dodged, not retaliating—there was no gain in fighting here.

This was Serahna’s main temple, after all. There were many high-ranking priests present. And he had no reason to make enemies of people who hadn’t wronged him.

So instead, Ghislain bolted toward the nearest wall.

BOOM!

He blasted straight through the thick stone and ran for it.

“Catch that cursed necromancer!”

“After him!”

“His name was Astion! He’ll be the doom of us all!”

The priests shrieked as they poured after him, holy energy flaring.

So much for the serenity earned through years of meditation—Ghislain had shattered it all in a heartbeat.

Fweeeeeeet!

As he ran, Ghislain whistled sharply, imbuing the sound with mana. It was the signal for his group.

Sure enough, they had already bolted from their quarters—gear in hand and ready to move.

The wave of energy had been unmistakable.

They knew Ghislain got into trouble a lot, and they always kept one ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) foot ready to run.

As soon as they sensed chaos, they acted on instinct—no questions asked.

Seeing them, Ghislain gave them a big thumbs-up.

“Good job! Time to run!”

None of them asked what happened. They didn’t need to. Repeated trauma had trained them well.

The only problem was... One very upright man in the group hadn’t been trauma-trained yet.

“Stop right there! What is going on? Why are the priests attacking you?!”

Lionel stepped in front of Ghislain, eyes wide with urgency. But Ghislain was not a man known for lengthy explanations—especially not when things were blowing up around him.

“I’ll explain later. But for now, you’re in the way, so just go ahead and pass out.”

With that, Ghislain swung his staff toward Lionel—carefully holding back his power to only knock him out.

CLAAANG!

“Oh?”

Ghislain was mildly surprised.

Lionel had already drawn his sword and blocked the strike, divine energy surging along the blade. The stiff-necked knight was truly serious about stopping him.

“Tch. Stronger than I thought. Divine power really is hard to gauge.”

Clicking his tongue, Ghislain quickly scanned the area. In the brief moment their clash bought, the priests had surrounded them on all sides.

Escape now was unlikely—possible, but not without casualties among the mercenaries. And this place wasn’t just any temple—it was Serahna’s main sanctuary, full of high-ranking priests.

Even worse, those normally reserved, ascetic priests had been pushed to the brink by pent-up frustration—and now Ghislain had given them an outlet. Their eyes practically sparkled with righteous fury.

Lionel, still unaware of the full story, asked nervously, “Why? Why is this happening? What did you do?!”

The archbishop stepped forward, his gaze cold.

“You truly don’t know?”

“Know what, sir?”

“That the man you brought here is a necromancer!”

“W-what are you saying...?”

Lionel turned to Ghislain in alarm. Ghislain just widened his eyes and shook his head furiously, playing the victim.

Seeing that, Lionel turned back to the archbishop and tried to defend him.

“That can’t be true! This man was entrusted with a secret mission from His Holiness himself! He can’t be a necromancer!”

“We all saw it with our own eyes! He created Death Knights within this sacred ground!”

“If he truly were a necromancer, there’s no way His Holiness wouldn’t have known! His Holiness never said a word about it!”

“Are you suggesting we are all lying?!”

At the archbishop’s thunderous shout, Lionel glanced at Ghislain again.

Ghislain was still putting on his best Who, me? face. But Lionel began to notice something strange.

Why...?

None of the mercenaries looked confused or indignant. They weren’t denying anything. Most weren’t even looking at the confrontation.

Even an idiot would realize what was happening.

Lionel’s expression darkened. He brought his sword to Ghislain’s throat.

“You... are you really a necromancer?”

Ghislain didn’t radiate any of the typical malice or gloom of a dark magician. But a skilled necromancer could hide their aura well.

Raising both hands, Ghislain responded with a laid-back smile.

“Is that really what’s important right now?”

“...What?”

“If I get arrested here, we won’t even be able to start the Pope’s mission. You okay with that?”

“You dare to threaten—?! We’ll simply report your crimes and get someone else!”

“Wouldn’t that just humiliate the Pope, though? Telling the world His Holiness entrusted a mission to a necromancer? Not that I am one, of course. I feel like I’m being misunderstood here.”

“You little—!”

“Also... I’d be a bit concerned if word got out about what this mission really involves. Better to settle this after everything’s done, don’t you think?”

Lionel clenched his jaw. It was true—word of the Pope’s request had already started to spread through high circles after failed diplomatic attempts.

Still, the general public didn’t even know about the Sacred Stones. If Ghislain started blabbing, it would cause major problems.

The greed of others would rear its head.

After a long moment of silence, Lionel turned to the archbishop.

“Please give me a moment.”

“You want us to release a necromancer who desecrated our temple?! Are you mocking this holy order?”

“No. But I must fulfill the mission entrusted to me by His Holiness. I swear on my life—I will return with them when it’s done.”

“And what reason do I have to trust your word?”

Lionel met the archbishop’s gaze, unwavering.

“I will stake my life on it.”

“......”

The archbishop said nothing for a long while.

Lionel was a knight of unshakable faith and impeccable skill—known to all within the empire’s religious circles.

If he was willing to guarantee it with his life, then it was worth trusting, at least once.

And besides, the mission was from the Pope himself. Surely, His Holiness had his reasons.

After a heavy sigh, the archbishop spoke.

“Very well. I will trust you. But you will bring them back. If you don’t, I will take this matter directly to His Holiness.”

“Thank you. I will see to it they answer for their deeds.”

As Lionel finished his solemn vow, Ghislain muttered from behind him,

“Shouldn’t make guarantees so easily...”

Lionel immediately turned and glared at him. This lunatic really might drive him insane.

A necromancer—or something like one—pulling this in the heart of the empire?

Lionel glared harder. Ghislain, meanwhile, slipped into a brief moment of nostalgia.

Ah... I once asked Marquis Branford to vouch for me, too. He shot me down instantly. Good times. I wonder how he’s doing now.

Well, what was done was done.

Thanks to Lionel, the crisis had been defused—for now. Of course, the reckoning would come later.

Once they left the temple, Lionel turned to the rest of the mercenaries with a cold glare.

“You’ll all be turned over to the Inquisition and a holy tribunal once this is over.”

Several mercenaries, including Osvald, paled.

The Inquisition rarely let anyone go. It was essentially a death sentence.

Even if they fled, the empire would send endless pursuers. It was as good as signing their own executions.

“S-Sir Osvald has no ties to necromancy! Truly!”

...Aside from hanging out with one.

Osvald trembled as he muttered to himself.

But not all were intimidated.

Kyle and most of the other mercenaries just gave Lionel a chilly stare.

What a stiff bastard.

He’s seriously threatening us? All alone? With that much confidence?

If we go far enough, we can just kill him and run.

His overt hostility only made it easier—they wouldn’t feel bad about taking him out.

These were veterans who’d been through hell with Ghislain. They’d long since lost their hesitation.

As the mood grew tense, Ghislain cut in with a bright smile, breaking the tension.

“Come on, guys. Why so serious? This was all just a little misunderstanding. Once the mission is done, the Pope will clear everything up. Let’s all get along, yeah?”

“......”

Everyone just stared at him, deflated.

The one who caused the mess was chipper as ever, while the rest were left to carry the weight. It was... hard not to feel resentful.

But Ghislain didn’t care one bit.

“We’ve wasted enough time. Let’s get going!”

“......”

At Ghislain’s shameless prompting, the group picked up the pace.

A few days later, they arrived at their first destination—a vast, ancient forest where even the wind whispered softly.

It was known as the homeland of all elves.