The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 753: I Learned It from You (2)

“This is a lie!”

Lionel couldn’t believe his eyes.

Something utterly impossible had just occurred.

He briefly suspected a leak—maybe the technique had been exposed somehow.

But no, there was no way that kind of information could be accessed so easily by some wandering mercenary mage.

More than that, the technique the opponent was using actually looked better.

It was as if its flaws had been compensated for and it had ascended to a higher realm entirely.

“W-Where did you learn something like this?!”

Lionel recoiled in shock, and Ghislain simply smiled.

I learned it from you.

He had already seen Lionel’s advanced technique—in a dream.

And now that he had taken over the Ruthania Kingdom, Ghislain had also mastered the mana manipulation methods and techniques of the Radlan royal family.

So the shield technique Ghislain was demonstrating now—was, in essence, a skill Lionel himself would only learn in the future.

As Ghislain silently smiled without saying a word, Lionel felt his rage boil over.

Is this black magic? Is he using black magic to deceive me? But how? Am I hallucinating?

An absurd line of thinking—but Lionel was that confused.

“Ghhk!”

Grinding his teeth, Lionel lunged forward with another attack.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

No matter how much he attacked, Lionel couldn’t break through Ghislain’s defense.

His frustration growing with each blocked strike, Lionel began swinging his sword and shield with increasing desperation.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

His form was starting to fall apart.

Openings were appearing everywhere.

Watching him, Ghislain clicked his tongue.

“Pathetic. If all you’re going to do is charge in blindly, why even carry a shield?”

“What did you say?”

“The foundation of your family’s swordsmanship is patience. It’s not about pressing the enemy—it's about drawing them in and exhausting them. You maintain an impregnable stance so that enemies don’t even dare approach you.”

“What the hell do you know?!”

Lionel’s face flushed red with fury.

As if he didn’t know that already.

He, of all people, understood better than anyone.

To gradually accumulate damage until, at last, the enemy breaks down and kneels.

That was the ultimate form their swordsmanship pursued.

But what were you supposed to do when your attacks had no effect whatsoever?

Just wait?

Clang!

Lionel’s sword clashed once more with Ghislain’s shield.

Ghislain grinned.

“Sure, anyone can know the theory. But do you know why it doesn’t work in real combat?”

“......You bastard.”

“It’s because you don’t believe in yourself. Because you haven’t trained until your body moves on its own. I’ll show you now, so try to block it.”

Boom!

Ghislain shoved forward with his shield.

Lionel, already exhausted from his relentless assault, immediately lost his balance.

Even trying to reset and focus on defense was difficult now.

Before he realized it, Ghislain had closed the distance and was swinging his club from an odd angle.

Clang!

Lionel hastily raised his shield to block.

But Ghislain pushed in again with his own shield.

Thud!

“Gahk!”

Lionel was knocked to the ground.

It had landed at the perfect moment.

“Wh-What is this...? What the hell...?”

Lionel sat there, stunned.

It was flawless.

Ghislain had lowered his stance and raised his shield to just below his eyes—like a massive fortress that could never be breached.

No... No way...

There’s no way... That... That freak of a black mage is better than me at technique!

Lionel sprang to his feet.

The truth was, if this were a real battle, he would’ve been dead already.

He knew that.

And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to accept it.

So he roared and charged forward again.

“Raaaaaaaah!”

Boom!

Ghislain blocked once more with his shield.

This time, he made sure to show what shield combat really meant.

Now all that remained was to make his opponent realize it.

Wearing a wicked grin, Ghislain raised his club.

“Don’t forget—you block first, then counter to subdue the enemy. Like this.”

Wham!

He held back just enough, but the club still slammed into Lionel’s head.

For a moment, Lionel saw a flash of light—and his vision blurred.

Huh? What’s happening?

He could feel the ground rising to meet him.

Even as his consciousness faded, a thought floated through his head.

Ah... So this is what it means to black out. Wow. That’s kinda cool.

Through the haze, Ghislain’s voice reached him.

“When an opponent fails to land attacks over and over, they become impatient and unstable. Once they’re off-balance, you press in like a mountain.”

Wham!

Suddenly, Lionel felt a bolt of pain shoot through his side.

He was wide awake again.

“AAAAAARGH!”

It felt like his ribs had shattered.

That’s how much it hurt.

And it didn’t stop there.

Ghislain’s voice came again.

“That’s when it really begins. But don’t rush. Take your time. Find their openings. Break them down.”

Wham! Wham! Wham!

Ghislain’s club came down again and again.

Every time Lionel tried to collapse, the club struck from the other side, forcing him upright.

“AAAAAGH! What is this?!”

Even though he wanted to fall, he couldn’t.

He was amazed a person could even be beaten like this.

And yet, everything Ghislain said etched itself clearly into his brain.

“When the enemy is completely broken, that’s when you’ve won. You don’t need flash. You don’t need a one-hit kill. Just move forward—steadily and persistently. That is your sword.”

Wham! Wham! Wham!

“Uuugghh...”

Ghislain’s clubbing went on for quite a while.

The watching mercenaries let out yawns.

They’d all seen this many times before.

This bizarre “training” was Ghislain’s way of helping them rapidly improve.

“S-Stop...”

Lionel, having dropped both his sword and shield without realizing it, pleaded through tearful hiccups.

He felt miserable.

His divine power was gone, and now he was losing even in a pure physical contest against a mage. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Then a new doubt crept into Lionel’s mind.

Wait... Was I just a frog in a well all along?

Come to think of it, everyone had always praised him.

Called him a prodigy, praised his skill.

So he thought he was genuinely strong.

But now that he was out in the real world, he was getting beaten up by no-name mercenaries.

And it wasn’t just that weird guy with two names.

Julien and Kyle were just as strong.

Then there was Iralniel, the elven High Chief—and Rahamod of the Salvation Order, who had fought her.

They were on a level Lionel couldn’t even begin to approach.

At last, Lionel understood the truth of the world.

Ah... I was just a damn nobody.

Thud.

Having completely misunderstood his place in the world, he sat down and began to cry.

“Uwaaah... What the hell... All that training... What was it even for... Waaahhh...”

“......”

Ghislain paused the “lesson.”

He hadn’t expected Lionel to sob like that.

“......Are you okay?”

“I-I thought I was strong... But I’m getting beaten up by a mage, and even getting lectured... Huuuuhhh...”

“......”

Watching a full-grown man cry like that—so miserably—was rare.

No one said a word.

They all realized Lionel had misunderstood something fundamental.

'You’re not weak.'

'That guy’s just too strong.'

'You were using the wrong frame of reference from the beginning.'

When Lionel still had his divine power, he had been nearly top-tier as a knight.

Even without his divine power, Lionel could regain that level of strength if he honed his mana cultivation techniques.

Ghislain knew this, which «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» is why he was trying to rebuild Lionel’s fundamentals. He was planning to teach him everything—even the fully developed techniques of the future.

His plan was simple: break Lionel’s spirit a little and correct his mindset.

But he hadn’t expected him to collapse this easily. Even the mercenaries hadn’t crumbled like that.

Hmm, looks like the shock hit too hard.

Those with strong pride are harder to recover once they break. He’d need to be more careful in how he handled him.

“That’s enough for today.”

There was no point in continuing. Lionel must have fully realized the difference in skill by now.

It was time to comfort him. And thankfully, there was someone here who was very good at that.

“Are you okay?”

Deneb rushed over and released divine energy toward Lionel. Since there were no serious injuries, the bruises on his body quickly disappeared.

“Hrk... sniff...”

“Please don’t be too disappointed. It’s not that you’re weak—Ghislain’s just strong. Look, no one else is even surprised, right? Ghislain is actually better at fighting with his body than with magic. Magic’s more like a convenient hobby for him.”

“Sniffle...”

Deneb’s words warmed Lionel’s heart a little. She was the only one here who seemed to be on his side.

He felt a little guilty for having been so uptight with such a kind priestess.

Still... magic was just a hobby? That bastard really was a monster among monsters.

And I had no idea... acting all high and mighty...

Lionel was mortified. Embarrassed for showing off with no real skill. Embarrassed for getting beaten. Embarrassed for crying his eyes out.

So he wiped his tears and grumbled stiffly.

“That’s enough. Something just got in my eye. I wasn’t crying. There must be a lot of dust in the air.”

“...Ah, sure.”

Lionel staggered to his feet. He glared at Ghislain and spoke.

“I lost. But one day, I’ll definitely surpass you.”

“Good mindset. From now on, give it your all in training.”

“That’s what I want. If it makes me stronger, there’s nothing I won’t do.”

Lionel decided to abandon his attachment to divine power.

He would learn everything he could, surpass his limits, and become superhuman. As much as it stung, everything that bastard said was true.

Seeing that, Ghislain smiled in satisfaction.

“That should be enough to call you teachable. And from now on, you're part of our mercenary corps. Don’t forget—you’re the youngest.”

“Ghhk...”

Lionel grit his teeth. What an infuriating condition.

If the Holy See found out later, he’d be reprimanded for sure. He held a far higher rank than someone like Deneb.

But he had already sworn the oath. And without divine power, refusing now would only make him look more pathetic.

“Fine. I’m part of the Julien Mercenary Corps now. Since I joined late, I’ll accept being the rookie. But still, it’s unfair if I’m the only one treated that way.”

“What do you mean?”

Lionel pointed toward Ereneth, who was sitting atop a wagon.

“That elf joined after I did. Shouldn’t she be a rookie too? She’s living way too comfortably.”

“...Hmm.”

Ghislain folded his arms and fell into thought. Honestly, Ereneth’s position in the corps was a bit ambiguous.

Just look at her now.

Ereneth sat with her legs crossed on the wagon, lazily receiving offerings from the other mercenaries.

“Ma’am, please try this fruit.”

“Ma’am, I saved this jerky just for you.”

“Ma’am, this wine is absolutely divine.”

She was being treated like royalty. And she accepted all of it with a dignified expression, as if it were only natural.

The simple mercenaries had started treating Ereneth with utmost respect. Her being an elf, combined with her regal demeanor, had created this dynamic.

Of course, the fact that she was incredibly powerful helped as well.

Ereneth fully enjoyed and indulged in this treatment—like a true human.

But for a straight-laced guy like Lionel, that didn’t fly. He was determined to make her a rookie too, no matter what.

Sensing that, Ereneth let out a soft chuckle and spoke.

“Human, I’m not the rookie in this corps. I’m closer to a guest.”

“What? Guest? Didn’t you also join the mercenary corps?”

“I came to protect the Blessing Stone. So... yes, let’s say I joined as a guest participant. That makes me half a guest.”

She had elegantly phrased her refusal to be the rookie.

Lionel’s lip twitched. He was trying to think of a way to refute her.

“......”

“What? Can’t accept that?”

“...Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Stop nitpicking. You’re just a kid.”

“......”

He had no comeback for that. No matter how young she looked, Ereneth was clearly older than him.

Ereneth lifted her chin in triumph. She was fully using her age to her advantage—like a human would.

Ghislain still couldn’t get over how amusing and surreal she was.

Seriously... no one back home would believe this if I told them.

Regardless, the other mercenaries all nodded in agreement with her.

They were blindly siding with Ereneth.

“Yeah, yeah. There’s no way Lady Elf is the rookie. It just doesn’t suit her.”

“Exactly. If someone like Ereneth starts doing grunt work, people will think we’ve lost our minds.”

“Besides, she just looks young. Isn’t she way older than us? Could be a grandma for all we know.”

BOOM!

“GAAAH!”

The mercenary who dared mention ‘grandma’ was blown away by a spirit explosion.

With public opinion this one-sided, Lionel had no choice.

He would have to shoulder the rookie role alone.

“...I’ll be in your care.”

And with Lionel’s declaration of surrender, the hierarchy was settled.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Lionel had been such a stickler that it had been exhausting to deal with him.

Even if they were scared to actually treat him like a rookie, at least the journey wouldn’t be so tense anymore.

As they traveled, Ghislain—as always—helped the mercenaries with their training. He especially began teaching Lionel the swordsmanship and mana cultivation techniques of the Radlan royal family.

A few days passed like that. Eventually, Ghislain furrowed his brow in thought.

“Hmm... this is going to take quite a while.”

The next destination was still far off. And with the current size of their group, they weren’t moving as quickly as Ghislain wanted.

It would be better to split into smaller teams.

Just as he made up his mind and was about to gather the others, he spotted a group approaching from a distance.

At first, he didn’t think much of it.

But when he saw their appearance, his brow tightened.

Refugees?

They were all carrying luggage with terrified expressions. Many of them were elderly or children.

As Ghislain approached on horseback, the people collapsed to the ground and cried out.

“Please save us!”

“Are you soldiers sent by the lord?”

“Please, get us to safety!”

Everyone was shouting over one another. Ghislain raised his hand to quiet them, then asked,

“...What’s going on? We’re mercenaries.”

Only then did the people begin to stammer their explanations.

“M-Monsters suddenly appeared and destroyed the village! They’re killing people!”

“It’s black mages! They summoned hordes of chimeras!”

“They came to our village too! It’s chaos everywhere!”

As the desperate cries poured in, Ghislain clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened.

The Salvation Order must be getting desperate now.