The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Now... It's Time to Say Goodbye. (3)

Ereneth’s face turned pale.

She instinctively realized that the ominous feeling she’d harbored was true.

“You’re really… leaving? Are you… going to die?”

Ghislain shook his head with a faint smile.

“I’m not dying. Don’t worry.”

“Then what is it? Where are you going?”

“I’m going to where I originally belong.”

“Where is that?”

“A very far place.”

A thousand years in the future. A time so distant it could never be reached.

How was he supposed to explain that?

“Cough!”

Ghislain coughed up blood again. Ereneth swallowed the words she was about to blurt out.

“F-First, let’s treat your body. How can you go anywhere in that condition?”

Her voice was trembling. Ghislain gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

“Call Julien, Kyle, and Deneb. Marika and Lionel too.”

Ereneth had no choice but to summon them first—Ghislain’s condition was too grave.

Upon hearing he was leaving, Marika and Lionel wore puzzled expressions.

But Julien, Kyle, and Deneb’s faces turned grave.

Seeing that, Ereneth asked Julien,

“What is it? What’s going on?”

Julien looked at Ghislain, who nodded to show it was okay. Then Julien slowly opened his mouth.

“Ghislain and Astion… are different people.”

“I know! He has another personality, right? But what does that—!”

It was well-known that Astion had a split personality. Ereneth, Marika, and Lionel had each witnessed that persona several times.

They’d lived and trained together for years. Especially in the Dragon Lord’s lair, where Astion had devoted his nights to studying magic—they couldn’t possibly not know.

Astion would sometimes emerge alone to jot things down. So the others naturally accepted that identity.

But Julien shook his head firmly.

“It’s not that. It’s truly a different soul. One that possessed Astion’s body.”

“What…?”

Ereneth, Marika, and Lionel widened their eyes in shock. It was too unbelievable.

Ghislain shrugged with a smile.

“It’s true. I’m someone… who came from another place. I wanted to keep it a secret, but… I didn’t want to lie to you all.”

Ereneth asked in a trembling voice,

“...So, a dead person’s soul entered Astion’s body?”

“No, not that. I’m still alive, just living elsewhere.”

“Where? Where is that? Tell me where it is.”

“…It’s somewhere you can’t go.”

Ghislain smiled wistfully.

If only he could meet these friends again after returning to his own body—how wonderful that would be.

But that was impossible. He couldn’t know what memories the future Ereneth or Julien would even have.

If Julien had merely reincarnated, he wouldn't even have his memories.

Ereneth clutched Ghislain’s hand tightly, her voice trembling.

“You’re lying, right? This is a joke, like always? You’re just trying to mess with us, aren’t you?”

“…No. This time, it’s real.”

Ereneth, Marika, and Lionel turned to look at Deneb.

As a Saintess, she neither joked nor lied.

Deneb nodded with a sorrowful expression.

That was how the three came to understand.

This was the truth.

But their hearts still refused to accept it.

How could they possibly accept something like this so suddenly?

That was how great the shock was.

No—regardless of whether it was true or not, they didn’t want Ghislain to leave.

So they kept asking again and again. And each time, the answer was the same.

Julien continued with a trembling voice.

“When we first met…”

How this adventure began.

And how they made it this far.

It was a brief summary, but the others finally realized they had to accept it now.

They finally understood why the once-mighty Ghislain was now in such a state,

why he couldn’t recover.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Ereneth cried out,

“Then we just need to help Astion advance his level right now! We just need to find a way, don’t we?”

No one answered.

If it were that easy, Ghislain would’ve already done it.

Astion was already an 8th-Circle Mage.

Even at his age, that was an achievement unparalleled in history.

So to rise beyond that suddenly was impossible.

Even with all the knowledge and training methods Ghislain had brought with him, this was the limit for now.

Julien spoke in a parched voice.

“Now… let’s send our friend off.”

Ghislain was in a state where it wouldn’t be strange if he stopped breathing any moment now.

They had always known a day like this might come but they never imagined it would come so suddenly.

Still, they couldn’t let him go without saying goodbye.

Deneb was the first to approach Ghislain and made the sign of the cross.

“Oh Goddess, bestow your blessing upon our precious friend, who now returns to his original world.”

Julien took Ghislain’s hand.

“Thank you. Because of you, I found the path I needed to walk.

I’ll… never forget you.”

Kyle spoke in a gloomy voice.

“If I just had a bit more time, I could’ve finally beaten you…

Why are you leaving already…”

Marika lowered her head, her eyes brimming with tears.

“I’ll remember the kindness you showed me for the rest of my life.

Truly… thank you.”

Lionel, with a firm expression, said,

“Thank you for changing my life. And… I’ll never forget the sacrifices you made for the world.”

Each word of sincerity from them reached Ghislain.

That’s how much he meant to them—both a pillar of strength and a living testament to the time they’d shared.

Unfortunately, Dark couldn’t say his farewells. Ghislain wasn’t able to summon him.

It was Kyle, who had been particularly close to Dark, who spoke up.

“Dark, you’re listening, right? Thanks for everything. I’ll never forget fighting alongside you. Take care.”

— Hmph… You too, weakling. Our exploits will go down in history. It was fun.

Ghislain smiled and relayed Dark’s words. Kyle sniffled and wiped under his nose.

Everyone had said their goodbyes—except Ereneth.

The others stepped back, watching her. She simply stood there, on the verge of tears.

Leaning against the bed, Ghislain smiled and said,

“Aren’t you going to say goodbye?”

“……”

“Then I’ll just leave, okay?”

He joked on purpose.

He didn’t want to leave in sadness.

He wanted to part with his friends, smiling.

But at that moment—

Ereneth embraced him, burying her face into his shoulder.

“…Don’t go.”

“…I can’t stay.”

Ereneth bit her lip as tears fell from her eyes.

To an elf, a human’s life was but a fleeting moment and that made it all the more precious.

The fact that she couldn’t even share that short time fully with Ghislain… it was unbearable.

She had wished for this moment to last forever.

It hurts…

She had finally come to understand the emotions she had longed to feel from humans.

But why did they hurt so much?

This feeling was too overwhelming to bear.

Her chest ached like it was being torn apart, and the tears wouldn’t stop.

Only then did she understand.

Why elves were so cautious about forming deep bonds with humans.

Such powerful emotions… could ultimately destroy them.

Ereneth sobbed as she spoke,

“You said you weren’t dead, right? Then what do I do? How can I meet you again? I’ll come to you. I’ll definitely find you.”

“……”

“Tell me. You always found a way.”

“……”

Ghislain hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he should tell her.

But in the end, Ereneth would meet him in the future.

That future was already set—it couldn’t be avoided.

So he whispered quietly,

“…A thousand years from now.”

Ereneth didn’t fully believe his words.

But she needed a sliver of hope.

“When that time comes… will I be able to see you again?”

“…Yeah.”

“A thousand years from now, I’ll come find you. I’ll definitely find you.”

“…Alright.”

Ghislain smiled.

Because in truth, she really would come looking for him a thousand years later.

Though... their relationship would be a little different from how it was now, they would still meet again.

So once he returned to the future, she would probably seem a bit different to him.

But then, Ereneth suddenly spoke with a cryptic tone.

“Aren’t you going to ask how I’m going to find you a thousand years from now?”

“……”

“You’re thinking I won’t be able to, aren’t you?

Because even an elf can’t last a thousand years?”

“…No.”

Ghislain didn’t react because he knew Ereneth would come find him a thousand years later.

But what she was saying now didn’t match the future he remembered.

“I can do it.”

Her voice trembled, but it was resolute.

“Once the war is over… I’m going to entrust my body to the World Tree. If I seal myself, I can endure a thousand years.”

“……”

“That way… that way, I’ll awaken a thousand years from now and find you first. I swear I will.”

“……”

Ghislain’s eyes wavered.

Ereneth had once endured a thousand years, sealed within the World Tree, because of the Adversary’s curse.

She emerged after that thousand years and came to find him.

But that wasn’t the original future.

It was the future that had changed after Ghislain regressed.

In the original timeline, Ereneth had gone to find the United Human Army first.

And yet… to think things had aligned like this anyway.

Ghislain closed his eyes.

By now, he no longer knew what came first, or what had influenced what.

Had Ereneth come to find him first because she remembered this promise?

Or has the future influenced the past?

Why had Deneb called him into the past?

What had she truly wanted?

— Only you… can save us.

He still hadn’t found the answer to that.

There hadn’t been enough time.

But just in case something like this happened, he’d made Astion keep recording everything.

If they came to understand what happened in the past and how it all ended—

they might also discover his role in all of it.

Ghislain looked around at them all and said,

“Read the books I gave you whenever you can. And don’t slack off in your training. They’ll make you stronger.”

He hoped his friends would grow stronger.

Strong enough that Julien and Deneb wouldn’t have to sacrifice themselves.

If they failed, so be it…but he prayed they would succeed.

Just recently, in preparation for the worst, he had taken certain measures.

That was what caused Astion to freak out, wondering what he was up to.

Of course, he hoped it would never be necessary to use it.

Ghislain let out a faint chuckle.

‘Man… I really am softer than I thought.’

With that final thought, Ghislain quietly closed his eyes.

And shortly after—

“Waaahhhh!”

Astion’s eyes snapped open as he bolted upright.

Anyone could see his body was rapidly recovering.

The pallor vanished from his face in an instant, his complexion returning with a healthy flush.

It was a change so drastic, it was as if a miracle had occurred.

Ereneth, overjoyed, threw her arms around Astion again.

“You’re still Ghislain, right? This is just a prank, right? Isn’t it?”

“…Noona, it’s me—Astion.”

“So he’s really… gone?”

“…Yes.”

“…To the world a thousand years in the future?”

“…Yes.”

“…I see.”

Ereneth closed her eyes.

More than anyone, she possessed an acute sense of harmony.

And right now, she clearly felt that something about Astion had changed.

She realized it wasn’t just a shift in personality—this was something else entirely.

She pressed her eyelids firmly several times, struggling to hold back her tears.

“That’s okay… We’ll just meet again later.”

Elves live long lives.

And if she carried out the method she had in mind, she was certain she’d see Ghislain again.

Elves didn’t usually cling to goals the way humans did.

They simply wished to live in harmony with nature.

But Ereneth was more human than any other elf.

She made up her mind—

She would, without fail, see Ghislain again.

Amid the awkward silence, Astion suddenly cried out with joy,

“Hey! I finally took my body back! I’ve got full control again! Aren’t you happy for me?”

Julien, Deneb, and Kyle smiled.

But their smiles were laced with sadness.

The joy of seeing their friend again, and the sorrow of losing another—those two emotions coexisted in that moment.

Astion tried to keep up a proud, smug expression.

“Don’t be so down, everyone. From now on, I’ll be the one to lead you all. So going forward—”

But his voice faltered, and the corners of his mouth began to droop.

“So… so I’ll… sniff…”

In the end, Astion lowered his head and burst into tears.

Among them all, he had spent the most time with Ghislain and Dark.

He had shared a body with Ghislain—they were soulmates in the truest sense.

And now, he felt immense loss.

It was like half of his soul had been torn away.

That emptiness hurt so much, it felt like his heart was being carved out.

The friend who had always stood strong and led them…was no longer by his side.

Even if he wanted to see him—he couldn’t.

And so Astion…cried like a child for the entire day.

[…And just like how Ghislain had suddenly appeared in our lives one day—he suddenly left us, just the same.]

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