The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Just Once More, For the World (1)

At the heart of the Demonic Abyss stood a colossal city. It was the dwelling place of the people of the Salvation Church.

This city was composed of buildings that differed significantly from the existing architectural styles of the continent. That was because the Salvation Church, having long been isolated from humanity, had developed its own distinct civilization.

Mingling with the ever-swirling darkness in the sky, the city exuded an eerie and grotesque atmosphere.

There was no one left here now. Even the elderly and children had been mobilized for this war.

They were, by nature, fanatics.

They regarded martyrdom for their god as a sacred duty. That was why most of them had died in battle, and those who survived had scattered and fled on the king’s orders.

At the center of the city stood an enormous altar. According to ancient myth, the corpse of the Demon God lay beneath it.

It was believed across the continent that the energy emanating from the Demon God's corpse formed the Demonic Abyss, and that the lingering thought of the Demon God spread throughout the world, compelling others to follow his will.

Arterion looked around the altar with a satisfied smile.

"At last, I can finally seal this cursed place."

Even when he had been born, the world was at war with the Demonic Abyss. The previous Lord, and the one before that, had been the same.

No one knew how long this war had raged. It had been this way since the distant, forgotten past.

In the meantime, the world had been reduced to ruins countless times and had rebuilt civilization atop the ashes each time.

Had the Dragons not preserved the wisdom of the past, humanity would have long since perished.

That was how relentless the war against the Demonic Abyss had always been. In some ways, the Great War this time could be considered a relatively easy victory.

"All thanks to the Saintess and the Hero. And even the fledglings who fought alongside them."

What would have happened if they hadn't been there?

The mere thought was horrifying. Humanity would have been helplessly overrun, unable to hold back the Adversary and the Apostles.

Even the Dragons might have been wiped out. That was how powerful the Adversary had been.

"It feels like just yesterday that I was training in the Land of Extreme Cold… and yet, so much time has passed."

Arterion closed his eyes and nodded. Even among the long years of his life, those times remained fond memories.

"Astion… truth be told, that guy was truly remarkable."

He had led his comrades without the slightest fear against the Dragons and claimed what he desired in the end.

Thanks to him, the Hero’s party had grown to such strength. People might not know, but it wouldn’t be wrong to call Astion the true hero of this victory.

"But something feels off."

Arterion murmured, narrowing his eyes.

"The Astion I saw again after the Adversary appeared... he wasn't the same man he used to be. What could've happened during the battle with the Pope?"

At the time, Arterion had heard the details from Derk Nine, who had fought against the Adversary.

As expected, Astion had played a crucial role in that battle as well. Without him, even with the Saintess present, they wouldn't have been able to defeat the Adversary.

But when Arterion met Astion again afterward, he had changed completely.

"He really became someone else. The imposing aura he used to give off had weakened, and even the thick stench of blood that seemed etched into his soul had completely vanished. Could it be that the Adversary did something to him?"

The Adversary’s darkness had the ability to penetrate its opponent. Arterion had realized during his fight against the Adversary that the darkness wasn’t simply energy.

It was a darkness that could consume its target—just like the priests of the Salvation Church who had been swallowed by the lingering thought of the Demon God.

So, it was only natural that Arterion harbored suspicions about Astion, who had changed after confronting the Adversary.

"Hmm... but even so, he fought too hard for over ten years. And thanks to the strategies he devised, the war was constantly fought to the disadvantage of the Demonic Abyss."

If he had been consumed by the Adversary’s energy, he wouldn’t have fought with such devotion. He would have betrayed them at a critical moment.

But in the end, the United Human Army had triumphed, and the Adversary was extinguished. Which made Astion’s transformation all the more inexplicable.

Arterion’s eyes, lost in thought for a moment, settled into a cold calm.

"Well... maybe it doesn’t matter anymore. The war is over, after all."

There were still a few things he had in mind. He’d act based on how the situation developed.

Standing in front of the altar, Arterion passed the time lost in thought. Before long, a group approached the altar.

Not all the allied forces could come. The sealing ritual was a delicate operation that had to be carried out with extreme care.

Following the words of the Dragon Lord, each faction had brought only their most essential personnel.

Julien and Deneb brought just a few key Transcendents and officers from the Julien Mercenary Corps.

They included Astion, Lionel, Tyran, Osval, and fifty of the top-tier mercenaries.

Ilaniel brought five Elf Elders and ten Elves, while Grondal arrived with three Dwarf Leaders and twenty Dwarf warriors.

All the former Elf Elders and Dwarf Leaders had died during the war. Those who came now were newly risen Transcendents.

Lastly, the Pope, Porisco, arrived along with six Cardinals, priests, and knights of the Holy Empire. Their number was around one hundred.

Though they were all allies and there was no reason to fight, no one knew what might happen at the altar. That was why everyone had brought only Transcendents with them.

But Astion’s thoughts differed slightly from the others’.

‘If anything even slightly dangerous or suspicious happens, we have to stop.’

To him, this moment was more important than the war itself. That was because he had heard from Ghislain that Julien and Deneb had died while sealing the Demonic Abyss.

Of course, he didn’t know for certain whether it was directly because of the sealing process. It could have simply been that they died during the overall operation.

Maybe Julien had died while fighting the Adversary, or perhaps the two of them had died due to something entirely unrelated to the sealing.

That was why Astion had no choice but to be cautious—because he didn’t know the exact reason.

‘I’ve already explained everything to the others, but...’

The mercenaries who had followed Astion wore visible signs of tension.

If danger arose during the sealing process and Astion tried to intervene, the Dragons might stop him.

In that case, the mercenaries had planned to risk their lives to help Deneb escape.

If such a situation occurred, there was no way the Dragons would just sit by, and there was even less guarantee that things could be resolved through negotiation. That’s why everyone was on edge.

‘It’s okay. Ilaniel and Grondal are here with us.’

Since the Holy Empire didn’t view them favorably, it might turn a blind eye even if Julien or Deneb were in danger. But the others would strongly support the Julien Mercenary Corps.

After all, thanks to them, the Elven Forest and Valskrum had been spared from destruction.

Putting the past aside, Ilaniel and Grondal were righteous and fair individuals.

‘Arterion... please don’t resort to any strange tricks.’

In the end, the greatest threat to them at this gathering was the Dragons.

Astion sincerely hoped the Dragons wouldn’t attempt a reckless sealing ritual.

Julien and Deneb were just as tense as Astion. They had also heard that they might be the ones to be sacrificed.

To prepare for that danger, Ghislain had trained them even more rigorously than in the original timeline—so they could escape no matter what danger arose.

But there was no way to know if that preparation was enough. Most of all, they had no idea what kind of danger they would even face.

That was why Julien spoke to Arterion with a resolute expression.

“I understand that the Sacred Stones are necessary for the sealing, and that Deneb must use her power to wield them. But if Deneb is put in danger, you must halt the ritual and find another way.”

“Do not worry. It’s not as dangerous as you think. If all goes as I intend, no one will be harmed.”

Though Arterion replied with a gentle smile, Julien couldn’t let his guard down.

Only Arterion held knowledge of the sealing ritual.

In the heavy silence, Arterion slowly opened his mouth to speak.

"Sealing the Demonic Abyss isn’t actually all that difficult. We have the Sacred Stones, and we have the Saintess who can wield their power."

Arterion continued as he looked around at everyone.

"A long time ago—so long ago that even we surviving Dragons consider it a myth—there was a battle between the Goddesses and the Demon God. It’s a story everyone knows."

"The Goddesses were victorious. As the rightful rulers of this world, it was only natural. But the Demon God was a being of overwhelming might. Even after losing his power while forcibly opening a dimensional gate, he still managed to annihilate the physical forms of the Goddesses on his own."

"The soul of the Demon God returned to the great flow of the universe. But his body remained cast over the earth, never fading, continually spreading his wicked lingering thought across the world."

Arterion pointed his finger beneath the altar.

"They say the Demon God’s corpse lies below this altar, in the darkness of the bottomless abyss. Of course, no one has ever confirmed it directly."

Then he extended his hand toward the sky.

"But look. The energy of the Demon God is indeed pouring out endlessly from this place. That energy continues to spread even now, as if it could devour the world at any moment."

"This darkness can only be seen within the Demonic Abyss. Once you leave, it’s invisible. But everyone knows that this energy has already spread far and wide throughout the world. That’s why people continue to fall under its influence and enter the Demonic Abyss."

"You may not know this... but long ago, there were several attempts to stop that energy from spreading. These records have been passed down only among the Dragons."

Suddenly, Arterion looked at Deneb and smiled.

"People now call you the first Saintess, but in truth, you are not the first. No one in the world knows, but... in the Dragons’ records, there is mention of another Saintess."

"..."

Deneb’s eyes trembled noticeably.

Why was he only saying this now?

It wasn’t something that needed to be hidden.

On the contrary, it would have been more helpful if he had explained what had happened back then—why they failed to seal the Demonic Abyss despite having a Saintess.

Julien also sensed something was off and moved his hand to the hilt of his sword. Astion furrowed his brows and quietly began drawing in mana.

Arterion, undisturbed by their growing vigilance, continued speaking calmly.

"Of course, I didn’t witness it myself. I only learned of it through the records that have been secretly passed down. It was then I learned that the Demonic Abyss could be sealed."

"But no one knew when such an opportunity would come again. A Saintess was not a being who appeared easily. For all we know, countless Saintesses might have been born throughout the ages, only to die in obscurity without anyone ever knowing."

"Some may have appeared during times when the Demonic Abyss lay dormant, others may have died before awakening their power. The fact that the Saintess of this age survived and awakened her strength… in some ways, one could call it sheer luck. Don’t you agree?"

At those words, Deneb gave a small nod.

Had it not been for her friends, she would have remained nothing more than a minor priestess in some rural backwater. Or perhaps she would have failed to endure the harshness of this world and perished long ago.

Hadn’t it been her friends who helped her overcome countless crises?

To have come this far was nothing short of the grace of divinity—a miracle itself.

Arterion turned his gaze back to Deneb. His eyes now brimmed with an unknowable ecstasy.

"When I heard that a Saintess had appeared once again, I was filled with anticipation, but truthfully, I was more worried. Sealing the Demonic Abyss is the destiny placed upon the Dragons, but it has always been a daunting task."

His eyes slowly shifted to Julien, to Astion, to Lionel, and to the Julien Mercenary Corps.

"But when I saw your friends, I became certain this time would be different—that we could succeed. Unlike the Saintess of the previous era, who failed."

"..."

Deneb’s face was filled only with bewilderment.

Why was he so certain that she would succeed because of her friends?

Why had the Saintess of the previous age failed?

Deneb had no idea what Arterion truly meant.

But when he continued, she began to glimpse the cruel truth behind his words.

Arterion spoke with a merciless smile.

"The Saintess of the previous era had no one—no true friends to share her heart with, no family, no beloved, nothing at all. Which means… she had no weaknesses that could bind her."

"..."

A shiver ran down Deneb’s entire body.

The air around them grew unbearably heavy. Everyone understood what Arterion’s words implied.

Pointing toward the altar, Arterion spoke to Deneb.

"Saintess, it was thanks to you that we triumphed in the war against the Demonic Abyss. For that, we Dragons hold infinite reverence toward you. And so, now…"

His eyes gleamed with a chilling light.

"Just once more, for the sake of the world—you must make a sacrifice."

The moment those words left his mouth, Julien drew his sword.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!