The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 197

Chapter 197: You Sent Me a Very Nice Gift (2)

Max pleaded his case, sounding as if he were wronged.

“We didn’t neglect the request on purpose. Besides, by convention, in situations like this, the client’s objective is considered achieved, so it’s normal to let it slide.”

They hadn’t slacked off. They had rushed as quickly as they could, diligently preparing for any unforeseen accidents.

Still, considering it was a siege, they had assumed there would be plenty of time.

But when they arrived, the war had ended much faster than anticipated. By the time they got there, everyone was already cleaning up the battlefield.

In this situation, there wasn’t much they could do. All they could do was feel relieved that Baron Fenris was alive, as the client had wished.

However, Ghislain relentlessly pursued the issue.

“I was surrounded at the gates and almost died! Did you rescue me when I was in danger or not?”

“Ah, no, we didn’t.”

Honestly, they weren’t even sure if it had been a dangerous situation. But since he claimed it was, they had no choice but to acknowledge it.

“So, did you fulfill the request properly or not?”

“Ah, I guess not. But we really didn’t expect the war to end so quickly…”

“Then shouldn’t you at least do something to earn your pay? What’s this, scamming my associates? Huh?”

Faced with Ghislain’s scolding, Max and the troubleshooters were at a loss for words. They felt wronged but couldn’t refute what he was saying.

What made it worse was that the clients in question were Rosalyn, the daughter of the Marquis of Branford, and Countess Mariel, a major player among the noblewomen.

If this madman spouted nonsense and fell out of their favor, they could kiss their business goodbye.

Caught in a siege, escape wasn’t an option either. Their only choice was to appease the other party and make it out of there.

“We’ll, um, offer you a discount for your next request and do a better job.”

“Next time? What next time? Are you telling me to get into danger again? And what, you’re acting like it’s some grand gesture to offer a discount? Half off is the bare minimum!”

They had never agreed to half off.

‘This bastard… He’s completely unreasonable… It might be better to just ask what he wants.’

“Then, what do you want us to do?” Max asked cautiously.

Only then did Ghislain respond in a gentler tone.

“For starters, help clean up the battlefield here, and lend a hand with some tasks in our estate. We need some muscle for the heavy lifting.”

That much didn’t seem too difficult. Fighting with a crazy noble was far worse than spending a bit of time.

“Fine, we’ll help for a few days before heading back.”

With dejected expressions, Max and the troubleshooters began assisting the soldiers.

They really intended to help for only a few days as a formality and then leave. However, Ghislain had a different idea.

‘Since they look strong, I should use them for as long as possible. I’ll just calculate their wages as laborers.’

The money received from Rosalyn and Mariel was probably no less than several thousand gold coins. Considering the level of danger involved, that amount made sense.

To deduct it as wages for the laborers, even at a generous rate, these troubleshooters would need to work for years to make up the difference.

As the troubleshooters moved off to find tasks to do, only the young-looking priest was left standing awkwardly.

The priest, observing the situation, spoke nervously.

“Well, in that case, I’ll be on my way…”

Without even looking at him, Ghislain nonchalantly scratched his ear as he replied. Still, recognizing the priest’s status, he responded with a bit more courtesy than he had shown to the troubleshooters.

“You seem very young for a priest. What’s your name?”

“I… I’m Piote. I serve Juana, the goddess of beauty and abundance.”

“The goddess of beauty, Juana? Don’t her followers typically despise warzones and unclean places?”

Piote hesitated briefly before answering.

“Well… the Countess of Aylesbur has donated a lot to our church and is quite close to us. She made a special request for me to come here.”

Hearing that name, Ghislain nodded in understanding.

If there was one thing Mariel had mastered, it was “beauty.” She had been among the first to recognize the value of cosmetics, after all.

Given her devotion to beauty, it was no surprise that she had ties with Juana’s church.

With Mariel’s authority, wealth, and connections, sending a single priest to a battlefield would have been effortless.

“I see. That makes sense. Regardless, it must have been tough for you to come to such a rough place.”

“Yes… thank you. Then I’ll just…”

“And where do you think you’re going? Surely you were paid as well, right? Like those guys earlier, you need to earn your keep.”

At that, Piote’s face contorted with an expression of grievance.

“I didn’t receive any money.”

“What? Are you seriously claiming that a priest wouldn’t take payment?”

“I swear to the goddess! I didn’t receive a single coin! I’m not that kind of person!”

Even the most corrupt priests rarely dared to invoke their deity’s name when lying.

Ghislain, perplexed, scrutinized the priest standing before him.

He didn’t take the money? In this day and age, a priest who volunteered without payment? That meant he couldn’t be coerced into staying.

‘That doesn’t make sense. There’s no way such a priest exists.’

Narrowing his eyes, Ghislain finally took a closer look at Piote.

With his light pink hair, small build, and delicate features, he looked more like someone you’d describe as “pretty” than “reliable.” When Ghislain stared at him, the timid priest lowered his head shyly, his demeanor making it clear he lacked confidence.

The skin was pale and smooth, giving the impression of someone who had never endured hardship and had grown up sheltered within a temple.

‘Someone like this coming to a dangerous battlefield for money doesn’t suit them at all…’

It was suspicious, especially since they weren’t someone Mariel would typically choose.

‘And they don’t seem like the type to sacrifice themselves in the name of spreading the goddess’s will either… Normally, priests follow the custom of sending others who are paid directly for such tasks.’

After pondering for a moment, Ghislain came to a realization, his face lighting up with excitement.

‘Jackpot! Jackpot! I’ve finally found a proper priest!’

In most northern territories, priests capable of using divine power didn’t reside permanently. At best, traveling missionaries would roam the region to spread doctrine.

Priests with the ability to wield divine power were rare, to begin with. Outside of a great lord’s domain or a major city like the capital, it was nearly impossible to encounter one.

It was for this reason that Gillian had been unwilling to leave Raypold in his efforts to heal his daughter.

But if Ghislain’s hunch was correct, they might be able to keep this priest in the territory for quite some time.

“Let’s be honest here. Someone else took the money, didn’t they? Some bigshot took it on your behalf, and now you’re stuck here, aren’t you? I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner—this is just standard procedure for priests.”

“Ugh…”

Piote couldn’t answer. Trying to act pure and righteous had inadvertently revealed the truth.

The temple in Cardenia, naturally, housed high-ranking clergy, including an archbishop.

No matter how influential Mariel and Rosalyn were, they couldn’t easily send such esteemed priests to a dangerous, remote territory.

As expected, a high-ranking priest had taken the money and sent a low-ranking temple priest in their place, likely under the pretense of giving them some early field experience before being dispatched elsewhere.

Feeling deeply aggrieved, the innocent Piote finally spoke up.

“T-that’s true, but I can’t stay here. I must return to the temple.”

He didn’t want to be trapped here like a fixer for hire.

From a young age, Piote had been surrounded only by the best—eating well, dressing well, and seeing only the good in the world. But the outside world was nothing like he had imagined.

‘The world outside the temple is hell. I need to go back.’

On his way here, he had passed through many villages. Seeing the destitute poor who lived there, Piote had thought as much.

But even that perspective had been naive. The battlefield was true hell. It was on an entirely different level compared to the territories he had passed through before arriving.

All around, the groans of the wounded echoed amidst the piles of corpses. Each time Piote saw knights and soldiers wandering around, drenched in blood, they looked more like demons than men.

He barely managed to suppress his nausea, while the lord standing before him laughed, his clothes soaked in blood.

‘Ugh… How can someone laugh in a situation like this? The world outside the temple is terrifying. It’s full of incomprehensible people.’

They all seemed like demons. This place was surely the devil’s lair.

Ghislain smirked as he watched the innocent priest squirm with desperation, wanting nothing more than to leave.

“Alright then, go ahead and leave. I can’t stop someone as important as you from going back.”

“Really? Then… then I’ll leave right away.”

“But I wonder if you’ll make it back safely on your own. I wish you peace on your journey.”

“W-wait, what?”

It was only then that reality hit Piote, leaving him utterly flustered.

The world was filled with monsters and bandits that roamed freely. Cities and villages had to be surrounded by walls or palisades for protection.

In such a world, how could an inexperienced, non-combatant priest like him hope to make it back to the capital alone?

The chances of him being killed or kidnapped the moment he stepped outside the castle walls were nearly 100%. Especially for someone like him—a man with a delicate, pretty face—he would be in even greater danger.

‘No, this can’t happen. I… I can’t go back alone!’

When he had come here, he’d been accompanied by reliable mercenaries, which had put his mind at ease.

They had encountered monsters and bandits several times along the way, but the mercenaries had dealt with them easily.

Left with no other choice, Piote, on the verge of tears, lowered his head toward Ghislain.

“Lord, please assign me a guard.”

“How much are you willing to pay?”

“W-what? Pay? You’re asking for money? But I’m a priest!”

“Where in the world is anything free? You priests were paid to send someone in your place, weren’t you? I’m not running a charity here.”

“T-that may be true, but…”

Once again, Piote was taken aback. While he had seen many nobles donate to the temple, this was the first time someone had tried to extort money from him.

Normally, people went out of their way to gain favor with the temple, offering generous donations to stay on its good side.

With no other options, Piote bowed his head even lower.

“Please, I beg you. If you help me get back safely, I’ll repay your kindness someday.”

‘As soon as I get back, I’ll never look back at this place again!’

But Ghislain wasn’t the type to fall for empty words. He shook his head firmly.

“I’d love to help, but we’re short on manpower ourselves. If you really can’t go back alone, why don’t you wait and leave with the group heading back later?”

“Ugh…”

In other words, Ghislain had no intention of letting him go easily. If Piote wanted safe passage, he’d have to work for it first.

Faced with the reality that his life would be in danger if he left alone, Piote had no choice but to nod tearfully in agreement.

The problem-solver friends might have been captured for an unknown duration.

However, Ghislain thought that wasn’t enough, so he added a touch of intimidation.

“Oh, and if you decide to escape through some other route or don’t work hard enough, I’ll spread some big rumors.”

“R-Rumors? What kind of rumors?”

“That you ran off after siphoning money from the Juana Order. That would cause significant trouble for everyone involved, wouldn’t it? And you know well who backs me up.”

Piote’s face turned ash.

Temples had a hierarchy even stricter than the magic towers.

If a high priest had to suffer because of a low-ranking priest like him, they wouldn’t just let it go.

Being confined to a monastery for life would be the best-case scenario. More likely, he’d be banished to a far worse and more dangerous place.

“Uh, uh… wait a moment…”

He glanced up, hoping to plead his case, but his counterpart was grinning wickedly.

This guy had to be the commander of demons himself. And he, Piote, was undoubtedly undergoing a trial sent by the goddess.

Faith, after all… was something to be proven by overcoming such trials.

“…I’ll do my best.”

“Good. I look forward to working with you. Let’s drop the formalities and speak comfortably like friends, shall we? We’ll be spending a lot of time together; being stiff all the time would be too cold, don’t you think?”

“Uh… Sure. Whatever makes you comfortable… I’m fine with this…”

“Ah, you don’t have to be so formal. Anyway, let’s get along well. First, tend to the wounded. We’re short on doctors here in the estate.”

And just like that, he moved straight into giving orders. Piote had never met a noble this unruly in his entire life.

Being treated like this for the first time, Piote’s eyes brimmed with tears.

But there was nothing he could do. He felt that crossing this blood-soaked monster’s temper would cost him his head.

“Yes…”

Piote stumbled as he moved toward the injured.

If nothing else, divine power was unmatched for healing injuries and revitalizing the weary. A priest was essentially a walking, high-grade potion.

What’s more, after some rest, they could recharge automatically.

An auto-recharging potion? It was like a pile of cash rolling in. Its pink glow even made it look pretty.

Though he was just a low-ranking priest with limited divine power, he was still far more valuable than a mage.

‘Wow, this is an unexpected gain. I need to keep him around as long as possible. He’s so naive he’ll probably follow instructions well. The two of them sent me an excellent gift. What luck.’

Not only had he gained ten sturdy laborers, but also a top-tier talent in the form of a priest.

He couldn’t help but feel grateful toward Mariel and Rosalyn for this fortune.

“Well then, let’s handle the rest of them now.”

Grinning, Ghislain headed toward the lord’s castle with a few knights.

By the time they arrived, news had already reached the castle. A white flag fluttered above, and Count Cabaldi’s top retainers and administrators were gathered, waiting for them.

Their faces were pale with fear as they bowed.

“Greetings to the new lord.”

“We were merely following Count Cabaldi’s orders.”

“We’ve opened the storage fully. Everything here now belongs to you, Baron.”

“We will dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to serving you from now on.”

Ghislain scanned them.

These were the people who had profited alongside Count Cabaldi and then latched onto Count Desmond. They had done the same in his previous life, and they were doing it now.

At the start of the war, they had been brimming with confidence. They must have even hoped to seize Fenris, secure its food supplies, and dominate.

Now, those same people stared at him with desperate eyes, begging to live.

“Hmm.”

After a few nonchalant nods, Ghislain turned to Gillian beside him.

“Imprison all the low-ranking officials. Their charges will be reviewed later, and their fates decided.”

“Understood.”

“And as for the retainers who held important positions in the territory…”

Ghislain swept his gaze over them, his eyes cold as ice.

“Kill them all.”