The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

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Chapter 616: Now, In This Dream. (3)

It seems somewhat like the puzzle is coming together.

The Hero and the Saint sacrificed themselves to seal the Demon Realm.

However, for those left behind, it would have been uneasy to leave the Demon Realm unchecked. They needed someone to watch over that place, which had now turned into the Forest of Monsters.

The founding king, the leader of the Shadow Knight Group, and the ancestor of Perdium.

These three people united to establish the kingdom. And the ancestor of Perdium must have kept the closest watch over the Forest of Monsters.

Over time, Perdium presumably fell into decline and became a border noble, tasked with guarding the northern front.

This was probably the most plausible hypothesis.

“Hmm, then what about the Shadow Knight Group?”

—I don’t know much either. Just that they were another ‘king’ of this nation…

—They chose to hide their identities. They became the ones who govern the night of this kingdom.

—There’s nothing, absolutely nothing. It’s said that people at that time deliberately erased all records.

Many documents were lost. Even Berhem, the king of Ruthania, did not know the exact identity of the Shadow Knight Group.

The masked woman was incredibly strong. Moreover, as she was a companion of the founding king, it wouldn’t have been difficult for her to become another king.

Thus, the royal family had focused on weakening the power of the Shadow Knight Group throughout generations.

—The Shadow Knight Group had no interest in power. They were solely focused on protecting the royal family.

“So… did they come together because of the Sacred Relic?”

I had suspected something similar at that time. The royal family seemed to be trying to hide the Sacred Relic in every way possible, while the Shadow Knight Group seemed to be guarding it.

There were still many unanswered questions. Now, I couldn’t just let it slide like before.

If the rumor of the ‘great adversary’ being revived is true, then ultimately I would have to fight him.

Yet, I didn’t feel an urgent sense of pressure. I was gradually uncovering the truth through dreams. And thanks to that, I was growing.

There were still undisclosed points, but it seemed that they intentionally hid what I shouldn’t know just yet. So, I could afford to wait patiently.

“Anyway, this means our family is deeply connected to the war a thousand years ago.”

Discovering the secret of Perdium was also a significant gain. I had even found our family’s lost vision.

If Zvalter knew this, he would surely be overjoyed, but explaining how I found it this time was quite awkward.

“Hmm, since I’m going to improve it anyway… I’ll just say I figured it out myself.”

As always, I could just brush it off. Everyone was likely to have less information than Ghislaine himself, so they wouldn’t question it.

What was important right now was the Forest of Monsters.

The Forest of Monsters was much more important than I initially thought. I had a hunch that all the secrets would be in that place, once called the Demon Realm.

“At first, I just touched it to make money quickly…”

How could it be such an important location?

Now I could finally understand why the Duke Delphine Faction sacrificed so much in their previous lives to develop it.

The Forest of Monsters was their sacred ground, where the body of the Demon God lay, and the source of power used by the Salvation Society was also there.

There must have been other pursuits, but just this revealed fact was refreshing.

From my previous life to now, I had suspected there had to be a reason behind the Duke Faction’s obsession with the Forest of Monsters, but… I couldn’t know the exact reason.

“Speaking of which… did that mark have that meaning?”

The map I had obtained in my previous life had the central part of the Forest of Monsters shaded in black.

At first, I thought it just indicated a place with no resources or an unexplored area. After discovering the plots of the Duke Faction, I suspected there was some secret hidden there.

Now, I had a bit of an inkling. It wasn’t marked carelessly because there were no resources or because it was nothing special.

“Maybe that place is… the most important location for them. Perhaps the body of the Demon God is there or something.”

Honestly, I didn’t really believe a divine corpse existed. There was a high possibility it was just a metaphor or a simple fabrication.

However, whatever its identity, it was certain there was something important to the Salvation Society there.

“I must continue to explore the Forest of Monsters.”

It was different from when I first explored the forest. Now, there were superhumans and high-ranking knights aplenty within the continent’s strongest army.

The fighting power was far superior to the Duke Delphine Faction, which had explored the forest in the last life. Plus, I also had the records from my previous life.

If I properly prepared, I could sweep through in an instant.

So, I just needed to safely finish the Dragon Hunt.

Ghislaine mentally organized the new facts he had just learned.

Though there were still many deficiencies, I would gradually unravel the secrets. I felt a belief that the Saint’s dream would assist me.

It was my choice to make, but the dream would show me the paths I could take.

However, there was one thing weighing on my mind.

“The Hero’s companions united to establish Ruthania. The founding king, the leader of the Shadow Knight Group, and Perdium.”

There was one point that differed from what I knew.

There was an incongruous figure in that group, one that didn’t fit at all.

Berhem had clearly said this:

>— One of the three families that founded the kingdom!

In the ‘three families’ he mentioned, Perdium was not included.

— The founding king and the leader of the Shadow Knight Group’s family, along with the Duke Delphine Faction, established this kingdom together! The three families agreed to share the same authority!

The Duke Delphine Faction was included in those words instead of Perdium.

— Therefore, the duke’s rank was only granted to the Duke Delphine Faction in this kingdom. And the duke had the power to overturn the royal family if needed!

If Ghislaine’s guess was correct, then the power Perdium was supposed to hold was possessed by the Duke Delphine Faction instead.

Upon realizing this, Ghislaine’s eyes narrowed.

“What exactly is the Duke Delphine Faction?”

*

A small, frail old man wiped the blood from his gloves.

Before him lay dozens of corpses.

None showed signs of having fought back or resisted. The wounds weren’t severe either, just small injuries to the neck or the heart.

It was a scene that anyone could tell had resulted in a swift massacre.

While the old man wiped his hands indifferently, a group arrived.

The old man bowed politely.

“It’s a humble place, but please rest comfortably, Your Highness.”

He was the butler of the Duke Delphine Faction, who had moved with Erlhardt.

Erlhardt spoke with a gentle smile.

“How long do you plan to call me that?”

“You are the only one I address in such a manner.”

At those words, Erlhardt let out a hearty laugh. The old butler’s loyalty was truly unwavering.

“Indeed, who could dissuade your stubbornness? But did you really need to take care of such matters personally? You could have just sent the knights.”

Around Erlhardt were twenty knights. They were originally the knights guarding Duke Linster, but in reality, they were the Temple Knights of the Salvation Society.

They followed Gathros, the priest of the Church, not Duke Linster. That was why they didn’t move at all even when Duke Linster was killed.

In response to Erlhardt’s question, the old man slightly bowed his head.

“I always managed Your Highness’s chambers, have I not? It’s only natural for me to do so.”

At those words, Erlhardt simply smiled.

To him, that butler was more of a parent than his actual parents. Since he was a child, he had cared for him with utmost devotion.

The old man had always meticulously looked after his bed. Erlhardt could never dissuade that stubbornness.

“Yes, yes. You’ve always been like that. But since you’re getting older, don’t overdo it. You should be by my side for a long time.”

“I will keep that in mind, Your Highness.”

Erlhardt looked at the old man with a gaze that was warmer than usual.

It was an unexpected sight for someone who had just killed his collateral relatives, cousins, and family.

“I don’t wish for complete freedom just yet.”

At Erlhardt’s murmured words, the old man bowed his head slightly deeper.

The place they were in was deep in the mountains, a hideout that had been a stronghold for bandits. It seemed they were quite influential as there were stockades and quite a few wooden houses suitable for humans to stay in.

Among them, Erlhardt, Gathros, and only the old man entered the largest and best-maintained one.

The remaining knights only kept watch around or looked ahead.

The old man soon served tea in front of the comfortably seated Erlhardt. He was truly a thoroughly prepared individual.

Erlhardt naturally drank the tea. He was far too composed for someone who was escaping from the allied forces.

Erlhardt, savoring the tea, asked Gathros.

“What’s our next schedule?”

“News of our defeat has likely reached everyone. If we go to the hiding place, the surviving priests will come to find us.”

“I see.”

There was a quiet village at the far western edge of the continent. That place was the final hiding spot left for the Salvation Society. The surviving high priests would gather there without fail.

Unfortunately, not all their followers knew that place. Only those who had faithfully believed in the Salvation Society for generations knew about it, so not many could gather.

Watching Erlhardt enjoy his tea leisurely, Gathros carefully asked.

“Have your memories returned a bit more?”

“Yeah. Little by little, the memories from a thousand years ago are seeping back.”

“Thank goodness.”

“However, that’s not me. It’s merely the power and memories that have been passed down and arranged for a long time.”

“……”

“I am me. And I have my own path. Do not forget that, Gathros.”

“……I will remember.”

A flicker of anxiety crossed Gathros’s face.

Erlhardt was an important figure in the Church. He had painstakingly sought him out after studying ancient scriptures and folklore to awaken his mission.

Yet, despite realizing his mission, he remained oddly relaxed. Unlike them, he wasn’t in a hurry.

He also occasionally made comments that denied his own identity.

Seeing Erlhardt, who was supposed to spearhead the search for the king and the Church’s complete revival, it was no wonder Gathros was anxious.

Putting down his teacup, Erlhardt asked.

“I intended to accelerate the plan, but it ended up causing more problems. In the end, I have no choice but to leave it to fate. I believe your Highness has arranged what is recorded in the scriptures. What is the next omen?”

Gathros took out an extremely old book from his bosom. He carefully turned the pages with a reverent demeanor.

Soon, he fixed his gaze on a certain page and spoke.

“The End’s White Dragon will reveal itself. From that point on, the resurrection of the king will be hastened even more.”

“Hmph, I see.”

Erlhardt nodded without any visible reaction.

He recalled the painting that hung in his castle Eclipse.

That painting depicted an oddly shaped monster that seemed like a mix between a dragon and a snake, trampling and devouring people.

It was a painting he commissioned from a skilled artist after dreaming a prophetic dream.

Erlhardt enjoyed appreciating that painting, as it was connected to him.

On the day his castle was besieged, the Penris Army surely saw that painting. But could they really connect it to the events that would unfold?

There’s no way! That was a future only he knew!

As his thoughts led to this point, Erlhardt found himself puzzled.

“How could a preordained future change?”

He didn’t think his dreams were wrong. It was a divine revelation. Everything was undoubtedly unfolding as it had in his dream.

Yet, at some point, it had changed.

What exactly happened?

Could humans really alter the future?

Erlhardt muttered to himself.

“The king and I have made many arrangements. We dropped the dragon from the sky, trampled the elves and dwarves, concealed the truth, and blocked human eyes and ears.”

Everything was perfect. He only had to wait for the promised day.

It was already a predetermined event, a foretold occurrence.

But for some reason, somewhere along the way, everything had twisted and turned into chaos.

And that was all due to a single person.

“The Duke of Penris.”

The demon that appeared in his dream ultimately overturned everything. He still couldn’t believe that he could change a preordained future.

— You know something, don’t you? That’s not an ordinary person’s reaction.

When Erlhardt spoke about dreams, the Duke of Penris accepted it as if he knew something.

That was why Erlhardt couldn’t help but be curious.

“Duke of Penris… what exactly are you?”

He had been troubled by that since then, yet no answers had come. How could a mere human undermine divine revelations?

Erlhardt glanced down at his hands.

Crack.

The black energy clustered and vanished. Perhaps it was because the king had not yet been resurrected? It seemed a bit more time was needed.

To awaken all the powers of the ‘Apostle.’