The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

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Chapter 618: Why Don’t You Know How to Talk? (2)

Just taking things by force is being a robber. Ghislaine absolutely did not consider herself a robber.

She always had a rational personality, taking what was due and giving what was necessary. This situation was no different.

However, it seemed the commanders of the Allied Forces did not think the same way. So she decided to explain a bit more.

“We should receive compensation from those who are hoarding wealth while hiding away, don’t you think?”

“B-but they have already sincerely supported the war supplies…”

“Really?”

Ghislaine leaned forward a bit and asked again.

“Did they support us as much as we risk our lives to fight?”

“…”

There was no way that was true. Even with the kingdom in chaos from the rebellion, most nobles had fled with their riches.

For example, in the case of the Seiron Kingdom, which Claude had taken over, even the support supplies from Ruthania had been absconded.

Other kingdoms were not as extreme, but there were many nobles who pocketed their wealth.

They all hid their assets and feigned innocence while providing minimal support. For them, that was the right thing to do.

After all, it was uncertain when or how they would die.

Now, the situation had improved. They had to pay those who had risked their lives to protect them.

“…”

The commanders couldn’t say a word.

While what Ghislaine said was true, the problem was that they themselves would have to go and take the compensation. It would surely lead to a chaotic uproar.

Their positions could even become precarious. It was clear they would become direct enemies of the domestic nobles.

Why must they always be put in such difficult and troublesome situations!

Knowing the habits of nobles, Ghislaine smiled slyly and provided a justification.

“As the Commander of the Allied Forces, I must say this. With the war dragging on, we need to requisition a bit more supplies. Please ensure they are well delivered back home.”

This had been her intention from the start. Even when she had boldly proclaimed it to the soldiers, Ghislaine had thought they could just take what was lacking.

Marquis Alferen grumbled inwardly.

“I should have asked back then. I should have said not to do it.”

He truly regretted not asking out of fear of what the answer would have been.

No matter how justified her argument was, it was clear they would face fierce opposition.

Upon reaching this thought, he truly did not want to do it anymore. Just thinking about it made him exhausted.

The other commanders felt the same way. If they could simply ask and graciously receive what they needed, how peaceful the world would be.

The world was not like that. There was always fighting and chaos due to greed.

Marquis Alferen stepped forward to represent the others.

“It’s true that you make good points… but it’s not as easy as it sounds. Everyone will try their best not to give anything. If we’re not careful, it could escalate into another fight.”

Ghislaine responded with a disinterested expression.

“Then tell them to fight the dragons instead.”

“…”

“Oh, I’m too tired to do that.”

“…”

“Every time, it’s just me fighting up front. It’s really unfair the more I think about it.”

“…”

“Eh, I think I’ll just head back. You all handle it. Oh right, the mages we captured will be taken by us because we captured them.”

Ghislaine got up from her seat. The ones who became frantic were the commanders. Especially those close to the Kingdom of Turian.

“Hey! Wait a minute! Just because it’s hard, I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it!”

Upon one commander’s words, others chuckled awkwardly.

“Of course, of course. Helping out in the fight against the dragons is just the right thing to do.”

“If we don’t, it means we’ll all die.”

“That means we’d be traitors.”

They all forced smiles while trying to dissuade Ghislaine. Ghislaine sat back down, beaming.

“Ah, it seems I misunderstood again. I tend to be a bit hasty, which is truly a problem. I got into trouble for it when I was younger, too.”

‘Not because you were dirty, right?’

‘Why do you always act on your own will?’

‘You never say it directly.’

Everyone wanted to cry. That guy was always making threats. He didn’t know the meaning of negotiation.

Marquis Alferen struggled to continue speaking.

“We do understand that we need to contribute to raising resources… but it seems it will take some time. We can’t just do it blindly; it should go through ‘conversation’…”

Tap.

Ghislaine smiled brightly and placed her sword on the table.

“This sword is named ‘Conversation.’ Once it’s out, nobody can fail to communicate.”

“…”

That meant to use force. No one here could misunderstand that.

Ghislaine, who had been grinning, suddenly stopped smiling. In a more serious tone, she said.

“They are soldiers who fought for the people, the kingdom, and even the world.”

“…”

“Is it that hard to give just a bit more in recompense to those who risked their lives fighting?”

“…”

“If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have been able to fight this war up until now. They were the first to step up and fight. Frankly, it wouldn’t be enough even if we gave them more. They are our comrades who fought alongside us, aren’t they?”

The commanders of the Allied Forces could say nothing. They simply listened to Ghislaine’s words with heavy expressions.

That was not the thinking of a noble. Seeing those who fought alongside them as comrades was the mindset of mercenaries.

It was at that moment that they recalled one of Ghislaine’s nicknames.

‘Mercenary King.’

Their way of thinking was entirely different.

However, they could not completely disregard the other side’s opinion, as their strength was overwhelmingly greater.

Moreover, their hearts had slightly changed from before.

Hadn’t they been fighting alongside the soldiers at the front lines until now? Now, they felt closer to the soldiers than to the nobles back home.

‘It’s not that they’re wrong.’

‘In the end, we have to see blood.’

‘There’s no helping it.’

They wanted to avoid the fight with the remaining nobles in the kingdom. Even now, they were facing numerous restraints and pressures.

It was different from bringing the mages. Now, they had to fight openly with the nobles within the kingdom.

But what could they do? The power was in their hands. And it was something that had to be done now.

Ghislaine nailed it down.

“Providing fair compensation is also a duty of the nobility. That is what we must do.”

“Understood.”

As Marquis Alferen nodded in agreement, the other commanders also expressed their consent.

Only Marquis Gideon looked at Yulien and asked.

“Are you okay with this?”

Yulien, who was already hated by his father, the king. This matter would lead the king and nobles to unite once again to ostracize Yulien.

However, as always, Yulien replied with an indifferent expression.

“I’m not talking about taking their personal property. I’m saying since we protected them, they should offer a fair reward. They just need to calculate correctly and pay up.”

With those words, Yulien closed his eyes. It signified his indifference to how the other side would respond.

Marquis Gideon let out a deep sigh.

‘The king will surely be furious again.’

Soldiers are consumables. Only the promised salary has to be paid. After that, whether they starve to death or fight to death, it was not the nobles’ concern.

But to demand compensation equivalent to the soldiers’ efforts? There would be plenty of backlash against this decision that strayed from existing customs.

However, Ghislaine made the decision and Yulien approved it. There was no way to impede it.

‘If push comes to shove, we’ll have to negotiate with the new land we just acquired.’

This would also be the spoils that would go back to the nobles and merchants who supported the war, so there could be some room for negotiation with it.

If necessary, they would have to use force, but they wanted to resolve this as peacefully as possible.

Thus, the meeting wrapped up, and everyone began preparing to withdraw their troops. The remaining army needed to focus on eliminating any remnants.

In the end, everything proceeded as Ghislaine desired. She wouldn’t feel guilty for extorting money since she would ultimately be the one paying the most.

“If we’ve fought with our lives, then we should receive adequate compensation.”

Her mindset, having lived as a mercenary for a long time, would inevitably clash continuously with the other nobles.

But Ghislaine did not think she was wrong. This was a truth she realized through direct experience.

While the soldiers prepared to withdraw, Ghislaine and other key figures entered an important meeting.

The topic of the meeting was straightforward: ‘How do we take down the dragon?’

“So if the mages neutralize the dragon’s magic, then Yulien and I will go first…”

“We also need to be careful about its breath. It will likely target the mages first during the fight…”

“Parniel will be with us, and the priests will hide behind the mages…”

Mainly, Ghislaine presented various strategies and modified them based on everyone’s feedback. Having caught a dragon in her previous life, she actively contributed ideas.

In her previous life, they had suffered greatly before finally capturing one due to a lack of information.

But this time was different. She was carefully planning and reviewing strategies based on her past experiences.

Piote, who had been quietly listening to the meeting, suddenly had a realization and his eyes widened.

‘Huh? Wait a minute…’

Looking around, it seemed everyone was forgetting an important point. Piote raised his hand slightly.

“Um…”

“Oh, so I’ll just slash with my twin swords, and both wings will just rip apart!”

“If the mages gather together, the damage will be great. We need to disperse and spread the mana barrier.”

“Then we also need to cast spells that interfere with the dragon’s perception so it doesn’t know…”

Everyone was too busy talking among themselves to pay Piote any mind. To be precise, they were too focused on the meeting to hear him clearly.

“Um…”

Piote timidly spoke up again, but no one listened.

He had always been excluded from the combat meetings. He mostly just moved as he was told.

It wasn’t just that he lacked expertise in strategies or tactics; he simply wasn’t interested in fighting.

However, now he kept raising his hand with a pained expression. It was a gesture pleading for someone to hear his words.

“Um…”

“Okay, so the dragon’s attack patterns will likely be…”

“Hey!”

“Hmm?”

Everyone turned in surprise to look at Piote. It was rare for him to raise his voice.

Ghislaine blinked and asked.

“What? Do you have a good strategy?”

Alfoy chimed in right next to him.

“Piote just thinks he can take the hits up front and then throw a goddess punch at the opportunity!”

“Ah, I get it. But before that, I have something to say…”

Ghislaine nodded.

“What is it? If you have a good strategy, just say it.”

“Well… everything is good, but… why is the meeting only proceeding towards fighting…?”

“What do you mean? The dragon is coming to attack us first.”

“No, I mean… how about trying to talk with the dragon before we fight?”

Tap.

Ghislaine pulled her sword out and placed it on the meeting table.

“This friend’s name is ‘Conversation.’ It’s someone who communicates exceptionally well with dragons. It doesn’t discriminate between races.”

“That’s a sword! I’m talking about real conversation!”

“Hmm.”

Ghislaine crossed her arms and looked at Piote. Everyone else did the same.

They couldn’t comprehend what he was trying to say.

As everyone’s gaze focused on him, Piote’s face turned red, and he mustered the courage to speak.

“I heard from Ereness that dragons… seek out opponents to fight, right?”

“Right.”

“But eventually, we’ll have to eliminate the remnants of the Salvation Society, and when that supposed opponent appears, we’ll need to fight, right?”

“Probably.”

“Then isn’t the dragon’s enemy the same as our enemy?”

“Uh?”

Ghislaine tilted her head. Everyone else also tilted their heads in confusion.

Piote exclaimed loudly.

“So even if we’re going to fight, can’t we first explain our situation and try talking? Why are people trying to resolve everything through violence? Why don’t you know how to have a conversation?”

At that moment, everyone showed shock on their faces. It was clear they had never thought of such a thing.

Seeing their expressions, Piote was convinced.

He realized that in those people’s minds, there was only ‘fighting.’