The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

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Chapter 619: Why Don’t You Know How to Have a Conversation? (3)

With courage, Piote shouted and glanced at the people’s reactions as he continued.

“We’re telling the dragon that we’re willing to help! We’re looking for an adversary too. So, there’s no need to fight the dragon! If we can just persuade it, we’ll have more allies, right?”

Everyone was slightly surprised. They had never thought of such a ‘concept.’ Even Vanessa, who didn’t really like fighting, was taken aback.

It seemed everyone had been living a life of just brawling, narrowing their thoughts.

Of course, not everyone accepted the idea wholeheartedly.

Kaor scoffed and rebutted.

“Why bother talking? It’s coming to hit us first. We need to capture it to get the hide. Dragon skin is legendary.”

Indeed, that was a comment fitting for the King of Hides from the North. He, a crybaby, showed no doubt about his victory.

Alfoy chimed in beside him.

“There’s so much to gain from the Dragon Heart and the Dragon’s body… Why leave that behind? We should use even one scale we catch. That’s all money, money.”

Having been in Penris, these two had become overly aggressive. They didn’t want to miss the opportunity to boost their reputation like with dragon hunting.

Of course, their boldness also stemmed from having various strong companions around. If it had just been the two of them, they would have run away the moment someone suggested a fight.

In response to their mockery, Piote glared at Parniel.

“Saint! You’re not just thinking of fighting, right? We could at least try talking first, right?”

“Um… uh…”

Parniel was flustered. In truth, her head was filled with thoughts about how to shatter the dragon’s skull with her mace.

But she was a priest at her core. No matter how much she was called ‘the Saint of Battle,’ her duty as a representative of the goddess to preach love and peace took precedence.

So, awkwardly nodding, she replied.

“That’s right… It would be… natural for a priest to… perhaps have such thoughts…”

Kaor and Alfoy reacted sharply to her awkward response.

“What are you talking about! You’re not that kind of person!”

“Is it okay for a saint to lie like this? Wait, your words are all over the place right now?”

Parniel looked at the two with an expressionless face.

“What. Why.”

At her cold voice, Kaor and Alfoy immediately dropped their heads and looked down.

The most uncomfortable person for the two was Parniel. Depending on her mood, she could initiate a witch hunt.

And honestly, her tremendous destructive power was frightening. One hit and they would be flattened.

Anyway, Piote’s opinion was sound and worth trying.

But Giselle was a little skeptical.

‘Talking to that crazy dragon…’

If Giselle had no past life experience, he might have happily accepted that idea. But he had faced Arterion firsthand.

The Human Alliance had to hastily muster an army to fight the rampaging Arterion. There hadn’t even been time to attempt a conversation.

At that time, Arterion had been completely insane.

‘Come to think of it…’

Arterion had spouted incomprehensible things filled with rage.

— Finally! I can kill you now!

He hadn’t understood it back then, but now he could guess what it meant vaguely.

Those had been words misdirected at Yulien as an adversary.

With that thought, Giselle felt even more skeptical. Arterion would attack as soon as he laid eyes on Yulien.

Just like Ereness had done.

It seemed Piote understood that too, as he looked at Giselle and said.

“Upon seeing Lord Yulien, the dragon wouldn’t just stand still. Ereness didn’t either.”

“Right. It would refuse to talk. What do you plan to do?”

“For Lord Yulien… maybe we should hide him for now?”

“Hide?”

“Yes, first Lord Yulien shouldn’t reveal himself; we’ll try talking first. If someone resembles him, we mustn’t be surprised.”

“…Would that even work? I feel like it would have a seizure upon seeing his face.”

“That dragon was said to be friends with Ereness. Ereness misunderstood at first but eventually stopped the fight. We should talk about that. And together, we can persuade it to find the adversary.”

“Hmm… Persuade, huh…”

Giselle had rarely employed persuasion in his life. If anything, the only time his spear ‘Persuasion’ had been useful was all.

Piote hastily continued.

“Well, if it insists on fighting, we can fight then, right?”

Most of the others, including Vanessa, Belinda, and Gillian, agreed with Piote.

“As Piote said, how about we try talking first if possible?”

“I agree.”

“That seems like an opinion worth trying.”

Even Parniel, usually light-hearted, spoke in a serious tone.

“The Saint is right. We should always seek a way to proceed more peacefully.”

“…”

A moment of silence fell over the meeting room.

It was Parniel who introduced herself after defeating an opponent. When the fighting began, she would fight with the most aggression.

How could someone like her utter the word ‘peace’? The contradiction left everyone speechless, only staring at her.

“What. Why.”

Everyone just looked elsewhere.

Giselle fell into thought for a moment.

In fact, if they could avoid fighting, that would be best. Arterion was exponentially stronger than any adversary they had fought until now. This wasn’t even his peak power.

“Hm…”

The odds were slim, but the idea of trying to persuade was not a bad one. But truly, could Arterion maintain his composure upon seeing Yulien?

In truth, the master of this fight could be said to be Yulien. He was the most at risk of becoming the target.

Giselle asked Yulien.

“What do you think?”

“If we can avoid fighting, that would be best.”

“And if the dragon still insists on killing you?”

“Then I will handle it myself. There’s no need for others to sacrifice themselves.”

As always, a straightforward answer. But it was the most ‘Yulien-like’ response.

Though he seemed cold and emotionless, that was not entirely true. At least in his actions, he was more self-sacrificing than anyone.

He always fought to save others.

He didn’t particularly want a reward. Nor did he preach any grand conviction.

Like breathing and eating, he… just did what needed to be done naturally.

Thus, it was all the more incomprehensible. But one thing was certain. Someone like him couldn’t be an adversary.

Giselle nodded as well. He knew Yulien would respond like that.

‘Is he really… the reincarnation of a hero?’

If it were Yulien, there was a possibility. The hero who sacrificed himself to seal the demon realm would be the one to save the world.

If asked who best fit the term ‘hero’ in this place, without a doubt, the answer would be Yulien.

Then who could really be the adversary?

‘Hmm, it won’t be me.’

Recalling the dream made Giselle feel a bit uneasy again. But he believed he couldn’t be the adversary since the Saint wouldn’t assist him through a dream.

Moreover, the power Ereness had misunderstood came after acquiring Dark. Such events had not occurred in his past life.

‘But someone like Dark couldn’t possibly be the adversary.’

— What does it matter to me!

‘Don’t eavesdrop.’

— Keeek!

Dark was trapped deep within Giselle’s consciousness.

Doubts about Dark’s existence arose. There must be some connection.

Everything felt interconnected. Even Yulien and Arterion’s encounter felt that way.

“Huh…”

Organizing his complex thoughts, Giselle nodded and said.

“Let’s proceed with combat preparations as planned. After we’re fully ready to fight, we’ll attempt to talk.”

At that, everyone smiled brightly. As Piote said, not fighting would be best.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to keep devising ways to deal with the dragon. If a fight broke out, they had to minimize damage and capture it.

Thus, the meeting continued again. But Giselle could not shake off the heavy feeling in his heart.

It was because of a scene that kept coming to mind recently.

‘That painting.’

When he had occupied Eclipse and talked with Erlhardt.

He had seen the painting behind him.

The huge serpent trampling and devouring people.

It was a grotesque sight that seemed a mix of the Rift Beast and a dragon.

— It was no exaggeration to say that it was a prophecy. Everything unfolded just as that dream had foretold.

Erlhardt claimed he knew the future. Much like a reincarnated person himself.

So, could that unpleasant painting have also been drawn from seeing the future? It didn’t match at all with the beautiful noble’s castle.

‘Could it be… that it is Arterion?’

The Arterion Giselle had seen and the monster in the painting were indeed different. They were only subtly similar.

He had no doubt that they could capture a dragon. Although there had been significant losses in his past life, they ultimately captured one.

It was only important to prevent any significant harm this time like in his past life.

But…

The sinister thought that this situation might be related to Erlhardt would not leave him.

*

Ssshhhh…

One of the black chains binding Arterion disappeared again.

Now only two chains remained.

But Arterion was not particularly pleased. Actually, he wasn’t fully aware of it.

“Hmmm…”

Struggling to open his massive eyelids, he muttered.

“I dozed off again…”

As the bindings loosened, strength gradually returned to his body. Not as powerful as before, but that would be resolved with time.

Yet, he kept unintentionally slipping into sleep. This was something impossible for a dragon with transcendent power.

No matter how he checked his body, he could find no issues. If anything, his strength was growing.

“Is it due to longing for the past…?”

Every time he unknowingly slipped into sleep, Arterion’s consciousness flowed into the dream world.

Recalling his dreams, a faint smile appeared on his lips. Behind that smile hid feelings of deep longing that were beyond words.

It had been a tough battle. A fight that felt like it would never end. The pain and sorrow felt on that brutal battlefield still constricted his heart.

But paradoxically, those painful moments now remained as the most precious memories.

“Yeah… You were beings that could be with me.”

The Saint, the hero, and their companions.

Arterion and they shared a bond that transcended their races.

The images he saw in dreams vividly returned to him. Those brilliant moments they had laughed, cried, and fought together unfolded before his eyes.

Those memories were deeply etched in his heart like a scene from an ancient painting.

As Arterion returned to reality with his eyes open, his heart felt heavy.

Caught in that suffocating longing, he desperately wished to plunge back into that dream once more.

For now, the only solace to fill this emptiness lay entirely within that dream.

Arterion closed his eyes again. He mumbled in a hoarse voice.

“Ereness… didn’t we save the world…? Didn’t we succeed in sealing the demon realm…?”

His voice fell quieter as he fell deeper into slumber.

“Our choice…”

“The Saint wished for…”

“To kill the adversary…”

Arterion mumbled alone in a confused state, words no one could understand.

This was something that could not happen to a dragon.

Dragons boast a strong will, regarded as supreme beings. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have survived through the ages.

Yet, the clarity of his judgment was now blurred. He felt no doubts about what was happening to him.

No, he occasionally did have feelings.

A strong question arose in the mind of the slumbering Arterion.

‘Why… am I sleeping…?’

‘What am I… doing now…?’

‘This isn’t my will…?’

Arterion struggled to open his eyes again. As the question arose, alarms began ringing through all his senses.

Simultaneously, the most crucial question emerged.

‘Why… was I able to know the adversary had resurrected?’