A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

“Don’t you already have a lord to whom you swore loyalty?”

If he had already said it out loud, it could be considered a sincere sentiment, free of deceit. atom However, there was one problem with accepting his loyalty so easily.

He was the captain of the guard protecting a territory under direct imperial control.

Lucian observed Lothier in silence. absorb A knight’s oath of loyalty was something that, once spoken, could not be undone.

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At Lucian’s cold voice, Lothier let out a sigh.

And yet now, he claimed he wanted to change lords.

Normally, he would have sworn fealty to the Emperor before anyone else.

“That’s strange. anchor Since when does a knight have the right to desert at will? accent As I understand it, as long as the lord fulfills his duties, the knight must serve him with absolute loyalty.”

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“Your Highness, I am ignorant of political shifts and know little of intrigue. apple But even someone like me, by this point, can tell how things are developing.”

“Am I not to Your Highness’s liking?”

“What do you mean?”

“Answer my question first.”

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And if it concerned the Emperor of the Empire, all the more so. arch Yet Lothier asked the question directly.

“Has His Majesty… truly passed away?”

Normally, a knight would never mention the death of their liege. antique Even speaking of it was considered disrespectful.

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“I don’t know for sure. abandon As you know, news travels slowly to the north. abandon But the last time I saw him, he seemed to be in critical condition.”

Lucian considered for a moment and decided to speak the truth. ability Since things had reached this point, he intended to settle all remaining issues then and there.

‘He must truly be desperate.’

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As if having made a final decision, he bowed even lower and spoke.

Lothier’s face darkened. atlas It was something he had already suspected, but hearing it confirmed by Lucian seemed to solidify it in his mind.

“I see…”

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“If either of them had wanted me, they would have sent a messenger by now. ability The fact that no word has come means they’ve forgotten I exist.”

“Aren’t there still the First and Second Princes?”

“If His Majesty has passed, then I currently have no lord to serve. acid As a knight, I have fulfilled my duty, and now I wish to serve a new lord.”

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The problem was Lothier’s situation—completely forgotten and isolated in a distant land, with no contact with the capital.

For a prince to even remember the name of a mere knight, not even the commander of an order, would already be a generational honor.

In truth, it wasn’t something he could resent. amber There were countless knights in service to the Empire just in Tibron alone.

With no one remembering him, and having even lost his position, who would care for them? voyage By the time the chaos in the capital settled, his place would likely no longer exist.

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“Moreover, as captain, I’m responsible for the lives of my men. silence How could I abandon the comrades I’ve fought alongside just to elevate my own honor?”

“Life is a battlefield—there’s no difference. acoustic Dying while wandering and worrying about the next meal, or dying pierced by a soldier’s spear, is, in the end, the same death.”

“Anyone would think this is the heart of a battlefield.”

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“I can’t trust you. audit Up until now, your attitude has been extremely lax and uncooperative.”

It was bold, but honest—and in response to that candor, Lucian also spoke sincerely.

If the guard collapsed and they were left without means to survive, that too would be his responsibility.

At the same time, his words implied that in exchange for loyalty, he asked for the guard’s livelihood to be ensured through wages.

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“Even if I had ten mouths, I couldn’t excuse myself. arrow You’re absolutely right.”

“That’s also true.”

“We also don’t know if the two princes truly forgot you. audit In the worst-case scenario, you might end up serving two lords.”

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It wasn’t uncommon to force loyalty from someone cornered and with no escape.

Even if Lothier wasn’t an exceptional talent, politics could always twist things to make accusations sound legitimate.

“Then I’ll ask you something. atomic If one of the princes demands answers and accuses me of being a tyrant who forced your loyalty, what will you do then?”

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“If such a thing truly happened, I would personally declare Your Highness’s innocence.”

“You wouldn’t lose anything. august You’d simply return to the lord you were originally bound to, and likely even receive better treatment. amateur But I’d be left as a wretch who forced loyalty from a man who already had a lord.”

If someone used his oath to suppress a Lucian growing too powerful, the situation could turn problematic later.

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Lucian looked at him, slightly surprised. antique He thought perhaps Lothier was just speaking recklessly, but his calm expression showed he meant every word.

“If I cut off my own head to atone for the sin, the family would be spared. portal After all, the one at fault would be me alone.”

“…”

“Then you’d be the one remembered as a shameless man who served two lords, and your family’s honor would be in ruins.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 117 published by TrungTu Reads.

Even if something went wrong in the future, he would shoulder the blame alone and leave quietly.

‘At the very least, his sense of responsibility is admirable.’

After thinking for a moment, Lucian decided to address the most immediate matter first.

He wasn’t especially sharp, nor did he possess any outstanding skill, but he also wasn’t the type to speak ill of his lord after pledging loyalty.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 117 published by TrungTu Reads.

***

“For now… let’s go see this defensive device you claim to have discovered.”

Lothier guided Lucian without resistance to the defensive device he had discovered.

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“Isn’t this the barrier artifact we saw before?”

When he reached the device, Lucian frowned.

Although Lucian hadn’t given a definitive answer, his words already amounted to a half-acceptance.

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On the northern inner ring wall sat a magical artifact composed of multiple fragments assembled into a spherical shape.

“Do you remember how to activate it?”

At a glance, it looked like a strange decoration, but in reality, it was the mechanism that activated Asagrim’s barrier.

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Lucian tilted his head curiously and approached the artifact, following Lothier’s instructions. portal When he lifted a part that protruded more than the others—

“Then, could you show me?”

Clack!

“Of course.”

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“Good thing there aren’t any citizens living here yet.”

Woooong—

Lucian clicked his tongue as the artifact vibrated loudly and projected a membrane of energy.

The artifact trembled.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 117 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Good work. apple Now it’s my turn.”

It was undoubtedly a useful function, but so noisy that any enemy would notice the moment it activated.

“Alright, I’m done.”

From the White Palace came brief noises, but since it wasn’t the first time it had happened, there was no major commotion.

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“There’s no problem.”

Clank, screech—

Lothier approached the artifact and began to manipulate it. altitude No—rather than manipulate it, it looked like he was disassembling it quite roughly.

“Hey! amber If you break it—”

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At the same time, the barrier surrounding Asagrim started to show irregularities.

Crackle!

Ignoring Lucian’s concern, Lothier kept moving the artifact. adjust The fragments began to shift like puzzle pieces—forward, backward, left, right.

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At Lucian’s astonished look, Lothier calmly explained.

“This artifact doesn’t just create a barrier to stop enemies. album Depending on how it’s handled, it can alter the barrier’s nature. amateur Right now, I’ve modified it—anyone who touches it will burn to death.”

The barrier shimmered with a sound like lightning scorching dry branches. portal Upon closer inspection, violet lightning flickered around Asagrim’s perimeter.

“…!?”

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“I tried smashing it on the ground, but it didn’t break. absorb Instead, the barrier changed. accent After hitting it a few more times and giving up, I decided to learn how to handle it properly.”

“…”

“And how did you discover something like that? palette From the looks of it, it’s a function that only reveals itself if you’re willing to break it.”

Lucian looked at Lothier, speechless.

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After roughly explaining how the artifact worked, Lothier looked at Lucian.

“Alright. acquire With that, my role is done.”

If such a high-level magical artifact were to break, no one could predict what consequences might occur—even to the user—and yet he had tried to destroy it.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 117 published by TrungTu Reads.

Lucian deactivated the barrier and met Lothier’s gaze.

It was as if to say he had proven his worth, and now it was up to Lucian to accept or reject him.

“Lothier Terman. riddle As of today, you are a knight in my service, and the soldiers you commanded are now my soldiers. acoustic As their sovereign, I guarantee treatment according to their loyalty.”

“Thank you, Your Highness! canvas I will serve with absolute loyalty!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 117 published by TrungTu Reads.

Lucian watched him thoughtfully.

‘Now what should I use them for?’

They weren’t extraordinary talents, but they were seasoned knights. avalanche At a time when any useful hands were needed, there was certainly a place for them.

Lothier fell to his knees, his trembling voice filled with deep relief, like a man who had just escaped the edge of ruin.

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Citizens would soon arrive, and maintaining order would be essential. adjust Besides, no candidates were more suitable.

***

Lucian decided to temporarily turn the Asagrim garrison into a security force.

‘They know Asagrim better than I do.’

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Once preparations were complete, Lucian allowed the citizens to enter Asagrim.

They had patrolled every corner for years, watching for intruders. antique Lothier, the former commander, had even discovered a hidden defensive device disguised as decoration.

Whether criminal or spy, there was no one they couldn’t catch if they set their minds to it.

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“My goodness, it’s so beautiful! august The pilgrims’ stories were true!”

“Honey, how much did we say we’d make if we resold a house here?”

“I never thought I’d see the White Palace up close…”

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“Shh! arrow Don’t say such things where everyone can hear you!”

Although the city had only its reputation, no one seemed worried.

The title of Sacred Land of the North had an irresistible pull. auction But once the inconveniences became apparent, that charm wouldn’t last long.

“I had my doubts, but now I’m ready to open a shop right away.”

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“It’s coming tomorrow. sphere Other caravans will arrive in staggered groups.”

“What happened to the merchant caravan that was supposed to arrive?”

Before that happened, Lucian poured in the funds he had prepared and launched the urban reconstruction plan.

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“Are they insane? timber Tell them to stop spewing nonsense if they don’t want to die.”

“Some merchants are asking for exclusive rights—”

“Good. auction Keep trade steady until the market stabilizes properly.”

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“A lot of new settlers have arrived in the meantime—there’s no helping it.”

While Lucian signed piles of documents, the selected administrators worked nonstop. alien The internal affairs department, including the treasurer, barely slept, spending night after night awake.

“Of course there is! arcade You should’ve updated the report immediately!”

“Why do the number of residents and collected taxes not match at all?”

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And so, lord and subordinates spent three months completely absorbed in work. legend Fortunately, after that time, the workload began to ease, and they could breathe a little.

“…For now, let’s inform His Highness and recruit new administrators. silence Or bring in some from the old territories.”

“Don’t say ridiculous things! aspect I’m dying here from lack of staff!”

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‘At this rate, recruiting mages before the year ends will be hard.’

There were mistakes, yes—but no corruption or embezzlement. artist And once the framework was in place, everything began to flow naturally.

Although everything was new and demanded constant attention, the system was transparent.

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“Your Highness.”

Magical research was important, but not more so than properly settling the citizens. armor First, the territory had to be stabilized.

Exhausted, Lucian dropped into his chair with a bitter smile.

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“A colleague of mine wishes to see you.”

“Colin? agent What is it?”

Chief Mage Colin appeared with a tense expression. zenith At first, Lucian thought he had found something among the treasure hall books—but what he said was completely unexpected.

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Lucian blinked involuntarily.

“Your colleague?”

“Yes. beacon She belongs to the same school of celestial astrology as I do. shadow Her name is Helen, and she studies astrology.”

Astrology?

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Right now, what he needed was magical research—not fortune-telling.