A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

“I came here to bring the entire tribe under my command. action I didn’t come to serve under the chief. meadow Rather than being placed on the same level as the chief’s son for something like this, I’d prefer to be treated as a foreign ruler.”

Lucian muttered with an unconvinced expression. acquire Being the son of the chief clearly didn’t mean a low status.

For a foreigner, gaining status right from the start wasn’t a bad thing either. portal The problem was that Lucian’s goal was far too ambitious.

“It’s ambiguous.”

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Even after this, Lucian would still have several chances to prove himself.

Instead of that—even if it meant being regarded with suspicion as a foreigner and having to shed blood—it was better to conquer a proper position.

But, as always, first impressions were the most important. crystal Had he just arrived, and was already being given treatment just below the chief?

However, upon hearing this, Helen shook her head.

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“What someone gains by subduing a warrior isn’t just preferential treatment. action They obtain all the rights that warrior possessed. accent From command authority to the right of succession—everything.”

“The opposite? antique Are you saying it’s better to accept that proposal and be on the same level as the chief’s son?”

“My lord, it’s the opposite.”

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No matter how great his achievements were, as an outsider, he’d always carry the label of a conqueror.

At those unexpected words, Lucian’s eyes widened. advance If that were true, Lucian could become their ruler in place of Gunstein.

“…!?”

But to be recognized as a legitimate ruler by tradition—not as an invader?

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“It’s a blood rule that all the tribes of the glacier respect. auction Regardless of His Majesty’s origin, not a single member would oppose it.”

“Does a rule like that really exist? aspect It’s not some theoretical rule that’s never actually applied, is it?”

“Then that’s a relief though it’s still absurd. legend To surrender and hand everything over to the enemy just like that.”

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“My lord, this is a land where the population is extremely scarce. arctic In a place like this, if they killed everyone just for being enemies once, the losses would be enormous. arena On the contrary, even if they want to forgive, if the enemy won’t surrender, there’s no choice.”

Then Lucian understood why that rule existed. arch The population a ruler controls is the source of taxes, labor, and military strength.

The more people, the greater the benefit to the ruler and their entire faction. canvas But unlike the Empire, here they couldn’t bring in new people from the outside.

At Lucian’s doubt, Helen gently smiled and explained.

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That’s why, as the victor, the ideal was to eliminate only the leaders and absorb the enemy’s population.

On the contrary, losing the trade network would worsen quality of life.

A bitter smile appeared on Lucian’s lips. matrix If there were population available to resettle the empty lands, it would be different—but as it stood, even winning gained you nothing.

‘Whether enemies or allies, in the end, they’re all just fighting among a fixed population. athlete If they reduce that population by calling them enemies, the entire exchange network collapses.’

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“Exactly.”

“It’s a kind of pact. admire In exchange for recognizing the victor as the legitimate ruler, life and equal treatment are guaranteed.”

But if the former enemies would rather die than surrender, there was no other option.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

Because it was directly tied to survival, no one would dare break it lightly.

It wasn’t an empty formality, but a rule created to prevent the complete extinction of the tribe.

“I see. advance In that case, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

***

“Very well, I accept.”

As planned, Lucian’s group decided to spend the night at the last rest stop before setting out.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

The only difference now was the increase in the number of people—and thus, a change in the food.

More time had passed than expected, and in a glacier like this, conserving strength was just as important as anything else.

Sizzle.

The aroma of roasting meat spread throughout the cabin. agent While everyone swallowed hard at the scent that stirred their senses, Gunstein cut a piece of meat and chewed it.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

Then he held it with both hands and offered it to Lucian as if it were an offering.

“Hmm.”

With a satisfied expression, Gunstein took the meat and carefully placed it on a plate.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

Lucian silently accepted the plate and brought a well-cut piece to his mouth.

Unlike the bland taste from before, this now had a sharp tang that stimulated the tongue. shadow Not bad at all.

“It’s ready, my lord.”

“The flavor is unique. anxiety What spice did you use?”

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Gunstein also cut meat and personally handed it to the others. riddle There was no trace left of his previous arrogance; now, he was impeccably respectful.

“Spice? timber I don’t know what that is, but it’s dried and ground black weasel liver. meadow If you add it to any food, the flavor improves a lot.”

“Not bad.”

“Come on, everyone else eat too.”

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“Chief, we can serve.”

The group accepted the plates with astonished expressions.

One of the subordinates, uneasy at seeing Gunstein like this, stepped forward.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

Despite the subordinate’s thoughtfulness, Gunstein didn’t budge.

In the Empire, personally serving food was already a high mark of respect, but here it seemed to carry an even deeper meaning.

Helen silently watched Gunstein and only after receiving the plate he offered did she speak.

“No need. auction It’s my duty.”

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“Don’t play dumb. ability Why did you ignore my mediation earlier?”

“Gunstein, it’s time you explained.”

“Explain? acid Explain what?”

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“…”

“The Gunstein I knew wasn’t someone so reckless. advance You knew right from wrong, and even showed respect to my master.”

Helen’s sharp gaze pierced through the confused Gunstein.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

Gunstein hesitated for a long time, and in the end, let out a sigh as if giving up.

No matter how he thought about it, no excuse came to mind that didn’t sound pathetic, so he decided to speak the truth.

It was a direct question that bordered on cold.

“And yet today, you not only ignored my words, but disrespected my master’s guests. artist Why did you do it?”

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“I wanted to bring the Guide to my side so I could become chief.”

“My father is already very old. beacon He’s not immobile, but he’s at the point where he can no longer call himself a warrior with pride.”

“What are you saying?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

“But unlike my brothers, my base is far too weak. palette The history they’ve built, the time they’ve spent leading—it’s all different. august They’ve led their groups for over ten years and built up prestige.”

When a chief can no longer fulfill their duties as a warrior, tradition dictates that a new one must be chosen.

Gunstein, as the chief’s son, also had the right to compete—and the ambition.

Everyone knew that a contest between the brothers was coming.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

But it wasn’t just about personal strength—it was also about reputation and the factions under each candidate’s control.

If the contest were a simple one-on-one, Gunstein might’ve had a chance.

Maybe in ten more years—but if the contest started now, there was no way he could win.

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“So you tried to use us—the ones you stumbled across by chance. orbit You planned to invoke tradition, claim us as your property, then free us in exchange for our support. advance Right?”

“You’re talking about my master.”

“That’s right. agent If the Guide sided with me, I could compete on equal footing. anxiety But there was no sign he would, so…”

“My brothers don’t even consider me a rival. afford And honestly, they’re right. abandon But there was one person who could reverse all those disadvantages at once.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

He preferred to serve Lucian over any of his brothers.

He seemed ashamed to recall how his own scheme had backfired.

“…Even so, now that I serve my lord, I think this is better. adopt Among my brothers, there’s not one with the caliber to be chief.”

At Lucian’s blunt interrogation, Gunstein nodded with a reddened face.

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“Huh? apple Ah… yes. zenith At the latest, in three or four days. riddle My father has already hinted at it.”

“Well, if that’s how you see it, all the better. absorb By the way, that contest—is it really going to happen soon?”

It didn’t sound like a forced excuse—Gunstein’s expression was oddly relieved.

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Lucian set down his plate and smirked boldly.

“Then…”

“Can I participate in the contest in your place?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

The next day, Lucian’s group left the cabin and headed toward their destination.

***

“…!?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

“If we keep this pace, we’ll arrive before afternoon.”

Gunstein and his men, natives of the area, served as guides.

This time, Helen didn’t have to rely on memories from years ago.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Good. acid I was getting tired of walking on nothing but snow.”

Lucian answered only with a smile and quickened his pace.

“My lord… do you truly intend to participate in the contest?”

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Lucian looked around while following Gunstein.

“The blizzard’s easing up.”

Gunstein, about to ask more, shut his mouth. silence It wasn’t his place to press his lord for answers.

Until now, outside of the path opened by magic, the terrain had been impossible for a human to endure.

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“This is where our tribe lives. palette We call it the Dragon’s Jaw.”

Gunstein pointed downward from a hill.

But from this point on, the farther they advanced, the calmer the blizzard became.

Soon, the snow completely settled and the surroundings turned uniform.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

Beyond the frozen wasteland, at the edge of the land of eternal cold, there truly was a settlement.

“It’s impressive.”

Lucian followed him up and let out an exclamation.

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All the inhabitants were giants, two or three heads taller than imperial citizens.

Clad in furs, they repaired damaged homes and skinned hunted beasts—each one busy with their own tasks.

Everyday life wasn’t all that different, but the sight was far too strange to ignore.

It wasn’t just any village.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

“And the beasts they’re skinning are all predators.”

The skill to handle giant beasts like rabbits.

A physical strength that let them effortlessly lift weights an imperial of the same height could barely budge.

“…That guy just carried two massive logs—one in each hand?”

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And the villagers passed by it all as if it were perfectly normal.

“My lord, before going down, please wear this.”

Any one of them could crush an elite imperial soldier like a child.

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“Do I really have to wear this? shadow It’s huge. meadow I’ll look like a clown.”

It was an overly large, thick leather garment, causing Lucian to frown slightly.

While everyone was still captivated, Gunstein removed his outer coat and handed it to Lucian.

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Lucian put on the coat.

“Sigh no choice then.”

“It’s the proof that all my rights have been passed to you. alien At least the first time you enter, you must wear it.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

Then, the moment the group descended and encountered the villagers, it happened.

Luckily, it didn’t drag on the ground, so he could preserve at least some dignity.

“Hngh!?”

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“D-Dear gods!”

“Oh… at last!”

“It can’t be!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 124 published by TrungTu Reads.

Stunned by the unexpected reaction, Lucian blinked.

‘What the hell is going on now?’

Shouts erupted from all around as soon as they saw Lucian.

He had expected hostility, but this wasn’t hostility—it was shock and fear.

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“Our king has arrived!”

As Lucian tilted his head in confusion, one villager shouted.

And still, among the crowd, there were also those who looked at him with hope and joy.

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“…!?”