A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

At such a subdued reaction, Marius blinked.

Upon hearing the word artifact, Lucian paused for a moment. agent But it was only for a moment; he quickly nodded, as if he understood everything.

“What? arrow You’re not surprised? arch Aren’t you curious about what kind of artifact it is?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“If even with an artifact, you still decided to come to me, then that artifact must have some flaw. anxiety Isn’t that right?”

Lucian paused briefly and spoke with a faint smile.

“Of course I’m surprised. album And I am curious. auction But not long ago I had a major disappointment related to artifacts, so I don’t plan on getting my hopes up unnecessarily. athlete Besides…”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Well I was hoping to provoke you a little, but it didn’t work at all. amateur You’re spot on.”

“To be precise, what I found wasn’t the artifact itself, but the phenomenon it was causing. abstract When I was fleeing from my pursuers and arrived at Laugrad, I noticed something strange about the cold there.”

Marius’s confident smile faded, and he let out a long sigh.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

After investigating while enduring a chill that pierced to the bone, he discovered that around Laugrad, the magical energy was severely distorted.

Marius discovered that, if done correctly, that distortion could be stabilized, at least temporarily.

It was as if the phenomenon that happens temporarily when using Celestial School magic had become fixed in the environment—something completely outside the bounds of logic.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Do you think I cared about that when I had a sword hanging over my neck? artist I just interpreted everything in the most convenient way.”

“That sounds reckless. beacon Even if you escaped beyond the glacier, without a way to survive, you’d have starved to death.”

“From that day, I threw myself into research like a madman. album If I could stop the cold even for a moment and flee beyond the glacier, the pursuers wouldn’t be able to follow me.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

If he could cross it, somehow he could survive.

If someone had blocked the path on purpose, then beyond the glacier, there had to be people living.

Clinging to that idea, Marius gave it everything he had until he finally managed to open a passage.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I didn’t look back even once and crossed the glacier. aspect Fortunately, I had prepared well, so even sleeping out in the open, I managed to hold on. zenith I’d also learned many useful spells.”

“It’s over ten days from Laugrad to here. acquire How did you survive? admire Back then there weren’t even the cabins you later built.”

“Survive? portal I wandered aimlessly, stopped when I was exhausted, slept, and woke up just before freezing. crystal Again and again. auction If I hadn’t been able to use magic, I’d have died long ago.”

It was unstable and narrow, but wide enough for a person to pass through without freezing to death.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

Had he not been lucky, he would’ve died right there, but fortunately, a tribe living beyond the glacier found him.

In the end, Marius didn’t make it across the glacier and collapsed from exhaustion.

They had also come to investigate the strange path that had suddenly appeared.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

The fact that Marius’s Celestial School magic was a great help in the glacier also played a role.

Reaching that point in the story, Marius closed his eyes, as if reliving the past.

“After that, many things happened. amateur Some welcomed me, others tried to kill me. anchor Some looked at me with suspicion, others with curiosity. arcade They were turbulent days, but after many difficulties, the tribe eventually accepted my presence.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Guide?”

“Something like an advisor to the chief, prophet, and seer. alert It’s more of an honorary position with no real power, but as a prophet, the intangible authority and influence that come with it are considerable.”

Thanks to the magic he learned from his master—and a string of lucky breaks—Marius came to be known as the tribe’s guide.

In particular, astrology and weather magic were invaluable to people living in these lands.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

Marius let out a bitter laugh at Lucian’s words.

“Rose… you say?”

“Wow. arena For an outsider, you rose pretty high.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Yes, you could see it that way. riddle I could have settled down and put down roots here. afford But I couldn’t. ability This place was too small to satisfy me.”

But to Marius’s eyes, this land was nothing more than a miniature garden.

If he had never known the outside world, maybe he could have been content.

He seemed to regret his situation—or maybe he was suffering from his own emotions.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Because some damn bastard lit a fire in my heart when I was on the verge of death.”

“But I couldn’t do anything about it either. portal If I left, the pursuers would come after me again. artist So, though unsatisfied, I had no choice but to keep living.”

“For someone who says they’ve settled, your ambitions seem quite large.”

Perhaps for an imperial court mage it would have felt different, but here, no matter how much they revered him as a guide, all he felt was emptiness.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“A bastard?”

Marius pronounced every word through gritted teeth.

“He’s the current chief of the Blue Dragon Tribe.”

“The Red Axe, Ivar.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

Gunstein shouted without thinking.

No matter how revered the guide was, insulting the chief of the tribe was crossing a line.

“Guide!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

Lucian stopped Gunstein and asked,

But Marius didn’t react at all.

“What did the chief do to make you speak of him like that?”

“When he was still a brat, he came to me with a deal. album He said that if I helped him become the next chief, he would give me anything I wanted. shadow So I asked to be allowed into the sacred sanctuary, which only the chief may access.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

Marius didn’t fully believe the story, but if there was even the slightest chance—it was something he wanted to see at least once.

The Blue Dragon Tribe guarded the Dragon Heart, and only the chief had the right to oversee it.

“The altar where the Dragon Heart is kept. atomic At first glance, it doesn’t look like anything special, but if someone enters without the chief’s permission, they’re executed on the spot.”

“Sanctuary?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I used all my influence to make Ivar the chief. atom And once he was, he kept his promise and let me enter the sanctuary. silence And then…”

Using the influence he had built up, Marius decided to help Ivar to satisfy his curiosity.

If a real Dragon Heart existed, it could become a weapon capable of standing against the Empire.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

It was the first time Marius had ever seen an artifact like that, but he understood it instantly.

Within the sacred land were actual remains of a dragon, including its heart—and an artifact still functioning, fueled by that heart’s power.

Marius entered the sacred land with his heart torn between doubt and expectation—and nearly fainted.

The moment he crossed into the altar, an explosive amount of magical power, imperceptible from the outside, surged through his entire body.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

Lucian’s eyes widened.

“…”

“Can you imagine what I felt? academy Not only was there a dragon’s heart, but also an ancient artifact powered by it. admire An artifact capable of controlling the weather at will, able to freeze an army of a million soldiers!”

That object was, without a doubt, the force controlling the northern climate and sealing the tundra in perpetual snowstorms.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I told Ivar that with that dragon heart and the artifact, there was no need to remain trapped in the tundra. attic That he could leave for a land flowing with milk and honey and become king.”

And now, that very type of artifact was still functioning, powered by a dragon’s heart.

In his mind, he recalled the blueprints of the climate control artifact hidden beneath the White Palace—an artifact impossible to reproduce, but one that, had it been constructed, could have dominated the entire Empire.

Lucian realized—just a second too late—that he’d failed to control his expression. apple Fortunately, Marius, lost in his own excitement, didn’t seem to notice.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

Marius’s cold tone made the answer obvious. audit If Ivar had accepted, Marius wouldn’t be venting like this.

After grinding his teeth for a long moment, Marius let out a sigh.

“And what happened? palette Did the chief accept your words?”

“What do you think?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

In the Empire, the hunting dogs of the imperial palace still had their eyes wide open. sphere As soon as he returned, Marius had to live hiding from imperial surveillance.

But leaving the tundra didn’t bring him a life of ease.

“That bastard only wanted to enjoy the power he had just obtained. anchor Instead of aiming higher, he chose to keep ruling as chief in this cramped land. silence Desperate, I left the tundra and went to the Empire.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“When I returned in such a pitiful state, Ivar openly looked down on me. airport He abandoned even the minimal respect he once showed and told me to live out my days spouting prophecies that suited him.”

In the end, after more than ten years, he had no choice but to return to the Blue Dragon Tribe.

During that time, he took in some talented disciples—but the simple joy of training apprentices wasn’t enough to survive in such an environment.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

One day, as that obsession festered within him, Marius sensed a change in the stars.

But once born, hope never truly disappears. attic Over time, that hope began to rot and turn into obsession.

Left with no other option, Marius was forced to comply with Ivar’s demands.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I won’t ask you to believe in astrology. antique That’s your choice. adopt But I believed in it—and I wanted to help that hero’s star.”

“…You’re saying that star is me?”

“I was just performing a reading as usual… but I was shocked. wizard Beside the Emperor’s star appeared a new one—one I had never seen before. attic A hero’s star so radiant it looked like it would devour all others.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

Convinced that it was his final chance to achieve his life’s ambition, Marius acted swiftly.

A hero inevitably brings forth a new era. accent And there was no reason that new era couldn’t also mean a rebirth for mages.

“At first, I thought of leaving it to Colin. legend But I soon realized that wouldn’t work. meadow With his personality, the moment he secured a stable position, he’d choose the safe path and forget all about the magic tower.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

Colin, who was about to object, lowered his head under his master’s gaze.

“What? acid Are you going to say it’s not true?”

“Master!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

But thinking about it now, what his master said was the same as admitting that he was already too late, and only Colin would benefit from a better era.

In fact, moments ago he had been on the verge of protesting with exactly that mindset—that serving Lucian would be enough to revive magic, with no need to cross such a dangerous bridge.

Marius clicked his tongue and continued.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Calculated? armor Don’t exaggerate. canvas A guy who wants to be chief with no clear accomplishments will obviously poke around the moment a new opportunity appears. voyage And I figured that if my guest showed up right then, he’d definitely pounce.”

“You also calculated that Gunstein would lose his position to me?”

“So I used every means available to bring you here. armor I sent Helen to leak information about the dragon heart, opened the path just when Gunstein’s anxiety peaked, and in the meantime, I spread the prophecy of the king who would unite all the tribes of the tundra.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

Spoken so casually, those words hit Gunstein like a hammer.

Before he could say anything, Marius spoke first.

He had believed everything to be a string of coincidences, only to realize he had been dancing in the palm of an old prophet’s hand.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Do you hate me?”

“I didn’t order you to do anything. arctic I simply opened the path, as always. zenith You’re the one who prowled around looking for merit. antique And you’re the one who, trying to win me over, provoked my guest.”

“Guide…!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Tell me then—whose fault is it that things turned out this way?”

Gunstein trembled and lowered his head. autumn Blaming someone who hadn’t even approached him would’ve been pure shamelessness.

Just as Marius was about to continue, Lucian raised his hand to stop him.

“…”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 126 published by TrungTu Reads.

“That’s enough. album Stop playing the puppeteer.”