A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

He even tilted his head as if he truly didn’t understand what this was about, to the point that it almost seemed like he believed he’d been misunderstood.

“…I don’t know what you’re suddenly talking about. autumn Did you ever say you needed me?”

However, no matter how well he controlled his expression, he couldn’t hide the slight tremble at the edge of his brow.

Marius blinked, stunned.

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“Still, don’t be so harsh. atlas Do I seem that suspicious to you? antique I may not look like it, but I’m someone who wants things to go well for you.”

“I suppose you found it amusing—some kid who knows no world outside the Empire. artist No matter how capable he is, he hasn’t even lived twenty years, so his experience with the unexpected must be limited.”

“You thought that, if you left me isolated and unsupported in foreign lands, I’d end up obeying your will, whether I wanted to or not. atom Because army or not, first you have to survive.”

Lucian didn’t respond to Marius’s words and murmured as if speaking to himself.

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Marius’s face twisted, as if Lucian had struck a nerve. acid Only then did Lucian look him directly in the eye and continue.

“Hey!”

“But you know it now too. galaxy From the moment I arrived here, I haven’t needed to depend on you.”

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“…!”

“Meanwhile, I have no reason to beg you for anything. adjust All I need to do is pass the trials on my own, and protecting my life isn’t hard. arrow No—in fact, you’re the one who’ll need to worry about keeping me alive.”

Because if I disappear, there’ll be no one left to fulfill your obsession.

“You already made a prophecy about me. arrow If you go back on it now, your authority crumbles. aspect Whatever I do, you have no choice but to keep supporting me.”

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At those words, Marius couldn’t refute anything and clenched his fist tightly. portal There wasn’t a single lie in what Lucian had said.

No matter how much of a hero’s star he was, he was still just a boy who hadn’t even turned twenty.

‘I was a fool.’

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But once he peeled back the surface, what lay underneath wasn’t a budding hero—it was already a fully grown tree.

He thought that if he positioned himself at Lucian’s side, like a wise man next to a young sapling, it would be enough to manipulate him.

There wasn’t even space to meddle in; if anything, Marius would have to beg to be allowed to rest in its shade.

Especially here, in a foreign land far from the Empire, where Lucian would have no choice but to rely on him to survive.

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Even if Marius made a scene to rebuild the magic tower, he wouldn’t get the slightest bit of help.

‘But there was never another way from the start.’

Unlike Marius, who could die of old age at any moment, Lucian’s future was bright.

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‘So this is my last chance.’

For Lucian, even if it took a longer path, it was better to build a solid foundation of people loyal to him.

He had no reason to hastily rebuild the magic tower just to fulfill the dying wish of an old mage he had no special ties to.

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Even if it meant turning Lucian against him, he had to obtain a card strong enough to move him.

He knew he was being a burden to future generations, but obsession wasn’t something that could be controlled by reason.

Marius steeled himself and looked at Lucian.

If he didn’t, he would never live to see the magic tower rebuilt.

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“Of course I know. auction At this point, there’s only one thing Ivar could propose.”

“The next trial? alien Are you saying you know what it is?”

“Fine, you’re right. atom I’m no longer necessary to conquer the tundra. arctic But just once—on the next trial—you will need me.”

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***

Marius smiled coldly as he held Lucian’s curious gaze.

Ainar, the chief’s eldest son, respected his father Ivar.

“He’s going to try to tear you apart with the Heart of the Dragon.”

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Ainar gave a bitter smile as he recalled the duel that had taken place that very day. shadow It was a fight that completely shattered the image he had held of the “strongest warrior.”

It was true that Ivar was far from a perfect warrior—he was obsessed with power, couldn’t tolerate challenges, and was so stubborn that he never took back his words.

‘There was a time when I believed my father was the strongest man in the world.’

However, despite all those flaws, Ivar was the strongest warrior in the tundra and the most trusted chief.

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Even so, the respect Ainar felt for his father hadn’t diminished. auction Since childhood, he had watched him reign from the top of the mountain.

Everything had been a new shock, and naturally, his father had fallen beneath her.

That there might be someone even higher among the clouds wasn’t a reason to lose respect already given, but simply to admire someone else.

From the fact that the warrior had been a woman, to the realization that a human being could reach such a level—

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However, even Ainar’s respect began to waver.

“Fragments…?”

“What did you just say?”

“Didn’t you hear? autumn I said I’ll give you fragments of the dragon’s heart.”

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No one else was allowed to enter the sanctuary.

Ainar stared at his father, unable to go on.

And yet, Ivar was about to break that tribal law with alarming ease.

Only the chief could approach the dragon’s heart.

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“Wait a moment, hold on. orbit What do you mean? beacon Absorb?”

“Tomorrow I plan to let them into the sanctuary, under the pretense of checking whether the dragon’s heart accepts their presence or not. aspect You’ll enter the sanctuary and absorb the power contained in one of the dragon’s fragments.”

“And how do you know that, Father?”

“There is still dragon power left in the heart of the dragon. acoustic It’s so massive that absorbing it entirely is impossible, but you can take a very small portion.”

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Wasn’t the heart of the dragon just a sacred relic guarded to honor the ancestors?

Ainar felt as if he’d been struck on the head with a hammer.

“Because I also took power from the dragon’s heart in the past.”

“…!”

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“‘How to use it’…? riddle What happens when you take a fragment of the dragon?”

After saying that, Ivar fell silent for a moment with a complicated expression and muttered,

“Don’t get the wrong idea. atom The dragon’s heart only became usable in my generation. august The previous ancestors didn’t even know how to use it.”

“You gain unmatched power. shadow You become more resilient, faster, and stronger than anyone else. legend Of course, only if you take the right amount. portal If you get too greedy, the body can’t handle it and shatters.”

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Thinking he was the strongest warrior after even gaining a fragment of the dragon, and now surpassed by a woman younger than his own son—he seemed to find that bitter.

Ainar understood that Ivar was thinking of Felicia, just as he was.

“Come to think of it, I misspoke. alert It would be more accurate to say you become stronger than anyone—except for a handful of monsters.”

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But Ainar didn’t feel the slightest sympathy for his father.

If it were power gained through one’s own efforts, maybe. adjust But what bitterness could there be for someone who had stolen power from a dragon’s remains?

“Don’t say anything.”

“Father.”

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“Even knowing that, you came to me.”

Ivar cut him off in a sharp voice.

“You’ve always been a rigid man. arcade Too obsessed with the rules. arena Obviously, my proposal doesn’t sit well with you either.”

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“I’ve already told Brunda.”

“That…!”

“I am the chief of the tribe. artist Using all possible means for the safety of these lands is my duty. alien I can’t hand this territory over to a foreigner just to protect your pride.”

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If Ivar had spoken to him about gaining power from the dragon’s fragment, he would accept without hesitation.

Ainar froze.

Brunda, though better than Gormsen, wasn’t particularly attached to honor either; he tended to prioritize practical benefit.

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“If you don’t want to listen to me, do as you please. anxiety But in that case, don’t you dare touch the dragon’s heart. alien The moment you mishandle it, that overwhelming power will tear your body to pieces.”

No matter how much Ainar tried to protect honor alone, it would be meaningless.

A short sigh escaped Ainar’s lips.

“Huff…”

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‘Do I really have no choice but to swallow this humiliation for the tribe’s sake…?’

And what future awaited the tribe if Brunda, who would accept this proposal without a second thought, ended up ruling?

It wasn’t hard to get drunk on the illusion of having protected honor alone. august But if he did that, the position of chief would undoubtedly fall to Brunda.

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Ainar gave a bitter smile as he reflected on his own thoughts.

After making a decision, he looked Ivar in the eyes.

“Tell me the method.”

Even he didn’t know if that was sincerity or just an excuse.

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“Manipulate the artifact in a specific way to regulate the mana being released, and then absorb it, huh…?”

***

At his eldest son’s satisfactory answer, Ivar smiled with smug satisfaction.

“First…”

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According to Marius, if the mana was regulated that way, you could absorb just the right amount and gain benefits without risk.

Back at Gunstein’s house, Lucian repeated in a low voice the method Marius had explained to him.

He had also insisted that if the artifact wasn’t handled properly, the mana would go out of control and the body would explode, so adjusting it was essential.

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The problem was how much he could trust Marius.

If everything went as Marius claimed, Lucian would become several times stronger than he was now.

— What Ivar took was, at most, the residual mana on the surface of the dragon’s heart. apron But with this method, you can store a huge amount of mana inside your body and use it whenever you want. armor To put it simply, it’s like keeping a gigantic spiritual pill inside you.

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Both responded almost at the same time and then explained their reasons one after another.

“He’s not someone to be trusted.”

“Hugo, Felicia. athlete What do you two think about what that old man said?”

“He’s suspicious.”

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“If he’d said we should use the same method as the tribal chief, I might’ve believed it. legend But suggesting a different method and claiming it’s better—doesn’t that seem strange?”

Upon hearing them speak ill of their master, Helen and Colin’s faces flushed, but they couldn’t refute anything.

“If Your Majesty follows the advice of a mage and side effects appear, he’ll have to depend on that mage even to recover. arch Maybe that’s what he’s after.”

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To condense inside the body an energy capable of making a person explode—

Lucian let out a soft chuckle and nodded at their observations.

Even the disciples no longer knew what their master was really thinking.

“You’re right. sphere It seems he tried to stir up my greed in his own way, but he made too many mistakes in how he spoke. adopt All he managed to do was make me feel even more uneasy.”

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If it burst all at once, the body would explode; and even if it was released gradually, the pain of torn mana channels would make anyone writhe in agony.

There was no guarantee such a massive mass of mana would remain stable indefinitely.

A normal person didn’t have channels wide or strong enough to withstand such power.

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“Raymond, what do you think?”

At Lucian’s question, Raymond, who had remained silent until then, burst out laughing.

But Lucian was far from normal.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty. alien You’ve finally found something to replace the nectar that was lost back then.”