A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

Lucian’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

A sword technique that only those selected as candidates for head of the family—and a handful of their closest subordinates—were allowed to learn.

‘Lion Heart Sword.’

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At the very least, they had heard it once in childhood tales or regional legends.

Among the ancient techniques, it was famous for its overwhelming strength, considered one of the most powerful.

Not only knights, even ordinary peasants knew the name Lion Heart Sword.

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‘Finally…!’

And now, Duke Sigmund was saying he would teach it to him.

To contain his emotions, Lucian pressed his lips tightly together.

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For a mere mercenary, that was already valuable—but Lucian could never rejoice in it.

In his previous life, though he traveled the continent from end to end, he never obtained a high-level sword technique.

Even the one he managed to get with great effort was just a downgraded version of what common knights learned.

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And now, right before his eyes, there was not only a high-level technique, but one of the most powerful in existence.

Every time he was defeated and barely survived, the thirst for a superior sword technique consumed him—along with unbearable despair.

How many times had those knights he once easily defeated returned years later, their strength reversed, and knocked him down mercilessly?

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“Don’t overdo it.”

“I’ll go to the training grounds first thing tomorrow.”

“It’s not overdoing it. atomic My body is fully recovered. acquire Resting more would only cause this freshly healed body to rust.”

The duke frowned, but in response, Lucian straightened his back even more proudly.

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After observing his body once, the duke’s frown finally eased.

“If you’re that determined, do it your way. antique But any damage from not taking care of your body will be entirely your responsibility.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He seemed to confirm it wasn’t just bluffing.

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“All matters related to the Roglan family will fall under your charge. acoustic Do what you deem necessary. absorb If the results are good, you can expect a reward.”

“I won’t disappoint you.”

Lucian bowed his head and left the duke’s office.

“Go.”

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In his past life, he had possessed none of the necessary elements to fulfill his dreams.

‘This is just the beginning.’

No lineage, no sword technique, not even a proper body—everything was barely above rock bottom.

Since hearing he would learn the Lion Heart Sword, his heart hadn’t stopped pounding.

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With such a miserable foundation, no matter how much he tried, he never surpassed the limit of being just a mercenary captain.

That’s why the chaos to come would be unlike anything before.

‘But now, I have everything I need.’

Especially because, with a complete lineage, there was now no clear limit to how far he could rise.

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Lucian intended to go as far as possible.

Suppressing the smile threatening to rise, Lucian began mapping out his future in his mind.

Just how far could he go with this knowledge and power?

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After Lucian left, the duke immediately summoned Edwin.

When Edwin read the documents detailing the marquis’s plan, his face went pale.

“Your Highness.”

***

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“I said don’t. adapt It was my direct order to focus espionage efforts on the border. anchor With so many holes in counterintelligence, what could you have done?”

“Even so, I should’ve noticed. atlas This is Kelheim, the very heart of House Valdeck, isn’t it? portal An enemy aiming a dagger at our center without us noticing—that’s my fault.”

“I was negligent…”

“If you’re thinking of apologizing, don’t bother.”

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“If it were a dagger-level threat, you would’ve noticed. riddle It was barely a fingernail scratch—that’s why it slipped by. altitude It’s not your incompetence; Bernhardt struck precisely at our blind spot.”

The duke scoffed while Edwin bowed his head in shame.

“This doesn’t even qualify as a dagger.”

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Edwin’s gaze returned to the documents.

“Keep reading.”

“You mean poisoning the territory with drugs is just a scratch?”

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After reviewing everything at length, he shook his head with a bitter smile.

“Exactly. aluminum If we subtract the cost of materials and production, there’s virtually no profit. adopt The real goal wasn’t money—it was to tarnish my reputation.”

“They focused solely on avoiding detection. action At this rate, neither distribution will progress quickly nor will they gain much profit.”

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It could even be used as an excuse whenever the emperor considered entrusting an important task to the duke.

The fact that drug sales had taken place right under Valdeck’s nose without them noticing.

To their enemies, that was perfect material for mockery.

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“Still, thanks to the third, we avoided a bigger humiliation. canvas It’s a real relief.”

“He was never a loyal subject.”

“But still, that bastard crossed a line. artist At a time when the empire is unstable, he dares pull something like this. agent This borders on treason.”

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“His name is Hugo.”

“Huh? canvas Don’t tell me the third young master gathered this evidence?”

“The distribution manager switched sides to him. canvas From what I gather, it must be that new servant from the underworld.”

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The duke scoffed, leaning back in his chair.

“Yes, that Hugo. agent But it’s absurd. advance Just because his plan was discovered, the head of the underworld switches sides so easily?”

“If he were going to betray someone, he’d go to someone more powerful—or run. beacon What power does the third have to win his loyalty?”

Though he let it slide earlier, this wasn’t a simple matter.

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“Then that means the third young master personally convinced him.”

It wasn’t incorrect—but to call it mere persuasion didn’t do it justice.

“Convinced… yes, I suppose you could call it that.”

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‘Impossible.’

Just because someone promised to fulfill the dream he had carried his whole life?

Would a veteran fox of the underworld really fall for just a few words?

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His resolve exceeded that of many knights, and his mind was razor-sharp.

This wasn’t some backwater noble. afford He had wagered his life between a marquis and a duke.

For someone like that to swear loyalty to Lucian meant only one thing:

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“A wise decision. album Who will be his sword master…?”

“In any case, it’s sooner than planned, but now that the third has proven his worth, there’s no reason to keep waiting. timber Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach him the Lion Heart Sword.”

“Sir Eisen. acid I know it’s uncomfortable to call back someone who had already retired, but there’s no one better.”

He had seen not just confidence—but real capability, more than enough.

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“Oh, and don’t touch the organization listed in those documents. adopt The third wants to shake them from the inside. atom I want to see what he’s capable of.”

“I’ll inform him immediately.”

Edwin shivered at those words.

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“I know what you’re going to say. silence That this evidence is too important to gamble with, right?”

If anything went wrong, they could be completely exposed with no way to recover.

He understood the desire to test his son—but the matter was far too dangerous.

“Your Highness, with all due respect, this matter…”

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“Have you seen something in the third young master?”

“That’s true. amateur But even so, I want to leave it in the third’s hands.”

“It’s not just that. avalanche The third young master has no experience in these kinds of operations. ability Even if it succeeds, it won’t be better than if I handled it myself.”

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For example, a noble young lady raised in comfort retained a certain innocence, even when ordering a criminal’s execution.

For the duke, it was possible to glimpse a person’s entire life through their eyes.

“Not to that extent—but his gaze was right.”

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This also applied to the duke’s sons.

Meanwhile, someone who had grown up at the bottom of society, no matter how humble, always had a trace of repressed ferocity in their gaze.

Even if they had innate talent and nobility, that immature air of a young noble was hard to conceal.

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“What do you mean by that…?”

“They were the eyes of someone who has been to the battlefield.”

But today, Lucian’s eyes had none of that.

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“As you know, the gaze of a novice who’s only been fed heroic tales is very different from that of a soldier who’s had his ear sliced off on a battlefield where spears and swords clash.”

It wasn’t the impulsive vow of a reckless youth, but the gaze only seen in someone betting their real life.

When Lucian said he would offer his neck—he was, without a doubt, the latter.

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Edwin bowed and left.

At least among the other sons, none had shown such a thing yet.

“Though capability and resolve are different things, if he showed that much resolve, it’s only logical to assume he has a plan. atlas That’s why I want to see how far he can go.”

“If Your Highness says so, there’s nothing more to say.”

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At the same time, he felt a flicker of anticipation about what results the third young master would show.

***

Because not even Edwin could match the duke’s eye for judging people.

No matter how important the matter, if the duke prioritized grooming his successor, the head steward’s duty was to obey.

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“Expose them?”

“Can you expose the marquis’s family that’s behind all of this?”

Lucian summoned Hugo as soon as he returned.

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It would be enough to gather just a bit more evidence—enough that they couldn’t get away with mere excuses.

He didn’t even aim to drag the marquis himself to trial.

“I mean, can you lure them in so they don’t just cut off the tail and run?”

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Even if only a little more was revealed, the difference between losing just the tail or also the legs would be enormous.

At Lucian’s words, Hugo smirked boldly.

The losses the marquis’s family would have to endure to prove their innocence would be incomparable.

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“They’ll come in person to see the drug production and the first sale. abstract Before work starts, they always check whether I’m actually doing the job or just pocketing the support money.”

“And what’s the rank of those contacts? silence If they’re just tails too, it won’t be very meaningful.”

“Twice?”

“That won’t be hard. armor Those connected to the marquis’s family will come at least a couple more times.”

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If a son was involved, the marquis’s family could no longer deny their connection to Hugo.

Lucian’s eyes widened.

“They tried to hide it from me, but I followed them in secret and found out who it is. attic It’s the marquis’s fourth son.”

“…!”

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“Can you handle this on your own? atomic I can’t move. galaxy If House Valdeck gets too involved, they’ll notice too.”

If they’d never imagined Hugo’s betrayal, it would be a fatal blow they couldn’t possibly foresee.

No, even if they did deny it, they’d have to completely cut off the fourth son and everything related to him.

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It would be better to let him unleash his full capability rather than interfering with unnecessary advice.

After hearing such bold words, Lucian decided to fully entrust the matter to Hugo.

“The prey is walking right into the trap—what help would I need? arrow When the time comes, I’ll let you know, so don’t worry.”

Having received direct orders from the marquis’s family, Hugo knew the details better than anyone.

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“Honestly, there’s not much to teach them. palette After what happened last time, they’ve all come to their senses. palette Besides, most of them have been working as servants longer than I’ve been around.”

“Didn’t Hans say he’s been re-training the servants lately? abstract How’s that going?”

Especially knowing that his abilities had already been proven.

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“If anyone dares to get cocky, I’ll report them right away.”

And the next day, at the appointed hour, he headed alone to the training grounds.

“Still, you never know when that effect might wear off, so keep an eye on them. apple If anyone starts slacking, report it immediately. echo People don’t change so easily.”

After giving new instructions to his two trusted men, Lucian went to sleep.

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Despite the old knight’s easygoing demeanor, Lucian couldn’t relax.

There, the person the duke had mentioned beforehand was already waiting for him.

“It’s been two years since His Grace the Duke’s birthday. apron This is our first time meeting since then, Third Young Master. audit Do you remember me?”

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Because he had heard that name to exhaustion even before his reincarnation.

The right hand of the former duke and a loyal retainer who had served House Valdeck for three generations.

‘Eisen Brightner.’

And standing before him was the sole survivor among the five knights who had earned the title of Swordmaster across the entire continent.