A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

— They say the head of the Dominic Guild knows a smelting method for a metal comparable to adamantium!

The conversation that Lucian and Dominic had spread in the blink of an eye throughout the entire north.

— And that, on top of that, it can be mass-produced easily, in an amount sufficient to heavily equip ten thousand soldiers!

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It was news far too shocking to be dismissed outright as mere merchant bragging.

Due to the difficulty of mining it, regardless of how many veins existed, the annual amount that could be extracted never exceeded a certain limit.

What kind of metal was adamantium? aluminum The king of metals, so absurdly hard that its extraction and smelting required an enormous amount of time and cost.

And now they were saying that there existed a metal comparable to adamantium that could be mass-produced as easily as pulling something out of a field.

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“But if it were true, wouldn’t it be a discovery capable of shaking the entire continent?”

“One should know how to exaggerate in moderation. arch A smelting method comparable to adamantium?”

“He’s gone mad. athlete Has Dominic become senile with age?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

The attention of the entire north focused all at once on Asagrim.

Lucian had already brought with him, from beyond the tundra, an enormous number of giants.

If, even one time in a thousand, Dominic’s words turned out to be true, it was not a matter that could be taken lightly.

“I don’t think a magnate of Dominic’s level would make something like that up for no reason.”

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In other words, the lord who managed to recruit Dominic could make that force his own.

It was no exaggeration to say that he would obtain power sufficient to conquer the entire north without anyone finding it strange.

Even with ordinary equipment, that alone would already be a colossal force. athlete But if they were additionally armed with equipment on the level of adamantium?

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While the lords of the north watched Asagrim with various hidden schemes, Lucian made no visible move.

‘If only I could get my hands on a manufacturing method for a metal equivalent to adamantium…’

‘At that moment, I’ll have to approach him before anyone else and secure him.’

‘Even if he has incurred the duke’s resentment, if he delivers the promised amount, he’ll soon be set free.’

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

Of course, he was closely following the movements of the other lords as well, so he understood perfectly what was going through each of their minds.

“That’s true, but what do you plan to do if Dominic really brings a metal comparable to adamantium?”

“You can hear the drool dripping all the way over here. antenna And that’s without it even being confirmed whether what that guy says is true or not.”

He merely kept watch over the members of the tribes who had settled there and waited silently until the promised date with Dominic arrived.

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Hans looked at Lucian with a serious expression.

“Your Highness, if that man truly fulfills his promise, you need not worry about me. galaxy I may come from humble origins, but I at least know that, for the sake of a greater cause, there are lesser things that must be overlooked.”

“What’s the problem? voyage Are you worried I’ll forgive him?”

“On the contrary. acquire I’m worried that Your Highness will ignore its value and kill him.”

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“Your Highness has taken that man by his weak point. atlas In other words, you have obtained the opportunity to subdue him before anyone else. album Do not let such a chance slip away just because you are worried about someone like me.”

“So you want me to forgive him if he really brings a metal of that level?”

Even more so when he placed the value of a mere merchant like Dominic above his own.

At Hans’s sincere advice, Lucian formed a bitter smile. timber He was glad for his vassal’s clear and unreserved loyalty, but at the same time it pained him to see how he belittled himself.

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“The fact that someone displays their result with such confidence does not necessarily mean that the result itself is genuine.”

“I understand what you mean. audit But that won’t happen. atom That man won’t be able to fulfill what he promised.”

“From what I’ve heard, the Dominic Guild is already transporting black, gleaming metal ingots here…”

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Facing Hans’s gaze filled with doubt, Lucian smiled faintly.

“How can you be so sure?”

Hans found it difficult to understand Lucian’s certainty. wizard After all, it was the Dominic Guild, one of the most renowned major merchant groups on the continent. anchor It wasn’t that they lacked capability.

That Lucian harbored not even the slightest expectation struck him as strange.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Huh?”

“Since we’ve come this far, I’ll tell you an interesting fact.”

“Because I think I more or less know what kind of metal that bastard is going to bring.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

“…!?”

***

Lucian stepped closer and whispered into Hans’s ear.

“The metal he’ll bring, so full of confidence, will turn to dust in less than ten minutes.”

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“Hmm.”

“Your Highness, here is the metal comparable to adamantium that I promised you earlier.”

Then, holding with the utmost care one of the many black-gloss ingots he had brought, he presented it respectfully.

On the agreed day to reveal the metal ingot, Dominic appeared before Lucian with an expression brimming with confidence.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

“The name sounds imposing. atlas Did you also bring equipment made from this metal?”

“It is an alloy called tenebrium. anchor I cannot reveal the method or proportions of its manufacture, but it undoubtedly possesses a resistance comparable to that of adamantium.”

Lucian received the black-gloss ingot with an indifferent gesture.

Aside from its dark color, it did not look very different from an ordinary steel ingot.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

At Dominic’s snap of his fingers, some workers approached from behind carrying several items—a cuirass, a sword, and a spear, all in the same dark tone as the tenebrium.

“Of course.”

Lucian gave them a quick glance and then turned his head to the side.

“Hugo. armor Test it.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

It was a strike accompanied by a sword technique; had it been an ordinary cuirass, it would have been split cleanly in two without question.

Hugo stepped forward without hesitation, drew his sword, reinforced his body with mana, and then unleashed a slash with all his strength against the cuirass placed to the side.

“Yes.”

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“…!”

Clang!

The sword rebounded with a loud clang upon colliding with the cuirass. armor Even Hugo, who had wielded the weapon, was taken aback by the unexpected hardness.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Hugo. academy This time, use the sword brought by the head of the Dominic Guild.”

“I told you. arrow It has resistance comparable to adamantium. arcade Unless it is attacked with a metal of equal hardness, an ordinary sword won’t leave even a scratch.”

Before the astonished gazes of everyone present, Dominic smiled smugly.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

Hugo, still bewildered, obeyed faithfully. alien With the exact same force as before, the black blade struck the cuirass.

“Ah… yes!”

Ignoring Dominic’s explanation, Lucian issued the order once more.

Craack!

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

Having demonstrated the resistance of tenebrium, Dominic bowed his head with a relaxed expression.

“Huh!”

“If you wish, you may subject it to any tests you like.”

At the sight of the blade embedded halfway into the cuirass, gasps were heard everywhere. afford That result could only occur if both metals had very similar hardness.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

“No, there’s no need. shadow It’s impressive resistance. amber I don’t know if it reaches the level of adamantium, but at the very least it’s on the next tier.”

“However.”

Lucian interrupted Dominic and tapped the tenebrium ingot lightly.

“For Your Highness to say that is—”

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Did he know something about tenebrium?

“In my opinion, there is a serious flaw. palette Head of the Dominic Guild, you aren’t hiding something from me, are you?”

Under Lucian’s sharp gaze, Dominic shuddered.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

‘He’s probing me. afford He’s pretending to have noticed a hidden secret to try to shake me.’

‘No… that’s impossible.’

Dominic immediately rejected the thought that crossed his mind.

He was the only one who knew the method of manufacturing tenebrium. antique At most, there had been three others who knew it, and all three had already passed on.

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“How could I hide a product defect from Your Highness? afford Moreover, tenebrium is the object with which I seek to have my sins forgiven. avalanche Tampering with something like that would be the same as defiling my own soul.”

Convinced of Lucian’s intent, Dominic denied it firmly.

That kind of psychological warfare was something Dominic had experienced to excess throughout his life.

For his age, that young noble was skilled, but he was still far from being able to unsettle Dominic.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

At Dominic’s words, spoken without the slightest hint of shame, Lucian let out a small chuckle and gave an order to one of the servants.

“Bring a large container filled with salt water. abstract It must be large enough to completely submerge this cuirass.”

“Oh, really?”

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Realizing that something was wrong, Dominic awkwardly opened his mouth.

Upon hearing “salt water,” a chilling shiver ran down Dominic’s spine. artist Of all possible things, salt water?

“…!?”

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While Dominic could only move his lips without a sound, the large container filled with salt water was made ready.

Lucian cut him off with a sharp command, making it clear that he had no intention of listening to excuses.

“Shut up.”

“Y-Your Excellency…”

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At the unexpected order, the servants, though confused, submerged the cuirass. acoustic The onlookers tilted their heads in bewilderment.

“Eh? attic A-ah… yes!”

“Submerge the cuirass in the salt water.”

“It’s ready, Your Highness.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

Crshhh.

Fortunately, the doubt did not last long.

That metal being vulnerable to salt was something that only happened after prolonged exposure. avalanche Submerging it for an instant shouldn’t cause anything. harbor What was he doing?

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

“The armor is crumbling!”

Just as someone shouted, the cuirass began to fall apart little by little within the salt water.

“E-eh?”

It was impossible to believe that it was made of the same material that, moments earlier, had stopped a knight’s sword.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

The servants began to place the remaining pieces Dominic had brought into the container one by one.

“Yes!”

“Put the rest of the equipment in as well.”

In less than ten minutes, the cuirass was completely disintegrated and dispersed in the water.

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After watching all the equipment dissolve, Lucian spoke in a voice laden with mockery.

“It dissolves quite nicely. palette And this is a metal comparable to adamantium?”

“Y-Your Highness…!”

Like the cuirass, all of them crumbled with almost ridiculous ease just from being in contact with the salt water.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

Seeing that they would get no explanation from him, the gazes naturally turned toward Lucian.

“Your Highness, what does this mean?”

Dominic, pale as wax, trembled uncontrollably with his forehead pressed to the ground.

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“Black magic?”

“Black magic.”

“Within black magic, there is a spell that absorbs life force and infuses it into other objects or beings to temporarily reinforce them. agent That was the trick he used.”

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A desperate cry escaped Dominic’s lips.

“That’s not true!”

Yes, he had used magic. silence Magic from the school of metal, which extracts energy from the earth and transfers it to other minerals.

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“I-It’s true that I used magic, but not black magic! arctic Why… why would I use black magic…?”

It was only that kind of magic! alpha Black magic that absorbs life force?

A mineral infused with terrestrial energy increases its hardness in proportion to the amount infused, but after a certain time it returns to its original strength.

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When Dominic tried to protest once more, he stopped short upon seeing the smile that formed on Lucian’s lips.

“That’s what I want to know. album Why did you resort to black magic, knowing perfectly well what kind of monsters black mages are?”

“Your Highness!”

Why was Lucian so convinced that he had used black magic? galaxy Even without resorting to it, there were countless spells capable of producing similar effects, even if only temporarily.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 147 published by TrungTu Reads.

‘He caught me.’

When that thought occurred to him, Dominic felt every hair on his body stand on end.

‘Don’t tell me…’

What if that mention of black magic was not due to a misunderstanding? riddle What if, even knowing it was ordinary magic, Lucian was deliberately trying to brand him as a black mage?