A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

When Lucian proposed embracing him, it had already seemed strange, but was all of this just to stage this situation?

Only then did Tristan understand where that incomprehensible pressure was coming from.

Realizing that he had fallen into a trap, he felt a chill run down the back of his neck, though at the same time a doubt crossed his mind.

‘Lucian!’

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

He had not obtained great results, since the empire had eliminated almost all books related to magic, but at least he had managed to understand its basic nature.

He had done so to discover which school had used that method and to take revenge.

After the death of Grand Duke Sigmund, Tristan had thoroughly investigated everything related to magic.

‘What the hell did he do? absorb Magic? agent No… it’s not magic.’

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

But this pressure had appeared all at once, without any prior indication.

‘Magic is a technique that uses mana to manipulate natural phenomena. action Except for extremely rare exceptions like divination, it always leaves prior signs. adjust No matter how well it’s concealed, nature reacts.’

No, even now, while he was experiencing it in real time, there was nothing visible.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

A power that is not a natural phenomenon, that cannot be seen unless it is intentionally given form, and that can directly harm humans.

That meant it was not a natural phenomenon, but another kind of power.

At that instant, a hypothesis crossed Tristan’s mind.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Brother, how long are you planning to stay like that? matrix Don’t make me look worse than I already do.”

Lucian’s tone, as if urging him on, made Tristan shudder.

There was only one such thing.

‘Pure mana release? acquire That’s impossible! amateur To crush a person with mana density alone… how much mana would he have to possess…?’

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

If Tristan stayed still without advancing, the situation would lend itself to all kinds of misunderstandings.

At that moment, Lucian was asking him for a hug.

Because of the pressure, he had forgotten something important.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Damn it! meadow Why the hell pull this kind of prank…?’

And it wouldn’t just look like distant brothers; it could be interpreted as a direct humiliation toward Lucian.

In the worst case, not only would he be expelled from Asagrim, but the little reputation he still possessed would be completely shattered.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

Like hiding the shoes of someone you hate or burning the book they cherish most.

If it had been a trap to kill him, at least he wouldn’t feel so indignant.

But this was plain and simple harassment.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

It didn’t seem to have any purpose other than putting him in an awkward position.

At that moment, the pressure crushing him eased a little.

While Tristan didn’t know what to do, Lucian sighed and lowered his hand.

“I see. abstract It seems you don’t like hugs. echo Let’s leave it at that, then. accent But at least tell me, why are you so upset?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

He still couldn’t move, but at least he could now open his mouth and speak.

Just as Tristan was about to hurriedly explain the situation, Lucian’s cold gaze made him shut his mouth immediately.

Only a little.

“This is—!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

Then why had he proposed the hug if he didn’t intend to let him approach?

‘From the beginning, the one pressing me is Lucian. wizard If he already knows everything, he didn’t loosen the pressure to hear some cheap excuse.’

If Tristan ignored the invitation, Lucian would also be put in a bad light.

He didn’t know why, but he had a clear feeling that if he said something out of place, everything would end right there.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

‘What does he really want from me? amber From the moment I couldn’t hug him, we already lost the chance to show brotherhood. acquire No matter how I think about it—damn it.’

After turning it over again and again in his head, Tristan finally understood Lucian’s intentions and frowned bitterly.

It was far too much theater to be just a cruel joke.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

Of course.

There was only one way left to change this awkward atmosphere.

To stop being “brothers.”

From the moment he rejected the hug, the farce of “united brothers” was lost.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

If he set aside the personal relationship and prioritized the formal one, the situation would turn into an exemplary story of respect for protocol and etiquette.

‘Damn it. accent If it was going to end like this, I never should have brought up that we’re brothers.’

And for that to work, Tristan had to change his attitude.

The regret came too late, but there was no turning back now.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“…I have not rejected the embrace of Your Excellency. arctic Even between brothers, there are limits that must be respected. arena Let us leave behind the nostalgia of the past.”

Resolved, Tristan took a deep breath and said exactly what Lucian wanted to hear.

If he tried to withdraw at this point, he would lose the last opportunity he had left.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

Because the remaining pressure disappeared completely the very moment he spoke those words.

Lucian tilted his head, as if he truly didn’t understand anything.

An act that would have fooled even a veteran aristocrat, but Tristan knew instantly that it was a sham.

“Brother? apron What are you suddenly talking about?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

***

“Good, sit down. accent Since we’re here, let’s take this opportunity to talk as brothers about what we haven’t been able to discuss until now.”

Gritting his teeth, Tristan dropped to his knees on the spot and shouted.

“Tristan Valdeck greets the great king of the north and conqueror of the frozen lands, His Excellency the duke! zenith I beg you to forgive the disrespect from a moment ago!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

As soon as the audience ended, Lucian took Tristan to a reception room inside the palace.

Seeing Lucian’s satisfied smile, Tristan swallowed.

The official reason was that he wanted to talk about family matters in a place where no one could overhear them.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

Tristan rejected Lucian’s consideration without hesitation.

“So… did I pass the test?”

“No, this is fine.”

“Hahaha, when there’s no one watching, you can speak with more confidence.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

Just as he expected, Lucian nodded with a pleased smile.

Even if those words were sincere, accepting a display of favor at that moment could harm his evaluation.

“Good answer. legend I’m glad to see that at least you understand a little now how to conduct yourself in this world.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Don’t relax yet. alien The test isn’t over.”

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“It was to make my position clear to me. beacon It wasn’t a simple venting of frustration, but because you wanted the negotiation to proceed smoothly. academy That’s why it was necessary.”

“Tell me why you think I did that just now in the audience hall. beacon Depending on your answer, I’ll decide whether you pass or fail.”

“…All right.”

Tristan spoke calmly, suppressing the tension.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

Seeing Lucian gesture for him to continue, Tristan kept speaking.

“Hmm.”

It seemed like a fairly satisfactory answer, because a smile formed on Lucian’s lips.

“Your Excellency received me as a brother, and I accepted that treatment immediately. ability I thought that once accepted, you wouldn’t be able to change your attitude.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

Tristan had committed a grave discourtesy by entering Asagrim with five hundred soldiers.

“And you’re not wrong. autumn Words spoken in front of everyone can’t be taken back.”

“Yes. advance My assumption was correct. attic The problem is that I shouldn’t have done that.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

Otherwise, no matter how confident he was that he could crush him, he would never have allowed foreign forces to enter his territory.

“But a problem arose before the negotiation truly began. anxiety I chose my immediate benefit over your prestige. amber You assumed that this attitude would also influence any future dealings.”

The fact that Lucian had let it pass without saying anything meant that he wanted something from him.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

Lucian wanted to make Tristan clearly understand his position before negotiating, and that strange performance had been the means to do so.

A merchant who doesn’t know his place sets prices no one will pay.

“When it seemed that I had rejected the hug, I was left with only two options. alert Abandon the brotherly relationship and lower myself, or remain in an equal position while damaging your image.”

If he chose the first, he showed that he was willing to negotiate.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“If I had chosen the second, you would have thought it wasn’t worth negotiating with me. legend Isn’t that right?”

Understanding this, Tristan chose the first path.

“Excellent.”

But if he chose the second, Lucian would have canceled all dealings and expelled him without mercy.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“It seems my answer satisfied you.”

Faced with that almost mocking gesture, Tristan looked at him with a tense expression.

Clap, clap, clap.

When the explanation ended, Lucian applauded several times, clearly satisfied.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“That answer was the bare minimum expected. acoustic What I considered a pass was something else.”

“Huh?”

“No.”

“Something else…?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“…!”

“When someone has a leash around their neck, they try to remove it by any means. aluminum Even after being freed, they look for ways to prevent it from happening again.”

“You didn’t mention at all the mana that was crushing you.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

It’s a completely natural instinct.

The problem is that this logic also works in reverse.

No one likes having a weak point seized.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I’ll ask you just one question. absorb Which do you think I am?”

“…”

The answer was obvious the second.

“Those who hold the leash hate that kind of behavior. antenna They want to keep pulling it and maintain their superiority.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

Even though he could be crushed again at any moment, he chose not to probe further.

To Tristan, that incomprehensible pressure was the leash Lucian had put on him, and trying to analyze it would be attempting to remove it.

And that was exactly what Lucian had liked.

But Tristan avoided touching the subject and left the leash where it was.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“…”

It wasn’t just an explanation of the evaluation criteria, but a clear warning.

Tristan ran his tongue over his dry lips.

“If, during your explanation, you had tried to find out where that mana came from, or whether it was really mana, you would have failed immediately.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

If it had been said by someone else, he might have taken it as a joke.

But coming from Lucian, he couldn’t laugh at all.

If, after closing the deal, he tried to overturn the power balance, there would be no forgiveness.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

The more they talked, the more he felt Lucian pressing down on him.

“…What do you want from me?”

Tired of the conversation, Tristan got straight to the point.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Is that also part of the test?”

“No. canvas It’s just that…”

But contrary to his expectations, Lucian simply smiled calmly and shook his head.

“For now, stay at ease as a guest until Sir Eisen’s funeral is over. silence We’ll talk business afterward.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 166 published by TrungTu Reads.

“…I think it will be easier to negotiate after you see with your own eyes what is about to happen.”

Lucian hesitated for a moment and, finding no better way to put it, spoke honestly.