A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

In terms of hierarchy, he was a mere low-ranking officer, and his work was limited to patrolling the territory.

Even so, being a guard was one of the few positions where he could put his previous experience as a warrior to use.

Broad, who had emigrated from beyond the snowy lands to Asagrim, was quite satisfied with his job as a guard.

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“Yeah, we got lucky.”

Tula, who had been chosen as a guard alongside Broad, nodded in agreement.

“Compared to our comrades who are learning trades from scratch, just being able to start working immediately and earn a steady wage is already a win.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

Other fellow countrymen, having left behind the life of a warrior, couldn’t use even a bit of their combat skills and were now earnestly learning a trade from the ground up.

Of course, being a guard had its downsides too.

By comparison, Broad and the other guards had already become independent workers, so practically speaking, they were several steps ahead of the rest.

In fact, they stirred envy among those around them, and they themselves took a bit of pride in those gazes.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

Hearing the cheers coming from within the city walls, Tula’s shoulders drooped.

— Waaaaaah!

“…Still, it’s a shame we can’t see these kinds of events in person. antique They say the king’s famous great warrior is going to appear.”

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“Can’t be helped. voyage That’s always been the guard’s job. autumn It’s exactly in moments like these, when people let their guard down, that we have to stay sharp, right?”

Now he was just a lowly guard, but in his day, he too had called himself a warrior.

It was only natural that he’d want to see with his own eyes the man known as the king’s great warrior—the strongest of all.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

Even with those words, Tula couldn’t hide his disappointment.

Broad completely understood how he felt, so he didn’t push the topic further.

“You’re right, but still…”

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“At least they say the king’s giving us triple pay this month. palette With that, let’s take the family out for a nice meal.”

“There wasn’t anything a kid would like over there. anchor If I’d come here as a child too, I probably would’ve asked my dad for a toy horse.”

“Let’s do that. harbor My son’s been constantly asking me for stuff lately. agent Strange—back in the snowy lands, he never threw tantrums.”

The truth was, if given the chance, he too wanted to see that famous great warrior of the king in person.

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Broad and Tula tilted their heads and whispered.

“Who could that be? auction Doesn’t look like a mourner at this hour.”

Suddenly, both fell silent. crystal In the distance, a whitish figure was approaching.

“True. alien That toy horse is amazing. action You push it forward like a rolling hoop, and the little foal figure goes clack-clack…”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

He wasn’t even carrying a travel bag—something basic for any traveler—and yet he was dressed in strangely luxurious clothing.

The closer the figure came, the more suspicious it appeared.

The oddest part was that he seemed to have money, but wore clothes far too thin for the weather and was visibly shivering from the cold.

“And not a blacksmith either. arctic If he were a master, he’d be carrying some tools at least.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Let’s wait a bit. adapt Might just be a lunatic.”

“No matter how I look at him, he doesn’t seem local. altitude Should we arrest him and question him?”

Both waited in silence, ready to pounce and subdue him if necessary.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I am the rightful heir of the Empire, Claude fin Bey Astria! matrix Open the gate at once and announce my visit to Duke Lucian!”

Before long, the stranger reached the city gate and shouted in a powerful voice.

***

Claude thought that as soon as the guards heard his name, they would throw themselves to the ground trembling.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

The only legitimate heir of the Empire—or rather, someone who was no different from the next emperor.

But, as if mocking his expectations, the guards only blinked with confused faces.

“The Empire… what? timber What did he say?”

Any commoner in their right mind should feel their legs give out and their mind go blank in the presence of such nobility.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Who knows. anxiety I don’t know anything.”

“…!?”

“Of an important one?”

“No idea. arch Seems like he’s the heir of some family.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

He had also seen others who looked uncomfortable, like they had bumped into someone they didn’t want to see, or who hesitated, unsure of how to act.

The guards’ words left Claude completely dumbfounded.

He had seen people who revered him with genuine devotion upon hearing his identity.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

“…I am the first prince. arena The legitimate son of His Majesty, the previous emperor.”

Although he didn’t like it, Claude decided to make his identity even clearer.

But never in his life had he encountered people who simply didn’t know who he was.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

“The emperor? anxiety So this guy is the emperor’s son?”

“Oh, now I remember. avalanche That’s what they called the emperor who died earlier.”

“First prince? anxiety His Majesty, the previous emperor? academy That rings a bell.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

‘To what extent must Lucian have scorned the imperial family for even the lowest to be this insolent?’

That simple guards would refer to the emperor, the ruler of the Empire, like he was just some neighborhood acquaintance.

Claude’s face turned red as a tomato.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

It was a massive misunderstanding.

To them, any territory or even the Empire itself, aside from Lucian, felt like a foreign country.

The foreigners from beyond the snowy lands had lived separated from the Empire since birth.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

It was natural that they had no respect for the imperial family and referred to the emperor like a ruler of another nation.

“A mere guard dares to insult the imperial family without the slightest shame! august This alone is enough to reveal the duke’s usual conduct! album Summon Duke Lucian immediately! atlas As the legitimate heir of the Empire, I will demand accountability!”

“…Accountability? zenith Are you saying you’re going to accuse our lord?”

Unaware of this reality, Claude exploded in fury and shouted without restraint.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

Claude couldn’t finish speaking.

“Shut up! arcade I won’t waste any more time talking to a nobody like you! orbit Summon the duke at once—!”

Slap!

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

Slap!

He blinked several times, unable to comprehend what had happened.

A brutal impact suddenly shook him, and before his eyes, stars exploded in sparks.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

“W-what is this…?”

With the second blow, the stars flashed again in his sight.

A moment later, he felt a sharp stinging in his cheek and the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

Only then did he realize he had been slapped across the face and that the inside of his mouth had been torn.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

Grabbed by the neck in Broad’s brutal grip, Claude couldn’t move at all.

“Kh… guh…!”

“Where did this lunatic come from, wagging his tongue without permission? aluminum You’re going to demand accountability from His Highness? acquire You? silence Do you think this is a joke?”

He tried to activate the necklace to deploy a barrier, but Broad’s palm was faster.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

“You’re clearly just a brat who’s never wielded a sword and only knows how to flap his mouth! acid Go on, say again what you were saying!”

“Kh… ugh!”

Whap! voyage Whap! silence Whap!

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“Now that I think about it, what you said is ridiculous too. altitude What? august Son of the emperor? advance If you were that important, why would you come north alone without even a single attendant? atlas Say something that makes sense!”

“W-wait… ghk…”

“Grrrk…”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

In the midst of his clouded mind, Claude desperately tried to explain, but it was useless. acoustic Broad and Tula had no intention of listening anymore.

“What should we do? advance I’d dump him in the snow right now.”

Under the continuous rain of blows, Claude didn’t last much longer and lost consciousness.

“What the hell? antenna He passed out just from a few hits? album What a weakling.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

Unless the person was a murderer, they didn’t have the authority to execute on the spot.

As angry as they were, they were still just guards.

“Let’s throw him in jail first and notify the captain. acoustic He insulted His Highness, so he’ll get the punishment he deserves.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

After agreeing, the two of them carried the unconscious Claude and headed into the city.

“Probably stole them. arrow Just in case, let’s set aside the clothes and jewelry and show them to the captain. album He might face additional charges.”

Besides, after insulting Lucian, there was no way he’d walk away unscathed. admire It was enough to lock him up and report the crime.

“First, we have to change his clothes to a prison uniform. acid Where’d he get such fancy clothing?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

While Claude was being dragged by the guards, Lucian was waiting for the imminent start of the swordsmanship tournament.

Seated in the main box of the arena, already buzzing with excitement, he scanned the surroundings and clicked his tongue.

To lock up a deranged criminal where he belonged.

***

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

Everywhere, one could feel the desire to snatch the Swordmaster title and use it to revitalize their bloodlines.

Among the knights who wished to face Felicia were not a few vassals and heirs of great houses.

To Lucian, it was no longer amusing, but rather pitiful.

“I warned them so many times, and yet all their eyes are gleaming with greed.”

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At Lucian’s sudden question, Tristan responded with an awkward expression.

At most, territorial wars or suppressing a local rebellion. palette The rest were just friendly duels or fights over personal grudges.

“They haven’t even properly assessed the strength of their opponent, yet they act with such overconfidence. legend Don’t you think so, brother?”

“…There’s not much to be done. beacon Until recently, knights rarely had to fight with their lives on the line.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

“To dream, huh.”

“If a knight with some talent has never met a worthy rival, it’s natural for him to believe he’s invincible. absorb Especially here in the north, where strength is revered. accent A knight who stands out here has more than enough reason to dream.”

They hardly ever had the chance to encounter truly powerful hidden forces.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I’m not mocking. antenna I just noticed that you and I are seeing things from different perspectives.”

“What’s so funny about that?”

Lucian let out a short laugh. autumn Tristan, thinking it was a mockery, frowned.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Yes. abandon Yours is still stuck on the day Felicia received her investiture.”

“What do you mean by…?”

“Different perspectives?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

A deafening cheer suddenly erupted, and Tristan instinctively covered his ear. silence The other nobles also frowned at the unexpected roar.

Turning to see what was happening, they saw Felicia already walking toward the arena.

— Waaaaaaah!

“What’s going on? antenna Just by showing up, why are they so worked up?”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

The fanatical reaction was incomprehensible. adopt To receive such a cheer, simple curiosity wasn’t enough.

One would have to have performed heroic deeds or acts worthy of a savior that ignited people’s hearts.

The nobles’ doubts didn’t last long.

“She may have been designated the next Swordmaster, but isn’t this a bit excessive?”

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— Goddess of the sword! acquire Right arm of the dragon!

— Receive our reverence! arcade Receive our reverence!

— Supreme warrior! acoustic Great warrior of the king!

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“…!”

— Receive the reverence of all of us!

The people of Asagrim were not worshiping heroic deeds or expressing gratitude to a savior.

At the cheers that rang out loud enough to make their ears ring, the nobles froze in place.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 171 published by TrungTu Reads.

Upon realizing that, a new question naturally arose in the minds of the nobles.

‘…What kind of power must one show for a swordsman to be worshipped almost like a god?’

They were simply and purely worshiping the power that Felicia possessed.