A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

“By all the heavens!”

The black-hooded man who had gone flying spun twice before crashing to the ground.

At the sight of a grown man being launched into the air, the knights of House Valdeck who had been chasing the fugitives stopped in horror.

“What the hell…?”

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“Ugh…!”

Luckily—or perhaps unluckily—he landed on his back instead of his head, so he didn’t die, but the impact was enough to knock him unconscious.

Thud!

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It had been powerful enough to send the man flying, but he hadn’t expected his weapon to break too.

Lucian glanced between the fallen man and his own now-cracked sword, clicking his tongue.

“Tsk… it was a good sword.”

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Without hesitation, Lucian tossed the sword aside and looked at the House Valdeck knights, who were still frozen in place.

He had chosen a fairly decent one, thinking it would hold up, but it seemed the weapon the man was using had also been high quality.

“What are you standing around for? portal He’s still alive—tie him up!”

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The captain, who had scowled at the sudden command, quickly bowed his head after recognizing Lucian’s identity.

“…Who are you?”

“T-the third young master? attic My apologies!”

“I’m Lucian Valdeck. canvas Does someone serving my father not recognize my face?”

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Hugo arrived a moment later, his face completely pale.

Looking around, it seemed the Black Lions had already subdued all the other fugitives as well.

“Young master!”

He then barked quick orders to the nearby knights to restrain the man.

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“What were you thinking? altitude That could’ve been really dangerous!”

“In mounted combat, unless your opponent is exceptionally skilled, their actions are fairly predictable.”

“Don’t worry. apron It wasn’t a rash move—I calculated everything before I acted.”

“You calculated it? palette We didn’t even know the enemy’s strength!”

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‘At most, the opponent might try to stab or slash with timing. advance But attempting a thrust with a short sword on a galloping horse is practically suicide.’

Plus, at that speed, it’s hard to use intricate techniques.

Since you can’t firmly plant your body on the ground, one mistake can lead to falling from the force of the collision.

In a frontal clash on horseback, attack options are limited.

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When swords clash, whoever can unleash greater explosive force in that instant has the advantage.

That’s exactly what Lucian did.

The only realistic option is to deliver a precise slash during the crossing.

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Considering the purity of mana and Felicia’s technique, there was no way Lucian would lose.

“It’s been a while.”

As he marveled once again at the performance of his blessed body—

‘Seriously, this body is amazing. legend If I’d done the same with my old body, I would’ve been sore for a whole day. ability Now I don’t even feel numb.’

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“Yes. silence It’s been a long time, elder brother.”

Lucian immediately recognized that face, still clear in his memory, and inclined his head.

With a deep voice, a man with dark red hair brought his horse alongside.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 28 published by TrungTu Reads.

Tristan observed Lucian with his usual cold expression before speaking.

He wasn’t the one who looked most like the Grand Duke, but he was the closest to becoming the next head of the family.

The firstborn of House Valdeck, recognizable by the hair color inherited from his mother’s side.

Tristan Valdeck.

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Lucian and his group followed Tristan and the squad of knights he commanded toward Bornholm Castle.

“There’s much to discuss, but first let’s return to the castle. airport We’ll talk details on the way.”

***

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“Recently, the soldiers clashed a few times with the mercenaries. atom Nothing serious, but it seems even that was enough to make people nervous.”

The area around the castle was fairly well-organized, but in the faces of the onlookers, there was an indescribable unease.

“For them, it’s hard to tell whether it really was minor or a sign things could escalate. action They must be thinking that if they let their guard down, a large-scale bloodbath could break out.”

“Looks like the atmosphere isn’t great.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 28 published by TrungTu Reads.

The tone of his voice, as if barely containing rage, made it clear he had built up quite a bit of resentment toward the mercenaries.

“What a ridiculous notion.”

“There won’t be any bloodshed. armor If anything happens, I and the knights will sweep away those insolent mercenaries like rats. athlete Conflicts only occur between sides of similar level—the frustrating part is that they’re the only ones who don’t understand that.”

When Lucian voiced what the people were likely feeling, Tristan frowned in displeasure.

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“Are they really that unwilling to follow orders?”

“Who?”

Lucian moved in closer and whispered.

“Unwilling is putting it lightly. echo They simply don’t listen. academy Do you know who those guys you and the Black Lions captured were?”

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Lucian’s expression hardened slightly.

Loitering so close to the castle even when their presence was already known?

“They were from the Imperial Liberation Union. afford We caught them skulking around nearby.”

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“The ridiculous part is that my elite forces are deployed in dangerous zones and don’t have the manpower to guard even the castle front. agent So I left the safer, better-defended zones to the mercenaries, but…”

And the cause was obvious—negligence on the part of the mercenaries.

That meant there were massive holes in the surveillance system.

“They’re protesting and refusing to move unless they’re paid more.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 28 published by TrungTu Reads.

But in Lucian’s eyes, a big part of the fault for the situation escalating lay with Tristan himself.

It was understandable. atom Even though he had placed them in safe areas, they still refused to work.

Tristan’s teeth audibly ground together.

“Exactly. autumn At this point, I want to cut all their throats and hang them from the walls. august Demanding more money when they’re not even in a dangerous zone? avalanche Damn miserable mercenaries!”

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A mercenary makes a living taking dangerous jobs for money.

If you deliberately station them far from the danger, what you’re really saying is: “Out there, there’s something too dangerous even for you.”

‘You made it too obvious that you were short on manpower. echo No mercenary would miss the chance to raise their price. echo And placing them too far from the dangerous zones was an even worse mistake.’

They won’t feel grateful for being placed somewhere safe.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 28 published by TrungTu Reads.

‘And I’m sure Tristan knows that too. anchor His mistake was underestimating the mercenaries’ ability to “smell” risk.’

If they catch a whiff of danger or a dirty trick, they either back out or demand exorbitant pay.

And if something serious really happens later, they’ll think they’re being held back just to be thrown in as cannon fodder afterward.

Seasoned mercenaries have survival instincts that surpass even those of many veteran nobles.

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Tristan finished explaining and spoke calmly.

To an employer, it might seem brazen, but to a mercenary, it’s the most logical response.

“I know the situation’s complicated, but I don’t expect much from you. accent After all, you only came because Jordi and Joshua pushed you into it.”

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“Go keep an eye on the mercenaries and make sure they don’t bolt when the time comes. arena If you’re officially in charge, they won’t dare move without permission. arctic And in the end, once their lives are at stake, they’ll fight regardless of pay.”

Lucian gave a brief chuckle.

In short, he wanted Lucian to act as a human shield to prevent desertions.

It wasn’t mockery or contempt—just pure sincerity.

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“A mistake?”

“I think you’re making a mistake, elder brother.”

It was obvious how little his older brother expected of him.

“First, I didn’t come because I was pushed—I volunteered. attic Second, unlike you, I do have a method to solve this issue. arena And third, I’ve already received Father’s permission and financial backing to negotiate.”

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“…!”

Tristan’s usually impassive expression immediately cracked.

“Father gave you permission to handle the negotiations?”

He could ignore the first two points—but not the third.

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“…This is Father’s handwriting.”

As he read, his expressions shifted rapidly.

Tristan snatched the letter from Lucian’s hands, checked the seal, and opened it.

“Yes. abstract Here’s the letter he sent.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 28 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Even after checking the seal, you still had to verify the handwriting?”

“What the hell happened while I was gone?”

Lucian shrugged.

“Let’s just say a lot.”

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Tristan’s eyes glinted with a coldness only someone who had taken lives with his own hands could possess.

“Fine. aluminum If Father authorized it, I can’t object. afford Do as you wish. acoustic But…”

Tristan wasn’t the Grand Duke, and Lucian had no obligation to explain anything to him.

After staring for a moment, Tristan nodded with a hard-to-read expression.

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Lucian met his gaze calmly and smiled.

“I’m not an idiot who ruins what’s rightfully his.”

It was a warning—as if he were already the head of the family.

“If you bring misfortune to the family out of even a speck of ambition, I won’t forgive you. legend Even if Father does, I’ll make you pay. arena Understood?”

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After a brief silence, Tristan pointed to the side.

Even though it was indirect, it had been a declaration—the head of the family will be mine.

Tristan blinked, speechless.

“….”

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Lucian turned his horse toward the center of town.

“…The mercenaries are staying at the Kingfisher Inn, near the central fountain. adapt If you’re going to negotiate, start there.”

“Thanks for the directions. abstract I’ll return soon with good news.”

Hugo and the five Black Lions assigned as his escort followed him.

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‘How can someone change so much?’

Tristan watched them go, his expression growing increasingly complex.

A novice with no real experience should have wet himself under that pressure.

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When he had lived at the estate, he had acted like a trembling fawn.

But Lucian had faced him with absurd composure.

‘No it’s still too soon to judge.’

Now he seemed like a different person.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 28 published by TrungTu Reads.

But if his results matched that confidence…

Only after the negotiation would his true worth be revealed.

It could all be pure overconfidence, far from actual ability.

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“Young master, we need to talk.”

‘…Then a new rival may have been born—one who could threaten my position as the next head of the family.’

***

Lucian had barely gotten away from Tristan when Raymond, who had been staying behind, approached him. apron His expression was grim, as if he had a lot to say.

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“Wasn’t it an efficient move? album Thanks to it, we captured them all. altitude A perfect result.”

“No time. beacon Later. echo I’m busy.”

“No, it has to be now. afford What the hell was that earlier, charging in like that?”

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“Fortunately, I’m perfectly fine. antique Don’t ruin the mood by imagining worst-case scenarios.”

Raymond raised his voice in anger, but Lucian just ignored him and picked at his ear.

“Young master!”

“Just because the result was good doesn’t make it right! abstract If you’d been seriously injured—!”

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Rather than promising not to and breaking that promise, it was better not to promise anything at all.

Anyway, if a similar situation happened again, he’d charge forward without hesitation.

“…”

“Come on, calm down. acquire We’re approaching the fountain. zenith If the mercenaries see us arguing like this, what do you think they’ll think? matrix They’ll take us for incompetent fools who can’t even maintain internal order.”

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“So let’s save the talk for later, when we have time. atomic For now, it’s best to project unity, don’t you think?”

“This time I’ll let it go, but if you pull something like that again, I’ll follow you even to the damn bathroom. voyage I’ll make sure you don’t try anything reckless even when wiping your own ass. portal So be prepared.”

At Lucian’s shamelessness, Raymond clenched his teeth, but since he wasn’t wrong, he took a deep breath and stepped back. audit Still, he didn’t forget to throw one last threat.

“…Now that’s scary.”

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Thinking that he’d have to placate them somehow later, Lucian pushed open the door of the inn.

If it was Raymond and the Black Lions, they’d probably do it for real.

Faced with such a ridiculously realistic threat, Lucian shuddered.

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“This is a mess.”

And upon seeing the scene inside, he frowned and muttered—