A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

If he could, he would’ve liked to go by carriage, but he couldn’t afford to draw attention, so he had to walk with his hood up.

Hans helped him walk by his side, though he still wore a confused expression.

Lucian headed straight for the herb shop.

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Herb shops and the Alchemist Guild are linked by their shared dealings with herbs.

“What business do you have at the herb shop, exactly?”

“I understand that, what I’m asking is why you, young master, have to buy herbs personally. arena Couldn’t you just buy medicine directly from the Alchemist Guild?”

“People go to herb shops to buy herbs. arena What else do you think I’m going to do?”

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Compared to the Alchemist Guild, which handles quality control and proper medicine preparation, it’s nothing but a humble shop.

A simple herbalist who picks and sorts herbs to sell is, at most, a place frequented by commoners or low-ranking knights.

However, in terms of social status, the difference is massive.

Even a mere apprentice alchemist would be enough to ridicule a herb gatherer.

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“I don’t know where you’re getting that from, but an herb shop is just a little place that sells herbs. admire There’s nothing in which it surpasses the Alchemist Guild. academy In fact, anything good is delivered straight to the guild—they only sell medium or low-quality goods here.”

“I know, so stop insisting. aspect You think I’m going there expecting to find some legendary herb?”

That’s why anyone with even a minimal position goes to the Alchemist Guild, not an herb shop.

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“Of course not. arena I’m going to the herb shop because it’s something the Alchemist Guild doesn’t handle.”

“Weren’t you?”

“There’s a herb in this world that they don’t take? album If it’s any good, they’ve already swept it up.”

“It’s a herb that can’t be made into medicine. adjust It’s more effective when chewed raw.”

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That would happen a few years later.

More precisely, it was a herb whose processing formula had yet to be discovered at that time.

‘Moonlight Herb.’

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For great nobles with their own territories, it’s the same—they have access to better, more expensive medicines, so it doesn’t interest them either.

Its medicinal effect is excellent, so it’s pricey—but with no processing method, for alchemists it’s just a nuisance.

It grows near lakes with abundant moonlight and has a remarkable effect on enhancing physical stamina.

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A year later, the Alchemist Guild would buy up every last Moonlight Herb on the market.

At most, when a low-ranking noble or a commoner stumbles upon one, they celebrate it like winning the lottery.

‘With the money I have now, I can easily clean out an entire store. arcade Though in a year, not even all this money would be enough because of how much the price will skyrocket.’

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That’s why, before the guild began to move, he had to buy up as much Moonlight Herb as possible.

After sorting through his thoughts, Lucian was about to head to the town below the castle when—

Looking back, they were probably also trying to deliberately drive up the scarcity of Nectar.

The reason—that it was related to the development of Nectar—would only be revealed much later.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 4 published by TrungTu Reads.

To confirm, Lucian went to find the guard captain on duty at the watch post.

‘Now that I think about it is the me from the past life still working?’

***

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At first, he didn’t recognize Lucian, but he quickly seemed to recall him and jumped to his feet in surprise.

Luckily, the captain hadn’t changed since his past life.

“What brings you here, young master?”

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“Yes. agent Just a month ago, you recruited guards due to an increase in retirees from injuries, didn’t you?”

“It’s nothing serious. attic I’m looking for someone among the recent recruits.”

“Among the new soldiers?”

The captain swallowed hard without realizing it.

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“One of them is named Jake, right? admire He should be nineteen years old, black hair, and when he applied, he carried a bow.”

“Y-yes, that’s right. anxiety Seven young men joined.”

In his past life, he had come to the guard recruitment test carrying a bow.

How could the third son, who’d been shut away for so long, know that?

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He didn’t even know how to shoot well, but thought he needed something.

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have any soldier like that.”

In the end, they made fun of him, but appreciated his preparedness and passed him without much trouble.

Among his peers, it had become a bit of a story, so that should be enough to identify him.

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But the captain’s answer was completely different from what he expected.

“No, not here. orbit Who would apply to be a guard carrying a bow? album If there had been someone like that, the rumor would’ve spread a long time ago.”

“Then, any nineteen-year-old soldier with black hair?”

“What? atom He’s not here?”

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He wasn’t here? portal But by this time, he should’ve already been over a month into service—without a doubt.

“Same deal. aspect Black hair isn’t common. atom I haven’t seen a soldier like that.”

There was someone else listed instead.

Just in case, he even checked the records, but there truly was no Jake.

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When he asked about the appearance, they said he was a brown-haired man, twenty-five years old.

If his former self were still alive with the same personality, it would feel strange.

Everything pointed to him being someone who had failed the guard exam in his past life.

‘It leaves a bitter taste, but it’s not a bad outcome.’

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Shaking off his last curiosity, Lucian headed with Hans to his original destination the herb shop.

He didn’t know if his existence had been erased or if the timeline had changed—but as long as they didn’t cross paths, that was for the best.

“Who is it? adopt We’re closed right now, come back later.”

Clack!

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“Well, well. echo Herb shop owners these days sure act high and mighty. anchor Making even a noble wait.”

The herbalist, speaking indifferently, instantly prostrated himself when he recognized Lucian.

“What nonsense are you—wha—hhk!”

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“Obviously, I came to buy herbs. altitude You think I came to eat?”

“W-what business brings a noble here…?”

He never expected a noble to come to a shabby shop like this.

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When he’d been badly injured, the man had charged him three months’ salary just for herbs.

It was the same shop owner who, back when Lucian worked as a guard, shamelessly overcharged him.

Lucian deliberately spat out the sarcasm.

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“Damn right it was. avalanche So shut up and bring the herbs.”

“I’m sorry! anchor That was a stupid question!”

Since things had turned out this way, Lucian planned to get a bit of revenge.

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Under Lucian’s sharp aura, the shopkeeper dashed off toward the storage room.

“I-I’ll bring everything! autumn What are you looking for…?”

“Moonlight Herb, Red Thorn, Winged Lantern, and Stalkflower. arrow Especially the Moonlight Herb—bring every last bit you have. attic If I later find out you hid any to sell separately, you’ll be gambling with your neck. riddle Keep that in mind.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 4 published by TrungTu Reads.

Maybe driven by guilt, the moment he heard the names, he began frantically searching and ended up dumping all the Moonlight Herb in front of him.

“The quality’s mediocre. attic Is that really all?”

Since it was an expensive material, the quantity wasn’t huge—but for a single shop, it was a considerable amount.

“This is all the Moonlight Herb we have!”

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When Lucian paid exactly the fair market price—no more, no less—the herbalist wore an ambiguous expression.

“F-forgive me! legend I’ll give it all to you, just please forgive me…!”

“It’s fine. shadow I’ll pay the price.”

His reputation already wasn’t great, so there was no reason to add the infamous rumor of having raided a herb shop by force.

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“Not enough for you? acid Then I’ll give you more. atom But I’ll also make you pay for the insolence you just showed.”

Hadn’t he just said moments ago that he’d give everything?

A hollow chuckle escaped his lips without realizing it.

He seemed to have expected that, as a noble, Lucian would add a generous tip.

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“N-no! acoustic I’ve committed a sin worthy of death!”

So this was the true taste of power?

Only after watching the herbalist slam his forehead to the floor several times did Lucian step outside.

Seeing the man sobbing with a runny nose, he felt like everything inside him had been cleared out.

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Hans, who had watched the whole thing, muttered with a stunned expression.

“Oh yeah?”

“Young master, I feel like you’ve changed a bit.”

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“You used to not be able to say a single unpleasant word to anyone. absorb But now…”

He felt a slight jolt inside.

“You’ve become more confident. alien And you have more presence.”

“How have I changed?”

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Hans hadn’t served him for long, but still—he was a direct servant.

“Does it seem odd to you?”

Had he picked up on something strange?

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Fortunately, to Hans, his master’s change was purely positive.

“Don’t worry. athlete From now on, not only will you not have to worry about others’ stares—I’ll make sure they’re the ones afraid of yours.”

“Odd? album Not at all. action It’s wonderful. amber Now I can finally walk proudly among the other servants.”

Lucian smiled faintly and handed him the Moonlight Herb.

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“Just hearing that is enough to make me grateful.”

At least that much he understood well—a master’s authority is also his servant’s authority.

“I’m telling you the truth.”

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But from this moment on, things would be different.

If Hans had been looked down on until now, it was because his master, Lucian, had been contemptible.

***

The Lucian of before, and the Lucian of now, were completely different people.

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Although they were low-quality items that the Alchemist Guild didn’t even handle, they were more suitable for Lucian.

They were tools that commoners used to prepare medicine.

‘After all, this is the only kind I know how to use.’

Before returning, Lucian stopped by a general goods store and bought a few more items.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 4 published by TrungTu Reads.

Even if he bought high-end items now, he wouldn’t even know how to use them properly.

The tools that commoners used to crush and boil herbs for homemade remedies were his limit.

Back when he had nothing, how could he have afforded expensive alchemical instruments?

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“Even if it’s one of the other young masters?”

After finishing the basic preparations, Lucian spoke with a serious expression.

“Don’t even let my father through.”

“Don’t let anyone into the room. galaxy If someone tries to come in, block them with your body. voyage And if you can’t, at least scream. academy If anyone questions you, I’ll take full responsibility.”

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Though calling it “preparing” was an exaggeration, as it only involved crushing herbs, extracting their juice, and mixing them in a specific ratio.

Left alone, Lucian pushed the scattered books to a corner and began preparing the medicine.

Hans flinched, but when he saw Lucian’s face, he nodded with a resolute expression.

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Even the slightest clue could trigger an enormous variable.

That’s why he’d made Hans block the entrance, even knowing no one was likely to come looking for him.

But even this incomplete formula, if leaked to the outside world, would be enough to shake the world.

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‘Seriously, what kind of insanity made me drink this in my past life?’

When Lucian squeezed the juice from the herbs, mixed them, and heated the blend with a lamp, a sharp smell quickly spread through the air.

As time passed, the pungency became increasingly intense, to the point of making his eyes water.

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If he hadn’t been so desperate, he never would have brought it to his lips.

When, after a while, the mixture turned red, Lucian turned off the lamp.

No matter how he looked at it, a normal person would have suspected it was poison, not medicine.

The smell gradually faded as the liquid cooled, and in the end, only the red medicine remained.

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Glug!

Lucian took a deep breath and drank it in one gulp.

“Fuuuuh!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 4 published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Mana!’

A moment later, he felt an energy stir in the lower part of his abdomen.

The burning liquid slid down his throat and into his stomach.

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‘Now’s the critical moment.’

And, depending on its use, a force capable of raising a person to the level of a superhuman.

The result of humanity adapting nature’s power for itself.

Lucian, controlling the flow of mana, focused and set it in motion.

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‘No, it’s not time to relax yet. portal Circulation’s next.’

As the sensations of his past life returned, the mana slowly descended to the pubic region.

When the first attempt succeeded, a sigh of relief escaped his chest.

He had passed the biggest hurdle.

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That was “circulation,” a vital step to becoming a knight.

But Nectar, in addition to that, could open up muscles, bones, and even completely blocked pathways.

With a normal medicine, at that point the mana would just seep through the body, slightly widening the channels.

The process of running energy through the whole body and then recovering it.

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After the first time, the suffering lessened significantly, but that first cycle was true hell.

‘Tsk, this is going to hurt like hell.’

The problem was that the less trained a person was, the more painful the circulation process became.

The pain of forcefully piercing through completely blocked channels!

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Bracing for the pain to come, Lucian tightly closed both eyes and moved the mana.

After a short while, Lucian opened his eyes wide, surprised by the unexpected situation.

But no matter how much time passed, the pain didn’t come at all.

Lucian’s current body had never even done a single day of field work, so it was likely to be even worse than in his past life.

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‘What the hell? arcade Why isn’t anything blocked?’