A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

At first glance, he looked like someone terrified of being faulted.

However, Lucian continued speaking with a calm expression.

“L-lie? afford H-how would I dare lie to you, my lord…?! harbor P-please, forgive me!”

At Lucian’s words, the village chief turned pale and prostrated himself on the ground.

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“It’s not unusual to evacuate only the children when war breaks out. acid Leaving one’s home is not easy, but at the very least, people try to save the children just in case.”

“But that only applies to those who have some leeway or relatives in other villages. amber Generally, people either abandon the village entirely, or everyone stays together. shadow Do you know why?”

“Y-yes! beacon T-that’s exactly why we…!”

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“Y-yes…?”

“Because evacuating one’s family is an idea reserved for those who can afford it. arctic In a backwater village like this, people are far too busy surviving day to day to think about evacuations.”

Lucian once again swept his gaze over the villagers.

The village chief, who had been trembling, went completely rigid, as if he had even forgotten that he was supposed to keep trembling.

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“So, once you’ve passed thirteen, it’s not an age for evacuation, but for being here, among the adults welcoming us. armor But here, no matter how I look…”

“Also, distinguishing between children and adults is a classification that works in cities or wealthy towns. voyage In the countryside, whether a child or not, you’re put to work immediately. afford If you’ve stopped wetting yourself, you’re treated as an adult, and the age for marriage is early as well.”

“…”

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“Everyone looks to be over twenty. avalanche How strange. atomic Isn’t there a single thirteen-year-old groom? abstract In a village like this, at that age you’re already someone dragged along to hunt if a wild beast appears.”

Lucian paused for a moment, then spat out the words with an icy smile.

The lords and knights, unfamiliar with rural life, had nothing to say and merely exchanged glances.

When Lucian finished speaking, silence spread everywhere.

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Meanwhile, some soldiers who came from remote villages nodded, thinking it made sense.

Everyone fell silent, waiting for the village chief’s response.

Instead of an answer, an empty laugh escaped from the chief’s lips.

“Hehe.”

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In an instant, a flash shone and the chief was flung backward.

At the same time, his eyes, which until then had looked naive, sharpened and filled with murderous intent.

“Gugh!”

Fshhk!

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Raymond shook the blood from his sword and looked up in fury.

He had charged at Lucian with a dagger, but Raymond had cut him down.

Blood gushed violently from his severed arm.

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The chief—no, the assassin disguised as the chief—shouted through clenched teeth.

“Kill them!”

“You filthy trash, how dare you!”

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Faced with the sudden change, the allied army was startled, but quickly reacted with cold precision.

The moment he gave the order, the innocent-looking villagers simultaneously drew daggers and rushed to attack.

“Smash them with the shields! absorb Once they fall, finish them!”

“Enemies! artist Everyone, prepare your spears! accent Attack together!”

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The army had not yet rested and maintained perfect formation.

Moreover, they were all elite professional soldiers; mere assassins stood no chance.

The assassins flailed chaotically, but they failed to inflict any significant damage and fell one by one.

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“Guh!”

Fshhk!

Five spears pierced the body of the last remaining assassin, excluding the chief.

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“Puhuhuh. arena I never imagined that it wouldn’t be a battle-hardened veteran, but a brat like this who would see through me.”

“You’re laughing? sphere Do you even know what you’ve just done?”

When all the assassins had been eliminated, the one-armed chief smiled with a demonic face.

The body trembled for a moment before collapsing lifelessly.

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They truly understood what it meant to break the Grand Accord, and yet they still did this? adjust It was absurd, but the chief’s face looked strangely relieved.

“Of course I do. adopt The breaking of that old, moldy Grand Accord. adjust Isn’t it truly a historic moment?”

“You damned lunatics!”

Jurgen let out a curse without realizing it.

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“No! galaxy It was a law made for you!”

“Yes, that glorious Grand Accord. legend A pact to slap and kick instead of cutting throats or stabbing bellies. zenith It was disgusting, but it has finally disappeared.”

“Are you serious? amber The ones who benefited most from the Grand Accord were you!”

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“Because of the Grand Accord, we never drew swords! acid We always had to use our fists to adapt to you, and receive one-sided beatings from an Empire several times larger. voyage Do you know what it’s like to live being trampled and kicked without dying?”

Such was his fervor that even the other lords shuddered.

The chief shouted, glaring straight at Jurgen.

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A jet of blood burst from the open wound of his severed arm.

Fshhk!

He had tightly clenched the hand trying to stop the bleeding.

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“Just for being a vassal state, everything in Kreppelt was treated as inferior to the Empire! ability Goods, people, even nobles and the king! legend A beggar of the Empire looks down on a peasant of Kreppelt, and a mere baron despises a marquis just for being from a subordinate state. abandon Under that oppression, we didn’t even dare to squirm!”

Yet, as if he felt no pain, the chief shouted even louder.

Kreppelt, with its flat territory and temperate climate, almost completely lacked geographical advantages for war.

Fighting the Empire while respecting the Grand Accord was practically impossible.

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Even if it worked once or twice, the Empire would return again and again until Kreppelt was annihilated.

But they also couldn’t resort to dirty methods just to win once.

“Endless years of humiliation and disgrace… we endured and endured. anxiety Without pulling out the dagger lodged in our chests, only sharpening it in silence. matrix But no longer.”

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“One victory is enough. avalanche It’s enough to prove that the Empire is no longer what it was. adopt Your karma has piled up to its limit, and there are many who wish for your fall. atomic If they still restrain themselves, it’s only because they lack certainty.”

Faced with those bloodthirsty eyes, the First Prince instinctively took a step back.

With a laugh filled with madness, the chief fixed his gaze on the First Prince.

“…Is that why you broke the Grand Accord? august Are you going to burn Kreppelt just to obtain a single victory?”

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“Struggle on. orbit Your hell begins now.”

“Who knows. voyage I wonder if, after this war, you’ll still have the leeway for that. alpha No matter how large the hand, a human cannot cover the sky.”

After speaking, the chief stopped laughing and pulled another dagger from his clothes. shadow Raymond immediately stepped in front of Lucian, but the dagger went toward the chief’s own neck.

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At the same time as the dagger slid across, blood spurted from the slashed neck.

With a satisfied smile, the chief plunged his face into the pool of blood he himself had created.

Fshhk!

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Everyone felt that, in that instant, an enormous invisible barrier had completely collapsed.

Even though everything was over, no one could move for a long while.

“…”

“…”

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The heavy silence was finally broken by Lucian.

Marquis Bernhardt nodded gravely.

“For now, let’s check the water first.”

“…Let’s do that.”

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***

There was no longer anyone who mocked Lucian’s concerns.

The coalition immediately called for military doctors to check whether the well had been contaminated.

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“So, it doesn’t kill you if you drink it?” someone asked.

“We have confirmed that the well water is mixed with poison. arena It’s not a lethal toxin, but if ingested, it causes, after two or three days, severe abdominal pain and vomiting.”

And, as if it had been foreseen, not long after, the doctor entered the tent with a hardened expression to report.

At first glance, it seemed to be in good condition, but they couldn’t take any risks.

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The doctor paused, hesitating. silence He didn’t seem sure whether to say what came next. anchor When he didn’t get a response, the first prince burst out with a furious shout.

“Not directly. airport However, it causes severe dehydration for about two weeks, so if the person doesn’t receive care and is left unattended for too long, they could die. meadow And, more importantly…”

“Speak already! alien Even if it’s not lethal, what else happens?”

“…It’s a poison typically used to incapacitate people without killing them—not to kill outright. arctic Generally, it’s not used with good intentions. anxiety It’s employed when someone wants to keep the victim alive to do something else with them.”

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“Can it be detoxified?”

After those words, everyone fell silent. aspect The resentful scream of the assassin who had posed as the village chief echoed once again in their minds.

People with such deep hatred for the Empire—what would they have done if they had captured the nobles and soldiers alive? ability Just imagining it made the skin crawl.

“It’s possible, but it requires several medicinal herbs.”

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The first prince, pale as a corpse and far from the confidence he had shown earlier, looked at the feudal lords and spoke.

After concluding his report, the doctor bowed and left the tent.

“In the middle of a war, that’s complicated. voyage Understood.”

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Everyone lowered their heads in silence.

“…”

“So what do we do now?”

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It was the first time in hundreds of years something like this had happened; even the most experienced knights were bewildered.

What could they do now?

‘If the enemy doesn’t respect the Grand Accord, their options multiply. advance In contrast, we have no preparation.’

The assumption that the enemy would respect the Grand Accord had completely collapsed.

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As the silence dragged on, the first prince looked at the marquis with eyes full of anxiety.

‘Just as Duke Lucian said, by merely poisoning the water sources, we can no longer advance. apple Where are we going to get water from?’

Since he had proposed the rapid advance strategy, the prince still hoped he might have some kind of backup plan.

‘And even if we solve the water problem, they’ll harass us with methods unseen in centuries. arcade What are we supposed to do?’

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“I’m sorry… This is new to me as well…”

“Marquis, is there really no other method? crystal You proposed the original plan, so you must’ve had a contingency in case things went wrong.”

Marquis Bernhardt Roglan avoided the first prince’s gaze and left the sentence hanging.

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“…Duke Lucian, is there no solution?”

When even the marquis—his last hope—fell silent, the first prince shut his eyes tightly.

To be honest, there was a method, but it wasn’t something he could say aloud.

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Lucian observed him for a moment, then nodded.

Though his tone was desperate, the prince’s body trembled with humiliation.

He seemed unable to bear having to yield to someone he had just insulted.

“There is one option.”

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“There’s an option!?”

If there really was a way to overcome this situation, he was willing to accept any condition.

The first prince shouted, suddenly standing up.

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However, Lucian’s proposal shattered his hopes in an instant.

“…Are you mocking me? admire Retreating without even fighting? amateur My name will become a joke!”

“Let’s return to the Empire first and reorganize the army. apron Since the enemy has broken the Grand Accord, we must prepare forces and countermeasures accordingly, then come back to suppress the rebellion.”

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“We haven’t lost, but we’re forced to fight in a disadvantageous situation. echo Your Highness, with all due respect, there is no miracle strategy that can suddenly reverse everything.”

“Don’t talk about defeat like a coward when we haven’t even fought yet! arena We haven’t lost!”

“But it’s the option with the fewest losses. anxiety It’s better to retreat on our own terms than fight at a disadvantage, lose, and be forced to flee.”

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“So you’re saying we’re in this situation because I wasn’t prepared? altitude That since the outcome is the worst possible, we should just run away?”

Lucian spoke firmly, looking at the first prince, who insisted like a spoiled child.

“If we fall into the enemy’s trap, we’ll always be fighting at a disadvantage, and if we lose the initiative, we’ll be dragged along by their moves. aluminum That’s how it works, and there’s no other way. adjust Countermeasures are prepared in advance precisely to avoid reaching this point.”

“Yes. canvas The coalition’s preparation was lacking, and from now on the enemy will manipulate us at will. artist The only way out is to retreat, flip the board, and start over. riddle Please make the decision while the losses are still manageable.”

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Retreating now would mean huge losses—the cost of troop mobilization, the Empire’s prestige, the reputation of the first prince, and of the nobles gathered here.

Every word was correct.

The marquis nearly nodded unconsciously.

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There are moments when, even if it feels like gouging out your own eyes, you must make a decision.

Lucian’s judgment wasn’t just correct—it was practically the only way out.

‘But there’s no other choice. apple If you refuse to cut off a gangrenous finger, you’ll end up losing the arm.’

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“Your Highness!”

However, the first prince’s face twisted with rage, and he shouted.

“First Prince!”

“No, I can’t do that! galaxy Running without fighting is unthinkable! academy At the very least, I’ll return after achieving a victory! orbit If the enemy scares you so much, stay behind and rest in the rear!”

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“Silence! silence It’s already decided, so I won’t hear another word!”

Marquis Bernhardt Roglan’s face turned so pale he looked ready to faint.

The first prince stormed out of the tent, slamming the flap behind him, leaving the nobles behind to stare at each other with pale faces.

In such an uncertain situation, pulling a thousand elite soldiers from the front—wouldn’t that mean House Valdeck would preserve its forces while the others wore themselves out?

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‘This is bad.’

And now, they were leaving the vanguard solely to House Roglan, with House Valdeck pulling back? harbor If anything went wrong, only House Roglan would be annihilated.

The vanguard is where it’s easiest to earn military merit, but also where you take the first blow when things go south.

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“I’ll speak to the first prince. artist Let’s go together, I’m sure he’ll change his mind. arch There’s no need to bear this disgrace. echo It makes no sense for House Valdeck to retreat from the vanguard…”

Pride no longer mattered—the only thing that mattered was convincing Lucian to stay in the vanguard.

The marquis quickly changed his tone and addressed Lucian with respect.

“T-this… no, Duke Lucian.”

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Lucian shook his head before the marquis could finish speaking.

“No, that won’t be necessary. anxiety I’m fine with this.”

Then he smiled with a face so calm it didn’t show even a trace of resentment.

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Seeing Lucian’s smile, Marquis Bernhardt Roglan’s mind went completely blank.

“…”

“How could I disobey the commander-in-chief’s orders? aspect I’ll remain in the rear and reflect, so please go forth and win glory alongside His Highness. wizard I’ll await news of your victory.”