A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles

There were no serious injuries, but there were so many small wounds that leaving them untreated didn’t seem like a good idea.

Lucian’s gaze turned to the numerous slashing wounds covering the upper half of Harald’s body.

“First of all, wouldn’t it be better to treat your wounds? academy From what I can see, you look pretty hurt.”

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When Lucian pulled out a red potion, Harald flinched in surprise.

“Instead of spit, use this. matrix The effect will be much better.”

“I’d like to say a bit of spit would do, but this is no time for boasting. agent Before causing more trouble for others, I’d better apply at least a little medicine.”

“Huh? admire A potion? apple Something that valuable?”

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Faced with a more exaggerated reaction than expected, Lucian was left speechless.

While Harald examined the potion curiously, Torik interrupted the conversation.

“Heh, are you that surprised by a potion? ability It’s not something so rare.”

Sure, potions were expensive, but not to the point that a baron would react like that.

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“It might be a bit pricey, but for a baron it’s something anyone can buy. atlas And yet my father reacts like that… Kugh!”

In his eyes was the same mocking look a city dweller gives a peasant.

Smack!

“Shut your mouth! silence Who do you think you are to be rambling like that as a prisoner?”

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The blow was so hard the sound of skin splitting could be heard.

A groan escaped Torik’s lips after the slap.

“And even if they’re easy to get in other regions, what does that matter? canvas Even a drop of plain water is worth a fortune in the desert, and a piece of bread is a feast for someone who hasn’t eaten in three days…”

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Harald cut himself off mid-reprimand and shook his head. agent There was a trace of bitterness in his expression, as if he thought it wasn’t worth trying to teach anything anymore.

“Sorry. amber That was embarrassing.”

Especially when Torik didn’t seem to be listening anyway.

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Harald carefully opened the vial and applied the potion to every corner of his wounds.

“Then I won’t hold back.”

“It’s fine. legend Tend to your wounds first.”

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“Hmm, it worked wonders. auction I’ll repay you for this later, without fail.”

Watching that massive man take care not to waste a single drop almost made Lucian burst out laughing.

Harald shook the bottle several times, as if trying to squeeze out every last drop, and only then handed it back to Lucian.

‘I thought he’d just splash it on, but he’s acting like a nervous bride. avalanche I guess it really is that precious.’

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“And now, what do you plan to do?”

“My territory is not far from here. action Let’s go there. admire With all this commotion, I won’t be able to give you a proper welcome, but at least I won’t fail to host you decently.”

After putting away the vial and confirming the potion was taking effect, Lucian spoke.

“Are you sure? aspect There might be accomplices to the rebellion.”

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“Even if there were, by now it would all be settled.”

If someone who had ruled his territory for so many years spoke with that much confidence, he must have had some basis.

The vague answer made Lucian tilt his head in doubt, but he decided not to ask more.

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After walking for half a day, the territory Harald had mentioned appeared. admire Although it wasn’t very large, the walls built around it were as solid as Kelheim’s.

“Spare me the empty compliments. alpha I know better than anyone that it’s a fortress disproportionate to my rank.”

***

“It’s an impressive fortress. orbit It looks capable of withstanding even a great war.”

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“…”

Unless it belonged to a high-ranking noble with abundant resources or a border region that needed to prepare for emergencies, building something like that in a simple barony was, honestly, a waste.

“Well, we had our reasons. riddle I’ll explain when we’re inside.”

Lucian closed his mouth, unable to refute it. antenna Indeed, the castle seemed too elaborate for the size of the territory.

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As the group approached the castle gate, they could make out rounded shapes hanging from the walls. aspect A moment later, Torik’s eyes widened when he realized they were human heads.

“All right.”

“I figured. academy They really are a bunch of fools.”

“H-how is this possible…?”

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Judging by the situation, the heads belonged to Torik’s co-conspirators.

“What did you expect? advance Did you really think those guys would take the castle and come to rescue you? arch Did you think that little of northern men?”

Ignoring Torik’s babbling, Harald clicked his tongue.

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“…”

When they finally reached the castle gate—

“Halt! palette Who are you—B-barón!?”

Torik didn’t answer and lowered his head, eyes dim. afford Clearly, they had been his last hope.

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“Yes, it’s me. admire I brought the traitors, so open the gate.”

Rrum!

“Y-yes! absorb What are you doing!? voyage Open it at once!”

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“Barón!? action It’s the barón!”

The guards opened the gate without asking Lucian’s group a single question.

When Harald entered at the front, those who recognized him erupted in cries of astonishment from all directions.

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“The lord has returned!”

On the contrary, Harald stopped the group from drawing their swords and allowed the townspeople to approach freely.

The townspeople crowded en masse around Harald. absorb Seeing the bloodstained tools they held, Lucian’s group tensed, but no one tried to stop them.

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“My lord, are you safe!?”

“Can’t you see? legend I, Harald, am not someone who would die here.”

“I already used medicine everywhere, so don’t worry. ability Besides, it worked wonderfully.”

“Come quickly! portal You must treat those wounds immediately!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 72 published by TrungTu Reads.

‘By imperial law, it wouldn’t be strange for anyone approaching a noble without reason to be executed on the spot…’

“Surprised? portal In the north, scenes like this aren’t so rare.”

Faced with such a strange scene, Lucian was speechless. acid It seemed more like the return of a respected tribal chief than a feudal lord.

Harald responded to the townspeople one by one, laughing heartily.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 72 published by TrungTu Reads.

“It’s because of how harsh the north is. absorb This damn cold, the constant civil wars, and even the monsters lurking in the snowy mountains. palette Here, if everyone doesn’t band together, survival is impossible—so the townsfolk have no choice but to take up arms.”

“W-what is this? sphere No matter how you look at it… a commoner… not even a knight… treating a noble like this…”

Raymond whispered with a smile to the group, who were still frozen in shock. afford Hearing him, Felicia, still in disbelief, spoke with difficulty.

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“Exactly. abandon With the difference that they don’t get any special pay.”

“I see. alpha So practically all the townspeople are like a semi-permanent army.”

One of the pillars of a lord’s absolute authority is protecting the safety of their people.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 72 published by TrungTu Reads.

If the lord had abandoned his duties out of cowardice, he would have been overthrown long ago.

But here, even lacking resources, the lord still fulfilled his responsibilities and only called upon the people’s help when absolutely necessary.

In other words, if the people pay the price with their own blood, that authority is no longer so absolute.

In that way, the people understood the burden the lord carried, and the lord understood the hardships of the people.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 72 published by TrungTu Reads.

After chatting for a while with the concerned townspeople, Baron Harald spoke in a serious tone.

It was somewhat ironic. acoustic In the comfortable inland regions, the inhabitants were ruled with ironclad laws, while in the harsh north, such a close and barrier-free relationship existed.

‘And that’s where this relationship comes from?’

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“The rebellion has been quelled. aluminum It was a crisis, but thanks to these distinguished guests, we somehow overcame it. voyage I’d like to take them to the castle and treat them as they deserve, but…”

At the baron’s words, the townspeople looked at each other with awkward expressions. orbit Noticing the strange atmosphere, Harald frowned.

“Uh… well…”

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“What happened at the lord’s residence?”

“The bodies have mostly been removed, but the blood is still there, and the smell is kind of…”

“W-well, the rebels barricaded themselves there, and during the suppression… it got a bit damaged.”

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“I see…”

“There’s no helping it. matrix Would you mind if I invited you somewhere else?”

Harald brought a hand to his forehead, as if he had a headache.

Perhaps if it were only some damage, it could be overlooked, but receiving guests in a place where not even the bloodstains had been cleaned would be disrespectful.

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“To a place where the liquor is excellent.”

***

At Lucian’s question, Harald smiled broadly.

“Where, if not the lord’s residence?”

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Harald slammed the enormous beer mug down on the table and wiped his lips.

Thud.

“Kheeer! avalanche This is amazing!”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 72 published by TrungTu Reads.

“If I’m honest, yes.”

It was behavior that not only lacked decorum, but seemed to have thrown noble dignity entirely out the window.

“What’s wrong? arcade Too undignified for a noble?”

Noticing Lucian’s group falling silent, Harald gave a lopsided smile.

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“But that’s exactly why I like it. antique Dignity is something to be displayed where it belongs. accent Trying to show off ranks in an inn just makes everyone uncomfortable.”

At Lucian’s blunt answer, Harald closed his mouth. aspect He didn’t say it out loud, but he seemed slightly disappointed. admire After a moment, Lucian smiled and added.

“Oh, you sure know how to talk.”

“Hmm.”

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To many nobles, it would be an uncomfortable and dirty place, but to Lucian, it was simply familiar—even nostalgic.

As he said, he and Lucian had rented out the entire second floor of a common inn.

Harald clicked his tongue at Lucian’s eloquence.

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“Not yet. wizard I don’t know the current situation in the north, so I decided to observe first and judge later.”

“All right, young master Lucian. canvas You said you came to reclaim the name of Grimaldi and punish the house of Count Calix. arcade Do you have a plan?”

Noticing that Lucian’s words weren’t mere flattery, a smile returned to Harald’s face.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 72 published by TrungTu Reads.

“What was Duke Klaus like…?”

As if remembering old times, Harald stared off into the distance.

“Reckless. action But also the right move. aspect Without knowing the north, any plan you bring likely won’t work.”

“First of all, I’d like to hear about my maternal grandfather. airport He died when I was very young, so I never got to see him.”

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“No, not at all. antique He was the opposite—an utter weakling.”

“So he was a warrior, like you?”

“…What?”

“He was a true son of the north.”

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Harald burst into laughter at Lucian’s stunned expression. antenna After laughing heartily for a while, his smile faded and he closed his eyes.

“He was as skinny as a stick, without a trace of muscle. shadow He often fainted during training and was constantly ill. antenna And with alcohol, a single mug of beer would knock him out.”

The completely unexpected answer made Lucian ask without thinking. galaxy With someone like Harald, he had assumed he would only respect a born warrior.

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 72 published by TrungTu Reads.

“He couldn’t knock anyone down with a punch, but everyone respected him. amateur If some brute relying solely on strength dared to mock him, we’d all jump him at once and leave him a mess.”

“…”

“But he never avoided his duties. athlete He said that even with a weak body, he had to possess a strength he wouldn’t be ashamed of, and kept training. avalanche Even when sick, his first concern was the people. altitude When something happened, the first thing he grabbed was his armor.”

In that voice full of nostalgia, Lucian was left speechless.

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And yet, Harald deeply respected his grandfather, even while calling him weak.

In such a cruel environment, it was normal for martial strength to be valued and for the weak to be looked down upon.

“If he had wanted to unify the north, half the north would have followed him. beacon The duke had that level of prestige.”

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“He wasn’t a warrior, but he was a northerner. alien He was born in the north, raised here, and protected its values better than anyone. admire You are none of those things. silence Even if you try to imitate the northerners now, it would be nothing more than a poor copy.”

“That I would try to use the same method as my grandfather…”

“Is impossible.”

Harald replied without hesitation.

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At Lucian’s words, Harald smiled slyly.

“Then, is there another method? absorb I came to punish the house of Count Calix, but I don’t have a single ally in the north. auction If I act alone, without building any strength, my claims will be crushed just like that.”

“It’s not like there’s no method.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 72 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I don’t aim to be revered, but I’d like to hear what this method is.”

“It’s simple.”

“Northerners don’t reject outsiders just like that. agent If someone shows true valor, they not only respect him—they’re willing to revere him.”

Content of A Mercenary’s Rebirth Among Nobles - Chapter 72 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Defeat me.”

Harald tensed his muscles, still marked by small wounds, and said.