The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations (light Novel)

Ghislain watched the dragons with a curious gaze.
Until now, in all the dreams he had experienced of past wars, dragons had never appeared.

And yet, just as preparations for a fight against a dragon were underway, this dream emerged.
"Is this dream trying to show me something? Or was it just its turn to appear?"
He had no control over the sequence of these dreams nor any understanding of how they were determined. All he could do was wonder.

Regardless of the Saintess’s intent, the content of this particular dream was fascinating. Dozens of dragons—something Ghislain had never witnessed before.
A chill ran down his spine. The Allied Forces were already struggling to figure out how to deal with just one dragon. Yet here were dozens of them.
Had these dragons turned against humanity, civilization would have been annihilated long ago.

Fortunately, their enemies were ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) not humans.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Roooarrr!

From the opposite direction came massive beings.
A giant with the head of a hawk and wings sprouting from its back, a towering figure with a bull’s head wielding an enormous hammer, another with countless arms, and yet another holding a massive spear while breathing fire.
These grotesque, terrifying giants were like nothing found in this world.

They shared one common trait: their bodies were pure white.
“Rift Lords.”
In his previous life, they had been called Rift Lords. Some referred to them simply as massive monsters.

Back then, their existence had been baffling. Many of these beings wielded weapons, armor, accessories, and garments—indications of a civilization they either possessed or once possessed.
It was only natural for people to question what they were and where they came from.
“Lower Deities of Another World.”

According to the myths Ereneth had shared, these beings were referred to as lower deities from another realm.
While myths weren’t entirely reliable, Ghislain, who had faced these giants directly, found the hypothesis plausible.
They were indeed powerful enough to be called lower deities. Because of their overwhelming might, the Human Alliance of his past life had no time to concern itself with anything else.
Whenever one appeared, all the strongest warriors on the continent had to gather to confront it.

"So they used to roam in groups like this."
Had they appeared in such numbers in his previous life, humanity would have been wiped out instantly.
It was only because these beings appeared individually and sporadically that humanity managed to fend them off.

In the dream, dozens of dragons and Rift Lords clashed.
BOOM!
Dragons rained down breath attacks from the sky, unleashing their most powerful strikes right from the start, a testament to the gravity of the situation.

ROOOAARR!
The Rift Lords retaliated, hurling spears into the sky or leaping to drag dragons down from the heavens.
Bang! Bang! BOOM!

The battle was so ferocious that no other entities could hope to intervene.
The dragons, masters of magic, cast 9th-circle transcendent spells across the battlefield.
The Rift Lords, living up to their title as lower deities, exuded powerful auras that not only blocked the magic but also enabled them to pull dragons from the skies.

KRAAAH!
A dragon’s fangs sank into a Rift Lord’s neck, only for the giant to rip the dragon’s wings apart with its hands.
One Rift Lord’s belly was torn open by a dragon’s attack, while another dragon was devoured headfirst by a giant.

It was a brutal, primal fight of unimaginable pain and savagery, a battle that only beings of transcendent strength could wage.
Both sides slaughtered each other with reckless abandon.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOM!

The world seemed to shatter as their collisions sent shockwaves through the land, creating deep fissures in the earth.
Massive boulders were torn apart like paper, and lightning continuously streaked across the sky, painting a dramatic backdrop for the apocalyptic conflict.
As everything around them was reduced to rubble, only the dragons and Rift Lords remained in the center, locked in a relentless struggle.

Among the dragons, one stood out: Arterion, the Dragon Lord.
ROOOOOAR!
Arterion unleashed a blinding white breath attack that slowed a Rift Lord’s movements. He strategically cast various spells to contain and strike the giants.

His overwhelming power justified his title as Dragon Lord. Thanks to Arterion’s prowess, the tide of battle began to turn in favor of the dragons.
Ghislain watched the scene with a grim expression.
"This is different from what I know."

The dragons and Rift Lords in his dream were far stronger than those he had encountered in his previous life.
"Ereneth, too, was stronger in Ruthania than before."
If what she said was true, then the lifting of restrictions and the passage of time allowed them to regain their original strength.

In his past life, it was highly likely that Arterion had also been unable to fully wield his power. In the dream, Arterion’s might was godlike.
"Perhaps that’s fortunate."
In both his past life and now, Arterion had acted quickly. The fact that humanity could confront him before he regained his full strength was a small relief.

He also understood why the Rift Lords in the dream were more powerful than those in his previous life.
According to Ereneth, the Adversary’s activities during that era had significantly amplified the Demon God’s energy throughout the world.
This energy had empowered the Rift Lords, allowing them to exhibit even greater strength.

As Ghislain continued watching, a heavy sense of unease settled over him.
"The Demon God’s energy…"
If left unchecked, the Rift Lords would only grow stronger over time. If the dimensional rifts weren’t suppressed and sealed, these creatures would inevitably emerge.

Ereneth had warned that the Adversary’s resurrection and increasing power would intensify the Demon God’s influence on the world.
Whether her words were entirely accurate didn’t matter. The fact remained that some unknown force was affecting the world.
"The Adversary…"

Ghislain still didn’t know if the Adversary had truly been resurrected or who it might be.
The only certainty was that the world would become increasingly dangerous as time passed. A solution needed to be found before the Rift Lords emerged in force.
Ghislain looked around again.

The battle between the dragons and the Rift Lords was nearing its end. Both sides were so grievously wounded that they could barely move.
SWOOOSH!
A figure shrouded in black energy appeared. The Adversary. He moved with countless priests and Riftlings in his wake.

On the Human Alliance’s side, the Hero was the first to react, charging forward with many comrades and soldiers following behind.
Soon, the Hero and the Adversary clashed once more.
BOOOOM!

Ghislain’s eyes darkened as he watched their battle.
***
The Allied Forces were bustling with activity, preparing for the impending battle against the dragon.

Ghislain, too, was preoccupied, inspecting his troops and ensuring all necessary supplies were arriving as planned.
During this flurry of preparations, Ereneth approached him.
"I'm sorry, but I can't join this battle. No matter how much I think about it, I just can't do it."

"Hmm... Are you sure about this?"
"Yes. Even sharing the information weighed heavily on me."
"Tsk…"

Ghislain clicked his tongue and gave her a slight nod.
He couldn’t entirely fault her for her feelings. To Ereneth, Arterion wasn’t just another dragon. He had been a comrade and friend in an ancient battle long ago.
For her, fighting against Arterion was asking too much. Sharing the information she had already required significant resolve on her part.

"Fine, I understand. So, what do you plan to do now?"
Ereneth paused, lost in thought.
Her goal had always been to find and eliminate the Adversary. It was the reason she had emerged into the world the moment the restrictions on her power had been lifted.

After a moment of deliberation, she spoke.
"Given the situation, I’ll search for Gatros."
"Gatros?"

"Yes, he’s a dangerous one. I need to find him and kill him. Only then can I focus on finding the Adversary…"
Her voice trailed off, leaving her thoughts unfinished. It was evident she still harbored suspicions about Julien.
Ghislain partially agreed with her assessment. Investigating the Adversary’s resurrection was on his agenda as well, and Gatros was indeed someone who needed to be dealt with.

However, it wasn’t an immediate priority.
"We’re already organizing a search party to track down Gatros. It’ll be faster if you work with us. But before that, there’s a more urgent matter."
"What do you mean?"

"The remnants. I had planned to send Claude with Tenant. An extraordinary individual is needed, and you’d be a better fit. How about joining them?"
"…You want me to work with Claude?"
"Yes."

"…"
"If you accompany Claude, we can reassign Tenant to the monster wave and dragon hunt. The more strong individuals we have for that, the better."
"…Hmm."

Ereneth frowned slightly. Of all people, Claude?
Talking to Claude often led to getting caught up in his antics. Just the thought of it was exhausting.
After a long moment of contemplation, Ereneth finally nodded slightly.

"…Fine. I’ll assist with the remnants for now."
Even she realized it was the more practical choice. Searching for Gatros would be more efficient with others involved.
Besides, Amelia would likely take the lead in handling the remnants. Ereneth had seen Amelia’s abilities firsthand and found her reliable.

She also suspected that Claude wouldn’t dare act up in front of Amelia.
When Ereneth agreed, Ghislain beamed.
"Good. Your help will be invaluable. I’m counting on you."

"Fine. I’ll handle it as quickly as possible."
Ghislain felt a sense of relief. While dealing with the monster wave and the dragon took precedence, eliminating the remnants was still a crucial task.
With Ereneth actively participating, there was no need to worry. While travel would take time, once she joined the fight, no one would be able to stand against her.

As she turned to leave, Ereneth suddenly paused and stood still.
Curious, Ghislain asked, "What is it? Do you have something else to say?"
"…Do you still have the relic?"

"Yes, I’m still wearing it."
Ghislain pulled out the necklace to show her.
Ereneth stared at it briefly before asking, "Has the relic ever reacted to Julien?"

"…"
Ghislain didn’t answer immediately.
Everyone knew Gatros had tried to claim the relic to locate the Adversary.

What troubled Ghislain was the fact that the relic had indeed reacted to Julien.
After some deliberation, Ghislain decided to tell the truth. Lying would have been pointless, as too many people had witnessed it.
"Yes, when Julien appeared, the relic emitted light."

"…"
Ereneth’s brow furrowed.
Arterion, too, had sought the relic, knowing it was essential to finding the Adversary.

The fact that the relic had reacted to Julien only fueled her suspicions.
Ghislain shook his head and added, "Don’t jump to conclusions. Julien isn’t the only one the relic has reacted to."
In fact, the relic had saved Gatros when he was on the brink of death. It had also briefly reacted to Jerome. Similarly, Ghislain himself had experienced a reaction from the relic when he first met Julien.

Ghislain shared these details as well.
Of course, he withheld certain facts, such as the dreams he’d been experiencing and the divine power absorbed into his body.
There were simply too many secrets Ereneth seemed to be keeping herself, making him reluctant to share everything.

"…Haa."
Ereneth closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Hearing that the relic had saved Gatros only added to her confusion.
Now that it had also reacted to Jerome and Ghislain, she felt even less certain about anything.

Shaking her head, she finally said, "Fine. I’ll decide what to believe after Gatros is dealt with."
With that, she left, her expression making it clear she didn’t want to think about it any further.
Ghislain watched her retreating figure for a while before bowing his head and returning to his work.

As he reviewed the piles of documents in front of him, inspecting troop deployments and operational plans, he muttered quietly to himself,
"We’ll know soon enough."
He had already formed a few hypotheses. All that remained was to wait and see if they were correct.

However…
Ghislain silently hoped he was wrong.