The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations (light Novel)

In response to Ghislain's request, the kingdoms began sending support in the form of supplies, weapons, and mages.

The greatest challenge, however, lay in gathering 5th-Circle mages or higher.
Reports flooded in, all bearing the same frustrating news.
“Many kingdoms are refusing to send their mages.”

“…”
Although annoyed, Ghislain couldn’t entirely blame them.
The war was over, and now they were suddenly being asked to fight a dragon? Many were skeptical about the legitimacy of such claims.

Moreover, even as part of the Allied Forces, Turian Kingdom was still a separate nation. Expecting other countries to deplete their resources to defend Turian’s monster wave wasn’t a favorable proposition for them.
Even if a dragon truly appeared, many assumed the current Allied Forces would be sufficient to handle the situation.
Ghislain rubbed his temples, a weary expression on his face.

“All the leeway I gave during the war… and this is how they repay me?”
5th-Circle mages were vital assets. Even during the war, kingdoms had held back their elites, citing the need to protect their territories.
To muster a thousand of them now would require scraping together every mage they had previously withheld. Naturally, they were reluctant and resorted to stalling tactics.

While Ghislain understood their hesitation, his patience had its limits.
With negotiations stalling, Ghislain issued an ultimatum.
“If the target number of mages isn’t reached, we will abandon the Turian Kingdom.”

His statement sent shockwaves through the room. If a dragon truly appeared, the destruction of the Turian Kingdom was inevitable.
In fact, with the current resources, they might not even survive the monster wave, let alone the dragon. Years of war had pushed many kingdoms to the brink of collapse, both financially and militarily.
Marquis Gideon, alarmed, jumped to his feet.

“What are you saying? After everything we’ve endured together, you’re just going to abandon us?”
To him, it was a devastating declaration. Turian had joined the Allied Forces and endured a grueling campaign, only to be discarded now.
Even if the dragon’s arrival remained uncertain, Turian couldn’t ignore the potential threat.
Ghislain replied with an indifferent expression.

“Isn’t it clear? No one is cooperating properly.”
One noble, embarrassed, cleared his throat before speaking.
“Ah-hem. It’s not intentional; we’ve been delayed by internal discussions with the mage towers and—”

Their delays weren’t entirely due to bad faith. The nobles stationed in Sardina were incentivized to support the Allied Forces, if only to safeguard their own positions.
But back home, other nobles were less cooperative, stalling the process for various reasons.
Another noble sighed and added, “There’s still skepticism about the dragon’s appearance.”

“There’s been ongoing debate within the kingdom.”
“It also seems like some of the nobles are actively trying to check our power.”
At this, everyone nodded grimly.

As commanders of the Allied Forces, they commanded immense military strength. Their victory in the war had elevated their influence to a threatening level within their respective kingdoms.
Their home-country nobles, wary of their growing power, were reluctant to offer full support.
Ghislain nodded in acknowledgment.

“I understand, I do. You’re all doing your best. But if sufficient numbers aren’t gathered during this preparation period, we’ll have no choice but to abandon Turian Kingdom.”
“Ah-hem… Monster waves aside… but if a dragon truly appears, what will you do then?”
“Nothing. We’ll leave it to its fate. If the kingdom falls, so be it.”

“Ugh…”
The nobles’ faces darkened. Even they didn’t feel good about abandoning Turian Kingdom after fighting alongside it for so long.
With the war against the Salvation Order concluded, everyone wanted to withdraw quietly and minimize losses.

After all, they’d already shared in the spoils of victory. Returning to focus on internal rebuilding seemed more prudent.
And the idea of a dragon’s appearance felt more like a prophecy than a concrete reality.
This was international politics at its finest—a long-standing tradition. Still, the commanders couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt.

Ghislain looked around the room and continued.
“In that case, if Turian Kingdom falls, I won’t concern myself with where the dragon goes next.”
“…”

“In fact, I’ll personally make sure it’s drawn to the most uncooperative kingdom.”
“W-wait, what?”
“Y-you’re talking about luring the dragon?”

The entire Allied leadership was flabbergasted. No matter how frustrated he was, suggesting such a move was insane.
Claude, standing beside Ghislain, closed his eyes and shook his head.
“Here we go again. Same old temper. If things don’t go his way, he has to blow everything up.”

Though exasperated, Claude knew this was just Ghislain’s way of doing things. Having been through worse, Ghislain had no qualms about pushing others to the brink.
Ghislain, however, maintained a confident expression as he addressed the panicked nobles.
“Yes, I’ll lure the dragon.”

“…”
“For how long? Until a thousand 5th-Circle mages are gathered.”
“…”

“And if a kingdom falls to the dragon, we’ll divide its land among the surviving Allied Forces. Fair, isn’t it? The rewards will be even greater than before.”
The nobles swallowed nervously as they stared at Ghislain.
‘Is he insane? Oh, wait… he is insane.’

‘His methods are way too extreme.’
‘We’re doomed. He’s exactly the kind of man who’d follow through with this.’
While they’d always known Ghislain was bold, this was on another level. His words carried a clear message: comply, or face destruction.

Turning to Claude, Ghislain gave his next orders.
“Claude, contact our homeland and have all forces placed on standby. If we don’t get what we need, we’ll continue luring the dragon from kingdom to kingdom before finally taking it down near Ruthania’s borders. Prepare for a full retreat.”
“Got it!” Claude replied cheerfully before heading out.

Looking at the stunned nobles, Ghislain added coldly,
“Let’s all just die together, then. Except I won’t die. In fact, I’ll use this opportunity to take over the entire continent.”
His declaration snapped the [N O V E L I G H T] room back to attention as the nobles frantically shouted.

“Wait a moment!”
“We’ll pressure our kingdoms, no matter what it takes! Even rebellion if necessary!”
“Just give us a little more time! You know we’re on the same side!”

Desperate, the nobles pleaded. They had seen firsthand how Ghislain operated—he always meant what he said.
Having fought alongside him, they knew he wouldn’t hesitate to act.
Ghislain clicked his tongue at their flustered reactions.

“Let’s pick up the pace, shall we? You all know how impatient I am.”
“Yes, of course.”
“We’ve been too slow in addressing this.”

“Our homelands don’t yet grasp the severity of the situation. This time, we’ll make it clear.”
Forced smiles adorned their faces as they struggled to hide their anxiety.
Ghislain’s inner circle, watching from the sidelines, stifled their laughter.

‘Ah, this feels so satisfying.’
‘It was frustrating when we were on the receiving end, but seeing this… it’s great.’
‘Sometimes, brute force is the only way.’

They knew all too well how sluggish and self-serving nobles could be. Ghislain’s straightforward, no-nonsense approach was a welcome change.
As expected, Ghislain’s ultimatum spurred the Allied Forces into action.
Back in his office, Ghislain leaned back in his chair, letting out a weary sigh.

“They really don’t understand how serious this is.”
It couldn’t be helped. After all, Ghislain was the only one with firsthand experience fighting Arterion.
Time was of the essence, and there was no room for endless debates or persuasion. Preparations had to be completed swiftly.

Thanks to Ghislain’s pressure, the kingdoms moved faster than before, albeit reluctantly.
His reputation as a madman had spread across the continent. After all, he had defied every tradition and custom of noble society to achieve his goals.
For the first time in history, mage towers were forcibly conscripted by royal decree. Across the continent, the anguished cries of mages echoed as they were dragged to the battlefield.

Mages of the 5th Circle were accustomed to living in luxury wherever they went. Their privileged lives made the current forced mobilization unbearable for them.
Thus, a new problem emerged.
Reports flooded in, prompting Ghislain to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Mages from the mage towers have fled.”
“They’re shouting, ‘Give me liberty, or give me death!’”
“Rumors are spreading that participating in this battle is a death sentence.”

Even the nobles, who had initially been coerced into cooperating, began to falter as mages fled in droves. It was clear: the mages were terrified of facing a dragon.
After all, a dragon was the pinnacle of magic and power itself.
“Tsk… I should have seen this coming.”

Hearing the reports, Ghislain let out a hollow laugh. The situation was entirely different from what he remembered in his past life.
Back then, everyone was on the brink of annihilation, with no place to escape. Joining forces was the only way to survive.
But now, circumstances had changed.

Ghislain had eradicated the plague, dealt with the dimensional rifts, brought down the Salvation Order, and ended the continental war.
With such a relatively stable environment, mages felt emboldened to run away, thinking, “What difference does one person make?”
Fighting within their own kingdom was one thing; being forcibly dragged to a foreign land was another.

It was typical of the self-centered nature often seen in mages.
Even the Allied Forces’ leadership looked troubled this time.
“We’ve placed as many under surveillance as possible, but many have already fled.”

“Ha, I didn’t think they’d stoop this low. It’s disgraceful.”
“Those scoundrels didn’t contribute much during the war, either.”
The mages currently serving in the Allied Forces primarily belonged to royal courts or noble estates, having already been conscripted.

The real issue lay with the mages affiliated with the mage towers.
To gather a thousand 5th-Circle mages, the cooperation of the mage towers was crucial. Unless they willingly participated, as in Ruthania, the Allied Forces had to rely on appeals and coercion.
Now that many of the key mages had fled, reaching the target number was becoming impossible.

The nobles expressed their frustration loudly.
“What did those mages even do during the war? They sent a few apprentices, then sat back and did nothing!”
“Frankly, it’s thanks to us they’re even alive! And they still have the audacity to act so high and mighty?”

“Exactly! After we saved them, this is how they repay us?”
Mages had always enjoyed significant power and freedom due to their importance as national assets.
But their selfishness, even in this critical situation, was pushing the nobles to their limits.

Still, none of the nobles dared take any drastic measures. They knew the risks all too well.
“If we crack down on the mage towers, they might just relocate to another kingdom.”
“And then we’d be the only ones at a disadvantage… and the laughingstock of everyone else.”

“What if they never return? What if they move to a rival kingdom instead?”
Mages weren’t only vital for war; they were indispensable to daily life and civilization.
Cities with mage towers were far more advanced than others, and their taxes contributed enormously to local economies.

Thus, the lords of such cities had no choice but to cater to the mage towers.
Aware of their value, mages never hesitated to flaunt their power.
The nobles turned to Ghislain, clearly wanting him to take responsibility for this mess.

One noble, attempting to sound confident, asked, “What do you propose we do?”
“…”
Closing his eyes, Ghislain raised his head, surveying the tangled web of interests and traditions that kept everyone from taking decisive action.

He understood their hesitation. After all, even Ruthania had operated the same way in his past life.
But if no one else was willing to act, he’d make the decision himself.
With a loud clang, Ghislain placed his sword on the meeting table.

The nobles flinched, their gazes darting to the blade as Ghislain spoke calmly.
“We bring them back.”
“Pardon?”

“We round up every single one of them and drag them here. How hard is that?”
“Uh… w-wait, they’re mages. Most of them are affiliated with mage towers, which grant them certain freedoms and rights—”
“So what? No matter how vital they are to a kingdom, they’re useless if they refuse to serve when needed. Their rights stem from their duty to protect their kingdoms, don’t they?”

“Well… yes, but—”
“And now, after living in luxury for so long, they abandon people in crisis to save their own skins? Does that sound right to you?”
“…”

Ghislain’s expression turned icy as he continued.
“In some kingdoms, mages reportedly shouted, ‘Give me liberty, or give me death!’ as they fled. Well, I think that’s a wonderful sentiment.”
“Ah-hem…”

“Then let’s grant them their wish.”
“…”
“From this moment on, send word to all kingdoms.”

“W-what should we tell them?”
“Order them to round up the fleeing mages. If they resist, bring back their corpses instead.”
“…”

“The Allied Forces will also form pursuit squads to capture these mages from neighboring kingdoms.”
Ghislain’s cold declaration left the nobles sweating in silence.