The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations (light Novel)

While the mana condensation arrays were being created, most of the mercenaries altered their contracts to lifelong service. Even those who had newly joined swore loyalty to the lord.
There was no reason to refuse since they were being taught the family's mana cultivation technique and even being granted knighthood.
"Did you hear? There's a rumor that the lord is going to teach us the family's mana cultivation technique."

"Come on, that's ridiculous. Mana cultivation techniques are among the most closely guarded secrets. Who would ever share something like that? Would you?"
"Still, since we're becoming part of the territory’s forces, maybe he'll teach us something useful, right?"
"Sure, they'll probably pick something simple for us to learn. Anyway, it’ll take years of training, so don’t get your hopes up too high."

Rumors about the mana cultivation technique spread quickly among the mercenaries, who had high hopes for it.
Of course, not everything was without worry.
Although the common folk might not realize it, the experienced mercenaries were certain that another war would break out soon.

After all, Count Desmond, the grand lord, wouldn’t stand idly by after being beaten by a small territory like Feridium.
Yet, despite the looming threat of war, the mercenaries chose to stay and commit themselves to Fenris territory.
The allure of knighthood and the mana cultivation technique was enough to make it worth the risk.

However, while others signed their lifelong contracts, Kaor and his Cerberus Mercenary Corps were still undecided.
"Ugh… What do we do? If we accept the offer, we’ll be stuck here forever," Kaor muttered, scratching his head in frustration as he gathered his men.
With his skills, Kaor could probably get a knighthood anywhere.

Unusually for a mercenary, he had already learned to use mana, and his abilities surpassed many knights.
However, he disliked rigid lifestyles and preferred the freedom of being a mercenary, which is why he had remained one.
"So, what do you all plan to do? They say we need to decide before the mana condensation arrays are completed," Kaor asked.

A few of the members exchanged glances before one hesitantly spoke.
"Well, we’ll follow your lead, captain. I mean, becoming a knight sounds great, but…"
"And learning the mana cultivation technique would be good too…"
"But just learning it doesn’t mean we’ll master it, right? I mean, maybe the lord has a way to help us, but…"

None of them really believed the rumors about being taught the family’s secret cultivation technique. They only assumed it would be something a little better than the basic techniques floating around.
Handling mana was no easy task, and even with basic techniques, many people couldn’t fully grasp it.
Still, with the lord always managing to pull off the impossible, there was a small hope that he might teach them something worthwhile.

But that hope wasn’t enough to erase the unease they felt.
Kaor, sensing their reluctance, decided to prod them a bit more.
"Anyone who wants to stay can stay. But if you do, you’ll have to leave the Cerberus Mercenary Corps."

Despite his words, none of the men dared to respond.
Leaving the Cerberus Mercenary Corps wasn’t a simple decision. After all, anyone who left had to leave behind a hand. Everyone knew better than to take Kaor’s words at face value.
"Ha, you guys are loyal, huh? That’s right—without loyalty, a mercenary is just a corpse."

Kaor’s words made the men lower their heads slightly, hiding their expressions.
‘He’d go crazy if we said we wanted to leave.’
‘He’d probably call us traitors and demand a hand.’

‘Still, it’s been fun staying here.’
Feeling the growing sense of reluctance to leave, Kaor licked his lips in frustration.
In the past, he would have left as soon as a lifelong contract was offered. But now, for some reason, he hesitated.

‘Why am I feeling this way? Have I grown attached?’
No matter how much he thought about it, there was no reason for him to have formed any attachments.
From the lord to Belinda, Gillian, and Claude—they were all a bunch of weirdos.

Had associating with them made him strange too?
As Kaor wrestled with his unresolved thoughts, one of the members cautiously spoke up.
"Uh… to be honest, if we leave here, we’ll just end up taking petty jobs in the North again, right?"

"Yeah, we’d just live freely, taking on jobs as we go."
"But, to be honest… isn't it kind of fun here? The lord’s a bit odd, but it’s entertaining, isn’t it?"
Kaor couldn’t deny the truth in that.

The Fenris territory was unlike any other place.
Ghislain, the lord, was nothing like the other nobles. Sure, he could be unreasonable and stubborn at times, but there was no denying that being around him was amusing.
As Kaor signaled for the member to continue, the man gained more confidence and added,

"At least here, we get to fight to our heart’s content. Isn’t that better than just wasting time?"
That was true. Another war with Desmond was inevitable, and knowing Ghislain, there would be plenty more fights after that.
Not to mention, the second expedition to the Forest of Beasts was planned in the near future.

There wasn’t a place more action-packed than Fenris.
Seeing Kaor’s interest piqued, the member pushed further.
"And if we end up wandering around taking jobs in the North, there’s no guarantee we wouldn’t be hired to fight against Lord Ghislain. Could you really handle that?"

"Uh… that’d be a bit much."
Without realizing it, Kaor muttered under his breath.
‘Fight against that crazy lord?’

While other opponents didn’t scare him, Ghislain was another matter.
Having been beaten within an inch of his life before, Kaor’s instincts recoiled at the thought of fighting him again.
But at the same time, Kaor couldn’t imagine a life without exciting combat missions. Siding with Fenris again later would be laughable.

Kaor crossed his arms, deep in thought.
When he glanced at his men, he noticed they were all looking at him with hopeful eyes.
‘Ha, these guys aren’t being honest with themselves.’

Letting out a small chuckle, Kaor nodded a few times.
In truth, his mind was already made up. He had just been pretending to think it over for the sake of his pride.
Leaving a place full of thrilling opportunities would be a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.

"Alright, screw it. We’re becoming knights!"
"Whoa!"
The men erupted into cheers at Kaor’s declaration.

Wandering around was fine for a while, but no one could live like that forever.
It was far better to stay here than to be stuck in a rigid territory with no excitement.
Especially when they were being offered the mana cultivation technique and knighthood. Anyone who refused would be a fool.

The territory’s small size and weakness didn’t matter. After all, no other place would accept them under such favorable conditions.
With a smug grin, Kaor added,
"I’ll be the commander of the knightly order. Everyone should keep that in mind."

"What about Instructor Gillian? He won’t just sit back quietly, you know."
"Ha! I’ll just take it from him with my skills. If I put my mind to it, I could finish off that old man in no time. So, the commander’s position is mine."
"Whoa! Commander Kaor of the Fenris Knightly Order!"

The men cheered again.
It wasn’t that they thought Kaor looked particularly cool or believed he could actually defeat Gillian. They were just excited about the prospect of watching an interesting fight.
Kaor, now self-proclaimed as the commander of the Fenris Knightly Order, raised his fist triumphantly with a cocky expression.

"I’ll be the commander of the knightly order," Ghislain said.
Kaor blinked, confused.
"Not me?"

"No, not you."
"What kind of lord takes the role of knightly commander himself?"
"I handle everything personally."

"Well, stop handling everything yourself and give it to me."
"It’s more convenient for me to do it for now. We’ll decide when the forces grow larger and we reorganize. Just keep that in mind."
With a click of his tongue, Ghislain dismissed Kaor’s plea.

"So, you’ll give it to me later?"
"We’ll see. You’ve got a lot of competition, so I’m not sure if you’ll make it. Besides, aren’t you bad at fighting?"
Provoked by Ghislain’s words, Kaor muttered sulkily while standing with his arms crossed.

"I’m good at fighting!"
"Well, we’ll see about that when the time comes. After we see how everyone else’s skills develop."
"Nothing will change by then."

"Alright, alright. I’m looking forward to it. Anyway, you made a good decision. Let’s work well together from now on."
With Kaor pledging loyalty to Ghislain and signing a lifelong contract, the Cerberus Mercenary Corps officially ceased to exist.
Ghislain patted Kaor on the shoulder and handed him two books.

"Since you’ve joined us, I have a gift for you. Here, take these."
"What’s this?"
"This is the mana cultivation technique of our family, along with a swordsmanship manual. I’ve tailored it a bit to suit you, so it should be better than what you’re practicing now."

"What the…"
Kaor’s eyes widened as he stared at Ghislain.
He had come asking for the position of knightly commander, but instead, he was being given these gifts.

Kaor had been practicing a cheap mana cultivation technique, but through sheer talent, stubbornness, and life-or-death combat, he had managed to reach a certain level.
Even with his crude technique, he had surpassed many knights and took pride in his achievements.
However, that didn’t mean he wasn’t desperate for a more advanced cultivation technique.

The stronger he grew, the more clearly he felt the wall he had hit. It was the limit of someone who had learned purely through instinct and without formal training.
This was why he craved battle and sought out dangerous situations—because that was the only way for him to keep improving.
For Kaor, the books Ghislain had handed him were like lifelines tossed to him in the dark.

"I-I didn’t expect you to give this to me."
Kaor had assumed that only the regular mercenaries would be taught the cultivation technique, given that he and Gillian were already at a level comparable to knights.
But Ghislain had been preparing something special all along.

Seeing Kaor’s surprise, Ghislain continued speaking matter-of-factly.
"I’ve noticed that you have some bad habits and that your body’s balance is off. To use mana properly, you need to utilize your entire body, but you’ve been out of balance because of it. Your swordsmanship is sharp and instinctual, but you lack solid fundamentals. If you diligently practice what I’ve given you, you’ll be able to break through your current limitations."
"...Why are you doing this for me?" Kaor asked sincerely.

What Ghislain had handed him was priceless.
Despite Feridium being considered weak, that was merely due to external factors.
‘The Feridium family’s cultivation technique and swordsmanship are in no way inferior to those of other places. Count Feridium himself is considered a high-ranking knight.’

The strength that allowed Feridium to defend the North came from this mana cultivation technique and swordsmanship.
This wasn’t something that could be handed out just because they had fought together a few times.
In fact, their fights had only been part of a mercenary contract. They were merely doing the jobs they were paid to do.

As Kaor expressed his confusion, Ghislain smirked and answered.
"Because you’re bad at fighting. I don’t want you getting beaten up wherever you go."
Kaor was about to snap back but then bit his tongue, lowering his head and quickly tucking the books into his coat.

His pride kept him from showing his joy, but he couldn’t help the grin that crept onto his face.
He tried to suppress his laughter, but it kept bubbling up.
Biting his lip, Kaor awkwardly expressed his gratitude.

"I’m actually quite good at fighting… but thank you anyway. Hehehe."
"Yeah, if you have any questions while you’re practicing, feel free to ask. You’ll have to work hard if you don’t want to get left behind. There are a lot of talented people here."
"Ha, no matter how talented they are, I’ll crush anyone who tries to challenge me."

Eager to start training, Kaor gave a hasty nod and quickly turned to leave.
Ghislain, knowing Kaor’s usual lack of manners, didn’t mind. He understood better than anyone what Kaor was feeling at that moment.
Just as Kaor reached for the door handle, he paused for a moment.

For some reason… his nose felt stuffy.
As a child, he had lost his family and had fought fiercely just to survive.
‘Has anyone ever treated me this well before?’

No one had. He had lived in a world where you either killed or were killed.
That was why he had acted even more cruelly and lived like a madman. Otherwise, someone like Kaor, who had lived at rock bottom, wouldn’t have survived.
In a way, it was his struggle to survive, and in another way, it was his resentment towards the world.

Kaor clenched his teeth, trying to suppress the unfamiliar emotions that welled up inside him.
‘He’s just teaching me because I’ll be useful in war. He needs me to fight on the front lines.’
He tried to downplay Ghislain’s intentions, but deep down, Kaor knew the truth.

No one would share such treasures with a mere pawn.
They could’ve just handed him some coins and sent him to the battlefield.
That had always been the nature of his relationship with Ghislain.

‘Damn it...’
In the Forest of Beasts, and during the war, Ghislain had never treated the mercenaries as expendable.
He always did whatever he could to save even one more life and always stood at the front, in the most dangerous positions.

Though he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, Ghislain was never petty or dishonorable.
‘...Fine, let’s see this through to the end.’
After hesitating for a moment, Kaor let go of the door handle and turned back to face Ghislain.

Seeing Ghislain’s puzzled expression, Kaor slowly bent down into a deep bow.
For the first time in his life… Kaor expressed heartfelt gratitude to someone.