The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations (light Novel)

Changing the family's mana cultivation method? Zwalter had never heard such nonsense in his entire life.
It wasn’t just about changing an ancient tradition passed down for generations—it was about the potential danger involved. What if something went wrong?

Zwalter leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he contemplated. Although he found the idea ridiculous, he refrained from losing his temper immediately. It wouldn’t hurt to at least hear Ghislain out.
“Say that again,” Zwalter demanded, his tone firm and authoritative.
Despite Zwalter’s intimidating posture, Ghislain remained unphased and repeated himself calmly.

“We need to change the family’s mana cultivation method.”
“The mana cultivation method is the foundation of our family’s legacy. What exactly do you plan to change? Have you found some miraculous new method somewhere?”
With a deliberate motion, Ghislain retrieved a book from his coat and placed it on the table.

Zwalter stared at the book for a moment before asking, “And this is?”
“I’ve written down the improvements I’ve made to our family's mana cultivation method,” Ghislain replied.
“You? You’ve made these improvements?” Zwalter scoffed, smiling at the absurdity of it. He thought Ghislain must have picked up some ideas from somewhere and decided to jot them down for discussion. The notion that Ghislain had personally modified the family’s method seemed laughable.

Waving his hand dismissively, Zwalter said, “No need. It’s clear you’ve been dabbling in this on your own, but improving the mana cultivation method is no simple task. It takes years of research and refinement.”
Zwalter assumed that Ghislain was merely offering an incomplete idea and wanted to research together. Rejecting the notion outright, Zwalter believed it was a waste of time. But Ghislain shook his head.
“I’m not asking to collaborate. The improvements are already complete.”

“What? And you’ve done all this without any proper verification?” Zwalter said, skeptical.
“The method has been thoroughly tested.”
“What? How?”

“I’ve already tested it on myself,” Ghislain said calmly.
“WHAT!?”
Zwalter jumped out of his chair, utterly shocked.

Not only had Ghislain modified the mana cultivation method without proper approval, but he had also dared to use it on himself?
“Are you out of your mind? Are you even okay?!” Zwalter asked, looking Ghislain over for any signs of injury or damage.
“I’m perfectly fine,” Ghislain reassured him. “I made these adjustments a long time ago. You saw my prowess during the war, didn’t you? It’s all thanks to this improved mana cultivation method.”
“...”

Zwalter didn’t know how to respond.
He had been impressed by his son’s combat ability during the war, but now Ghislain was claiming that it was all due to this self-modified mana cultivation method?
It sounded utterly unbelievable.

Ghislain continued, meeting his father’s gaze with unwavering confidence.
“We’re surrounded by enemies. We must become stronger. This mana cultivation method will make our family and our domain more powerful.”
“But still… altering a method that has been passed down through the generations so recklessly…” Zwalter muttered.

“If we want to survive, we must use any means necessary. It doesn’t matter how long the technique has been passed down—if it’s lacking, we must improve it,” Ghislain said with conviction.
Zwalter was left speechless.
Ghislain’s argument made sense in the current crisis, but it completely disregarded the family’s traditions and the prestige they had built over centuries.

“Our family has been sustained by this mana cultivation method for over a thousand years! How can you be so sure that your modified version is superior?”
Ghislain smirked at that.
“Are you certain our family has truly existed for a thousand years?”

“What? Of course! You were born on the thousandth anniversary of our family’s founding! It was a momentous occasion!” Zwalter declared.
“Do you have any proof of that?”
“Well… the records were lost about two hundred years ago… but I was told by your grandfather…”

“So, our family’s history goes back two hundred years, not a thousand,” Ghislain said bluntly.
“...”
Zwalter was left speechless once again.

The truth was, even Zwalter had doubts about the thousand-year legacy. The idea had been passed down through the generations without anyone truly verifying it.
The family’s pride and self-worth had been built on unproven myths, much like many other noble families.
Ghislain sighed and continued.

“The thousand-year legacy is just a myth, like a founding legend. Other families have similar stories. The Delphine Dukes claim they’re descended from dragons, don’t they?”
“That’s… true, but…”
“Does it really matter? Whether it’s a thousand years or two hundred years, what does it change? In the end, we’ll all die the same if we don’t prepare for war. Count Desmond is already preparing for a full-scale attack.”

“Hmm, I can’t argue with that.”
Zwalter knew that Ghislain was right.
What concerned him most was the looming threat of war with Count Desmond. While things had been relatively quiet recently, they couldn’t be complacent.

If anything, the silence from Desmond’s side only made the situation more unsettling.
Ghislain pressed on, his tone growing more resolute.
“That’s why we need to learn this method now. The sooner, the better.”

“I understand that… but…” Zwalter hesitated.
He realized the seriousness of the situation but was still wary of such a drastic change. “What if there are unforeseen side effects? Even if you’re fine, that doesn’t guarantee safety for everyone. You should stop training this way and return to the traditional method.”
“We don’t have time for that. This method will make us stronger, faster.”

“But the current method has never failed us! Our knights have never been mocked for their lack of skill!” Zwalter argued.
Randolph, who had been silently listening, finally spoke up.
“Your Lordship, the Ferdiem family’s mana cultivation method has earned us the reputation of top-tier knights. There’s nothing lacking in our method.”

Randolph wasn’t wrong. The family’s technique was solid, placing them on par with other noble houses.
However, by Ghislain’s standards, it was insufficient.
“Our family’s method has its limits,” Ghislain said bluntly.

“What?” Randolph and Zwalter both looked at him in shock.
“You’ve both hit a wall in your training, haven’t you?”
“...”

Neither Zwalter nor Randolph could deny it. Ghislain had hit the mark. Both of them had reached a point where their progress had come to a standstill.
No matter how hard they trained, they couldn’t seem to push past a certain threshold. It felt as though something fundamental was missing.
This issue had plagued not only Zwalter but every head of the Ferdiem family for generations.

“The current method appears fine on the surface, but the more you train, the more you feel like something’s missing,” Ghislain explained.
Zwalter nodded in agreement, his expression growing more serious.
The fact that his young son had recognized something that had taken him decades to realize was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Could he be... a genius?” Zwalter thought to himself.
Remembering his son’s outstanding performance in the war, Zwalter couldn’t help but wonder.
Seeing his father deep in thought, Ghislain continued.

“I discovered the missing part and filled in the gaps. If you adopt the revised method, you’ll break through the barriers you’ve been facing.”
“And how did you figure this out?” Zwalter asked.
“I had a moment of clarity,” Ghislain answered, using his favorite excuse.

It wasn’t entirely a lie. In his past life, Ghislain had come across an ancient magic book that revealed new concepts in mana manipulation. These concepts had helped him refine his family’s technique.
That book had explained how ancient magicians gathered and manipulated mana, and it had provided the key to enhancing his family's cultivation method.
Through tireless experimentation and training, Ghislain had successfully modified the technique and risen to become one of the continent’s seven strongest warriors.

Without that book, it would have taken him far longer to achieve such heights.
“I’ll have to look for that book again someday,” Ghislain mused.
Brushing aside those thoughts, Ghislain stood up.

He had said everything he needed to say. There was no need to push his father any further.
“Once they see the method, they’ll adopt it. I know how knights think.”
With confidence, Ghislain concluded the conversation.

“The choice is yours. I won’t force you to change. The book contains detailed explanations. If you find it lacking, don’t use it.”
“Hmm…”
“I’ll leave it at that. But if you do choose to use it, I suggest you teach it to all the knights as well. This isn’t the time to cling to honor and tradition.”

“Hmm…”
Zwalter remained silent, deep in thought. He was tempted to read the book, but his pride held him back.
Seeing his father hesitate, Ghislain smiled slightly and nodded before leaving the room.

Once his son had left, Zwalter stared at the book, muttering to himself.
“Well, it’s from my son. I might as well see what he’s written.”
Randolph, standing nearby, chimed in. “No harm in taking a look, Your Lordship.”

“Hmm, fine. Let’s see what he’s got.”
Zwalter sat down and began flipping through the pages. As he read, his expression shifted from curiosity to amazement.
“Wow…”

Each page seemed to provide the answers he had been searching for, clearing up the frustrations he had faced for so long.
Seeing Zwalter’s reactions, Randolph leaned in, eager to see for himself.
“How is it? Let me have a look.”

“Wait your turn!”
After some playful back-and-forth, Zwalter finished reading and handed the book to Randolph. A few minutes later, Randolph’s face mirrored Zwalter’s earlier expression.
“Wow…”

“Indeed…”
The two men sat in stunned silence, unable to find the words to express their thoughts.
The revised method looked flawless. If it worked as described, it could help them overcome the barriers they had faced for so long.

Finally, Zwalter broke the silence, asking Randolph cautiously.
“What do you think? Any problems?”
“It’s incredible. If we use this method, I have no doubt we’ll become stronger.”

“But how did Ghislain come up with something like this?”
It was baffling. Ghislain had been a troublemaker for most of his life. But suddenly, he had become a genius, consistently producing results beyond anyone’s expectations.
Randolph simply shrugged.

“Maybe he had a stroke of brilliance or encountered some incredible opportunity. What matters now is how we handle this.”
“Is it really safe, though?”
“The explosive mana technique might be dangerous, but as long as we’re careful, there shouldn’t be any issues. The theory is sound.”

Zwalter nodded, though he still felt uneasy.
His past experiences with Ghislain had taught him that while things usually turned out well in the end, the journey was often filled with headaches.
Seeing Zwalter’s hesitation, Randolph pressed him.

“Come on, Your Lordship. You and I are the strongest in Ferdiem. If we see no issues, it’s safe enough.”
“Still… this is Ghislain we’re talking about…”
“Do you really think he’s stronger than us? We’ve got years of experience. Besides, his success in the war was likely due to this technique’s power.”

Zwalter closed his eyes, deep in thought.
Randolph, on the other hand, was growing impatient. He was eager to try out the method and break through his limits.
After a long silence, Zwalter finally spoke.

“We’ll start slowly and increase the intensity over time. If anything feels off, we’ll stop immediately.”
Randolph clenched his fist in excitement.
“Exactly! If anything goes wrong, we can stop.”

What neither of them realized, however, was that once they started using this method, there would be no stopping. They lacked the insight to see that they were on an irreversible path.
But for now, they remained blissfully unaware of that fact.
“Good,” Zwalter said, standing up. “Let’s gather all the knights. It won’t hurt for everyone to get stronger.”

For a brief moment, a cold chill ran down his spine. But Zwalter dismissed it as nothing more than a passing feeling.
Little did he know, it was a warning of what was to come.