The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 647

"Young Master!"

Belinda screamed, rushing to catch Ghislain as he collapsed. Those nearby froze in shock.

For Ghislain, the Iron-Blooded Lord, to collapse while working was simply unthinkable.

Belinda and Gillian quickly moved Ghislain to his bedroom. Soon, others arrived, alarmed by the news.

Parniel and Piote poured divine power into him, while Jerome and Vanessa examined his condition with magic.

The group, deeply focused on diagnosing Ghislain’s state, eventually frowned and shook their heads.

“There’s… nothing wrong.”

“His mana is completely intact.”

“There’s no visible harm to his body.”

“It just… looks like he’s asleep?”

Indeed, Ghislain appeared to be in a deep, peaceful slumber.

And that was the problem. Someone of Ghislain's caliber wouldn’t simply fall into such a deep sleep without reason, especially without any signs of injury or exhaustion.

The only other times Ghislain had been unconscious were when he was gravely injured.

Belinda turned urgently to Dark. “Dark! Look into the Young Master’s consciousness—”

Her words trailed off as she froze, her eyes widening at an unexpected sight.

“I feel strange… something… is pulling me…”

The mana forming Dark’s body was dissipating. This was not supposed to happen unless significant time had passed or Ghislain himself dismissed it.

Julien hastily tried to stabilize Dark’s disintegrating form by injecting his own mana, but it was futile.

Ssss…

Without any proper explanation, Dark disintegrated completely.

Julien, feeling the last remnants of Dark vanish from his fingertips, muttered, “...It seems he was forcibly pulled away.”

Whether it was Ghislain’s will or some other cause, there was no way to know.

They tried waking Ghislain several times using divine power and magic, even resorting to shaking him physically, but nothing worked.

“It must be that so-called Saintess or whatever she is. She’s taken him.”

Belinda gritted her teeth, her gaze icy. Her words were born of anger, but it was the only plausible explanation.

“Still, this seems too peaceful for that,” Vanessa commented, studying Ghislain’s serene face.

Indeed, Ghislain’s expression was unusually relaxed, as if he were finally enjoying a deep, restful sleep. It was almost as though waking him would feel wrong.

Julien, who had been quietly observing Ghislain, offered another suggestion.
“We need to speak with Ereneth.”

Perhaps she would have some insight into what had happened. At Julien’s behest, someone was sent to fetch Ereneth, who arrived shortly after.

Julien quickly explained the situation to her and asked, “Do you know what this phenomenon is?”

“No,” Ereneth replied, her tone heavy. “But I’ll find out.”

“Was it really the Saintess who influenced him?”

Ereneth sighed deeply. “Whatever he saw there, it’s merely a seal. That place will remain as it is, unable to exert further influence.”

“But we all saw Ghislain enter that place. He even told us about his experiences there.”

“I have no idea how that’s possible.” Ereneth furrowed her brow. This defied logic. Too many witnesses corroborated Ghislain’s account for it to be dismissed as an illusion.

If there was an issue with the seal, it could lead to serious consequences. Ereneth resolved to investigate it further.

“I’ll look into it separately. This is an important matter for me as well.”

Julien nodded. He didn’t think Ereneth was lying, though it still felt as if she were hiding something.

Ereneth approached Ghislain and softly whispered into the air, “Spirits of dreams and slumber, heed my call. Open the doors to the hidden world and traverse the space between eternity and a moment.”

Shimmering lights appeared and began to dance around her hand. The lights spiraled before sinking into Ghislain’s head.

Ereneth was using the spirits to penetrate Ghislain’s consciousness. Normally, this would have been impossible, but in his current state, Ghislain could offer no resistance.

Swish…

With her eyes closed, Ereneth continued moving her hands over Ghislain’s head.

Everyone watched anxiously, hoping for answers.

As the spirits delved deeper into Ghislain’s consciousness, Ereneth’s brow furrowed.

‘What… is this?’

It was an impossible sight. Ghislain’s consciousness was completely empty.

In other words, he was no different from a doll whose soul had been removed.

There was nothing but darkness—no trace of thought, memory, or presence.

Had the entity Ghislain encountered within the veil truly left such an effect?

Ereneth quickly dismissed the idea.

‘That’s impossible. A being of Duke Fenris’s strength could not have their consciousness stolen so easily.’

A transcendent being was someone who had established their own world. To forcibly seize their consciousness was nearly unthinkable.

‘Then…’

There had to be another reason.

More likely, Ghislain had emptied his consciousness willingly. Such a feat was impossible for ordinary humans, but with the help of an external force, it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility.

Ereneth concentrated, channeling greater power.

Drdrdr…

The surrounding air trembled as she poured even more energy into the spirits.

She pushed the spirits to delve deeper into Ghislain’s consciousness.

‘Found it.’

Consciousness was an infinite expanse, akin to a vast universe.

In that endless darkness, Ereneth discovered a small light. It wasn’t clear what it was, but it was occupying the space where Ghislain’s consciousness should have been.

Ereneth strengthened her connection with the spirits and directed her focus toward the light.

‘Reveal yourself.’

The closer she drew, the stranger the light seemed. It radiated an aura that didn’t belong within Ghislain’s consciousness.

‘Divine power? Why is there divine power…?’

She suddenly recalled Ghislain’s recent words.

—After obtaining this necklace, I saw a Saintess in my dreams. She seemed to be from a thousand years ago.

‘Could it be… truly…?’

Ereneth’s heart began to pound. She summoned even more power, intensifying her connection with the spirits.

As she drew closer, the light began to take shape, revealing its true form.

‘This is…’

A massive black circle hovered in the void.

Though distant, its immense size made Ereneth feel as small as an ant.

The circle’s edges shimmered with alternating blue and purple hues, while its center deepened into an eternal darkness that resembled an abyss.

The black circle rotated slowly, and the surrounding space rippled as though submerged in water.

Tiny particles of light floated around the circle, glowing like stars in a galaxy. Occasionally, flashes of light erupted from its center.

Ereneth’s eyes trembled as she beheld it.

‘What in the world is this…?’

As she moved closer, she felt it—her consciousness was being pulled toward the circle.

Beyond the abyss, she could faintly glimpse something.

‘I mustn’t go.’

If she got too close, even her consciousness might be consumed by it.

Yet she couldn’t help but wonder—why had something like this appeared within Ghislain’s consciousness? Who could have created it?

Clang!

A sudden shock jolted Ereneth’s consciousness, forcing her to retreat. Blood trickled from her nose.

“Wh-what is this…?”

Everyone gasped as they saw her state. Belinda rushed to support Ereneth.

“Are you all right? What happened?”

Ereneth’s face had gone pale. The others exchanged uneasy glances.

Ereneth was one of the strongest among them. Her power had only grown since reclaiming her past strength.

For her to look so shaken—what could she have encountered within Ghislain’s consciousness?

“You…”

Ereneth began to speak but quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

Julien stepped forward, his tone firm. “What is it?”

“It’s… nothing.”

“Speak.”

Julien’s cold gaze met hers, his hand gripping his sword.

He had respected her silence regarding her past, understanding it was personal.

But withholding critical information now was unacceptable.

Ereneth glared at him. “Are you threatening me with force?”

“If necessary.”

Neither backed down, their gazes locking.

Julien’s eyes began to glint with a deadly edge.

He was a man who never turned back once he made a decision. If Ereneth continued this way, he was prepared to act.

Ereneth, too, felt the weight of Julien’s resolve.

“How dare you…”

Her own gaze sharpened. As the High Chief of the Elves and Guardian of the World Tree, she was not someone to be intimidated.

Their auras began to ripple outward, filling the room with tension.

Piote stepped between them, shouting, “Why?! Why can’t you two resolve this with words?!”

“…”

“…”

Neither responded. After a long pause, Ereneth sighed deeply.

She was still sensitive after losing Arterion. She had to acknowledge that.

“Duke Fenris’s consciousness… is gone.”

Julien frowned. “Gone?”

“Yes. I have no idea how it happened. But there was divine power within his consciousness.”

“Divine power?”

The others were puzzled. Ghislain had spoken of the necklace and the dream of the Saintess but had never mentioned divine power.

After a moment’s thought, Ereneth continued, “I don’t know why divine power was there. But it seems to have influenced him. I saw a strange ‘door’ within his consciousness.”

A door? The others couldn’t comprehend what she meant. How could there be such a thing in someone’s consciousness?

Regardless, Ereneth described what she had seen.

“It seems that Duke Fenris’s consciousness has been pulled into that place. Even as I say it… I can hardly believe it.”

Ereneth, who had lived for centuries, had never encountered anything like this. She couldn’t begin to understand how it was possible.

In the end, they found no clear explanation. All they knew was that Ghislain’s consciousness was truly gone.

Belinda gently stroked Ghislain’s forehead, tears streaming down her face.

“This… This isn’t fair. We won the war. We were supposed to live peacefully now. Why is this happening…”

They never should have gone to the Forest of Beasts. They shouldn’t have concerned themselves with the Saintess or the war from a thousand years ago.

Even without such distractions, they could have ended everything and lived happily.

She should have stopped him. Letting him do as he pleased had led to this disaster.

The others shared her grim expressions.

Ereneth looked at Ghislain for a moment before speaking. “We’ll have to wait for him to awaken on his own. There’s no record of someone regaining consciousness when it has vanished.”

With those words, she left.

A heavy silence settled over the room. No one could find the words to speak.

Julien gazed at Ghislain for a long time.

‘Ghislain…’

His friend, who had always been so lively and bright, now lay pale and fragile. And it had all happened so suddenly.

Even seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn’t believe it.

‘I must find the reason.’

Every effect had a cause. If he could uncover the cause, he could surely find a way to save Ghislain.

‘Perhaps Gatros…’

He was the leader of the Salvation Order. If anyone knew the secrets of the veil or Ghislain’s condition, it would be him.

Julien’s instincts pointed toward Gatros as the key. His gaze grew cold and resolute.

***

"Uh?"

Ghislain, who had lost consciousness, opened his eyes and let out a puzzled sound.

He was certain he had collapsed in his office, yet now he found himself in a completely unfamiliar place.

The surroundings were chaotic.

“Damn it! Run!”

“What the hell?! How are these brats so strong?!”

“Aaargh!”

The air was filled with screams of panic. Looking around, Ghislain realized the area resembled the hideout of bandits.

Corpses were strewn about, and parts of the mountain lair had collapsed.

Ghislain tilted his head in confusion.

“Where is this? Why am I here? Did someone move me while I was asleep?”

As he pondered, someone nearby suddenly shouted loudly.

“Astion! What are you doing? Snap out of it!”

Turning toward the voice, Ghislain’s eyes widened in shock.

“You…”

It was a boy with strikingly beautiful blue hair that shimmered like waves of light.

No one in Ghislain’s circle had hair that color.

However, the boy’s face resembled someone Ghislain knew all too well.

“Julien?”

It was the hero from his dream, Julien—but much younger, yelling commands in a high-pitched voice.