Chapter 676

You Can Give It to Me. (2)

‘There must be a reason.’

Yeah, I didn’t know it yet, but there had to be one.

That’s why everyone must’ve been so confused when they looked at the future version of Julien.

Ereneth only reached the point of suspicion, but Arterion had been certain that Julien was the Adversary.

‘I wonder when I’ll find out.’

According to Ghislain’s predictions, it would be after the battle against the Demonic Abyss began at the very least. Until then, Julien and Deneb had to become even stronger than they’d appeared in his dream.

The same went for Kyle. No matter how much he thought about it, the one who’d fought beside the Hero had to be him.

‘Don’t waver, just focus on achieving the goal.’

He had to believe in the dream he saw. Surely there was a reason, which was why even the Saintess had summoned him here.

Without unwavering conviction, nothing could be done.

So, he must not falter. That had been Ghislain’s way of life, the method he’d mastered to survive.

It was by living that way that he had eventually brought down the ducal family and saved everyone.

Even if the Saintess had summoned him here only to use him, it didn’t matter.

‘I’ll give it everything I’ve got and pursue what I believe in.’

If he didn’t like the outcome, he could change it then. Even if it meant using overwhelming force.

Ghislain consciously kept his heart at ease. Once he made up his mind, he never wavered - that was one of his strengths.

He tidied up the battlefield. He understood why everyone was happy, but they couldn’t afford to waste any more time here.

“Let’s check out that bastard’s hideout. Looks like there’s quite a bit we can gain.”

Andrew gave his approval readily. Though truthfully, it wasn’t even approval anymore. Ghislain was already the de facto leader of the group.

Basilude had cleverly concealed the entrance to his hideout with trees and rocks. From the traces of magic, it was clear he’d used spells to distort and hide the surroundings.

The cave, which was structured like an anthill with several rooms connected together, had been quite well maintained. There were lanterns hung up and even a worn carpet laid on the ground.

It had all the basics of daily life enough for someone to live here comfortably.

Of course, it was comfortable only by cave standards, it couldn’t possibly compare to an ordinary house. Bugs were crawling all over the place.

The soldiers explored every corner of the cave, marveling at what they saw.

“Whoa… So, this is where the Black Mage lived.”

“It’s not, like, totally creepy or anything.”

Everyone was busy looking around with wide-eyed curiosity.

There were a few rooms with unidentifiable bones and rotting corpses, but there weren’t many truly bizarre items.

Contrary to popular belief, Black Mages actually lived pretty ordinary lives.

As Ghislain walked through various rooms, he commented,

“Well, caves are great for storing corpses and conducting research.”

Caves were relatively unaffected by changes in external temperature. With magic, handling corpses became even more convenient.

After roughly examining the structure of the cave, Ghislain immediately searched the surroundings thoroughly.

Apparently, Basilude hadn’t felt the need to hide anything. Valuable items spilled out of hastily stacked boxes and sacks.

Gasps of awe escaped from those who saw them.

“Wow! Are all those jewels?”

“He really piled up a fortune while living in a cave.”

“Mages sure are rich.”

It wasn’t enough to impress Ghislain, but to the others, it was a staggering amount. Even Andrew couldn’t help swallowing repeatedly in envy.

Nodehill was merely a small barony. After launching two subjugation campaigns in such a short time, the territory’s finances were depleted.

In truth, for ordinary mercenaries, it was normal for the employer to take all the loot while paying only a fixed wage.

But in the case of the Julien Mercenary Corps, the contract clearly stated that they would take all the spoils there was no helping it.

That didn’t mean Andrew was planning to backstab them. The moment he betrayed them, everyone here would clearly be dead.

Ghislain looked at Andrew and said,

“Ugh, this is going to be a pain to carry. Help me haul it, and I’ll give you 30%.”

“Understood!”

Ghislain was a man who rewarded generously when it was time to give. Andrew nodded eagerly, his face brightening.

Even 30% was a considerable sum. He had thought just succeeding in the subjugation would be enough, but now they were getting paid too there was no way he wouldn’t be happy.

Truthfully, money wasn’t Ghislain’s goal. He was a man with shares in a gold mine. This kind of pocket change could be secured at any time.

“The real treasure are the grimoires.”

Grimoires were easy to find. Basilude had them lined up in his study.

Wearing a delighted expression, Ghislain quickly sifted through the grimoires.

Surprisingly, there weren’t many books on black magic. That was natural as black magic itself had fewer types compared to other forms of magic.

“Whoa… it’s really here. A 6th-circle grimoire.”

There were even a few 6th-circle grimoires. Even excluding duplicates, that meant a fair number of spells were contained within.

There were also plenty of lower-circle grimoires. Learning unknown spells in advance would give him more tools to adapt and improvise later.

“Studying is tough, but casting is easy.”

Excited, Ghislain busily collected the grimoires. He didn’t even consider the difficulty of studying.

‘I've got an incredible sentient being that thinks for me, learns for me, and gives me answers. Studying isn’t hard at all.’

He was referring to Astion. He was on a completely different level from Dark, which had shared space in his consciousness but lacked capabilities. Astion was incomparably smarter.

Ghislain could summon Astion at any time, 24 hours a day, ask questions, and get answers. He could even train Astion to enhance his performance.

So, there was no room for any fear(?) of studying.

After gathering a haul of loot from Basilude’s hideout, the group returned to the territory.

Hearing the news, people had poured out into the streets to celebrate their victory. They welcomed the triumphant return of the army with loud cheers.

“The Black Mage is dead!”

“Long live the Lord!”

“Julien Mercenary Corps is the best!”

The Black Mage had inflicted severe harm upon the people. Many had been captured by Basilude and used as test subjects.

Many soldiers also lost their lives during the subjugation campaign. Even the former lord had died.

Now that the Black Mage who had devastated the territory was finally dead, people could finally breathe a sigh of relief and rejoice.

“Isn’t the Julien Mercenary Corps amazing?”

“They caught a Black Mage who had survived two failed subjugations.”

“I heard the captain beheaded him. They say he’s insanely strong.”

“And the mage? He caught the Black Mage’s disciple using a duck, didn’t he?”

“The other two aren’t ordinary either. They say the undead collapsed every time the priest radiated light.”

Wherever you went, it was all about the Julien Mercenary Corps. Yet once again, there was barely any mention of Kyle.

Even though Kyle had done his utmost, he couldn’t help feeling like the world was going out of its way to discredit him. He’d gone through hell, but his role seemed like the smallest.

“Ugh! This is so frustrating! I caught most of them!”

“That’s how the world works. Just keep striving,” Dark said with a solemn expression. He was quite pleased with his current life.

Back in Fenris, everyone had been so powerful that no one gave a damn about what he said. Just not being ignored was a blessing.

But here, he felt like he was finally someone important. Giving unsolicited advice to weaker people was the most satisfying thing in the world.

To commemorate the subjugation of the Black Mage, Andrew held a modest banquet. Times were hard, but he couldn’t just let the moment pass without expressing his gratitude to his saviors.

While they were enjoying the meal, Andrew leaned in and said to Ghislain with a hint of suggestion,

“How would you feel about becoming the territory’s official mage? I’d also appoint the others as knights of the land and grant you a small estate. I’ll offer you the best terms I can.”

Ghislain replied with a playful expression.

“We’re expensive.”

“O-oh, how expensive are we talking?”

“Thirty percent of the Larks Territory’s revenue belongs to us.”

“Territory revenue?”

“Yes. You’re aware that a gold mine was discovered there, right?”

Andrew gulped and could only nod. The Nodehill territory was close to Larks Territory, so he had heard bits and pieces.

He still remembered how envious he’d been when he heard a gold mine had been found there.

He also knew the Julien Mercenary Corps had played a major role there. That’s why he had made such an effort to recruit them.

‘But thirty percent of the territory’s revenue? And from a gold-rich territory at that?’

Julien Mercenary Corps’ authority had extended that far? Andrew hadn’t known. That part hadn’t made it into the rumors.

A gold mine was being developed in that territory. Over time, it would bring in staggering amounts of wealth.

Andrew could only marvel, his soul nearly leaving his body.

“W-whoa… That’s… truly incredible. You must be unbelievably wealthy.”

It was clear now, he couldn’t hire the Julien Mercenary Corps with money. Realizing he had nothing worthy to offer, Andrew deflated slightly.

The one thing the Nodehill Territory had going for it was its relatively developed livestock industry. Though the territory was small, it was well-suited for raising animals.

Until now, they had sustained the territory’s operations by selling by-products from the livestock.

‘I could offer them plenty of ducks… maybe even a little land…’

But it wasn’t enough to keep the Julien Mercenary Corps around. Land was precious, but with their skills, they could get better land in a far better territory.

Besides, livestock farming could take a hit if disease spreads or the weather turns bad.

With no choice, Andrew gave up on trying to retain the Julien Mercenary Corps. They were too exceptional beyond the reach of force or wealth.

One would need to be a much more powerful and influential noble to negotiate with them on equal footing.

But then, Ghislain said something unexpected.

“Well, to be honest, I’m thinking of staying here for a bit longer.”

“Truly?”

“Yes. We plan to focus on our training for a while. For now, we’ll base our mercenary activities around this territory.”

There was a chance that the individual who had met with Basilude might return. It made sense to wait, train in magic, and gather more local intel.

Ghislain still had much to learn about this era.

Andrew’s face lit up with joy at his words.

“Oh, please make yourselves at home. If there’s anything you need, I’ll provide it.”

Andrew had been worried ever since hearing about the Black Mage. Whether it had been a priest of the Salvation Church or another Black Mage who had incited Basilude, someone else had their eyes on Nodehill.

Knowing the Julien Mercenary Corps would be staying for a while filled him with immense relief.

“I’ll give you the finest official residence. You shouldn’t find anything lacking in your stay.”

Andrew assigned them the best official residence available.

To Ghislain, who had once seized the grand Ritania Kingdom, it looked utterly shabby but Julien, Deneb, and Kyle didn’t see it that way.

“Whoa, we’re really staying here now?”

“This is awesome. Aren’t places like this usually reserved for nobles?”

“Traveling with Ghislain really makes me feel like we’re living it up!”

Just like in Larks Territory, even the small lodging here seemed luxurious to them, as they were all from the countryside.

The training was grueling, but their quality of life had improved beyond comparison.

Having secured a base to stay in for a while, Ghislain stacked up his grimoires and summoned Astion.

Astion, seeing the pile of grimoires, let out a sigh of awe.

— Whoa, there’s so many. I didn’t expect you to collect this many so quickly… You’re pretty amazing, huh?

‘Now study.’

 —…….

‘I’m not studying this to give it away.’

— …You’re not giving it to me?

‘It’s fine if I give it to you.’

— …….

‘You have to learn it anyway, don’t you?’

— …….

He wasn’t wrong. To grow stronger, Astion also had to learn a wide range of magic and deepen his mastery.

— Are you learning black magic too?

‘No exceptions. Knowledge is power. Humans should always keep studying.’

— …….

And so, Astion began studying half-willingly. Still, it wasn’t a bad thing, since he needed to learn more magic anyway.

Ghislain trained privately whenever he had time, focusing especially on changing his wretched body.

Staying in the residence provided by the lord cost next to nothing, but funds still steadily came in from Larks Territory.

Thanks to that, Ghislain and his companions were able to focus entirely on training, enjoying a life of abundance.

Of course, it wasn’t all training. To gain experience, they continued taking on mercenary work whenever opportunities arose.

They accepted dangerous requests from surrounding territories without hesitation. Building a reputation as a mercenary corps was important too.

In that way, they spent about two years in the Nodehill Territory.