The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 322: You Can Do It (1)

“Queen Grex... What is that exactly?”

“She’s their leader. The cornerstone of their entire species, the one keeping them going.”

“And where exactly is this so-called queen?”

“I know where she is. Just follow me.”

“Why not just go kill her? Why do we have to kidnap her?”

At Kaor’s question, Ghislain shook his head.

“No. We need to kidnap her and force them to come after her.”

Only then did the group start to understand Ghislain’s plan. But understanding it and agreeing with it were two very different things.

“Is that... really necessary? Couldn’t we just go and kill her? I mean, sure, fighting near the fortress would be safer, but I don’t think we need to overthink this.”

Kaor’s arrogant tone made Ghislain chuckle.

“If we try to fight them head-on, we’ll all die.”

“But they’re absurdly weak...”

Kaor pouted, thinking the lord was being uncharacteristically cautious.

The Grex were so weak that a skilled soldier could kill them without breaking a sweat. Kaor was confident that he alone could handle hundreds, if not thousands, of them.

Still frustrated over his humiliation during the ogre incident, Kaor was eager to show off his strength in front of everyone. The Grex seemed like the perfect opportunity for that.

‘They’re weak enough that I can rack up a huge body count and look good doing it.’

Determined, Kaor spoke firmly.

“Give me a small group, and I’ll go wipe them all out myself.”

“If you go, you’ll die. Just join the team going after the queen.”

“What? I’m serious! I can handle this by myself!”

Kaor, visibly agitated, tapped his leg impatiently. Watching his antics, Belinda frowned in disapproval.

“Just follow the lord’s orders. Don’t you know better than to let your guard down in the Forest of Beasts? You don’t even know what’s out there!”

“Why are you taking his side? Don’t you usually disagree with everything he says?”

“When have I ever done that? I always side with the lord!”

The two glared at each other, their bickering as sharp as their weapons.

Kaor clenched his lips.

‘Ugh, I’d love to knock her down a peg. But... I might lose. I still don’t know how strong she really is.’

Belinda met his glare with equal intensity.

‘Whatever you say, I’ll oppose it. Just because it’s you.’

This wasn’t their first time clashing. Back in the Fenris estate, any time they crossed paths, it inevitably turned into a contest of wills.

Gillian, standing silently between them, finally stepped in and separated the two, causing them both to turn away with a huff.

Ghislain shook his head and continued,

“We need to handle this quietly, so I’ll select a small team. It’ll be us here, a few knights, and... Alfoy will join us.”

At that, the group tilted their heads in confusion.

Alfoy was undeniably talented for his age, but compared to the others, he was noticeably lacking in skill. He didn’t seem like the kind of person you’d take on such a dangerous mission.

“You’re bringing Alfoy? Not Vanessa?”

If they needed a mage, Vanessa would obviously be the better choice.

Ghislain shook his head.

“Vanessa needs to stay here. She has work to do.”

“Then why Alfoy? We don’t really need him with this group.”

Belinda voiced the concern everyone was thinking, but Ghislain simply grinned.

“He’s the bait.”

“Bait? With his level of skill, he’ll die!”

“No, he won’t. The kid’s got some strange kind of luck. I don’t ignore things like that. Luck is a skill in its own right.”

Ghislain’s casual explanation left Belinda visibly irritated, though she didn’t press further.

It was true that Alfoy had once overcome the power of a goddess, something no one could deny. Still, could Ghislain really be relying on luck as the basis for his decisions?

‘He insists on bringing him along... but his abilities are definitely lacking.’

After a moment’s thought, Belinda suggested,

“If we need to capture her safely, why not use an airship? There’s a spare one in Ferdium. It wouldn’t take long to bring it here.”

“Oh, thinking ahead, are we? As expected of you, Belinda.”

“I graduated from the Royal Academy, you know.”

“I don’t buy it. Anyway, an airship is out of the question. Anything flying in the Forest of Beasts gets attacked. Instantly. And from very far away. That’s why you don’t see any birds here.”

“Attacked? By what exactly?”

“There’s something out there. We’re not ready to deal with it yet, but it’s extremely dangerous.”

Before Belinda could ask more, Ghislain swiftly changed the subject.

“Let’s move quickly. The longer we wait, the more tired the soldiers will get.”

With that, the team for capturing the Queen Grex was finalized.

Ghislain, Belinda, Kaor, and a few top knights, including Gordon and Lucas, were joined by Alfoy. Apart from Alfoy, every member was among the most skilled warriors in the Fenris army.

Gillian stayed behind, tasked with leading the defense of the fortress and ensuring the troops were battle-ready.

When Alfoy learned he was included in the team, he erupted in protest.

“Why me? Why do I have to go somewhere so dangerous? I’m not going! Absolutely not!”

“You’re the man who defeated a goddess, aren’t you? Only the best are going on this mission, so of course you’re coming.”

Alfoy, proud as ever, bit his lip.

He wanted to go. He wanted to succeed and earn the admiration of everyone.

‘But I don’t want to die, either.’

Caught between pride and fear, Alfoy hesitated until Ghislain leaned in and whispered,

“If you back out, Claude is going to mock you endlessly.”

Hearing Claude’s name made Alfoy’s face darken with rage.

That bastard had already ruined his life. The thought of giving him another reason to jeer was unbearable.

“Fine, I’ll go! Happy now?”

And so, the team set out on their mission.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

With the fortress gates sealed, they descended using ropes and would return the same way.

After crossing the cleared area, they were greeted once again by the dense, shadowy forest. The massive trees, so tightly packed they blocked out sunlight, created an oppressive and eerie atmosphere.

The group moved quickly, their experience and skill allowing them to maintain an impressive pace.

“Screeeech?”

The deeper they went, the more Grex they encountered. Forewarned by Ghislain, the team dispatched them with ease.

Thunk!

“Kraaaagh!”

The Grex, despite their numbers, stood no chance against the group. Even when dozens, or occasionally hundreds, attacked, they couldn’t even scratch their opponents.

Belinda alone could kill ten at once without breaking a sweat. She shrugged casually.

“This isn’t too difficult. Are these things all that live here?”

It seemed they had entered Grex territory. No other monsters were in sight—not even the usual wandering beasts.

Even as more Grex rushed at them, they failed to pose any threat.

It was almost too easy. Some in the group began to wonder why Ghislain had gone to such lengths to build the fortress.

If the Grex were this weak, couldn’t the soldiers have wiped them out in a matter of days?

But Ghislain remained cautious, his expression serious.

“We’re here. From now on, move carefully.”

The group followed his lead, surprised at how confidently he navigated despite this being his first time in the area.

“How does he know where to go?” someone whispered, but no one dared ask outright.

“Whoa...”

Lucas let out a quiet exclamation as the terrain began to change. The dense forest gave way to a more open area, and in the distance, they saw something horrifying.

Hundreds of Grex swarmed together, but what stood out was the massive figure at their center.

“Holy hell... What is that thing?”

“That’s disgusting...”

“My lord, are you sure we can even capture that?”

The Queen Grex was far larger than the others, her grotesque form enough to make even the most seasoned warriors flinch.

Unlike the nearly blind Grex, she had multiple gleaming eyes. Her bloated abdomen, likely filled with eggs, protruded like a grotesque sack. Her elongated head stretched unnaturally far back, and several additional antennae jutted from her body.

While the group recoiled in disgust, Ghislain smiled.

“That’s the Queen Grex. Let’s capture her and head back. She’s not much of a fighter.”

“Ugh, how are we supposed to carry that thing? Wouldn’t it be easier to just kill her here?” Belinda asked, grimacing.

Though larger than the others, the Queen wasn’t unmanageable—roughly the size of a typical ogre. They had sturdy ropes and other equipment prepared for transport. For a group with their level of skill, tying her up and hauling her back was entirely feasible.

But the thought of touching something so grotesque made Belinda grimace with disgust.

Kaor, swallowing hard a few times, eventually sided with Belinda.

“Why don’t we just kill her? Honestly, there are only a few hundred of them here. We could wipe them all out without much trouble.”

It was rare for Kaor and Belinda to agree on anything, but even in this extraordinary moment of unity, Ghislain shook his head.

“No. If we kill her, we’ll be putting ourselves at greater risk. We have to capture her alive. That’s final.”

The group collectively sighed, resigning themselves to their task.

Dragging the Queen Grex back to the fortress would undoubtedly be a disgusting ordeal. Her numerous legs would flail about, and she would undoubtedly screech and thrash. The thought alone was nauseating.

Even Gordon, a veteran of countless battles, looked uneasy.

“How do we go about capturing her, my lord? Should we take out the surrounding Grex first?”

Although there were hundreds of Grex nearby, the team was more than capable of eliminating them quickly.

But once again, Ghislain shook his head.

“No. We can’t fight here.”

“Then how are we supposed to capture her?”

“This is where our bait comes in. The Queen Grex needs to be lured out of her territory. Once she’s here, we’ll ambush her and take her down. Simple.”

At that, all eyes turned to Alfoy. The young man’s face turned pale as he stammered,

“M-me? You want me to lure that thing? How am I supposed to pull that off?”

“Just go over there and show off some flashy magic. Then slowly retreat while keeping her attention. She’ll follow you.”

Alfoy blinked, staring at Ghislain as if he had lost his mind.

“Are you serious right now? You want me to waltz into that swarm of hundreds of monsters, perform some magic tricks, and then just stroll back here with that thing in tow? Do you even hear yourself? This is insane!”

“You’ll be fine,” Ghislain replied calmly. “Just take it slow. The Queen Grex won’t kill you.”

“Stop spouting nonsense! If I go in there, I’ll die on the spot. If this plan is real, you should come with me! Let’s go together!”

Ghislain shook his head firmly.

“No. I can’t go with you. You need to go alone. That’s the only way this will work.”

“Are you kidding me?! How can I go alone? Especially over such a long distance?”

“If you go alone, the Queen Grex won’t attack.”

Alfoy shook his head in disbelief, his distrust palpable.

“No. I’m not going. I can’t go. I don’t believe you. I’ve trusted people before, and they’ve stabbed me in the back every single time.”

Alfoy’s life of gambling and eventual enslavement was his own doing, but in his mind, it had all started with Claude’s silver tongue.

He was convinced that Claude’s sweet words had led him to this point.

Seeing Alfoy’s stubborn resistance, Ghislain stepped forward and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

“Trust me.”

“I don’t.”

“I’m not Claude.”

“Ugh...”

Alfoy clenched his jaw. It was just a short sentence, but it struck a chord deep within him.

Come to think of it, Ghislain had achieved many things others deemed impossible.

Perhaps, in this absurd situation, Ghislain was the only person worth trusting.

The naturally soft-hearted Alfoy found himself wavering.

“Why... Why does it have to be me?”

“Because you’re the only one here who can use magic. And...”

“And what?”

“Because only the man who defeated a god can make miracles happen.”

Thud!

Those words hit Alfoy like a hammer to the chest.

No matter what others said, it was true—he had once overcome the power of a goddess. It was his remaining source of pride, something he could boast about to his children and grandchildren for generations.

With his greatest accomplishment invoked, Alfoy couldn’t refuse.

After a moment of contemplation, he lifted his head with determined eyes.

“Yes, I’m Alfoy. The man who defeated a god.”

“You can do this, right?”

“If it doesn’t work out, I’m running away immediately.”

Even though he was scared, he left himself an escape route. Ghislain nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Of course. If it gets dangerous, I’ll come out and help you.”

“You better. Don’t leave me behind,” Alfoy said with an uneasy look.

Ghislain grinned.

There was something he had once told his mercenaries back when Gordon had been captured in the Forest of Beasts. He repeated it now to Alfoy.

“I’ve never abandoned anyone who followed me.”

For a moment, Alfoy’s eyes sparkled with emotion, but he quickly shook his head as if trying to shake off the feeling. He snorted dramatically.

“Hmph! I’ll go and come back, so you better watch carefully.”

With a loud huff, Alfoy began walking forward.

As he moved, his nervous expression was impossible to miss. It wasn’t long before the Grex noticed him.

“Screeeech!”

“Kraaagh!”

With monstrous cries, the Grex charged toward him. Hundreds of them rushing forward was a terrifying sight in itself.

Alfoy froze, his face pale, and was about to bolt in the opposite direction when it happened.

The Queen Grex let out a high-pitched screech.

“Kaaaaaaahhh!”

Instantly, the Grex stopped in their tracks, their antennae trembling.

The sudden stillness shocked not only Alfoy but also the group watching from their hiding place.

Gulp.

Alfoy swallowed hard and hesitantly took a step forward.

And then, something even more astonishing happened.

Saaaaaah...

The Grex parted to the sides, creating a path for him. It was as if the sea itself had split open.

“W-what... What is this?”

Alfoy, trembling from head to toe, took another cautious step. With each step he took, the Grex retreated farther to the sides.

At that moment, Alfoy’s thoughts shifted.

‘I... I am the man who defeated a god. They must recognize that! Hahaha!’

He was genuinely performing a miracle.