The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 597: Let Me Tell You an Old Story (2)

At the time, the Salvation Order was essentially a tribe that lived within the Demonic Realm.

Among them were humans tainted by the Demon God’s remnants as well as others who willingly joined their ranks.

Whether these people were converted through persuasion and proselytization, or coerced by threats and abduction, remained unclear.

Regardless, over time, they established their own community and lived as a tribe in the Demonic Realm.

It was said that the Demonic Realm «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» housed countless Rift Beings, thanks to the Salvation Order’s ability to temporarily open dimensional gates.

However, these Rift Beings could not leave the confines of the Demonic Realm, as the Demon God’s energy dissipated the further it spread into the outside world.

Thus, the Rift Beings coexisted with the Salvation Order within the Demonic Realm. Unlike the present, it seemed that the Rift Beings were either controlled by the Salvation Order or viewed them as kin.

Whenever thousands of Rift Beings gathered, the Salvation Order would expand the boundaries of the Demonic Realm and launch invasions into the world. By extending the influence of the Demonic Realm, they allowed the Rift Beings to move beyond their confines.

But such efforts were insufficient to conquer the world.

Humanity had grown strong over the centuries, and the dragons relentlessly eradicated anything that escaped the Demonic Realm.

In fact, humanity was actively preparing to annihilate the Demonic Realm in collaboration with the dragons.

That’s when a genius appeared within the Salvation Order.

He was someone who could manipulate the Demon God’s energy more easily than anyone else and understood it better than anyone.

He formalized methods for harnessing the Demon God’s energy and shared this knowledge with others. Most of the Salvation Order’s techniques were developed during his time.

This man became the Salvation Order’s last hope. Naturally, they hailed him as their king.

Until then, the Salvation Order had only been able to open small, temporary dimensional gates.

But the king was different.

He was so powerful that he could open rifts with his own strength—massive ones at that.

Countless Rift Beings emerged in an instant. Even the monstrous creatures lurking within the dimensional void broke free.

Among them was Equidema, the first beast the Demon God created to conquer this world, which began spreading its domain.

Enormous beasts from the void also emerged—creatures so massive and otherworldly they defied comprehension.

Thanks to the king and these beasts spreading the Demon God’s energy, countless Rift Beings could now move freely.

It was a calamity.

Once again, humanity faced a horrifying disaster.

A massive, winged white serpent coiled around a dragon, strangling it to death. A towering, white giant with an elephant’s head and ornate decorations stomped across the land.

Nameless and unidentifiable monsters ravaged the world. Even the mighty dragons could not face them all.

Around this time, people learned a shocking truth.

The king of the Salvation Order was not originally one of their kind.

He had been a human, filled with rage against the world, who willingly entered the Demonic Realm to claim the Demon God’s power.

The king had absorbed the Demon God’s remnants, condensed over countless ages, into his human body.

He was a traitor to humanity—a man hell-bent on destroying the world.

An adversary to the goddesses themselves.

Humanity called him the Adversary.

Despair and screams filled the world. The power wielded by this lone genius, infused with the Demon God’s essence, was far beyond anything the people of this world could withstand.

The world seemed to be rushing toward its end.

It was then that the goddesses finally intervened in the mortal realm.

Defying the natural order, they bestowed humanity with the power to oppose the Salvation Order.

Thus appeared the first Saintess.

And with her, a hero destined to wield her sword.

The elven High Chief and the dwarven King rallied their people to stand beside the Saintess.

Countless warriors flocked to her cause. Even the dragons gathered to protect her.

The rulers of the world also joined the fight, leading their armies in support of the Saintess.

With the Saintess and the hero at the center, humanity rose to fight once more.

The Saintess, the goddesses’ chosen representative.

The goddesses poured their divine power into her without hesitation.

The hero, her protector.

The world adored the hero and followed his unwavering will.

And alongside the hero were his brilliant comrades.

Even the Adversary and the Rift Beasts could not easily overcome them. Humanity united as one was a force too powerful to defeat.

Though countless lives were lost, humanity ultimately prevailed.

Most of the great beasts from the void were slain, and the survivors fled back into the rifts. The rifts were sealed, and the Demonic Realm finally collapsed.

The united forces of humanity had succeeded in sealing the Demon God’s corpse deep within the earth.

The long war that had plagued humanity came to an end. Most members of the Salvation Order perished, and the few survivors scattered across the continent.

Stripped of their accumulated knowledge and lands, they barely managed to survive.

But the Adversary did not simply die.

Using the last of his strength, he cursed those who had opposed him.

The weakened goddesses could not prevent the curse.

As a result, the elves and dwarves, once humanity’s allies, became their slaves.

Dragons were hunted by humans or captured and killed without explanation. They faded into forgotten legends.

Those who had fought alongside humanity to save the world met tragic ends, consumed by pain or disappearing without a trace.

Despite saving the world, their fates were grim.

Before the Adversary’s death, he spoke these words:

"I will return. And when I do, I shall bring the complete annihilation of all humanity."

This was the war that took place a thousand years ago.

***

Ereneth spoke in a calm, unwavering voice.

“I was the elven High Chief who fought in the war a thousand years ago. Because of the Adversary's curse, I was bound by a restriction that prevented me from acting freely. That’s the only reason I’ve lived far beyond my natural lifespan.”

Everyone fell silent, staring blankly. The claim was so preposterous that it seemed impossible to comprehend, yet it was hard to outright dismiss. After all, the one recounting the story insisted it was the truth, and she claimed to have directly experienced that ancient war.

Claude leaned over to Wendy and whispered, “She’s gone senile, right? This doesn’t make any sense.”

“...”

For once, Wendy couldn’t entirely dismiss Claude’s comment. The idea of the person standing before them being a mythical being who had lived for over a thousand years seemed less plausible than Claude’s theory.

Ghislain took a moment to gather his thoughts before asking, “Let’s assume what you’re saying is true. Why, then, is there no record of any of this?”

A thousand years is not a short period in the scope of human history. Even for events that occurred long ago, there should be some records or traces remaining. The absence of any mention was suspicious.

Ereneth, still calm, responded, “In the end, humanity ruled the world. The rulers erased all records of the war and its traces.”

“Why would they do that?”

“...I don’t know. However, I suspect that after the Empire fell and many kingdoms rose in its place, each sought to establish their legitimacy by manipulating history.”

Ghislain narrowed his eyes. He didn’t believe her explanation. His dreams had shown him glimpses of that era.

The power wielded by the Saintess and the Hero was awe-inspiring. There was no plausible reason for the records of their contributions to be erased.

Moreover, how could every trace of a faction as dangerous as the Salvation Order be completely wiped out?

Even a monarch couldn’t achieve such a feat alone. It would require the unanimous agreement of all rulers worldwide.

‘Come to think of it... there’s also no record of the founding of Ruthania or the Three Families.’

It had struck him as odd before. No one seemed to know much about their origins.

While it might be reasonable to assume that human records had been lost over time, Ereneth, who had lived through those events, would surely know the reason behind the missing records. Yet she seemed to be withholding that information.

Parniel growled, “Because it’s a fabrication, of course. Even if rulers erased records, the priests of the Church would never agree to hide such glorious tales.”

“...”

“Speak the truth. Why are you spreading these lies?”

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Ereneth met her accusations with a smirk. “Believe what you will. I’m only recounting the events as they happened, to help you understand.”

Boom!

Parniel gripped her weapon tightly and took a step forward, her intent clear. Ghislain quickly intervened.

“All right, we’ve heard enough about the Salvation Order and the Adversary. Let’s get back to the point. You’re saying this Adversary, who vowed to return, might be Julien?”

“...That’s what I believe.”

“Based on what evidence?”

Everyone turned their attention to Ereneth, curious as to why she had been so convinced Julien was the Adversary and attacked him.

After hesitating briefly, Ereneth answered, “The Adversary’s name was also Julien.”

“...Just because of a name? Do you know how many people across the continent share similar names?”

“And he looks exactly the same.”

“...There are people who resemble each other.”

Ghislain wasn’t convinced. The Julien he had seen in his dreams was a Hero. He had never seen the Adversary’s face.

Thus, he had no reason to fully trust Ereneth’ claims.

Ereneth furrowed her brow in frustration. “Same name, same face. While the hair color and some details are slightly different...”

“...”

The others were at a loss for words. To accuse someone who had fought for humanity of being the Adversary, based solely on their appearance, seemed absurd.

Claude whispered to Wendy again, “See? Old people can be so stubborn. They can’t admit when they’re wrong.”

“...”

This time, Wendy simply ignored him.

Ereneth rubbed her forehead, fully aware of how she must appear to everyone. To people of this era, she undoubtedly seemed unreasonable. The myths and stories she had shared might well be dismissed as nonsense.

But there was no helping it. Even she felt overwhelmed by confusion and frustration.

Seeing Ereneth’ distress, Ghislain decided to approach the matter systematically, using what he knew to piece things together.

“All right, let’s address the more pressing issue first. You said a dragon attack is imminent. How do you know?”

Ghislain didn’t question the likelihood of the attack. Based on his previous life, he was certain it would happen.

Ereneth bit her lip a few times before answering, “I heard it directly.”

“What...?”

“That dragon and I were once comrades and friends who fought together long ago. I recently met with him.”

Everyone was stunned. While they already knew Ereneth was extraordinary, the revelation that she was friends with a dragon was beyond shocking.

Claude nervously bit his nails and muttered to Wendy, “I retract my earlier statement. I believe every word she says now.”

“...”

Claude was genuinely terrified. If Ereneth, already one of the most powerful beings on the continent, had a dragon as a friend, what kind of monstrous strength must that dragon possess?

Ereneth glanced around the room and continued, “The dragon’s name is Arterion, a white dragon who resides in the Shadow Mountains of Turian.”

“The Shadow Mountains?”

“Yes. The reason the monsters there are so aggressive is because of him. He believes the Adversary has been reborn in the Kingdom of Turian, so he has been sending monsters to destroy it.”

Julien’s gaze darkened at her words.

The reason the kingdom’s people constantly struggled in battles was due to the dragon’s actions.

If killing the dragon could solve all their problems, then perhaps that was the simplest solution.

Sensing Julien’s grim resolve, Ereneth glanced at him and sighed before speaking again.

“He holds a deep grudge against the Adversary. He’s willing to destroy the entire Kingdom of Turian to kill him.”

Ghislain’s expression twisted in disbelief. Destroy an entire kingdom just to kill one person?

“What if the Adversary isn’t in Turian? He might not have even been reborn yet.”

“If he can’t find him, he’ll destroy everything anyway. He’s no longer in a rational state.”

Ghislain let out a hollow laugh. In his previous life, that dragon had been so far gone that reasoning with him had been impossible.

Ereneth spoke gravely, “If you offer this Julien to the dragon, it might quell his rage. After all, he would believe this Julien to be the Adversary.”

If what Ereneth said was true, it meant the dragon had also fought the Adversary a thousand years ago.

Naturally, he would react the same way Ereneth had.

Ghislain sifted through his past life’s memories.

‘That dragon...’

The dragon had radiated immense anger toward humanity.

At the time, it had been impossible to discern the exact target of his rage. So many people had banded together to hunt the dragon, after all.

While the dragon seemed to target Julien more intensely, Ghislain had assumed it was simply because Julien was the strongest among them.

Knowing now that the dragon’s wrath had been directed at Julien changed little. To Ghislain, Ereneth’ proposal was still insane.

Who would offer up their comrade as a sacrifice? Everyone would surely oppose such a suggestion. It would devastate the morale of their troops.

But Julien seemed to have a different perspective.

“If what you say is true, then that’s the best course of action. It will ensure the safety of others.”

“What?”

Ereneth frowned, surprised by Julien’s response.

Julien, however, remained composed. “I’ll go to the Shadow Mountains. Just tell me where.”

“And what do you plan to do on your own?”

For a moment, Julien’s eyes darkened, like a bottomless abyss threatening to consume everything.

Then, in a voice as cold as ice, he spoke.

“I’ll kill the dragon.”