The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 609: Well, I’m Always Fine (1)

Suddenly, as mana concentrated in one place, it felt as though the balance of the world was collapsing. Space itself distorted.

Soon, incantations poured forth from the mouths of the mages.

Boom!

The sky split open, and an earth-shattering thunderclap echoed across the battlefield. In an instant, the world was divided into light and darkness.

Wham!

From the ranks of the mages erupted spells of every hue and intensity. These magical bursts rained down upon the monsters like a meteor shower.

Boom!

The mana seeped into the earth, triggering a massive eruption of flame pillars. The monsters caught in the inferno were instantly reduced to ash.

Lightning rained down endlessly from the heavens. The ground cracked apart as magma surged upward, and enormous ice shards fell from the skies.

The wind turned into blades, slicing through the monsters, while the earth opened its maw to swallow them whole.

Bang! Boom! Boom!

It felt as if the end of the world had descended upon this battlefield. All the elements of nature converged, pouring their fury upon the monsters.

Screeeech!

The monsters, trapped within the colossal barriers, were utterly powerless in the face of this overwhelming assault. Their roars and screams were drowned out by the thunderous symphony of magic.

The battlefield was rapidly transformed into a chaotic swirl of light and shadow, fire and ice, lightning and wind.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Screech!

More than a thousand mages unleashed all their mana in a single concentrated attack. The monsters stood no chance.

The continuous screams of monsters being torn apart and obliterated echoed across the battlefield.

"U-uh... whoa..."

Even the soldiers defending the fortress were left dumbstruck by the spectacle.

The reinforcements of superhumans had already made an impressive impact. But witnessing the collective might of these mages, unrestrained and unimpeded, was nothing short of divine.

Until now, the soldiers had only seen mages as figures who rarely participated in meaningful combat. Watching them unleash their full potential without interference was astonishing.

Normally, their magical duels barely amounted to extravagant fireworks displays. The successful casting of large-scale magic was a rare event.

But look at this. A legion of mages, pouring out their unbridled power without obstruction, created a spectacle unlike anything anyone had ever imagined.

Amidst the chaos, Ghislain evaded a Cyclops's attack with a smirk.

"Well, they've made it here in one piece. I was worried they’d cause some trouble along the way."

Among the group were over 800 forcibly conscripted mages. While more than 300 mages from Ruthania had joined voluntarily, their participation hadn’t been entirely out of goodwill either.

All of them had come because of Ghislain’s orders, not because they were particularly eager or altruistic.

Given the right instigation, these mages could change their minds at any moment.

In fact, when Ghislain and his elite forces had departed first, the mages began exchanging uneasy glances.

“Could we escape?”

“But if we run, they’ll eventually catch us and kill us, right?”

“Wait, what if we all just attacked the Fenris Duke at once?”

No matter how strong the so-called "continent's greatest warrior" might be, he couldn’t possibly survive an attack by so many mages at once.

But the real question was, who would lead such a colossal endeavor? It was like trying to put a bell around a cat’s neck.

The mages continued to hesitate.

“There’s still the Ruthanian army stationed at another fortress, right?”

“If we kill the Fenris Duke, the allied forces and the Ruthanian army will both hunt us down.”

“What if we just ran away? If we all escaped together, wouldn’t that be fine?”

True to their nature, the mages, always prone to overthinking, couldn’t reach a consensus. No one was willing to take the first step, too wary of the consequences.

Being highly individualistic, mages didn’t want to take responsibility by instigating or leading the charge.

Currently, the mage leading the group was Hubert of the Ruthanian Kingdom. He had the closest relationship with Ghislain.

Truthfully, Hubert himself had entertained the idea of opposing Ghislain. But he quickly dismissed the thought with a shake of his head.

“If we fail, we’ll all die for sure.”

Hubert, who had suffered greatly at Ghislain’s hands, knew better than anyone what kind of man he was. Ruthanian mages were well aware of Ghislain’s capabilities.

If there was even the slightest suspicious movement in their mana, Ghislain would react instantly. Could anyone truly keep up with his speed?

“Nope, not confident. Not at all.”

On top of that, Zvalter, the new king of Ruthania, was governing exceptionally well. The kingdom had swiftly regained stability under his rule.

If they antagonized Ghislain now, the unified Ruthania Kingdom would never forgive them.

And if they abandoned their post, leading to the fortress falling to the monster army?

“He’d find us no matter what, and he’d definitely exact his revenge.”

Dragons or no dragons, Ghislain would hunt them down and kill every last one of them.

Whether they attacked the Fenris Duke or fled, the outcome would be the same: their lives would become unbearably miserable.

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

Thus, Hubert and the Ruthanian mages abandoned the idea entirely.

But there was always someone bold—or foolish—enough to stir things up.

As they rode alongside Hubert, Alfoy leaned in and whispered slyly.

“Master.”

“What?”

“You currently lead the continent’s most powerful mage army.”

“...And?”

“I mean, if you wanted to, you could eliminate any obstacle in your way.”

Alfoy gestured by running his thumb across his neck. It was blatantly obvious whom he was referring to.

“...”

“If you don’t like that idea, why not just escape together? Honestly, attacking doesn’t sit well with me either. I’ve grown a bit attached, and my conscience pricks me.”

“...”

“They’ll be too busy fighting the monsters to come after us anyway.”

“...And what about after that?”

“What do you mean? We’ll hide in some remote corner of the continent and live happily ever after.”

Alfoy responded casually, as if he couldn’t understand why Hubert was even asking. His expression practically screamed, How do you not get this?

Hubert’s face flushed red with anger. When will this bastard finally grow up?

“Do you think I’m leading all these mages because I’m so great?”

“Of course not. Obviously, I’m the greater one here.”

“This authority was granted by the Fenris Duke. Do you honestly think they’d listen to me if I told them to follow my plan? Let’s say they do. Do you really believe we’d escape unscathed? Don’t you know what that man’s temperament is like? You’ve spent more time with him than I have!”

“Well, I’m an indomitable flame of perseverance and the mage who defeated a god, so...”

“Wake up already! If we fail, we all die! No—dying would be merciful! That man would turn us into slaves and torment us for the rest of our lives!”

Hubert’s outburst silenced Alfoy for a moment. Then, pouting, he muttered, “Ugh, I was just throwing out an idea. You really lack any spirit. It’s not like we don’t already know. If we get caught, we’ll all just end up as slaves anyway.”

Having been enslaved for over 300 years, Alfoy didn’t particularly mind. However, he was slightly annoyed that Hubert’s words made it seem like he was the only one who had to endure such a fate.

Hubert’s temper flared at Alfoy’s insubordinate attitude.

“Why are you still like this? Can’t you just behave for once? You insufferable fool!”

“What did you say? Fool? I got dragged here because of you and ended up a slave, and now you’re telling me to behave? Why am I the only one who gets blamed? Don’t you care about how unfair this is for me?”

“W-what? You ungrateful brat! How dare you talk to your master like that?”

“Tell me I’m wrong! You sent me off to Fenris and didn’t even check on me! What kind of master abandons their apprentice? All you ever cared about was hoarding jewels—what did you ever do for me?”

“Y-you insolent little—! How dare you speak to your master like that!”

"You really did abandon me! What did I ever do wrong?"

Alfoy’s voice was filled with pent-up rage. He firmly believed that he was born into a prestigious noble family but was cast aside due to political strife within his house.

Though this belief was entirely a figment of his imagination, Alfoy was convinced it was the absolute truth.

The idea of someone from a high-ranking noble family living such a miserable life infuriated him.

“I must have been the child of at least a marquis! But no, I had the misfortune of being dragged to the mage tower because of you, Master! I ended up as a mage and now a slave!”

“Don’t be ridiculous! How could the child of a marquis be an orphan? You were either a commoner or a beggar! You should be grateful I made you a mage in the first place!”

Hubert had once heard the former Royal Army Commander Maurice mention losing a child, but there was no way Alfoy could have been his offspring.

There were countless orphans in the world, and Hubert had occasionally picked up a few with potential and brought them to the mage tower.

Alfoy was one such orphan. In hindsight, Hubert regretted taking him in. The boy was a constant headache.

“How did I end up with a disciple like you? You’re a curse—a walking disaster!”

At Hubert’s words, Alfoy’s anger boiled over.

“Then you shouldn’t have taken me in! What’s the point of being a mage? I’m still just a slave!”

“And that’s my fault? It’s your fault!”

Their argument escalated, and the elders of the Scarlet Tower, standing nearby, stepped in to calm them down. It was embarrassing to fight in front of the other mages.

Still fuming, Hubert finally blurted out something ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) he had been holding back.

“You’re stripped of your successor status! You’re staying in Fenris for the rest of your life!”

“What? I’m the successor to the mage tower! Why would you strip me of that?”

“You’re a slave who’s been one for over 300 years! How can a slave be the head of a mage tower?”

“Who gave you the authority to strip me of my status? The mage tower is mine!”

“Why would it be yours? It’s mine! I’m the tower master, and it’s my decision!”

Technically, stripping a successor of their status required careful deliberation among the elders. It was not a decision to be made on a whim.

But Hubert was fed up. He couldn’t stand Alfoy anymore and wanted him out of his life.

Known for his pettiness, Hubert provoked Alfoy further.

“I have plenty of disciples besides you! You’re not even necessary! That’s why I left you in Fenris in the first place!”

But Alfoy wasn’t one to back down. When it came to infuriating people, he was on par with Claude, another infamous troublemaker in Fenris.

“Oh, just because you’re my master, you think that’s everything? You didn’t even teach me much! Vanessa taught me way more than you ever did! And guess what? Vanessa’s better at magic than you! She’s already surpassed you, and you’re still stuck at the 6th Circle!”

“Have you lost your mind, you little brat?”

Both men began channeling their mana, ready to fight on the spot.

It was complete chaos in the mage tower. The elders frantically intervened, reminding them that if they delayed any longer, they’d face Ghislain’s wrath. Only then did the two begrudgingly stop their squabble.

Despite being the nominal leader of the mage force, Hubert was too preoccupied with his feud with Alfoy to effectively lead. The mages remained disorganized and fragmented.

Any plans to attack or flee were rendered moot by their lack of unity. Hesitating and squabbling, they finally arrived at the battlefield.

Once there, further deliberation was pointless. The overwhelming sight of the monstrous horde sapped their will to rebel.

Standing at the forefront, Hubert shouted furiously, eager to vent his frustration.

“Just obliterate them all! Don’t hold back your mana!”

Vanessa swiftly erected a barrier, giving the mages a clear focus for their attacks.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The mages unleashed their spells without restraint. Faced with the terrifying monster horde, they realized their own survival depended on eliminating the threat.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Among them were over 300 mages at the 5th Circle and more than 50 at the 6th Circle. Hundreds of lower-circle mages also contributed.

The sheer release of mana altered the landscape itself. The monsters were swept away in an instant.

The aftershock of the immense mana even obliterated the barrier Vanessa had created.

Julien and Belinda retreated to the top of the fortress, while Jerome hastily raised a new mana barrier, clearly startled by the scale of the destruction.

Vanessa repositioned herself to shield the Fenris knights from the aftershocks.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The mages continued their assault, their overwhelming mana creating a vortex of destruction. The monsters weren’t the only ones suffocating under its intensity—friendly forces struggled to breathe amidst the chaos.

After a prolonged bombardment, the mages finally exhausted their mana and ceased their attacks.

Swoosh...

The scene within the shattered barrier was horrifying. The charred remains of monsters turned to ash and scattered in the wind.

Those buried in the earth were crushed and mingled with the dirt. Bone fragments and bits of flesh were strewn everywhere.

Not a single intact corpse remained.

“Hah... hah...”

Completely drained, the mages collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Not one of them was left unaffected.

The battlefield grew eerily quiet. The remnants of the magic’s destructive power lingered in the air, a testament to the carnage.

After a long silence, the fortress soldiers finally snapped out of their stupor and erupted into cheers.

“Wooooaaahhhh!”

“The monsters are gone!”

“We won!”

However, some monsters remained near the fortress’s front lines and where Ghislain was battling. Thousands still lingered in the rear.

But the tide had clearly turned. No reinforcements were coming for the monsters.

Julien and Belinda descended from the fortress walls. Jerome mustered his remaining mana for one last effort.

The soldiers pushed forward, attacking the dwindling number of monsters from atop the fortress.

Ghislain’s voice boomed across the battlefield.

“Wipe out the rest of them!”

At the same time, the great sword in his hand began to tremble.