This time, there was no need to move as urgently as before.

Unless the Salvation Order poured in all their forces, they wouldn’t be able to harm the Dragon Lord.

Besides, the place where Arterion lived was a land of extreme cold. The Salvation Order had no way to pull off any tricks there.

Of course, if all the prophets joined forces, it might be possible, but the risk was far too great.

There was more to gain by attacking somewhere else; there was no reason to waste high-tier combat power by sending it against a dragon in advance.

That’s why Ghislain could move a little more comfortably than before.

“Everyone knows our next destination, right?”

At those words, everyone nodded with tense expressions. Even the bold Ereneth was no exception.

Dragons were beings you’d only see during the Great War. No one dared approach the regions they lived in.

And to say they were going to meet not just any dragon, but a Dragon Lord—who wouldn’t be nervous?

Ghislain smirked and continued.

“There’s no need to freak out like that. Just because it’s a dragon doesn’t mean a sword won’t go in.”

“......”

No one could say anything. The very idea of stabbing the strongest lifeform with a sword—where did that kind of confidence even come from?

Everyone was overcome with unease.

‘Please, just don’t piss the dragon off.’

‘No matter how strong Ghislain is, fighting a dragon is a bit much.’

‘Maybe it’s not a miracle that the Saintess appears... but that we’re still alive until now.’

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Ghislain clicked his tongue.

‘Should I tell them I’ve taken down Arterion before?’

Even now, people half thought he was insane. If he said that, they’d think he was totally nuts.

And it wasn’t like he could beat Arterion with their current strength anyway, so Ghislain didn’t bother bringing it up.

‘Ha, it’s really a shame I can’t say I’ve actually beaten him before.’

His mouth itched, but he held back. He also remembered what Elena had said to him before.

— "Oppa, that mouth of yours is the problem. I told you not to say scary things."

— "...What did I do."

— "Anyway, stop saying weird stuff. So weird things don’t happen next time either."

— "...Okay."

Back then, too, he’d been scolded for supposedly causing the dragon to appear.

And it had stirred up a bunch of baseless rumors. He really didn’t want to go through that kind of misunderstanding again.

So Ghislain smacked his lips and tightly suppressed his inner urge.

Ghislain didn’t just charge off to the next destination.

Lately, there had been many villages that had suffered massive damage from dark mages running wild across the land.

Among them, when they found a remote village that hadn’t even received proper support, the Julien Mercenary Corps would stop and help the people.

What they did most was treat the sick and help rebuild the village.

In this era, even a minor illness was often left untreated by many.

But Deneb, whose divine power was rapidly growing after her awakening, healed them effortlessly.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

The people who were healed, along with their families, bowed deeply to Deneb with voices tinged with tears.

To those who had never seen divine power even from afar, her existence was, quite literally, a ‘miracle.’

Deneb always offered her divine power freely to them with a compassionate smile.

And every time, Ghislain would step forward to make sure everyone knew exactly who she was.

“This is the Saintess, sent by the Goddess herself to save the world!”

“Ooooooh!”

“Spread the news of the Saintess’s arrival far and wide! Do you understand?!”

“Yes, sir!”

People responded with open cheers for Deneb.

There was no reason to doubt someone who healed the sick with divine power and reached out with the warmest of smiles.

Even when Deneb told Ghislain to stop because she was embarrassed, he ignored her and continued to promote her.

And Deneb wasn’t the only one Ghislain promoted.

“What? You say monsters showed up nearby? Then our ‘Julien Mercenary Corps’ will take care of it!”

“What? You don’t have any bread? Then eat meat instead! Oh, no meat either? Then our ‘Julien Mercenary Corps’ will get it for you!”

“Your house got destroyed? Then our ‘Julien Mercenary Corps’ will build you a new one!”

He made sure the name ‘Julien Mercenary Corps’ was known to the point people got sick of hearing it.

They were already fairly well-known for their activities across several kingdoms, but Ghislain still thought it wasn’t enough.

‘If we’re going to spread our name, we need to do it right.’

Even the slums in cities, the remote countryside, and people living deep in the mountains—

Everyone had to know the names of the ‘Julien Mercenary Corps’ and ‘Saintess Deneb.’

Julien and Deneb had to earn the support of every human on the continent. It was a truly grand plan.

So even as he continued the journey, Ghislain never stopped helping people and focusing on spreading their name.

Then one day, Julien quietly came up beside Ghislain and said,

“Ghislain. You’re aware, right?”

“Yeah, let’s leave them alone for now.”

For a while now, there had been people secretly trailing them. There weren’t many, but they looked quite skilled.

They didn’t know when the tail had started. They had passed through so many villages that it was hard to pinpoint the exact moment.

Ghislain wasn’t in a hurry.

The pursuers were still keeping their distance and were spread out in various directions.

Rather than making a rash move, it was better to first identify who they were.

Ghislain sent Dark into the sky and had Ereneth’s spirits observe them closely.

‘Hmph...’

Through Dark’s eyes, he saw that they were dressed like ordinary travelers.

But it was impossible they were just heading the same way by coincidence. Their movements were stealthy and cautious—like assassins or thieves.

Still, he couldn’t be sure they were enemies. Ghislain decided to wait until they came a bit closer.

While on the move, the group arrived at a fairly large village.

It seemed this place had also been attacked by monsters—reconstruction was in full swing.

“We’ll stay here for a while. Help the villagers a bit, too.”

If those following them were indeed chasing them, Ghislain intended to catch them here.

He went straight to the village chief and said,

“We’re the Julien Mercenary Corps. We’ll help with the reconstruction free of charge.”

“Really?”

“Of course. In exchange, spread our name far and wide. To everyone who passes through here.”

“If you’re helping us, then of course! Thank you so much.”

The village chief bowed his head deeply with a big smile.

Rebuilding a village required massive costs and manpower.

While the local lord had provided some financial support, there simply weren’t enough hands.

So to have dozens of strong mercenaries volunteer to help—it was an incredible relief.

There were other nobles or groups who tried to build fame in this way. That’s why the chief welcomed the Julien Mercenary Corps without much suspicion.

Besides, there wasn’t anything in the village worth stealing, so he felt even more at ease.

“All right, let’s move quickly! Just do it like we usually do!”

Starting that day, the Julien Mercenary Corps chopped wood and hauled stones around the village, fully joining the construction effort.

Some went hunting to provide meat and hides, and Deneb healed the sick, earning the villagers’ heartfelt gratitude.

The villagers treated the Julien Mercenary Corps with great hospitality.

They prepared meals with care for every mealtime, and even helped with their laundry and minor chores to show their thanks.

“They said they’re called the Julien Mercenary Corps, right?”

“Who knew a mercenary corps like this still existed in times like these.”

“The Saintess is amazing too. She healed every sick person.”

“Truly, the Goddess must have sent them to help us. We need to spread their name far and wide.”

Just as Ghislain had intended, the reputation of the Julien Mercenary Corps was steadily building among ordinary people.

While everyone was getting along and things felt peaceful, Ghislain spotted some new travelers entering the village.

‘...Hmph.’

They were the ones who had been trailing the group.

They naturally paid the village chief and arranged to stay for a few days.

But why had they suddenly approached after keeping such careful distance for so long? Was it really just a coincidence that their paths overlapped?

That seemed unlikely—especially because not all of them had entered the village. Some were still waiting outside.

The ones who had come in weren’t interacting with the villagers at all—they were simply resting quietly.

‘I’ll have to keep watching a little longer.’

He still didn’t know their identities or intentions. If he moved carelessly, he might lose the bigger fish.

He only gave the order to his mercenaries not to let their guard down.

And so, both sides coexisted with a strange air of tension.

But Osvald was different.

He never had any thoughts. Which meant, naturally, he felt no tension.

That night, after drinking some liquor brought by the villagers, Osvald stepped outside for some fresh air.

“Whew... what a night... I feel a revolution coming.”

He deliberately embraced the buzz from the alcohol. He simply liked the way it felt.

Drunk, Osvald went for a nighttime stroll.

If he found a nice stone somewhere, he intended to carve his ideology into it.

As he wandered through the village alone, he saw a building with its lights still on.

“Hm? What’s that place?”

It was likely the building they’d been using as a temporary inn. He remembered it from helping with the construction.

Suddenly, a mischievous thought came to him.

‘If I remember right, behind that place...’

Construction was still ongoing everywhere. Because of that, the village women had taken to bathing together at night in one specific building behind the inn.

Osvald began sneaking toward it. His intention was a noble one: to ensure the safety of the village women.

He pressed his ear to the building wall as he approached.

“The mercenary corps guys are really nice, aren’t they? You don’t see people like that much these days.”

“But a few of them had their faces covered. I’m curious what they look like.”

“There’s a rumor they’re hiding their faces because they’re super handsome and beautiful.”

He could hear the village women chattering. Most of it was praise for the mercenary corps.

‘To think we’re being praised like this... this is revolutionary.’

Feeling very pleased, Osvald stepped on some scattered construction materials and began climbing the wall. There was a small window high up.

‘It’s for the revolution.’

He wanted to check on the women’s safety and maybe even scout potential recruits for the Revolutionary Corps.

But maybe he was too eager—or maybe it was the alcohol.

His foot slipped on the materials.

Clatter!

“Whoops!”

Osvald let out a startled yelp. And at the same time, shrieks erupted from inside.

“Kyaaah! Who’s there!”

“A pervert!”

“Someone’s peeping!”

Osvald felt revolutionarily wronged.

He hadn’t even managed to peek properly yet. Still, he had made the attempt, and getting caught was no small matter.

He tried to flee quickly, but several men staying at the inn burst out the door.

“Who are you?!”

“Stop right there!”

But Osvald didn’t stop.

“Out of my wayyyy!”

Crash!

Osvald shoved the men aside with brute force.

The ordinary village youths couldn’t withstand his strength and were flung aside.

Having tossed several of them, Osvald sprinted back to the lodging where the mercenary corps was staying.

“Huff, huff!”

“What the hell? What’s going on? Why are you so out of breath?”

“What were you doing out alone at night?”

Other mercenaries questioned the red-faced, panting Osvald.

Flustered, Osvald stammered out a lie.

“R-... Revolution...”

“What?”

“N-no, I mean, I saw some thugs harassing the village women, so I taught them a lesson.”

“Ah, so it was nothing.”

The mercenaries didn’t think much of it.

They’d cleared out plenty of gangs and criminal groups during their travels, after all.

And all of that had been pro bono. That was part of why the Julien Mercenary Corps had gained so much fame.

The mercenaries all brushed it off—but the villagers did not.

Rumors of the “shadow lurking near the bathhouse” spread quickly through the village. The problem was, some of the young men had seen Osvald’s face.

A little later, the village chief and several villagers came to find Ghislain.

Among them were the young men Osvald had knocked down and several furious women.

Ghislain blinked, not understanding what was going on. Then one of the mercenaries leaned in and whispered in his ear.

“Looks like Osvald dealt with a few local thugs.”

Ghislain tilted his head.

That was a good thing—so why the bad mood?

After a brief moment of thought, he nodded to himself.

‘Aha. I think I get it.’

Most likely, the “thugs” had been under the village chief’s command. And the women were probably their family or friends.

‘I’ve seen this kind of situation plenty.’

A setup where the village chief and his relatives ruled the town and squeezed the people behind the scenes.

Ghislain had encountered countless villages like that. And every time, he cleaned out the local power structure completely.

The Julien Mercenary Corps was always righteous—and very proactive.

Ghislain’s expression instantly turned cold. His tone changed too, now chilling and sharp.

“What’s going on here?”

At the ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) shift in atmosphere, the village chief flinched and stammered.

“H-have you perhaps heard what happened?” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

“I heard enough. So?”

“S-so? I mean, I didn’t think he was that kind of person...”

“You didn’t think so? Then you thought wrong. We always act like this.”

“W-we?”

“Yeah. Everyone in the Julien Mercenary Corps is like that.”

At Ghislain’s firm words, the mercenaries standing nearby looked proud.

The villagers were shocked and appalled.

And Osvald kept his eyes lowered.