The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 475: By Now, You Should Have Realized (3)

Maurice looked utterly exasperated as he questioned the situation.

“She’s claiming those lands as her own? Just like that?”

“Yes, she’s already taken over three abandoned territories in the wake of the Delphine Army’s advance,” the messenger confirmed.

“But no matter how abandoned they were, how could she take three territories in such a short time? You’d need garrisons stationed there! How big is the Rayfold Army anyway?”

Claiming ownership of land wasn’t as simple as just saying so. Even if the lands were unoccupied, deploying troops was necessary to secure them and call them your own.

The messenger, still unsure of himself, stammered a reply.

“Well, uh... she’s reportedly stationed about a hundred soldiers and one or two administrators in each lord’s manor... under the pretense of maintaining public order.”

“......”

Maurice’s face froze. It was the bare minimum—just enough to establish a claim without provoking a full-blown war. If anyone attacked those meager forces, it would be tantamount to declaring open conflict.

It was outright banditry, except bandits didn’t typically seize entire territories. They’d loot and leave, not settle down and plant their flag.

Maurice turned to Ghislain with a stupefied expression.

“What... what even is this situation?”

Amelia had mentioned this before. She had said that she would handle any land overtaken by the Delphine Army or claimed by the Duke’s faction. Most of the loyalist nobles had laughed it off, assuming such a scenario wouldn’t come to pass.

Even if it did, they doubted Amelia could hold onto any territory long enough to matter.

But now that she had seized multiple lands, things were becoming very murky.

Maurice pressed his temples and groaned.

“The agreement was to take back lands occupied by the enemy, right? Not to grab empty territory! Isn’t this a little off?”

The lands Amelia had taken were those that the Delphine Army had swept through and abandoned in their march toward the capital. Technically, they were enemy-controlled territories that the loyalist faction had failed to manage.

However, the Delphine Army hadn’t formally garrisoned them, leaving them truly empty.

This left Maurice feeling utterly conflicted.

“What am I supposed to do about this? Huh? What am I even supposed to do?”

With his mind spinning in circles, Maurice could only repeat himself.

The displaced lords would surely be in an uproar. Their entire focus had been on driving out the Delphine Army to reclaim their lands.

But now, with Amelia claiming ownership after dealing a blow to the Delphine Army, it was hard to tell her to back off.

Maurice looked pleadingly at Ghislain, who was watching the scene with an amused smile.

“Don’t just laugh—what am I supposed to do here?”

“Recognize her claim,” Ghislain replied flatly.

“What? Recognize it?”

“Didn’t you negotiate this? It was part of the agreement for Rayfold to join the war effort.”

“No, but we agreed for her to fight, not to go plant her flag in empty territory!”

“And yet, she fought.”

“Ugh... this is driving me insane.”

Ghislain wasn’t wrong, but the situation felt entirely different. Amelia hadn’t waged a proper battle; she had launched a hit-and-run attack, then claimed the vacant land.

As Maurice scratched his head in frustration, Ghislain continued with a smirk.

“It’s best to acknowledge it. The Rayfold forces are the only ones to have inflicted damage on the Delphine Army in the eastern region.”

“But the lords will protest...”

“They lost their lands, and Amelia reclaimed them. That’s the reality. Even if they complain, it doesn’t change the facts.”

“Still! Should we really recognize this as legitimate?”

“Do it. Leave it be for now.”

Ghislain’s voice was firm as his gaze sharpened.

Amelia had supported the war effort by fending off the barbarian invasions, and Ghislain intended to uphold his promise to back her claim.

But that wasn’t the only reason. Her strategic acumen was proving invaluable.

Ghislain pointed at the eastern region on the map.

“The territories she’s seized are all behind the Delphine Army’s lines.”

It made sense. To claim empty land, one had to take areas the enemy had already passed through. And the locations...

Maurice, following Ghislain’s finger on the map, suddenly lit up. Despite his usual demeanor, he wasn’t a fool when it came to war.

“The rear... That means their supply lines are at risk, doesn’t it?”

“Exactly. The Delphine Army must be quite annoyed. They face another defensive line ahead and now have to worry about their supply chain being cut off from behind.”

“They might turn back to deal with her.”

“Indeed. If Amelia stands her ground, that is.”

But Amelia wasn’t foolish enough to face such a large army head-on. She would abandon her positions and retreat again, finding new vacant territories to claim.

The east was full of opportunities for someone like her to exploit.

Ghislain grinned as he traced various lines across the map.

“To the Delphine Army, Amelia will be like a thorn in their shoe. Advancing risks their supplies, while turning back costs them precious time.”

“That’s true.”

“Moreover, they didn’t bring siege weapons. Their plan is likely to encircle the capital and wait for reinforcements to bring those tools. Securing their rear will be vital.”

“But what if Amelia gets caught and killed?”

“Do you think she’d stick around knowing she’s outmatched? The Delphine Army will have to rack their brains to deal with her.”

Depending on their strategy, the situation could change. However, Ghislain was confident Amelia wouldn’t be captured so easily.

‘If she were that simple to deal with, I would’ve killed her myself in my past life.’

For now, the eastern front could be left to Amelia.

Ghislain had no interest in who controlled the eastern lands. If necessary, he could always reclaim them later. His sole focus was on defeating the Duke’s faction and the Salvation Order.

Maurice nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. If she can at least buy us time...”

“Then the Northern Army can deal with the remaining Delphine forces and move to reinforce the east.”

“Yes, that will work.”

Maurice looked visibly more confident. With Ghislain and Parniel on his side, defeating the Delphine Army seemed inevitable.

In truth, Maurice believed the lack of superhumans was the only reason they had struggled so far. With their forces united, victory was within reach.

Ghislain turned to Maurice with a pointed reminder.

“However, as commander-in-chief, you’ll need to issue a formal order to Amelia.”

“What kind of order?”

“Make it clear that she must continue threatening the Delphine Army’s supply lines. Recognize her claims on the condition that she maintains pressure. If the eastern front collapses and the capital is besieged, warn her that even the loyalist faction will turn against her.”

“Huh? Wouldn’t she do that anyway? Who wants to die?”

“She’s unpredictable. We need to keep her focused.”

Amelia thrived on chaos. She didn’t want any side to win decisively. While she was aiding the loyalists now, she might switch sides if circumstances changed.

It was critical to keep her in check while leveraging her abilities.

As frustrating as she was to handle, her capabilities made her indispensable.

Maurice understood Ghislain’s reasoning.

“Alright, I’ll make sure she gets the message. We’ll proceed with that plan! As for the prisoners...”

Maurice glanced at Parniel, unsure. The large number of captives made executing them unappealing, but keeping them was equally problematic.

Parniel, sensing the dilemma, nodded.

“I have no objections. But let’s have them all convert to the faith.”

Maurice’s face brightened immediately.

The nobility and clergy’s objections had been his biggest concern. But if he could frame it as the saintess’s decision, he’d have an excuse to deflect criticism.

With her authority, Parniel could overrule even Ruthania’s priests.

‘Heh, who’s going to argue with the saintess?’

Relieved, Maurice nodded with exaggerated solemnity.

“Then we’ll have the prisoners convert to the Moriana Church and reorganize them into new units.”

Ghislain chuckled softly at Maurice’s transparent satisfaction. It was both his strength and weakness—wearing his emotions so openly.

With Parniel and the priests overseeing the mass conversions, the process began.

Though hasty and improvised, the prisoners were grouped and converted en masse.

Most didn’t resist. Many had already been adherents of one of the Four Great Churches, so the shift to the Moriana Church wasn’t too jarring—though some were uneasy about the forced nature of the process.

As the conversions neared completion, a peculiar scene unfolded.

“Musclehead Gordon,” as he was nicknamed, suddenly stepped forward toward Parniel.

The Fenris knights were baffled, and even Ghislain watched in silent curiosity.

“Whew...”

Taking a deep breath, Gordon stripped off his armor and tore his shirt, baring his muscular physique.

“What in the world is that idiot doing?!” Maurice shouted, pointing at him. “How dare he strip and show off his muscles in front of the saintess?! Drag him out of here right now!”

“Pfft! Hahaha!”

As Maurice yelled in fury, Ghislain and the Fenris knights burst into laughter.

Meanwhile, the kingdom’s officers and advisors looked on with exasperation. Fenris forces might be formidable in battle, but outside of it, their antics blurred the line between mercenaries and soldiers.

Unperturbed by the commotion, Gordon continued flexing, striking poses to display his pectorals, biceps, and triceps.

“Hmm...”

Parniel, watching with interest, waved off the approaching guards. She observed Gordon with curiosity.

As a saintess of the goddess of war, Parniel valued physical discipline. While her faith didn’t explicitly demand muscle-building, she found Gordon’s display amusing.

With a sly smile, she rolled up her sleeve to reveal her own arm.

As she flexed, her perfectly sculpted muscles bulged.

“Ah...”

Gordon’s shoulders slumped as the strength left his body.

There was no competition. Her broad shoulders and powerful arms were unmatched. No further demonstration was needed.

‘So this is innate talent,’ Gordon thought. That flawless, imposing physique was the stuff of his dreams—a pinnacle he could never reach, no matter how much he trained.

Only someone who had devoted their life to muscle-building could truly understand. Even with the best diet and exercise, that level of perfection was unattainable.

Indeed, she was a saintess in every sense of the word.

Everyone else fell silent.

Gordon, known as the largest knight in the Fenris Corps, was a giant among giants. Blessed with natural bulk, he had obsessively built his muscles, enlarging his already massive frame.

Yet even he, standing before the saintess, appeared as an ordinary man. There was simply no comparison.

Thud.

In the end, Gordon dropped to his knees and spoke.

“I concede.”

“You have done well. Your dedication to training is evident,” Parniel replied with a warm smile.

“My body is nothing but a lump of fat compared to the saintess’s muscles.”

“That is not true. Few on this continent have trained as diligently as you.”

Parniel’s smile deepened. It had been a long time since she’d seen such "inflated" muscles. This level of dedication meant that Gordon had trained rigorously, eaten well, and maintained a disciplined regimen.

Even if some considered it vanity, she saw it as a testament to faithfully embodying the goddess’s ideals.

She then asked, “Which god do you serve?”

“I... currently follow the Juana Church.”

In truth, Gordon had originally been a member of the Moriana Church, merely out of habit due to his mercenary background.

However, after witnessing a few displays of overwhelming divine power from Piote, he had switched allegiances. It wasn’t as if he had ever made a donation or been a devout follower—his faith was purely nominal.

Parniel nodded thoughtfully before proposing, “Would you convert? If you do, I will grant you a blessing here and now.”

“I will!” Gordon exclaimed immediately.

“Very well. This, too, is the goddess’s guidance.”

Placing her hand on Gordon’s head, Parniel began reciting a prayer.

Bright light radiated from her hand and was absorbed into Gordon’s body. From now on, he would be impervious to most forms of evil energy.

But more importantly, no believer of the faith could recklessly harm someone who had received the saintess’s blessing.

Parniel smiled as she delivered her declaration.

“You are now a paladin of the Moriana Church.”

“I don’t really know what that means, but thank you! I feel like my muscles have gained more power!”

“......”

Parniel wisely chose to remain silent.

The ones most shocked by Gordon’s sudden appointment as a paladin were the priests accompanying Parniel.

“How... how could the saintess bestow her blessing so easily?”

“He’s just a muscle-headed fool...”

“That guy is a paladin now?!”

Everyone stared, mouths agape. The saintess’s blessing was a rare and extraordinary honor.

Even kings, despite their pleas, could not sway the saintess’s heart to receive such a gift. Only a handful of individuals in an entire lifetime could claim to have been blessed by her.

Furthermore, receiving her blessing automatically granted Gordon the title of paladin, bypassing the rigorous tests of faith and power typically required. This was an enormous privilege.

And yet, this rare blessing had been casually handed to a man who had merely shown off his muscles.

“......”

Even Ghislain and the Fenris knights, who had been laughing moments ago, fell silent. Bestowing such a gift on someone like Gordon seemed to confirm that the world was, indeed, in chaos.

Ghislain shook his head in disbelief.

“That fool has the luck of a lifetime.”

Did Gordon even realize the significance of the blessing he had just received? Most likely not. He had simply been so awestruck by the saintess’s muscles that he had decided to convert on the spot.

This was the same Gordon who, due to his illiteracy, had often been scammed. Yet, despite all odds, he had survived since the days of the Forest of Beasts, learned to read, and even started writing stories. Along the way, he had acquired valuable items like fragments of a Dragon Heart.

One could say that meeting Ghislain had completely turned Gordon’s life around.

Although there had been a brief commotion, the reorganization of forces continued. Including the converted prisoners, their numbers had swelled to nearly 25,000.

“Ha... thanks to my dear nephew, we’ve regained the strength to fight!” Maurice exclaimed with a satisfied grin.

The despair he had felt during their string of defeats and retreats now seemed like a distant memory. With the Fenris army and the saintess now joined with their forces, Maurice felt confident about facing the remaining Delphine Army.

Ghislain, noticing Maurice’s cheerful demeanor, offered a word of caution.

“We can’t afford to relax. Rest today, but we move out tomorrow.”

“Right. It’ll be tough, but it has to be done.”

Dark, who had been left behind with the Northern Army, had since disappeared as his mana was depleted. This meant they couldn’t receive immediate updates on the situation.

While the Northern Army was likely superior to the Delphine forces in terms of strength, their slower movement meant the key question was whether they had established a proper defensive line.

The following day, as they prepared to depart after regrouping their forces, a messenger arrived with joyful news.

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