The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

"Wooooah! Long live our lord!"

"Long live Julien’s Mercenary Corps!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The people of Nodehill and Raks erupted into cheers as the triumphant allied forces returned.

When news first spread that Count Crest had declared war, the entire region had been gripped with fear. The disparity in military strength was simply too vast.

But then, a miracle had occurred. The mighty Count Crest had fallen.

Of course, it wasn’t just Nodehill’s forces that had won the battle—the allied army and Julien’s Mercenary Corps had played a major role. Still, the fact remained: they had won.

"As expected of Julien’s Mercenary Corps!"

"They have a black mage in their ranks, don’t they?!"

"The lord hiring them was a stroke of genius!"

People could talk about nothing else but Julien’s Mercenary Corps. And with Ghislain’s name now attached to the victory, his reputation was soaring.

The people had placed their full trust in the mercenaries, who had proven themselves time and time again.

To celebrate the victory, a grand festival was held in Nodehill. As its lord, Andrew spent freely—using money borrowed from Leo—to provide food and drinks to the people.

"As long as we have Julien’s Mercenary Corps, we’ll never have to worry again."

"They even took care of the local bandits for us. Truly a mercenary corps to be grateful for."

"I wish they’d just stay in our territory forever."

Clap! Clap! Clap!

The townspeople reveled in their celebrations, while Andrew and Leo wore broad smiles the entire day. Their territories had expanded significantly, after all.

Of course, they couldn’t ignore the potential consequences, but for now, they chose to enjoy the moment.

The two spent the following days discussing their plans for managing the new lands.

"Don’t worry too much about stabilizing the region. I’ll lend you more money if necessary," Leo assured.

Andrew chuckled.

"Leo, I still owe you plenty from before… I should at least offer you more trade goods in return."

"Haha, that won’t be necessary. If we need anything, we can simply purchase it through the guild."

Leo’s wealth was steadily increasing thanks to the gold mines. Additionally, his merchant guild was expanding, forging new trade connections and strengthening its influence.

Meanwhile, Andrew didn’t have much to boast about. However, thanks to his open and charismatic nature, talented individuals had started flocking to Nodehill.

As they discussed regional affairs, Andrew frowned.

"By the way, what’s taking Count Swipel so long to respond? This isn’t something that should require much deliberation."

"Indeed. The sooner the land division is finalized, the sooner we can properly secure our forces."

Count Swipel had taken control of key locations within Crest’s former territory, sending only a brief message asking for patience.