The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

The knight standing before him was none other than Gascot. The very man who had fallen in battle against Ghislain had now been resurrected as a Death Knight.

At first, Gascot did not comprehend the situation. It was only after inspecting his body and the surroundings that he realized what had happened.

“This power of darkness… has turned me… into a Death Knight…?”

His voice, now deeper and more resonant than before, echoed ominously. His burning gaze made it clear—he was seething with rage.

“So, you really were a Black Mage… You used that energy you injected into me at the last moment… I wasn’t wrong…”

Rumble…

Gascot’s energy surged. His aura was even stronger than when he had reached the peak of his power in life.

With a roar filled with fury, he bellowed:

“Haha! So now you’ve turned me into a cursed existence! I cannot forgive this!”

Kwaaaah!

Unleashing a fierce wave of energy, Gascot swung his sword. The dark blade, forged by his will, seemed as though it could cleave through the very world itself.

Kaaaang!

Blocking the strike with his staff, Ghislain spoke.

“Wait, at least hear me out.”

“I have nothing to say to a Black Mage.”

Gascot had no intention of engaging in conversation. After all, to lift this curse, he had to kill the Black Mage who had resurrected him.

Seeing Gascot’s unwavering hostility and his relentless attempts to overpower him, Ghislain quickly continued speaking.

“Think about it—don’t you find it strange that you still have free will?”

“…What?”

“If I had intended to use you as a mere slave, why would I allow you to retain your consciousness?”

“That’s obvious! You must have done it to extract the maximum amount of power from me! Do you think I wouldn’t know that?”

A Death Knight’s strength is proportional to their power in life. However, in order to properly wield that power, certain conditions must be met.

For a Death Knight to fight at full potential, they must retain the same consciousness they had in life. Naturally, this means greater free will—and consequently, rebellion against the Black Mage who resurrected them.

No one wishes to become an enslaved existence. Unless they had willingly chosen to become a Death Knight, all who were resurrected sought to kill their summoner to regain their freedom.

That is why Black Mages typically suppress a Death Knight’s will, turning them into mere puppets. While this significantly reduced their effectiveness in battle, the trade-off was absolute control. The gaps in power were often compensated by the Black Mage’s own magic.

Ghislain pressed on.