The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 339: Chapter 338: I'll Take Care of It (2)

Chapter 339: Chapter 338: I'll Take Care of It (2)

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The reason Ghislain knew so much about the Drake Mercenary Corps and Martin was that he, too, had been a mercenary at the time.

The Drake Mercenary Corps had fought remarkably well. Dominic, their leader, was far more skilled then than he was now.

Though he was naturally talented, his abilities at the time were truly extraordinary. It was easy to guess why he had grown so strong.

'He probably wanted to save his family at all costs.'

During the civil war, the Duke faction achieved an easy victory. The Marquis Rodrick grew stronger, so the mercenary corps narrowly avoided being destroyed.

Still, they remained mere tools under the Marquis's command. Dominic must have quit drinking and dedicated himself to training, hoping to escape that cage.

Perhaps it was also a way to forget reality.

And then, he had encountered Ghislain.

The Mercenary King's army, which swept across the kingdom, was entirely different from the Royal faction during the civil war.

It was led by one of the seven strongest warriors on the continent. Within a week of the war's start, the army had seized the capital and utterly destroyed every force they faced.

When the Mercenary King's army invaded the West, the Marquis Rodrick naturally put the Drake Mercenary Corps at the forefront.

Dominic had to survive to save the hostages. The same went for the rest of the mercenaries. So, they fought with all their might against the Mercenary King's forces.

After Ghislain captured and executed the Marquis and Martin, he learned of the plight of the Drake Mercenary Corps.

-What a shame.

They were a mercenary corps strong enough to catch the eye of the Mercenary King. If they hadn't been held back by hostages, they might have followed him.

As a fellow mercenary, Ghislain found their situation deeply regrettable. That feeling left a lasting impression of the Drake Mercenary Corps in his memory.

Now, that information from back then was proving invaluable.

"This time, they'll follow me.'

In his previous life, it hadn't worked out. But now, he would let them live as true mercenaries.

Using the knowledge from his past life, Ghislain knew that the hostages had remained here all this time.

From Martin's perspective, the Drake Mercenary Corps was a valuable asset. He had to keep the hostages hidden in the safest place possible.

Somewhere he could monitor them at all times, and from where they couldn't be easily taken.

"Anyway, we'll infiltrate this building, so keep that in mind. Just prepare everything I tell you to."

The target was the only building within the building connected to the main mansion by an underground passage. It was also linked to a secret escape route that led outside.

True to his cowardly nature, Martin had modified the mansion to include multiple escape routes.

Because it was a top secret, only a select few of his closest aides knew about the secret passage. Martin used it to thoroughly conceal the hostages.

Although Dominic struggled to trust Ghislain, who shared no details, he had read The Chronicles of Count Fenris. It described how Ghislain always acted like he knew everything,

and yet always succeeded. Dominic had no choice but to believe him.

Honestly, a part of him had reached a point where he thought, "To hell with it."

"So, how do you plan to infiltrate?"

"I'll rely on the help of infiltration specialists."

"Excuse me?"

"The Drake Mercenary Corps can bypass city inspections, right?"

"Yes, we can."

Since they were practically Martin's lackeys, they didn't undergo inspections. It was one of the few privileges they enjoyed. After all, as long as hostages were held, they couldn't do anything else.

"Prepare wagons. There are people I need to bring. Don't use your men; disguise my subordinates as mercenaries."

Ghislain issued his orders with confidence, as if he had planned everything beforehand.

Dominic obeyed without resistance, partly out of curiosity and partly because Ghislain kept him too busy to ask questions.

The knights accompanying Ghislain were granted the status of Drake Mercenary Corps members and provided wagons marked with their seal.

By nightfall, the wagons sent out by Dominic returned, and dozens of people stepped out of them.

They were short in stature but had broad, sturdy builds, causing Dominic to gape in surprise.

"Dwarves?"

The people Ghislain had secretly brought were dwarves-fifty of them, no less.

The dwarf at the forefront extended his hand to Dominic and said,

"Nice to meet you. I'm Galbarik."

"Gasp! The great blacksmith?"

"Hm? You know me?"

"I read about you in The Chronicles of Count Fenris."

"What? There's such a thing? Why didn't anyone tell me about this? I'm in it, and I didn't even know? I'm curious how they wrote about me."

"...I didn't know either."

Since the book had been secretly published, it was natural that none of them knew about it.

Though dwarves were officially considered slaves, Dominic addressed Galbarik with

honorifics, treating him with great respect.

As a fan of Count Fenris, Dominic cherished every figure mentioned in The Chronicles. It was a sentiment only true followers could understand.

Avoiding Dominic's overwhelming gaze, Galbarik turned to Ghislain and asked,

"So, where should we dig the tunnel?"

At those words, Dominic was startled.

"A tunnel? Are you saying we'll dig a tunnel to get in?"

Ghislain nodded.

"Yes. Since we can't approach from the outside, we'll dig our way in secretly."

"That's impossible. Digging a tunnel inside the city? We've thought about it, but it'll make

noise, and we'll get caught."

"Don't worry. Dwarves never get caught."

Galbarik, too, wore a confident expression as he said,

"For us, digging a tunnel this distance is easier than drinking soup. With precise measurements and proper support structures, we can eliminate noise..."

Galbarik began to explain in detail, much like Vanessa.

He admired Vanessa's intelligence and had noticed that her clear explanations seemed to win

people over.

So, whenever he got the chance to emulate her, he seized it.

If Ghislain hadn't stopped him, he would have gone on all day.

"Save the explanations for later. Let's just get to work. Use the excuse of interior construction

to bring all the necessary materials here."

Dominic, still uneasy, asked, "Are you sure this will work?"

Galbarik examined the blueprints carefully, pointed to one area, and said, "We'll dig here. Judging by the building layout, this area should be unguarded."

The spot Galbarik pointed to was a gap between the target building and an adjacent one. It

was indeed a place where only occasional patrols occurred and where additional guards would

be unnecessary.

The mansion's interior was less heavily guarded than its outer perimeter due to its sheer size, making it likely they could enter unnoticed.

"But even so, we'll still need to enter the building to rescue the hostages. A fight is

inevitable."

Ghislain nodded as if that were obvious.

"Once the hostages are rescued, it'll become a race against time. We'll need to quickly neutralize the forces inside and move. Then we'll retreat back through the tunnel to this

spot."

"Then..."

"Yes, prepare wagons here so we can leave the city immediately. And..."

Ghislain turned a cold gaze toward Dominic.

"Deploy all your forces outside the city. Make it so that anyone pursuing us gives up and turns

back. Understood?"

Dominic swallowed hard. He had heard that Ghislain was decisive, but he hadn't expected him

to move so quickly.

It all felt reckless, as though Ghislain had no concrete basis for his plans, only telling him,

"Trust me. It'll work."

Reading about it in a book and witnessing it firsthand felt vastly different.

But what could he do? They had already begun.

"...Understood."

If they failed, Dominic decided he would storm Martin's mansion and kill him before he died.

Following Ghislain's orders, everything began to fall into place.

Dominic spared no resources, providing everything the mercenary corps could offer. Materials

were acquired, and the dwarves were given every convenience to focus solely on their work.

No additional laborers were hired; the operation had to remain a secret, so only the dwarves worked on the tunnel.

Preparations to smuggle out the mercenary corps' assets also began.

While they couldn't take everything, they planned to bring along the most important items.

Of course, not everyone in the mercenary corps complied without question. Several officers

and subordinate mercenary leaders approached Dominic.

"What's going on, captain?"

"Please, tell us. Why are we suddenly mobilizing forces and moving supplies? And why are we

suddenly renovating the warehouse?"

"...It's because of a commission."

"What kind of commission?"

"A very important one. I can't share details yet, as nothing's finalized."

"Captain!"

Dominic, who wasn't skilled at lying, looked troubled as he said,

"It's truly important. Can you trust me and wait? I'll explain everything soon, so please trust

me this time."

"Mm..."

It was clear he was hiding something, but they all nodded in agreement.

Most of those questioning him had family members held hostage by Martin. Even those

without families had been with Dominic for years.

Dominic had led the mercenary corps admirably until now. For him to make such a request

was rare.

Simple and straightforward, they decided to trust him.

"Alright, captain. If you say so."

"Yeah, we know you'd never do anything to harm us."

"Just let us know when it's ready." They laughed it off, easing the tension. Dominic smiled gratefully at them.

But inside, he felt differently, thanks to what Ghislain had told him before the operation.

-There's a spy among your men. Someone working for Martin, and they've been here for a

long time.

-T-then what should I do? Won't they expose us? What should I say?

- Just hide it.

- But they'll suspect me and keep watching me. -That's the point. Keep them focused on you so they don't pay attention to the tunnel. Keep

moving and make them suspicious. Just say exactly what I told you about me.

For Dominic, this was a relief. It meant he didn't have to make up lies he wasn't good at. Just

by being vague, he could keep the spy suspicious and occupied.

Sure enough, one person subtly probed Dominic.

"Didn't that Count Fenris guy come by recently? The men were talking about it."

Several people had heard Ghislain's name during his earlier visit, and rumors had already

spread.

"Ah, that? It was just some imposter who was good at fighting. The real Count Fenris

wouldn't come here. It turned out to be someone using his name."

The mercenaries nodded. It made no sense for someone of that stature to come with just a few

subordinates.

Still, some were curious about who the man really was.

"Then who was he? Why did he come? I heard he beat up a lot of our men."

"He was sent by another noble."

"What?"

"I think news about us targeting the Campbell Merchant Guild reached their ears. They

probably sent him to warn us not to act hastily."

"Mm. So, what will you do?"

"That's why I'm making preparations. Once everything is ready, I'll explain."

Though the man looked skeptical, he nodded. There was no way to verify the truth, so

pressing further was pointless.

While Dominic reassured his subordinates, the construction progressed smoothly. The dwarves, as specialists, dug the tunnel quickly and quietly.

At this pace, they could complete the path to the interior in just a few days. Ghislain stayed at a nearby inn with his knights, waiting for the tunnel to be finished.

Meanwhile, Dominic couldn't rest for even a single day, pacing his office with anxiety.

He followed Ghislain's instructions to openly move supplies and gather forces, drawing attention to himself.

'Will this really work?'

If they failed, the hostages he had tried so hard to protect would be doomed. The only reason Martin hadn't removed Dominic from his position as captain was because the mercenary corps itself had been built up by Dominic.

Without him, the corps would fall apart, which was why he had remained in charge.

But Martin's temperament would never tolerate Dominic baring his fangs at him.

Still, Ghislain's prediction had proven true. "The city guard has increased their patrols around the area.'

Martin must have suspected something. The city guards, who should have been stationed

inside, were now patrolling more frequently.

In particular, there were noticeably more guards lingering near the warehouse under

construction.

"They're suspicious. They're definitely suspicious.'

The authority of being the Drake Mercenary Corps' captain had so far kept them at bay. But

there was no guarantee they wouldn't suddenly storm in to investigate. This constant fear left Dominic perpetually on edge.

Oblivious to Dominic's worries, the dwarves cheerfully focused on their work.

"Ha! Following the lord lets us do exciting stuff like this."

The dwarves, emboldened by their experiences with Ghislain, had grown fearless. Everything

Ghislain did seemed destined to succeed.

Though they lacked some tension, it wasn't a problem. Construction was something they were thoroughly familiar with.

"We're nearly there. Just a bit more."

The dwarves' surveying skills were top-notch. They checked the maps and blueprints

multiple times, measuring distances precisely.

Now, they just had to dig upward. They wouldn't break through completely until Ghislain

arrived, but they needed to confirm their location.

Late at night, Galbarik leisurely created a small hole, just big enough for a head to poke

through.

As he slowly peeked out, Galbarik's eyes widened in shock.

"...What the?"

Galbarik couldn't believe what he saw. He had double-checked the location, confident it was

an unguarded

spot.

But the scene before him was entirely unexpected.

Countless soldiers were glaring at him, weapons drawn, with menacing expressions.

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