Chapter 818

Chapter 818
Crash!
Astion struck the tabletop with force, a low snarl escaping his throat.
“Are they serious? They expect us to lead the charge? Do they take us for fools who will just fall in line because they snap their fingers?”
Astion was doing his utmost to channel the persona of Ghislain.
Their reputation for being unpredictable and unruly had already saturated the camp. He decided that leaning into this infamy was their best tactical move.
Regardless of whether his act was convincing, the commanders of the allied forces shifted uncomfortably, clearing their throats as they offered justifications.
“Is the Julien Mercenary Corps not renowned for its power?”
“Someone must take the lead, and it only makes sense for it to be the famous Julien Mercenary Corps…”
“Furthermore, the dragons will provide cover for the initial push, so the risk might be minimal…”
In truth, these were hollow excuses.
To compress the battlefield, they eventually had to move beyond the safety of the fortress. Their mission was to seize territory and establish a new base of operations deep in enemy lands.
Even if the Riftspawn were individually no stronger than a common foot soldier, their sheer volume allowed them to bypass even the dragons.
The dragons were currently engaged closer to the Demonic Realm, attempting to thin the herd. Because their own battle never ceased, they couldn’t provide constant protection for the ground troops.
Consequently, being the vanguard was a death sentence for many. The leaders of the various nations had no intention of wasting their professional soldiers in such a meat grinder.
They viewed this as the exact moment to utilize mercenaries.
That was the purpose of hiring them: to use them as disposable shields.
Indeed, someone had to bleed, and they felt it shouldn’t be their own.
To these high-ranking officers, mercenaries were just numbers on a ledger. Historically, they had always been used as fodder, so the commanders felt no remorse.
Astion saw right through their motivations. With a look of pure disdain, he barked back.
“Stop talking garbage. You want to put unseasoned mercenaries at the front? Not a chance. We’re taking the rear to provide support. That is final.”
The commanders’ faces soured at his dismissal.
The Julien Mercenary Corps was not a group they could easily bully. The strength of its individual officers was simply too high.
Additionally, Deneb, the Saintess, had her roots within the Julien Mercenary Corps.
Still, the nobles thought it would be a waste to use regular infantry while mercenaries were present. They were determined to force the corps into the front lines.
For several days, they manipulated the narrative among the troops to create a specific pressure.
“If the mercenaries won’t do the heavy lifting, why are they even here?”
“Isn’t the dangerous work exactly what we pay them for?”
“They’ve become far too prideful just because they have a bit of talent.”
Malicious rumors began to circulate among the rank-and-file, and the camp atmosphere turned toxic.
The aristocracy intentionally fueled the animosity between the standing armies and the mercenaries, while the mercenaries grew livid at the prospect of being sacrificed.
Simultaneously, the nobles tried a different tactic with the leaders of the Julien Mercenary Corps.
“Wasn’t your primary responsibility to protect the Saintess?”
“Hand the mercenary rabble over to us and focus on your higher-level duties.”
“After all, you few are the real heart of the organization, aren’t you?”
They offered these rationalizations to give the officers a “noble” excuse to retreat from the front. They believed this would make the mercenaries easier to control.
However, Astion wasn’t falling for it.
“Shut your mouths! We split the forces fifty-fifty. If you try anything else, you’ll find my 8th-circle spells falling on your own troops instead of the enemy.”
Astion remained an immovable wall against the nobles’ schemes. Instead of debating, he responded with fury and blatant threats.
It wasn’t quite the way Ghislain would have handled it, but people simply attributed the behavior to Astion’s notoriously short fuse.
By this point, every other division had started their forward movement. Only the section of the army containing the Julien Mercenary Corps remained stationary.
The generals were desperate to protect their own men, while Astion was unwilling to throw the disorganized mercenary crowd into the fire.
It was after several days of quiet contemplation that Julien finally spoke up.
“We will take the vanguard.”
“What? Have you lost your mind? Why would you agree to that? You know the mercenaries are a mess right now.”
“I believe this is our best opportunity.”
“Opportunity? For what?”
“An opportunity for these mercenaries to gain strength. A chance for us to truly unite.”
“What are you… what does that mean?”
“The high priests of the Salvation Order haven’t joined the fray yet. Neither have the ancient terrors described in the legends. Currently, we are only facing the Riftspawn.”
As Julien spoke, Astion’s face changed as he began to understand the logic.
Julien’s eyes remained focused as he continued.
“If we stay focused, the Riftspawn are manageable.”
“So you mean…”
“Yes. This is a chance to earn real combat experience with a lower level of danger. It prepares us for the true war ahead. And if Ghislain were here…”
Julien offered a faint, knowing smile.
“…he would have undoubtedly viewed this crisis as a path to greater power.”
“…”
Astion was left speechless.
He knew Julien was correct. Ghislain was never someone who acted out of mere stubbornness or without a goal.
To an outsider, he might have seemed reckless, but there was always a hidden objective.
He utilized every situation to his advantage and never wasted a resource.
Even now, Ghislain would have exploited this tension to forge a stronger army. He was a man who lived for the tactical advantage of real battle.
The only catch was…
“You aren’t going to extort anything from the nobles first?”
“…Let’s skip that. Our priority should be our own growth.”
That was the one disappointment. If Ghislain were in charge, he would have bled the nobles dry for every coin and favor possible before agreeing.
Instead, Julien spent his time obsessing over the battle plans and solidifying their ranks. He placed the original, veteran mercenaries in leadership positions to ensure the newer recruits remained stable.
He gave the mercenaries a single directive.
“Obey my commands. Do that, and you will achieve victory and survive.”
And he gave them one vow.
“I will be the one at the very front.”
[ …When we finally accepted the vanguard position, the joy among the allied commanders was palpable. Amidst their hollow flattery, we marched out to the front. They surely expected us to be decimated, assuming the dragons’ aid would be infrequent. ]
[ However, Julien’s performance was nothing short of miraculous. True to his word, he took the most dangerous position and held nothing back. To ensure his safety, my companions and I had to put our lives on the line countless times. ]
[ His selfless bravery eventually shifted the mindset of the mercenaries. With every passing day, their resolve hardened, and they began to show a level of coordination that rivaled professional soldiers. It was a natural progression—those who ignored orders were quickly killed or removed, leaving only the disciplined. ]
[As the weeks passed, we grew more powerful. The endless waves of enemies served as perfect training tools. Through the constant cycle of battle, the mercenaries became a single entity, and they finally began to follow Julien with genuine loyalty.]
[If Ghislain could have seen us… he would have smirked and validated our path.]
“Waaaaah!”
“Victory again!”
“All hail the commander!”
After every skirmish, the mercenaries roared in celebration.
The fear of the Riftspawn had evaporated. Initially, the lack of order had led to significant losses, but those days were over.
In the crucible of life-or-death combat, the mercenaries had bonded and evolved. And Julien was the gravity that held them together.
“Julien! Julien!”
The men chanted his name.
Julien gave everything he had in every fight. He was always at the tip of the spear, standing where the slaughter was thickest.
Because of his intervention, many mercenaries survived situations that should have been their end.
With every sunset, Julien earned the total devotion and admiration of his men.
Before long, his reputation surpassed even the dark infamy that surrounded Astion.
[ …In truth, Julien was the one who most closely followed in Ghislain’s footsteps. When I mentioned this, the others laughed it off… but his command style and his iron will were reminiscent of Ghislain himself. ]
[As Julien’s legend grew, mercenaries from across the land began to flock to us. They reasoned that if they had to die in this war anyway, they wanted to do it under Julien’s command.]
[The might of a unified mercenary force was staggering. Even without the presence of Deneb, no political faction dared to cross us. During those days, I remembered a conversation Julien once had with Tyron long ago.]
— Let’s change the world together.
— Do you honestly think that’s possible? We’re just mercenaries. Even if we pool our resources, we are only a few hundred strong.
— It is possible. Because I…
On that day, with a voice full of conviction, Julien had made a promise to us all.
— …will become the King of Mercenaries.
[And now, he had fulfilled that prophecy, standing as the true King of Mercenaries.]
[The title “Mercenary King Julien” signified that sellswords from every corner of the world had acknowledged his rule. Despite this, Julien never became prideful. He remained focused on the Riftspawn and the refinement of his own abilities.]
“Still working on that diary?”
When Marika asked, Astion gave a dismissive wave of his hand.
“It isn’t a diary. It’s a chronicle for future generations.”
“…Isn’t that effectively the same thing?”
“Ahem, it’s quite different. This is a vital document that serves as historical proof.”
“…If you say so.”
“How is our Mercenary King faring?”
“He’s practicing his spirit arts with Ereneth.”
“He’s driven. He never takes a moment for himself.”
Astion sighed, shaking his head.
Since the moment Ghislain had departed, Julien had pushed himself to the brink of physical and mental collapse.
The weight of leading the entire corps clearly sat heavy on his shoulders.
Astion provided what support he could, but the ultimate responsibility rested on Julien. Julien was convinced that to ensure the survival of his people, he had to become an unstoppable force.
‘It has to be… because of Ghislain’s warning.’
They were confident they would eventually seal the Demonic Realm.
But Ghislain had predicted that in doing so, both Julien and Deneb would have to give up their lives.
Ghislain had worked tirelessly to strengthen his friends specifically to avert that tragedy. Yet, there was still no certainty.
Julien refused to bow to that destiny. More specifically, he could not allow Deneb to be the sacrifice.
If saving Deneb required his own life, Julien would pay that price without hesitation.
This was why he never rested, pouring every ounce of his soul into his training.
As Astion watched him, he couldn’t help but notice something uncanny.
“It’s actually strange. How is he improving at such an impossible rate every single day?”
Julien’s mastery of the blade and spirit arts reached new heights daily. The distance between his power and that of the rest of the group was growing exponentially.
Kyle, frustrated and unwilling to be left behind, trained until he bled, but he still couldn’t close the gap.
“Is he… actually a Hero?”
Ghislain had labeled Julien the Hero destined to save humanity. They had initially found the idea laughable, but they weren’t laughing anymore.
Deneb had already manifested as the Saintess.
Titles like Hero and Saintess weren’t just vanity projects. They required a specific essence—a validation from the world itself.
If the Saintess was the beloved of the gods, the Hero was the favorite of the world.
Deneb had confirmed her status through her holy power. Julien was currently proving his status through his growth.
If Julien managed to defeat the Adversary…
There would be no one left to deny his status as the Hero.
[ …I am now convinced: Julien is the Hero. Day by day, it seemed as if the world itself was fueling his ascent. As Julien’s power swelled, the spirits bound to him manifested even greater strength. ]
[Julien pored over Ghislain’s journals and lessons every day without fail. He fought to memorize every detail, ensuring nothing was lost. That dedication only accelerated his progress.]
[The rest of us, moved by Julien’s resolve, trained with equal ferocity. The relentless Riftspawn served as our sparring partners and our tests, providing ample opportunity to apply everything we learned.]
[We were far more powerful now than at the start of the conflict. Just as Julien had envisioned, the mercenaries had also transformed into a formidable force. Because of this, we managed to construct new strongholds and successfully push back the front lines.]
[ …Roughly two years passed in this state of attrition. The Riftspawn never stopped their assault, but we had become efficient at containing them. ]
[However, a sense of dread still permeated the Allied Human Army.]
[The plan had been to pick off the high priests of the Salvation Order through a series of skirmishes before entering the Demonic Realm. But the Adversary and his lieutenants had stayed hidden. It was a never-ending war against mindless drones.]
[It was common knowledge that the Adversary could generate Rifts at will. They had an infinite supply of Riftspawn, but the Allied Army did not. The cost of maintaining such a massive force was draining our resources. If this continued, we would break before they did.]
[Ultimately, the Allied Army decided on a full-scale invasion of the Demonic Realm. Leaving a skeleton crew to guard the front, the bulk of the forces gathered for a final, massive push.]
[The dragons spearheaded the assault, clearing a path for the human armies following behind. It looked as though we were on the verge of entering the Demonic Realm. But then…]
[The Adversary and his high priests finally stepped onto the battlefield.]