The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations-Chapter 750: What a Curious Being (2)

The reason for his frustration wasn’t anything complicated.

‘Ah, I should’ve gone easier and shown a more sincere side.’

He had just wanted to look as impressive as possible. So he’d overdone it with his imagination.

But to the spirits, that had apparently come across as a shock-and-awe display of terror.

Ghislain asked regretfully.

“Would it be possible for me to try just once more? I’m actually a nicer person than I look.”

Iralniel gently but firmly shook her head.

“The spirits are already deeply afraid of you. They said you reek of blood.”

Ghislain lifted his arm and sniffed at it.

The robe the elves had given him gave off a faint floral scent.

“I don’t smell like blood, though?”

“...It’s something they sensed from the sincerity you showed. The seeds of the spirits, which have not yet matured, naturally fear such things.”

“Chh...”

Ghislain clicked his tongue. He understood what she meant. Having lived his entire life on the battlefield, if he truly showed his heart, that atmosphere would inevitably seep through.

Still feeling a bit disappointed, Ghislain pressed on, stretching the argument.

“Do spirits not have any ambition?”

“They do not.”

“I don’t get it. After witnessing such a grand and magnificent spectacle, how could they say no?”

“The spirits said there was nothing magnificent about it at all.”

“If spirits fight alongside elves, why won’t they fight alongside me?”

With a warm smile, Iralniel offered another lesson.

“They did not become friends to fight. They fight because they became friends.”

“...”

This time, even Ghislain’s twisted logic and stubbornness didn’t work.

Becoming friends with spirits was simply too difficult for someone like him.

“Ugh...”

With a reluctant scratch at the back of his head, Ghislain gave up on trying to befriend the spirits.

He wasn’t the kind of man to beg those who didn’t want to be his friends.

Though he still felt a twinge of regret.

Just like Ghislain’s failure, the other mercenaries had all failed to befriend the spirits too.

It wasn’t surprising. None of them had truly wanted to become friends with the spirits—they only thought about how they could use them.

‘Once I learn spirit magic, I’ll be unstoppable!’

‘I could make a fortune just by showing it off! I’d be insanely popular!’

‘Please be my friend! Let me finally live with some flair! Let me turn my life around!’

‘Osvald the Man! If I get a spirit, I’ll seduce an elf and get out of this hellhole!’

Every last one of them was thinking only about the benefits they’d get after acquiring a spirit. Even Lionel, the devout holy knight, was no exception.

‘I’ve lost my divine power, but if I master spirit magic, I can grow stronger again quickly. Please, join me! Let us bring prosperity to the Empire and spread the Pope’s glory together!’

Even Kyle was screaming at the departing spirits at the top of his lungs.

“Hey! Why! Where are you going! Dark said I’m fine! Let’s become aristocrats together!”

With things like this, there was no way the spirits would agree to befriend them.

The spirits saw right through their greed and quickly departed.

Only a few remained near Deneb, orbiting around her—but whether due to her divine power getting in the way or a lack of affinity, they didn’t draw any closer.

The mercenaries all wore gloomy expressions.

It was crushing to fail at learning spirit magic—an ability that gave power without effort.

They began to pout and grumble.

“Ugh, come on. These spirits are really picky. Acting all high and mighty.”

“Do they even pick their friends? Can’t they just be friends with us already?”

“So spirit magic is like divine power—something you’re just born with talent for? Man, this sucks.”

Iralniel had emphasized time and again that “a kind heart matters most,” but none of them had truly taken it to heart.

Just when it seemed like everyone was doomed to fail, the elves watching nearby opened their eyes wide.

They were all staring at one person. The mercenaries stopped grumbling and turned to follow their gaze.

And then, everyone let out a breath of awe.

“Woooooow...”

Countless fragments of light were dancing around Julien. They looked as though they were desperate to remain near him.

The tiny pieces of light gathered as if pulled toward each other, merging into several large clusters.

Even after forming into those clumps, the light did not leave Julien’s side. Instead, it tried to draw even closer to him.

Julien watched the scene with a soft smile.

When he raised his hand, the lights flocked to it. When he turned his head, they followed his gaze.

As if breathing in sync, an unspoken harmony flowed between Julien and the spirits.

Even Iralniel, watching, couldn’t hide her surprise. Julien was displaying a level of spirit affinity far beyond that of the elves.

She quietly stepped forward and asked him,

“What were you thinking when you opened your heart to them?”

Julien hesitated for a moment, then answered cautiously.

“I... I just watched them.”

He had no demands, no expectations.

He had simply observed the spirits with pure curiosity.

And yet, the spirits had approached him.

Like children trying to be playful, they tilted their bodies as if trying to brush against Julien’s fingertips.

Iralniel smiled gently and said,

“The spirits seem to like you very much.”

“But... why me?”

“I cannot say. But I do know that your soul is cleaner than anyone else’s.”

She raised her hand slightly, and the cluster of light slowly floated forward toward Julien.

“Take them. If you truly wish it, these little ones will become your friends for life.”

Julien slowly extended his hand.

The light poured into his palm as if being absorbed, and a faint glow spread from his body before fading again.

“Ah...”

An involuntary exclamation slipped from Julien’s lips. He realized that his consciousness had linked with the spirits.

He now instinctively understood how to connect with his new friends, and how to call upon them.

It was as natural and familiar as breathing.

When Julien opened his palm, a tiny droplet of water rose into the air above it.

It soon took on the form of a cute childlike figure and began to circle around Julien with delight.

Then, a wispy breeze took shape, and a small spark of fire flared up with a twinkle.

The earth trembled slightly as a spirit emerged and rubbed its head against Julien’s foot.

Before anyone realized, a myriad of spirits in various forms danced around Julien. All of them seemed joyful and affectionate.

Julien looked at each of the spirits with a smile once more.

In that moment, he had become closer to nature than anyone else.

The mercenaries stared blankly at the scene before them.

“Wow... The Commander actually learned spirit magic.”

“So jealous... Why does he have so many spirits? He hogged them all.”

“What the hell? What makes him different from us?”

Voices filled with admiration and confusion poured out from all directions.

Iralniel cast a gentle gaze at Julien.

“The spirits are your friends now. Their growth will be tied to your own, and they will always share in your sorrow and joy. So cherish them well. For they too will treasure you more dearly than anyone else in this world.”

“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

Julien bowed deeply, a radiant smile on his face.

His heart brimmed with emotion from forming this bond with the spirits—and profound gratitude toward Iralniel, who had made it possible.

Just as the ceremony seemed to be ending on a warm note, Osvald suddenly shouted.

“This filthy world!”

“...?”

Everyone turned to look at him. Osvald, visibly outraged, shouted again.

“I figured it out! Why the spirits only like the Commander! What makes him different from us!”

He pointed dramatically at Julien.

“You ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) want to know what it is? It’s that face!”

“...”

“Seriously? You don’t get it? The spirits are shallow too! It’s all about looks! This filthy world obsessed with appearance! We need a revolution! A redistribution of beauty!”

That remark immediately set off Kyle and Lionel, who had also failed to befriend any spirits.

“I’ll have you know I was the second-handsomest guy in my hometown!”

“I’m not one to boast, but I was the official ceremonial representative for the Papal State. You need a proper and dignified appearance for that position.”

Osvald snorted.

“Come on! Commander Julien is ridiculously handsome! Just his looks alone can emotionally scar people around him! That’s the kind of face you need to attract spirits!”

“...”

Everyone was stunned speechless, but Osvald wasn’t done. He turned to Iralniel, confronting her.

“Great Chief! You said we shouldn’t judge people by appearances, that we should look at the inside instead!”

“...I did say that...”

“Then why are the spirits judging by looks? Huh? Why!”

Iralniel let out a soft sigh, then quietly looked between Julien and Osvald before answering.

“Spirits don’t look at such things. Nor do we elves. Physical appearance fades with time like mist. Beauty is a fleeting illusion. The light of a true soul shines even in a wrinkled face.”

“What? The soul gets wrinkled... what?”

It was far too profound a lesson for Osvald. He didn’t understand a word.

Being the wise and truly mature person she was, Iralniel rephrased it at his level, gently soothing him.

“To my eyes, there’s little difference between his appearance and yours. So don’t obsess over what’s visible. What matters is the kind of person you are.”

Osvald’s jaw dropped in disbelief.

Anyone could see that Julien was pristinely handsome. Meanwhile, Osvald’s beard was overgrown and messy, and his features were rough and intimidating.

‘But... she says we don’t look that different?’

It didn’t make sense no matter how he thought about it. But there was no way a great elf chieftain would lie over something so petty.

So he asked cautiously,

“Great Chief... You look young, but you’ve lived a long time, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then... could it be... have you gone farsighted? Maybe your eyesight’s not what it used to be?”

“....”

That was as far as the Julien Mercenary Corps could tolerate. They jumped in to silence him.

“Mmmpf! Why are you covering my mouth! You know I’m right!”

“Please, shut up! Osvald!”

“Mmmff! This filthy world! We need revolut—!”

“Shut up!”

Osvald was firmly subdued and dragged away, struggling.

While Osvald was getting smacked in the background, Ghislain let out a faint laugh as he looked at Julien.

He suddenly remembered something he’d forgotten—the image of the Hero he’d seen in his dreams.

Hadn’t Ereneth said it too? That the Hero was someone loved by the world.

If the Saintess was beloved by the goddesses, the Hero was beloved by all creation.

Julien clearly had something special.

His good looks might win favor among humans, sure—but that wasn’t the real reason.

Just like in the dream, the will of the world itself was with Julien.

‘Then... the spirits I saw in that dream... were they the same spirits he just obtained?’

He recalled briefly seeing Julien fighting alongside spirits in his dream.

But those spirits weren’t this cute. They had practically become “the world itself,” lending their power to Julien.

It was an unexpected result. Ghislain had been the one who’d requested to learn spirit magic, yet Julien was the one who ended up receiving the power.

‘No... Julien was always meant to have it.’

He didn’t know how the Hero had obtained spirits in the original past. But it must’ve been something similar—through the elves.

Just like how Deneb had received her necklace.

While Ghislain was lost in thought, the ceremony concluded completely.

Though everyone was disappointed not to have gained a spirit, they still sincerely congratulated Julien.

Ghislain let go of any lingering regrets. Instead, he decided to ask Iralniel about something he’d been curious about for a long time.

“Could you take a look at this thing for me?”

Ghislain summoned Dark. The creature had hidden away even before the battle was over.

— Elves make me uncomfortable. I just feel uncomfortable. That’s all.

That was the kind of grumbling he’d muttered as he burrowed deep into Ghislain’s consciousness, refusing to come out.

Usually, he’d leap at any chance to show off and annoy people in public.

But if Ghislain forcibly summoned him, he couldn’t resist. Begrudgingly, Dark appeared, his expression sullen.

Seeing Dark, who looked like a plump little sparrow, Iralniel’s expression turned intrigued.

“This is... quite a curious being.”

“I am the Spirit King!”

Dark declared with grandeur, glaring fiercely at Iralniel. He was clearly picking a fight.

“....”

A brief silence passed.

Iralniel’s face twisted into one of utter disbelief.