Ghislain tried his best not to interfere with the hero party. He thought it wouldn't be bad to continue doing good deeds if it meant helping Deneb grow her abilities.
After all, her holy power was one of the strongest weapons that could save the world.
But things couldn't go on like this. If left alone, they might get caught up in trouble and die before they could even grow stronger.
The three of them were still standing there blankly. Suddenly talking about forming a mercenary group left them confused.
Ghislain calmly explained first.
"I know what kind of dreams you have. That's why I've been watching you, but doing things like this won't mean anything."
"...."
"I'm not telling you to stop doing good deeds. I'm saying if you're going to do it, do it properly."
Deneb cautiously asked, "Properly?"
"Yes. Build your forces properly, spread your reputation, and grow stronger. You need people who will support you. That's the only way to change the world."
"...."
"And stop being pushovers. Even if you just focus on taking out the bad guys, the world will already start to change."
"I just...."
"I understand how you feel. But look at the results. Even when you help people, they don't appreciate it, and because you look weak, they just get greedy instead. In a world like this, doing good deeds isn't something just anyone can do."
Deneb wore a sad expression. She only wanted to follow the goddess's will and help people.
But Ghislain wasn't wrong. She started with good intentions, but her lack of ability kept causing problems.
She couldn't properly help people, nor could she stop the priests. Things had gotten even worse than before she tried to help.
'Good deeds really aren't something just anyone can do.'
That saddened her—the fact that even doing good required qualifications in this world.
An awkward silence lingered, and Yulian changed the topic.
"But why a mercenary group?"
"How else will you, who aren't nobles, form alliances and grow your forces? You don't even have a home right now. For now, a mercenary group is the best option. You can move around, recruit people, do good deeds, grow stronger... and earn money too."
To develop Deneb's holy power, they needed to defeat evil, perform good deeds, or use holy power extensively.
So Ghislain didn't plan to stop their good deeds entirely. He just wanted them to be more bold and effective.
But to the three, the idea of forming a mercenary group didn't sound very appealing.
In this era, mercenary groups were practically half-criminal organizations. They clashed with other groups, fought turf wars, and even absorbed rival factions.
Deneb asked, "If we become mercenaries... won't we end up doing bad things?"
Mercenaries existed to serve their employers' interests. Most wars weren't fought over good versus evil but rather due to conflicts of interest.
Ghislain shook his head and answered, "We won't do anything dirty. But sometimes, unavoidable situations may arise."
"Unavoidable situations?"
"Like killing an enemy's subordinate only to find out later they were innocent. You won't have time to figure that out during a fight. If you keep hesitating over things like that, you'll die before you ever change the world."
Deneb understood and nodded.
She had a firm stance on such matters, which was why she didn't hesitate when fighting bandits.
Even the doctrine emphasized the importance of eliminating evil. It taught that removing evil would naturally leave only the good behind, ending suffering.
In the middle of a battle, it was impossible to judge who was truly innocent or guilty.
The church taught that to ease such concerns, a small sacrifice was sometimes necessary.
After all, tolerating evil out of fear of sacrifice would only lead to greater suffering.
Ghislain looked at the three and continued.
"With the way you've been doing things, you'll never create the world you want. It's better to hunt down bad guys while doing mercenary work. That'll save more people in the long run."
He emphasized that even as mercenaries, they should focus on eliminating evil rather than chasing profit.
Ghislain didn't know how long he'd be with them. He didn't want to shake their values too much.
Yulian, who had been listening quietly, asked a question that arose from their conversation.
"What if... someone has to be sacrificed to save more people... what should we do then?"
It was a difficult question without a clear answer. Everyone's answer would be different.
After a brief hesitation, Ghislain spoke honestly. He hadn't wanted to influence their beliefs too much, but right now, he felt like being truthful.
"I'm not saying we should sacrifice the few for the many. And I'm definitely not saying we should kill innocent people for some grand cause. I don't like that either."
To Ghislain, ideals weren't as important as protecting the people he cared about.
And the stronger he became, the more people he had to protect.
Ghislain conveyed his thoughts sincerely to Yulian.
"What's right or wrong depends on each person's standards. All I'm saying is, if you want to see your beliefs through, then gain power."
"My beliefs..."
"Yeah. Even if it means killing countless people."
"...."
"If you believe the path you're taking is right."
Ghislain grinned, his eyes filled with deep trust.
"I believe you'll walk the right path."
Yulian stared at Ghislain with trembling eyes.
Astion had been his childhood friend, but Ghislain wasn't. Why was Ghislain so certain about him after knowing him for such a short time?
Yulian stayed silent for a long time while Ghislain waited patiently.
After much contemplation, Yulian clenched his fist.
"Alright."
"Huh?"
"I'll stop being a pushover."
"Oh..."
"I'll start moving toward a bigger goal."
Yulian agreed with Ghislain. He had realized it during this journey.
He wanted to help people, but things hadn't gone as planned. Instead, he had seen more of humanity's ugliness.
He still didn't think helping people was wrong.
'But you need strength and influence to help people properly.'
Even a small-town priest had almost killed him.
Ultimately, their final goal was to eliminate the Demon Realm. Only then would the world find peace.
The root cause of the world's decay was the prolonged war against the Demon Realm.
"Let's build the greatest mercenary group and spread our name. Then people will want to join us, and we'll be able to change the world."
And... he needed to become stronger to protect the people he cherished.
Yulian glanced briefly at Deneb and swallowed his words. That was just his personal desire.
Ghislain tried his best not to completely alter Yulian's values. But he didn't realize—
Yulian's once vague beliefs were now solidifying because of what Ghislain had said.
Unaware of this, Ghislain smiled brightly at Yulian's resolve.
"That's the spirit. Deneb, can you do it too?"
After some hesitation, Deneb nodded. She had also realized her weakness during this incident.
She wouldn't stop doing good deeds. If she saw someone in need, she would naturally help.
But things would be different now. She would be firm when needed and fight when necessary.
And she would prioritize larger goals over fleeting acts of kindness—because that was the path to saving more people.
Thanks to Ghislain, Deneb's beliefs began to take clearer shape.
Kyle looked relieved. He knew those two would probably still act like pushovers sometimes, but at least they wouldn't be as frustrating as before.
Seeing that everyone seemed to understand, Ghislain grinned cheerfully.
At that moment, Dark spoke to him telepathically.
— Master... Are you sure about this?
'What now?'
— You're forming a mercenary group and influencing their values. What if they were meant to grow through small acts of kindness or stumble upon some miraculous encounter later?
'I don't know.'
— What?
'It's frustrating, okay? What do you expect me to do?'
— ...
'I explained it properly. They can still do good deeds. I just told them to stop being pushovers and focus on building a foundation first. I just gave them a goal.'
— ...And what if they get addicted to mercenary work and start fighting every day, just like you?
'They're not like that. But even if they are, it's fine.'
— ...
'The saintess said to do as I like. I think this is fine. They didn't have a clear goal anyway.'
Ghislain thought that rather than letting them waste time as pushovers, it was better to set a clear objective.
It wasn't like he told them to stop doing good deeds—just to do them more effectively while gaining strength and influence.
Since fighting the Demon Realm was still far off, this much wouldn't be a problem.
Even after hearing Ghislain's reasoning, Dark remained skeptical.
— Ugh, I still think this is wrong. It feels like we're interfering too much.
'No way. Letting them keep being pushovers would've been even worse.'
While the two bickered, Astion suddenly spoke.
— Thanks.
'Huh? You were awake?'
— Yeah, I've been quietly watching.
'Sneaky guy. Pretending to be asleep. But what are you thanking me for?'
— I was frustrated too, watching them act like pushovers.
'.......'
— That's why I tried to avoid people as much as possible. If we got involved in something unlucky, we'd all be dead.
In truth, Astion had carefully led the group, coordinating with nearby soldiers whenever they needed to deal with bandits.
He had even delayed the journey as much as possible, knowing the other two weren't ready to handle the world's cruelty.
It was only when Deneb insisted on leaving for her training that he reluctantly agreed to join them.
— Deneb is a trainee priestess. Helping people and doing good deeds is natural for her. But in a world like this, problems were bound to happen.
This situation was something they had to face eventually. Astion had just been worried they might get seriously hurt in the process, but thanks to Ghislain, they had made it through safely.
And now, with plans to form a mercenary group and focus on growing stronger, he felt a bit more at ease.
— I don't know where you learned your mana techniques and swordsmanship, but they're impressive. I'll count on you for now.
Astion felt relieved. Ghislain wasn't leading them down a dark path but instead helping his friends grow stronger.
Ghislain wanted to say, 'Actually, you guys taught me,' but he held back. Explaining would just be a hassle.
Instead, he asked something else.
'Alright. You said you had a plan, right? Tell me. I'll help you with that too. You need to get stronger quickly.'
He didn't know when he'd leave this body and wake up again, so he wanted to do as much as he could before that happened.
But Astion replied with a weak voice.
— It's not time to talk about that yet. Focus on making them stronger first.
'You don't actually have a plan, do you? That's why you've just been wandering around training without any direction.'
— ...I do have a plan!
Astion snapped back, and Ghislain clicked his tongue.
He didn't sound convincing at all. Still, as a 9-circle mage, Astion had enough talent to figure things out eventually.
'Then, while you're awake, tell me everything you know. It's annoying having to ask them every time.'
Ghislain had endless questions about this era, but the three companions were country bumpkins who only knew bits and pieces of information.
Astion, who was at least smarter, seemed like the better source of answers.
Astion replied in a tired voice.
— Idiot... I can't do that because of you...
'Why not?'
— My consciousness can't handle staying awake while you're occupying my body. It drains me too quickly...
'Ah, I get it now.'
Ghislain understood immediately. Most people wouldn't be able to handle his presence.
Unlike other souls who just shared information and disappeared, he had completely taken over the body and was running around in it.
So Astion couldn't stay awake for long.
— Yeah... I'm going back to rest now... Take care of them...
'Don't worry. Next time you wake up, they'll be even stronger.'
— That's... good to hear...
With those words, Astion fell back into slumber.
After arriving in another city, Ghislain's first stop was the mercenary guild.
The guild manager sneered as he looked at the four of them.
"So, a bunch of kids who still smell like milk want to become mercenaries?"
Ghislain nodded.
"I want to get a mercenary rank and ID quickly. We can start the test right away, right?"
The manager chuckled at Ghislain's boldness.
"Do you think mercenary work is a joke? These days, every fool thinks they can be a mercenary. Do you even know how dangerous this job is?"
"We know, so save the lecture."
"Fine, if you're so eager to die. What's your specialty? Do you even know how to fight? You don't look like much."
"I'm a mage."
"What? A mage?"
The manager's eyes widened. Mercenary mages were rare.
Most mages avoided mercenary work because there were safer and more lucrative jobs available.
Mages generally hated wandering around. They preferred locking themselves in towers, reading books.
Only fugitives or eccentrics ever became mercenary mages.
So it was natural for the manager to be suspicious.
"What circle are you? First circle?"
"Fifth circle."
"Hah, are you kidding me? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
A fifth-circle mage could easily serve as a court mage for a noble household. Why would someone like that choose mercenary work?
And this kid looked far too young. Even considering that mages often looked younger than their age, it was unbelievable.
The manager stood up abruptly, ready to teach this arrogant brat a lesson.
"You dare come in here and mess around?"
Reaching out menacingly, he suddenly froze, his eyes widening in shock.
"W-what...?"
Whoosh!
Dozens of massive spears made of mana floated in the air around Ghislain.
The manager, dumbfounded, stared at the scene as Ghislain grinned.
"Should I destroy this place right now?"
"N-no... wait..."
The manager frantically waved his hands. He wasn't sure if it was fifth-circle magic, but each spear radiated intense energy.
It was at least third-circle magic, possibly higher.
Now that he was sure the boy was a mage, he couldn't keep pressing him.
He quickly backed down and said,
"W-we'll proceed with the test for your team."
Ghislain nodded, dismissing the mana spears, and added, "We're also registering as a mercenary group."
"A mercenary group? You're forming a mercenary group?"
"Yeah, the name will be..."
After glancing at the others, Ghislain continued,
"Yulian Mercenary Corps."
Forget the future. Now that he was involved, he decided to go all out.
[T/L: I need your support, dear readers. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]