The Regressed Mercenary’s Machinations

Chapter 172: Sufficient Validation (2)

Changing the family’s mana cultivation technique? In all his years, this was the most absurd nonsense he had ever heard.

It wasn’t just a matter of arbitrarily altering the family’s secret techniques. What if something went wrong? Why take such a reckless risk?

Zwalter leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he fell into thought.

It was utterly ridiculous, but he didn’t immediately lash out. It wouldn’t hurt to hear the details before making a decision.

“Say that again.”

Despite Zwalter’s commanding tone, Ghislain didn’t shrink back as he responded.

“We need to change the family’s mana cultivation technique.”

“The mana cultivation technique is one of our deepest secrets. And what exactly do you propose we change? Have you stumbled across some better method?”

Thud.

Ghislain pulled a book from his coat and placed it on the table.

Zwalter glanced at the book with a blank expression before asking.

“What is this?”

“I wrote down the improvements I made to the family’s mana cultivation technique in my own way.”

“What? You did?”

Zwalter chuckled dryly, his gaze fixed on the book Ghislain had laid out. He’d assumed Ghislain might have come across some interesting tidbit somewhere, but to claim he had personally improved the technique—it was laughable.

Clicking his tongue, Zwalter waved dismissively.

“Enough. I see you’ve had some kind of epiphany and scribbled something down, but realistically, changing the cultivation technique is impossible. Do you have any idea how long it would take to research and refine something like that?”

Zwalter hadn’t even considered that Ghislain might have already completed the work. He assumed this was just a rough draft and an invitation to collaborate on further study.

He rejected it, thinking it would be a waste of time, but Ghislain shook his head.

“I’m not asking to research it together. I’ve already finished refining it.”

“Hah! So, you expect us to train using something unverified?”

“It has been sufficiently validated.”

“What? What kind of validation?”

“I’ve already practiced it myself.”

“What?!”

Zwalter sprang from his seat in shock.

Not only had Ghislain undertaken the dangerous act of altering the mana cultivation technique, but he had also gone so far as to train with it! This was madness—undeniable proof of a fool’s recklessness.

“You—you… Is your body all right?”

“Yes, there’s no issue whatsoever. Besides, I finished refining the technique quite some time ago. You’ve seen my capabilities during the war, haven’t you? It was all thanks to the improved cultivation method.”

“……”

Zwalter couldn’t respond right away.

It was true he had been surprised by his notorious troublemaking son’s impressive combat skills.

But to hear it wasn’t just the result of secret training but due to altering the family’s mana cultivation technique? Even though the words came directly from Ghislain, it was hard to believe.

Ghislain looked Zwalter squarely in the eye and spoke.

“We already have many enemies. We need to grow stronger than we are now. This mana cultivation technique will transform our family and territory into something much stronger.”

“No, still… How can you recklessly alter the cultivation technique that has been passed down for generations?”

“To grow stronger, we must use any means necessary. Even if it’s a mana cultivation technique handed down by our ancestors, if it’s flawed, then it’s only right to overhaul it.”

Zwalter’s mouth fell open at those words.

While it was true that desperate times called for desperate measures, the comment was too dismissive of the tradition and authority the family had built over the years.

“Still, this is the mana cultivation technique that has sustained our family for a thousand years! What guarantees that your modifications are better than the original?”

At that, Ghislain smirked.

“Come on, do you honestly believe that our family has existed for a thousand years?”

“…It’s true. Ah, the year you were born marked the thousandth year of our family’s history. It was a truly momentous day.”

“Do you have any proof?”

“Well… all the records were lost about two hundred years ago… I only heard it from your grandfather.”

“Then I guess it’s a two-hundred-year-old family.”

“…”

Zwalter clamped his mouth shut at Ghislain’s sharp retort.

Truthfully, even he thought the thousand-year claim sounded absurd. They had just continued repeating what their ancestors had said and calculated accordingly.

Nobody even knew why they were calculating in the first place.

In reality, such claims were never mentioned outside the family. Doing so would only invite ridicule.

Instead, they merely passed down and taught this narrative within the family, nurturing a sense of pride.

Ghislain sighed and spoke.

“A thousand years is just like a founding myth. There’s no way it’s true. Don’t most families have something similar? Look at the Delfine Duchy—don’t they claim to be descended from dragons or something?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

“Don’t put too much meaning into such things. Honestly, whether it’s a thousand years or two hundred years, what difference does it make? When war breaks out, everyone dies the same. Count Desmond is undoubtedly planning something.”

“Hmm, yes, that’s true.”

Zwalter understood the meaning behind Ghislain’s words.

What he feared most right now was war with Count Desmond.

They had only managed to stabilize their situation somewhat, with the Marquis of Branford turning a blind eye while serving as his son’s guardian.

Why the other side remained quiet was a mystery, but it wasn’t a cause for comfort.

If anything, their silence was even more unnerving.

Ghislain, seeing his father deep in thought, spoke firmly.

“That’s why we need to learn this quickly and grow stronger. The sooner, the better.”

“Alright, then…”

Zwalter paused mid-sentence, tilting his head in confusion. The threat posed by Count Desmond and learning the new mana cultivation technique were entirely separate issues.

“I almost fell for that! But no, absolutely not! Even if it seems fine now, we can’t know when the side effects might show up! Stop your training and stick to the traditional method! When you rush things, problems always arise!”

“There’s no time for that. Mastering this will make us stronger.”

“The family’s mana cultivation technique isn’t inferior to others! Sure, people mock us for being poor, but no one has ever criticized the skill of our knights!”

Randolph, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, interjected.

“Young Lord, the Lord and I are both regarded as top-tier knights. The Ferdium family’s mana cultivation technique is not lacking in any way.”

It wasn’t entirely incorrect. The Ferdium family’s mana cultivation technique was on par with those of other noble houses.

But being on par wasn’t enough for someone like Ghislain—it fell far short of his standards.

“The family’s mana cultivation technique has its limits.”

“What?”

“Both of you have already hit a wall, haven’t you?”

“…”

Zwalter and Randolph couldn’t bring themselves to respond and instead hung their heads.

Though they didn’t know how Ghislain had figured it out, it was true. They had both reached their limits. No matter how much they trained, they saw no further progress.

The more they trained, the more they felt an empty, hollow sensation, as though something vital was missing.

But no amount of study into the cultivation technique revealed what was wrong.

This wasn’t a new issue; it was a challenge faced by every head of the Ferdium family throughout its history.

“The family’s mana cultivation technique appears flawless on the surface. But the more you train, the more you realize something is missing.”

Zwalter nodded at Ghislain’s words.

To think that his young son had already noticed what he himself had only come to realize in middle age!

‘Could it be… my son really is a genius?’

When he thought about Ghislain’s feats during the war, it didn’t seem far-fetched.

As Zwalter looked at him with a newfound sense of awe, Ghislain continued speaking.

“I’ve identified the cause of that problem and filled in the missing parts. If you master the revised technique, you’ll be able to overcome the wall.”

“How… how did you figure that out?”

“I came to the realization by chance.”

Ghislain employed his catch-all excuse!

It wasn’t entirely a lie. In his past life, he had indeed stumbled upon an ancient grimoire that had provided the insight he needed.

Though incomplete, the grimoire had contained descriptions of how ancient mages accumulated mana.

Drawing from the new concepts he had learned there, Ghislain had managed to fill the gaps in the Ferdium family’s mana cultivation technique and successfully refine it.

The compatibility was so perfect that Ghislain sometimes wondered if the family’s mana cultivation technique had originally been derived from that grimoire.

‘It’s such a shame it was incomplete.’

Through that small epiphany, Ghislain had refined the mana cultivation technique and risen to the rank of one of the “Seven Strongest on the Continent”.

Though his success was aided by relentless effort and innate talent, without the grimoire, it would have taken much longer.

‘I’ll have to look for it again if I ever get the chance.’

Clearing his thoughts, Ghislain rose from his seat.

He had no intention of continuing to persuade them. He had pointed out the problem and offered a solution.

He also didn’t want to force them with power or crush them by displaying his own skills.

‘They’ll come around once they see it anyway.’

Familiar with the knightly disposition, Ghislain spoke with a composed tone.

“Well, the choice is yours, Father. I won’t press further. I’ve detailed everything clearly in the book, so please take a look. If you think there’s an issue, you don’t have to adopt it.”

“Hmm…”

“In that case, I’ll take my leave. If you decide to proceed, please teach it to all the knights of Ferdium as well. Now isn’t the time to cling unnecessarily to honor and tradition.”

“Hmm…”

Zwalter merely grunted, unable to form a proper response.

He was dying of curiosity about what was in the book, especially since it claimed to solve the problem. Yet his pride held him back from opening it right away.

As Ghislain turned to leave, he noticed his father hesitating. Smiling faintly, he nodded politely and exited.

After half-heartedly seeing his son off, Zwalter cast a glance at the book Ghislain had left behind and muttered to himself.

“Well, since my son brought it, maybe I should at least see how well he’s done?”

Randolph chimed in from the side.

“You don’t have to adopt it, but it wouldn’t hurt to see what’s written, right?”

“Ahem, yes, that’s true. It’s only proper to acknowledge the effort he’s put into bringing it.”

Zwalter sat down and began flipping through the pages cautiously.

Ghislain had added meticulous annotations, making the contents remarkably easy to understand.

With every page he turned, Zwalter’s expression changed subtly yet significantly.

“Huh…”

A gasp escaped his lips. Just reading it seemed to dispel the frustration he’d felt for years.

Randolph, waiting nearby, craned his neck to peek over.

“So, what do you think? Let me take a look too, Brother.”

“Ah, don’t hover! Let me finish first!”

After a brief scuffle, Zwalter, having finished reading, passed the book to Randolph with a contemplative look.

A few minutes later, Randolph wore a similar expression.

“Huh…”

“Sigh…”

Neither man could articulate their thoughts, merely sighing deeply.

Though they would need to practice it to fully confirm its efficacy, the cultivation technique Ghislain had brought appeared flawless in theory.

They even felt convinced that mastering this would allow them to break through the barriers that had long obstructed them.

Zwalter collected his thoughts and cautiously asked Randolph.

“What do you think? Do you think it’s safe?”

“It’s astonishing. Truly astonishing. If we master this, we’ll undoubtedly grow stronger.”

“Right? But how on earth did Ghislain come up with something like this?”

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand.

That troublemaker, who used to only cause headaches, had suddenly changed, accomplishing amazing feats. Even though he was his son, Zwalter found it hard to believe he was the same person.

However, Randolph raised an eyebrow, responding as if it didn’t matter.

“Maybe he achieved some sort of enlightenment, or perhaps he had some stroke of fortune. But that’s not the real issue right now. The important thing is how we handle this.”

“Hmm. But isn’t it really dangerous?”

“Momentarily causing mana to explode might be risky. But as long as the body stays healthy, it should be fine. We’ll need to monitor it further, but theoretically, there’s no problem.”

“Right, theoretically. But… it’s the ‘no problem’ part that worries me more.”

Even as he spoke, Zwalter couldn’t shake off the unease in his chest.

Anything involving Ghislain always yielded good results, but the process was invariably painful.

As Zwalter hesitated, unable to decide, Randolph prodded him from the side.

“Brother, what’s there to agonize over? Aren’t we the strongest ones in Ferdium? If the two of us think it’s fine, then it’s fine.”

“Ha, but it’s something that brat created, so…”

“No matter how strong the Young Lord is, could he possibly be stronger than us? We have insight that comes with age. Besides, it seems like the explosive power of this mana cultivation technique is what contributed to its effectiveness during the war.”

At those words, Zwalter closed his eyes, sinking into thought again.

Randolph tried hard to hide his nervousness while awaiting Zwalter’s decision. To be honest, his heart was screaming for him to start practicing the improved cultivation technique immediately and break past his limits.

After deliberating for a long time, Zwalter finally spoke, as if striking a compromise.

“Let’s train step by step, gradually increasing the stages. If anything feels off, we’ll stop immediately.”

Hearing that, Randolph clenched his fists and beamed with a bright smile.

“Exactly. If something feels wrong, we’ll stop.”

What they didn’t know was that Ghislain had deliberately left out one critical detail: once you started this mana cultivation technique, you couldn’t stop.

It was their misfortune that they lacked the experience to realize this.

Zwalter nodded a few more times and then stood up.

“Alright, let’s give it a try. Call all the knights together. There’s no harm in us all getting stronger quickly.”

For a moment, an inexplicable chill ran down their spines, but they brushed it off as a fleeting feeling.