To be honest, he had half given up. Finding a single refugee in these tumultuous times was almost impossible.
Fortunately, refugees crossing borders were relatively easier to track, which was a blessing.
Thanks to the efforts of Byron's administrators and a stroke of luck, they were able to find Anna.
"Would you like to go see her now?" the administrator asked.
Claude nodded fervently.
"Yes, let's go now. Wait, no, hold on—let me cover my face."
Disguising himself, Claude carefully made his way to the refugee camp.
Having led the Lutania army, he had seen many refugee camps along the way. Given the circumstances, their conditions were always dire.
Proper meals were a rarity, and safety was almost nonexistent. Fights often broke out, and many succumbed to disease.
The kingdom couldn't afford to care for them. Dealing with rifts and rebels was already overwhelming.
But the Byron Kingdom's camp was different.
"This place…"
Claude and Wendy were surprised by what they saw.
The refugees were provided with ample food, clean clothing, and medicine. Soldiers were stationed to maintain order and prevent violence.
The refugees looked bewildered by the unexpected care and benefits.
Little did they know that this was all part of the administrators' efforts to please Claude.
The administrator, wearing a subtle smile, said, "As you instructed, we haven't disclosed anything yet. We've made all the arrangements to avoid any issues."
"…Thank you. I won't forget your consideration."
The administrator who guided Claude seemed satisfied. He felt it was a small way to repay the benefactor who had saved the kingdom.
He also believed this would strengthen their ties with Lutania.
Claude, with trembling eyes, looked toward a corner of the camp.
There, Anna was resting among other refugees. She looked worn out and disheveled, clearly having endured much hardship.
Yet, the gentle smile on her face hadn't changed. She had always tried to smile, no matter how difficult things were.
"Anna…"
Claude's throat tightened.
She was someone who shouldn't have had to live such a hard life. Born into a prestigious family, her life had been ruined because of him.
From that moment on, Anna likely hadn't had a single day of peace. The guilt he carried had never disappeared.
Not even when he enslaved Alpoi had he felt such a sense of remorse. Anna was a unique, painful reminder of his failures.
"…At least she's safe."
Others were taking care of her. Judging by their attire, they seemed to be from the academy Anna had been dispatched to.
It was likely thanks to them that she had managed to stay safe during these chaotic times.
Now, it was time to bring closure to the matter that had tormented him for so long. He hadn't avenged his master just for his own sake.
Claude turned to the Lutania administrator who had accompanied him.
"Allocate some troops to escort the refugees back to their homeland safely."
"Understood."
"Make sure they have food and proper housing. Let them focus on their daily lives without worry."
The Seiron Kingdom was now under Lutania's influence. Soon it would be fully integrated and safer than the Byron Kingdom.
For the time being, Claude planned to station troops there to ensure the refugees' safety. That much should allow them to live peacefully.
"They'll hear the news that I avenged my teacher."
As the acting governor of Seiron, Claude's name wouldn't go unnoticed.
She would undoubtedly come looking for him... but he had no intention of being there when she arrived.
"Is this enough?"
The guilt of having ruined her life wouldn't vanish, but there wasn't much else he could do for Anna directly.
The soldiers approached the refugees and conveyed Claude's orders. Most of them, being from Seiron, were overjoyed by the news.
"Can we go back home now?"
"They're giving us food and houses, too?"
"The Lutania Kingdom is really helping us!"
Anna clasped her hands together in joy.
She hadn't known how long she would have to keep wandering, but now she could return home. With food and housing provided, how could she not be happy?
Then, she suddenly felt something strange and turned her head. Amid the cheering crowd, someone was staring at her intently.
'Who is that?'
It was an unfamiliar face. Yet, for some reason, it felt oddly familiar.
The man looked at her a moment longer, then slowly turned and walked away.
Anna murmured almost unconsciously, "…Claude?"
But she quickly shook her head.
She knew Claude had followed Grand Duke Fenris. She also knew that Fenris army had come to aid this kingdom.
But the Claude she remembered was timid, fearful, and all talk. He didn't belong on a battlefield.
'He always said safety was the most important thing.'
He was probably working as an administrator in Fenris territory. There was no way Claude was here.
Anna glanced briefly at the man walking away and then joined the others in laughter and chatter.
As they left the camp, Wendy cautiously asked Claude, "Are you sure? You won't see her?"
"There's no point. What good would it do?"
"But… you searched for her for so long."
"That was just… to ease my own guilt. Because she lost her father and suffered so much because of me."
"…"
Wendy said nothing. She thought she might understand a little of Claude's guilt.
From the way he worked in the territory, one might think he lacked a conscience.
Seemingly feeling lighter, Claude started joking around.
"Besides, the sudden reappearance of a successful ex is only fitting for a revenge story. I dumped her, remember? What right do I have to face her?"
Wendy smirked at his words. Dumped her? As if. He had run away out of fear.
And as for being "successful," Claude's official status was still "slave."
Seeing her expression, Claude cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Ahem. Anyway, I've done what I could."
In the future, Anna would live without lacking anything. The administrators of the Seiron territory would continue to secretly care for and protect her.
That was enough to bring Claude some peace of mind. Now, all that remained was to annihilate the Salvation Church so that people could live safely.
While avenging his teacher against the revolutionaries who framed him was still on the agenda, that could wait for another day.
With a lighter heart, Claude was able to leave the Byron Kingdom. As usual, he bounced along with exaggerated energy as he walked.
Quietly, Wendy followed behind him.
***
With preparations complete, the Lutania army moved to the neighboring kingdom.
During the journey, Ghislain received letters from Yulian, detailing their progress and how they were advancing.
As promised, they shared updates on the battlefield situation to ensure they could meet in the Sardina Kingdom.
Thanks to Dark, whom Ghislain had sent, communication between the two armies was swift.
Belinda, standing beside him with a mix of doubt and anticipation, asked, "Do you really think they'll make it safely? The Salvation Church isn't an easy opponent. They'll have to suppress rebellions in two kingdoms before coming here."
"No need to worry. That guy is incredibly strong. That much won't be a problem. Besides, the Salvation Church's main forces aren't even there anymore."
"How do you know he's strong? He's only just appeared, and the stories about his feats sound way too exaggerated."
"I told you, I know everything."
"…"
Belinda, like Claude before her, couldn't argue. She'd long suspected that Ghislain might actually possess some sort of precognition.
"Well, shall we check on Elena's training today?"
Her talent was too valuable to leave in the kingdom, so Ghislain had brought Elena and Rachel along with him.
During moments of downtime on the march, he forced them to practice mana cultivation techniques.
Since mastering the techniques, the two had even begun to assist in battles against the rifts.
When Ghislain appeared, Elena and Rachel's faces turned pale.
The attribute mana cultivation method was effective, but its immense pain was a significant drawback.
Elena, with darkened, lifeless eyes, said, "Can't we stop this already?"
"No."
"Then can we at least rest today?"
"No…?"
Whoosh!
Before he could finish, Elena's fist tore through the air, aiming straight for Ghislain. It was a sudden attack meant to knock him unconscious.
"Well, look at you."
Ghislain dodged easily, quickly closing in and wrapping an arm around her neck. At the same time, he placed a hand on her back, channeling mana into her.
"Arghhhhhh!" Elena let out a piercing scream, unable to endure the pain.
She drove her elbow into Ghislain's side—a clean, practiced strike honed through training.
Crack.
The pain in his ribs made Ghislain grit his teeth. It felt as if his ribs had actually cracked.
"Ugh! You monster!"
"Sh-shut up! Don't call me that, you jerk! Arghhhhhh!"
Wham! Wham! Wham!
Elena thrashed in agony, relentlessly jabbing her elbow into Ghislain's side.
Her innate holy power made her strength grow the more she fought. Now, with the addition of attribute mana cultivation, her power was increasing exponentially.
Wham! Wham! Wham!
As he endured the blows, Ghislain thought to himself.
'This is insane. At this rate, she might actually become one of the continent's eight strongest. Ugh, it hurts.'
The only reason he could withstand it was his abnormally high recovery and defense. Any ordinary knight would have had their ribs shattered on the first hit.
Rachel, by contrast, was much easier to manage. When she exceeded her limits, she simply passed out.
Elena, on the other hand, was a monster. Her endurance grew so much that she no longer fainted, even when pushed beyond her limits.
When the forced mana cultivation session ended, Ghislain quickly distanced himself from Elena and said, "You're on your own now. You should be good enough. I'm done. You monster princess."
"Ugh…"
Elena glared at him from where she lay on the ground. She couldn't understand why she had to endure such pain.
Other noble daughters were living gracefully in the capital! Yet here she was, a princess, rolling around on the battlefield.
They called it the duty of a noble? Sure, it wasn't wrong, but it was driving her insane.
Elena channeled all her pent-up frustration into the Riftborn.
Boom!
She slammed her weapon, the Proclaimer of Destruction, into the ground and stared ahead.
Elena and Rachel had previously followed behind the knights, slowly gaining experience.
But not anymore. Ghislain had deemed them ready and placed them at the front alongside the knights.
Screeeeech!
A swarm of Riftborn surged toward her, but Elena wasn't afraid. In fact, her eyes burned with ferocity.
She needed an outlet for her overwhelming stress.
"Ahhhhhh!"
With a roar, she swung her massive hammer.
Boom!
Screeee—?!
The Riftborn charging toward her were obliterated in an instant.
[T/L: I am in dire need of support. I have adjusted the price of the chapters of The Regressed Mercenary's Machinations. Check them out! 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 ]