Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 182

Chapter 182: Mercenary King and Queen
Serena’s POV:

As we arrived before the imposing gates of Fort Drakenfort, I ordered my soldiers to raise a white flag — a universal signal of truce and an invitation to negotiate. The battlefield, which moments ago was filled with the clamor of preparation, fell into a tense silence as all eyes turned toward the enemy fortress.

In response, the Mercenary King and Queen emerged from the towering stronghold. With a single leap, they descended from the battlements, landing with such force that the earth beneath them cracked and trembled. The sheer weight of their presence was overwhelming — an invisible pressure that bore down on everyone, even the most seasoned warriors. It was as if the battlefield itself held its breath.

Slowly and with purpose, they strode toward the center of the field, where we were to meet. I stepped forward alongside Theresa, chosen as my partner for this negotiation. Yet in truth, I did not completely trust her. There lingered the suspicion in my heart — that she could be one of the heroes who had once betrayed Naoki. Part of my reason for involving her in this meeting was to test her loyalty under pressure.

As we stood face to face with the Mercenary King and Queen, I could immediately sense it — their power was far beyond that of ordinary warriors. It wasn’t just their physical strength; their very aura radiated an intensity that threatened to suffocate. Even though they were suppressing their energy, it still leaked out like steam from a pressurized furnace, thick and crushing.

In my heart, I knew — these two were the strongest figures within the Mercenary Kingdom of Gildoria. Unlike our kingdom, which emphasizes balance between swordsmanship, magic, and strategy, Gildoria was built entirely around the mastery of battle aura. Their elite mercenaries, especially those of high rank, had long mastered what we call Forced Aura — a manifestation of fighting spirit that enhances physical capabilities to extreme levels.

I remembered clearly the warning I had once received from King Aslan when I was first dispatched to this region.

“Never underestimate the power of Gildoria,” he had said gravely. “Especially the Mercenary King and Queen. Their Forced Aura isn’t just high — it surpasses what we understand as the supreme level.”

I had been stunned at the time.

“Is there truly a level beyond Supreme Forced Aura?” I had asked. “We, the heroes of Braveheart, have trained our entire lives to reach the supreme class… we didn’t even know such a thing existed.”

King Aslan had nodded solemnly and explained that Gildoria had evolved differently. While other kingdoms pursued diverse branches of magic or technology, Gildoria focused solely on refining aura — their battle instincts honed like blades, their physical enhancements pushed beyond natural limits. Somehow, through intense and ancient training methods, they had broken past the barriers known to us.

He had warned me: the Forced Aura of the Mercenary King and Queen alone could rival the magic swordsmanship and divine-class magic of the Braveheart heroes.

King Aslan had also spoken of an older time, an age of unity — during the Great War against the Demon Kings led by Hiro von Blackmore. In that era, all the great powers of the continent had stood side by side:The first King of Braveheart, wielder of divine magic;The four founding families of Braveheart — Starlight, Flamemore, Winterfell, and Stormheim;The Mercenary King and Queen of Gildoria;The Mage King of Solara;And the ruling leaders of the Elves, Beastmen, and Dwarves from the Celestian continent.

Together, they formed a force so powerful it was able to seal away the Demon Kings. But time passed, and with each generation, old bonds faded. Unity turned into rivalry, and the once-allied powers fractured. Wars over territory, pride, and ideology ensued. Among those rifts, the Mercenary King and Queen became regular adversaries of Braveheart in Gildoria’s ambition to expand its influence.

Remembering all of this — King Aslan’s caution, the histories of ancient alliances turned sour — I knew I had to be exceptionally careful.

This was no ordinary meeting.

This was a confrontation with two living legends — warriors whose presence alone shook the battlefield, whose strength had once helped shape the fate of the world. And now, they stood before me, unreadable, unyielding.

What would they demand? What did they seek?Peace… or war?

…

As Theresia and I finally stood before the Mercenary King and Queen, the air grew dense with tension. The battlefield fell into a heavy silence as our eyes locked onto theirs. I straightened my back, lifted my chin, and took the first step in the negotiation.

“Greetings, Mercenary King and Queen. I am Serena von Winterfell, and this is Theresia von Stormheim. We are Heroes of the Braveheart Kingdom. We come to you today seeking negotiation—to bring an end to this war.”

For a moment, they said nothing. Their cold, piercing gazes stabbed through us like blades. Then, after a brief silence, the Mercenary King spoke in a deep, commanding voice.

“I am Yunho Draven, Mercenary King of the Kingdom of Gildoria,” he declared without emotion.

“Mina Draven, the Mercenary Queen,” she followed, her eyes sharp and unblinking.

“What do you want from this negotiation?” Mina snapped. “If it’s nothing of value… I’ll crush you all myself.”

Her tone dripped with menace, and though my blood boiled at the insult, I forced myself to stay composed. From the corner of my eye, I saw Theresia’s hand twitch toward her bow. I quickly shook my head, silently urging her to stay calm.

I took a breath and answered, “We seek peace. This war serves no one. As we speak, the eastern borders of our kingdom are under siege by demonic forces. We cannot afford this conflict.”

“Demons, you say?” Mina sneered. “Then you’re getting exactly what you deserve.”

“You have no right to ask for peace after what your kingdom has done,” Yunho added, glaring at me with fury simmering behind his eyes.

His words threw me off balance. I furrowed my brow. “What are you talking about? What have we done?”

“DON’T PRETEND YOU DON’T KNOW!” Yunho’s voice suddenly roared like thunder, his aura flaring with rage.

“The Red Demon Elixir!” he spat. “Knights and merchants from Braveheart smuggled it into Gildoria. That cursed substance allowed demons to possess our mercenaries, turning them into monsters who slaughtered their own comrades!”

My heart froze.

“That night… the Red Night Massacre just last month… It was one of the most horrifying slaughters in our history. Hundreds of mercenaries fell to corruption and attacked innocent civilians,” Yunho continued, his voice shaking with restrained grief. “We caught the ones responsible. They were Braveheart knights. They confessed—said it was a planned operation. An act of sabotage to weaken Gildoria from within.”

His words struck me like a blade. I could see it in his eyes—this wasn’t political posturing. He truly believed we had done this.

“There will be no negotiation,” Mina hissed, her voice like ice. “We will wipe Braveheart off the map!”

In a flash, she lunged forward, spear in hand, blazing with violent intent.

“Shut your mouths… and die!”

She unleashed her Forced Aura and rocketed toward me. Reacting instinctively, I summoned my twin frostblades and crossed them just in time to deflect her deadly thrust. I didn’t want this to escalate. I still hoped we could reason with them.

But they weren’t listening.

Theresia quickly loosed an arrow from her bow, invoking one of her signature skills:[Stormheim Archery: Piercing Arrow!]A bolt of lightning shot from her bow, fast and sharp enough to punch through magical defenses.

I countered Mina’s assault with my own skill:[Winterfell Swordsmanship: Winter Embrace!]I channeled my magic into my blades, sending frost spreading outwards in a wide arc, encasing Mina’s spear and freezing the air around her.

Just as Theresia’s lightning arrow was about to strike her—Yunho appeared.

In a blink, the Mercenary King had moved. He raised his massive shield and slammed it into me with overwhelming force. I was sent flying across the ground, crashing into the frozen earth. The next moment, he effortlessly blocked Theresia’s arrow with his shield.

He stood like an unshakable mountain — his Forced Aura fortifying his body like an iron fortress. He was a bastion of strength, radiating power and discipline.

Then, Yunho raised his sword to the sky. His aura surged, spreading outward like a wave. The very air quivered.

And then he shouted:

“WARRIORS OF GILDORIA! FIGHT TO THE LAST DROP OF BLOOD!”

The morale of the mercenary army erupted. A thunderous roar came from the walls of the fortress as soldiers flooded onto the battlefield, their auras igniting like torches.

I clenched my fists. The negotiation had failed. But more than that—something didn’t sit right.

The red elixir… Braveheart knights… It didn’t make sense. We’d never approved something like that. Could this have been the work of the demons? A plot to pit us against each other?

Still… even if that was true, they no longer cared. They were too blinded by rage and grief.

With a heavy heart, I made my decision.

I bit my lip, then shouted with all my strength, “ALL KNIGHT DIVISIONS — ATTACK!”

My knights surged forward at my command, charging into battle. The battlefield erupted into chaos once again. What was once a chance for peace… had now become a war with no turning back.

…

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