The Regression Of A Grand Mercenary

“.…” a few hours has passed since I killed the dragon.

And right now, I was sitting in the kitchen table while my family, my brothers and sisters were sitting in front of me, waiting for some kind of answer that I could give them.

It was silent.

Nerve wracking really…

And I can understand why their acting like this.

To them, all their lives, they thought of their brother as nothing more than a simple boy just like the rest…but out of nowhere, he showed tremendous strength that broke the very image they had of me.

They must be confused right now…and I can’t blame them.

“…” more than anything, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything.

I didn’t know what to say really…

“…A-…Hmm, tell us something. Please.”

“…What do I have to say?” I said.

“Tell us how? How can you do those things? Since when did it start?”

“…”

“For all the times we’ve lived with each other, I…I never thought that you were like this. You hid your strength…you had this unknown power…it makes it hard to believe if whether or not you’re actually our brother.”

“!?” feeling scared by her statement, I quickly stood up from the table out of shock.

To think that Theresa would actually say such a thing.

“I-I am your brother! Please don’t say something so hurtful!” I said as I felt attacked…but I couldn’t blame them.

“…Since mom and dad died, a lot of things has changed. I thought it was weird that despite all our losses, we were somehow keeping ourselves together…and it was mostly because of you.”

“…”

“I know for a fact that you were never good at being a blacksmith…even just a day before dad was at his deathbed, you were never better or even a decent blacksmith then…but now, after the plague, you changed so much. So much so that I couldn’t even really believe if you were actually my brother.”

“But I am! I am your brother…”

“Then tell us how?! Why have you changed so much?”

“…I-” was this the time? Should I tell them that I came back from the future?…would they even believe it…no…I don’t have anymore cards to play in this moment. If I want to convince my sisters, I have to tell them no matter how bizarre it may be.

“…The truth is…I-”

{Dont.}

“!?”

For but a quick moment, I felt a sense of dread.

‘What was that?’

I know I felt it…it was cold…depressing…but also…divine.

What was that sense of anxiety I just felt?

‘Maybe it’s nothing.’

“Theresa, the truth is that I c-”

*Bzz-!*

{Dont!}

“!?” it was louder…a buzzing sound?

‘What was that?’

What is going on?

Feeling a bit of anxiety, I tried looking around the room, but I couldn’t sense anything that was a form of threat.

‘Was I imagining it?’

“What’s wrong? You look pale…” asked Theresa as she looked to me with a worrying expression.

“…I…I need a minute.” feeling a sense of dread, I walked out of my home and down to the road.

“..?!” my hands, they were shaking in fear.

‘What is this…what is going on?’

As I continued walking, all of a sudden, I felt it.

“!!” when I looked before the road, I could see it.

A person dressed in a black robe. With his face covered by a veil that made it impossible to reveal his expression…

‘Who is this man?’

As I got closer, it was there that I recognized it.

‘…Divine power?’

Before I knew it, the person dressed in a black robe suddenly disappeared from my sight, but I could feel his presence appear behind me.

{Hello, Thill Cicial.}

“…” He knows me…but who is he?

{I made the world stop turning.}

As he said this, I could feel it. Time has stopped.

The birds were seen still in the air, the trees were no longer swaying by the wind and I couldn’t move my body, but I could feel a sense of power around my lips.

“Who are you?” I asked.

{I am the one responsible for bringing you back to the past.}

“This power…it’s divine power. You are a God aren’t you?”

{In some ways, I am near that of a God. But only one God exist to rule this world, I am not one to be so powerful.}

“Then what are you?”

{I am the one who holds the Ten Grand Ambitions of the world.}

“The Ten Grand Ambitions?!”

The Ten Grand Ambitions.

Found throughout the ten wonders of the world, each was said to be a mythical form of wonder that no normal mortal could ever achieve to claim. From kings to continental empires, not a single one was able to claim even a single piece of the ten grand ambitions. For they were guarded by the ten grandest dragons. The most dangerous of monsters to ever exist in the world.

In my past life, I took on the challenge of defeating the Glacial Dragon which was one of the ten grand dragons to rule the world. To my victory, it costed me my life.

I had no wish in claiming the ambition, only that I claim the head of the dragon myself.

So for that case, this divine being that stands before me today must be here because of what I have done in the past.

“…I didn’t claim the ambition.” I said.

{You may think that, but no. You have claimed the ambition.}

“Wha- How is that possible? I never claimed anything once I killed the Glacial Dragon.”

{The Ten Ambitions are only ever granted to those who are worthy enough to surpass the guardians of each. For you who claimed the life of the Glacial Dragon is worthy of the ambition.}

“…If that is the case, does that mean that the reason I went back into the past was because of the grand ambition?”

{Yes, the ambition works in only one wonder of function. To grant the deepest wish of the champion’s heart. Your heart, in all honor of life has wished to be regressed to the past to fix the wrongs you’ve made…}

“I see…that makes sense I guess. But why are you here?” I asked.

{To warn you that you must never reveal to anyone that you are a Regressor.}

“What happens if my identity is revealed?”

{Then your ambition will be ruined and the entire world will fall apart.}

“Does that even make sense?”

{It may seem complicated to the eyes of a mortal, but the grand ambitions works in ways one man can never learn to understand even to his death. Revealing yourself to the world as a man from the future is but the start of the world’s end.}

“I see…if that is the case, I’ll make sure to never reveal the truth.”

{Good.}

“But I have a question. Because I returned to the past when obtaining the ambition guarded by the Glacial Dragon, Did it affect the very nature of common sense of the world? Because I returned, are the ten ambitions…still the ten ambitions?”

{A grand question…yes, it has been affected. Because of your return, what the world used to know of it being the Ten ambitions have now reclined to being the Nine ambitions. Each deep wish granted by the ambitions have a deep lasting effect on the world. If one were to wish to being the ruler of the world, it will ultimately change some aspects of the world to fit his wish. Because of your ambition, the world has ultimately fixed itself to fit you in your own ambition.}

“…Then what about the Glacial Dragon? With it’s purpose gone from being a guardian, where is it now?”

{It still resides in the north mountain. Slumbering about… But do not worry yourself with such a contentious thought, simply keep your end of the contract which is to not reveal the truth of yourself to the world.}

“…I understand.”

{.…Farewell Thill Cicial, may we never meet again.}

As the divine man faded into the light, I was left alone on the streets with the world turning back to its normal state.

‘…So I came back because of the ten ambitions. Now it all makes sense.’

But even so, my thoughts about this issue faded and I came back to the realization.

What can I tell my family about me?

I needed to clear my head.

So I went to the forest where I would usual train my body. As I arrived, I started moving my body.

10,000 perfect swings, 1,000 squats, 1,000 push-ups, 1,000 Sit Ups and a 20km run.

I’ve been doing this for every day I had the time. It becomes a form of meditation for me…

But even as I did my usual workout, I could never find an answer on what to say to my family.

After I ended my workout, it was already midnight.

“…Fuck.”

Making my way home, I noticed that by my home, I found Evelyn standing by my doorstep.

“I’ve taken care of the dragon’s corpse.” she said as she approached me with a kind smile.

“…Thank you.”

After defeating the dragon, Evelyn came by my side and insisted on helping me.

With all the commotion going on after the dragon’s defeat, I couldn’t handle the mess on my own, so I gladly accepted their help.

“By morning, a few carriages will come by and take away the corpse. It won’t be long now before this whole situation will settle.”

“I can’t thank you enough for your help Evelyn.”

“Please, it was nothing really. Instead, what I’m more worried about are the authorities.”

“I see…”

“Sooner or later, the kingdom will take action in investigating this issue with the dragon. It’s best that we keep our stories straight if we want to have this entire situation end as soon as possible. As long as we’re honest, nothing bad will happen.”

“Okay, have anything else happened to you while you were handling the corpse?”

“Well, the village elder did approach me and ask me about the one responsible for defeating the dragon. It seems some of the villagers witnessed your actions and from my guess, it seems your family also saw you take action.”

“Hmm, I don’t really what to say in front of them. What can I say?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve never showed this side of myself to my family before. Now that I did, their doubting on whether or not I’m actually who I say I am.”

“Oh…so what will you do?”

“I don’t know.”

As Evelyn stood beside me, her warm presence eased the tension, if only a little. She didn’t press for answers, only watched with a soft gaze, as if to say she’d support me no matter what. I knew she could sense my frustration and the distance growing between me and my family. But even with her there, the weight of it all remained.

“I… I need to speak with them,” I murmured, almost to myself. “They deserve to hear something. Maybe not the full truth, but something…”

Evelyn nodded. “They’re waiting for you, Thill. And I think whatever you choose to tell them…they’ll understand, in time.”

With a sigh, I stepped past her, toward the door. It felt like stepping into a battlefield, each step heavier than the last.

Inside, I found my siblings in various states of restlessness. Theresa sat at the table, her brow furrowed in deep thought, while Thomas leaned against the wall, arms crossed and gaze locked on the floor. Tilly and Thalia were huddled together, whispering nervously, casting the occasional glance in my direction. And Theodore, my youngest brother, was found sitting by the stairs.

“Everyone,” I began, trying to summon a voice that wouldn’t betray my uncertainty.

Theresa looked up, her hazel eyes sharp and watchful. “Thill…we’re still your family. We just want to understand.”

“Then please, understand this: I’ve changed, yes. And there are things that even I’m not entirely sure about,” I said, carefully choosing my words. “But I’ll never be anyone other than your brother.”

“But how can we believe that?” Thomas asked, his tone hard but not unkind. “We’ve all seen what you can do—things no one here could dream of doing.”

A strange calm settled over me, maybe because I knew this conversation couldn’t be delayed any longer. “I’ve trained.” I answered simply.

“When we lost our parents, I didn’t know how else to go on. It simply ruined my personality going forward…and after that, the idea came of losing all of you. Once that thought came to mind, it only strengthened my resolve. All I could think to do was on how to make myself stronger….to find a way to keep you all safe.”

“…” Theresa looked to me as I showed a sign of truth in my words. My words may not be the whole truth, but it showed an honesty that I have been building on since the day I lost them in the past.

The silence that followed felt endless.

“I just can’t…I can’t lose you guys…I can’t.”

“…brother”, it was Tilly who broke it with her small voice.

“We won’t ever leave you…we love you.” she said as she approached me, embracing me with her small stature. She may be small, but her heart was bigger than anything that I have felt.

She embraced me…my little sister embraced me. As she did, a certain flashback of her dying corpse was found in the back of my mind…

I felt so terrified by it that I couldn’t help but shed a tear…

Why did I lose them then…

Why…

Tears keep falling and my body trembled uncontrollably…

But even so, I gently caressed my little sister and her small stature. She kept my heart feel full in this time of devastation.

***

Watching his tears fall down, Theresa could only feel the genuine emotion he showed.

Despite the strength he showed, he was more vulnerable than anyone here right now.

In turn of his crying state, she too shed a tear.

She now realized that her brother was just doing what was needed to be done. He wished for his family to be kept safe, so he trained, he gained power…

Maybe hiding a little lie wasn’t so much of an issue.

As she could see the state he was in, she couldn’t help but approach him. And she embraced him with the thought of comforting him.

And soon came followed the others. They surrounded Thill and embraced him.

With so much love being poured out, it has been a while since this family has been this close. To all of them, this would be a night that they would not forget.