They watched them warily.
So murmured among themselves, exchanging comnts on the future of the rcenary group and Maxi's decisions.
Aveline, on the other hand, remained impassive.
She sat quietly on her white horse next to the brown horse ridden by Maxi.
Her gaze was focused on the horizon, no doubt imagining what might happen once she reached the capital.
One evening, as the camp was set up on the side of a hill, Jas turned to Maxi, who was leaning against a tree trunk, looking up at the starry sky.
"Chief, can I talk to you for a mont?"
"Please," Maxi replied simply, smiling.
"These guys, they're not like us, Maxi. They may have sworn to follow you, but their loyalty will probably only last a short ti. Do you really think we can trust them?"
Maxe glanced at the masked knights, who had gathered in a secluded spot, their swords carefully poised at the ready.
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on them. Like you, I'm aware that a blade can turn quickly."
But when they looked at the statistics of these new mbers, he sincerely thought it was worth it.
[Special Operations Group stats]
[Langus (knight at small success stage): Six-star potential. Physique: 3.5]
[Kaite (knight in early success stage): Six-star potential. Physique: 3,4]
[Apprentice knight (grand success stage): Five-star potential. Physique: 2.8]
[Apprentice knight (stage of great success): Five-star potential. Physical: 2.7]
[Apprentice knight (small success stage): Five-star potential. Physical: 2.5]
[Apprentice knight (small success stage): Five-star potential. Physical: 2.4]
[Apprentice knight (small success stage): Five-star potential. Physical: 2,3]
[Apprentice knight (small success stage): Five-star potential. Physical: 2,3]
[Apprentice knight (small success stage): Five-star potential. Physical: 2,3]
...
Seeing the two [6-star potentials] above a mass of [5-star potentials], Maxi was more than a little excited.
Not only were these n already very strong, but their potential was also monstrous.
It was as if he had drawn extrely rare cards from a deck, and not only had he been very lucky to have drawn them, but they had also already reached a high level!
With this, he had obtained many such strong n as Andrew, Charles, Ultia and Henry.
However, Andrew's potential may be slightly lower than theirs.
For the mont, his status as vice-chief was not in danger, but who's to say that in the future, rcenaries won't challenge him for this position.
In the Saber-toothed Tiger group, personal strength prevailed over everything else.
For its part, the system had for the ti being distinguished these individuals as a detachnt of the rcenary group, temporarily naming this detachnt [Special Operations Group].
As for a knight's physique, it generally ranged from 3 to 4 points.
It should be noted that, depending on the talent, vital seed awakening generally enabled a gain of 0.1 to 0.3 points in physique within a few months of the breakthrough.
So a newly-promoted knight who was talented generally reached 3.3 points less than 6 months after promotion.
For those less talented, it could take up to 2 years.
From 3.3 points onwards, a knight was in the minor success stage, 3.6 points designated a knight in the major success stage and 3.9 points a knight in the peak stage.
Almost all knights stopped at the grand success stage, as it was too difficult to progress beyond 3.6 physics points.
0.1 points could an years of battlefield riding.
Instead of risking their lives for so little, knights preferred to live out the rest of their lives in the glory, wealth and comfort that their strength brought.
For his part, Maxi's physique was at a knight's peak, but his fighting skills and experience were nowhere near that level.
As a result, his fighting strength was more at the level of a knight in the grand success stage.
The more knights progressed, the slower, if not impossible, their progress beca.
Indeed, breathing thods lost a great deal of their effectiveness once the knight stage was reached.
Very few could beco great knights without fighting on the battlefield.
So, generally speaking, all knights progressed by putting their lives at risk, as explained above.
So a knight's fighting power was generally very strong in all aspects.
Whether in terms of physique, technique, combat experience or war strategy, they were all true warriors.
Compared to Perceval, who had trained in seclusion all his life, the difference between him and a real knight was greater than between an adult and a child.
So Maxi was extrely happy to have two super warriors at his side from now on.
His security and power in this world had just skyrocketed.
"I can't wait to see Baron Barthon again. I won't even need to intervene, the strength of my n is now sufficient to rival his power."
Maxi hadn't forgotten that it was this baron who had wiped the village of Quessoi off the map and tried to kill them on several occasions.
He had also lost many talented rcenaries to this baron. The hatred between them had long been irreconcilable.
"And counting Baron Irut's help, there's nothing more to fear from him."
As they marched, the powerful masked recruits spoke little. The weight of their situation seed to weigh heavily on them.
Kaite was careful to maintain cohesion among them.
"Rember why we wear these masks," she murmured on the evening of the4th day's march, her eyes piercing the dim light of their fire.
"Our families are counting on us. One false step could cost them dearly. So don't do anything, stay focused and follow that rcenary's orders."
Kaite's words were a cruel but necessary reminder. Everyone here knew that their identity had to be kept secret at all costs.
Betrayal could be directly punished by the erasure of the person and their family for 3 generations.
The landscape gradually changed as they approached the capital. The austere plains of the south gave way to better-maintained roads, lined with groves and small villages.
On the sixth day, the forty-strong convoy reached its destination as planned.
Maxi, in the lead, kept a watchful eye on the horizon, while Aveline, although appearing calm, her fingers clenched on her horse's reins betrayed a certain nervousness.
He knew she must be dreading this marriage, but there was little he could do about it with the power he now possessed.
After all, he was still too weak to influence the ruling families of this kingdom.
But the atmosphere changed abruptly when, at a bend in the road, a squad of royal soldiers burst into view.
They ford an imposing line, their spears pointing skyward and their banners bearing the emblem of the Kingdom of the Frost Eagle flapping in the wind.
At their head stood a man in shining armor, mounted on a black steed.
His face was half-covered by a finely crafted helt, but the intensity of his blade-sharp gaze could be easily detected.
Maxi sensed from his position that this man was a knight, and that among knights he was certainly not weak.
Maxi began to wonder how common knights were in the royal capital for one of them to serve as a re patrol captain.
"Halt!" he thundered, raising his hand.
At the sa ti, the latter removed his helt and revealed his battle-hardened face.
Maxi pulled gently on his horse's reins, ordering his group to halt.
The rcenaries closed ranks around Aveline, while the new masked rcenaries remained motionless and silent.
The armored knight moved forward at pace, his soldiers holding their positions. When he stopped a few ters from Maxi, he swept his gaze over the group, stopping on Aveline and then on the masked individuals.
"I am Knight Garlan of the Royal Guard. Please state your identity."
"The Royal Guard?" thought Maxi, having never heard the na before.
Aveline saw his confusion and discreetly whispered:
"It's the guard that deals with anticipating and annihilating any threat that might co towards the capital. Their main job remains intelligence as well as the protection of mbers of the royal family, as the protection of the capital is the duty of the kingdom's regular armies supplented by the city garrison."
"It is said that in the royal guard their number is fixed at 500 n, but that they are all part of the elite among the elite."
"Among them, there would not be far from twenty knights."
"The commander-in-chief of the royal guard is a great knight."
Aveline's explanation cleared Maxi's mind, and he nodded in recognition.
"We are the Saber-toothed Tigers, a group of rcenaries from the south."
"Our mission is to escort Lady Aveline Ardan, daughter of Count Ardan here, to the royal capital."
Garlan squinted, his gaze shifting from Maxi to Aveline, then to the mysterious masked n behind them.
"And these masked n, who are they? Their presence is suspicious, especially on a road leading to the capital."
Maxi remained calm, although he could feel the tension rising among his n. Nobody liked to be suspected and questioned, least of all hot-blooded rcenaries.
Knowing that combat was becoming a habit for them. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire
With one victory after another, they weren't afraid of anyone as long as Maxi commanded them.
"These are mbers of my group, Chevalier Garlan. Their faces are covered for reasons that concern them alone. They pose no threat to the kingdom."
Garlan sneered, a harsh, contemptuous sound.
"In this kingdom, only traitors and cowards hide. The orders are clear: no masked individual may approach the capital."
"Remove those masks, or I'll arrest you all for concealing identity and threatening the kingdom."
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