"I'm just savoring this mont. We've been hiding out in this Kingdom together for almost a year now." Ernest continued amusingly, but his eyes betrayed his nostalgia.
"I would love to see your family's reaction if they saw your talent."
Rodrigo did not react imdiately. His gaze remained fixed on the horizon, his expression indecipherable.
"It won't change anything whether he knows it or not. I would even suffer more contempt from my brothers."
Ernest smiled bitterly when he heard this.
"But just a few years ago, no one would have bet on you. , maybe, because I always knew we were destined for sothing greater... But the others? They never would have imagined that the 'incapable prince' would hide such a legacy within him."
Rodrigo glanced at Ernest.
"Who are you calling an incapable prince? Even if I am one, I am certainly not the only one here."
Ernest pretended to be offended.
"Ouch. But it's true."
A silence fell. Then Rodrigo resud, his voice deeper:
"Do you rember that day?"
Ernest's smile faded slightly. He didn't need to ask which day he was talking about.
"How could we forget it?"
Rodrigo shifted his gaze to the horizon.
"We were standing there in that big hall. Our fathers were discussing politics, our brothers and cousins were exchanging flattery with each other... and we were just... there."
"Useless." Ernest added with a bitter laugh.
Rodrigo nodded.
"That's what we were. Two heirs with no talent, no future. They barely tolerated us because of our blood, but deep down, we were already dood to be cast aside."
Ernest briefly closed his eyes, reliving the scene. Then he smiled again, more gently this ti.
"It's funny when you think about it. We could have stayed there and endured that life... But that night, we made a choice."
Rodrigo smiled wistfully.
"We escaped."
"And we ran without ever looking back." Ernest concluded.
Silence fell once more, heavier this ti. They had fled their respective kingdoms, abandoned their titles, their nas...
All this to find themselves in a country where nobody knew them, where they were no longer despised princes, but just two strangers seeking a new future.
And yet...
Rodrigo looked down at his hand. With a thought, earth appeared in his hands.
At first malleable, he could harden it and manipulate it at will.
"And now... here I am, bearer of the power of the founding King."
Ernest burst out laughing, breaking the tension.
"That's the funny thing! Your whole family has spent generations hoping for a descendant with the powers of the founding king... and it's you, the good-for-nothing, who ended up inheriting that power!"
Rodrigo sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Are you really going to make fun of for much longer?"
"Of course!" Ernest replied with a laugh.
"With all the other rcenaries around, it's so hard to outwit you. So don't worry, I cherish every mont I can outwit you."
Rodrigo shook his head with a slight smile. But deep down, he knew that despite Ernest's mockery, Ernest, like him, had trouble knowing what he really hoped to accomplish in this life.
And above all...
If he had awakened a dormant power... then what about Ernest?
Perhaps he was also hiding a powerful talent?
He didn't know that Maxi had detected this power in him from the start. But Ernest, on the contrary, really had no apparent talent.
Of course, a certain Liam had made a na for himself in the rcenary group by confronting, alone, the captain of the eighth Dravak regint.
A feat that no other rcenary could copy.
"If the boss knew about our origins, how do you think he'd react?" asked Ernest with curious eyes.
"He'd certainly be surprised, wouldn't he?"
Rodrigo shook his head.
"You should know the boss a little by now. He clearly wouldn't care."
Ernest laughed out loud.
"That's true. This guy only cares about how to improve his strength. Everything else is superfluous in his eyes."
Rodrigo gave Ernest a slight look, as if to see if he was really serious about what he was saying.
"You're exaggerating. Our boss is much more complex than that."
Ernest raised an eyebrow when he heard Rodrigo's words.
"How is our boss complex? This guy is clearly attached to a few values and all his decisions revolve around these values."
But Rodrigo still didn't agree.
"If he hadn't forced you to wield the sword, you would have been dead a long ti ago, and we wouldn't be talking peacefully here."
Speaking of death, Rodrigo had a dark look.
That night, while defending Plouta, so many of their comrades had died... including soone who was very close to him.
Removing the image of the old bandit from his mind, Rodrigo flashed a slight mocking smile as he thought of sothing.
"It's rather funny, by the way, that he managed to get you to wield the sword, where all the instructors in the kingdom and even the famous master swordsman 'Teran Lania' considered you a hopeless case."
While the two argued and laughed together, the group of rcenaries continued to walk.
Each of Maxi's n had his own story, but also his own aspirations for the future.
If they weren't dreaming, none of them would be here betting their own lives and putting them in the hands of an 18-year-old.
Two days later.
The saber-toothed tigers finally arrived in Lapi.
The city was bustling, as always, and the rcenaries' presence did not go unnoticed. The guards recognized them imdiately and granted them access without asking any questions.
Count Ardan's mansion stood in the center of the city, imposing and refined. However, upon their arrival, they found the place strangely quiet.
"He's not here," said one of the servants, bowing respectfully to Maxi.
Maxi raised an eyebrow.
"Where is he then?"
"Still at the Purple Knights Academy, sir. He hasn't been back for several days."
Aveline stepped forward, frowning.
"That's strange, father never stayed at the Academy for so long for no reason. Sothing must have happened."
Maxi naturally heard Aveline's words and took them very seriously.
"All right, guys, let's hurry up and go to the Purple Knights Academy."
Without wasting a mont, the group of about forty people set off again in the direction of the academy.
About ten minutes later, just as they approached the huge gates of the Purple Knights Academy, an unexpected sight appeared in the sky.
Imposing griffins were hovering above them, their majestic wings spread wide, tracing circles in the air. Their cries pierced the atmosphere, but they were not cries of hunting or threat.
No... these imposing creatures seed to be having fun with each other.
But Aveline did not see the beauty of the spectacle. Her face had frozen as soon as she had recognized the gold and azure harnesses that adorned these creatures.
"Those griffins..."
Maxi, who had noticed her change of expression, turned his head towards her.
"What's wrong?"
"They're from the Kingdom's air force," said Aveline, very surprised.
The Kingdom's air force was an elite army. Most of the strongest knights in the Kingdom were in it.
This was because to join the army, you had to be a knight. Without that level of strength, it was definitely impossible to be part of it.
At these words, several rcenaries exchanged glances.
"The air army? Why would the kingdom's elite be here?" Laura asked, frowning.
"Probably to help the count repel the orcs." Maxi replied calmly.
But when he looked at those griffins, he felt a twinge of envy.
"How great would it be if I could ta just one of them?" he thought to himself.
At the sa ti, he looked at his new 'bestiality' stat.
"This statistic defines the number of animals with which I can form bonds. So maybe one day I could also form an air army as imposing as the king's?"
"Or even a dragon army?"
"That would definitely be incredible."
Maxi couldn't help but daydream a little as he continued walking.
Without further ado, the group entered the Academy grounds. The guards posted at the entrance recognized them imdiately, although their eyes lingered on the dozen or so n in black masks walking silently at the back.
But they did not dare to block their way.
Maxi and his group of rcenaries had a very good reputation in the area, and particularly at the academy.
Once inside, they spotted so familiar faces training nearby.
The latter noticed the arrival of new people, then turning, so of them smiled in recognition.
"Maxi!" ca a cheerful voice.
Tomas, Théo, Lila and Caleb approached them, enthusiasm etched on their faces.
All of them were apprentice knights, and above all comrades who had fought alongside the Saber-toothed Tigers against the orcs.
At the sa ti, they bowed slightly to Aveline. She was the count's daughter, and as they reported directly to the count, they could not disrespect her.
"You've co at just the right ti, there are so very interesting things happening at the academy right now!" added Lila with a big smile.
Maxi didn't reply imdiately.
In fact, a familiar figure appeared in front of them.
"Professor Alaric."
While saying this, Maxi bowed slightly towards him.
As well as being the best instructor at the Purple Knights academy, and one of the most powerful knights in the Kingdom, he had been his private teacher for several days. It was even thanks to him that his swordplay had reached level 3 a month earlier.
His piercing gaze scanned the group, and imdiately a look of astonishnt crossed his face.
He knew most of these rcenaries well. He had himself observed them fighting duels and training with the students of the academy... but today, they were unrecognizable.
The atmosphere around them was heavy, suffocating. They no longer walked like ordinary rcenaries, but like predators ready to pounce.
Even he, Alaric, one of the most powerful knights of the Kingdom of the Frost Eagle, felt a twinge of apprehension as he watched them.
He particularly noticed two beings wearing black masks who, as far as he could tell, should be no weaker than he was.
He also noticed no fewer than seven individuals who had surpassed the strength of an apprentice knight at the peak stage.
But sothing was eluding him, as if these individuals did not have sothing very important.
So, although they gave off a sense of threat, it was slight in comparison with the two existences wearing black masks.
And finally, he looked at Maxi.
And... he could feel nothing more when observing him.
This could only an one thing: the student had surpassed the master.
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In his entire career, this had almost never happened.
How had he done it in such a short space of ti? Normally, it would have taken at least several years to reach his level, even with excellent knightly talent and opportunities.
"These rcenaries... what have they been through to get here?"
But he ended up greeting them.
"Hello Maxi and hello to you all."
"Professor, we have returned from our mission. Can you tell us where the count is?" Maxi asked imdiately.
He didn't want to waste any ti here and rush to Mount Kadis.
Alaric stared at him for a mont, then replied:
"The count... He is with the King and the Royal Guard."
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