"The losses would outweigh the gains."
"In any case they are rcenaries, so as long as the price is sufficient we can recruit them easily without suffering losses."
"We'll quickly regain our investnt once Baron Barthon is defeated and his domain reclaid."
As his own soldiers, but also the blond-haired young man and his rcenaries watched him, Ron made his decision.
"Everyone out of here, please," Ron announced.
His n acted directly, while the saber-toothed tigers looked at Maxi, who nodded in their direction, asking them to obey.
Sensing Ron's intentions, Maxi asked for two chairs and a table.
A few minutes later, Ron and Maxi stood face to face around a small, dilapidated wooden table.
Ron's chair was particularly creaky under the weight of his body and armor.
"I apologize for the 200 gold coins I offered you a few days ago, but I underestimated the strength of your group," Ron began.
After a few seconds' hesitation, he added:
"Especially yours."
Maxi wasn't particularly offended, and simply smiled in response.
"I'd like to recruit your rcenary group to attack Baron Barthon," Ron declared, getting straight to the point.
Maxi straightened up and looked Ron directly in the eye.
"So now, how much is our rcenary group worth to you?" he asked with force in his eyes.
Despite the youth of the man in front of him, Ron didn't dare spoil things.
First he asked:
"How strong is the saber-toothed tiger group right now?"
Maxi thought for a few seconds, adapting his vocabulary to this world.
"In total my count is 63 rcenaries including myself, I'm not counting here the personnel dealing with logistics."
"Concerning the exact strength, we have 20 rcenaries reaching the level of elite soldier."
An elite soldier could be designated as such once he reached a physique of 1.5.
Of course, Maxi remained conservative and didn't expose his full strength directly.
Ron knew this too, but as long as the estimate was correct, it didn't matter.
In any case, reality wouldn't change too much since this would be detrintal to Maxi in negotiations.
He also knew he had a closed card with his talent in case things went wrong.
Otherwise, the news that a group of non-renowned rcenaries was almost half-full of n at the level of elite soldiers might shock Ron.
And that counted the bandits' recent integration, otherwise everyone would have been at elite soldier level at the very least.
"I have 6 rcenaries reaching the level of an apprentice knight."
Here, Maxi decided to tell the truth, since it was this number that was most important for the negotiations.
To be considered an apprentice knight, you had to have at least 2 physical points.
For example, Jorgi, who commanded so of the bandits, was at this level.
Among the apprentice knights were Andrew, Romuald, Tena, Ernest, Laura and Organ.
On hearing this, Ron's eyes widened in surprise, and he rose almost imdiately from his chair.
He had to know that even among all his soldiers there were only 2 who had the level of an apprentice knight.
And Ron knew that among all the Baron's troops, there were less than 15 apprentice knights!
Indeed, the talent to beco a knight was rare!
But the most shocking part hadn't been said yet.
"Concerning my strength...I'm at the peak stage of the apprentice knight," Maxi declared.
The difference between an apprentice knight with 2 physique points and 3 physique points is considerable.
So, depending on physique, the apprentice knight can be divided into several stages:
Entry (2 ~ 2,3),
Small success (2,3~2,6),
Grand success (2,6~2,9),
Peak (2,9~).
It was possible to beco a knight with 3 or more physics points, but it was complicated to beco a knight with only 3 physics points.
Generally speaking, apprentice knights awakened their vital seed at around 3.2 or even 3.3 physical points.
It seed preferable to do it this way, as after reaching the knight stage, the breathing thod generally lost much of its effect on strengthening the body.
So to have a chance of one day reaching the grand knight stage, many knights strengthened their bodies by riding the battlefields to stimulate their vital seed.
His actual stats are at the level of an apprentice knight at the stage of great success with a physique of 2.75 points, but thanks to class bonuses he reaches an impressive score of 2.97 points.
It was thanks to this physique that he was able to fend off Ron, even though the latter hadn't used all his strength.
And if he's holding a sword, he can have a physique reaching a surprising 3.27 physique points.
"But if we're talking in rcenary language, I'm a four-star rcenary at the peak."
Although Ron had already guessed it, he was still surprised by Maxi's words.
And it was in the case of Maxi remaining modest, if he took into account the active effect of his talent, he could crush the majority of knights.
But this remained Maxi's closed card, he would never promote it and would make sure it remained a secret.
"Damn, this guy's not far off the level of the capital's monstrous geniuses..." thought Ron, reacting to Maxi's words.
"Could he be the illegitimate son of a marquis or a duke?"
Coming to his senses, Ron made a few ntal calculations, then said:
"800 gold coins and free housing for your troops for 2 years in Hypocamp?"
Hypocamp being Baron Irut's main town and also his ho town.
In Ron's mind, the free accommodation would mainly enable the rcenary group to stay on his territory and thus beco a force affiliated to Baron Irut after a certain period of ti.
Maxi smiled, then said:
"Ok for the 800 gold coins and the free housing, but I'd also like Baron Berthon's breathing thod."
"Impossible!" exclaid Chevalier Ron directly.
"Why not?" asked Maxi calmly.
"The breathing thod is a thod reserved for the nobility only, if anyone discovers that a commoner is secretly practicing it, everyone involved in the affair will be prosecuted by the royal knights!"
Obviously Maxi knew this. Even any educated person in this world knew it, since the breathing thod represented the royal family's control of the kingdom.
No one was allowed to practice the breathing thod unless they had sworn allegiance to a noble family.
"Well, then I wouldn't be too greedy and I'd only ask for 1,500 gold coins and free housing for all the saber-toothed tigers for 2 years," Maxi declared gently but at the sa ti with a certain firmness.
This strategy made it harder for Ron to negotiate, but at the sa ti, he wasn't surprised by Maxi's staggering demands.
What could be more disconcerting and surprising than the demand for a breathing thod?
Baron Irut's net profit was around 500 gold coins a year.
After all, the territory's revenues were substantial, but so were its expenses.
It was good enough to be able to put aside 500 gold coins in a year.
So Maxi's request represented 3 years' savings from Baron Irut's territory.
"The help of their rcenary group could really prevent us from any unforeseen accidents and deal with various situations we wouldn't have anticipated in our plans."
"However, with so much money we could also invest it in weapons, armor or even to borrow a knight from a viscount."
"But revealing our plan to noble forces could bring about so very important variables in our plan."
"A nobleman's greed is endless."
"Investing in a rcenary group provides both short-term strength without increasing the risks of the plan."
While Ron pondered, Maxi waited patiently.
After a few minutes' consideration, Ron made his decision.
"800 gold coins and we'll have a dwelling built for you large enough to accommodate and feed 200 people with a plot of land large enough to train as many people."
It was Maxi's turn to be surprised.
It was extrely rare for a nobleman to offer land to a commoner; it might even be considered a sin to do so in this world.
Maxi pretended to think for a long mont, to give the impression that Chevalier Ron's offer wasn't too high.
But on the inside, he was extrely excited: these 800 gold coins were his ticket to the greatest universities in the country!
"I agree to the offer, but ask for a down paynt of 200 gold coins," Maxi finally replied, after completely suppressing his excitent.
Ron didn't think long and accepted.
"Now let's talk well, let's talk little.Tell all about your plan."
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