"And that's precisely why we can't fail that every step must be carefully calculated."
As they chatted, Ernest entered the tent, his bow strapped securely to his back. Enjoy exclusive chapters from My Virtual Library Empire
At his belt, a sheath housed his sword.
Although he had made significant progress in the art of sword fighting, he wasn't ready to give up his bow. With it, he could accomplish things that the sword couldn't, and the bow held inestimable sentintal value for him.
With a quick glance, he assessed Maxi and Laura.
"You look preoccupied. Is sothing going on?" he asked matter-of-factly.
Maxi looked up at him, a discreet smile on his lips.
"Nothing to worry about. We're just getting ready to head south."
Ernest frowned, a gleam of skepticism in his eyes.
"Have you thought about the distance? How long a walk is that? Not to ntion the strength of the orcs and what our allies can really bring?"
Maxi replied with a soothing smile, which allayed Ernest's concern a little.
"Absolutely not," he said with a touch of irony.
Ernest sighed deeply.
"It's far too chaotic..." he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else.
"We do have a plan, though," Maxi replied, visibly more sure of himself.
Laura and Ernest exchanged a glance, before staring again at Maxi, eager to listen attentively.
Maxi, having obviously already thought everything through to the last detail, continued:
"To begin with, we'll be taking only the elite with us. Twenty n at most."
Ernest nodded as Maxi continued.
"The rest of the troops aren't ready yet. There's no point in sending them to the slaughterhouse when they can still make rapid progress with a little more training. Besides, in a vast battlefield like the one ahead of us, having too many people would only make us more visible to the enemy. We'd risk attracting them unnecessarily while slowing our progress."
Maxi paused, glancing confidently at Laura and Ernest.
"And there's another advantage to leaving our troops here."
Laura frowned slightly, intrigued. Maxi continued in a calm but determined tone:
"By leaving a garrison in Plouta, the village will remain protected. This way, Baron Barthon won't take the risk of launching a hasty attack if the village is still well guarded."
He let a brief silence settle before concluding:
"We can entrust the managent of the situation to Killian in our absence. In the event of an attack, agile and hardy rcenaries will be able to quickly warn Knight Ron."
Ernest remained silent for a mont before replying.
"So be it, as long as you know what you're doing."
As the conversation between Maxi, Ernest and Laura drew to a close, a slight noise was heard in the doorway. Ernest imdiately turned his head, still on guard, while Maxi squinted, intrigued.
The wooden door opened softly, revealing two familiar figures: Henry and Ultia, two of Baron Irut's young apprentice knights.
Maxi watched them curiously.
"Henry, Ultia... what are you doing here?"
Henry, the first to step forward, held Maxi's gaze without flinching.
"We've thought long and hard," he began, his voice full of determination.
"And we've co to a decision. We want to join the Sabertooth Tigers."
Maxi crossed his arms, wary.
"You want to leave Baron Irut to join us? You know that the life of a rcenary is far riskier than that of an apprentice knight. What drives you to make such a choice?"
Ultia, more reserved but just as determined, spoke up in turn.
"We've seen what you can do. It's not just about fighting or battles."
She stared at Maxi, her gaze piercing.
"It's because of you, Maxi. We know you have a special talent. A talent that could make us stronger."
Maxi raised an eyebrow slightly.
"My talent?" he said, feigning surprise.
Henry took another step forward, his eyes shining with ambition.
"We've seen with our own eyes ordinary people quickly beco stronger just after joining your rcenary group. And we want to get stronger too."
Ernest, who until then had been watching in silence, leaned forward slightly, intrigued.
"So you think Maxi can offer you more than Baron Irut?"
Ultia spoke up.
"We've learned all we can in the Baron's service, and despite our titles as geniuses, we know that our talents will allow us at most to beco knights, and even then, the odds are still against us."
"But Maxi, you and your group have sothing different. If we want to go beyond our limits, we feel this is the place to do it, with you."
Maxi remained silent for a mont, asuring their words.
Laura, who had been watching the scene with growing interest, finally spoke up.
"You know it's not that simple. Just because you join our group doesn't an you'll beco stronger overnight. There's a price to pay, sacrifices to be made."
Henry nodded without hesitation.
"We know that. But we're willing to do anything to go beyond our limits."
Ultia added, her tone serious:
"Baron Irut trained us, but he can't give us what you can. We've seen what you're capable of, and we want to fight alongside you."
Maxi stared at them for a long mont, assessing their sincerity.
The gleam of determination in their eyes was undeniable, but he knew this path wasn't for everyone. Being a rcenary, especially with the Saber-Toothed Tigers, was more than just a career choice.
It was a total commitnt, a way of life where every decision could be a matter of life and death.
Finally, Maxi took a deep breath and replied in a calm but firm tone:
"Very well. You want to join the Saber-toothed Tigers, but know one thing: My talent simply amplifies what you already have, so it doesn't create things out of nothing."
Henry and Ultia exchanged a knowing glance before replying in one voice:
"We're ready."
Maxi thought again despite their words, stealing two promising young geniuses from Baron Irut was not sothing glorious.
"We might as well see their potential first, then make a decision," Maxi thought silently.
[Recruitnt condition t, apprentice knights Henry and Ultia have expressed a wish to join the rcenary group, the Sabertooth Tigers, do you wish to accept them?]
"Yes."
[The apprentice knights Henry and Ultia have been successfully recruited].
[You can view their profiles at any ti].
"Show their physique, their talent and above all their potential."
Henry: Four-star potential. Weak knightly talent. Physical: 2.1
Ultia: Four-star potential. Weak knightly talent. Physical: 2.1
"Pardon!?"
Maxi suddenly stood up in surprise, drawing all eyes to him.
"Impossible, it's impossible that they have four-star potential!"
Simultaneously Henry and Ultia looked at each other doubtfully, sensing that sothing had changed deep inside them.
"Maxi, what's wrong?" asked Laura with doubt clearly visible on her face.
Maxi ignored her completely, cald down and plunged into his thoughts.
"In terms of probability, it's almost impossible to find a three-star talent other than Charles in the area."
"Nor do I seem to have heard that Henry and Ultia had better strength than other children of the sa age when they were small."
"Then why?"
He'd never heard of such a thing in class.
Then Maxi suddenly thought of sothing.
"Could the knighting talent modify the rcenary talent to so extent?"
"Or rather, does the rcenary talent automatically adapt to the person's physique?"
"No, otherwise Romuald would also have 3-star potential since he's exceeded the limits."
"But the breathing thod is ultimately sothing that can be considered extraordinary."
"Perhaps the very principle of the breathing thod is to improve potential..."
Maxi seed to have touched on sothing he should never have known.
But he was excited by this discovery.
"So all apprentice knights must have 3-star potential!"
"And more importantly, that would an that a knight would then have 4-star potential, and if I managed to recruit him, then he would have 5-star potential?"
"5 stars!"
Maxi's eyes were full of stars.
It seed that his talent was surprisingly compatible with this world!
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