Talent Awakening: I, the Weakest Awakened, Start with Dragonfire Spell Chapter 247 247-Dominating Tarl City

With Chris at the helm, Howard was confident there wouldn't be any issues.

Over the past three days, the Frostwolf rcenaries had impressively expanded their ranks to over a hundred mbers, each handpicked by Chris for their exceptional skills.

It was safe to say that the most formidable fighters in Tarl City were now under Howard's command.

The first day had brought them six recruits, but by the second day, as their reputation soared, the numbers increased tenfold.

On the third day, they doubled again.

Now, nearly a thousand aspirants were showing up daily.

If Chris hadn't been so stringent in her selection, refusing to settle for diocrity, their numbers would have been even greater.

This explosive growth was the real reason behind the nobles' fury and unease.

Clearly, Howard's actions posed a threat to their status.

If Howard were in the nobles' shoes, he probably would have acted on the first day of his arrival, unable to endure until the present situation.

Had they confronted him on the first day, Howard had a simple strategy: pay them off.

Most people are driven by greed, and providing enough incentives could have swayed so nobles to his side.

With Chris's combat prowess as a foundation, they wouldn't have been able to do much harm to Howard.

Of course, at least then they would have had a chance at victory.

Now, however, the situation was entirely under Howard's control.

No faction in Tarl City could rival his power.

As night fell, Howard lay in his bed, resting.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion outside, followed by a crescendo of war cries.

Unperturbed and seemingly oblivious, Howard closed his eyes, indifferent to the chaos unfolding around him.

The next day, Howard awoke to find Chris and her team busily cleaning up the aftermath of what appeared to have been a bloody battle throughout the night.

Chris hurried over to report the outcos of the conflict.

The rcenary group had lost thirteen of their own but had successfully eliminated two to three hundred of their adversaries.

Howard was pleased with these results, though not particularly surprised.

Chris, once a commander in the empire, possessed a talent for leading troops in battle.

The ambush they had set the previous night played to her strengths.

If the casualties had been higher, Howard might have begun to question her loyalty.

The mbers Chris had selected were no pushovers; most were even stronger than Howard.

While their prowess was comndable, Howard also recognized a critical issue: the challenge of commanding such a group.

Should they ever rebel, Chris alone would not be able to withstand them.

Fortunately, her extensive experience ensured stability, at least for the ti being.

Simultaneously with the recruitnt drive, Howard had been discreetly selling the treasures he acquired from Kaedwyn.

The sales were almost complete, a swift process aided by so of the local nobles.

In any society, there are always a few astute individuals seeking to secure their own futures.

From the onset, a few nobles had expressed their willingness to assist Howard, a sincerity distinct from others' feigned interest.

Of course, Howard initially distrusted them, especially one noble whose reputation was less than stellar, known for oppressing the good.

To ensure the security of his operations, Howard had Chris take the noble's family hostage, compelling him to expedite the sale of the treasures to neighboring cities.

With these moves, Howard had successfully executed his plans in Tarl City.

Next, Howard focused on addressing internal issues within the rcenary group.

Rapid expansion necessitated asures to ensure the group's stability and prevent internal decay, a common downfall of rapidly growing organizations.

Therefore, Howard personally undertook the task of investigating the background of each mber.

He also held individual conversations with them, assessing their capabilities and character, before assigning positions.

Progress was smooth and efficient.

...

"Who would have thought Howard's power would grow so imnse?" a noble exclaid.

"What do we do now?"

"Let's seek assistance from Lord Kaser.

With the Empire Knights Order from Holy Light City, Howard will stand no chance," suggested another.

The nobles of Tarl City, having suffered defeat, reconvened at Bert's residence to strategize.

Bert was starting to feel the pressure.

What he had assud would be an easy task turned out to be dauntingly difficult.

With their current strength, eliminating Howard seed an impossible feat.

"We have no choice but to seek Lord Kaser's help," Bert sighed, resigned to their situation.

...

The nobles of Tarl City were not the only ones seething with anger.

Phileste, having returned to his camp, was in a state of uncontrollable fury.

"The scoundrel, he dared to deceive !" Phileste raged.

This was the first ti he had been outwitted, and by a re youth at that.

His pride and self-proclaid intelligence had been rcilessly trampled by Howard.

The more Phileste thought about it, the more it didn't add up.

If that person was truly Kariov, why hadn't they pursued him? Howard wouldn't miss such an opportunity to eliminate a threat.

The only logical explanation was that the Kariov was an impostor.

Phileste imdiately sent people to investigate, and the findings confird his suspicions.

The real Kariov was on the southern battlefield, and Howard had used a fake Kariov to scare him off.

It was a humiliation too great to bear.

Phileste couldn't swallow this insult.

In his heart, he vowed to kill Howard.

This incident had further eroded Phileste's already waning prestige within the newly reford Black Hawk rcenaries.

...

Having settled all his affairs, Howard knew it was ti to leave.

The Frostwolf rcenaries had grown to a formidable force of three hundred, encompassing the elite of Tarl City.

For Howard, Tarl City had served its purpose and lingering there posed a danger.

The city's nobles weren't much of a threat, but after their recent defeat, they would undoubtedly seek reinforcents.

The closest and most potent ally for them was Holy Light City.

If Holy Light City decided to join the hunt for Howard, his situation would beco perilous.

As of now, he lacked the strength to contend with Holy Light City.

Not to ntion their Empire Knights Order of over a thousand n, Howard would struggle to face even an ordinary noble from there.

With several chests of gold coins, Howard set off for the northern cities, planning to build his strength in those smaller towns.

When leaving Tarl City, the nobles didn't dare to stop him; they had already suffered defeats against him and were no match for the current Howard.

They could only swallow their pride for the ti being, waiting for reinforcents from Kaser to arrive and join forces to corner Howard.

Bert had sent n to secretly follow Howard's group, but this didn't escape Chris's vigilant eyes.

She reported this to Howard, who chose not to act on it.

Even if they dealt with this tail, others could still find them.

It was better to pretend ignorance and turn the situation to their advantage.

Howard divided the Frostwolf rcenaries into three groups of a hundred each, further subdivided into ten squads per group.

These were the combat units, supplented by a logistics team of several dozen people, managed by Tina.

The current combat power of the Frostwolf rcenaries in Howard's hands was even more formidable than during Kellman's peak.

And this was not the limit; with Howard's financial resources, he could further expand the force by twice its size.

While Howard's current wealth was substantial, he was aware that money would eventually run out.

It was crucial to start planning early and seek ways to generate inco.

However, these concerns were not imdiate, as the fortune left by Kaedwyn to Howard was vast, enough to sustain him for a considerable period.

Phileste's relentless pursuit of this wealth was evidence of its value; it represented half a lifeti of savings from Kaedwyn and his brothers, which now conveniently benefited Howard.

Howard assigned Chris to protect the rear of the group, especially Tina's logistics team.

This part of the team was the lifeline of the entire group, carrying essential supplies and thus of utmost importance.

Chris had been appointed as the leader of the Frostwolf rcenaries, with Tina serving as the deputy leader.

Howard made these appointnts as he preferred to remain behind the scenes, always cautious in his approach.

Yet, it was common knowledge that Howard was the true leader of the Frostwolf rcenaries.

Howard placed two of the three team leaders he had personally selected at the front of the group.

These individuals were chosen for their strength and thoroughly vetted backgrounds.

They appeared reliable, but Howard never let his guard down.

Apart from Chris and Tina, there was no one else he truly trusted.

"Lord Howard, would you like so water?" a team leader nad Grice approached, offering a gesture of goodwill.

Despite there being no apparent reason for Grice to poison him, Howard cautiously declined.

Better safe than sorry.

Grice mistook this for disapproval and felt dejected.

Grice, a veteran from Tarl City, didn't harbor any ill intentions.

A seasoned warrior, he had earned many comndations yet often struggled to get enough to eat.

eting a generous employer like Howard felt like a blessing from his ancestors.

Receiving a gold coin each month, regular als that included at, and even being appointed as a team leader overseeing more than a hundred n was more than he had ever dread of.

In Tarl City, he would have been no more than a general, and here his team, each mber strong in their own right, carried far more weight than the soldiers of Tarl City.

Grice was overwheld and unsure how to express his gratitude to Howard.

Howard, appearing unassuming and approachable, made Grice overly cautious.

In his heart, Grice resolved to prove himself, to maintain his position and show Howard he hadn't made a mistake in choosing him.

He didn't want to let Howard down.

Thus, Grice worked tirelessly, taking charge of the defense on both flanks of the team with ticulous planning.

Howard had already observed Grice's capabilities, which was precisely why he was wary of him.

How could he be sure Grice wouldn't attempt a power grab?

This was a new team, after all, and apart from the generous financial rewards, Howard had not invested much emotion into it.