Chapter 44
“The losses would outweigh the gains.”
“In any case they are mercenaries, so as long as the price is sufficient we can recruit them easily without suffering losses.”
“We’ll quickly regain our investment once Baron Barthon is defeated and his domain reclaimed.”
As his own soldiers, but also the blond-haired young man and his mercenaries watched him, Ron made his decision.
“Everyone out of here, please,” Ron announced.
His men acted directly, while the saber-toothed tigers looked at Maxime, who nodded in their direction, asking them to obey.
Sensing Ron’s intentions, Maxime asked for two chairs and a table.
A few minutes later, Ron and Maxime 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.”
Maxime wasn’t particularly offended, and simply smiled in response.
“I’d like to recruit your mercenary group to attack Baron Barthon,” Ron declared, getting straight to the point.
Maxime straightened up and looked Ron directly in the eye.
“So now, how much is our mercenary 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?”
Maxime thought for a few seconds, adapting his vocabulary to this world.
“In total my count is 63 mercenaries including myself, I’m not counting here the personnel dealing with logistics.”
“Concerning the exact strength, we have 20 mercenaries reaching the level of elite soldier.”
An elite soldier could be designated as such once he reached a physique of 1.5.
Of course, Maxime 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 detrimental to Maxime 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 mercenaries was almost half-full of men 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 mercenaries reaching the level of an apprentice knight.”
Here, Maxime 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 some 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 immediately 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 become 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,” Maxime 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 become a knight with 3 or more physics points, but it was complicated to become 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 seemed preferable to do it this way, as after reaching the knight stage, the breathing method 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 mercenary language, I’m a four-star mercenary at the peak.”
Although Ron had already guessed it, he was still surprised by Maxime’s words.
And it was in the case of Maxime remaining modest, if he took into account the active effect of his talent, he could crush the majority of knights.
But this remained Maxime’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 Maxime’s words.
“Could he be the illegitimate son of a marquis or a duke?”
Coming to his senses, Ron made a few mental 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 home town.
In Ron’s mind, the free accommodation would mainly enable the mercenary group to stay on his territory and thus become a force affiliated to Baron Irut after a certain period of time.
Maxime smiled, then said:
“Ok for the 800 gold coins and the free housing, but I’d also like Baron Berthon’s breathing method.”
“Impossible!” exclaimed Chevalier Ron directly.
“Why not?” asked Maxime calmly.
“The breathing method is a method 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 Maxime knew this. Even any educated person in this world knew it, since the breathing method represented the royal family’s control of the kingdom.
No one was allowed to practice the breathing method 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,” Maxime declared gently but at the same time with a certain firmness.
This strategy made it harder for Ron to negotiate, but at the same time, he wasn’t surprised by Maxime’s staggering demands.
What could be more disconcerting and surprising than the demand for a breathing method?
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 Maxime’s request represented 3 years’ savings from Baron Irut’s territory.
“The help of their mercenary 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 some very important variables in our plan.”
“A nobleman’s greed is endless.”
“Investing in a mercenary group provides both short-term strength without increasing the risks of the plan.”
While Ron pondered, Maxime 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 Maxime’s turn to be surprised.
It was extremely rare for a nobleman to offer land to a commoner; it might even be considered a sin to do so in this world.
Maxime pretended to think for a long moment, to give the impression that Chevalier Ron’s offer wasn’t too high.
But on the inside, he was extremely 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 payment of 200 gold coins,” Maxime finally replied, after completely suppressing his excitement.
Ron didn’t think long and accepted.
“Now let’s talk well, let’s talk little.Tell me all about your plan.”