Mercenary System: I can increase innate potential !-Chapter 229: Baron Barthon’s trump card

"LET ME FINISH BARON BARTHON, OTHERWISE AT THIS PACE, WE ARE GOING TO LOSE EVERYTHING!"

Marco, who was the most powerful of the knights under Baron Barthon, finally bared his teeth at his own Baron, who was becoming mad and irrational.

"I AM A NOBLE, HOW DARE YOU MARCO! YOU WISH TO BETRAY YOUR OWN LORD!?"

The shouting in the office between Marco and the baron was so loud and powerful that many soldiers in the military camp could hear it.

"Our baron has definitely gone mad." whispered one soldier.

"Let's hope our knights can reason with him." replied another nearby, worry clearly visible in his eyes.

The atmosphere throughout the army had been similar since they had suffered a series of defeats at the hands of several superhuman men in Baron Irut's camp.

Back at Baron Barthon's office, the other four knights stepped forward, hand on sword, showing their support for Marco.

Seeing this scene where his faithful knights, the very same individuals to whom he had provided numerous resources and given a valuable breathing technique, turned their swords on him, really infuriated the baron.

"What a bunch of ungrateful people!"

But this time, he kept his words to himself, because in this situation, he was indeed in a weak position.

His strength was reputed to be very high, but against five knights, even if some were injured, he certainly did not have the upper hand.

"We are not going to betray you, lord, we are helping you to make the most logical decisions, and those that will allow us to keep our territory." Marco replied to the accusations of treason.

After raising his voice, he was now much calmer.

Baron Barthon looked at him for a moment.

Silence fell over the room.

"Do what you want." he finally said.

Marco and the other knights bowed slightly.

"Thank you for your trust, lord."

In response, the baron gestured to them with his hand, indicating that they should leave.

Then the baron turned and looked out of his office window, thinking as his knights left quietly.

Then, still thinking, he saw a dark mass in the distance.

"What is it?"

He squinted, but nothing.

From such a distance, all he could see were black shadows.

Suddenly, the door of his office opened with a loud crash.

"Report, baron!"

A bad premonition gripped the baron's mind at the sight of the soldier's urgent air.

"What is it?"

"We are under attack!"

"What!?"

The baron was stunned and did not know how to react for a moment.

The knights who had passed the scout in the corridor had discreetly settled down next to the door.

So they also heard the report, and they all looked at each other.

"They're really attacking us... I guess this is the end," whispered Marco, his head bowed.

A red-haired knight placed his hand on Marco's shoulder.

"We are knights, Marco. Even if defeat is almost certain, we will certainly not surrender."

Marco looked up and met the firm gaze of this knight.

He ended up smiling slightly.

"You're right, Baro. The baron has invested a lot in us. It is thanks to him that we have become so strong, and it is also thanks to him that we have learned the virtues of a knight."

"We will fight to the death to defend our territory."

The other knights nodded firmly.

Then the four knights set off with Marco at their head, all their expressions extremely resolute.

For his part, Baron Barthon reacted quickly.

"How many are they?"

The soldier hesitated for a moment.

"Speak."

The soldier gritted his teeth.

"Yes, Baron. According to our estimates... they have 1,000 soldiers, about fifty apprentice knights, half of whom are from the Saber-toothed Tigers, as well as five knights including Baron Irut, his two men and two knights from the mercenaries."

The baron looked at the soldier, then asked:

"Is that all?"

Because if that was all, the forces on paper were more or less equal.

The soldier shook his head.

"There are also these strange mercenaries. According to our latest information, there are six mercenaries with a fighting power similar to that of a knight at the entry stage."

"And above all, there is their captain and that wyvern."

The baron remained silent for a few seconds, the atmosphere becoming heavy.

"Do we have any information on the fighting power of this mercenary?"

"Apart from the first day when he allegedly killed the knights Argan and Tengan, he did not act again. Only his men fought during the skirmishes between our forces and those of the baron of Baron Irut."

The baron nodded.

"I guess we can only appeal to them to save us." he murmured.

"Did you call us Baron?"

Suddenly a voice erupted in the room, followed by the sound of violent lightning. After this strange event, 20 silhouettes appeared in the office.

The office seemed very crowded with so many people all at once, while the soldier, kneeling and making his report, trembled with fear.

He felt intimidated in these circumstances because he had the impression that all these men seemed very strong and very well equipped.

He even felt like he was suffocating even more than when he was facing knights like Marco or the baron himself.

Seeing these people who had appeared out of nowhere, the baron did not show any surprise.

During that week, having obtained information about Maxime, his wyvern and the strength of his mercenary group from the outset, he had prepared an ace up his sleeve to win this war.

And those mercenaries were his ace.

He bent down and opened a trapdoor under his desk.

Baron Barthon took out a chest and placed it noisily on his desk. With a sharp movement, he opened it, revealing an impressive quantity of gold coins that reflected the light of the candles. His gaze was dark as he declared:

"3000 gold coins, as expected."

A young man then stepped forward nonchalantly. He was not very tall, about 1.65 meters in height.

He didn't look like a very muscular person either, but his bright yellow hair with orange highlights combined with a strong and supple body gave him a very charismatic air.

Especially when his own personality, talent and authenticity were added to it, it made him a true leader.

Otherwise the strong men behind him wouldn't obey so easily.

With an arrogant smile, he placed his hand on the baron's desk and looked his interlocutor straight in the eye.

"Hmm... I'm sorry, Baron, but we're going to have to renegotiate our terms."

The baron narrowed his eyes, while the young man continued with a mischievous smile:

"Circumstances have changed. The risks are much higher than expected. We want 5,000 gold coins."

A heavy silence fell over the room. The baron clenched his fists under his desk, the urge to curse this impudent mercenary burned him from within, but he swallowed his pride.

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"Are you making fun of me?" he growled.

With all these events, Baron Barthon felt his brain was about to explode. Between the audacity of his own knights, the news of an attack on his camp and now being swindled by someone half his age, he really felt like he was going mad.

But the young mercenary was feeling quite the opposite, so much so that his smile grew wider. He knew he had the baron by the throat. Without them, Baron Barthon had no chance of repelling the opposing army.

And above all, he had a lot of fun conducting these negotiations and seeing people's expressions when he announced that the price would be completely different. It was always his favorite part of the missions.

Some tried to negotiate, but... Only he had the power to raise or lower the prices. His clients had no say in the matter.

In any case, he himself had not become a mercenary for the money, which made him and his group different from other mercenaries.

If the price did not suit them, then he could just leave with his mercenaries, without regret.

After a short duel of intense gaze between the two of them, or rather a duel in which the baron endured the playful gaze of the young mercenary, the baron finally gave in.

He snapped his fingers and signaled to one of his soldiers:

"Go get the extra 2,000 gold coins from the safe."

But the young mercenary stopped him immediately.

"Wait, you misunderstood me. We want 5,000 gold coins in addition to the 3,000 gold coins originally promised. So you have to go and get 5,000 gold coins, soldier."

But seeing the enraged expression on Baron Barthon's face, the young mercenary could no longer hold back and suddenly laughed out loud.

"Haha, don't be like that Baron Barthon, it was just a little joke. Don't worry."

His mercenaries behind him showed no expression. They had long been accustomed to the temperament of their young captain, and in the circumstances, they did their best to maintain a high level of professionalism.

For various reasons, they had no choice but to act in this way.

After a confirming signal from the baron, who now had a red face, the soldier nodded and left the room in a hurry.

Meanwhile, the mercenary remained leaning on the desk, looking relaxed, observing Baron Barthon with a mixture of amusement and calculation.

He even took the trouble to chat quietly with the baron, and surprisingly, the baron's rage diminished noticeably.

When the soldier returned, the baron took the bags of gold and placed them on the table with an annoyed sigh.

"Here is your gold."

One of the mercenaries behind the young man took one of the bags, opened it and let a few coins fall through his fingers.

"These are not fake gold coins, and according to the weight of these bags, the count should be correct," the mercenary reported to his young captain.

The young man in question didn't really care because when they did the accounts, if there was the slightest gold coin missing, they would go and look for them themselves while charging a certain interest.

"Glad to have done business with you, Baron Barthon," he said with a big smile stretching his lips.

The baron reluctantly shook hands with his interlocutor, knowing that he had just squandered a large part of his fortune, to such an extent that he would have to tighten his belt for the next ten years.

He wondered if he hadn't also lost a few brain cells because of all these events.

But now he had no choice. His future depended on these mercenaries.

"I'm counting on you."