Mercenary System: I can increase innate potential !

Chapter 110 Receive the money!

"Now let's talk about the main topic, your remuneration for the mission."

Maxime's eyes seemed to be filled with stars.

In his world, apart from Laura and her family, nothing was more precious than gold coins.

"My men have calculated that you killed precisely 873 orcs, including 6 orcs over 3 meters tall."

"Regarding the orc ears you brought back, we have indeed confirmed the elimination of 52 orcs."

"Paying you at the same time your first salary of the week in advance, that gives a total of 1825 gold coins."

Maxime simply nodded in response, but inside he was wildly excited.

With that much money, he'd not only be able to upgrade his Nox Limit talent to level 2, but he'd also be able to strengthen himself drastically.

Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

He could, for example, increase his swordsman class by several levels, or even open a new class!

After his ordeal, Maxime had a strong desire for strength, and clearly wanted to open a new class to become as strong as possible in a short space of time.

For him now, this was the only way he could keep as many of his men alive as possible, and thus to some extent preserve his potential.

After all, if he held back from opening a new class to obtain a strong class in the future, but in the meantime he and his men were getting killed, his invested efforts would have been in vain.

What's more, if he got stronger, he'd have more confidence in himself to face a challenge if it were to happen again.

"Adding the Baron's gift of 300 gold coins for protecting the village of VentBois and 200 gold coins, which, according to his envoy, are an investment in your group, we have a total of 2,325 gold coins."

"How would you like to receive this money?"

While asking this question, the Count sipped gracefully from a glass of delicate wine.

"That is, how do you receive this money?" asked Maxime, slightly confused.

As far as he was concerned, all he had to do was give him the money in a bag.

The Count smiled as he took his time answering.

"Well, instead of giving it all to you directly, you can place an order with me to buy horses, equipment, food or anything else you might need."

Maxime immediately understood what the Count meant.

For his part, the equipment worn by his mercenaries was bought by themselves with their wages, so he didn't need to spend any money on it.

However, horses could indeed be very useful.

"How much does a horse cost?"

"Well, that depends on the breed and quality of horse you want."

Maxime was speechless for a moment, knowing absolutely nothing about the subject.

He glanced quickly at Andrew, hoping to find some support. The latter, true to form, resumed the discussion in a measured tone.

"Count Ardan, could you provide us with a rough estimate of prices for different types of horses?" he asked professionally.

The Count smiled, amused by their lack of knowledge on the subject. He gently put down his wine glass and replied:

"Without going into detail, an ordinary horse, sturdy and suitable for travel, costs around 150 gold pieces. A war horse, better trained and more resistant, is around 300 to 400 gold pieces. Finally, if you're looking for fast, hardy, elite mounts, you'll need at least 600 gold coins per animal."

"So expensive!" thought Maxime and Andrew simultaneously.

"We'll think about it carefully with the other mercenaries, but for now we want to receive the gold coins and then take our time to think about it." he replied calmly.

But inwardly he knew he clearly wasn't going to buy horses just yet.

If it had been a native, he would probably have chosen to buy a few horses.

But Maxime had a system that allowed him to become stronger in gold coins.

Currently, by spending 175 gold coins he could raise his swordsman class from level 6 to level 7, and for 50 gold coins he could even open a new class and become much stronger in no time.

So, the value for money in horses seemed extremely poor compared to getting stronger.

Knowing also that evolving his Nox Limit talent, was a priority for him, and he'd been looking forward to it for a long time to see what would happen.

In any case, he was so eager to get stronger, that even if the horses were 10 times cheaper, he might have hesitated to spend the money.

Count Ardan rose from his chair, with the calculated slowness of a man accustomed to imposing his authority.

His piercing gaze lingered on Maxime, who stood erect but whose eyes betrayed a certain impatience.

"Very well, young man," said Ardan in a serious, almost theatrical tone.

He gestured to his steward, a lean but very elegant man, who stepped forward carrying a heavy carved wooden chest.

"It would seem that even a skinny butler cannot be underestimated," Maxime thought silently, as he watched the butler carry the chest with ease.

This chest must have weighed around a hundred kilos, so only a physique of more than 1.3 points or even 1.5 could carry it.

And given the ease with which the butler had carried the chest, he must have had at least 2 physical points.

The chest was placed on the solid oak table in front of the Count, producing a thud that made the room vibrate.

"Here's the sum due, 2325 gold coins, as agreed," declared the Count, placing his gloved hands on the chest, his tone imbued with a certain solemnity.

He slowly opened the lid, revealing a vision that made Maxime's eyes sparkle.

Stacks of carefully stacked gold coins glittered in the candlelight.

The metallic clatter of the coins as they settled seemed to echo in Maxime's mind like a gentle melody.

Maxime felt his breath catch. It wasn't the first time he'd seen gold, but he'd never seen such a quantity.

"Impressive, isn't it?" the Count smirked, noticing his guest's amazement.

Maxime nodded, forcing himself to keep a neutral expression.

"Yes, it's... more than I imagined."

The Count chuckled, a mixture of amusement and superiority.

"Make no mistake, Maxime. This sum is substantial, of course, but it's only the beginning. If you keep up the momentum, your personal coffers could soon rival those of a baron."

Maxime was surprised, and this emotion was easily captured by the Count.

"You think nobles are all rich, don't you?"

Without waiting for an answer from Maxime, the Count continued to speak.

"Nobles are indeed rich, but only from the status of count."

"Barons are generally poor, barely managing to balance their expenses and income."

"Viscounts often do much better, and they generally have a good financial capacity, but it remains within a certain range."

"Whether for barons or viscounts, 2325 gold pieces should represent approximately the savings they could have made in 1 year."

Our young mercenary leader wasn't surprised; he already knew this sort of thing from courses in the real world.

Simultaneously, the steward brought in paper and ink - writing materials.

"If you don't mind, Monsieur Maxime, I'm going to record the transaction. We have a register here to manage our treasury."

Maxime nodded without concern.

"Of course."

The intendant quickly noted the details, his pen scratching the paper with mechanical precision. When he had finished, he handed the document to Maxime, who quickly signed it.

The Count then signaled to two servants, who approached with heavy canvas bags.

They began transferring the coins into the bags.

"I advise you to be careful with such a large sum," warned the Count, folding his hands behind his back.

"This world is full of covetousness, and some people won't hesitate to attack those carrying treasures."

Maxime raised an eyebrow, a smirk appearing on his lips.

"The last bandits who dared to target us didn't come to a good end."

The Count smiled in response, he knew the strength of Maxime and his men, but he also knew how dark the world could be.

As the filled bags were placed in front of him, the Count spoke again.

"One last thing, Maxime."

The latter looked up, puzzled.

"Consider this not only a reward, but also an investment. You're still young and promising. However, remember that these coins are only a tool. Their true value lies in what you do with them."

Maxime remained silent for a moment, the Count's words resonating strangely within him. He nodded slowly.

"I'll remember that, Count Ardan."

The Count smiled, satisfied, and raised his wine glass.

"So, go on, spend it wisely, or foolishly, depending on your instincts."

"Don't worry, I'll make very good use of it."

With one last glance at the Count, Maxime grabbed the bags, one on each shoulder, feeling their crushing but satisfying weight.

Maxime and Andrew soon left the director's office.

Maxime returned to his quarters while Andrew left to train with some apprentice knights.

"Here we are."

The gold-filled bags fell heavily to the floor, as Maxime had 2000 gold coins absorbed into the system.

[Current balance: 2025 gold coins].

[Status displayed according to pre-selected filters].

Current class: Swordsman - Level 6

Talent: Nox Limit - Level 1, Life Awakening - Level 1

Options available:

Upgrade class (175 gold)

Unlock a new class (50 gold)

Upgrade "Nox Limit" or "Life Awakening" to Level 2 (1000 gold)