Mercenary System: I can increase innate potential !

"Lady Aveline, gentlemen. I am butler Guiscard. His Grace, Duke Luc Valderic, awaits you for a private audience."

"Luc Valderic is the descendant of Edwin Valderic and now the head of the family." Aveline whispered to Maxime before dismounting her horse.

She replied politely:

"Good. Please take us to him."

Butler Guiscard bowed slightly, then opened the manor gate with a precise, controlled gesture.

The group moved forward in silence, Maxime in the lead, his senses alert despite the apparent tranquility of the premises.

As for the Saber-toothed Tigers, they walked quietly through the grounds.

The new masked mercenaries were casting complicated glances at each other.

This was not how they had expected to land in the mansion of their sworn enemy.

Aveline and the mercenaries quickly reached the mansion's great hall, a room of austere grandeur, dominated by a huge portrait of a man with hard features and piercing eyes.

"So that's Edwin Valderic, this family's revered ancestor, I imagine." Maxime thought as he gazed at the portrait.

The walls were decorated with ancient weapons, each marked with the black snake emblem.

A deep voice echoed from an entrance to this great hall.

"Lady Aveline."

Duke Luc Valderic appeared. Tall, slender and dressed in a silver tunic edged in black, his presence was imposing.

His sharp gaze passed slowly over the mercenary group before settling on Aveline.

"Welcome to our home. Was the journey uneventful?"

Aveline inclined her head slightly.

"We encountered a slight inconvenience on the way, but it has been resolved. My future father-in-law need not worry."

The duke sketched a cold smile, which didn't touch her eyes.

"I'm delighted." Then his eyes fell on Romuald.

"And you must be the leader of the mercenaries Count Ardam has hired."

Romuald was one of the older mercenaries of the Saber-toothed Tigers, he was tall and on top of that he had a level of strength comparable to an apprentice knight at the entry stage which was excellent for a mercenary leader.

Romuald shook his head at the Duke's surprise and glanced at Maxime.

The duke followed Romulad's gaze and saw a young man with blond hair and blue eyes.

Apart from resembling a young nobleman, at first glance he seemed really weak, which disappointed the duke somewhat.

But he asked in spite of himself:

"So I was mistaken, it would be you instead?"

Maxime replied evenly, his eyes gazing into the Duke's without the slightest hesitation.

"Indeed, Your Grace. My name is Maxime, and my men watch over Lady Aveline on the explicit orders of Count Ardan."

The Duke's gaze intensified, as if trying to read Maxime's soul. But Maxime remained impassive.

After a long moment of silence, the duke nodded slowly.

He still had a low opinion of Maxime, after all, what kind of strength would a mercenary from nowhere have?

But at least this young man knew how to keep his back straight.

"Very well, then. However, here at the Valderic court, discipline is essential. Your men will do well to remember that."

Maxime smiled slightly, but behind that smile, he already felt like beating this duke up.

"It's bad enough there was that damned knight of the royal guard busting my balls, and now here's a duke putting on airs in front of me."

"At some point, you really have to go fuck yourself."

Obviously, Maxime kept his thoughts to himself, for he didn't have the strength to fight a ducal family, let alone on his own land.

Who even knew if there were mysterious defense mechanisms hidden here?

So he replied formally:

"My men always follow my orders. And my orders are clear: protect Lady Aveline at all costs."

An electric exchange seemed to pass between the two men, but was interrupted by a figure approaching the group.

"Father, please stop being so overbearing with my guests."

A young man in his twenties, dressed in a richly embroidered pourpoint, stepped forward. His features were softer than his father's, but his eyes sparkled with keen intelligence.

Surprisingly, despite such a bad reputation, the young genius of the kingdom had a very handsome appearance.

Like a young scholar.

He stopped in front of Aveline and bowed slightly.

"Lady Aveline, I am Dorian Valderic. It's an honor to finally meet you."

Aveline replied with a polite, if forced, smile.

"The honor is shared, Lord Dorian."

Dorian straightened, his eyes sliding briefly to Maxime before returning to Aveline.

"My father told me of your... protectors. An interesting choice. Perhaps you could tell us more about them at a banquet."

A discreet vein appeared on Maxime's forehead.

"Another one who underestimates my mercenaries. I wonder what would happen if he tasted the sword of Kaite or Langus?

"Between the kingdom's young genius and a seasoned knight, who would be the strongest?"

For her part, the word banquet made Aveline flinch slightly.

After all, it was an important step before marriage, which meant she was getting dangerously close to marrying this man.

This man who had such a bad reputation.

The duke spoke up.

"A banquet would be the ideal occasion to introduce you to the court, Lady Aveline, and to officially seal the announcement of your union with Dorian. Until then, you and your men will be housed in the west wing. Guiscard will take you there."

Aveline inclined her head slightly, masking her reluctance.

"Thank you, Your Grace."

She had no say in the organization of this banquet.

They were escorted to the west wing of the manor, the forty or so mercenaries all accommodated in rooms of around 4, except for Maxime who had his own room next to Aveline's.

With night already falling, it was time for dinner, and a meal was brought to them as they settled in.

A short time later, butler Guiscard knocked gently on Aveline's door, waiting for an answer before opening it.

Aveline, already seated at her desk, absent-mindedly leafing through an old grimoire she'd found in the room, looked up.

"Come in." she said in a steady voice.

Guiscard entered, his face as neutral as ever, a mixture of authority and courtesy. He bowed slightly before speaking.

"Lady Aveline, Lord Dorian awaits you to share dinner."

"May I bring Maxime with me?"

"Lord Dorian wishes to get to know you better before tomorrow's banquet. Being alone with him is essential, in his words, to strengthen the harmony between the two of you."

Aveline frowned slightly. She wasn't lacking in courage, but the idea of being alone with Dorian didn't appeal to her. She put the book down with studied calm and asked in a voice that betrayed nothing of her unease:

Aveline nodded slowly, masking her annoyance. She rose gracefully, adjusting her dress slightly.

"Very well, then. Take me to him."

Maxime, who had heard the situation from her room, quickly exited.

His instincts were telling him that this was no small matter.

He immediately drew the attention of the butler and Aveline.

"Please wait a minute. Lady Aveline is under my protection until the wedding; I must accompany her."

Guiscard didn't flinch, but his tone became sharper.

"His grace's orders are clear. This dinner is private. No escorts are allowed, not even you, Monsieur Maxime."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Maxime's jaws tightened, but he knew that provoking a scene here and now would put Aveline in an even more awkward position. He forced himself to calm down.

Aveline placed a light hand on his arm.

"Maxime, it's okay. I can handle this."

The mercenary met her gaze and saw in it an assurance he couldn't ignore. Yet he couldn't help feeling that something darker was at play.

"Very well." he yielded reluctantly.

Aveline nodded with a slight smile. Then, accompanied by Guiscard, she left the right wing of the manor. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire

She quickly reached the entrance to the private dining room.

Inside, a long table adorned with silver candlesticks and crockery awaited her two guests. Dorian was already seated at one end, a welcoming, if slightly sinister, smile stretching his lips.

"Lady Aveline, welcome. I hope you don't find my request unseemly, but I wished to have a special moment with you, away from distractions."

Aveline bowed slightly in greeting, masking her displeasure.

"That's an interesting idea, Lord Dorian. Though surprising."@@novelbin@@

She took a seat opposite him. Dinner began, refined dishes parading with almost mechanical precision.

Dorian, clearly at ease, struck up a conversation on a variety of subjects: art, politics, the exploits of their respective ancestors.

But behind his charming words, there was a palpable tension, as if he were gauging Aveline's every response.

Then, after a moment's silence, he asked a more direct question.

"Tell me, Lady Aveline, how do you find the protection your father has chosen for you? These... Saber-toothed Tigers?"

Aveline raised an eyebrow, immediately understanding that Dorian wanted to inquire about Maxime's mercenary group....

"They were exemplary. My father chose them carefully, and I trust them completely."

Dorian sketched an amused smile.

"Interesting. The young blond man, Maxime, seems particularly... zealous. Doesn't he?"

Aveline sensed a pique in his words.

"So he noticed Maxime's slight movements of expression earlier when we were talking about him." she thought silently.

But she didn't let it throw her.

"Maxime is competent and loyal. Qualities I appreciate."

Dorian leaned forward slightly, his eyes shining with an almost unhealthy curiosity.