Mercenary System: I can increase innate potential !-Chapter 87: Crossing the forest

Daylight was fading, and darkness would soon become their ally as they moved away from the valley that had become the graveyard of a battle that could have become their graveyard.

The group set off again, twilight enveloping them in its protective shadow.

The mercenaries advanced cautiously along the steep path leading down from their hiding place, each step calculated not to betray their presence.

The smell of blood and death, which had permeated the valley, seemed to follow them like a sinister shadow.

Tena and Ultia took their temporary role as scouts to heart, carefully observing the road that wound through the dense forest leading to Lapi.

If an orc army had passed through the valley, it meant that the situation in the south was far more serious than anyone thought.

Even Lapi could be in danger at this rate.

The silence was heavy, and the rustling of leaves seemed louder than ever. Every crack of a branch beneath their feet made their hearts beat a little faster.

Suddenly, a whisper pierced the darkness.

It was Jean, walking alongside Andrew.

"Those orcs, Andrew... What was that being in black robes? I’ve heard of orc shamans before, but I’ve never seen anyone so... sinister."

Andrew shook his head, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the last rays of daylight were fading.

"I don’t know, I was just a simple villager a few months ago."

"But if this being is a shaman, then he must have powers that even we can’t understand."

His gaze wandered for a moment, searching the growing darkness for an explanation.

"After all, our captain possesses powers that are more than mysterious and, above all, very powerful. He must have other individuals in the world with powers just as powerful."

This did little to reassure Jean, who felt he was venturing into a world far too dangerous for a former simple villager like himself.

Henry, standing nearby, also frowned.

To be honest, as an apprentice knight he’d never experienced any great battles or mysterious events.

He’d simply been on patrol, and sometimes enjoyed abusing his good looks to break up brawls in town and impress the ladies.

This gesture often worked, and thanks to it he had known many women in bed.

But the battle of Plouta profoundly changed his mentality, and made him feel weak in the face of world events that might come his way.

He felt in danger.

That was why he had decided to betray Baron Irut and join Maxime’s mercenary group.

Deep down, despite his gentle mask, he had an enormous desire for power and strength.

But with one danger after another, he felt even more uneasy than before.

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"Perhaps I should have stayed quietly by Baron Irut’s side and trained quietly while enjoying the pleasure of life."

But he immediately shook his head with firm eyes to clear these thoughts.

"A strong man grows in adversity. I normally had little hope of becoming a knight, but now it’s a sure thing as long as I survive."

"Maybe one day I can even become a great knight."

"A great knight!"

"What an honor that would be!"

Henry’s eyes firmed, filled with new resolve and without the slightest trace of fear.

He wasn’t the only one with doubts; most of the mercenaries had many questions about the choice they’d made in joining Maxime.

Some reassured themselves in the same way as Henry, telling themselves that they would become powerful in the future, while others thought that saving lives was worth risking one’s own and living for.

On the other hand, Maxime paused for a moment to check that the group was keeping up. His face, usually impassive, was taut with worry.

He hadn’t thought that by going south, he’d be exposing his elite mercenaries to so much danger.

Especially now that his talent couldn’t be reactivated in the next 7 days, or he’d suffer a soul injury.

This kind of injury was extremely complicated to heal.

Fortunately, he had already obtained a map of the Kingdom from Baron Irut, which also showed the southern region.

He had long since memorized the geographical location of the southern territory.

"We’ll reach the first village before nightfall," he announced.

"Let’s hope the roads to Lapi are safe."

But hope, at this moment, seemed a luxury.

As they descended the hillside and entered deeper into the forest, the mercenaries felt the atmosphere change.

The birds, still singing faintly, fell silent, and the gentle night wind became a colder, more oppressive breeze.

At last, they reached the first village.

It was a modest hamlet, where the bleating of sheep and the laughter of children should have been heard.

Instead, a suffocating smell greeted them.

Charred houses rose up, and scattered corpses lay in postures frozen by the horrors they had seen before they died.

The dying flames of the fires cast flickering shadows, bringing nightmarish scenes to life.

Garen, his face pale, rushed into some nearby bushes and vomited his guts out.

And he wasn’t the only one: of the 12 new recruits, 7 couldn’t stop themselves from vomiting.

Maxime frowned as Laura stood next to him with a very pale face.

"So this is what would have happened if we hadn’t gone to rescue the village of Ventbois."

Laura’s words surprised the new recruits, not realizing that their village could have ended up in the same state as this hamlet.

It was fortunate that, despite the loss of their families, they still had a place to return to.

Maxime remained silent for a moment, absorbing the scene before him. He clenched his fists, his eyes hardening.

The troop moved cautiously through the ruins, avoiding debris and signs of struggle.

The atmosphere weighed on them, like an invisible hand clutching their chests.

The new recruits tried to avert their eyes from the mutilated bodies, while the mercenaries who had been through several battles already guided them with a grave air.

Tena came running back, sweating.

Since the battle with the orcs, they’d had no rest, running in every direction and paying attention to everything.

This constant vigilance was tiring everyone.

"I spotted some orc scouts nearby, probably looking for survivors or securing the area."

Maxime nodded.

"Pick up the pace, and don’t make any noise."

They would have liked to bury these people, but the energy required and the danger hanging over them made the action too risky.

They silently left the ruined village, passing through a forest to reach Lapi more quickly.

Once through this forest, they would finally reach Lapi in less than 10 minutes.

Bypassing it would waste too much time and could present a greater danger.

What’s more, the forest offered several advantages.

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They would be hard to spot, and its large surface area made it difficult to set up ambushes.

If a battle were to take place, this battlefield would also be conducive to them, as they could fully utilize their agility and use the environment as a force.

On the contrary, orcs accustomed to wide, strong movement won’t be able to use all their strength here because of the environment.

Darkness thickened around them, but the glow of Lapi, the central city, already appeared to them as the promise of a last refuge, and a hope as fragile as the flame of a candle ready to flicker.

The mercenaries advanced at a steady pace, their senses always on the alert.

Only the occasional creak of branches beneath their feet and the rustle of wind in the trees disturbed the oppressive calm of the forest. The stars, tiny points of light, timidly pierced the dark sky, but were not enough to dispel the growing darkness.

Jean, at the rear of the group, was casting worried glances behind him. The vision of the ruined village and its corpses remained etched in his mind, an image he knew he’d find hard to shake off. Rodrigo, walking beside him, murmured in a husky voice:

"Do you think they’re already on our trail? Those scouts... they were so close."

Jean replied, his gaze fixed and his jaw clenched:

"I don’t know, but I have a feeling we’re not out of danger yet."

A palpable tension spread through the group. Even those who hadn’t heard the exchange felt the growing nervousness.

In the lead, Maxime scanned the road, his beady eyes searching for the slightest sign of movement.

His left hand rested firmly on his sheath, as if to tell himself that his sword was still there and would defend him if anything happened.