Time passed quickly, the dark blue sky sheltering the stars having already made its appearance.
In the village there were no more corpses in the streets, only dark red blood or black scorched earth were the remaining clues to the tragedy that had occurred during the day.
In the middle of the village, most of the corpses found in the village were being cremated, while the mercenary apprentices' family had been given a proper burial.
Normally, the dead were never buried because, according to popular belief, corpses could be resurrected via certain methods, and when they returned to dry land, they would attack all living things. What's more, corpses were also known to poison the soil.
But there weren't any living souls left for several kilometers so whether a piece of land was more or less contaminated was the mercenaries' last concern.
"Are you all ready?" asked Maxime, addressing the 8 young men in front of him.
"Yes, Chef."
"In any case chief, we didn't have much to prepare since almost all our personal belongings burned down with our houses" replied Izo, one of the 4 who had been passed over by Maxime, shrugging his shoulders.
Looking at his men, they were all equipped with a simple sword and simple clothes. At least, they all had animal fur jackets to keep out the cold.
This added a modicum of prestige to their group, which made Maxime smile slightly.
"Despite the disaster, I was able to get 4 more men in my group. I have the impression that no matter what disasters happen in this world, or even in the real world, there will always be someone who knows how to turn them to their advantage," Maxime thought secretly, before quickly brushing aside these thoughts.
"Chief, there was a secret trapdoor in my house. Thanks to it, we'll have some food, although it's only dried meat, and there was also a map of the area." interjected Andrew in a calm tone, having visibly recovered from his emotions on the surface.
Receiving the map Andrew held out, Maxime observed it attentively. The 8 mercenaries surrounded him, and by the light of the torches, Maxime could clearly see every detail of the map.
The other members of the small team didn't know how to interpret a map, so Maxime took care of it for them while instructing them.
"You see at the bottom left there's a little line marking the distance this represents on the map. So at a glance, I'd say this map marks every important location within a radius of about 50km, and we're pretty lucky!"
"Why chief?" asked Peter innocently.
"Because there are two registered towns, one about 50km north of here and another about 60km west," Maxime replied patiently.
"We'll go to the closer one, and with a bit of luck we'll get there by sunrise," continued Maxime.
"It's a deal, boss, so let's get a move on!" added Peter cheerfully.
Peter was an orphan and lived alone most of the time, so for him the drama in the village was a happy stroke of fate. Having gone through a real emotional elevator between his exclusion from the mercenary group, then the village massacre and finally his return to the group, he was now eager to pursue his dreams.
The other mercenaries nodded and looked at Maxime as if waiting for a signal.
Maxime smiled lightly at them, and with a hopeful first step set off towards his first destination.
"Mercenaries of the Saber-toothed Tigers, let's go!"
"Yes chief!"
...
13 hours later, the clouds gave way to a small clearing as the band of mercenaries finally arrived at their destination.
"Rather a nice sight," James marveled as he saw the imposing walls before them.
"I thought the same thing when I first saw Kaller," intervened Terry with an innocent smile and a wistful look.
Little giggles appeared on the mouths of the saber-toothed tiger members, except on one person with a few veins appearing on his forehead.
"Oye, you talking about my mom there?" replied James.
"Yeah, nature's amazing in its ability to be able to make a fairy beget a gorilla like you," Terry continued, laughing, followed by the laughter of the others.
The ordeal they'd been through recently, and this little journey on foot, had brought these youngsters much closer together, even though they'd already known each other for a long time.
"Terry, when I go to Valhalla I'll do my best to earn enough merit to take your mother as my wife and make you lots of little brothers and sisters," James replied with a mischievous grin.
"Hahaha you hear that Terry, how lucky you are! If James dies during our adventure, he'll be able to take good care of your mother in the afterlife!" intervened Andrew with a loud laugh that echoed that of the other members of the group.
This also drew the attention of the other people going in and out of town, who wondered about these strange individuals.
But when they saw their equipment, a small flash of contempt but also fear erupted in their eyes.
"Another bunch of beggars who only know how to wage war to support themselves.
"Tch, more unconscious thugs who'll run away at the first hint of danger. It's ironic that the people who make honor their life's quest are the individuals who possess the least."
Unaware of their surroundings, the little band continued walking, laughing loudly.
Seeing them coming, a few of the dozens of soldiers on guard stood up and went to meet them.
The man leading them observed the attire of the few youngsters in front of him, then scorned them loudly.
"More dreamers who'll croak on the first battle, and if they're lucky enough not to croak, they'll give up as a result of the trauma of reality".
Yet he addressed them in the same way he addressed everyone:
"Hello, may I ask the purpose of your visit?" declared the deputy head of the guard in a slightly authoritarian tone.
The mercenaries immediately stopped laughing and concentrated on the guards in front of them.
The 8 of them were equipped with light armor covering vital parts, ensuring minimum protection and mobility.
Most impressive of all were the long spears they held in their hands, pointing skyward.
"Standard pikemen produce particularly remarkable effects against cavalry and for holding off enemies at a distance. Perfect for reacting to most situations, but also for giving the city time to react quickly in the event of a problem," Maxime quickly analyzed, remembering his war history lessons.
On the other hand, the saber-toothed tiger's mercenaries didn't seem very confident in the face of these guards, hence the silence that prevailed when Maxime advanced to meet them.
After all, they hadn't had any real life-and-death experience yet, and their power wasn't particularly higher than those guards.
Not to mention the equipment of the two parties being in different worlds.
"Hello, I'm Maxime, leader of the saber-toothed tiger mercenary group, and I've come to declare the annihilation of a village 50km to the south, as well as to officially register our mercenary group."
The deputy chief guard squinted, for the annihilation of a village was rare even in those days, but more importantly it always provoked the wrath of the nobles who received the village's talents and taxes.
So there's no doubt that bloodshed will soon be the order of the day in these lands.
It also meant that he would soon lose many of his friends, and even he could lose his life if recruited into the army of investigation and extermination, which made him sigh.
The soldiers behind him unconsciously tightened their weapons.
"So, Maxime, lay down your weapons at the checkpoint, then follow me to Baron Barthon's residence to tell him your story," asked the deputy chief calmly.
"What about my comrades?
"They too can enter the town as long as they lay down their weapons at the checkpoint and visit as they please."