The Mercenary Troupe

Chapter 7:The Mercenary Troupe

Galabron was a friend of Edward's father and Sir Frege.The Frege Mercenary Troupe originally consisted of four knights:Sir Frege,a Level 5 knight,Galabron and Duke Kal,both Level 4 knights,and an unlucky wandering knight who was framed and killed by Duke Kal.Sir Frege was the leader of the troupe,and Duke Kal and Galabron,as his friends,were appointed as deputy leaders,while the wandering knight was hired.

Galabron was a man of strong character in his middle age.Unlike Duke Kal,he didn't have many ulterior motives.After Sir Frege's death,he was determined to train Edward to become a great knight,to live up to his old friend's entrustment.Later,Duke Kal's plot to kill Edward was kept secret from Galabron.By the time he heard the news,the blame for Edward's death had been placed on the wandering knight,who was already dead and couldn't defend himself.Plus,the two men were friends,so Galabron was kept in the dark until today.It was only when he learned of Duke Kal's death and Edward's return that he rushed over.

Lin Tan knew that this hot-tempered knight hadn't been involved in Duke Kal's conspiracy,but he wasn't sure whether Galabron would seek revenge for Duke Kal.Sir Frege,Duke Kal,and Galabron had always been very close friends;otherwise,Sir Frege wouldn't have entrusted his son to the other two.But compared to Duke Kal,who held more weight in Galabron's heart?Lin Tan really couldn't be sure.He didn't understand Galabron's character well enough to make a judgment.

On one side was a friend,and on the other side was his friend's son.This choice was indeed difficult.But rationally and emotionally,Duke Kal,who had plotted to murder Edward,was definitely not someone with normal moral standards would support.Thinking this through,Lin Tan felt relieved.He didn't have the confidence to fight another Level 4 knight at the moment.The battle with Duke Kal had already drained him considerably.Although he might not lose,a drawn battle with heavy losses on both sides was almost certain.

When he arrived in the living room,Lin Tan immediately saw a middle-aged man with a beard pacing back and forth.His disordered steps revealed the anxiety in his heart.

"Uncle Galabron,"Lin Tan stepped forward and bowed to Galabron.

Seeing Lin Tan,Galabron quickly walked up,grasped Lin Tan's shoulders with both hands,and said,"Thank goodness!Thank the Holy Light,thank God,I'm so relieved that you're alright..."

Lin Tan could see from the eyes of this older knight that his concern was genuine.He smiled and said,"Uncle Galabron,I'm fine,but Duke Kal..."

"Don't mention that guy to me!"At the mere mention of his name,Galabron's anger flared up immediately."He doesn't deserve to be a knight!He actually...actually..."Galabron launched into a tirade against Duke Kal,showing no signs of their former friendship.But Lin Tan could vaguely see the glimmer of tears in Galabron's eyes,indicating that his emotions were not just anger.

Lin Tan understood the complex feelings in Galabron's heart but didn't say much.After chatting with Galabron for a while,he saw him off.With Galabron gone,Lin Tan continued his good sleep;he was truly exhausted.

The next morning,Lin Tan got up early.After practicing swordsmanship on the manor's open ground for a while,he had breakfast at the servant's reminder.He had originally invited Galabron to join him,but the middle-aged knight didn't come,apparently still greatly affected by his friend's betrayal and death.

The following day was very busy for Lin Tan.Whether it was taking over the manor or handling the mercenary troupe's affairs,it was no easy task.Fortunately,after recovering from his emotional state,Galabron began to help with these tasks,lightening Lin Tan's burden somewhat.So far,Lin Tan didn't really have anyone he could trust.He had only recently taken over the legacy left by his"father."But if he had to name someone,Galabron was probably the person he trusted the most at the moment.

After spending some time together,Lin Tan also started to like this middle-aged uncle.He was hot-tempered,upright,and had decent military skills.Although he was a bit rigid,overall,he was a great helper for Lin Tan at this stage.However,there was one annoying thing:he always required Lin Tan to spend a lot of time each day practicing swordsmanship.

"Your father was a renowned knight,a name that is still known on the eastern battlefield!If you want to inherit your father's sword,you must train hard!"

"Why is your sword arm so limp?Without Dou Qi,I could knock your sword out of your hand in two rounds!"

To be honest,Lin Tan was able to defeat Duke Kal purely because of Dou Qi.Among knights,the presence or absence of Dou Qi had a huge impact on combat effectiveness.If not for Dou Qi,Galabron could indeed finish Lin Tan off within ten rounds!Whether it was physical strength,swordsmanship,or combat experience,these warriors who had been through battles were much stronger than Lin Tan!

However,for Lin Tan,the most important thing at present was not to improve his combat skills but that his system had a new option.

"Faction option unlocked..."

"Training option unlocked..."

In the faction option,there were a few items that Lin Tan cared about:the country option,the religion option,and the territory option.Unfortunately,all three were grayed out and unusable.Among all the faction options,only two were lit up:the general option and the personal option.

Personal Faction:Frege Mercenary Troupe

Identity:Leader

Members:32 Elite Mercenaries

Maintenance Cost:100 gold coins/year

Subordinate Generals:

Name:Galabron

Command:★★☆

Virtue:★★★★★

Piety:★★★★★☆

Loyalty:★★★★★★★★

Personal Strength:Level 4 Knight

...

On the homepage of the faction option,a few symbols also caught Lin Tan's attention.

Monthly Faith Energy Provided:300

Current Faith Energy:100

These two data points left Lin Tan puzzled.Faith was usually associated with religion,but the religion option hadn't been activated.So why was there faith?Could it be the faith directed towards him?Was the system's goal to create a god?A hundred years of experience had filled Lin Tan with curiosity about"gods."

Lin Tan knew that gods did exist because he had witnessed divine miracles more than once.Not to mention anything else,in the capital of the Holy Born Empire—Saint's Gift,the耀阳 Great Cathedral in弗兰德林 City would have the sun god弗兰 descend with divine miracles every few decades.Even Lin Tan,in his soul state,would feel oppressed under this divine power,showing how strong it was.But what exactly were gods?A powerful creature?The ultimate manifestation of a strong person's advancement?Or just a collection of believers'faith?Lin Tan didn't know.

However,the subsequent training system made Lin Tan temporarily put aside these philosophical thoughts...