Chapter 58

“I didn’t really beat him in skill, I simply outlasted him.” Adrian answered.

He sat on a stool to the side of the board where Lord Jayson and the Princess were playing a game of chess, positioned much closer than any of the other lords and ladies nearby.

“Outlasted?” Lord Jayson asked, moving a pawn in an attempt to retaliate after the Princess took his knight.

Adrian nodded. “Yes. I can’t call myself gifted, except perhaps in that aspect.”

Adrian noticed the Princess giving him a look as she slowly touched a piece, her eyes sending him a silent message. Adrian’s lips twitched. How was he going to send a subtle signal to the Princess that she had picked the wrong piece?

In the end, he played dumb and raised a brow at her, acting confused. It might not have worked, as he felt her faint glare before it quickly disappeared.

“Then it was a pity for Sir Harold to face you…” Lord Jayson chuckled. “Will you give the emblem back?”

“I would, if he asked for it.”

“Many would like to keep his emblem as a trophy. Does Lord Harrow not think the same?” the Princess asked after making her move.

Adrian looked toward the field where the servants had finished cleaning and the next jousters were approaching before answering her. “I believe everyone who witnessed what happened is enough of a witness to my victory.”

“Lord Harrow is a humble person.” the Princess said before urging Lord Jayson, “Make your move quickly. After I beat you, it is time to face the creator of the game.”

Lord Jayson snorted. “You mean after I beat you?” He then gestured to Adrian. “Lord Harrow, don’t hesitate to offer your comments. At least let the other ladies watching understand why we moved the pieces in such a way.”

“Then I shall.” Adrian nodded.

Their attention was quickly turned toward the field as the jousters appeared however. This time, the competitors carried great names.

First, wearing an orange cloak with black and yellow, was Lord Bennett Attareus. Then there was a knight clad in all-black armor with a menacing helm, Lord Corvus, heir of Ravenspire.

There were others he had heard the ladies mention, the Knight of Hammer and the Lord of Cameron, who was supposedly a general during the war with Breakstone.

The lineup for this joust was stacked. Excitement rippled through the crowd before a hush silenced everyone, the audience watching with bated breath. The horn blasted, and the horses surged.

It was no surprise when Lord Corvus and Lord Bennett quickly unhorsed their opponents in a single charge, sending the crowd wild. Compared to Adrian's bout, which took four lances and plenty of pain and sweat, it seemed they hadn’t struggled at all.

The skill difference was massive. If he weren’t surrounded by nobility, Adrian would have clicked his tongue in awe.

‘No matter.’ he thought. ‘I can still make up the difference with tenacity.’

The jousting continued, and Adrian spent the interval playing against Lord Jayson and the Princess. To their surprise, he beat them both quickly. They had improved, but not enough to defeat him.

While a part of him suggested it might be better to let them win so their interest in him would diminish, as the creator of the game, he felt a spark of pride and refused to lose. At least not yet.

The jousting ended just as the sun reached its zenith. In an hour or two, the melee would begin, the other competition he had joined. This gave him the perfect excuse to leave Lord Jayson and the Princess, who now seemed much more motivated after failing to beat him at chess.

He earned curious gazes from the other ladies as he departed. The most noticeable came from Lady Thea, and Adrian nearly rolled his eyes at her. Soon, however, his focus shifted entirely to the upcoming melee.

--

Compared to the jousting, there were clearly more people gathered for the melee. Some lords even sponsored common folk who possessed skills with armor and the like, entering them into the fray to bet on their performance.

In fact, from the stories Adrian had heard while touring the grounds earlier, he knew that commoners could even earn knighthood if they performed exceptionally well in the melee.

Because of the sheer number of competitors, the fights were crowded. Six arenas were built together, separated mostly by fences. Each arena housed ten fighters, and only the one who came out on top would participate in the finals.

Apparently, it was arranged this way to mimic the chaos of fighting monsters, to simulate how relentless such a battle could be and how easily one could be surrounded.

Thus, every fighter had to know how to prevail while outnumbered. Adrian personally thought it was simply due to time constraints, but he wasn’t going to voice that aloud.

Soon, names were called, and Adrian found himself among the first group to fight. After donning his armor, his breastplate now hastily repaired with the dent gone, Adrian stepped into one of the arenas alongside nine others.

He scanned his opponents and inwardly sighed in relief, there was no prince or Lord Corvus among them.

His opponents were all knights, though he spotted no famous ones. Then again, the unknown was just as terrifying.

As everyone settled into their corners, Adrian looked at the crowd. The venue was different from the jousting, because of the layout of the six small arenas, more people were able to see the action, making it feel far more packed. Adrian gripped the spear in his hand tightly.

Fighters were free to bring any weapon from the earl’s collections, but since this was a competition, all sharp weapons had been blunted.

That didn’t mean injuries wouldn't happen, of course.

Adrian checked the blunted sword at his hip and the round shield on his back, finding them strapped securely. He was more familiar with the sword and shield, but he would take the advantage of range as long as he could. He observed his opponents, and they observed him in turn.

Perhaps because he had beaten the Knight of Precision, most eyes seemed fixed on him.

“That’s not good…”

Soon, he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise, knowing the start was imminent. A hush spread through the crowd as they felt it too, right before a horn blasted. Adrian moved instantly, stabbing at the closest approaching enemy.

The battle began!

An enemy wielding a mace and shield tried to trap Adrian's spear under his armpit, but Adrian quickly pulled back and unleashed a flurry of stabs, pushing the man back and taking full advantage of his reach.

Another opponent rushed him from the side, forcing Adrian to transition his stabs into a large swipe. This forced the newcomer to back away, though the man had a spear of his own and lunged toward Adrian.

Adrian cursed inwardly. Facing two skilled opponents, especially one with a long reach, was troublesome.

He pedaled back, making sure he wasn't cornered. The mace-wielder charged while the spearman attacked simultaneously, trying to create an opening.

Adrian charged forward to meet them, twisting his body so the incoming spear thrust passed harmlessly through his armpit.

He then rammed his weight into the man with the mace. The man blocked with his shield, but Adrian’s momentum and strength were enough to knock him off his feet.

The spearman tried to pull his weapon back, but Adrian clamped down on the shaft under his arm. He hurled his own spear with one arm at the man, forcing him to twist away to dodge. In that split second, Adrian grabbed the shaft of the enemy's spear and pulled with a sudden surge of strength. The enemy, surprised, resisted for only a moment before letting go to draw his sword.

Adrian spun the captured spear until the tip was forward and unleashed a flurry of thrusts, forcing the man back.

The man Adrian had knocked down was quickly scrambling to his feet. Anticipating this, Adrian changed his rhythm to a downward sweep, striking the man’s legs. He yelped and fell once more.

This allowed Adrian to refocus on the swordsman, who charged and slashed downward. Adrian used the shaft of the spear to block, but even blunted, the wooden shaft snapped in half.

Adrian cursed, threw a sharp kick to force the man back, and then hurled the broken spear pieces at him. In the same motion, he drew his sword from his waist.

Steel clashed against steel, the ringing echoing through the arena.

To the enemy's shock, Adrian was relentless, swinging hard strikes while moving with fluid grace.

Adrian parried a strike and saw his opening. His hand snatched out like a serpent, grabbing the man's sword hand. Before the enemy could retreat, Adrian twisted his grip and moved his body for leverage.

“Argh!”

The enemy released one hand from his hilt to punch Adrian, but Adrian met him with a brutal headbutt. The man yelped in pain, and Adrian used the moment to trip him. As the man fell, Adrian delivered a powerful swipe with the flat of his blade against the man’s helm. He crashed to the ground, groaning and dazed.

“That’s one…” Adrian muttered. He took a brief moment to observe the arena, half the combatants had already fallen.

“Come here!” The opponent with the mace and shield had recovered and was charging again.

Adrian unslung his shield and snapped it onto his arm just as the mace slammed into it. Adrian didn’t budge. To the shock of his enemy, Adrian lunged forward with a counter-strike. He could feel the adrenaline of battle surging through his veins now, sharpening everything into focus.

He was going to win today.