"This is..."
Red-haired knight Ryan's eyes narrowed, showing a mix of seriousness and surprise. Turning to the baron, he asked,
"Yuri's already mastered your swordsmanship?"
The baron briefly let a proud look slip before shaking his head with a deliberate frown, saying,
"That boy's not bad; he has a knack for it, but he lacks the diligence and always takes shortcuts."
Ryan nodded, noting Yuri's flashy moves. His techniques were showy but lacked the precision a knight should have. He looked over at Garen, who held his sword with steady, fundamental form, making no unnecessary flourishes, and felt genuinely relieved.
"As knights, we must be practical; the enemy won't care about your swordplay performance. Swadian knights, for instance, would plunge a lance right through your chest—or your backside. And Nord marauders, they'd take your skull to use as a bowl," Ryan criticized, clearly unimpressed with Yuri's display and aiming his comment at both the baron and Garen's older brother, Nessa, an introverted novice knight.
The baron softened his tone and looked pointedly at Nessa.
"Did you heed Ryan's advice?"
Nessa immediately answered with respect,
"Yes, sir!"
Ryan chuckled under his breath, aware of the baron's favoritism for Yuri, even though Garen showed much potential. With a smirk, he turned his gaze back to the duel in the hall.
Yuri, who had trained under the baron in the knightly skills of swordsmanship, riding, hunting, and javelin throwing, had certainly invested the most time in swordplay, which earned him a part of the baron's abilities—although still far from mastering them. The baron's signature sword technique, "Double Speed Slash," combined rapid swings to create a relentless barrage that was difficult to parry.
In the center of the hall, Yuri now switched to a two-handed grip, moving in rapid, twisting motions with his wooden sword swinging at impressive speed, generating a fierce whistling in the air. Although his moves looked intimidating, they lacked power, reflecting his emphasis on form over force.
Garen, maintaining his composure, kept his face blank as he easily blocked every one of Yuri's attacks within a close range of a meter, leaving no openings for his opponent.
"Yuri's sword skills are extraordinary; he's clearly received the baron's personal training," murmured some observers on the sidelines.
"Indeed! Look at Garen; he's barely holding up. I'd bet he'll lose within thirty moves."
"Hey, you bunch have no clue!" said a stout, messy-haired man, defending Garen. "I'll bet five silver pieces Garen wins—any takers?"
"Hold on there, Hulk. Have you paid for last night's tab at the tavern? Anna's not going to chase you here for her fee, right?"
Everyone laughed, teasing the red-faced Hulk, who mumbled,
"Don't be slandering me. I didn't do anything with Anna."
As the banter continued, the duel progressed. Garen calmly issued an order in his mind: "007, simulate." While blocking Yuri's moves, he let his internal system analyze and learn the principles of Double Speed Slash. Within minutes, he understood the technique completely.
When ready, Garen parried Yuri's next strike, then began to swing his own wooden sword at double speed, mirroring Yuri's exact moves but with greater force.
"What?" Yuri's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched Garen perform his moves, not only matching his speed and stance but surpassing him in strength. Feeling the weight of each blow, Yuri began to retreat, fear creeping into his heart.
Onlookers gasped.
"Look! Garen's using the same moves as Yuri!"
"Wait, did Garen learn the baron's sword technique too? He's never trained under him, has he?"
"Maybe Garen mastered it just by watching?" someone whispered, triggering a ripple of shock among the audience. Swordsmanship was considered a sacred skill, handed down through generations and painstakingly learned by apprentices, not acquired through mere observation.
Ryan chuckled and whispered to the baron,
"You didn't secretly train him, did you?"
The baron, both shocked and curious, shook his head.
"I never taught him. I may have demonstrated Double Speed Slash once, but without explaining any principles. By logic, he shouldn't have been able to master it."
"But it's clear now that he's even more skilled at it than Yuri, who's been practicing it since he was ten. Could it be that Garen is a natural swordsmanship genius?" Ryan muttered to himself, baffled.
In the hall, wooden swords clashed with a thudding rhythm. Yuri was sweating and clearly unsettled, his eyes darting as if searching for a way out.
"Enough!" Yuri suddenly shouted, halting the duel just as Garen's sword was a mere three inches from his throat. Trembling, he realized he had narrowly escaped defeat, haunted by the calm, unwavering look in Garen's eyes.
A hush fell over the hall, everyone staring in stunned silence. Naal, the referee, snapped out of his shock and declared,
"Garen Stark wins!"
"We hereby announce Garen Stark as the champion of this Sunset Keep squire tournament!" Naal's voice rang out, followed by cheers, clapping, and shouts of praise. Amid the applause, Hulk, overjoyed, looked around triumphantly.
"See, I told you Garen would win! Thank goodness none of you suckers bet against me, or you'd be flat broke!"
Garen lowered his sword and turned to leave. Behind him, Yuri stood motionless, his face a picture of dejection, his long eyes filled with resentment. Suddenly, a fierce hatred flared within him. *Die!*
Yuri silently tossed away his wooden sword, drew a sharp blade from his waist, and with the silence of a snake, lunged at Garen's back, sword aimed to kill.
"Watch out!" shouted Naal and Ryan, alarm filling their voices.