“Alfred was a noble and extraordinary warrior! Although I faced him on the battlefield, I still respect his virtues. Please return his armor and longsword to his family!”
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Wu Ming, who was about to become a knight himself, naturally could not stoop so low as to keep the enemy’s weapons. Instead, he solemnly handed the Dragonheart Sword to a servant who had come forward, giving him earnest instructions.
Of course, expecting these servants to fulfill their duties faithfully was merely a dream. However, as soon as they left the battlefield, Tanya, the former deputy leader of the Wolf’s Heart and now its leader—also known as the Black Spider—was already waiting to claim them.
It was only natural and appropriate for her, representing the Wolf’s Heart, to inherit Alfred’s legacy.
“Respected sir, your will shall be carried out!”
The servant, struggling under the weight of the sword, was nevertheless deeply moved by William’s noble character and spoke from his heart.
“Withdrawing the fist is to strike the enemy better… This act of letting go now is merely to gain more in the future…”
For some reason, as Adrian looked at the brave warrior William, these words surfaced in his mind.
Then, he donned armor that gleamed like bright light and set forth on his destined path.
Regardless of how handsome and powerful Alfred had been before, a dead man was still a dead man. The Earl of Lanshan would not shed a single tear for him, and even the spectators had selectively forgotten him, cheering instead for the next duel.
Now, Adrian would face his opponent at the very place where Alfred had fallen in battle. The winner between them would then challenge William for the final championship and the knighthood.
…
“My opponent should be Adrian!”
Wu Ming watched Adrian defeat his opponent and was just preparing to rent a warhorse when a servant hurriedly ran over. “Mr. William… I bring a message from Mr. Adrian!”
“Hmm?”
After hearing the report, Wu Ming’s expression became even more peculiar.
“Ladies and gentlemen!”
On the arena, the referee listened to a servant’s whisper for a moment, looked somewhat surprised, and then loudly announced, “At the request of Sir Adrian, he will face William in a foot combat match this afternoon, both without armor, to contest the honor of champion! Let us cheer for his fairness!”
William’s warhorse had already been slain, and he clearly had no knight’s armor to wear—this was plain for all to see.
Under such a significant advantage, Adrian’s insistence on a fair duel astonished everyone.
Furthermore, no lord would ever refuse such a chivalrous request.
“This man… the Church…”
Wu Ming quietly watched the scene unfold, his eyes gleaming with unusual light.
If the opponent used his familiar warhorse and armor, there might have been a chance for a fair fight. But by voluntarily giving up these advantages, it was practically tantamount to surrender.
If this was truly Adrian’s own decision, Wu Ming found it hard to believe.
…
At noon, in the rest room, Adrian began his lunch after his usual prayers.
“Adrian!”
At that moment, the door opened and the archbishop quietly walked in.
He glanced at the blueberry preserves and veal steak on the table and couldn’t help shaking his head slightly.
“Sorry… Your Grace!”
Adrian’s face reddened.
“Advocating that black bread and water alone can sustain a person for a whole day is the practice of ascetics. Even though you are still a Glorious Knight of the Church, you need not be so strict.”
“Of course not!”
Adrian’s face flushed again as he shook his head vehemently. “Even though I have declared my departure from the Church, my Lord’s light still forever resides in my heart…”
The archbishop’s cloudy eyes fixed on Adrian. “Do you have any dissatisfaction?”
Under his gaze, even Adrian couldn’t help feeling completely exposed, as if his innermost thoughts were being seen through.
“All is for the glory of our Lord!”
He forced himself to endure and bowed respectfully to the archbishop before him.
“All comes from our Lord, and all is for our Lord… The omen of doom is about to appear; our time is running out…”
The archbishop murmured softly.
“Then… Your Grace, could that person be the Savior?”
Seeing the archbishop turn to leave, Adrian could no longer contain himself and asked directly.
“The Savior?”
The archbishop turned his face, showing a surprised expression. “There has never been a Savior in this world. The only ones who can truly save the people are our Lord and themselves!”
“Then why did Your Grace do this?”
Adrian was even more puzzled.
“Abandoning mounted combat and armor?”
The archbishop smiled. “It’s to save your life, my child!”
Without another word, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Adrian behind, his face full of confusion.
…
“The Spring Tournament final for the championship will now begin! It will be between William, the commoner from Nia Town, and Adrian, the former Glorious Knight, now known as the Guardian of Fairness!”
In the afternoon, not a single noble was absent, and even the general spectator stands were packed to the brim.
Masses of people had gathered, eager to witness the birth of a champion, and of course, to see the incredible honor that came with it.
“The first to enter is William, the commoner from Nia Town, the amazing William! His martial skills are as mighty as the legendary sword god, always easily defeating opponents with his superb swordsmanship. Due to his habit of not wearing armor, he is known among the commoners as the ‘Sword Sage in Commoner’s Garb’!”
Amid the referee’s and spectators’ hoarse shouting, Wu Ming still walked calmly into the square dressed in plain clothes.
“And from my left side, here comes Sir Adrian, once baptized by the Church, adorned in the robes of glory, representing honor and protection! This nobleman is a paragon of virtue and fairness, having granted William an equal fight!”
“Let us cheer for these two!”
“William! William!”
“Adrian! Adrian!”
…
Amidst the loud cheers, Earl Lanshan calmly stood up and made a gesture signaling the start of the duel.
“Adrian!”
At this moment, Wu Ming drew his steel sword, looked at Adrian opposite him, and spoke calmly. “Although I don’t know if this wasn’t your own decision, as a reward, you can survive!”
Actually, whether this was an olive branch from the Church or not, Wu Ming still had to accept it willingly before he could afford to ignore worldly powers.
“Prideful!”
Adrian roared, his muscles bulging, as if lightning flickered briefly around him.
“Sword Technique—Thunder Slash!”
In the next moment, he gripped his sword with both hands and seemed to instantly appear before Wu Ming.
This was a secret technique passed down through generations of cathedral knights, the highest-level martial art for killing in combat. After being refined by dozens of generations, it had become perfectly refined.
Previously, he had relied on this move to defeat any opponent, none could withstand his single strike.
Even though William was formidable, after this strike, he would surely lose his balance and have to retreat to adjust, and that would be the moment of opportunity.
Bang!
Unexpectedly, William did not retreat but instead slashed his sword directly, the two blades meeting in a straight line.
A tremendous force surged through, causing Adrian’s hands to tremble as he took a step back.
“Could it be that William has already undergone the knighthood ceremony and become a knight?”
Adrian thought in alarm. In the next moment, a flurry of attacks, swift as a storm and precise as a rain of needles, came rushing at him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of steel upon steel echoed across the field. William’s attacks were like a relentless storm, seamless and unbroken. Adrian kept retreating, increasingly alarmed, yet unable to find any chance to counterattack.
Bang!
Suddenly, Adrian’s right hand loosened, and his sword flew high into the air. A sharp edge pressed against his throat.
“I lost…”
Adrian’s lips curled into a bitter smile as he uttered the three words.
He looked at the composed William before him in disbelief and asked, “So all along, you never used your full strength in the previous matches?”
“Of course not. However, I have mastered a secret method to stimulate my blood and qi, allowing me to unleash my power once!”
Wu Ming answered with slightly heavy breathing.
As an ordinary human, suppressing a knight who had undergone the knighthood ceremony and attained supernatural strength was no small burden for him, even with the use of his secret technique.
“This is the limit of an ordinary person… If a few more knights were to gang up on me, I would surely perish!”
Wu Ming sighed inwardly. “I must complete the knighthood ceremony as soon as possible or acquire other abilities!”
“William!”
“William!”
“William!”
Adrian walked out of the arena in a daze while the entire spectator stand erupted into clamor.
“The champion of this martial tournament is—William from Nia Town! Let us cheer for him!”
The referee announced loudly. Immediately, a maid stepped forward to drape a white robe over Wu Ming and place a crown made of thorns and vines upon his head, then escorted him to the noble platform.
There, Earl Lanshan had already risen, gazing at him with an appreciative look. “Congratulations, William!”
He raised his hand, and the entire venue fell silent. Innumerable envious and jealous gazes converged on Wu Ming.
“Now, it is time to fulfill the champion’s reward and promise!”
Earl Lanshan drew his sword, his expression solemn. “William, the commoner from Nia Town! Will you pledge your loyalty to me?”
Every knight must have a lord to serve; this was the law of the world, one that no one could escape.
“At least he’s a bit better than Baron Terry…”
Wu Ming grumbled inwardly, but on the surface, he maintained a solemn expression and bowed respectfully. “I will!”
“Excellent!”
Earl Lanshan placed the sword on Wu Ming’s shoulder, his voice heavy with gravity. “In the name of Wood Von Lanshan, the heir of the Original Blue Blood, the Guardian of the People of Lanshan, the Earl of Howling Fortress, and the Reincarnation of the Blue Tiger, I bestow upon you the honor of knighthood!”
“I swear to offer you my loyal sword!
I will show kindness to the weak, bravely confront cruelty, fight against all injustice… and remain faithful to those I love until death!
I will remember my oath until my dying day!”
…
Following ancient rites, Wu Ming loudly swore his vow.
When he stood up, his status had transformed. No longer a commoner, he was now a knight—Sir William!
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