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Many knights appeared on the training grounds of the White Keep on Viserys's hill, watching the duel between His Majesty Viserys Targaryen and Prince Oberyn Martell, The Red Viper.
Rhaenys and Daenerys watched the duel from high above on the balcony of the Kings Tower.
A duel between top-tier experts is truly an art form.
The Red Viper is known as the "First Warrior of Dorne," and even within the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the entire known world, he ranks among the elite.
Although young, Viserys is also known among the Andalos for his bravery and fearlessness; he is a warrior in the flesh.
Viserys believes that the current top-tier warriors are likely few: Robert Baratheon, The Red Viper, the Kingslayer, Khal Drogo, and a select few others.
Ser Barristan, the Captain of the Kingsguard, who stands between first-class and top-tier, is getting old; he can crush average opponents through sheer combat experience, but his stamina cannot keep up with the young men.
As for the other Kingsguard, many are merely incompetent fools filling the ranks.
Below them are The Mountain, The Hound, Greatjon Umber, Garlan Tyrell, the boy-loving Lyn Corbray, and the commander of the Iron Fleet, Victarion.
There should also be some experts in hidden corners like the wildlings beyond the Wall, the gladiators of Meereen, the Iron Islands, and the Free Cities, but Viserys simply lacks the information.
The Red Viper went into the duel lightly equipped; aside from greaves, bracers, a gorget, a breastplate, and a battle skirt, he wore only soft leather and smooth silk undergarments.
His chainmail was covered by a layer of shimmering copper scales, but combined, they provided less than a quarter of the protection of full plate armor.
Removing his arm guards and visor, The Red Viper wore only a simple helmet.
This is the fighting style of the Dornish; their smaller dornish horses and the hot climate have accustomed them to training in light cavalry tactics rather than heavy armored knights charging in a "long live" frenzy.
The Red Viper's round steel shield was polished to a dazzling shine, bearing the emblem of a spear piercing the sun, cast from a mixture of red gold, gold, white gold, and brass.
Viserys wore heavy black armor, with the shape of three magic dragons painted on the black steel plates, appearing as if the eternal night had descended. Over his heavy armor, Viserys wore a surcoat with a red dragon on a black background.
However, Viserys's helmet was not a flat-topped greathelm; to avoid obstructing his vision, Viserys used a dragon-wing helmet.
The spear The Red Viper used was ten feet long—the Dornish love spears most—resembling the one he would later use in his duel against The Mountain.
The spear shaft was made of ash wood, smooth, thick, and heavy, with the last two feet made of steel.
The slender, blunted leaf-shaped spearhead tapered into a rough, rounded ball end; after all, this was a training duel, not the real thing.
Otherwise, the tip of the spear would have been wickedly sharp, sharp enough to shave a beard.
Viserys's weapon was a thickened and widened blunt sword, which seemed somewhat mismatched with his appearance; on Viserys's oak shield was a roaring, clawing magic dragon.
"Your sword and armor are too heavy, His Majesty Viserys. It will affect your speed and waste your stamina." The Red Viper advised Viserys.
As a veteran of the battlefield who had long traveled across the continent of Essos, The Red Viper possessed extremely rich combat experience.
"I am facing The Red Viper, after all; it is only prudent to be cautious." Viserys replied.
The Red Viper shook his head; young people were often too arrogant, and he felt Viserys would be dragged down by the weight of his armor and greatsword.
The Red Viper's hypothetical enemy had always been a massive brute like The Mountain; Viserys's physique was clearly not like that mountain of flesh.
The Red Viper felt that Viserys should be a speed-and-agility type rather than a strength-based one, making this heavy armor counterproductive.
However, seeing that Viserys was very confident, The Red Viper did not say much more.
"I received training from masters in Dorne, then joined the Second Sons, and once had my own company." The Red Viper moved his spear twice.
"I received guidance from Ser William Dary, the master-at-arms of the Red Keep, and later from Ser Roland Lake, the Water Dancer Moro, and the former First Sword Syrio." Viserys also loosened up his muscles.
The trumpeter blew the horn, and the duel officially began.
When the two were ten yards apart, The Red Viper launched a rapid attack.
The Red Viper thrust with his spear, and Viserys blocked with his shield, pushing it aside.
Then Viserys swung his greatsword, hacking at The Red Viper. The Red Viper dodged unscathed, and the spear thrust out again.
The Red Viper was tracking Viserys's movement trajectory; only after trading blows could he gauge his opponent's strength and speed.
The Red Viper intended to end the match with a fierce, violent assault; after all, Viserys's heavy armor and heavy sword would consume his stamina quickly.
Although The Red Viper was watching Viserys's moves, he still felt that Viserys's equipment choice was putting the cart before the horse; Viserys should have followed his path of enhancing agility and fast attacks, supplemented by strength.
No warrior is perfectly balanced.
Ending the match with a fast attack rather than a war of attrition would also better preserve the King's dignity.
The Red Viper retreated and then lunged again, his spear sweeping across Viserys's breastplate at an elusive angle; the rounded tip of the spear struck with a dull thud. If it had been a sharp spearhead, it would have been the ear-piercing sound of metal cutting metal.
Viserys looked at The Red Viper; he was indeed a master of the spear.
Robert Baratheon used a warhammer, the Kingslayer used a sword, but The Red Viper excelled most with a spear.
If he only dueled with first or second-rate warriors, it would be hard for him to make significant progress; he needed this kind of top-tier SSR to feed him moves.
Viserys looked at The Red Viper and began to counterattack with light, agile steps.
The heavy blunt sword emitted a dull roar, kicking up a cold, ghostly light.
"This is a spar, not an assassination." The Red Viper said helplessly. He felt that Viserys's fierce assault was somewhat like tactical suicide, which would soon cause him to lose his agility.
"It is indeed a spar."
The speed of the two began to soar. The Dornish spear swayed around the greatsword, like a viper opening its mouth, its forked tongue flickering in and out.
Viserys was equally flexible and versatile; The Red Viper's spear struck his abdomen, while his greatsword also swept upward, and The Red Viper was also struck heavily on the arm.
Both The Red Viper and Viserys were adept at feints; The Red Viper began using feinting techniques, attacking low but actually thrusting high, the spear moving upward to attack the abdomen and the shield.
But Viserys was not The Mountain; Viserys also keenly perceived The Red Viper's attacks. The Red Viper's foundational skills were extremely high, and it was quite difficult to gain Insight into such an expert.
"Careful!" The Red Viper circled, thrust, and retreated rapidly, draining Viserys's energy.
"Thanks for the warning!" Viserys also defended, dodged, and then pressed forward with his greatsword.
The spears were like a forest, and the swords were like fire.
The Red Viper gradually put away his arrogance. Viserys was not a big brute, yet he possessed the strength of one, and his agility and resilience were extraordinary.
For his age, this talent was even stronger than Rhaegar's back in the day.
Rhaegar had good talent too, but he didn't like fighting much.
The Red Viper relied on his spear and speed, while Viserys used his agility to attack at close quarters, constantly biting at The Red Viper within his field of vision.
The attacks of the true dragon and The Red Viper kicked up a storm of iron; their movements were as fast as butterflies flitting through flowers, and the collision of steel weapons made dull clashing sounds.
Feints, thrusts, blocks—it was dazzling to watch, one wave barely subsiding before another rose.
The surrounding crowd cheered, shouting that this was a satisfying battle to watch.
Viserys and The Red Viper looked like the same type of fighter—flexible and vigorous—making this battle aesthetically pleasing and highly watchable, yet fraught with danger.
"This is a fourteen-year-old?" The Red Viper, dueling with Viserys, began to tighten his nerves, becoming more surprised the longer they fought.
By all logic, Viserys's movement speed and attack speed should have decreased, and his stamina should not have kept up with the pace of the battle. But now, Viserys was still full of vigor, showing no signs of fatigue.
The Red Viper had traveled to many cities and had many battles.
But The Red Viper had never found true balance; top-tier experts indeed did not have obvious weaknesses.
However, top-tier experts were not perfect in every aspect; they all had slight biases, ensuring their advantages were prominent enough.
Unless, unless Viserys could be strong enough to surpass the "Sword of the Morning."
"Could he really be a genius?" The Red Viper's spear whistled as it lunged, attacking Viserys's thighs, arms, and even his chest and abdomen.
But Viserys was dodging flexibly, avoiding the heavy blows, while also returning the favor; the two were like two circles on the training ground.
Viserys's shield blocked the spear many times; the three-headed dragon was becoming a hole-ridden dragon, and the wooden shield began to crack.
Viserys simply threw away his shield, welcoming the final duel.
Viserys's greatsword crushed down like a millstone, and The Red Viper met it head-on.
Viserys's critical strike seemed avoidable, but he quickly changed his move.
The force pressed down on The Red Viper; although The Red Viper held it with his shield, he still took the chop solidly.
"Good lad!" The Red Viper praised, releasing his spear and retreating rapidly.
The Red Viper endured the greatsword, and when Viserys went to follow up...
The Red Viper turned, grabbed his spear, and the spear revealed a sinister smile, like a poisonous sting, turning into a blur of light.
The two fought with great enthusiasm until their armor showed multiple dents from the impacts.
In the end, The Red Viper's cunning spear and advantage in age allowed him to defeat Viserys. Moreover, Viserys was using heavy armor and a heavy sword.
But after the match, The Red Viper seemed to understand the realm of humility.
Fighting a teenage boy to this extent was already embarrassing for The Red Viper. Originally, this whole series of moves by The Red Viper was prepared for The Mountain, not for practicing with a child.
The knights who had been relishing the fight dispersed, leaving only Viserys and The Red Viper on the field.
"Honestly, how long have you been training, Your Majesty?" The Red Viper wiped the sweat from his brow and asked.
"A long time, but my formal training has been from about the age of fourteen until now." Viserys replied.
The Red Viper gasped: "You've actually only had less than a year of formal training? By the Seven, what a freak. I heard the Kingslayer had great talent in swordsmanship, but Tywin had him train persistently since he was old enough to understand, and recruited famous masters to teach him. But you... this..."
The Red Viper wasn't looking down on Roland Lake or Moro; among Viserys's instructors, only Syrio was of high caliber.
Viserys nodded, putting down his shield and sword. It was so satisfying; he truly was the number one SSR warrior in Dorne.
There's no helping it, Oberyn. This is about stats; my stats will be 'pay-to-win' above anyone else.
The Red Viper dropped his spear, walked to Viserys's side, and cast a look of appreciation.
This appreciation didn't come from admiration, but from an appreciation of a warrior's ability, the mutual appreciation of warriors.
"A thirty-something Red Viper can defeat a fourteen or fifteen-year-old Viserys, but a fourteen-year-old Red Viper would undoubtedly lose. I originally thought Daemon Sand of Dorne was the cream of the crop of the younger generation, but looking at it now, that kid can only go and carry your shoes."
"It seems my time as a mentor won't be very long either." The Red Viper quipped.
"That will at least wait until my spear skills reach your level." Viserys decided to freeload until the end.
The Red Viper also made up for the shortage of maesters; now, it's hard to find many educated people in all of the Andalos.
The Red Viper had studied at the Citadel, and before getting bored and dropping out, he had already forged six links of a maester's chain.
Weapons, poisons, knowledge, hidden weapons.
Among top-tier experts, The Red Viper was the most well-rounded—the most knowledgeable among those who could fight, and the best fighter among those who were most knowledgeable.
"When you dueled with old Yronwood back then, he died shortly after. Was that intentional, or was it an accident?" Viserys asked The Red Viper.
"I didn't use poison, but I didn't intend to let him live either." The Red Viper replied with a shrug.
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