As soon as these words came out, the crowd around the training ground instantly exploded.
Who was Ser Kyle?
He was one of the most veteran knights under Earl Medger, a core retainer, and one of the military commanders of House Cerwyn.
He had guarded Castle Cerwyn for many years, his hands stained with the blood of countless raiders.
In terms of strength, few knights in House Cerwyn could last thirty moves against him.
Hearing this, the smile on Don Quixote's face faded, replaced by solemnity:
"It would be my honor to spar with you, Ser Kyle."
"Refreshing!" Ser Kyle laughed heartily:
"Watching you lot fight all day has made me want to stretch my old bones too."
The surrounding people held their breath again, everyone's gaze locked dead on the two men.
Don Quixote moved first.
With a flip of his right wrist, his longsword unsheathed.
Then, his feet tapped lightly in the mud. Without any sluggishness, his body shot forward like an arrow from a bow.
This move was astonishingly fast.
In the blink of an eye, the sword tip was already close to Ser Kyle.
"Good one!"
A glint flashed in Ser Kyle's eyes as he swung his iron sword horizontally.
Clang, clang, clang.
The two iron swords clashed directly.
...Such power! Such reaction!
Don Quixote felt a force as heavy as a mountain transmitted through the blade, making the web of his thumb go numb instantly.
He didn't panic and continued to swing his sword.
His swordsmanship had no fancy flourishes.
Chop, stab, sweep, lift—no wasted movements. Every swing aimed to defeat the enemy in one blow.
"Good swordsmanship!"
Ser Kyle found a gap to praise him, calmly parrying all of Don Quixote's moves.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The crisp sound of two longswords colliding rang out continuously.
The figures of the two men shifted constantly, without a moment's rest.
The onlookers were dumbfounded.
On one side was the calm composure of a veteran knight; on the other was the agility and speed of a young knight.
Attack and defense, they actually fought to a standstill.
"Twenty moves!"
Someone exclaimed in a low voice, full of disbelief.
Ser Kyle's sword momentum didn't decrease; instead, it became increasingly fierce.
Don Quixote was panting slightly.
Sweat rolled down his temples, and the muscles under his mail were pulled tight.
In terms of endurance and foundation...
He knew he couldn't compare to a veteran knight like Ser Kyle.
If he continued to circle like this, he would undoubtedly lose!
As for sword moves, he certainly couldn't compare to a knight like Ser Kyle who had been fighting for years.
Thirty moves passed!
"Good kid! Solid fundamentals! Excellent physique too!"
Ser Kyle praised loudly.
Immediately after, his movements became a few degrees more decisive.
Chop, stab, twist, pressure.
No mercy left; it was now a full-effort spar.
Every move sealed off Don Quixote's escape routes, preparing to defeat him in one blow.
Don Quixote's breathing had become rapid.
Sweat dripped into his eyes, stinging them so much he wanted to blink several times, but he didn't dare get distracted for a second.
Clang!
A crisp sound numbed everyone's eardrums.
A massive force vibrated along the blade.
Don Quixote felt a dull pain in the web of his thumb and almost dropped his sword.
...Reached the limit.
Don Quixote fought for a while longer, then found an opportunity to retreat quickly and said hurriedly:
"Ser Kyle, I yield!"
Ser Kyle stopped his movements, also panting slightly.
...Compared to these truly powerful veteran knights, there is still a significant gap.
And above Ser Kyle, there were many even more formidable figures.
The Hound—Sandor Clegane!
The Red Viper—Oberyn Martell!
The Mountain—Gregor Clegane!
The Kingslayer—Jaime Lannister!
Barristan the Bold—Barristan Selmy!
The woman knight—Brienne of Tarth!
Don Quixote panted heavily, many thoughts flashing through his mind.
A moment later, Ser Kyle suddenly laughed loudly:
"Good! What a Don Quixote! I didn't expect such talent among freelance knights!"
Don Quixote sheathed his sword, bowed, sweat dripping from his forehead to the ground, and said breathlessly:
"Ser Kyle intentionally held back, allowing this junior to last so long."
Ser Kyle waved his hand and laughed:
"Haha, no need to be humble. I haven't had a spar go this far in a long time!
"Among all the knights and soldiers in the Cerwyn territory, your strength is enough to rank in the top ten!"
...Only top ten? Looks like I overestimated my strength before.
Don Quixote knew it in his heart.
Just now during the spar, Ser Kyle hadn't used his full strength.
If it were a fight to the death, he probably wouldn't have lasted more than a few moves.
Besides the gap in stamina, the key was the sword moves.
His combat experience was still lacking significantly.
He could bully those weaker than him.
But against someone with similar physique and more combat experience, he might not win.
...Still need to develop quietly.
At this moment, Ser Kyle suddenly said:
"I will mention you to the Earl. Perhaps you might be given an important position."
Ser Kyle's voice wasn't loud, but every word fell into the ears of everyone present.
Instantly, the gaze of everyone in the training ground turned to Don Quixote, filled with not just awe but also envy.
In the Cerwyn territory, being personally recommended to the Earl by Ser Kyle was absolutely a huge stroke of luck for an ordinary person.
Hearing this unexpected joy, Don Quixote bowed again and said solemnly:
"This junior thanks Ser Kyle for his favor. I will do my utmost to serve the Earl and live up to Ser Kyle's expectations."
He was currently far from capable of standing on his own.
If he could be put in an important position by House Cerwyn, it would be much more convenient to build his own power later.
Ser Kyle stared at him for a while, as if judging the truthfulness of his words.
Finally, Ser Kyle said:
"Loyalty isn't empty words; it must be proven with actions."
---
The main keep of Castle Cerwyn.
The Great Hall.
The burnt scent of pine wood permeated the stone hall.
Earl Medger discussed important matters of the territory with several core retainers for a while, then suddenly looked at Ser Kyle:
"Kyle, how many freelance knights have been hired so far?"
"My Lord, a total of thirty-six freelance knights have come seeking employment in the past few days." Ser Kyle immediately reported loudly:
"I tested them, and nine qualified."
Earl Medger thought for a moment and said:
"The temporary trade market doesn't need to be too big. Hiring nine freelance knights should be enough.
"Select two knights and five soldiers from the Castle Cerwyn guards. Form two squads, each led by a knight and a deputy, with several freelance knights, to guard the temporary trade market in day and night shifts."
Hearing this, Ser Kyle hesitated for a while before saying:
"There aren't many among the guards capable of suppressing those freelance knights. They all have duties. If I transfer two, I worry it will affect the stability of Castle Cerwyn."
"Oh." Earl Medger said in surprise:
"Could it be that some outstanding figure appeared among those freelance knights?"
"Indeed, not ordinary." Ser Kyle said quickly:
"This man is named Don Quixote. He is a freelance knight, but he has trained a solid foundation, and his physique is outstanding.
"Today I sparred with him. He withstood over forty of my moves. His swordplay has no fancy flourishes; all are practical moves.
"I estimate that fewer than five knights in the entire territory can defeat him!
"If I choose an ordinary guard, I worry they won't be able to suppress him."
Pausing, Ser Kyle continued to analyze:
"After all, in most cases, strength is respected in the army.
"Plus, Don Quixote is also a freelance knight, highly likely to be recognized by other freelance knights.
"If we send a Cerwyn soldier or knight with insufficient ability, it is very likely they will be sidelined."
...