Chapter 11: The Breakthrough [1]

The esquire winced. His bad luck had pushed him to become the center of this farce. He gulped and steeled his resolve to face this mess without turning back. It was a natural feat as one of the knight’s daily punching bag during the mock battles. Well, anyway, as if he had any other damn choice!

Davin winced as if he had swallowed a dead fly against his will. He could only brace his pearly white teeth for the upcoming walloping while cursing his luck in the back of his mind.

After being cornered from all sides with nowhere to retreat, all he could do now was to at least force out some flimsy resistance. To defend himself with all his might was his only remaining option. After all, everyone in the knight’s army knew that Knight Levo never pulled his punches in everything he does. Just looked at how his once handsome face had undergone heavy terraforming under the care of the knight’s fist.

Davin took a deep breath and begun calculating his next step. The esquire decided that his primary goal was to at least avoid those punches to the face. He trembled at the thought that his already middle-aged face would gain a few more years. He stared at the knight’s clenched fist and refused to let that fist take a dig in.

Davin dreaded the thought that when he returned home, he would look older than his old man. He feared that once his apprenticeship ends, and he returns home to his parents, an awkward “Who are you?” scenario would occur.

Fuck! That will scar him for life.

He also couldn’t ignore the fact that he might really die if he turned sloppy and failed to even protect himself.

Warily taking a peek on the nearby rooftop, what bothered him the most was the smiling madam. He cursed his luck and shuddered after seeing the Madam’s scheming grin.

Suddenly, a crackling sound rumbled below the ground. The mossy pavement below the knight’s feet shattered like brittle glass. A suffocating presence loomed, making everyone take a step back. A crimson-tinted aura flickered around the knight.

Knight Levo’s mere presence had quickened the esquire’s breathing.

Davin shook his head and took a swig of his saliva. It looked like a few broken bones would be the least of his worries.

“K-knight, Madam, le-let this e-esquire give some acceptable explanation.” The esquire quivered. He still hoped to bullshit his way out of the mess. Unfortunately, the rising octaves of his voice never reached the knight. Though it reached the madam, he only heard a tundra-like riposte.

“Oh, Davin, which one do you wish to preserve the left or the right?” The madam said with an angelic smile. Her hands nimbly testing her sword hooks, swishing sounds, ripping the air. The blurry speed of the sword hooks made the esquire instinctively cover his dear jewels.

The Madam’s sword techniques had this infamous reputation for its inexplicable sinisterness. Dirty tactics were her style. When we say dirty, it’s to the point of almost being abhorred. Despite her beauty, she was like a plague in the eyes of her enemies, especially the males.

Unlike the knight, which would only leave him in a half-dead state with a little more space for recovery, the madam was far different. If one does not take precautions, he might accidentally lose a ball or two and become a eunuch.

The Madam’s threatening words had worsened the already blanching face of the esquire. A good old shiver writhed through his body as he murmured blankly. Davin remembered the manly title of the madam during the old days of the monster campaigns. A title she earned after dealing with a few dastardly perverted nobles and army officers.

The title that brought terror and order among the nobles in the last campaign.

“Ba-ll re-reaper… Kuhm. I mean beautiful reaper." The esquire choked, his voice trembling in a deep bass tone. Davin dug his grave a little deeper than the usual six feet below the ground.

Though the madam did not hear the accidental slip up. She still managed to lip-read the odd hints on the esquire’s trembling lips. Soon, an icy mischievous grin blossomed in the madam’s charming facade. Her pearly white teeth had turned the esquire’s legs into jelly.

Meanwhile, Ciera, feeling a little lost at what was happening, let out a sad sniff.

Catching the odd whimper of his only daughter, the eyes of the knight burned with wrath and disgust. His thirst for vengeance rising a few notches. The esquire would surely end up half-dead. The ass-whooping would only end until the knight’s anger subsides.

The suffocating aura crept up across the entire area. Even the nosy villagers sluggishly retreated and hid a few meters back. Staying a few more meters would not hurt such a splendid view, right? It would be perfect if they got some booze.

Their eyes shone as they turned into a mob of spectators for the unfolding drama. Though they were still anxious, their curiosity had overcome the doubts in their heart.

Seeing this, the esquire could not help but swallow his tongue. With a wry smile, he stiffly got into a defending posture. His arms shielding his already middle-age-like face. His message was simple, punch everywhere but spare the face!

A metallic-colored sheen crept up his arms, going into his shoulders and chest. Taking a deep breath, he tried to keep his stuffy heart as calm as the sea lull. One of the basic things he had learned after training with the knight was to keep your head cool.

Boom!

“Brat!!!”

With a thunderous roar, the knight rushed. The wind whipped as a booming fist raged towards Davin. The old stones where the knight once stood met their unfortunate end. A cobweb of cracks slithered before the entire pavement shattered into pieces.

The aura of the knight surged like an unstoppable wave during a wild storm. It shook all the dried leaves on the ground, leaving an array of brown and green waltzing in the air. The sight made the villagers' eyes shine in excitement.

The esquire gritted his teeth, fearing that he might accidentally bite his tongue. Being part of the knight’s official punching bags, er, as part of the knight’s daily training buddies, Davin knew that the lightest thing you’ll get from the knight’s punches were bruises and swollen muscles. Oh, don’t forget those broken bones.

The esquire knew the knight’s nature like the back of his hands. He had learned it after a thousand-round of suffering as the knight’s training buddy. The knight loved frontal assaults the most, and he prized the feeling of mowing any enemies. It was his favorite way of doing battles, even boasting that slugging was an art.

So the best thing to do in this situation was to negate the impact of the Knight’s fist rather than face it. You could also choose to dodge, but that was not advisable.

Dodging was out of the questions since it would only make the knight angrier. And when he’s angry, he would throw faster and deadlier punches straight to your guts. Something that you would regret getting acquainted with. Those who received the knight’s guidance like him had listed three major rules when clashing against the knight.

The first one was to never lose focus when facing the knight. A tiny slip up in your concentration would make you regret you were born human. At the least, you would end up bedridden for a few months. According to the knight, it was no problem, since he had one of the best healers in his contingent.

Second, do not face or counter the knight’s attacks. Disperse its strength to the least. Remember, an odd body shot from the knight would not only crack some bones but would also shift all your organs. If you could not dodge, let him strike the sturdiest point of your body.

Davin had his trained arms, legs, and shoulders as his best defensive measure against the knight.

For the last one, never lose track of Madam’s whereabouts during mock battles. Or even in regular training sessions. The madam always emphasized the importance of being alert at all times. Davin was sure she would do some sneak attacks. Anyway, always keep your balls well-covered. Her title as the ball reaper witch wasn’t a mere joke.

The knowledge imbued in Davin’s mind and body awakened from its deep slumber. His lifelong learning from the daily training had borne its first fruit. Most of the time, warriors break their limits on a bloody battlefield. Or in a certain life and death situation, and for Davin this was that time.

Keeping his heart and mind unruffled and tranquil, Davin blocked the knight’s right fist with a palm Instead of pushing forward, the esquire pulled the fist, matching the tempo of the knight, dispersing the momentum to his advantage. Still, he felt a gust of wind trailing behind the knight’s attack. He gulped.

A shiver ran down his spine, making him lose a breath or two. Trusting his trained senses, Davin immediately jumped back to the side, avoiding another upcoming left hook that had sent a few villagers scrambling away. Before he could even take a short breather, a whipping kick swooshed, aiming at one of his kidneys. Thankfully, he had blocked it with his knees.

He could even feel the booming winds behind the knight’s punches and kicks ruffling his face.

For a moment, the esquire imagined himself as a mighty hero fighting some unreasonable demon lord.