City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Chapter 136: Thoughts

Sin Lord 136 Thoughts
 
 
 
I woke up early in the morning; not as early as I woke up daily, but still early.
 
I had slept for four hours, and it was a good sleep without any nightmares. I wanted to sleep more, but there are things to do and practice.
 
I couldn’t take a break, even for a day.
 
After what I experienced yesterday. I want to be ready for everything. The enemies I would face will not be weak and I need to be strong enough to defend against them.
 
Yesterday, I had done well, but I am aware of how close I had been to death. If any of the attacks had gone a few inches deeper, I wouldn’t have been standing here alive.
 
I freshened up and changed into practice clothes before walking out of my room.
 
“Have you slept?” I asked Jon. “Yes, for three hours,” he replied. I nodded and kept walking.
 
Most of the army had left, but there are still around three hundred people who have remained at the keep. They are from Mirador Hold, but little more than fifty belong to Baron Harrods.
 
He had stayed and would visit different baronies with me.
 
Soon, I reached the practice ground, and there were already people practicing there. 
 
Seeing me, they all stopped.
 
“Apologies for disturbing you all,” I apologized, before walking into one of the sparring rings and turning to the guards. “Anyone interested in a little spar?” I asked.
 
I would have sparred with Jon, but he is still injured and while he could fight, I don’t want to strain his injuries further.
 
For a couple of seconds, nobody moved, before a blond man who looked to be in his mid-twenties stepped forward. He was one of the people who was practicing in the arena a few seconds ago.
 
“What’s your name, soldier?” I asked. “Jora, adviser,” he replied.
 
“Jora, if you are Level 20 or below, don’t hold back. Come at me with everything you have.” I said, and I could see his expression turning a little strange.
 
A second later, his expression eased.
 
“I am coming,” He announced and came at me. His speed is good, and he is using his speed skills from the beginning.
 
Looking at his expressions, he wants to defeat me in a single attack.
 
It took him a second to appear beside me, and he attacked. I could see he was hesitating. 
 
The way he had reduced the speed of attack.
 
I let the sword come closer to me; just when it was less than half a meter away, I took a step right, avoiding his sword, before attacking with mine.
 
He was startled seeing that and moved back and this time; he had used the movement skill at full power.
 
I smiled and followed him with the Rapid Legs, and attacked with the Swift Blade. The blond is quite skilled as he reacted instantly, with all the hesitation gone.
 
Clang
 
Our weapons clashed, and I felt a heavy shock in my arm. It was so powerful that I nearly threw away my sword.
 
He is not Level 20 yet, but he is close and, like all soldiers, invested most of his points in physical attributes. 
 
It will be better if I focus on dodging.
 
With that thought, I moved to dodge the second attack; he followed with another and then another attack, but I dodge it all.
 
After fighting against the bandit, dodging the attacks of this speed had become a little easier. It also helps that I have leveled up twice and upgraded the skill.
 
Which now keeping my whole body in balance and not just legs. The Sure Foot used to use the legs to keep me in balance while Gymnasts Grace, uses my whole body.
 
It gives me a lot of freedom that I did not have before, making things even easier.
 
“You are very good at dodging the attacks, adviser,” said Jora as he stopped holding back, seeing me dodging his every attack.
 
“It is how I survived yesterday, Jora,” I replied and dodged another of his attack, which filled with the power of the skill. If it had hit me; it would have broken a couple of my bones.
 
Seconds passed, and Jora continued his offense, using every skill and move he had, but failing.
 
It is frustrating him, and he is taking more and more risks; opening himself more, baiting me to attack, but I remained calm and only dodged the attacks.
 
It is fun. Here I am only using two skills to dodge attacks of a person who is higher leveled and has more experience than me.
 
Hun
 
A few more minutes passed when suddenly, I saw a golden chance and I took it without hesitation.
 
In these few minutes, I have not only dodged his attacks but also studied him. His skills, his combat style, and the limitation he has. It all made me confident; I could take this chance.
 
His sword came at me again, and instead of moving left to dodge, I stepped forward.
 
It surprised him, but he reacted instantly and increased the speed of the attack, just like I thought he would.
 
I appeared in front of his sword before moving my shoulder left, dodging his sword by hairbreadth while attacking with a Swift Blade.
 
He moved to dodge immediately, but I followed him. He might be a few levels above me, but his speed is only slightly faster than me.
 
So, I have gotten close to him before attacking with my sword, which is fast enough to reach him, even when the distance between us is widening.
 
Especially when I am using the Swift Blade at full power.
 
“Strike,” I said as I stopped my sword at his neck, while his sword is inches away from me.
 
“You won, adviser,” he said, as he put down his sword, while still in shock at the result. 
 
The guards watched with wide eyes, especially the ones who were wearing the same colors as Jora.
 
Clap Clap Clap
 
I had just put down my sword when I heard clapping and only to see an old man entering the arena.
 
“My lord,” I greeted and bowed faintly, while Jora was beside me more deeply since he was his lord.
 
“I had heard about your battle yesterday from the men, but had a hard time believing it, but seeing you fight. It seemed like your performance was no exaggeration yesterday.” He spoke.
 
“Thank you, for praise my lord,” I said.
 
“If you don’t mind, would you mind having a little spar with this old man?” he asked, and my expression turned awkward. “I am no match for you, my lord,” I replied.
 
“Don’t worry, young man. I will restrict my power at your level,” he said. “Then, I would be honored, my lord,” I said. He smiled and walked toward the weapon rack and picked up the saber.
 
“Ready, young man?” he asked, and I nodded, before moving at him.
 
I did not hold back. I used Rapid Steps to reach him and attacked with Swift Blade and Weighted Strike, using their full power.
 
The old man casually moved his saber and deflected my sword before touching my neck with his saber.
 
He had not used more power than me; even a little less, and had not used any skills, but even then. 
 
He had defeated me with a single attack.
 
“Nice attempt, but try harder,” he said as he took back his saber.
 
I attack again in a different way, but he deflected again, putting the sword on my chest. This time, I did not stop and attacked again, and like before, he deflected my sword once again.
 
I am not surprised by it; this is the strongest man in Nakar baronies. Someone who had fought countless battles.
 
Even the bandit leader did not dare to engage with him. In the last battle, when they had surrounded him, he ran away instead of facing this old man.
 
His level is above 30 and had a great battle experience.
 
Most importantly, he is the prince’s man. Even Count Darrow will not do anything to him without taking permission from his nephew first.
 
He had got the barony with merit, and, if Count’s words, were to be believed. The prince trusts him deeply and placed him here to keep an eye on him and Harrison Dane.
 
A few minutes passed and when I was finally able to stop his saber from deflecting my attacks. A moment later, he attacked, and I found his sword on my neck again.
 
From that moment, he stopped defending and started attacking, while I defended.
 
Nearly every attack of his touched me, but with time, I was able to defend against them. Within ten minutes, I had continuously defended against seven of his attacks before he was able to hit me.
 
We kept fighting, and I felt like I was learning a lot. I am very grateful for this old man, whatever his intention in sparring with me.
 
“I think it is enough,” he said as the tip of his saber poked my chest once again.
 
“Thank you, my lord. I had learned a lot,” I said, and he smiled. Though his smile felt a little more straining than before, maybe I was imagining it.
 
I talked to him for a few minutes and went back to my room. 
 
Today's session was mentally exhausting. Usually, my spars make me wither in pain, that I couldn’t make a simple movement without gritting my teeth.
 
Baron Harrods had only touched my fatal points with a sword. He did not beat the shit out of me like most of my sparring partners do.
 
I took off all of my drenched clothes and walked into the shower and washed away all the sweat.
 
Ten minutes later, I stepped out and changed into the suite before walking out of the room. 
 
Soon, I stepped into the kitchen and found Baron Harrods and Major Jarvis sitting there. The breakfast is placed in front of them, but they are not eating.
 
“Lord Harrods, Major Jarvis,” I greeted as I appeared in front of them. “Adviser, we were waiting for you. Take a seat,” said Baron Harrods, motioning to the empty chair.
 
“Thank you, my lord,” I said and sat down, and immediately a man wearing a mirador holds color served me breakfast.
 
“I have to say, you got one talented chef, Major Jarvis,” said Baron Harrods as he took a bite of pancake. “It is really good, Major Jarvis,” I added, as the taste of pancake filled my mouth.
 
The middle-aged man smiled, with a hint of pride in it. “Thank you, my lord, adviser. It is my fortune, I have found a chef among my men,” he said, looking at the chef.
 
In the army, your talent always helps you. If it is something that is pleasing to your superior.
 
We talked as we eat, mostly about general topics. Nothing too serious, before finally both of them turned to me.
 
“Adviser, what are your thoughts about the battle you fought yesterday?” asked Major Jarvis.
 
It little surprised me, but I did not immediately answer. If it had been anyone else, I would have given a generic answer, but it will not work against these two.
 
So, I collected my thoughts for a couple of seconds before opening my mouth.
 
“The Ulag Karguk was smart from what I had read about him, but yesterday, he had done an idiotic thing,” I said, and surprise couldn’t help, but appeared on their faces, but they did not speak.
 
Wanting me to explain my reasoning.
 
“He had captured the castle and surrounded us, which he shouldn’t have done,”
 
“He is a bandit, who is experienced in fighting in the forest, but he trapped us in a castle, where everyone, including me, has fought or trained to fight,”
 
Yes, old Remus had the training to fight in a castle.
 
“The bandits were well placed, but they didn’t have any experience in fighting a place like that.” “If they had fought us in the forest, it would have been us who would have been wiped out,” I explained.
 
“There is also another reason for our victory. The leader's red skill that you both had faced two days. It seemed to be on cooldown, if he had activated it; it would have been a mutual destruction,”
 
“I could even say we have not won, because we were powerful or skilled, but because we were lucky, that our enemies were idiots,” I finished.
 
They looked at me with mouths open; they might not have expected such an answer from me.
 
“You are taking your victory far too, humbly, adviser,” said Baron Harrods, with a hint of respect in his eyes. “It is the truth, my lord. There is no need to gloss over it,” I replied, and he smiled.
 
A few minutes later, we finished the breakfast, and an hour later; I was in a carriage with Baron Harrods. Traveling toward my first destination as a representative.