SWDnovel Chapter 23 Their First Encounter
Chapter 23 Their First Encounter
The early spring sun hung high in the sky, lacking the scorching heat of midsummer, yet its dazzling brilliance made Roger squint.
Rogue, Gode, and Virgil were standing on the outermost edge of the crowd, in a rather unfavorable position, quite far from the arena.
Roger glanced around, his gaze settling on the old oak tree not far away.
He greeted Gold and the other man, then strode toward an old oak tree.
Gold and Virgil exchanged a glance, and the two immediately followed Rogge's footsteps.
The three arrived under the shade of the old oak tree and discovered that several "rogue noble knights" dressed in green chainmail robes were sitting on the back of the tree.
The three knights, who had been chatting and laughing against the tree trunk, stopped talking abruptly when they saw Rogge and his companions approaching abruptly.
Several pairs of eyes turned to look at them, first with a hint of doubt, then one of them showed a hint of displeasure in his eyes.
Roger felt a chill run down his spine, instantly realizing that he had been somewhat abrupt. He had entered the "area" that belonged to the three knights without careful observation, which was tantamount to a silent offense.
Rogge showed no sign of panic. Seeing the three knights' indifferent expressions, he politely nodded in acknowledgment.
Without stopping, he led God and Virgil, pretending to be passing by, and then turned around to come to the back of the crowd in Broken Amber Village.
……
Standing at the back of the crowd, the whispers of the villagers reached Rogge's ears clearly:
"Isn't the request from this commander far too simple?"
"Simple? You don't know anything!"
He only begged for mercy; all other rules remained the same! This will only give the team that wins the first game a huge advantage!
"The person who gets the first win definitely has to keep playing!"
"The old leader absolutely cannot lose the first match!"
"But this is for the best. Even if we lose, at least Old Yar and the others will be able to keep their lives."
"Pah, you jinx! We'll definitely win! What nonsense are you spouting?"
"..."
The murmurs of conversation still echoed in my ears.
The early spring breeze, carrying the fishy smell of East Lake, swept across my cheeks, with a slightly cool dampness.
As the villagers discussed it, the rules of the duel became clearer and clearer in Rogge's mind.
Once you understand the rules of the entire "Holmgang God's Judgment Battle",
Rogge had to admit that the Fieldswe people's fascination with bravery was ingrained in their very bones.
This set of divine judgment battles, passed down for centuries, deeply binds the individual bravery of warriors with the collective interests of the tribe.
The Fieldswehr's core values of "respect for the strong, keeping oaths, valuing profit and martial spirit, and openness and inclusiveness" were fully demonstrated at this moment.
Rogge thought that the so-called "right to withdraw" was essentially a form of respect for the strong.
The core purpose of the Holmgang dueling system is to "end disputes between two parties at minimal cost and avoid large-scale brawls."
Once the two villages actually start fighting, the number of dead and injured is often in the dozens or hundreds!
Through this divine judgment battle, at most three to five people will die or be injured, and even the final victor will be seriously injured and die...
The cost was far less than that of a village-wide brawl!
But now, in Rogge's view, the cavalry commander's request to "leave a way out" has completely rewritten the core logic of this duel!
According to the original Holmgan duel system, under the original rules of a duel to the death, the winner of the first duel would most likely choose to leave the stage!
"I've risked my life to win a point for the village; the rest is up to my teammates!"
Humans ultimately cherish their lives.
A system with the right to leave the game.
A duel, a duel! Who wants to die if they can survive?
Even the highest honor is something one must have the life to enjoy.
But now, under the rules of the cavalry commander, since "the loser does not die," the greatest risk no longer exists!
In this way, the "winner" of each competition will have the "winner's consecutive wins right!"
Stay on the field and keep fighting; just one more win and you'll achieve final victory.
Even if you lose, it's not a loss. Even if you lose, you just have to leave the stage, you won't lose your life, and you can even wear down your opponent's stamina. It's a sure win!
Rogge took a deep breath, unsure whether the change to the cavalry commander was good or bad.
However, as long as both parties agree to these rules and make a vow to the gods, these rules are absolutely fair!
Under the same rules, if you lose, you can only blame your own lack of skill; you can't blame anyone else!
……
Looking up at the arena, the starting fighters from both sides had already taken their positions in front of the cavalry commander, while the others left the arena to make room for the duel.
And the starting lineup was exactly as Rogge had predicted!
It was the Yar, each from one of the two villages!
Old Járrolf and Olsen!
Watching Geese and the other competitors leave the arena, Roger pondered how he could help Geese later...
Giss came off the field. He was nearly two meters tall and always stood at the back of the team, and this time was no exception.
Gis walked straight to the back of the crowd, not far from Rogge and his group...
Roger turned to Gold and Virgil beside him and whispered a few words of advice before walking toward Geese.
Once he stood next to Geese, Roger could more clearly see just how amazing Geese's physique was.
【Newcomer - Geese】
[Level: 5]
[Attributes: Strength 26, Agility 8, Constitution 17, Intelligence 7, Charisma 15]
【Skill:
"Strong Strike" x2
(Gain 16% bonus damage)
"Iron Bones" x2
(Gain an additional 8% Constitution bonus)
】
[Combat Power: 1388 (Tier 1!)]
[Proficiency in one-handed, two-handed, and polearms: 75]
【equipment:
Enlarged Leather Warrior Hat + 18 Head Armor;
Studded leather coat + 34 body armor + 10 leg armor;
Enlarged leather boots + +17 leg armor!
Overall Armor Value:
+33 Head Armor
+50 Body Armor
+31 Leg Armor
[Weapon: Weighted Military Sword +35 Slash Damage!]
He was nearly two meters tall, only about ten centimeters taller than Roger, but his body was as strong as a bear!
With broad shoulders and a thick back, his arms alone are probably as thick as his thighs!
Roger raised his hand and gently patted Geese on the back.
Giss turned around, a hint of doubt on his face. When he saw that the person was Roger, the new blacksmith from the village, his doubt deepened.
"Is there something you need?"
Giss wasn't particularly close to Rogge and the others; he was in the militia and rarely saw Rogge and the others.
But his mother, Aunt Slin, was very familiar with Roger and the others.
Aunt Silin often mentioned to him that the new blacksmith was skilled and reliable!
The longsword he held in his hand was forged by Rogge and his men!
"Rogge, the master blacksmith?" Gis asked.
"I wouldn't call myself a master, I just know a little bit!" Roger smiled and nodded, taking the initiative to greet him.
His gaze fell on the armed sword slung at Gis's waist:
"I came over to ask if you're getting used to this sword?"
The moment the sword was mentioned, Geese's eyes lit up.
"So easy! It's so easy!"
This is the best sword I've ever used in my life!
Thank you!
With the help of this sword, Rogge managed to strike up a conversation with Geese.
As Roger spoke, he didn't forget his true purpose for coming.
Getting carried away with the conversation, Roger paused the topic at the right moment.
He took something wrapped in a blade of grass from his pocket and handed it to Gis.
Gis instinctively took it, lifted the leaf, and saw an ice-blue object inside...
"This is?"
"This is a candy, but it's also an expensive medicine..." Roger continued, explaining to Geese.
Roger spoke earnestly and sincerely.
Don't worry! It won't harm your body! It only has benefits!
In a critical moment, it might just save a life!
"Why are you helping me?" Geese asked curiously.
"Your mother, Aunt Slin, has helped us so much, so I want to help you."
Roger leaned closer and whispered in Giss's ear:
"If you absolutely have to play today, I suggest you eat this candy before you go on stage!"
Holding the "candy" in his hand, and looking at Roger's serious eyes, Gis nodded to Roger despite his doubts.
"Thank you, blacksmith Roger, I'll consider it."