Chapter 190: Finally Meeting

Just as the newly arrived small team was asking around Morbihan Port for news and preparing to go further to Poitou for more research to use as analysis material for their next decision, this kind of almost open and bold yet not overly hostile way of asking around.

In other places, this might not have much effect, but in Bolerum Territory, they were already on the list of informants held by the few spies in the security forces. However, since they had not yet touched the red line, they were only treated as a business inspection level, at most getting more attention from intelligence personnel. Not to mention arresting them, they did not even qualify for strict surveillance, let alone being presented to George, the Acting Lord.

At this time, George was practicing the project that gave him the most headache. He was now wearing a shiny, full-body plate armor and running on the training ground. A cold oak-wood wrapped iron tower shield, as big as a door, was waving in his hand, creating a “Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!” of strong wind. After a turn, he casually delivered a shield strike, and the result was no doubt – after a dull thud, the pre-prepared target bounced out of the training ground like a rolling gourd.

“Bang! Bang!” Two shots later, Hiren standing nearby quickly stepped in to intercept the two solid wood targets that looked like cannonballs. Otherwise, if they accidentally flew out of the training ground, it might have caused a solid wood tragedy.

It was precisely because of Hiren, that big strong brother, watching over him, that George was able to practice so recklessly on the training ground.

If this were on a battlefield, the Heavy Infantry in the first row who engaged George in close combat would have been like a thrown bowling ball, crashing into their comrades behind them and throwing their own formation into chaos.

Past facts have proven that this kind of attack method is very effective against the spear formations of Light Infantry. Unfortunately, most of the time, Knights who fight on horseback rarely get to use this skill.

The tower shield he just used specifically referred to that kind of heavy shield as tall as a human. It was like a portable wall providing shelter, completely blocking all frontal attacks. In front of this solid “moving wall,” whether it was a long hooked blade or a spear halberd, they all became insignificant twigs.

Maybe a bunch of twigs could hold up this steel chariot, but in a direct confrontation, that area usually only faced a few long weapons, so the possibility of blocking the opponent was almost zero.

Then George, who was running on the training ground, was like an indestructible steel golem, unstoppable! He stepped with heavy and steady paces, charging forward. On the battlefield, he was like a main battle tank, easily tearing open the enemy’s defenses and giving his comrades space and time to break through.

And what he was wearing now was the so-called double-layered armor. This was an extreme example of armor development. As their name suggested, the outer layer was a full-body armor made of specially thick metal plates, and the inner layer was a very fine metal ring net, combining the advantages of chainmail and plate armor into one.

It was said that the reason this armor first appeared was entirely to satisfy human inflated vanity, to prove that weapon manufacturing had surpassed the Dwarves. Uh, at least in terms of defensive efficiency.

Unfortunately, the pros and cons of this thing were equally prominent. Although its defense was strengthened to the extreme, its weight and cost were also pushed to unprecedented extremes. A weight of 70 pounds and a transaction price of two thousand gold florins tested the buyer’s ability and wallet very much.

In the beginning, except for a few extremely strong barbarians, this kind of armor was not adopted by most armies, and it was displayed as a craft far more often than it appeared on the battlefield.

Indeed, the defense of the double-layered armor plus the tower shield was beyond imagination, but the terrible motion inertia caused by the mass could not only hurt others but also hurt oneself!

The wild bull breaking through the formation also exposed its weak waist and hips to the predators. The tower shield could block the front, but it could not stop sneak attacks from the sides and back. A single trip of a long hooked blade at the ankles could successfully bring the giant down.

The best way to deal with them on the battlefield was – a lasso. Then the soldiers would rush forward, using their own weight to increase the load on the wearer, making it impossible for the person inside to get up.

Then use the counterweight lead ball of a greatsword, or the reversed handle end of a great axe, and if there was a warhammer, that would be best. After continuous blunt force hammering on the iron armor, accompanied by a roaring thunder sound, until dark red liquid flowed out, directly causing the life force to fade, the iron armor would eventually fall silent. Finally, only the twisted head plate remained, silently resonating in the thunder, to ensure the enemy inside was killed.

Of course, if it was just to make the opponent lose the ability to fight, as long as the opponent fell down, hit their chest hard a few times with a blunt weapon. That kind of penetrating shock damage was enough to make the opponent feel chest tightness and nausea, temporarily losing the ability to fight. Living Nobles were important Loot, and after the battle, they could exchange for high ransoms.

However, after the Knight system appeared later, this kind of armor finally found its true place. Although melee classes after the Red Iron Rank could all wear this heavy armor for a short time, to be able to counter various underhanded tricks from all directions, often only the Knight class with precise muscle control could do it.

After a bulldozer-like action that raised a cloud of dust in the training ground specially cleared for him, George, who had finished today’s training, walked to the side, took off the heavy full-face helmet on his head. Then he shook his hair, which was pressed into a mess inside the helmet, and breathed out loudly: “I really don’t like this turtle-shell-like armor.”

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” Saying this, George also tapped the whole steel plate on his chest.

“You don’t like it, but it’s useless. This is your best partner on the battlefield. Unless you cannot use it flexibly, before going to the battlefield, whether it is Lord Viscount or my father, they will put you inside this turtle shell.” Hiren, who had put back two nearly undamaged human-shaped targets next to the training ground, turned around and emphasized, “I promise!”

“Okay! You are right about this. But wearing this, I can’t run at all, nor can I do anything too flexible.” Saying this, George frowned.

Hiren walked over to George, hanging his hand on George’s shoulder and said: “Actually, you should understand it yourself. There is not much space to dodge on the battlefield. Sometimes a hard clash is a necessary defensive measure. So you have to get used to this.”

“Thank goodness this thing doesn’t feel too heavy on the body.” George pouted. In fact, what he said was not wrong. The outermost full-body armor was far from as heavy as it looked. In a sense, the full plate armor, which utilized ergonomics, distributed the weight of different parts to various parts of the human body. As for a single position, it did not feel that heavy. So the comfort was still somewhat guaranteed.

Hiren, hearing this, sat on a stone bench on the ground nearby, muttering: “Of course! This was specially modified for you. But by next year, it will probably need to be modified again. It really looks a bit too extravagant.”

“This is also unavoidable. Who knows when the war will break out! So my father, during these two months when I went to Brandenburg, prepared this as a New Year gift for me.” George continued after taking off his two gloves, “Speaking of which, if I have to modify it every year because of my growth, then I completely agree with your point, Hiren. This is a way too extravagant practice. Wasting is a shameful behavior.”

“But this kind of waste might save your life in the coming years.” It was rare for Hiren to learn to roast like this.

“No! In fact, for me who has received blessings, this kind of full-body armor does not play such a big role anymore.” George wanted to give a helpless shrug. But he found that even if he made such a movement, because of the armor, others could not see it at all.

He had to ask Hiren for help: “Can you help me? Untie the leather buckle at the back for me. After wearing this turtle shell, I can’t even reach it.”

Hiren, hearing this, got up smiling and started to help. At the same time, he said in a strange voice: “Even so, only after putting on this armor can Lord Viscount let you go to the battlefield with peace of mind.”

George countered Hiren without moving a muscle: “Forget it. If this kind of thing cannot be resisted, just accept it calmly. By the way, you have improved really fast recently. I think in the future you won’t easily make Mr. Val angry.”

“Even if I don’t change much, my old man doesn’t have time to do anything to me recently. He is busy training the few diners Craig mentioned!” Although Hiren was bantering with George, his hands were not slow. Under his dexterous movements, several buckles were easily undone. Then Hiren grabbed the plate armor and pulled it back, and the back cover was opened.

For some reason, George heard a bit of sourness from Hiren’s sentence. Turning his head to look at his appearance, George suddenly felt his back hair standing up. He quickly focused on disassembling the armor on his body.

After finally taking off the outer turtle shell, George sat next to Hiren and said: “I wonder what kind of thank-you gifts Mr. Val will receive from the families of those few.”

“Who knows! But looking at those freeloaders being scolded by my old man like dead dogs, Craig must be so happy now!” Hiren was clearly in a gloating mood.

George said with a slight dissatisfaction: “Craig is young and doesn’t understand things. You might not understand either because of the burden of Secret Art. But now you should understand the reason, right! Stop calling them freeloaders.”

“Used to it! Used to it!” Hiren scratched his head embarrassedly.

George touched his forehead helplessly and said: “Forget it, then you guys change slowly on your own! I have finished my training today. I really hope I never have to use it in the future.”

“You hope you never have to use today’s practice? Why is that?” Hiren asked with a shocked face.

George turned around, tilted his head, put his hands on his hips, and countered: “Just use your brain a bit! We are Knights responsible for charging on the battlefield. We are spears, sharp swords, and iron flows that pierce the enemy’s defenses and crush their morale. If we have to fight on foot with shields, what kind of terrible situation must the army we are in be in for that to happen?”

“Then what is the use of us learning this? Is this what people often said before, to make the most sufficient preparations in advance for any possible situation?” Hiren said, frowning and stroking his chin!

“I should congratulate your brain for finally opening up. Or should I be glad that your brain finally opened up. I should go back to the pile of documents to handle the affairs of the territory. The affairs after receiving the new territory have really become busier than ever. Of course, I also need to arrange for someone to get me a Wind-Rider. After all, not everyone can get a Sunlight Warhorse like your family after having enough strength.” As George left, he waved his hand.

Hiren crossed his arms and asked with a half-smile: “Can I take this as your jealousy, George?”

“If you think so, I don’t mind. Buddy!” George walked further away without looking back. As for the full plate armor he left behind and the tightly woven Chainmail inside, someone would naturally be responsible for cleaning them up. When George took them down from the rack next time, he would definitely smell the new anti-rust oil.

The direction Hiren went seemed to be the training ground where Mr. Val and the Knights were. It looked like he was quite interested in the training process of those few people.

Just like a plain daily life, on the morning of the third day, George was continuing to have a headache over the future planning of Greywood Town. According to George’s temper, keeping Greywood Town as it was was not his style. Having finally got new materials, a blank canvas, George naturally wanted to show off his skills. However, so far, he had not thought of a good idea that met his wishes. Facing the situation where a clever housewife cannot cook a meal without rice, he determined that he was not a genius who could turn stones into gold. Then he could only conduct more in-depth investigations and wait for some sudden flashes of inspiration.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” Just when he was at a loss, a knocking sound suddenly came. When focusing on thinking, George was like some word-writing writers before he traveled, needing a relatively quiet environment. So even his scribe was temporarily arranged to leave the office.

“Is there anything important, Ives?” George said, rubbing his temples with his index finger. He was taking this opportunity to take a break and clear his head.

Ives Barnett outside the door said: “Mr. Val sent someone to notify you to return to your residence as soon as possible. It seems to be something very important and inconvenient to do in City Hall. He has already brought people to wait for you there.”

“Okay! You go arrange a carriage immediately!” George immediately ordered Ives Barnett outside the door. At the same time, he was wondering in his heart, ‘Mr. Val would never shoot without a target. So what is the matter that made him so hurriedly find me? And why avoid City Hall!’

When George returned to his own Castle, he found that besides Mr. Val, there were also a few people he had never seen waiting for him in the reception room.

Just when George had a bit of doubt in his heart, Mr. Val started to introduce the few people first: “First is Kisac Mario, a Priest of our master Pelor, from a small noble family in Shallow Water City. Then is Bramble Ultrad Alamil, a Paladin of the Lord of Justice, who is the Heir of a Baron. Lino Ebertz is also a Mage from Shallow Water City. Fral Ursin is a Trickster specially trained by the Harpers. Their companion Stone Marx is a kind Half-Elf Ranger from the Valley. And there is Green Beren, an ascetic from the Yellow Rose Monastery.”

After Mr. Val introduced the few people in front of him one by one, George also began to look at this group of Adventurers with interest.

Or rather, this was a combination that was common yet uncommon on the Western Continent. Saying they were uncommon was because they were essentially different from Adventurers of commoner origin who went out to make a living. Rather than being forced by life, most of the people in the team actually gathered together for other reasons.

In the heart of people like Bramble Ultrad Alamil, a Paladin, they often believed that even the ordinary and unremarkable tasks in adventure were still personal trials. It was an opportunity to show bravery, hone martial skills, learn strategy, and do good deeds. Of course, judging from the look in his eyes at Mr. Val, was there also the meaning of visiting an idol? George suspected with malice.

Even if the purpose of Green Beren, the Ascetic, should not be much different from the Paladin Alamil. Because Monks often believed that adventure was a trial for themselves. No matter how many obstacles were ahead, they were willing to use all their strength to overcome difficulties, not to show off, but to test themselves.

Similarly, there was Kisac Mario. In most cases, Priests joined adventure to achieve the goals of their god. And for the Priest of Pelor, he would help those in need. He hoped to build a good reputation for his god and the Temple through noble behavior. Of course, striking evil creatures and destroying their evil plans was also a focus. In this regard, Paladins were the same.

And the reasons for Mages, Tricksters, and Rangers were much more numerous. So they were rarely the initiators of such a team. Among them, Mages and Tricksters needed knowledge, power, and resources for research. As for Rangers, besides that, they might also hope to find fun in combat and adventure.

Relatively speaking, such teams were less common, but not that rare. In fact, Knights traveling often joined or pulled together such teams.