CHAPTER 36

I was about to leave the training ground when Wyland blocked my way.

"I want a rematch." Like the other squires, Wyland looked aggressive too. But at the same time, Wyland felt different than other squires. He was angry for sure, but his anger wasn't like other squires; they were all rearing to go at me. He was different in this aspect. He wanted to spar and beat me, but he didn't feel impatient like the others.

"I hurt my arm today. Let's do it another day." He looked at my arm and smirked a bit, then said:

"I don't want you to have an excuse when I beat you; let's do it next week. Heal your arm and fight me with your % 100, and I don't care what Ser Rodrik says. You are not better than me."

"What do you mean? What did Ser Rodrik say?" he looked at me one more time, then turned around and left without explaining. I was going to leave, but I had to learn what was going on. I went to a squire that I was good with, Even he was being passive-aggressive with me, but from him, I was able to learn what was going on, so after that, I went to see Ser Rodrik.

He was with other knights, and they were sparring too. All of them were like monsters to me. There were around 12 of them, and sometimes I would come and watch them spar. I m able to follow their moves when they are warming up, but when they go at it for real, I wasn't able to follow them, but now it is different. Now I m able to see them move. My dynamic vision definitely got better. I still wouldn't be able to match their speed. From their movement, I can see they have around 6 to 8 spd; as for their strength, I can't know for sure because I didn't spar with anyone of them before, but I can make an educated guess. I would say they have around 6 to 7 str. Fully buffed, I would only have 3.9 str and 4.1 spd.

I came close to the sparring area and said, "Ser Rodrik, could I have a word, sir?" he stopped observing the sparring knights, turned to me, and said, "go on."

"Could we talk in private, sir?" he turned around and started to walk, then said, "follow me."

When we entered his room, he went to his desk and sat down. "Go ahead, say what you want."

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Sir, Why are you inciting other squires against me?"

while smiling, he said, "When did I ever do that? All I did was raise their training time and intensify it a bit. "

"Yes, while you were doing those things simultaneously, you were criticizing them about how they are lower than me, and I wouldn't even sweat while doing this little training. "

"Did I lie? Would you sweat while doing the training they are doing? Aren't they lower than you when it comes to talent?"

I couldn't say anything to that; for me, the kind of training they were doing lost all of its meaning last year.

"Sir, can I talk freely?"

"hmph, go ahead."

"Lord Stark and you are trying to manipulate the squares to temper me; I'm not a sword that needs tempering. Don't like being handled all the time."

His smiling face gets more serious. "I thought you were more mature than this, but it looks like you still couldn't get over your naiveté, or your talent got to your head, boy. Just because the lord gives you some slack because of your talent doesn't make you above others, and just like everyone else, you are under the orders of Lord Stark. He will temper you like steel if he wants to temper you like steel. You don't even understand how high his expectations of you is. Now go and do whatever you want; this is a right given to you by Lord Stark, and you can use your free time however you want, but NEVER come to me to whine about your feelings and stop acting like a brat. He wants you to be a leader for the future knights, so act like one."

Now that I got an earful, it makes a bit of sense. If I were the lord, I would have done something similar too, and I would have to lose this democratic thinking I have in my mind. I'm not free to do what I want, and other people can take what is mine or even take my freedom from me without any reason. Of course, I can always run away and become an outlaw if they push me too hard. I think that is why Lord Stark gives me this much freedom, now I think about it. He doesn't want me to run and wants me to stay in the north.

"I was short-sighted; please forgive me, sir. I didn't know your plans for my future were this extensive."

I should keep my head down and do what they want, but if they think I m some sword they can wield however they want, they are gravely mistaken. I guess Aunt Brise is correct, and you should never give 100 percent to the nobles. I left his room and went to my room to get ready to go to wolfswood, but first, I had to apply some ointment to my bruising arm. I have created an anti-bruising salve made from herbs; the main ingredients are arnica flower and old gods' blood. As the name states, the second one is a native to this world. It is a blood-red flower with big petals that only grows near weirwood trees. From what I gathered from the books, this was the herb they use to make their bruise salve, but if I add arnica to it, it becomes an orange salve, and the effect is, at the very least, tripled. Salve made out of only old gods' blood can heal a big bruise in a week, but this one can heal in 2 days.