When you stare at the duck, the duck is staring back at you.
Cole observed the Rune Knight's every move through the narrow gap in his helmet. He had seen all twelve duels just now.
There is only one word to describe him: Strong.
Swinging a heavy, single-handed sword is easier said than done. From his perspective, the emerald giant sword in his opponent's hand weighs at least 80 kilograms. In contrast, his usual sword weighs only 16 kilograms. Despite this, he is the best among the knights. The fourfold weight difference between the two weapons means the damage they cause is like heaven and earth.
But that is not the most terrifying thing. The opponent's physical strength is the top priority.
He won three games in a row and had to stop fighting in the next competition to save his strength. The opponent wearing rune armor won all 14 games in a row. As you know, fighting is the most physically demanding. Even if the time it takes to decide the winner is short, the high-intensity concentration required during that time invisibly wears away at physical strength. Currently, the opponent has shown no signs of physical exhaustion, such as bending over, kneeling, or panting. This proves that he has at least 70% of his physical strength left.
I dare not imagine how impressive his physical quality must be.
"Can you win?"
Cole's breathing became heavier, and a line of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Yes! He had defeated Daemon before. Daemon was already a powerful warrior known throughout the Seven Kingdoms, and his strength under the dragon's back was immense. Although the duel was somewhat unfair, Cole won. No matter how strong the opponent, he might not be stronger than Daemon.
Aemon's eyes gradually changed from assessing to doubtful.
What is that guy thinking? He keeps doing it.
He didn't dare rest, even when playing with a 100-jin giant sword. But the opponent was exhausted after three rounds.
Ding ding!
The referee rang the gong to urge him on. Refreshed, Cole rode to the other side of the fence. Soon, the duel began.
"Whoa!"
The fiery red warhorse was as hot as fire and charged out first when it heard the gong. Cole reacted a beat slower and pulled the reins to meet it. The two warhorses—one white, the other red—rushed at each other like a white moth flying into a flame.
Compared to his opponent's tension, Aemon was calm. When the two warhorses crossed paths, he muttered to himself.
"Get down!"
Bang!
Two wooden lances stabbed the opponent's breastplate simultaneously, and two tall figures wearing rune armor fell from their horses. Aemon was used to it and rolled sideways to reduce inertia.
It was a new routine he had devised for the competition. His riding skills are great, but far from the tacit skill of riding a dragon. In the competition, there is never a shortage of knight opponents. But he is thick-skinned! I can't rely on my riding skills to knock my opponent off his horse, but I can take him down. When it comes to ground fighting, beating them is like pinching chickens.
"It's the same trick again. It works every time."
In the VIP seat, Laena covered her mouth and laughed. She had recognized Aemon and had been watching the other party's competition. He was still smart and knew how to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses.
She glanced at Rhaenyra beside her, poking her deliberately and teasingly. "It seems that your White Knight is going to lose."
Rhaenyra was particularly sensitive and immediately raised her head. "Cole is only a White Knight, not mine!"
"Oh." Laena's eyes were playful as he continued. "Then he will lose, too."
Rhaenyra came to her senses and saw that Cole was getting up from the muddy ground. His silver-gray armor, specially made for the competition, was covered in mud, as was the white robe behind him.
"How could Cole..."
Rhaenyra was shocked. But halfway through her words, she saw another figure on the competition field, and her voice caught in her throat. She saw the emblem on the Rune Knight's armor. The mountain and the white city at its foot were clearly the Lonely Mountain and Riverdale. Having participated in the construction of Riverdale, she was more familiar with it than Laena, who had only visited it a few times.
"You missed the most exciting part of the duel."
Laena clapped her hands and smiled.
Rhaenyra stood up excitedly but sat back down, afraid to alarm the others. The person in the rune armor must be Aemon. He must have his reasons for doing this. Let's watch the duel.
In the arena.
Aemon quickly stood up and raised his hand, signaling the squire to hand him the sword. When the thin squire's legs trembled, Aemon handed him the rune sword for the fifteenth time. On the other side, Cole climbed up and took the shield and meteor hammer handed to him by the squire.
Ding ding!
The referee knew how to build excitement and shouted: "The Rune Knight and Ser Criston are choosing weapons at the same time!"
"Come on!" Cole gritted his teeth and slowly turned the meteor hammer. It was the weapon he used most often in one-on-one duels. With each rotation, the force increased, allowing him to perfectly exert his strength and agility.
Kaka!
The Rune Knight took two loud steps forward without saying a word. Each step seemed to stomp on the other's heart.
Cole's eyes became increasingly fierce, and he rushed forward without hesitation. The previous duel had shown him that delaying tactics were useless. His opponent's physical strength seemed endless, so a quick victory was necessary.
"It's a bit old-fashioned."
Aemon swung his sword calmly.
Clang!
Their weapons touched, and the meteor hammer hit the sword blade, bursting out with a crisp clang.
Cole was overjoyed at first and then shocked. He was happy that the opponent's weapon would break or be disarmed with one hit. But he was shocked that the thin blade wasn't damaged at all and didn't even shake.
Cole's eyes widened, and he immediately pulled back the meteor hammer. Aemon frowned slightly as he analyzed his strength. He concluded that it was quite powerful.
Unwilling to give up, Cole swung the meteor hammer again. This time, it hit the opponent's elbow.
Clang!
Aemon raised his sword to block the blow, and the palm-wide blade stopped the meteor hammer in its tracks.
Cole was stunned. He hadn't expected his opponent to react so quickly. After missing the first hit, he quickly withdrew.
Aemon didn't give him a chance. The broad blade turned and caught the chain of the hammer. With a flick upward, the hammer flew high. Cole's weapon was disarmed, and he stumbled backward, nearly falling.
"Cole is going to lose." In the VIP seat, Viserys was slightly surprised. He was still optimistic about Cole's strength.
Harold, sitting behind him, frowned. "He should use a sword, not a tricky weapon," he said.
The meteor hammer is a blunt weapon, which is advantageous in a one-on-one fight. Cole is used to it and has become dependent on it.
Clang!
The longsword slipped out of his hand and broke in two in midair.
Cole's legs gave way, and he took two steps back.
"It's not over yet."
Aemon stood sideways with the rune sword raised above his head and behind his back like a spear. He arched his back slightly, using the power of his waist to rebound and swing the sword.
Cole's face turned pale as he quickly rolled over to pick up the broken sword.
The next moment—
Aemon straightened his waist, and the rune sword drew a green crescent in the air. It slashed as fast as the wind and as fiercely as fire.
Clang!
Cole felt a stuffy chest and a sweet, fishy taste in his throat. The sword slipped out of his hand again. His palm was broken, and his entire right arm cracked. His whole body stiffened instantly, and he knelt straight on the ground.
The rune sword was as powerful as thunder, and its momentum did not slow down as it fell. Cole's eyes were gray, and he began to move.
Crack!
The rune sword lifted easily and changed from a chop to a hit in mid-air, striking the head with great force.
Cole's head buzzed and he flew backward like a kite with a broken string. Despite the helmet's protection, he fainted on the spot. His life or death was unknown.
"Tsk."
Aemon curled his lips in disdain.
If I had known that I could forge a one-and-a-half-handed sword, using a two-handed greatsword would have been bullying.
Using a two-handed greatsword is like Cole's bullying behavior with a meteor hammer.
Holding the sword with both hands is his strong point. Forging a two-handed greatsword is a mere passing hobby.
At the beginning of his sword training, he learned to use a two-handed greatsword and became addicted to overwhelming others with force.
Gunthor is a master of this.
His strength is quite outstanding precisely because of the huge size of the "Bronze Giant" and his skillful use of the two-handed heavy sword.
Looking at the entire valley, only Aemon is his equal.
White Knight Steve, Horton of the Red Base, and Addison of Gray Valley City can barely last a dozen rounds against him.
William, Adrian, and Walder of Coldwater City couldn't last a few rounds.
The next day, however, Aemon realized that the two-handed greatsword is very powerful, but requires special physical talent.
He is currently 185 cm tall and is estimated to reach no more than two meters when fully grown.
It's impossible to smash or chop with a two-handed sword because the sword is too long to maneuver.
It is better to hold the sword with two hands for flexibility.
Ding ding!
After a long moment of daze, the referee frantically struck the gong. The maester hurried over and carried Cole away in a head-down position. When he saw the injury, he shuddered.
A corner of the helmet was smashed — that was brutal!
Aemon ignored it and raised the rune sword high.
"Rune Knight!"
In an instant, the arena was filled with cheers, and the noble lords applauded wildly.
White Knight Cole was a strong contender for the championship. Unexpectedly, however, he was defeated by the Rune Knight with crushing force. The Rune Knight was simply the biggest dark horse in this tournament.
"Aemon!"
Rhaenyra exclaimed, excitedly, and almost stood up to cheer. She never fully understood Aemon's strength. She only knew that he was powerful—the kind of power that everyone praised. But she knew Cole's strength very well. Not only is he invincible, but he is also one of the most powerful knights in the Seven Kingdoms. His easy defeat at Aemon's hands shows how powerful Aemon is.
Laena was much calmer and smiled slightly. "It's quite powerful." She pulled the hem of her skirt with her slender fingers, crossed her legs, and rubbed her thighs. It's exciting.
Papapapa!
Laenor blended into the black party crowd, stood up, and clapped loudly. His purple eyes were full of admiration and enthusiasm. He didn't know the Rune Knight's true identity. But he liked this kind of strong, unstoppable man.
"Does anyone know who the Rune Knight is?"
Viserys asked the ministers quietly, turning his head at the top.
"The Hand just reported that this mysterious knight did not show up when he signed up." The old man Lyman stepped forward and volunteered to answer. He was in a good mood because he had just bet fifteen gold dragons on the Rune Knight.
Viserys frowned. "No one knows?" Such a powerful knight should be known.
Harold spoke up. "Your Majesty, I think he resembles someone."
"Who?" Viserys was curious.
Harold hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice. "Don't you think his overwhelming power and physical strength, which has not been weakened by long battles, sound familiar?"
Viserys was stunned and blurted out, "Aemon." His nephew used a giant sword engraved with runes in bronze, and he wielded it with one hand. It fit his nephew's characteristics perfectly.
"Does that kid have this ability?" Corlys was surprised and doubtful.
Viserys was in a complicated mood. Without this ability, he would not have received this title.
The competition is still going on. Aemon won fifteen games in a row and chose to leave the field to rest. If he doesn't rest, he will be too overwhelming. There are many knights in the back who just want to become famous in the competition.
With his exit, the noble lords' enthusiasm waned. Dozens of knights came on stage one after another and dueled two by two. The competition lasted from morning until two o'clock in the afternoon, and the top four were finally decided.
Aemon took one position. The other three were Adrian Tarbeck from the Westerlands, Mediric Manderly from White Harbor, and the Lord of the Swan family from the Dornish Marches.
Tarbeck is a well-known rising star in the Westerlands. During the Dance of the Dragons, he commanded the Westerland Army and led them to victory over the river lords. However, after Lord Jason died, the Westerland Army collapsed without a fight.
Mediric is the eldest son and heir of the Lord of White Harbor. He is also a rising star in the North, known as "the best knight in the North." He is not only a warrior but also has impeccable character and ability. He was one of the Queen's Guards during the Dance of the Dragons. He died in the Dragonpit riot with William and Adrian.
The last Lord Swan was a veteran knight in the Stormlands. Aemon has only heard of him, but has never seen him. Johanna's miserly uncle cruelly let him fall into the hands of the Three Daughters pirates.
Ding ding!
The gongs rang, and the competition began.
Aemon did not hesitate and chose Lord Swan. He knocked him off his horse with a spear and disarmed him with a sword. He broke one of his legs and stepped on his right arm. He didn't know if Johanna hated her uncle. He didn't ask about it, and she didn't mention it. First, let's collect some interest, and if it's not enough, we'll talk about it later.
The other group also decided the winner. Adrian Tarbeck was older and more experienced, and he defeated the fledgling Mediric.
Aemon faced Adrian. As expected, the rune giant's sword slashed randomly, easily defeating his opponent.
Ding ding!
The gong of victory rang, and the entire audience cheered.
"Rune Knight!"
"Take off the helmet!"
The noble lords raised their arms and shouted, eager to see the face beneath the helmet. Even the noble ladies and young ladies, who usually disliked fighting, were staring at him intently. He was a knight with excellent martial arts skills. Whether he was to be taken as a vassal, a lover, or a husband, he was a rare, good candidate.
"Finally won."
Aemon rode on the fiery red warhorse and sighed with relief. If he hadn't won the tournament, the warhorse would hardly have run.
As for the difficulty of the duel... Aemon looked at the noble lords in the audience and wanted to tell them, "It's easy!"
He raised the rune giant sword high, inspiring the noble lords to cheer wildly. The entire audience cheered deafeningly.
"What is he thinking?"
Viserys thought rapidly and stood up from the main seat.
"Your Majesty," Harrold reminded him in a low voice.
Viserys suddenly realized this and picked up the family sword, Blackfyre, which was leaning against him.
In any case, he should wait for the boy to reveal his identity first. He is the king! How could he be afraid of a young boy?
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