The Mull Family knight tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his muscles tensing all over as his gaze darted back and forth across Arthur.
His voice dragged, filled with doubt and shock: "You…",
"You really want to represent these escaped slaves… to participate in a trial by combat?"
The squires and soldiers behind the knight exchanged glances, their faces showing the same shocked expression.
In their eyes, this group of tattered refugees were nothing more than the Mull Family lord's walking property.
And Arthur, the renowned Black Lion, was actually going to duel a noble, a true knight, and even offend the Mull Family, all for a group of walking livestock.
The Mull Family soldiers also fell silent, while Arthur's expression remained unperturbed.
Arthur merely nodded calmly: "Yes."
There was no superfluous explanation, but it was like a stone thrown into a calm lake.
Brynden Tully, the Blackfish, urged his horse forward half a step, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something.
He ultimately reined in his horse, not moving further, but simply crossed his arms over his chest, his brows furrowed into a knot, his fingers unconsciously tapping his arm.
They were truly different; he couldn't understand this young man.
The twenty riders behind Arthur, including Brin, already had their hands on their sword hilts, their bodies leaning slightly forward, like a pack of wolves ready to pounce on their prey at any moment.
The refugees looked up blankly, their cloudy eyes filled with tears; they couldn't understand anything too profound, only seeing that a noble lord seemed to be standing up for them, and a faint spark of hope ignited in their long-dead hearts.
Brother Meribald's eyes widened, his lips moving as if he was silently praying to the Seven Gods; he had seen countless nobles, countless lords, some kind, some generous, but ultimately, he had never seen one like this.
The news of Arthur's two trials by combat in Daiding City and Willow City had not yet reached the Riverlands.
The Mull Family knight began to calculate in his mind; he had only heard that Arthur, the Black Lion, was a famous commander, but not that he was a famous warrior.
He looked at the young man before him; his build was not burly, even a bit slender, and he wasn't even wearing a decent set of plate armor.
A young man who wasn't even a knight, meaning he hadn't received a squire's combat training, how strong could he be?
This was simply a sure-win deal; not only could he legitimately uphold the Mull Family's laws through a sacred trial by combat, but he could also easily resolve the current trouble.
Even better, he would personally defeat the famous Black Lion, and then he would mercifully forgive him; this feat alone would be enough to make him famous among the knights of the Riverlands.
Thinking of this, a strange smile blossomed on the Mull Family knight's face.
He announced loudly, his voice echoing through the valley, as if victory was already in his grasp: "Good!"
"I accept your trial by combat!"
He raised the longsword in his hand, pointing it towards the sky.
"Let the Seven Gods above bear witness! Let them judge! Who! Is the rightful side!"
With these words, everyone thought the combat was about to begin, and both sides' subordinates began to clear the area.
However, the Mull Family knight suddenly turned sharply, facing the huddled refugees, and without any warning, swung the longsword in his hand, drawing a cold arc.
A head flew into the air, its face still bearing a bewildered and disbelieving look of terror.
The man's body swayed, blood gushed from his neck like a fountain, and then he fell heavily to the ground, staining the dust beneath him red.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment; the wind stopped, the birdsong vanished, and everyone's breathing ceased.
The Mull Family knight slowly withdrew his sword, gracefully pulling out a cloth from his in my arms and carefully wiping the warm blood from the blade; after doing all this, he turned to the expressionless Arthur, a relaxed smile on his face.
His tone was as light as if he were discussing the weather: "My apologies, Lord Arthur, the trial by combat has not yet begun."
He paused, enjoying everyone's gaze.
"Therefore, at this moment, I still have the right to dispose of property belonging to my lord."
Old Brother Meribald let out a roar of grief and indignation, trembling all over: "You demon!"
"How dare you do this! The Seven Gods will punish you! Your soul will wail in the Seven Hells!"
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"