radicalducati Chapter 201 Ready for Battle
Chapter 201 Ready for Battle
Chapter 201 Ready for Battle
The autumn rain falls incessantly, like tears and saliva.
Shoepad Island generally dislikes rainy days. Whenever dark clouds cover the sky, whether inside the castle or on the streets, you can always see people bustling about.
Dampness and cheese are enemies. Whenever it rains, people and servants will be busy trying to prevent the cheese from getting moldy and spoiled.
But true cavalrymen would never use the weather as an excuse to give up their daily sword practice on the training ground.
The loyal dog, clad in dark green armor, swung his massive two-handed sword forward with all his might.
Each slap seemed to cut a twisting wound into the rain curtain.
Raindrops on the sword would also scatter outwards, like water ripples standing in mid-air, expanding outwards in circles. Just as Dick dared not slacken his efforts with the remaining edge of the sword, he wielded the armed sword, even though he was not wearing armor.
Count Hubert had advised him that since he had mastered the secrets of the book, the armor was actually a burden.
Therefore, Dick began to try fighting naked.
Of course, chainmail and chainmail still need to be worn. This kind of armor, which can preserve the warrior's agility as much as possible, seems to be a design tailor-made for Dick.
The raindrops hit his face without any cover, wetting his eyelashes and making them stick together, which made his eyes very uncomfortable.
Dick could barely keep his eyes open.
Even in harsh conditions, his training cannot stop as long as the loyal dog doesn't yell "stop."
A true knight must obey his master's commands.
Thinking of this, Dick suddenly felt saddened.
But I have betrayed loyalty. Dick was lost in thought. I am unworthy to call myself a knight, not even a squire—
"Buchanan!"
A sudden shout broke the silence of the rain, startling Dick. He turned around with a whoosh and looked at Earl Hubert.
"grown ups?"
"Your sword hesitates," the loyal dog said without stopping its swing. "You can't even cut through the rain."
How can liquid be cut? But Earl Peyton's judgment was correct:
"I will try even harder."
"It has nothing to do with strength. If your heart is not at peace, how can your sword find tranquility?" The loyal dog's sword whistled in the rain. "Whatever worries you have, put them aside. A qualified warrior must never be distracted on the battlefield."
"I understand, sir," Dick nodded, "but this is not a battlefield."
"The battlefield is not just about close combat; training before the battle is also a continuation of the battlefield."
Upon hearing this, Dick stopped arguing and simply nodded silently.
He then continued to raise his sword, attempting to cut down the continuous autumn waters with his sharp blade.
The rain was still falling, and Dick gradually felt the chill.
This made him uneasy. After taking off his armor, he could not even keep out the rain, let alone the blades and arrows.
So he swung his sword even harder, and couldn't help but make a "ne" sound as he used the momentum.
But not long after, Earl Hubert said:
"Okay, that's all for today."
"But it hasn't been a full hour yet," Dick reminded him.
"Of course I haven't practiced enough, but you're really not in the right state of mind," the Count said. "But I don't want to look at you for even a second longer than you slack off or engage in self-deceptive, fake effort."
After finishing his words, the loyal dog sheathed his sword and headed towards the castle.
Dick could tell that the adults were complaining about him.
As a servant, he must stay by his master's side at all times unless ordered to do so.
Therefore, he had to immediately put away his sword and follow the loyal dog's footsteps.
Hubert carried him on his back and said, "Go back and change your clothes, then come find me."
"I'm fine, sir," Dick said. "It's nothing serious, I won't catch a cold."
"What I'm worried about is the floor of the operations hall," Earl Peyton said with a hint of reproach. "Do you want to soak the entire carpet? Even if you're in a daze, there should be a limit!"
Dick felt a chill run down his spine when he heard the accusation.
He immediately stopped and bowed: "I'm sorry, sir, I will do as you say immediately—"
When I straightened up and looked up, the loyal dog had already gone far away.
Dick was disappointed in himself and couldn't help but feel resentful:
"What am I doing—"
Yeah, what have I been doing?
Dick returned to his bedroom and changed into a set of dry clothes.
This outfit is of poor quality. As an attendant to an army commander, one should never wear such clothes, as it would diminish the master's status.
So he chose to put on the armor.
His breastplate was damaged in the last cut he made with the loyal dog.
The outfit he's wearing right now was specially made for Dick by the loyal dog.
Even the commander couldn't use the funds pooled together by everyone without permission, so Dick guessed that the funds for building the breastplate must have come from the loyal dog's own pocket.
For Dick, the loyal dog is both his current master and his teacher.
Although the loyal dog never promised to give Dick any guidance, it never gave Dick even a single formal lesson.
But Dick felt that Hubert Payton was definitely a good master and a good mentor.
He always influenced and corrected Dick's behavior through subtle and pervasive teachings.
More importantly, he set a good example for Dick.
However, despite the excellent example before him, Dick failed to uphold the code of chivalry.
The loyal dog had told Dick about his past travels with Count Pena Montero in the Far East, and Dick had also learned about his loyalty to the Duke of Hills from various perspectives.
Under the tutelage of a master who claimed to uphold "loyalty," Dick betrayed his loyalty.
That day, the woman said she was Anne's mother.
With that person's beauty, she was absolutely worthy of being Anne's mother, and her figure was far more feminine than Anne's.
He looked to be around thirty years old, while Annie was only fifteen or sixteen.
If she became pregnant with Anne right after she turned 18, the timing makes sense.
Therefore, Dick was completely convinced of her identity.
He was caught in a dilemma.
Dick was infatuated with Anne, and he was even willing to kill a hundred enemies to prove his love for her.
But what if Anne found out that Dick had stood by and watched his mother die?
If he were to assume that he truly intended to help the mother and lie to his master, this would inevitably violate his loyalty.
A disloyal person is not a knight.
Honor, and love.
Dick didn't know what to choose.
He was unwilling to relinquish his honor, so he did not comply with the mother's request to inform Anne's father of her whereabouts via letter.
But Dick couldn't bring himself to tell the loyal dog about her request.
This resulted in Hubert getting nothing out of her, and Dick even pleaded for the woman to avoid punishment.
Dick faced a dilemma, but he hesitated and wavered, resulting in him not choosing either side.
In the end, however, he lost everything.
He betrayed both honor and Anne—
Dick clenched his fist tightly; if it weren't for the leather padding on his fingernails, his nails would have dug deep bloody marks into his palm.
He was in great pain, experiencing an unprecedented struggle that left him at a loss.
Leaving the bedroom, Dick headed to the war room to find his loyal dog.
After knocking and receiving permission, Dick pushed the door open and entered.
The loyal dog had already started working; he had taken off his helmet and placed it on the windowsill.
Seeing him writing so diligently, Dick didn't dare to make a sound and disturb him.
But whenever his master gives him a command, Dick will respond immediately and give a reply.
Time flies by, and the rain streaks on the glass window change scene by scene.
At some point, Earl Hubert suddenly stopped writing.
The loyal dog had taught Dick a lesson: servants must always keep their attention on their masters.
Dick hadn't forgotten, so as soon as the loyal dog put down his pen, Dick asked:
"Sir, what do you need?"
Earl Hubert didn't speak; he merely gave Dick a slight, wary look.
He then stood up, walked to the window, looked out for a while, and then said:
"Rainy weather brings sorrow, it seems that saying is true, don't you think, Buchanan?"
Dick immediately realized that it was the loyal dog calling him.
His cheeks flushed, and he lowered his head, saying:
"My lord, only women grieve for no reason."
"Even women don't," said Earl Hubert. "Every sorrow has a source." "And so you are, Buchanan."
What exactly is disturbing your peace of mind?
How should I answer, "Sir, I didn't?"
The loyal dog glanced back at Dick: "Don't think I can't tell you're troubled and deeply anxious about it."
If I continue to deny it, is that considered lying? And then, is that considered disloyalty to my master?
Dick couldn't figure it out, so he could only remain silent.
"Hmm...
The loyal dog murmured, then turned to face Dick.
"I remember you as a steadfast and determined warrior. Why have you suddenly become like this? Tell me, Buchanan, what exactly happened?"
Perhaps speaking out would be a relief for him.
But he couldn't bring himself to say it; how could he bear to frame Anne's mother and hurt Anne?
It turns out that Anne was actually a delicious poison to him.
But just as he was struggling with this dilemma, his loyal dog pointed out the truth:
"It's because of that woman, isn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Dick's pupils dilated—how did the master know?
Before Dick could ask, the loyal dog smiled faintly:
"really."
Dick asked, "Sir, what makes you this judgment?"
"Ever since the day you brought that woman from the prison, I've noticed something's off about you."
Loyal dog way,
"And the fact that you pleaded for that woman made me realize you two must have talked about something in private. Ever since then, you've been completely distracted."
Dick was at a loss for words when his loyal dog discovered his secret.
He could only lower his head and apologize to the loyal dog:
"Hug the adult."
"What did she say to you?"
"I—I can't say that the loyal dog squinted at Dick for a long time, but for the time being he said nothing."
He looked down into the rain, the other side of which faced the center of the island.
Shoe Insole Island is very large. If someone were blindfolded, caught on this island, and placed in the forest, they would have absolutely no chance of realizing that it was actually an island.
That's true. If it were just a small island, the Collins family wouldn't have been granted the title of Duke from the beginning.
The rain bursts forth on the mountains, trees, and even the grass, forming a hazy white film that makes it impossible to tell whether the raindrops are blocked outside the film.
The sound of rain was equally loud, and perhaps influenced by it, the loyal dog suddenly spoke:
"Whatever she told you, Buchanan, think about whether she's lying to you."
Dick had certainly thought about it, but:
"Lies are hard to detect."
"In that case, we might as well doubt everything," said the loyal dog. "That way, you won't be misled. Buchanan, that woman is not simple."
"I'm sorry, sir, I—" What?
Dick couldn't speak; his mind was a complete mess.
Then, they heard:
"I know who that woman is."
Dick shuddered at the loyal dog's sudden remark.
"You know?"
“That’s right. I knew it from the first time I met her more than a decade ago,” the loyal dog said. “She is Natalie Lines.”
"Natalie—Laines!"
As an apprentice who graduated from the knightly school, how could Dick not know this surname?
"The Lines Family of the Highlands!"
"That's right."
"But, sir," Dick said, his face full of confusion, "why?"
"I've told you about my past, the title 'Loyal Dog,' and how I rose to fame on the Lines Plateau."
Loyal dog way,
"Although I gained fame and honor in that oxygen-deprived land, I also learned about the owner of that territory."
What kind of existence is it?
"Jasper Lines was a man of both virtue and leadership, deserving of my respect. If he were still alive..."
He will surely become the most prestigious lord of our time.
"It's a pity he died, and his two sons also died suddenly and mysteriously. But his wife and daughter escaped."
Dick exclaimed, "Natalie Lines, that's Jasper Lines's runaway daughter!"
The loyal dog nodded.
Dick asked again, "But how did you know it was her?"
"Jasper's wife is named Aurelia Capello, and the Capello family—"
"...The Capello family of the Red Tree Forest possesses orange-yellow hair, as vibrant as the red trees themselves!"
And that woman's hair was orange-yellow.
"That's it. When I saw a homeless, orange-haired child on the street, I thought of Jasper's daughter. Besides, there was a knight protecting her at the time."
"During that period, there were bounty posters everywhere for capturing that girl alive, but I let her go. Of course, I didn't care about the money, but that wasn't why I spared her."
"Jasper is one of the few people I truly admire, and I can't bear to kill his only remaining offspring. But it's not that I didn't know; I just didn't verify the girl's true identity."
"But I didn't expect that I would have other entanglements with her later."
Dick nodded, but a new question arose:
"But why is she here? And what is her connection to the Navigator?"
"That's exactly what I wanted to know, but if she really is Jasper's child, she probably won't listen to reason," said the loyal dog. "That's why I handed her over to Lord Justinian."
John Justinian, the current Holy Lord of Sun City, was also the strategist for this battle.
Why?
"She recognized me, and she will be wary of me as long as I am around, and I need her to lower her guard."
"Handing her over to Lord Justinian might allow this woman to play a crucial role. I've also told him that this woman may have a secret connection with the Navigator."
Dick suddenly realized that the loyal dog had known everything from the beginning and would use a clear mind to move the pieces to the right positions on the chessboard.
Only one question remained: "But, sir, since you know everything and see through my thoughts, why don't you tell me?"
"I was waiting for you to confess to me," said the loyal dog, "but clearly, my expectations have been dashed."
Dick felt guilty: "I'm sorry, sir—"
"However, it's also because I know you well enough," the loyal dog looked at Dick, "that I believe you're a sensible person."
You're good at knowing how to handle things. And since you're unwilling to talk about it, there must be something you can't say.
Dick bowed his head deeply: "I have disappointed you, my lord. A true knight should not conceal anything from the master to whom he serves."
"A true knight-errant should be responsible for his words," said the loyal dog. "He shouldn't easily utter unreliable clues."
This would not only be detrimental to the situation, but could even disrupt it.
"And I did that too. I just told you why I didn't catch that girl more than ten years ago."
"grown ups--."
Dick was deeply moved upon hearing this. He placed his hand on his chest and bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your understanding and guidance, my lord. From now on, I will serve you with even greater loyalty."
The loyal dog didn't speak, but a half-smile appeared on its face.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
The loyal dog nodded, and Dick went to open the door.
There was a soldier outside the door, and he was standing there panting, clearly having run there.
He was also holding a letter covered with beeswax, which clearly contained important information.
Dick took the letter from him and then handed it to the loyal dog.
After the loyal dog checked that the sealing wax was intact, he picked up a knife and cut open the envelope.
After a short rest, Dick noticed that the loyal dog's expression had become unusually serious.
Adults rarely do this, Dick couldn't help but ask:
"Sir, is it military intelligence?"
The loyal dog nodded:
"Yes, we've found the navigator—Buchanan."
"exist."
"Notify the entire army to be on high alert!"