Chapter 270: Greg

While he walked toward the gates of Balin, Kothar grew more and more confused. It wasn't as though the people of Ursten were being enslaved, and it didn't seem like any had been kidnapped either.

If anything, from the number of people on the roads, Kothar thought they might have somehow increased in number.

"Sir! Draw your sword! I have noticed your strength, and I wish to challenge you!" A shrill voice yelled out from up ahead, and Kothar craned his neck to look over the shoulders of all those who had stopped in their path to get a better look.

He could see that a thin, spindly, young man, in a set of ancient armor, had a long spear clutched in both hands. He seemed not much older than Kothar, with a wisp of a beard on his chin, and the shadow of a mustache. 

His eyes, however, were filled with determination, and from the appearance of the skin that was uncovered by either his armor or his short, cape-like clock, it was clear he was a fighter.

Scars criss crossed his skin, and his thin frame had sinewy muscles all across it.

Currently, the spear in his hands was pointing at the neck of another young man, who had been sitting on the back of a wagon, dozing off while he leant on a barrel in the back, a pair of blades in leather sheaths attached to a belt that was laying next to him.

He wore leather armor, with thin bands of steel protecting his vitals.

This young man with the dual blades was clean shaven, and as he stirred from his sleep, a dangerous look flashed in his eyes, like that of a serpent coming across a lone field mouse.

With a lazy grin at the man who had challenged him, he hopped out of the wagon, landing easily on his feet. From the way he hopped out of the wagon without any wind up at all, it was clear that he was physically trained to some degree.

"Alright, let's see what you've got then, country boy." He said as he drew a pair of curved blades from the belt, tossing the belt back into the back of the wagon.

Out of curiosity, Kothar looked at the two young men with his Mana Sensing Lens, wondering how strong they might be.

[What! That's strange, I thought it would be the other way around.] Kothar said in surprise, the man with the spear, who seemed awkward and inexperienced, was blazing with mana in comparison to his opponent.

Both of them would be around the Novice rank, but the man with the spear would definitely be on his way to the Intermediate Rank.

[Perhaps the one with two blades is a Thief, which would explain his confidence even with so little mana in comparison to his opponent, and the other man must be a warrior, no wonder he had such a large reserve of mana.] Silane said, as the two men slowly circled each other.

"I am Greg! Remember my name, for it's the name of the man who will defeat you today!" The thin man yelled out to the other, resulting in a chorus of chuckles from all those watching.

"Who does he think he is?" 

"A fabled knight from the stories I see! How I wish I had the courage to yell out my name like that." 

"Oooo! Scary, he yelled out his name before fighting!"

The onlookers jeered and mocked at GReg, the skin that was exposed by his dented old helmet flushing bright red.

"Well, Greg, I am Timothy." The leather armored young man said with a grin, winking at one of the onlookers. 

"Yaaaaaah!" Greg yelled out a challenge as he ran towards the other, a layer of ice forming around his spear, as he thrust out toward Timothy, who easily sidestepped the attack, and sliced out with one of his blades.

Timothy's attack slipped through the joint in Greg's clunky old armor, while Timothy went stumbling past him.

"Ahhh!" Timothy let out a high pitched squeal, and recoiled from the blow, almost falling over his own feet, as he stepped away from Greg.

"GIve it up, country boy!"

"There's always one, isn't there!"

"You think you'll join the Hawk's Army while you shriek like a little girl!"

Greg was mocked and jeered at again, and as he turned back around, to face Timothy, Kothar could see tears welling up in his eyes.

"I'll beat you!" He yelled, and Kothar, standing quite a distance away, even felt the sudden surge in mana, as a layer of frost spread out from all around him, covering the ground in a layer of ice, and chilling the hot evening air.

"Ohhh! Look at that, he can use big spells!"

"You're done for now, Timothy!"

All those watching continued to call out, and Kothar couldn't be more confused. Firstly, the people watching were acting more like battle enthusiasts rather than the common citizens of Ursten.

Secondly, why would a mostly incompetent, young Warrior, who had more mana than sense, be wanting to join his father's army?

Greg easily slid across the ice, moving faster and smoother than earlier, his spear tracing a small circle in the air as he drew closer to Timothy.

All of a sudden, Timothy froze, as if he had become scared, and Greg's spear point drew closer and closer.

When Greg was only a few meters away, Timothy suddenly moved, with only a few of those watching being able to trace his moves.

What he did was half jump/half sprint past Greg's blade, pushing it aside with one of his blades, and slipping past him, almost touching the other man.

The other blade darted out, and slipped into a gap in Greg's armor, but this time, he didn't aim for a safe blow to one of his limbs, rather, Timothy's blade slipped in between Greg's breastplate and helmet, slipping toward his neck.

Those watching who could track his movement all gave gasps of surprise.