Chapter 53: First meeting with Einar; Tristan's admiration
(3rd person's POV)
"My meeting with Sir Einar was a memorable part and how come I admire for his persona is also related to not only to his strength but also his humor and rich knowledge that he possesses." Tristan smiled with sadness on his face and then started to tell his story.
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(Tristan's POV)
As a prince of rich land, I was led by a harmonious life despite being called the child of sadness because of my early death of my parents. My father died before he was able to see my face and my mother died just after naming me.
Even as a price without parents I was raised well by Loire who was a royal subject under my Uncle King Mark, younger brother of my mother.
Women, wealth, luck, and strength, all of those things were there for me by inheritance but I was never a man to take anything for granted.
I worked hard on the battlefield from an early stage and raised many achievements. My life was going well until I fell in love with a woman name, Iseult. No, I was made to fall in love. It was a love made to be by means of an aphrosidiac; yet nevertheless, it was my first love, love of the Child of Sadness, ever experienced, one worthy for me to devote my life for.
The tragedy probably lied in the fact that Iseult was the woman who King Mark loved and vowed to marry. Before long, from the fear of committing a sin to betray King Mark and destroy the trust, I felt a need to leave the royal court.
Hearing quite the praises of the wisest king who was on his journey to claim his mother country I made my mind to serve such a king, more with the hope to suppress my feelings in the light such king's light.
I was informed that the admiration ran by Knights of the Round Table. As natural pride of a noble knight, I also wanted to enter such a royal court and stand by the strongest knights who were following such a great king.
But there was one hurdle that I needed to clear, Einar Sirius du lac. I was informed that he was one of the most senior knights and also a mage with great skills. His strength was said to be on par with King Arthur and magic that reinforce knights' strength to another level.
Why did I say he was a hurdle? Because he was the one appointed to test extraordinary knights and enable them to enter Knights of the Round Table.
Before meeting him, all the participants went through a series of tests. That included fencing, archery, and cavalry. I performed very well in all aspects and came out top.
Now I was required to be interviewed by Sir Einar and King Arthur.
Just when I was about to enter the camp where the interview was taking place, I heard some gossips from two other knights who were cursing Sir Einar for being rejected.
"Damn that shortie! Why the fuck he cares if a woman's breast is better or thighs?! Just rejected to prefer breast."
"Hey man, I prefer thighs and butts though. Still what the hell is 'muda muda' or 'ora ora' anyway? He asked me such silly questions."
"What else? he was so shameless even asking these questions in front of King Arthur like if bunny girls are better or catgirls. Seriously, is he into Beastiality?!"
I fell silent upon hearing this. Suddenly the noises went silent and both knights were nowhere to be seen. I shrugged my shoulders and entered.
Sir Einar was sitting with a boring look accompanied by a silver-haired maid and King Arthur who was reading some kind of book with a picture of a lion. Sir Einar also appeared to be sitting on someone.
I was hoping that I was asked sincere questions but the rumors went true.
"Tell me a joke related to flat breast." His question rendered me speechless. King Arthur also flinched and looked at Sir Einar with pique.
"Sir, talking about something like this is presumptuous. It is-"
"Don't tell me what is right and what is wrong! God, why is it so hard to find a single good knight who could tell me jokes?! Ah, forget it. You can get lost. Shoo shoo."
And just like that, I was rejected.
He was by no means an ordinary person that any knight could withstand against him with simple strength. It was not in my power to simply stand against him.
"Einar, you should consider him. Sir Tristan happens to be quite a good knight." It was King Arthur who spoke for me.
"Yes, Sir Einar please give me another chance. I am not good at making a joke but I have other qualities." I was also trying to take some chances.
"Like?"
"Like I have good luck, I am good with archery and I am also good with poetry."
"Oh ho looks a good challenge. How about a bet? if you win against me at any single time, you will win and enter the round table."
"I am honored to receive such recognition."
And so the competition started.
First was my archery test. I have to shot an apple on Sir Einar's head from 10 meters away before he crosses the finish line.
I was reluctant due to Sir Einar's safety but shockingly none of my arrows hit him. No- my all arrows missed the apple as he calmly walked out of the finish line.
Missing my target never happened to me.
The next challenge was testing luck so we played some guessing games of dice and the lesson I learned that one should not challenge Sir Einar if it happens to be based on luck.
Next was poetry and I was also defeated just like that. I was simply no match for such monstrous talent but again King Arthur stand for me and put another one of his challenges. We have to ask a riddle against each other and if I answered his then I will win however no cursed word was allowed.
The condition was in my favor but even tossing again to some distance was still a challenge like climbing a mountain in front of him.
I was first to ask him a riddle.
"Tell me a verse if told in dire time then you will become happy and if told in happy time, you will become sad."
Everyone who heard the riddle fell in deep thought. First, it was related to poems, and second, it was a common fact of every knight's life.
Sir Einar smiled and his answer opened a new horizon in my heart. "Time will fly away. A single verse if recalled in dire times will make your heart at ease and if reminded in harmonies time, you are bound to realize that nothing lasts long."
The people burst into cheers to answer my riddle in such a beautiful way. His answer was true but the description backed by it was the result that my true feelings for respecting Sir Einar in such high regard were born.
I was on my knees and was going to admit defeat when I heard his riddle. "Listen carefully. We have a body part in our body. Some people's parts are hard while some have soft. Adults' are longer while children's are shorter. Some are furrier and some are not. What body part am I talking about?"
I was baffled hearing such a riddle. Everyone was embarrassed and immediately guessed the answer recalling what kind of person Sir Einar is.
Cursed words were not allowed so Sir Einar deliberately asked such a riddle. But there was something else in my mind since from reading the expression on Sir Einar's face, he had something else in his mind.
"The answer is our arms. The furry part was referred to our armpits."
"…"
Everyone went silent before cheering me for the mind-blowing answer. Sir Einar also approved this answer and recognized me as a new knight of the round table.
"By the way, I was still going to call you back but it was refreshing to compete like this, right?" Sir Einar came and told me this.
"Indeed, Sir Einar. It is my first time where I enjoyed it like this. I came to admire you for your strength outside of combat. Please guide me for the future."
I recalled my heart lightened from all my previous guilt. I also understood that he did that just to take me on right track without grieving for the past continuously.
"By the way, here is the joke. What did the toaster say to the slice of bread? "I want you inside me." Pfff hahaha!" He then told me a dirty joke without any choice but to laugh with him.
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(3rd person's POV)
"That's why I admire Sir Einar like this. He understands people's hearts and knows how to cheer them. He also gives me the book called Jojo Reference Volume 2 but I am still unworthy to understand such ancient scriptures." Tristan praised Einar just like a poet praises another poet but he was still sad. Not because he was not able to love Iseult but he didn't catch a single fish.
Luck Rank E
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