Knight Training (1)

"Cheers!"

Norn, Jinn, and Anna sat in the tavern, each raising a full mug of beer, and then downed them in one go.

"Ah!" Norn let out a satisfied burp and said with a sigh, "Thanks to Jinn, or we'd be having trouble just getting a meal."

Anna's face was a bit flushed from the beer, and she looked at Jinn with gratitude after hearing Norn's words.

"No, it's nothing!" Jinn, still bruised and swollen, scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Just taking a hit and making this much money, it's all thanks to Norn."

"What's yours is yours," Norn said, pushing 15 gold coins toward Jinn. "As promised, half and half."

But Jinn looked at the money in silence for a while before pushing it back.

"Hold onto it for now, Enno," Jinn said slowly under Norn's puzzled gaze. "Use this money to repair equipment and buy supplies."

"Knight training is expensive after all," Jinn continued, scratching his head a bit embarrassedly. "If it's not enough, I have a bit more here."

Norn gave Jinn an appreciative look before changing the subject. "Are you sure? This path is perilous, and one wrong move could cost you your life."

"If this is the Lord's test for me, then I will gladly accept it," Jinn said firmly.

"Then we'll start the special training tomorrow!"

The next morning, Norn took Jinn to an open area next to the knight's tent area.

Norn handed the reins of the warhorse to Jinn and said, "The most powerful weapon of a knight is not the sword or lance, but the warhorse beneath him."

"To be a qualified knight, the first thing you need to master is horsemanship," Norn continued earnestly. "So the morning training will be on riding."

Jinn nodded as he mounted the horse, but then saw Norn take out some hemp ropes and tie Jinn's feet to the stirrups.

"What are you doing!" Jinn exclaimed in alarm and urgency.

"Squires usually start training at the age of eight. But Jinn, you're a bit too old for the optimal training period," Norn explained as he tied the ropes. "So, we'll have to resort to devilish training."

"By tying you to the horse with ropes, you won't easily be thrown off. This will help you better feel the jolting of the horse and improve your riding skills," Norn finished his work and looked at Jinn solemnly.

"But if you fall off the horse, these ropes will drag you behind the horse until it gets tired and stops on its own," Norn didn't mention the consequences but said, "It's not too late to regret now!"

Jinn responded firmly, "Let's do it!"

In return, Norn gave him a big smile. "Crack!" Norn slapped the horse's rump hard, and the horse, startled by the pain, immediately broke into a gallop.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" Jinn couldn't help but let out a high-pitched scream. Even though it was a relatively gentle mare, a warhorse was still a warhorse. At full speed, it almost jolted Jinn senseless.

Jinn felt like he was being shaken apart. Every step the horse took made his internal organs tremble. If his legs weren't tightly fixed to the saddle, he would have been thrown off long ago. Nervously, Jinn instinctively squeezed the horse's flanks, which only made the horse run faster.

Jinn's screams and awkward appearance attracted quite a few onlookers. With a mindset of not minding other people's business, many people started to gossip about Jinn, speculating which knight was punishing his squire.

"Enno!" Jinn, who was clinging to the horse's neck for dear life, finally managed to shout out a complete sentence, "How do I make it stop!"

"The reins!"

Jinn, like a drowning man clutching at a straw, tightly pulled back on the reins. But he didn't expect the horse to rear up on its hind legs.

"Ah!" Jinn screamed again as his entire body lurched backward. For a moment, Jinn thought he was going to be thrown off.

Fortunately, the high back of the saddle stopped Jinn. After what felt like an eternity to Jinn, the horse finally lowered its hooves.

Jinn panted heavily, for the first time realizing how wonderful fresh air could be. But when he looked up, he saw Norn saying discontentedly, "Why did you stop? Keep going!"

Norn slapped the horse again.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" Jinn's scream rang out once more.

At noon, Jinn, exhausted from the training, dragged his weary body back to the tent. Suddenly, a burst of aroma reached his nose, and Jinn's spirits lifted, quickening his pace. He was desperate for a delicious meal to soothe his battered body and spirit.

But when he arrived at the stew pot emitting the rich aroma and was about to reach out, Norn firmly blocked him.

"Yours is over there."

Jinn mechanically looked to the side, where a plate held a meager piece of bread and a large chunk of white chicken.

"Go ahead! Sir Knight! This is a specially prepared muscle-building meal just for you!" Norn patted Jinn on the shoulder.

Jinn felt like crying. After spending so much time with Norn, his taste buds had become refined. Even the previously delicious chicken now seemed unappealing.

Moreover, due to budget constraints, Norn had only been able to buy an old hen, whose meat was tough and dry. Jinn looked at Norn and Anna, who were eating heartily, with tearful eyes. His heart silently wept, but his body honestly ate the specially made lunch.

After a brief nap, Norn handed Jinn a wooden longsword.

"In the six knightly arts, forget about poetry and swimming," Norn said, leaning on a similar wooden longsword. "But you have to know how to use a lance and a sword."

"Come on!" Norn raised the longsword over his head, striking a "New Year's sword" pose. "Let's see what you're made of."

Jinn hesitated for a moment, then struck a similar stance to Norn.

"Ha!" Jinn shouted to boost his courage, and he ran towards Norn, swinging his longsword down the center line at Norn.

"That's too sloppy," Norn thought to himself with a shake of his head. But he lightly applied force, and the longsword he was holding immediately leveled out.

"Let me teach you a lesson," Norn thought smugly, meeting Jinn's sword with his own.

But the next moment, Norn's face turned astonished. The tremendous force from the sword almost made Norn's longsword fly out of his hand.

"I can't lose face!" Norn gritted his teeth and used every ounce of strength he had to barely hold back the force.

Jinn's longsword was deflected to the side after the violent collision, and Norn took the opportunity to strike. The wooden sword stopped just short of Jinn's shoulder.

"You're so amazing!" the defeated Jinn laughed foolishly.

Norn stood with his sword raised, looking like a master. But in reality, he secretly hid his left hand behind his back and kept rubbing it.