Chapter 49

### Chapter 49: The Jousting Tournament (2)

Abel Hassen moved to sit beside Olivia.

"Meeting you again like this."

As soon as she sat down, Olivia smiled and said. Abel felt his heart swell.

'Brother, thank you.'

If it weren't for Damian, he wouldn't have had this opportunity again.

From the depths of his heart, Abel felt a surge of gratitude towards Damian.

"I will do my best to ensure that you enjoy the tournament."

Despite his words, Abel was filled with worry.

Unlike his brother, he had no proficiency in swordsmanship. He wasn't confident that he could make Olivia enjoy herself.

"It's fine."

"Huh? But..."

"Let's leave that aside. Tell me more about the Hassen Baronetcy."

Olivia gently steered the conversation.

Abel, feeling that something was off, began to talk about the Hassen family.

* * *

Damian returned to the waiting room.

As he entered, he could feel the knights keeping their distance.

They all looked at him with wary eyes, a testament to the strong impression his archery had left.

Being wary meant that the scrutiny would also increase.

But Damian didn't care.

Even if he had to fight all the knights here, he wasn't afraid. What mattered was Abel's happiness.

"Listen up, participants."

A knight in plate armor entered the waiting room. The knight's cloak bore the crest of the Copperhead Viscountcy.

A knight loyal to the viscountcy.

"For the next three days, the jousting tournament will proceed with different events."

The knight began to explain the detailed schedule to the participants.

"After each match, points will be awarded to the participants. On the final day, the participant with the most points will be declared the winner."

The participants nodded.

"There are three events in total. I look forward to your efforts, my lords."

The knight's words sparked a buzz among the participants.

The arena was so vast that a team event was expected. However, the monster hunt was unexpected.

"Don't worry about injuries. A mage skilled in healing magic is on standby. The tournament will begin in 30 minutes, so prepare yourselves."

With those words, the knight left the waiting room.

"Y-Young Master! This is bad!"

As soon as the knight left, Victor shouted.

"What's wrong?"

"M-Mustn't we ride horses for the jousting tournament?"

"Yes."

"But we don't have any horses! What should we do... Should I run and buy one right now?"

"We do have horses."

At Damian's words, Victor let out a sigh of relief.

"Of course, Young Master. You've already prepared everything..."

"We have the horses that pull the carriage."

Victor nearly fainted.

"Young Master, those are draft horses. They are heavy and can't run fast..."

In jousting, the horse was crucial.

A horse that could run fast, not tire easily, and not get scared easily.

Without such a superior breed, it was impossible to participate in combat.

"Look at this. You're acting like an expert in front of a novice. If you know so much, why don't you be a knight?"

"Y-Yes?"

"Stop talking nonsense and go get a horse."

"Yes, sir..."

Victor, worried, headed to the stables.

* * *

"Young Master, I've brought it."

Victor handed the reins of the horse to Damian. Damian stroked the horse's mane.

The horse raised by the Hassen family was large, with thick legs and looked quite slow.

As Victor had feared, it was not suitable for combat.

"Sir Damian, you can't be serious about riding that horse in the tournament?"

A passing knight sneered at the horse beside Damian.

"Sir Damian, you don't know. That's a draft horse, not suitable for combat."

"Sir Walter, stop it. It seems he has his reasons."

The knights burst into laughter.

Damian ignored their words. He had something else to do.

Among the masters Damian had fought in the past was a man named Zingnican.

A nomad from the grasslands, he was unique in that he became a master through horsemanship, not swords or spears.

His achievement was a state of oneness with his horse.

He could communicate with his horse and perform all sorts of complex maneuvers.

He could even enhance the horse's body with magic and form an Aura Blade.

Thanks to this bizarre skill, Zingnican's horse could break the sound barrier and charge with Aura Blades all over its body.

Damian defeated him after a half-day battle.

"Look at me."

Damian grabbed the horse's head and made eye contact.

"I need your strength for today. It will be tough, but please bear with it."

Damian infused the horse with magic.

The horse's eyes widened, clearly surprised by the new sensation.

Fortunately, the horse didn't panic. It calmly accepted the magic Damian infused.

Damian's magic spread throughout the horse's body.

"The jousting tournament is about to begin!"

At the soldiers' call, the knights mounted their horses. Damian also climbed onto his horse.

"Please do your best today."

The horse neighed in agreement.

* * *

Monster Hunt.

When he heard the name of the event, Jackson Cutter inwardly cheered.

'Finally, I can show my true skills!'

Hunting monsters and fighting humans are entirely different.

Even knights who are skilled at killing humans can die pointlessly when fighting monsters.

Therefore, special skills and experience are needed to hunt monsters.

'I will make my name known in this match!'

He decided to firmly etch the title of "Monster Slayer" into people's minds.

"Then... Open the gates!"

At the soldier's call, the waiting room's doors opened. The knights passed through and appeared in the arena.

"Andrew Gradan! Andrew Gradan!"

"Gerda von! Gerda von!"

The nobles shouted the names of the knights they supported. The knights waved to the audience.

"Jackson! Jackson Cutter!"

Among the shouts, a familiar voice caught his attention.

Jackson Cutter turned his head and saw Sophia Russell waving her arms.

Jackson Cutter smiled and waved back at Sophia Russell.

* * *

* * *

At that moment, a soldier beat a drum, signaling that the monsters would soon be released.

The knights looked at the iron gate on the opposite wall.

Whatever monsters were prepared, a dull, rough sound was already coming from behind the gate.

The knights, tense, watched the iron gate.

Given that they were to face them in a group, the monsters were bound to be dangerous.

And the knights' suspicions were correct.

"Uuuuuu!"

As the iron gate opened, a monster the size of a house burst out.

The moment the knights saw the monster, they were shocked.

"It's a troll!"

A monster with skin so tough that swords barely made a dent, and strength that could easily tear a person apart.

A monster known for its tenacious life force, making it almost impossible to kill.

Not just one, but three trolls appeared, even a low-class knight would find them challenging.

"Uuuuuu!"

The trolls, as if on cue, charged at the knights.

"Spread out! Don't fight them head-on!"

At someone's call, the knights began to scatter. The trolls chased after them.

'What madness. Releasing trolls...'

While riding, Jackson Cutter shook his head.

Using Aura, he could easily cut through a troll's skin.

But the same applied to the trolls. With their strength, they could easily kill a knight.

A low-class knight might withstand one hit, but a squire had no chance.

'So, this is the level of risk we have to take, huh?'

While the other knights were busy evading the trolls, Jackson Cutter decided to attack.

Jackson Cutter circled around the troll. The troll's eyes followed him.

* * *

* * *

"Uuuuuu!"

The troll swung its palm to grab Jackson Cutter, but it only sliced through the air.

"Haah!"

Jackson Cutter drew his sword and slashed the troll's thigh. The troll groaned.

But as expected of a monster known for its regenerative abilities, the wound disappeared instantly.

"Of course, this isn't enough!"

Jackson Cutter spurred his horse and circled the troll again.

Whenever the troll showed an opening, he slashed its legs with his sword.

"Who is that knight?"

"He is not only brave but also highly skilled."

The nobles in the audience marveled at Jackson Cutter.

The more the nobles buzzed, the more satisfied Jackson Cutter felt.

'See? This is me! Jackson Cutter! The Monster Slayer Jackson Cutter!'

Jackson Cutter swung his sword again, leaving a long gash on the troll's thigh.

At that moment.

The sound of hooves came from behind. Jackson Cutter involuntarily turned his head.

Damian Hassen was charging towards him.

"Uuuuuu!"

The troll noticed Damian Hassen. Damian whipped his horse, making it run even faster.

'What an idiot!'

Jackson Cutter sneered at Damian's actions.

Trolls may seem dull, but they are actually very fast and dangerous.

If you let your guard down, you could be crushed by their palms. That's why Jackson Cutter kept circling the troll, looking for an opening.

'Charging head-on is suicidal!'

As expected, Damian Hassen wasn't a great knight.

'This is my chance.'

Jackson Cutter planned to strike the troll's abdomen when it attacked Damian.

If he could split the troll's belly and spill its guts, even a troll would be injured.

"Uuuuuu!"

The troll struck with its hand. Just as Jackson Cutter was about to strike the abdomen.

Damian's horse leaped high.

The troll's palm hit the ground. Damian's horse used the troll's arm as a stepping stone and ran.

Damian and the troll were at eye level. Damian swung his sword and cut the troll's neck.

Hot blood splattered the ground.

At the same time, the troll's head fell to the ground.

* * *

* * *

'Controlling a horse is not easy.'

Unlike weapons, horses have a will and emotions, making them difficult to handle.

But Damian's talent was enough to overcome such a lack of experience.

He quickly got the hang of it and gave commands to the horse.

'Let's go!'

Without even swinging the reins or kicking the horse's sides, the horse moved.

With each step, he could feel the horse's powerful muscles and how it moved.

'So, this is how it moves.'

Damian adjusted his magic to match the horse's movements. The infused magic enhanced the horse's speed.

With each step, the horse's speed visibly increased.

The initially sluggish movements gradually became lighter, eventually moving like the wind.

* * *

* * *

"Uuuuuu!"

The troll raised its arm to strike Damian. The horse's fear was transmitted to him.

'Don't be afraid!'

Damian calmed the horse.

'I'm here!'

Damian's strong will affected the horse. It forgot its fear and charged at the troll.

'Run!'

The horse leaped. The troll's palm hit the ground below.

The horse ran on the troll's arm. Despite the narrow space, the horse didn't waver.

The horse reached the troll's shoulder, the perfect position to cut its neck.

Damian swung his sword and beheaded the troll.

The horse leaped again, landing softly on the ground. Behind the horse, the headless troll fell.

* * *

* * *

"Wow!"

"What did I just see?"

The nobles erupted in cheers.

The horsemanship Damian displayed was something they had never seen before.

In fact, it was so incredible that they doubted they would ever see it again.

"Good job."

Damian patted the horse's neck. The horse neighed happily.

Damian looked to the side. Jackson Cutter had a dazed expression.

"Thanks for the distraction."

At Damian's words, Jackson Cutter's face crumpled.

"You...!"

Ignoring Jackson's outburst, Damian moved his horse again.

There were still two more trolls left.