Chapter 56 Arriving in Beidi (4)

  When Johnny was pinned down by Lancelot's extremely queen-like foot on his chest, he hadn't come to his senses yet. Feeling the icy blade against his neck, his mind was almost a complete blank.

  He gradually remembered. He first let out a loud shout, a straight slash that cut through the air, creating a whistling sound, trying to overpower the weak girl in front of him with his strength and make her know who was the boss. But Lancelot easily took down his full-force attack, his sword slightly tilted, dissolving the force before counterattacking. Then...

  Then blocked himself.

  It was indeed blocked, and anyone who had practiced martial arts could block Lancelot's unpretentious attack. Johnny also made a half-year-old thrust training gesture to block the giant sword's attack, which was a very normal thing.

  But after blocking it, Joanie felt her hands go numb and she involuntarily took two steps back.

  Under Lancelot's powerful trample, Joanie remembered everything.

  He took two steps back and before he could steady himself, Lancelot's second attack arrived. The whole process was just like the fight when he took the seventh-level warrior exam, only this time, it was him who was getting beaten up.

  Without a shadow of doubt, in the midst of extremely chaotic footsteps, Johnny was kicked down by Lancelot. Then came the scene where Queen Lancelot conquered Johnny.

  "It's too disappointing." Lancelot stepped on Johnny's chest with one foot, bent down and looked at Johnny, "You're just like a woman."

  You're just a girl! But Johnny didn't have the mood to mock: "Let me get up first."

  Lancelot withdrew his foot and sheathed the giant sword at Johnny's neck, watching him coldly from the side.

  Jony stood up, dusting off his chest. He swung his still numb arm and asked, "How can you possibly have such great strength?"

  Lancelot raised his head: "My grandfather gave me a boost of brutal force every morning."

  For Pete's sake, can't you just be satisfied with that? Joanie looked at the little girl in front of her with a face full of disdain.

  Noticing Joni's expression, Lancelot raised an eyebrow: "What, you have an opinion?"

  "That's for sure." Joanie wasn't afraid at all, "You're just relying on your grandfather's divine technique, aren't you? It's not like it's your own strength."

  Lancelot raised an eyebrow: "Are you saying your strength is very strong now? Don't you ever feel that there's a problem with your force and moves?"

  "Is there something wrong?" Johnny looked at Lancelot with a puzzled expression.

  "I really don't know how Uncle Odala taught you, probably he thought you didn't have much potential so he didn't even bother to teach you seriously." Lancelot sneered, "The most basic questions, the movements of your hands and feet and the force of your waist are not coordinated at all. You're simply using brute force to swing that giant sword in your hand, without any technique whatsoever."

  I see... Oh, no wonder that guy was sighing all the time when I was practicing my moves.

  "This problem won't be solved, and you'll spend your whole life being just a brute. You don't have any combat art at all." Lancelot continued, "How did you used to practice? Did Uncle Odara really not teach you?"

  Joni thought for a moment, then replied: "No. That's how he taught me at the time..." Joni recounted to O'Dara the process of practicing solo cutting and thrusting that he had been through.

  Lancelot listened, seemingly thoughtful: "It seems that you developed this bad habit back then. No wonder the wrong move was so smooth earlier. It turns out that you really practiced it. Uncle Odala is also true, how can he not care at all when just starting to practice?"

  It's really no wonder that Odara, this clever and intelligent child since childhood, originally came up with his own way of exerting force without anyone teaching him.

  But these two people didn't know.

  "What now?" Johnny asked. He still hoped to make a name for himself with his martial arts skills, and couldn't afford to fall at such a basic hurdle.

  "Practice on your own then." Lancelot looked in Estelle's direction, saying, "You think about it and research by yourself, I'll go take a look at how Sister Estelle is doing with her practice."

  Are you leaving? That's not okay.

  "Wait a minute, teach me what's the right move first before you leave, if I could figure it out myself, would I still be waiting until now?" Johnny called out to Lancelot who was turning around and about to walk away.

  Although Lancelot was reluctant, he considered the kid to be his student in name and had just vented his frustrations, so he stopped in his tracks and went back to instruct Johnny.

  Once a bad habit is formed, it's troublesome to change. Jony followed Lanselot's guidance and swung correctly several times, feeling that it was indeed effective, with the movements of his hands, waist, and legs integrated together, and the chopping power seemed to be much greater than before. But why did it feel so uncomfortable?

  "Alright, you practice slowly for now and come find me when you're more familiar with it." Lancelot was in a hurry to leave.

  Joni thought this girl was quite strange, why did she always cling to Aisley and not let go? Although Aisley was indeed very cute and pretty, but... wait, wasn't there any other girls in this village?

  "Guinevere!" Johnny called out to her.

  "What's the matter?" Lancelot said impatiently.

  "Why do you always have to stick with Astrid? You've only known her for less than a day, right? And why do you seem to dislike me so much?" Johnny's curiosity overcame his better judgment. This was not the kind of question he should be asking, especially when the other person didn't even like him.

  Lancelot turned around, his expression very serious: "Because I like her."

  ！！！

  "So I don't want you, a useless piece of trash like you, to bother her. You're not worthy of her." Lancelot said resolutely.

  What does this have to do with you?

  "Does it have anything to do with you?" Johnny really asked.

  "Perhaps not..." Lancelot looked Joni up and down, a sly smile spreading across his originally serious face, "but you can't beat me."

  This is indeed true, however.

  "Are all of you Ossetians kidnappers? I knew her before you did!" Jonnie was getting angry. "Does the Ossetian code permit two women... ah?"

  "What's with the two women?" Lancelot looked puzzled, "How did we end up talking about Odin's teachings? I just told you to keep this useless man away from Astrid."

  It seems I was overthinking... Jony fell silent for a moment.

  What's wrong with this little girl?

  "Suit yourself, anyway I won't give in. More than half a year ago I already knew her, what qualifications do you have to manage my affairs as a little girl? Unless you kill me, otherwise you can't manage my affairs." Qiao Ni was also furious. This little girl is too annoying, who does she think she is?

  "I really can't cut you down." The little loli hummed a cold laugh, "Now do each of the actions from just now five hundred times, this is an order from your instructor."

  In Joni's sorrowful eyes, Lancelot hopped away to find Aisling. Before leaving, he didn't forget to call over a young boy from the side.

  "Give me numbers, this guy has to practice every move five hundred times."

  What's going on? Am I fighting with a girl for another girl? Is this kid mentally ill or something? Childhood trauma? Why am I so unlucky? Luckily, there's no one here who knows me, otherwise, if they ask later "Hey, where's your girlfriend?", I'll say "She ran off with another chick." Can I still show my face in public?

  "Hey, what are you staring at? Big sister is calling you for training!" That half-sized kid slung his sword over his shoulder and tilted his head to shout at Joanie.

  Jony felt depressed in his heart, but he could only raise his sword and swing it down, again and again, following the guidance of Lancelot before.

  One day! Johnny shouted in his heart.

  One day...

  －－－－－－－－－－

  For Lancelot, Aisling was the best gift Odin had ever given her.

  There were not a few women in Ossetin's army, and they were all powerful warriors. But this does not mean that the whole of Ossetia raised girls as boys. At least in the village of Vishir, there was only one fierce girl like Lancelot.

  Lancelot's grandmother, the woman who died in the Tanian army's surprise attack, was a warrior. When Stephen first saw her, she was cutting down enemies left and right. Amidst the blood-soaked sky and scattered limbs, this agile and brave girl made Stephen fall in love at first sight. He had never thought that a woman could be so beautiful.

  So, after Lancelot was born, Stefan raised her as a boy. Even the name was a boy's name. Every time she came back crying from beating up the village boys, Stefan would laugh and praise her - this wicked old man had created a little female devil with his own strange aesthetic preferences.

  But the girl is still a girl, under her strong and domineering appearance of being invincible in the whole village, she also has a heart that yearns for beauty and tranquility.

  Of course, she's different from other girls in the village. Lancelot can't stand those giggling girls.

  Like Estella, beautiful, lovely, youthful and lively, knowledgeable and polite, this is the kind of girl that Lancelot has in mind!

  Especially with her arrow still shooting so accurately, the pose of drawing a bow is too handsome! Lancelot looked at Astarte with stars in his eyes.

  How can this gift from Odin be shared with that annoying boy?

  －－－－－－－－－－－－－－

  The sun sets in the west, and Johnny finally finishes a day of training.

  This guy called Wales is really a nuisance, what benefit did Lancelot give you that you have to execute the command so seriously? Johnny glared at the little guy next to him.

  "Wales was completely nonchalant: 'Alright, you can go back. Where are you from? How old are you and still doing this most basic training?'"

  "The Second Empire of Vilsa." Jony replied irritably.

  "Oh——" Wales drawled, nodding his head and sizing Joni up and down before shaking it again. "No wonder, from the other side, huh."

  With that said, he waved goodbye and Wales turned back home.

  What does that mean? Jony is very depressed. Is this a unique way of humiliating people in Ossetia? "You are from Wirsu"?

  However, the folk customs of Weirsa are indeed not as bold as those here.

  Dragging his weary body, Johnny returned to the church. The dinner table was already set and just waiting for them to start eating.

  "Jonnie, how's your training going?" Lancelot asked with a smile, his tone tinged with mockery.

  "It's okay." Indeed it is, thanks to Odala's trampling back then. "A bit tired, but the harvest is quite big."

  "Sit down and have dinner together."

  Jony sat down beside O'dara and asked in a low voice, "Master, why didn't you tell me my moves were wrong at the time?"

  "You didn't know?" Odala was somewhat surprised, then he sighed, "I didn't think you were that stupid, I thought you could figure it out yourself."

  Awesome!

  "Ladies and gentlemen, let us quiet down and offer our sincere prayers." Udell said loudly, then he turned to Astrid, "Miss Astrid, would you mind waiting a bit before we dine?"

  "Master, why didn't we pray yesterday?" Johnny asked in a low voice.

  "Shh, I'll tell you later." Odara's serious expression stopped Joni's inquiry.

  "May the poor be fed, and those who follow Odin be blessed. Thanks to Odin for bringing us freedom, peace and prosperity, and for shielding us from the storm. Never forget the days of slavery, do not forget. Odin will save you, but first you must save yourselves. Glory to Odin, from this day forward, forever and ever. Freedom belongs to Ossetin, from this day forward, forever and ever." Udhis says a line, and the people below repeat it after him. Jony, although he has never heard it before, still follows suit.

  "Odin's will." Udhis' final words, "Freedom!"

  "Freedom!" The crowd changed their tone from before, and their voices rose sharply.

  "We can start eating now," Udis said, sitting down to enjoy the food in front of him.

  Joni lightly touched Odara beside him again, and Astrid also cast a puzzled gaze at him.

  "Today is the monthly Freedom Day," Odara explained to Jony. "It was established to commemorate the liberation of the Ossetin people from the Velsian Empire's slavery, in gratitude to Odin and his companions for saving the Ossetin people."

  Free day? Johnny recalled what Odalare had said under Olwirsa Castle.

  "Udis, you tell these two guests who have come from afar." Stefan sat in the first seat and gestured to Udis with his hand.

  "Yes, Father." Udis was as calm as ever.

  Long, long ago, before the Velsa Empire was truly established, in the cold north lived happy and joyful people. Their lives were poor but fulfilling; hard but joyful. Because they were free, they were spirits of the white wilderness, they were the darlings of the vast land.

  One day the Vilsa people came.

  They built high-rise cities, they sowed high-yielding grains, they broke the tranquility of the forest and transported tall timber; they dug open the frozen land and excavated various precious minerals.

  They brought troops.