Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 361 Another Hunt (Part 2)
Watching the ceremony from the stands means that every word and action is being observed, and one needs to maintain a good image at all times.

The lower-ranking nobles, who were not qualified to sit in the stands, could comment and discuss as they pleased.

The view was a bit limited, but the level of enjoyment far surpassed it:

"Huh? This is the gladiator who appeared last?"

"Seems to be."

"What do you mean 'seems like'? Shouldn't [Gun Tail] be Little Hernan? And who is this blond kid?"

"How should I know?!"

Just as the two young Castilian nobles were arguing back and forth, someone suddenly interrupted from behind:

"The blond boy is Earl Harlan, Siegfried."

The person who interrupted was a young man in his late twenties, with almond-shaped eyes and a large forehead. He was a little ugly, but not ugly enough to leave a deep impression. He was the kind of person whose appearance would be quickly forgotten after saying goodbye.

As if to compensate for his lack of good looks, the young man wore an extravagantly decorated top hat.

Even by the most absurd and dissolute standards of Castilian nobles, that top hat was absolutely unacceptable to wear in public.

But the young man wore it openly and without any sense of shame.

The young man also sported a meticulously groomed mustache on his upper lip, beneath which lay a cynical smile, exuding the air of a typical playboy.

One of the two men speaking earlier seemed quite interested: "Sigford? The real conqueror of Northrend? I've heard that Duke Congreve is just a figurehead, and that kid is the one who defeated Karl XI."

Another scoffed, "What 'true conqueror of Northrend'? Just a golden retriever! He rose to power entirely because of His Majesty's favor!"

"There's nothing we can do; an aging emperor just loves young and handsome generals." The man in the top hat chimed in casually, "If you count on your fingers, our Emperor is already over forty."

The two Castilian nobles fell silent instantly, turning around at the same time.

Saying a few harsh words to a nouveau riche is one thing, but publicly mocking the emperor is quite another. Not only is the speaker courting death, but even simply being a listener is dangerous.

“[Old saying] May I ask?” a Castilian nobleman asked hesitantly. “[Old saying] Who are you?”

He politely removed his top hat, revealing slightly thinning hair: "[Old saying] I am Ma Wei."

“Mave? Mave!” Another Castilian nobleman exclaimed in realization, his words stammering, “That…that madman who wrote plays to humiliate the emperor!”

“It is indeed I,” Ma Weixin replied readily, then corrected himself seriously: “I did not insult the emperor—I was merely stating the truth.”

……

Meanwhile, in the hunting grounds, Siegfried met his opponent.

What a wild boar! It was almost as big as a calf, with two thick and sharp tusks, and its small eyes were full of anger and madness.

The servants guarding the enclosure tried to urge the wild boar forward, but the boar became ferocious and charged at the humans outside the enclosure.

A gasp of surprise erupted from the women's viewing platform.

The animal pen shook violently from the impact, and the servants on the platform fell off. If the foundation piles hadn't been driven in firmly enough, the wild boar might have already broken through the enclosure.

Undeterred by failing to break through the enclosure, the wild boar continued its frenzied, aggressive attack.

Suddenly, a roar came from the center of the hunting ground.

"Come on!" Siegfried struck his greaves with the butt of his spear. "I am your match!"

The wild boar turned its head and looked at the knight in the center of the open field.

This wild creature was born in a cave, roamed the woodlands and swamps, until humans arrived.

Subsequently, it was chased, captured, and imprisoned.

Humans have allowed it to live to this day so that they can openly kill it.

And it finally got its chance to kill humans.

The wild boar let out a desperate and indignant howl and charged fiercely at the knight.

Siegfried slightly tightened his knees, and his warhorse immediately understood its master's intention, nimbly leaping forward and narrowly missing the wild boar.

In the instant they crossed paths, Siegfried thrust out his lance.

However, the lance only tore a piece of flesh from the wild boar's back, failing to inflict a fatal wound, and the two sides once again distanced themselves.

Siegfried rode his horse close to the fence at a leisurely pace, dark red blood dripping from the tip of his spear.

The wild boar, writhing in pain, grew even more ferocious, spewing hot, foul-smelling white steam from its snout and squinting at the circling rider, gathering its strength.

Outside the hunting grounds, where the Castilian nobles had gathered, some people were loudly booing.

Siegfried ignored him; whatever his initial desires may have been, once he stepped into the hunting grounds, the young knight only wanted victory.

Moreover, he had roughly figured out how to play Castile.

Wild boar meat has thick, rough skin and a low profile, making it difficult to use a lance to attack it effectively.

A reasonable tactic would be to maintain distance, use the agility of the warhorses to continuously inflict bleeding wounds on the wild boar, deplete its energy, and then kill it when it is exhausted.

However, if a conservative tactic had been chosen, then Harlan's Siegfried would not have been the "true Northrend conqueror" who annihilated the Northern army in a single battle!
Siegfried, lance in hand, thrust his lance into the horse's flank and fearlessly charged head-on toward the wild boar in the center of the hunting grounds.

Enraged by the boar that had regained some of its strength, it also charged straight at Siegfried.

In the royal stands, Princess Elizabeth watched the charging knights intently, unconsciously gripping her father's sleeve tightly.

The Emperor, Empress, and Duke Lothair observed this without making a sound.

In the blink of an eye, the two figures were already close at hand.

Siegfried's lance was aimed directly at the boar's back, and at the moment of contact, he felt a tremendous force return from the lance. But he still held the lance firmly, without wavering in the slightest.

Using the combined impact of the warhorse and the wild boar, the spear tip pierced the boar's body like breaking through the surface of water, followed by the holster, and then the shaft.

The lance entered from the back and exited from the abdomen, piercing the wild boar's body and embedding itself in the frozen ground of the hunting ground.

Siegfried released his lance, creating distance between himself and the wild boar.

The wild boar charged forward a few more steps before suddenly pouncing on the ground.

Two servants immediately entered the hunting grounds and ended the wild boar's life with steel spikes, thus ending its suffering.

Scattered applause rang out outside the hunting grounds, while the applause from the women's viewing platform was much more enthusiastic.

Wearing only greaves and no helmet, Siegfried attracted the attention of the ladies and women almost as soon as he entered the arena.

……

[Royal Stand]
"Marshal Hernán," the Emperor asked, "what do you think?"

Behind the emperor, an old soldier in uniform, upon hearing the question, stepped forward half a step: "Although the first attempt to insert the spear was unsuccessful, the second attempt was clean and precise, absolutely brilliant."

The emperor's voice was magnetic and calm: "You are a Castilian, and you are most qualified to judge Earl Harlan's skills. Would you be willing to bestow upon him the honor of cutting off the ears and tails of beasts?"

"Of course." The old soldier bowed deeply. "Your Majesty."

The emperor nodded slightly.

The flags in the Royal Stand waved three more times, and the band played a celebratory melody.

Siegfried dismounted and stared at the wild boar carcass covered in mud and blood. He frowned in disgust and hesitated to make a move.

A chestnut-haired soldier crossed the fence, strode to Siegfried's side, reached out and closed the boar's eyes, then cut off the boar's ears and tail for Siegfried.

“Quickly pay homage to His Majesty.” The chestnut-haired soldier, Fanan, covered his animal ears and tail with gloves and handed them to Siegfried: “Please, do not bring shame upon His Majesty, nor humiliate the Castilians.”

Siegfried sighed, accepted the spoils, walked to the Royal Stand, and bowed deeply.

Even more enthusiastic applause and cheers came from all over the hunting grounds, especially from the women's viewing platform.

Siegfried glanced casually at the girl sitting next to the emperor.

Princess Elizabeth deliberately turned away, pretending to ask a question to her maid, ignoring the blond knight.

Beneath Siegfried's stern expression lay anger and pain. He bowed again, then strode toward the women's viewing platform to receive cheers and congratulations from the ladies and gentlemen.

Fanan saw everything and sighed deeply, his head aching.

The servants dragged away the boar's carcass, and the horns sounded again—the gladiators' entrance melody once more.

Unlike before, the entrance music was repeated three times this time, meaning that the last knight would be appearing next, and the gladiatorial game was about to come to an end.

The atmosphere in the royal stands returned to a relaxed and cheerful one. The emperor smiled and looked at the old soldier: "Is Lord Hernan the one leading the spears this winter hunt?"

"Yes!" The old soldier's reply carried a hint of pride and joy.

The Queen asked gently, "Is young Lord Hernan engaged?"

"He served in the army with me since he was a child." The old soldier looked ashamed: "It delayed his marriage."

The Empress covered her mouth and smiled.

As they were talking, a dashing young knight spurred his horse into the hunting grounds.

The young knight was dressed in finery, with Castilian-style patterns sewn with gold thread on his cuffs, collar, and lapels.

The knight's silver steed was also meticulously groomed; its mane was braided into neat plaits, and the tail near its rump was tied up so that the rest of the tail could hang halfway in the air and flutter in the wind.

The moment the Silver Horse Knight entered, he received a much louder cheer than Siegfried. The younger generation of Castilian nobles, in particular, shouted their encouragement.

It goes without saying that this silver-horse knight is Marshal Hernán's youngest son, Hernán the Younger.

……

Marshal Hernán was a very special figure in the political landscape of the empire.

First of all, Marshal Hernán was born on the Castilian Peninsula and was a pure-blooded Castilian nobleman.

Secondly, Marshal Hernán is the highest-ranking Castilian nobleman in the military today, and the only Castilian nobleman in charge of the [New Army].
Finally, although Marshal Hernán held a high position and had a distinguished military record, his peerage was very low, merely that of a baron. In the empire's feudal system, a baron was the lowest rank among the three hereditary noble classes, yet he was a vassal directly under the emperor.

Moreover, the Hernán family is not a traditional noble family in Castile.

Marshal Hernán was merely the son of a bankrupt knight, sent to serve as a squire from a young age. Even with graying temples, he failed to attain noble status and remained a swordsmanship instructor in the Tarak Duke's family.

It wasn't until the War of the Succession twenty years ago that Hernán, now over forty, finally came to the fore.

He resolutely joined the new army, starting as a soldier, repeatedly achieving great feats, rising through the ranks, and eventually becoming one of the three imperial marshals personally appointed by the emperor.

For the younger generation of Castilian nobles, Marshal Hernán was their idol and role model, so it's no wonder that young Hernán received such enthusiastic cheers as soon as he entered the arena.

"In short! Marshal Hernán is both a Castilian and His Majesty's most trusted confidant."

Wearing a top hat, [Mave] spoke eloquently, recounting the secrets of the empire to everyone: "His dual identity made him the glue that connected the Castilian nobility and the imperial center, and also made him an important tool for the emperor to stabilize the Castilian faction."

The group of young Castilian nobles were stunned. They vaguely understood why a third-rate playwright who wrote scripts was described as "dangerous."

The Castilian nobles present felt it was inappropriate to continue listening, yet they couldn't help but keep listening.

When Ma Wei got excited, he took a wine glass from a nobleman next to him and gulped it down in a few mouthfuls.

After clearing his throat, Mawei continued, feigning mystery, "Did you know what? Maybe the Empire will have a royal wedding soon!"

"Who? Prince Richard?"

Mawei waved his finger: "No."

A Castilian nobleman pondered for a long time: "Besides His Highness the Prince, there are only..."

"That's right, it's the eldest princess."

"with who?"

Mawei smiled and asked, "Guess?"

The Castilian nobles around him, following Mavy's train of thought, couldn't help but widen their eyes in disbelief: "With Sir Hernan?"

Mawei remained noncommittal, only glancing with amusement at the silver-horse rider in the center of the hunting grounds.

The Castilian nobles were abuzz with discussion, and one of them asked defiantly, "How do you know all this royal inside information?"

“Me?” Mawei crossed his arms and answered confidently, “I guessed!”

The surrounding nobles were dumbfounded. Some impatient young nobles stepped forward and grabbed Mave's collar, ready to let this arrogant fool experience the local customs and culture of the Castile Peninsula on the spot.

"Stop!" a count shouted, halting the impending action.

After all, this is the royal hunting ground, and the emperor is watching the ceremony from not far away. If something really goes wrong, it will only be the Castilians who lose face.

“Mr. Mavy,” the Count stepped out of the crowd, his face grim, and asked, “Could you tell me why you have come to the Castile Peninsula?”

Ma Wei scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "Source material."

The count looked around at everyone: "How did he get into the hunting grounds?"

The Castilian nobles looked at each other, none of them knowing what was going on.

“This is the royal hunting grounds; commoners are not permitted to enter and observe the ceremony.” The Earl stared intently at Mavy: “May I ask, how did you manage to sneak in?”

“Me?” Mawei waved his hand innocently. “I didn’t sneak in.”

"Then how did you get in?"

"A friend brought me in."

"Who? Who is your friend?"

Mawei pointed to the other side of the hunting grounds, a happy smile on his face: "That's the golden retriever."

……

[The other side of the hunting grounds]
The golden retriever was completely unaware that it had just been called out.

He stared intently at young Hernan in the hunting grounds, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him: frustration, admiration, and... jealousy.

If Siegfried had just demonstrated a perfect combination of strength and skill, then Hernán was now showcasing absolute skill.

The pinnacle of skill!
The Cavaliers, making their grand entrance last, need a worthy opponent.

The beasts prepared by the Castilians absolutely deserve the honor of being the grand finale.

A cow.

A male Castilian bison weighing over 700 kilograms.

The monster displayed terrifying destructive power and aggression as soon as it appeared.

It charged toward the onlookers around the hunting enclosure, forcefully lifting the wooden stakes securing the fence out of the ground to a height of half a person, startling everyone into a panicked flight.

As if the bison weren't fierce enough, the Castilians drove a javelin into the bison's back beforehand.

The intense pain made the already enraged bison even more ferocious, requiring no prompting from Hernan.

The bull, its eyes bloodshot, failed to breach the fence and immediately turned to charge at the silver-horse rider.

Young Hernán picked up his horse, not in a hurry to kill the buffalo, but instead letting the buffalo chase him.

Bison horns aren't particularly sharp, but combined with their terrifying strength, they can easily pierce the chest and pull out the internal organs.

However, no matter how fast this monster ran, it couldn't touch little Hernan at all.

The bison charged wildly through the hunting grounds, but its horns were always just a little short of the silver steed.

Even when the buffalo's nose touched the end of the horse's tail, it still couldn't catch up to that last little bit of distance.

The perilous scene drew gasps from the women on the viewing platform, while the male nobles were equally tense, their hearts pounding in their throats.

Young Hernan, however, remained composed, maintaining his elegant riding posture. The horse's gait was perfectly steady, as if it were performing a dance.

Siegfried couldn't help but want to applaud and admire: on the surface, it was the bison chasing Hernan, but in reality, it was Hernan who was guiding the bison to run.

Hernán the Younger controlled his warhorse with such precision that it was as if he were using all five fingers.

The rider and the warhorse became one, making it difficult to distinguish whether the rider commanded the horse or the horse possessed the rider's intelligence.

Siegfried felt the trip was worthwhile just by watching Hernan's equestrian skills.

But Siegfried showed no emotion; he simply watched quietly.

His sincerity makes him want to praise his opponent, but his competitive nature prevents this from happening.

He looked toward the royal viewing platform—where Princess Elizabeth was located.

……

[Royal Stand]
Elizabeth felt a little dizzy.

She wasn't afraid of blood; she could hunt with a rifled gun—her father had taught her.

The Emperor educated Elizabeth as if she were a prince, teaching her philosophy, arithmetic, and even horseback riding. The Queen, though disapproving, dared not openly oppose him.

So Elizabeth had killed prey and seen blood.

But the performances in the hunting grounds made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Sir Hernán the Younger killed the buffalo step by step, following Castile's method: luring it, provoking it by inserting a javelin into its back, continuing to lure it, and continuing to insert the javelin...

Along the way, Hernán changed horses several times, each displaying a different gait and its own unique characteristics.

The bison gradually grew tired, their pace slowed, and their desire to chase waned.

The bison's back was already covered in blood, appearing as a blurry red mass from a distance.

Seeing that the bison had burned out, Hernán the Younger finished it off with his lance, thus ending the bloody spectacle.

The hunting grounds erupted in deafening cheers and applause, with male nobles removing their hats in greeting and women waving handkerchiefs enthusiastically.

Princess Elizabeth felt out of place, and she glanced furtively at her father.

The emperor sat upright on his throne, expressionless, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

The emperor calmly called out softly, "Ella."

Elizabeth instinctively shuddered: "Dad."

"Stand up." The Emperor's command was not to be questioned: "Greet Sir Hernan the Younger."

Elizabeth obediently left her seat, took the handkerchief, and waved it lightly towards the audience, just like the others.

Below the viewing platform, Siegfried watched the girl waving her handkerchief at the knight, and his chest felt as if it had been hollowed out.

Sir Hernán the Younger cut off the ears and tail of a bull and walked to the royal viewing platform to pay his respects.

Musicians played celebratory songs as servants entered the hunting grounds to drag away the bison carcass.

The nobles who came to witness the ceremony were preparing to leave, as they needed to return to their camp, change into their formal attire, and attend the upcoming banquet.

That's how things should have ended.

A rider galloped into the hunting grounds and headed straight for the viewing platform, his light blond hair standing out conspicuously.

The Royal Guards wanted to step forward to stop them, but hesitated after recognizing the rider.

Siegfried dismounted and knelt on one knee in front of the royal viewing platform.

"Your Majesty," the empire's youngest general's voice echoed across the hunting grounds, "please grant me permission to hunt beasts on foot."

[I'm late, sorry]
[However, it's a long-awaited long chapter.]
[A little more information about hunting]
[For feudal lords, among all kinds of prey, deer held the highest status, followed by wild boar, and then smaller animals such as foxes and rabbits.]
The more intact the prey's carcass, the more it demonstrates the hunter's skill.
[Wolves, bears, lions, leopards, and other ferocious beasts are generally not considered ordinary prey; after all, if they were to meet on a narrow path, it's uncertain who would hunt whom.]
[As for falconry and hawk hunting, these two methods are extremely expensive, and minor nobles cannot afford them. However, some emperors and princes are particularly obsessed with them. I remember one of the Romanov Tsars kept hundreds of falcons and hawks (actually, I think it was over a thousand, but that number is so staggering I suspect I'm mistaken)].
[And, theoretically, hunting wild beasts without allowing them to harm the people was a virtue of feudal nobles and warriors. However, in practice, it was more common for nobles to forbid commoners from hunting wild animals for their own enjoyment (this still exists today; for example, in England, pigeons and swans belong to the royal family, and you'll be severely punished for hunting them).]
[German farmers deeply resented this. Wild boars rooted wildly in the fields, and all sorts of birds would flock to the vineyards for a free-for-all during harvest season. At best, farmers could only drive the wild boars and birds away; if they injured or killed them, they would have to pay compensation or even face punishment.]
[That's how unfair feudal times were.jpg]
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, rewards, and comments. Thank you everyone!]
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(End of this chapter)