Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 362 Another Hunt (Part 2)

[Count Harlan's Tent]
"You're insane!" Prince Richard roared in exasperation. "I promise you, His Majesty will also..."

The prince clenched his fists tightly, but ultimately did not utter the word.

"Have they gone mad too?" Siegfried's tone was calm, but his eyes flashed with madness.

Prince Richard was so angry that his shoulders trembled. He stared at Siegfried for a long time before storming off in a fit of rage.

Only the blond youth and the chestnut-haired youth remained in the tent.

"When fighting beasts on foot, agility is paramount. Anything that hinders movement should be avoided." Farnan skillfully removed Siegfried's protective gear: "Take off the wrist guards as well; every bit of weight less increases the chances of victory."

Siegfried nodded silently.

Farnan knelt on one knee and removed Siegfried's greaves: "His Highness considers you one of his own, which is why he said those things just now."

“I am His Majesty’s man,” Siegfried replied curtly.

Fanan sighed deeply: "Your arrogance and competitiveness are your fatal weaknesses, you know it best, but you just can't change them—or rather, you don't want to change them."

Siegfried gave a soft snort and did not reply.

“A person’s abilities are always limited; don’t push everyone to the opposite side.” Farnan tightened Siegfried’s boot laces again. “Besides…”

"Alright, stop talking, are you ever going to shut up?" This time it was Siegfried's turn to get angry and embarrassed: "No matter what, you're still here, aren't you?"

“That’s not enough,” Farnan shook his head. “My abilities are also limited.”

“No.” Siegfried took the spear and turned away, avoiding eye contact with Farnan: “One true friend is enough.”

……

[Royal Stand]
Prince Richard strode up the three steps at a time to the viewing platform.

Duke Lothair rose to greet the Prince, and the Queen was also very pleased to see the Prince, but the Emperor remained expressionless.

As soon as he stepped onto the stands, Prince Richard was met with his sister's pleading gaze. He nodded slightly to Princess Elizabeth, slowed his pace, and walked steadily to the front of the throne.

"Your Majesty," Prince Richard bowed to the Emperor, "Wrestling with beasts on foot is far too dangerous. Earl Harlan acted impulsively without thinking. He has already regretted it, and I beseech Your Majesty to rescind the decree!"

"Regret?" The emperor asked with interest, "Really?"

Prince Richard dared not continue the conversation, and forced himself to offer another reason: "Your Majesty, to allow Earl Harlan to fight wild beasts alone on foot is tantamount to letting him commit suicide. If Earl Harlan fails, his soul will only suffer in hell, and he will not be redeemed even when the final judgment comes. Please reconsider, Your Majesty."

Princess Elizabeth, with tears in her eyes, pleaded, "Yes, didn't you admire Earl Harlan the most? Father? Why did you just watch him commit suicide? Please!"

The emperor's gaze swept over his son and daughter, then turned to the elderly man standing behind him, dressed in a black velvet priest's robe: "What do you think?"

The Emperor’s personal priest, Brother Ambrose of the Order of Michael, stepped forward and respectfully replied: “Your Majesty is the supreme leader and protector of the Catholic Church. If Count Harlan has indeed met with misfortune, then whether it was suicide should be decided by Your Majesty.”

Although the question was directed at a private priest, the emperor's gaze returned to and lingered on the prince, making the latter feel uneasy.

The stands fell silent. The emperor nodded slightly, and Brother Ambrose retreated backward to his original position.

The emperor glanced at the hunting grounds and said casually, "Then it doesn't count."

Winter winds howled across the Castile Peninsula, but Prince Richard's forehead was unknowingly covered in fine beads of sweat.

Prince Richard gritted his teeth, mustered his courage, looked up and stared directly at the Emperor, as if he wanted to say something.

But it was too late; the melody symbolizing the gladiators' entrance had already begun.

“Look,” the emperor said softly, “the one you spoke of who is remorseful—has arrived.”

……

[The Hunting Grounds]
Siegfried didn't know what kind of opponent the Castiles would give him, but he hoped the opponent would be strong enough.

If the Castiles let in a deer or an antelope, it was only to humiliate him.

Siegfried, carrying his hunting spear, jogged slowly around the oval-shaped area at a steady pace—he was still somewhat responsive to what was being said.

"Stay warm, stay active." Before going on stage, Fanan repeatedly reminded him: "The Castilians might resort to underhanded tactics after you publicly humiliated them. For example, they might leave you waiting in the hunting grounds until your body freezes and your limbs go numb."

“I did not publicly humiliate the Castilians.”

"Stay warm." Farnan took out a fine fleece robe. "Keep moving."

The proud Castiles didn't resort to any underhanded tactics; the count presiding over the ceremony even politely raised his flag to ask if it was permissible to begin.
Siegfried nodded and removed his cloak.

Many spectators couldn't help but gasp, because the blond knight in the arena was not wearing any armor, only a tunic, riding breeches, and a pair of low-cut soft shoes.

Colorful flags waved, and a melody symbolizing the wild beasts' entrance began.

The gate slowly rose, and the dull thud of hooves echoed from the animal pen first. In the blink of an eye, a robust bison charged into the hunting ground.

The Castilians' avoidance of intrigue might not stem from their nobility, but rather from the fact that the adversary they chose for Siegfried required absolutely no additional assistance.
A powerful adult male bison, every muscle of which contained explosive power, was only slightly smaller than the one Hernan had just killed, but its wildness and danger were in no way inferior.

Didn't you want to steal the glory of "Gun Tail"?
Alright, we'll give you a beast worthy of the spear's tail.

Without any prompting from Siegfried, the bull, with a dart in its back, launched an attack on the players in the arena.

The enraged bison roared, accelerating to its maximum speed, and plowed towards Siegfried like a madman.

Without hesitation, Siegfried also charged at the bison with his spear.

The two were about to collide head-on, and many women, unable to bear the sight of the blond heartthrob being disemboweled, instinctively shielded their eyes. In the nick of time, Siegfried leaped half a step forward, narrowly avoiding the horns, and turned to viciously stab the bull in the neck.

The moment the spear tip touched the bull's neck, the bull turned its head, then lowered and raised its head again, charging at the human once more.

Siegfried's strong, well-proportioned muscles unleashed unparalleled power. Like a humanoid cat, he leaped repeatedly toward the bull's side and rear, his spear poised to pierce the bull's carotid artery.

The bull's explosive power is even more astonishing. It kicks, twists its body, and swings its tail violently. Each time its hooves strike the ground, a huge muffled sound is heard, raising dust that is half a person high.

The man and the beast fought fiercely within a radius of less than two meters, each trying their best to kill the other.

Outside the hunting grounds, all was silent except for the loud "thump" sounds.

Everyone held their breath, and Elizabeth's heart clenched even tighter, unaware that she had squeezed her father's arm until it turned blue and purple.

The intense but brief struggle ended with Siegfried leaving two shallow wounds on the bull's neck.

After another failed attempt to twist his body and headbutt someone, the Bulls stopped in place, and Siegfried seized the opportunity to create distance.

The panting man and the beast spewing white mist stared at each other in the winter wind, temporarily entering a standoff.

At that moment, deafening cheers and applause erupted from the stands, with even the Castilian nobles shouting their approval.

The young Earl Harlan looked at the bull and felt a strange mix of pity and respect, but his desire to kill it did not diminish in the slightest.

This duel was destined to end with only one survivor. Victory or self-destruction in front of her were both acceptable outcomes for Siegfried. Even if it caused her the slightest heartache, he could gladly embrace death.

Outside the hunting grounds, amidst a sea of ​​joyous atmosphere, Fanan's expression grew increasingly solemn.

If Siegfried's background could be considered poor, then Farnan's background didn't even qualify as poor; under the imperial system, it could only be described as lowly.

Fanan became a soldier because he was admitted to a new-style school founded by the emperor; his father was an ordinary hunter. Although his father had no title to pass on to Fanan, he taught him a great deal about hunting.

When fighting large beasts, hunters need to follow a basic principle: exhaust the beast's energy while conserving their own.

Skilled hunters can kill wolves, leopards, and mountain lions with just a spear because they can use the spear to defend themselves while continuously depleting the beast's energy and inflicting damage.

But when facing a behemoth weighing nearly 700 kilograms, using a defensive counter-attack strategy would be tantamount to suicide. The bison would smash, impale, and grind the rider into mincemeat, spear and all.

Therefore, Siegfried had to actively dodge, constantly jumping and sprinting.

After the fierce fight, the bull bled while the human was unharmed. It seemed that Siegfried had won a complete victory, but in reality, Siegfried was completely defeated.

Given the current situation, Siegfried's stamina will surely be depleted before the bison.

The bison can inflict a hundred more wounds, but if Siegfried makes even one mistake, death awaits him.

Farnan had assumed that the Castilian nobles would release at most a wild boar, but instead a bison broke out of the pen—undoubtedly, the Castilian nobles were challenging the emperor's authority, and killing Siegfried was merely a means, not an end.

A clear, resonant voice rang out behind Fanan: "Truly magnificent! Earl Harlan's display was simply unbelievable. His Majesty also slew wild beasts in succession twenty years ago; no wonder some say Earl Harlan is His Majesty's illegitimate son..."

Farnan turned around and discovered that the voice was coming from little Hernán.

Little Hernan, holding two cow ears and a cow tail, smiled as he looked at Farnan.

“Count Harlan is not His Majesty’s illegitimate son.” Farnan bowed slightly. “Your Excellency Hernan.”

Marshal Hernán was forty years old when he had his eldest son, Hernán Jr., so Hernán Jr. was actually only in his early twenties, an age when curiosity was rampant.

He coughed lightly, feeling ashamed yet unable to resist asking, "Really not? Tell me, I won't tell anyone else."

"Could you answer one question for me first?"

"what?"

Farnan politely retorted, "Why won't you believe that the Earl is just the son of a bankrupt knight?"

Young Hernan scratched his head and laughed, saying, "Okay, I believe you. Because my father was also just the son of a bankrupt knight."

Fanan nodded in acknowledgment and turned back to continue observing the situation within the hunting grounds.

As they were talking, a new round of fierce fighting broke out in the center of the hunting ground.

Siegfried narrowly avoided the horn thanks to his agility and explosive power.

While the bull may seem to be doing futile work, each of its attacks is actually enough to inflict a fatal wound, waiting only for a small mistake by the human.

"You've figured it out too, haven't you?" Little Hernan casually hung the bull's ears and tail on the fence, looked at the man and the beast in the arena, and said, "At this rate, it's sure to be Earl Harlan who dies."

Farnan looked at Hernan, waiting for him to continue.

Young Hernan patted Fanan on the shoulder casually: "In the end, you guys have underestimated animal fighting. Do you really think we Castilians just rely on brute force? It's all about skill! Understand? Skill! Even horse-riding animal fights require assistants, let alone foot animal fights? Do you really think just anyone can do it?"

Hernan held up four fingers: "It took me four horses to exhaust that bison. Is Earl Harlan's stamina greater than four horses combined? If we wait any longer, his stamina will definitely run out first."

Little Hernán grew increasingly heartbroken as he spoke: "Alas! This was my first time being caught in the crossfire. And what was the result? Count Harlan's meddling has left me with nothing. Who knows when the next time will come..."

"Your Excellency Hernan," Farnan asked politely, "what exactly are you trying to say?"

"What did you say?" Little Hernan snapped out of his daze and slapped his forehead. "Oh, right, I'm here to help you—to help you deal with this bull."

"Could you tell me why you are helping Earl Harlan?"

"Why? Why else?" Hernan shrugged. "My father sent me."

[I can't finish writing about this little side story about the Empire today, I'll continue tomorrow.]
[This side quest introduces several supporting characters later on; it won't be very long, and should be finished tomorrow (this isn't a flag, really not)]
[Actually, there's another purpose: the fight between the golden retriever and the beast can be seen as a variation on the duel between the oathbreaker and the beast, so by writing about the golden retriever, there's no need to write about the oathbreaker part...]
[By the way, the Golden Retriever's last appearance was actually in Book 4, Chapter 3, "One Bottle is Water, the Other is Sand," which I forgot to mention. The Golden Retriever was the Imperial General who had Karl XI's grandson fill bottles with water and sand to present to the Emperor. I'll add this here, and I'll also add a note earlier.]
[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)