Gunpowder Plate Armor and the Magic Revolution

Andrew supported himself on the ground and slowly sat up. After a while, he managed to stand up, bent down and picked up the two swords from the ground, handing the hilts to Nozer.

Noze looked up at the sword hilt that was being offered to him, reached out and grasped it, using the man's strength to stand up.

Thanks.

"You're welcome."

"Well done, you played very well!"

Captain Lyman's voice boomed, "Rules are rigid, but people are flexible! On the battlefield, survival and completing the mission are the only standards. Use every skill you have—magic, swordsmanship, whatever—and give it your all against your opponents. That's what a true warrior should be like!"

It was quite unexpected to receive such high praise in public from an instructor known for his strictness.

Norze and Andrew exchanged a glance, both seeing excitement in each other's eyes.

Now their grades are definitely not going to be too bad.

"Stella, Hart, you two did an excellent job. Did everyone else see that clearly?"

The assessment continued, but the atmosphere was noticeably different. Each trainee seemed to have been ignited by the battle just now, and they displayed all their fighting skills without reservation.

Lucas, Nurse, and Andrew walked to the sidelines and helped each other remove their armor.

"It's so hot! It's so hot!"

Nozer quickly took off his helmet; his hair was so wet it could be wrung out. "It's like a giant steamer in here!"

"You should be glad we're in the stadium. If we were training or playing a game, it would be so hot in here that you could cook meat."

Lucas said this as he helped Nozer untie the straps from behind.

Noze quickly took off his breastplate; the armor underneath was already soaked through and clung coldly to his back. The wind blowing in from the open doors of the training hall sent a shiver down his spine.

"Not bad, not bad, you played really well, you didn't let me down as your teacher."

Lucas tossed the disassembled arm guard onto the armor rack, then slapped Nozer on the back again. "I just bet someone you'd win, and I won four Opal cards. That's what you call trust! How about that? Am I a good brother?"

Norze, who was already unsteady on his feet, stumbled after being slapped. Once he regained his balance, he kicked Norze in annoyance. "You're using me as a betting platform, aren't you? If you win, give me half, or I'll report you to Captain Lyman for running a betting operation in the training facility."

The two were laughing and joking, and a slight rustling sound of fabric could be heard nearby.

Andrew had already arranged all his armor neatly on the armor rack, even the straps were rolled up properly.

Hearing their laughter, he looked up, his lips moved, and finally he said to Noze earnestly, "Thank you for today, Noze."

The two understood each other without saying a word.

This is why he was willing to stand by Xenozer's side when everyone else was avoiding him, treating him as an equal opponent, rather than an outsider labeled a "traitor".

Norze smiled and waved his hand, handing over his own Swift Sword as well, placing it next to his sword. "We're friends, no need for thanks. Besides, I learned a lot from fighting you."

"A friend...?"

"Of course we're friends, don't you want to?"

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant..."

Andrew waved his hands repeatedly.

This was the first time Norze had seen a look of panic on Andrew's face.

Lucas scratched his head beside him. He had always kept a certain distance from Andrew, not out of malice, but because he had been listening to the story of the Battle of the Golden Knife since he was a child, and subconsciously followed others in avoiding it.

He had seen the duel clearly just now, and he admired Andrew's swordsmanship, composure, and fighting spirit from the bottom of his heart.

He took a step forward, extended his hand to Andrew, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and said, "I'm Lucas Hunter, Nozer's roommate and good friend. I didn't greet you before, don't mind, I really don't dislike you..."

Andrew was visibly taken aback. Looking at Lucas's outstretched hand, he hesitated for a second before reaching out and gently shaking it. "Hello Lucas, my name is Andrew Hart. I've heard of your exploits; you are indeed a swordsmanship 'master'."

"I wouldn't call myself a 'master' yet; I still have a lot to learn."

Lucas was still a bit reserved, not as relaxed as he was with Knozer. "By the way, just call me Luke, that's what my friends call me."

As Lucas spoke, he pulled out four iron opal cards, each about the size of a playing card. They were slightly thicker than playing cards, with intricate patterns and different colors, and looked very delicate and beautiful.

"There are exactly four. Let's each take one. This is the Opal I won in a bet earlier. I heard it's a deluxe edition, a limited edition."

Lucas spread out the four Opal cards: the Ace of Clubs with the King, the 7 of Diamonds with the Traveler, the King of Spades with the Knight, and the 6 of Hearts with the Scholar.

"It's a pity Raymond isn't here, so we can only choose what's left."

Lucas took the King of Spades and placed the cards in front of Andrew. "You pick one too."

Andrew glanced at Norze, who smiled and gestured for him not to be so cautious.

"Then... I'll take this one."

Andrew chose the Traveler's Seven of Diamonds, "I have indeed been away from my hometown for a very, very long time."

"Your turn, Norze."

Lucas placed the cards in front of Nozer.

"This...this doesn't really suit me, does it?"

Nozer looked at the King and the Scholar cards, scratched his head, pondered the difference in knowledge between himself and Raymond, and finally chose the King and the Ace of Clubs. "This one will do."

"Oh? Should I address you as His Majesty Nozer?"

Lucas put away the remaining Scholar cards, then gave a rather serious bow, mimicking that of an ancient knight. "Should I still call you Stella I?"

"Lucy! Get out of here!"

While Nozer and Lucas were playfully fighting, Andrew stroked the traveler pattern etched on the Opal card with his thumb, then carefully and solemnly put the card away.

After their playful fight, Nozer and Lucas sat back down next to Andrew.

Lucas stroked the opal cards he had won, then looked at Andrew curiously, acting all familiar with him. "Hey Andrew, seriously, we haven't had a chance to chat properly before. Where in the Kurt province is your family from? What does your family do?"

His tone was relaxed, with the tentative quality of a new friend.

"Our family? In the capital of Kut Province, in the mountainous region, we're just an ordinary military officer's family, nothing special."

Noze asked the question that concerned him most: "You look... well, you seem quite different from what I've heard about the Kurt, more..."

He carefully chose his words, "More subtle?"

Andrew looked up at Noze, then glanced at Lucas, who was equally curious. He paused for two seconds before speaking, his voice lower, "My father... is from the province of Storm, and his hometown is a small town near the upper reaches of the Emerald River. My mother is a Kurt."

He paused, as if recalling something, "So, I'm half and half, I guess. I seem to resemble my father more."