Berserk: The Prophet

Chapter 306 An unexpected surprise

By the time I returned to the hotel, the barking of dogs in town had subsided; it was already late at night.

Lighton and Dui had been waiting in Green's room for a long time, and the Silver Mist Rangers had not rested either, taking turns standing guard at the inn's entrance for the safety of their masters.

"How are things going?"

Lighton rose and said respectfully, “My lord, we have taken care of the guild’s affairs. We can go to purchase goods tomorrow. We have also discussed the matter of renting carriages with the horse merchants. We can load the goods onto the carriages tomorrow and set off the day after tomorrow.”

"Good, get things done as soon as possible." Green nodded, impressed by the efficient personnel management.

“However, Your Excellency, do you have enough manpower for the journey…” Lighton’s eyes swept over Dui beside him, clearly wanting these well-equipped guards to escort the caravan.

Green understood, but it was impossible to send all of these elite soldiers to serve as guards for Lighton.

"I have my own arrangements. I will send Dui to be your bodyguard. You will know about the others once we set off. I will do my best to ensure your safety and the safety of the goods."

Lighton bowed slightly. "Thank you for your arrangements, Your Excellency. With Lord Dui here, I feel much more at ease."

Dui stood to the side, his eyes resolute. "Please rest assured, Your Excellency, I will definitely protect the caravan."

Green gave a few more instructions on the caravan's journey, which Lighton noted down. After they finished discussing business, Green leaned back in his chair, pondering the battle at the training ground the next day.

"Sir, Blair might resort to some tricks. Should we make some preparations in advance?" Corribo asked worriedly.

Green smiled slightly. "No problem, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. I want to see what tricks he can pull."

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, Green, dressed in light, practical clothing, took Corribo to the training ground. Blair was already waiting there, accompanied by several other men also dressed in knightly attire, who were staring at Green with hostile eyes.

The old Baron sat on the viewing platform and nodded slightly when he saw Green arrive. The young woman from last night's ball was also beside the old Baron Hilt.

“Very good, everyone is here. As the lord, let me explain the rules. In this competition, we should prioritize safety, honor above all else, and stop when the point is reached.”

"The competition will be a sword fight, and the two of you will use real swords that have been approved by the Church of the King of France and have been blunted. You may choose your own preferred swords, and the chainmail and helmets used in the competition have all been inspected."

"This is a gentleman's duel between colleagues of the Juda Empire. Please try your best not to shed your brothers' blood, as it is dishonorable. You two must win fairly and squarely through swordsmanship!"

Green casually picked the heaviest two-handed blunt sword. Blair, who had intended to choose a sword and shield, couldn't help but laugh when he saw that Green, who was much shorter than him, had chosen a two-handed sword that was almost as long as him.

As expected, he was just a kid with no real combat experience. He then realized that it would be unfair for him to win if he were to use a shield.

So Blair also chose a two-handed greatsword, not wanting to play any tricks on an opponent who looked weak.

The two donned chainmail and helmets and stepped into the center of the training ground.

Blair launched the first attack, his sword flashing towards Green. Green nimbly dodged to the side, then swung his sword in a counterattack. Blair hadn't expected Green to react so quickly and hurriedly retreated to defend.

Those around them watched the duel with bated breath.

Seeing that his first attack had missed, Blair, taking advantage of his size, began to increase the intensity of his attacks. His swordplay was fierce, and for a moment Green was unable to defend himself.

Koripo clenched his fists, secretly worried for Green.

However, Green quickly calmed down, observing Blair's attack rhythm and looking for openings.

Although Blair used his size advantage to launch a relentless attack, his excessive use of brute force inevitably led to an unstable center of gravity, making it impossible for him to reverse his movements, leaving him stiff and unsteady.

Just as Blair launched another fierce attack, Green seized the opportunity, braced his hands against the blade to the side to deflect the force, and darted behind Blair, using his sword to block Blair's back.

This move could instantly kill Blair on the battlefield. True sword fights never require hundreds of rounds of combat; they can often end within ten moves.

It can determine who is superior and who is inferior, and it can also decide life and death.

“I won,” Green said calmly.

Blair was filled with resentment and tried to break free, but found that Green's sword was firmly pressed against his back. Any movement caused him unbearable pain.

Baron Hilt stood up and clapped, saying, "Brilliant! What a wonderful duel! Lord Ryan has displayed extraordinary swordsmanship."

Blair had no choice but to lay down his weapon and slink away to the side, while Greene gracefully bowed to the crowd, winning a round of applause.

Amid cheers from the crowd, Green removed his helmet. Sweat soaked his forehead and clung to his cheeks. He was slightly out of breath, but his eyes remained calm and confident.

Baron Hilt gestured for Green to step forward, took a parchment scroll bearing the family crest from a servant, and solemnly handed it to Green. "Lord Ryan, you have proven yourself with your abilities. This is a small token of my appreciation. I hope you can revive the family business soon."

Green accepted the parchment scroll with both hands and bowed respectfully to Baron Hilt: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Excellency. I will remember this favor."

He carefully put away the parchment scroll, glanced at Blair on the sidelines with a gloomy expression, a faint smile playing on his lips, and a hint of composure in his eyes.

Blair glared at Green, turned and strode away from the training ground, his guards quickly following. Blair was burning with rage. To be defeated by a mere brat and lose face in front of a beautiful woman was an utter disgrace. He secretly vowed to find a chance to get revenge.

Green didn't pay much attention to Blair's reaction; he knew that in this dog-eat-dog world, strength was the only true measure of success.

At that moment, he pondered the contents of the parchment scroll, which might be of great help to his future business. He returned to the inn with Korilipo and eagerly unfolded the scroll to examine it.

It turned out to be a lease agreement for some vacant shops within the old baron's territory, along with letters of introduction to merchants from several surrounding towns.

A look of surprise flashed in Green's eyes. These resources were a godsend for him. He immediately summoned Lighton to discuss plans to use these resources to expand the caravan business.

“My lord, with these shops and letters of recommendation, our sales channels will be greatly expanded!” Lighton said excitedly, his eyes full of anticipation. “However, we still need to recruit more reliable employees and guards to ensure the smooth operation of our business.”

Green nodded: "That's right, I didn't expect things to go so smoothly. I'll leave the recruitment to you. Make sure you choose loyal and capable people. Also, communicate more with Dui and have him help train the newly recruited guards to improve the team's combat effectiveness."

"Oh, right, call Loran in." Green's eyes revealed his eagerness for money. It seemed that raising funds was urgent. He couldn't bring any non-bodyguards with him, as that would affect his progress in collecting wealth.