CHAPTER 14
280 ac
I started to wonder if it was possible to connect with Poe without being a zombie if I could share only her sight while still having mine. It would be so good, but I can't do it yet. When I get back home, I'm going to try to bind with Erebus too. While I'm here, I should work on my elements too. Almost all my spells started to be lethal. The elemental balls I can make are now around 20 cm (8 inches), but I can only make the ice and earth ball up to 15 cm (6 inches).
It is because they are denser materials. Still, "earth ball," or as I prefer to call it, "earth bullet," is my most potent spell. When I shoot one at a thick tree, it makes a big dent in its trunk. If I use it with a spin, it can embed the stone into the tree trunk. I can't make its shape like a spike yet, but I can add a little bit more spin now. If I use it with spin, I spend one more mana. It costs six manas. As of now, I have 31 manas. I can use five earth bullets or six other spells.
As for my other spells, the wind spell is still the weakest, but it is not useless anymore. I can't kill something with it yet, but I can use it to push things back. One night, I was coming from the library, and a stray dog attacked me from the roadside bushes. I got startled, and by reflex, I used a wind ball, which pushed the dog back; and I think it felt like getting kicked because it whined then ran away.
For the lightning spell, I decided to use it as a touch spell because one time I shot the spell, it arched down, and it would have hit my foot if I had been walking. So, I will only use it in close combat, which is also powerful. I think it can definitely knock out a teenager, but I don't know if it can knock out a grown big man.
Now that I think about it, I don't have to waste time digging worms and running back to my room to feed them anymore. I can start focusing on my physical and sword training again. I had put them at a bare minimum for the last two months, and now I can focus again. I promised Lord Stark I wouldn't neglect sword training. Even though I have lessened my time on it, I'm still training, and because of the 5x skill, I am advancing in it too.
I'm not a squire yet, but Rodrik said if I keep getting better like this, he might accept me as his squire in a few years. I'm still young, only six years old. But I'm able to beat ten years old squires, and I would be able to beat 12 years old ones too if we only fight with swordsmanship, but when it comes to physical strength and speed, I always fall short. Right now, I have 1.5 str and 1.6 speed, but 12 years old squires usually have around 2.2 str and two spd.
I know for a fact those are their max stat. Because every time we finished a sparring session, they would be breathing like a horse and looking at me with fear and envy. What would I be doing, you might ask. Ohh, I'm on the ground because I got beaten like a dog.
I really don't understand how a child beat a grown man in those novels I read when I was on Earth. I would have understood if they were using magic. I can kill six grown men with the mana I have, too, if they come at me one at a time, but I can't beat them without magic. It is just not possible. I can't even beat 12 years olds let alone grown men. It has been a year since I came here. If I take all the time I trained in the sword with my 5x skill, it would be around 3500 to 4500 hours; some were around there. Let's just say five years of experience.
Usually, a knight would have approximately 10 to 15 years of experience when they are knighted. Most of them were nobles and started working with swords at the young age of 5 to 6, but I heard in the south, most of them would train only for self-defense. Only low nobles and second-borns, or spares they call them, would train in the sword for war.
I was on my way to my room when six children around the age of 10 surrounded me. In the middle was Hallis Mollen, one of the household guards of Winterfell. They are not counted as highborn yet, but they are not smallfolk either. You could say they are minor noble. They are granted a surname and a banner but no land to rule. After a few generations of service, they may be granted a keep if they show promise.
"Look what we have here? A freak of nature and a commoner who doesn't know his betters."
I sighed heavily and said, "What would the noble squires want from this little and humble swordsman?"
"Look at his arrogance even when saying noble squires; I really hate your smug face."
"You can't have it."
When I said that, Hallis got confused and asked, "what do you mean I can't have it?"
I tried to sound hurt and having a hard time, then said, "You can't have my handsome face; I know you are really jealous, but what can I do? Your mother looked at nothing but pigs bum when she was pregnant with you. You should go and ask her why she did that, and it is not my fault you look like a hog."
First, he didn't get what I was saying. It is a bit cute when children try to act like grownups, but it is actually unfortunate when you think about why they were here. They didn't know what hate was. Their parents and grownups taught them that. In reality, it is not their idea to go and beat the commoner child who is better than the nobles; those are not the words of a child.
They must be learning all those words from the grownups around them. But I'm still going to beat their asses. Just because I'm sad about it doesn't mean I'm going to let them push me around like a rag.
I knew this day was coming. The day I start beating noble squires, so I always carry a wooden sword when I'm out of my room. So, I gripped the sword handle and started waiting for them to make the first move. I think Hallis, at last, understood what I called him, so he shouted, "GET HIM, BREAK AT LEAST AN ARM!!!"