Today's fight had opened Leon's eyes, and he had developed a newfound respect for Jon.
Even when facing a heavily armored, seemingly invincible opponent, Jon never begged for mercy nor gave up. With skillful swordsmanship, he gradually gained the upper hand.
In Leon's estimation, the young Jon's proficiency with a two-handed sword must have been at least 150 points.
Leon himself had reached 300 points in one-handed sword proficiency. He knew better than to underestimate Jon—his potential and strength were formidable. The title of future Sword Master of the North was well-earned.
Leon couldn't help but wonder: if he faced Jon now, what were his chances?
"Well… honestly, I could probably manage thirty moves," he concluded after careful observation.
Of course, this was just an estimate based on experience. Leon hadn't actually fought Jon yet and didn't know for certain how many moves he could manage.
In the world of Mount & Blade 2, a one-handed sword proficiency of 300 points could slay a dragon in two strikes. Even a master like Jaime Lannister, who could swing five times a second, had no choice but to bow to Leon as 'Master Leon.
"Lord Snow, still not going to beg for mercy?"
Jon and Hod had been sparring for over a dozen rounds, the clash of steel ringing through the air. Jon, nimble and unarmored, had kept Hod under pressure with his fluid movements.
But in martial combat, no one could avoid every blow. When Hod's sword brushed across Jon's arm, his attacking tide faltered. Facing the sheer force of Hod's strikes, he could barely parry, unable to retaliate.
Hord's triumphant taunt rang out, but Jon gritted his teeth, eyes burning with determination.
"Beg for mercy? Never!"
Jon's stubbornness, however, did not last. Within a few rounds, his sword was smashed and kicked meters away by Hod. Thankfully, he fell onto a pile of hay, sustaining no serious injury.
Still, Jon felt weak and could no longer rise to continue the fight. At the last moment, he turned to Leon, eyes filled with silent apology, as if to say: "I'm sorry, brother. I fear I cannot be your comrade in the Night's Watch."
"You little bastard… your strength is so weak it seems you weren't fully formed in the womb. You can't even beat Hod, your greatest annoyance. It's a shame you're a Stark—truly embarrassing for your father," Alliser Thorne sneered. "Perhaps he doesn't even consider you his son, just some bastard picked up from outside."
The onlookers, seeing Jon's condition, eagerly collected their bets. Even Jon's friend Eddie fell silent, unable to defend him.
Feeling Jon's apologetic gaze, Leon rose without hesitation, fixing his eyes on Alliser Thorne atop the platform. His voice rang out, firm and loud:
"This is not fair!"
"Oh? Mr. Ladybug from the South, you think something's unfair? Can I help you?"
Leon's close friendship with Jon had long earned Alliser's disdain, but Leon usually kept a low profile. Today, his sudden stand caught Alliser off guard. Contempt and delight flickered across Alliser's face—it was a rare double pleasure: an opportunity to assert dominance over both Jon and Leon in one go.
"All rules on the training grounds are mine. Regarding Jon's equipment, refusal to apologize is my order. You have no right to argue, unless you want to leave," Alliser declared, positioning himself on moral high ground.
The other Night's Watch recruits, sympathetic to Jon, immediately faltered. Even Eddie, though critical of Leon, quietly approved from behind. But Leon shrugged off Eddie's hand and stepped forward with resolve.
"Lord Ladybug, are you going to stand up for Lord Snow? The rules have changed. If you don't want to clean the latrines with him, you'll have to defeat three people. Otherwise… forget it, hahaha."
Alliser smiled, confident. Three Night's Watch recruits, dissatisfied with Jon, stepped forward, eager to teach Leon a lesson as well.
Just as Alliser was about to continue, Leon spoke again.
"It's still not fair."
"Oh? Lady Ladybug, you're backing down?" Alliser mocked.
"No," Leon replied firmly.
He glanced at the new recruits approaching and shook his head with disdain, a confident smile curling on his lips.
"I want to… beat ten!"
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Tyrion Lannister:"Why stop at the public chapters when you can feast on twenty more? Three of them are free — a little gift from me to you. Come, raise a cup, and join me atpatreon.com/Captain_Lagbefore the next toast." 🍷📚
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We're still under 15,000 words, so no rankings for now… but from next week, we'll officially start our PowerStone Milestone Goals! 🎯
In the meantime… Library Collection Goals:
📚 100 collections → +1 bonus chapter (achieved!!!)
📚 250 collections → +1 bonus chapter
📚 500 collections → +1 bonus chapter
📚 1,000 collections → +1 bonus chapter
And uh… y'all can still chuck some Stones at me if you're feeling spicy 😏💎
Let's make this novel go brrrr 💥📚
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