ATPnovel Chapter 83 Last-minute preparation
Chapter 83 Last-minute preparation
Chapter 83 Last-minute preparation
Roger wasn't keen on participating in the martial arts tournament three days later. He knew his own limitations; fighting on the battlefield was one thing, but showing off his skills in a competition was quite another, and he didn't have much confidence in himself.
However, if Roger didn't participate in the tournament held by the Campbell family, he would be implicitly denying his identity. Baron John had also repeatedly instructed him to represent Colin's side in the competition, so Roger had no choice but to put up with it.
Sir Gildonian sent over the jousting lance, and Roger naturally had to seize the time to practice, for even last-minute preparation can yield results.
Thanks to his father and brothers' military prowess, there was a specially prepared open space behind the manor for horsemanship and lance training.
Both Marne and Olaf had experience training with Roger, and they quickly set up shield targets for lance charges on the training field.
Roger's mount was a black mare given to him by the head of a wealthy village in the north of the island as an apology.
It's no wonder that someone who has never undergone knightly training, riding a horse that is not suitable for knightly combat, and carrying a club more than ten feet long, could hit a shield target.
For the entire afternoon, although Marne taught Roger the English "lance charge" technique, he could only ensure that the lance wouldn't wobble around and never managed to hit the shield target. He barely learned how to control the black mare to charge straight forward with his legs when his hands were off the reins.
My hands were already aching, and my black mare was panting heavily from exhaustion. With darkness approaching, I had no choice but to dismount and rest.
The next morning, Roger, dragging his sore arms, started training again.
Let's not practice thrusting this time; it's pointless. Let's practice how to dodge when being thrust at, or at least avoid being knocked off our horses.
This kind of stabbing exercise is simpler. Marne and Olaf stand on haystacks with their lances pointed at them, while Roger, protected by cotton armor, chainmail, and a barrel helmet, rides his horse and charges at the lances with his shield. He can only dodge at the moment the lances make contact, otherwise it loses the meaning of simulating actual combat training.
That morning, Roger also gained a rudimentary understanding of why this era belonged to knights and cavalry. From a relative motion perspective, the lance charging towards him was indeed incredibly powerful. At first, he would instinctively dodge in advance, unable to bear the sight of the long staff thrusting towards him.
After charging back and forth dozens of times, he finally took a solid hit. The impact traveled through the shield to his arm holding it, and then the shockwave spread throughout his body. The enormous force threw him off his horse and onto the grass, where he rolled around for a while before coming to a stop.
Fortunately, it was a lance used in combat, which broke instantly under the shield's protection, preventing any real damage. If it had been a solid lance used on the battlefield, it would have surely knocked someone off their feet and broken their bones.
However, after a short while, Roger also felt the limited power of the dueling lance, and he could barely suppress his instinct to dodge.
For the rest of the afternoon, Roger charged back and forth dozens of times. After ruining two lances in the dueling competition, he couldn't take it anymore. He jumped off his horse, took off his sweat-soaked armor and helmet, and waved to his two sparring partners, saying, "Alright, save the last one for the dueling competition. Anyway, I only plan to make one appearance to give everyone an explanation."
Roger knew he was doomed to fail in turn-based mounted lance combat; one shot and he'd be eliminated. That was fine.
With the remaining time, Roger focused his attention on Marne and Olaf.
This tournament on the island of Arran was not limited to knights; Baron John extended the eligibility to almost every free man. By his invitation, anyone who considered themselves to have some skill was welcome to participate.
Marne and Olaf were, after all, registered sergeants of Milk House Manor, so they were naturally eligible to participate.
If Roger himself is not up to the task, then he can only place his bets on two professional soldiers, hoping that they can salvage some of the reputation of Milk House Manor.
Although Roger didn't really care much about reputation, having it was better than having none.
So the day before the tournament, Roger served as both trainer and referee for Marne and Olaf, and the two mainly competed in sword and shield combat on horseback and infantry long and short spear combat.
There were no rules for competitions in this era. As long as no one died in the arena, the fight could go on until one side was defeated.
Marne was experienced in real combat and his moves were deadly. Olaf, who had been trained since childhood, was able to handle the situation well. The fight between the two drew cheers from the bald man with a ponytail and the others watching, a far cry from the sighs that Roger had uttered during practice.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Tomorrow is the opening ceremony of the martial arts competition. Dinner at the Milk House Manor will be plentiful, as everyone will be very busy for the next five days.
Roger wasn't too concerned with the tournament itself; he simply instructed Marne and Olaf to do their best. His primary concern was how to use the tournament to build a reliable armed force for his own forces.
"Everyone's roles need to be clearly defined these next few days."
"I'm in charge of trying to recruit mercenary knights or the second sons of nobles."
"Marne and Olaf are responsible for winning over soldiers, servants, and attendants who possess martial skills. These people are definitely the focus of everyone's competition. If you encounter a suitable one that you can't handle, report to me immediately. If necessary, I will personally take action."
"Bald Head, Ponytail, and Black Dog, you three are all very knowledgeable, especially Baldy. Your broken mouth will come in handy at crucial moments. As many mercenaries, caravan guards, or other capable but shady characters as you can get, I'll personally select them. If they're suitable, I'll keep them; if not, I'll treat them to a meal and leave them some room for maneuver in the future."
"You must remember this clearly: we are recruiting the backbone of the army. I might have thousands of troops under my command one day, and the people you recruit these days could be the commanders of those thousands of troops. Therefore, we must select carefully."
Roger outlined the criteria for selecting men: "First, bravery and combat skills; second, loyalty, not too cunning or cruel; third, knowledge and experience, with broad understanding, and preferably literate. Additionally, those with combat experience, killing enemies, or military service will be given priority."
To be honest, such conditions are a bit of absurd. Marne and Olaf may have the discerning eye to recognize talent, but how could a few thugs like Bald Head, Ponytail, and Black Dog possibly distinguish the talent Roger was talking about?
But Roger had to do his best to select the best, since his current strength was limited and he could only choose the best, not the most.
The group carefully noted it down. Although they didn't take Roger's joke about having a thousand troops seriously, after their recent dangerous experiences, they knew that it was essential to have more brave and capable warriors by their side.
"I've already spoken with the old steward. You will each go to him later to collect five shillings for expenses. Let me know if you need more."
Before anyone could grasp the meaning of "expenses," Roger continued, "What's this money for? Food and drink!"
"This money is not for you to squander, but to take the warriors you fancy out for food and drink, and tell them that Lord Roger is rich and powerful, recruiting warriors to form teams, providing them with food and lodging, paying their wages on time, and even granting land to those who are capable."
Everyone's eyes widened. In Scotland, where the land is barren and the people are poor, such treatment was considered extremely generous.
Roger looked around and said, "Believe it or not, your salaries and benefits will increase after this martial arts tournament."
"But you have to make it clear that Lord Roger is no benevolent man. If you eat his wine and meat and take his military pay, you have to be willing to risk your life for him."
On a morning with neither scorching sun nor rain, the dark clouds and cold wind could not stop the bustling noise that was about to begin.
Due to a large-scale martial arts tournament, the population of Arun Island has doubled, with thousands of people flocking to the island over the past week. Even now, ships are still shuttling back and forth in Pier Bay, bringing more people and goods to Arun Island.
During the reign of Roger's grandfather, a grand tournament was held almost every year on the island of Arran. John II, a lord with exceptional business acumen, used the tournament to create a grand stage that drew lords, nobles, and merchants from all over to the island.
With the movement of people comes the movement of goods, and Roger's grandfather had already mastered the art of "using culture as a stage for economic development."
It is now the sixth year of John III's reign, and the tournament on the Isle of Arran has not been held for seven years.
Although Baron John's main purpose in holding the tournament was to replenish his army with fresh blood, he was not a pure warrior.
While Roger was busy repairing roads and building facilities on Holly Island, Baron John's steward had already been ordered to clear a large open area across the river from Brodick town. This area had previously been a public meadow, and six or seven years earlier it had been the site of the tournaments.
At this moment, a square arena was enclosed by a low fence in the wide riverside meadow. The arena was divided into two parts by a low fence, and simple stands were built around the arena. One of the stands had a shed, which was obviously reserved for the nobles.
Hundreds of tents of varying sizes and shapes were erected around the arena, some made of felt, some of linen, and others of fur. Each tent was brightly colored, with long flags fluttering in the wind on the flagpoles in the center, like a field of wildflowers in full bloom, with deep red and bright yellow, green and blue stripes, and even deeper black, gray and purple, all vying for attention.
The pasture, which normally served as communal pasture for the townspeople of Brodick across the river, has now become a second town. As if overnight, a felt town has sprung up, larger and more beautiful than Brodick on the other side of the river.
Baron John's steward and several manor stewards who were seconded to the area worked for more than half a month to turn the venue outside the martial arts tournament into a temporary large free market.
Baron John not only arranged for people to set up stalls and make money himself, but also collected all kinds of taxes from the merchants outside the island. The money and food consumed in the martial arts competition will soon be earned back.