Whether it is the silver-covered pavilions and pavilions in the northernmost city of Pest, or the verdant Qinsi bamboo forest in the cold wind in the southernmost dukedom, there is always a trace of mystery and beauty in the desert snow. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 It was like the queen of the sand who had left the world, dressed in a thin veil, and looked at her coldly, while the young man who was immersed in it trembled and was in awe, but he couldn't take his eyes off it anyway.

Outsiders are always in awe, but for Habsha Village in the desert, it is nothing more than hard work to enter the winter life.

"Tom-"

Rose, who had just pushed open the door of the house, smashed the thin layer of ice on the water tank with a punch, holding the two catties of beef he had just bought in one hand, and wiping his face with water from the water tank with the other. A woman came out of the room, dressed in simple clothes and wearing her hair in a bun. The woman took the beef, and complained that Ross couldn't use a basin to scoop out a little water before using it.

"Dora, is Garcia back?" Rose asked.

The day after the snow stopped, it happened to be Mr. Medivan's class again, and Garcia would have to go anyway even if he didn't want to, and accordingly, the activities of the children and the Hunters in the afternoon had to continue.

"Well, you're back, how about you eat before you go?" Anyway, how is Arthur of Simon's house?" asked Dora, suddenly remembering that sad night.

"It's surprising that this kid survived, it's really fast, I can go to the ground today. Well, I'm going to see Garcia. Rose replied as he pushed the door open.

As soon as Rose entered the room, he heard Garcia sharpening his axe, rhythmic, loud, not harsh at all, which was the hallmark of a veteran, and it was hard to imagine such a sophisticated movement in the hands of a child who had just turned eleven.

Ross shouted in satisfaction, "Bastard, let's go! If you dare to throw the last axe away from me, I'll whip you!"

Rose walked through the porch, the living room, and to Garcia's room, leaning against the door frame, staring at Garcia who didn't respond. Rose's gaze swept over Garcia's resolute side face, small scales of strong muscles, grasping the whetstone and scraping the blade of the axe's right hand, and finally landing on the intricate pattern carved in the center of the axe.

Rose sighed softly: "Garcia, Arthur's injury is almost healed, aren't you going to take a look?"

Garcia's brow remained motionless, as if he hadn't heard his father's words at all, his right hand held the whetstone tightly, quickly brushed the blade of the axe, and then casually threw the whetstone on the table and stood up: "Father, let's go." ”

The meeting was still in the open space in front of Medivan's house, and Garcia looked into the backyard to the table in the last corner of the shed, the one that no one had used in a long time.

"I always laughed at him when he was there, and now he's probably lying in bed, and he can't get up for a while, and he's more sissy than a sissy, but I miss him a little. Drake, still carrying two bundles of throwing spears on his back, came over, his footprints creaking as they landed on a small layer of snow.

Garcia turned his head and looked at Drake.

Drake also turned his head and looked at Garcia.

"I always think that Arthur has little strength, and he doesn't seem to be very bold in his usual life, and he looks like a sissy, but he wants to be a knight every day. Drake said slowly.

Garcia stared at Drake silently, expressionless.

"But if I was hiding behind the sand and saw the sand lizard that had just lost its young son, it would be silly, would I really have the courage to rush forward?" Drake said slowly, staring at Garcia.

Garcia raised his hand and patted Drake on the shoulder.

"We'll know, and in two years, we'll know. ”

The oasis has formed a thin layer of ice, and the sand lizards or giant scorpions have begun to hibernate, but the hunters are still guarding the children as part of their daily practice. The only difference is that the number of adult warriors has doubled, a full twenty people, four squads, not that there is still any mortal threat, but to guard against Arthur, who is getting better day by day, whether he will follow the team again. Ever since Susan and the Hunters had seen Arthur's speed in the desert, no one had taken a trip to the Oasis lightly.

But Arthur had no intention of tracking him at all.

Arthur's house was quiet, the iron-striking fire had long since been extinguished, and Arthur had already gotten up. Ever since Arthur had been able to move on the ground a week ago, and occasionally run two laps slowly, he was led by his father through the village, through the desert, and on top of the sand dunes.

But Arthur couldn't help but think back to the conversation with his father half a month ago, when he was still lying in bed.

"Arthur, I think you must remember the oath you made. That night, Simon stared into Arthur's eyes in the lamplight.

"But I think you must not have understood what I was saying about your inability to be a knight or a warrior. Seeing Arthur nod, Simon turned around and brought over a one-handed sword that had not yet been opened.

"Is it because you can't hold the knight's sword now, like the sword you have to hold it with both hands, and stab at the sand lizard?" Simon stabbed the long sword with one hand, and with a single blow, the long sword was fixed in the air, steady and resolute.

"No, it's not, you're only nine years old, you'll grow up eventually, you'll continue to train, your muscles will continue to grow, even if it's your own physique, it won't change much, but one day you'll be able to pick up a sword with one hand, like this, right?" Simon flipped his wrist and carried the sword in his backhand, straight to the ground.

"Yes, yes, maybe you're a little luckier, you stab some enemies with a spear on horseback, and you survive, you make some fame, you get a knighthood, and you really become a knight. ”

Simon threw down his sword and stared at Arthur.

"That's what you think in your heart, isn't it? ”

Arthur nodded mechanically.

"Stupid!" Simon slapped Arthur on the head heavily.

"The Holy Aaron Empire, next to the Lords of Chaos, the Central Merchant Federation, and the Dwarven Black Iron Mountains. A group of bloodthirsty beasts in the realm of chaos, Duke Qin Sizhu has a heavy army in his hands, and he is ready to fight, this is no problem. The Central Merchant Federation has always been very friendly with various races, and it is enough to have a little force to guard and help the caravans on the way down, and keep an eye on the bandits and robbers. What about the Dwarven Black Iron Mountains, although the Dwarves have been very friendly in recent years, why has the St. Aaron Empire always stationed heavy troops nearby? The St. Aaron Empire has more than three times the territory and ten times the population, why is it so fierce?" Simon asked, staring at Arthur.

This is what Arthur knows, but there is an answer that Arthur does not know.

"The answer is simple, although the dwarves are not as tall as the Terrans, they are much stronger than the Terrans, and they are much more skilled in the construction of iron. The Terrans mostly use long swords and spears, and even if they use axes, they are often wooden handles, but what about the dwarves? Each dwarf is holding an all-iron, steel war hammer or battle axe! And without the impact of three teams of knights, it will never be able to break through the defense of the dwarven tower shield soldiers! Even in peacetime, the St. Aaron Empire must use heavy troops to maintain its deterrent effect against the dwarves!" Simon waved his fist excitedly, as if he remembered some embarrassing past events, such as the story of a battle with an elite dwarven warrior.

Arthur's face flushed, his face full of unconvinced.

"Arthur, this is the same truth, different talents determine where your limits are, there will always be things in the world that break through the limits, but after all, there are too few. One day you may be able to wield a knight's sword, hold a knight's spear, ride a horse, and fight on the battlefield. But you're hardly going to do better than a slightly trained recruit, because using them flexibly to become a great fighter is where your limit lies. ”

"Arthur, now, it's your own choice, I can train you according to what your heart really wants, if you keep working hard and with a bit of luck, you will become a qualified fighter. ”

"Arthur, I can continue to train you as we swore out, and you may have some chance to be the pinnacle of the profession. ”

Simon sat back in his chair, picked up the wooden box on the table, and looked at Arthur solemnly.

"Arthur, no matter what, this will be the last time I will tolerate your nonsense, and the direction we decide to go down tonight will have to go to the end, and there will be no turning back. ”

Arthur remembers Simon's gaze, slightly gentle, but extremely serious and determined. Arthur also remembered the wooden box that Simon slowly opened later, and the ugly, swarthy dagger inside.

"Whoa—"

An ugly, swarthy short sword, with a round edge, plunged into the sand.

"Arthur, concentrate! There's a year and a half left to screen at the War College!" Simon picked the black sword from Arthur's hand and watched Arthur fall backwards to the ground, roaring loudly.

Arthur lay on the sand and was dressed in rough clothes, staring straight into the midday sun in the thin snow.

Arthur doesn't know how many times he's slipped since training.

His father never told him what kind of character he would raise him to be, and Arthur was always distracted by this, but his will was never so strong.

Arthur got up from the snow, but fortunately the snow and sand were soft, and Arthur's newly healed left arm was not painful. Arthur stretched out his right hand to draw his sword, and looking at the short sword, Arthur always felt strange.

What kind of sword is that?

Since it is a short sword, the sword body is actually not long, it is just more than the forearm of an adult, and if it is shorter, it will almost enter the category of "dagger". The blade of the sword is extremely thick, about a finger, which is almost the thickness of a two-handed giant sword. The sword was extremely wide, slightly wider than four fingers, but there was a full finger-wide hole in the middle, but the sword did not weigh much - of course, it was still a little too heavy for Arthur now, but Arthur knew that he might soon be able to master this guy.

And the strangest part is the surface of the dagger, the surface is extremely rough - no, it should be said, it is a half-finished product at all, the sword is full of signs of forging, and has not been polished or sharpened at all. And from the rough edges of these marks and the hollow in the middle, Arthur could see that the hollow was not dug out by his father after he had built his sword, but was slowly hammered out with a hammer. Generally speaking, the surface formed after forging and the surrounding materials are always more solid than those cut out, and they are more resistant to the ravages of war. Arthur's nose couldn't help but sour every time he saw this sword, and it was hard to imagine how much work and sweat it took his one-armed father to make this sword embryo.

"Arthur, don't be in a daze, go on, attack!" Simon shouted waving his arms.

Arthur woke up from a dream, drew his black dagger, and turned to face his father.

The father pulled a sword flower, stretched the long sword forward, pointed diagonally to the ground, and made a greeting to invite battle.

Arthur looked at the bladeless knight sword, the same sword, Arthur and Simon were in completely different positions, more than a month ago, Simon attacked, and Arthur could only dodge with his bare hands, and now, Arthur was the attacker, Simon occasionally grabbed some obvious flaws, picked up the short sword, or flicked a sword towards Arthur's flaws - after all, Arthur had not recovered enough to withstand the kind of brutal dodge training.

Arthur lunged forward, a sword slashing at Simon's chest.

Simon dodged lightly and skillfully, and with a turn of the long sword, the spine of the sword was drawn towards Arthur's thigh, watching Arthur fall to the ground, he took a step back, and said: "Arthur, remember that dodging is the best way for you to deal with it, if the opponent misses with one blow, the center of gravity of the metropolis will be unstable - yes, just like you, at this time, with a light blow, the battle is over." ”

Arthur got up again, grabbed his dagger, and stabbed at Simon again.

Simon looked at the sword momentum, and he could still easily dodge it. didn't dodge, his body took a slight step to the left, the long sword attached to the short sword, and struck a light horizontal blow. Arthur's short sword was forced, and he rushed out crookedly, and Arthur himself stumbled, but the short sword instantly returned to his grasp, and with the strength of the bounce, he turned around and slashed directly at Simon.

Simon kept talking: "However, there will always be times when there is no way to hide, and it is a good way to use your weapon to interfere with your opponent, but the problem is that a skilled warrior can use his strength to launch the next attack - yes, if you are more consistent, this is probably it." ”

Arthur slashed with his sword, thinking about how he would move and leap to attack again if he slashed again or was swept away by the sword. However, Simon did not dodge this time, or struck with a long sword, and directly used the knight's sword, sword blade to sword blade, directly blocking the short sword.

Arthur pressed forward, but Simon's sword didn't move.

Simon looked at Arthur through the crossed blades: "This is the last thing you should do, hold the opponent's long sword, this is always the stronger side will have an advantage, the strength is too small, needless to say, even if the strength is not far apart, the stronger side always has more leeway, such as this." ”

Arthur felt a lightness in his hand and unconsciously moved forward, and Simon's long sword turned, quickly clinging to the short sword and slashing through it to the place where the sword grid gauntlet, and then struck upward.

Arthur was empty of his hands and fell to the ground.

"Whoa—"

An ugly, swarthy short sword, with a round edge, plunged into the sand.

It's exactly the same as just now.

Simon thrust his sword into the sand, looked at Arthur and said, "When you fall, death is very close to you, when you lose your weapon, death is not far from you, and like now, you fall and lose your weapon, probably all you can do is go over there and drink tea with the gods." ”

Arthur's face flushed, completely unconcerned why Simon put such a shady thing as death on the heads of the gods, he quickly bounced off the ground, picked up the dagger, and pounced on it again...

The sun shone proudly in the sky, and Arthur, who was constantly falling, his weapons constantly being provoked, and his father constantly provoking him in his words, was probably laughing with his stomach in his arms.

And the Queen of Sand is as quiet as ever, cloaked in tulle, must be watching the father and son.

The desert is snowy, cold, quiet, beautiful, coming and going, going and coming.

Only the clanging of weapons never stopped on this land.