Chapter 177: I'm Not Interested in Territory
Lynn stood with his arms crossed, curiously asking, "Team tournament? I thought all the events in the tourney were individual competitions."
Maximus said seriously, "While individual valor is important, war requires more than just a knight's personal bravery. More importantly, it tests the knights' cooperation."
"In the past, the ancestors of the Toussaint people repeatedly attacked the elves of this land, but always failed. That was because the knights only knew how to madly charge, blindly pursuing glory, and ended up falling under the elves' overwhelming hail of arrows."
"Later, the first Duke, Ludovic 'the Lancemaster', strictly forbade knights from charging without orders, demanding they learn discipline and cooperation. He also improved the military system, which allowed Toussaint to secure its current territory."
"Knights should pursue glory, but they must also adapt to the rules of warfare with the times. This is one of the guiding principles of the Knights' Tourney."
Lynn nodded. Ancient people were merely limited by their era, so their knowledge wasn't as broad as modern people's. They certainly weren't foolish.
Maximus asked curiously, "Master, why do you ask these things? Are you planning to participate in this tourney?"
Lynn naturally denied it. "Not at all. I have no interest in territory."
Maximus expressed his sincere admiration. "Your attitude towards material possessions truly impresses me."
"Speaking of which, Sir Maximus, will you also be competing?"
"Of course. I heard this year's champion's prize is Corvo Bianco vineyard... I have every reason to compete and win."
At this moment, Lynn suddenly remembered. Maximus had mentioned something before. Corvo Bianco vineyard seemed to be the ancestral estate of Maximus's own Maclinno family.
Thus, Lynn swallowed the words he was about to say, asking for riding lessons, and instead said, "Then good luck, I wish you success, Sir."
Since Maximus had a compelling reason to win, Lynn naturally couldn't monopolize his time. If he couldn't ask someone he knew for help, he would simply ask someone he didn't.
So, Lynn came up with another idea: he directly approached Fringilla and asked her to help him find a riding instructor who wouldn't be participating in the tourney.
He knew Fringilla had just given him the Charm of Deception, and he hadn't thanked her yet... Now asking for another favor seemed a bit audacious. But it didn't matter.
After all, when you owe a lot, you stop worrying. Besides, he wouldn't truly freeload off Fringilla. He had already thought of what to give Fringilla as a return gift. He just hadn't found the right moment yet.
Once he had some free time, he would give Fringilla an appropriate thank-you gift.
As for Fringilla, after hearing Lynn's request, she didn't say anything else and readily agreed. The next day, she found Lynn a man who had once served as an officer in the Duchy Guard, now retired and living a quiet life.
He had also heard of Lynn's deeds since arriving in Toussaint, and he himself held no prejudice against witchers. Since the witcher was willing to learn, he was willing to teach everything he knew.
Thus, for the next half month, the two practiced horsemanship in the wilderness outside Beauclair. After half a month of diligent practice, Lynn's efforts paid off.
"New Skill: Horsemanship (Initiate)"
He didn't hesitate to invest his attribute points.
"Attribute Points: 8 → 0" "Horsemanship (Initiate) → Horsemanship (Master/Peak)"
The skill level in his attribute panel was refreshed, and a wealth of horsemanship techniques and experience flooded Lynn's mind.
This knowledge wasn't just theoretical; it was as if he had truly spent decades on horseback, experiencing hundreds, even thousands, of perilous battles.
After the training concluded, Lynn paid his riding instructor a fee for his efforts. Then he returned to Beauclair.
With the tourney fast approaching, Beauclair was now swarming with nobles from all over the world. These individuals weren't just there to prove their bravery; they were also after the champion's prize.
In the past, the champion's prize was typically awards like famous swords or horses. Of course, that wasn't to say they were bad. But no matter how good the prize, it couldn't compare to the allure of a granted territory.
It's important to remember that in this era, even those born into noble families weren't guaranteed a life of luxury and corruption when they grew up.
If one was unfortunate enough to be a second or third son, they had no right to inherit noble titles or territories.
Therefore, these second and third sons either fostered good relations with their elder brother, hoping to assist him and hold important positions after he inherited the title and territory.
However, more often, second and third sons were forced to venture out into the wider world. For example, in Ofier, on the other side of the sea, there was a mercenary company called the Second Sons.
They were entirely composed of noble second sons who could not inherit titles or lands.
Upon returning to Beauclair, Lynn first took a bath, then used the Charm of Deception to alter his appearance.
After changing into the pitch-black plate armor, he headed to the registration desk for the Knights' Tourney.
Due to the excessive number of participants, the queue in front of the registration desk was incredibly long. Lynn waited for a good hour or two before it was finally his turn.
The clerk was a balding, bespectacled middle-aged man. He sat behind a table and, seeing Lynn approach, dipped his quill in ink, preparing to fill in Lynn's details on parchment.
"Greetings, sir. Are you also here to register for the Knights' Tourney? Please state your name and family crest."
"My name is Brandon, and I have no family crest."
The clerk looked at Lynn. But the gaze behind his spectacles held no prejudice whatsoever. "Commoner origin? Hmm, that's alright. As long as you can provide your own weapons and a fine horse, even a commoner can participate in the Knights' Tourney."
The original intention of the first Duke, Ludovic 'the Lancemaster', in establishing the Knights' Tourney was not only to encourage cooperation among knights and help them adapt to the rules of the battlefield.
It was also to select outstanding talents. Although it was called a Knights' Tourney, it did not prohibit commoners from participating.
As long as one could prove oneself in the tourney, even if they didn't win, they still had the opportunity to be knighted. At the very least, during Duchess Anna Henrietta's reign, many commoners had been knighted.
This was also why Toussaint's knight-errants consistently pursued honor, chivalry, and their knightly vows, and why the people loved the ducal family and revered knights.
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