Chapter 179: Has it Started?
Lynn refocused his attention on his opponent.
At this point, the announcer had finished introducing their identities. The mohawked man was clearly displeased that his matched opponent was merely a commoner.
He directly gave Lynn a thumbs-down, a gesture of insult.
Lynn's expression also grew cold.
Therefore, as soon as the announcer's trumpet blare signaling the start of the match faded... Lynn flipped his wrist, and his longbow was already nocked with an arrow—to avoid being recognized, he hadn't used the Kovir longbow Triss had given him, but rather an ordinary longbow purchased in Beauclair.
The next moment, an arrow sliced through the air, hitting its mark flawlessly, a red target.
The red target fell in response, and before it could fully descend, the witcher fired two more arrows in quick succession, drawing elegant arcs in the air.
The archery contest was about who could hit all targets of their own color in the shortest time.
The longbow in Lynn's hand was like a machine gun, continuously firing arrows. The mohawked man had just fired his second arrow when all of the witcher's red targets had already hit the ground.
The crowd was stunned. How could it be over when it had just begun? Even the announcer, who had hosted the tourney for many years, had never witnessed such a one-sided match.
The competition grounds, silent enough to hear a pin drop, were filled with a roaring cheer after about half a minute.
Geralt secretly gave a thumbs-up as well. Usually, both the winner and the audience would offer encouragement and sympathy to the loser. This was part of the chivalric virtue of compassion.
However, since the mohawked man had made an insulting gesture before the match, which didn't align with the Toussaint people's expectations of a knight and violated the virtue of compassion, the audience showed him no sympathy.
Instead, they erupted in jeers.
"You should count yourself lucky," Lynn said, staring into his opponent's eyes with a stone-cold expression. "If you had met me during the lance combat, I would have made sure you couldn't get out of bed for months."
The mohawked man's face flushed crimson with anger, his eyes bulging like a goldfish.
But the undeniable facts left him no room for retort. He could only slink away from the archery range in shame.
The announcer descended from the high platform and shook Lynn's hand, congratulating him. Since he had passed the archery competition, he only needed to wait for all the archery matches to conclude before participating in the lance combat.
It was quite amusing.
During the two days he had spent idly in his tent, several nobles had come to visit. Undoubtedly, they were all drawn by Lynn's astonishing archery skills.
The terms offered by these nobles were increasingly tempting. If Lynn were truly just a commoner, choosing the most suitable among these nobles would indeed be a wise choice. This was also the primary reason why commoners participated in the Knights' Tourney.
In fairness, while the tourney didn't forbid commoners from participating, it was hardly easier for a commoner to win the champion's prize than to ascend the Shu Road.
Therefore, commoners primarily participated in the Knights' Tourney to perform impressively and then accept an offer from a favored noble.
However, Lynn's goal was solely the Corvo Bianco vineyard, so he naturally declined those nobles.
Due to the number of participants far exceeding previous years, the archery competition continued until the third day before finally concluding.
A quarter of the contestants were eliminated and left dejectedly.
After the archery competition, it was time for the lance combat.
The so-called lance combat was, of course, not about fighting on the ground like pikemen. Instead, it involved a jousting charge on a straight, wide track. Unseating your opponent meant victory.
Of course, considering the speed boost from a galloping horse, even a mere stick could cause significant harm.
Therefore, after the initial few years of bloody Knights' Tourneys, subsequent lance combat events uniformly adopted special lances provided by the tourney organizers.
These lances were useless on a battlefield; their only purpose was for this tournament.
Such lances would shatter upon impact with an opponent's shield or armor, minimizing the risk of life-threatening injury during the match.
However, accidents always happened. For instance, a lance might pierce through a shield's gap and strike the opponent's armor. Or, when a lance shattered, fragments might fly into the opponent's throat or eyes.
Despite such accidents not being uncommon, the lance combat event of the Knights' Tourney was never canceled. Knights from all over the world continued to participate in droves.
The reason was simple: everyone believed that if an accident were to occur, they would surely be the ones causing it, not the ones suffering it.
Lynn's lance combat was scheduled for a later slot. Before his turn, he suddenly received news. Maximus had unfortunately been eliminated from the lance combat, losing two consecutive matches, and would not be participating in the next team tournament.
Lynn sighed softly. Perhaps that was just fate.
He rode a fine horse, specifically purchased in Beauclair, into the competition arena. At the center of the arena was a long track, divided down the middle by a row of wooden barriers.
Competitors had to position themselves at opposite ends of the track and charge with their lances once the trumpet sounded. The wooden barrier served to prevent warhorses from colliding and causing injury.
Lynn's opponent for this round was a knight as tall as a pagoda, wearing a winged helmet. On his pitch-black armor was the emblem of a blazing sun. Undoubtedly, he was a knight from Nilfgaard.
This opponent was far more courteous than the previous one. Perhaps it was because the Nilfgaardian Empire itself had many knights, sergeants, and officers who came from commoner backgrounds...
Upon hearing the announcer declare Lynn's commoner status, the winged-helmet knight, still on his horse, politely offered Lynn a salute. Lynn returned the gesture.
The trumpet sounded, and Lynn and the Nilfgaardian knight charged simultaneously.
Clip-clop-clop.
As the two riders drew closer, their speed increased. Everyone in the stands held their breath, waiting for the outcome of the clash.
CRACK!
The wooden lance tip shattered with a thud. The opposing lance exploded against Lynn's shield. Because Lynn focused on adjusting the angle of his shield during the clash, causing the incoming lance to deflect and dissipate most of its force, the witcher did not fall from his horse even after taking the impact.
As the two riders passed each other, Lynn, with his masterful horsemanship, quickly maneuvered his warhorse to turn back and gallop forward. At this moment, his opponent hadn't even had time to swap out his broken lance for a new one.
.....
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