A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor-Chapter 1114 An Army in need of Improvement - Part 1
1114: An Army in need of Improvement – Part 1
1114: An Army in need of Improvement – Part 1
Slowly, Oliver’s sword came out of its scabbard.
“Oho, Captain!” Rhast said excitedly, taking a step back, and pushing Uron forward.
“This is your chance, Uron.
You’ve a sword on your belt, don’t you?
The Captain’s challenging you to a duel.
Now’s your chance to show how strong you are!”
The last thing that man that they called Uron seemed to want to do was draw his sword, but he had little option.
Not when Rhast drew it for him, and forced it into his hand, pushing him even further forward.
“Uron,” Oliver said.
“If you point that sword my way, I will kill you.”
It was hardly a threat.
It was a promise.
Uron’s fear was so complete that Oliver could have said anything, and Ingolsol would have taken hold of him.
Uron lowered his sword with a quivering hand, without even thinking what he was doing.
“What are you up to, you fool?
You’re going to get killed for nothing now,” Rhast said hotly.
“You talked a big talk, Uron – now you’re going to die for it without even fighting back?
Where’s your guts – your honour?”
“I say the same to you both,” Oliver said.
“You’ve crossed a line.
You’ve interrupted me when you should not have interrupted.
Do you think that Captain’s are your toys to make fools out of?
If you stand here any longer, I will see you both dead.”
“What?” Rhast said.
He frowned.
He didn’t seem fearful.
He just seemed confused.
“What the pissing hell did I do?”
That was enough for Oliver.
He flashed forward, his speed dangerous, most ready to spill allied blood.
“Oliver, wait!” Claudia warned, realizing just how far his anger had extended.
“If you do this, even you will not get away with it!” novelbuddy.cσ๓
But there was no stopping that blade, not now that it had been swung.
Rhast saw it come down with widened eyes, and then he felt his vision darken, as he fell to the floor a moment later.
“Rhast!” Geare said in shock.
That was all the concern he seemed to express for the man, before he was taking his steps backwards, looking out for his own self.
Oliver caught him before he could, and another man fell to the ground.
His gaze turned on Uron next.
The man cowered.
“I-I’m sorry,” he said, waving his hands in front of him, and tossing his sword to the floor.
“I meant no harm, Ser!
I meant no harm!”
In this, Oliver was of the same opinion as Ingolsol.
Uron had been coaxed into it, but the fact that he was here regardless – that was sin enough.
Neither of the three men realized what Oliver had been in the midst of, and how important every second was to him, in terms of the new progress that he sought.
There were few things that could have gotten him angrier than their pointless interference.
In full view of the guard, another man fell, and only then did Oliver finally sheath his sword.
Before long, an even larger crowd was gathering, rushing over to the fallen men, and pointing their spears Oliver’s way.
“Lower your weapons, you fools,” the Commander on watch snapped.
“He’s knocked them unconscious, as he has every right to.
They’re Captain Hawthorn’s men, and they’ve been causing no shortage of trouble.
It’s about time that someone put in their place – but this is still less than they deserve.
Indeed, Oliver’s sword had flashed, but it was only the hilt that he had caught his foes with.
He’d bruised their heads with it, and he’d rid himself of the problem.
Still, he knew in his heart just how close he had come to taking their lives.
It would have required the slightest sliver more of pushing, and there would be three dead men in front of him, rather than three unconscious ones.
The soldiers on watch cautiously lowered their spears.
There was a look of embarrassment to them now, as they realized that they had pointed their weapons at a superior officer.
The Commander bowed to Oliver on their behalf.
“I apologize for the trouble, Ser,” the man said.
Oliver simply nodded back, before turning on his heel and leaving.
“It seems I will get no more training done today,” he quietly announced to himself.
Chapter 6 – An Army in need of Improvement
When Oliver returned, his men were still hard at work in their mock battles.
The enthusiasm in their shouts was enough to let him know that their training was going well.
Blackthorn continued to watch over them with her arms folded, looking only slightly less awkward in that position than she had earlier.
She noticed him before all else – she was one of the few in a position to direct her eyes elsewhere.
“Captain Patrick!” She called out, waving her hand.
She might have even smiled, had she not been so accustomed to wearing that emotionless mask of hers on her face.
“Lasha,” Oliver said, acknowledging her approach.
“The training proceeds well,” she told him.
“My men seem to be relying on Firyr’s men more especially.
They’re working well with Jorah’s men too… And it seems as if the Yorick men are beginning to find their rhythm.”
“Indeed,” Oliver said.
“Though I suppose you expected that would happen, did you?” Lasha said.
“That was why you gave the order… Did something happen?”
She looked him up and down, only then seeming to notice that something was off.
“Nothing important,” Oliver replied.
“Just some fools who saw fit to interrupt my training.”
Lasha’s eyes flashed.
“Which fools?
Who were they?
What did you do?”
“They have already been dealt with,” Oliver said.
“I know not who they were, nor what unit they came from.
If I’d known that, perhaps I would have proceeded more cautiously.
At the very least, I did not kill them.”
That didn’t even seem to be the point that Lady Blackthorn was worried about, for there was no relief evident from her when Oliver assured her of that.
