HLnovel Chapter 188 A Forgotten Bond Recognition
Chapter 188 A Forgotten Bond Recognition
Chapter 188 A Forgotten Bond Recognition
Dick swung his sword forward, attempting to counter the opponent's attack head-on.
But the count's attack was far too brutal.
Dick was forced to run backward, and at the same time felt his palms go numb.
If Dick hadn't known beforehand, how could he have been so sure, based on his feel for it, that his opponent under the armor was over fifty?
But the hounds don't give their prey a chance to catch its breath. In the blink of an eye, Dick's helmet-opening eye could no longer see the prey.
He hurriedly turned around and found that the loyal dog had come to his side and was wielding the terrifying greatsword horizontally at close range.
Dick could only hastily raise his sword to parry, but it was far too rushed.
Although he managed to block the attack, his sword was deflected.
Dick has lost his weapon; the outcome is already decided.
This is just cutting; the loyal dog should stop.
However, the loyal dog chased after him and continued to wield his sword.
Dick realized that the blade was aimed precisely at his head.
In other words, this is a potentially lethal attack!
Before Dick could announce his direction, his body instinctively began to dodge in order to save his life.
The greatsword wasn't swung very fast, and Dick narrowly dodged the attack.
But the loyal dog showed no sign of stopping; he continued the pursuit, while Dick's footwork had become disordered.
Dick couldn't dodge this attack.
Looking at the heavy greatsword, Dick concluded that his armor was as thin as a sheet of paper in front of it.
If hit by it, the armor is definitely not enough to withstand the attack.
Dick could foresee that if he didn't do something, he would likely lose his life in this attack.
He hurriedly formed a hand seal with his left hand to create the Fire Dragon Scales!
Dick's chest was immediately covered by a layer of power, making him feel as if he were wrapped in dragon scales.
In that instant, the loyal dog's greatsword had already struck his breastplate.
The heavy iron sword easily flattened his breastplate and spread deeper inside.
Ultimately, it pierced through the armor plates and struck his temporarily reinforced skin.
He felt a strong impact and was then thrown back.
Dick fell heavily to the ground and slid several feet across the brickwork before coming to a stop.
His head was unusually dizzy, but the pain in his chest terrified him even more.
He quickly and carefully examined the wound covered by the metal sheet, realizing it was not deep and had not damaged the bones or internal organs.
Even without completely breaking through the skin and flesh.
But it was enough to surprise him, because this secret was something Dick learned from the book "How to Train Your Dragon: Uriel's Fitness Manual".
Of all the skills I've learned, this is the one I'm most proficient in.
Even this move couldn't completely block the loyal dog's attack.
The loyal dog didn't give chase this time, and Dick finally got a breather.
He propped himself up on his hands, sat on the floor, and complained:
"My lord, you seem to have forgotten that this was just a cut. You should have stopped the moment my weapon left my hand."
“I haven’t forgotten,” said Earl Hubert, “otherwise you would be a dead man.”
"Attacking an unarmed person is not the act of a martial artist," Dick retorted.
“But you weren’t without a weapon from the beginning,” the loyal dog retorted. “If you couldn’t hold the weapon, that was your own fault.”
Dick could not refute this, so he could only try to argue from other angles:
"But this is too dangerous. If I hadn't been the one you attacked, or if I hadn't learned those profound techniques, you would have already killed an ally by mistake."
"A true strongman doesn't allow 'what ifs' to happen," the loyal dog said, sheathing his sword. "And danger is everywhere."
The real danger lies in giving up the ability to perceive danger simply because it's something to be feared. Stay alert, Buchanan!
Upon hearing the reprimand, Dick immediately stood up and bowed deeply to the Earl:
"I've learned a lot, sir."
The loyal dog removed his slightly chipped olive-green helmet, squinted, and carefully examined Dick:
"Are you injured?"
"It's just a flesh wound," Dick nodded. "It's nothing serious."
"Inflammation can lead to serious injury."
The loyal dog turned and began to walk, picking up the sword Dick had dropped.
"Go to the castle doctor later to have him examine you and treat your wound."
"Yes."
Count Hubert handed the sword to Dick: "However, Buchanan, your skills seem to have improved recently."
Dick took the sword and sheathed it.
"Yes, after all, a major battle is imminent, and as the commander's attendant, I also have to prepare for war, so I have undergone a lot of training."
Hubert praised Kensington: "But remember, fighting is never everything for a knight, and you must keep that in mind even if you are just a squire."
"I understand, sir."
“But I still want to say—” Hubert said, “The power you wielded from that book is truly remarkable. I didn’t hold back at all in that final blow.”
After all, it was Anne who gave me this strength!
Dick felt a strange emotion welling up in his chest, but he didn't know what it was.
"I felt it too."
"But your fighting style seems to waste the advantages of those abilities."
Dick was taken aback by the loyal dog's words:
"My lord, what makes you say that?"
"Those abilities could greatly enhance your physical skills. You should have used these advantages to gain the upper hand in battle as much as possible, but instead you've limited yourself to your past combat experience. Buchanan, mindset is not advisable."
Dick's expression turned serious: "My lord, please enlighten me!"
"Your armor offers no protection against my strikes, but your flesh can. This demonstrates the power of the technique you're using."
It can completely replace the function of armor.
"In this way, the protection that the armor provides is barely any protection, and may even hinder your movement and vision."
"Haven't you realized it yet, Buchanan? Your rudeness this time stemmed from you losing my position, and if you weren't wearing a helmet, I wouldn't have been able to take you down so quickly."
Since he began battling the loyal dog, no matter how hard Dick tried or what methods he used, he had never won a single victory.
If he had analyzed the reasons for Dick's failures every time, Dick would probably have been criticized to the point of being worthless long ago.
But any instruction given by the master must be listened to attentively by the servant:
"Sir, do you mean I should give up wearing protective gear?"
"At least in small-scale duels, it will definitely improve your abilities. Of course, on the battlefield, the role of armor remains irreplaceable."
The loyal dog started walking, and Dick followed.
"This will increase your speed, expand your field of vision, and conserve your stamina, while your defensive capabilities remain almost unaffected. As a result, your strength will be enhanced in every aspect."
Upon hearing the Earl's analysis, Dick found it to be reasonable.
Hubert rarely instructed Dick in martial arts, so his words must have come from the bottom of his heart.
As for whether the adults were right or wrong, Dick couldn't easily judge, but he felt it was worth a try.
If it really works, he can start building new combat habits.
"Yes, sir."
The loyal dog stopped talking, left the training ground, and headed towards the castle.
Since that meeting, everyone has learned of Earl Hubert's identity.
The fact that the famous loyal dog was also involved in this operation was enough to shock all the nobles and dignitaries present.
At the suggestion of the Royal Herald, Master Jonas, Hubert Peyton was chosen as the commander of the allied forces.
It would be rather inappropriate to have His Excellency the Commander sleep in a hotel.
So that very night, Hubert and Dick moved into the castle.
The adult is now very busy; he has to handle various military affairs every day.
Intelligence gathering, naval statistical analysis, fleet training, formation design, and military management.
Dick, as a servant, also became busy.
Although his job was just to be an assistant, he felt like he never had a moment to breathe.
One can imagine the intensity of Earl Hubert's workload.
But the Count, who was over fifty years old, never uttered a single complaint; he simply worked diligently and conscientiously in everything he did.
Dick realized that not everyone can be a loyal dog.
Master Jonas seems likely to linger on Insole Island for a while, despite Dick having heard him complain several times that there are no shops selling beard oil on the island.
However, he also explicitly stated:
"I'd love to leave this tiny place right now; my beard's already split! But I can't leave until the war officially begins. Earl Peyton, you're not a mainstream nobleman after all. Without the royal family I represent, if I stay here to support you, someone might jump out every few days and question your position as commander."
Therefore, Dick knew that the day Earl Hubert set sail would also be the day Master Jonas set sail back to Buckingham Castle.
Dick wondered who would get the rooms in the castle that were now empty.
The two entered the castle without being stopped by any soldiers.
Lord Hubert intended to go to the makeshift war room, but said to Dick:
"You treated the wound earlier."
Dick didn't insist and went to find a doctor immediately.
When the doctor cut open the armor with forceps, he discovered that Dick's wound was not as minor as he had thought.
But the doctor was even more surprised: "This is the first time I've seen armor damaged like this, yet the wound can only be so shallow."
He disinfected Dick's wound with grain liquor, then carefully cleaned the dirt from Dick's wound and cut the wound clean with a knife.
Then, after stitching up and bandaging it, the doctor patted Dick on the shoulder:
"Don't worry, Champion, this injury won't affect you too much. I'll use the finest thread to stitch up the wound, so the scar won't be too noticeable."
Dick replied, "Scars are a man's medals."
He wanted to say the knight's medal, but he wasn't one yet.
"Haha, that's exactly what a champion would say."
This new suit of armor is now practically unusable. Hmm... being a count's squire is so expensive.
I wonder if Mr. Hubert could reimburse me for some of it...
Dick dressed and immediately headed to the command center, where the adults might need his assistance at any moment.
After knocking on the door and receiving permission, Dick went inside.
The adult had indeed begun working. After writing a passage, he looked up at Dick.
He ordered, "Bring that woman here; I need to ask her some questions."
Dick was taken aback: "That woman?"
"Two days ago, didn't some knights send over a woman? That's her."
Huh? The woman claimed that she knew the loyal dog.
Dick initially thought the man was lying, and this seemed to show he had seen through Dick's thoughts. Hubert explained:
"I did have a tragic love affair with her."
A tragic fate?!
Dick's eyes widened in astonishment!
Even now, he still thinks that Zhongquan is a perfect man, but in fact, he is not completely faithful in marriage!
Hubert added, "Don't get me wrong, I only met her twice. She was just a little girl then, and she was my enemy."
"An enemy?" Dick muttered to himself. "A little girl?"
"She also had a powerful warrior by her side, a formidable opponent," Hubert said, "and they ruined my plans and gave me the biggest stain on my life, so I recognized her at a glance."
According to Dick, there seems to be only one thing that the loyal dog has never let go of: failing to capture the navigator during the Battle of Sheep Hunt.
Right now, Lord Hubert is leading his fleet in a major hunt for that cunning goat, and then this woman appears again.
Could it be that this woman has some kind of connection with the navigator?
Perhaps this is what Lord Hubert wanted to ask that woman.
Dick nodded and immediately set off for the prison.
The cell was dark, damp, and filled with foul air and a terrible stench.
Dick didn't want to stay a moment longer, but he had to bring the woman to the Earl.
The woman sat quietly on a stool inside the fence. She wasn't exactly clean, but her clothes were fairly neat.
Lord Hubert specifically instructed that torture must not be used.
He was strict in military discipline, and even though the jailer might be a retainer of the Duke of Collins, he would probably still execute him without hesitation, so no one dared to disobey his orders.
Dick ordered the lock to be opened and the woman to be brought out.
She was a beautiful woman with exquisite orange-yellow hair and a figure that could arouse any man's masculine desires.
Of all the people Dick knew, only Anne's beauty could compare to his.
Because he had known Anne beforehand, his mind was not in any unnecessary turmoil at this moment.
The woman was quite compliant; Dick led the way, and she followed two steps behind.
Suddenly, the woman spoke:
"Kind sir, could you please do me a favor?"
As a loyal servant and an apprentice who graduated from the school, Dick would never betray his master.
But he asked, "What is it?"
The loyal dog had taught Dick that he must value the power of intelligence.
The woman's information about Dick may contain important intelligence!
Therefore, he only pretended to agree, but in reality, he was trying to extract information:
"What is it?"
"Could you please send a message for me, asking someone to come and ransom me?"
"to whom?"
"A librarian, his library, in a small coastal town on O'Brien Bay."
Upon hearing this, Dick was stunned.
Isn't that the library that Anne asked him to find?
Could this woman know Anne's father?
Dick stopped, his voice unconsciously lowered:
Do you know Annie?
"Anne? Oh!" The woman's eyes widened suddenly. "Of course, Anne Booker!"
She actually pronounced Anne's full name correctly!
"Who are you to her?"
"I shouldn't have asked," the woman replied.
"I am her mother."