The Divine Hunter Chapter 24: Swordsmanship and Dinner
From this day on, the Witcher and Roy lived in the Temple of Meriteri in Elland.
They were arranged in a clean and simple room, with two wooden beds covered with light yellow blankets, a desk and chairs that were still durable for a certain period of time, an oil lamp, and a belt covering the wooden windows. Some floral curtains.
Roy jumped on the bed, crossed his hands behind his head, raised his right leg and opened the curtains, just in time to see the girl in a gray dress bending down to fertilize the vegetable garden in the temple's vegetable garden.
"Leso, when will we start the trial?"
"Waiting for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I hope that Kairak's royal advisor will be kind enough to help you!"
"So there's still a while, so we can't waste time!" The young man rolled his eyes, closed the five fingers of his right hand, and suddenly made a gesture of chopping the air with a sword, "Isn't it time for you to fulfill your promise today?"
"I knew you had been thinking about swordsmanship..." Leisuo shook his head, suddenly squatted down, reached under the bed with his muscular arms, and fished out a brown wooden sword. "I've asked Nannick to prepare."
Roy suddenly became more energetic and found a training sword of the same style under his bed. He weighed it with his hands. It was much lighter than Gurwishir, only about one pound. It was made of birch strips or Made of poplar wood strips.
"Aren't you going to teach the dagger?" Roy remembered that the bald man was best at the two-sword swordsmanship of the Viper School, and he was not very satisfied with the wooden sword. "How about just training with Guweixir?"
"Learn long sword sword skills first," the demon hunter said coldly, "As for real sword training, you are not qualified enough, you can easily hurt yourself."
The two passed through several rooms along the way. Through an open door, they could see the priestess diagnosing and treating patients. In another room, under the pale yellow light, the new children were sitting in Aurora's room. Read and write under guidance.
Roy saw Ali and Ade in a blink of an eye...
The two little guys were sitting on the chairs seriously, reading simple words while everyone was shaking their heads.
The young man nodded and followed the demon hunter to a remote and uninhabited corner of the temple courtyard, under a lush tung tree.
The burly demon hunter stood next to the boy, looking him up and down with his amber eyes,
"I always talk about swordsmanship, and today I will help you! As a rookie, you must start training from the most basic movements. But don't underestimate them, any advanced swordsmanship is evolved from the basics."
The young man raised his eyebrows when he heard this. With the power of Gu Weishir, he also had several dead souls under his command...how could he be so useless among the demon hunters?
"Are you not convinced? Come on, if you have the guts, hold your sword tightly and strike at me!" A look of surprise flashed through the amber eyes of the bald man, and he suddenly shook his wrist and made a sword dance with his training sword. He asked provocatively, "Do you dare to try it?"
"Just what I wanted!"
Roy felt a burning sensation in his heart.
Standing upright, he naturally grasped the hilt of the sword with both hands. However, he saw that the big man had already assumed a strange posture. He raised the training sword over his right shoulder with both hands, his knees were slightly bent, and his feet were in a T-step. With a serious expression and cold eyes, he suddenly looked like a knight carrying a spear, ready to charge at him at any time.
Roy was furious when he saw this, so he took a preemptive strike, stepped forward with his left foot, and stabbed the demon hunter's shoulder with his right sword.
Unfortunately, the intention of his movement was too obvious, and the sword was easily blocked by the demon hunter in the middle of the slash. During the slashing process, the demon hunter ducked close to him, holding the long sword horizontally at the side of his face. , in the shape of an ox's horns, followed by a thrust.
Roy had no time to react and was stabbed in the chest.
Severe pain!
The young man jumped back and took a step to distance himself. The demon hunter stepped to his side almost at the same time. The horizontal sword was lowered to the waist on the other side and tilted upward.
The real blade of the long sword was facing Roy, the front toe pointed at him, and the tip of the sword also pointed at his throat.
This reminded him of a plow plowing the ground, and he was the mud that would be broken open.
Cold sweat broke out. Roy finally realized the huge gap and did not dare to attack rashly again. He took small steps and circled around the demon hunter, looking for flaws.
The steps under the demon hunter's feet were very concise and efficient, and he could easily keep up with Roy's rotation, and the tip of the sword never left the critical position.
After turning twice and not finding any flaws, Roy decided to change his approach. He cautiously held the sword in his right hand and made a feint at the opponent's waist, hoping to trick the opponent into using the sword and then launch a counterattack.
Unexpectedly, the demon hunter did not follow common sense and suddenly took a step forward. Facing the direction of the long sword, he used the strong sword blade to hold the young man's half-swung wooden sword, and at the same time, the figure-eight sword pattern was It stuck accurately.
With a twist and a flick, the weapon Roy held with one hand came out instantly!
The witcher smiled ferociously and got into his open arms.
"Bang! Bang!"
The knee hit the belly, and the sword hilt hit the collarbone.
Roy wailed miserably and swayed helplessly.
The severe pain gave rise to a surge of anger, and suddenly his eyes were bloodshot. He picked up the wooden sword on the ground, abandoned all defenses, and struck wildly with the determination to hurt both sides.
"Bang——", the wooden swords collided twice, and the figures passed each other.
With two red marks on his face, Roy let go of the wooden sword and fell backwards.
Close your eyes in despair.
No matter which direction he came from, or what moves he used to attack or defend, he was full of flaws. In front of that weird posture, he was like an unarmed little kid, with no backhand power!
To be more precise, it cleans the neck and automatically sends it to the witcher's sword.
"Do you understand the importance of foundation now?" The demon hunter squatted down, patted his cheek, and grinned indifferently, "To tell you the truth, I have suppressed my speed and strength to the same level as you. To the same extent. You are still vulnerable."
"Am I really that weak?" Roy expected to get a word of encouragement from the demon hunter, but he was disappointed.
"If you, a stupid soldier like you, get into a close sword fight with someone, you will die ten times in five seconds!"
The witcher kicked the boy's calf hard, and the latter didn't show any pretense, standing up straight like a carp.
"Do you still dare to get carried away?"
"Don't dare."
"Then stand still!"
The witcher began to go around him and teach him the basics of the basics - how to hold the sword.
The beginning of long sword swordsmanship is more boring than imagined. Most people make the wrong grip on the handle of the sword in the first step.
I like to hold the hilt of the sword in the same position with my two palms clasped together, or very close to each other.
The correct grip is just the opposite. The sharp hand should hold the hilt close to the sword grid as the fulcrum of the lever, and the non-leaning hand should hold the pommel at the end of the hilt.
When swinging a sword, the good hand is responsible for controlling the attack direction of the long sword and bearing the weight of the sword body, while the non-handed hand holding the handle gives extra power to the blade - using the lever principle to move the handle upward. When this happens, the sword blade will slash downward.
After all, there was a foundation, and Roy understood it immediately.
Hold the two-handed sword again according to the corrected posture, "My sword-dancing movements are wrong at the source, but why do I feel so comfortable? In the Smyrke Mine, I killed someone with the wrong grip. A lot of evil spirits."
The new grip made him feel awkward for a while and difficult to adapt to.
"Your initial holding method is not much different from that of ordinary people who are not proficient in swordsmanship, but if you encounter an expert or a dangerous humanoid monster, it will be full of flaws. You are naturally at a disadvantage in terms of strength and flexibility, and you clearly use Nine points of strength, but only five points are left when attacking the opponent or blocking and defending. Think about the process of the competition just now."
Roy's face suddenly flashed when he heard this, and he remembered the scene where he was helplessly beaten.
"That's it!"
"Follow the correct posture and practice more."
The young man did as he was told, walking casually on the lawn while waving the wooden sword with both hands, but he soon frowned. When his left and right hands hold a certain part of the sword hilt at the same time, he can easily exert force and withdraw force. However, according to the orthodox holding method, when holding the sword, the left and right hands are in an up and down position, and he can no longer cooperate skillfully. , sometimes the force exerted by the two hands even cancels each other out, causing confusion.
If your hands are not well coordinated, if you hold the sword hilt with the wrong strength, you may even accidentally injure yourself.
No wonder the witcher wouldn't let him train with Old Vishir.
"The way to hold a sword is the foundation among the foundations, the most important. If the foundation is not solid, you will not be able to understand and understand the swordsmanship thoroughly in the future. Now I will demonstrate it again and look carefully."
The demon hunter did not use any footwork, his feet were arched and motionless. Starting from the plow position, he demonstrated the simplest chopping and stabbing skills, while explaining the tightness of the grip and the essentials of the movements.
"What's the point of your posture?"
"Today I will only practice the grip, depending on my proficiency. I will learn the basic footwork tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. As for the swordsmanship, we will see in a week."
Roy nodded. After this personal experience, he realized that long sword swordsmanship was by no means as cool and exciting as he had initially imagined. Every basic movement was supported by theory and practice.
But for a whole afternoon, I kept thinking about a simple action, which was really boring, and most of the excitement in my heart was worn away.
The demon hunter saw his expression and was not surprised, "Repent? The training in the future will be more boring and painful than today."
"Come on, you want to hit me with just a few words?" Roy was inspired to fight, "I don't want to be a coward!"
He had experienced this extremely boring training once when he was getting started with crossbow shooting.
One afternoon, the boy was sweating profusely while holding a training sword.
When the setting sun passed over the towering dome of Meriteli Temple, a long and sweet bell suddenly sounded in the temple.
This is some kind of signal.
The priestesses who were still working put down their work when they heard the sound, and walked in groups, talking and laughing, towards the dining area of the temple.
After finishing training, Roy and the demon hunter followed the crowd into the hall next to the main hall. The hall is spacious and bright. Supported by dozens of pillars, rectangular tables are neatly placed around it. At a rough glance, it can accommodate two to three hundred people.
On the exquisite blue-striped tablecloth, the candlesticks shed warm yellow light, illuminating the calm and joyful faces, as well as the large urns containing food on the table.
The priestesses took their seats nearby and lowered their voices spontaneously.
Roy was sitting among such a group of women, his fingers constantly playing with the spoon and fork on the plate in front of him, feeling rather restless.
Looking around, except for a shiny bald head, there are all youthful faces - most of the girls in the temple are between fourteen, fifteen and twenty years old, and they are the most beautiful people in their lives. age. Under the loose gray dress, her body is graceful and elastic, her skin is delicate and exudes a healthy blush, and her voice is clear and pleasant.
The total number of men at the table was less than one palm. He and the demon hunter were among them, like a little bit of green among thousands of flowers, which was really eye-catching.
There were young and bold girls who cast curious glances at the two of them, and there were also shy and introverted girls who awkwardly turned their faces away, but couldn't help but sneak a glance occasionally.
Of course, they often only glance at the cold-faced and burly witcher, not daring to take a second look, as if he is some kind of scourge; but they look left and right at the young man next to the witcher, as if he is a savage beast. There were flowers on his face, which made Roy very uncomfortable.
Men have always teased women, so how come it’s the other way around at the Meriteli Temple?
"Girls, be more reserved!" Roy complained in his mind and tried his best to turn his attention to the steaming vat in front of him. He could smell potatoes, turnips, radishes and other vegetables. And the rich flavor of chicken and pork.
At this time, the hall was full of people, and the chubby cook began to distribute bread from table to table, taking it out of the bamboo basket and putting a small piece on each person's plate. Later, pour the vegetable broth from the large vat directly onto the bread. After eating the vegetables and meat, the bread will be almost soft and ready to enjoy.
After the cook divided the bread, Sister Nannik, the manager of the Meliteli Temple who was sitting at the center table, clasped her hands together and began to chant silently and perform the routine prayer before the meal. Ali and Ade actually learned it in a decent way.
The young man couldn't help but marvel. It had only been a week, but the little guy who had made the Sea Scorpion members so anxious had become so well-behaved? The temple priestess is indeed unique in education.
Candila, who was sitting next to the two little guys, noticed Roy's gaze, showed her white teeth, and waved at him.
He smiled and nodded.
At this time, all the priestesses and believers in the entire hall began to pray.
All the noise faded away, and the hall faintly echoed with prayers such as "mercy, tolerance, kindness...", and a sense of piety and solemnity emerged spontaneously.
The young man turned around and looked at it again. He felt that he was too unique, so he lowered his head and pretended to read a few words.
After a while, after the prayer was over, the sound of clinking knives, forks and plates was heard in the dining room. The demon hunter lowered his voice and asked, "Kid, what were you talking about just now? Do you want to change your gender and become a woman?"
"Don't you think it's too unusual for us to just sit there while everyone is praying?" The young man took a bite of the potato, and various spices and the faint aroma of meat poured into his mouth. The temple cook’s skills are surprisingly good!
"The goddess Meriteri is a typical woman's belief. She is the standard goddess who manages conception and childbirth. She is also the guardian of women during childbirth." The big man stuffed a mouthful of chicken into his mouth, chewed it up and swallowed the chicken bones. , "Only women believe in her, why are you messing around? Besides, demon hunters don't need to be brainwashed by faith."
"Okay, you are the boss and you have the final say. I won't do anything like that next time." Roy was not interested in believing in any gods anyway. As he spoke ~IndoMTL.com~ the young man's bright black eyes suddenly hit each other. A little girl with an apple-faced face in the distance suddenly lowered her head like a quail.
Roy's cheek twitched,
"But I'm curious. This temple accepts girls from all over the country to teach knowledge and provide food for free. Doesn't it cost a lot of money? Where does its funds come from?"
"Priests will charge some treatment fees when they treat people."
"Most of the patients are poor. Is this a loss-making business?"
"There are also many rich people..." The demon hunter swallowed the last piece of chicken and poured the broth into the dinner plate. "In addition to common diseases, the temple also treats difficult and complicated diseases such as infertility. , although it may not be effective, many nobles firmly believe in it. When it comes to treating the rich, the priestess of Melitelli will not show mercy."
"Every year, many wealthy believers will donate a sum of money to the temple. After all, this temple is the center of Meritelli's faith in the north and must not fall."
Roy suddenly realized that Grandma Nannike was probably still a "rich woman".
“Although there are women in the temple, no one in the north dares to take advantage of the Meriteli Temple,” the demon hunter continued, “because their wives, daughters, and sisters all belong to Meriteli. Believer."
Men dominate the world, and women dominate men. This sentence suddenly popped into Roy's mind.
When the women around you are Meriteri believers, then you have to respect her.
Meliteri is really a goddess full of wisdom.
……
After the meal, the witcher entered Sister Nannick's laboratory to process herbs
Roy confessed and went into the forest near the temple again. He spent two hours hunting two rabbits with a hand crossbow and gained ten experience points.
Then return to the temple room to meditate and rest.