A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

No one was more stunned by that performance than Kaya itself. To his credit, Karesh was the first to rush and congratulate his cousin, whilst the rest of them simply stared on in shocked silence.

"Hey, I knew you had it in you!" Karesh said, slapping him hard on the back. "Cocky though, aren't you, dropping your spear? Haha! Maybe that's what you needed… Maybe you're the type to perform on the edge, eh?"

"Somehow, I don't think that's true…" Kaya said, glancing at Oliver.

"Mm. I also think it's more the strength of your fists than your love for a pinch that got you through that," Oliver said. "It seems as though you've found what you were looking for, Kaya."

Hesitantly, the boy nodded, somewhat bashfully scratching the back of his head. "I think so – but only because you noticed it first, Ser… Though, I don't think I'm going to be much use to you on the battlefield like this, am I? Being just able to hit things with my fists – it doesn't seem much good against the likes of a proper long spear."

"I'm willing to bet on you," Oliver said. "You've two weeks to perfect it. You need not rely on fists entirely. Perhaps you find that an augmentation to your gauntlet in the form of a short knife or the like would work just as well. I know not. But I do think that you've a good amount of progress waiting for you."

"Right," Kaya said, nodding, trying to reassure himself. "Right… After all, I've got two weeks."

"Relax, Kaya," Oliver said. "You've shown your strength. Enjoy it."

"That was rather incredible, Kaya," Jorah put in. "We tried you with all sorts of weapons, to see if there was any that were a better fit than a spear, but to think that it would be your fists. That was monstrous. And now I somehow have to live up to that performance…"

That was true enough. Though Kaya's victory had been impressive enough, Jorah still had yet to go. Though, for that youth, Oliver didn't expect that four goblins would prove too difficult. Jorah didn't seem to have any glaring weaknesses in any part of his character, and his edge in his ability to lead made him a valuable asset.

"Go and have the girls make you some tea," Oliver said, shooing Kaya out of the way. "It's Jorah's turn now."

"Oh? I guess we have to make tea now, Pauline…"

"Don't complain, Amelia. Everyone's working hard. We need to as well. Would you like some peppermint tea, Kaya, or berry?" Pauline asked kindly.

"Er," it took Kaya a good moment to answer her, forgetting his words. The silence stretched on almost painfully long, and his realization of that fact made him blush further. "I'll have p-peppermint, please." He spluttered.

"Wipe your hands in the snow, then," Amelia said. "Don't think you can touch any of our cups when they're all covered in that awful green slime. Ew… Is that brain?"

"Here you are, Kaya," Pauline said, holding the cup out to him as he hurriedly ran his hands through the snow to clean them. "You fought really hard – I'm impressed."

"W-wait, really?" Kaya said, looking up a little too sharply. Pauline didn't seem to notice how quickly he seized on the comment. She merely smiled back at him, and nodded resolutely.

"Yup! It was amazing!" She said, passionately.

"Well, t-thanks," Kaya said awkwardly, positively beaming.

"In come the next four," Oliver said, smiling a wry smile as he overheard their conversation. Through Ingolsol, he sensed the arrival of the next party, warning Jorah, who was already standing in place in the centre of the clearing.

He was nervous, from his stance, but not enough that it would affect his performance too much. As they broke the treeline, he lowered himself into his stance, his longspear extended outwards, as though he was in a line of men.

He waited for them resolutely, unperturbed by their erraticness, and the noise that they made. When they attempted to circle behind him, just as they had with Kaya, Jorah calmly took steps back, warning them away with the point of his spear.

That lasted a short few exchanges, before the first goblin grew impatient, and instead rushed straight in.

Usually, against those longspears, closing the gap was almost immediately fatal. But Jorah wielded the basic techniques that all the Serving Class boys were taught with proficiency. His arms were extended far enough that he could draw the spear back a good distance, allowing room for that sort of recovery.

When the goblin advanced, Jorah's spear point retreated with it, rushing back ahead of it, and then lashing out again, pushing itself straight through the other side of the goblin's chest, felling it instantly.

It was a simple enough tactic. The sort of thing that all the Serving Class men Jorah's age were expected to be knowledgeable of, at least to a degree, but Jorah wielded it with efficiency, making it as effective as he possibly could.

For the other three goblins, they met their fate similarly. Jorah would warn them away with his spear, scaring them off, tempting them to rush in, and then as soon as they did, he'd give them the illusion of space, only to sneak his spear back in front of them, and push it straight through the other side of his chest.

It was almost anticlmatic watching Jorah fight, after Oliver had watched the other three. If this were a spectator sport, then he likely wouldn't be a fan favourite, for there weren't many ups and downs in Jorah's combat. He kept everything straight, clear cut and simple, achieving victory efficiently. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

Soon enough, all four goblins were dead on the floor. The task was completed, and Jorah saluted to his superior – Oliver – announcing that the mission had been a success, as though they were actually in the field.

In all areas of the fight, Jorah had made the interplay seem unremarkable… but that in itself, was a remarkable thing. The goblins by their very nature were erratic creatures. They always made for dynamic combat. To reduce it down as Jorah had, not allowing a single movement for a deadly spark to fly, or a deadly fire to blaze, that was a special thing.