Abe the Wizard

Chapter 22 Ambush

At this moment, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a figure dashed out from the carriage. It was none other than Knight Marshal, wielding a large sword. The servant who had charged ahead was about to strike the coachman, but Knight Marshal's great sword emitted a white aura, cleaving the servant and his sluggish horse into two pieces. Blood sprayed like an explosion, reaching several meters away, leaving the other servants in shock.

While they were stunned, Knight Marshal continued his assault without hesitation. Jumping off the carriage, he slashed at another servant's neck, and before the servant could react, his head flew through the air and landed in front of Joshua's horse.

The gruesome sight left Joshua in shock, feeling weak in the knees as he fell off his horse. In the span of that moment, Knight Marshal had already dispatched five more servants, leaving the remaining five on the ground. Their swords were discarded, facing an opponent who wielded Qi and was a formal knight. This left them trembling in fear, the might of a knight etched deep into their memories.

Abel, too, was taken aback by the ferocity and swiftness of Knight Marshal's actions. This was a stark contrast to the usual smiling knight he knew.

"You...You are a noble knight. I am the eldest son of Count Joel. I request the treatment befitting a noble prisoner of war," stammered Joshua as he addressed Knight Marshal.

The treatment of noble prisoners of war was a unique practice of this era. According to the rules of chivalry, a knight's honor was not solely determined by victory or defeat in battle. Therefore, as long as a knight fought bravely, being captured was not a shameful matter.

Most knights held economic and political status, and upon being captured, they could be ransomed. For instance, if a higher-ranking lord was captured, it was the duty of the lower-ranking knights to act as hostages and pay a ransom.

Moreover, given the frequent warfare and the changing fortunes of battles, there was no guarantee that one wouldn't be the next captive. Hence, treating captives well in exchange for ransom was common practice.

Knight Marshal looked mockingly at the squire who had collapsed without even engaging in battle. He contemplated whether to follow the customary treatment of noble prisoners of war.

"Joshua?" At that moment, Abel jumped down from the carriage and saw Joshua lying on the ground. He couldn't believe that a minor conflict had led this nobleman to launch an attack against him.

"Do you know him?" Knight Marshal vaguely understood the reason behind the attack, but it was rare to hear of an altercation followed by a physical assault. Nonetheless, he left the decision regarding the prisoner to Abel, viewing it as an opportunity to develop Abel's capabilities. Therefore, he said, "Abel, it's your call on this matter."

Abel didn't care much about Joshua's fate, but killing him would not benefit him. It made more sense to extract as much benefit as possible, and Knight Marshal wouldn't mind a hefty sum of gold.

"Take him back to the castle. Joshua, you will receive the treatment befitting a noble prisoner of war," declared Abel.

Upon hearing Abel's decision, Knight Marshal smiled satisfactorily. Abel's choice favored the development of the castle, focusing on obtaining a ransom rather than seeking vengeance for himself.

The next step was left to Abel. He removed the belts from the five captives and bound their hands. With the help of the coachman, the other eleven horses were arranged in a line. The captives were placed on the saddles, and Abel mounted a fiery red warhorse, leading the way.

Joshua was placed on the first horse, his belt also removed. Although his hands weren't bound, any attempt to flee would result in his pants falling down. However, as long as Joshua wasn't foolish, he wouldn't dare to escape before a formal knight.

Arriving at Harry Castle, Abel handed over the captives to the steward, Linse. The negotiation and payment of the ransom would be handled by the stewards, based on Joshua's identity and the consequences of his actions. As nobles, they refrained from meddling in such matters, as the ransom payments were all based on specific criteria.

Abel resumed his regular routine, training in the morning, forging at the blacksmith's shop after breakfast, practicing knight's breathing techniques in the evening, and then resting. This routine continued for a month, during which Abel forged five excellently crafted longswords using the conventional methods of this world, without employing any special carbonization or quenching techniques. Master Bensum was greatly pleased by Abel's emphasis on mastering the fundamentals, earning his praise.

One morning, Master Bensum called for Abel. "Abel, come with me," he said.

Master Bensum’s room was located in the inner chamber of the master's exclusive workshop. Upon entering the room, the master took out a massive and heavy book from a corner iron box and placed it on the table in front of Abel. He began speaking about his experience as a student under the Dwarven forging master, Robin.

"It was a wonderful period of my life. I learned something new every day. The Dwarven forging techniques, honed through the natural talent of the Dwarves and thousands of years of experimentation, created a unique art of forging. It is said that the greatest Dwarven master once aided the gods in creating divine artifacts.

"Besides forging ordinary weapons, Master Robin could also forge magical weapons. When I first saw a magical weapon, I told myself that was what I wanted to learn. It became my life's goal. Master Robin taught me a lot without reservation. When I had learned everything, I expressed my desire to learn about magical weapons. However, Master Robin informed me that I did not possess the talent to forge magical weapons."

As he reminisced, Master Bensum's expression grew emotional. He continued, "At the end of my studies, my teacher granted me a final hope – this book on forging magical weapons."

"I returned and sought everywhere for the reason behind my inability to forge magical weapons. Finally, I discovered that only spiritual power could activate the array in the process of forging magical weapons. However, most owners of spiritual power become wizards, and few would pursue forging. Until I met you."

Upon hearing the word "wizard," Abel's heart stirred. Wasn't he always searching for information about wizards? This was the first time he had explicitly heard about magic.

"I am old now, and I won't have the chance to forge a magical weapon in this lifetime. But you are my student, and I hope you can forge a magical weapon," Master Bensum implored with almost reverent fervor.

"Master, I will do my best," Abel replied earnestly.

With a nearly devout attitude, Master Bensum placed the enormous and weighty book on magical weapon forging into Abel's hands.

As Abel accepted the book, he felt its substantial weight. Just like the legend, Dwarves were short in stature but deemed themselves as descendants of giants. Consequently, everything they created was as massive as possible. Opening the book, Abel found the content quite direct. The first page covered fire attribute magic weapons, depicting a sword with peculiar runes inscribed on both sides, a slot on the hilt for inserting a fire magic stone, and instructions for the configuration of fire rune magic potions to provide fire damage for the weapon. The subsequent pages covered ice, electric, and poison magic weapons.

Abel couldn't help but comment on the Dwarves' creation of such a hefty volume for just four pages of content. However, seeing the almost pious expression on Master Bensum's face, he refrained from voicing his thoughts.