ebookland Chapter 352 Falga
Chapter 352 Falga
The Knights of Favonius are the defense organization of Mondstadt, and are also known as the "Far Wind Hawks," one of the four guardians of the winds.
It has been a thousand years since Vanessa, the first "Dandelion Knight," led the people of Mondstadt to smash the shackles of the nobility and establish the Knights of Favonius on the ruins of the old laws.
Just like the verdant green she planted in an unknown place when she bid farewell to the city she had wholeheartedly protected throughout her life.
Today, the Knights of Favonius have grown into eagles capable of sheltering all the children of Mondstadt under their wings.
The place where that tree stands is now known as the Land Where the Wind Rises.
The Knights of the North Wind, known as the "Wolves," and the Knights of the Dandelions, known as the "Lions," are the uncrowned kings who lead the knights and guard Mondstadt with their gleaming blades and daggers.
Together with Dvalin, the dragon of the east wind who made a pact with the god of wind, they are known as the "Guardians of the Four Winds" of Mondstadt.
And every year when the new winds melt the ice and snow accumulated in winter, it is also the time when the Knights Order welcomes new blood.
However, the atmosphere within the Knights this year seems to have undergone a subtle change compared to previous years.
When the new batch of prospective knights stepped into the training ground, they were not greeted by the expected wooden stakes and targets, but by the newly appointed Grand Master of the Knights, the Knight of the North Wind, Falgar.
The young knight commander was full of vigor, with blond hair, blue eyes, and a smile on his lips. His matching cloak fluttered in the wind, and the sharp edges of his shoulder armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
But what's even more striking is the blood-red heavy sword he's carrying on his shoulder with one hand, "The Wolf's End".
With its wolf-head carving and dark red blade, its weight comes from the myth of Andrius, the first Knight of the North Wind, forging his sword into a tomb, and from the untamed wolf spirit that guarded the lands defended by the knight.
But this weapon, which weighed a ton, was as light as a ceremonial sword used by noble priests in Falga's hands.
No one questioned his power; some even commented that they saw the shadow of Erendel, the Lion of Light, in him.
In the ensuing silence, Falgar casually slammed the wolf's last morsel into the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
"Come forward and take three of my moves, or make me retreat within three moves, and you will pass the test."
Falgar leaned against the hilt of his sword in the center of the training ground and announced in a loud voice the selection criteria for this year's Knights Order.
His voice wasn't loud, and his words were brief, but they exuded an unparalleled confidence in his own abilities.
This imposing aura immediately stunned most of the prospective knights present, and many of them began to tremble slightly as they gripped their swords.
Me? Fighting the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius? Really?
This is the true thought of most of the reservists, and quite a few are already having second thoughts and preparing to fight again next year.
After all, the newly appointed commander-in-chief was renowned, as evidenced by the old winter joke that went like this:
A severely wounded Fool soldier returned to report that he had fought two rounds with a Knight of Favonius but was ultimately defeated and forced to retreat.
Task Force Commander: The guys on the other side are pretty good.
When they learned that the Knight of Favonius on the other side was Falgar:
Task Force Commander: This soldier is quite capable.
Even the elite Fools' soldiers might not be able to withstand three moves from Falgar and escape unscathed, let alone these knights who are still just armchair strategists.
For a moment, all was silent; no one dared to step forward and accept the challenge.
The clerk in charge of registration put one hand to his forehead, thinking, "Well, it's likely to be another bloodbath when I get home today."
God knows how devastated she was when the head of the troupe decided to change the selection rules and take the stage herself last night.
Oh, my great wind god Barbatos, what on earth is this dandelion wine all about!
However, what's done is done, and now she can only pray that the Grand Commander will act with restraint and not let this year's reserves be completely wiped out, otherwise the joke will really reach the Winter Kingdom.
Falgar stood leaning on his sword with a smile, ignoring the clerk knight's resentful gaze. There was nothing he could do about it.
Although he was curious about the abilities of the two boys from the Gunnhild and Legenfind families, it wasn't to the point that he had to temporarily change the selection criteria for the Knights.
"The wind is changing direction, and the moon is about to fall."
The bard, carrying a bottle of cider, leaned relaxed against the window of the knights' quarters, downing the rest of his cider in one gulp.
Before this expedition for "the Moon" (Mondstadt) begins, he must ensure that the Knights Order is stronger than ever before.
Falgar's gaze swept over the two youngest prospective knights in the group, a sharp glint flashing in his lazy blue eyes.
The little girl from the Gunnhildr family would be perfect, but besides her, who among you could surprise me?
Mu Feng instinctively sensed a gaze lingering briefly before subtly shifting to his side.
It seems that this commander is somewhat interested in them.
Seeing that no one would accept the challenge, the clerk knight had no choice but to step forward and clean up the mess for her master.
"All candidates for knighthood will participate in the assessment in descending order of age."
"During this assessment, all combat methods other than elemental power, as stipulated in the Knights' regulations, are permitted."
This is an unprecedented assessment standard. In the past, in order to ensure the safety of prospective knights, even if there was a close combat component, there would have been many rules to restrict it.
But who made these reserve soldiers face the Grand Master of the Knights, "Knight of the North Wind" Falgar, this year?
The clerk knight silently mourned for everyone for three seconds before returning to the training ground and announcing the start of the assessment.
The first to appear was Pod, a prospective knight who had participated in the selection twice. He had originally looked confident of winning, but now his momentum seemed somewhat dejected.
After exchanging knightly salutes, both sides assumed their stances, and the clerk's hourglass turned inverted, signifying the official start of the assessment.
In the arena, Falgar leaned on his heavy sword with ease, while his challenger looked as if he were facing a formidable enemy; the difference in skill was immediately apparent.
The sunlight was blinding, and a bead of sweat fell from the back of Pod's neck, tracing the Adam's apple as he swallowed repeatedly.
The trainee knights on the sidelines held their breath, their eyes fixed on the movements of the two in the arena, trying to add a sliver of hope to their upcoming assessment.
The standoff continued until, finally, when the fine sand in the hourglass had run down to half its length, the challenger made a move.
He first let out a low roar, then dragged his heavy sword back, took a running start to build up momentum, and then unleashed a horizontal slash with all his might.
The knights' standard greatswords drew a beautiful arc in the air, followed by a sharp whistling sound as they cut through the air.
However, Falgar simply raised his hand slightly, holding the sword in one hand, and steadily blocked the powerful blow.
The clang of metal echoed throughout the training ground, and when the dust settled, Falga's body remained motionless.
Pod's face turned pale. The force of the recoil made his blood surge, but unfortunately, his all-out attack was ineffective.
"Yes, the strength is good, but the technique is lacking."
The Grand Master's calm voice rang out, but the challenger, whose mind was buzzing, clearly did not heed his instructions and continued to swing his sword with all his might, slashing horizontally at Falgar.
Thus, the second sword strike also ended in failure.
Two consecutive defeats were like a bucket of cold water, finally bringing Pod to his senses from the intense battle.
With only one of the three allotted opportunities remaining, the opponent stood firm and unshakeable, like a mountain with no visible peak.
For the first time in his life, he felt despair.
But at that moment, the evaluation from Falgar, which he had just forgotten, came back to him.
It's missing a bit... skill?
……