Chapter 9: I have returned
Sir Desian watched the new challenger enter the arena. At first, he believed his opponent to be a weak man. He scanned the figure from toe to head, the person was in a ragged old clothes as there was no footwear, no armor, nor any weapon. And yet, it felt as though he were standing before something unknown... something deadly.
The same reaction across the stadium, everyone was confused with some even wondering why a beggar decided to join the battle.
The cheers for Sir Desian simply grew, since everyone thought the Beggar simply appeared for a momentary glory which such a person could never get since they are a beggar unlike a strong warrior belonging to a reputed Aristocratic family.
But Sir Desian was rather confused, he felt like he had to face a beggar or someone who looks like a beggar but for some reason the person doesn’t appear weak but rather mysterious and for a soldier like him, mysteriousness more or less appears like a danger.
Conflicted, Desian took a battle-ready stance. "You look like someone who is unprepared. I am willing to grant you a chance to surrender." He said with confidence, though there was a hint of doubt in his tone.
There was no response from the beggar, only those two crimson eyes stared back from beneath the hood, he couldn’t see the face properly due to the hood hiding it.
"I’ll take that as a no." Sir Desian muttered, then lunged forward, Sir Desian took his sword in a straight trajectory as soon as he finished those words.
His sword aimed straight for the stranger’s heart, but to his disbelief, the ragged man merely walked backward, effortlessly evading the thrust.
Desian’s eyes widened. He was certain the strike had connected. How had this man, this barefoot vagrant, dodged him so easily? He was after all a professional soldier, a trained knight selected by a noble family and given good quality training to defend the House and its possessions.