6 Chapter 5: Ambushed at Dawn

Upon the prince's request, the disheveled-haired man agreed without much hesitation.

As Viserys said, the future always held its use.

The situation was not too great at the moment...

He had once taught Rhaegar, and now he was teaching Viserys. Both Targaryen brothers could call him a teacher, a matter of pride indeed.

But now was merely a time for rest during their journey; there wasn't much he could teach.

Regardless, the basics remained the same for knights riding into battle on horseback and warriors fighting on foot.

The middle-aged master-at-arms hesitated for a moment, then unsheathed his sword from his waist.

Clang—

The shiny blade was somewhat dazzling, and the sound of the sword leaving its scabbard caught the attention of many resting soldiers, including Queen Rhaella, who was sitting in the carriage tidying her clothes. Rhaenys, too, peered out from the carriage window at the silver-haired boy beneath a nearby tree.

"Viserys."

"Sir William is quite tired, don't bother him."

Queen Rhaella in the carriage furrowed her brows slightly, then spoke in a worried tone.

A pair of light purple eyes captured Viserys' wavering figure as he struggled to hold the heavy longsword.

She was more concerned about whether Viserys would get hurt.

The weight of a sword wasn't much, but it took considerable strength to wield it effortlessly. For a seven-year-old boy, just past the age for beginning knight training, it was still a bit of a struggle.

This was the foundation of knightly training.

"It's no trouble, Your Grace."

The disheveled-haired middle-aged man heard Queen Rhaella's words, turned his head to look at her, and spoke with a slight bow.

"It's just a little toy, after all. Every boy must eventually lift it."

Many soldiers sitting on rocks or leaning against trees nearby laughed in agreement.

"That's right, Your Grace."

As guards within the Red Keep, they knew Queen Rhaella was gentle and kind. Without her intervention, many more would have been burned alive by her husband.

William Darry had been the master-at-arms in the Red Keep for many years, having trained her eldest son Rhaegar. Queen Rhaella hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose to remain silent.

She believed that Sir William knew his limits and would not let Viserys get hurt.

And he was right; in this era, a boy was destined to lift this 'little toy' to protect his loved ones without hesitation.

Then, the middle-aged master-at-arms looked down at the struggling boy holding the sword, his smile fading slightly.

"Your Highness, at your age, you should be practicing with a wooden sword."

"But these are special times, so we'll use my sword."

As the Red Keep's master-at-arms, William Darry was highly skilled and had trained many formidable warriors and knights, which was why Viserys had sought his tutelage.

No one was better suited to teach him self-defense than William Darry.

Viserys nodded at Sir William's words, still struggling to control the sword and keep it from falling to the ground.

The master-at-arms observed Viserys' efforts with some satisfaction, nodding internally.

By the Seven.

Viserys was not much inferior to his elder brother, at least in terms of attitude.

Then he continued, drawing a longsword from the waist of another soldier seated beside him.

"Be it spear, lance, or sword, these weapons all have one technique that is the simplest, yet most effective."

The middle-aged master-at-arms looked indifferently at Viserys, and then thrust the longsword straight out.

Due to the force behind it, the thrust carried with it the sound of cutting through air.

"Learn to use the pointy end to stab your enemy."

Fast, accurate, ruthless.

Seize the opportunity to pierce the enemy's throat with a single strike.

After demonstrating, the master-at-arms returned the sword to the soldier beside him and turned to face Viserys.

"Have you learned it, child?"

Viserys nodded slightly.

"Is it simple?"

He then continued to ask.

He understood children like this very well - restless when they first began training, hoping to become a child king, invincible in a matter of days.

However, in reality, it would take them years, if not decades, of hard training to become an outstanding knight.

Like this simplest "thrust," which he still practiced repeatedly, striving for the ultimate speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness, rather than the many intricate, dizzying techniques.

Those had no use beyond their spectacle.

However, when Viserys heard Sir William's question while holding the sword, he hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

He wasn't a child; he could tell this question was a trap, and he certainly wouldn't foolishly jump into it, getting scolded for no reason. So, Viserys answered.

"Not simple."

"Well, you're mista..."

Sir William opened his mouth, but then stopped halfway, swallowing his words, taken aback by Viserys not following the expected script, leaving him at a loss.

"Was I wrong?"

Viserys tilted his head, somewhat puzzled.

"No, you were right."

Sir William patted his chest, recovering his breath, and then spoke grumpily.

Not far away, Rhaenys leaned against the carriage window and saw this scene, her beautiful eyes curved like crescents, unable to hold back her giggling.

She thought Viserys must have done it on purpose.

Then she saw the disheveled middle-aged man pat Viserys on the shoulder, telling him to practice the straightforward thrusting technique a few times, while also training his wrist strength. For now, Viserys lifting the sword still seemed a bit difficult, wobbly.

Afterward, Sir William hitched up his pants and headed toward the nearby woods, intending to relieve himself. Due to the presence of ladies, he needed to go a little farther away.

At that moment,

The corner of the master-at-arms' eye caught a large flock of birds suddenly taking flight in the direction they had come from.

"Huh?"

The man stopped in his tracks, a sudden sense of unease flooding his mind.

At the same time,

He also felt the ground tremble slightly, and the sound of galloping hooves gradually grew louder.

Rumble—

From far to near, the sound intensified, like rolling thunder.

The soldiers resting on the ground also reacted, picking up their weapons one after another.

"Enemy attack!!!"

The lookout soldier atop a nearby hill also shouted loudly.