Chapter 7: Hot Commodity
I had this weird dream earlier where I ate a lot of good food… mn… good food…
Yeah well, uh, I woke up today with drool all over my sheets. Embarrassing, I know. But… after living the medieval life, I'd probably kill to have the same luxuries I used to have. In modern times, even 'slaves' like me lived like kings in comparison. Video games, tv shows, air conditioning, cars, planes, food… everything was so easily accessible. But this new life of mine had some of its own benefits… even if they were far and few in between.
For one, I felt like everything I did had a purpose. I was growing every day. Could I say that about past me? No… I was a bot. Even then, I knew it but didn't do a thing about it. Was I content? Yes… thinking back on it, why wouldn't I be?
Having had all those luxuries, how could I ever be content now?
I know how…
It's the one thing I ever wanted.
I glanced at Raiden Shogun, who stared back at me with a confused look.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing." I grinned slightly, turning away. 'All I want for Christmas is a warm cuddle.'
Christmas… imagine having a family to celebrate it with. Better yet, imagine having Christmas.
…
The more I practiced, the more attention I drew. From wanderers to the royal family, I had plenty of people watching me shoot the bow. It was a little nerve racking and piss-taking… but I acknowledged that the crowd would be a key part of the contest. It's the same as in the NBA and shooting free throws. For some reason, the players struggle more in games when it comes to free throws than in practice when no one is guarding them on both occasions… why? The crowd. It's a mental thing.
I did notice a dip in my efficiency the larger the crowds became… after that, I didn't let it bother me too much and kept doing my thing. So long as no one approached me… I was fine with it. It was practice for the real thing.
"You aren't practicing for the melee at all?" Arthur Tudburry remarked, smiling slightly as he grabbed my shoulder. "Come on, don't be a coward."
"I'd be delusional to think that I could win…" I replied, shaking my head. "There's no point."
"Do you only care about winning?" Arthur replied, frowning slightly. "The experience you would gain is far more important, even if you lose terribly. You'd know what to do next time instead of walking in blind. Besides… don't you act like you're tight on gold dragons. I'm certain Lord Renly could send some your way."
'Championship or bust is the Lakers motto… did that rub onto me as well?'
"... Well, I… mean. I could."
"No one is going to fault you for losing. If anything, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. As I see it, there's no finer opportunity to polish your skills with real experience!"
"I'll think about it…" I shrugged my shoulders.
"I better see you on that field, Edric. Don't be running away from the heat now."
"I'm not running away from anyone." I refuted, turning back.
"Sure, sure." He chuckled. "You're welcome to spar me anytime."
"Oh, I will."
~
The weeks went by rather quickly. In preparation for the tourney, I kind of tossed my studies to the side and went all in on my physical training. For almost an entire week, all I did was spar… spar… and spar. From Robert to Arthur to Brienne to Loras… I wanted all the smoke. I even stopped caring about winning. As long as I improved, it was good enough for me.
Meanwhile, I saw Robert Baratheon in action… getting drunk and laid on the daily. Sometimes, the girls he moved to looked like they were keeping it all in just because he was the King. He was such a wasteman that I got mad just watching him. My contempt for him only grew with every passing day. Though, the closer the tourney was, the more often he watched me practise. It was weird but I ignored him. As for the other royals, I did my best to avoid them. Joffrey Baratheon didn't pull up to me anymore so he made it easy… if anything, it seemed like he was avoiding me. I swear the princess has a thing for me, though. Tommen seemed like a good lad… well, nah, he's more of a pushover. His weak nature reminded me of myself when I was younger. Joffrey tended to bully him but I ignored all that… not my business, after all.
~
Name: Edric Storm
Age: 10
~Lord~
Charm: 36 (Diplomat I)
Leadership: 10
Steward: 15
~Warrior~
Athletics: 60 (Titan III - Your endurance and strength are further amplified. Heavy armour weighs you down less.)
Battle Instincts: 25 *
~Knight~
Sword: 52 (Swordskill II - Handling with swords increased, alongside speed of strikes.)
Riding: 13
Armour: 21
~Ranger~
Marksman: 70 (Sniper III - All arrows provide bonus damage to vital spots alongside more lethal armour penetration in general. You also gain even greater sight when aiming with a bow.)
Scouting: 15
Throwing: 38 (Throwing I - Greater accuracy on throws.)
~Smith~
Engineering: 10
~Stranger~
Roguery: 3
Trade: 7
Medicine: 5
Mage
Storm Manipulation: 10
~
The few days before the tourney began, I got some big upgrades. I unlocked Titan III, Sniper III and the Battle instincts tree! Obviously, I checked it out right away. Just like athletics and marksman, it also had two routes.
"Battle Instincts has two paths; the 'Demon' and 'Hyper-focus'. While the Demon revolves around raw fury and a lack of thought for others and themselves in exchange for greater battle efficiency and strength, the Hyper-focus path allows one to focus on every little detail in battle… slowing down the field and acting accordingly. In later stages, the Demon path allows one to 'rampage' at will, which is a state of raw killing instinct and power; unleashing the user's killing potential to the limit. As for Hyper-focus, its later stages allow one to focus to the point of slowing down time at will and perfectly analysing the field around them, an act which is sometimes known as entering the 'zone'. Seemingly so, at least. In essence, one throws away thinking in battle to become the ultimate killing machine while the other masters their mind to the point of moving perfectly in response to all threats."
"According to your combat data and bloodline, you have the capacity to 'rampage' even without the perks for it. However, you tend to use your focus in battle more than raw instincts to win. Due to this, and the unreliable nature of the Demon path, you are estimated to progress 25% faster through the Hyper-Focus path."
'Man said slowing down time AT WILL… AND I would progress faster??? No brainer.'
Without hesitation, I chose the Hyper-Focus path. As cool as the 'Demon' sounded, it also sounded like it could backfire and lead to one killing the people on their side. At least, it gave that impression. Still, eventually, I'd be able to master them both anyway. Hyper-Focus just seemed more beneficial in more scenarios.
Unlocked: Hyper-focus I - Increases one's focus in battle.
~
Right before the tourney officially began, I realised I had absolutely no money. Obviously, I already had it all planned out. I knew Renly Baratheon or Ser Cortnay Penrose could slide me a few gold dragons. However, as I was out looking for them, I had to bump into the King who was stumbling across the corridor.
"Ah, boy… why are you in such a hurry?" Robert Baratheon laughed, gulping his wine down like it was a whole chug jug and he was on 1 hp.
"I have some equipment to buy." I replied simply, walking past him.
"Come here…" He gestured towards himself.
For a moment, I considered just b-lining it and dashing away. But… I was also curious so I stopped and turned back to see him taking something out of his fancy fur coat. It was a nice little pouch… and it jiggled with coins.
I raised an eyebrow as I looked at him.
He came closer and I sorta froze, leading to him embracing me. His hold was as strong as a bear's… I thought man was gonna have some broken bones for a moment. His breath stank of wine, too.
Honestly, I hate drunk people. Like I abhor them to the max. That's why I barely drink…
"Bastard born or not, it does not matter to me. You are still my blood… my son. You have a true warrior's spirit, I've seen it. Go get the finest equipment gold can buy and show them all who you are in the tournament."
I couldn't believe it as he handed the pouch into my hand.
'Robert… had the capacity to be a caring father?'
"Thank you." I replied, still in shock as I turned away and was pretty damn quick to get away. "I will."
For some reason, I felt like I had a bigger chip on my shoulder. Did I really care what Robert Baratheon thought of me? No… I really shouldn't. But his faith in my abilities made me expect more from myself.
Then… I checked the pouch and started counting.
FIFTY gold dragons!!!
What the fuck???
I had more money than knights with life savings… just like that.
Shit, nevermind equipment for the tourney, I'd have plenty to buy armour as I grew bigger in the future. Naturally, I couldn't keep my excitement and went straight to the blacksmith to cop some armour. Although my size was bigger than some adults, I managed to find a full set of heavy plate armour that fit me almost perfectly. Though… I knew that I'd have to get more tailor-made sets in the future. If I was 6ft now, what the hell was I going to be at eighteen?
Then I went on to buy a fine castle-forged steel blade, which was damn near the best you could get without it being valyrian steel. I considered getting a warhammer but hesitated, knowing damn well I had never wielded one. It was a bit too late to whip out something like that. Still… I didn't have anything that could penetrate plate armour. So, after a while, I decided to get the only warhammer around. Then I got one of the larger bows around, a new quiver, half a hundred steel arrows and plenty of throwing weapons.
Lastly… a knight's horse. Which, to my surprise, only cost me a single gold dragon.
In the end, I had forty seven gold dragons left with silver to spare.
The next thing on my mind was… how the fuck would I spend my tourney money? Like, I have everything I need.
Fortunately, no one tried to steal my gold. Honestly… I wouldn't either. In the mirror, I saw a very unfriendly ten year old. Not even ten, I looked closer to eighteen in physical stature. I don't know what kind of super soldier serum the system had given me but it was certainly effective.
Right after my shopping spree, I got familiar with all my new goodies. I gave my horse something nice to eat… and then got a strong desire for adventure. So, I rode out of Storm's End and went hunting on my own. With my new bow, I shot down a stag from a hundred and ten paces. I brought back the stag to Storm's End, dragging it to the butcher's. He looked impressed, giving me a nice price for it. This wasn't the first time we had dealt with each other.
I could've dragged it to the dining table… but didn't feel like bringing that much attention to myself. Instead, I went to the yard to see what my warhammer was about. It was a heavy boi… that was for certain. Though, I managed to swing it with a single hand.
While my swings were slow, they carried a great amount of strength behind them. With both hands, I swung faster and with even greater force. After practising with the warhammer, I tested out my armour. It was damn heavy… but not as heavy as I expected. I could move relatively free.
I kept the armour on for an entire hour, doing a bunch of activities to get used to the weight.
~
The next day, I felt like shit so I barely did anything except for recovery. Then… the first day of the tourney came. With the very first event being the archery contest, I got some morning reps in before joining the group of awaiting competitors after handing away a gold dragon. There were people from everywhere… the Seven Kingdoms, Summer Islands and even some asian looking folk from Yi Ti. The competing Summer Islanders… I was wary of them most. Their islands had goldenheart trees of which their wood was famed to have made the finest bows… except for dragonbone, of course. Every one of the Summer Islanders had a goldenheart bow which wasn't reassuring. At the same time, they as a people were known for their archery.
'Those bows… they look so fine.' I thought to myself. 'They're also effective in both range and penetration… man. I really really really want one.'
One of the fancier Summer Islanders noticed my jealous look, scoffing arrogantly. He also happened to have the prettiest bow by far.
"Keep dreaming of wielding a goldenheart bow, boy."
"If I win the archery contest, would I be worthy of one?" I questioned, smiling slightly.
"You… win?" He laughed, shaking his head. "You have big dreams, boy. I've won a dozen archery contests in the Summer Isles… this will be no different."
"Bet, bet… so you think you're gonna win, huh?" I brought out my pouch of gold. "Forty-five gold dragons if you win, the bow on your back if I win."
"What if neither wins?"
"Then nothing is given up, obviously." I shrugged my shoulders. "What do you say?"
"Easy gold." He laughed. "A boy like you will crumble at the sight of the crowd."
"Sounds like you're new around here." I replied, grinning slightly. "You'll see."
Our little beef got a little attention, leading to a few conversations. Surprisingly, I wasn't the complete underdog. There were several people who acknowledged my ability and even said that I would likely win the bet. However, in archery contests, every arrow counted. You miss one and you're done.
It was like the joust. You could be better than everyone else but that alone doesn't guarantee that you'd win. There was some luck to it, too…
I needed to clutch up like King James in Game 6 against the Boston Celtics.
Every shot counts…
I took a deep breath as the archery contest began.
It started from a pretty short range, forty paces. The target felt so close that it almost caused me to trip up. I was, after all, a long-distance shooter. I had stopped practising at this range ages ago. Still, I hit my target through sheer focus. I proceeded to hit my target at greater ranges, keeping up with all the real archers. The longer the competition drew on, the greater the distance we had to shoot from and the more competitors failed.
In the end, only me and another made it to a hundred paces. I didn't even know who it was… that's how focused I was on winning.
"Boy, you are a fine archer." The guy to my side stated… and I recognised his voice, turning to him.
"You're still here?" My eyes widened.
"I was thinking that as well!" He laughed, shaking his head. "Well, this is where it should end."
"How about another bet? Instead of dragging this on, we can end it with a single arrow." I proposed, stroking my chin. "A hundred and ten paces. If I can hit the target from such a distance on my first attempt, you will concede."
"A hundred and thirty paces." He countered. "Then I will concede."
'Alright.'
The organiser had observed the entire exchange, nodding. "Very well… Edric Storm has proposed a bet against Dabhal Cho, aiming to hit the target from a hundred and thirty paces on his first attempt! If he fails, Dabhal Cho will be the champion of the archery contest… however, if he is to succeed, he will claim victory for himself!"
"A hundred and thirty paces!? Is he mad?"
"It is official." Dabhal Cho remarked, grinning. "Boy, only the greatest archers with dragonbone bows can be effective from that range. Fortune is not on your side."
"Shut up, I'm going to hit it."
I stepped back, counting my steps until I reached a hundred and thirty paces. It was damn near a hundred meters away… and, as the crowd cheered with anticipation, I suddenly felt nervous. The entire thing had kicked me out of the zone. I was hearing Dabhal Cho's words echo in my mind… what if I had overestimated myself? What if I just sold the bag?
It didn't matter now… I had to make it.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. I erased the crowd, the cock-sure Dabhal Cho, the organiser… everything but myself, the bow, arrow and the target ahead. That's all I needed. Opening my eyes again, I didn't break focus.
My eyes were dead on target… I readied my arrow as I had millions of times before… it was perfect form, without a single off movement. I was ready.
Right as I drew to the optimum length with all my strength, I let go… and fired!
Wooooosh!
BANG!
The arrow crashed against the target, piercing right through the target's centre and falling down to the ground several metres away.
I had done it… I won the archery contest!
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
The crowd broke into a roar of cheers as they had witnessed the impossible become possible. From the crowd, several individuals rushed forward, smothering me… the champ. It all felt surreal.
"That's the best fucking archer in the known world!!!" Arthur Tudburry rushed me first, almost tackling me to the ground.
"Ay… calm down." I chuckled. "It's not that big of a deal."
"I always knew you were good… but that good? A hundred and thirty paces is a distance for a mad man!" Robert added, smiling.
"I always knew you would emerge as the champion." Brienne started with a smile. "Congratulations."
"Thanks-"
"You're my hero, Edric!"
'Uhm…'
Someone hugged me from the back and I instantly realised who it was. She let go, looking at me as I turned. Blushing slightly, she walked back.
"Well, I always knew you would win."
"Alysanne…" I chuckled. 'Woah, the hero's a bit of a stretch.'
"I don't know… It seems to me that you two need to retreat to a bedchamber and figure things out there." Robert laughed. "Already rather intimate, I must say."
"You have too foul a mouth." Arthur slapped the back of his head. "A lady's virtue shouldn't be spoken of so lightly."
"Get married first then." Robert rubbed his head. "Also, try that again and I'll crack your shell, you damned turtle."
"Married…"
"Who's the little one here?" Arthur chuckled, looking down on Robert as he stepped up to him.
"Calm down, you lot. There'll be plenty of time to fight in the melee." I interjected, pushing them further from each other. "And the joust."
"You're barely taller than me, Arthur." Robert scoffed, turning away. "Regardless, I owe you a drink, Edric! You made me a rich man today."
"He bet all his savings on you winning when you made that final bet." Arthur added. "The odds were heavily skewed, I must say."
"Crazy… no one had faith in me?" I chuckled, titling my head. "I should've bet on myself more."
"You already did, boy." Dabhal Cho walked up to me, unfastening his quiver and dropping it to the ground. To add to that, he presented his bow directly to me. "A bet is a bet and I am a prince of honour."
"A prince?" I raised an eyebrow as I looked at him.
"The Isle of Gold is the island under my rule, should you want to visit. Take the bow… it is yours."
"Thank you." I nodded, reaching out to grab the bow. Once I did so, he let go and smiled.
"Edric Storm, was it?"
"Yes, that's my name."
"You were born in the wrong land." Dabhal Cho nodded, turning away. "If you ever find yourself in need of a home, you are welcome to join me any time. An archer like you would be widely respected in my home and paid even more handsomely for every battle attended."
"I'll keep that in mind…" I smiled, nodding. 'Never say no to connections, even if they might seem useless in the present. My mother always told me that.'
"You can't be seriously considering it… the Summer Isles is a savage land plentiful in infighting and lust." Arthur frowned, observing my expression.
"You have no idea how precious goldenheart wood is to them… him keeping his word is something I didn't expect." I remarked, looking at my new bow. Shit was clean as fuck. "Besides, who knows? I could be homeless in the future."
"That's funny…" Alysanne chuckled, shaking her head. "After this, not a single lord would turn you away from their gates. You could join any household guard you wish and eventually transition to a knight."
"You're well on your way to becoming a knight." Arthur nodded, agreeing with Alysanne. "Why throw that away to fight for some prince in the Summer Isles?"
"I didn't say yes to anything… but I didn't say no either." I countered, shrugging my shoulders. "My goal is to become a landed knight, anyway."
'No, my real goal is to save the fucking world from an ice wizard and his horde of dead shit.'
"That's my nephew!"
Renly Baratheon came up, patting my head.
"Brilliantly done, you've secured the three thousand gold dragons, dear nephew!" Renly came closer, whispering in my ear. "Which I intended for you, regardless. You did well to earn it."
"... What if I lost?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I knew you would not. Simple as." Renly chuckled, stepping back. "Again, congratulations!"
"Thank you…" I smiled, scanning the crowd. In this context, despite being a bastard, I was the 'hometown hero'. There seemed to be a sense of pride in me winning over all the foreigners. Robert Baratheon, most of all, was the loudest of the bunch. Meanwhile, Joffrey Baratheon sat silently… seething? He must be bitter knowing his father celebrated him more than me
"MY SON IS THE BEST ARCHER IN THE WORLD!!!"
Robert Baratheon slammed down his cup, suddenly becoming a fan of archery. Didn't he once say the bow was a coward's weapon? What happened to that…
"Onto the second event!"
I stopped occupying the tourney grounds, waiting for them to change the field to suit the next event… the throwing contest. I had signed up for this one as well, looking to snag another thousand. I wasn't as confident in my throwing skills as I was in my archery. Alas, it was going to be an insightful experience even if I lost… as Arthur had told me previously regarding the melee.
As I prepared for the throwing contest, I instantly noticed one man that was just different from the rest. He was a decently tall, lean yet muscular man with an eyepatch covering his cut eye. Both of his hands had long ass nails on some volverine shit. Was it really that hard to cut them? He was playing with daggers as he waited for the contest to begin, throwing them in the air. Later, he began juggling between three… and then four… and then five!
This man should be a bloody jester!
"What are you looking at, boy?" He stopped juggling, sheathing his daggers with a swiftness one after the other. He was inhuman in his speed and efficiency.
"That was an impressive display of… skill." I admitted, nodding.
"Why, thank you." He smiled, showing his sharp, dirty, teeth. He had some ugly smile, not going to lie. "You have a look of courage about you. Impressive for a green boy."
"... Thanks?"
"I saw you in the archery competition… you had the confidence of a god." The man remarked, grinning. "But I don't see that here. Not as good at throwing, are you?"
"I'll admit… I'm not. Maybe you could teach me a thing or two?" I shrugged my shoulders. "For… a hundred gold dragons? If you win, of course."
"A hundred? You have too much money, boy." He laughed. "Even I would not go so low to swindle you."
"I mean… if you won, you'd have a thousand and some, right? If I offered a low amount, you'd just laugh at me."
"Gold dragons are gold dragons. It is not every day there is a throwing contest with such a luxurious prize… even better, that pesky contract with those merchants ended just as I heard of it. A stroke of good fortune."
"Your contract?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Ever heard of the Stormravens?"
"No…?"
"We could use an archer like you." He cackled, playing with one of his daggers. "Your bastard name is fitting."
"Not the first time today someone tried to recruit me."
"A talent like you is as rare as diamond." He remarked, shrugging his shoulders. "Place tenth in this contest and I will teach you for free."
"For free…?"
"No strings attached." He promised.
Honestly, he had a distrustful face. Then again… it's probably hard to look trustworthy with an ugly face like his.
"You're becoming quite the prize." Raiden Shogun observed, floating about elegantly.
'I just went up in my price… yessir.'
Right after, the throwing contest began. The crazy long-nailed mf I was talking to started popping off. He didn't just throw one thing per round… no, he flexed and hit the target in the exact same spot three times in a row. His precision with the dagger was insane… bonkers… ridiculous… absolutely mental. Yeah, he was that good. Meanwhile, I was just keeping up with the competition round by round. I was more focused on the one-eyed person than winning, to be honest. Fortunately, the throwing was restricted to knives and daggers so I had an edge over most. I managed to place seventh… losing out in the later distances. Meanwhile, the crazy mf coasted to the first place without breaking a sweat.
"You are good with knives." He remarked, withdrawing something from his coat. Turns out it was a letter… which he gave to me. "As promised, should you trust me, everything you need to know is inside. I will only be here for a single moon."
"Alright."
'Bet, bet…'
After the first two events, Renly Baratheon hosted a banquet to end the night. I ended up surrounded by tons of admirers, especially those in my age group. Even my rivals celebrated my performances.
"Ay, Edric… I said I owed you a drink, did I not?" Robert gave me a bottle of wine, patting my back. "This is the strongest wine in Storm's End… and just as expensive. Stag's fury, they call it. Ain't it fitting?"
"I… don't drink. Much." I shook my head. "You don't have to."
"This will not do! A champion ought to drink!" Robert countered, shaking his head. "If you wish, we can share it in half… I see Arthur wants some too. We can all share it, certainly."
"I don't." Arthur refuted, shaking his head. "The melee is tomorrow."
"Ah… then a glass each? Come now, don't be cowards."
"One glass? That shouldn't be much." I shrugged. "Let's try it."
"That's a real man." Robert chuckled.
"Robert lives up to his namesake." Arthur sighed, shaking his head.
"Alrighty, one glass each." Robert popped open the bottle, filling up both his glass and mine with the exact same amount. Immediately after, he started chugging down. I joined in, taking a few mouthfuls in.
"Ah… this is some strong wine." I winced. "How did you drink it all in one go?"
"Practice makes perfect, Edric." He clashed his cup against mine. "Go on, finish yours. Don't be a coward."
"Alright…" I kept drinking and drinking until my entire cup was empty. "Ah… that wasn't so bad."
"Oh, it will kick in soon enough."
He was absolutely right.
~
It was the first time in my life that I genuinely didn't care what anyone thought about me. Free as a bird, I started dancing, singing, laughing and making friends without even trying. For the first time, I had a whole group around me and didn't feel like my energy was being drained away by entertaining everyone. If anything, I felt more energetic the more people I had around me. The last thing I recall from that night was taking some blonde girl's hand and taking her for a little spin. Then I got in a fight with Robert… stumbled into a win… and man, what happened next?
"So that's what happens when you get drunk… you become quite the outgoing individual." Raiden Shogun remarked as I struggled to get out of bed. "Your friend, Arthur, kept you from acting foolishly. As much as he could, at the very least… and he even helped you to bed. You ought to be grateful to him."
"What's the most foolish thing he stopped me from doing?" I wondered, trying to keep my eyes open.
"Sleeping with one of the servants."
"... Mamma mia… I was wilding…" I sighed, shaking my head. "Man, I don't even feel like getting up. Just hearing it makes me embarrassed."
"I was joking." Raiden Shogun admitted. "However, you did steal a kiss from a lady. Which is worse for your kind… I wonder? One is clearly of a higher class."
"Steal a kiss?" I dropped my head into my pillow. "Who?"
"As I recall, it was the same lady who rejected you years ago. Though… she didn't seem to reject the kiss. She was surprised…. If anything."
'She was feeling me?'
"HER?" I rolled my eyes. "No, no, no… I don't even like her."
"Your drunk self would say otherwise."
"I'm never ever drinking again by the old gods, the fucking new and Jesus Christ." I sighed, storming out of my bed. 'Fuck me.'
'How do I get out of this one? There were so many people in that hall…'
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