Chapter 27: Chapter 26

Some discrepency came up with the system, so I went back and fixed it. Stuff still is the same, just the flow of events is a little different. You are not going mad, dear reader.

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After getting home from the barracks and telling Elaine the good news, the rest of the night was fun. She had a way with people when she was riled and focused, and Estaria was caught in the waves. Where Elaine managed to buy velvet ropes from was not something she was going to ask. It was possible that she had weaved them herself for a specific idea, but now she was just caught in her own head and was doing all she wanted and more.

The morning came in a flash, Estaria having lost track of the world completely in the throngs of her lover’s embrace. Anyone else would probably be a little stiff and aching from the poses she was put into last night, and the wild way she had twisted and pushed. Kind of probably also needed to talk to her about that because as a woman who was no doubt going to be in the spotlight now, this sort of thing was scandal material, and she didn’t need Elaine getting in that kind of trouble. Plus she didn’t need this whole thing escalating even further.

Eventually, it was time to get up, and so she delicately extracted herself from her exhausted love and got dressed in the best clothes she had. Her whole promotion into the ranks of Greatswords was pretty quick, but it was probably pre-emptive so as not to lose her to another Count, if Count Todbringer’s comment was anything to go off.

Crossing Altdorf and arriving for her first full day on duty, she got a good look at the quarters, rather than the quick tour of yesterday. This place was better than her house, and was more akin to some Noble-catering Inn than a barracks. Fine dining room - not a mess hall like most, for Greatswords did not make a mess - quality bedding, additional rooms to meet and play games with your brothers. While they were still soldiers and the cards and dice were found, Estaria could also see more intricate games of chess, checkers and the like. Truly, these Greatswordsmen were a cut above the rest. She felt awkward among them,even as they accepted her so readily. After breakfast - why deprive Elaine of anything when her barracks did better food than she had - and more light conversation that was less boisterous and more civil, she headed over to the Master Smith who had been working on her blade and armour.

Dwarf-forged Full Plate was too expensive and too time-consuming to be made on order for each individual Greatsword. And so suits were on hand, and adjusted to the height and girth of new recruits. Estaria looked over the greatsword and instantly knew that despite the reputation attached to it, it was inferior to her blade. Which was to be expected, Orange was the highest rank she had seen in the shop, and damned expensive to boot. Half a million thrones, in real world money.

“How many swords could you make with half a million thrones?” Estaria casually asked. The Master Smith laughed a deep - all Dwarves were deep, but this one was deep even for a dwarf - laugh and looked up.

“You have a hidden tunnel into the bank of Altdorf? I could make ten thousand swords of the purest steel out of that. Fit to impress a Karak Dwarf, even!” The Master Dwarf looked up, and shook his head. Such an amount was absurd.

“It’s about the market price for this” she said, drawing Ulric’s Fang and showing it to him. The Dwarf looked amazed, and studied it intimately for many moments.

“That would be selling it shortly. I would not put a price on this, it would be like buying a Runefang” The Dwarf then looked to the greatsword he was forging, and shook his head. “Ack, and this pile of scrap is no use in comparison!” The Dwarf took up his hammer in anger, as if to bash it to pieces and restart his work from scratch.

“Don’t! worry about that” Estaria said, the first word coming out quickly, and the rest following after a short delay. “The Greatsword is mostly ceremonial. And if you truly want to make a Greatsword comparable to this sword, then I shall finance you. Gather the price of everything you need, and I’ll gift you the coin” she told him, before walking up to the Full Plate. “Assuming that takes you more than an hour, how does this work? I’ve never had armour so fine”

The Dwarf was stunned at Estaria’s claim. Even a quick thought would have a blade like that cost him thousands of Crowns and years of work. Still, he focused on what he knew, and showed Estaria the intricacies of her armour. It was quite the chore to get in, one did not have a giant suit of metal without some difficulties in utilising it. Once in, she got a popup.

Heavy Armour reduces Agility by 20 when worn

Not entirely surprising, it was very heavy after all - between the metal and the internal padding to reduce the impact of the metal - and the rivets, while giving some flexibility, lacked the true dynamics of movement. One could move well in it in any given situation, but to wear it for more than a few minutes to show off that range of movement would truly begin to tax. Testing how everything went, rolling shoulders and bending knees, then finishing up with a few swings, Estaria nodded to the Master Dwarf, and picked up the Greatsword, putting it in her sheath.

“Thank you for the work, Master Dwarf. I shall be in the barracks or my house when not on duty, so come to me with the list when you have made it” she then tapped her head, and left his place. Her duty, such as it was right now, was to be General Tai’s bodyguard. Greatswords were the guards of Elector Counts when they marched to battle, but most of the time they would guard those of other important positions.

In Altdorf, there was no need for a man to stand in his office all day watching him do paperwork, so they were given free reign, and that reign took her to the training grounds. Here she found others in their armour, running and exercising, with a few practising greatsword drills.

Master Training Grounds - Reserved for the greatest, to keep them the greatest, the trials here may lay low a lesser man. Training only counts in Full Armour and with the Greatsword

Physical Training:

0/4 Mook enemies killed (Melee)

0/2 Elite enemies killed (melee)

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0/1 Boss enemy killed (melee)

0/20 Sword Drill

0/10km Run

0/1 Spar

Agility training

0/1 Beam Walk

0/1 Handstand for 10 seconds

0/1 Precision Kill Elite

0/1 Kill two Mook enemies with one Swing

Mmm, the physical was mostly the same but the Agility training lacked the ranged compliment. Made sense given Greatswords weren't well known for gunplay. The spar should be easy, these were only humans after all, but could be fun in testing her skills. So that was what she went for first, grabbing one of the practice weapons from the stand. These were weighted and whittled precisely to be roughly equal to the Greatsword they were wielding, so as to be of use in actually training with.

She didn’t have any trouble getting a partner, everyone wanted the new girl to spar with. It really played into her ego to be wanted by this many people, so they got into a spar match, overseen by a third, and began the fight. Estaria thought it would end pretty quickly, being so powerful as she was. But it did not, so much.

The armour put her at odds with her own thoughts, feeling quicker than she actually was. This was mirrored by the Greatsword, a thing longer and heavier than a blade she was used to. Both steps and swings took longer than she thought they should, and she quickly fell behind of her own mind, making her steps and parries delayed, and often missing the point. She was a durable and swift beast even still, but still got battered by the man who wielded his greatsword like it was a a strand of grass.

Five minutes of being humbled by a grizzled veteran, and she was on her back, sore and staring up at the sky.

“There. Now you have gone through all the initiations a new Greatsword goes through” her partner exclaimed, stepping over and helping her to her feet.

“They all get knocked about in a spar?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Pretty much, actually. You can’t buy your way into the Greatswords like you can other places. So everyone here has come up with valour and skill. Almost nobody gives a thought to the differences of mobility and capability with their new weapons, and gets thrashed in a spar because of it.

You are damned good at fighting, and when you adapt to your new tools, I am sure you’ll be a terror on the battlefield. But a fight is an intricate dance, and wearing the wrong shoes is enough to throw off a dancer”

Well, that was quite nice for her ego, after her ego was smashed into the ground. Still, she wasn’t just going to shuffle off, and went through the rest of her training. Five points to spread among her Strength, Constitution, or Stamina, and five points to spread among her Dexterity, Agility, or Precision. Was certainly well worth it, in the end. Topping 50 strength finally, she got a pop-up.

50 strength: Overwhelming - A mighty blow can fell a hardy foe in one swing! Damage that causes a Critical Wound now spills over (but does not create a second Critical Wound)

Great for boss smiting, that one. Hopefully, killing big lugs would be easier, now.

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