At that moment, Solam felt like a stranger to everyone. He was calm and solemn, completely unlike the arrogant, irritable, willful Solam from before. It was impossible to tell which one was the real Solam.
The old knight nodded. "Then be careful."
After saying that, the old knight raised his lance. At the same time, he took a shield from the Bag of Holding at his waist. Engraved upon the shield was a cup-shaped emblem wrapped in jewels, gold, and silver.
Solam likewise gripped his spear with both hands, facing the old knight directly.
The moment he saw that opening stance, the old knight knew Solam had received knightly training. That stance was the hallmark of the knights of the North. In Faerûn, because of differences in region and custom, knights from every place had their own distinct traits.
For instance, most knights of the North were powerful and burly. They were among those knights who specialized in heavy weapons. It was not that other knights were unfamiliar with heavy weapons, but when choosing their primary weapon, many knights tended to choose what they personally preferred. Northern knights, however, favored heavy weapons such as halberds, axes, warhammers, and greatswords.
The south, on the other hand, preferred more agile weapons such as longswords or scimitars, while the Shining Plains focused on knightly swords, lances, and shields.
"Then here I come!" With that, the old knight seized the initiative with a Knight's Charge.
A true knightly duel was not children playing house, where one deliberately showed off and let the opponent attack first. A knight's duel was sacred, and both sides had to give it their all. This was also one reason those knights had been so dissatisfied with Solam earlier—he had acted far too casually.
To knights, that was a sign