The air in the room grew heavy at Lord Commander Mormont's words.
Lynn left the room.
In the courtyard, Alliser Thorne and his band of Night's Watch men had clearly been waiting.
As soon as Lynn emerged, a mocking sneer appeared on Thorne's harsh face.
He had always despised deserters, and he held a deep grudge against Lynn.
"Well? Has the Lord Commander already prepared a carriage to King's Landing for a traitor like you?"
The men behind him burst into laughter.
Their laughter brimmed with contempt and disdain.
Lynn ignored him.
His gaze swept over every man dressed in black in the courtyard.
Some of their eyes were numb, some venomous, and some delighted by his misfortune.
These men were the refuse of the Seven Kingdoms, the dregs cast aside by society.
To most of them, honor was a laughable word. They believed only in the most primitive law.
Strength.
"Ser Thorne."
Lynn met Thorne's venomous eyes without a trace of fear.
"You seem to have a problem with me."
The smile on Thorne's face froze, but he made no attempt to deny it.
"Of course."
Lynn nodded.
He unfastened his cloak and casually tossed it to Torrhen behind him.
Then he drew the longsword at his waist.
It was an ordinary longsword of the sort used in the North, its blade gleaming coldly beneath the pale daylight.
"Then let's settle this the northern way."
Lynn pointed his sword at the ground. His voice was quiet, but it carried clearly across the courtyard.
"One-on-one."
"Anyone who has a problem with me, step forward."
"I'll beat you all until you shut your mouths."
The entire courtyard fell deathly silent. Even the distant clang of the forge stopped.
Holding a cup of hot wine, Tyrion leaned against a pillar on the upper gallery and watched with keen interest.
This was far more entertaining than the stories in his books.
Everyone stood stunned.
They had never imagined that the deserter they looked down on would dare to be so brazen.
Alliser Thorne's face turned livid.
Those words were as good as a vicious slap across his face in front of everyone.
"Arrogant fool!"
Thorne forced the words through clenched teeth.
He turned toward the crowd behind him and barked.
"Who will teach this insolent whelp what discipline means?"
A stir ran through the crowd.
A burly man in black with a brutish face stepped forward, grinning viciously.
He took a heavy two-handed greatsword from the weapon rack.
"Boy, I'll smash that pretty face of yours into the frozen ground."
Dragging his greatsword, he advanced on Lynn one step at a time.
Each step left a deep footprint.
Jon's heart leaped into his throat.
Arya tightened her grip on Needle at her waist, her small face tense with worry.
Lynn stood motionless.
He simply watched the burly man approach, taking in his savage grin and the bloodlust shining in his eyes.
The man roared, raised his greatsword high, and brought it down at Lynn's head with all his strength!
The blade howled through the air!
The blow seemed powerful enough to split both Lynn and the ground beneath him in two.
Lynn moved.
Just as the greatsword was about to fall, he shifted slightly to one side.
The greatsword brushed the hem of his clothes and slammed into the ground.
Thud.
Frozen earth flew everywhere.
The burly man had put too much force into his swing, leaving him momentarily locked in place.
That was the opening!
Lynn's longsword moved!
A cold flash streaked past, too fast for anyone to follow.
Excitement lit Arya's face. This was Lynn's Light Sword technique!
She had learned it!
Clang!
A sharp metallic ring sounded.
The longsword struck precisely against the burly man's sword wrist.
His wrist went numb, pain shot through the web of his hand, and the heavy greatsword flew from his grip before plunging into a nearby snowbank with a soft thump.
The burly man froze.
He looked down at his empty hands in disbelief.
A moment later.
Lynn's sword pommel slammed into his chin.
Crack.
The sound of breaking bone rang out clearly.
The burly man flew backward like a torn sack, hit the ground hard, and lost consciousness on the spot.
The entire exchange had taken less than three breaths.
Fast. Far too fast!
In the courtyard, one could have heard a pin drop.
Shock was frozen on every face.
Alliser Thorne's pupils abruptly contracted.
He knew exactly how capable Lynn was. He was the master-at-arms, after all.
When Lynn had first joined the Night's Watch, Thorne had personally taught him its standard sword techniques.
He had often made things difficult for him.
How long had the boy been away? Yet now he was using such strange, unpredictable Light Sword techniques.
For men of the Night's Watch accustomed to heavy swords, it was a devastating counter!
The mockery and contempt had long since vanished from the faces of the men behind Ser Thorne, replaced by a mixture of astonishment and wariness.
Lynn drew back his longsword.
His breathing remained perfectly steady, as though he had done nothing of consequence.
His cold gaze swept over the men in black once more.
"Next."
Night fell.
A bitter wind howled over Castle Black.
The fire in Lynn's room burned fiercely.
Torrhen was carefully wiping Lynn's longsword with a clean piece of linen.
More than a dozen tiny nicks now marked its blade.
That afternoon.
Lynn had stood alone in the middle of the courtyard with a single sword.
He had defeated ten challengers in all.
At first, he had fought with effortless ease. By the end, he had suffered more than a dozen wounds, but he had never fallen.
Anyone who dared approach met his blade.
At first, Lynn had fought with proper form and technique. As time passed, he grew increasingly wild, until he was simply hacking away in a frenzy that struck fear into every opponent.
The men of the Night's Watch went from jeering to silence.
Thorne had secretly signaled a few trusted men to strike ruthlessly once Lynn's strength failed, but Maester Aemon, who had come after hearing the news, stopped them with a single sentence.
"The Lord Commander is watching."
The hundred-year-old maester had spoken only those few trembling words, but they were enough to keep Thorne from trying anything else.
That only deepened Thorne's humiliation. Whenever he thought of Lynn, he ground his teeth.
The first day's bouts ended there.
"My lord."
Torrhen respectfully handed the cleaned longsword back to Lynn.
"Get some rest early. My brothers and I will stand guard just inside the door."
Lynn nodded and took the longsword.
He knew Alliser Thorne would not let the matter rest.
After losing so much face that day, that spiteful man would surely seek revenge in secret.
Lynn did not care.
As he tended his wounds, he took stock of what he had gained that day.
He had killed no one, so he could not earn experience points.
But the intense combat had deepened his understanding of swordsmanship.
Especially when facing opponents with heavy weapons, he had learned more about using speed and skill to overcome brute force.
[Light Sword (Proficient) 64/100]
Fighting enemies repeatedly could increase his experience too!
Lynn smiled as he looked at the system panel.
Castle Black really was a fine place.
These "good brothers" were all excellent sparring partners.
Before you continue