The instant the Earl of Runestone relaxed, a greatsword swept past his eyes, trailing a flash of steel.
Blood splashed across his face.
Su Qin had beheaded two men who had tried to launch a sneak attack on the Earl of Runestone's neck.
A standing knight's neck and shoulders were vulnerable.
The Earl of Runestone stared at the short-haired young man before him in shock.
"Black hair and black eyes? An Easterner?"
Before he could recover, his vision went black, and he fainted!
Evening.
Su Qin sat quietly on a table on the tavern's first floor, drinking poor-quality barley ale.
A group of maids kept carrying hot water upstairs.
At the same time, basin after basin of bloody water was brought down and replaced.
The tables around him were also packed with soldiers wearing leather armor.
Looking dejected, they gazed toward the second floor along with Su Qin and the others.
Suddenly, an old man in a maester's robe appeared beside the stairs on the second-floor landing.
He had a white beard, snow-white hair, and gentle eyes.
He scanned the room, spotted Su Qin, and spoke.
"Easterner, come upstairs."
Everyone turned to look at Su Qin.
Su Qin nodded, slowly set down his cup, and stood.
Picking up his greatsword, Su Qin slowly went upstairs.
Uncle Farn was already gone from the room. He had woken up and gone with Uncle Falken and the others to see his horse.
In his place was a man with slightly graying hair-the Earl of Runestone!
His face was haggard, but his eyes were sharp!
Five nobles in knightly attire stood beside his bed, along with a young girl and two boys.
They slowly turned to look at Su Qin as he pushed open the door and entered, their eyes showing admiration, surprise, envy, appraisal...
Su Qin stood at the head of the bed.
The Earl of Runestone nodded to the girl and the two boys.
The girl came over with the boys, held her little skirt in both hands, and gave Su Qin a noble's curtsy.
The two boys also held their hands to their chests and bowed slightly.
Their eyes brimmed with tears, holding gratitude, or perhaps something else.
Su Qin looked at the girl before him, nodded slightly, then patted the two children's heads and let them leave.
The girl passed close against Su Qin, letting her long black hair brush his arm as though deliberately.
Everyone saw this. The Earl of Runestone looked at the girl, then at Su Qin's figure, whatever he was thinking hidden behind his sharp gaze.
He lightly tapped his right index finger a few times on the bedding beside him, which happened to catch one knight's attention.
The knight's gaze changed slightly, then immediately returned to normal.
The maester followed Su Qin and also stood at the head of the bed.
The Earl of Runestone had Su Qin stand beside him, looked around, and said:
"Everyone, sit down. As for you, Baron Fett, remain standing!"
The four nobles, the maester, and Su Qin sat in a circle by the window.
Of course, one man was still standing!
The Earl of Runestone closed his eyes, then slowly opened them and said to Baron Fett, "Fett, do you know what you did wrong?"
A middle-aged knight at the foot of the bed immediately rose.
Another knight beside him kicked him, sending Fett straight to his knees.
Fett lay prostrate, his head slightly raised and his eyes full of pleading as he spoke.
"My lord Earl, I never imagined they would hide among the refugees!"
"Shut up!" the fierce-looking knight beside him barked!
The Earl of Runestone glanced to his right, turned back, and looked at Su Qin.
Then he spoke to Fett again.
"Baron Fett Grafton! Then tell me, how did those long-handled axes reach Gulltown? Were your guards along the roads blind? Were all those guards useless fools?"
Fett was about to speak again when the Earl of Runestone suddenly said:
"Enough. You are no longer a knight! Baron Fett Dorry, I hereby strip you of your noble status as a knight and baron of House Runestone. Get out!"
"The Gulltown Guard will be disbanded tomorrow. You and your brother are to leave Runestone Territory!"
"If I see you after tomorrow, you will probably be heading to Castle Black in the North!"
Fett immediately knocked his head against the floor several times in gratitude, tears filling his eyes.
"Thank you, my lord Earl! Thank you, my lord Earl!"
He slowly rose, took a piece of parchment, a silver quill, and a silver gull brooch from inside his clothes, gently placed them on the floor, and slowly left the room.
After he left.
"Ha ha ha!"
Looking at those who remained, the Earl of Runestone laughed.
He took Su Qin's hand and spoke to the knights.
"Young man, introduce yourself to everyone. Which house are you from, who was your teacher, and why did you come to the Kingdom of the Vale?"
Everyone looked at Su Qin and nodded.
Meeting their gazes, Su Qin slowly began.
"My lord Earl, my name is..."
Before he could finish, the Earl of Runestone interrupted him with a smile. "My name is Yaron Runestone. You may call me Lord Yaron. Incidentally, Maester Denwen possesses a Truth Gem, so try to speak as truthfully as possible. I am very curious how an Easterner knows the language of Westeros. Where did this strength of yours come from?"
Su Qin glanced at the maester and thought, A magical item? It seemed this world was not so simple.
Su Qin thought for a moment and replied, "Very well, Lord Yaron."
Although Su Qin now possessed astonishing strength, he still dared not act presumptuously before these nobles.
So Su Qin considered for a moment and said, "My name is Su Qin. When I opened my eyes, I was in Runestone. I haven't figured out why I understand the language of Westeros either. I'm a wandering refugee, and I don't have a teacher. As for my strength, it's all an inborn talent."
The Earl of Runestone looked at the maester, who nodded.
Yaron nodded and asked again, "Su Qin, have you ever committed any crimes?"
Su Qin tilted his head. Committed any crimes?
Su Qin thought it over and began muttering inwardly.
Does watching dirty videos in the middle of the night count as breaking the law?
Does stealing a child's lollipop in the park count as bullying?
Does fighting with entitled women online and insulting people count as a crime?
Su Qin glanced guiltily at the maester and said, "Lord Yaron, I've never committed a crime!"
The maester paused, then nodded.
Yaron gave Su Qin a gratified look and smiled. "Then you could be considered the most innocent person among us!"
He glanced at the fierce-looking knight again and said, "Ser Thor, didn't you commit the crime of buying and selling slaves?"
The fierce, powerfully built noble looked at Su Qin awkwardly and gave a smile.
"Lord Yaron, I was once caught by the duke buying and selling large numbers of commoner slaves, and he stripped me of my title. If not for your ransom, my lord, I would have been sent to Castle Black long ago."
Yaron smiled, then pointed at the scholarly-looking noble. "Baron Kevan, have you ever committed a crime?"
That noble also smiled awkwardly. "My lord, I once... I once sexually assaulted a man, and the Faith confined me and made me study ethics for three years!"
Everyone nodded calmly, clearly already aware of it!
Kevan pursed his lips awkwardly. Why bring up that sore subject!
Su Qin's eyes widened. Something like that had happened?
That look successfully caught everyone's attention!
Everyone struggled to hold back their laughter.
Yaron looked around and said with a smile:
"All right, everyone, stop laughing."
Then he turned to Su Qin. "Su Qin, do you know why I asked whether you had committed any crimes?"
Looking into Yaron's sharp eyes, Su Qin shook his head.
"My lord, I don't!"
Yaron nodded and slowly said, "Su Qin, whether you are a noble or a commoner, there are several crimes you must never commit in Westeros!"
"The first is kinslaying. This is the foremost grave crime, a grave crime against the kingdom and the Seven!"
"The second is breaking a sworn oath, a grave crime against the kingdom and the Seven!"
"The third is worshipping an evil god, the gravest crime against the Seven!"
With his black hair hanging loose beside his cheeks, Yaron earnestly cautioned Su Qin.
"Remember, these are three crimes you must never commit!"
Su Qin looked into Yaron's eyes. "My lord, I'll remember!"
Yaron nodded and asked, "Then are you willing to become my knight and swear fealty to me? I will name you Baron of Gulltown! Gulltown will be yours from now on, and you will hold power over the survival of the residents of the four towns in Gull Territory!"
Yaron stared intently at Su Qin, his eyes holding anticipation and a hint of pleading.
Su Qin's gaze showed some hesitation when the system's voice suddenly sounded.
[Possessing a territory will unlock the territory system]
He was somewhat shocked! He knew how difficult it was to become a noble!
An ordinary person without a house had to follow the path of squire-knight-noble to become nobility.
But the problem was that nobles had to possess territory. Only with both territory and a noble title would they have a strong claim. Territory was the bottleneck on the path to nobility.
Ordinary territories had their own local nobles, making them difficult for outsiders to obtain. Territory was a noble's private property! Sacred and inviolable.
It was normally difficult to seize, unless the lord's line died out.
And then there was the system.
Although he still did not know why the system had brought Su Qin to this world, he had to strive for anything that benefited him.
He had to accept this olive branch. Once he did, he too would have the means to establish himself in this world!
Su Qin immediately rose, knelt on one knee, and held his right hand to his chest.
"Earl Yaron Runestone, I am willing to become your knight!"
Su Qin looked up and saw Yaron nod in gratification.
Yaron beckoned to his right, and a knight handed him a sword.
Yaron slowly rose and placed the sword on Su Qin's shoulder.
"Su Qin, next I will recite one line at a time, and you will repeat each line as your oath to me."
"To think I could gain such a valiant knight. It is truly my honor!"
"Yes, my lord!"
The Earl of Runestone was overjoyed!