[The Swordsman with Ambition]

"Little Tankred, don't be impulsive. There's no need to follow any rules when dealing with desperate fugitives like this!" Old John grabbed Tankred's arm, his voice full of worry.

He knew his nephew's capabilities all too well, and worried that the young man had read too many church books and was being blinded by passion and vanity.

"Don't worry, Uncle John, I'm not stupid!"

"Look at that guy, he's just hastily thrown on a tattered linen shirt, while I'm wearing three layers of armor. Besides, I've already killed two enemies today, so you don't need to worry!"

Tancred gave him an affirmative look and patted old John's rough hand to reassure him.

The moment he accepted the duel, a system notification appeared before his eyes.

"Ding! You have accepted the duel and gained the trait [Aspiring Swordsman] (upgradeable)."

【立志的剑客】（Lv1 0/2）：活力+3，单手武器熟练度+15（3→18），双手武器熟练度+15（0→15）。（通过决斗胜利获得升级点数）」

With a familiar tremor running through his body, he clearly felt that he was more familiar with the one-handed axe in his hand, and his control over the angle, frequency and direction of the swing had improved.

As a hardcore CK3 player, he knew this upgradable trait was quite good, especially when upgraded to the highest level, [Legendary Swordsman], which made him incredibly powerful. Furthermore, this trait's bonus increased vitality and melee weapon proficiency, precisely addressing the weaknesses that Tank Red needed to quickly overcome.

Now, with the boost, his vitality has reached 4 points, which is almost the level of an ordinary old farmer!

Although he was still far from being a true elite warrior, he could easily handle the poorly equipped bandit leader in front of him with his armor and this sudden improvement.

"Go to hell!"

When the bandit leader saw him accept the challenge, he roared and charged forward, brandishing his Germanic sword.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

Although the bandit leader's moves were reckless, they were powerful. With his fierce aura, Tankred was unable to lift his head and could only awkwardly parry with his kite-shaped shield.

He found a moment when the bandit leader was in a slump and tried to retaliate, but the other was clearly more experienced, easily parrying the axe blade and then slashing at his shoulder with his sword.

Even with the armor protecting him, the heavy blow left his arm numb and his breathing rapid. Seeing that his attack had succeeded, the bandit leader roared like a wounded wild boar and launched a series of attacks.

"Yeah, if you have armor, why should I back down?"

Tankred suddenly realized what was happening and stopped passively blocking, instead launching a wide-ranging counterattack!

"Ding!" "Ding!" "Pfft!" "Pfft!"

The bandit leader chopped off several iron rings on Tankred's left arm, while Tankred directly cut two large gashes into the bandit leader's thighs.

"Ding! Your attacks hit consecutively. One-handed weapon proficiency +2 (18→20), personal experience +2, current level Lv3 (17/50)"

The system also provided timely feedback on the attack.

"Ah—shameless!" The bandit leader could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground.

Tancred did not miss such a good opportunity. He took two steps back, then charged at him, knocking him over, kicking away the German sword that had slipped from his hand, and then stomping him firmly under his foot.

"No!! Don't kill me!! There's money in the cave! Lots of money! I'll give it all to you! Spare my life!" The bandit leader's eyes lost their fierce glint, and his words were almost pleading.

puff!

The battle axe fell, and the pleas for mercy abruptly ceased.

"Even if you die, the money is mine!"

Tankred drew his one-handed axe and wiped the blood off the other man's clothes.

-----------------

The battle was over, and dawn was breaking. The thieves' heads were severed and piled up, while mercenaries bustled about, carrying away the loot they had seized from the cave. Bashir, who had just vanished, now seemed like a completely different person, jumping around and giving orders:

"Little John! That's silk from the East, not some rag for wiping your boots! Get your dirty hands off him!"

"God above, this is a painted ceramic vase! Quickly wrap it in a soft cloth and place it on top, lest it break!"

"Hey! I'm talking to you, throw away that pile of rusty farm tools! Use your brain, how much are a few broken hoes worth? Move the valuables first!"

With Bashir taking care of everything, Tankred took a break and sat by the relit campfire, closing his eyes to rest. Feeling the soreness in his muscles after the adrenaline subsided, Tankred began to tally up the spoils of his victory in the duel.

「叮！你用单手斧击杀了【强盗头子】，单手武器熟练度+5（20→25），个人经验+25，当前等级Lv3（42/50）」

"Ding! You have won the duel. The [Aspiring Swordsman] trait has gained 1/2 points."

The system had already provided feedback after he executed the bandit leader. Simultaneously, his one-handed weapon proficiency reached 25, and the system also presented him with new skill options:

"Ding! Your one-handed weapon proficiency has reached 25. You can choose one of the following perks:"

【Shield Bash】: Your Shield Bash deals 50% extra damage and causes a longer stun duration, while shield-wielding [Infantry] in your squad takes reduced melee damage.

[Parrying Combat Skill]: Your one-handed weapon control is increased by 20%, and soldiers in your squad are also more efficient in one-handed weapon combat.

"These are all good specialties!" Tankred was caught in a dilemma.

His strongest move right now is the Shieldbearer, and his first feat enhances this advantage. However, to become a well-rounded fighter, his second feat, Improved Handling, will allow him to be more versatile with his one-handed sword. Furthermore, Tankred deduces that mastering Master Strike will definitely require a certain level of weapon handling.

"System, give me some points!"

Tanker ultimately chose the [Shield Strike] skill, mainly because of its bonus effect on his own soldiers. The Normans' combat and core forces are mainly composed of cavalry, while the bonus of [Shield Strike] only applies to infantry. After weighing the options, he had no choice but to reluctantly give it up.

With a shudder, Tancred felt as if a multitude of one-handed axe techniques had flooded his mind, and these agile moves seemed to have been practiced countless times in his memory. He could now sense many openings in his opponent's defenses during the duel, and he could counterattack with these skillful moves.

As for the buffs to other mercenaries in the squad, their effectiveness can only be tested in future battles.

Just as Tankred was lost in thought, Anna comforted the still trembling girl and gently walked over to Tankred's side.

"She said she was from a village to the north, and was captured yesterday while picking wild vegetables." Anna crossed her arms, her eyes blankly fixed on the flickering flames. "What a poor girl, tortured by those beasts all night. If you hadn't arrived in time..."

Anna shook her head, unable to say anything more.

Tancred was silent for a moment, then took a small leather pouch from his waist, counted out five shiny silver coins, and handed them to Anna: "Give this to her, and escort her back to the village when it gets light."

That's all he can do.

In this era, a woman who has experienced something like this is destined to have a difficult future. Perhaps a sum of money can make her feel a little better.

"Hmph...you bastard, you still have some conscience after all." Anna clutched the few silver coins tightly, bit her lower lip, muttered softly, and turned to walk towards the poor girl.

In the firelight, the tips of her ears appeared slightly red.

"Little Tank Red, stop looking! Don't you think something's a little off?"

Old John suddenly walked over with a frown, interrupting Tancred's gaze on Anna, and then pulled him aside to avoid the others.

"What's wrong, Uncle John?" Old John's mysterious behavior left Tancredi a little confused.

"This gang of thieves is small in number and not very strong in combat. Where did they get so much stolen goods?"

"Besides, I just stumbled upon this!"

Old John's gaze swept over the mercenaries coming and going, then he turned away and took out a ring from his pocket.

In the dim light, the pure gold ring reflected the glow of the campfire. The ring's face was engraved with an old fisherman and inscribed with a line of Latin text:

Leo IX

Tancred's heart skipped a beat the moment his gaze met it.

Fishermen's rights must be protected!

This is the ring of the Pope in Rome; it is a symbol of the Pope's status!

The original owner's abundant theological knowledge surged up instantly, allowing him to recognize the origin of the ring in a flash.

The Pope of Rome is the leader of the Latin Church and claims to be the successor of St. Peter, whose original profession was a fisherman. The fisherman's ring is engraved with a relief of St. Peter fishing in his boat, symbolizing that the apostles should follow the tradition of "catching men as fish." The Latin inscription below is the name of the current Pope, Leo IX.

Something's not right!

Tancred and Old John's faces darkened completely; the things behind this gang of thieves might be far beyond their imagination.

Just as the two were looking at each other in bewilderment, a commotion suddenly arose from the depths of the cave:

"Who is it? How come there's someone in the cave?!"

"Hold him down, don't let him get away!"

"He's wearing a fine cotton robe; he's probably a nobleman. Don't kill him!"

"Wait a minute! Why is there a yellow star embroidered on the chest of his shirt?"