Uncle here isn't your average office worker!

As Russell poured Marner a glass, he said slowly, "Do you remember when people used to be able to see a scene like this?"

Marner frowned, unsure how far back Russell meant by "the past." Fortunately, Russell didn't actually want Marner to answer the question. She simply stood before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window in her office, which offered a panoramic view of most of Kazimierz, and said with a look of disgust, "Initially it was the king's or royal family's birthday, then the weddings or festivals of noble lords, and then, the whims of the knights."

"Festivals belong to the upper class. But now, we no longer have to claim this prosperity for ourselves. They created it, they enjoyed it, and it rightfully belongs to everyone in all of Kazimierz. That is progress."

Russell turned around, his disgust vanishing, and smiled at Marner, saying:

"When has the Control Yuan ever overlooked this progress?"

“That’s your style.” Marner nodded.

Russell stroked the bottle in his hand, then suddenly, as if changing the subject to something completely unrelated, said, “Marna, this bottle of wine I’m holding comes from Lingons, the most prosperous city on earth before Londinium, the capital of Terra. What comes to mind when you touch the gilded patterns on its bottle, look at its old, faded Gaulish label, and smell its rich aroma that has matured over time?”

"What the Business Federation will see is a country that has been destroyed for a long time. Their last shred of dignity and chastity can only be displayed through the spicy and refreshing taste of fine wine. So they are ridiculous."

"The conquering knights witnessed the former glory of this empire. Every Terran person was proud to own a bottle of fine wine from Gaul, and that was the source of their pride."

Russell paused, his expression resolute, and stated:

"But I don't. I know that whether it's laughable or proud, that's all in the past. As a bottle of wine, it has to find its place in this era and fulfill its value; that's how it survives. So do we."

The same goes for knights. This bottle of wine is the knight. No matter what its outer shell represents, symbolizes, or what its past is, when it is crudely revealed from the bottle, it is destined to have only two outcomes—to adapt to the times and be drunk, or to be abandoned by the times and discarded.

“I know what you’re here for, Marner, but my resolve doesn’t need you or anyone else to remind me. You’re an outsider, and your perspective isn’t necessarily clearer than mine as an insider.” Russell smiled, picked up the remote, and turned up the TV volume. Your tranquil Grand Knight’s office was instantly filled with music that traditional knights would consider just noise.

"Take a look, and perhaps you'll have a slightly different opinion of them."

Marna opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't refuse. Because in the scene, Roy and Zofia's figures had already emerged from either side.

"Wuhu! Welcome back, everyone! After watching the spectacular opening ceremony performance, I bet you're all about to burst out laughing! Haha, but the main event is just around the corner! The first match of the Casimir Major quarterfinals will be brought to us by the dark horse Meteor Knight and the queen of the field, Whipblade Knight!"

"Meteor Knight killed me, I want to reincarnate as a Fanged Beast and be your dog!"

"Sister Whip Blade, whip me! Whip me! If that doesn't work, you can stomp on me!"

With his four fingers together and thumb spread, he placed them near his ear, listening to the terrifying screams from both sides of the arena. Big Mouth Mob nodded with satisfaction, and then an even more explosive, almost mic-breaking sound roared from his throat:

"Hehehe! You thought that was all? There's more!"

"According to the latest application submitted by the Meteor Knight, he will use the [Bow] as his primary weapon in this match! An unprecedented fighting style, brand-new combat techniques, and even more unknown wonders—how many more screams will that man bring us! Ladies and gentlemen, let us welcome—[Great Wilderness Meteor]!"

"Crack!" Marna's mouth gaped open, and the glass in her hand shattered with a crash.

No way, Roy uses a bow?

When was the last time he used a bow?

Marna's mind flashed through images of the ruins of the Lin Guang family mansion, and she subconsciously swallowed.

"What's wrong?" Russell asked, puzzled.

Marna pursed her lips and replied seriously, "Nothing, I was just wondering if Zofia had offended him somehow. Otherwise, why would he have taken out his bow?"

"And how much money can you earn if you apply for a job repairing sports venues?"

P.S.: Haha, I'm in great spirits! Haha!

Book 1: Chapter 81 The arrow is on the string, the arrow is on the forehead

Zofia held a long whip in her hand, staring blankly at Roy standing opposite her.

Why are you holding a bow?

Wait, why are you holding a bow? This wasn't in our script. I trained so hard, practicing how to defend against your sword attacks, and now you're telling me you're not using a sword anymore, but a bow?

How can I fight? I can't fight.

Before the battle even began, Zofia's mentality was already showing signs of collapse. It felt like a Jiangsu student preparing for the college entrance exam, spending a hundred hours straight studying for the questions, only to find out on the actual exam that the question setter was Ge Jun (a legendary question setter, the destroyer of college entrance exam mathematics, someone who is dragged out every year during the exam). Not only were all the questions predicted wrong, but she also had to face the ultimate torture. This made Zofia almost burst into tears.

However, that wasn't the most devastating part. What was even more devastating was that after Mob officially announced the start of the match, Roy didn't immediately launch an attack. Instead, he held his longbow, looked at Zofia, and said seriously:

"Zofia, come on, let me see how much you've improved over this time. Don't worry, as a sign of respect for you, I've already promised Maria that I would give it my all!"

No need to!

Zofia's smile was more like a grimace. She didn't know what it meant for Roy to go all out against her, but she knew that the last time Roy drew his bow and arrow, seemingly with all his might, he had single-handedly destroyed Marna's happy old home, effectively suppressing the Dark Knight—who could easily defeat Margaret and single-handedly quell a rebellion of over ten War Knights—leaving him unable to move and forced to yield.

What can she use to fight? She was no match for Roy to begin with. Against the longsword, she could still rely on the experience she gained from being beaten by Marna to barely manage to maneuver around using the attack range of her long whip, which was stronger with each inch of its length. But now, she had a mid-range weapon, while Roy had a long-range weapon, and she couldn't even pull him away.

Referee, are the fifteen minutes up yet? I'm thinking of surrendering.

After waiting for a while, Zofia still didn't launch an attack. Roy frowned in confusion, but ultimately decided not to give up the initiative and spoke up first:

"Zofia, since you're not going to attack, then I'm going to go for it."

“.......!” Zofia snapped back to reality. The next moment, Roy’s crossbow bolt was already nocked, the gleaming tip of the sword flashing with a chilling light, aimed at Zofia’s chest.

"boom!"

It was just an ordinary arrow, but it produced a loud, explosive sound like burning. Zofia hurriedly raised her hand, but before she could even get into a fighting stance, the arrow had already struck her chest armor.

"So fast!"

A gasp of alarm flashed through Zofia's mind, and a sharp pain shot through her chest. The instinctive reaction, almost ingrained in her muscles, compelled her to dodge. Leaning back and to the side, she used the curve of her armor to forcefully deflect the arrow that might have pierced it. A gust of wind swept past her ears, followed by a sharp screech. Zofia's long, tied-up hair, cascading down during this perilous dodge, was scattered, her golden locks broken and falling to the ground.

We dodged it! The special training worked!

Zofia felt a surge of surprise. This kind of lightning-fast contest had never been her forte. In the past, she would never have been able to make such a correct and swift reaction in such a short time. This was the result of the pain and sweat of the past few days!

Although it wasn't specifically designed for trained swords, the special training still improved her physical fitness and reaction time. Zofia successfully blocked Roy's first arrow, which was enough to excite her!

Roy didn't hold back his praise either. Looking at Zofia, whose eyes had become noticeably more determined, he sincerely complimented her:

"A brilliant reaction!"

"Then, the next arrow is coming."

"How could I possibly let you have it so easy?"

Zofia's cold shout silenced Roy's voice. She took a step forward and swung her long whip horizontally in a crescent shape, aiming directly at Roy's side waist.

This is the most difficult position for humans to defend. No matter which hand you use or what weapon you hold, it's not easy to block this position. Zofia's whip is one of the strongest weapons for attacking the side waist. When you advance, the sharp whip blade can easily cut through the waist armor and embed itself into the flesh. When you retreat, the whip's unique resilience can also wrap around the enemy's weapon or waist after being swung out. With just a gentle tug, the enemy can lose their balance.

This is Zofia's preferred fighting style, and it's also the only way Marna pointed out to her that could possibly defeat Roy—by taking advantage of Roy's carelessness or deliberate negligence to launch him out of the arena and end the fight.

The only way to win was right in front of her. Zofia gritted her teeth, her attention almost entirely focused on Roy's waist and abdomen. Roy's weapon was a bow, which meant that once the whip blade entered its attack range, given the characteristics of a bow, it would be difficult to cut and defend like a knife—there was a chance!

"It's impossible to knock him down head-on, but defeating him isn't entirely hopeless. In your so-called competitive matches, leaving the battlefield also means defeat!"

Marna's voice echoed in her ears, and Zofia understood.

"Drink!"

With a loud shout, Zofia accelerated suddenly, charging straight at Roy just before the whip blade struck his side. Her two-pronged attack aimed to kick Roy out of the arena while he was distracted by the whip!

That's right, even the whip blade was a feint. Only by giving up her most powerful weapon could she possibly lure Roy into a trap. And her initial goal was not to "knock down Roy," but to make Roy "leave the arena"!

“Good plan, Zofia.”

However, even with Zofia standing right in front of him, Roy remained calm and spoke softly.

"Just like I told you, your strengths are speed and a fierce offensive, and your weaknesses are power and endurance. You have indeed taken that to heart."

"Abandoning one's own disadvantages and hoping to catch me off guard with the most intense offensive and rapid pincer attack, thereby making up for the gap in strength and endurance between us, is a risky but creative tactic. To succeed, practice and hard work are indispensable."

He spoke slowly, taking a few steps back.

"But have you ever considered that the reason I can make such a judgment is because I'm faster than you?"

"?"

A punch was thrown, but there was no real feeling of hitting an object. Only air, nothing but air before her. The dazzling lights of the arena and the astonished faces in the stands stared back at her, but Roy, who should have been standing between them, was nowhere to be seen!

It took Zofia a full five seconds to realize what was happening—she had missed her target.

But how is that possible?

To his left was a long whip swinging towards him, in front of him was himself charging forward, his fists were swinging from right to left, and behind him was the stage of the audience. Theoretically speaking, all of Roy's dodge directions would result in him crashing into himself.

But it just disappeared?

"Behind him!" "Meteorite, behind Whipblade!" Roy and Mob's voices rang out at the same time. Zofia turned around abruptly, wanting to swing her whip and force Roy back, but as soon as she turned around, her forehead was pressed against a cold touch.

His pupils contracted, and what he saw was a cold, sharp light reflected in his eyes.

The arrow is on the bowstring, the arrow is aimed at the forehead!

"Checkmate."

Checkmate.

Book 1: Chapter 82 Diocletian Attempts to Block the Axis

"Checkmate! Checkmate! Meteor Knight has once again shown us his limitless potential!"

Mob's boasting echoed throughout the arena, but Charne shifted his gaze from the center of attention to the scarlet knight beside him.

"Dicaipolis, how about it? Did you see it clearly?"

Roy's matches are known for their speed. Aside from his astonishing two-hour battle with the Left-Handed Knight, his other matches rarely exceed ten to fifteen minutes. Yet, tickets are being resold for thousands, even tens of thousands of Kazimir rubles, and despite these prices, countless people flock to see them, making tickets extremely difficult to obtain. What everyone is after is the prestige of his "Meteor" title and his history-making playing style.

Just like the quarterfinal match that just ended, Roy's methods were so simple: hold back, wait for the right moment, hold back, accumulate strength, lure the enemy into a shot, quickly dodge, create distance, and then deliver the final blow, the arrow already on the bowstring, right there on Zofia's smooth forehead.

But while laymen only see the spectacle, experts see the intricacies. Capable professional agents like Charner and formidable racing riders like DiCaepolis are well aware of the immense skill and mental fortitude required to flawlessly anticipate and execute a tactical plan against an opponent of considerable strength within such a short timeframe.

Especially the last move, it was as if he disappeared into thin air on the field, and then flashed behind Zofia to directly checkmate her.