Episode 181
“A fight is a pure contest of strength and skill honed over time. There’s no room for pseudo-elements like prophecy or mind-reading! Let’s prove it now.”
Jebe, the vanguard of the Mongol army and the most trusted confidant of Genghis Khan, revered as the greatest warrior, showed not a hint of hesitation.
The moment he heard the Europeans shouting in their broken Mongolian for him to come out, his body reacted instinctively.
Genghis Khan had intended to be more cautious, but this time, Jebe couldn’t back down.
There was no need to shoot an arrow.
Since before he could even remember, he had been riding horses, and he was more comfortable maneuvering a horse than moving his own legs. His horsemanship was unmatched.
It wasn’t just Jebe who felt this way; any warrior born and raised on the steppes would think the same.
He couldn’t imagine anyone foolish enough to challenge a warrior so confident in mounted combat.
Some might call it romantic, but in reality, it was just the folly of those who didn’t know their place.
See the future? Read minds?
So what?
Even when Tiraun gave him a warning laced with exaggeration, Jebe wasn’t bothered.
Knowing what’s to come doesn’t change anything.
If you can’t react to the overwhelming force and speed, it doesn’t matter.
He had already assessed the level of his enemies through numerous encounters with the Western Xia, Khwarezm, and the Ayyubids.
He had heard that the Islamic cavalry were confident in their horsemanship and were indeed known for their formidable cavalry forces, but still.
They weren’t terrible.
Despite his pride, he didn’t underestimate his opponents and maintained an objective stance.
The cavalry of Khwarezm and the Ayyubids were commendable, and they wouldn’t be looked down upon anywhere.
But that was it. Compared to the elite of the Mongol army, they were clearly inferior.
If Europe were far superior to Islam, they wouldn’t have been locked in such a protracted war over Jerusalem, so their level must be similar.
Those who had lived a life of luxury, selectively riding horses, couldn’t possibly outmatch him on horseback.
Such a natural confidence of the heart.
He didn’t like the fuss about possibly shooting arrows.
Moreover, the confidence of the opponent, who seemed provoked and abandoned their only advantage of heavy armor, was irritating.
‘It’s been a long time since I’ve had a one-on-one duel like this. My blood is boiling.’
Dueling between commanders had long since disappeared in the East, only appearing in old hero stories beloved by the Han.
At first, he thought the West still had such customs, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
In that sense, he decided to show some respect to the enemy commander, who, despite being a king, didn’t hesitate to engage in such a duel.
Finally, the two faced each other at a slight distance, neither letting their guard down as they assessed one another.
Even from afar, it was clear that the opponent was well-trained, with muscles developed to an impressive degree.
He had to abandon the notion of him being just a king…
“Richard the First.”
”…?”
“You can understand a name, can’t you? I am Richard the First.”
Though he couldn’t understand the first part, the gesture of pointing to himself suggested he was introducing his name.
Feeling a rare sense of freshness, Jebe chuckled and tapped his chest, speaking briefly.
“Jebe. A name bestowed by the Great Khan, the ruler of the world.”
With introductions over, there was no need to hesitate.
The atmosphere shifted immediately, as if the opponent had the same thought.
Whoosh.
An axe flew through the air, aiming precisely for his neck.
For a moment, Jebe instinctively tried to block it head-on, but his instincts screamed a loud warning, causing him to deflect Richard’s axe to the side.
‘What insane… strength.’
A split-second decision saved his life.
Even though he deflected the axe’s path with a curved motion, the impact was so strong that his entire palm tingled.
If he had tried to block it directly, his right hand might have lost all feeling from that single blow.
“You deflected it?”
Though he couldn’t understand the words, the opponent seemed surprised and immediately launched another attack.
If he swung his weapon with such force, it was no wonder the Islamic soldiers fell like autumn leaves.
The rumors were not exaggerated, and the tension he felt was unlike anything he’d experienced before.
The notion of him being a naive youth from Europe was swept away with the axe that had just missed him.
Feeling that even a moment’s lapse could lead to death, he tightened his grip on his weapon.
‘Facing such brute strength head-on is not an option.’
There were many ways to handle an opponent without confronting them directly.
Jebe immediately changed his strategy, focusing on deflecting or dodging Richard’s attacks.
If they weren’t on horseback, such maneuvers would be impossible, but neither of them was standing on solid ground.
Though they had only exchanged a few blows, Jebe had already gauged Richard’s skill.
In a direct confrontation, the opponent had the upper hand.
But in terms of horsemanship, he was superior.
Thus, by using his horse to evade and deflect attacks, he could eventually find an opening.
Whoosh.
As he turned his head to the right, an axe passed by with a force that could have decapitated him if it had even grazed him.
If he hadn’t deflected it with a curved motion, he wouldn’t have been able to dodge it properly and would have died.
The scent of death, long forgotten, naturally lifted the corners of his mouth and made his heart race.
This was it.
The exhilaration he hadn’t felt while unifying the steppes and commanding an army of tens of thousands.
With a thrill greater than any exquisite wine, Jebe became completely absorbed in the battle before him.
It wasn’t just Jebe who felt the thrill of facing a challenging opponent for the first time in ages.
Richard, relentlessly swinging his weapon and pressing the attack, was experiencing similar emotions.
‘This is interesting.’
Whoosh!
Even when he swung his axe or thrust with his spear, the opponent dodged like a ghost or deflected with minimal effort.
This was a fundamentally different opponent from the Khwarezmian amirs who had been split like rotten trees.
Whether it was a horizontal slash, a vertical cut, a thrust, or a feint, none of his attacks landed satisfactorily.
‘He dodged that too?’
The initial frustration was gradually turning into admiration.
He was curious enough to want to ask how a person could move so freely on horseback.
If the opponent had merely been performing acrobatics to dodge, he wouldn’t have felt this way.
Bang!
Even while dodging, if Richard’s movements became slightly exaggerated or overextended, the opponent would counterattack like lightning.
The recent attack had been threatening enough to make him sigh in relief.
From the outside, it might seem like he was pushing the opponent back, but in reality, he was enveloped in tension, knowing that a moment’s lapse could lead to his throat being torn out.
It was a kind of crisis he had never felt before, yet his mind was becoming clearer, and he felt a rising excitement that made him want to laugh.
If he could win this fight, if he could make this opponent kneel.
No one in Europe would be able to boast of achievements comparable to Richard’s.
Today was the day he could achieve the greatest battle and the greatest victory of his life.
‘No matter how long it takes, let’s enjoy this until the sun sets completely.’
He could fight like this all day.
The true enjoyment was just beginning.
By the time both sides lost track of how long the duel had lasted.
Genghis Khan, wiping the sweat from his brow, realized that his palms were also drenched with sweat.
“Water.”
It wasn’t just the sweat; the tension was parching his throat.
If he were the one fighting, he wouldn’t be this anxious, but just watching made him feel like his life was being shortened.
Especially when Jebe, visible in the distance, seemed on the verge of being skewered by the opponent’s spear, his heart sank.
Every time a threatening scene unfolded, his subordinates let out groans and clutched their chests.
Of course, there were moments of brilliant counterattacks, and when they happened, everyone cheered and applauded.
‘This is why I didn’t want to allow a one-on-one duel, it’s maddening.’
If anyone other than Jebe had suggested it, Genghis Khan would never have sent his cherished subordinate into such an uncertain fight.
But Jebe’s resolve was so firm that he couldn’t retract it.
Forcing his subordinate to back down would have had a significant negative impact on morale.
In truth, if Jebe could defeat the enemy quickly, that would be ideal, but even if he couldn’t, there were plenty of plans in place.
The only potential variable was if Jebe were to be taken down in an instant without even a chance to react, but such a scenario was so unlikely that it wasn’t even worth considering.
“I think we’ve waited long enough. If we’re not careful, this could be over soon.”
Sensing that the time had come as the battle grew fiercer, Genghis Khan turned his gaze toward Subutai.
Understanding the Great Khan’s intent, Subutai nodded and spurred his horse forward.
“Warriors of the steppe! Look! Those arrogant Europeans boasted that there was no warrior here who could stand against them, but our warrior Jebe is proving them wrong with every fiber of his being! Now it’s our turn to show them! Unleash the fighting spirit you’ve been holding back as you watched the duel! It’s time to make them realize their own powerlessness!”
“Uooooooh!”
“Follow Jebe!”
Though the duel wasn’t over, Subutai had never intended to watch it to the end anyway.
Subtly rousing the soldiers’ spirits, Subutai quickly issued the order to charge.
“Let’s sweep them away!”
“Leave none alive!”
Responding to the call, the vanguard swiftly formed ranks and surged forward.
Some might call it a dishonorable tactic, but in battle, there’s no such thing as fair play.
Moreover, the intent behind this order wasn’t merely to catch the enemy off guard.
Instead of charging with the soldiers as he usually did, Subutai slowed his pace, observing the enemy’s movements from behind.
In that brief moment, as he watched to see how the enemy would react to their maneuver, the Crusaders responded as if they had been waiting for it, catching Subutai’s eye with their swift counteraction.
“Could it be… did they really foresee this?”
Even for a strategist of his caliber, Subutai couldn’t help but assign meaning to every move, not knowing the full context.
Misunderstandings began to spiral.
Like ink spreading rapidly in a glass of water, the poison Marshall had unleashed started to take hold.