The Guard commander's lance had also struck my shield's center of gravity precisely.
As if all the energy had been wrung out of me, the strength seemed to drain from my body.
When Ted and Oscar ran over, I could see that the Guard commander had also fallen from his horse. In other words, the moment we collided, both riders had fallen simultaneously. In such cases, we compete again without paying ransom. But having fallen twice, my shoulder hurt badly.
Despite breaking my fall, I couldn't completely disperse the impact.
The force had been considerable. The tournament heavy armor seemed to press down on me like a rock. I'd entered the tournament for Hilda, but wasn't this enough? For a beginner to advance to the fourth round in the first place was close to a miracle. No one would blame me for giving up.
...Give up? What was I thinking?
Like being struck by lightning, my mind suddenly snapped awake.
Was I this weak? From just this much?
