I Will Be the Greatest Knight

It only took three days for Irene to adjust to the schedule of going into the foothills at night. It would be her regular schedule for the next three weeks, Felix had assured her.

As she sat atop her horse at the bottom of the ancient wall segment, her eyes scanned the lands that were lit up by a crescent moon.

"I'm going to go further north!" she called to the apprentices sitting atop the wall. "You know what to do if you see something."

They would have to shoot a fire arrow into the grass. It wasn't too wet of a night, so she hoped that it would light easily. If not, she was keeping a keen eye out and would likely see the arc of a fire arrow before it touched the ground.

Rather than only one of them having the skills of archery, they were all being trained by her whenever she got the chance. She hadn't had the heart to pick up a bow ever since the woman who taught her how to wield it had been buried underground, but she could still help whoever needed training alongside Sir Sven, who still regularly used his bow.

Irene squeezed her knees, and Sammy went forth. Her attention on the valley remained, but she was still buried in so many thoughts.

She knew that she had abused her privileges as third in command by requesting they change things around for her sake, but she couldn't bring herself to face such a judgmental man as Earl Auden, considering she had never faced him as a woman before.

But it wasn't merely that.

It was hard for her to face people her entire duchy admired, even though he had done something as cowardly as leave his lands and personal knights behind just so he and his family could have a comfortable life in the capital while war raged on. She had heard reports from her father since their lands bordered the outskirts of the Auden's that a few of his knights had died. That, in turn, left a few maids unprotected, and they were killed after monsters were pushed further northeast as battle raged on near the Duke's Tower.

The monsters' patterns had been irreversibly changed for the foreseeable future, which was why it was so incredible that Commander Henry had the foresight to start all of the knights on a schedule that had them patrolling the duchy a few at a time. Their constant presence throughout made people feel more secure, and monsters hid deeper in the forests if they weren't slain the moment they were seen.

If her father accepted the invitation to go to the Duke's Tower, she would simply have to see him when he was over with the advisors' meeting. He would understand her reasoning for not wanting to get involved with the nobles because, most of the time, he didn't want to get involved with them either.

She stopped Sammy only when they were on the other side of the barracks. Her eyes went to the spot where Agnes had been buried and where the crumbled mana tower once stood. Even though she couldn't see them well when it was so dark outside, she had memorized the places where both things stood.

So much history and pain in this valley. That was why she was so intent on protecting it even still.

Where Irene sat on Sammy gave her the perfect view of the ancient wall where the apprentices were, but it also gave her a few of another place she couldn't help gazing at occasionally.

A few times, she noticed that the Commander's personal chambers were lit up well into the night. He was up late, but he was also up early. He never looked tired, yet she wondered if he was getting enough sleep despite doing such hard work for Chemois.

Had she ever stood close enough to him to even see if he was tired?

Even when they had meetings, the Knights of Hydrogia sat at his left side, and Felix sat at his right with her just next to the second in command. That was the closest she ever got to him. Perhaps she hadn't done enough to get used to him, but he still walked on eggshells around her, too.

She sighed audibly.

The only reason she cared about his well-being was that he had taken care of their knights and duchy so well. His being there had only benefited them. The scrutiny he faced for being a lowborn, they could all handle on their own.

She knew by now that she would defend him until the very end.

It was only when the candles went out in his room that she realized she had been staring for so long. Out of the corner of her eye, she had been paying attention to any signs of a fire arrow, but there had been none.

The night progressed without a hitch. The apprentices seemed tired, but fulfilled that they had stayed awake so well. She remembered feeling exactly like that whenever she was partnered with Leif. Those were the memories she could look fondly upon and smile at now.

Before they would get to eat their final meal that day and then rest, Irene and Sir Gunnar, who had been out that night as well, decided to attend practices. The apprentices had no choice.

The two knights both wore full suits, while everyone else who didn't patrol was in regular clothing. Rather than complaining, Irene looked at it as a challenge.

With the additional weight, she was almost guaranteed to remain faster than the others. Her strength would never deplete at this rate.

It was satisfying, feeling the burn in her shoulders with each additional repetitive swing of her sword. Even with a mere wooden sword, they had been going through with the drills so thoroughly, there was no choice but to be sweating by that point.

However, something interrupted their practice, and they turned where Felix was looking after he raised his hand and stopped the drills.

"Commander," a few of the apprentices greeted as the dark-haired Duke walked out of the back entrance.

Irene pulled up her visor and silently regarded the man. Was it because of his dark skin that it was hard to tell whether or not he was exhausted? That was her excuse for how perfectly fine he looked despite how late she had seen his light go off that night.

She knew she wasn't supposed to know that information, so she silently stored it away, hoping to forget it because there was no need for it.

"I hate to interrupt your morning schedule," the Commander began as he took up his place next to Felix, "but there's something I need to discuss with you for a few moments before the advisors are set to arrive at some point today."

Irene's curiosity grew, but she knew that this was all part of Felix and Commander Henry developing their trust with one another. She also hoped that the practice would be completed and she would be long asleep before any arrived. She had sent a letter to her father asking if he was attending, but she hadn't heard anything back.

Felix answered without hesitation.

"Yes, Commander," he agreed. But then he turned to the woman. "Irene, could you lead the drills this morning?"

Despite feeling a bit tired herself, Irene pulled off her helmet and offered a smile. She quickly walked forward.

"You can count on me, Felix," she responded eagerly. "Don't worry about us."

Felix gestured for her to go ahead.

However, Irene could feel the Commander's gaze burning into the side of her head, and she felt nervous. There was a bit of guilt lingering that she had been paying attention to him in such a way, yet she couldn't find it in herself to get comfortable with him.

Felix had joined the Commander's side, but Commander Henry still approached Irene.

"Thank you, dame," he uttered as he started to walk.

With him went his gaze, and she felt a bit more comfortable, but she still managed to say, "You're welcome, Commander."

Irene tossed her red braid over her shoulder, and she turned back toward the apprentices and the knight she was meant to lead. How strange it was to be leading Gunnar rather than the other way around.

She placed her helmet on the ground and continued calling the practices while doing the motions herself. There was no taking it easy in her mind. She was determined to get all she could out of the practices as much as the apprentices and the knight did.

However, once she was finished with practice and breakfast, she still couldn't forget what the Commander and Felix had gotten up to.

Even when she rested and woke up again in the evening to attend another night patrol, her curiosity was still eating at her. She went to the dining hall quickly so that she could see if Felix was there.

He was at a table mostly alone, so she grabbed a bowl of stew quickly and joined him.

Rather than saying much of anything, Felix merely lifted his head and nodded at her. After having talked to the Commander that day and being around a lot of people, he was fine to have a few moments of solitude. However, that solitude didn't include Irene. She could bother him whenever she wanted because she was his dearest friend.

He thought she would simply eat, but instead, she began her questioning.

"Did you have a good time with the Commander?" she asked, not so subtly but not trying to be.

"Why? Something caught your eye?" he joked.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I don't want any explicit details because I don't want your trust between one another to be compromised, but is the Commander planning on getting more involved with the nobles?" she asked. "Our last Duke's biggest flaws were how intertwined he was with the Royal Family. It made him unable to make his own decisions. When he did, seldom were they what was best for our home."

Felix's eyebrows rose. She certainly had a point.

However, Felix had seen magical orbs directly from the cores of dragons that day. The rumors that their Commander had faced and killed dragons were all but confirmed. Even though Commander Henry claimed that he had only killed one and found the other, that day he was far more impressed with the Commander than he could have ever expected in his entire life.1

"I assure you, it isn't anything like that," Felix promised. "But this man has far more up his sleeve than you could ever imagine. We will get the futures we have all desired."

Irene stared in disbelief as Felix shook his head and laughed. It seemed there was a weight lifted off of his shoulders. She desired to feel the same way.