I Will Be the Greatest Knight

"Nothing. Even in the foothills."

Sir Felix pulled off his helmet and let out a sigh. He was unsure if he was liking this peace or if he was getting bored. The travel back to Chemois had been unbelievably easy the last few days. They were just making it to the border between Chemois and the wild, undisputed lands around Nickron and Polona.

Irene and Felix sat on top of their horses as they finished patrolling the eastern mountains, which were normally quite packed with monsters. Even in the off-season, it was easy to find nests full of goblins. Ogres were rarer because the forests in the area were thinner and there were fewer places to hide.

"I suppose we should be grateful then," Irene relented. "Sylaron did a good job of chasing out all the creatures. If she returns to Chemois with us, then perhaps we can look forward to that there as well."

"The average person would surely like a duchy devoid of monsters, but I think the knights would get rather bored," Felix insisted. "But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Chemois's landscape is the perfect place for monsters to remain hidden. Plenty of caves to hide in and forested areas."

"Then I suppose the knighthood's next duty will be to make sure that she doesn't burn down our forests while she searches for them," Irene joked. "We'll trade our swords for buckets of water."

She had her helmet off and kept it balanced on her lap as she squeezed her knees and asked Sammy to move forward and down the hill. They needed to return to the camp anyway.

Felix followed his friend as he narrowed her eyes, then groaned at her humor. "If she can start the fires, I bet the Commander can make her put them out as well."

"Well, don't make the knighthood obsolete," Irene chided. "We have to find ways to continue being funded by our Commander's deep pockets."

However, her grin told him that she was obviously kidding.

By that point, they were nearing their abnormally large camp of combined knighthoods, and Sir Trenton caught a bit of what they were saying.

"Don't think you'll have to be too worried," he admitted. "Once the mages get their hands on the dragon orb, his treasury will be lined well."

Irene slipped off her horse, and Felix did the same. As they took their saddlebags, Bren was eager to take their horses from them and allow them to rest with the others.

"I've always wondered how Nickron has such seemingly endless funds," Irene admitted. "I've always believed in paying mages what their magic is worth, but there are many more who disagree with that. They won't even allow the use of magic around themselves if they're particularly pious."

There was a silence that fell over the camp as the various people contemplated her words.

Surprisingly, it was Siverly who spoke next.

"As long as the southerners can keep their mouths shut, I would be willing to fill in the gaps of your knowledge," he suggested. "Not that anyone in Hydrogia would believe you if you told them, anyway."

For a moment, the Knights of Chemois eyed their southern brothers with a bit of suspicion. They were closer to the King than those who had been forgotten in the north for so long.

Alix felt it necessary to speak up for his men.

"Do you think it would be possible to be led by Commander Lothian if we were some sort of loyalists to His Majesty?" the second in command asked. "If we were worried about the King's favor or opinion, we would have been the moralless Royal Knights just as my cousin."

There was resounding agreement through the camp, and Alix seemed satisfied that everyone had much of the same thoughts. Even the older knights of Commander Lothian's order weren't above criticizing the monarch, even if it was very much illegal. They felt a bit vindicated being this far away from Central Hydrogia.

"Very well," Siverly responded.

He had already been sure they were far enough from Nickron that any sort of magic devices or traces of mana were nowhere to be found, so he wasn't worried about eavesdroppers.

As he spoke, he traced the dirt on the ground next to the fire with a stick, giving him the appearance of uninterest, but his words were filled with enough emotion that the knights knew it was otherwise.

"If you think that His Majesty doesn't have his hands deeply involved in the world of magic, you are sorely mistaken. There is nothing in this entire kingdom that doesn't have his involvement in it. Despite how he may present himself, he has eyes and reach in all corners. He's far more sinister than anyone could imagine. Nickron is paid well to keep secrets. It has been that way for generations. The mages don't want them in his business as much as he doesn't want people to know that he's involved in something that would paint him as a hypocrite."

At this revelation, there was silence through the camp again, and the expressions of the knights and apprentices who had been eagerly listening in were a bit hardened, further emphasized by the setting sun.

They all had complicated feelings when it came to His Majesty because they had seen the way he unfairly treated both Henry and Callum due to their lack of an "impressive" bloodline. Tied to the Knights of Chemois' feeling that they had been forgotten by the King for a long period of time, everyone was deep in thought and unwilling to say much more than that.

"I could only imagine what goes on in such a place," Irene admitted, breaking the silence.

"You truly can only imagine," Siverly agreed. "It is unlike any other place in the world, but their strictness is stifling."

Irene couldn't help hoping that perhaps one day they would allow outsiders to witness what they kept so well-hidden.

"Now I suppose it's best we get our dinners ready. There's quite a lot of us," Alix chose to be decisive since the mage's words had put everyone in thoughtful moods. "The apprentices have been working hard as always."

The apprentices, except for Bren, who had busied himself with the knights' animals, proved their dutiful natures by bringing out bowls for the knights. Before they could leave Idona, there was a seller with a wagon full of rooted vegetables that were heavy but didn't spoil for a very long time so they were great for travel.

Hopefully the knights wouldn't tire of carrot stew mixed with whatever meat they found on the way. That night, it was deer. Early autumn was the perfect time for hunting larger game.

Just as during the Monster War, the apprentices continued proving themselves by working together and needing little oversight as they took care of the knights all through Chemois and until they reached the northwestern corner where the Duke's Tower stood in fog, waiting for the arrival of all the knights set to stay for an undetermined amount of time.

It seemed that someone had spotted their arrival, considering the vast plains they had to cross after one of the forests further out in the east, because the Commander rushed out of the front entrance and stood outside.

As usual for the young Commander, he didn't wear clothing of a duke that was finely crafted or containing any sort of exuberance. Rather, his cream colored tunic was rather plain, and the brown string that tied it closed towards the top of his chest was worn in. His pants were work pants and easy to get around in.

And despite how humble his clothing was, the grin on his face that crinkled his eyes caused relief to wash through Irene's entire soul. Whatever happened in the south, he hadn't completely lost.

The fluttering of the young woman's heart caused her to tighten her grip on her reins and silently curse. She thought their distance would have taken care of her ridiculous crush, but seeing the door open, she had been so eager to see him.

This thing he could never find out about. This ridiculous and impossible crush.