I Will Be the Greatest Knight
Chapter 185: Listening to His Apprentice

Chapter 185: Listening to His Apprentice

There was an internal divide as Irene got into her clothing for that day and considered the options in front of her.

She could merely see that dream as just that and ignore it, hoping that what they were doing was enough to find the Duchess with the ashes and possibly the sword. She could also tell Gunnar that she thinks the Duchess was still in the duchy.

But what evidence did she have other than a mere thought?

The girl stepped into the hallway and peered down either side. She didn’t see anyone else since she had woken up a bit early, and she quickly walked down the hall and then the stairs.

Even if she didn’t have evidence, she thought that a warning was still necessary. It would be far worse if she thought she had information and did nothing about it.

As she made it outside, she was relieved to see an expected sight.

Sir Gunnar always practiced before the apprentices to warm himself up. He didn’t feel it would be fair to put the apprentices through hell while he slacked off. A practiced knight was a good knight, after all.

Irene watched him cautiously, deciding to take a longer route around the yard so he would see her and not think that she was trying to sneak up on him. Understandably so, the knight had been on edge.

When her presence was known, Gunner tilted his head upwards in a brief nod.

"Get a practice sword," he ordered.

She did as she was told and even raised it once she was in front of the knight once more, however, she also bowed her head.

"I believe you ought to hear me out first, sir," she admitted. "There is something I recall the Duchess saying."

She wondered if it would seem as if she was lying because she was speaking so hesitantly. The more she worked with Sir Gunnar, the more he was able to read her. He was practically an extension of her father at that point.

"Go on."

"There was a time she was arguing with someone when she wanted to leave," Irene admitted. "She insisted that she wasn’t going far because she no longer had business south. It’s probably nothing, but that’s what I remember. Sorry for not saying something before. I only just remembered it after going to bed last night."

Gunnar’s sword was held out in front of him already, and his muscular shoulders were bracing for impact, but he relaxed his arms slightly at the girl’s words.

"You mean to say that she wanted to leave before?" he wondered.

"She had a habit of leaving every so often," Irene admitted. "It didn’t seem like anything to me in the past, but what if she is still within the duchy? I understand that the knights here that night went into the forests and searched for any signs of travel on the ground, but found nothing. What if we merely didn’t look far enough away?"

Gunnar, by that point, had put down his sword entirely.

His thoughts were full of what the girl had just brought to him.

"There haven’t been monsters in this area in quite some time," the knight mused. "Nothing of significance that any knight or apprentice couldn’t handle."

He raised his sword once more and offered the girl a spar. She stepped closer and tapped her wooden sword against his.

"What are you suggesting, sir?" she wondered.

Only moments after giving her a show of good sportsmanship, Gunnar thrust the wooden blade forward, nearly getting Irene in the shoulder if it weren’t for her fast response of jumping backwards and turning her body away.

It gave her an opportunity to right herself, and she brought a sideways slash to the knight. He only blocked it with his leather glove that went halfway to his elbow. He grimaced, having gotten used to wearing metal greaves.

"Touring the duchy this summer instead of remaining here," he admitted.

However, he stepped his left foot forward at the same time he swiped his blade from the right. Since Irene was dodging by jumping to the side, she tripped over his boot. At least she still dodged the blade.

"At least the duchy’s subjects will think our only reason is to hunt for monsters," he admitted. "We will use it to look for signs of Her Grace. I don’t trust that she doesn’t have something up her sleeve."

Tripping caused Irene to fall onto one knee, but the lower level gave her an opportunity to slap Gunnar’s legs with her sword. When he was incapacitated for a moment, she jumped up and moved backwards, bracing herself for his next strike, but it never came.

"Would the others be willing for the sudden trip?" he wondered out loud, lowering his sword once more.

"Of course they would be, sir," she responded. "They are always up for an adventure."

"I will need to discuss it with the other knights..." he continued.

"Yes, sir."

"Which means that you apprentices will have to practice by yourselves this morning," he decided.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "Are you saying you want to leave soon?"

"Today, if at all possible."

She stared at him with her mouth hanging slightly open, but when he tossed his practice sword to her, she snapped back to the present.

As the others started coming out of the barracks for the morning practice, it was interesting that she and Felix gravitated towards the front after she told the others that Gunnar wanted them to practice without him.

Only after they were dripping with sweat and exhausted from running themselves to the ground after truly throwing themselves into practice did the knights appear before them.

Three knights for three apprentices.

The rest of them were forced to go on with their duties.

When Sir Gunnar, Sir Sven, and Sir Eitan were in front of the three apprentices who would accompany them across the duchy until it got cold outside, were they finally ready to discuss what was next for them.

Taking the highest position, Sir Gunnar began.

"It has come to my attention that Her Grace could possibly be somewhere in the duchy," he explained. "The mages sent a communication to Commander Lothian to keep the Knights of Hydrogia’s eyes out for Her Grace. The church at the top of the mountain pass also said that there hadn’t been a travel party to cross that way. We will go under the guise of seeking monsters, but I need each and every one of you looking for even the slightest sign of the Duchess, the Chemoian sword, or our Commander’s ashes."

"Does that mean we will be missing Commander’s funeral?" Felix asked, shocked.

"There is no funeral without the remains," Gunnar responded. "The Duke deserves to rest someplace."