I Will Be the Greatest Knight
Chapter 200: In Need of Supplies

Chapter 200: In Need of Supplies

Without proper coats and clothing, the group had to sit shoulder to shoulder to preserve warmth. Their swords remained ready, and their eyes stayed on the Duke’s Tower.

What was once a safe haven had changed in meaning.

"Shouldn’t we try to go to a village?" Irene asked.

"How far do you imagine we go without any of our supplies?" Felix snapped. "We’re going to freeze to death at this rate."

It was true. They were all shivering as they waited for the hopefully warm morning sun to reach them. They would occasionally switch positions of who was outside and who was inside to keep things fair. No matter where Irene was in the group, she felt a coldness that struck her all the way to her core.

What was most alarming to her was that there wasn’t a person who didn’t occasionally cough. Not only were they freezing, but their throats were irritated from the black smoke. It felt like a miserably hopeless situation.

At this, she couldn’t help disagreeing with Felix.

"Instead, we’re backed against a wall and as good as targets," Irene insisted. "We can’t go into the barracks, and we can’t go into the Duke’s Tower. What will we do instead?"

Her tone took on an edge that caused Felix to want to argue, but Gunnar snapped and stopped the two.

"Enough," he ordered. "For now, we will remain here. The monsters will cease activity during the day. I won’t force anyone to go back into the barracks, but we need our supplies for tents. We will do what we can to survive here. It shouldn’t be long until the other knights arrive. I will not leave the Duke’s Tower and allow the monsters to win."

"I will remain protecting these lands," Sir Sven agreed.

"As will I," Sir Eitan said.

Since the knights were so brave and the apprentices were acting out of fear, they decided to shut their mouths and follow the lead of the men they followed. They would remain where the knights were. Even if it was hard, it was their duty to protect the north and make sure the monsters didn’t escape the lands.

As long as they were staying in the tower and not leaving, that should be alright, shouldn’t it?

Irene was blinking slowly by the time the sun rose. She was exhausted beyond belief, and her arms were tired from holding her sword for hours.

Since they could see more clearly around them, they decided to sheath their weapons until there was an actual threat.

They all seemed to relax and sat down in the grass as the sun finally reached them. It felt like they were thawing out.

Irene nearly fell to the ground and lay on her back, but she managed to resist the childish urge. Instead, she looked up at Sir Gunnar for instruction. What were they meant to do next?

Knowing the others were waiting for answers, the knight knew that he had to think quickly.

"We must retrieve our supplies from the barracks," he decided, echoing his sentiments from before. "We fought hard to get them in the first place, and I refuse for those efforts to go to waste."

"There must be a way we can get the horses," Sir Sven mused. "There are carts behind the stables. We can move supplies with that. However, only a few of us will be able to deal with the horses while the rest will have to fight the goblins, undoubtedly hiding in every dark place. We will soon get to a season where the goblins will be out during the day. I don’t expect these ones to hibernate for the winter. We must make haste."

"Then I will ask that four groups go into the barracks and bring down supplies while two go to the stables and try to take out as many horses as possible," Gunnar explained. "Get them in coats. I assume there are goblins inside of the stables as well."

Irene, Leif, and two other apprentices decided they would go to the stables while the rest endured the barracks, which would likely be a more difficult task. Since they were familiar with the stables, it made sense.

That, and Irene wanted to check on Sorrel. Even though he was a well-trained animal, he could still occasionally get spooked.

With plans set in stone, they all went to the Duke’s Tower together, their eyes not leaving the massive structure for long, knowing that there were monsters inside. It had only gotten worse since the first time they entered the tower. They saw many that went from the basement break through the back doors. Still, some remained in the barracks.

There was no other way to describe it than an infestation.

When they found themselves at the edge of the practice yard, Gunnar turned to his apprentice and gave her a nod.

"Return to the barracks the moment you have the horses together," he said. "We will need all the help we can get."

"Yes, sir," she responded. But to Sir Gunnar’s surprise, she also said "Please be safe" in a voice that wavered, and the knight felt awful.

"You as well," he responded.

With that, they were off in separate directions. No matter what, they all faced their destinations with determination to survive, and that was all that mattered at that point.

Sure enough, as they made it to the side of the stable where the largest entrance was located, there were a few boards missing, which indicated goblins could get in and out of the space if they wanted to.

As Leif and Irene swung the door open, the slightly less experienced apprentices standing just behind them, there was an expected sight of disarray.

Some of the pens had been broken, and the horses who were let out gathered in the corner.

The apprentices unsheathed their swords and started moving inside, but Leif and Irene blocked them.

"Just wait a moment," Irene insisted.

Sure enough, a clicking noise was heard, and monsters hiding in the opposite corner towards the door soon revealed themselves.