I Will Be the Greatest Knight
Chapter 60: Monster Presentations

Chapter 60: Monster Presentations

Unless called upon, the knighthood found quickly that the mages were recluses who didn’t appear unless called upon. Divided into two guest rooms in the Duke’s personal area of the Duke’s Tower, the mages would appear at odd times for a book or various meals.

For the apprentices to be able to continue their studies in the library, they had to unknowingly chase out a few mages who were only revealed to be hiding amongst the shelves when Sir Gunnar resumed their monster studies one day early in the snow season.

After the minor disturbance had made itself scarce, they could begin their presentations about their assigned monsters and beasts.

"Dragons," Felix began. "After not having been seen alive for decades, these large scaled beasts are considered extinct by the mages of Nikron who reside just north of their last known habitat, Polona. Which is located in the far east."

To prove his point, he turned and pointed in the direction he thought it was, but Leif was the first to speak up.

"That’s south, Felix."

"I was testing you," the older apprentice scoffed. "Anyway... Aged dragon blood is still used as poison to this day and is said to burn people alive from the inside out. This is because dragons are born of fire and destruction which is how they breathe fire and can withstand high temperatures. They are said to be covered in scales that match the natural metals in the ground they are born alongside. I have seen a few scales but they were a dull silver. Not as interesting as I would have hoped."

The apprentice shrugged but continued.

"If I were to track one in its natural habitat, which used to be everywhere, I would simply look for things on fire. All monsters are scared of them as well. To kill the damned beast I would sneak up to it while it’s sleeping and cut its mana core out of its softer underbelly with a knife made of dragon scales. It is said to be the only thing that can efficiently cut through dragon skin. Now clap because I’m finished."

Irene glanced at the others but since Sir Gunnar gave a short round of applause, the others did as well and she decided to offer a few claps of her own. It wasn’t a surprise that he would be so comfortable speaking in front of the others.

"Well done, Felix," Gunnar relented. "Iro, it’s your turn."

She had her paper organized but she wasn’t sure she would need it for anything other than to keep herself occupied while she was at the front.

"Wyrms are—"

"Louder!" Felix shouted, earning a glare from the girl.

For some reason, his annoying request made her blood boil and she became suddenly motivated to do better than him. Even though he was a showman, she could prove herself smarter than him and much more eloquent.

"Wyrms are a cousin of dragons," she began. "However, the main difference is that wyrms are from the colder regions such as beyond the mountains north of Chemois where my ancestors once lived. Back then, my ancestors called them ormr in their language."

She pointed just like Felix, but her point was in the correct direction which elicited a chuckle out of Gunnar who covered it with a light cough.

"Because of their snakelike bodies, a lot of people suspected that they were similar to snakes in that the cold would cause them to be slower," she explained. "It was only when a great Sünsto warrior faced a wyrm and was able to find out firsthand that their skin is hot to the touch so much so that they would burrow under the deep snow and ice because they would naturally melt everything until they would touch earth then snow would blanket on top of them. That is also why they have white backs and dark blue stomachs because they need to be hidden in the snow from above."

Leif couldn’t help himself and raised a hand. They had permission from Gunnar to ask questions if something piqued their interest, after all.

Irene was surprised to see him acknowledging her. Ever since she had gotten hurt, she felt he was acting distant, but didn’t know if she was being paranoid.

"Yes?" Irene asked.

"Has your father ever faced one?" Leif asked.

Irene had to hold back a smirk, although she felt she didn’t do a good job because Leif seemed embarrassed shortly after the words left his lips.

"Actually, no," Irene admitted, "but my grandmother said that their reason for moving to the south was because a dormant wyrm was underneath the small township they had established." Leif seemed disappointed but he went silent so she continued. "If I were to seek out a wyrm myself, I would look for hot springs because the hot bubbles are said to be the breath of a wyrm attempting to wake up. To defeat one, it would be similar to what Felix has suggested with dragons. However, I would need a sword embedded with a golden mana stone to protect me from fire because once I pierce its purple core, it is said to be as hot as the sun."

That was enough to elicit impressed looks from some of the other apprentices so Irene took it as a win.

"Good job, Iro," Gunnar responded from where he sat at the end of the table. He then led a round of applause for her as well since they had done so for Felix.

The knight’s eyes scanned the other apprentices. Since the squires who were there before had returned to their respective homes for the winter, he was able to call on Leif.

As Irene sat back down, she bid her friend good luck. When there was a moment of calmness after feeling like her heart would race right out of her chest, she noticed that Felix interrupting her at the beginning of her presentation made her relax and stop being so in her head.

There were times he showed her just how kind he was but it was wrapped in a package of jokes and lightheartedness that no one could ever tell his true self.

As they listened to Leif’s presentation about ogres, Irene realized how truly nervous the other child was. He wasn’t outgoing like Felix and had a habit of trying to prove himself to others. Perhaps it was the older version of her brain that was speaking for her but she wondered if he stopped questioning himself he might be a more confident apprentice and be noticed by a knight much more quickly. Then he would be able to be knighted faster.

Her brain was more focused on being jealous that he could be a knight first than her friend’s presentation and the girl realized that she should ask something about his as well.

"If goblins hide in caves in winter, where do ogres go?" she wondered.

It caused the other apprentice to place his papers on the table in front of him and spread them out in a slight panic before he found the answer.

"Swamps, of course," he responded as if he had known the answer all along. "They will freeze in the mud if they have to and wake up once they thaw out once more."

"How eerie," Irene muttered.

She didn’t know just how useful the information would be to her in the future.