I Will Be the Greatest Knight
Chapter 83: Breaking Point

Chapter 83: Breaking Point

The travelers’ new orders meant that they had to go down a different path entirely from what was expected. However, that also meant that they would be able to stay in an inn much sooner than expected as well.

Considering how they all looked after weeks and weeks of traveling and spending much of their time outside, the apprentices were certainly due for a bath. Irene didn’t want to say it out loud, but the older Leif and Felix got, the worse they seemed to smell.

With all of Leif’s voice cracks lately whenever he felt awkward and the way Felix seemed to have grown half a foot since she met him the year before, she wondered if that was just the normal path for boys. Would they ever wonder why she didn’t grow as they did? She often tried to lower her voice a little bit, but would it not be enough one day?

Surprisingly, she hoped that they simply thought she was small and weak forever and didn’t pay any more attention to it than that.

As usual, Irene was insistent on rushing to a bath set up by one of the maids since the knights and apprentices always wanted to sleep in a communal room. It was the only place she was given a bit of privacy and she relished in the few moments where she could take care of herself and be more gentle than the life she was used to beyond that.

After scrubbing out her wavy hair and washing herself from head to toe, she heard impatient knocks on the door.

"You’re taking forever!" Felix shouted. "The maid will be back with more water soon."

"I’m trying to make sure I don’t smell quite as badly as you do!" Irene called back.

"Hey!" Felix shouted, but he didn’t argue.

She smirked victoriously after dumping the last bit of the pitcher of water over her head as she stood up in the wooden basin full of now dirty, sudsy water.

When she was finished, she was fast to dry off and get into night clothing that was suitable for an inn. Since they had been sleeping outdoors most of the time, her things to choose from were a bit shabby and lacking. She didn’t know if she cared as a girl or if even a boy should care about these things.

With a shrug and relenting that she didn’t need to look good because she would attract more people like Rose, Irene left the bathroom and brought her things to the small bed she had chosen in the corner of the room. It was away from everyone but closest to the fire. If she was going to be in an inn, she wanted to feel spoiled for at least a while.

To no one’s surprise, Sir Gunnar stood up from where he sat on his bed, having not been able to bathe yet and he went towards the door.

"I will be seeking more information," he explained. "Stay here and don’t cause any trouble or I will be sure to find another noble lady to bother the three of you. Although, some of you might like that a little too much."

The man scowled at Leif and Felix a bit more than Irene before making himself scarce. The comments of the boys weren’t lost on him. Usually, Leif was immune to that type of conversation but boys always grew. The knight knew better than anyone that imaginations grew alongside boys as they turned to men.

By that point, Irene was twelve, Felix was seventeen, and Leif was thirteen.

Felix shut himself into the bathroom after the maid came by with fresh water and drained all of the dirty water outside of the building. Only in the capital, Central Hydrogia, in the south did they have water that came easier than maids having to fetch it and warm it from wells.

There was silence for a while as Leif and Irene both drifted into their own thoughts.

When Felix came out of the bathroom a short while later, he was running his hands through his shaggy blonde hair.

"I bet Sir Gunnar goes down to the tavern and finds someone pretty to cuddle up with," he said. "Who would want to hang out with apprentices day in and day out?"

"Honorable knights," Irene uttered from where she lay on her bed and rolled over. "You’ll never understand, I’m sure."

"Are you still angry with me for insinuating that Rose would suit you as a wife one day?" he mocked.

Irene finally sat up at that.

"I’m not angry with you," she responded. "I simply know where your priorities lie."

"Compared to you, I’m well-practiced and I’ve been fighting with a sword for longer than you could walk," Felix boasted. "I can relax every now and then."

"I wouldn’t be so sure," Irene argued. "My father gave me a sword before I could hardly walk. I will never be distracted by others which means one day I will eclipse you in talent. Height doesn’t mean anything."

"Spar," Felix uttered.

That was all it took for Irene to spring up from her bed and she ripped her sheathed sword off of her belt. However, she was not idiotic enough to unsheath it. They would battle it out with sheathed swords if they had to. They were harsher than wooden swords and would at least prove their point.

"Seriously?" Leif asked from where he observed from his bed. "I’m going to take a bath. I won’t be blamed if you idiots mess something up."

Considering Sir Gunnar’s armor piled up on the table and all of the beds surrounding them, there was only a small amount of space to do their footwork, but it was enough for the two of them.

Irene raised her sword and Felix slapped the tip with his sword. His was a little bit longer, but Irene thought she would still have the upper hand with speed.

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