I Will Be the Greatest Knight-Chapter 467: Leading Night Watch

Irene had two bad days before she was well enough to return to her duties as usual, but that also meant she was going to have to switch gears because night watch was going to begin.

She tried to sleep as late as she possibly could, but adjusting the first day had never been easy for her. She only woke up shortly after the apprentices, and Felix finished their practices that morning. Those who would attend night watch with her were exempt from practice that morning because they needed to adjust to the new schedule as she did.

Irene reasoned that she would have to nap later in the day or she might be completely useless on a long night watch.

The day was mostly dull as she went through the armory to oversee the apprentices cleaning weapons and armor after a bit of rain that happened the day before. She even made time to see Sammy in the stables and make sure he was resting for the night ahead.

"I don’t know how you horses do it," she admitted quietly to her loyal steed. "You have enough energy for anything."

As she leaned into the gate and scratched Sammy’s nose, she was surprised to hear a laugh coming from her left and towards the entrance of the stables.

Irene turned her head to see Henry smiling at her.

"You talk to the horses like I do," he admitted. "And here I was making sure that the horses going out tonight were resting, but it seems you’ve beat me here."

She didn’t want to admit that she had already caught him doing that multiple times. Even though they were exploring their feelings now, it was sometimes embarrassing how long she had been so conscious of him.

"The apprentice who would normally oversee them right now is resting for night watch," she explained gently. "There won’t be one available until after the midday meal."

The two of them glanced towards the stables’ entrance before Henry moved a bit closer and Irene reached out to grab his hand.

"Why aren’t you resting as well?" he asked, voicing his true concern. "Only days ago, you were hardly able to move."

"I would never have been able to be a knight if I took off every time I was hurting," she admitted. "The male knights aren’t that different."

"Yet that doesn’t make it any easier to see the one I care the most ignoring her pain," he explained, carefully choosing his words. "I hope that doesn’t make you uncomfortable."

"It doesn’t make me uncomfortable," she assured him. "I just don’t want to be weak in front of the others so they can underestimate me."

"As long as I’m allowed to take care of you when no one is looking..." he decided, leaning closer so he could kiss her forehead before he put an acceptable distance between them.

"That’s what I prefer," she admitted softly, smiling up at Henry. It was hard to admit that she really did enjoy the softness of someone else’s care, but it felt like they had somehow gotten closer to one another after the ordeal of her pain.

"Then I’ll wait for you to eat dinner when I eat breakfast," he decided. "Unfortunately, I can’t participate in night watch since most of the people I have to meet with come during the day."

"It will be earlier than you want to be awake," she admitted.

"I don’t mind at all, truly," he responded.

And Henry did keep his promise each morning Irene came in from night watch.

The days were a bit tiring, and Irene was finding trouble adjusting to sleeping in the day. However, by the second day, the action began as they faced monsters for the first time in a while. It was sure to keep her awake despite the heaviness she felt prior to hearing an apprentice shout, "William fell in a goblin hole!"

Irene’s head lifted, and her green eyes widened at the apprentice summoning her.

Without further question, she squeezed her knees hard and sent Sammy flying in the direction the apprentice had indicated.

They were headed south, guided by the light of the moon, and Irene didn’t realize where they were until they reached the edge of a cliff, and she looked down below at a place that was once full of goblins during the monster war. Memories struck her of being there with Leif.

"You were supposed to remain in the valley," she hastily reminded the apprentice.

For William, she pressed on, not having time to lecture and feeling a bit vengeful for him, but knowing she had to keep her head or risk turning out the way she did when she almost died during the war. This time, she was a knight. The apprentices around her were her responsibility.

She had grown fond of William and was determined to see no harm come from him—perhaps it also had to do with the fact that he did remind her of Leif as well. Except this time, he would become a knight and survive all the trials placed before him.

"This trail leads down!" the apprentice explained.

Irene nodded her thanks and carefully maneuvered Sammy through a worn-in path that would make it far less dangerous to travel. Even though she had the urge to move quickly, it was safer to be more cautious in the darkness.

Sure enough, when she reached the point where William had been, the ground was disturbed. There was evidence of the other apprentice trying to reach him.

At least his horse was still on the surface, but that also meant he had underestimated his surroundings by getting off his horse in the first place.

Without another choice, Irene found a large rock that was clearly out of place from where it was supposed to be, and she pushed hard with both of her boots. The earth around her collapsed more, but at that point, she saw more movement.

As she reached her arms into the dirt and small rocks blindly, she felt movement and, using all of her strength, she began to pull the youngest apprentice up to safety.

However, with him came two goblins who were clinging to him hard enough that his legs had puncture wounds in them.