I Will Be the Greatest Knight

In response, the joined knighthoods rushed forward to keep the monsters from doing more damage to Idona.

While many of the Knights of Hydrogia had opted to go into their rooms and sleep after having to bear a sleepless journey of travel down the mountains after Sir Alix was injured, there were still a few Hydrogian knights present amidst the Knights of Chemois as they fought. It was honorable that, even under such extreme lack of sleep, they would still raise their weapons to a worthy cause.

However, Irene was worried about her Commander the most when he rushed forward nimbly towards the ogre. It seemed he had decided what his first kill would be. She hoped dearly that he wasn't being self-destructive because of the heavy emotions he had experienced before. It caused her eyes to wander to him even when she was also rushing in and swinging a sword in an effort to keep the monsters from advancing.

Perhaps it was only because she had been in a situation before where she lost a friend and then almost got herself killed that she thought it could happen to someone else. The Commander seemed to have a better hold on his emotions than she did, based on the way he quickly reeled them in before. It could be a flaw he didn't have at all, while she was the one who was always too emotional in unfamiliar situations, which drew out of her the most unexpected feelings.

Between each goblin she sliced down as they were eagerly trying to escape an unknown force in the north, her eyes would go to her Commander as if she could ensure his safety by simply keeping her eyes on him. At least his armor was slightly gilded compared to that of the others, so he was an easier person to pick out compared to some.

Occasionally, she also dragged her gaze to the apprentices if she had a window of opportunity. They were busying themselves with the buildings at the outskirts of Idona, even if there were fewer in this area. At least they were safe.

For a moment, the woman was washed into a sea of goblins around her height, so she couldn't see anyone else for a few moments. With a few precise swings of her sword, she was able to slice down most of them.

She recalled a similar scenario when she was younger, where being surrounded by goblins like this would have petrified her, but now that she was a fully armored knight, things were different. At times, the rushing of her heart made her feel indestructible. Yet she still worried for those she cared about. Perhaps that was simply who she was.

Was it a gift of a woman to constantly be occupied by those around her? It could be some innate motherly instinct she wasn't aware she possessed until she was required to oversee the apprentices and make sure they were taken care of. The others had never mentioned to her before whether or not they worried for others while battling, and they always seemed perfectly focused otherwise.

While their relationships were rich and meaningful off of the battlefield, she wondered if they compartmentalized these thoughts better than her. It forced her to focus herself more and remind her that there were things out of her hands.

In the group of goblins Irene faced, there was a particularly stubborn one who blocked her blows with its stolen shield, likely lost from someone from eons ago. Seeing it caused her to feel angry for whoever was likely slain to obtain such an item, undoubtedly crafted by the touch of man and not monster.

It had a dulled cleaver that it kept trying to slice her with and enough wherewithal to block her advances with a shield. However, she wasn't going to let a mere goblin get the best of her, and she decided speed was how she would take down such a creature. It required her to dive over it with her sword raised, and only when it was against the ground with her boot on its face and her sword embedded in its chest that she was able to lift her gaze and find the Commander again.

He was still putting up a worthy fight against such a monster as massive as an ogre.

To her horror, she witnessed the ogre effortlessly pick up a goblin and throw it at Commander Henry as if it were nothing to the monster. The goblin was small, but it caused the knight to fall over.

Her heart nearly stopped. The dark-haired knight was quick to his feet, but it still gave the ogre an opportunity to lift its massive weapon in an attempt to crush him.

She couldn't help herself as a horrified, "Commander!" flew from her lips.

Having drawn attention to herself, she had to block a goblin's advance as she tried to watch the Commander but keep her own head on her shoulders. The determination to make sure the man wasn't crushed got her through another goblin, decapitating it as it tried to do to her.

When she was rid of her opponent, what faced Irene was the most unexpected. The tides of their battle were turning in the strangest of ways.

The ogre's weapon never hit the earth, but instead, a screech that filled the air around them, which caused the knights all around to throw off their helmets and cover their ears.

Irene was among the many who had to take off their helmet. The goblins were suddenly not a threat compared to whatever waited for them.

She dropped to her knees on the ground when, shortly after the noise, there was a burst of hot wind rushing towards all of them. She had to squeeze her eyes shut because she thought her eyeballs might be boiled if she kept them open for any longer.

Was it volcanic activity? She had heard of the volcano in Polona causing problems in that area.

Her worries never ceased for the others until she was able to open her eyes once again.

However, what her gaze fell upon was unlike anything she could have ever imagined.

The ogre crumbled as if it were made of sand. That was enough to cause the knights to rush away and gather at the base of the buildings the apprentices remained on top of with shaky hands, holding bows. Their duty didn't allow them to look away, but fear still coexisted with that feeling in their hearts.

The goblins, slower to catch on, began to crumble as well.

And suddenly, a thump.

If Irene hadn't seen it herself, she never would have believed it.

There was another rush of hot air that was slightly more bearable than the first.

With it came a massive dark red dragon with golden scales littered all throughout its body.

But even more shocking than that was the dragon lying its head on the ground, submitting to the Commander that Chemois had only recently been able to call their own.