I Will Be the Greatest Knight-Chapter 305: Hope in Bloom

The journey south shed light to a spring Irene was unfamiliar with.

"Perpetual winter turns to spring, then it goes back to winter," her father had explained.

Based on the month, it would have been the beginnings of spring in Chemois.

Irene could picture flowers blooming and grasses turning green. The most beautiful time of the year was the relief felt when she felt warm for the first time outdoors and wasn’t having to break a sweat to do so. It was right before the floodplains would hit.

Sprint was her favorite because she had pale, easily freckled skin and it only got worse whenever summer struck. That was why she always opted for light and loose tunics during that season.

However, as the two rode, all they were met with was soggy snow as the sun shone and icy nights where they wouldn’t be able to move around if they didn’t want to slip. They were heavily relying on sunlight to clear their way. Luckily, the days seemed to grow the tiniest bit longer, but they were still shorter than in the south.

There was truly no match for the northern snow.

What relieved Irene and her father the most through their journey was that there was no further incidences regarding the curse she undoubtedly got from the wyrm. It led Arthur to conclude that distance did, in fact, matter to the curse. Even though the magic itself was strong, the victim needed to be nearby.

Since she wasn’t reacting to it when they were only half a day’s worth of travel away, he figured being in Chemois would ensure she would never feel it again.

He couldn’t help imagining if she would ever go north again and how that thought struck his heart with worry. Oftentimes, curses of mental nature were impossible to fall for twice—at least that was what knights learned from lingering spirits and the curses of necromancers.

No matter how nonexistent the curse seemed, the protective father still made sure that Irene go to a mage when she returned. Since she would likely head back to the Duke’s Tower rather quickly, he wanted her to see Stanley as quickly as possible. Due to the mage’s education and early life in Nickron, he would be the one who knew the extent of a beast’s mana abilities.

It was nice for Irene to get to see the massive Sunstoian ships with her father. Even nicer to have his company while traveling the steep switchbacks that would lead them up and down both sides of the northern mountains. Since they couldn’t ride on their horses, travel could get a bit monotonous. There was always something that could be said. But even company in silence was nice during the journey.

Overall, it gave the journey a hopeful feeling. Spring would greet them on the other side. Their lives would feel like that of kings when they were finally able to sleep in beds and wake up each morning, knowing they would see those they cared for during the day.

As much as she didn’t want it to, life became that much more important to Irene. She internally struggled with losing more people. Why did something so precious have to be taken from them?

If she were truly Sunstoian, she would be able to let her guard down and have faith that heaven was promised because she had made the right decisions in this life.

They made it through the plateau and Irene never saw another white dire wolf which made her feel somewhat relieved. The animal had no intention of harming anyone unless they harmed her pups. She felt her father would be understanding but wasn’t entirely sure.

It wasn’t until they were on the other side of the plateau and having to dismount their horses because the roads back down were just as harsh as Irene remembered from before. The snow high in the mountains was still very much present.

However, still experiencing the cold made the view of the valley below much sweeter when they were finally able to witness it.

Chemois, in its full glory, presented itself as they rounded the last large rock in their path. The green was a sign of life and comfort and Irene knew they had arrived in the most perfect season.

It would take one more day to reach the bottom and then they would have a choice to make.

Irene and Arthur were finally able to get onto their horses when the grassy foothills greeted them and they took a trail between all of the trees. Their view was obscured once they got to this stage, but it was nice to be in grasses that slowly grew and repaired themselves as life took over Chemois.

They made it to the edge of the foothills and out of the v of the mountain path before they had to stop.

"Will you go to the Duke’s Tower or visit home?" he asked.

Even though the Duke’s Tower was close enough to get to in a day, and they would have to stay in an inn on the way back to the Litharion’s lands, Irene still decided she should go home first.

"Home," she answered without hesitation. "I will see grandmother for a couple of days before I’m meant to return to my life at the Duke’s Tower. Then I don’t know when I will be able to see everyone again, but it’s important I be the third in command as I was meant to be. Felix needs my help."

"I understand," Arthur responded.

With that, they went east on flat grounds that slowly went lower and lower as they got closer to the inn. It was the very inn they always stayed in on the trip between the Duke’s Tower and Arthur’s home. The innkeeper who admitted to thinking Irene was a boy when she was younger recognized the two of them. Based on their appearances, they were very much father and daughter.

Even though they were beyond tired, Irene couldn’t help staying up late with the other travelers despite there being few. She had missed being around people so much. Although there were mostly old men in places like that, she enjoyed hearing their stories nonetheless.

Her father couldn’t resist drinking ale as he listened as well, giving a few of his own stories that Irene had heard a dozen times in the past but still liked to hear. It was less the content of the stories and more of the people’s responses to her father’s greatness that made her smile so widely.

After that, they were off to sleep and then up early so that they would get to the Litharion’s manor early on in the day.

Instead of going to their family home, Irene insisted they go to Kara’s because she was dying to see the state of her grandmother after being away for so long. How she was when she left and the decline her father mentioned scared her half to death.

However, the woman they were greeted by when they went to her house was an unbelievable sight.

Despite it being late in the day, Kara was walking around her home. The pace was slow but she was moving more than either one of them had seen in ages.

"Grandmother!" Irene cried. "What are you doing up?"

"Arne left and I felt like I have a bit of cleaning to do," she admitted. "The gods must have been hinting that the two of you would be arriving. I am glad I got the place together in the first place."

"He didn’t give you your night herbs?" Arthur asked, worried.

"He gave them to me, but I didn’t drink them," Kara responded easily, pushing her long braid over her shoulder in defiance.

The two pushed their way into her home and Irene instantly took the broom from her grandmother, but not before giving her a hug she had been dying to have in a long time.

"I was expecting to see you sleeping," Irene admitted. "You ought to rest and then we can show you what we brought with us from the north. I have a lot of stories to tell you."

Kara’s smile was genuine and her eyes practically closed from all the wrinkles.

"I look forward to hearing more, dear," she responded, patting her granddaughter on the cheek. She then turned to Arthur. "Wipe the worry off of your face. I feel better than I have in a long time." She also patted her son on the cheek even though she had to reach upwards quite a ways to do so.

After a few more goodnights, Irene and her father were able to return to her childhood home where they received a few more relieved greetings.

However, all they wanted to do from that point was seek a hearty meal and then find their beds that were warmed up for them while they ate.

Irene slept for longer than expected. It seemed that the exhaustion of traveling for so long in such harsh climate was finally hitting her.

There was an urgent knock on her door and whoever was on the other side didn’t wait for an answer before bursting in.

It was her mother. Her first response was anger, but she saw tears down her face.

"Your grandmother has passed away sometime in the night."

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