I Will Be the Greatest Knight-Chapter 449: Pain

The signs were all there in the form of freshly thawed puddles. Her boots sunk in the water but it was an afterthought compared to the goblin she had just handled so effortlessly—a feat she knew her younger self would have been amazed by.

Considering that she was an experienced knight, it should have occurred to her that more than just goblins and ogres woke up during that time of year, that her eyes should have seen the smaller details of the area rather than assuming it would be only goblins that were their problem.

Through these forests, she recalled the swamps that settled in this area. They had to be cautious when using the road that went through because of all the risks that came with said swamps.

Spring was the time of rebirth, and it seemed that goblins weren’t the only monsters following suit.

As Irene’s head snapped to her left and her green eyes settled on the juvenile Nok with its dark green, nearly black, body half out of freshly thawed water, the knight knew she hadn’t been cautious enough.

It was far enough away that she knew what had happened and why her arm was burning as if it were on fire. When it reared its head back to likely do what it had done to get her attention in the first place, Irene screamed, "Nok!"

Its horse-like facade made her feel a tinge of guilt as she regripped her sword and changed her direction. Its juvenile nature also made her feel bad because she always found foals to be the most endearing of animals.

However, the searing pain in her arm was enough for her to lunge her blade through the small amphibious horse’s neck before it could spit its foul, acidic spit on her again. If it got on her eyes, ears, or mouth, it could certainly seal those things shut effortlessly.

The clashing of weapons was present in the forest, as Felix was already handling the goblins.

"I need an iron arrow from the apprentices!" Irene shouted as she saw the deep gash in the small horse’s neck start to seal back together, the already gelatinous blood of the beast further clumping together to reform and repair itself from the damage.

That type of magic was hard to understand, but considering all the times she had been healed and even what she had just witnessed and heard of Siverly healing her Commander, it wasn’t that she didn’t believe it.

All Irene could do was keep sloshing around in the water despite it getting deeper—now up to her knee—and cutting down the Nok each time it healed from her steel blade until something like iron could be used to stop its magic healing and truly take it down. She knew what was most important was preventing it from getting to the apprentices or their horses.

It was bizarre to watch the monster swim away from her while its head was bent to the side after she nearly decapitated it. Even stranger to see blood spread through the already murky water and then reverse direction and go back inside of the monster. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Things of nightmares, she was having to witness without flinching. Such was the life of being a knight.

Since the Nok had taken on a different approach and was receding rather than trying to attack her again, she had no choice but to follow it.

Once it got to the shore, where it seemed it might escape, she skewered it to the ground and had no choice but to step on its face as the neighing, horse-like noises coming from its mouth haunted her mind.

"Apprentices!" she shouted with all her might, still trying to keep the monster in one place.

Fortunately, William came rushing with fervor. He had been getting more acquainted with a bow, and he met her green eyes through the slit in her helmet before nodding.

"Even if you hit me, at least I’ll then be able to use the arrow to stab the monster!" Irene shouted, egging him to raise his bow.

However, it didn’t need to come to that. As quickly as the action started, it ceased.

The apprentice hit the Nok somewhere in its lower half, still under the water. Every injury it had miraculously healed from before opened up, and the creature was reduced to a puddle of something dark green and close to algae. The smell fit the way it looked.

Calming down, Irene folded in half—at least as much as she could while wearing a full suit of armor—and cradled her arm against her midsection.

"Ah..." she gasped in pain.

"Is there something the matter, dame?" William asked, worried. "Did the monster get you?"

He stepped foot in the water, taking a shortcut to get to her, but Irene’s head snapped up when she heard a shrill shriek from a goblin further in the forest. Suddenly, her priorities changed. Pain could be ignored as long as it wasn’t life-threatening.

"No time!" Irene shouted, and she sped off in that direction, her armor clanking as she ran.

It seemed that there was more to take care of deeper in the forest, and she didn’t want Felix to be burdened more than he already was. She couldn’t imagine how many he had already taken on by himself.

Even with the thrill of the fight causing her heart to race, Irene still felt a singing pain, but because it wasn’t her dominant arm, she ignored it for a bit longer. It was starting to make her sweat on the top of her head, but she resisted the feeling enough that she wouldn’t rip off her helmet in a dangerous situation.

The first strike was a forward thrust that caused the knight to cry out as she used great force. She threw her bodyweight forward and knocked the creature down, so it threw off one of the goblins behind it, allowing her a moment to right her sword and slash the next monster’s arm off.

There was a swing of a club at her that she dodged before throwing around her bodyweight yet again and managing a final blow through the monster’s guts. The screaming from that one was so intense, she soon sent her sword through its mouth as well.

Only then was she able to lift up her head and observe her surroundings with heaving shoulders. The coast was clear, and she was able to remove her helmet.

However, more came off as she ripped at the leather straps from the lower half of her arm plate, dying to see what was amiss with her arm.

"Dammit!" she cried as she fumbled to undo it and finally see the damage.