Chapter 129: Finding His Apprentice
To say he was irritated when Agnes delivered him the message that one of his apprentices had left without telling him anything was a bit of an understatement. In most cases, it would be seen as insubordination despite the nature of the journey being a supposed emergency. Practically their only rule through the winter was that apprentices needed to stay in the Duke’s Tower during wintertime. Considering the low risks and lack of monsters in the season, they were the castle’s defenses.
Upon receiving the information, Sir Gunnar then called for whoever was assigned outdoor duties at the time and gave them a brief scolding. It was their duty to report to him who came and went during the winter and they failed at that.
Apologies ensued and he wasn’t that harsh with his punishment. That was mostly the end of it.
At least until the knight began to stew in his thoughts.
With all Gunnar knew about Irene, he realized that those were the actions of a child who didn’t fully trust the people who surrounded her. It also made him realize he needed to come clean about a few things.
The fact that she was willing to endure a two-day journey alone made him feel terrible. It must have been terrifying considering she was only about to enter teenage hood. He wasn’t sure any of the other apprentices, outside of Felix, would have the courage to accomplish such a journey alone.
After Sven, Phillip, and Felix assured Gunnar that they had everyone left in the castle handled, the knight felt free to go on the journey.
He left only a day after her, so he assumed he would get there a day after she arrived.
The path was simple, but his guilt worsened when he saw her lonely tracks in the snow since there hadn’t been any snowfall since then. At least she was smart enough to go to an inn rather than camp alone. When he arrived at the hotel, the first thing he asked was "Did an apprentice pass through this way?"