Chapter 108: Chapter 1
“Your hair smells nice.”
Riftan let out a content sigh and rested his head on her shoulder. Maxi blushed, glad that she had applied a few drops of rose oil to her hair.
Burying his nose in her thick hair, Riftan slid an arm under her buttocks and hoisted her off the ground. His rough hand caressing her nape made Maxi shudder with pleasure, and she snuggled more comfortably into his arms.
Being enveloped so perfectly against his large frame made her feel euphoric beyond words. His soft hair tickled her forehead and nose, and his steely arms held her against him with a force that was just enough not to hurt her.
Sliding her fingers behind his ear, Maxi stroked his lush hair and released a soft moan. Her whole body felt as if it were melting. Drunk with a languid heat, she barely heard the knock at the door.
“My lord, your bath is ready.”
Riftan paused in kneading her breast and kissing her pale shoulder. He sighed.
“I knew it. Our servants have the best timing,” he grumbled, lowering her to the floor. “Come in.”
The door opened as his voice rang out across the room, and the servants set up his bath. Riftan walked over to the tub and threw off his tunic.
He gave Maxi a seductive smile. “It’s been so long. Join me?”
“I... I have already washed,” Maxi murmured, glancing at the servants who were adding cold water into the bath to adjust the temperature.
“Don’t be like that. Come here.”
He dipped a finger into the water and motioned to the servants that they could leave. When the servants rushed out of the room, Maxi walked over to him, pretending to be unwilling. Riftan’s lips pulled into a content smile as he undid the belt of her dress.
***
The preparations for the campaign started early the next morning. Awoken by the clamor of activity, Maxi slowly sat up in bed and looked out the window. Servants and soldiers bustled about in the spacious garden that was drenched in the bluish light of dawn. Loud neighing and gruff voices coaxing the horses drifted in from afar.
Rubbing her bleary eyes, Maxi watched the preparations before turning to the empty space next to the bed. Of course, Riftan’s armor stand was empty as well. Maxi sighed and called for Ludis to help her get ready for the day.
Riftan had told her not to trouble herself with the preparations, but she was certain there could still be something she could assist with before the knights left for the campaign.
After slipping into a blue bliaut, Maxi had her hair braided and coiled into a bun. She immediately headed to the backyard.
Dozens of horses were lined up as knights inspected their condition and their horseshoes one by one. Maxi spotted a familiar face among the men and made a beeline toward him. Sir Elliot, who had been deep in conversation with Rodrigo, gave Maxi a polite smile when he saw her approaching.
“Good morning, my lady.”
“Good... morning. A-Are you in the midst of preparing for the campaign?”
“Yes, we were in the middle of packing our provisions,” he said, pointing to the leather bundles piled against a wall.
Maxi tried to count the bags. The rations seemed meager considering they were for more than sixty robust men bound for a long journey.
When she gave Sir Elliot an inquiring look, he kindly explained, “Since our weapons, bedrolls, and essential utensils such as pots and cauldrons already weigh us down, we cannot bring much food with us. We will have to resupply at villages along the way, or find food for ourselves as much as possible.”
“I-I see.”
Thinking back, Princess Agnes had also told her the same thing. Maxi observed the activity around them before giving Sir Elliot a subtle look.
“I-Is there... anything I could help you with?”
“You, my lady?” he asked, a troubled smile briefly tugging at his lips. “I thank you for your offer, but you need not worry. We will take care of this.”
Maxi had half expected such an answer, so she was not heavily disappointed. Keeping her expression neutral, Maxi asked him another question.
“Where is R-Rif... his lordship?”
“He is currently at the training grounds, instructing the soldiers with Sir Ursuline. Do you need him urgently, my lady?”
Maxi waved her hands. “N-No. I was just wondering where he was...”
“Sir Elliot! Shall we take the horses to the training grounds once we’re done inspecting them?”
Sir Elliot looked over his shoulder at the soldier who had asked the question. Realizing that she was probably getting in the way, Maxi quickly retreated.
“I apologize... for taking your time. Please don’t mind me... and get back to what you were doing.”
“My apologies, my lady. Then, if you will excuse me.”
He nodded at her with an apologetic look and went to join the other knights. Maxi turned and walked back into the hall. At the very least, she could help the knights pack the food and clothes that they would take with them.
In the kitchen, she handed the cook the key to the storage room where the spices were kept, telling him to spare no ingredients in the sumptuous feast he was to prepare. She then instructed the maidservants to inspect all the clothing and bedrolls the knights would be bringing with them and to mend anything that needed it. To the servant in charge of overseeing the packing, she instructed him to pack the newly purchased sturdy pots and bowls.
Maxi was busily moving about the castle when she heard a familiar voice behind her. She turned to see Ruth striding down the corridor with his long, slender legs.
“There you are, my lady. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“What... is the matter? I-I thought you’d be busy preparing for the campaign.”
“Oh, I finished making all necessary preparations ahead of time. There is something I wish to show you before I leave, my lady.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll know when you see it. Come with me.”
After his inadequate explanation, Ruth turned on his heel and motioned with his head for Maxi to follow him. Maxi trailed behind him in bewilderment as he descended the stairs and marched out of the great hall.
“Where on earth... a-are we going?”
“To my tower.”
Maxi looked up at him in surprise before glancing around. Riftan’s warning about not going anywhere near Ruth’s tower due to the strange runes he had set up all over the place came to her.
She stood as close to Ruth as she could and kept her guard up for any distortion in her mana.
“W-Why are we going to your tower?”
“Patience, my lady. We are almost there,” he replied languidly as though he found it tiresome to explain.
With that, he quickened his steps along the winding path. Maxi peered up at the grey tower enveloped in red ivy. The tower’s moss-covered entrance soon appeared between the lush green leaves of the elm trees. Perhaps it was because the tower hardly had any visitors, but the area near the castle wall was overrun with weeds.
Ruth half-heartedly scraped at the moss around the front door with his shoe, then fished a key out of his pocket.
...
“Come in.”
Maxi stood at the entrance and peeked inside. A conch shell-like spiral staircase was at the center of the dim and humid room.
Ruth already had a foot on the bottom step. “What are you still doing there, my lady?”
Giving up hope of a proper explanation from the sorcerer, Maxi went back to trailing him. They wound their way up the spiral staircase in silence. About two-thirds of the way, Ruth came to a stop.
“This is it,” he said, pulling at a worn door handle.
Maxi looked warily about the room and frowned. It stunk of something burning, pungent medicine, and moldy parchment.
“Th-The room has an unpleasant smell.”
“What a rude thing to say about someone’s sanctuary, my lady. The air is just a bit stale because I have not aired the room in a while,” Ruth grumbled, opening the window.
Bright sunlight streamed in, and Maxi blinked at the dizzying scene before her. Every inch of the room seemed as if it had come from a sorcerer’s workshop within a storybook.
Strange tools and dioramas lay in piles across the floor. A bookshelf tightly packed with ancient tomes covered one whole wall, while another was full of medicine vials and small jars. Ruth shoved the items on the floor to one side and beckoned for Maxi to enter.
“I have prepared explanations on a few magic runes so that you can study them on your own while I am away, my lady. I did my best to lay them out easily... but I am not sure if you will find them to be so.”
...
After a moment of hesitation, Maxi entered the room, tiptoeing around the mess on the floor. Ruth handed her a tall stack of parchments.
“Please take a quick look at them and let me know if you do not understand anything.”
“D-Did you bring me here... so you could give me this?”
Ruth nodded. “You are free to read any of the books in this room while I am gone, my lady. Just make sure to never take them outside this tower. These books are far more valuable than those in the library, so it would not do for any to go missing.”
Contrary to his words, the books did not seem looked after at all. A layer of white dust caked the pile of books scattered across the floor.
Maxi narrowed her eyes at the mess. “If they are so valuable... please take b-better care of them.”
“I do not see what the problem is as long as they can be read,” Ruth answered flatly.
He selected several books from the piles and placed them on the desk.
“This book should be helpful for learning magic, so please read it whenever you can. This is an illustrated book on herbs, and there is also a book on anatomy from the south. It is not translated, but if you study the illustrations and commit them to memory, it will be of use when you heal people. Medicine in the south is much more advanced than ours, so their knowledge is always worth referring to.”
After his muddled explanation of the books, Ruth began expounding the medicine vials on the shelf.
“The salve in the red jar is for external wounds. Applying this after cleaning the wound should protect it from infections and help it heal faster. The syrup in this vial helps reduce swelling. The leaves in that sack can be used as a remedy for fever as well as a detoxicant, while these dried roots not only help restore mana, but also aid in replenishing one’s energy. And this-”
“H-Hold on! P-Please slow down.”
Maxi dug out a parchment and quill from his desk and began to scribble down Ruth’s words.
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