Under the Oak Tree

Chapter 179

Max passed the gates leading to the training grounds like a ghost carrying a lamp and the soldiers standing guard were taken aback at her arrival, but Max headed straight for the conference room without even looking in their direction. The moment she reached the front of the faintly lighted building, loud voices arguing pierced her eardrums.

“We can’t wait that long! We must leave tomorrow at once! My point is, even if we hurry, it will take us at least twenty days!”

“Calm down, Sir Nirta. The Commander is right. There are only three to four small towns on the way to the border. It’s hard enough to find necessities, let alone finding a village with a proper guild of wizards. It will be too dangerous to travel to Livadon without a wizard. especially with the rise of monsters everywhere.”

“All the wizard guilds headed to Livadon! Everyone’s aware of that. And due to the rise in monsters, all the Lords cling to their wizards, so how are we going to get a wizard in such a short time!”

“We can send a request to Osyria. They can lend us a high priest who is skilled in healing magic.”

“Hah! Don’t you know how tight-fisted they are? It will take months before we can get a high priest from them.”

“The Central Temple is also sending additional reinforcements, we can travel with them...”

“Joining the Holy Knights will take at least three weeks of wandering around trying to meet with them in the middle! Fuck that! Get rid of those useless suggestions! It doesn’t matter if we have a wizard or not. We have fought in much more dangerous situations than this! Have we not, commander?”

Max froze on the spot and felt her heart sinking, in fear that Riftan would agree with Hebaron. The terrifying illustrations and descriptions of monsters that she read flashed through her mind. Monsters with poisons powerful enough to melt bones in an instant, sub-racial monster species with strength six times that of humans, and dragon subspecies with powerful magical attributes... No matter how strong the Remdragon knights were, they would not be able to survive the long journey unscathed. Max held her breath as she waited for Riftan’s decision.

She didn’t have to wait long before hearing his low baritone voice. “It’s unreasonable to leave immediately tomorrow. Wait a little. In four days... no, in three days, I’ll get a wizard.”

“This is a waste of time! You’ve been trying to acquire a wizard for months, but the only one you managed to get was that 80 year-old wizard! What more in two days...?”

Hebaron, who had been shouting violently, suddenly became quiet.

Should I keep eavesdropping like this?

Max restlessly stood and leaned against the door, unaware that the voices had suddenly stopped. At that moment, the door swung open and Hebaron’s huge figure protruded out.

“Who the hell has been rudely eavesdr-“ the knight muttered menacingly, but his eyes widened to find Max in front of him.

“Lady Calypse? What are you doing here at this hour?”

“I... I...”

Max, who stiffened in surprise, took a step back. The other knights poked their heads out from behind Hebaron, looking at her curiously. Max blushed, feeling embarrassed to be caught red-handed.

“I’m sorry for d-disturbing. I’m so anxious to know what’s going to... h-happen...” She muttered in a slurred voice.

Riftan passed Hebaron and came out of the door. Max’s shoulders sagged in fear of Riftan’s chillingly hardened expression. Was he angry that she was wandering around the castle alone so late at night? He continued to glare, staring at her with anger evident in his eyes, and yelled an order over his shoulder.

“Gabel, take her back to her room.”

It was obvious that the order was addressed to dismiss her. Max’s lips trembled.

“Ri-Riftan... I didn’t mean to interfere. I... I’m just worried about everyone... I wanted to know what you and the knights were planning to do...”

“And what can you do about it?”

Riftan cut her off bitterly and Max looked at him with a broken expression, hesitating to speak.

“Maybe there is something I-I c-can do...”

“Gabel!” Riftan yelled fiercely, purposely interrupting her. “Are you deaf? Take her back to the great hall right this instant, what are you doing standing around?!”

Max pursed her lips as she realized that the knights behind him were uncomfortable with the situation. Hesitating, Gabel left the conference room and approached her. Riftan grabbed the doorknob and said in a chilling voice directed at her.

“Don’t wait for me, go to sleep.”

Then he closed the door, preventing her from speaking any more. Max reluctantly turned around. Gabel, who stood, took the lamp from her hand.

“Everyone is sensitive because of the bad news. Please forgive shall they speak harshly. They’re all on the edge...”

Max grinned at Gabel to ease his mood but it came out forced and rigid. “It’s f-fine. Rather, I should... apologize for bothering you. I just couldn’t wait a-a little longer...”

He raised the lamp so they could see the steps in front of them and looked up at her with a softened expression. “Milady had a close friendship with the wizard. It’s not unreasonable for you to worry.”

They climbed the stairs in silence for a while. Max had too much on her mind. Riftan’s intimidating attitude and his arguments in the conference room were constantly replaying in her head. It was only when they crossed the garden, that she carefully opened her mouth to ask.

“Do you really need a magician... for the e-expedition? When... you left for the capital the other time... you went without Ruth.”

Gabel paused for a moment and let out an awkward smile. “The route to Drakium is lined with large towns and cities. There are countless guilds on the way, we can get treatment, or even hire a temporary wizard from the city’s mercenaries. However, there are no such things between Anatol and Livadon. If we get injured, there will be no place to get treatment, so traveling without a wizard would be burdensome.”

“Me...” Max barely squeezed the courage out when they reached the top of the stairs. “How about taking...me?”

She could feel the scrutinizing gaze of the knight, even in the total darkness of the night. She wanted to look confident, but couldn’t hide her trembling hands. Finally, Gabel responded after a while.

“... the Commander would never give his permission.”

Max shut her mouth at the obvious fact, but after retiring in the bedroom, the idea did not leave her mind. She snuggled into the bed, pondering ways to persuade Riftan. She noticed the looks on the faces of the knights. They also considered it a possibility, but no one dared to speak her name out.

Her heart pounded anxiously. There was no way Riftan could go to a place full of monsters undefended. She couldn’t allow them to go without a healer to take care of them; even if they had the most perfect defense, even if they were the best knights in the world. She bit her lip as she waited for Riftan to open the door. No matter how angry he got, she vowed not to back down. She would not tolerate her husband being sent to the battlefield defenseless.

Max waited all night, but Riftan never came back even as the dawn broke. She fell asleep for a moment, and was woken up with the sound of Rudis opening the door. When she saw her milady lying uncomfortably at the foot of the bed, still wearing yesterday’s clothes, her eyes widened. Max immediately jumped out of bed and ran over to her.

“Ru-Rudis... Did Riftan leave already? I fell asleep for a while, I didn’t see him...”

“The master slept in the knight’s quarters last night.”

“Where is he...now?”

“He’s in the drawing room meeting a merchant.”

Max quickly rubbed the sleep from her eyes, which she closed for barely three hours, and quickly brushed her messy hair with her fingers and ran outside. As she descended the stairs, she saw Riftan and the merchant Aderon, sitting face to face in an antique, well-decorated drawing room. Max paused four steps from the bottom of the stairs. Their calm voices conversing echoed quietly in the hall.

“It’s not easy to get a wizard from anywhere at the moment. The only way to acquire one is to hire from the Wizard Tower, but it’s not easy as there are rules established amongst them, and even if we pass over that hurdle, it will take at least ten days.”

“I can’t wait that long. How about contacting the nearby territories...?”

Riftan trailed off when he noticed her. Max unconsciously backed away, but quickly regained her resolve and entered the room. There appeared a sharp tension on his face.

“We’re still talking. Get out.”

“Rif-Riftan... I also want to listen. Are you still trying to get a wizard? If that’s the case, I...”

“I told you to get out.”

Riftan’s voice became low and grim. Max looked at him and then turned to Aderon.

“Is... is it possible to hire a w-wizard three days from now?”

The merchant’s eyes darted from Riftan’s rigid face to Max’s wretched one, with a bewildered expression, and responded as calmly as possible.

“Sorry to say this, but... it’s practically impossible. The only nearby territories are Count Robern and Baron Luvein. As you already know... Count Robern is not willing to lend his wizards while Count Luvein only has one wizard so he cannot be sent on an expedition.”

“You mean it’s i-impossible then?”

“Maximillian!” Riftan’s patience completely exploded as he yelled furiously. “This is not a matter for you to dwell in! I told you to get out.”

Max hesitated at his commanding attitude, but she looked him squarely in the eye without meaning to back away.

“I... I am your wife. Why is it n-not a matter for me?”

“This has nothing to do with you.”

She felt as if her heart was being stabbed by a thousand needles. Max felt like a child rejected by her parents and clenched her hands into a fist.

“It does matter to me! I... I’m a wizard! Riftan is aware of that right? I...”

“Shut your mouth.”

His roar was similar to that of a fierce beast, and Max’s entire body froze in an instant. There were several times that she experienced his anger, but this was the first time that he looked at her with such threatening and vicious eyes. Riftan looked coldly at Max, who flinched in fear, then turned to Aderon.

“I want one of Count Robern’s wizards. It doesn’t matter how much gold it takes. Can you give it a try?”

“We have contacts in Count Robern’s land... so we can try to contact one of his wizards by using an informant. However, if we are caught doing that, then our credibility...”

The merchant blurred his words, as if there was no need to explain the consequences, but Riftan threw a heavy leather bag at him, which landed with a heavy thud.

“If you make it happen, I will pay you ten times more. Persuade them by saying that whoever takes the deal will get five times of what Count Robren gives them.”

The merchant took the heavy pouch and put it in his hand, then nodded with a sigh.

“I will do my best, but don’t get your hopes up too high. The wizards who serve the count are like his vassals and have served the Robern family for generations. Therefore, it will not be easy to convince them.”

“Convince them, whatever it takes.” Riftan’s tone was as sharp as a knife. He rose from his seat and Aderon followed suit, shoving the leather pouch into his arms.

“Then, I will report in two days about my progress”.

The merchant bowed his head to both of them and left the drawing room. Max stood still and weighed the expression on Riftan’s face. He picked up his cloak without meeting her eyes and went out. Max rushed after him, but Riftan’s steps only became faster. She almost had to run to catch up with him.

“Riftan... please... please listen to me.”

Note – LF: Riftan’s too harsh on this chapter even though he’s just trying to protect Maxi ☹

Nymeria: Riftan has to calm the f down or I’m ready to throw hands! I take back what I said in the POV note????Jk, we know he’s only concerned about her safety, but that’s too much