Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 101: Chapter 101

“What is it? Why are you so surprised?”

Maxi frowned at the sight of Ruth standing behind her with his shoulders hunched in laughter.

“W-Why would you… sneak up on a l-lady like that?!”

“I did nothing of the sort. I entered the library in the usual manner.”

“You could have s-said something.”

Ruth took the seat opposite her. “Should I have bellowed that the great sorcerer Ruth has arrived?”

Maxi did not know whether to be angry or to laugh at his impertinence. They had not seen each other in a while, but his treatment of her had clearly not changed.

Ruth gave an undignified yawn, his face the picture of apathy, before snatching the book from her and thumbing through it.

“I’m afraid some of the descriptions are incorrect. Strictly speaking, the lizardmen are closer to the dragon subspecies than the Ayin race. They carry magic stones within them and are able to use distinctive magic of their own. The record Sir Riftan keeps should have more details than this book.”

“I-Is there a big difference… between the dragon subspecies… and the Ayin race?”

“Of course. The dragon subspecies possess strong magical powers. They can use magic distinct to their kind, like Dragon’s Breath. They are highly resistant to magic, so most magical offensives do not work on them. It’s why they are such difficult creatures to subdue.”

He lowered the book to the desk and roughly scratched his head as if the mere thought of subduing such a monster gave him a headache.

“The lizardmen are a much higher-level monster than the trolls. Not only are they intelligent and capable of magic, but they also have outstanding physical prowess. Because of that, they are not easy to slay with a sword or with magic. Defeating a lizardman is more difficult than dealing with ten trolls combined.”

Maxi looked down at the illustration of a monster that appeared to be a combination of human and lizard. The strange creature with the face of a reptile, a muscular body covered in scales, and a long tail did not seem intelligent. Wondering if Ruth was correct, Maxi squinted at the script beneath the illustration.

Ruth tapped the table with his fingertips. “Might I ask why you are reading a book on monsters?”

“I… heard the report the scouts brought back yesterday, a-and I wanted to know what kind of monsters they were…”

Ruth stroked his chin. “I heard that you neutralized werewolf poison with magic yesterday. Was that where you heard the news?”

Maxi nodded stiffly. “I h-heard that… a monster army is pillaging the lands in Northern Livadon. Do you think… th-the Remdragon Knights will also have to join the campaign?”

“Nothing is certain, but there is a high chance that we will be called upon.”

Maxi felt her blood run cold. She had half-expected this, but the thought of separating from Riftan caused a painful tightness in her chest.

She bit her lips as she recalled the distance between Anatol and the Pamela Plateau. How long would it take for Riftan to return if he left? A few months? A few years?

Ruth studied her ashen face and cautiously added, “There is still much work to be done in Anatol that requires the lord’s direct supervision. Which is why everyone has agreed, after deliberating over it until dawn, that either Sir Hebaron or Sir Ursuline would lead a division of knights if we are ever compelled to join the campaign.”

“R-Really?” Maxi asked in earnest, unable to conceal her relief.

Ruth smiled bitterly and nodded. “Sir Riftan will not be leaving Anatol for long periods of time for a while unless absolutely necessary. That is how big of an enterprise this road construction is. And it has not even been a year since the Dragon Campaign, so it wouldn’t do for the lord to be absent from the estate so soon.”

“D-Does that mean Riftan would have to join the campaign… if it were absolutely necessary?”

Ruth hesitated before answering.

“If the situation in Livadon grows dire, then Sir Riftan would have to get involved. It would be difficult for him to stay if King Reuben commands him to lead the Remdragon Knights.”

He began listing the factors on his fingers before letting out a deep sigh, a deflated look on his face.

“As you know, the knights have their extremely annoying precepts: they must protect the weak, obey their lord, and fulfill all obligations of the sword. Sir Riftan might not be a firm adherent of the knights’ code of conduct… but he cannot afford to ignore these precepts so publicly. If he did, it would be a blow to the honor he has worked so hard to gain.”

“I-I see.”

Maxi’s face fell as she recalled Princess Agnes saying that the king harbored doubts about Riftan’s loyalty. His Majesty might command Riftan to lead his knights as a test.

The Armistice of the Seven Kingdoms was a treaty signed to ensure the peace and safety of the continent. It would not be easy to disobey a command to uphold such a treaty.

Maxi stared down at the illustration of the hideous creature and bit her lip until it hurt. Her stomach twisted at the thought of Riftan facing a massive monster army.

No matter how outstanding the knight, safety could never be guaranteed on a battlefield. Maxi had heard much about Riftan’s recklessness; she was certain he would not look out for himself. He would not hesitate to forge ahead at the front of the battle.

A flame of anger suddenly flared within Maxi. Riftan was almost obsessive about her well-being, but he did not care at all when it came to his own. It was the height of irrationality.

Her thoughts were mired in the unfairness of it all when Ruth’s placid voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“I, on the other hand, will have to join the knights leaving for the campaign.”

Maxi’s head jerked up.

Ruth, who was staring at the ceiling with his arms crossed, added calmly, “Since the journey to Livadon is a long one, it would be imperative for them to have a mage in their party. We do not yet know if it will be Sir Riftan or another knight who will be taking command, but it is certain that I shall have to go. Since that is the case, Calypse Castle will need your magical abilities more than it does now.”

“My… magical abilities?”

His unexpected words made Maxi nervous. Ruth nodded, his face serious.

“Of course, I am not trying to force you, my lady. There is a large number of mercenaries staying in Anatol, and there are certainly mages among them. It would be great if we could hire at least one of them, but it is exceedingly difficult to convince mercenaries to settle in one place. If we fail to hire a decent mage, then you would be the only healer in Anatol who could tend to injuries like yesterday’s.”

Ruth’s tone was flat, but he paused before adding, “I know that something terrible could have happened to you at the construction site. The fault lies entirely with me for not warning you about mana depletion. I wanted to apologize to you sooner, but I could not dare to call on you with Sir Riftan so furious with me…”

“You do not have to apologize. You c-couldn’t have known… that the wyverns would suddenly go on a rampage.”

“Actually, I was aware that the camp was vulnerable to monster attacks. What I didn’t expect was for you to overexert yourself like that to tend to the wounded.”

Maxi was momentarily lost for words at his frankness.

“B-But that was the reason why I learned magic in the first place. W-Wasn’t that why you agreed to teach me? So that I could be of h-help if accidents occurred?”

“I did, but… I did not think you would undertake the task so earnestly,” he confessed, shrugging.

Maxi dumbly opened and closed her mouth before her expression hardened. Discovering that the man who had encouraged her to learn magic had not, in fact, expected much from her filled her with a sense of betrayal.

When she stared at him with an icy look, Ruth began walking on eggshells.

“I apologize for underestimating your sense of righteousness. You do not know how much I regret my half-hearted teaching. When I heard that you collapsed, I was so plagued with guilt that I was unable to sleep.”

“But aren’t your moral standards… f-fairly low?”

“I think that is uncalled for, my lady. I truly did feel bad.”

Maxi simply glared at him in response.

As if realizing that she was genuinely upset, Ruth sheepishly scratched the back of his head. “I have learned that there is nothing more dangerous than vague knowledge. If you would allow me, I would like to thoroughly instruct you, starting from the things we must be mindful of when using magic to how to respond in critical situations.”

“You just said… that you do not expect much from me.”

“You misunderstand, my lady. What I meant was that you easily exceeded my expectations. The way you handled the crisis that day was commendable. A bit excessive, yes, but I am well aware that you did your best to help with the magic you have only recently begun to learn.”

Maxi looked up at him doubtfully, unsure if he really meant what he said. Ruth met her gaze with sincere eyes as he calmly tried to convince her.

“If the previous incident has not made you shun magic completely, I would like for us to resume your lessons again. It would bring me peace of mind if your abilities were to improve.”

Maxi felt the weight of this new expectation he was laying on her shoulders. She also felt the need to hone her abilities. Although it had not been a year since she had arrived in Anatol, there had been two serious incidents already.

At the beginning of last winter, she had tended to a mass of wounded people at a lumber camp devastated by werewolves. This time it had been a wyvern attack at the construction site. There was no guarantee that it would not happen again.

If a situation arose that required her to heal many injuries on her own, would she be able to handle it? After objectively assessing her abilities, Maxi shook her head. Seeing as healing four or five people had been enough to drain her, it would be an impossible feat for her current feeble capacity.

Although she knew she could not hope to fill Ruth’s place in his absence even if she practiced for months, it was better than doing nothing.

Her confidence was draining away like sand, and Maxi barely managed to gather it to give her response.

“I understand. I-If you would teach me… I-I shall do my best. Riftan would not be pleased… But I still wish to learn.”

“Good. Then, please come to the library whenever you have the time. Unless there is something that requires me to be elsewhere, I shall also strive to make myself available here.”

Appearing satisfied, Ruth grinned and patted Maxi on the shoulder.