Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 35: Chapter 35

“Knowledge is more precious than gold, my lady,” said Ruth.

As Ruth plunked himself down in his usual seat, the impact caused the towers of books around him to collapse. Volumes that purportedly contained invaluable knowledge were scattered across the floor. Maxi scowled, wondering whether she should make a caustic remark, but she decided against it with a heavy sigh. All things considered, Ruth had been of great help, and she could not afford to antagonize him.

“I’ll put in the o-order for the b-books.”

“Thank you,” Ruth said crisply before returning to his book.

Maxi left the library, shaking her head. The hallways were illuminated white by the sunlight pouring in through the newly installed windows. Maxi gazed up at the cloudless blue sky before descending the stairs with light steps.

Elegantly patterned railings lined either side of the stairs, and the steps were covered by a soft carpet. Though she had initially panicked when given the task of redecorating the castle, her heart fluttered when she saw the small changes that had materialized.

She entered the banquet hall, smiling broadly. Rodrigo was busy overseeing the construction, which had entered its final phase.

“Rodrigo, are y-you busy?”

“My lady.”

Rodrigo’s wrinkled face brightened when he saw her. Maxi handed him the list of handwritten orders.

“I w-went around the c-castle to ch-check if there’s anything we need. C-Can I trouble you t-to order these items?”

“Of course, my lady.”

“And p-please ask the m-merchants to find the books listed at the b-bottom.”

“As you command.”

The steward folded the parchment neatly and put it in his inner pocket. Maxi smiled, satisfied to have completed one of her tasks. She turned around to leave, but Rodrigo quickly stopped her.

“The young squires caught four ocrie in the mountain stream at dawn, my lady. They’ll soon be ready if you head down to the kitchen.”

“O-Ocrie…?”

“Ocrie live in fresh mountain streams which gives them their soft, rich texture. There’s nothing as delicious as a freshly caught ocrie grilled over charcoal!”

Maxi felt her mouth water. Though the meals at Calypse Castle were always scrumptious, they were decidedly meat heavy. Despite Anatol’s proximity to the sea, Maxi had never seen seafood on the table. Her stomach growled at the prospect of sinking her teeth into juicy, freshly grilled fish.

“B-But the squires c-caught those fish. It isn’t right for m-me to…”

“They say they caught them for you, my lady. They’ll be thrilled if you join them.”

She nodded, though not without a slight blush. She rushed out of the banquet hall, eager to try the delicacy, and made her way to the kitchen.

When she poked her head into the kitchen, she saw that the two young squires had skewered four fish the length of an adult man’s arm above the drain and were busy filleting the creatures. Next to them, the cook was sweating profusely as he looked on anxiously.

“Y-Young masters! Please allow me! I insist.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” said Ulyseon merrily, his tone entirely at odds with the carnage in his hands. “We need to know what cutting into a live creature is like after all. It’s part of our training!”

Just beside him, Garrow was collecting fish blood in a bucket that had been placed under the creatures’ severed tails.

“Uly, I bled this one out.”

“Give it here. I’ll carve that one, too.”

“I cannot let you do such lowly work!” the cook insisted.

“Quiet. As I said, this is part of our training!”

“That’s right. This fish is going on the lady’s table. Can’t let a servant handle them.”

“But why did we get fish, of all things? A fox or a stag would make for a better gift.”

“Garrow! How could you even think of hurting such magnificent creatures?”

Garrow shook his head. “Are you saying this fish here met an untimely death because it’s ugly?”

“It had the misfortune of being both ugly on the outside and tasty on the inside,” quipped Ulyseon.

Maxi hesitated by the entrance. She had not expected to witness such a scene. Feeling sickened by the sight of the half-sliced fish, she turned quietly to leave. But just at that moment Garrow, who had been stretching his neck left and right, happened to lock eyes with her. She froze in place. He grinned brightly and waved.

“Good morning, Lady Calypse!”

“My lady!”

Ulyseon wagged his hands like a dog’s tail. Maxi waved back feebly.

“G-Good morning.”

“You’re just in time! We caught these to thank you for the exciting tale you told us yesterday. This is the tastiest fish in all of Wedon!”

“We’ll have them on the table in no time,” said Garrow, lopping off a head.

Maxi watched as the head fell onto the floor and rolled away, its tongue peeking out of a half-open mouth and its eyes staring at her in resentment. Maxi had to stop herself from gagging as she nodded. She quickly turned around to leave, but Ulyseon began to address her cheerfully.

“My lady, would you tell us more about the fight against the werewolves while you wait?”

“Uly, she might not like the sight of all this blood…”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Garrow. Her ladyship is brave! She watched a fountain of blood spurt out of a giant ogre! She’s the wife of the most valiant knight of the land!”

Ulyseon looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to back his words. Maxi forced a smile. Thunk. As yet another fish head rolled onto the ground, she tried her best not to look.

“O-Of course. Th-This is n-nothing to me.”

“See? Oi! Bring a chair for our lady!”

She was trapped. She looked on as the servants brought in a chair, dreading the prospect of spinning a gory tale as the squires disemboweled their catch. Holding back tears, she perched herself on the edge of the chair.

Meanwhile, Ulyseon tore off and peeled away the ocrie’s thick skin, revealing ivory flesh. After descaling the back and belly, he placed evenly sliced fillets on a plate. Soon, all that remained of the fish was its skeleton.

“I’ve seen a werewolf before. It had the fearsome head of a wolf, but its body was humanoid. It sprang from tree to tree on its hind legs!”

“And its canines protrude like boar tusks. They say the people of Balto stuff werewolf heads to display as trophies.”

“What for? I’ll never understand Northerners and their aesthetics.”

“Wolves are a symbol of courage for them.”

More pink-tinged fillets were stacked on the plate. As the ocrie began to lose their form, Maxi’s nausea abated. She had taken a deep breath to regain her composure when Ulyseon turned to her, drying his hands on a piece of white cloth.

“It’s laughable that they mount werewolf heads to show off their bravery! The Remdragon Knights slaughtered dozens of those beasts in the blink of an eye!”

“Please tell us about how Sir Riftan fought in that battle, my lady.”

Maxi forced a smile again. She took a deep breath, then began her story with how Riftan had decapitated three werewolves with a deadly flash of his sword. From there, the tale only grew taller; as the knights advanced through the woods, severed heads of werewolves rained down like black hail. The story of blood, bones, and flesh seemed to delight her young audience, and their enthusiasm gradually made her forget her discomfort. She had never imagined herself talking so happily in front of others.

Just as the story was nearing its end, the cook interrupted.

“The marinade is ready, young master.”

“Then start grilling. I’m famished.”

The cook dropped the fillets into a bowl of dark liquid. Next, he heated up an oiled pan and made a salad of lettuce, onions, and herbs. Maxi’s mouth started to water again.

“The ocrie will be ready in just a moment, my lady,” said the cook, placing the marinated fish on the pan. “They taste absolutely amazing when grilled golden and served with salad.”

As the fish began to sizzle, a delectable smell wafted in the air. Garrow insisted on eating the fish straight off the grill instead of waiting for it to be served in the dining hall, and so Maxi and the squires found themselves sitting around a small table in the kitchen corner.

Fresh salad and grilled ocrie were soon set before them. Maxi sliced off a piece of steaming fish and brought it to her lips. The soft flesh, sweet from the marinade, melted in her mouth. Her eyes went round.

“It’s d-delicious!”

“Of course! Nothing can compare to freshly caught ocrie in the fall!”

Though the fish was soft, it managed to retain its texture, and it did not have a hint of fishy odor. In the blink of an eye, she finished two large fillets. Meanwhile, Ulyseon and Garrow were already finishing their third serving. She helped herself to a third slice and ate it with the crunchy salad.

“It’s really d-delicious.”

“We’re pleased to hear that you like it,” said Ulyseon, who had devoured his food with astounding speed. “We’ll catch another good one for you, my lady.”

Maxi smiled back, grateful for his kindness.

“I-I look f-forward to it.”