Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 63: Chapter 63

Maxi looked up from her page and gave Ruth a quizzical look.

“D-Didn’t you l-leave the tower b-because you h-hated it there?”

“What I disliked was the tower’s rules, not the tower itself. It is, after all, the only place in the world where hundreds of well-educated mages gather to cultivate their skills.”

Hearing the faint longing in Ruth’s voice, Maxi’s curiosity grew. Nornui was a sequestered island that rarely allowed outsiders to enter. Though its port was frequented by merchants from the Southern and Western Continents, only authorized mages were allowed inside the Tower.

Generations of bards had sung of the enigmatic island all across the continent. Having heard these songs, Maxi had developed her own fantasies about the place, and so she was naturally intrigued by Ruth’s words.

“D-Do all m-mages study in the M-Mage Tower?”

“Are you not currently studying magic in Anatol, my lady?” Ruth shook his head, looking exasperated. “Learning elemental magic requires study in the Mage Tower, but learning basic magic doesn’t. Most itinerant mages who work with mercenaries are unaffiliated with the Tower.”

“E-Elemental magic?”

Maxi cocked her head. Ruth scratched the back of his head, surprised that he had not explained the concept yet.

“As you learned in Introduction to Magic, mana is made up of six different elements: wind, water, earth, fire, light, and darkness. Mana is the perfect equilibrium of these elements, while elemental magic involves the extraction and accumulation of a single element inside the body before using that pure energy. On the other hand, basic magic involves the accumulation of all six elements in equal proportions.”

“I-Isn’t it better to u-use all the elements than to use j-just one?”

“No. The more unstable the energy source, the more powerful the magic becomes. Hence, magic concentrated in one element is ten times more powerful than typical magic. Let’s say that we have six bricks. If you placed these bricks in neat rows on the floor, it would be difficult to scatter them. That’s because they’re in a stable state. But if you placed them in a pile, you could easily topple them over. As I mentioned, magic requires us to disrupt nature’s balance through meticulous calculation.”

Maxi nodded, recalling his explanation of the difference between mana and magic. Magic went against the rules of nature, while mana adhered to the natural order.

She began to understand dimly how the accumulation of pure elemental mana amplified the power of magic. Pleased by her progress, Ruth smiled faintly as he rolled up the sleeve of his robe to expose his wrist. A small magic rune was engraved in red ink on his pale, veiny skin.

“To learn elemental magic, you must have a rune like this inscribed on your body at the Mage Tower. Through this rune, I can accumulate pure wind mana in my body.”

“W-Wouldn’t it be e-easier f-for me to learn m-magic if I had something s-similar o-on my body?” Maxi asked, a subtle glint of expectation in her eyes.

“These runes can only be inscribed by the high mages who reside at the top of the Mage Tower. In order to receive one, you must undergo four years of training in the tower. During that time, you’re prohibited from leaving Nornui.”

Seeing Maxi’s shoulders slump in disappointment, Ruth clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“You’ve only just started learning the foundations of magic. How can you be thinking about elemental magic already? I suggest you focus on learning basic spells first.”

“I-I was j-just asking,” Maxi muttered sheepishly, hiding her face behind a book.

Grinning, Ruth leafed through his book before getting up to light the candles. Though the day was still young, thick clouds were casting shadows in the library.

Using tongs, Ruth picked up an ember from the brazier and held it to the wick of the candles and oil lamps. Maxi rubbed her tired eyes and continued reading, only rising from her seat when it was time for supper. She gathered up her books and rolls of parchment.

“Will you be eating in the dining hall?” Ruth asked.

Maxi shook her head. She could not imagine facing the knights after the drunken spectacle she had made of herself.

“I-I plan to d-dine in my room so I can c-continue reading.”

But Ruth saw through her excuse.

“Haven’t you ever seen a belligerent drunk? If you had, you would know that behaving a little foolishly is nothing to be ashamed of. Why don’t you use this opportunity to get to know the knights better? I think they found you rather amusing.”

“I do not wish t-to be a-amusing…”

Contrary to her words, Maxi was intrigued. Did the knights really look on her favorably? She was turning Ruth’s words over in her mind when she heard the door of the library swing open. Startled, she turned her head to see Riftan, still armed, striding into the library.

“Why are you still here at this hour?”

Maxi flinched at his brusque tone. She studied his face, wondering whether he was still angry with her.

“I would think that what one does in a library is obvious,” Ruth answered flatly.

Riftan glowered at him, then scanned the contents of the desk. Empty plates and trays from lunch lay next to chaotic piles of books. A deep crease appeared on his forehead. He shook his head, dumbfounded.

“The maidservants told me that you’ve been here since noon. Have you been reading all this time?”

“Some people like to spend their days reading, Sir Riftan, the way you like to spend yours swinging your sword.”

A hint of displeasure flashed across Riftan’s face. Alarmed by the tension, Maxi hastily gathered up her books.

“I-I was just a-about t-to leave…”

Riftan swiftly took the books from her.

“Come. I’ve asked the servants to bring our meal to our bedchamber.”

“And not to the dining hall?” Ruth asked.

Riftan glanced over his shoulder at Ruth.

“All the knights are lazing about in their quarters. They were grumbling about how dog-tired they were, so I’ve instructed the servants to bring them their meals there.”

Ruth shuddered. “Those men have an endless reserve of stamina. What have you done to them? All they did was offer her ladyship some wine.”

Maxi looked up at Riftan in surprise. Had he punished the knights for her drunkenness? She hung her head in shame.

Riftan snorted. “I realized just how undisciplined they’d become when I saw them staggering about intoxicated, so I gave them an intensive training session.”

“Of course you did,” Ruth said, sighing loudly.

Pretending not to hear, Riftan grabbed Maxi’s hand and started walking toward the door. Maxi quickly said her farewell and followed him into the chilly corridor. She practically had to run to keep up with him.

“A-Are you…”

Riftan came to an abrupt halt and turned to face her.

“A-Are you still a-angry?”

“…”

“I-I assure you, I w-won’t ever drink s-so much again. I-I didn’t know I’d g-get so d-drunk.”

“I’m not angry anymore.”

Riftan strode forward again. Maxi followed in silence, all the while stealing glances at his face. His lips were pressed together firmly, belying his words.

“Is Ruth always there with you in the library?” Riftan suddenly asked as they reached the stairs.

“P-Pardon?”

Maxi gave him a puzzled look before nodding slowly.

“R-Ruth s-seems to spend m-most of his time i-in the library, s-so he’s almost always there w-when I visit.”

Maxi decided to hide the fact that Ruth had taken up residence in the library. She felt that she at least owed him that much. A faint crease formed on Riftan’s forehead.

“Don’t you find the rascal exasperating? He’s like a wily fox. He’s always roping people into doing things for him or using them for strange experiments…”

“I-I’m the one wh-who’s a-always bothering him. H-He’s got a caustic personality, but he’s t-taught me a lot. And h-he was a big help w-when I first a-arrived at the c-castle.”

Riftan seemed to become even more subdued. The strange tension made Maxi anxious. Did Riftan dislike Ruth? She had seen the two men trade barbs over the most trivial affairs, but she had thought that they shared a bond of trust. Not knowing what to do, she shifted her eyes nervously.

“Do you like intelligent men?” Riftan asked as they neared the door to their room.

Maxi was astonished to realize that her spending time with another man was the reason for Riftan’s discontent. She had never thought of Ruth in that manner, and it had never occurred to her that her husband might find the arrangement displeasing. Blanching at the thought that Riftan might doubt her fidelity, she hastily tried to defend herself.

“N-No, I don’t! I r-respect Ruth, b-but I’ve n-never thought of him that way! H-He’s overly critical and n-nags every chance he g-gets! His e-extensive knowledge has p-proved useful, a-and I am grateful f-for his help, but… He nags m-more than my nursemaid d-did! He’s a-always got an o-opinion about everything! S-So I could n-never… I-It is you I-”

She clamped her mouth shut. Riftan was gazing down at her with a vacant expression on his face. She opened and closed her mouth like a carp before hanging her head. She could tell from the burning in her ears that her face was beet-red. When the long silence became unbearable, she resumed her babbling.

“I-If you’re c-curious about the kind of man I l-like… I like m-m-men who are d-dependable, ch-chivalrous, a-and g-g-good with h-horses.”

“Are you…”

Hearing a loud thud, Maxi looked up in surprise. Riftan had slammed his head against the door. With his forehead still pressed to the wood, he let out a long sigh.

“Haven’t you tempted me enough?”

“T-Tempted you?”

After regarding her with narrowed eyes, Riftan grabbed her hand, opened the door to their bedchamber, and pulled her into the room. When the door closed shut behind them, he scooped her up and pressed her against the wall.