Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 76: Chapter 76

In spite of his ghastly condition, Ulyseon greeted her placidly. “Good afternoon, my lady.”

Stunned, Maxi gawked at the squire’s bloodied face before ordering the servants to bring her a clean cloth and hot water. Behind them, Gabel entered the dining hall and sighed when he saw them.

“The training grounds were muddy thanks to the rain, and today just happened to be the day of the squires’ equestrian training. Rovar here fell off his horse during the charge.”

“Not only did he fall, he so efficiently broke rank that he caused other casualties as well,” muttered Sir Elliot, rubbing his face.

Ulyseon scratched his bloody head, embarrassed. “I should have been more careful. My sincerest apologies, Sir Elliot.”

“I’ve only ever been unseated three times, boy,” Elliot grumbled before walking away to dry himself by the brazier.

Maxi frowned, a little indignant that the knights were being so cavalier about the squire’s blood-soaked condition.

“U-Ulyseon, you mustn’t touch your head! Y-You are bleeding. Come… Sit. I-I shall… tend to your wound.”

“You don’t have to trouble yourself, my lady. It’s not as bad as it looks, and the bleeding has sto-”

“S-Stop… being foolish… and come sit down.”

Maxi pulled Ulyseon to a chair near the brazier and forced him into it, ignoring the squire’s look of surprise. Her concern for the boy was genuine; he reminded her of a wounded, stray dog. She bent down to get a better look at his injury.

Gabel handed her a clean towel soaked in hot water. “I think he tore his scalp. His helmet was too big for him. I don’t think he broke any bones… but the wound is deep. Would it not be difficult to heal, my lady?”

“My… magic should be… s-sufficient.”

Maxi gingerly wiped the area and inspected the wound. Beneath the squire’s blood-slicked silver hair was a long gash.

Maxi placed her hand above it and began drawing on her magic. Thanks to her daily sessions accumulating mana, the speed of her healing magic now matched even Ruth’s. Maxi swept back clumps of hair that clung to the squire’s clammy forehead to check that the wound was completely healed.

“Are you… h-hurt… anywhere else?”

“N-No, my lady,” Ulyseon replied, a flush coloring his normally pale, blemish-free face.

Realizing her actions might be considered indecent, Maxi quickly pulled back her hand.

Ulyseon was slight and fair enough to be mistaken for a woman, but he was still a knight-in-training that would one day join the ranks of the Remdragon order. It was certainly inappropriate to treat him like a child.

Maxi smiled awkwardly and handed him a fresh towel. “Y-You should… c-clean off the blood.”

“Oh! Thank you, my lady.”

Ulyseon gave her a wide, youthful grin as he took the towel and began scrubbing at his face.

Elliot left his place near the fire to walk over to Maxi.

“May I trouble you to heal a bump as well, my lady?” he asked, clutching the back of his head.

Maxi promptly got started on casting her healing magic over Sir Elliot’s injury. Meanwhile, the other knights had dried themselves off and were now gorging on the food laid out by the maidservants.

Maxi ended up joining them for the rest of her meal. The knights usually took their lunch in their quarters, which were adjacent to the training grounds, while Maxi normally spent her afternoons cooped up in the library. It was a rare thing to be dining with them around this time of day.

They sat shoulder-to-shoulder, their hulking frames squeezed around the table. Maxi glanced about at them while taking small sips from her now lukewarm soup.

“H-Has… the lord… left the castle?”

“The commander is in the council room in deliberation with Sir Hebaron, Sir Ursuline, Sir Remus, and… the sorcerer.”

“D-Deliberation?”

“They are probably planning the monster raid we will be carrying out when Aquarias comes around.”

Gabel, who had been enjoying his steaming soup across from her, suddenly chimed in. “There is an emphasis on hierarchy within the order, my lady, and those knights of greater competence have more say. This is why the commander frequently convenes with them near the end of winter to discuss future plans. And with the news that a throng of monsters are migrating from the north, I reckon they are discussing countermeasures for that too.”

Ulyseon, who had been wolfing down his lunch, joined the conversation.

“Do you think I will be able to participate in the next raid?” he asked, his eyes bright.

Elliot scoffed. “After the disaster you caused today, we might have to push your knighting ceremony to next year.”

“I have to agree with him,” Gabel teased. “I heard you took quite the stumble during the last goblin raid. How do you expect to pass the initiation ceremony being so careless? I doubt you could catch a fire-lizard, let alone a drake.”

“I shall not repeat my mistakes!” Ulyseon shouted indignantly. “Let me prove it to you! I could catch two- no, three drakes if you let me!”

Their conversation was impossible to keep up with. Maxi found herself simply glancing back and forth between the speakers.

Noticing her curiosity, Elliot, who had been quietly eating his meal next to her, explained in a deferential tone, “The initiation ceremony of the Remdragon Knights requires initiates to hunt and bring back a monster of the dragon race. They must acquire a dragon stone before their knighting ceremony to be accepted. It is a ritual unique to our order.”

“Actually, the type of the monster is irrelevant as long as it carries a magic stone,” a young knight with dark brown hair chipped in enthusiastically. “But drakes are a good choice for beginners. Bringing back a fire-lizard would make them a laughing stock, while wyverns, hydras, and basilisks are too dangerous for fledgling knights to hunt alone.”

“W-What kind of m-monster is… a drake?”

“They are similar in appearance to a dragon, usually 20 to 30 kevette (six to nine meters) tall. They are scaled and have sharp fangs and claws. But unlike a dragon, they do not have wings, nor can they use Dragon’s Breath.”

“They should not be taken lightly though. They make up for their inability to fly with sheer speed. Once a drake starts chasing you, you could not outrun it even going full speed on horseback. They also have a keen sense of smell, so hiding from one is no small feat either.”

“What’s more, they are highly resistant to magic, so most magical offensives are useless.”

The other knights began chiming in, clearly wanting to scare the squire.

“The most dangerous thing about them is that they move in packs. They’re not so smart on their own, but in a group, they will chase down a quarry relentlessly, sending signals to each other. They are not a monster a greenhorn knight should trifle with.”

“Ah! I can see it now. Fumbling Rovar charging recklessly at a drake and meeting his tragic end by becoming monster lunch!”

“Lunch, you say? More like an appetizer. He’s so puny I’d wager he’d be swallowed whole.”

The only person who looked frightened by their teasing was Maxi. She scanned the squire’s innocent face and willowy frame, her eyes full of worry. It was too harsh a test for a boy of seventeen.

“Y-You… won’t be… d-doing it alone… will you, Ulyseon?”

Garrow Livakion, who had been tucking into his meal quietly in the corner until then, spoke up. “I shall be joining him, my lady. Uly and I are the only squires being knighted this year.”

Maxi was at a loss for words. Garrow was only a year older than Ulyseon. Even though he was taller and broader than his friend, he had yet to shed all of his boyishness. Maxi’s face grew grave.

“J-Just… the two of you? Won’t… that be too dangerous?”

“They do not deserve to join the ranks of the Remdragon Knights if they are incapable of taking on such risks,” Elliot said firmly. “Besides, with their skills, Rovar and Livakion are more than up to the task. That is if they don’t bungle it like today.”

“I suppose I will have to haul the biggest one to restore my honor,” Ulyseon said, lifting his chin. “Just wait and see. I will use its scales to make new boots for you all.”

“Hah! Just try not to become its toothpick.”

The knights snickered and burst into laughter. Maxi was dismayed at how nonchalantly they tossed about such callous jokes. Were they not worried about sending these innocent youths into danger?

Maxi frowned and glared at them. Gabel, who was doubled up with laughter, stopped when he saw her. His smile slowly faded from his lips.

“Oi! Enough of the undignified talk in front of her ladyship.”

Maxi did not point out that ‘Oi!’ was not exactly the height of polite speech either, and instead continued to express her concern for the squires.

“Th-There… will be someone… to watch over them… won’t there? Ulyseon and… G-Garrow are… still so young. Sh-Shouldn’t someone… accompany them… to make s-sure that they don’t…”

“My lady, we are not children who need to be looked after. The initiation ceremony is a rite of passage we must go through to be recognized as a full-fledged knight. We do not require a guardian!”

“He is right. Your words wound our pride, my lady.”

Both Ulyseon and Garrow voiced their objections, their tone bordering on petulance. Maxi stared at them in stunned silence. Were they not scared of dying or getting hurt? The two squires seemed neither frightened nor anxious by the trial that awaited them.

Maxi could not help but be in awe of their undaunted confidence. She had lived four or five years longer than either of them, yet she did not possess even half as much courage.

“I-I did not… mean to offend you. I was… merely worried…”

“You have nothing to worry about, my lady. They might not look it, but those two are exceptional swordsmen.”

Maxi’s head snapped up at the unexpected voice and saw Hebaron and Riftan striding into the dining hall.