Under the Oak Tree

“Will everything… be okay no-now?”

“The commander of the monster army who leads devices and their tactics is gone. The coalition of the monster army has fallen to the ground. Although there is still a considerable number of trolls encamped in the north, sooner or later, they too will meet their end.”

Despite the promising sound of the princess’ words, the concern and apprehension did not disappear from Max’s face.

“It seems as if you have lost confidence in the allied forces.”

“It’s not that I have lost co-confidence in them…”

Max muttered but hearing the hesitation in her tone, the princess couldn’t help but give her a bitter smile.

“Don’t worry. The honor and pride of the allied forces have taken a devastating blow because the monsters have outwitted them that they are now more vigilant than ever. And seeing the Remdragon knights in their fury, Balto’s forces have stayed out of trouble as well.” The princess then wrinkled her nose. “Well, it figures, you’d have to be a lunatic to dare get on Riftan’s nerves right now. Even during the dragon subjugation, he wasn’t as riled as he is now…”

Max clamped her mouth shut, reached into her pocket, and touched the shekel anxiously with her fingers. As soon as Riftan left, Max went and picked it up from the corner where he threw it. As she recalled Riftan disposing of something he had kept for more than a decade with an undecipherable expression on his face, the corner of her heart tightened. Agnes, seeing Max sink into depression, quickly lit up the atmosphere with a joyous beam.

“Let’s stop talking about wars now. Just focus on recovering your health. Maximillian pushed her body to the limit, you should rest now.”

“Thank you… for taking care of me to this extent.”

“Don’t mention it.”

The princess gave her a warm smile and tucked her in. Max blushed, embarrassed for being treated like a terminally ill patient. There were men there who had suffered much more serious injuries. Compared to those who lost their limbs and are now disabled for life, suffering a shoulder dislocation and some broken ribs paled in comparison. However, her strength was returning at a snail’s pace. All of her wounds had gone thanks to healing magic, although she received recovery magic, she was still tired and lacking in energy as a result of completely depleting her mana.

Feeling like a dry well, Max rubbed her sore, dizzy head.

“We are ready to depart!”

A loud voice called out from outside the carriage after a moment. Princess Agnes left the carriage and went out for one last inspection before returning. Soon, the trumpets sounded to signal their departure. With the princess’ help, Max sat up and looked out the window, hoping to see Riftan, but he was not in sight. She bit her lip anxiously and wondered if he wouldn’t even bid her goodbye. Her heart filled with anxiety and disappointment.

It was not unreasonable for him to be so outraged after she broke her promise not to be reckless and got seriously injured. However, if she hadn’t done what she did, Ethylene would have been invaded by the monsters. And in the end, didn’t she come out generally fine as well?

She thought to herself, ‘wounds can be solved with healing magic… so isn’t it alright for me to get a little hurt?’

Max’s face suddenly clouded as she remembered the pain that flashed in Riftan’s eyes that she felt guilty of her thoughts. She was then overwhelmed in a mixed feeling of confusion and discouragement and her shoulders dropped. At that moment, Max saw someone running to the edge of the carriage. Looking out, her eyes widened. Yulysion exclaimed his words as he followed closely beside the slow-moving carriage.

“M’lady, I wanted to sincerely apologize before you left. I really am deeply sorry that I wasn’t able to protect you properly.”

Surprised by the unexpected apology, Max quickly waved her hands towards the boy. “T-That’s not true. If it weren’t for the protection of Yulysion and Garrow…I wouldn’t be here right now. If it weren’t for the two of you, there would have been a bigger problem.”

“M’lady…”

The boy bit his trembling lips and his eyes wrinkled as if he was holding back tears. His purple eyes appeared slightly moist. Max looked at him with concern and tried to encourage him with a bright smile.

“Don’t make that face. Soon… I will re-recover. So… you should take care and return safely.”

Yulysion seemed to have more to say, but kept his mouth shut and bowed his head. Max couldn’t help but feel guilty seeing the boy like this. He was only seventeen years old. Although he was already a genius swordsman with great potential, he was still a young boy and one who protected her with bravery befitting a true knight. Max wanted to tell him that, to tell him of his incredible bravery and courage, but the carriage sped up and Max staggered slightly. Yulysion hurriedly chased after the wagon but soon, he also came to a stop and only watched as the carriage moved away.

Max looked out the window and saw his dejected expression slowly turn farther and farther. Soon, the boy’s figure got obscured by the crowds. Princess Agnes went over to her and pointed to the window.

“Over there. They have come to see you off.”

Max followed the princess’ fingertip and saw several priestesses gathered on top of a hill. Idcilla stood in front and waved her handkerchief high in the air. Max gave them a small smile. When she asked Idcilla to return home together, Idcilla rejected her offer and decided to stay and go home with her brother instead. Feeling solemn that this could be their last meeting together, Max waved her hands until the girl was out of sight. Finally, the carriage passed through the gates and Princess Agnes helped her lay back down.

“The southern road is completely blocked, so we will pass through a valley in the north and travel around the wall. The Remdragon Knights will escort us until then. There will be no monsters throughout that journey so you can relax and sleep without worry.”

Max closed her eyes, feeling relieved that Riftan would be with her. The next time she opened her eyes in the rattling carriage, Princess Agnes shook her shoulder gently to wake her up. She then helped her sit and pointed outside the window.

“The Remdragon Knights will no longer be escorting us from hereon. Should I call for Riftan to come say goodbye?”

Max looked out the carriage window with sunken eyes and saw the knights in an organized formation on the tawny-colored field. Riftan, who led the ranks, took off his helmet and held it by his side. She could see his hair swaying against the blowing wind. Max waited for him to steer his horse toward her, but Riftan did not move as he sat still atop his black stallion with an undecipherable gaze. She didn’t want to call him when she remembered how he was shaking so painfully in front of her.

She shook her head slowly. “It’s a-alright. We’ve already said our… goodbyes.”

The princess looked at her warily, then lowered the curtains and ordered their procession to depart. The carriage shook again, and Max stared silently at his disappearing figure. As they moved away, it felt as if a dark shadow was dimming her heart.

‘…will you come soon to take me?’

She looked at him with pleading eyes, but his face remained passive, and Max couldn’t read it at all. She clasped the shekel in her hand tightly, wishing that Riftan would suddenly steer his horse to follow her. For a moment, that expectation swelled but was soon deflated as Riftan stayed still on the field like a stone statue. Max blinked, backed her tears and swallowed the pain that crept up her throat. A gust of cold wind flapped the capes of the Remdragon Knights. She breathed in the wind and realized that autumn had arrived and her most intense, painful summer had come to an end.

***

The princess’ words that all the monsters had been driven north were upheld without exaggeration. Throughout their entire journey to Levan, they did not encounter a single monster. No… perhaps, there was a raid here or there, but Max was completely knocked out the entire trip and didn’t notice anything. She slept like a dead man in the carriage the whole trip. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, a day had passed. This routine was repeated every day, but no matter how much she slept, the fatigue did not go away, and she felt as helpless as a newborn infant. Since mana depletion couldn’t be cured with magic, she had no choice but to wait for her strength to recover naturally.

For more than ten days of the journey, all she did was eat and sleep. When they reached Levan, she was finally well enough to walk on her own. As soon as she got out of the carriage, she went to see Rem, whom she left in the Great Temple. Having been neglected for nearly two months, Rem raised her hooves in joy at her return. Seeing the horse’s overly excited demeanor, Uslin stepped forward and took the reins from her hands.

“She hasn’t been out for a run in a while, so she’s more agitated. Please don’t go near her until she’s calmed down a bit.”

Max nodded awkwardly and stepped back. Although Uslin no longer looked at her with hostility, she still felt uncomfortable with this cold, stiff Knight. Uslin expertly calmed Rem, who was stomping excitedly, then turned to study her complexion.

“The weather is good today, so we can set sail immediately. Do you have anything you need to pack at the temple?

“N-Nothing in particular…”

Max wanted to say goodbye to the other Livadon women she befriended during her stay, but she didn’t know how to explain that she and Idcilla lied to sneak into the war. Worried about the possible backlash, Max decided to leave without saying a word. They climbed into the carriage again and rode to the harbor, where huge sails embroidered with Whedon’s royal insignia awaited. With Elliot’s support, she climbed aboard the ship. Princess Agnes stood in the middle of the deck to supervise the soldiers transporting their cargo and ran at once when she saw Max.

“Maximilian! Your face is pale. You could have left your horse to the care of the soldiers. They would have brought it…”

“It’s f-fine. After all, I left her alone for so long… I should at least do this.”

Max lovingly stroked Rem’s mane and the horse whinnied with happiness. She smiled at the affectionate animal before Agnes led her to the stairs located at the center of the ship’s deck.

“Now, come over here. The soldiers and servants will take care of the horses. For now, Maximillian should take her medicines and have a good rest.”

“…I’ve been sleeping all this time.”

Max pouted at being treated like a child and the princess smiled to appease her, speaking in a reassuring tone.

“Maximillian, your mana depletion is not to be taken easily. The mana you depleted is the mana you were born with, in simpler words, you drew mana from your life force and used it. It will take a lot of time for you to fully recover. Right now, you shouldn’t overexert yourself and get a good rest.”

“Please do as the princess suggests. Your complexion doesn’t look good.”

Even Elliot, who was standing silently beside her, chimed in. Max sighed and descended into the cabins with heavy steps. The princess led her to a luxurious cabin fit for a king. Once seated, she drank some porridge and tea made with herbal roots and went to lay down on the bed. Soon, the sound of trumpets signaling their departure echoed throughout the ship. As Max was lying down, she recalled her experiences for the past seasons. Everything felt like a long dream; from her life in Croix Castle, to living in Anatol, and experiencing expeditions…

Since she met Riftan, her life had taken a complete turn. It was full of passion and adventure every day.

‘Ever since I met him, I have never felt more alive…’ she mused, but belatedly remembered the pain in his eyes that flashed in her mind. She quickly pushed the image away, not wanting to think about it. She was exhausted. These past few days, she felt as if she had aged by decades. While listening to the gentle, calm waves, Max slowly fell asleep again.

***

Drakium, the capital of Whedon, was located in the extreme north of the continent. Compared to Anatol, which was situated at the southern tip of Whedon, the capital was much closer to the port, and they were able to reach the gates of the capital within five days after the ship sailed. Max looked out of the window and gazed at the colors around the autumn leaf strewn city. Indeed, it was a city that Rosetta would adore as she was fond of colorful scenery.

After passing through the magnificent gates, wide roads, large enough to accommodate eight carriages side by side, elaborate, evenly built stone buildings, Princess Agnes pointed out the window.

“That is the theater, and there is the weapons shop. That arena is for hosting jousts…”, she explained the attractions in Drachium one by one.

Max nodded absently. The capital was splendid and magnificent, but strangely, she did not feel interested at all.