Chapter Twenty-Two #3
Picking up a clean scrap of linen, Maxi wiped the blood dripping from the gash. Ruth, who had followed Maxi into the tent, peered over her shoulder to examine the wound. He then gently pushed her aside and plopped himself down on the floor.
“Allow me to take care of this,” he instructed. “I think it would be better to remove the stitches and heal him with magic than to stitch him up again.”
Maxi hesitated. “But…you’ve already healed s-sixteen people with magic.”
“No need to fret. I still have enough mana. Could you bring me some clean cloth? Oh, and a small pair of tweezers, please.”
Nora quickly brought him the items. After skillfully removing all the stitches, Ruth cast healing magic over the wound. The lesion disappeared without a trace.
The soldier, who had been forced to lie on his side for weeks, joyfully clasped Ruth’s hand. “Thank you, master mage! I will never forget this kindness.”
Ruth halfheartedly waved a hand as though he found the soldier’s gratitude bothersome and rose to his feet. Maxi followed him and cautiously studied his tired face. She knew how taxing the usage of mana was on the body, and she was worried that Ruth might collapse.
“Are you not o-overworking yourself?” she asked timidly.
Ruth shook his head. “This much I can handle, and a day of rest should be enough to restore myself.”
He scrubbed his sweaty face with water from a pail, and Maxi quickly handed him a towel.
Ruth let out a long sigh as he dried himself. “How many immobilized patients do we have left?”
“Twenty—n-no, there should be about eighteen of them.”
“Then we should be able to depart tomorrow.”
Maxi stared darkly into the tent. Though their wounds were mostly healed, the majority of the men would be weak from weeks spent restricted to their cots. She was worried that they might not be able to endure the arduous journey to Eth Lene Castle.
“How far…i-is Eth Lene Castle from here?” she inquired.
Ruth thought for a moment. “It would take a day to get there if one were to ride without rest. But for a party of this size, it will likely take several times longer—perhaps about three days.”
Maxi swallowed the dry lump in her throat. Three days from now, she would be able to see Riftan. Her heart swelled uncontrollably. They had only been apart for a few months, but she felt as desperate as if they had not seen each other in years.
“It is not something to be happy about,” Ruth said stiffly when he saw the blush spreading on her cheeks. “There is a high chance that kobold and red goblin bands are still lurking in the area. The monsters will undoubtedly try to steal our provisions and weapons. It will be a hard journey.”
Maxi gulped. “B-But…we will have the Temple Knights with us…and I heard the kn-knights under Duke Aren are also known for their prowess in battle…. W-Won’t they be able to keep us safe?”
“Even the Temple Knights will find it difficult to protect every single person in a party of this size. There are bound to be casualties—” Ruth cut off his grumbling when he saw Maxi’s face blanching. He sighed and scratched the back of his head.
“I seem to have made you uneasy. My intention was to caution you to stay alert. Always be prepared to cast a barrier, and try to stay close to me at all times.”
Overwrought, Maxi could only nod in response, and Ruth swiftly went off to another tent to treat the rest of the patients. Dispelling the fear that swirled in her heart, Maxi tried to focus her attention on preparing emergency herbs.
Before long, the time of their departure for Eth Lene Castle arrived. The female clerics rose at dawn to move the wounded onto the wagons and begin packing their supplies. When they were done loading the herbs and utensils onto the carts, they helped the soldiers pack away the tents.
Dripping in sweat, Maxi had to load one heavy bag after another onto the carts. After three or four hours of such labor, the women were finally able to board their wagons.
Ruth had wanted to join them, but the objections of the female clerics forced him to ride with their male counterparts. He clearly felt uncomfortable with the arrangement, and he barraged Maxi with incessant warnings right up until their departure.
“My lady, you are currently a mere cleric. No knight here will risk his life to protect you,” he said seriously. “You mustn’t do anything reckless. If anything happens, you must come to me immediately.”
After repeatedly giving him her word, Maxi finally managed to get him to leave her side.
She huddled next to Idsilla and fiddled with the hilt of the dagger hidden beneath her clothes.
Although she doubted she would be able to wield it properly in the face of a true threat, knowing that she had a weapon made her feel better.
Even so, as she watched the knights protectively surround the wagons through the window, she prayed that she would never have to use the dagger.
It was a long procession through the ruined city. When the last of the support unit had left the city walls, the wagons began to pick up speed. Maxi strained to keep herself from tumbling inside the rickety vehicle.
Evidently too tired to do the same, Idsilla asked with an apologetic look, “Forgive me, but do you mind if I lean on you? My back hurts too much….”
Maxi gave her a reassuring smile. “Not at all. F-Feel free.”
With a look of gratitude, Idsilla snuggled next to her. The girl had grown markedly thinner in the past few days. It was not surprising considering they were only given leftovers at the end of each day’s hard labor.
Maxi discreetly felt her own waist. Although she seemed to have gained some muscle on her arms and legs, her body was generally thinner.
She fantasized about soft, buttery bread, savory goose stew, sizzling grilled lamb, and pie filled with sweet jam.
When the war was over, she intended to prepare a feast back in Anatol with Riftan and do nothing but eat for a whole month.
She was now confident that she could finish off a whole chicken by herself.
The lurching wagon seemed to rattle her very skull, and Maxi endured the rocking by focusing on her pleasant daydreams.
Contrary to her fears, the journey was uneventful. After riding for half a day without rest, the party stopped at a dense forest to eat before immediately setting out again.
It was only as their ears started to ring from all the rattling that the long march finally came to a stop. They had arrived at an open field that would serve as their campsite for the night.
After checking the condition of the wounded men with the other female clerics, Maxi ate her meager dinner and fell asleep on the grass. The next day, the party was once again back on the road before dawn. On the third day of traveling without rest, the wagons halted without warning.
Maxi, who had been nodding off with her head against Idsilla’s, jerked awake from the violent tremor that shook the wagon. Wondering if they had already arrived, Maxi looked out the window and saw that they had stopped in the middle of an empty plain with no trees in sight.
Perplexed, Maxi stuck her head out the window and then stifled a scream. Soldiers at the head of the party were fighting a swarm of monsters with red skin.
“Red goblin attack! Remain inside the wagon!” a knight cried out when he saw Maxi.
Startled, Maxi pulled her head back inside the wagon. The female clerics looked terrified as they held on to one another. Idsilla locked her arms around Maxi, and Maxi hugged her back as her eyes nervously darted about.
Was it truly safe for them to remain inside? She was overwrought with anxiety when she heard the thunderous pounding of hooves, followed by an eerie silence.
Maxi barely contained the urge to look out the window. She did not know how long she remained huddled with the other women, but the wagon eventually began to move again as though nothing had happened.
“Do you think it’s over?” one of the women whispered.
Maxi swallowed hard. “It…It appears so.”
Before Maxi could stop her, Idsilla threw back the curtain covering the window and cried out to the knight riding next to them, “What’s happening? Is it over?”
“It was over in a flash,” the soldier said proudly, puffing out his chest. “The Remdragon Knights were guarding the area, so we were able to subdue the monsters without any major casualties. We have nothing to fear now that we have two reincarnations of Wigrew with us.”
Maxi stiffened, and Idsilla threw her a surprised glance before addressing the knight. “Do you mean that Sir Riftan of Wedon is here right now?”
“That’s correct. He was patrolling the castle vicinity in time for our arrival,” the soldier replied flatly, now appearing slightly annoyed that the conversation was continuing.
“We will be at Eth Lene Castle in two hours. Both the Remdragon and Temple Knights will be guarding us until we get there, so you can all breathe easy.”
Idsilla stuck her head out the window and scanned the men at the fore. “Is Sir Riftan riding ahead of us?”
Though Maxi was sorely tempted to push her head out the window as well, she summoned every last bit of self-restraint she possessed to suppress the urge.
“He rides at the front,” the soldier said. “Now, enough of your questions. Pull your head back inside.”
After squinting through the thick clouds of dust shrouding the road, Idsilla pursed her lips and sat back.
Maxi tugged at Idsilla’s robe and whispered, “Well? D-Did you see him?”
Idsilla slowly shook her head. “He was too far away.”
Maxi ran her tongue over her dry lips, her heart hammering in her chest. Her nerves were so wound up that her whole body ached.
Riftan would never forgive her if he found out that she had gone against his will and followed him here. Perhaps it would finally cause him to be utterly disillusioned with her.
Sliding her sweaty hand into her pocket, Maxi clutched the copper coin. The fear that Riftan might swing the door open at any moment and discover her made her throat go dry.