Chapter Twenty-Five #9
The black cat, Roy, sauntered over from his spot near the fireplace and climbed onto her lap.
Maxi stroked his soft fur and turned her gaze to the window.
Bare branches and clear blue sky filled her vision.
Feeling stifled, she walked over and swung it open.
Servants bustled about in the garden below.
Maxi sat idly watching them when she spotted about fifteen men cut through the garden accompanied by the Remdragon Knights. The newcomers carried longswords and wore somewhat peculiar clothing; they appeared to be from the Southern Continent. Maxi narrowed her eyes. They were clearly not merchants.
A knock came at her door. “Your tonic, my lady.”
“C-Come in.”
Ludis entered the room with a tray. She stopped when she saw Maxi standing by the window.
“The weather is quite chilly today, my lady,” she fretted. “You might catch a cold in that icy wind….”
“A-A little…shouldn’t hurt,” Maxi said. “More importantly…do you know who those men are?”
Ludis put down the tray and walked over. Her face grew uncertain when she saw the southern men climbing the stairs to the great hall.
Seeing the maidservant hesitate, Maxi frowned and said with a slight reprimand in her voice, “D-Do you think it would do for the lady of the castle…t-to be the only person who doesn’t know who our guests are?”
“T-To my knowledge…” said Ludis tentatively, “they are mercenaries, my lady. I heard his lordship intends to hire a large number of the men who served as guards for the big merchant guilds up from the south….”
Maxi’s face fell. “F-For what reason?”
“That I do not know, my lady. The little I do know is from what I’ve overheard from the knights….”
Ludis studied Maxi’s face, looking worried that she might have said too much. Maxi turned back to the window. The men must have entered the castle, as they were nowhere to be seen.
Was it truly necessary to hire that many mercenaries from the south just to protect Anatol? Or was Riftan set on waging war? The hairs on her forearm stood on end. Seeing Maxi hug herself, Ludis hurriedly shut the window.
“I shall close this now, my lady. You do not look well.”
A flurry of thoughts went through Maxi’s head as Ludis ushered her to the bed.
It would not be in Riftan’s interest to start a war without just cause.
King Reuben would never tolerate anything that could disrupt the current order in the kingdom.
On the other hand, the Duke of Croyso was not one to let a transgression pass.
Gnawing her lip, Maxi bolted to her feet and threw on her robe.
Ludis looked startled, pausing in her pouring of the tonic. “My lady, you must not go out—”
“I-I am not trying…to go outside. I just…want to see our guests. Do you know where they were escorted to?” Maxi held the door handle as she waited for a reply.
Ludis hesitated, a troubled expression on her face. “His lordship ordered that the guests be served food upon their arrival,” she said reluctantly. “They will likely be in the dining hall.”
As soon as she heard the answer, Maxi swung open the door and stepped out. Though she was aware of Ludis’s quick steps behind her, she ignored her and hurried down the stairs.
Servers bustled about bearing trays laden with wine and food.
Ignoring their surprised faces, Maxi cautiously approached the dining hall.
She ducked into the corridor just outside, where the sonorous voices of the knights filtered through.
The men spoke in a mixture of southern and western languages, and the only thing she could discern was that they were talking about stallions and weapons.
It was difficult to pick out further details.
Maxi’s brows furrowed at the banal nature of the conversation. Judging by the boisterous chatter, it did not seem like they were gathered to discuss any matters of importance.
Have they really been hired just to bolster Anatol’s defenses?
Maxi considered peeping through the gap in the door but decided against it. At this angle, the knights could easily spot her. She was straining to hear the conversation when someone tapped her shoulder. Maxi jumped and turned to find Ruth frowning at her.
“Might I ask what you’re doing out here, my lady?”
Embarrassed at having been caught eavesdropping, Maxi felt her cheeks grow hot. She hastily straightened her back. “W-Well…”
Ruth’s eyes narrowed as he watched her absently fiddle with her hair. Maxi looked down. They had not had the opportunity to speak properly after the events at Croyso Castle, and she did not know what expression to put on in front of him.
Flustered, Maxi barely managed to continue speaking. “I-I heard that…we had guests….”
“You must have seen the mercenaries from Lakazim.” Ruth glanced toward the dining hall and clicked his tongue as if to say it was an easy guess. “Is that why you raced down here to eavesdrop?”
“E-Eavesdrop? Y-You offend me.” At his accusation, Maxi forgot her earlier discomfort and glowered at him.
Ruth stared at her for a moment before turning away with a snicker. “Sir Riftan will give you an earful if he catches you loitering like this. Come with me.”
Without waiting for an answer, he started up the narrow servants’ stairwell. Ludis had followed Maxi and now hovered behind her like a shadow. Maxi looked at the maidservant, then to the dining hall where the voices of the knights leaked through. She turned and reluctantly went after Ruth.
Upon entering the drawing room on the second floor, Ruth threw open the curtains and lit a brazier with magic. He pulled a chair close to the fire and sat down.
“Are you well now, my lady?” he asked.
Maxi nodded, remaining awkwardly in the doorway. “I-I have…gotten much better.”
“I wished to check on you personally, but his lordship simply would not allow it,” he muttered bitterly, then motioned with his head for her to join him.
Ludis had trailed after Maxi to the drawing room. After asking the maidservant to bring them something to drink, Maxi cautiously sat across from Ruth.
A moment of silence passed before he spoke. “I’m relieved to see you looking well. Are you taking your tonics on time?”
“Y-Yes. Thank you…for your concern.”
After fidgeting with her skirt, Maxi plucked up the courage to look up at him. She saw that there were no traces of pity or discomfort in the sorcerer’s eyes.
Watching him poke at the fire with his typical bored, indifferent expression drained the tension from her shoulders. She exhaled in relief at his unchanged manner and asked her most pressing question.
“Wh-Why…are those men here? Why are we h-hiring mercenaries from the Southern Continent?”
“Has Sir Riftan not told you anything?” Ruth asked in lieu of an answer.
Maxi hesitated before nodding.
Ruth looked uncertain for a moment, but he heaved a sigh and disclosed the truth. “Sir Riftan has formally declared war on the Duchy of Croyso.”
Maxi felt her whole body freeze. Though she had half expected this, having someone confirm it sent her heart plummeting.
Seeing the color drain from Maxi’s face, Ruth quickly added, “It was a decision made after thorough deliberation. The Remdragon Knights have been ill disposed to the Duke of Croyso for a long time now. War was inevitable.”
“B-But…no one spoke of war until now,” she croaked. “It’s my fault…th-that things have come to this….”
Ruth opened then closed his mouth as though unable to think of an adequate reply. Maxi’s face fell, and her hands trembled as she clasped them in her lap. Guilt pressed on her chest. She bit her lip at the weight of it when she heard Ruth’s somber voice.
“It is too late. Sir Riftan infiltrated Croyso Castle and assaulted the duke. Though he has remained silent so far, the duke is not one to let such offenses slide. It would be better for us to strike first.”
“B-But…the A-Armistice of the Seven Kingdoms prohibits war. King Reuben…w-would never pardon it.”
Ruth shrugged as if to say that this had also been taken into consideration.
“You are correct,” he said, sounding indifferent.
“It is highly likely that the king will impose sanctions, but we have enough reason to justify our declaration of war. It is indisputable that you now belong to Anatol, and that the duke no longer has any say in your affairs. The fact that he harmed you is grounds enough for war. We can assert our validity and go through with this even if the royal family interferes.”
Maxi flinched. Unable to bear it any longer, she had to ask. “Do the rest of the knights…kn-know everything?”
Ruth immediately grasped the vague question.
Hesitating briefly, he rubbed the back of his neck and bobbed his head.
“It’s not that I, Sir Elliot, or Sir Ursuline said anything.
I’m sure everyone was able to figure out that the duke had done some grievous harm to you.
I’d say Sir Riftan’s demeanor and those of the men who accompanied him were a dead giveaway. ”
After a pause, he tentatively added, “To tell you the truth, quite a few brought up practical reasons to oppose the war. But those in favor of it were far more adamant. Sir Riftan is not the only one who is angry…. The knights are furious as well. I don’t think anything will be able to stop them.”
Flustered and unsure of how to react, Maxi fixed her gaze on the floor. Ruth heaved an exaggerated sigh as if to dispel the heavy air.
“As you know,” he continued, “those creatures we call knights will not be content unless they brandish their swords in the name of honor and chivalry. Please don’t let this trouble you too much. They’ll calm down after they’ve fought it out.”
“I…c-cannot think s-so lightly of a war!” Maxi cried. “Th-There is no need for the Remdragon Knights to do this…for my sake….”
“My lady,” said Ruth, his voice growing heavy.
Maxi flinched and raised her head. The sorcerer regarded her with a solemn expression as he spoke.