Chapter 7 #5
Maxi perked up, and her eyes brightened. “Would they r-really?”
“Certainly, my lady.”
Eager to prove herself to Riftan, Maxi hardly noticed how Ruth had skillfully chosen the exact words that would convince her. She nodded resolutely. “I-If that’s the case, I’ll h-help you f-first. A-Are you s-satisfied?”
“I’d be happier if you could start right away.” Ruth ran a hand over his haggard face. “I have countless equations that need to be sorted before I can properly begin. Mages typically employ two or three assistants to make a magical device….”
“I-I understand. Why d-don’t you have s-something to eat f-first?”
“This will do,” Ruth said and snatched a loaf of bread, biting into it. On his way out the door, he grabbed an apple and thrust it inside his robe pocket.
As Maxi followed after Ruth, she found Ludis and told the maidservant that, if anything happened, she could find her in the library.
—
Ruth had not exaggerated the volume of work that awaited them.
When Maxi saw the mess he had made of the library in just two days, her jaw dropped.
Haphazard stacks of books, scattered parchment, and other miscellany cluttered the desk.
A piece of cloth the size of a blanket lay spread out on the floor, inscribed with complex, meticulously drawn patterns.
Maxi leaned down to inspect it and sighed over the empty ink bottles on the floor. Ruth appeared to have used five whole bottles to draw the inscriptions.
“Why are y-you working h-here instead of your t-tower?”
“There isn’t enough room in the tower,” Ruth said with dismissive ease. “And Sir Riftan has made it clear that it will no longer be mine if I don’t finish this device within a week.”
Maxi frowned as she pictured the lofty tower in the back garden. How could Ruth possibly have run out of space? Is this why he slept in the library instead of in his tower?
“Your task, my lady, is quite simple,” Ruth said as he sat down and placed his half-eaten apple on the edge of the desk. Maxi reluctantly took the seat across from him, but he ignored her disapproving look.
“I’d like you to draw copies of these diagrams using these tools,” Ruth continued and handed her six flat wooden tablets cut into varying shapes. “I’ll explain how to use them, of course. As long as you know basic arithmetic, it should be simple enough.”
Gripping the wooden tablets in her hands, Maxi studied the intricate diagrams sketched on them. Several pieces of parchment with similar sketches littered the desk. “W-What are all these?”
“Designs for the magical device.”
“Are m-magical devices b-big?”
“They vary in size, but the one we’re making is about the size of a pumpkin. These are blueprints for the magic runes that will be placed inside the device. The runes will be arranged in intricate layers and placed inside an object infused with protective magic.”
“M-Magic runes?” Maxi studied the diagrams with renewed interest. Circles, triangles, squares, and spirals were intricately intertwined on the yellow parchment. She had known the magical device would require complex calculations, but the process was far more complicated than she had expected.
“Magic runes are tools that allow us to amplify the mana in our surroundings tenfold, or even a hundredfold,” Ruth explained. “That’s how all magic is created. A mage’s talent is determined by how efficiently they can use runes to achieve a desired effect.”
Maxi tilted her head curiously. “B-But I’ve seen m-mages use magic without r-runes before. Y-You recently cast a s-spell without one t-too.”
“That’s only possible when a mage has memorized the spell and can draw the required runes in their mind. And only basic spells can be used this way. Advanced spells take a great deal of time and effort to prepare.”
“Th-Then what we’re m-making must be extremely a-advanced magic,” Maxi said, eyeing the heap of parchment.
Ruth grinned. “That’s right. We’re making a Nome shield—a protective rune that uses earth magic.
If someone were to attack the gates with magic again, the rune would create a powerful barrier as soon as it detected the attack.
Once we place the runes inside the magical device and install it at the main gate, even a rain of fire won’t be able to breach it. ”
“Th-That’s reassuring.”
Maxi rarely had the chance to see magic in use and she was excited to learn something of how it worked.
With the exception of the hierarchs’ healing magic, Ruth’s work on the oak tree and the defensive magic he employed at the gates were the first time she had witnessed its use.
There were plenty of stories about the great mages and their brilliant exploits, but they never detailed how the mages wielded their power.
“D-Does that m-mean anyone can use m-magic if they know how to d-draw the r-runes?”
Ruth shook his head. “The runes won’t work if you can’t harness magic to activate them. To do that, you’d have to know how to control mana. Magic can’t be created from nothing.”
“B-But I’ve seen ordinary p-people use magical d-devices.”
“That’s because they have magic stones.” Ruth rummaged through the cluttered desk and produced a glimmering red stone the size of Maxi’s palm.
“This stone contains a fixed amount of magic. It functions as an energy source for magical devices. By placing one inside a device, even ordinary people can use magic.”
Maxi studied the stone when Ruth placed it in her hand. Its surface shimmered mystically, like red light reflected on a surface of rippling water, and it seemed to offer her a glimpse into its depths, into a strange new world. Her heart beat faster.
“Now,” Ruth said, interrupting her reverie. “If that satisfied your curiosity, shall we get started? If we don’t finish this soon, I’ll lose my tower.”
Ruth shoved a pile of books to one side, clearing space on the desk. Maxi set the stone down and listened attentively as he guided her through the steps to make the calculations and draw the complex runes.
With his detailed directions, Maxi quickly understood her task, and began to methodically add and subtract as she redrew the diagrams with a ruler. Though it was a complex process and she did not fully comprehend it, she never grew bored with the work.
They worked in silence and, after a while, Ruth looked up from writing in the ancient language.
“You’re better at this than I expected, my lady,” he said, his brow raised. “Your work is close to perfect.”
Unsure if he was complimenting her, Maxi narrowed her eyes. “E-Even I can do th-this much.”
“You’ve exceeded my expectations. That’s all I meant.”
Maxi eyed him distrustfully. She knew the sorcerer thought little of her. Still, that was better than his usual backhanded comments and barbed words. “I’m g-glad you f-find me helpful.”
Maxi returned to working on the diagrams, a faint smile on her face.
Just as her fingers began to ache from gripping the quill, the library door burst open and Riftan stormed in.
He wore leather trousers and a black tunic instead of his armor, a sign that he did not intend to leave the castle that day.
Happy to see him, Maxi began to rise from her seat, but his icy tone froze her joyful mood.
“I’m told you’ve been here since early this morning,” he said, scanning the parchment and books on the desk with displeasure. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Maxi stared at him, confused. Why was he angry?
“What’s all this about?” Riftan demanded.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Ruth said, unfazed by Riftan’s moods, as always. “Her ladyship and I are making the device you requested.”
“I can see that, but what is my wife doing here?”
“I’ve asked her ladyship for her assistance. If you’ll recall, I informed you countless times that it was impossible to finish the device by myself in only a week.”
Riftan leaned over the desk, looming over the sorcerer. “You find my request unreasonable, and so you order my wife around?”
“I didn’t order her, and I didn’t ask for her help just to annoy you. She happens to be the only literate person in this castle who can also do arithmetic. It’s not as if I could ask the knights for help.”
“But you think it’s acceptable to ask my wife?!”
“R-Riftan, I really d-don’t mind,” Maxi quickly cut in.
Riftan gave her a sharp look, and her courage wavered. But after all that Ruth had done for her, she could not allow Riftan to berate him like this.
“I-It’s not difficult,” she said, trying to keep her voice even. “More im-importantly, it’s f-for Anatol. I d-don’t want something l-like this to h-happen again.”
“I’ll make sure it never happens again.” Riftan’s voice was softer now, but he still looked irritated. “There’s no need for you to put yourself in danger.”
“And what danger could she possibly be in?” Ruth asked. “Are you afraid she’ll die from the prick of a quill?”
“You’re prone to starting fires with a flick of your hand! And why are you doing this here instead of in your tower? What if you start a fire in the castle?!”
“I’m making a protective device. The chances of an explosion or fire are slim to none! The worst that could happen is the library becomes safer.”
Riftan scowled, irked by Ruth’s thorough and logical reply. Maxi knew that the best way to stop two hounds from fighting was to separate them, so she gently tugged at Riftan’s tunic.
“P-Please don’t be a-angry. R-Ruth says i-it’s safe.”
“I’m not angry, I’m worried.” Riftan sighed. “Fine. Help him if you must, but don’t overexert yourself. And, Ruth, don’t you even think about involving my wife in any of your dangerous experiments.”
“What kind of person do you think I am?”
“You’re a loose cannon.”
With that last quip, Riftan pulled Maxi toward him.
In the past, a hint of a frown from him was enough to terrify her.
Now even though Riftan’s anger was still dissipating, she did not feel an ounce of fear as he pulled at her arm.
His displeasure still made her anxious, but she knew he would not hurt her.