Chapter Sixteen
The next day, Maxi rushed to the library as soon as she was dressed. She found Ruth asleep on the ground next to the brazier, sprawled out like a corpse.
She frowned as she looked him over. It was both sad and pathetic that he would choose to spend the night on the hard stone floor because he was too lazy to descend three flights of stairs to a proper bed.
After glancing around the room, Maxi picked up a stick from the kindling near the fireplace and poked Ruth in the back.
“Ruth, it is morning…. Wake up.”
“Mmm…”
Looking annoyed, he flipped over and pulled his cloak over his head. Maxi continued to jab his back like a child tormenting a squirming caterpillar.
“W-Wake up…. If I recall, you were the one who told me to come…as soon as I opened my eyes.”
“Ugh…I had hoped that you would come an hour later….” He squinted up at her, then suddenly glowered. “Were you stabbing me with kindling? Do I look like a fire to you?”
Maxi swiftly hid the stick behind her back.
Now completely awake, Ruth sat upright, his frown deepening. “I have been thinking this for a while now, but do you not think you are terribly unkind to me?”
“W-Well, you cannot expect me to touch a s-sleeping man who is not my husband.”
“I am sure there are more courteous ways to do so!” Ruth said before heaving a resigned sigh. “Never mind. Let us get ready for your lesson.”
With that, he rose unsteadily to his feet and began cleaning up the parchment and books scattered all over the floor.
Feeling thoroughly chastised, Maxi quietly helped him.
After gathering the parchment pieces into one roll, Ruth tied them with leather string and tossed them haphazardly into a large chest.
“Have you finished reading the books I recommended yesterday?”
“I was only able to r-read…about half of them.”
“Mm…Had we finished your lessons on Elemental Theory?”
“N-No…”
Ruth stroked his chin and narrowed his eyes. “It would be difficult for you to learn defensive or offensive spells if you do not have basic knowledge of geometry and Elemental Theory. You will have to read all the books that I recommended to start.”
“I-It would not take long,” Maxi answered eagerly. “Will I be able to learn…offensive magic then?”
“I thought it would be best for you to learn the basics of self-defense first,” Ruth said with a shrug. “You should at least have the means to protect yourself in case you find yourself in danger again.”
Maxi thought of how helpless she had felt during the wyvern attack and nodded somberly.
Ruth stared up at the ceiling before suddenly snapping his fingers. “Very well. For today, let us try mastering the spells you’ve already learned. I have asked the squires to gather the necessary materials ahead of time.”
“M-Materials?”
Ruth’s smile was mischievous. “They are special materials that will help to greatly improve your abilities.”
His ominous response made her uneasy. What on earth was he planning? She eyed him apprehensively as he gathered a few items from under the table and placed them in a sack. When he headed out the door without warning, Maxi had no choice but to follow.
“Where…are we going?”
“To see the squires for the materials I just told you about. Were you listening?”
“Can’t you just t-tell me what the materials are?”
“You’ll know them when you see them,” he said in a singsong voice as he hurried out of the castle.
Maxi stopped herself from asking more questions. Just as he said, she would know soon enough. Swallowing her unease, she followed Ruth past the long garden path.
A wooden building soon came into view. Two elm trees loomed like watchtowers on either side of the old structure. Just outside, Ulyseon, Garrow, and three other squires were sparring with practice swords.
Ruth gave them an exuberant wave. “Good day, everyone.”
“Mage Ruth!”
The squires lowered their weapons and turned toward them.
“We were actually planning to go see you right after our morning practice,” said Ulyseon as he wiped his sweaty face. “Your request yesterday—”
He stopped when he noticed Maxi, his eyes growing round. He quickly ran over to them.
“My lady! Have you been well? I am so glad that you have recovered! You do not know how worried I’ve been. I should have done better to protect you…. You are truly all right now though, aren’t you?”
“Calm down, Uly. Can’t you see that you’re making her ladyship uncomfortable?” Garrow chastised. He gave Maxi a polite smile. “Good morning, my lady.”
“G-Good morning. It has been a while…s-since I saw you both.”
“Might I ask what brings you here, my lady? Is there anything we can do for you?” Ulyseon asked, his eyes bright.
Ruth stepped in when Maxi clearly became too flustered to answer. “We are here to pick up the materials I requested yesterday. They will be used to help her ladyship practice her magic.”
“Ah, so they were for her ladyship! Please wait here a moment. I shall go get them right now.”
Maxi watched in bewilderment as Ulyseon ran into the dark entrance of the annex. Moments later, the squire came back out holding a large pail. Ruth took it and opened the lid, giving a satisfied nod.
Wondering what on earth it could be, Maxi peeked over his shoulder. The pail was full of what seemed to be reddish mounds of flesh. Maxi recoiled.
“Wh-What is that?!”
“They are special little helpers for practicing detoxification magic.” With an impish grin, Ruth reached into the pail and drew out a palm-sized creature. It was a large, rust-colored toad with black spots dotted on its back. Maxi shuddered as the black legs of the dead toad dangled limply.
“What…do you intend to do with them, exactly?”
“A common training technique. The black-spotted swamp toad excretes a potent poison. After practicing with a few of these fellows, you should be able to neutralize most toxins easily.” Ruth waved the dead toad as he spoke, and the sight of the creature’s slimy legs flailing made Maxi’s stomach turn.
She backed away, wishing she could turn around and flee, but Ulyseon and Garrow were watching her with intense curiosity. She could not bring herself to run, not after exaggerating her past encounters with monsters to make them believe that she was brave.
Maxi pushed down her revulsion and desperately tried to appear calm as she asked, “Wh-What…sort of t-training will we be doing with that toad, exactly? Y-You…are not planning on poisoning people with that, are you?”
“Of course not,” Ruth said with a snort, dropping the limp toad back into the pail.
“Who on earth would agree to cooperate in such a barbaric training method?” He turned to the squires.
“Could one of you get me some water? It doesn’t have to be in a pail.
A basin, brass bowl, pot…anything will do. Just make sure to fill it.”
Garrow perked up. “I’ll do it.”
While he went inside the annex to fetch water, Ruth placed the toads onto a tree stump one by one, counting them. Maxi was on the verge of heaving.
“Thirty-one?” Ruth cried out in amazement. “How did you manage to catch so many in a single day?”
“We used a dead rabbit as bait, though a bird would have worked just as well. Place the body on top of a net near the edge of the swamp, and then these little fiends will flock to the corpse,” Ulyseon explained proudly.
“When enough of them have gathered, all you have to do is yank up the net to get them in one fell swoop.”
“What an excellent idea!”
Ruth showered Ulyseon with praise, and the conversation turned to discussing how best to gather toads, salamanders, and various poisonous insects. Maxi tuned it out, inwardly grumbling to herself that she did not care to know something as unnecessary as how to catch swamp creatures.
“Will this be enough?” Thankfully, Garrow had returned with an overfull pail that sloshed water with every step he took.
Ruth took it from him and gave a satisfied nod. “Perfect.”
Maxi watched him warily. After placing the pail next to the stump, Ruth picked up one of the toads. He then took out a small knife from his bag and drove the blade deep into the toad’s back. Black fluid oozed from the wound and dripped into the clear water.
“Now, my lady, try to purify this water.”
“You want me to…detoxify the water?”
“That is what I said, yes. This is a method frequently used by mages to master the skill.”
Maxi kept her eyes fixed on the pail. The viscous fluid spread over the water’s surface like ink.
When she reluctantly hovered her hand and tried to call her magic, she felt a faint resistance.
She cocked her head. This was different from working on a person; normally, she would draw the rune above the wound.
Where was she supposed to draw the rune for this?
After watching her struggle in silence for quite some time, Ruth offered a piece of advice. “Try to infuse your magic from the outside and work your way in until you reach the center. Once you get the hang of it, it will be easier than casting magic on a person.”
Following his instructions, Maxi slowly let her magic flow in from the edges of the pail. A blue glow radiated from her palm and began purifying the dark ichor that was clouding the water. After about ten minutes, the contaminated water was clear once more.
To Maxi’s horror, Ruth dipped his finger into the pail and tasted it. Thankfully, he seemed unharmed as he said, “Well done, my lady. The only flaw was that you wasted too much mana, but that should be rectified with more practice.”
“We are…going to keep doing this?”
“You must do it again and again, my lady,” Ruth replied firmly, picking up another dead toad from the stump. “The squires have gone to the trouble of catching these fiends for us. Don’t you think we should put each and every one of them to good use?”
Her face pale, Maxi stared at the heap of toads. Did he really expect her to do this thirty more times? Her shoulders slumped when she noticed Ulyseon looking proud of himself, oblivious to Maxi’s dismay.