Chapter Sixteen #6
“What is the matter? I thought you’d be busy g-gathering your belongings.”
“Oh, I finished making all the necessary preparations ahead of time. There is something I wish to show you before I leave, my lady.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll know when you see it. Come with me.” Ruth turned on his heel and motioned with his head for Maxi to follow him. She trailed behind him, bewildered, as he descended the stairs and marched out of the great hall.
“Where on earth…are w-we going?”
“To my tower.”
Maxi looked up at him in surprise before glancing around.
Riftan had told her not to go anywhere near Ruth’s tower due to the powerful defensive runes he used to protect it.
With her husband’s warning echoing in her mind, she stood as close to the sorcerer as she could and remained on high alert for any traps.
“Wh-Why are we going to your tower?”
“Patience, my lady. We are almost there.” He spoke languidly, as though he found it tiresome to respond at all to her question.
He quickened his steps along the winding path and Maxi peered up at the gray tower enveloped in red ivy.
Its moss-covered entrance soon appeared between the lush green leaves of the elm trees.
Perhaps it was because the tower hardly had any visitors, but the area surrounding it was overrun with weeds.
Ruth absentmindedly scraped at the moss around the front door with his shoe as he fished a key out of his pocket.
“Come in.”
He brushed past as she stood at the threshold and peeked inside. A conch shell–like spiral staircase was at the center of the dim, humid room. Ruth already had a foot on the bottom step when he paused, turning to look back at Maxi. “What are you still doing there, my lady?”
Giving up hope of a proper explanation from the sorcerer, she went back to trailing him. They ascended the spiral staircase in silence. About two-thirds of the way up, Ruth came to a stop.
“This is it,” he said, pulling at a worn door handle. Maxi looked warily about the room and frowned. It stank of acrid smoke, pungent medicine, and moldy parchment.
“Th-The room has an unpleasant smell.”
“What a rude thing to say about someone’s sanctuary,” Ruth grumbled, moving to open the window. “It is just a bit stale because I have not aired the room in a while, my lady.”
Bright sunlight streamed in, and Maxi blinked at the dizzying scene before her.
Every inch of the workshop seemed as if it had come straight out of a storybook.
Strange tools and dioramas littered the floor.
Shelves tightly packed with ancient tomes covered one whole wall, while another was full of medicine vials and small jars.
“I have prepared explanations on a few magic runes so that you can study them on your own while I am away, my lady,” Ruth said as he kicked some of the items in the entryway to one side, then gestured for Maxi to come further inside.
“I did my best to lay them out easily…but I am not sure if you will find them to be so.”
After a moment of hesitation, Maxi entered the room, tiptoeing around the mess on the floor. Ruth handed her a tall stack of parchments.
“Please take a quick look at them and let me know if you do not understand anything.”
“D-Did you bring me here…so you could give me this?”
He nodded. “You are free to read any of the books in this room while I am gone, my lady. Just make sure to never take them outside this tower. These books are far more valuable than those in the library, so it would not do for any to go missing.”
Contrary to his words, the books did not seem looked after at all. A layer of white dust caked most of their covers. Maxi narrowed her eyes at the mess. “If they are so valuable…please take b-better care of them.”
“I do not see what the problem is as long as they can be read,” Ruth answered flatly.
He picked up several books from one of the piles and placed them on the desk.
“I have selected some titles that should be helpful for learning defensive magic, so please read them whenever you can. This is an illustrated book on herbs, and…well, somewhere, there is also a primer on anatomy from the south. It is not translated, but if you commit the illustrations to memory, it will be useful for when you have to heal people. Southern medicine is much more advanced than ours, so their books are always worth referring to.”
After his muddled explanation of the books, Ruth started pointing at random vials on a shelf.
“The salve in the red jar is for external wounds. Applying this after cleaning the wound should protect it from infections and help it to heal faster. The syrup in this vial reduces swelling. The leaves in that sack can be used for fever and toxins, while these dried roots not only help restore mana, but also aid in replenishing one’s energy. And this—”
“H-Hold on! P-Please slow down.”
Maxi dug out a parchment and quill from his desk and began frantically scribbling everything down.
“This powder should be familiar to you, my lady,” Ruth barreled on without pause.
“It is a coagulant made by grinding the dried leaves and roots of a cucumber plant and mixing it with a dash of flour and herbs. I’ve prepared an ample supply, but you could try making it yourself with this recipe if you run out.
Precision is key, so use the scale to measure the ingredients accurately.
I’ve also written down other remedies that are not too difficult to make, so please read them whenever you can. ”
Ruth placed a small scale, sachets of pre-ground herbs, and the pages of recipes onto the desk. Maxi glanced up from her hastily scrawled notes with a worried expression.
“D-Do you think…we’ll be needing so much medicine?”
“There is no way of knowing, my lady,” he said with a shrug. “As you’ve already experienced, there is a limit to how many people you can heal with magic. It’s always wise to be prepared. Now, pay attention, because this can be a bit tricky….”
As he showed her how to use the scale, Maxi took meticulous notes. She was aware that Ruth had a lot on his plate, but it was apparently more than she had imagined. The burden of having to fill his shoes suddenly weighed on her shoulders.
“I think I’ve managed to explain everything to you, my lady,” he said eventually.
He paused to stare pensively at the ceiling with his arms crossed, before reaching into his pocket.
“Here, let me give you the key to the tower. None of the items here are particularly dangerous, but try not to touch anything except for the books and the herbs.”
“I shall k-keep that in mind,” Maxi replied, cautiously taking the key from him.
An awkward silence fell over the room. Ruth looked embarrassed as he scratched at his messy hair. He cleared his throat and said, “I leave Sir Riftan and the other knights in your care, my lady. They are reckless fools who think they are invincible, so it worries me to leave them behind.”
Maxi smiled faintly. She knew how much Ruth cared for Riftan and the knights. After all, was it not because of his sincere concern that he took the time to make sure that she could look after them in his stead?
“You need not worry about Anatol. Take good care of yourself,” Maxi said as brightly as she could. “You will be the one…t-toiling away after all.”
“That is true,” Ruth said, his shoulders sagging as if the reality had only just sunk in. “I suppose I will not be sleeping in a bed for a while.”
“You r-rarely slept in one anyway,” said Maxi, shaking her head incredulously. “At least…try to sleep in a w-warm bed tonight, and do not skip supper. I have asked the cook to prepare a special f-feast…so be sure to come dine with us.”
“I fully intend to do so, my lady,” Ruth said breezily, turning toward the door. “I don’t anticipate being able to eat anything that would be considered food for a while, so I shall fill up my stomach before I leave. Well, then. Shall we head back?”
Maxi gathered her notes and stared at his retreating figure as she stepped out of the room. She felt sorry for him, but also burdened by the responsibility she would take on after he left. It was then that she realized just how much she had come to rely on this meddlesome sorcerer.
“I am truly g-grateful…for everything you’ve done for me, Ruth. It is because of your help…that I have been able to overcome so many—”
“Wait!” He spun around, glaring at her as if she had cursed him. “I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making such ominous remarks. It feels like you are bidding me a final farewell.”
“That…was not my—”
“Even so. It is unsettling, so please stop. Wishing me a safe journey is more than enough.”
Maxi pursed her lips. She was only trying to convey her sincere gratitude. Why was he being unnecessarily mean?
“A-All right. Then…p-please have a safe trip. Will that do?”
“Yes, my lady, it would. I also wish you well while I am away,” Ruth replied flatly. They were walking down the stairs when he suddenly stopped to look over his shoulder with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “And I shall expect good news upon our return.”
“G-Good news?”
“That Riftan Calypse the Second is on the way, of course.”
Maxi turned beet red and Ruth burst into laughter. She glared at him before storming past him down the stairs.
Honestly, was it always this hard to have a proper farewell?
—
The banquet that evening was grander than any other. A roasted swan and smoked pig graced the center of the table, surrounded by dozens of dishes richly seasoned with cloves, nutmeg, cumin, and pepper.