“I… should I… light the fire with magic?”
"No.
Don't waste your mana unnecessarily."
Riftan continued to tap the lighter stone in silence.
After several attempts, faint smoke began to rise from the cloth.
He blew on the glowing ember, then took pine cones from his sack and piled them over the flame.
The pine cones quickly caught fire.
"I'm going to look for firewood.
You stay right here."
Maxi didn't know where he would go in such a state anyway.
With the blanket wrapped tightly around her, she hugged her knees and watched as he walked into the dark forest.
He never left her field of vision and soon returned with a handful of broken branches.
“They’re wet… w-are they going to catch fire?”
"I only took the ones that weren't soaked.
They should be usable after I scrape off the wet skin."
He crouched on one side of the cave and unsheathed a forearm-sized dagger from his belt.
Maxi watched as he expertly peeled the shell.
After cutting thick pieces, he piled the now white firewood over the fire.
The flame enveloped the finely chopped wood and turned into a blaze that lit up the cave.
“Hand me your wet clothes.”
Maxi handed him the crumpled pile of clothes he had discarded on the floor.
After wringing out the pieces, Riftan shook them vigorously and placed them near the heat to dry.
Then he put his boots upside down.
Maxi rummaged through the bag for something to eat.
Seeing this, Riftan took out a small package.
“I was in a hurry, so I couldn't bring anything else.”
He unwrapped a stale loaf of bread and a cured sausage that looked hard as a rock.
Maxi thought he could handle the bread with enough chewing, but the sausage didn't seem so easy.
The meat packed inside looked appetizing, and she looked at it longingly as Riftan began slicing the sausage into small pieces.
He threw them into an empty canteen.
In the next moment, Riftan had tied the extra branches together to build a cooking structure.
The canteen hanging over the fire soon filled the cave with the sound of bubbling oil.
“Pass me the bag of herbs.”
Maxi promptly handed it over.
After placing the herbs, mandrake root and bread crumbs in the canteen, Riftan shook the container to mix the ingredients with the oil that dripped from the sausage.
The savory smell made Maxi's mouth water.
Riftan poured water over the deliciously roasted sausage and let it boil.
In just ten minutes or so, an appetizing soup was ready.
“We don't have spoons, so use the bread to pick up the pieces.”
He filled the canteen lid and handed it to her.
Maxi blew off the steam and carefully took a sip.
It was tasty thanks to the salt in the sausage.
Using the piece of bread as a spoon, Maxi scooped up the soaked sausages.
It was a modest meal compared to the dishes she had enjoyed at the castle, but Maxi was still impressed that they could have a decent meal in the middle of the mountains.
With the hot soup warming her stomach, Maxi quickly finished the large piece of bread.
“I didn’t know… you could cook, Riftan.”
"I wouldn't call it cooking.
I just make something edible with what I have.
I only know how to make a few dishes from my mercenary days."
Maxi looked at him curiously.
“How old were you when you joined the mercenary group?”
Riftan raised an eyebrow as if asking why she was inquiring about such a thing.
“You told me… that you s-joined the mercenary group when you were young… b-but you never told me your exact age,” Maxi added awkwardly.
“I was twelve.”
“D-Twelve?” said Maxi, surprised.
Riftan shoved a piece of bread into his mouth and silently nodded.
Clearly it wasn't a topic he wanted to discuss in detail, but Maxi was eager to know how a twelve-year-old boy had gotten into a mercenary group.
She studied his face for a moment, but her curiosity took over.
“And… before that?”
Riftan said nothing as he stirred the fire with a branch.
Maxi resolutely pressed further.
"I-If I remember, you told me that… you moved to Livadon once you joined the mercenary group.
Where did you live… before that?"
“In Wedon.”
Maxi frowned at your less-than-enthusiastic response.
“Where in Wedon?”“In the eastern part of the kingdom,” he replied after a while.
Although Maxi wanted to continue asking, she closed her mouth when she saw that he was visibly uncomfortable.
A cold silence fell briefly between them.
So, he didn't like to talk about his childhood.
It was unfortunate that she simply couldn't suppress her desire to know everything about him.
“And… what did your parents do?”
“And why would you want to know that?” he replied, his voice sounding rough.
He sighed when he saw her face flush with embarrassment.
“The woman who gave birth to me was a servant from the Southern Continent, and my biological father was probably a knight.”
“B-Biological father?”
“I was a bastard,” he said emotionlessly, looking away from her.
"I never knew my real father.
When he discovered that the servant he had fun with during one of the wars was pregnant, he left her after giving her a small dowry.
He even found her a husband.
Then, apparently, he died after getting involved in a dispute."
A slight sneer briefly tugged at his lips.
“I suppose he wasn’t an exceptional knight.”
“And… what about your mother?”
“She died when I was twelve.” The icy tone in his voice made Maxi pause, and Riftan continued dryly, “After the woman died, I lived with my stepfather for a while until I ran away and became a mercenary.”
“Was your… r-relationship with your stepfather strained?”
“It was neither good nor bad.”
“B-But… if he made you run away from home at twelve“”
"Maxi," interrupted Riftan coldly, "we need to get down the mountain as soon as day dawns, so no more interrogations.
Go to sleep if you've finished eating."
Maxi pursed his lips, unable to ask anything else.
Although she was upset by his obvious refusal to talk about himself, she admitted to having several things in her own life that she would prefer not to divulge.
With a calm expression, Maxi finished the rest of the soup and bread, then lay down by the fire wrapped in the blanket.
Riftan removed his breastplate and stretched his long legs towards the entrance.
The crackling of the fire and the chirping of the insects were the only sounds that floated softly in the darkness.
Lying on her side, Maxi watched the flickering shadows on the cave wall before turning her head once more.
Even though she was so exhausted it seemed a miracle she was still conscious, sleep still seemed to escape her.
“Are you… w-not going to sleep, Riftan?”
“I'll go when I can, so stop worrying about me and go to sleep,” he replied brusquely, placing a hand on the scabbard of his sword.
It was evident that he was alert for a possible monster attack.
When Maxi looked up, clearly worried that he would be keeping watch like this all night, Riftan brushed the tangled hair from her forehead.
“I will keep you safe, so don’t be afraid and get some rest.”
He evidently thought it was fear that kept her awake.
Maxi looked back into the dark forest.
The shadows behind the trees were enough to fill her with fear, and yet, now that Riftan was at her side, the deep darkness didn't scare her in the slightest.
Maxi placed a hand on Riftan's lap.
He moved his legs as if he was uncomfortable, then held your hand in his.
Relieved, Maxi closed her eyes.
While she didn't feel right about making him keep watch while she slept, it wasn't like she could volunteer to do the job in his place.
If she did, she would be completely exhausted by morning, and he would have to carry her down the mountain on his back.
His priority at the moment was to recover as much energy as possible so as not to become a hindrance to him.
Shaking off his nagging conscience, Maxi forced himself to sleep.
The next day, Maxi woke up as the blue light of dawn shone faintly through the trees.
She looked around, looking for Riftan.
He was already dressed in full armor and saddling the horses.
Maxi slowly stood up and was startled when she felt the cold air on her bare skin.
She quickly covered herself with the blanket once more.
Riftan watched her with narrowed eyes before turning away with his lips pressed together.
"If you're awake, get dressed.
We have to get down the mountain now."
Maxi got up and picked up his tunic and pants that were lying on a rock.
They were wearable, if a little damp.After putting on her cold robe, she slipped into her pants and tightened her belt around her waist.
His shoes were still wet, and although he was reluctant to wear them, he had no other option.
Maxi grimaced as he shoved his feet into his wet boots and approached Rem.
"Don't look away no matter what.
Stay close to me at all times.
Do you understand?" Riftan warned as he helped her mount Rem.
He climbed onto Talon and led the way.
Following him, Maxi watched the mountain path.
The forest gradually became lighter as the sun rose, and everything was quiet.
The tranquil environment seemed at odds with his current state of paranoia about another goblin attack.
They found a spring halfway up the mountain and allowed Rem and Talon to have their fill.
Once the horses were sated, they continued down without stopping and managed to reach the foot of the mountain before noon.
A village appeared beneath a wide field.
Maxi smiled brightly when she saw it; soon she could bathe with soap, eat at the table, and rest in a soft bed.
She galloped down the hill like the wind with Riftan at her side.
A high wall made of stacked logs surrounded the village, and they soon reached the secure entrance.
Riftan approached the gate and knocked on the door.
A village sentry peered through the opening.
“Who’s there?”
Riftan took out his identification documents.
"I am Riftan Calypse, Commander of the White Dragons.
I am on my way to Livadon by order of the king, but I have been separated from my group.
Did the White Dragons arrive here last night?"
The sentry promptly opened the gate.
"R-Rosem Wigrew d'Calypse!
It's an honor!
The knights are currently staying at the Hanoa Inn.
Please allow me to lead the way."