The howl of the strong wind drowned out the last part of Ruth's explanation.
Maxi shrugged against the cold, chilled to the bone, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.
He couldn't tell if it was due to the whipping snow or the shocking revelation he had just heard.
“I have to report my findings to Sir Riftan, so let's resume this discussion in the guest rooms,” Ruth said, placing a hat on her nearly frozen head.
He nodded toward the living quarters across the courtyard.
Maxi tried to organize her confused thoughts as she followed him silently.
There were no vengeful dark wizards; all that was left were the horrible monsters they had created.
Was this good news for wizards?
Objectively speaking, it was a positive development that monsters, and not disgraced wizards, had orchestrated the invasion three years ago.
Furthermore, the enemy's base now no longer existed, reducing their threat.
The thought provided some comfort, if only a little.
Maxi calmed down and determinedly crossed the snowy terrain.
As they approached the knights' quarters, she noticed men rushing out the door, torches in their hands.
Where were they going in such bad weather?
In amazement, she watched their hurried movements through the snow before running after Ruth, who had already gone ahead without her.
There was more commotion inside the building.
Dozens of knights were gathered at tables around the spacious hall, their heads bowed in grave discussions.
Attendants hurried up the stairs, carrying cages of pigeons.
Maxi watched them perplexed.
They certainly weren't trying to ship pigeons in those conditions.
A few steps ahead, she heard Ruth moan.
“Something must have happened.”
Maxi's stomach twisted into knots.
It was evident from the tense atmosphere that something serious had happened.
Without exchanging a word, Ruth and Maxi broke into a sprint through the chaotic hall.
When they were about to go up the stairs, they noticed Elliot Charon coming down.
Ruth stopped the knight.
"Sir Elliot.
Did something happen?"
“Wizard Ruth.” The surprise on Elliot's face quickly turned to deference when he spotted Maxi hovering behind.
“Greetings, my lady.”
"Put aside the formalities for now!
What's going on?
Is there a problem?"
Elliot's expression turned worried at her barrage of questions, and Maxi realized he was reluctant to share bad news with her.
She fixed him with a piercing gaze, ready to reprimand him, but Ruth spoke first.
"Where is Sir Riftan?
I have an urgent report for him."
“The commander went to see the king,” replied Elliot.
Then, deciding to finally reveal the truth, he added with a heavy sigh, "We have received news that a large number of undead have emerged throughout the eastern regions.
Several castles and villages have already been devastated, and we are striving to send an army as quickly as possible."
Maxi was so shocked by the unexpected news that she momentarily stopped breathing.
She shivered as if she were doused with ice water.
“Forgive me, my lady, but I must send the word to Anatol and organize our men,” said Elliot, his face grim.
“If you’ll excuse me.”
With a polite wave, he left the hall and entered the raging snowstorm.
Maxi turned to Ruth, his face ashen.
“D-Do you think the monsters are behind this too?”
Ruth nodded.
"Probably."
"B-But how?
Even if they possess powerful magic, creating so many undead to cause so much destruction is no small feat..."
“We shouldn’t discuss it here,” Ruth interjected.
Maxi hurriedly closed his mouth and looked around.
Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying attention to them.
Ruth sighed softly and turned towards the door.
"Let's go to Roem's palace.
The monarchs of the Seven Kingdoms are staying there, so I suspect that's where we'll find Sir Riftan."
He retraced his steps out of the building.
Maxi followed, confused by his urgency.
Was it so crucial to inform Riftan that the enemy were monsters and not dark magicians?
While this information was of great importance to wizards, it certainly made little difference to monarchs or feudal lords whether the monsters destroying their lands were humans or monsters.In fact, the Pope could even welcome this revelation with open arms, as it would absolve her of the Orthodox Church's accusations of hiding the existence of dark magicians.
The more she thought about it, the more perplexed she became.
What worried Ruth so much?
Did he keep an even bigger secret?
Maxi swallowed hard, unsure if she really wanted to find out what this secret was.
He had already faced a decade of trials.
I was tired of wars and monsters.
All he wanted was to escape the difficulties alongside Riftan.
“You may get yourself into a troublesome matter if you choose to accompany me to this room,” Ruth said suddenly, as if sensing his hesitation.
“If you want to avoid a headache, you’d better go back to your room.”
Maxi bit his lip.
I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Riftan would never abandon his responsibilities, and I could hardly ask him to sacrifice his honor and spend the rest of his life in shame.
She needed to remember that all her efforts so far had been to earn the right to be by his side.
Now he possessed the strength, courage and wisdom necessary to face adversity.
Maxi lifted his chin and said calmly, "Enough nonsense.
Lead the way."
Ruth shook her head, breaking into a smile, and walked through the arched entrance.
They passed through the large hall where the evening banquets were held and climbed the marble stairs.
There was already a crowd of nobles gathered outside King Reuben's room, which could only mean that the problem was much more serious than she had initially imagined.
“Sir Riftan must be meeting the king,” Ruth sighed after scanning the crowd.
“We will have to wait until he leaves.”
They sat on the empty marble benches.
Although Maxi felt the weight of the nobles' gazes on her, she paid no attention, keeping her eyes fixed on the closed door.
At that moment, I was not in the mood to be sociable.
When Riftan finally emerged from the king's chamber, Maxi jumped to his feet.
The familiar sight of his blue cloak and silver White Dragon armor instantly eased the tension that had gripped her, and she ran over to him.
“Riftan!”
Riftan, walking down the hall with a thoughtful expression, seemed slightly surprised to see her there.
“What are you doing here?”
"I-I heard about what happened in the East.
His Majesty ordered you to fight the monsters?" Maxi asked anxiously.
Watching his eyes narrow slightly, she feared he would dismiss her again, saying it was none of his business.
Contrary to his fears, however, Riftan considered her in silence before shifting his gaze behind her to Ruth.
Indicating a dimly lit hallway with a wave, he suggested, “Let’s find somewhere more private.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and started down the stairs.
A wave of joy invaded Maxi.
He truly was willing to face anything alongside her.
Full of confidence, she walked down the steps with high spirits.
When they entered an empty room, Ruth abruptly broke the silence.
“What is the extent of the damage?”
Riftan calmly walked towards the window as he responded.
"The entire northeast region, including the Duchy of Croyso, has been left in ruins.
The Duke of Croyso's messenger is here seeking military aid."
Maxi shuddered.
In her efforts to erase her father from her life over the past three years, she hadn't thought about him once since learning of the unrest in the East.
She studied Riftan nervously and saw a flash of resentment on his otherwise composed face.
“The duchy is not the only place affected,” he continued coldly.
"Thousands of undead have emerged around the Lexos Mountains and have been attacking nearby human settlements.
Dristan and the southern regions of Arex have also suffered significant damage, and legions of undead have been emerging sporadically in other areas as well."
Riftan's intense gaze fell on Ruth.
“Can you explain to me how this is possible?”
“I can, but it would take days,” Ruth replied bluntly.
"As the minute details of necromancy are not your main concern, what I can say now is that the enemy has been planning this for a long time.
They have been spreading dark magic across the continent while the coalition army was fighting on the Pamela Plateau.
It may have even started earlier."
“S-So…”, Maxi began, swallowing his fear.Turning his head to look at her, Ruth continued calmly, “The invasion three years ago was probably a strategic move to lay the groundwork for this.”
Maxi squeezed the sleeve of his clothes with his fist.
I found it hard to believe that monsters could plan so far ahead.
Perhaps Ruth was overestimating her capabilities.
She was about to say this when Riftan spoke.
“What do you believe their goal is?”
Ruth's gaze fell to the floor, her lips tightly closed.
After a moment of silence, Riftan pressed him further.
"They are hardly seeking revenge for the exiled wizards or wishing to occupy the territories they devastated.
You must have some idea of their ultimate goal."
“I have an idea,” Ruth said stiffly.
“But before I tell you what I discovered, I would like to request a private audience with the Pope.”