Maxi wondered what horrors awaited them there.
I imagined thousands of undead razing villages, large and small, to the ground.
The undead army would then march to a walled city, growing with each victory.
Humans slaughtered by the evil monsters would transform into death specters, attacking their fellow humans as part of the monster army.
The image of thousands of corpses marching across the frozen land gave him goosebumps.
She pulled her hood down, shrugging her shoulders.
Even though it steeled her nerves several times a day, thinking about the impending war always filled her with fear and anxiety.
“My lady.”
Awakened from her dark thoughts, Maxi turned her head in the direction of the voice.
Elliot Charon was climbing the hill, concern written all over his face.
“Please let me take your horse to the stable.”
On any other day, Maxi would have refused his help and taken care of Rem alone.
But after riding all day in the strong wind, she barely had any energy left.
Gratefully, she handed the reins to the rider.
“T-Thank you.”
A smile appeared on his lips, as if he was pleased to finally be able to serve her.
He pulled Rem to his side and pointed to a newly erected tent at the bottom of the hill.
"The sorcerer is resting there.
You must join him."
“W-Where is Riftan?”
"The commander went to check the other camps.
He should be back soon."
After giving Elliot a wave, Maxi walked down the hill and entered the tent.
He found Ruth huddled under a blanket in front of a dimly lit brazier.
He seemed so unconcerned that she felt her tension ease a little.
She clicked her tongue as she approached him.
"You look like a fat maggot.
It's not even that cold."
“Your nose is red, my lady,” he replied dryly.
Offering him a blanket, he added, "Stop acting like you're invincible.
You must take care of yourself while you can.
We have no hope of keeping up with the knights if we don't recover whenever possible."
She accepted the blanket docilely and wrapped it around herself.
Soon, a boyish-looking squire entered the tent with a pot of steaming stew, a burnt loaf of bread, and a bottle of wine.
As she shared the food with Ruth, Maxi stared at the entrance, wondering when Riftan would return.
Already, blue darkness had descended on the camp, and flaming torches illuminated the hill.
She relied on the dim light they provided to observe the silhouettes of the knights.
Soon, he saw the shadowy figure of Riftan climbing the hill with Talon in tow.
She ran to him like the wind.
A slight smile crossed his lips when he saw her.
Opening an arm to hug her, Riftan looked down with concern and affection.
"Today we hardly stopped to rest.
Was it difficult to keep up?"
Maxi shook his head vigorously.
"Don't worry.
It was easy."
He studied her face as if to confirm her sincerity before handing Talon's reins to the squire trotting behind him.
"Still," he said, guiding them to the tent, "I think you should skip training today.
Have you had dinner yet?"
"Yes, with Ruth.
And you, you didn't eat anything, right?
I'll ask someone“"
Maxi was interrupted by a loud commotion.
She looked around the camp, confused, and widened her eyes when she saw Hebaron running towards them, holding a torch.
Hebaron led an elite detachment half a day ahead to scout the army's route.
The fact that he was returning in such a hurry could only mean there was a problem.
Riftan let go of her arm and went to meet the sturdy knight.
"What it was?"
"We found them on the road.
We rushed back because they urgently need treatment," Hebaron replied, pointing his torch at the ridge connected to a valley.
“They are residents of Darund Castle who managed to escape when the undead army attacked.”
In the dark field, five or six men in tattered clothes were staggering towards the camp with the help of the horsemen.
Without thinking, Maxi ran down the hill.
As he got closer, he could see their tattered clothes and pale faces in more detail.
Clearly, they had been through something horrible.
"P-Please take them to the quarters.
They must be dealt with immediately."At his command, the knights promptly took the wounded to shared quarters and placed them on straw beds.
Placing a lamp nearby, Maxi carefully inspected its condition.
The men wore bandages on their limbs and shoulders, and one of them even had a dark bruise on his face, probably caused by a blow with a blunt weapon.
Knowing that head injuries were more likely to cause permanent consequences, she healed the man with the bruise first.
Relieved from the pain, the man murmured, “T-Thank you,” even as he remained sitting, cowering in fear.
Maxi quickly moved on to the next patient.
Carefully, she managed to remove his frozen and bloody bandage, revealing a deep gash.
Fortunately, the bones appeared intact, but the skin around the wound was almost gray from bleeding.
With a small groan, she called to the knights behind her, "B-Bring hot water!
I need to clean the wound first."
Suddenly, Riftan was behind her, bending down to examine the wound.
“It's a sword cut,” he commented.
Maxi looked surprised at his serious expression.
Riftan turned to the young man she had just treated.
"You said you're from Darund?
Was your village attacked?"
“Yes,” the young man replied, sadness written all over his face.
"A horde of armed ghouls attacked the castle.
They devastated the village within minutes...
Some of us managed to escape and sought refuge in the castle, but others were not so lucky.
It is unknown how many managed to survive."
“Armed ghouls…” Riftan muttered, thoughtfully inspecting the man’s cut.
"And clearly skilled in the use of weapons.
They could be the bodies of recently killed soldiers."
“Probably the dead knights from the East,” said Hebaron, observing the scene at the entrance.
"Reports say that two walled cities have fallen despite reinforcements sent by the eastern lords, and three castles are under siege.
The soldiers who died in the battle may have turned into these undead monsters."
Maxi felt his blood run cold.
The same fate could await them if they died in this war, condemned to wander in torment as undead beings, unable to enter heaven.
There was no worse end imaginable for God's followers.
It was a fate worse than death.
Overcome with fear, she asked, "W-What were the parish clergy doing?
Isn't it their duty to stop this?"
“Purifying hundreds of corpses at once is no easy task, not even for a high priest,” Hebaron explained.
“For a parish clergyman, it would be overwhelming.”
So, they were risking not only their lives but also their souls in this war.
Maxi bit her lip, terror rising like bile in her throat.
She pretended to focus on treating the man's wound to hide her growing panic.
Somehow, Riftan seemed to feel the tension emanating from her.
He placed a firm hand on her shoulder and looked at her stiffly.
He looked like he was going to speak, but changed his mind.
Turning to Hebaron, he said, "The battle begins tomorrow.
Make sure everyone eats well and gets plenty of rest."
“And you, commander?”
“I need to call an emergency meeting.” Standing up slowly, he told Maxi bluntly, “I’ll get Ruth to help you, so don’t try to treat the men yourself.”
Maxi nodded obediently.
After looking at her skeptically, Riftan sent one of the knights to fetch Ruth immediately before leaving the tent.
Ruth entered soon after.
They took turns casting healing magic on the six injured men.
The soldiers were then instructed to bring something for their wounded comrades to eat.
Afterwards, they inspected the magical devices and stones to be used in the upcoming battle.
It was already dark when they finished the day.
Ruth sighed tiredly, looking up at the dark sky.
“We should get back to the dorms now.”
The snowflakes, which fell sporadically, were getting bigger.
“I need to rest for tomorrow,” he said.
“Y-Aren’t you going to wait to hear about the meeting?”
“I’ll know in the morning anyway.”
With a yawn, Ruth returned to her quarters.
Maxi watched him go, wondering if she would ever be as calm as him.
Shaking her head, she headed toward Riftan's tent.It was hot inside, as the squires had already lit the braziers.
Taking off her coat, she climbed into the bed made of thick layers of reed mats and blankets.
He pulled the covers up to his chin.
Fatigue overwhelmed her, but anxiety about the impending battle kept her awake.
She heard someone enter the tent.
Maxi quickly closed her eyes, not wanting to upset him when he found her still awake.
She listened as Riftan removed his armor, washed his hands, and climbed into bed.
A smell of soap and leather caressed his nose, followed by a metallic scent that permeated his tunic.
He draped an arm over her waist, pulling her against his chest.
The surprise bothered her.
Since the beginning of the campaign, he always kept some distance when they slept.
Could it be that he was also anxious about the battle?
And was she the cause of his anxiety?
Maxi turned around and pulled him close, kissing his warm lips passionately.
A low moan escaped his throat.
She tilted her head back as his hot tongue entered her mouth.
The kiss began as a way of seeking comfort, but soon her breathing became labored and heat began to emerge between her legs.
Your hands ventured inside his tunic, caressing his hard abdomen.
Riftan shivered, and his warm breath brushed his neck.