“You praised my riding skills that day, saying how much I had improved,” said Maxi proudly as he recalled his trip to the lake.
Riftan raised an eyebrow pretending not to remember.
“Certainly not.”
Maxi elbowed him in the stomach, and he feigned pain, coughing while laughing at the same time.
She looked at him sideways as if she were uncomfortable, but a slow smile appeared on her lips.
Her heart melted with joy whenever he was playful like this.
Stroking his strong arm that was around her waist, she said softly, "We rode along the lake...
and you told me about your time as a mercenary, about your life after becoming a knight...
I realized at that moment that there was an entirely new world that I wasn't aware of."
After all those days waiting for him in Croyso Castle, fearing divorce and trembling with fear of her father's inevitable punishment, he had taken her to Anatol.
She couldn't help but think that that was the day her life truly began.
She had spent more than twenty years at Croyso Castle.
Compared to the last few years as Riftan Calypse's wife, that time meant nothing.
If I hadn't met this man, I would never have met myself.
After silently contemplating his face, she pulled him in for a kiss.
A sigh of contentment mixed with displeasure escaped his lips.
“Sometimes I wonder if you act like this to torment me.”
“Y-You’re the one who’s weird,” Maxi replied exquisitely.
“Most people are not moved by such gentle affection.”
To distract himself, Riftan picked up a stick and pushed it into the crackling flames.
The almost childish gesture touched his heart.
Laughing softly, Maxi continued to plant kisses on his jaw.
He let out a pained groan as he gave her a mock threatening look.
His attempt to appear intimidating was undone by the smile that curved his lips.
As Maxi watched her husband, a question popped into her mind.
“Speaking of that day… what made you look at me like that?”
"What do you mean?"
"At the lake...
you suddenly looked worried and insisted on returning to the castle.
I always wondered...
why you looked at me so sadly."
Riftan was silent, surprised by her question.
His gaze fixed on the dancing flames as he pondered his answer.
“You looked so beautiful in the snow, I thought you must be dreaming.”
Blushing, Maxi gave him a firm look.
She suspected his answer was just an evasion.
“Y-You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
“It's the truth,” he replied, jokingly brushing his lips against hers.
"Your eyes as you looked up at the sky“they were dazzling, shining like silver.
Everything seemed like an illusion."
Seeing his eyes clouded by the weight of memory, Maxi's face fell.
She felt there was more he wasn't revealing, but she refrained from pressing further.
Riftan was not the type to openly share his feelings; he kept them locked in his heart.
However, she had an intuition that most of those cherished feelings were linked to her.
Suddenly, Riftan looked up at the sky.
“The sun will rise soon.”
Following his gaze above the castle wall, Maxi saw that he was right.
A faint light appeared in the east, dispelling the darkness that enveloped the coal-black sky.
As the pale orange sunrise broke through the dark gray clouds, its rays bathed the castle and town below in a soft glow.
The snow, stirred by the wind, sparkled like silver as a soft lavender shade spread over the tents that filled the city.
A sigh of regret escaped Maxi as she realized another challenging day had begun.
At dawn, the soldiers began to dismantle the camp.
Maxi headed straight to the chapel to cast healing magic on those who couldn't move on their own.
Fortunately, most of the injured had recovered enough to endure the impending journey, leaving only a handful of people in need of their care.
After examining the last patient, she headed to Ruth's tent.
“Everyone has been treated,” she informed the wizard.
“They are well enough to ride.”"That's good news.
It means we can leave as soon as we obtain the supposed reliquary," Ruth said despondently as she wrote something on a piece of parchment.
Maxi approached him to see what was making him so engrossed.
The yellowed parchment was filled with elven texts and complicated drawings, some too complex for her to decipher.
His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the detailed anatomical diagram of a monster.
“W-What the hell are you drawing?”
“This is the anatomical report on the monster that infiltrated the camp,” Ruth replied matter-of-factly, making more notes on the parchment.
“As the creature was torn apart, rebuilding its mana path was no easy task.”
“The Templars… gave you permission to examine it?”
"Why would I need their permission?
As a wizard in the coalition army, it is my duty to learn as much as possible about our enemies."
Maxi examined the intricate designs.
Some parts of the drawings were so complicated that she had no idea what they were supposed to represent.
“Did you manage to learn anything?” she asked.
“It's just that the specimen is capable of storing more mana than an average lizard,” Ruth grumbled, rolling up the parchment and stuffing it into her clothes.
"It would have been much more useful if the Templars had captured the monster alive instead of tearing it into three pieces.
We missed a golden opportunity to gather valuable information."
Maxi refrained from mentioning that she could have been torn in two if Kuahel Leon hadn't killed the monster.
But given her tendency to attract trouble, she didn't want to add to her reputation.
She shrugged and tried to change the subject.
“More importantly… we should eat before the knights finish all the food.”
“Ah, these men are certainly capable of that,” replied Ruth with a frown, and left the tent.
Maxi followed him, taking in the busy scene.
The tents were quickly dismantled, and hundreds of horses were already saddled.
Soldiers efficiently loaded the army's belongings into carts, while others stood in line at the castle gate, undergoing inspection by the clergy.
She quickly realized that they were looking for possible monsters disguised as humans.
The divine magic infused into each soldier revealed whether they were completely human or not.
It may be laborious, but no other method is more reliable.
While trying to count the number of soldiers in line, Maxi's attention was caught by an unfamiliar four-wheeled carriage parked at the entrance to the inner castle.
She speculated that it must be the vehicle designated to transport the sacred reliquary they sought.
However, the solemn expressions of the Templars guarding the carriage dissuaded Maxi from getting too close.
Seeing the sacred reliquary was an unlikely prospect.
With a resigned sigh, she redirected her steps towards where the White Dragons were gathered.
It didn't take long for the coalition army to finish its preparations and head east.
The White Dragons led the advance, followed by Phil Aaron's Knights and the Templars, who flanked the carriage carrying the Chalice of Purification.
Bringing up the rear was Wedon's army.
Their march proceeded smoothly.
The soldiers followed Riftan's lead in perfect formation, allowing them to cross the border between Osiriya and Wedon before nightfall.
Finally, they arrived at the Duchy of Croyso.
Maxi looked out at the vast forest, abundant in trees, and the terraced rice fields that descended like a grand staircase.
The sight that presented itself to her was nothing short of shocking.
Although she had only seen her father's lands twice“once when Riftan took her to Anatol and once when she returned to Croysus Castle from Drachium“she vividly remembered the duchy's prosperity.
Back then, prime hunting grounds, golden barns, and expansive pastures filled with horses and sheep stretched as far as the eye could see.All she saw now was a long-neglected land, with a small village largely deserted by its inhabitants.
Confusion mixed with Maxi's feelings as he looked at the empty pastures.
Although he knew that many properties had suffered during the long winter, he did not expect the Duchy of Croyso to be in such a desperate situation.
After all, it was known for having the most fertile land in all of the Seven Kingdoms.
Emaciated and dressed in rags, the people along the road were a stark contrast to his memories.
The sight aroused a mix of emotions in her.
Although a part of her felt relieved to see her father's powers weakened, meaning he was no longer a threat to her or Riftan, she could not bear to witness these people's suffering.
I'm sure only the outlying areas of the duchy are so affected.
Still, as she held the reins and looked at a long-abandoned watermill, she couldn't dispel her discomfort.
She clung to the hope that not all of the hundreds of villages within her father's fief were in similar circumstances.
At dusk they arrived at a sizable walled city, and it quickly became evident that even the commercial districts were in a state of despair.