No matter how much Maxi wanted to deny it, the Duke of Croyso was his father.
It was a truth known throughout the world.
And now, by openly ridiculing her husband, her father had shown how little he thought of his eldest daughter.
An intense feeling of shame consumed her.
It wasn't her father's complete disdain that disturbed her“it was the fact that his disdain had caused Riftan such blatant discourtesy.
If it weren't for her getting married, Riftan and the White Dragons would never have been subjected to such treatment.
Even though Riftan had assured her that she had nothing to apologize for, Maxi still felt racked with guilt.
Elliot, who had been riding beside her silently, suddenly spoke with an expression of concern.
“You look tired, my lady.”
Maxi managed to force a smile on his lips.
“It… it’s bearable.”
"We'll soon reach the banks of the Lauden River and will probably camp there tonight.
Try to hold out until then," Elliot said encouragingly.
Maxi's face fell when he realized the knight was content to camp out in the open.
The fury against his father resurfaced once again for making men prefer to sleep in open fields rather than the safety of walled cities.
Without wanting to burden the already tired knights with her feelings, Maxi appeared excited.
“I won’t bother you by falling off your horse, Sir Elliot… so you needn’t look at me with such anxious eyes.”
Reassured by her good-natured response, a small smile appeared on the knight's lips.
Soon, a frozen river appeared on the other side of the field.
Riftan halted the march and ordered the horsemen to set up camp.
They watered their horses in the river and set up their tents methodically on level ground.
Maxi watched them for a while before dismounting.
She tied Rem to a stake before going to help the army cooks with dinner preparations.
Although a mage's main responsibilities were caring for the wounded and helping the knights, there were many other tasks to be done.
Wiping beads of sweat from his forehead, Maxi boiled carrots and cabbage in a large cauldron, cut hard bread into pieces and distributed them to the soldiers with bowls of soup.
Then he went to check the herb stock.
She was starting to prepare more emergency medicine when a hand grabbed her shoulder.
“Still working?”
Maxi turned and saw Ruth looking at her with an exasperated expression.
He sighed when he saw how rough his hands were from the cold.
"Sir Riftan has been looking for you for a while.
I'll take over here, so please rest today."
“I-I can finish this batch.”
“I need you to get up right now, my lady,” replied Ruth sternly, crossing her arms.
"I know you haven't eaten anything yet.
You really need to stop overworking yourself.
Please don't forget that there are people worried about you."
Blushing, Maxi stood up.
She had tried hard to make up for her father's bullying, so it was disheartening to be reprimanded for it.
Rubbing her stiff shoulder, she walked toward Riftan's tent.
It was then that she saw a blond giant walking through the shadows.
Maxi narrowed his eyes as he watched Richard Breston cross the Wedonian camp like a prowling predator.
Since each army unit was camped some distance away from each other, Maxi rarely needed to see the northerner up close.
Until then, Riftan had conveyed his orders to the Baltonian soldiers through messengers, which they obediently obeyed.
It could be that Breston was there that night to express his dissent.
Maxi eyed the northerner cautiously until he saw him enter Riftan's tent.
She quickened her pace until Ursuline stopped her at the entrance.
"I suggest you wait outside, my lady.
There will be no point in getting involved with those two."
“B-but…” Maxi started to object, but stopped when she realized he was right.
Riftan quickly lost her mind with matters that involved her.
Knowing this, Richard Breston tended to use it to test the supreme commander's patience.
Biting her lip, Maxi reluctantly backed away from the entrance.
Still, he couldn't pull away.
She stood near the tent and strained to hear the conversation taking place inside.“Why are we bypassing Croyso Castle?” Breston's voice echoed.
“Are you not aware that we need to resupply the army there?”
"And travel further south?
The army doesn't have time for that.
We can send the supplies directly to the battlefield.
I've already sent a messenger to the duke."
“For God’s sake, man,” Breston sneered, laughing.
"Do you really believe he will listen to your request?
Anyone can see that he is determined to make things as difficult as possible for you.
He would not hand over so much as a sack of wheat unless you demand it with an army at the gates."
The contempt in the northerner's voice made anger course through Maxi, and she felt her face heat up.
“I don’t know what you did to deserve such disfavor,” Breston continued with apparent pleasure, “but that man will use a futile excuse to delay the shipment of supplies.”
“Get to the point.”
"You should go ahead and lead the army to Midna.
My men and I will collect the supplies from Croyso Castle."
After a moment of tense silence, it was Riftan's turn to let out a cold laugh.
"What makes you think I trust you more than I trust my father-in-law?
It's obvious you're going to defect as soon as you break free."
Breston made a show of disappointment.
"You hurt me.
Is there such a lack of trust between us?"
“Until now, Balto has used any means to preserve his strength while sending other kingdoms’ soldiers to their deaths,” said Riftan coldly.
"Let me tell you now, you won't be able to dodge this time.
Your knights will have to fight me and my men on the front lines."
"Without the supplies, we wouldn't even last half a month.
Do you intend to starve us all?"
“The supplies will arrive in time,” Riftan replied with conviction.
"And even if I have to send an army to get them, Phil Aaron's Knights will not be chosen for the task.
I would rather not trust a cat with a fish."
The hostility between the two men seemed to emanate from the tent.
Worried that Breston might lunge at Riftan, Maxi kept her guard up.
However, when the northerner spoke again, it was with the calmness of someone waiting for an answer.
"Your arrogance truly surprises me, Calypse.
Phil Aaron's Knights are also fighting for the peace and prosperity of the Roviden Continent.
I don't see why we should bear such contempt."
Riftan didn't respond.
After a while, Maxi heard a heavy sigh.
"Very well.
We will follow your plan.
But whatever happens, it will be your responsibility."
Maxi didn't hear Breston's response.
There were footsteps, and Breston came out of the tent.
Maxi impulsively backed away.
Not wanting to appear scared, she shot him a haughty look.
As if amused by her hostility, the northerner's twinkling eyes lingered on her before he stalked away like a prowling tiger.
She watched the man leave, then turned toward the tent entrance.
Riftan had his head tilted back and was massaging between his eyes.
Her heart sank like a lead weight when she saw him so tired.
Not only was her husband burdened with the grave responsibility of stopping the dragon's revitalization, but he also had to keep an eye on an enemy within his own army.
As if that wasn't enough, his father was another weight in his problems.
She was extremely frustrated that she couldn't do anything for him.
The self-esteem she had built with so much effort over the past few years seemed to crumble all at once.
After watching Riftan with dejected eyes, she turned and left.
Riftan looked at his wife with concern.
Since they had entered the Duchy of Croyso, she had become increasingly quiet.
His expression was often somber, even despondent.
Without a doubt, being there brought back painful memories for her.
Holding the reins, Riftan clenched his jaw.
Whenever he was reminded of the deep emotional scars the Duke had inflicted on Maximilian, he was overcome with uncontrollable rage.
It was all he could do not to turn his horse and run towards Croyso Castle to tear the man to pieces.
Riftan looked away from her, trying desperately to calm his burning anger.
He would have his chance to make the man pay.
Now, his priority was to extinguish these tiresome monsters.
He had just sped up his horse when he saw Hebaron, who had been riding ahead, galloping towards them."Commander!
A pigeon brings a message from Princess Agnes."
Riftan snatched the crumpled roll of parchment from his assistant's hand and opened it.
Beside them, Ursuline asked impatiently, "What do you say?
Did something happen to the unit that went northeast?"
“That’s good news,” said Riftan, handing the note to Ursuline.
“The coalition managed to liberate the southern castles of Arex.”
Ursuline's face lit up.
“It was faster than we expected.”