“The rainy season has begun.”
Riftan, who had returned with the horses, looked up at the sky.
Maxi followed his gaze.
Thousands and thousands of bright stars twinkled in the clear night sky.
Maxi tilted his head.
There was no sign of rain.
A knight who was splitting dry sticks to fuel the fire silently agreed with Riftan.
"It's that time of year.
We're right in the middle of Etherias.
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”
"Just the thought of traveling through the mountains in the rain is depressing.
Your armor becomes heavier, your greaves sink into the mud..." grumbled another knight who was warming his hands by the fire.
"We'll reach Anatol before then.
No need to worry."
"Did you forget?
We have to leave for the capital again in just a few days!" The grumpy knight frowned and looked at Maxi, who was standing next to Riftan like a duckling cuddling up to its mother.
"We've already wasted enough time because of the detour.
It won't do any good to keep King Reuben waiting any longer."
“It cannot be avoided when the rainy season starts.” Riftan said, tying the reins to a stake before sitting down next to Maxi.
The blond knight Ricaydo, who had been listening silently, reacted with disbelief.
“Is the hero who defeated the great dragon disobeying the king’s call because of a storm?”
"Who says I'm disobeying?
I'm just suggesting a short delay."
"We've already wasted too much time!
If we keep the king waiting any longer“"
His words hurt Maxi as if she had been whipped.
The blood drained from her face, and she clenched her dress with her fists.
Riftan's face hardened.
"Ursuline Ricaydo.
Shut up."
The knight's lips twitched as if he hadn't finished, but Riftan's threatening voice silenced him.
A heavy silence enveloped the camp.
Only the crackle of burning wood was audible until one of the knights broke the stillness.
He spoke with so much joy that he seemed frivolous.
“I agree with the commander” he said, scratching his head.
"I don't want to enter the capital looking like a rain-soaked mutt.
We've worked three years for this campaign!
At least let us return with shining armor!"
"Idiot!
Are appearances all that matter to you?"
"Lord Ursuline, Mister Hebaron has a point.
Why don't we take this opportunity to show the capital that the White Dragons are not to be taken lightly?" observed Ruth, who had been watching the scene unfold from the shadows.
Hebaron Nirtha lifted her chin triumphantly.
"See?
Even our wizard says I'm right."
Ruth tried to appease the blonde knight.
"For now, we watch which way the wind blows.
There may be time before the rains begin."
The mood lightened, and Maxi silently exhaled.
She deduced from their conversation that the detour to the Duchy of Croyso had considerably delayed their arrival in the capital.
She remembered the map of the Roviden Continent that she had once seen in the castle library.
Located on the southwestern tip of the continent, Anatol sat on a small peninsula that jutted out into the Isirian Sea like a serpent's head.
She vaguely remembered hearing that the land was surrounded by rugged mountains and bordered by a vast ocean to the south.
Drachium, the royal capital of Wedon, was in the northwest corner of the kingdom, north of Anatol.
To get to Drachium from Aranthal, the location of the Dragon Campaign, the quickest way was to follow the River Yserium upstream.
Maxi's knowledge of geography was limited, but it wasn't difficult to see that they were taking an alternative route.
Did they provoke the king's anger because of me?
Maxi understood why Lord Ursuline was so eager to reach the capital.
Riftan had refused King Reuben's offer for the princess's hand in marriage.
And now he was disobeying the king's call, meant to honor his victory in the Dragon Campaign.
Her stomach twisted.
It can't be because of me.
There must be some other reason.
What kind of knight would disobey a king's call just to bring his wife home?Ela ignorou suas preocupações iniciais.
Era simplesmente absurdo que Riftan fosse a tais extremos por ela.
In this age of lords, the power of kings had diminished; lordes que possuíam vastas extensões de terra e a mão de obra necessária para mantê-las muitas vezes exerciam maior influência do que os reis.
Mas, ao contrário dos monarcas dos outros seis reinos, o Rei de Wedon ainda mantinha considerável poder.
King Reuben III had won the loyalty of hundreds of high-ranking knights through displays of power.
It was implausible that Riftan would neglect his duties to such a king for her.
"Come on, we don't need to tire ourselves with unproductive arguments.
Let's eat."
Um cavaleiro que estava cortando uma roda de queijo começou a distribuir os pedaços.
Riftan passou a Maxi uma taça de vinho, que ela bebeu para acompanhar o pão seco que havia passado a detestar.
After a dinner of salted meat, bread and cheese, she entered the carriage.
Despite her complete exhaustion, she couldn't fall asleep.
Seus pensamentos vagaram para a noite seguinte, quando chegaria à sua nova casa.
Como seria Anatol?
Apenas alguns dias atrás, ela tremia de medo, mas agora, mesmo enquanto a ansiedade a agarrava, uma pequena esperança brilhava em seu coração.
Talvez eu consiga começar uma nova vida.
Mas temendo a decepção, ela reprimiu a esperança que brotava dentro dela.
My good luck won't last forever.
Ela não apenas escapara da ameaça de divórcio, mas também se libertara do terror que era seu pai.
E seu temível marido não havia se revelado um homem sem coração – pelo contrário, ele era gentil.
Many good things had happened at once, and Maxi knew that the goddess of fortune rarely smiled.
Puxando o cobertor até o pescoço, ela resolveu que, aconteça o que acontecer, seria corajosa.
O sol estava em seu auge quando chegaram ao pé da montanha no dia seguinte.
A narrow path led into the valley, and next to the path stood a small watchtower.
Quatro sentinelas rapidamente saíram para cumprimentar os cavaleiros antes de conduzi-los a uma área de descanso, onde puderam sentar-se à mesa para uma refeição adequada de ensopado quente e batatas assadas.
After satisfying their hunger, they rode off again.
Decidiram tomar a rota mais direta para chegar a Anatol antes do pôr do sol, o que significava que Maxi tinha que descer da carruagem para cavalgar com Riftan.
She had ridden ponies and colts before, but never a warhorse.
Standing awkwardly on the horse, she nervously gripped the saddle.
Riftan envolveu um braço em torno de sua cintura e a puxou para perto dele.
“É um atalho, então será uma viagem agitada.
Apoie-se em mim se quiser descansar.”
Ela não queria ser um fardo, mas com sua falta de habilidade de equitação, era impossível não se segurar nele enquanto cavalgavam pela montanha.
Ela se agarrou desesperadamente aos braços dele, certa de que cairia do cavalo a qualquer momento, mas ele não proferiu nenhuma palavra grosseira.
After riding for a while, they heard shouts from a rider in front.
“Comandante!
Há cinco lobisomens a dois thradions
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adiante!”
Os outros cavaleiros puxaram suas espadas.
Paralyzed by fear, Maxi grabbed Riftan's clothes.
“É melhor você não me fazer cuidar disso!” gritou Riftan.
"Don't worry, Commander!
I'm itching for some action!"
With that, Hebaron charged, and the werewolves roared.
Seeing Maxi panting and shaking with terror, Riftan pulled her close to him and buried her face in his chest.
"It'll be over soon.
Keep your eyes closed."
She closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her ears.
But it couldn't block out the sound of sword clashes and bestial roars.
“Comandante!
Acima de você!”
Maxi reflexively looked up and shouted.
Quick as lightning, a monster with dark fur jumped from a branch and charged towards them.
But before the creature could reach them, it was cut in half in the air.
Before he could understand what had just occurred, Maxi found himself looking down at a fallen corpse.
Riftan clicked his tongue when he saw his cloak splattered with blood.
"You don't even know how to count, Gabel?
There were six, not five."
Gabel scratched his head in embarrassment, having run too late.
“Black werewolves can use concealment spells…”Riftan grunted in response, then urged his horse forward.
Monsters with human bodies and wolf heads lay dead in the roots of trees that protruded from the ground like coiled snakes.
After cleaning their swords, the knights remounted their horses.
Their incredible strength left Maxi speechless.
She had read about werewolves a few years ago and knew they had bones as hard as cast iron and skin as tough as chain mail armor.
They could not be easily killed even with a steel sword, but Riftan's sword had cleaved these monsters in half cleanly.
"We should hurry.
There might be more of them nearby," Ruth said, scanning the area.
The other riders nodded, and the horses began to gallop down the sloping path.
Maxi clenched his teeth to prevent them from biting his tongue.
For many hours they rode along rocky, heavily wooded mountain paths.
When they passed the peak, Maxi was greeted by a panoramic view.
The windy season, equivalent to autumn.
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360 meters
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