The knights soon organized themselves into an orderly march.
With a light touch of Rem's reins, Maxi followed the procession.
She caught glimpses of Riftan ahead, appearing and disappearing among his men.
This only made her more restless.
How could he not look back even once?
Surely he was aware of where she was.
Didn't he look forward to seeing her as much as she did?
She was sinking into sadness when a cheerful voice called out to her.
"Max!
Max!"
She looked up and saw Sidina waving at her.
Slowly, she approached the girl with a confused expression.
“Max, where is the deserter?” Sidina asked in a low voice when Maxi was close.
“Shouldn’t he be with the White Dragons?”
Maxi sighed.
Sidina wasn't the only person waiting for his answer.
Her fellow mage, Kiel, and a few older mages were also looking at her with intense curiosity.
They seemed more interested in Ruth Serbel than the White Dragons.
Complicated emotions stirred within Maxi as he half-heartedly said, "H-He...
probably stayed behind at Sevron Castle.
I-I heard that the White Dragons left immediately when they received our order.
Since they would need to travel overnight, I'm sure they thought that an easily tired mage would only slow them down."
She was about to turn to look in Riftan's direction again when Sidina made a strange nasal sound and brought her horse closer.
“You’re going to burn him.”
"Forgiveness?"
"You haven't taken your eyes off your husband once.
Soon there will be a hole in the back of his head."
Sidina pursed her lips, pretending to whistle.
Maxi's face turned red.
Had she been that obvious?
She could feel her ears burning.
Still, wasn't it natural to feel uneasy when she hadn't even had a proper conversation with her husband after three years apart?
Sidina laughed at Maxi's dark expression and attempt to avoid eye contact.
"It's not that I don't understand you.
Who wouldn't feel that way about a husband like that?
I must say, Sir Riftan is much more impressive than I expected.
Not to mention his physical appearance..."
Sidina drew a broad chest with her hands, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.
"I'm jealous.
With a physique like that, I'm sure what's between his legs isn't small either."
“B-But… Sidina!” Maxi shouted.
“A maiden shouldn’t say such things!”
The Temple Knights flanking the mages turned to look at her, their faces impassive.
Maxi shivered and pulled his cape over his face.
It seemed that both Anette and Sidina were determined to embarrass her today.
She furtively clenched her teeth.
Although she knew that Sidina sometimes read books with stories of a more daring nature in her room with the other novices, she never imagined that the girl would be so bold as to speak indecently in the presence of clerics.
Lowering his voice, Maxi said, with the most serious tone he could muster: “Please… close your mouth, and hold your reins properly.”
"I meant it as a compliment.
Why are you mad?" Sidina replied, pouting.
When Maxi gave her a warning look, Sidina shrugged and took the reins.
His silence didn't last long.
“By the way,” said Sidina, her curiosity getting the better of her, “does Sir Riftan have any brothers?”
Maxi's mouth remained resolutely closed as she pretended not to hear.
Anette, who was riding close to them, chose that moment to intrude.
"But what about the commander of the Temple Knights?
Weren't you complimenting his good looks the other day?"
"What good are good appearances?
It's no different than a banquet in a painting."
Maxi nervously studied the faces of the Temple Knights.
Whether they didn't hear or were just pretending not to hear, the knights kept their eyes straight ahead and moved forward with neutral expressions.
Oblivious to her discomfort, Anette laughed.
"What about Max's personal guard?
That one is handsome too."
“Hmm, he’s a bit…”
Sidina looked to where Ulyseon was riding with the White Dragons.
"I was charmed at first," she said, shaking her head, "until I saw how silly he acted in front of Max.
A shame, really.
If only he'd kept his mouth shut."
"What about the golden-haired knight we met in Anatol?
He was easy on the eyes, wasn't he?"“He was, but I imagine he was the type that would constantly be in your ear.”
Maxi took Rem away from them to escape the scrutiny of the various men they had met.
Ulyseon, who was riding in the last row of knights, turned to look at her with an innocent smile.
"Aren't you tired, my lady?
You haven't had a proper rest since yesterday."
"I-I'm fine.
I'm sure the knights are more tired from fighting all night."
“We’re used to it.”
She would have to improve her stamina if she wanted to become a White Dragon mage, she told herself silently.
Determination alone seemed insufficient to overcome the fatigue that was taking her down.
Maxi rubbed his increasingly heavy eyelids.
His exhaustion was understandable.
After a full day of travel to reach the border, they had found the village devastated.
Caring for the dead took up much of the night, and when they finished setting up camp to rest, chaos ensued.
Furthermore, her brush with death at the hands of an ogre and Riftan's cold treatment meant she was emotionally and physically drained.
Elliot walked down the formation towards the mages.
Noticing Maxi's haggard face, he asked with concern, "Are you alright, my lady?"
Even as she nodded in response, she struggled to keep her eyes open.
Elliot watched her for a moment before saying tentatively, "May I suggest you ride with me, my lady?
You can rest by leaning on“"
“No, allow me, my lady!” Ulyseon interrupted.
“It is my duty as your personal guard!”
The young knight seemed afraid of being supplanted from his post.
Maxi bit his lip.
She was very tempted to accept the offer, but she knew she wasn't the only tired mage.
Although she was by no means a major contributor to the expedition, she did not wish to be seen as inferior or falling behind.
With that thought in mind, Maxi stubbornly shook his head.
"T-That would only tire your horses faster.
And...
we would also need someone to lead Rem.
I can walk alone, so please don't worry about me."
"My horse can handle it, my lady.
It once carried three men without“"
“Let’s rest here for a bit.”
A deep voice interrupted Elliot's argument.
Up ahead, Riftan turned his horse towards the riders.
"Charon!
Take some of your men with you and scout the area."
"Yes sir!"
Elliot and some of the knights left promptly.
Maxi only managed to get off his horse with Ulyseon's help.
Her buttocks and thighs ached as if they were bruised from the long journey, and her back and waist felt like they would break.
Sitting on a tree trunk, she assessed the wizards' condition.
They were all sunk into rocks or the ground.
Even Anette and Sidina, who had maintained a lively conversation throughout the trip, looked exhausted as they silently quenched their thirst with beer.
All Maxi wanted was to lay his head down and sleep, even if just for a moment.
However, Rem was also exhausted on the ground, and she knew the mare would need care.
She crawled to her horse.
Using the last of her energy, she dismounted Rem and then threw herself down beside the mare.
Rem continued to rub her damp nose against her cheek as she sat up, but Maxi was so tired she didn't have the energy to push her away.
Soon, she began to doze off.
She didn't know how long she slept when she was awakened by something landing on her lap.
Lifting her head, she met Riftan's black eyes.
"You should eat.
You won't last until dinner if you don't take a bite while you can."
After looking at him perplexedly, Maxi slowly nodded.
In his lap was a fist-sized ball wrapped in dry leaves.
When all she did was stare at it, Riftan said impatiently, “What are you waiting for?”
“Oh…uh…”
Why would he bring her food after being so cold to her?
Maxi was perplexed.
She looked at him again to try to understand his intention, but his distant face against the light revealed nothing.
After hesitating for a moment, Maxi carefully picked up the ball and unrolled the leaves, revealing the smoked meat underneath.
“Do you have anything to drink?” Riftan asked sharply.
“I-I have… some wine with me.”Finally realizing he was trying to be considerate, Maxi quickly took his bottle out of his saddlebag.
She looked up, intending to invite him to join her, but he was already gone.
She sighed dejectedly.
Had she ruined her chance to talk to him when he made the effort to approach her first?
At least it doesn't seem like he's completely lost interest.
Reassuring herself with that thought, she stared at the piece of meat before grabbing a piece of bread to go with it.
She then took a short nap by the fire, and when she woke up, she felt a little refreshed.
Gathering his strength, Maxi mounted Rem again and deftly eased himself into the saddle.
Soon, the expedition group set out through the dense forest.
The scarlet sky gradually turned into purple as dusk descended.
As the path grew dark, the knights began lighting torches one after another.
It was completely dark when they arrived at the county.
As the knights approached the black parapets made of vertical logs, the watchmen called out from atop the watchtower.
“Identify yourselves!”
"We are the White Dragons.
We return with the Knights of the Temple and the mages of the Mage Tower."
A moment later, the doorman opened the small window next to the entrance.
He opened the door after checking their armor.
Maxi looked around as he followed the knights through the door.
Torches flickered along the path, and armed sentries stood watch along the walls.
It appeared the county was on high alert for a possible attack.
At this moment, a burly man in armor walked out of a two-story stone building that appeared to be the guard house.
“You guys are back.”