It didn't take long for Maxi to regret missing the chance to be alone with Riftan.
The image of him walking away in anger refused to leave her mind.
In the end, she looked over her shoulder when they reached the entrance to the dorms, but he was nowhere to be found.
“You must be worried about him,” Sejuleu Aren said, leaning gently towards her.
There was a mischievous gleam in his hazel eyes.
Maxi gave him a stern look.
“You seem to find us amusing, Sir Sejuleu.”
“I apologize if I caused offence, my lady,” Sejuleu replied with false remorse.
“I'm so happy to see that fellow expressing real human emotions, I can't stop teasing him.”
Maxi looked at him, perplexed.
She found it intriguing that he still thought highly of Riftan despite her husband's shocking rudeness.
“Are you and Riftan… close?” he asked cautiously.
“I would like to think so, but I doubt he would agree.” A small smile played on Sejuleu's lips.
"I met your husband ten years ago at a fencing tournament out west.
He was still the vice-commander of the White Dragons at the time.
I started the conversation because I wanted to size up the guy who won the Knight's Sword, but before I knew it, we were already in a heated argument."
Maxi's eyes widened.
Sejuleu smiled.
"My past self was also somewhat rude.
Spoiled all my life, I was impatient, and my growing fame as a knight made me terribly proud.
So you can understand how enraged I was when your husband blatantly ignored me.
I was the one who acted like a child and picked a fight."
Maxi was frowning disapprovingly.
Seeing his expression, Sejuleu scratched his cheek embarrassedly.
“I now know how shameful my actions were.”
“You two must have made a big impression on each other… so how come you admire him so much?” Maxi asked.
“A lot of things have happened since then.”
Sejuleu's eyes crinkled slightly, and Maxi couldn't tell if he was frowning or smiling.
"Your husband completely crushed my ego in that tournament.
It was the first loss of my life."
They entered the living quarters and began to climb a staircase.
A series of wide, arched windows were embedded in the stone walls.
Silver sunlight flooded the place, along with the occasional winter breeze.
Sejuleu positioned himself closer to the windows as they walked, blocking the draft.
"That incident turned out to be beneficial to me.
It allowed me to learn humility after being shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was not, in fact, the best.
Shortly after, I was tasked with forming a joint strike team with him.
Admitting defeat allowed me to admire his talent as a knight objectively.
He is a man gifted with many admirable qualities."
He stopped in front of a wooden door and turned to face her.
“Though I admit I still find it difficult to appreciate your potty mouth.”
Without having anything to say to that, Maxi laughed embarrassedly.
Sejuleu opened the door for her and gave her a playful bow.
"We have arrived, Lady Calypse.
I thank you for granting me this honor."
“I… I-I'm really grateful for your help, and…” Maxi smiled shyly, “the story was interesting too.”
“Your joy is my own.”
After kissing her hand, he disappeared down the stairs.
Maxi watched him leave for a moment before turning around.
On the other side of the door, he found Ruth wrapped in a blanket in front of the fireplace.
He looked at her, his eyes half-closed, and said, “You two look like accomplices.”
“W-What are you insinuating?”
Ruth frowned at her sharp response, but then shrugged nonchalantly and rose from her chair.
He pulled out a chair for her at a large circular table.
“What brings you here, my lady?”
Maxi sat down.
“O-Other wizards have something they want to ask you, and I have been tasked with taking you to them.”
A look of horror came over Ruth's face.
He shrugged his shoulders like a suspicious cat, watching her suspiciously.
“What do the wizards in the Tower want to ask me?”
"You've been attending the knights' meetings...
so you must know what they're discussing.
That's what they want to know."“Oh, is that it?” The tension dissipated from his shoulders.
"I don't think they'll need me to brief them when they'll also be attending the strategic meetings soon.
So far, the only agenda has been supply and army size."
"But that's exactly it.
Everyone wants to know how advanced the preparations for war are," Maxi explained.
On the circular table in front of them was a large map full of symbols.
Maxi assumed they were military codes.
She studied the small wooden soldiers scattered across the map like chess pieces before picking one up to inspect it more closely.
She heard Ruth sigh.
“I understand,” he said.
“They want to know the exact circumstances before making a decision.”
He scratched the back of his head, turning something over in his mind, then grabbed his coat.
"Preparations are almost complete.
We are ready to march as soon as the army is assembled.
And if everything goes according to plan, it will be in two or three weeks."
Maxi turned to him, surprised.
She had assumed that forming the coalition army would take at least a month.
“H-How can it be done so quickly?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“Won’t it just take weeks for the army to get here?”
"Osiriya has already made the arrangements.
They sent supplies north in advance to make it possible to quickly raise an army when the time came.
And the influential royal and noble families of the Seven Kingdoms were already in Balbourne to attend the church banquet and the papal inauguration.
All of these factors saved us a lot of time."
Ruth paused before adding with disgust: “The previous pope is undoubtedly a shrewd and thorough man.”
“A-Are you saying that the Council of the Seven Kingdoms has already met?”
"I would hope so.
The Temple Knights sent a message to the church as soon as they arrived.
The Council should be in full swing now.
I wouldn't be surprised if the army was already on its way."
Ruth scratched her head, tired of all this talk of war.
“I had hopes that the invasion would begin after Paxias, but it is safe to say that this modest wish of mine will not be granted.”
“I… assume the White Dragons… will be fighting?”
Ruth raised an eyebrow as if the answer was obvious.
"Of course.
Even if Sir Riftan does not wish, the king will order him to go to battle."
Maxi bit his lip.
After studying her thoughtful face, the sorcerer said abruptly: “What do you intend to do, my lady?”
When Maxi looked at him in surprise, Ruth crossed her arms.
“It appears that Sir Riftan wants you to be escorted back to Anatol.”
Maxi's face hardened.
"W-With what permission?
How could he decide such a thing without even“"
“I said he wants to, not that he intends to,” said Ruth, raising a hand at his raised voice.
"Sir Riftan also appears to be agonizing over what to do.
Under the current circumstances, no journey is safe, and with his taste for the unpredictable..."
Right after opening her mouth to retort angrily, Maxi timidly pressed her lips together, remembering the countless times he had caught her in careless actions.
Ruth sighed deeply.
“So, you intend to participate in the war.”
“I-I was going to discuss this with Riftan first,” Maxi grumbled.
Putting on her coat, Ruth shook her head.
“I can already see Sir Riftan’s reaction.”
“Still… I should discuss this with him.”
After casting a skeptical glance at the ceiling, Ruth let out another long sigh.
He started heading for the door.
"The war with the monsters isn't the only battle we have ahead of us, then.
I'll do my best to stay away from Sir Riftan for the next few days."
Although Maxi threw furious glares after him, his shoulders slumped weakly as the truth in his words hit home.
True to Ruth's predictions, preparations for war advanced quickly.
A few days after their conversation, the Royal Army of Livadon marched to Castle Eth Lene.
The next day, Osiriya's forces entered the city in a long procession.
Seeing the castle full of soldiers, Maxi realized that war was truly approaching.
She grew restless, wanting more than anything to have a calm conversation with Riftan, but she could never seem to find the right moment.The various preparations kept him busy from dawn until late at night.
She was also buried in work, trying to decipher the records of the dark wizards.
As the situation dragged on, she discovered she was not alone in her frustration.
One day, she hurried out of the library carrying a stack of reference books for her translation when Riftan blocked her way.
“Riftan!” she exclaimed, smiling widely.
“W-What are you doing here?”
“I came to talk to you,” he replied dryly, taking her books.
Maxi's face lit up.
"I-I also wanted to talk to you.
I went to see you in your room a few times, but you were always asleep, and I couldn't wake up“"
“I'm sending some of the White Dragons back to Anatol, and I'd like you to go with them.”
Stunned, Maxi stared at him.
Her smile disappeared, and she gave him an icy look.
“I-I was told that the army would march in a few weeks, but you… would divide one of our main forces at such a critical time?
His response was irritatingly calm.
“The Royal Wedon Army will be here in a few days.
We will have enough men, so I want you to return to Anatol with our knights.”
Maxi's response was equally soft, despite forcing the words through his clenched jaw.
“Is this… an order or a request?”
Riftan frowned at her soft tone.
He seemed to ponder his answer for a moment.
“Consider it a request.”