Maxi's heart sank.
A seemingly endless procession of spears, with dark helmets, marched into the castle, followed by archers and knights.
Anette stood next to him, on tiptoe, trying to get a better view.
“There must be at least six thousand of them,” she said, seeming overwhelmed by the immense size of the army.
“Do you see any wizards?” asked Ben, a wizard from Undaim, his thin face full of hope.
Maxi carefully examined the procession entering the training grounds.
Dozens of leather-covered carts rolled behind the soldiers, followed by high-ranking knights and their squires.
No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't see any wizards among them.
"I-It's hard to say.
There are so many...", she murmured.
Maxi lost her breath when her sharp eyes caught sight of Riftan walking through the fields.
He wore a navy blue fur cape over silver armor, with a mail coif bearing the emblem of the White Dragons on his broad shoulders.
The sight of his imposing figure made her momentarily forget the tension between them.
The soldiers quickly cleared a path for him as he walked past with long, dignified strides.
Some of the knights“squad leaders, Maxi assumed“came forward to introduce themselves.
Riftan gave them a curt nod and headed straight for the knights bearing Wedon's royal weapons.
Seeing him approaching, the thin young man at the front of the group took off his helmet.
“It’s been a while, Wizard!”
The young knight's voice resounded across the fields.
Maxi's eyes widened.
The young man was none other than Princess Agnes, dressed as a squire.
A breastplate covered his chest, and a sword hung at his side.
"What a surprise.
I thought you were in southern Livadon on a campaign," teased Agnes as she dismounted her warhorse.
Maxi couldn't hear Riftan's response.
Her anxiety increased, she leaned out of the window.
Royald, who was watching beside her, whistled softly.
“It seems that the princess of Kabala herself is leading Wedon’s army.”
"The princess of Kabala?
Isn't that the blonde mage you're close with?" Anette asked Maxi.
She was referring to the time Princess Agnes spent a few weeks with Maxi upon arriving in Nornui.
Maxi waved awkwardly.
"Yes.
That was Princess Agnes...
who recommended me to the Wizards' Tower."
“Why don’t you go say hello?”
“I-Is everyone going to stay inside?”
Maxi looked at the faces of the mages gathered in the infirmary with a confused expression.
Anton was looking at the training grounds through another window.
He shook his head weakly.
"I don't think so.
I don't see any other wizards, and it's already crowded enough without us getting in the way.
Everyone's going to gather in the hall for dinner anyway, so we can greet them later." He gave Maxi an apathetic look and added, "You should go, though.
She's an acquaintance of yours; I'm sure you'd like to say hi.
We've got enough hands here for the job."
Maxi hesitated for a moment, then picked up his cloak.
She walked out of the infirmary into a sea of soldiers.
Looking around, she headed straight for the flag where her kingdom fluttered.
Soon, she managed to locate Riftan talking to Princess Agnes.
She stopped, looking silently at his back for a moment, and walked cautiously toward them.
The princess's eyes widened as soon as they saw her.
“Heavens, look who’s here!”
Agnes seemed immensely happy to see Maxi.
Her slender legs quickly closed the distance between them.
Holding Maxi's hand, she exclaimed, "Have you left Nornui yet?
I can't believe you finished your training in just three years!
I'm so proud!"
“H-Hello, Your Highness,” said Maxi, surprised by the enthusiastic reception.
Contrary to his expectation that their meeting would be awkward, the princess was as hospitable as the last time Maxi saw her.
“And you’re still calling me ‘Your Highness’!
I told you to call me Agnes.”
Maxi smiled shyly at the princess's disapproving tone.
"That...
slipped my mind.
Are you okay?"
"Of course.
You look good too, Maximiliana."
Agnes swept her eyes over the simple brown tunic and loose tunic favored by wizards.
She smiled.
"Now you really look like a mage.
Which tower do you belong to?"
“Gnome Hall Tower.”
“Ah, heavens…”Agnes sighed as if she found this a shame.
Maxi was frowning.
She was about to directly ask about it when she heard Riftan's cold voice.
“How long are you going to continue this idle conversation?”
Maxi looked past the princess to Riftan's haughty face.
Lowering his long eyelashes, he glanced at her briefly before lifting his gaze back to Agnes.
"We're going to the assembly room.
I want to know about the Council's discussions."
"My goodness.
I just got here, you know!
At least give me a moment to catch my breath", grumbled the princess.
Maxi looked at the floor.
"I...
seems to have interrupted your important conversation.
I'm sorry.
I...
just wanted to greet Your Highness."
The sharp thorns in his voice seemed to have silenced him.
Maxi turned to the princess and said apologetically, “I… I'm really happy to see you again, but… I'll apologize now.”
"Wait!
We haven't even talked yet."
Agnes hurriedly stopped Maxi to stop her from turning around.
"I'd like to hear news from the Wizards' Tower.
I've been told that some of Urd's wizards are here.
Do you know who, exactly?"
Maxi looked at Riftan before responding.
“Master Calto, Master Anton and Master Celric.”
“Master Calto?” Agnes asked, her eyes widening.
It seemed that the princess knew that it was rare for members of the Serbel clan to set foot outside the island.
She seemed to think deeply before saying darkly, "I would like to see Master Calto first.
The knights also need to rest, so do you mind postponing the meeting until later?"
Riftan frowned when Agnes turned to him, but eventually nodded.
"Alright.
I'll ask the castle master to provide a place for the men to rest."
“I leave that to you.”
Then, without having said a word to Maxi, Riftan walked away.
Maxi anxiously chewed his lip as he guided the princess to the main castle.
It was clear that Riftan had no intention of extending the hand of reconciliation first.
In that case, shouldn't she take the initiative?
Although that could lead to another discussion.
She sighed.
She had never considered herself so grumpy.
“Did you two have an argument?” Agnes asked cautiously.
Maxi jumped, but managed to maintain a carefree expression.
"No way.
Everything's fine.
We're just...
tense because of the war."
“That I understand,” said Agnes, nodding.
"A terribly serious matter, this whole situation.
The entire kingdom went into a panic after the Council met."
“How much did you hear?”
“About the monster city and the involvement of the dark wizards.” Agnes' face hardened as she asked, "How big is this city?"
Maxi hesitated.
“It’s… as big as Balbourne.”
A moan escaped the princess's mouth.
Maxi avoided mentioning the strange magical devices in the ruins or the mysterious symbols and breeding farms.
Since the coalition army commanders would soon gather in the war room, she did not want to worry the princess so soon after her long journey.
“May I ask… how is Rosetta?” said Maxi, changing the subject.
"She is fine?"
Agnes' lips curved into a warm smile.
"Of course.
She's healthy and doing great.
And Abel is growing every day."
“Abel?”
Agnes clicked her tongue.
"Didn't anyone tell you your nephew's name?
Abellis Reuben, yeah.
He's as beautiful as an angel.
He has Reuben's eyes, but he's more like the crowned princess."
Maxi blinked at the pain that pierced his heart.
In her mind, she saw a baby, the living image of Rosetta.
Her face fell as she thought of her own lost son, who she had no idea about until it was too late.
Maybe that was why the sadness had been bearable.
In any case, the disappointment of not fulfilling her duty as a lord's wife had been greater.
The terror of being abandoned by Riftan soon followed.
Now, a dull pain squeezed her chest as she wondered which of the two her son would look like.
She quickly shook the thought away.
No amount of personal torture was going to change anything.
She forced a smile.
“I… would really like to see you one day.”
"Come visit us at Castle Drachium with Riftan after this war is over.
I'm sure the crowned princess would be happy to see you too."
Maxi's smile turned bitter.
I just couldn't imagine Rosetta looking happy.Days passed, but no more than eight wizards arrived at Eth Lene Castle.
Although Calto tried not to show it, it was clear that he was deeply disappointed.
It was too late to ask the Tower to send more now; The troops from each kingdom were already assembled, and the coalition army was eager to begin the march.
Maxi's expression became anxious as he observed the multitude of weapons that covered the training grounds.
Soldiers ran through breaching tactics with the siege tower near the wall, and at the opposite end, blacksmiths were meticulously inspecting a series of large crossbows.
Maxi was sweeping her eyes over everything when Anette called her.
"Max!
Come help me with this."
She turned to find Anette crouched in front of the shield arsenal, hammering something.
As she approached, she saw that her friend was fixing a drake bone on a sizable plate.
She inspected the object with interest.
"What are you doing?"
"It's part of a mantlet.
A mobile shelter for protection during a siege, essentially.
I'm upgrading it with a shield, you know?
I just need to make about sixty more."
“S-Sixty?”
"That's right.
An ordinary mantlet wouldn't stand a chance against the brute strength of an ogre or a troll, hence the need for a protective rune."
Taking off her gloves, Anette blew on her red, blistered hands before handing Maxi a piece of parchment.
"Use this as a reference.
It's Master Celric's sketch.
I was also asked to inscribe runes on the other siege weapons to make them more durable."
Maxi let out a cry of dismay.
“W-When are we going to do all this?”
“We’re going to have to do our best,” Anette grumbled.
“This is our unhappy fate as mages of the Gnome Hall.”
With a heavy sigh, Maxi picked up one of the drake bones on the table.
She was cutting it to an appropriate size with a chisel when a kopel boom sounded from the castle wall.
The gates opened to admit an army of gigantic men riding equally large warhorses.
Anette frowned.
“Was there anyone who hadn’t arrived?”
“They… m-might be the last ones.” Maxi looked worried when she saw the wolf on the dark green flag.
“Phil Aaron’s Knights have arrived from Balto.”
She saw Sejuleu Aren leave his post overseeing the military exercises and head towards the gate.
The knight at the head of the Baltonian group took off his helmet, and Maxi jumped as he recognized his cruel face.
It was exactly what she feared.
Richard Breston“the man who had harassed her during the previous war“was once again at Castle Eth Lene.