Unfortunately for Ruth, her plan to not associate with the princess did not work out.
The extensive construction of the road that would connect Anatol to the ports on the South Sea required an enormous workforce.
Knights left the property several times a day to hunt the monsters that roamed the construction site, and so a large number of workers built the road under their protection.
Ruth was forced to join the efforts.
He was assigned to participate in the monster raids and had to endure Princess Agnes' constant teasing.
Although he looked completely unhappy whenever Maxi saw him, she didn't feel sorry for the sorcerer.
She envied him, instead.
Everyone in Anatol could help Riftan except her.
While she only worked in the garden, even the squires Ulyseon and Garrow contributed by killing monsters outside the borders or running errands for the knights.
Although managing the castle was not an easy task in itself, Maxi still felt like a child left alone in an empty house.
As the days passed, Maxi began to wonder if there was a reason to continue learning magic.
What would she do with defense magic, or the ability to conjure fire or wind, when she never left Calypse Castle?
Ever since she had started learning magic, she had dreamed of becoming a great adventurer who faced dangers alongside Riftan.
That dream was now shattered.
Riftan would never allow her to join him on his dangerous adventures.
The realization made her feel isolated, but there was no one she could be honest with.
Although the servants were courteous, Maxi did not think it appropriate to trust them.
Riftan was always busy, and in some ways, he was the last person she wanted to reveal such feelings to.
The only thing she could do was endure the loneliness and resolutely go about her day.
"Are you feeling unwell, my lady?
You haven't been eating well," Ludis asked cautiously when she noticed Maxi rummaging through her late lunch.
Maxi shook his head and forced a smile.
It was true that she was fatigued and had no appetite, but that was from waiting most of the night for Riftan.
"You look tired, my lady.
May I suggest a little rest?"
“Thank you for worrying… but I’m waiting for the spice seller who will come in the afternoon.”
“So, shall I bring your supper to your quarters so you can rest early?”
Maxi shook his head.
"W-It would not be appropriate for me to dine in my chambers...
w-when we have guests.
W-It would be behavior unbecoming of the lady of the castle."
“I’m sure the guests would understand if they heard that you weren’t feeling“”
“I-I'm actually fine,” Maxi said, interrupting Ludis.
The servant's continued insistence began to bother her.
Ludis pressed their lips together, and an awkward silence fell over the room.
Maxi took a bite of bread and forced it down his throat.
Her body indeed felt heavy and tired, but it was obvious that she would only drown in self-deprecating thoughts if she stayed in bed for the rest of the day.
Believing that keeping busy would be better for her mental state, Maxi put down the food, got out of bed, and put on her robe.
She thought she might as well inspect the kitchen before finding the beggar.
“There you are, my lady!”
Maxi had gone out into the hallway when he heard an urgent voice.
She turned to find Rodrigo running up to her, his face pale.
“D-Did something happen?”
"It appears that a problem has arisen at the construction site.
We received news that workers were injured in a monster attack, and they requested backup and help."
The blood drained from Maxi's face.
Riftan was supposed to be at the construction site, so if a problem arose even with him there, it meant they were dealing with something really scary.
Although she was momentarily filled with fear, Maxi managed to regain her composure with great effort.
Reminding herself that she had personally dealt with a similar situation last winter, she tried to remember the instructions Ruth had given at the time.
"I-I need...
all the necessary materials...
and put them on a cart immediately.
A cauldron, firewood...
bowls, clean cloth, thread, needles, herbs...
and everything else that might be needed!"
“Yes, my lady.”"P-Order a carriage, and prepare sheets and blankets...
a-just in case.
W-Where's the messenger?"
“He’s on the training grounds preparing the guards.”
"I...
I would like to hear what the exact situation is.
Prepare the carts and wait for me at the castle entrance."
Rodrigo nodded and hurriedly went downstairs.
Maxi followed him and hurried away.
Ruth wasn't here; she would have to calmly deal with this situation on her own.
Maxi wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt and quickly made her way through the garden.
Beyond the gate, guards were loading items onto three carts.
She hurried over to them.
"I...
I heard about the monster attack.
Where is the messenger...
who brought the news?"
A middle-aged soldier in a helmet stepped forward.
"It is I, my lady.
I was sent by Sir Ursuline to ask for help."
Maxi swallowed and asked, "Is the situation serious?
How many are injured?"
"About twenty workers were injured, and about fifteen of the guards supervising them were also seriously injured.
Those with critical injuries were given emergency treatment by the sorcerers, but as the battle is still going on, they couldn't take care of everyone, as they need to preserve their mana..."
Maxi's hands froze with the news that the confrontation was not over yet.
“Are you… unharmed?”
“I cannot say for sure, my lady, but knowing our liege, I am sure he must be fine.”
The soldier's certainty helped Maxi regain some of his composure.
"I understand.
Please...
hurry up."
The soldier nodded and returned to the cart.
Maxi's eyes gleamed with determination as he watched the guards loading weapons, tents, and rations into carts.
As the soldier had said, Riftan was the greatest knight on the continent.
She was sure there was no need to worry.
She just needed to focus on her duty as the lady of the castle.
Maxi clasped his hands together and said a silent prayer.
When all preparations were made, Maxi entered the carriage while the guards climbed onto the carriages.
They were worried about her presence, but they couldn't really stop her from tagging along.
Maxi was full of anxiety.
She watched the scenery pass by through the carriage window in silence.
They reached the foot of the hill, and the carriage quickly passed through the village square and through the southern gates.
Bricks and sandbags were piled in front of the gate, and two carts with the wounded were entering the half-open entrance.
Maxi got out of the carriage and ran to the patients.
“My lady!”
Maxi was examining the broken leg of a pale worker when he heard a strangled voice calling from behind.
Maxi's eyes widened when she saw Ulyseon, dressed in full armor, running towards her.
He seemed even more surprised to see her there.
“What are you doing here, my lady?”
"I… I heard there was a problem… I brought reinforcements.
Are the patients… being transported here?"
“We didn’t have enough men to transport all the wounded, so we only brought those we could move safely.”
Maxi examined the three men in the wagon.
Although their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, they were all bleeding profusely.
One of the men was sitting on the edge of the cart.
Maxi undid the bandage that was tightly wrapped around his thigh to check if the wound was clean.
Fortunately, it was free of dirt.
After ensuring the bones were aligned correctly, she tore the man's torn pants further and healed his wound with magic.
The mana she had accumulated was quickly depleted and she suddenly felt dizzy.
This was the first time she had healed such a serious wound, and she was confused by the toll it was taking on her body.
Did a wound like that really require so much mana?
Even his arms tingled from the rapid depletion in his mana path.
“Is everything okay, my lady?” Ulyseon asked, looking at her pale face with concern.
Maxi forced herself to look calm and smiled at him.
She then proceeded to heal the other two men.
Cold sweat ran down her back as mana escaped her, but Maxi knew she could quickly replenish it again.
She asked the guards to take the men to the infirmary, then returned to the carriage.
Ulyseon followed her."M-Ma'am!
It's very dangerous.
Please don't put yourself in danger and return to the“"
"D-Don't be absurd!
I-I'm the lady of the castle.
It's my duty to help...
when trouble arises.
Didn't you see me...
me heal those men?"
“But you only recently learned to use magic, and there are still monsters lurking“”
"I-I can do my part too!
D-Didn't I tell you h-how...
I wasn't shaken by ogres and werewolves in the past?
Y-You don't need to worry," said Maxi coldly before slamming the carriage door shut.
Maxi's pride was hurt; even this sixteen year old treated her like an incompetent child.
If she had intended to stay locked in the castle, then she wouldn't have bothered learning magic in the first place.
Didn't you choose to learn magic so you could be useful in moments like this?
When Maxi gave the order to the coachman, he drove the carriage out of the gates at high speed.
Ulyseon promptly mounted his horse and followed them.
Although she could see the squire casting worried glances at the carriage through the window, she did her best to ignore him and focused on recharging her mana.
After a while, the well-paved brick road came to an end, and a modest camp dotted with piles of dirt and sand came into view.
The carriage stopped in a vast terrain.
When Maxi came down, he backed away in fear when he saw the gigantic shape of a monster lying among the felled trees.
Ulyseon dismounted his horse and came to help her.
"It's a wyvern, my lady.
It's this beast that caused all this destruction."