Under the Oak Tree

271 Chapter Calto regarded Riftan with unconcealed suspicion before accepting the parchment. Maxi nervously watched the elder’s face turn grim as he read the letter.

“And how exactly do you wish me to respond to this?” Calto asked wearily, folding the letter in half again.

Riftan crossed his arms, and his voice was icy when he spoke.

“I want to know your reason for going to the Pamela Plateau.” When Calto did not answer, he continued, “What do you intend to do there? I suggest you tell the truth, for we’ve our own intelligence on the matter.”

“I would very much like to know what that is.”

Everyone’s eyes flew to the entrance. Kuahel Leon had entered the great hall with the Temple Knights. Maxi surmised they must be returning from the castle’s chapel, as it was common knowledge that the Temple Knights visited the church of any village or city they stayed in. They silently walked across the hall and stopped in front of Riftan in an almost confrontational gesture.

Cocking his head, Kuahel Leon asked, “So, tell me, what have you uncovered?”

“Sejuleu Aren discovered a secret chamber in the dungeons of Eth Lene Castle,” Riftan replied flatly.

Kuahel’s brow wrinkled in a slight furrow.

After gauging the Temple Knight commander’s reaction, Riftan nonchalantly added, “If memory serves me right, it was the Temple Knights who were in charge of investigating the labyrinth. I don’t recall ever hearing about a secret chamber.”

Kuahel did not respond.

“Don’t try to deny it,” said Riftan. “Aren and his men found indisputable evidence that a purification rite was performed there.”

Maxi’s eyes widened in surprise. An underground labyrinth? Looking confused, she tried to grasp what Riftan was talking about when a memory sprang to mind. Her face blanched.

She recalled hearing that the monsters had hidden beneath the rock face before their eventual ambush of Eth Lene Castle. Were there more secrets hidden in this labyrinth? She studied Calto closely but could not read anything in his demeanor.

A tense silence filled the room.

Finally, Kuahel spoke. “It’s not something we should discuss here. Let us move this conversation somewhere more appropriate.”

Conceding to his fellow commander’s reluctance to continue the interrogation in such a public place, Riftan turned around and led them away. The dining hall fireplace crackled as they entered. Elliot, Hebaron, Garrow, Ulyseon, and another knight named Kyle Hager took their seats. Maxi noticed that sometime during the migration, Ruth had slipped away.

Since it was not an exceptionally spacious room, Kuahel Leon only had four immediate subordinates with him. All the mages were present except Sidina, Kiel, and the two high mages of Undaim, who were still asleep.

It appeared Maxi was not the only one with questions; the other mages also wore similar looks of suspicion. As usual, Kuahel Leon remained relentlessly calm despite the hostile atmosphere. He clasped his hands on the table and began talking.

“First, I ask that you do not inflate the facts to make it seem as if the church is orchestrating something. We kept the secret chamber confidential because we did not wish to cause unnecessary panic in the Western Continent. We thought it best to gather more information before bringing this to light.”

“Don’t you think that a rather feeble excuse for hiding something for three years?” Riftan said sardonically.

The pointless back-and-forth finally got to Hebaron. He barked impatiently, “Hells! Stop beating about the bush and just tell us what was in this chamber already!” ????????????r????a????. ????????ｍ

“A strategy map belonging to the allied monster army.”

The dining hall went silent at the revelation. A chill shivered down Maxi’s spine. Even the dark mages creating such a map would be cause for concern, but this discovery meant monsters were now capable of human-like communication and distribution of intelligence.

When the mages began to murmur among themselves, Kuahel added, “I should be clear. It is presumed to be a strategy map. A mural that appears to be for military use, fairly elaborate, with the geography of the Western Continent drawn in detail. It even has the population of each city and the number of soldiers. We could not decipher all of the text, but the map also seems to detail the Seven Kingdoms’ political situations.”

An oppressive silence fell over the group. As the implications sunk in, Maxi’s face turned ashen.

“That means the monsters have the means to gather all this information,” said Elliot with a low sigh.

Kuahel nodded. “Which is why we had to act with caution. As you can infer from the mural, the monsters of the Ayin race have managed to advance their civilization beyond our expectations. Moreover, they now have an intelligence network that exceeds our own. To turn the tide, we must locate their main base. If we do not eradicate them once and for all, the Seven Kingdoms will be in constant danger of another invasion.”

Kuahel sighed, stroking his chin. “We have been scouring the continent for their base and only recently came upon a lead.”

“So am I to understand you’re trying to locate this monster base, which you think is somewhere north, with a party of less than a hundred people?”

Maxi flinched, her shoulders drawing inward. She could sense the repressed fury behind Riftan’s stony face. After giving Kuahel a vicious glare, Riftan shot daggers at Calto and Maxi. A cold sweat pricked her back. She could almost hear him lambasting her for getting involved in this situation.

Though she wished to explain that the mages were only going to the Plateau to investigate the ruins, she was unsure if that was something she could disclose. Not knowing what to do, she shuffled behind Albern, who had the largest frame among the mages.

Clearly displeased by her evasion, Riftan clenched his jaw. Maxi was afraid he would start bellowing at any moment. Instead, Kuahel’s cold voice cut through the room.

“Then, was I supposed to lead an army of ten million?” he sneered. “I’m sure you have already realized that these monsters are preparing for a second invasion. The church plans to locate and ambush them before that can happen. For this to work, we must avoid drawing attention to our movements at all costs.”

“Ha! Do you not think it’s already too late?” Ulyseon jeered. “The monsters have started their invasion. No doubt about it, the fiends that attacked the village are part of the allied monster army. The war has begun. Thanks to your Temple Knights wasting three years, not only have we lost our chance at an ambush, but the monsters have launched one of their own.”

“The monsters have yet to attack in a full-scale invasion,” Kuahel snapped. “The enemy has been sending groups to raid small villages and working to increase the number of undead. They likely suffered heavy casualties during their defeat three years ago. With their already meager forces scattered across the Western Continent, their main base would be relatively unprotected. We can easily root them out if we succeed in attacking first.”

“That is if you find this base,” Riftan retorted cynically. “What makes you think you can locate it when you have failed to do so for the past three years? Especially since we have no leads.”

“But we do. We were able to construct a map while investigating the topography of the Pamela Plateau.”

Kuahel extracted a crumpled piece of parchment from his robe and spread it on the table. Maxi craned her neck to get a closer look. Even at a glance, she could tell it was poorly drawn.

After carefully studying the map, Riftan furrowed his brow. “There are too many blank spaces.”

“It is better than no map at all.”

Acknowledging the map’s limitations, Kuahel leaned back in his chair.

Riftan had been tapping his finger on the table. He finally said, “What is the lead?”

“We have found evidence that points to the dark mages being the force behind the allied monster army. It is why we are going to the Pamela Plateau.”

Hebaron clasped his hands behind his head and gave a low whistle. “Dark mages, eh… That certainly makes things more interesting.”

Riftan shot him a barbed look before glaring at Kuahel. Another moment of heavy silence passed.

Then, slamming the table as though coming to a decision, Riftan announced, “The Remdragon Knights will aid your investigation.”

“And why would you do that?”

The Temple Knight commander seemed disinclined to accept the offer. He sat crookedly in his chair as he continued, sounding distinctly sardonic, “I do not see why you would offer us assistance when you have not received any decree from Reuben III, nor does this matter directly affect your fief. I never took you for a righteous man.”

“If the church’s plan fails, the Remdragon Knights will have to fight in the ensuing war regardless,” Riftan said through gritted teeth. “If all you’ve managed to uncover in the last three years is this lousy map and dubious-at-best evidence of dark mages, I think we can safely assume what the outcome will be. It’s also in my interest to settle the matter before it becomes a bigger mess.”

“I suppose that is better than admitting you wish to keep trotting around after your wife.”

Maxi flushed with anger. To think he would have the gall to mock Riftan so openly! He was far from the decent man she had thought him. While her shoulders shook in rage, Riftan, on the other hand, did not bat an eye.

“Cut the drivel and make up your mind. Do you accept the offer?”

“What if I refuse?” Kuahel said, deliberately provocative.

Riftan’s lips curled into a soft, ominous smile. “Then I suppose we’ll have to act independently. I will inform the Council of the Seven Kingdoms of my findings and have them dispatch a large coalition to the Pamela Plateau. With a whole army scouring the north, I’m sure we’ll come upon something.”

...

It was a veiled threat to foil the Temple Knights’ plan. Kuahel’s face twisted into a vicious scowl.

As if to remind the commander that he held the knife, Riftan repeated placidly, “Well, what say you?”

There was a pause, then Kuahel answered, his voice lower than usual. “Very well. You and the Remdragon Knights may come with us to the Plateau.”

Though Kuahel spoke as though he were being magnanimous, Riftan did not seem to care. After rising from his seat to signal the end of the discussion, his cold gaze briefly landed on Maxi.

Then, turning to Elliot, he said, “Inform the knights waiting outside to prepare to leave for a campaign. We are to depart as soon as possible.”