Under the Oak Tree

Chapter 299: Chapter 60

“Could you cast a barrier here?”

Kuahel paused from unfurling a mat over the cold ground to point to the side of the boulder.

Maxi tottered over on unsteady legs and summoned a barrier to block the wind.

The effort drained the last of her energy, and she went slack with exhaustion. Meanwhile, Kuahel fashioned the cloth he had used to carry his things into a small awning overhead.

Maxi could barely keep her drooping eyelids open as she watched him start a fire in the dirt. They had not brought any firewood with them. She silently wondered how he would manage. When he successfully got a blaze going, she squinted down to see a heap of red feathers beneath the flames.

“W -What is that?” she asked, staring vacantly.

“Basilisk feathers. They were piled on one side of the cave, so I took some.”

Wondering when he had managed to slip some away, Maxi stared at the knight with a stupefied expression. He continued placing rocks on the burning feathers to stop the wind from blowing them away.

“I suddenly recalled hearing that basilisk feathers are highly valued as fuel in Balto, as they do not burn out once lit,” he explained. “I’m glad I did it. ‘

Blinking listlessly, Maxi tried to imagine the Temple Knight commander stashing the feathers in his pocket. A small chuckle slipped out. Kuahel stared at her in bafflement, clearly unsettled by the giggle of a woman on the brink of collapsing.

Maxi shook her head to dismiss his questioning gaze. “W-We should... probably eat something. ”

“I shall collect some snow.”

Kuahel picked up his flask and walked behind the barrier. Meanwhile, Maxi fished out the emergency ration from the bag. Inside the pouch were two slices of jerky, a lump of bread, and a hunk of cheese. Distraught, she was gazing down at the meager meal when Kuahel tossed a leather pouch in front of her.

“There should be some bacon and wine in there.”

She hesitated before taking out the food. Using a knife to dice the frozen ingredients, she poured everything into boiling water to make a simple stew. Once their hastily prepared meal was ready, the pair sat by the fire to sate their empty stomachs.

It was dark by then, and the wind was blowing more fiercely. Maxi anxiously looked down the bleak, rocky mountain shrouded in darkness. The time she had been trapped in a cave with Riftan came to mind. She had not felt any fear back then. In fact, all she had felt was happiness at being alone with him.

The prospect of spending the night with this cold and unfamiliar man made her tense. Hugging her knees, she huddled within her cloak. Just then, she felt something heavy fall across her shoulders.

‘You should get some sleep. We are to set out again at first light.”

Maxi frowned down at the blanket Kuahel had draped around her. “B-But... this is yours, Sir Kuahel.”

“Your effects are currently with the Remdragon Knights, are they not?” he pointed out, tossing another crimson feather into the fire. “l would prefer that you didn’t freeze to death. If anything were to happen to you, I would have to fight Calypse before we could start this war with the monsters. I should like to spare myself the trouble.”

Maxi’s face grew flush with anger. It felt as though he were mocking Riftan’s blind affection for her.

“Even if something were to happen to me... I doubt Riftan would blame you for it, Sir Kuahel,” she said icily.

“Don’t tell me you truly believe that.”

She angrily opened her mouth to retort but stopped when she realized she could not refute it.

Picking up another rock, Kuahel threw it into the fire and said dryly, “1 never took him for the obsessive type, but the man is surprisingly irrational when it comes to you.’

Maxi narrowed her eyes at his cryptic tone. ‘What... do you mean by that?”

“I mean exactly that.”

The knight leaned back against the wall and stretched out one leg. The sight reminded Maxi of a cat languidly sprawling before a fireplace. She watched as he poured some of the wine into a small cup and took a sip.

“That man is a beast,” he said flatly. “I always thought of him as a lone monster that could never be understood, not by anyone.”

“H-How could you say such—I’

Maxi shot to her feet and almost ruined their awning. She sank back down and indignantly glared at the Temple Knight.

“Y-You know nothing about Riftan!” she said frostily. ‘Many around him...

cherish him. He is an honorable knight... who has done many good deeds for his people. Y-Your description of him is unfounded and biased!’

‘Who he has around him and what he has done do not matter. I am talking about his inherent nature, he replied apathetically, removing his sword belt and placing it next to him. He seemed unaffected by her outrage.

Maxi glowered at him resentfully and said in a calmer tone, “It eludes me how you came to such a preposterous notion. Riftan... is no monster. He is a man...

no different than any other.”

The Riftan she knew concealed his vulnerable and easily hurt nature behind an impenetrable exterior. The paladin, however, seemed to view him in a completely different light. She suddenly wanted to know what had caused him to form such an impression.

“D-Did you not... fight alongside each other in the Dragon Campaign? I heard Riftan played an important role in slaying the Dragon. ”

“Indeed he did,” Kuahel readily agreed.

“Then, why... do you think so ill of him?”

The Temple Knight did not answer her right away. He stared into the leaping flames for a long time before slowly opening his mouth. “It is because of his unconventional mindset. Put nicely, he is a remarkable man. Put in a negative light, he treads dangerously close to heresy.” Maxi frowned, not grasping his meaning.

Kuahel threw another feather into the fire. “Near the end of the Dragon Campaign, many lost the spirit to fight and started deserting camp. Though we planned our next move carefully, the chances of success were slim, and many of our men anticipated death. Even those who held onto hope were racked with fear , generating confusion. The high -ranking knights were busy maintaining order among the men. But even during such a terrible time of upheaval, that man...” he trailed off, staring into the darkness as if trying to find the right words. Finally, he said, ‘That man tried to get into the monster’s head.”

“What... do you mean?’

“Exactly that,” he said again.

When Maxi continued to stare at him for clarification, he furrowed his brow as though slightly irritated by the endless questions.

‘While everyone else was busy trying to brace themselves,” Kuahel said slowly,

“Calypse tried to see everything through the Dragon’s eyes as though he were playing a game of chess. Sektor’s thoughts, desires... How this monster drunk on its own sense of omnipotence — would look at humans, and why it did nothing while these humans were nosing around its territory. He sought to read the Dragon’s mind.”

His cold eyes flew to Maxi.

“And he managed to do it. If it weren’t for him, the campaign would have been a devastating failure.

A strange shudder coursed through Maxi as she stared into the paladin’s tranquil eyes. She got the sense that he had condensed several events together. But, knowing the man’s personality, she did not think it likely he would elaborate.

After a pause, she asked, “I-I still do not understand. Why would that... make you think ill of him?”

“Do you not see?” Kuahel said, frowning like a schoolmaster dealing with a dim-witted student. “The fact that he tried to understand such a beast already makes him unusual, but he also managed it perfectly. In essence, Calypse is capable of thinking like a monster.’

Sensing a hint of disconcertment in his voice, Maxi protested, “A-Aren’t you being hasty in your judgments? I fear... you see my husband in a very negative light. ”

“I bear no ill feelings against your husband.”

Maxi snorted. “WII -Who would believe that? Might I remind you... that you’ve been taking issue with Riftan’s every action!”

The Temple Knight’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. “l believe it is you who is biased. It is your husband who has been taking issue with my every action.” “He was merely sharing his opinions.”

When Kuahel narrowed his eyes at her blatant partiality, Maxi flinched and cast her eyes down.

The awkward silence was broken when Kuahel, having plastered back his lifeless expression, said, “I do not see the point of this argument. You should sleep. We will have to move again at first light.”

“Have we ever not?” Maxi quipped coldly before lying down with her back to him.

The things Kuahel had said about Riftan swirled in her mind. The possibility that there could be hidden aspects of him, secret even from her, filled her with anxiety. She wanted to understand all of him, to know him completely. Not only as a lover, but as a lord of an estate and as a knight.

Riftan, however, strove to keep her at arm’s length. It had been her fault for leaving after he had opened his heart to her. Even if her departure had been inevitable, it had still hurt him deeply.

Would his heart ever open again? Maxi tried to drive the gloomy thought from her mind. All they needed was time. Once this mission was over, they would have all the time in the world to learn about each other. After staring at the shadows swaying on the rock, Maxi closed her eyes as if in prayer.

Maxi and Kuahel set out again the next day before dawn. They had to circle a mountain to reach the route they had planned to take, and their unexpected detour had Kuahel picking up the pace. He pressed her to keep going without a moment of rest. This was probably how horses felt when they were being spurred on, Maxi thought to herself as she breathlessly labored up the rocky slope.

Beads of sweat formed on her forehead despite the freezing cold, and her calves were stiff and close to bursting. Nonetheless, Kuahel refused to allow them a second of respite.

“C-Can we please... rest for a bit?” Maxi eventually begged.

Though she was loath to complain, she feared she might truly die if they kept going. Kuahel turned his head to assess her carefully before finally stopping.

Her relieved sigh was cut short when the Temple Knight raised his hand in front of her face, cast restorative magic on her, and made her carry on. For the first time in her life, Maxi was overcome with the violent urge to push someone off a cliff.

Kuahel looked back when he noticed Maxi had come to a stop.

“Why are you not moving?” he called over his shoulder.

She felt utterly dismal as she began clambering down..