Under the Oak Tree

398 Chapter 159

A red flush colored Riftan’s sculpted cheeks.

“That would never happen!”

“H-How can you be certain? It could happen in your -“

“That won’t happen again! I hardly sleep as it is.”

Maxi knew he spoke the truth. During the campaign, he had often managed with no more than four hours a night. However, she could not ignore the fact that he had been letting his guard down more frequently of late.

While a part of her was glad that he could relax around her, she also feared that others might take advantage of this new side of him.

"N-Nobody makes mistakes on purpose," Maxi said impatiently. "You can't guarantee that you won't-"

"I would never mistake another woman for you," Riftan spat out, stressing each word. "I can recognize your footsteps from thraidions away. So stop worrying and get inside."

A blush crept up Maxi's face at his sweet declaration, and butterflies tickled her stomach. She forced herself to maintain her stony expression, refusing to be swayed by his honeyed words. If she agreed to his suggestion now, she was certain she would not get a wink of sleep.

Changing tactics, she latched onto his sleeve. "I don't want to be apart from you," she whispered.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

Maxi took that as a sign of weakening and pressed on, gazing up at him imploringly. "Do you not...wish to be with me?"

Riftan stared back at her, his expression unreadable, before covering his face with his hand. His shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh.

Finally, he said through clenched teeth, "Fine. Have it your way."

Suppressing a triumphant smile, Maxi linked arms with him.

"Then...let us hurry to your tent."

The wind was slowly growing into a howling gale. Maxi stood atop the palisade, scanning the eastern horizon before she lifted her gaze to the darkening sky. The sparse snowflakes that had been falling since midday seemed to be swelling.

For weeks, the snow had ebbed and flowed in its intensity. Anxiety knotting her stomach, Maxi retrieved the fairy egg she had set on the railing to gauge the mana concentration. The small, pearl-colored orb was now glowing a vivid blue.

Her expression darkened. For a fairy egg to turn blue signified a complete absence of fire mana in the region.

The entire eastern region will become another Pamela Plateau at this rate.

Biting her lip, she tucked the fairy egg into her cloak pocket.

Sektor essentially had unlimited mana. Despite having amassed enough fire mana to alter the climate of an entire continent, he was still absorbing more. It was possible that the Red Dragon's revival was near.

We must act swiftly.

After anxiously gazing at the northern sky, Maxi climbed down the ladder. Two days had passed since they had arrived at the border, and still, there was no sign of supplies. Something had to be done.

Her face etched with determination, she marched along the riverbank where the army barracks were concentrated. Even in broad daylight, she noted soldiers slinking into the brothels. She ignored them, focusing instead on the Remdragon Knight banner billowing up ahead.

Ruth looked up from his cocoon of blankets near a large brazier when she entered the common barracks. "Have you finished measuring the mana concentration?"

Nodding, Maxi pulled out the fairy egg and held it out. "As you can see..its color has markedly deepened."

"This confirms our suspicion - the church's barrier will not function properly unless we purify all five shrines."

Ruth scratched the back of his head and released a weary sigh. Maxi offered him a distracted nod before scanning the barracks. Her gaze landed on a group of knights engrossed in a game of dice. As she strode over to the corner toward them, Hebaron spotted her and gave a cheerful wave.

"My lady."

"Sir Hebaron. I see you must have ample free time."

Grinning, Hebaron dangled a pouch full of silver coins. "I'm trying to earn myself a bit of pocket money. One more win and I will have enough to buy Talon off the commander."

"Are you trying to bleed us dry?" muttered a knight, eyeing his hand with a despondent look.

Maxi remembered him as Kyle Hager. After flickering a glance at the knight and his almost tearful eyes, she turned her attention back to Hebaron.

"Stop tormenting these poor men...and do get up, Sir Hebaron," she commanded in her most regal voice. "I require an escort to the nearest city."

Hebaron looked up at her in surprise as he accepted the dice from the knight beside him. "The nearest city?"

Maxi responded with a composed nod. "We cannot wait forever. If they refuse to come...we will have to bring the supply party here ourselves."

"And you intend to undertake this task yourself?'

At her adamant nod, Hebaron rose, laughing heartily. He gestured for his dumbstruck subordinates to continue their game and led her out of the barracks.

"The closest city is Notheim, which has a sizable market. Shall I take your ladyship there?"

"How long will the journey take?"

"A day and a half if we ride without stopping."

"Good. Then let us depart after getting Riftan's-"

Her words were cut off by the long blast of a kopel, signaling a visitor. Maxi turned to the city gate and saw baggage wagons rolling in. A wave of relief washed over her, loosening the knot of tension in her shoulders.

The supplies had arrived.

"Your threat seems to have worked, Lady Calypse," Hebaron said, patting her shoulder lightly.

A proud smile curled Maxi's lips. She could hardly believe that she had succeeded in persuading those mulish nobles of the East. Emboldened by a sense of triumph, she hurried toward the wagons.

But her elation was short-lived. Only five wagons had entered the city when the iron gate clanged shut.

Maxi felt her stomach drop; half of the wagons were empty.

"What is the meaning of this?" Riftan's cold voice came from behind, startling her.

Maxi turned toward him. Surprisingly, he did not seem enraged in the slightest by the woefully inadequate supplies. In fact, he was utterly calm.

"Were you attacked?" he asked the wagoner.

The gaunt man in his forties nodded nervously. "Y-Yes, sir."

Maxi shot the wagoner a scathing glare. Did he take them for fools? She was about to chastise the man for making up such a ridiculous claim when she got a closer look at him. His pallor was that of someone who had narrowly escaped death. A quick glance over the other wagoners confirmed they were all equally shaken.

The first wagoner's voice trembled as the tale spilled out of him. "W-We were ambushed by bandits in the Idcoffs. They stole the supplies and slaughtered the soldiers! We only survived because we were at the head of the party."

Riftan scrutinized each of the men. All of them bore injuries big and small, but they did not rule out the possibility that this whole situation was an act. As if sharing the same thought, the others in the camp regarded the wagoners with equal skepticism.

"I-It's the truth! Please believe us!" the wagoner implied. "We set out from Venter and met up with the supply part form Notheim when -"

"So the bandits took everything except for these five wagons?"

The man broke into a cold sweat under Riftan's penetrating gaze. Finally, Riftan hopped onto one of the wagons. He began a thorough inspection of the interior, searching every nook and cranny until he discovered the arrow embedded in one of the wooden crates. He yanked it out to examine it closer.

"This is military issue," he stated, touching the tip of the arrowhead.

The wagoner's face turned white in terror. "W-We were attacked! Truly!"

"Enough of your lies!" yelled a male voice.

A quick-tempered knight had drawn his sword and now held the blade to the wagoner's neck. Riftan raised a hand to stop him.

"That's enough. Chopping off his head won't do any good," he said, his voice tinged with disdain as he leaped off the wagon. "Regardless of whether this is a scheme by the duke's vassals -"

He paused to look pointedly at Richard Breston and his men gathered atop the palisade. "Or," he continued, "the work of soldiers disguised as bandits, the fact remains that we still have no supplies."

"How will you proceed, Commander?" Hebaron asked.

Riftan met his eyes calmly. "We proceed as planned. Once we cross into Dristan, we will secure supplies for the army ourselves."