Chapter 113: Chapter 1
“Oh, but I think the fun part is just about to start,” said Hebaron.
The knight next to him elbowed his side. Riftan’s expression was so frigid that the grins on the knights’ faces instantly vanished.
“Actually, I think it’s about time for our shift at the construction site...”
“Haha. Is that so? We should get going, Sir Hebaron.”
Hebaron refused to leave, but the knights practically hurled him toward the door as they scurried out. Worried that she might have shamed her husband in front of his subordinates, Maxi furtively scanned his face.
Riftan watched the receding figures with an impassive expression before cupping her face and lowering his head. Warm lips brushed hers in a feathery kiss that made Maxi’s nose turn red.
“D-Do not kiss me. I am... still angry with you.”
“You sure know how to drive a man crazy.”
With a bitter smile, he coiled a lock of her hair around his hand. Maxi heard him heave a sigh above her head.
“No more of this. You’ve tormented me enough these past three days.”
Maxi looked up at him. It was rather absurd that he acted as if he had been subjected to cruel torture, but she was secretly flattered at the same time.
“I-I was not trying to torment you. I was... angry,” Maxi said coyly.
“You are absolutely terrifying,” he teased. His eyes suddenly grew serious. “Maxi, you can come here to heal people if you wish, but... I am still going to hire another healer as soon as possible.”
Maxi’s face clouded with disappointment. “Is it... because you don’t f-find me reliable?”
“I know that you are talented,” Riftan replied, furrowing his brow as though this fact did not please him. “Everyone has been singing your praises, and even I can see that you are good. But it has only been a few months since you’ve started learning magic. As a fledgling mage, you won’t be able to handle hundreds of soldiers by yourself. You’ll need someone to help you.”
“H-How would you know that when I haven’t even tried?” Maxi retorted.
Riftan’s face hardened. “Don’t be stubborn. It’s not like you can heal people all day.”
Maxi looked discontented, but she knew Riftan was right. It would be impossible for her to tend to everyone by herself if another big accident were to occur. Moreover, there was no reason for her to oppose the hiring of another healer.
Maxi nodded reluctantly. Riftan caressed her cheek as if to appease her.
“Just think of it as getting an assistant. Don’t try to take on too many burdens all at once.”
Maxi sighed in resignation. Considering how overprotective he usually was, she knew that this was him making a lot of concessions.
After all, he was a man who would not allow even a speck of dust to weigh her down. Maxi decided that she would be content with obtaining his permission for now.
After studying her face for a long time to make sure she was not displeased, Riftan urged her to wait for him tonight before leaving the infirmary.
***
Thus, Maxi was officially recognized as the healer of Calypse Castle. The knights had always been hesitant to approach her because of Riftan. Once the news broke, they waited in line to see her.
The infirmary was always full of knights requesting healing for the purple bruises, cracked heels, and cuts on their hands sustained during training. From time to time, craftsmen and servants also sought her services. Maxi brought a pile of books to the infirmary and studied magic when she was not tending to the wounded.
The number of patients she treated each day gradually doubled and then tripled, and the remedies she prepared ran out as quickly as she made them. As her workload steadily increased, Maxi ended up wanting to beg Riftan to find someone who could help her as soon as possible.
However, hiring a healer proved more difficult than they thought. The mages that had arrived in Anatol to acquire materials for magical devices had long since left for Livadon, and even the few uncontracted mages of the mercenary groups had already gone northwest after being hired or commissioned by other estates.
After searching for a mage for quite some time, Riftan was able to procure an old mage nearing seventy from the Earl of Loverne. The mage would come to Anatol in exchange for a military alliance with the earl.
“I have never been so cheated in my life,” Riftan complained in disgust.
To obtain the mage, he had agreed to the alliance on far less favorable terms than he had wanted.
“I just hope he isn’t as old as I fear. All I want is for him to have a long life so he can be of service to Anatol.”
Contrary to his hopes, however, the mage that arrived at Calypse Castle accompanied by six guards was not an aged man of seventy, but a bent old man of eighty. Maxi was outside to welcome their guest, and she grew wide-eyed at the sight of the scrawny old mage. He was so emaciated that she wondered how he had managed the trip through Anatolium.
His garments were worn, his back was crooked, his face was wrinkled, and his hair was as dry as corn silk. Looking as if he could collapse at any moment, the mage tottered into the great hall and shakily bowed to Riftan.
“Melric Aaron, at your service, my lord. I thank God for giving me the honor of-” he coughed, briefly cutting himself off, “serving the most honorable knight in all of Wedon.”
Riftan stared at him in disbelief before asking in an even voice, “How old are you?”
“I... turned sixty-eight this year, my lord.”
It seemed he was detracting at least ten years from his actual age. Maxi was sure that Riftan realized this as well.
Although it was obvious that he had been hoodwinked by the Earl of Loverne, Riftan brusquely ordered the soldiers to show the mage to his room instead of venting his anger on the poor old man. He called for a messenger to be sent to the earl immediately.
“Do you... intend to c-complain to the earl?”
“Of course. No one can deceive me and get away with it,” he growled, then rubbed the back of his neck in irritation. “But it would be difficult to send the old man back. I do not think he will be able to endure the trip back across the mountains.”
“He may just be worn out from the journey. I’m sure that he will be able to p-perform his duties as a healer... once he has had some rest,” Maxi said, trying her best to reassure him.
Riftan regarded her skeptically. “All I wish is that he doesn’t become another patient for you to look after.”
Unsure if he was jesting or not, Maxi laughed awkwardly.
***
Despite Riftan’s worries, Melric noticeably regained his vigor after two days of nutritious meals and a soft bed.
Once she confirmed that he was fully recovered, Maxi showed him the infirmary next to the training grounds. The old man’s eyes sparkled with intelligence despite his pitifully gaunt face. It turned out that he was skilled in the art of healing.
After thoroughly inspecting the recipes, as well as Ruth’s concoctions on the shelf, Melric untied two leather pouches hanging from his waist.
“I see that the remedies available are rather limited, my lady. I have brought with me seeds for more than sixty types of herbs. Would you be able to provide me with a field nearby where I could grow them?”
“There is... a-an herb garden behind the great hall, but I am not sure... if there is enough space f-for all of them.”
“My herbs grow well even in rocky soil. If you could provide me with a small field, I shall grow a magnificent herb garden for you, my lady.”
The old man’s determination made Maxi smile.
“I shall... have the servants prepare one for you. Please... do not do the work yourself.”
...
“I may not have the strength to plow a field, my lady, but I still have enough in me to sow seeds. If you could have the soil tilled for me, I shall cultivate the herbs myself.”
Melric was eager to prove himself useful, and he quickly set about planting his garden.
Once the servants had plowed the field and followed the mage’s instructions for the fence that they put up around it, Melric planted an assortment of seeds. Maxi asked him questions about herbs as she watched him sow the seeds in even rows, and he answered them all with ease.
Although he was not a sorcerer of great magical ability, his knowledge of medicine was far more extensive than Ruth’s.
Soon, Maxi was able to learn that Melric knew several illusion spells to calm panicked patients, and that he was quite an expert in healing magic. He had even developed a spell that made plants grow healthy more quickly.
Rather than healing people with magic all the time, he preferred to use herbs, warm compresses, and his own assortment of ointments. He did not believe in relying solely on magic.
“If the wound is not serious, it is best to allow the body to use its innate recuperative abilities.”
“Why is that so? C-Could... problems arise... if one is frequently healed with magic?”
“Physically, no. It is the mind that is negatively affected. Once they believe that magic will heal them on demand, warriors tend to become reckless. They also lose their tolerance for pain and gradually become more dependent on the mages. It is best to let them endure a bearable amount of pain. How else will they learn the price of getting hurt?”
Melric looked at her intently as he gave his advice.
“My lady, you must not heal people with magic whenever they ask. Magic is the blood of the soul. Using too much of it is bound to harm the user. You should cultivate the ability to gauge the severity of a wound, and only heal those who truly require your act of kindness. The moment a healer has it in their head that it is their duty to save everyone around them, their lives will be plagued with despair.”
...
Maxi found Melric’s words intriguing. Ruth had never offered her such advice. As an avid admirer of magic, Ruth never hesitated or showed any qualms about using magic no matter the situation.
Melric, however, took a more cautious stance. Maxi was quick to realize that Melric’s method was a more efficient way for her to use her meager mana. Thus, she promptly instated him as her advisor and learned all sorts of things from him every day.
He taught her the effects of various herbs, how to treat different kinds of wounds, and conducted lessons on magic. He was not as well-versed in complex runes as Ruth, but he was an expert in manipulating mana. With a new mentor, Maxi’s abilities improved rapidly. She succeeded in creating a sturdy barrier by harnessing the earth and managed to accelerate the speed of her mana circulation, thereby strengthening her spells.
As she markedly improved as a mage and a healer, Anatol also went through rapid changes.
The road construction was almost over, and sun-tanned merchants from the south came flocking to Anatol. They inspected the remaining construction and promised generous support for the port expansion. It was an investment to open the fastest route to the Western Continent.
The estate grew from a rural village to a city, and it was so bustling with energy that it was almost hard to believe that a great battle against monsters raged in the northwest.
If it were not for the messengers bringing news from Livadon, Maxi would have soon forgotten about the massive troll army.
However, every ten days or so, they received dire news of castles falling to monsters or of villages being razed to the ground. To make matters worse, they even received reports from the allied soldiers dispatched by Wedon that the monster army was bigger than they had initially believed. The war was expected to be a long one.
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