Chapter 127: Chapter 1
They followed the sentry into the village. It was bigger than Maxi had anticipated, and she took in the bustling street as they rode down the unpaved path. Modest wooden cottages flanked the road, and goats, pigs, and donkeys grazed freely.
An awful stench seemed to be coming from one of the barns. Merchants sold their wares in stalls lined along the excrement-strewn road, and laborers and armed mercenaries were constructing cottages surrounded by stacks of lumbar.
Riftan furrowed his brow as he pushed his way through the throng of people.
“It’s busier than I thought.”
“The monster population has increased. Not only do we have to worry about drakes, but red goblins and kobolds are becoming a problem as well. They’ve already caused heavy damage to the nearby villages. We’ve become overpopulated in the span of a few months from all the people seeking refuge.”
“Do you have enough provisions?”
“We’re better off than most. Merchants frequently drop by on their way to Livadon. And, here we are.”
The sentry pointed to a three-story wooden building at the end of a narrow road.
“That’s the inn where the knights are lodging.”
“You have my thanks.”
Riftan tossed a silver coin to the sentry. The sentry broke into a wide grin and bowed his head. He ran toward the inn, calling out for the innkeeper.
After handing their horses over to the stablehands, Riftan and Maxi entered the inn. The lively conversations in the room instantly ceased. Hiding behind Riftan, Maxi glanced around the dimly-lit lobby.
The knights sat at the closely packed wooden tables and chairs. As soon as they saw Maxi and Riftan, they leaped to their feet and rushed over.
“You caught up faster than we expected, Commander!”
Hebaron grinned and patted Riftan on the shoulder. Riftan shook him off in annoyance and asked the innkeeper for a room. Despite being completely ignored, Hebaron’s grin did not falter.
“I am glad to see you well, my lady. I knew the commander would find you, but I did worry that it would take a while. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“N-No. I am perfectly well. I apologize... for worrying you.”
“No, my lady, it is us who should apologize for failing to protect you. We assumed that you would be fine since Gabel was with you... It could have gone quite badly had the commander not gone after you. I know of no one better at tracking than the commander.”
Maxi smiled and glanced about the room.
“Th-There... seems to be a lot of missing faces. D-Did everyone get here safely?”
“Yes, everyone made it here last night. Gabel has gone to buy provisions, and the others are talking to the mercenaries staying in the village to gather information. You must be tired, my lady. We can save the greetings for later. Why don’t you rest in your room?”
Hebaron gave her a once-over, then lightly clicked his tongue as though he felt bad for her. Maxi blushed and ran a hand over her tangled hair. She did not need a mirror to know how terrible she must look.
Embarrassed, Maxi hunched her shoulders and went over to where Riftan was beckoning to her at the foot of the stairs. As soon as they entered the room at the end of the third floor, he flung their luggage on the ground.
Though Maxi sorely wanted to jump into bed, she could not bring herself to do so with clothes soaked in sweat and dust. She opted to remove her boots and damp socks first. Riftan watched her before slowly turning away.
“I’ve asked the innkeeper to prepare a bath for you. Try to get some rest after.”
“W-What about you?”
“I must go check if there is any more news from Livadon.”
“But we’ve just arrived... sh-should you not rest a bit-”
He was already out the door before Maxi could finish her sentence. She blinked, her mouth agape.
How on earth could he turn down the opportunity of sleep so readily after a sleepless night? She thought of going after him but heaved a sigh when she realized that it was pointless when he was like this.
A little while later, a plump woman hauled a wooden tub full of water into the room. With the door locked, Maxi stripped off her dirty clothes and immersed herself into the cold water.
Scrubbing away several days’ worth of sweat and dirt was invigorating. She soaped her body twice and thoroughly rinsed off the lather. After that, she painstakingly washed her tangled hair that was matted into a dense bush. When she finally used the clean water in the kettle to wash away the remaining traces of soap, her skin glowed as white as a newborn’s.
Content, Maxi stepped out of the tub and dried herself with a towel. The next part was more difficult. She rummaged through her bag with a grave expression.
Miraculously, there was one clean undergarment. All of her tunics and trousers, however, were hopelessly soiled. There had been no time to wash clothes during the journey, and they were all damp and dirty.
Maxi wrinkled her nose. She was wondering if she had to climb into one of those smelly garments after having washed when a knock interrupted her thoughts.
Wrapping the towel tightly around herself, Maxi asked in an embarrassed tone, “W-Who is it?”
“I was told to bring you a change of clothes, my lady.”
It was the woman who had brought her the bathwater. After making sure no one else was in the corridor, Maxi hastily took the clothes and threw them on.
The coarse tunic hung down to her knees, but Maxi was pleased enough at having clean clothes to wear. After tightening the belt, Maxi handed her dirty garments back to the woman and requested to have them washed.
“Where would you like your meal? Shall I bring it to your room?”
Maxi considered for a moment, then shook her head. She wanted to know what Riftan was up to, and she also wanted to make sure that none of the knights were injured.
She borrowed a pair of slippers from the innkeeper and went down to the first floor where the knights were conversing loudly over their meals. Ulyseon shot up as soon as he saw her.
“My lady!” he said, making his way over to her. “I heard that you were back. Thank God you are all right!”
“I-I apologize... for worrying you,” said Maxi, looking up at the young man who was close to tears.
Garrow had followed Ulyseon over to Maxi. He hung his head, his face as pale as a ghost. “We have no excuse, my lady. We did not even notice that you had been separated from the party... We have failed you as your guards.”
“B-Both of you... please, stop it. It was because... R-Rem got spooked by the goblin attack. If anyone is to blame... i-it is I for not having better control of my horse.”
The young men’s faces remained downcast despite her efforts to console them. Maxi was looking troubled when Gabel approached from behind.
“Are you hurt anywhere, my lady?”
“I-I am all right. What about the knights? Is anyone hurt? I-If anyone requires my-”
“Everyone is perfectly fine, my lady. Please, sit. I will ask them to bring you something to eat.”
He pulled out an empty chair for her, then beckoned to one of the workers. A few moments later, a young server with neatly braided hair placed freshly baked bread, smoked goose, and a mashed turnip salad on the table.
Maxi’s eyes roamed about the room as she ate. Sensing her unasked question, Gabel promptly answered.
“Sir Riftan has gone to meet with the merchants to procure enough provisions before we depart tomorrow.”
...
“W-We depart tomorrow?”
“The horses are too exhausted for us to leave immediately. What’s more, the road ahead is wilderness that stretches on forever. We will have to source enough water and fodder for the horses since we will not be able to get more supplies on the way. In all honesty, it will be quite difficult to acquire everything we need in a single day.”
Maxi nodded as she shoveled a large slice of meat. By the time she had finished eating, Riftan had still not returned.
She observed the knights as they discussed their itinerary, then returned to her room and slumped onto the bed. Though the inn’s linens were nowhere near the quality of the wool-stuffed silk blankets in Calypse Castle, they felt like heaven compared to the bumpy ground or stone cave. Maxi fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
The room was dark when she awoke. Surprised, Maxi sat up, wondering how long she had been asleep.
A dark form caught her eye. Squinting, she made out Riftan’s silhouette lying with his back to her, his long legs stretched out.
Maxi blinked until her sight acclimated to the dark, then gingerly got out of bed and crept around so she could see his face. She worried that her movements would wake him, but he remained still even as she lay down facing him.
Relieved, Maxi snuggled against his broad chest. She guessed that he must have bathed. He smelled of soap, and his crisp new clothes smelled faintly of hay.
She pressed her face against his warm chest and breathed in his scent. Although he stirred, he did not wake up. After staring up at his smooth face, Maxi went back to sleep feeling reassured.
***
They prepared to depart even before the sun was up. Maxi rose from the bed half-asleep and only just managed to wash her face. She combed her disheveled hair, which always seemed twice as bushy in the morning, and arranged it in a neat braid.
...
Much to her relief, the clothes she had entrusted to be washed were crisp thanks to the previous day’s sun.
After putting on trousers, a new shirt, and boots, she carefully folded her spare garments inside her bag. The knights were busily moving their luggage when she stepped out of the room with her belongings slung over her back.
She followed them out and immediately spotted Riftan among the men securing the saddlebags.
“R-Riftan! When did you wake up? I didn’t notice you getting out of-”
Maxi stopped. She had been cheerfully rushing over when she saw that he was in mid-conversation with someone. Riftan glanced at her and turned his gaze back to the man.
Riftan took out a few derhams from the leather pouch at his belt and handed them over.
“Good. I shall take those carts.”
“Thank you, sir. I shall load them with fodder for you at once.”
After swiftly slipping the coins into his pocket, the man lugged two large baggage carts that had been tied under a tree over to them.
“Are we... bringing carts with us?” Maxi asked, wide-eyed.
“We will be traveling through plains from now on. There is a small mountain on the way, but there won’t be any more rugged paths like the one from yesterday.”
Maxi smiled brightly at his words. She was sick and tired of climbing mountains.
“I-I see. Then... how much longer do we have to go?”
“We will reach the port within a week, and from there, we will take a ship to Livadon.”
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