Under the Oak Tree

Chapter 324: Chapter 85

Riftan took Maxi as far from the execution site as possible. The soldiers advancing across the field behind them looked confused by the sudden standstill. He pushed his way through, stopping next to the billowing Wedonian banner in front of a baggage wagon. When he hoisted Maxi up and onto a space in the compartment, she simply looked back at him in horror, her face ghostly white.

He studied her clear gray eyes for a moment before taking his flask from his belt. “Here, have some wine.”

“I-I am not thirsty.”

“Have a sip anyway. You’re pale.”

His firm tone seemed to prompt her into action. She opened it and sniffed its contents. As soon as she took a few cautious sips, she burst into a coughing fit.

“Heavens… w-why is this so strong?”

She handed the flask back with a scowl. Riftan closed the lid and placed it back on his belt.

“Strong liquor is useful for fighting the cold or cleaning wounds,” he replied stonily.

To his relief, she seemed to have regained her composure.

With some color returning to her face, Maxi looked out of the wagon uneasily. “W-Why were those men executed? What could they have possibly done… to deserve such a cruel death?”

“They were Baltonian deserters. They were executed in accordance with military law.” He bent down to extract a blanket from one side of the wagon. Draping it over her shoulders, he said, “Stay here while the men bury the bodies. It shouldn’t be longer than ten minutes.”

“I-I am all right. I was simply a little shocked…”

Riftan frowned when he recognized the stubborn look on her face.

After pensively staring at the floor of the wagon, Maxi said stiffly, “1 have seen far more gruesome corpses… in my time as a healer, and no doubt there will be more unspeakable sights to come. So… you needn’t try to shield me every time something happens. 1-1 assure you, you will not see me faint from shock again.”

With that, she folded the blanket, placed it aside, and rose to her feet. Riftan stopped her as she tried to get down from the wagon. Without warning, something inside him erupted.

“I told you to stay here!” he snarled, forcing her back down.

He silently cursed himself when he saw defiance growing in her eyes. He knew that browbeating only provoked her to defy him, but that never seemed to stop him from losing his temper time and time again. It almost always made the situation worse.

Summoning the last of his self-control, he said, “There is no reason for you to watch the men bury the bodies. It won’t take long, so just wait here.”

“That may be true… but 1 also have no reason to run from it like a frightened child!”

Slapping his hand away, she glared up at him with defiance shining in her eyes. “I-I am in charge of the mages in the support unit. I must… show them that I am capable… o-or no one will be willing to follow my orders.”

He was about to tell her he would punish anyone who dared to ignore her commands but managed to stop himself. It was obvious how this proud woman would react.

Maxi haughtily climbed out of the wagon and straightened herself. She took a few steps toward the other mages before she stopped to shoot a hesitant look back.

“I-I thank you… for your concern, but… please understand that I also have a reputation to uphold.”

Riftan offered no reply. He feared only harsh words would pour forth as soon as he opened his mouth. Looking disappointed, Maxi turned and walked away. Her receding figure appeared both determined and dignified.

Had she not been the woman he cherished more than life itself, he might have found her strength of will admirable. However, it was frustration, anger, and uncontrollable fear that assailed him whenever he spotted her weary figure enduring the grueling march in the cold.

Riftan clenched his fist as a sense of helplessness washed over him. He would do anything to keep her far away from all the cruel, terrible things of this world. He hated the thought of her growing accustomed to the sight of corpses, and it pained him to watch her dutifully labor away without complaint. Nevertheless, the more he tried to protect her, the more she drove herself into danger.

Uncertainty hung over his head. His whole body broke out in a cold sweat when the memory of her bleeding body flashed in his mind. She would have been better off if she had never married him.

The torturous, years-long guilt gripped him once again. Had the Duke of Croyso wed her to a respectable nobleman, she could have lived a peaceful life of comfort without ever knowing the horrors of war.

Goddammit.

Raking his hair back with a shaky hand, Riftan drove the thought out of his head. Now was not the time for him to be wallowing in such helpless what-ifs. For her sake, he had to end this war as quickly as possible. There was no time for him to worry about anything else.

After gloomily watching her go, he turned to Ulyseon, who was waiting for his command a short distance away. He motioned for the young knight to follow her. Ulyseon nodded and promptly strode after Maxi. Riftan watched him disappear, then made his way back to the execution site.

The soldiers had managed to dig a deep hole in that brief time, and they were now laying the fifteen or so corpses inside. After calling for a hierarch to perform a simple purification rite, Riftan ordered the men to fill the grave.

The march resumed once the dead had been taken care of. Elliot had just finished overseeing the formation to ensure no one else was contemplating desertion, and he approached Riftan with a question.

“How do you intend to handle this matter, sir?”

“I plan to lodge a formal complaint,” Riftan replied coldly, nimbly mounting Talon. “Such executions not only put us at risk of monster attacks but also weaken morale. We cannot stay silent on this matter.”

“Do you think that man wall comply without a fight?” Elliot asked, looking worried.

Riftan replied frostily as he dug his spur into Talon’s side. “We ll have to make him.”

***

Maxi wrapped a blanket around Rem’s neck and anxiously looked up at the sky. After days of gray clouds, light snow had begun to fall. Though it was not as heavy as before, the fierce winds whipped the tiny flakes into flurries, making it no different from a blizzard.

Pulling her cloak in tight, Maxi blew into her gloved hands to keep warm.

Riding next to her, Anette coughed and said, “Thank heavens Master Calto decided to stay behind. We would’ve had to bury him before the war even started.”

A short distance away, an exhausted-looking Ruth chortled. Maxi was taken aback at just how pale he was, as if he were at death’s door. It made her question how on earth he had managed to follow Riftan around for all those years.

“There’ve been no more deserters for a while now,” Armin abruptly muttered after watching the marching soldiers.

Maxi looked troubled. The first public execution had failed to stop soldiers from fleeing the army. While some had successfully gotten away, those who were caught had been promptly executed. Though the displaying of heads was abolished due to the objections of those in command, the threat of death hung over all who wished to flee, effectively stopping further defection.

While the Baltonian army had the most deserters, the camps of Wedon, Arex, and Livadon also had their share. According to the knights, this was a common occurrence in large-scale campaigns.

“Halt! We will camp here for the night!”

As soon as the booming voice cried out from the front, audible sighs of relief rippled through the ranks. Maxi had no idea how long they had been marching through the violent wind. Her legs were nearly numb from the cold when she dismounted. Soon after, the ever-present Ulyseon rushed to her side.

Had this been any other time, she would have pushed him away to assert her independence. However, with her whole body stiff and her muscles aching from shivering in the saddle all day, she was forced to accept his help unsaddling her mare.

Leaving Rem in Ulyseon’s care, Maxi made her way to where the soldiers were lighting a fire to warm her frigid body. Only when the heat seeped into her did she have the mind to look around. She scanned the faces around the campfire before her gaze wandered beyond the windbreak put up by the soldiers. Riftan was there, giving instructions to the knights from atop his warhorse.

Her expression grew concerned. Every time a gust tossed his dark hair, she felt the icy chill in her own body. His face had grown lean over the past few days, adding to her worry.

Does he ever rest?

As if sensing her eyes on him, Riftan turned his head toward her. She froze as he leaped off his horse and strode over.

“The final strategy meeting will be held shortly at the front. The mages of the Tower are to attend as well.”

Maxi’s eyes widened. “F-Final?”

“That’s right,” he replied, then furrowed his brow. “Were you not aware? We will be at our destination in two days. The battle draws near.”

Her heart sank at his words. Though she had prepared herself for such tidings, her stomach still twisted into knots. She swallowed hard and slowly rose to her feet.

Maxi listed the mages under her command — Anette, Armin, Ben, and a new recruit from Undaim called Renlila. Since those in the offensive unit were already at the head of the army with the Osiriyan troops, these were the mages who would be attending the meeting with her.

“You are to come as well,” Riftan told Ruth, who was trying to remain inconspicuous by huddling in front of the fire.

When Ruth reluctantly rose with a sigh, the group followed Riftan to the front, with Ulyseon and Elliot close behind. Hebaron and Garrow, in charge of the rear unit, joined them soon after..

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