Under the Oak Tree

Maxi flipped through the parchments with trembling hands. There was no mistaking it: this was the rune draft she had destroyed herself.

She looked up at the elder in bewilderment. "W-Why do you have this, Master Calto?"

"I got it from Landon," he said with his usual indifference.

"B-But Master Landon gave the draft back to me."

"He gave you a copy, not the original draft you submitted," Calto replied, pressing his temple. "Before presentations, head mages test submitted runes to prevent mishaps from overlooked flaws. The draft you hold now is a simplified version of your rune's core. Rest assured, the Tower does not have the entirety of your golem rune."

Maxi quickly thumbed through the pages. Though only part of the rune was there, any mage proficient with magical devices could deduce its function. She eyed Calto suspiciously.

"I told Master Landon I had no intention of presenting this, so why...did he give this to you?"

Calto responded calmly, "I was told you chose not to present it because you feared it would trap you in Nornui. However, the Tower has drastically revised its standards on forbidden magic. Yours likely would not be classified as such anymore."

Maxi's eyes widened at the startling news. Meanwhile, the elder continued nonchalantly, "In exchange for our aid, the Tower has secured the pope's promise to proclaim a new edict on magic. There will be a revision to the doctrine that declares magic a force that goes against divine will. Soon, many forbidden spells will be allowed."

Maxi gripped her head, struggling to follow his words. She felt a throbbing headache coming on.

The church's two factions had opposing views on magic. The Reformed Church took a lenient stance compared to the Orthodox Church, which saw magic as sin. But when it came to offensive magic, even the more tolerant Reformed faction was against it. A unilateral proclamation by the pope would not change that perception overnight. More likely, it would spark immense backlash.

Maxi worriedly bit her lip, still unconvinced by Calto's assurance that the rune would not get her into trouble. If the Orthodox faction ever regained power, her rune might brand her a heretic who would have to face trial.

But we just might be able to fend off the undead army with this.

She stared at the parchment in her hand. Though the complete draft was destroyed before she left the Mage Tower, she was confident this was all she needed to recreate the rune.

Steeling herself, she declared, "I will make the golems. But I will need the mages' assistance."

"Let the Umri mages help. The rest of us will guard the walls. Those not adept at defense should assist you as well."

"I will also require...high-grade stones," Maxi added tentatively.

"Calto's brow furrowed, pondering their limited resources. Finally, he said, "Take whatever stones you require. The golems will help us defend the city, even without magical devices."

Deep in thought, Maxi stared at the flickering candle on the table. If she were to cut back on sleep, she should be able to finish a golem in five days. The walls would have to stand until then. She eventually decided to reserve fourteen stones for the magical devices, using the rest for the golems.

"I shall start right away. Do you know...where Alec and Dean might be?"

"They are mending the siege weapons on the battlement," Calto replied, leaning back in his chair.

Maxi suddenly noticed that the elder's face was much paler than usual. Maintaining a shield around an entire city was evidently taxing, even for him.

Rubbing his bloodshot eyes, Calto added, "You may use the third-floor workroom. I had it cleared for you."

Rolling up the documents, Maxi tucked them into her robe before stepping outside. It had snowed again. The fresh blanket of snow crunched under foot as she walked.

She turned her lamp's valve to make it brighter, then carefully climbed the stairs to the rampart. Several soldiers with torches stood watch. Beyond them, she spotted the Godric brothers, engrossed in mending a catapult.

"I need your help," she said as she approached.

Alec paused, looking up from the severed rope he was replacing. "With what?"

"Come with me. I will explain on the way."

The brothers exchanged a glance before lowering their tools and rising. Together, the trio walked along the battlement, where Maxi's gaze was drawn to the eerie sight below. Thousands of red eyes flashed in the dark beneath a starless sky. After a moment of stealing herself, she pressed forward.

They began working on the golem without delay. Maxi crafted the complex magical formulas using countless symbols while Alec and Dean sketched the designs under her guidance. It soon became clear that the brothers were weak in magical theory, as they did not understand how the ruin worked.

Nonetheless, their draft was impeccable. It was not for no reason that the twins' handiwork was known as the best in Nome Hall. Maxi could only stare in awe at the golem that they designed to her specifications.

"If we continue at this pace, I think we will be able to finish much sooner," Maxi commented.

"Do you think it could be done by tonight?" Dean asked, looking up from the intricate diagram, his eyes shining expectantly.

Maxi gave him an incredulous look. "The draft we are working on is merely the golem's core. There is still the mana circuit and exoskeleton. After that, we must combine all the runes."

Alec shuddered. "Just the thought gives me the chills."

"Stop grumbling and keep working," Maxi chided, jotting down more formulas.

Spotting an error, she irritably tore the bottom part of the parchment. Her hasty calculations seemed to be leading to incorrect details more often than usual.

With a long sigh, she grabbed a fresh sheet. Just then, Anette came striding into the room.

"Master Calto told me you needed help. I got the gist of it, so just tell me what to do," she said, followed by a wide yawn.

Relief washed over Maxi. Her savior was here.

"We are making the golem's mana circuit. Could you organize these formulas?"

Anette's short legs stomped over to the desk, where she picked up some parchment from the large pile heaped on top. After leafing through them, she pursed her lips, letting out a low whistle.

"I always knew you had a knack for magical theory, but this is exceptional."

Unlike her brothers, Anette seemed to have no problem understanding the rune's mechanics. A series of exclamations escaped her as she went through the pile, one parchment at a time.

"P-Please, admire later," Maxi said impatiently. "I need you to start working."

"Don't rush me. I need to get my head around it to know what I'm supposed to be doing. Unlike those two, I don't have the ability to come up with a diagram without the theory."

Pulling her chair closer to the desk, Anette pointed a thumb at her brothers as she sat down. The twins knitted their brows, seemingly unsure whether to take her words as a compliment or insult. In the end, they gave disinterested shrugs and returned to their work.

Maxi exhaled and handed Calto's documents to Anette. "This should help you understand the fundamental structure."

Anette accepted the stack of parchment and took her time studying it. When she finally raised a quill to begin organizing the formulas, Maxi turned her attention to crafting the rune.

Slowly, the yellowed paper before her filled with tiny symbols. She was deeply engrossed when a loud noise echoed from outside.

The enemy assault had resumed.

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