Under the Oak Tree

425 Chapter 186

Maxi slipped her hand inside her coat, grasping the coin on her necklace. The wind had softened to a gentle breeze, brushing past her frozen cheek. Tears stung her eyes - whether from relief that everything was over or joy from their victory, she could not tell.

Turning her gaze from the desolate snowfield, Maxi looked toward the Lexos Mountains, slowly changing from dark grey to a subtle blue. Sunlight that had been illuminating one side of the steep mountain slope now bathed the entire summit.

Riftan was there somewhere. She was certain he had defeated the dragon. Without meaning to, she took a step toward the vast field, only to be abruptly halted by a hand on her shoulder. Whirling around, she saw Garrow with Sidina on his back, his eyes sweeping their surroundings.

"There may still be monsters around, my lady. We should return to the city first and assess the situation."

Coming to her senses, Maxi quickly turned. "Y-Yes, let's make haste."

Garrow led the way along the moat, and soon, an arched gate loomed ahead.

"Open the gate!"

At Garrow's command, the sentries atop the battlements lowered the drawbridge. Maxi and the young knight hurried across the narrow wooden planks and dashed through the portcullis. Anette and Geoffrey, assigned to replace the golems in the south, rushed over to them.

"What happened?" Anette asked as she examined Sidina, who was still slumped on Garrow's back.

Gasping for breath, Maxi replied, "W-We were ambushed by dragonians while replacing the golems. I think she hit her head w-when she was knocked over."

"Lay her down here. I will look at her wound," Geoffrey instructed, spreading a blanket near a campfire just beyond the gate.

Garrow gingerly lowered Sidina on the blanket, then turned his head to Maxi. "What about you, my lady? Are you hurt?"

"I-I am fine. I am more worried about Sidina. How is she?"

"We won't know for certain until she wakes up, but I don't believe she is in critical condition." Geoffrey lifted the girl's eyelid to check her pupil, then breathed a sigh of relief. "It's just a bump on the head. She will wake when it's healed."

He laid a gentle hand on Sidina's bruised temple and healed it with magic. Relief washed over Maxi as she watched the color return to her friend's pale face. She left reassured, climbing up the wooden stairs next to the gate.

The top of the battlement offered a clearer view of the situation: the monsters encamped on the west had vanished, leaving only bone shards glinting across the field, and the creatures that had swarmed the gate were now mounds of fine dust.

Maxi's triumph was short-lived as her gaze turned east. Hundreds of undead still stood outside the wall. Hurrying along the battlement, she saw that the monsters that had been fighting the golem were now circling the hill, moving west. She drew a sharp intake of breath as she realized they were heading toward the Lexos Mountains.

They are trying to attack the campaign party.

She raced down the rampart to get to the gate, but Garrow's hand halted her.

"Lady Calypse. Where are you going?"

Maxi looked up at him, panic-stricken. "Th-The monsters are heading for the Lexos Mountains! We must stop them!"

The young knight clenched his jaw. He furrowed his brow as if conflicted but slowly shook his head. "Sir Riftan commanded us to guard the city until the campaign party returns. With the monsters giving up on Vesmore, our duty is done."

"B-But if we let them go...the campaign party will be in danger."

"Even so, there is nothing we can do."

Maxi's face twisted in frustration at Garrow's calm response. The undead were no fewer than a thousand. They had a chance of winning if they struck with the combined might of their forces. However, she knew Dristan's princess would never agree to such a reckless plan. She also had a feeling that even Princess Agnes would try to dissuade her. Maxi turned her face away, desperately holding back tears.

"Do not worry, my lady," the knight said, trying to comfort her. "A campaign party strong enough to defeat a dragon surely won't fall to mere undead."

Maxi said nothing as she gazed through the portcullis to the shimmering snowfield. Their arduous task was not over. Her heart sank at the thought of spending days filled with anxiety for Riftan's return before she slowly closed her eyes.

After the monsters left, only five golems remained in the field. The temperature rose every day as if making up for lost seasons, causing snowmelt to flow into streams and converge into a river.

Soldiers busied themselves with clearing sewers and building embankments. New sprouts appeared near the flowing, clear water, and buds formed on previously bare branches. The seemingly endless winter had ended, bringing with it the arrival of spring and summer all at once.

"The dragonian you defeated was likely among the ruling class," Calto Serbel announced, entering the common room as he removed the cotton cloth covering his nose and mouth.

Maxi turned towards his voice. The elder looked exhausted as if he had only just finished examining the dragonian's corpse.

"Its mana capacity was thirty times greater than the average lizardman, though it was physically weaker. Truly astonishing. It was probably the necromancer controlling the undead."

"But...not all the monsters perished when the white dragonian died," Maxi pointed out.

"Which means it was not the only necromancer," Calto said with a heavy sigh. "It seems the dragonians were divided into three classes depending on their roles: red and black scales were warriors, and the white scales were the rulers."

The elder paused, deep in thought, before adding, "The white scales are blessed with brains that have developed rapidly in a short period of time along with heightened magical abilities. I estimate about nine still exist."

"N-Nine?!" Maxi exclaimed.

Calto nodded. "Eight powerful dark mages are required to resurrect a dragon, and since there must have been more than one white-scaled monster among the ones that attacked Vesmore, there should be at least nine of its kind remaining."

Calto pointed to the small room where the dragonian's body was kept, drawing Maxi's eye to the gap in the door. She saw evenly spaced wooden beds, atop which were the carcasses of four dragonians. Once the undead army had left, the mages had gathered the bodies for research purposes.

Perturbed by the sight, Maxi looked away. Her heart felt heavy when she recalled the white dragonian's tears and palpable anguish.

According to church doctrines, monsters were the devil's creations whose sole purpose was tormenting mankind. However, Maxi could not shake the unsettling feeling that what she had slain was not a wicked monster but a being capable of feeling emotions.

Though she knew that such thoughts were against the church's doctrines, the dragonian's despairing eyes still haunted her. She shot to her feet in an attempt to dispel the creeping guilt.

"Please excuse me. I would like to get some fresh air."

"Of course." Calto replied absently, picking up parchment to begin his report for the Tower.

Maxi swiftly left the room and ascended the wall to gaze at the distant Lexos Mountains. Was Riftan still there? Was he safe? And how was Ruth and the other knights? The campaign party could have also suffered casualties. How would they face the incoming undead army with diminished numbers?

As her thoughts spiraled into pessimism, Maxi consciously tried to empty her mind. She climbed down the stairs toward the guardhouse in search of something to do when she came upon the two princesses seated at the round table with several high-ranking knights.

Her brows furrowed. Although the dragon had been defeated, the monster army still remained. It had been decided that the princesses would each oversee the defense of either the east or west end, so what were they doing together here?

Maxi was peering down at the spacious hall when Agnes, who had been conversing with the knights, spotted her and broke into a grin.

"What perfect timing, Maximilian! We were in the middle of reading the reports that just arrived from the campaign party."

After a moment of blankly staring at the small piece of parchment in the princess's hand, Maxi darted toward the table. Agnes promptly handed Maxi the report with a chuckle.

The parchment contained a short line of military code consisting of oblique strokes.

"W-What does it say?" Maxi impatiently asked.

"'Mission Complete.'" Agnes shook her head in apparent exasperation. "I am quite certain that your husband does not fully comprehend what a report is supposed to be. He just can't seem to rectify that nasty habit of his."

Maxi's eyes flickered over the parchment. The ludicrously short message was still enough to flood her relief. Clutching it with both hands, she silently thanked God.

Riftan was safe.

As she was enveloped in pure joy, she heard Lienna Moor Thorben's crisp voice cut through.

"Sir Sejuleu Aren's report is much more thorough."

Maxi turned to face the princess. Holding up Sejuleu Aren's report with her fingertips, Lienna interpreted the code for Maxi.

"It says the campaign party has successfully retrieved the dragon heart but has failed to eliminate all the dragonians. He also adds that the Temple Knights have suffered heavy casualties."

Maxi felt the blood drain from her face. "W-What of the other knights? How many casualties in total?"

"The report doesn't say, but I'm sure they would have mentioned if that had included anyone of importance," the princess replied flatly, tossing the parchment back onto the table.

Maxi snatched it up, her mind racing. By "anyone of importance," the princess doubtlessly meant someone of high station. She could not be certain if the Remdragon Knights or Ruth would count as such to the princess.

She was still trying to decipher the codes when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning her head, she found Gabel standing next to her. His head was bowed, pretending to read the report, but his eyes subtly flicked toward the entrance.

After blinking up at him, Maxi quietly lowered the parchment and descended the stairs leading out of the hall. Gabel soon came after her.

She halted her anxious pacing to bombard him with questions. "W-What is it? Was there something in the report that only you could-"

"My lady, please. It is not a serious matter," Gabel assured, waving his hands and looking flustered. He took a small pouch from his cloak. "May I have your hand?"

When Maxi tentatively reached out, Gabel opened the pouch and dropped the contents onto her palm.

"This came in the same container that carried the report. I've kept it aside because I had a feeling it was meant for you."

She stared down at the delicate flower, its dainty white petals the size of tiny fingernails.

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