Chapter 129: Chapter 1 Unfortunately, the heavens did not listen to Maxi’s prayers. There was no sign of even a puddle during the five days of the journey. A few trees or thorn bushes every now and then were the only landmarks. The kegs of water that had once formed a mountainous pile atop the cart were quickly running out. Maxi’s hopes of a bath were a mere dream. Drenched in sweat and covered in dirt, the campaign party rode all day across the barren land. They only came upon monsters twice. The first was a chilling encounter with three drakes in a rock-strewn clearing. The second was the very next day, when all the fodder they had lugged throughout the journey had nearly gone up in flames because of the salamander hiding amongst the rocks. Maxi had found the giant lizard that could light its body on fire terrifying. The knights, however, had been more than happy to acquire a rare firestone from the salamander’s carcass. The gruesome sight of the knights disemboweling the monster did not perturb Maxi as much as it once had. It was inevitable that her stomach had grown stronger; days of bearing witness to monster battles and the knights skinning wildlife for their meals had taken care of that. It felt as if Maxi’s delicate nerves had chafed away. Now when she saw a rabbit hiding in a crevice, instead of perking up at the sight of such an adorable creature, she thought of rabbit stew for supper. Maxi was not entirely sure if the change was a good or a bad one. “Commander, we’re almost out of water. We will have to find a source tomorrow,” said Sir Evan. They had been taking a short break to feed the horses. Riftan, tearing up meat jerky on a rock, glanced over his shoulder at the remaining kegs of water on the cart. Maxi could see the creases forming on his forehead. He scanned the area for a moment, then said in a calm but clear voice, “We should be able to reach Kardikil Forest before sunset. The horses should be able to last four more hours.” It was a wonder how he was able to read the path so well. All around them, rocks and thorn bushes were the only things in sight, yet he always seemed to know which direction to go or how much longer was left. He made it seem as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Riftan led the campaign party with absolute certainty, and his knights never doubted his judgment. It was his experience and prudence that earned him the knights’ undivided trust. Ending their respite, the knights got back on their horses and set out once more. When they had galloped for hours without rest, greenery gradually emerged on the horizon, just as Riftan had predicted. Maxi urged Rem on toward the forest, forgetting the heavy exhaustion weighing on her shoulders. Soon, the party reached a forest densely packed with towering trees. Maxi let out a deep sigh of relief as they entered the dark shade. The impenetrable leaves blocked the sun, making the heat more bearable. They trekked through the forest for some time. Maxi grew nervous when they found no puddles, let alone a spring. She did not think she could last another day without a bath. Praying for even the smallest water source, Maxi glanced about their surroundings. Riftan abruptly stopped his horse. “It will rain soon. We will camp here.” The sun looked bright through the leaves, and the heat was stifling. Though Maxi doubted it would rain, she dismounted without a word. The knights went about setting up tents between the trees. They covered the carts with stiff cloths coated with tar to keep their provisions and firewood dry. Walking past them, Maxi tied Rem to a tree and unsaddled her. She was about to carry her bag into the tent when Riftan appeared and snatched it from her hand. “Follow me.” He led her to a place not far from the camp. There, she saw a tent pitched under a large tree lush with leaves. After tossing her bag into the tent, Riftan lifted the flap wide for her to enter. It was clearly a message telling her to rest instead of loitering about the camp. Maxi sighed and stepped inside. A thick pile of blankets covered the floor. Maxi gingerly lowered herself onto the soft linen, her buttocks feeling battered from another long day in the saddle. She took off her boots and pushed them into a corner. Although she wanted to remove her damp clothes, she only had one clean tunic that she was saving until she could wash. It was uncertain if they would be able to find a spring today. Maxi was debating whether to do a quick search of the vicinity when rain began to splatter against the tent. Startled, Maxi stuck her head out. Gray clouds filled the sky, and heavy raindrops pelted down in a torrent. Maxi threw back the opening and searched for Riftan, wondering why he was not taking shelter from the rain. She spotted him standing a short distance away with his head tilted toward the sky, scrubbing his face and nape. Riftan motioned for her to join him in the downpour. “Maxi, come over here.” In the next moment, his armor was on the ground. He did not seem to care that the rain soaked through his thin tunic. He was not the only one. Except for the few knights keeping watch, the rest of the men also began removing their armor and washing away days’ worth of sweat and dirt. They were like children gleefully splashing in the water. Hebaron even cast off his tunic and scrubbed his muscled torso with his hands. Maxi watched them with a look of embarrassment. “Come out and wash now. We don’t know when you’ll be able to do so again.” “B-But...” The argument that it was not proper for a lady to bathe in the open was at the tip of her tongue, but she was dying to cleanse away the grime. As she watched the knights wash in the cool rain, Maxi eventually gave in to the powerful temptation. She grabbed the bar of soap from her bag and stepped out of the tent. The rain drenched her in a matter of seconds. Maxi let out a content sigh as cool water splattered her face. Undressing like the knights was of course not an option, but she thought she would be able to wash her face and hair behind a tree. She slipped behind the tent to hide herself from view. Just as she was about to begin washing her hair, Riftan suddenly grabbed her arm. “Come this way.” Not knowing where they were going, Maxi squelched after him through the wet grass. He stopped at a clearing behind a thicket of bushes some distance from the camp. There was a large rock, and Riftan led her around it. He then spread a tar-coated linen in front of her and tied the ends to a tree. In the blink of an eye, she found herself surrounded by a curtain that provided a tiny private space. “I have told them not to come anywhere close to this place, so do not worry about being seen.” Wiping away the rain dripping into her eyes, Maxi turned her gaze to where the knights were. Though she could not see them through the vegetation, she was still not completely reassured. Her desire for a bath was acute, however, and now was not the time to be hesitating. The rain could stop at any moment. Maxi threw glances at Riftan over the curtain. He took a step back and turned around as if to stand guard, and she hastily began to undress. The heavy rain stung her skin, and she shuddered at the strange sensation. She hung her clothes on a branch and began rubbing away the dirt with her hands. Maxi washed from head to toe with soap. She could not help trembling from fear as she did so, worried that someone might leap from the bushes or that there would be another monster attack. Thankfully, the rain only grew stronger. It beat down in a white haze and blotted out the surroundings. Noting the rain obscuring everything from sight, Maxi felt her anxiety dissipate. The bizarre situation suddenly made her laugh. Who would have thought that she would one day bathe in the rain in the middle of a forest? Chuckling, she tossed her head back and washed off the soap from her face and hair. When she had thoroughly rinsed herself, she turned to grab her wet garments from the tree. That was when she realized that the linen that separated her and Riftan was no longer there. Flustered, Maxi drew back. One of the knots must have come undone under the pouring rain. The cloth lay limp on the ground, one end still dangling on a branch. Riftan stood as immobile as a stone statue, staring at her. His expression made her freeze. His searing gaze ran down her wet shoulder and over her hair that clung to her skin. His gaze then reached her breasts, where it lingered for a long time. She could see his throat bobbing. Maxi felt her own throat burn. He ventured lower, moving down her flat stomach to her pale thighs, then all the way to her white feet streaked with blue veins. Finally, his dark eyes met hers. A strange feeling of helplessness seized her. Riftan looked mesmerized as though he had never seen her naked before, which only heightened her embarrassment. Flushing crimson, Maxi snatched her clothes from the branch and quickly covered her chest. Riftan was in front of her in a flash. He grabbed her hand, his strong fingers curling around her own cold ones. “Don’t.” His low voice was barely audible over the rain. “Let me look at you a little longer. You have no idea how much I have been-” ... Maxi shuddered like a bird caught in a trap and gazed up at him through her lashes. Riftan let out a suppressed groan, and his body shook as though he were trying to restrain himself. Then, as if he found it impossible to resist the temptation right before him, he reached out to touch her.