Chapter 134: Chapter 1 The knights burst into applause when the song ended. Maxi followed suit, showering the young sailor in praise. “W-What a wonderful performance. But I think it was a bit different... from the one I heard at the festival.” “Each region has its own version, my lady. There are several verses, and the part I played for you is the second verse. This one’s come down from Gillian, the old capital of the Roem Empire. Did you not like the lyrics, my lady?” Maxi shook her head. “It was... a beautiful song.” “I’m glad to hear it, my lady.” The sailor executed a respectful bow, his arm pressed horizontally across his abdomen. Riftan had been quietly eating his soup beside Maxi. He stopped to fish out a denar from his pocket and toss it to the brightly smiling sailor. “Your reward for making my wife happy. Entertain her with songs she might like whenever you are free.” “It would be my pleasure, great sir.” The sailor’s mouth stretched like a half-moon at the unexpected, hefty tip. Riftan placed his empty bowl on the floor and urged Maxi to eat her meal. The pale light of day began taking over the sky by the time Maxi finished her soup. She rose and gazed at the silvery-white sunlight across the dark blue sea before they went back to their cabin. Riftan caressed her cheek as they reached the door. “You should get some more sleep. We should be out of danger by high noon.” “Are you... not tired, Riftan?” A faint smile tugged at his lips at her concern. “This is nothing. Don’t worry about me. Try to get some rest.” Lowering his head, he planted a light kiss on her forehead, then closed the cabin door. Maxi smiled bitterly. Rest and not worry about him? He clearly did not know that he was asking for the impossible. She stared out of the porthole at the swelling waters. The ship forged ahead, cutting through the waves. For a long time, the crashing waves were the only thing above the stifling silence. The rockface was now a hazy form at the other end of the sea, and it eventually disappeared from view. Once they were safely out of siren territory, the bone-weary sailors retreated below deck to sleep. The knights also disarmed and rested. Riftan alone remained vigilant, going back up to the bridge to speak with the captain. It was sunset by the time he returned to the cabin to remove his armor and take a proper meal. “We should reach the banks of the Chrysanth River by tomorrow morning at the latest. From there it’s half a day’s journey upriver to Levan.” Maxi’s heart sank. Gulping down ale, Riftan continued impassively. “It’s usually busy, but the legion of trolls encamped above the city might make for an unpleasant atmosphere within the city. The people might be wary, but do not mind them.” “Do you think... the threat would reach the c-capital?” “That will never happen,” he said coolly. He finished wolfing down the bounteous platter prepared for them on the table and began munching on an apple. “The monsters will not be able to move further south. We will reclaim the castles that have been taken from us, and we’ll rescue the initial party. You only need to stay at the monastery for a few months.” He tossed the apple seeds through the porthole and licked the juice from his fingers. Though he appeared as relaxed as a tiger lounging atop a rock, tense determination glinted in his eyes. “I’ll not make you wait long. I will end the battle before the start of Etherias (the season of wind, equivalent to autumn) and get us back to Anatol.” Maxi’s heart churned, and her throat constricted. It was still the beginning of Ignisias (the season of fire, equivalent to summer). It seemed even her confident husband was expecting a months-long battle. When Riftan felt her trembling, he pulled her onto his lap and clutched her to him. Maxi burrowed into his arms like a child awoken from a nightmare. She could not believe that they would be separated from tomorrow. She wound her arms around his neck and held him in a suffocating embrace. Riftan buried his face in her hair. There was a chill in the cabin, and when Riftan breathed in her scent, she felt his warm breath moisten her cold nape. “Promise... y-you will return for me as soon as possible,” said Maxi, her forehead on his shoulder. There was a moment of silence. “I promise.” It was almost imperceptible, but Riftan was also shaking. He hoisted Maxi up and laid her on the bed. The heat between them rose as he dotted her neck with feathery kisses and stroked her swollen breasts through her thin garment. His wet lips wandered between her collarbone and the hollow of her bosom before climbing up to swallow her lips. Swept up in the melting heat, Maxi closed her eyes. *** The harsh cries of seabirds roused Maxi awake the next morning. She sluggishly sat up. Out of the porthole, birds circled over the shimmering surface of the water. She watched them vacantly when Riftan rose next to her and hugged her from behind. Maxi blushed as she felt his lips on her bare shoulder. He kissed her cheek and murmured in a voice still laced with sleep, “What has caught your interest so?” “I-I was looking at the birds. We have not... s-seen any so far,” she said as Riftan rubbed his nose against her neck. “You only find birds near land. It would be rare to find them out in the middle of the ocean.” He sighed as he looked out to sea, his eyes dark. “Just on time. We must be almost there. Let’s start preparing to disembark.” He slowly peeled himself away, and Maxi had to employ all of her self-control to stop herself from clinging to him. They performed their morning ablutions with the fresh water the deckhand brought them. As usual, Riftan nimbly donned his armor without any assistance and left the cabin. Maxi followed him onto the deck. True to his words, the land on the horizon gradually grew bigger. “All of you, get below deck and start rowing!” At the first mate’s orders, the sailors rushed down the stairs. They navigated the ship along the rocky coast for some time. Finally, the wide, triangular estuary where the shimmering emerald water of the Chrysanth River met the western sea emerged. The sailors tightened the sails and yanks at the oars to propel the ship upriver. Now in their full armor, the knights went to the stables to secure the saddlebags. Ulyseon and Garrow had already taken Maxi’s belongings and tied them to Rem’s saddle for her. Gripped by intense trepidation and anxiety, Maxi gazed at the few cottages and boats visible near the riverbed. Waterbirds plunged into the wide river and shot up to the sky, their quarry clutched in their beaks. Large ships loaded with goods glided along the outskirts of the river. The number of vessels increased as they moved further upriver, and soon a large dock lined with ships came into view. Placing a hand on the railing, Riftan said, “That is Levan, the capital of Livadon.” Maxi stared in amazement. There was a large port flanked by dozens of massive sailing ships. Evenly spaced white buildings stood behind, rising like stairs. For a kingdom situated right beside theirs, Livadon had an air of exoticness. The buildings either had square or round roofs, as if rejecting the conical ones typical of Roem architecture, and its ramparts and walls were startlingly white. “And over there is the monastery you will be staying in,” said Riftan, pointing to a large temple situated halfway up a mountain. Maxi looked up at the stark building surrounded by white pillars. It was visibly different from the dreary and cloistered monasteries she had known so far. ... “It looks... m-more like an ancient temple than a monastery.” “You are right. Livadon is a kingdom that has preserved most of its architecture and way of life even after the rise and fall of the Roem Empire. Most of the buildings are built in the ancient style, and except for some of the northern regions, the majority of the regions in the kingdom follow the doctrines of the Reformed Church.” As he had spent many years here as a mercenary, Riftan seemed familiar with the kingdom and its customs. “They are more liberal than you might think, so I’m sure you won’t feel too suffocated.” That was slightly reassuring. Maxi recalled her harsh education from a priest of the Orthodox doctrine when she was young. It was the reason she had been secretly fretting about staying at the monastery. The next thing Maxi knew, the ship was closing in on the docks. The sailors rushed about the deck, lowering the anchor and tossing thick ropes to anchor the ship. Passersby who had spotted the ship’s insignia of Wedon gathered by the dock to peer up at those aboard. The sailors lowered the ramp, and the knights led their horses down onto the walkway in an orderly line. It did not take long for the spectators to realize that the greatest knight in the continent had come to Livadon in its time of need. “Rosem Wigrew d’Calypse!” Loud chants went up from the crowd. The exuberant welcome made it obvious that Riftan need not have worried about the people of Livadon being wary of newcomers. Maxi mounted Rem and rode behind the knights as they made their way through the crowd. ... Leading the procession, Riftan cut an imposing figure. His chiseled face was more commanding than any nobleman’s, while his broad shoulders and muscular legs that expertly steered his black warhorse exuded powerful energy. The people of Livadon who had flocked to catch a glimpse of the dragon-slaying knight were transfixed. They scattered bright flowers and waved white handkerchiefs as the Remdragon Knights passed. The campaign party made their way down the main road toward the basilica. There, a group of knights carrying the banner of the Livadon royal family halted the procession. “You have traveled a long way. We thank you for coming to Livadon, Sir Riftan Calypse, Champion of Wedon.” Craning her neck, Maxi studied the men who had interrupted. About thirty knights in silvery gray armor blocked the road. The speaker was a middle-aged man on a chestnut horse. He clearly had the highest standing among them, for he was the only one mounted while the others were on foot. Riftan trotted over to him. After a short silence, he said coolly, “It has been a while, Grand Duke Druik Aren.” The duke let out a hearty laugh. His tone promptly lost its formality as though he were talking to an old friend. “I’m honored that you remember my name. How long has it been since you beat my brother to a pulp? Six years? No... another year has passed. Must be seven.” Maxi grew tense at the man’s words. Did this nobleman mean Riftan harm? Her fears were put to rest when the man steered his horse sideways and extended his hand with a genial smile. “I’ve heard that you’ve become an even greater knight. What a man indeed. Sejuleu will have a fit when he sees you’ve grown even bigger than him.”