249 Chapter 10 Maxi’s migraine did not start to alleviate until the next day. After a simple breakfast, she left the dorms to browse the small market near the harbor. The last campaign had taught her the necessity of weapons, sturdy boots, and a durable leather belt and bag. When it came to weapons, she could always request one from Nome Hall’s master craftsmen, but she would have to procure her shoes, hat, and weather-resistant clothes from the market. Maxi made sure to purchase everything she needed using the stipend provided by the Tower, as well as the gold coins Rodrigo had handed her as she left Anatol. Despite her efforts to only buy the essentials to keep her bags as light as possible, the bulky winter garments made it difficult. The small donkey-driven cart she had borrowed from the Tower was laden with luggage by the time she left the market. She climbed the steep hill for half an hour before the dorms came into view. Once she had moved all her newly purchased goods to her room, she headed to the shrine connected to Urd to convene with the other party members. About twenty mages were already waiting. All of the high mages present were draped in robes of deep russet, while the fledgling mages, including Maxi, were dressed in casual attire. Sidina spotted her at once and waved. Maxi walked over to stand next to her while discreetly studying the others. A total of sixteen people were gathered in the room: three from Kabala, three from Sigrew, two from Undaim, and the eight freshly inducted mages. Including the three members from Urd, who were not yet present, the expeditionary party numbered nineteen. Maxi narrowed her eyes. It was a much smaller group than she had anticipated. “I suppose none of Nome Hall’s high mages will be joining us.” Hearing her mumbled remark, Armin heaved a sigh. “Didn’t we expect as much? All of Nome Hall’s high mages are studying forbidden magic. Not only are they restricted from leaving the island, the Mage Tower probably has reservations about sending them to work with the church.” “I don’t think it’s as simple as that,” Anette interjected in a hushed voice. “I heard the majority of Urd’s elders were against the expedition. The Serbels are greatly opposed to any entanglement with the church. And… there are rumors. They say most of the dark mages banished to the north were descendants of the elven race.” Surprised, Maxi took in a sharp breath. “W-Weren’t elves… known to be good? Why would they choose to become…?” “I’m sure saying this will have the heathen hunters after my head, but what we call dark magic is not as evil as people think. The banished mages were only branded as ‘wicked dark mages’ because they rose against the church. During the Massacre, the Serbel clan split into two factions. One led mages and people of mixed race to the south, creating Nornui, while the other remained and fought in the Roviden Continent until they were exiled north.” “And… that’s why the Serbels are against going after the dark mages?” “Well, as of now, we can’t confirm the dark mages still exist. I suppose you could say the clan still holds a grudge against the church. Some of the elders witnessed the atrocities of the Massacre firsthand, so it’s not surprising. Calto Serbel might have pushed through with the expedition, but the opposition was fierce. I heard even gathering the manpower was in itself a challenge. That’s why they had to recruit novices like us.” While Maxi was engrossed in this startling topic, Calto entered the assembly room. “Quiet down, everyone!” Maxi straightened in her seat. Stepping onto the platform at the front, Calto swept his eyes over the room to check that all members were present before laying out the plan. “We will depart as soon as our ship arrives at port. That should give us approximately one week to finish all preparations. Though I plan to hire extra hands to help with the luggage once we reach the continent, you will have to continue taking care of most tasks on your own.” “And what of security during the journey? Offensive magic will not be of much use against magic-resistant monsters. A group of mages traveling by themselves sounds dangerous indeed.” “There is no need for such concerns. We will be under the protection of the Temple Knights from the harbor. The church has also agreed to fund our journey and supply us with all the necessary equipment.” Calto paused to see if there were any more questions. Taking the opening, Maxi threw her arm in the air. “How will we be… traveling to the Plateau?” “We will make port at Anatolium Harbor and travel to the Plateau by land.” Maxi’s eyes widened, exhilaration rushing through her. She had assumed the party would likely choose a northern harbor for safety reasons. Biting her lip, she tried to recall the length of the journey from Anatol to Nornui. If the winds were favorable, they would be there in a few weeks. Her heart began to race wildly. Miriam’s brusque voice rang out, “Why Anatolium? Won’t it be faster for us to dock in Levan? Why waste our time and resources to travel across the continent?” Seated behind her, Maxi shot daggers at the back of her head. Though this was not the first time she wanted to give the loathsome woman a good smack, the urge had never been this intense. She anxiously shifted her gaze to study Calto. Much to her relief, the elder adamantly shook his head. “We will be calling on the basilica in Balbourne, so entering Roviden through Anatol’s harbor will be the fastest route.” Though Miriam still seemed baffled by the plan, she did not ask anything else. Maxi furtively breathed a sigh of relief. After answering a few more questions, Calto talked at length about how they were to conduct themselves around the Temple Knights. Gnawing her nails, Maxi did not hear any of it. The only thing on her mind was the possibility of reuniting with Riftan in a few weeks. Her heart pounded with trepidation. She would have to depart for the Pamela Plateau before they could even bask in the joy of seeing each other again, and she wondered how he would react. Would he be furious with her for rushing headlong into danger again? Perhaps not. By that time, he may no longer care about what she chose to do. The thought made her heart shrivel inside her chest. “What’re you wracking your brain about now?” Sidina asked, waving a hand in front of her face. Snapping out of her thoughts, Maxi gave her a reassuring smile. At the same time, she strove to steel her heart. She had made her choice, and no amount of worrying would change anything. At long last, the day of their departure arrived. Maxi gathered her bags the moment word came of the ship’s arrival. As if sensing she was headed off on a long journey, Roy refused to leave her side, mewling mournfully by her feet. She spent some time trying to calm him before changing into the warmest woolen dress in her wardrobe, under which she layered two pairs of socks. The weather had cooled significantly in the last few weeks. After wrapping herself in a thick robe, she pulled on her sturdy boots and hauled her luggage downstairs. Though it was still too early for them to depart, the other mages were busy loading their things into the carriages. After spying Miriam meticulously checking her bags, Maxi slinked away to the last carriage. She crammed her luggage into the storage compartment and hastily climbed into the coach with Roy. Evidently feeling cold, he stopped squirming and burrowed into her robes, where he pressed himself against her stomach. I did tell Anette I’m bringing Roy, but… Maxi flicked a glance at Miriam through the window. Though she doubted the other mages would mind, she was certain the woman would not take kindly to the cat’s presence. Maxi hunched as low as she could. She had no idea how long she remained like that before she saw Anette waddling toward the carriage with a bag that seemed to equal her weight. Maxi waved out the window. “Anette, over here!” With a drawn-out yawn, Anette trudged over to the carriage. Behind her, the Godric twins carried similarly huge packs. The grumbling pair skittered toward Maxi with their short legs as soon as they spotted her. “Morning, Max. Have you got everything you need?” “You’ve been going on about how you want to leave this island, and here you finally are,” Dean said with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. Maxi blushed when she recalled all the indecorous things she had done until now. “Don’t just stand there! Load the bags!” Anette barked as she rammed her bag into the compartment. Pulling faces, the brothers hurried to the end of the carriage. After throwing their bags in after Anette’s, they circled back to the coach door and handed something to Maxi. “Take this with you. They say this winter is going to be especially cold. You can already see the frost on the ground.”