269 Chapter 30 Maxi studied the man closely. From his steel plate armor and the dense plume of feathers attached to his helmet, she determined he must be a knight of noble lineage. It was common for men of high birth to embellish their armor with such adornments. This man, then, must be the Viscount of Sevron. “What of the monsters that attacked the village?” the viscount inquired. He raised his visor, revealing a thick mustache under a distinct, aquiline nose. “The undead have been dealt with, but the attackers seem to have gone north,” Riftan replied, approaching him. The viscount grunted in disappointment and tapped the hilt of the sword at his waist. “I suppose that means they won’t be coming here anytime soon. I must admit, I was looking forward to seeing some action with this fellow.” “The monsters might decide to change course, so I suggest you keep your defenses up for the time being. Have you sent word to the other lords?” The viscount nodded. “Of course. I sent messengers to the lords of the surrounding areas at daybreak. I’ve also alerted the capital, and Balto should be organizing their own campaign party soon.” Maxi frowned, and the other mages exchanged worried glances. The current monarch of Balto, Heimdall VI, was well known for being an adherent of the Orthodox Church. She wondered how wise it was to inform such a man about the existence of dark mages. As she was eyeing the Temple Knights with apprehension, Kuahel Leon walked his steed forward. “We have been fighting through the night. Could you offer us respite at your castle?” “Certainly. It would be an honor to host the apostles of God within my walls.” “We are much obliged.” As soon as it was decided, the viscount waved over his soldiers in the rear. “Take our honored guests to the castle and instruct the steward to provide them with everything they need.” The soldiers lit additional torches and walked in formation around the guests, guiding them to Sevron Castle. The expeditionary party slowly rode along the narrow road packed with dilapidated cottages. Even in the gloom, Maxi could see the squalor of the village. A stench awful enough to chase away her drowsiness filled the air. Though she spotted a few relatively sturdy stone houses in the village center, even they appeared neglected. It was clear that the viscounty of Sevron was not prosperous. Maxi looked uneasily past the castle gates visible above a gentle hill. It was too dark to see clearly, but she could tell the castle did not seem particularly large. She wondered if it would have enough rooms to accommodate a party of two hundred. While Maxi was fretting over this, Viscount Sevron’s men finished the verification process and lowered the log drawbridge. The party crossed the bridge and rode through the garden. After passing a butchery, bakery, and smithy, the main castle finally came into view. They entrusted their horses to the soldiers and filed into the great hall. The dim lighting revealed a shockingly filthy interior. Instead of stone tiles, the floor was overlaid with fetid rush mats that appeared not to have been changed in years. Gnawed bones left behind by hounds scattered the floor. A large tapestry hung on one of the walls, its colors so muted with grime that it was impossible to make out the original image. Maxi drew back, aghast. The musty air made it difficult to breathe. A gruff voice called through the hall. “Who’s there?” Maxi’s head whirled toward the sound. She realized the servants had been sleeping beneath blankets by the fire. One of them sluggishly sat up and regarded them with bleary eyes. “Have the guests returned?” “That’s right. Have food and rooms prepared for them.” The middle-aged man who had awoken from his nap appeared to be the steward. He grumbled under his breath and began waking the other servants. Maxi anxiously glanced back and forth between Riftan and Kuahel, desperately hoping one would object to sleeping in such a pigsty, but neither seemed to care about the squalid conditions. “I’ll forgo the food. I’d rather drown myself in ale,” Hebaron said with a wide yawn. Standing next to him, Garrow heaved a sigh. “Have you still not had your fill? You nearly drained all their liquor just the other day. Do you have any idea how anxious I was that you would fall off your horse when we set out this morning?” “Good grief, you worry too much. A few barrels of ale aren’t enough to—” “Are there enough rooms?” Riftan said brusquely, cutting off their bickering. Narrowing his eyes, the steward counted the guests, then shook his head with an apologetic expression. “We have rooms available, but not enough for everyone. You and the clergymen may take the beds. I’m afraid the rest will have to sleep in the hall.” Maxi blanched as she stared down at the putrid mats, thinking she would rather sleep outside than lie on the soiled floor. Her eyes darted over the other mages to gauge their reactions. Though some appeared just as appalled, most of the mages seemed to have lost their sense of smell from sheer exhaustion. Calto, barely supporting himself with his cane, bobbed his head as though he were too tired to care. The rest were already nodding off on their feet with their arms crossed. Maxi felt distraught, but she knew she would be seen as the finicky noblewoman if she were to complain. “Is something the matter, my lady?” Ulyseon asked as if sensing her distress. She hesitated, then stood on her toes to whisper in his ear, “Do you not think… this place is too filthy?” Ulyseon bent one knee to hear her better. He blinked and glanced about the hall. “I suppose it is a little.” “A-A little?” she said, looking up at him in disbelief. She was surprised someone who seemed so meticulous could be that oblivious to his environment. Ulyseon shrugged. “We sleep next to corpses during wartime, my lady.” Rendered speechless, Maxi pressed her lips together. He certainly had a point. Sleeping here might be better than among charred remains. She was trying to steel herself with this thought when she heard Riftan’s voice. “Let the women take the guest room. We will sleep in the hall.” “Allow the mages to use our room as well,” Kuahel added. The steward looked as if he were about to protest. With a resigned sigh, he instructed the servants to show the guests to their rooms. Full of gratitude to the knights for their consideration, the mages trudged upstairs. Maxi deliberately stayed behind and lingered around Riftan. After nodding to the steward’s offer to heat the sauna, Riftan turned his head to meet her eyes. His harsh gaze made her shrink back. For some reason, he seemed to be in an even fouler mood. “What are you still doing here?” “I…” Just as she was about to suggest that they talk, she noticed the knights’ curious gazes. She blushed, unable to continue. “N-Never mind.” With that, she darted up the stairs. A servant showed her to the guest room, which was comparatively better than the great hall, though it was in no way clean. Maxi warily surveyed it, noting the large bed, and walked over to the window. She opened the shutters to let in some fresh air. The maidservant who had been placing a cot by the wall frowned. “Heavens, why would you open the window in this weather? Are you trying to catch a chill?” “I-I am airing the room,” Maxi snapped rather sharply. “I won’t leave it open for long.” She then took off her robe and protective gear, placing them by the bed. Anette pulled off her boots and tossed them next to Maxi’s things. “Would you be so kind as to bring us enough water and towels for us to bathe?” Anette said to the servants. “I would hate to dirty your sheets.” As if to emphasize her point, she shook her ash-covered robe and held it up for them. The maidservants pursed their lips, clearly disgruntled at the additional work. Maxi supposed the castle must not have a mistress to discipline the staff. Grumbling, the maidservants left and returned with a tub full of water. Miriam, Elena, Sidina, and Anette took turns washing behind a partition. Maxi, meanwhile, mulled over Riftan’s actions while poking at the embers in the fireplace. Try as she might, she could not understand him. First, he gave her the cold shoulder after rushing to her rescue. Then he brought her food, after which he donned his icy demeanor again. Maxi gnawed her lip. Though she was exhausted, she was oddly clearheaded. I suppose… it would be difficult to get him alone tonight. Though she had absolutely no intention of following Anette’s advice, now that she was here, she could not help but feel disheartened. She hastily wiped away both her disappointed expression and thoughts. What on earth are you thinking? As she was furiously shaking her head, a freshly bathed Anette saw her and asked, “What’s wrong with you?” “I-It’s nothing.” Tossing the poker aside, Maxi grabbed her soap and a change of clothes and scurried behind the partition. She slipped out of her dirty garments and meticulously wiped her sweaty, soot-covered face with a wet towel. She was so grimy that the towel soon turned black. With a groan, Maxi soaped every surface of her body and furiously washed her hair. When she finally finished scrubbing herself clean, the others were fast asleep. She briefly mulled over what to do as she dried her hair. No matter how inappropriate, she did not want their reunion to end like this. At the least, she wanted to thank him for coming to her rescue. She cracked open the door to the guest room and peered down the dark corridor, then made her way to the stairs. When she reached the great hall, she found Riftan sitting at the table before the fireplace with Kuahel, Hebaron, and Calto. They appeared to be in a heated discussion about the movements of the monsters as there was a map spread before them. As soon as she saw them, shame over entertaining such indecent thoughts washed over her. Backtracking quietly, she meekly climbed up the stairs and crawled into her bed. The next morning, Maxi awoke as the fire was dying out. After huddling beneath the blanket from the draft winding through the room, she got out of bed to toss more wood into the fireplace. She then worked the bellows until the flames were blazing again. Soon, the guest room grew warm once more. After thawing her body in front of the fire, Maxi walked to the window to peer outside. The Viscounty of Sevron looked much better in the brightness of day than it had in the gloom of night. She stretched while gazing over the glistening roofs and lush fir forest. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Riftan, clad in a black coat, walking toward the stable. Her eyes widened. She flew into action, hastily washing her face and combing her hair. Awakened by the noise, Sidina raised her head from the pillow and yawned. “Is it morning already?” “It is still early. You can go back to sleep,” Maxi said imploringly. She wanted to be free from any interference. Sidina smacked her lips and dropped her head back down on her pillow. With a sigh of relief, Maxi threw on her cloak and slipped out of the room. When she descended the stairs, she saw that the great hall was even more appalling in broad daylight. Pinching her nose with one hand and tugging her hem up with the other, Maxi scurried out of the squalid hall. Once outside, she finally took a breath. I hope we won’t stay for too long… Shuddering in revulsion, Maxi made her way to the stable. She circled the castle and entered the dense fir forest. After some time, the large building became visible through the trees. She began sprinting toward it when something made her stop abruptly. It was Riftan, sitting nearby with his legs stretched out before him. Maxi’s eyes widened in surprise. He had his arms crossed and his eyes shut as he lay on Talon’s back. “Riftan? What are you do—” Riftan’s warhorse, Talon, was basking in the sun. When she tried to approach, he snorted loudly as if to warn her not to wake his master. Maxi shut her mouth. She held her breath for a moment and stood as still as a statue. When Riftan did not stir, she inched closer and crouched in front of him. With his long lashes drooping down and his mouth slack, he looked startlingly fragile and tired. Maxi felt her heart clench as she slowly took in the details of his face. He looked so cold and alone that all she wanted to do was to pull him into a warm embrace. Hugging her knees, she heaved a frustrated sigh. A gentle breeze ruffled his hair. Strands of it now pricked his eyelids, and a faint crease formed between his brows. After hesitating for a while, Maxi cautiously reached out. His warm breath tickled her wrist as she brushed the strands away. She flinched and stared down at his straight nose, then at his shapely lips beneath. On impulse, she leaned forward and gently kissed him. Riftan’s eyes opened, and Maxi froze. His black pupils boring into her were as lucid as if he had been awake all along. Faced with his inscrutable expression, Maxi felt a heat rise in her cheeks. When she tried to draw back, his large, leather-gloved hand latched onto her nape. Maxi moaned as his hot tongue pushed into her mouth. He pulled her onto his lap and deepened the kiss. His arms coiled around her waist like steel chains, pushing her breasts gently against his muscular chest. Captivated by his dark eyes, all she could do was gasp for air. It was as if she were holding a ball of fire. Relief, desire, and longing coursed through her veins as scorching heat. Clutching his clothes, she yanked him closer with all her strength. At that moment, she locked eyes with Ruth staring at them open-mouthed from behind Riftan.