UNDER THE OAK TREE

Chapter 302: Chapter 63

When Maxi came to, the setting sun had begun to tinge the sky red. She stared dazedly at the scarlet rays streaming in through an arched opening. Thick furs encased her, and the ground rattled beneath.

Realizing that something was terribly wrong, she frantically wiggled her arms to sit upright, but her limbs felt weighted like water-soaked cotton. Groaning, she managed to haul herself up. Her groggy mind slowly began to recount the moments before she had passed out. She stumbled onto all fours and crawled toward the canvas opening to look outside. A dusky plain bathed in twilight glided past.

Finally grasping that she was in a wagon, Maxi cried out in despair. How long had she been unconscious? Fear and confusion roiled within her, and she glanced left and right. She crawled closer to the end of the wagon as if to leap out.

They came to an abrupt halt. Maxi glared through her tears at the head that poked through the canvas.

“You’re awake,” Ruth said with a drawn-out sigh.

She glowered at him for his betrayal, then asked in a choked voice, “H -How long... have I been unconscious?”

“You’ve been out cold for a day and a half.”

Her eyes widened at how much time had passed. She focused her strength on her wobbling legs and tried to get up, but Ruth hastily rushed over and pushed her back down.

“You must lay down. That demented paladin paralyzed you with magic. Your body needs time to regain function completely. A lot of it, at that.”

“P-Paralyzed?” Maxi parroted.

Though she had guessed as much, she still could not believe he had gone this

Ruth seemed equally as shocked. He lightly gritted his teeth and said, “And he knocked the living daylights out of you. He overdid it, though, presumably because he’s only ever used the spell on monsters. It is why it’s taken this long for you to wake up.”

Before she could protest, Ruth pushed her back onto the bedroll. Her feeble limbs did not put up a fight as she helplessly flopped down. She felt drained even from those few minutes of sitting upright. Her emotions, on the other hand, were threatening to burst forth. She feared she would start screaming if she opened her mouth.

She was desperately trying to contain herself when an infuriatingly calm voice cut in.

“You should have her eat something, seeing as she’s awake. We’ve only been feeding her wine, so she will be weak from hunger.”

Maxi met Kuahel’s head with a glare, which only glanced off his wall of apathy. He stepped in and handed Ruth a bowl.

“Have her eat this for now. The wind mage prepared it. He said it was mandrago soup.”

Maxi’s tight rein over her emotions slipped when he turned around to leave. “Y-You have... absolutely no right to do this to me!”

Kuahel turned his head to regard her. “1 gave my word to protect the mages of the Tower. I had no choice but to stop you from recklessly throwing your life away.”

“W -What nonsense! D-Did you not abandon... Sidina, Master Geoffrey, and Master Albern at the drop of a hat?”

‘Which is why I had to prevent any more casualties,” Kuahel replied, his tone callously indifferent.

Unable to contain her rage, Maxi heaved herself up to a sitting position with shaking arms. She snatched the wooden bowl in Ruth’s hands and hurled it at the paladin.

It struck him on the chest before clattering to the floor. Half the contents had spilled when she swiped the bowl, so the damage was sadly minimal.

Kuahel gazed down at the bowl. “l shall bring you another portion.”

“I-I don’t need it!” Maxi shouted, her voice on the brink of tears. When Kuahel arched an eyebrow, she bit her quivering lip and croaked, “1 shall never forgive you... f-for doing this to me.”

“So be it.”

With that, he picked up the bowl and walked away. Once he was gone from sight, Maxi felt the last dregs of her strength drain out. Not wanting to sniffle like a fool in front of Ruth, she lay down with her back to him and held back her tears.

She heard a troubled sigh before he began tapping her back in a series of awkward pats. “Sir Riftan will return. He won’t make easy prey, nor will Sir Ulyseon. With the two of them, I’ve no doubt the others will be all right as well.”

“H-How can you be certain? Th-There is no food... or trees f-for wood around here!”

‘We’ve left food and horses in the cave, so I’m sure they will get by somehow,” Ruth replied with conviction.

Maxi glared at him in disbelief. “A-And who is going to look after the horses? Or if, God forbid, monsters eat those provisions and horses... what then? They would have no way to return to the ruins even if they do make it back! ”

“My lady, do not be so pessimistic,” Ruth replied, irritation creeping into his voice. “Sir Elliot has volunteered to wait for them at the cave for a few more days, so there is no need to worry.”

“S-Sir Elliot stayed behind?” she repeated numbly.

Her gut filled with relief and, despite Ruth’s assurances, worry. She was well aware of the dangers that lurked here. Though Sir Elliot was undoubtedly an outstanding knight, it was still too dangerous to be alone in a monster’s den without even a mage for healing.

Seeing her face clouding with concern, Ruth lightly clicked his tongue. “Do you really fear for the safety of a talented knight? Have you already forgotten that you tried to go to the monster city on your own?’

“B-But...”

A sudden wave of dizziness cut short her protest. Ruth pulled her blanket up to her neck and clicked his tongue again.

“Stop talking now. The dizziness is from being paralyzed for nearly two days. You need to stay down until you’ve recovered fully.”

“0-0nce I am better... I’m going to make that man suffer the same fate,” Maxi vowed through gritted teeth.

Ruth shook his head and stepped out of the wagon.

Maxi continued to feel lethargic throughout the next day. Though she had felt somewhat better upon first waking up, her limbs were as weak as an infant’s. Even walking was a strenuous task, let alone giving a Temple Knight a good thrashing. Riding was out of the question, dashing all hopes of slipping away to search for Riftan.

She could only glower resentfully at the man who had done this to her. She would have strangled him if she could. Of course, she knew that even in her best condition, there was no hope of landing a scratch on him.

Maxi stared out the wagon in despair. Tears welled in her eyes when she saw the Temple Knights riding gallantly on their horses. While she was being transported like lifeless baggage, not knowing whether her husband was alive, the paladins were trotting along as calmly as usual.

After sweeping a thunderous glare over them, Maxi sunk into a corner of the wagon and dropped her head to her knees. Riftan’s voice echoed in her ears.

I don’t want to put myself through that ever again.

She squeezed her eyes shut. She frightened him, he had told her.

Why had words failed her back then? Why had she been unable to tell him she would never leave him again? That she would not be able to bear it a second time either? Now, she might never get the chance to.

A groan escaped her as she clutched her head. She silently argued with herself.

That was not possible. He had promised to return unharmed, so he would surely come back to her without a scratch. No matter how many times she repeated this, it did not seem to dissolve her worry.

“Almost there!’

Nevin’s voice snapped Maxi out of her thoughts. She jerked her head up and craned her neck out of the wagon to look ahead. A dazzling white rock face towered over them.

She anxiously wet her lips. The Remdragon Knights would surely rush to the monster base to help Riftan, but there was no assurance that he and the others were still alive. Maxi promptly threw away the thought and mumbled under her breath as if to hypnotize her mind into obeying.

Riftan was the Dragon Slayer. He had to be safe. Something must have happened to keep him from returning.

The wagon soon came to a stop. As Maxi stumbled out, she spotted a figure striding toward them. Whoever it was moved with a supple grace that belied their hulking frame. Her eyes widened. It was Hebaron. He had come all the way from the ruins while they had been away.

Hebaron’s large, sharp eyes swept over Ruth, Maxi, Nevin, and the Temple

Knights before landing on Kuahel. “Where did you leave the others?”

“They failed to return,” Kuahel replied matter-of-factly as he dismounted.

Though Maxi would have gladly watched Hebaron punch the man, the knight merely folded his arms over his muscular chest and cocked an eyebrow. After a long moment, he tipped his head toward the tent.

‘Why don’t we head inside so you can explain?’

Slightly disappointed by his calmness, Maxi trudged toward the tent.

Ruth fell into step beside her, supporting her arm. “Did that cleric take you for an ogre? How strong a spell did he use on you to—”

“I-I can walk on my own,” Maxi said, stubbornly pushing his arm away and ducking into the tent. She loathed feeling like a helpless child.

As she teetered inside, Anette greeted her with a knitting of her bushy brows. “Are you hurt?”

Maxi’s eyes prickled with tears of joy at the sight of her friend. Immediately sensing something was wrong, Anette leaped to her feet and hurried over.

‘What’s happened?” She glanced questioningly at Ruth and Nevin, who had entered behind Maxi. ‘Where is Sidina? And Master Geoffrey? Master Albern?”

Nevin’s despondent look was all the answer Anette needed. Her face turned grave..