UNDER THE OAK TREE

Chapter 303: Chapter 64

‘What on earth happened?” said Anette. “Don’t tell me the others are....”

“I was just asking about that,” Hebaron said from his perch on an empty liquor cask.

His barbed look landed on Kuahel Leon as the paladin entered the tent. Shrugging out of his damp coat, Kuahel handed it to the Temple Knight behind him and settled across from Hebaron. He was about to launch into his explanation when Calto, Celric, and Miriam burst in. Their faces were pale, having already heard about their companions who had not returned.

“It would seem they ran into trouble,” Calto remarked after sweeping his solemn gaze over those gathered in the tent.

In the span of a few days, the elder’s face had become gaunt. Though he was now nothing but skin and bone, his dignified manner was the same as ever. When he lowered himself in front of the fire, silently demanding an explanation, Kuahel began a monotonous account of events. The Temple Knight’s bland tone infuriated Maxi to the point of having to keep herself from screaming.

Though she knew he had done the right thing, she could not help but resent the man’s calmness. Riftan, Ulyseon, Sidina, and the other mages were trapped somewhere near the monster city. Had he shown even a sliver of guilt or hesitation, she would not have been so incensed.

After glaring at Kuahel, Maxi bit her lip and hung her head. The sight must have tugged at Anette’s heart, as she made Maxi sit by the fire and draped a blanket over her shoulders.

Until then, Miriam had been wrapped in patient silence. “How could you return without the others?” she burst out. “Shouldn’t you have gone to their aid when they didn’t return on the agreed day?”

“And endanger those remaining?” Kuahel retorted, looking at Nevin and Maxi.

Maxi sprang to her feet, ready to bellow at the man to stop pretending he had done this for them. A wave of exhaustion barrelled into her out of nowhere, and she sank onto her chair. She clutched her forehead as dizziness blurred her vision.

Hebaron’s calm voice cut in, “Do you think the monsters discovered the scout party?”

“We cannot discount the possibility,” Kuahel replied bluntly. “If they have, they will start a search around the city. We left many tracks during the investigation, and while we did our best to cover them, they may see through it if we’re unlucky. At worst, they might chance upon us here.”

“Then we must leave at once,” Hebaron muttered, stroking his heavily bearded cheek

Taken aback by his cold response, Maxi turned her head to him. She had expected him to declare a rescue mission for Riftan and Ulyseon. Lost for words, she was opening and closing her mouth when Miriam spoke.

“I can’t believe this! You want us to abandon the others? And you call yourselves knights!’

“Watch your tongue,” Kyle Hager, Hebaron’s aide, warned frostily. “Our commander is among the missing, so why would we not want to find him?”

“Then why don’t you?”

“Miriam, we simply do not have the resources,” Celric said calmly. “If the fight were to drag on for weeks, we would all starve. And what of the cold? The only reason we were able to conserve coal and magic stones was the hot spring, a possibility that’s not viable near the monster city. We would lose the means to keep warm in just a few weeks. More than that, we do not know whether they are still alive. Even if they are, they will be out of food by now. Do you think they will last long enough to be rescued?”

As she half-listened to the exchange, Maxi felt the strength drain out of her. Their words confounded her even more than Kuahel’s callousness. Having reassured herself all the way here that something could be done once they got back to the ruins, her fellow mages’ heartless arguments plunged her into despair.

“W-We must still try!” Maxi said, choking on the words.

Though she wanted to sound as dignified as possible, it spilled out as a plea.

“I-I am not suggesting we rush into battle. I’m sure we can manage... to send a small rescue party. W-We can at least find out what happened to them. W -We cannot just abandon them like this!”

Hebaron looked down at Maxi’s desperate face with sympathy, then turned to

Kuahel. “Did you detect a tail on your way here?”

Ruth answered right away. “l used magic to monitor a wide radius while we traveled, but I didn’t detect any signs of pursuit. ‘

“That means the chances of our presence being discovered are low.”

“Let us avoid jumping to conclusions,” said Kuahel. “The monsters have only to ask themselves how the humans were able to find their city, and they will naturally think of this plateau. They may send forces to investigate. I would rather not believe the Ayin race are monsters of such intelligence, but it is not improbable if you consider their actions till now.”

“Only if the scout party was discovered,” Hebaron said in a grave voice.

A brief silence fell over the tent.

Hebaron searched Kuahel’s face, then probed, “You said earlier we can’t exclude the possibility of them having been discovered. Does that not mean there are other possibilities?”

Faint lines creased Kuahel’s smooth forehead. He furrowed his brow and slowly nodded. “Correct. Something might be preventing them from returning even though they avoided detection. They could be laying low because they are in danger of being caught, or they’ve found something that has forced them to continue their investigation. ”

“The latter seems more probable,” Hebaron said, twisting his lips into a smile. “I know our commander. He’s not one to make mistakes. And a man of his capabilities would’ve found a way to escape, monster’s den or not. At the very least, he would have ensured a few of his party got free. The fact that weVe heard nothing means there must be another reason.’

Maxi latched onto that hope. It only lasted a moment, taken over by the fear that a potentially worse fate loomed. She looked at Hebaron in terror.

“There is nothing more dangerous than optimism on the battlefield,” Kuahel said, effectively dousing cold water over their hopes. “I’m aware of Calypse’s capabilities, but we do not know what lies in that city. Something might have transpired, something even he could not handle. The best way to avoid further sacrifice is to assume the worst and move accordingly.

Leaning his brawny form toward the paladin, Hebaron angrily shot back, “Us heading back like this comes with its own risks. If the monsters have twigged our presence, they will prepare their city for an invasion. That would make this war a hell of a lot more difficult. We must at least send a team to monitor the monsters’ movements.”

“We will think of a solution as befits the situation at the time. Stay here, and we lose all advantage. All the information we’ve gathered will be lost, and the

Western Continent will be left helpless against an invading monster army.”

“Then we will divide the party.”

All eyes flew to Calto. The elder swept his gaze over their faces and solemnly continued, “Both sides have a point. It is crucial we keep monitoring the monsters’ movements and safely inform the church of our findings. Finding out the fate of the scout party is likewise a priority. I propose we go our separate ways. Half of us to deliver our findings, the other half to remain here.” “But our provisions—”

“The returning group will have to come back with a supply contingent,” Calto cut Celric off, raising his chin. “Please go to the nearest city and bring back supplies as soon as possible. The rest of us will remain to monitor the monsters and search for the scout party. Of course, if our presence has been discovered, we will have to leave. Let us decide on a route now to ensure that we cross paths should we need to turn back.”

Kuahel weighed Calto’s suggestion. Praying silently, Maxi kept her eyes fixed on his lips. Soon, the Temple Knight sighed.

“Very well. We will divide the party.”

The group promptly made preparations to leave. With the possibility of discovery looming over them, they decided it would be safest to depart as soon as possible. The mages of the Tower stowed all of their records on a baggage wagon, and the knights swiftly dismantled the tent and the stable.

While everyone was occupied, Kuahel and Hebaron sat across from each other to divide the provisions. The task was not without friction. Their heated voices floated over from time to time.

Removed from the bustle of activity, Maxi merely stared out at the snow-covered hill. Icy wind blasted her from all sides, but she did not feel the cold. In fact, she felt as though she were being roasted alive. Though Hebaron’s optimism had given her a glimmer of hope, the situation was still dire. She kept staring over the snowy plain despite the eye-drying cold. Clasping her hands in prayer, she squeezed her eyes shut. Her body felt numb with anguish.

I should have fought to go with him.

She should have never agreed to be separated from him. After all, she had become a mage in order to stand at his side. Someone who could be of use to him — that was who she wished to be. Not someone who needed protection.

She wanted to break free of this crippling anxiety and fight beside him in any way possible, no matter how inadequate her skills. She wanted to face every danger with him, even if he did not wish it.

Maxi bit her lip as tears flowed down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them away, fighting back the sobs that rose in her throat. Though Riftan had told her he would do anything to be with her, his version of that sentiment excluded any moment of hardship. He stubbornly kept her from the slightest hint of danger,

insisting on tackling it by himself. All he wanted to share with her were peaceful, pleasant moments.

But suffering and sorrow were parts of life as well, and Maxi wanted to live all aspects of it together. Whirling away, she fought to keep the tears from welling past her bloodshot eyes.

She could not lose him like this. Not ever..