“Leave it to me! There should be plenty in the southern caves,” Ulyseon cried, thumping his chest.
She smiled stiffly at Ulyseon’s enthusiasm. Ruth used his dagger to cut off the flopping tongue in one swift motion before handing the toad to Maxi. “Would you like to try it yourself this time?”
Maxi’s shoulders tensed. She wanted to shake her head, but she could not show any sign of weakness with the squires looking at her so expectantly.
In the end, Maxi squeezed her eyes shut and accepted the clammy toad. The cold and squishy texture made goosebumps rise all over her body. It was the worst thing she had ever touched in her life. She fought the urge to hurl the corpse away and flipped the toad over.
Ruth placed the dagger in her hand and pointed to a spot below the toad’s head.
“Now, drive the blade through here and create a long incision.”
Maxi hesitated, taking a deep breath before thrusting the dagger into the toad’s cold body. The skin was tougher than she expected, and her hand shook with effort as she pushed the blade in. Sticky black fluid began to ooze from the wound.
Thinking that it was over, Maxi was about to throw the toad away when Ruth mercilessly gave the next instruction.
“Please squeeze the toad now, my lady. We want enough poison to flow out.”
Maxi silently vowed that the next time she came upon the sorcerer sleeping, she would run him through with the kindling.
—
After Ruth left forthe construction site, Maxi was finally able to return to her chambers. She was thoroughly exhausted, and even though she washed her hands several times, she could not seem to rid herself of the slimy sensation on her palms.
She immediately cast off her clothes, soiled as they were with toad fluids, and scrubbed herself from head to toe in hot, soapy water. Her whole body still felt unclean afterward.
How much more of this appalling training must she endure? The sorcerer was not concerned with propriety, or even just her own personal comfort; he might bring lizards next, or venomous snakes, or spiders.
Rubbing the goosebumps on her forearm, Maxi decided that she would move on to the next phase of her training as soon as possible. Better to get it done quickly. For her to do so, however, she had to finish studying the basics.
After rinsing the soap off, she slipped into crisp new clothes and sat at the desk. She rummaged through the drawers and took out a book, parchment, and an ink bottle. Ludis walked in with a steaming cup of tea just as she finished arranging everything on the desk.
“A tea from Mage Ruth, my lady. Please try it.”
Maxi gave the maidservant a look of appreciation and took a sip of the warm tea. The bitter liquid had a refreshing scent that helped her forget about the unpleasant experience. Sipping the mandrago tea, Maxi began to peruse the dense textbook.
The day’s considerable mana use had tired her out, but this was not the time to dawdle. She intended to finish reading the entire volume that very evening so that she could persuade Ruth to teach her combat magic tomorrow.
About three minutes into her reading, a knock came at the door. The steward’s voice filtered through.
“My lady? It is Rodrigo. May I intrude for a moment?”
Maxi looked up from the desk and called for him to come in. Rodrigo entered and deferentially bowed his head.
“Forgive me for interrupting your rest, my lady.”
“I-It is all right. Is something the matter?”
“A message has arrived from his lordship. He said that visitors will be arriving and that they will be staying in the castle for about two days. I thought it best to inform you now.”
“V-Visitors? Do you know wh-where they are from?” Maxi asked, flustered.
Rodrigo grimaced. “His lordship did not mention which household they are from. Only that we are to prepare rooms, baths, and food for three knights.”
Maxi’s face fell. Had the king already sent his command for Riftan to dispatch his knights? The thought that these visitors might be royal messengers terrified her. It had only been three days since the news.
“Please do as his l-lordship has instructed…and preparerooms on the second floor. And please tell the k-kitchen to pay extra attention to the meal.”
“Yes, my lady.”
