Fuming, Maxi grabbed the hilt.
Not only was she unable to lift the sword, but she could barely keep it upright. Surprised by the unexpected weight, she tightened her hold until her knuckles turned white. She thankfully had not dropped it, but her arms were shaking as if they were about to break. Her face grew red with the effort.
The tip of the sword shakily rose an inch off the ground.
“S-See? I told you I could lift it.”
“You call that lifting?” Riftan clicked his tongue. “Give it here. You’ll hurt yourself.”
With that, he took the sword from her as if it weighed no more than a feather, propping the weapon up next to the bed in one fluid movement. The immense difference between them left Maxi stunned. How could one person be that strong?
“Are swords…usually that h-heavy?”
“Mine is much heavier than the average bastard sword. Even I had a hard time wielding it at first.”
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he poured the boilingwater into a basin. After soaking a towel, he began wiping himself down.
Maxi took a change of clothes from a chest and placed it next to him. “May I ask why the earl…s-sent his knights here?”
Riftan nodded calmly as he wiped the back of his neck. “He sent his men to request an alliance. It seems like he’s having a tough time dealing with the growing number of monsters.”
“An alliance?”
“He’s offering to pay in return for the Remdragon Knights helping him stamp out the monsters. He has also offered to actively support my construction project.”
Maxi inwardly released a sigh of relief that the knights were not here to conscript Riftan after all. “Do you intend to…accept his offer?”
“I told them that I would think about it. It is not a bad offer, but I’m still not sure it’s worth dividing Anatol’s troops for….”
“Because…y-you might have to leave for another campaign soon?”
Riftan paused his bathing to look at her.
Maxi rushed to add, “I heard that m-monsters…are raiding people in the north, and that…the Remdragon Knights might also be called to join the f-fight against them.”
“Who gossiped to you about that?” Riftan asked, his voice sharp.
Maxi hunched her shoulders. “I accidentally overheard it…while I was treating the scout.”
She did not mention that Ruth had given her a morecomprehensive explanation after that. It would only subject him to unwarranted ire.
Riftan clicked his tongue once more and tossed a towel on a chair. “We do not know yet if we will have to join the campaign.”
“If…the king were to send a command…” Maxi swallowed past the lump in her throat. Though Ruth had already told her that it would be another knight who would be leading the campaign, Maxi still wanted to hear Riftan confirm it. “W-Will you be…leading the knights?”
He watched her as if he were trying to figure out the intention behind her question before slowly shaking his head.
“No. I intend to send Ursuline or Hebaron in my stead.”
“I…I see.” Relief blossomed over Maxi’s face, and she did not try to conceal it.
Riftan cupped her cheek. “Do you dislike the thought of me leaving?”
Maxi looked up at him nervously, worried that the truth might annoy him. She chose her words carefully. “I feel…more at ease wh-when you are here, Riftan. So do…the people of Anatol.”
“I suppose so.” Disappointment briefly flickered in his eyes, but the vulnerable look disappeared behind his usual impassive facade before Maxi could say anything. He tossed the towel around his neck into the washbasin. “I have no intention of leaving Anatol. Since I have left it unattended for so long, I plan to do my utmost to fulfill my duties to this land from now on.”
“Even if…King Reuben summons you?”
