Maxi watched in bewilderment as Ulyseon ran into the dark entrance of the annex. Moments later, the squire came back out holding a large pail. Ruth took it and opened the lid, giving a satisfied nod.
Wondering what on earth it could be, Maxi peeked over his shoulder. The pail was full of what seemed to be reddish mounds of flesh. Maxi recoiled.
“Wh-What is that?!”
“They are special little helpers for practicing detoxification magic.” With an impish grin, Ruth reached into the pail and drew out a palm-sized creature. It was a large, rust-colored toad with black spots dotted on its back. Maxi shuddered as the black legs of the dead toad dangled limply.
“What…do you intend to do with them, exactly?”
“A common training technique. The black-spotted swamp toad excretes a potent poison. After practicing with a few of these fellows, you should be able to neutralize most toxins easily.” Ruth waved the dead toad as he spoke, and the sight of the creature’s slimy legs flailing made Maxi’s stomach turn.
She backed away, wishing she could turn around and flee, but Ulyseon and Garrow were watching her with intense curiosity. She could not bring herself to run, not after exaggerating her past encounters with monsters to make them believe that she was brave.
Maxi pushed down her revulsion and desperately tried to appear calm as she asked, “Wh-What…sort of t-training will we be doing with that toad, exactly? Y-You…are not planning on poisoning people with that, are you?”
“Of course not,” Ruth said with a snort, dropping the limp toad back into the pail. “Who on earth would agree to cooperate in such a barbaric training method?” He turned to the squires. “Could one of you get me some water? It doesn’t have to be in a pail. A basin, brass bowl, pot…anything will do. Just make sure to fill it.”
Garrow perked up. “I’ll do it.”
While he went inside the annex to fetch water, Ruth placed the toads onto a tree stump one by one, counting them. Maxi was on the verge of heaving.
“Thirty-one?” Ruth cried out in amazement. “How did you manage to catch so many in a single day?”
“We used a dead rabbit as bait, though a bird would have worked just as well. Place the body on top of a net near the edge of the swamp, and then these little fiends will flock to the corpse,” Ulyseon explained proudly. “When enough of them have gathered, all you have to do is yank up the net to get them in one fell swoop.”
“What an excellent idea!”
Ruth showered Ulyseon with praise, and the conversation turned to discussing how best to gather toads, salamanders, and various poisonous insects. Maxi tuned it out, inwardly grumbling to herself that she did not care to know something as unnecessary as how to catch swamp creatures.
“Will this be enough?” Thankfully, Garrow had returned with an overfull pail that sloshed water with every step he took.
Ruth took it from him and gave a satisfied nod. “Perfect.”
Maxi watched him warily. After placing the pail next to the stump, Ruth picked up one of the toads. He then took out a small knife from his bag and drove the blade deep into the toad’s back. Black fluid oozed from the wound and dripped into the clear water.
“Now, my lady, try to purify this water.”
“You want me to…detoxify the water?”
“That is what I said, yes. This is a method frequently used by mages to master the skill.”
Maxi kept her eyes fixed on the pail. The viscous fluid spread over the water’s surface like ink. When she reluctantly hovered her hand and tried to call her magic, she felt a faint resistance. She cocked her head. This was different from working on a person; normally, she would draw the rune above the wound. Where was she supposed to draw the rune for this?
After watching her struggle in silence for quite some time, Ruth offered a piece of advice. “Try to infuse your magic from the outside and work your way in until you reach the center. Once you get the hang of it, it will be easier than casting magic on a person.”
Following his instructions, Maxi slowly let her magic flow in from the edges of the pail. A blue glow radiated from her palm and began purifying the dark ichor that was clouding the water. After about ten minutes, the contaminated water was clear once more.
To Maxi’s horror, Ruth dipped his finger into the pail and tasted it. Thankfully, he seemed unharmed as he said, “Well done, my lady. The only flaw was that you wasted too much mana, but that should be rectified with more practice.”
“We are…going to keep doing this?”
“You must do it again and again, my lady,” Ruth replied firmly, picking up another dead toad from the stump. “The squires have gone to the trouble of catching these fiends for us. Don’t you think we should put each and every one of them to good use?”
Her face pale, Maxi stared at the heap of toads. Did he really expect her to do this thirty more times? Her shoulders slumped when she noticed Ulyseon looking proud of himself, oblivious to Maxi’s dismay.
“Feel free to use them all, my lady,” he insisted. “We can catch more for you whenever you wish. After all, it is a knight’s greatest joy to be able to serve a lady.”
“It would be much appreciated if you could bring us some long-tailed lizards next time,” said Ruth, once again waving around a dead toad as he spoke. The creature’s long tongue slid out of its mouth and Maxi barely managed to contain the urge to vomit.
