“Come in.”
He brushed past as she stood at the threshold and peeked inside. A conch shell–like spiral staircase was at the center of the dim, humid room. Ruth already had a foot on the bottom step when he paused, turning to look back at Maxi. “What are you still doing there, my lady?”
Giving up hope of a proper explanation from the sorcerer, she went back to trailing him. They ascended the spiral staircase in silence. About two-thirds of the way up, Ruth came to a stop.
“This is it,” he said, pulling at a worn door handle. Maxi looked warily about the room and frowned. It stank of acrid smoke, pungent medicine, and moldy parchment.
“Th-The room has an unpleasant smell.”
“What a rude thing to say about someone’s sanctuary,” Ruth grumbled, moving to open the window. “It is just a bit stale because I have not aired the room in a while, my lady.”
Bright sunlight streamed in, and Maxi blinked at the dizzying scene before her. Every inch of the workshop seemed as if it had come straight out of a storybook. Strange tools and dioramas littered the floor. Shelves tightly packed withancient tomes covered one whole wall, while another was full of medicine vials and small jars.
“I have prepared explanations on a few magic runes so that you can study them on your own while I am away, my lady,” Ruth said as he kicked some of the items in the entryway to one side, then gestured for Maxi to come further inside. “I did my best to lay them out easily…but I am not sure if you will find them to be so.”
After a moment of hesitation, Maxi entered the room, tiptoeing around the mess on the floor. Ruth handed her a tall stack of parchments.
“Please take a quick look at them and let me know if you do not understand anything.”
“D-Did you bring me here…so you could give me this?”
He nodded. “You are free to read any of the books in this room while I am gone, my lady. Just make sure to never take them outside this tower. These books are far more valuable than those in the library, so it would not do for any to go missing.”
Contrary to his words, the books did not seem looked after at all. A layer of white dust caked most of their covers. Maxi narrowed her eyes at the mess. “If they are so valuable…please take b-better care of them.”
“I do not see what the problem is as long as they can be read,” Ruth answered flatly. He picked up several books from one of the piles and placed them on the desk. “I have selected some titles that should be helpful for learning defensive magic, so please read them whenever you can. This is an illustrated book on herbs, and…well, somewhere, there is also a primer on anatomy from the south. It is not translated,but if you commit the illustrations to memory, it will be useful for when you have to heal people. Southern medicine is much more advanced than ours, so their books are always worth referring to.”
After his muddled explanation of the books, Ruth started pointing at random vials on a shelf.
“The salve in the red jar is for external wounds. Applying this after cleaning the wound should protect it from infections and help it to heal faster. The syrup in this vial reduces swelling. The leaves in that sack can be used for fever and toxins, while these dried roots not only help restore mana, but also aid in replenishing one’s energy. And this—”
“H-Hold on! P-Please slow down.”
Maxi dug out a parchment and quill from his desk and began frantically scribbling everything down.
“This powder should be familiar to you, my lady,” Ruth barreled on without pause. “It is a coagulant made by grinding the dried leaves and roots of a cucumber plant and mixing it with a dash of flour and herbs. I’ve prepared an ample supply, but you could try making it yourself with this recipe if you run out. Precision is key, so use the scale to measure the ingredients accurately. I’ve also written down other remedies that are not too difficult to make, so please read them whenever you can.”
Ruth placed a small scale, sachets of pre-ground herbs, and the pages of recipes onto the desk. Maxi glanced up from her hastily scrawled notes with a worried expression.
“D-Do you think…we’ll be needing so much medicine?”
“There is no way of knowing, my lady,” he said with a shrug. “As you’ve already experienced, there is a limit tohow many people you can heal with magic. It’s always wise to be prepared. Now, pay attention, because this can be a bit tricky….”
As he showed her how to use the scale, Maxi took meticulous notes. She was aware that Ruth had a lot on his plate, but it was apparently more than she had imagined. The burden of having to fill his shoes suddenly weighed on her shoulders.
“I think I’ve managed to explain everything to you, my lady,” he said eventually. He paused to stare pensively at the ceiling with his arms crossed, before reaching into his pocket. “Here, let me give you the key to the tower. None of the items here are particularly dangerous, but try not to touch anything except for the books and the herbs.”
“I shall k-keep that in mind,” Maxi replied, cautiously taking the key from him.
An awkward silence fell over the room. Ruth looked embarrassed as he scratched at his messy hair. He cleared his throat and said, “I leave Sir Riftan and the other knights in your care, my lady. They are reckless fools who think they are invincible, so it worries me to leave them behind.”
Maxi smiled faintly. She knew how much Ruth cared for Riftan and the knights. After all, was it not because of his sincere concern that he took the time to make sure that she could look after them in his stead?
“You need not worry about Anatol. Take good care of yourself,” Maxi said as brightly as she could. “You will be the one…t-toiling away after all.”
“That is true,” Ruth said, his shoulders sagging as if the reality had only just sunk in. “I suppose I will not be sleeping in a bed for a while.”
“You r-rarely slept in one anyway,” said Maxi, shaking her head incredulously. “At least…try to sleep in a w-warm bed tonight, and do not skip supper. I have asked the cook to prepare a special f-feast…so be sure to come dine with us.”
