After mashing restorative herbs, mandrago roots, and honey in a large pot, Maxi cautiously asked, “Is there…a-a way to quickly increase one’s mana?”
Ruth had somehow managed to capture a whole pot of purple lizards. His head snapped up from inspectingit.
In an attempt to conceal her desperation, Maxi added nonchalantly, “W-Wouldn’t I be more helpful…if I had more mana?”
“You are already doing extremely well,” Ruth said flatly.
Maxi frowned at his insincere reply. “P-Please take me seriously. If my abilities improved…it would surely lessen your burden.”
Ruth sighed as he poured the essence he had extracted from the lizard skin into a vial. “My lady, you are already showing fast progress. Do not be impatient. You must take the time to increase your mana gradually. Rushing the process would overtax your body.”
“E-Even so…isn’t there a special training method or a way…th-that is only taught to the mages of the Mage Tower?”
Ruth scowled at her persistence. He was about to chide her when a female cleric came bursting out of the tent. It was Nora, a cleric Maxi had gotten to know while carrying out their healing duties together.
Nora hastily ran over to Maxi. “Sister Meg, I think Lloyd’s wound has reopened. Could you come take a look?”
Maxi quickly put down the pot of herbs and rose to her feet. The heat inside the infirmary was stifling, and the air smelled faintly of blood and pus.
Maxi scowled. The stench of illness refused to dissipate even though the women cleaned the tent and washed the patients every day. After passing through the cots, she spotted the bulky soldier named Lloyd with blood dripping down his back.
She crouched down to inspect the wound. Therecovering lesion appeared to have reopened when the stitches had ripped from the man trying to move.
Maxi gave him a reproving look. “I t-told you…that you mustn’t move yet.”
“I was feeling much better. I thought it would be all right,” he mumbled despondently.
Picking up a clean scrap of linen, Maxi wiped the blood dripping from the gash. Ruth, who had followed Maxi into the tent, peered over her shoulder to examine the wound. He then gently pushed her aside and plopped himself down on the floor.
“Allow me to take care of this,” he instructed. “I think it would be better to remove the stitches and heal him with magic than to stitch him up again.”
Maxi hesitated. “But…you’ve already healed s-sixteen people with magic.”
“No need to fret. I still have enough mana. Could you bring me some clean cloth? Oh, and a small pair of tweezers, please.”
Nora quickly brought him the items. After skillfully removing all the stitches, Ruth cast healing magic over the wound. The lesion disappeared without a trace.
The soldier, who had been forced to lie on his side for weeks, joyfully clasped Ruth’s hand. “Thank you, master mage! I will never forget this kindness.”
Ruth halfheartedly waved a hand as though he found the soldier’s gratitude bothersome and rose to his feet. Maxi followed him and cautiously studied his tired face. She knew how taxing the usage of mana was on the body, and she was worried that Ruth might collapse.
“Are you not o-overworking yourself?” she asked timidly.
Ruth shook his head. “This much I can handle, and a day of rest should be enough to restore myself.”
He scrubbed his sweaty face with water from a pail, and Maxi quickly handed him a towel.
Ruth let out a long sigh as he dried himself. “How many immobilized patients do we have left?”
“Twenty—n-no, there should be about eighteen of them.”
“Then we should be able to depart tomorrow.”
Maxi stared darkly into the tent. Though their wounds were mostly healed, the majority of the men would be weak from weeks spent restricted to their cots. She was worried that they might not be able to endure the arduous journey to Eth Lene Castle.
“How far…i-is Eth Lene Castle from here?” she inquired.
Ruth thought for a moment. “It would take a day to get there if one were to ride without rest. But for a party of this size, it will likely take several times longer—perhaps about three days.”
