Maxi swallowed the dry lump in her throat. Three days from now, she would be able to see Riftan. Her heart swelled uncontrollably. They had only been apart for a few months, but she felt as desperate as if they had not seen each other in years.
“It is not something to be happy about,” Ruth said stiffly when he saw the blush spreading on her cheeks. “There is a high chance that kobold and red goblin bands are still lurking in the area. The monsters will undoubtedly try to steal our provisions and weapons. It will be a hard journey.”
Maxi gulped. “B-But…we will have the Temple Knights with us…and I heard the kn-knights under Duke Aren are also known for their prowess in battle…. W-Won’t they be able to keep us safe?”
“Even the Temple Knights will find it difficult to protect every single person in a party of this size. There are bound to be casualties—” Ruth cut off his grumbling when he saw Maxi’s face blanching. He sighed and scratched the back of his head.
“I seem to have made you uneasy. My intention was to caution you to stay alert. Always be prepared to cast a barrier, and try to stay close to me at all times.”
Overwrought, Maxi could only nod in response, and Ruth swiftly went off to another tent to treat the rest of the patients. Dispelling the fear that swirled in her heart, Maxi tried to focus her attention on preparing emergency herbs.
Before long, the time of their departure for Eth Lene Castle arrived. The female clerics rose at dawn to move the wounded onto the wagons and begin packing their supplies. When they were done loading the herbs and utensils onto the carts, they helped the soldiers pack away the tents.
Dripping in sweat, Maxi had to load one heavy bag after another onto the carts. After three or four hours of such labor, the women were finally able to board their wagons.
Ruth had wanted to join them, but the objections of the female clerics forced him to ride with their male counterparts. He clearly felt uncomfortable with the arrangement, and he barraged Maxi with incessant warnings right up until their departure.
“My lady, you are currently a mere cleric. No knight here will risk his life to protect you,” he said seriously. “You mustn’t do anything reckless. If anything happens, you must come to me immediately.”
After repeatedly giving him her word, Maxi finally managed to get him to leave her side. She huddled next to Idsilla and fiddled with the hilt of the dagger hidden beneath her clothes. Although she doubted she would be able to wield it properly in the face of a true threat, knowing that she had a weapon made her feel better. Even so, as she watched the knights protectively surround the wagons through the window, she prayed that she would never have to use the dagger.
It was a long procession through the ruined city. When the last of the support unit had left the city walls, the wagons began to pick up speed. Maxi strained to keep herself from tumbling inside the rickety vehicle.
Evidently too tired to do the same, Idsilla asked with an apologetic look, “Forgive me, but do you mind if I lean on you? My back hurts too much….”
Maxi gave her a reassuring smile. “Not at all. F-Feel free.”
With a look of gratitude, Idsilla snuggled next to her. The girl had grown markedly thinner in the past few days. It was not surprising considering they were only given leftovers at the end of each day’s hard labor.
Maxi discreetly felt her own waist. Although she seemed to have gained some muscle on her arms and legs, her body was generally thinner. She fantasized about soft, buttery bread, savory goose stew, sizzling grilled lamb, and pie filled with sweet jam. When the war was over, she intended to prepare a feast back in Anatol with Riftan and do nothing buteat for a whole month. She was now confident that she could finish off a whole chicken by herself.
The lurching wagon seemed to rattle her very skull, and Maxi endured the rocking by focusing on her pleasant daydreams.
Contrary to her fears, the journey was uneventful. After riding for half a day without rest, the party stopped at a dense forest to eat before immediately setting out again.
It was only as their ears started to ring from all the rattling that the long march finally came to a stop. They had arrived at an open field that would serve as their campsite for the night.
After checking the condition of the wounded men with the other female clerics, Maxi ate her meager dinner and fell asleep on the grass. The next day, the party was once again back on the road before dawn. On the third day of traveling without rest, the wagons halted without warning.
Maxi, who had been nodding off with her head against Idsilla’s, jerked awake from the violent tremor that shook the wagon. Wondering if they had already arrived, Maxi looked out the window and saw that they had stopped in the middle of an empty plain with no trees in sight.
Perplexed, Maxi stuck her head out the window and then stifled a scream. Soldiers at the head of the party were fighting a swarm of monsters with red skin.
“Red goblin attack! Remain inside the wagon!” a knight cried out when he saw Maxi.
Startled, Maxi pulled her head back inside the wagon. The female clerics looked terrified as they held on to one another. Idsilla locked her arms around Maxi, and Maxi hugged her back as her eyes nervously darted about.
Was it truly safe for them to remain inside? She was overwrought with anxiety when she heard the thunderous pounding of hooves, followed by an eerie silence.
Maxi barely contained the urge to look out the window. She did not know how long she remained huddled with the other women, but the wagon eventually began to move again as though nothing had happened.
“Do you think it’s over?” one of the women whispered.
Maxi swallowed hard. “It…It appears so.”
Before Maxi could stop her, Idsilla threw back the curtain covering the window and cried out to the knight riding next to them, “What’s happening? Is it over?”
“It was over in a flash,” the soldier said proudly, puffing out his chest. “The Remdragon Knights were guarding the area, so we were able to subdue the monsters without any major casualties. We have nothing to fear now that we have two reincarnations of Wigrew with us.”
