Riftan shot Ruth an icy glare before turning to Maxi.Seeing her anxious expression, Riftan ran a hand over his face, then begrudgingly stepped away from the entrance.
“Fine. We’ll discuss this inside,” he muttered.
“Oh, how very kind of you,” Agnes quipped as she strode into the tent.
Bewildered, Maxi followed them. Seeing her confused expression, Agnes gave Maxi an apologetic smile.
“I am sorry if we startled you,” the princess said kindly. “I’m afraid we lost our tempers while we were discussing where you should be accommodated. You know how obstinate this man can be.”
“My…accommodation?” Maxi asked, nervously looking back and forth between Agnes and Riftan.
Riftan glowered. “It is my prerogative to decide where my wife stays, Your Highness. You have no say in this.”
“I am the commander of the coalition forces of Wedon,” Agnes shot back. “And since Lady Calypse is also a subject of Wedon, I do have a say in this matter!”
“She is not a mage dispatched by the kingdom!”
“Which is why I’m offering her the position!”
“J-Just a moment!” Maxi cried out, bringing an abrupt end to the shouting match. “Could someone please…explain to me wh-what is going on?”
Ruth had been standing with his back to Maxi throughout the exchange. Evidently deciding that neither of the commanders would be able to give Maxi a clear explanation, he sighed and said, “It’s simple, my lady. You joined the support unit disguised as one of Livadon’s female clerics, but you are no longer able to continue as such. Which is why the idea that you be formally introduced as one of Wedon’s mages came up.”
Maxi gaped at him. “A-An official mage?”
“No need to feel daunted, Maximilian,” the princess said quickly when she saw Maxi’s frightened face. “It will only be a titular position. Your duties within the camp will largely remain the same.”
Maxi gave her a dubious look. “I-If nothing is going to change…is this complicated formality r-really necessary? I do not m-mind staying with the female clerics—”
“And you think I would allow such a thing?” Riftan growled through gritted teeth. “Damn it! The fact that you were forced to stay in such a place is enough to make my blood boil. Is this your way of mocking me?”
“That’s why it is no longer an option for you to stay with the female clerics,” Ruth muttered dryly. His shoulders sagged as though he was exhausted, and Maxi surmised that Riftan must have given him quite an earful.
“At the moment, your position within the camp is ambiguous at best,” continued Ruth. “Since you can no longer claim to be a female cleric, Sir Riftan and Princess Agnes have been arguing over the suggestion of conferring you with a position as one of Wedon’s mages.”
“As I mentioned, your tasks will mostly be the same. The only thing that will change is that you will now tend to the wounded as a healer of Wedon and not a female cleric of the basilica,” Agnes explained in a gentle voice. “You might think it unnecessary, but affiliation matters greatly in an army camp. Soldiers from Livadon, Wedon, Osiriya, and Balto are currently gathered here at Eth Lene. The men are in disarray because the lines of command are a mess. If a problem were to arise without us making your affiliation clear, none of the kingdoms would be able to offer youprotection. You have been receiving the protection of the basilica’s soldiers until now, have you not?”
Maxi nodded.
The princess gazed at her. “Now you must allow Wedon to protect you.”
“I will protect my wife!” Riftan spat, apparently reaching the end of his patience. “I don’t need you meddling in my affairs.”
“Do you intend to stay by her side all day, Sir Riftan?” Agnes retorted cynically, crossing her arms. “And when you are required on the battlefield? What then? Are you going to confine her to your tent? Stop being so stubborn! This is a war, and a war has no need for a noblewoman. If Maximilian remains at this camp as your wife and not as a mage, both of you will become a laughingstock.”
“Let them say whatever they want,” Riftan hissed. “I’ll do my part in this war, but that doesn’t mean my wife has to do the same!”
“But I…want to sh-share your burden,” Maxi interjected. “I-I do not want to be a liability. I wish…to accept Her Highness’s offer.”
Riftan pressed his lips together. She had only just managed to placate him, and now she could see him growing as cold as ice once again. But she could not back down.
“If you recall…I served as a h-healer in Calypse Castle as well. I don’t see h-how this is different,” she insisted. “I won’t overwork myself…so please stop opposing the idea w-without giving me a chance. I know I can do well.”
Riftan’s lips narrowed into a thin line as his eyes bore into Maxi’s face. She saw his gaze darken.
“Fine. Do as you wish,” he replied coldly. “You’re going todo what you want regardless of my objections anyway, so I would rather have someone watching you from the start than have you hoodwink me again.”
Maxi winced at his reproachful tone.
