“This is where we part ways with the Remdragon Knights,” the princess said. “Would you like me to call Riftan for you?”
Her eyes still hazy with sleep, Maxi gazed at the knights lined up on the golden-brown field. At the head of the group,Riftan removed his helmet and held it at his side. The wind whipped at his black hair.
She waited for him to ride over to the carriage, but Riftan remained motionless atop his imposing black horse. He merely gazed impassively at the coach. Remembering his violent trembling the night before last, Maxi could not bring herself to ask for him.
She slowly shook her head. “N-No. We have already…said our goodbyes.”
The princess regarded her for a moment before signaling for the party to set out again. Staring forlornly out the window, Maxi tried to imprint his receding figure in her mind. As the carriage moved farther and farther away, Maxi felt a deep shadow engulf her heart.
You’ll come to get me soon, won’t you?
She implored him earnestly with her eyes, but she saw no answer on his face. Maxi clutched the copper coin. For a brief moment, she thought he would come after her as he had in Levan when he had given her the coin. This time, however, Riftan remained as still as a stone on the field.
Maxi tried to blink away her tears. A crisp breeze that smelled of autumn tugged at the Remdragon Knights’ cloaks as they faded into the horizon.
Before she knew it, the most tempestuous and painful summer of her life had come to an end.
—
It appeared that the coalitionarmy had truly succeeded in driving the monsters north this time. Not once was the return party attacked on their journey back to Levan.
In retrospect, Maxi could have simply been unaware of anambush. She had slept like a corpse during the length of the journey. It was a new day each time she opened her eyes. Yet her tiredness stubbornly remained deep in her bones no matter how much she slept.
She felt as powerless as a newborn. Magic could not heal the symptoms of mana depletion, so there was nothing she could do except wait for her body to recuperate on its own.
After more than ten days of doing nothing but eating and sleeping, she was finally well enough to walk when they arrived at Levan. As soon as she stepped out of the carriage, she went straight to retrieve Rem from the basilica. The mare had been neglected for nearly two months; she snorted and stamped her hooves the moment she saw Maxi.
Ursuline leaped forward to take the reins. “She’s likely disgruntled from being locked in the stables for so long. Try to keep your distance until she calms down.”
Maxi nodded and backed away. The icy knight no longer looked at her with disdain, but Maxi still found their interactions difficult. Ursuline skillfully soothed the agitated horse, then glanced at Maxi’s complexion.
“Since the weather is good, I think we will be able to sail back to Wedon without delay. Is there anything else you wish to take with us?”
Maxi swept her gaze about, trying to think. “N-No…”
Although she wanted to say her farewells to the noblewomen who remained at the basilica, she had told them she had gone to stay with Idsilla at one of her family’s villas. Not wanting to cause problems for her, Maxi opted to leave as discreetly as possible.
They took a carriage to the port, where a ship bearing the royal insignia of Wedon awaited them. Maxi slowly climbedaboard with Elliot’s assistance, leading Rem. Princess Agnes had been supervising the soldiers transporting the luggage, and she rushed over to Maxi as soon as she spotted her.
“Maximilian! You look pale. You could have asked the soldiers to retrieve your horse for you….”
Maxi shook her head. “I am a-all right. Abandoning her…was weighing on my mind all this time.”
She gently stroked Rem’s mane. The mare snorted and shook her head, clearly still sulky. A small smile tugged at Maxi’s lips as she watched the horse huff and prance in place.
Agnes drew Maxi toward the stairs at the center of the ship. “Now, come this way. The servants will take your mount to the stables. It’s time for you to take your remedy and get some sleep.”
“But…I’ve been doing n-nothing but sleep.” Maxi’s brow furrowed slightly. She did not like being treated like a child.
The princess smiled as if to placate her. “You aren’t suffering from simple mana depletion, Maximilian. You even used the mana you were born with. Simply put, you poured out your life force. It will take a while for you to fully recover. You shouldn’t push yourself for the time being.”
Elliot, who had been quietly standing beside Maxi, nodded in agreement. “You should do as Her Highness suggests, my lady. You do not look well.”
With a sigh, Maxi obediently descended the stairs. The princess led her to an opulent cabin fit for a king. After eating a small portion of porridge and drinking brewed mandrago root, Maxi lay on the bed. Shortly after, a trumpet blast announced their departure.
Maxi thought back on the events that had occurred overthe past few seasons. Everything felt like an extended dream. Her desolate life at Croyso Castle, her eyes opening to a new world at Calypse Castle, and all the hardships of a war campaign…It astonished her to realize just how dramatic her stagnant life had become after her reunion with Riftan.
Only after I met you did I learn what it’s like to be alive….
