Under the Oak Tree - Chapter 143
Chapter 143: Chapter 143
Although Maxi wanted to reassure Idsilla, she was afraid that doing so would attract attention. Her eyes swept over the faces of the women pressed against each other inside the rattling wagon.
Though their hoods concealed their faces, Maxi could tell that most were young women. They all looked tense, their bodies as rigid as rocks as they bumped against each other like pebbles in a sack whenever the wagon lurched.
Leaning further into the wall, Maxi looked out the window. Dozens of loaded wagons rolled out of the towering city gates in an orderly formation.
“How many days does it take to reach Serbin Castle?” Idsilla suddenly asked.
Though her voice was low, the wagon was so quiet that she managed to draw everyone’s attention. Maxi stiffened.
Selina, however, remained calm. “About seven to ten days.”
“It did not look so far on the map…”
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“It takes more time with such a large party traveling by wagon.”
They fell into silence once more. Only the rhythmic sounds of horseshoes hitting the ground, the rattling of wheels, and the occasional clanking of armor could be heard.
Maxi did not know how long she remained in that state of extreme anxiety, but the faint light of morning soon seeped in through the window. The columns of wagons came to a stop at a spot in an open field outside the city gates.
“We only just left. Why are we stopping?” Idsilla murmured.
It was clear that she was worried the march had stopped because their presence had been discovered.
“We are waiting for the knights from House Aren to join us,” Selina whispered reassuringly. “They say Duke Aren himself will take command of the party. We are carrying many provisions, so they are taking every precaution possible.”
At her words, Idsilla and the rest of the women in the wagon let out a sigh of relief. Maxi, however, went as white as a ghost. If what Selina said was true, then she would have to spend the next seven to ten days evading the duke until they reached Serbin Castle.
Maxi bit her lip. Though she wished to reveal this fact to the other two so they could deliberate on a plan, she dared not open her mouth for fear that one of the women might recognize her. Her impediment could easily give away her identity.
Maxi was so cautious that she did not utter a single word until the sun was high over their heads. When they stopped in an overgrown field for a late lunch, the female clerics stepped out of the wagon to help hand out the food. Since they were no longer the noblewomen of the group, Maxi and Idsilla were obliged to help.
They first distributed bread, cheese, and wine to the knights before passing some to the clerics. Next were the soldiers. It was only after all the men had received their rations that the women were able to gather on the riverbank to eat their meal.
Beads of sweat formed on Maxi’s nose as she busily moved about under the harsh sun. The insides of her robes felt like a sauna. Despite being flushed from the heat, throwing back her hood was not an option.
Idsilla, Selina, and Maxi crouched off to one side to eat their rations. The hard barley bread chafed the inside of Maxi’s mouth, and she tried her best to chew through it.
The knights from the House of Aren were stationed at the front and rear of the long procession. With her eyes downcast, Maxi shifted as she forced her food down. If she was careful, it was unlikely that she would ever encounter them.
Idsilla finished her meal first. After washing her hands in the river, she began complaining about the journey. “We are moving too slowly. If the people at the monastery find out we’re missing sooner than we anticipated, they might come after us. They’ll likely catch up if we keep moving at this speed.”
“D-Didn’t you say… you made arrangements?” Maxi asked in a barely audible whisper as she glanced about their surroundings.
They were far away enough that it was doubtful anyone could overhear, but Maxi was still cautious.
“I did, but as you know, plans can go astray.”
“What did you do exactly?” Selina asked through clenched teeth.
Idsilla shrugged. “I paid a few people to make it look as though we were returning to my home. I asked them to make it seem like we left in a carriage along with the other women at dawn.”
Selina snorted incredulously. “You cannot truly believe that you could fool the basilica with such a lousy scheme. They will see through it immediately.”
“If this were before the war, then they certainly would. But at present, the basilica is too preoccupied with other things to pay us any mind. If women who share our build and stature were to draw a veil over their faces and show the clerics our identifications, they wouldn’t suspect a thing. I even hired a coachman for the job.”
Selina let out a groan. “Does Lady Alyssa know?”
“My cousin is currently indifferent to all the happenings around her. She might find it odd that I left without a word to her… but she would believe it if the clerics confirmed it.” Then she added, “I can only pray that she does not come to her senses enough to suspect my disappearance and send word to my family.”
Selina had been scowling at Idsilla. She now turned her gaze to Maxi and said, “Will you be all right, Lady Calypse?”
“W-Well, I did leave a letter… explaining that I’ve accepted I-Idsilla’s invitation to stay at her home, but…”
The intended recipient of the letter was currently at the head of this party. After a moment of hesitation, Maxi professed the truth.
“D-Duke Aren… is actually the person acting as my… p-protector. He is an acquaintance of my husband, and was asked to look after me…”
A moment of tense silence passed. Selina clutched her head with a sigh, while Idsilla appeared deep in thought as she stroked her chin.
The girl reassured Maxi with her typical optimism. “Do not worry. I doubt he pays close attention to the female clerics. You should be fine as long as you’re careful when we distribute the food. We’re in the rear; it would be quite improbable for us to run into him.”
“D-Do you think so?”
Idsilla bobbed her head. “It worked out for the best, really. Things would have gone awry if the duke sent word to my family to confirm the contents of your letter. The clerics, on the other hand, would not trouble themselves to go that far.”
That sounded convincing enough to Maxi. Regaining a bit of calm, she finished off her bread. The campaign party set out as soon as everyone finished eating. Crouched in her tiny corner of the wagon, Maxi remained like that until sunset. Her whole body was racked with painful cramps, and she dripped in perspiration. All she could do was put a thick blanket under her sore buttocks and bear the discomfort.
By the time the party stopped to camp for the night, Maxi was thoroughly worn out by the rattling wagon. There was still work to do, however. While the soldiers tended to the horses and scouted the area, the women lit fires and prepared dinner.
Maxi followed the female clerics around the camp to collect dry twigs. Idsilla helped fill a cauldron with water before gathering rocks to build a fire pit.
Their tasks did not end there. They also had to prepare ingredients, cook the meal, and distribute it. It was only after they had done all this that they were allowed to have a bowl of soup and a potato before lying down near the campfire.
It was uncomfortable with only a single blanket separating her from the hard dirt, but she was in no position to complain. She fell asleep under a sky full of stars as her roof.
The next morning, Maxi woke with five mosquito bites on her fingers and calves. Ants crawled in her skirt, and her back was covered in dirt. She could not tell if she had gotten any sleep or just had her eyes closed.
In her half-awake state, she washed her face and climbed into the wagon once more. Their itinerary for the day was the same as yesterday; the wagons departed at daybreak, stopped at high noon for lunch, then set out again.
True to Idsilla’s assurance, Duke Aren took no notice of Maxi. Though she saw him scouting the area with the knights every once in a while, he never paid any attention to the female clerics. He was not the only one. No one else around them showed any interest either.
It helped put Maxi’s worries at ease and allowed her to adjust to life on the road. Of the two of them, it was Idsilla, surprisingly, who struggled to cope.
Although the girl never cried, she would toss and turn at night, unable to get accustomed to sleeping outside. The cramped wagon was also not kind on her tall stature, and she suffered more than the others.
“It might take us longer to reach Serbin Castle,” said Selina, sounding concerned as she regarded Idsilla’s pallid face. “I heard the knights talking. Apparently, they intend to take the long way to Serbin to avoid any dangers. Do you think you’ll be all right?”
“I am perfectly fine,” Idsilla stubbornly shot back. “I will adapt like everyone else.”
Idsilla’s pride was so strong that she found even their concerned gazes hard to bear. Even so, she did not refuse the cup of herbal tea Maxi brewed for her to help her sleep. It must have helped, for the next day her complexion improved ever so slightly.
They rattled along for seven days like loose pebbles rolling around the wagon. Each time it lurched, the fifteen or so women inside bounced up and down. When the wagon veered to change directions, the women careened to one side, crashing against each other. It was why they all had constant bruises.
Nevertheless, as they reached their destination, Maxi came to realize just how smooth and peaceful their journey had been so far.
The sharp sound of a pipe rang out across the ranks, and the wagon began to lurch forward at a dangerous speed. It shook as though they were in an earthquake before its occupants heard screams from all around them.
Maxi held onto the window to keep herself from toppling down and peered outside. Soldiers galloped ahead with their swords drawn. It did not take long to see why. Behind the thick haze of dust, massive, dark-green monsters charged right at them.
The monster horde shook the earth as they charged like a herd of frenzied bulls. The knights, evidently deciding that retreat was impossible, promptly halted the wagons and prepared for battle. The jolt as the wagon stopped threw the women on top of each other.
Slumped on the floor, Maxi trembled in fear. The gruff bellows of the trolls lashed out like whips.
The wagon door swung open.
“Grab your belongings and get off the wagon!” yelled a soldier.
The women remained sobbing and hunched on the floor.
“Now!” pressed the soldier. “We can’t cast a shield on all the wagons. When we have all of you in one place, we’ll cast a barrier to protect you. Hurry!”
It was only then that the women grabbed their bags and leaped out. The soldiers led the clerics to the center of the ranks.
Maxi barely managed to wobble after them, but her legs gave out in terror the moment she saw the dozens of trolls surrounding them.
If Selina had not been swift to steady her, she would have sunk to the ground. They reached the inner ranks where people huddled like sheep. It took everything Maxi had to squeeze herself among them.
When all those who could not fight were assembled, a hierarch immediately used divine magic to cast an incorporeal barrier around them.
Holding on to Idsilla, Maxi dizzily looked about. The scene outside the barrier was hell itself. Dark-green giants, at least two or three times bigger than the men, were clad in cast iron armor. They swung massive iron maces, sending soldiers flying like scarecrows.
Maxi screamed when she saw showers of blood splattering everywhere.
Though the knights charged and hacked at the monsters with astonishing speed, the trolls seemed oblivious to the damage. Maxi watched, her heart sinking, as their wounds healed in an instant.
Reading about the phenomenon and seeing it in action was completely different. She could not believe that humans were any match against such terrifying monsters.
When a troll began crushing soldiers’ mounts with an iron-spiked hammer, Maxi could not bear to watch any longer. She squeezed her eyes shut, suppressing the urge to hurl. Idsilla clung to her in terror.
At that moment, Duke Aren’s voice rang out.
“It’s reinforcements! Everyone, keep your wits about you!”
