Under the Oak Tree

Chapter 205

Levan began to noticeably regain its vitality. The fruits on the trees began to ripen so lusciously that the refugees were able to work in the orchards and earn wages. The midsummer heat seemed to have placed a renewed energy into the city’s once gloomy atmosphere. Colorful summer flowers bloomed throughout the capital and flocks of waterfowl gathered in the river Krysamt, floating calmly through the flowing body of water.

Whenever Max saw these, as their carriage passed by, she imagined that this was what Anatol would be like now that summer was in full bloom. The lake that Riftan brought her to had also to be full of beautiful waterfowl, the wildflowers had to have already covered the verdant green fields were they rode their horses through and the orchards must have been full of grapes. It would have been wonderful if she could see the beautiful scenery with Riftan before the autumn season took over. When Max thought of paddling in the sparkling summer lake with him, her heart pounded with anticipation and longing.

“There have been a lot less these days.”

Alyssa’s murmurs snapped Max out of her thoughts. They were in the middle of picking herbs in the courtyard of the asylum, when she inclined her head towards Alyssa’s sunburnt face.

“W-What’s less?”

“The wagons that bring back the dead…”

Max’s shoulders shuddered as images of the bodies suddenly came to mind. She quickly pushed the thoughts aside and replied dryly. “Y-yeah… it’s been a few weeks… and they haven’t come yet.”

“That’s a good sign, right?” There was a glimmer of hope in Alyssa’s tone, but even though Max didn’t bother to reply, she continued, her voice mixed with pain and hope. “Perhaps, when the messenger returns, it will be about the end of the war. They always come with the news of victory.”

“Y-Yes… such news would be nice.”

Max did not allow herself to think positive, as she was afraid of being disappointed if she set her expectations too high. Although, in reality, she was also secretly thrilled to finally hear that the war had ended. Currently, the Allied forces were fighting to drive the monsters away from the northwestern territories, and they were fighting to retake the stronghold of Ethylene Castle in the northeastern region. They all claimed that if the battle there was won, the war would end.

Across the capital, everyone’s hopes were high on the news. Max, however, took it all in with a grain of salt, and couldn’t help feeling anxious. After all, the saying “the calm before the storm” carried weight.

“Let’s g-go inside now… this much is enough. We need to get ready to get back in time. The evening prayers… w-will commence soon.”

“Oh, is it that late already?”

Alyssa looked up at the sky and stood up slowly. Just in time, Idcilla called out to them with a lively voice.

“Hey you two! Come in and wash your hands! Everyone is ready to go back. If you don’t want the priests to scold you for being late for the evening prayer, hurry up!”

“We were just about to go.”

Alyssa grunted as she walked towards the entrance of the old building. Max gave a sour smile and followed the girl inside. Thanks to everyone’s contribution in the recent weeks, the old asylum had been completely transformed. The dusty, hardwood floors were now clean and polished, credits to their diligent sweeping and waxing. Carpenters were also hired to repair the roof, stairs, and windows. As a result, the place hardly resembled the old, crumbling building.

Max looked around the place for a moment, feeling a sense of pride, then went to the kitchen to wash her hands in the sink. She went out, fixing her hair and clothes, and saw the carriage and the guards already waiting for her. After promising the priests that they would return soon, they all got into the carriage.

“When should we visit again?”

One of the ladies sitting across from her asked excitedly. After pondering for a moment, Alyssa replied with a sigh.

“Maybe in a week. The priests have asked us to refrain from going out for the meantime.”

“Why? The security has improved a lot lately.”

“There are many merchants coming from the south, and the priests believe that they are pagans of polytheistic faith, worse than the refugees. The priests were very reluctant to accept their help and have always seen them as barbarians who cause nothing but trouble.”

Idcilla spoke in her characteristic poignant tone and Max replied with a frown.

“That is not true. Their knowledge… are much more advanced than the west. All the healing techniques I have learned… were based on knowledge coming from the south.”

“You must not say that in front of the priests.” Alyssa warned her with a serious expression. “Although the priests in Levan are Protestants and tolerate the existence of magic… they do not accept paganism. If you openly advocate polytheists, you will be rejected.”

Max recoiled at the prospect. “I’ll be…c-careful.”

As the carriage made its way from the outskirts and onto the main road, Max looked out and found herself in excruciating fatigue. Just as they entered the temple courtyard, a loud trumpet came out of nowhere. The noble ladies who were dozing off against the walls suddenly woke up, startled by the sudden sound, and they all flocked to the carriage window. Max poked her head too and saw the sea of people parting before an armored knight rushing down the road like the wind.

“Is it a messenger?”

“I-I think so.”

Max responded and her face hardened. The ladies also exchanged glances and trembled with both anxiety and anticipation.

“Maybe it’s news that the Ethylene Castle has been reclaimed.”

Alyssa exclaimed with a jubilant smile, but Max was skeptical. Seeing that a gentleman was sent to deliver the message in a hurry, it couldn’t be good news. A sinister chill ran down her spine, and she shuddered at the hideous weight of anticipation. It was Idcilla who sprang into action and ordered the coachman to hurry through the partition.

“Please hurry back to the temple! We need to know what news the messenger brought!”

The carriage clattered across the yard immediately, and Max grasped the coin in her hand so tight that her knuckles turned white. She could only pray for good news. However, her high expectations were immediately shattered as she entered and sensed the tense atmosphere inside the temple. The priests were in deep discussion with each other when they got out of the carriage.

A priest approached them to welcome them. “Welcome back. We have decided to cancel the evening prayer tonight. Please return to your rooms and rest.”

On impulse, Alyssa reached out and grabbed the priest’s arm who was turning to leave. “We saw the messenger arrive. Did something happen?”

The priest turned to look at them, feeling uncomfortable by the atmosphere, and explained. “I suppose it is better to let the ladies know now. It will become very difficult to serve the noble ladies who will be staying at the monastery from now on. For those who wish, they can communicate with their families and return home.”

“What does that mean? Please explain it to us!”

The priest only sighed at the cries of frustration coming from Idcilla. “It seems that the tides have turned, the monster army has spread all the way to the northeastern border that connects with Balto.”

A moment of deathly silence seized them, and everyone’s anxious breathing could be heard. Alyssa staggered as if she was about to faint and was quickly caught by the priest.

“Please don’t worry too much as the situation is not as serious as it seems. The point is, this war is going on indefinitely, and requests have been made to send a support unit and supplies. The temple plans to send a large number of servants of people to help the men in battle. Therefore, the living situation in the monastery may become incredibly dire for the ladies. It may be better to go home to your families…”

“Are you telling us to go home because we are a nuisance?” Idcilla continued to exclaim fiercely.

Alyssa was startled with her rude tone and scolded her. “You did not come here to demand to be cared for!”

“…First of all, keep calm and go back to your rooms to think about it. We will also pass this message on to the other women.”

Just as Idcilla was about to argue again, the priest quickly scuttled out of sight. Max looked at the back of the retreating priest in devastation. Her expression was clearly distraught and her stomach was in tight knots and tingled like she had swallowed needles. The other ladies collapsed into the nearby seats with bewildered expressions.

“He said that the situation is not that serious, so everything should be fine, right?”

“He’s probably trying to reassure us. If it’s not serious, why would they be trying to get rid of us?”

Idcilla’s anger only served as fuel for her fear, and each and every one of them returned to their bedrooms pale and exhausted. Max also stumbled backward and collapsed onto her bed helplessly. If she had known that the pain and anxiety would be so great, she would have never followed Riftan there. If she had stayed in Anatol, she would not be consumed by such extreme and paralyzing fear and apprehension. After witnessing the casualties of the war with her own eyes, her sanity was put to the test.

The peace of mind that she had finally achieved while working at the charity had now been completely crushed, and the nightmares returned. When she got up the next morning to see the other women, it was clear that they suffered all night like her. They trudged into the chapel like ghosts, physically and mentally exhausted. As she crossed the garden, the priests were rushing around, paying no attention to them. It seemed they were busy preparing to send a support unit for the war.

Max was completely distracted while looking at them, when suddenly, someone tugged on her arm. Idcilla clung to her with a finger to her lips, motioning for her to follow her silently. Max could only follow with a puzzled expression. Idcilla moved her behind the pomegranate orchard, and looked around to make sure they were alone, before she finally spoke.

“I’m sorry for suddenly dragging you here. I need to talk to the lady secretly about my plan…”

“W-what’s going on?”

Max asked, filled with concern at the hesitation that was uncharacteristic of the girl. Unable to suppress her intentions, Idcilla divulged everything rapidly.

“After yesterday’s happenings, I couldn’t stay put. So, I went to speak to the priests and priestesses to see them personally, and according to them, the backup support unit will move northeast and move towards Servin Castle. They’re thinking of supporting the allied forces from there.”

Max could only blink questioningly, as she did not understand why Idcilla was secretly telling her such information. Seeming her questioning expression, the girl hesitated for a moment, then continued.

“As the name suggests, the backup support unit will provide assistance from the rear. They must take care of the wounded and do random tasks such as preparing meals for knights, washing clothes, identifying the deceased, and helping with the transport of bodies. Since most of the men have left, this unit will probably consist primarily of priestesses.”

Slowly sensing the motives for this conversation, Max swallowed a lump in her throat, and waited for Idcilla to finish before assuming. The girl inhaled deeply and spoke fiercely with determination.

“I will be sneaking in and joining the priestesses.”

Max’s mouth fell open and she immediately threw thoughtless objections. “T-that’s ridiculous! It’s t-too dangerous.”

“I am the daughter of a knight. I know how to protect myself. Besides, we won’t be doing in the front lines, we’re just helping with the chores from behind. It’s not that different from what we’ve been doing for the asylum now.”

“It’s completely d-different! You’re traveling to a war zone…”

When Max’s voice raised unconsciously, Idcilla quickly reached over to cover her mouth. “Please, be quiet. If Alyssa finds out about this, she will drag me home by the hair if she has to.”

Max thought she needed to inform Alyssa immediately about Idcilla’s reckless plan, but as if she could read minds, she narrowed her eyes.

“I trust the lady and confided my plan only to her. The lady wouldn’t do anything to betray my trust, right?”

“… Idcilla, really, please r-reconsider… you’re only e-eighteen…”

“I have been an adult for two years now. As I am an adult, I can take responsibility for my own decisions.”

Note – LF: WELP; “I’m not gonna do it girl… I’m just thinking about it…”

Nymeria: And in the next chapters we’re gonna have the “I did it” ending, I can already feel it in my bones lol