“You must be tired,” Agnes remarked with a grin when she noticed Maxi’s lukewarm reaction.

Maxi flushed. “N-No. In fact, I feel bad… that I was able to travel in comfort while everyone else could not.”

“Nonsense. Have you forgotten that you’re a patient? Traveling by carriage for so long is no easy task either.”

Leaning an elbow on the window sill, the princess let out a small sigh.

“I considered staying near the ports until you fully recovered, but I thought it best to have the royal healer take a look at you as soon as possible…”

She trailed off, her long fingers tapping the sill.

Maxi frowned when she saw the princess’s dark expression. Maxi had received the utmost care throughout their journey from Eth Lene Castle to Drachium. Two maidservants and a healer had been with her at all times on the ship, and she had done nothing but sleep in comfort on a lavish cot prepared inside the carriage.

In truth, Maxi found it all rather excessive. She felt uncomfortable whenever the princess treated her like a gravely ill patient.

“I’m just… feeling a I-little listless,” Maxi said awkwardly. “I’ve rested well for weeks… and I’ve been taking my curatives on time. I-I really am all right now.”

“Even so, I still want a skilled healer to take a look at you, Drachium Castle has a high mage from the Mage Tower who is learned in the healing arts of the Southern Continent. I’m sure he will be a help to your recovery.”

Maxi was about to speak again but gave up when she saw the princess’s determined expression. There was no reason for her to refuse. Though she was wary of the princess’s scrupulous care, Maxi meekly bobbed her head.

“Oh, you can see the castle now.”

Agnes pointed out the window at a magnificent, light-gray castle built entirely in the ancient Roemian style. Maxi stared at the distant spire that rose like a giant’s spear above the pointed, red brick tile roofs. Though Drachium Castle was not as opulent as her father’s, Maxi could tell at first glance that it was bigger.

The carriage rolled past the crowd who had gathered to watch the procession. When they entered a large, circular courtyard, the soaring bell tower of a church and the arched castle entrance came into view.

The soldiers atop the walls turned the pulley to raise the iron bars over the entryway. Maxi peered out the window at the knights on their warhorses filing through the gate.

A vast garden lined with shrubs greeted them as the carriage finally entered the castle grounds. Maxi’s eyes grew wide. The castle itself was far bigger than she had imagined.

Despite having spent twenty years in Croyso Castle, considered one of the most opulent structures in the west, she could not help but be astonished by the grandeur of Drachium.

“First, we must present ourselves to the king, then I’ll take you to my palace.”

When they finally reached the castle, the princess leaped out of the carriage before the servants could even get to the door.

Maxi regarded the princess’s outstretched hand with a troubled expression. “Y-Your palace?”

“My residence is a detached palace behind the main castle. The use of magic is prohibited inside castle walls, so His Majesty had it built a fair distance away. It was his gift to me on my thirteenth birthday. Now then, shall we get going?”

At the princess’s urging, Maxi reluctantly took the offered hand and stepped out of the carriage. Ursuline and Elliot let out a sigh at the sight.

‘Your Highness, please allow us to escort Lady Calypse.” “Maximilian is my guest. It is only right that I tend to her.”

Ignoring the troubled knights, the princess led Maxi toward a flight of stairs. Bewildered, Maxi followed the princess. They stopped before a pair of imposing doors inlaid with hundreds of glass windows.

A row of royal knights clad in steel plate armor stood guard in front of the oval entrance. Inside, servants dressed in expensive silks greeted them. The royal guards and mages in the princess’s entourage followed her as she strode through.

Maxi glanced around the strangely quiet hall. Beautiful statues stood between stone pillars, and golden chandeliers on the arched ceiling illuminated everything below. They passed through the lavish foyer and stopped in front of the audience chamber.

“Her Royal Highness, Princess Agnes Drachina Reuben, has returned with her royal guards!” announced the servant standing at the entrance.

The arched mahogany doors swung open to reveal a red carpet leading up to the King of Wedon sitting on his throne. He was dressed in intricately embroidered silk, with an impressive cape made of leopard fur draped over his shoulders. His expression was one of boredom, and he sat crookedly on the throne. For a man hailed as a wise leader, King Reuben Ill looked far too cold and uncaring.

His demeanor was nothing like what Maxi had expected. He had a regal yet enigmatic air about him. A lion’s mane of dirty blond hair stuck out beneath his crown, and his golden beard was unkempt. His skin appeared astonishingly smooth and firm for his age, Something about him reminded Maxi of a lazy cat.

The king handed a roll of parchment to the official next to him. Both of his broad hands were bedecked with rings, which he outstretched in greeting.

“At last, our prized treasure has returned safely. A warm welcome back to our upholders of honor.”

“Your Majesty. We have returned from our voyage having successfully carried out your commands.”

Princess Agnes approached the throne and knelt to kiss the hem of the king’s cape, which stretched down to the dais. The royal knights and mages also got to their knees to pay their respects. Maxi hastily followed suit, bowing her head.

The kings languid voice rang out above her head. There was a touch of displeasure in it.

“Raise your heads. You know I prefer to have conversations face to face.”

Not wanting to be insolent, Maxi threw furtive glances about her and only looked up when she saw Ursuline and Elliot do the same.

Leaning his elbow on the throne’s armrest, King Reuben Ill swept an indifferent gaze over the people knelt before him.

His husky voice was low as he said, “It seems you have lost many of your numbers.”

“A third of our forces are still in Livadon as the war has yet to end completely.”

“Who remains?”

“The Remdragon Knights and most of the knights from the western and northern regions of the kingdom, Your Majesty. All of them should be back within a month.”

The kings golden eyes passed over the knights before stopping abruptly on Maxi. Maxi gulped, certain that her heart would stop. The king was strangely intimidating despite his easygoing manner.

“If I’m not mistaken, is that not the armor of the Remdragon Knights?” Ursuline and Elliot promptly bowed their heads again at the king’s address.

“I am Elliot Charon of the Remdragon Knights, Your Majesty.”

“And I am Ursuline Ricaydo of the Remdragon Knights, Your Majesty. We are here following Sir

Riftan Calypse’s orders to safely escort Lady Calypse to Drachium Castle.”

“Lady Calypse?”

The kings keen eyes fixed on Maxi. A brief moment of terror flashed through her.

She gulped and managed to calmly state, “I-It is… an honor, Your Majesty. I am Maximilian

Calypse.”

“Hmm.”

King Reuben’s golden eyes instantly grew cold. Maxi felt as though she were kneeling in front of a lion wearing the guise of a human. He stroked his curly beard as his lips twisted into a frown.

“So, you are the reason for that impudent knight’s repeated rejections.”

Icy tension instantly fell over the audience chamber at the king’s barbed words. Maxi blanched and hurriedly bowed her head. Agnes quickly came to Maxi’s defense.

“Father, Lady Calypse is a mage and the greatest contributor to the battle at Eth Lene. We rushed her to the capital because she was gravely injured during the battle.”

“How interesting.”

Contrary to his words, King Reuben’s expression seemed disinterested.

“Riftan Calypse is the pride of Wedon and our most favored knight. It wouldn’t do for us to neglect his wife. We will make sure you have everything you need, so make yourself at home.” Maxi fought through her shaky voice to reply. “I-I thank you for your generosity… Your Majesty.”

Like a cat grown bored of its toy, the king looked away from her and gracefully waved a hand at his subjects.

“I do wish to hear more, but it would be cruel of me to hold you here when you’ve just returned from an arduous war. You can give your reports later. I will order a lavish banquet tonight in your honor.”

The official jotted down the king’s command and handed the parchment to a waiting servant, who rushed out of the audience chamber. The return party bowed to the king in unison and quietly left the room. Maxi waited until the doors shut behind them to start breathing again.

Seeing Maxi’s ashen face, Agnes gave her a wry smile. “His Majesty has a nasty habit of making others feel ill at ease. He was only trying to get to you, so don’t worry too much about it, Maximilian.”

Her reassurance did not help Maxi feel any better. After all, King Reuben was the very man who had wanted Riftan to divorce her and marry the princess. It was only natural that the king would consider her a thorn in his side. Maxi anxiously bit her lip.

Ursuline, who had been silently observing her, spoke up. “You need not worry. The king is a benevolent man, he would never harm you out of spite.”

Maxi gave him a cryptic smile. Nothing about the king had seemed benevolent to her. As if reading her mind, Agnes chuckled.

“He might be ill-tempered, but he is fair in his own way. He would certainly commend you when he learns of your contribution. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell him.”

Outside the main castle, they once again climbed into the carriage. Drachium Castle was vast enough to fit a small village. They passed through a chapel, a large military training ground that could easily accommodate more than ten thousand men, and a dense forest of elm trees.

By the time Maxi finally got to her room at the princess’s residence, she was thoroughly spent. Her accommodation was a spacious and comfortably furnished bedchamber overlooking an orchard and a reservoir.

“Why don’t you lie down and rest while I get the healers for you?”

“Th-There is no rush, Your Highness. You must be t-tired from the journey as well…”

“I promised Riftan that I would provide you with the utmost care. I’m doing this for my own honor, so never you mind.”

The princess quickly returned with two female healers. Maxi lay stiffly on the bed, blinking up at the ceiling, while the women studied her complexion and pressed different spots on her abdomen.

One of the healers asked her questions before brewing a decoction of more than a dozen herbs in a ceramic kettle.

Maxi dubiously eyed the foul-smelling black tonic. “What k-kind of… remedy is this? I-I’ve never seen any of these herbs before…”

“It aids recovery,” the princess quickly answered for the healer. “Rest assured that all of the herbs that go in it are of great benefit to the body.”

Maxi wanted to inquire further but held back. The princess would be just as exhausted. Closing her eyes, she gulped down the bitter tonic. The healers continued the strange treatment regimen, placing a pouch of heated stones under her blanket and applying a strangely-scented oil to her hands and feet.

They were almost finished when an unfamiliar voice sounded outside the door.

“Please pardon my intrusion, but I come to answer the princess’s summons…”

Agnes turned and called for the person to come in. The door opened onto a scrawny man in his mid-forties. He wore a dark gray robe, and his unkempt beard bristled as he strode into the room.

“I heard some imbecile managed to squeeze out every bit of mana in their body. So, who is it?

Let me see this fool. I’ve come prepared with a good sermon.”

“Simon, I will not tolerate any rudeness.”

The princess gave the man a stern look, but he remained unperturbed. The man named Simon snorted and turned to regard Maxi with critical eyes.

“Clearly not a pupil of the Mage Tower. Might I ask what kind of dimwit taught you magic to make you think it was all right to do something so foolhardy?”

“1-1…”

“Simon.”

The mage pursed his lips at the warning in the princess’s tone and pulled a chair next to the bed. ‘Yes, yes, I understand. She is an esteemed guest, so I will stop my nagging and assess her condition. Please give me your hand.”

When Maxi hesitantly reached out, the man took her hand with bony fingers. She felt him infuse her with a bit of his own mana. Maxi shuddered as the cold energy seeped into her body. He continued to infuse her for about ten minutes before releasing her with a sigh.

“You’re not as gravely depleted as I first suspected. Even so, I’m going to prescribe at least a month of bed rest.”

“She will make a full recovery, then?” said the princess.

The mage blinked his owl-like eyes and heaved another sigh. “Yes. In her current condition, her body will naturally recuperate on its own. However, she must not use magic until she has fully regained her energy, or it may lead to permanent damage.”

“W-What do you mean… by permanent damage?”

“It could decrease your lifespan,” said the mage, his voice low.

Maxi flinched. The mage crossed his arms, his expression growing grave as if to convey that this was not an exaggeration.

“All beings are born with mana inside them, but mages are able to gather the mana present in nature at will and make it their own. It is our bodies’ inherent mana that serves as a magnet to store this additional mana. Not only did you drain yourself of your surplus, you’ve also used a portion of the energy every human must retain at all times. It is an act that cuts short one’s own life.”

“I-It was not intentional. It was a dire situation… a-and I only did what I could…”

The mage sighed at her mumbled excuse.

“Well, you certainly aren’t the first mage to act recklessly in battle, my lady,” he muttered bitterly. He shook his head and rose to his feet. “At present, your body is as feeble as an infant’s. That is the reason you’re constantly drowsy. Let your body have as much sleep as it demands so you can regain your energy. You mustn’t exert yourself until you are completely well.”

Maxi nodded. After dispensing more instructions, the mage left the room. Finally, when the princess and the healers left as well, Maxi was able to rest.

Even after arriving in Drachium Castle, all Maxi did was eat and sleep like an infant. From time to time, she would drink the tonic brewed for her by the healers, or allow a cleric to infuse her with restorative magic. Although it appeared that the main castle hosted a banquet every night, Maxi never stepped outside the princess’s residence. Not only was she always tired, but she was not in the mood for noisy gatherings.

Even though she was now free from life in a war camp, she still felt utterly dispirited. Riftan’s pained expression tormented her, and she was sometimes gripped by the fear that he may have lost all affection for her.

Whenever such thoughts hounded her, Maxi sought solace in sleep. Her body was simply too drained for her to torture herself with self-deprecating thoughts. She watched the hours go by like a goldfish floating in a fishbowl.

Approximately two weeks later, news of victory arrived from Livadon. The coalition army had advanced to the Pamela Plateau and completely annihilated the monster army’s main camp. Loud celebrations erupted in Drachium Castle and across the capital.