Under the Oak Tree - Chapter 274

I was able to come down the mountain before the night deepened, but the village, which was my destination, was empty. It seemed that they had all migrated to the South a long time ago. They looked around collapsed fences and nearly collapsed houses and quickly touched some of the most robust-looking buildings.

The castle knights quickly overlaid the collapsed roof with leather bags and then added boards to the walls to create a temporary accommodation, and the wizards chased rats and spiders out of the building used as livestock, pushed horses in, and took water and water. In the meantime, Riftan, along with his men, rebuilt the collapsed fence and set fires everywhere to prepare for attacks by the animals.

“I’m going to stay for only one night. Do I have to do this?”

Ruth, who was installing a temporary defense magic around the fence, grumbled with an annoyed face. Riftan glared at him, shaking off his thick eyes that clung to his face.

“If you don’t want this to be your last night, don’t worry about it.”

“But there are 19 high-ranking wizards in this expedition! Why should I be the only one here doing this?”

“That’s up to your uncle.”

Hebron, leaning against the fence and sipping wine in the bucket, mumbled and said.

“The world’s top wizards pretend they don’t hear us when we talk. You’re in with a traitor.”

Ruth closed her mouth with a pinched face and began to paint magic on the floor silently. However, as the wind became stronger and the snow became thicker, he was nervous, tearing his head out as if it were boiling inside.

“Oh, my God, what the hell is going on here?”

He looked up at the dark black sky and lamented, then turned his head to the Riftan, perhaps thinking of something.

“Now that you mention it, Mrs. Calyps seems to have been awarded the Earth Property Magic. I’m sure you’ve learned all kinds of defensive magic from the World Tower. If you ask him to help you with your work, he’ll be done in no time….”

“Ruth Serbel.”

Lipptan looked into the dark forest and lightly moistened his throat with wine in a bucket. Then he added in a soft voice.

“Do you want to die?”

“…I knew it wouldn’t work, but I said it once.”

“Shut up and work if you’ve eaten the mana stone of Suffend.”

Riftan spouted coldly and picked up a torch hanging by the fence to look around the perimeter of the line. And he walked slowly out into the darkness and looked at the floor and branches for signs of evil or beast, and Hebaron, who followed him, hung an arm on his shoulder and bowed.

“Captain, there’s a cabin a little far from the accommodation, so I’ve instructed Garow to keep it clean.”

The liftan stopped tall. Hebaron had not shaved for days, so he stroked his shaggy cheek.

“I won’t let anyone around me get away.”

“…just search properly in time for useless things.”

Riftan shook off his arm fiercely and looked around the forest again. But his consciousness was disturbed, and nothing more came into his sight. He spat out abuse in his heart and swept his hair roughly. Hebron followed him slowly and kept scratching his insides.

“It’s because I feel really bad watching the captain hold it in. For a man who has been waiting for his wife to return for three years, this situation is too harsh.”

“…do you have to crush your jaw to shut it up?”

Hebaron raised his hands to surrender. Riftan stared at him, then turned around and started walking again. But the words he had thrown echoed in his head.

Riftan looked around the completely dark mountains for a moment and returned to the ruined village. The snow was growing stronger, and the knights looked resolute, but he could feel their fatigue.

Riftan found Ruth by tilting the torch, which seemed to be extinguished by the strong wind, into the fence. He was warming up against the fire, his back against the fence. Even if the fire mana stone was used, it was not possible to completely block the cold, and his complexion was paler than usual. Riftan stared at his face and asked bluntly.

“The defense magic is to install everything and fool around, right?”

“I’m done, so let’s stop wiping!”

He shouted like an angry cat.

“If there’s no high-ranking junk like Serpend here somewhere, we’ll survive one night or so.”

“Good for you.”

Riftan answered calmly and moved to Elliott’s place. He was directing the knights to build sharp bars around the fence. It won’t do much for big animals, but it can somehow prevent cannibal wolves and hungry animals from jumping over the fence.

Riftan, who was watching the knights hammer a long iron skewer with iron spines into the ground to form a line of defense, said to Elliott.

“That’s enough. Ruth says she’s got a shield, so make sure you’re at least on guard and everyone’s at rest.”

“How many security guards do you need?”

“It’ll be enough for about three people to take turns.”

“We’ll stand guard.”

Lipptan turned his head to the sudden voice. The black robe-covered chief of the Knights of St. Mary’s was walking slowly toward their line of defense with six men.

“This is our job. I don’t mean to owe you.”

The Knight said, flashing green eyes reminiscent of reptiles. Riftan frowned.

“What a useless opportunity. You’ve used up a lot of divine power today, so you’ll need a break”

“A considerable amount?”

The knight’s slender eyebrows wiggled up. I knew from a long time ago that he was quite belligerent and self-respecting unlike his appearance, but it was annoying to bite on the tail of his words today. Riftan shrugged as if to do as he pleases and turned to Elliott.

“Did you hear that? You’re going to take care of your troubles, so make sure you take a break on your own.”

“All right.”

Riftan immediately turned to the accommodation. The world’s top wizards were not seen to have already entered the makeshift shelter for relaxation.

He looked around the shed where the lights were coming out. Then, he found a small shape carrying a piece of firewood and stopped walking. Lovar stomped next to her for the firewood, but she didn’t seem to care. Looking at her bravely walking, Riftan rubbed her face roughly with one hand.

“You son of a gun…”

He struggled to turn around, swearing at Hebron. If she didn’t do that, she would be snatched away and dragged anywhere.

As if to shake off the intense temptation, he went into the building farthest from which she entered and sat down in front of the brazier. An attendant quickly followed him to take care of him.

He waved his hand down to help him take off his armor and ordered him to bring a cup of ale. I had to refrain from drinking as much as possible during the expedition, but I didn’t think I could get through this night safely with my sober mind. His patience was on the verge of breaking.

Lifftan gulped down the bone-chilling ale and roughly stole his lips with his sleeve. I expected her taste and aroma to fade at all in the spirit of alcohol, but it became clearer as it became remembered.

He rubbed his forehead with an anxious touch, throwing a small piece of wood into the burning bonfire. Suddenly, on a snowy winter night, the memory of sitting in front of the fireplace and caressing her came over.

I remember putting my sweaty naked body on my knees and stroking my smooth back, shoulders, and round hips. The sensation when the curly hair covered his body like a cotton blanket, the soft and soft touch of the breast, and the soft touch of the body hair between the rose-colored pointed nipples and legs came to mind clearly.

I felt like my stomach was gnawing with despair and longing. He sprang up from his seat with a groan of frustration. The attendant who was bringing his food looked puzzled.

“Where are you going, captain?”

“I’ll look around again, so take a rest.”

He spouted bluntly and strode out without taking his coat. There was a snowstorm outside, but I felt like my body was on fire, so I was rather glad to see the cold inside my bones.

He stood on the snowfield and looked at the light-emitting building. Just the thought of her being near felt like she was being baked alive.

How constantly I’ve tried not to think of her. Her smile, her chattering voice, her stubbornness that sometimes exploded into anger, her recklessness that drove him to the brink of madness, her precariousness…. The mere thought of it was terribly painful.

It was better not to feel anything. So even though she had killed and killed her feelings, she shook him too easily. It was frustrating.

“Will I be able to endure it until the end of the expedition?”’

He paced around the cabin in a dry wash. Why shouldn’t I do as Hebaron recommends? Maximilian was his wife. And he didn’t want to be away from her any more.

I wanted to hug her tightly and kiss her until I was in the castle, and make love until I was exhausted. I wanted to fall asleep under the same blanket as her.

I wanted to hear her voice until just before I fell asleep, and I wanted her to be the first face I saw when I opened my eyes in the morning.

But then, he knew very well that he would lose all control. In fact, she was still barely holding back the urge to take her back to Anatol. He stared at the cabin where she would be resting, feeling like he was in a travesty, and struggled to walk away.

***

They continued to move north along the Rongel Mountains, which separates Rivadon and Balto. Although it has been attacked twice by demons, the expedition continued smoothly without anyone being seriously injured due to the cooperation between the Knights of Remdragon and the Knights of the Holy Order. And finally, they were able to escape the valley and reach the northern plains.

Mack looked at the pale, white earth and was in a strange awe. It felt like standing on a blank sheet used by giants. As I looked around the silver ridge without a tree and a rock, I heard the dry voice of Cuahelion.

“After this plain, the Pamela Plateau.”