Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 74: Chapter 74

The next day, after much deliberation, Maxi headed to the library. She was relieved when Ruth greeted her as if nothing were amiss.

Maxi sat at the desk and opened a book on magic, all the while stealing glances at Ruth. After her angry outburst, she was too embarrassed to bring up yesterday’s topic. She found herself staring at the same page for a long time before finally managing to open her mouth.

“A-About… w-what you said yesterday.”

“Pardon?”

Ruth, who had been concentrating on his work, looked up with a baffled expression. Maxi swallowed hard and continued.

“Y-You said… s-said that… m-my speech could improve i-if I practiced. I-I was wondering if you could e-explain.”

“Oh, that.” Ruth nodded and said flatly, “I could look into efficient training methods if you’d like. For now, I suggest conversing in a comfortable environment as much as possible.”

“C-Converse with p-people?”

“As they say, practice makes perfect. Try to converse as much as possible while maintaining your composure. I have noticed that you tend to speak faster when you’re nervous, and it worsens the stutter. I think gaining control over your nerves is most vital in your case, my lady.”

Maxi looked down, embarrassed at having her flaw commented on so openly.

“I-I understand. W-What else… sh-shall I do?”

“Hmm, let’s see… I would think that taking your time to articulate will help, even if you end up speaking slowly. The aim is to improve through repetition.”

An intense flush colored Maxi’s face. Her eyes shifted awkwardly before she managed to urge her rigid tongue to move.

“I… understand… Do you mean… like this?”

“Yes, just like that. You always seem to rush yourself needlessly when you speak.”

“Do… I?”

“If these methods prove ineffective, I shall look up other techniques. I’m sure if we try different methods, something is bound to help.”

Maxi’s face fell. She had hoped that Ruth had a special solution for her.

Then again, she had to admit that no matter how intelligent Ruth was, he was not omnipotent. It was unreasonable of her to expect an ultimate answer. Quashing her disappointment, Maxi once again hid her face behind her book.

Ruth stroked his chin as he watched her, musing over something. “That reminds me, you were unable to practice magic yesterday.”

Maxi stiffened at Ruth’s calm observation.

“I… do not w-wish… to cause t-trouble… by going there again…”

“Not the training grounds. If you recall, the knights are not the only inhabitants of this castle. I’m sure we will find a servant or two in the kitchen with some minor ailment.”

“That’s true… but…”

Ruth leaped in as soon as Maxi trailed off.

“Practice is vital to learning magic, my lady. What would be the point of having all the theories and runes in your head if you do not know how to apply them?”

“I-I know that… b-but… I-I do not wish to p-practice on people… who are u-unwilling.”

“I am sure the servants wouldn’t mind. They are too busy to look after minor scrapes, so they might even be grateful if you offered to treat them.”

After a long moment of hesitation, Maxi reluctantly rose from her seat. Ruth was right. She would have to practice on someone if she wanted to learn magic, but the bitter rejection from the previous day made her falter.

They headed to the castle’s kitchen. Like a lamb to the slaughter, Maxi dragged her heels as she trailed behind Ruth. What would happen if she failed in front of the servants? Would she become a laughing stock?

Wallowing in her habitually gloomy thoughts, Maxi shuffled into the kitchen. She did not know whether to be relieved or disappointed when she saw that the usual hustle and bustle was quiet today.

“My lady.”

The cook was whistling as he stirred a cauldron. He directed a cheerful smile at her as she entered.

“May I be of any assistance, my lady?”

“N-No, I’m not here for anything…” Maxi mumbled.

Ruth, stationed behind her like a warden, bumped her with his shoulder. Maxi gave a slight frown at his impertinence before letting out a sigh.

“I-I was… w-wondering if a-anyone was… i-injured.”

The cook looked puzzled and scratched his large head. “Injured, my lady?”

Ruth nudged her back once more. Maxi turned to glare at him before looking back at the cook.

“I-I mean things like cuts… or b-burns… or s-sprains.”

“That, we have an endless supply of, my lady. Especially the likes of Clumsy Crom over there. The lad is all thumbs. There’s barely a day where he doesn’t hurt himself. Why, he burned his hand just now taking the loaves out of the oven.”

Maxi turned to look at the servant whom the cook had dubbed ‘Clumsy Crom.’ The slight young man, his face deeply tanned, appeared to be no older than sixteen. He was currently chopping something with one hand wrapped in cloth.

Taking a deep breath, Maxi said, “C-Could you… c-call him over for me?”

Though the cook seemed surprised, he promptly bellowed for the young man. “Crom! Over here, lad. Her ladyship wishes to see you.”

The boy jolted at the cook’s booming voice as though struck by lightning. He immediately scampered over to Maxi.

“H-How can I help, m’lady?”

His face was white with fear, evidently worried that he had done something wrong. The cook was looking at Maxi, his gaze full of curiosity as to why on earth she was asking after an injured servant.

Maxi cleared her throat and spoke in her most dignified voice. “I-I heard that… you hurt your… hand… Would you mind… if I take a look?”

“M-My hand, m’lady?”

The boy blinked, bewildered, before hurriedly unwinding the cloth covering his hand. The flesh was red and raw. Maxi could tell that it was painful just by looking at it.

Ignoring the boy’s anxiousness, Maxi gingerly placed her fingers on the wound and took a deep breath. Crom’s shoulders jerked in pain. She felt bad for him; as a mere servant, he could not protest and simply had to endure the lady of the castle’s whims.

Knowing that explaining her objective would only add to his fear, she offered no explanation and began to summon her magic. Heat gathered in her palm. Before long, Crom’s wound slowly began to fade.

The young servant’s eyes grew wide when he felt the pain easing. After infusing the wound with sufficient magic, Maxi withdrew her fingers. Crom’s hand was as good as new.

“H-Heavens!”

Exclamations rose from around her, but no one was more astonished than Maxi herself. She had not expected to succeed on her first attempt. After dumbly gazing down at the boy’s hand, Maxi spun toward Ruth and leaped up and down in excitement.

“I-I did it! I r-really did it!”

Ruth beamed proudly and thumped her on the back. “Well done, my lady! An exceptional first effort!”

Bolstered by her triumphant result, Maxi turned to the servants and spoke with more confidence. “I-I’ve been learning healing magic for the past f-few weeks, a-and am in n-need of volunteers to p-practice on. I-Is anyone else i-injured?”

“We would like to volunteer, my lady.”

Maxi whirled around at the unexpected voice. Standing at the entrance were Sir Hebaron, Sir Elliot, and a young knight she had seen only a handful of times. Running into the knights around this time of day was unheard of unless one went to the training grounds. Maxi was so shocked that she looked like she was being ambushed.

“Please forgive us for startling you, my lady,” Elliot said courteously when he saw how flustered she was.

“I-It is all right…”

“To think we were so ungracious to you yesterday when you were this skilled.”

Maxi waved him off. “I-I cannot say that I-I am skilled…”

Hebaron, his giant frame slouched by the entrance, stepped into the kitchen sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

“Could I trouble you… to take a look at this wound from a bout?”

The knight showed Maxi a small cut on the back of his hand. Her eyes darted back and forth between the injury and the knight’s face, unable to comprehend his sudden change of attitude. Hebaron’s expression grew rueful at Maxi’s silence.

“As expected, you must still be upset at yesterday’s events, my lady.”

“N-No! I was… m-merely surprised… P-Please have a seat o-over here. I-I shall tend to your wound i-immediately.”

The servants promptly procured chairs for them. The knights marshaled into a line in front, each attempting to look as pained as possible.

“I sprained my wrist, my lady.”

“It’s my shoulder for me…”

“I-I will… gladly take a look.”

Maxi swallowed hard. She tensed up at the thought that she might fail and make a fool of herself. Noticing her reaction, Ruth chuckled.

“You need not be so nervous, my lady. They’re only here because they feel apologetic about what happened yesterday.”

Hebaron scowled and roared, “What hogwash!” He pointed to his graze that looked insignificant even to Maxi. “Can’t you see that I am bleeding?!”

Ruth clicked his tongue. “One would be lucky to squeeze a drop out of that…”

Seeing the burly knight fuss over such a minuscule scrape made Maxi giggle. She suddenly felt more assured.

Collecting herself, she cast a healing spell over the knight’s hand, and the wound disappeared before their eyes. Hebaron began to heap praises on Maxi as if he had just witnessed a miracle. His flattery was so overblown that Maxi ended up bursting into laughter, eliciting a smile from the knight.

“Please do not take what that scoundrel Ursuline said to heart, my lady. He simply lashes out in spite.”

“I-I did not.”

“Then I am glad.”

Hebaron grinned and rose from his seat. Maxi healed the other two knights after him, then proceeded to heal the servants who presented with injuries.

By the end of the day, with the exception of Crom’s hand, all the wounds Maxi ended up treating were minor. Though they were all so small they hardly required a healer, she still felt physically drained.

Maxi wiped the sweat from her forehead with a content smile. It was not an extraordinary feat by any means, but the fact that she was able to help others filled her with joy. The idea that she was useless had been hammered into her throughout her whole life. Considering that, this was a gigantic step forward. For the first time in her existence, Maxi felt useful. The thought almost made her burst into tears.

“If it suits you, my lady,” said Hebaron, turning back to her as he left with the other knights, “please come to us if you are ever in need of volunteers. I will be sure to let the others know.”

Maxi nodded, giving him a timid smile.