Under the Oak Tree



Chapter 83: Chapter 83

Ludis had been quietly standing behind Maxi and answered on her behalf.

“Those who commit theft or fraud must recompense their victims by paying them ten times the stolen amount. Those who cannot pay the fine must provide labor equivalent to the amount.”

“How surprisingly lenient. In Drachium, their hands would have been cut off then and there,” the princess remarked nonchalantly, stroking her chin. “What about murderers? How are they punished?”

“They are either flogged and exiled, or hanged. The decision is usually left to the family of the victim. If the victim is an orphan, it is the lord who decides.”

As she listened to Ludis’s explanation, Maxi grew increasingly disheartened. She was ashamed that she still knew so little about Anatol when she was the wife of its liege.

“Oh my, why are there so many women at that stall?”

Maxi, who had hung her head in embarrassment, glanced up in the direction the princess was pointing. Fifteen or so maidens were gathered around a stall in a narrow alleyway, bickering amongst themselves. Intrigued, the princess grabbed Maxi’s arm and rushed toward the commotion.

“What on earth are they fighting over?”

The young women were in a heated squabble over colorful sashes heaped on the stand, each wanting the prettiest one. Maxi was once again left tongue-tied when she did not know what they were. She glanced at Ludis for help.

“What… are they?”

“They are sashes used for adornment, my lady. The village maidens twist them into a long girdle. They are worn during the spring festival along with a floral wreath when the maidens go out to the fields to sing and dance.”

“Ah, they must be enacting the role of Wigrew’s dryad lover,” the princess noted.

Ludis nodded. “Legend has it that the nymph seduced the hero by adorning her waist with a colorful girdle and her head with a beautiful wreath. For hundreds of years, the maidens of Anatol have dressed up as the dryad of the oak tree each spring to sing in the fields. It is an old tradition.”

The princess’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Let us choose one as well.”

“Pardon?”

“Won’t this be your first festival here too, Maximilian? We should join the festivities.”

Without waiting for her reply, the princess grabbed Maxi’s hand and squeezed through the young women crowding the stall.

Maxi was crushed in their midst before she could even let out a cry. Her hair ended up in a mess and her clothes in disarray, but the princess’s grip on her hand meant she could not escape. Maxi was close to tears.

“How about this one?”

The princess, having pushed the maidens aside, dangled a purple band that was at the front of the stall. Maxi was still half wedged in the throng of women, and she frantically nodded.

Someone was pressing painfully against her stomach, and the princess was tugging so forcefully that Maxi feared her sleeve might tear off. All she wanted to do was to escape the crowd. The princess, however, briefly inspected the fabric before tossing it back onto the heap. Evidently dissatisfied with her find, she began searching for another.

“I think a green or yellow sash would look good on you, Maximilian. Or you can go with red to match your hair.”

“I-I think… any of them would do, Y-Your Highness.”

“I suppose blue would suit me best. What do you think? Which of these do you think match my eyes best?”

“I-I… cannot say…”

The women were still vying for a prime spot in front of the stall and, caught in the middle, Maxi was on the verge of tears. The crowd was angry that the princess and Maxi had cut in line, and they voiced their disapproval while they pulled at Maxi’s clothes.

Maxi had never been stuck in such a situation in her life. She found it impossible to collect herself. After quite some time, the princess found two sashes she liked and tossed three derham coins to the merchant.

“I’ll take these two! Will that suffice?”

“O-Of course. Let me get your change…”

“Keep it,” the princess shouted jovially.

She then turned and easily broke out of the crowd. Maxi frantically rearranged her disheveled hair and clothes. Hebaron had been watching the action from afar, unable to stop the princess.

He sighed. “Please do not make it difficult for us to protect you, Your Highness. You could have been harmed. Please consider your station-”

“Heavens, are you implying that innocent country girls could have harmed me?”

Princess Agnes, who had been happily inspecting the fabric she had spread out in front of her, turned her head to the knight and glared at him.

Hebaron corrected himself at her imperious tone.

“I have misspoken, Your Highness. It was those maidens over there who were in danger. You shoved them aside as if they were nothing but reeds.”

The princess replied with a snort then turned to face Maxi. Still a bit disoriented, Maxi jumped when the princess turned to her. She felt herself tense up. With a radiant smile, the princess handed Maxi a red sash.

“My gift to thank you for being my guide today. I chose one to match your hair.”

“Th-Thank you, Your Highness.”

When Maxi tentatively took the sash, Princess Agnes’s lips curled into a pleased smile. Maxi vacantly stared down at the slightly coarse sash. She was becoming increasingly confused by the princess’s actions. Why was she being so cordial? Oblivious to Maxi’s bafflement, the princess slipped her own dark blue sash under her belt and showed it to Ludis.

“Is this how you wear it?”

“Yes, Your Highness. You tie it firmly around your waist… and let the ends hang loose like this.”

“Try it too, Maximilian.”

“I-I am afraid I am… wearing a robe…”

The robe Maxi had on did not open at the front. When she flapped open the front to indicate so, the princess shrugged her shoulders in resignation.

“That is too bad for today, then. But you must wear it with me during the festival.”

The princess laughed warmly, the corners of her eyes crinkling, before she began inspecting the stalls once more. Maxi quietly watched as the princess strode onward. After neatly folding the sash, Maxi carefully placed it inside her pocket and followed after the princess.

***

They perused the market for about an hour and a half longer before returning to the carriage. In that time, the princess managed to purchase five magic stones, drake scales, wyvern skin, and an excessive amount of herbs. Watching the princess haggle fiercely with the merchants reminded Maxi of Ruth, and she wondered if all mages lost their minds a little upon seeing rare herbs or items needed for magical devices.

“I now understand why merchants come to Anatol despite the dangers. Not only are there so many rare herbs, magic stones are cheaper here than any other region.”

“According to our sorcerer, many types of plants grow in the Anatolium Mountains,” Hebaron explained as he loaded the princess’s purchases into the carriage. “And since plenty of monsters reside there, it’s easier for us to acquire their bones, skin, and magic stones.”

The princess, who had been instructing the other knights to transport the items with great care, turned to Hebaron with a quizzical look.

“Which reminds me. It does not seem the church is against people trading monster parts so freely at your markets.”

“Neither the Orthodox nor the Reformed Church hold any sway here. Though we have a parish temple, it essentially only functions as a shelter for orphans through the Commander’s donations. Since the land has been neglected for a long time, it was only recently that the church recognized Anatol as a parish.”

The princess gaped indecorously. “Hell!” she exclaimed, flicking her finger. “I am beyond jealous.”

Maxi looked at her quizzically.

“Why… would that… make you jealous, Your Highness?”

“As a sorceress, I can only envy the lack of interference from the church. Mages and clerics don’t really get along, you see. In their eyes, we are no different from the apostates who go against the will of God.”

The princess grumbled, plopping down on the carriage seat. Maxi climbed in and nervously shifted her eyes. Now that she thought about it, she remembered how the cleric who had instructed her on the virtues of a lady had expressed his contempt for mages.

“But… why?” Maxi asked with a puzzled expression. “Being able to use magic… is such an amazing feat… Even the nobles… hold mages in high esteem…”

“Mages only gained recognition with the start of the feudal system. They quickly became invaluable as the nobles got into land disputes. With every liege in the continent desperately seeking mages to enter their service, even those among the clergy became tolerant of magic. And so the Reformed branch of the church was formed. Now that the mages’ influence has gotten too powerful, even the church no longer renounces them publicly, but… traditional doctrine views magic as a demonic power that goes against God’s will. It also views monsters as the creation of the god of evil, so trading their parts is considered immoral.”

The princess took out one of the magic stones she had purchased at the market. Gazing down at the red gemstone, she sighed.

“The Orthodox Church still restricts the trafficking of such items. And unfortunately, Drachium is under their influence, so the only monster parts we are allowed to trade are their magic stones. Those caught selling their bones, scales, or skin are put on trial, and there are also restrictions that forbid the creation of magical devices that are not condoned by the church.”

“Is the Reformed Church… more lenient?”

“The Reformed Church allows the trade of monster bones, scales, and skin, but they strictly forbid the trading of their blood and meat.”

Maxi frowned. “W-Why… would people… buy that?”

She knew that the magic stones and bones from dragons and other monsters were used to craft magical devices, while their scales and skin were used for shields and armor. However, she had never heard of people using monster blood or flesh. She did not have an inkling as to what that might be used for. When Maxi furrowed her brow, the princess gave her an amused look.

“They use it for dark magic or alchemy… I am told that some even consume it.”

“C-Consume?”