Chapter 165
THE FORGOTTEN FIELDS (NOVEL) – Chapter 165
Chapter 165
Was she not a woman of weak constitution from the very beginning? Last autumn, when he saw her for the last time, she had remarkably recovered her health, but there was no guarantee that some mishap had not occurred in the meantime.
He tried to soothe the burning in his chest with a draft of strong wine.
“Your Highness!”
How long had he been standing facing the cold wind blowing from the mountains? He heard a familiar voice in the distance. Varkas turned his head and narrowed his eyes as he saw Edrick Robon slowly approaching on horseback through the mountain valley.
The man approached the wooden palisade after passing the checkpoint, and raised his head, calling out to him in his usual cheerful tone:
“Congratulations on the victory, Your Highness. Thanks to you, it will be easier for the imperial army to occupy the central region of Balto.”
“What is the current situation of the imperial army?”
“The main force crossed the southern plain and is already outside Amasik, the stronghold of the rebels. With this momentum, we will be able to bring down Blodar Keep, where Duke Heimdall is entrenched, within three or four months.”
Varkas took another draft of wine and nodded slightly to the knights.
“Come in. I will entrust you with a mission.”
The man dismounted from his horse’s saddle with a curious look and entered through the camp gate. Varkas climbed down the watchtower ladder and signaled for the man to follow him.
He followed him, leading his horse, and asked:
“What mission do you wish to entrust to me?”
“Go to the capital and deliver a letter.”
Varkas spoke coldly as he crossed between the resting riders of the Siakan family and entered the tent. The man stopped at the entrance, wearing a displeased expression.
“Another letter? Does everyone think I am a mere postman?”
“It is a letter addressed to the emperor. I cannot trust it to just anyone.”
Varkas replied indifferently, pulled up a chair, and sat behind the desk set up inside the military tent. The knight tied his horse in front of the tent and walked in, scratching the back of his neck as he complained:
“It is certain that the main force has already sent reports on the progress of the war. Is there any reason for you to send a separate report, Your Highness?”
“What I intend to send is not a report on the progress of the war.”
Varkas spoke as he secured a sheet of parchment with a piece of metal and picked up the writing quill:
“I plan to demand that His Majesty the Emperor propose negotiations to the union of northern nobles.”
Edrick frowned as if he did not understand:
“Is this war not almost decided? Why would His Majesty need to extend his hand first at this moment?”
“Because it is precisely at this moment when he must extend his hand first,” Varkas added as he dipped the quill in the ink and wrote with elegant strokes. “Unless we intend to completely exterminate the lineage of Balto, the best option is to show generosity when holding the reins of victory. If we propose to punish only the leaders of the rebellion and overlook the rest, everyone will turn against the Heimdall family of their own accord.”
“But forgiving the rebels so easily could wound the dignity of the Empire. Other rulers might harbor intentions of rebellion later on…”
“Prolonging the war will only increase the hatred toward the Empire. The inhabitants of the North have already seen their blood stain their castles and their lands at the hands of the imperial army. If we do not show leniency now, they will remain enemies of the Empire forever.”
Varkas concluded the letter in the blink of an eye, melted the red wax, and poured it over the envelope. Edrick Robon let out a sigh as he rubbed his neck after watching him in silence:
“I understand what you mean. But the day the crown prince finds out about this, all hell will break loose. Right now he is furious, demanding the total annihilation of the rebels…”
“Therefore, it is better that the crown prince does not find out.”
Varkas handed him the letter after sealing it with the official ring. Edrick Robon’s face turned pale upon realizing that he would play the role of carrying a secret letter behind the back of the Commander General of the imperial army. He said in a voice akin to a lament:
“You know very well that the crown prince already detests me. You could have sent a messenger from the Shierkhan family, why me…?”
“The movement of a messenger from the ducal house in this situation would attract all eyes. Whereas a meeting with a member of the emperor’s personal guard is entirely natural. This negotiation must appear to be the result of His Majesty’s personal will.”
The knight found no answer; he merely opened and closed his mouth, and then took the letter with a resigned face. He let out a heavy sigh:
“The day I am forced to leave the knighthood due to pressure from the crown prince, you will have to take me into your home.”
Varkas did not answer; instead, he gestured with his chin, ordering him to leave. Suddenly, the man who had looked upset flashed a sly smile:
“All right. If you do not plan to take me in, I will ask Her Highness the duchess.”
Varkas stopped as he was preparing a new sheet for another letter destined for his subordinates, and turned toward him. The man added, shrugging his shoulders:
“When I saw her previously, she told me that if things got complicated for me, she would employ me as her guardian knight.”
“Ha, when was that?” Varkas shook his head in bewilderment. “Taking a casual conversation so seriously… You are more naive than you look, boy.”
“She said they were not empty words,” the man retorted sharply. “That was just two months ago. It seems she saw my miserable state while carrying letters back and forth, and asked me why I didn’t become her guardian instead…”
“Did you say you met with my wife two months ago?”
The shoulders of the man, who was chattering without fear, stiffened. He muttered in his own defense while watching his reaction:
“I had to visit Kalmore due to the matter of summoning the artisans. At that time, we crossed paths by chance, nothing more.”
“And how do you cross paths by chance with my wife, who does not leave the castle?”
An expression of grievance appeared on the man’s face at Varkas’s rebuking question. He protested in bewilderment:
“Who says she does not leave the castle? She owns a wolf the size of a small horse, do you think it’s possible to keep that locked up? It seems she leaves the castle daily because of that creature. The place where I crossed paths with her was in the meadows located south of Laidgo Castle.”
Varkas frowned.
He remembered then that four months ago he received a letter from her requesting permission to go out with the wolf. He agreed at that time on the condition that a large number of guards accompany her. To tell the truth, he did not want her to step a single foot outside, but he could not ignore the first letter she had sent him.
‘I thought it was just a walk once or twice for a change of air…’
He felt tension in his nerves and pressed his temples; then, he noticed Edrick Robon’s gaze observing him closely. He shot him a sharp look:
“What?”
“Nothing… I just thought that, by some miracle, you allowed her to raise a mana beast.”
He wanted to reply that he had not explicitly authorized it, but he remained silent. His silence was equivalent to a tacit acceptance.
He rested his shoulders against the back of the chair and rubbed his hair roughly.
When he received the first report about her beginning to raise a Direwolf cub, his intention was to get rid of it immediately. No matter how small it was, it was still a mana beast; he had no intention of leaving such a dangerous creature by her side.
However, the instant he saw her holding the small creature against her chest and enjoying the summer sun, he had no choice but to step back in silence. Because that woman, who always seemed tormented since the loss of the baby, was smiling with happiness.
Remembering that stinging sensation he experienced then, a taste of bitterness rose in his throat. She really had become well after his departure.
Varkas assimilated that reality and asked, hiding his bitterness:
“Did my wife look in good health?”
“She looked in excellent condition,” Edrick said cheerfully. “I don’t remember seeing her with such vitality even when she was at the imperial palace. It is completely evident that the beast makes her happy.”