Chapter 197
## THE FORGOTTEN FIELDS (NOVEL) – Chapter 197
As soon as he left behind the corridor over which pale shadows hovered, his gaze landed on the training ground, where the soldiers were moving dynamically.
Since the strangers attacked ‘Raidgo’ Castle, vigilance inside it had become strict to a level incomparable to before.
On the watchtowers of the outer wall, magical defense artifacts meticulously designed by the high mages had been placed, and double iron gates were installed at each of the entrances.
Likewise, inspections of those entering or leaving the castle became harsher than ever before; measures that were taken due to the suspicion of the existence of accomplices who had leaked information to the enemies and who still remained hidden inside.
Of course, he did not have the slightest intention of denying the fact that his wife was the strongest suspect; Varkas himself was aware that all circumstances pointed toward Talia.
She had shown public hostility toward the Eastern Faction, and the discovery in her quarters of ancient books, portraits, and amulets containing the legacy of ‘Teramier’ would not play in her favor at all.
And worst of all were the testimonies of witnesses who assured her attendance at the meetings of the heretics.
At the time, that was considered mere groundless defamation, but now he calmly accepted the possibility that she had allowed herself to be influenced by heretical ideas.
Perhaps she fell prey to the seduction of the pagans while living in a state of bewilderment after the loss of her son. Was she not a woman with an unexpectedly vulnerable side to emotions? Perhaps she could not bear to stand by with folded arms while they were being punished.
And it was very likely that the ‘Zaram’ had maliciously taken advantage of her good intention to help them escape.
Maybe she never knew that the medicine she received was a lethal poison, and thought only that it was a substance of mild toxicity similar to the one she gave to ‘Ayla’ in the past…….
While Varkas immersed himself in his scattered thoughts, an ironic laugh suddenly escaped him; he realized that he had lost objectivity and was beginning to invent unfounded excuses that favored her.
He rubbed his face with his hands, trying to clear his troubled mind.
This was not the time to think about her particular circumstances; even if she had only been manipulated, the fact of having cooperated with the pagans would make it difficult for her to evade punishment.
Therefore, he had to hurry to destroy the evidence that incriminated her.
He resumed his march after a brief pause.
When he crossed the training ground and passed through the entrance of the inner wall, the garden appeared before him, lush with the green of mid-summer. No sooner had he taken a few steps inside when he stopped suddenly upon hearing sharp screams.
He turned to see a maid standing in front of the annex building, confronting three or four soldiers.
Upon realizing that it was the maid in charge of Talia, he diverted his course directly toward them.
—What is happening?
When he approached from behind the woman and spoke, the soldiers who had the maid cornered all turned toward him.
—W-We greet the Lord Duke!
The soldiers made the military salute in a hurry. Varkas ignored them and looked at the young maid, whose face looked on the verge of bursting into tears.
—I asked what is happening.
—I-It is just that……
The woman hesitated with a pale face, but then she seemed to make a decision, opening her mouth with an expression full of determination:
—Her Grace the Duchess asked to see ‘Kan’. I was preparing to take him out of the isolation room at this moment…… but these gentlemen have not stopped preventing me……
The maid’s voice faded toward the end of her words.
For Varkas, it was not difficult to guess the reason; the rumor that the Duke was on the verge of dying at the hands of his wife had spread throughout the castle.
Surely, they feared that a lightning bolt of fury would fall upon them if it was said that the criminal who tried to poison him was looking for a beast instead of devoting herself to reflection.
Varkas twisted the corner of his lips ironically and then turned to the soldiers:
—Why did you block this maid’s path?
—I-It is just that…… because he has remained in isolation for a long time, he has become aggressive to an indescribable point. We were not sure if it was safe to release him, since he did not stop causing violent destruction inside the cage during this entire period……
—That is because you did not take care of ‘Kan’ properly! You even forbade us from bringing him water and food during all this time……! —the woman raised her voice with indignation, but suddenly became disconcerted upon noticing his gaze and lowered her eyes quickly.
Varkas observed her in silence for a moment, and then gestured with his head toward the soldiers:
—Open the door of the isolation room. I will check his condition myself.
The soldier’s face showed signs of surprise for an instant, but he immediately pulled a bunch of keys from his chest.
He approached the arched iron door and unlocked the bolt with trembling hands.
Instantly, the heavy iron gate opened, revealing the interior of the building, which seemed to have suffered total destruction.
Varkas crossed the threshold without hesitating, and before him appeared ominous scenes that resembled a battlefield even more clearly.
The words about the destruction he had caused were not an exaggeration; in the middle of the room there were large piles of cloth and scattered feathers that were once cushions, while the carpet spread on the floor was torn to such an extent that it was difficult to recognize its shape. And it was not limited to that; the solid stone walls were full of deep claw marks, and the floor tiles were broken and scattered everywhere.
As he examined that chaos slowly, he heard the sound of a rough breathing, similar to the boiling of molten metal, near him.
Varkas turned to the other side and, upon spotting a pair of bluish-gray eyes that gleamed sharply, instinctively placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The silhouette of ‘Kan’, who rose from among the dense shadows, looked notably gaunt.
Given that Talia’s period of confinement had been eight days, and his own recovery took three more days, it was likely that the wolf had been marginalized for about eleven days.
It was no wonder he looked pale and thin.
Varkas meticulously observed the beast that was slowly approaching him.
Despite his wasted body, the wolf still represented a threat; the huge bone structure characteristic of ferocious beasts supported his gigantic body firmly, and in his steps, the strength of tense muscles was noticeable.
He pulled the hilt of the sword upward subtly; he was fully aware of how reckless it was to expect obedience from a wild beast that had suffered hunger for so long. He tensed all the muscles in his body, preparing to subdue him the instant the wolf leaped toward him.
And at that moment, the wolf folded his ears and lowered his head.
Varkas stopped astounded.
The eyes of the Dire Wolf looking at him reflected a strong killing instinct, but there was no intention of attack in his posture, in which he pressed his abdomen to the ground and stretched his neck as long as it was.
Soon he understood that this wolf was offering a truce; this beast clearly understood that he could not go to Talia’s side unless he proved he was harmless.
Despite the walls of his belly, which had sunken from the severity of thirst and hunger, the beast remained prostrated in peace upon the ground without moving. After closely observing that scene, Varkas returned the sword to its scabbard and dictated his orders:
—Bring water and food to feed the wolf.
Immediately, the soldiers witnessing the encounter with tense faces turned around and ran toward the supply storeroom.
Shortly after, large pieces of meat and a bowl filled with water were placed on the floor. The beast, which before was scratching the ground with his claws anxiously, began to drink the water greedily, but he did not even look at the pieces of meat and headed toward the door; it seemed that his desire to go with his owner was greater than his appetite.
Varkas pressed firmly on the neck of the wolf that was trying to leave and pushed him toward the pieces of meat. Although it was evident that this animal possessed a prodigious intelligence, he could not allow them to send a hungry beast to her side.
—You will not leave here unless you eat all of this.
The animal threw him a sharp look for an instant, and then took between his jaws a pig’s hind leg that was placed on the floor; he seemed to have understood his purpose clearly.
After the wolf devoured the huge portion of raw meat along with the bones in the blink of an eye, he began to lick his blood-stained lips while growling in a low voice.
Varkas felt that the beast’s patience had reached its limit, so he indicated with his eyes to the soldiers waiting at the entrance:
—Now, take this wolf to the Duchess.
As soon as his words ended, the wolf shot out of the isolation room, being pursued by the soldiers and the small maid in a state of bewilderment.
Varkas stood observing that scene in silence, and then left the building heading toward the castle gate.
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