Chapter 198
## THE FORGOTTEN FIELDS (NOVEL) – Chapter 198
As long as that wolf guarded her, no one would dare to approach her easily.
With this, he could fully concentrate on resolving the matter of the pagans for the time being.
Varkas headed straight for the checkpoint located next to the north gate.
There, he thoroughly examined the entry and exit logs from the day of the attack up to that moment, in addition to the duty officer’s log and the list of the deceased.
The casualties were higher than he had anticipated; five soldiers from the north wall guard had lost their lives, four jailers who guarded the underground prison, five castle servants, and even the four servants who had been taken as hostages were found as lifeless corpses two days later.
The human losses were not limited to that; the number of seriously injured who could not be healed even with medicinal magic exceeded fifteen people.
As Varkas slowly scanned that long list of victims, his eyes stopped at a specific point.
—Did the healer also suffer some harm?
—Yes, unfortunately, she was found with a dagger driven into her heart —the guard commander replied in a tone steeped in affliction while observing his reaction with a tense face—: Didn’t Tiuran reside in a dwelling separate from the main building? It seems she ran into the strangers while fleeing toward the north gate and lost her life.
Varkas’s features tensed completely.
As the face of his wife sleeping defenselessly in that healer’s residence came to his mind, a icy sensation ran through his heart.
It seemed she had been very close to that healer during all this time; she would certainly receive a great shock upon learning the news.
While thinking about it distractedly, he soon rubbed his forehead with agitation.
He felt aversion toward himself for continuing to worry about the possibility of her becoming saddened, even though things had reached this extreme.
There were nearly twenty dead, and there was no reason for him to mourn the death of one person in particular just because she was close to her.
He tossed the list he had in his hand onto the desk as if discarding it.
—I will assign an independent budget, so make sure to pay sufficient compensation to the families of the victims.
He finished speaking and stood up to leave the post, at which point he heard a commotion nearby.
Varkas turned around without much interest, but frowned upon seeing some soldiers lining up in front of the castle gate.
—What is happening?
The soldier guarding the access turned around in panic:
—L-Lord Duke!
The soldier stepped away from the entrance quickly, looking at him with an expression as if he had seen a ghost, and then said, bowing his head:
—T-There are visitors who have arrived…… and we were waiting for the authorization to enter the castle to be issued.
Varkas narrowed his eyes and observed through the iron gate.
Between the gaps of the intertwined bars, he saw a burly man wearing a dark navy blue robe standing with solemnity.
Varkas frowned upon realizing his identity; it was Roman Talis, the holy knight sent by the Central Church, standing next to two of his subordinates.
—We meet again after half a month. —The man inclined his face close to the bars and showed an affable smile—: I heard you had suffered a mishap, but fortunately it seems you have recovered your health. Seeing your imposing presence directly makes my heart finally rest easy.
—What have you come here for?
Varkas ignored his flattering words and urged him to go straight to the point.
The man leaned his body against the iron bars and continued speaking in a subtle tone:
—Hasn’t the majority of the pagans disappeared after the failure of the extermination plan? On our part, we cannot stand idly by and wait any longer. Therefore, I have come to request permission for the ‘Order of the Guardians of the Holy War’ to begin its investigations immediately.
—I already told you before, I cannot allow a stranger to cause a stir in my lands at his whim. Leave and do not waste time.
—If you insist on that, I will have no choice but to request cooperation in the investigation before the Imperial Court.
Varkas turned toward the stable and threw a cold look at him:
—Are you threatening me now?
—I wouldn’t dare. I am requesting cooperation with all politeness. —The man’s tone became more enigmatic—: I don’t like complex procedures either. Since neither party wishes for matters to escalate, how about we find a point of agreement peacefully?
Varkas’s face hardened; he understood by instinct that this man was trying to corner Talia.
He spoke through his teeth:
—Open the gate.
As soon as he dictated the order, the iron bars rose slowly upward.
The man crossed the castle gate following Varkas along with his subordinates, without the serene smile leaving his lips.
—It is a wise choice.
Varkas ignored the tone of his voice, which was mixed with a slight hint of victory, and walked toward the barracks building connected to the wall.
—Follow me.
The man followed him with light movements that did not correspond to the bulk of his body.
Varkas entered the joint work office used by the outer wall guard, and nodded to the waiting soldiers:
—Everyone out.
When everyone left the room, he turned toward the robust man standing by the door and said coldly:
—What are you waiting for? Come in.
The man examined the room with sharp glances and then signaled his subordinates to withdraw.
When they were finally left alone, Varkas sat in a meeting chair and asked clearly:
—What exactly do you want?
—As I mentioned before. Allow the Order of the Guardians of the Holy War to investigate the situation of the pagans in the East —the man replied calmly.
Varkas let out a dry laugh while picking up a bottle of wine that was placed on the table and said:
—And of course, you want to be granted the right to punish the guilty as well, do you not?
—It seems you are worried that we will commit a massacre against civilians, but if you wish, we will conduct a joint investigation with the soldiers of the ducal family —the man said as if granting him a favor—: Our goal is to prevent the spread of heretical ideas, not to hold a slaughter festival in the East. I promise you that we will deport the guilty using methods as humanitarian as possible to face justice.
Varkas drank a sip of the strong wine while observing his opponent with scrutiny.
He knew with reason that there was no motive to reject this man’s proposal; he did not wish for the pagans to spread through his territory either.
Since the extermination plan had failed, he did not possess a suitable pretext to reject the Church’s help. However, his instinct sent him constant warnings that he should not trust this man.
—If Your Lordship is kind enough to facilitate my work, I will also take your interests into account. —Upon noticing his hesitation, the man presented his offer in a subtle tone.
Varkas directed a cold gaze at him:
—What do you mean?
—I mean that I will cover up the numerous suspicions weighing upon Her Grace the Duchess —the man replied with total tranquility—: Haven’t the rumors about Her Grace the Duchess’s collusion with the pagans to attempt to poison you spread everywhere? Despite that, you have not imposed any punishment on her until now, which means Your Lordship wishes to cover up that unfortunate incident.
—…….
—I also wish to avoid the trouble of investigating the Duchess of the East under the charge of heresy. If Your Lordship helps me in my work, I will make those suspicions about Her Grace the Duchess remain as mere unfounded rumors.
—So, what you mean to say is that if I do not cooperate with you, you will make my wife the target of your investigations.
The man limited himself to maintaining a soft smile on his lips in response.
Varkas pressed the glass containing the wine until it almost broke in his fist.
This man was asking him now to choose between his duty as a ruler and the safety of his wife.
It was a matter that did not even deserve to be thought about.
He had been brought up to put the security of the Empire and the East above all else. He could not allow doubtful people to cause havoc in the lands of the duchy for the sake of a single person.
However, from his lips came completely different words.
—…… Agreed. I accept.
In that instant, a burning and bitter sensation spread inside him.
Varkas understood that this feeling was that of defeat; the feeling that always accompanied him deep down inside ever since he had become linked to her.
He looked with clouded eyes at the glass that had broken completely; the spilled wine moistened his fingers with a viscosity similar to blood.
He always made the wrong decisions when it came to her.
He lost the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, and threw himself in the incorrect direction dragged solely by his primary impulses.
Exactly like a moth that approaches the flame despite knowing that it will end up burned.
—It is a wise decision —the man said softly.
Varkas felt that if he continued in front of that face that smiled with irony, he would end up grabbing him by the neck and smashing his head against the table.
He rose from his seat and left the meeting room, making a promise to himself in his interior:
This is the last time; the last time I make a wrong decision because of her.
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