The Forgotten Field Novel - Chapter 237

## CHAPTER 237

For some reason, Edric felt hesitant to approach and stood motionless before the door until Varkas, after placing the ledger on the desk, raised his head and looked at him.

—What is the matter?

His expression was serene, in contrast to the paleness of his face which denoted emargination. At that moment, Edric perceived a suspicious strangeness, but soon shook it off and strode toward the desk.

Despite the fact that he was losing weight noticeably, the man remained relatively steady. Since her funeral concluded, he had not only executed all his duties as a duke with milimetric and impeccable precision, but had recently begun to investigate the forces that were behind the support of the people of ‘Zaram’.

Gathering the people of ‘Zaram’, scattered throughout the east, and transforming them into a colossal armed force was something impossible solely with the capabilities of the Heimdall family. Given that Varkas was certain of the intervention of external forces, he began to completely mobilize the Shierkan family’s information network to clarify the details of the incident with precision.

Not even the sudden death of his wife had managed to break his logic, firm as an iron wall.

Edric felt bitterness in his throat; he pulled a bundle of parchments from his chest and placed them on the desk.

—This is the report sent by the undercover agents who were stationed in Valbonne. It seems that the central sanctuary of Valbonne is attempting to cut off heads to disassociate themselves, dumping all the responsibility for this incident onto a high-ranking priest named Alwin.

Varkas took the report and flipped through it slowly.

The fact that Bjorn had been able to camouflage himself as a temple guard was because the central sanctuary vouched for his identity. They meticulously examined the identification badge that man presented, the assignment document stamped with the seal of the central sanctuary, and even the appointment letter engraved with the emblem of the temple guard, and found nothing false. This meant that there was someone among the high priests belonging to the central sanctuary who was in collusion with the rebels.

However, it seems that the Pope is attempting to settle the matter by limiting himself to depriving some high members of the clergy who directly signed the official documents of their ecclesiastical rights.

—It seems that the Empire also has no intention of initiating a serious investigation; it gives the impression that a secret agreement has been struck between his majesty and his holiness the Pope.

—On what do you base that conclusion?

—According to the information I obtained, the investigation concluded immediately after a secret and solitary meeting between the two. By the course of events, it seems that the Empire also agreed to cover up this matter to some extent.

Varkas turned the last page of the report and looked at the flame of the candle placed on the desk with a gaze absorbed in his thoughts. Each time the light flickered, the shadows cast upon his face sharpened and dimmed repeatedly.

The man pressed the bridge of his nose as if his vision had blurred for a moment, and after a long pause, spoke:

—Soon we will send a letter of protest demanding a convincing explanation from the central sanctuary. And you, continue to watch the movements of the capital closely.

—Understood.

Edric bowed his head respectfully and turned around slowly. At the precise moment he was preparing to step out the door, an unknown impulse overcame him and he formulated a question:

—… Are you well, my lord?

The man, who was extracting a new official document, looked at him with a hint of strangeness.

—Why do you ask something like that suddenly?

Edric felt his tongue tie for an instant before that expression that seemed not to understand the purpose of the question. He murmured:

—It is just… because your face does not look well…

—I cannot deny that my body and mind are fatigued due to the current circumstances —the man replied with indifference while signing the parchment document, and then added in a calm tone—: Nonetheless, given that the post-war management efforts are already well on track, soon I will have the opportunity to catch my breath.

Edric frowned due to the response, which seemed to deviate somewhat from the main focus.

Varkas said while opening a new document with detachment:

—You have to exert yourself alongside us until then.

Then he waved one of his hands lightly as if ordering him to withdraw.

At the moment Edric felt the rareness of that suspiciously calm countenance and wanted to say something more, a knock was heard at the door accompanied by a hurried movement outside.

Varkas raised his head again and looked in the direction of the door.

—What is the matter?

—It is I, Daren, my lord. I have an urgent matter to report to you.

Varkas knitted his brow, set the document aside, and rested his back against the chair.

—Come in.

As soon as permission was granted, the door opened violently and a man of massive build entered the room with large strides; Edric moved aside quickly. The man advanced directly toward Varkas without casting a single glance at Edric.

—His highness the crown prince has arrived in Kalmure leading the imperial guard.

Edric, who was attempting to withdraw discreetly, stopped and turned hesitantly. The man continued speaking in a heavy tone:

—He says he has come to support the reconstruction of the east and help organize security… What do we do?

Varkas stood up letting out a deep sigh and massaging his temples as if he were exhausted.

—We cannot turn the crown prince of the Empire away from our door. We have no choice but to receive him with full honors.

Then he took his cloak hanging on the wall, put it on, and walked out into the hallway with firm and disciplined steps.

Edric looked at his back, motionless as a post in its place, then turned around and walked toward the staircase located at the end of the hallway.

He was already in an unfavorable position before the crown prince since he was a knight of the imperial guard due to his stance alongside Talia Roem Gerta. Given that he had abandoned the knights of the Empire to join the house of the duke, the resentment toward him must have taken root; therefore, it was better that the crown prince did not see him as much as possible.

He pulled his hood over his head and slipped discreetly out of the main palace; then he climbed the tower connected to the inner wall and approached the battlements.

Shortly after, he could see the crown prince crossing the main entrance of the castle. As usual, he rode a golden horse with a majestic bearing, traversing the training courtyard escorted by hundreds of elite guards. His appearance was so confident that it was difficult to believe he was the person who had endangered the Empire due to his reckless actions.

While Edric let out an ironic laugh, his body went rigid upon spotting the face of the woman following him on horseback. Even from a distance, it was not difficult to recognize her identity.

Ayla Roem Gerta. The woman who now remained as the only princess of the Empire.

The woman descended from her horse with the assistance of the knights, placed herself beside her twin brother, and crossed the gate of the inner wall with elegant and dignified steps.

Edric observed the hundreds of subordinates lined up in front of the main palace to receive the guests while rendering a salute to them in unison; he felt something boil inside him and turned away suddenly. He felt nauseous at the evident intentions of the crown prince, who came accompanied by the princess before a month had passed since the duchess’s passing.

While walking with large strides along the wall suppressing the feeling of disgust, he stopped dead before the parapet that faced toward the church.

He saw two tombstones erected side by side in a corner of the cemetery, where the green leaves grew densely; suddenly he felt an oppression in his chest and closed his eyes. When thinking of the short life of the woman who lived and died in coldness and isolation, a strange feeling of helplessness invaded his entire body.

Edric took a deep breath as if shaking off that sensation, and then walked away from the cemetery.

Chapter 237

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