The heat swirling through his body was still there, but his reason had barely regained its function.
Taking a deep breath, Barcas nodded towards the crowd.
"It's nothing serious, so everyone, back off."
He wanted to order that beast out of the room right away, but he had promised her something, so he had no choice but to hold back.
He swallowed a sigh and turned again. Just then, the attendant hurriedly walked out through the crowd, his voice trailing off.
"I...Your Excellency, I have something to report to you..."
The middle-aged man snapped shut as he gave him a somewhat nervous look. Barcas mustered up what little patience he had left.
“What’s going on?”
"The White Silver Alliance Guild Leader has been waiting for you for several hours. He has something urgent to report to Your Excellency."
The chamberlain, seeing his brow furrow, trailed off with a frightened expression. Barcas let out a long breath.
“Tell them I’ll be there soon.”
As the chamberlain abruptly left, he stepped back into the bedroom.
Before he knew it, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, gently soothing the whining wolf. After watching for a while, Barcas spoke in a heavy, subdued voice.
"I have some business to attend to. Please rest."
"I'll be waiting for you..."
Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he heard a muffled voice.
Barcheria paused and turned around, seeing her with a reddened nape. The woman, who had been stroking the wolf's pointed ears, finally finished speaking.
"Come back here."
Then she buried one cheek in the wolf's neck and stared blankly at him.
Barcas, who had been staring at those jewel-like eyes as if they were nailed to the ground, slowly nodded.
A faint smile spread across her lips. In that moment, a strange emotion stirred within his chest.
It was only after a long time that he was able to name the feeling.
It was hope.
***
"I apologize for coming without any notice. I have some urgent news to tell you..."
As he entered the reception room, a man who had been pacing by the window with an anxious look on his face let out a gasp.
Barcas sank into his chair without even offering a formal greeting. Then, nodding to the seat opposite him, he asked.
"So you figured it out?"
"By Your Excellency's orders, I have been stationed in the northeastern region to monitor the remnants of Duke Heimdall's family. In the process, I have obtained some important information..."
A northerner who hunched over across from him pulled a crumpled ledger from his bosom and offered it to him. Barcas, who accepted it and carefully laid it out, frowned deeply.
The yellowed paper contained records of vast transactions involving various grains, iron ore, and even military horses. Barcas chuckled as he noticed the distinctive seal next to it. It was the seal of an eastern noble family he knew well.
"It seems that some nobles in the Balto border region are colluding with the North. I thought Your Excellency should know about this, so I came running in a hurry."
"...Thank you for your concern."
After giving a dry, formal greeting, Barcas stood up, clutching the ledger tightly in one hand.
"I'll give you a room so you can rest. Stay as long as you want."
"I have one more thing to tell you."
As he was about to leave, the man shouted urgently.
"Recently, Bjorn Blodar Heimdall's whereabouts have been unknown."
Barcas frowned.
Bjorn, the central figure behind the rebellion, was known to be currently sieging Amasek with his father. His disappearance meant the rebels had broken through the siege and fled.
Barcas looked down at him with a suspicious gaze.
"Amasek is completely sealed. The man could have easily entered it or not."
"He is definitely not the type of person to stay quietly in the castle. It is truly unnatural for him to remain out of sight for such a long time."
The northerner took out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then continued speaking in a trembling voice.
"Perhaps he escaped Amasek long ago. No, he most certainly did. He's probably gathering his scattered forces and planning a counterattack."
"You're worrying too much. Is that guy going to be able to do it now?"
Barcas sneered.
"The tide has already turned. Many of the Northern Alliance's nobles have changed their minds, and most of the hardliners have been driven out. Even if it's true that the man escaped, he poses little threat now."
"You really don't know much about him, so that's the only way to say that."
The man raised his voice as if he was frustrated.
"Bjorn is not one to just let this happen. He must be preparing a terrible counterattack somewhere. You must track him down immediately."
Barcas's brow furrowed at the confident words.
All he knew about Bjorn was that he possessed natural swordsmanship, enjoyed overwhelming support from the nobles of the Northern Alliance, and possessed exceptional tactical prowess. Beyond that, he knew little about his personal character.
However, it was easy to guess that he was not a person with a normal thought process, as he led such a reckless war.
Finally, he nodded.
"Yes. Let's take action right now."
Then the man slumped his shoulders as if he was truly relieved.
Barcas immediately left the drawing room and went to the study.
First, he needed to verify the authenticity of the information brought by Lowell Draven. He wasn't naive enough to believe the words of a man who had acted as a double agent.
Sitting down at his desk, Barcas took out a piece of parchment and immediately began drafting a letter ordering an investigation of the lords of the region adjacent to Balto. It was to be sent to Darren.
If a small number of soldiers were sent under the pretext of purchasing military supplies, they could monitor the local lords without arousing much suspicion.
After adding some specific instructions, Barcas sealed the letter with wax and handed it to the messenger.
Meanwhile, the sun had completely set.
Barcas, nervously tidying up his desk, quickly left the study. He hurried down the stairs and saw the guards standing guard at the bedroom door.
After quietly biting them, he knocked cautiously on the door. But there was no answer.
After hesitating, he pulled the doorknob.
As he entered the quiet bedroom with its flickering lights, a musty smell assaulted his nose.
The cause was soon apparent: a faint smoke was rising from a small brazier placed on the long-sleeved table.
'Did you burn the sleeping candle?'
He wondered if the pain in her leg was severe, so hr approached the bedside and pulled up the veil. Then, the first thing he saw was a gray beast taking up most of the wide sheet.
He slowly brushed the now-dead wolf away, then turned his gaze to his wife, who lay buried beside him. She, too, appeared to be fast asleep.
Barcas let out a sigh of despair and sat down listlessly on the edge of the bed. Then, a groan, as if in pain, escaped him.
"...Are you here now?"
A woman, mumbling in a sleepy voice, reached out her arm toward him.
"Take me out of here. I barely managed to get him to sleep."
Barcas, who had been silently looking down at the woman who was whispering without even opening her eyes properly, slowly bent down.
As he put his arm under her waist and lightly lifted her warm body, the wolf, which had been motionless as if dead, began to flail its legs.
He immediately stopped all movement. The wolf, who had been croaking, seemed to have simply been snarling, but soon became truly silent.
He let out a sigh of relief, but then he burst out laughing, wondering what on earth he was doing.
But the moment of self-deprecation didn't last long. She whispered softly in his ear.
"Let's get out quickly before the weak energy runs out."
Barcas immediately sat up. He grabbed a cloak hanging on the wall, wrapped it tightly around the woman in her thin nightgown, and quietly left the room. A dimly lit hallway and a wide staircase came into view.
After a moment's hesitation, Barcas climbed the stairs. He could have gone to the room she'd previously occupied, but that would have likely caused unnecessary disturbance to the maids.
He entered the bedroom next to his study.
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