As long as that wolf is by her side, no one will dare approach her.
This will allow him to focus solely on dealing with the pagan issue for the time being.
Barcas headed straight to the checkpoint located right next to the north gate. There, he carefully examined the entry and exit records from the day of the attack to the present, the records of the officers on duty, and the list of the dead.
The damage was greater than expected. Five soldiers on guard at the northern wall, four guards guarding the dungeon, and five servants within the castle were killed. Four servants taken hostage were also found dead two days later.
The casualties didn't end there. More than a dozen people suffered injuries so severe that even healing magic couldn't heal them.
Barcas's gaze, slowly unraveling the long list of victims, was fixed on one point.
"Did the healer also get injured?"
"Yes, unfortunately, she was found with a dagger stuck in her heart."
The captain of the watch, who had been watching him with a tense expression, answered with a complicated sigh.
"Tiuran is staying in a place far removed from her true nature. It seems she was struck by the strange men who escaped through the north gate."
Barcas's lips tightened.
A chill spread through his heart as he recalled the face of his wife, who had been sleeping defenselessly in the healer's abode.
She seemed to have been quite close to the healer all this time. Hearing this news would be quite a shock. Barcas, who had been thinking about this, scratched his bangs nervously.
Even in this situation, he was sick of himself worrying about her being heartbroken.
There were nearly twenty deaths. There was no reason to feel more sorrow for a specific person's death simply because they were close to her.
He threw the list he was holding onto the desk.
"We will allocate a separate budget to provide sufficient compensation to the victims' families."
As he finished saying that, Barcas got up from his seat and left the guard post, but he heard a commotion coming from nearby.
Barcas absentmindedly turned his head and frowned at the sight of soldiers lined up in front of the gate.
“What’s going on?”
The soldier guarding the entrance looked back in surprise.
"Your, Your Excellency!"
The soldier, who had been looking up at him with an expression as if he had seen a ghost, suddenly stepped aside from the entrance. Then, bowing his head, he spoke.
"That's right, we were waiting for Your Excellency to come and get permission to enter the castle."
He squinted his eyes and peered through the bars. Through the gap in the latticework, he saw a giant, clad in dark brown robes, standing tall.
Barcas frowned as he recognized his true identity. Roman Talis, a paladin dispatched from the Central Church, stood there with two subordinates.
"It's been a while since we last saw each other."
The man leaned his face in through the bars and smiled gently.
"I heard you had a bad accident, but fortunately, it seems you have recovered. It's reassuring to see you in good health."
"What brings you here?"
Barcas, who dismissed the empty talk, immediately got back to business.
The man, leaning against the iron bars, continued speaking in a quiet voice.
"With the failure of the subjugation plan, most of the heretics have disappeared. We can no longer sit idly by and wait. We have come to request permission for the Temple Guardians to directly launch an investigation."
"As I said before, I can't let outsiders run wild on my territory. Stop wasting time and go back."
"If that's true, we have no choice but to ask the royal family for cooperation in the investigation."
Barcas, who was turning towards the stable, glared at him with cold eyes.
"Are you threatening me now?"
"No way. I'm just politely asking for your cooperation."
The man's voice became a little more secretive.
"I also hate cumbersome procedures. I don't want things to get out of hand, so how about we quietly find a compromise?"
Barcas's face hardened. He knew instinctively that this man was hanging on to Thalia.
He spat it out through his teeth.
"Open the door."
As soon as his command was given, the iron bars slowly rose upward.
The man who entered through the gate, leading his men, had a leisurely smile on his face.
"That's a wise choice."
Ignoring the faint triumphant tone in his voice, he headed towards the barracks building connected to the wall.
“Follow me.”
The man chased after him with light movements that did not match his large size.
Barcas entered the common office used by the outer guard and nodded to the waiting soldiers.
“Everyone, go outside.”
As they all left the room, he turned to the giant standing at the door and spat out coldly.
"What are you doing without coming in?"
The man, who had been scanning the room with sharp eyes, soon gestured for his subordinates to retreat.
When they finally left alone, Barcas, sitting on the conference chair, asked bluntly.
"What exactly do you want?"
"As I said before, please allow the Temple Guardians to investigate the situation of the pagans in the East."
The man replied calmly. Barcas, with a dry laugh, picked up the bottle of wine on the table and spoke.
"Of course, you also want the right to dispose of criminals, right?"
"You seem to be worried that we might be massacring civilians, but if you wish, we can conduct a joint investigation with soldiers from the Grand Duke's family."
The man spoke as if doing a favor.
"Our goal is to prevent the spread of heretical ideas, not to stage a carnival of slaughter in the East. We promise to bring the criminals to justice in the most humane way possible."
Barcas took a sip of his strong wine and observed his opponent closely.
Intellectually, he knew there was no reason to refuse this man's offer. He didn't want pagans to run rampant in his land, either.
With even the subjugation plan aborted, there was no justification for refusing the sect's assistance. However, his instincts constantly warned him not to trust this man.
"If Your Excellency will be considerate enough to facilitate my work, I will also be considerate enough for Your Excellency."
The man, noticing his hesitation, made a suggestion in a sly tone.
Barcas glared at him with cold eyes.
“What do you mean?”
"I am saying that I will cover up the various suspicions surrounding Her Highness the Grand Duchess."
The man responded calmly.
"There are widespread rumors that Her Highness the Grand Duchess has conspired with a pagan to poison Your Excellency."
"But, since no punishment has been handed down yet, I guess Your Excellency wants to cover up this unfortunate incident."
"..."
"I, too, wish to avoid the hassle of investigating the Grand Duchess of the East on charges of heresy. If Your Excellency will assist me in my work, I will leave the various suspicions surrounding Her Highness as mere rumors."
"If I don't cooperate, you're saying you'll make my wife a target of the investigation as well."
The man answered with a smooth smile on his lips.
Barcas tightened his grip so much that the goblet of wine seemed to cave.
The man was now being asked to choose between his duties as a lord and the well-being of his wife.
It was a problem not worth worrying about.
He has been trained to prioritize the safety of the Empire and the East above all else. He cannot allow those he deems suspicious to sway the Grand Duchy because of a single individual.
But something completely different came out of his lips.
"...Yes, I give permission.”
At that moment, a hot and bitter sensation spread through his stomach.
Barcas realized it was a defeat. It was a feeling that had been nagging at him ever since he'd become entangled with her.
He looked down at the completely dented glass with blurry eyes. The overflowing liquor clung to his fingers like blood.
When it comes to her, he always makes bad choices.
Right and wrong are completely forgotten, and only primal impulses lead to running in the wrong direction, like a moth that flies to a flame knowing it will burn it.
"That is a wise decision."
The man spoke softly. If he continued to stare at his face, which was smiling as if it were amusement, he felt as if he would grab him by the neck and crush him on the table.
Barcas stood up and left the conference room, making a mental note.
This is the last time. He'll make a bad choice because of her.
Comments
Post a Comment