From the moment he got out of bed, Barcas worked tirelessly on a tight schedule outside the hospital.
It was necessary to show a healthy appearance everywhere in order to put to rest all the ominous rumors surrounding Thalia.
As if nothing had happened, Barcas reorganized the punitive force and immediately went around the eastern region to re-establish public order, while focusing all his efforts on cracking down on heretical gatherings and tracking down the whereabouts of the looters.
When the initial plan to secretly eradicate the Zrams fell through, they changed their strategy and launched a large-scale crackdown.
The hard-line policy seemed to have taken effect, and the frequency of the rampant raiders' appearances had noticeably decreased; the gatherings of the Great Spirit Church, which were secretly held throughout the eastern region, also became less frequent.
Although the roots of the heretical forces were more likely to have sunk beneath the surface than to have been completely eradicated, they were at least successful in resolving the immediate chaos.
"It seems the heretic hunters will soon return to the capital."
Bayrov said with a relieved expression, placing the report on his desk.
Barcas picked up a yellow parchment and quickly scanned it. The document detailed the Temple Guardians' movements over the past few weeks.
"It seems the Paladins have concluded that the heretical group has fled to the frozen land. They seem to have concluded that further pursuit is unnecessary."
Barcas stroked his lips with a thoughtful expression.
After receiving permission to investigate, the Temple Guardians, who had been moving around the Kalmor area without hesitation, soon moved west.
It was judged that the pagans were likely hiding in the Netherran Mountains that divide the eastern and central regions.
The investigation team, which had been there for a while, scoured the western and eastern regions, soon followed the trail of the heretical cult and headed north. However, it appears they ultimately failed to capture the escaped individuals.
"Wouldn't it be a good idea to slowly bring back the units we've been keeping under surveillance?"
Bayrov cautiously opened his eyes.
Barcas repeated, rubbing his throbbing forehead and clenching his stiff hands.
In the current situation where manpower was already scarce, it was a clear waste of resources to have Wolfram's elite unit follow the Holy Guardians.
After extensive inquiries, Roman Talis's identity was confirmed. Further surveillance was unnecessary.
Although he judged it that way, Barcas could hardly keep his guard up.
It was a feeling bordering on instinct. An intuitive sense of crisis is felt when confronted with a mercenary intruding into one's territory.
After looking at the report for a long time, Barcas finally shook his head.
"Tell them not to let their guard down until they completely leave the East."
"But, Your Excellency, it is not necessary to do that..."
"Since the security situation in the East is relatively stable anyway, I don't think it will be a big deal if we allocate a few more weeks of manpower."
Barcas stood up, firmly dismissing his aide's objections.
Barcas, who had firmly rejected his aide's objection, stood up.
Now that he had taken care of all the official business, it was time to get on with his afternoon schedule.
He left his office, mentally mapping out his next destination. Then, a shrill scream came from somewhere.
Barcas, standing tall on one side of the hallway, glanced out the window. In the open space next to the garden, his younger sister was yelling at someone.
Barcas stiffened when he realized that the person she was talking to was his wife.
She was looking at Raina with a half-crazy expression, wearing a black robe of unknown origin.
Barcas, who had been looking down at the sight with a stern expression, quickly turned around. He ran down the stairs and stepped out the back door, when Raina's sharp voice struck his ears.
"Confess honestly! What kind of scheme are you planning this time? The whole country is in an uproar because of you, how can you do it again...!?"
“What’s going on?”
When she questioned his wife harshly, his younger sister flinched and shut her mouth.
Barcas crossed the open space in one breath and approached them.
"I asked what was going on."
After a moment of confusion, his younger sister confidently raised her finger and pointed at Thalia.
"Look at that! That woman was trying to sneak out of the castle again! She must have been trying to lure the raiders again!"
Barcas, who had been glaring at his sister with icy eyes, slowly turned his gaze to his wife. "You've grown noticeably thinner in the past few weeks."
A woman, her face as if it were about to crumble at any moment, looked at him with a timid gaze.
"That's not it. Khan is gone..."
She continued speaking anxiously, biting her fingernails with her cracked lips, which were blackened with bruises.
"I haven't seen Khan since dawn. That's why I was just looking for him."
Standing stiffly, Barcas looked down at the sight and took a deep breath.
A hot, heavy anger ran up his spine and to the top of his head.
It wasn't clear what he was so angry about.
Was it because of her terribly thin appearance, or was it because he was upset at how poorly she could play an excuse in front of his younger sister?
It could be because she tried to sneak out of the castle, looking like she was going to collapse at any moment.
He chewed and swallowed something that was welling up inside him, then opened his mouth coldly.
"Did you find my instructions to be on guard funny?"
She flinched and lowered her eyes.
Barcas could see the fingertips gripping the robe, trembling. For some reason, seeing her cower so tightly made him feel even more uneasy.
She was a woman who always kept her head held high in any situation.
He felt an indescribable sense of discomfort when he saw the person who had been yelling at him for her own mistakes, trembling like a criminal.
Barcas turned his head as if shaking off the emotion and shouted at the soldiers standing awkwardly on one side of the empty lot.
"What on earth were you doing until the Grand Duchess came out of the room?"
"I'm sorry, Your Excellency."
The guards hastily tightened their belts.
Barcas, who had been glaring at the sight with cold eyes, nodded.
"Take her to her room right now. If this happens again, I'll have to hang you."
The soldiers, who had become disoriented, suddenly came running and surrounded his wife.
Just as they were about to take her away, the woman, who was biting her lips with an anxious expression, grabbed his arm.
"I'll just go out for a bit and come back. I think Khan has escaped the point. I need to find Khan."
He looked down at that desperate face, his body rigid.
It seemed like a fire was spreading from where her hand touched.
He pulled her hand away as if denying the feeling and urged the soldiers on.
"What are you doing instead of taking her?"
The soldiers who had been scurrying around approached her again.
Thalia, who had been looking up at him with wide eyes, eventually turned around weakly.
He consciously turned his eyes away from that sight, and then he saw Raina's face, grinning as if she was in awe.
For a moment, he was overcome with a violent urge to break off his sister's charred neck, which was so beautiful it looked like a star.
"Raina Raedgo Sheerkhan."
The smile on his sister's lips disappeared as he sensed the anger in his voice.
Barcas stepped closer to his younger sister and spat out ominously.
"Do you find the title of Grand Duchess ridiculous?"
Raina, who had been looking up at him with a frightened expression, soon raised the corners of her eyes.
"What kind of Grand Duchess is that! That woman is a terrible witch. She poisoned my brother's cup and lured the marauders into the castle! But why are you protecting such a woman? Because of that woman...!"
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