The Forgotten Field - Chapter 191

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 191
“How troublesome.”
The man exhaled a somewhat irreverent exclamation, straightening his posture as he placed one hand across his chest.
“I pay my respects to Your Grace, the Grand Duke.”
“Do you know me?”
“Who in the Roem Empire would not know of the young Grand Duke Sierkan? Especially among the Knights, you are a legendary figure.”
The man’s lips curved into a gentle smile as he spoke with flattery laced through his words. Barcas studied him methodically with a cool gaze, sweeping from head to toe.
Light brown hair, bronzed skin with a lustrous sheen, and deep dark brown eyes. His overall impression was gentle, yet he carried an unmistakable aura of danger.
After observing him for a moment, Barcas spoke coldly.
“I have yet to hear your name.”
“How remiss of me. Please forgive my rudeness.”
The man opened his mouth slowly, maintaining his courteous smile.
“My name is Roman Talis.”
“Are you affiliated with the Falbun Grand Temple?”
“Indeed.”
The man, who had admitted this readily, continued in the soft, distinctive accent of an Osyrian.
“To be precise, I belong to the Holy Temple Guardian Order. We received reports of heretic activity in the Grand Duchy of Sierkan and came to investigate the situation.”
“A wasted journey, then.”
Barcas cut him off curtly.
“The investigation is already complete. Preparations for purging the heretics are fully underway.”
“Truly impressive.”
The man released a soft exclamation, spreading both hands open in a gesture of openness.
“However, since we have been formally dispatched, we cannot return empty-handed without contributing. After all, rooting out and eliminating heretics falls under the purview of the Holy Temple Guardian Order. My subordinates and I wish to lend our strength to the purge operation.”
“Your offer is appreciated, but I must decline. This matter can be resolved without external assistance.”
“External assistance? Surely you jest.”
The man’s face registered exaggerated surprise.
“The Grand Duchy is also imperial territory, and the Religious Order bears the sacred duty to shepherd all the faithful of Roem.”
“Those guilty of apostasy will face proper trial through the Eastern Sect’s procedures.”
Barcas’s eyes grew sharp with displeasure at this tedious exchange of formalities.
“Regardless of your station, you remain a stranger to me. I cannot permit an unknown outsider to meddle freely across my lands.”
“….”
“I will permit you to remain in Kalmor until this matter is resolved. However, I will not tolerate any use of force against my subjects.”
The smile faded from the man’s face as his eyes fixed upon Barcas with an unwavering gaze. Without hesitation, Barcas turned and ascended the staircase leading to the inner chambers on the second floor. Then, a low voice reached him from behind.
“Is there some particular reason you must exclude us?”
Barcas paused on the stairs, gripping the railing as he turned to face the man. The man approached with an unhurried gait that belied his imposing frame, and spoke with measured calm.
“Since arriving in the Eastern Territories, I have heard various intriguing rumors concerning the Grand Duchess. If your caution toward us stems from her….”
“Do people not often tell you that you lack proper discretion?”
Barcas interrupted him with a deceptively gentle tone. Sensing the killing intent that permeated the air, the dimpled man’s left cheek tensed rigidly. Leaning forward to face him directly, Barcas spoke with chilling coldness.
“Do you truly believe my wife is of a station low enough to be casually discussed by a mere High Priest?”
“…I have committed a grave discourtesy. I humbly beg your forgiveness.”
The man bowed respectfully, yet Barcas caught the faintest glimmer of amusement dancing behind his eyes. I stepped closer with an intimidating presence, and a thick, acrid stench—the kind that clung to wild beasts—assailed my nostrils. A sharp wave of suspicion washed over me.
“You truly were dispatched by the Central Church Authority…?”
Just as I was about to press him further, hurried footsteps echoed through the Chapel.
“My apologies for the delay, Your Grace.”
A High Priest who had rushed over spoke with deference.
“The High Priest has commanded that I escort you to his inner chamber. Please follow me.”
He then cast a sidelong glance at the man standing beside me.
“And as for you, brother….”
“I shall take my leave now.”
The man smoothly finished the stammering High Priest’s sentence.
“We are lodging at the relief quarters of the Grand Cathedral. Should you change your mind, please do not hesitate to inform us. We would be honored to lend our strength to the Grand Duke….”
“Your words alone are gratitude enough.”
I replied coldly and turned to follow the High Priest. Even as I passed the man, that sickening metallic reek lingered at the edge of my senses. I glanced back over my shoulder one final time.
At that very moment, a flash of lightning grotesquely illuminated Roman Talis’s eye sockets. Leaving that unpleasant afterimage behind, I ascended the darkened Staircase.
* * *
“You have broken your promise to me.”
I sat before a wooden table in the Prayer Chamber and spoke with cutting dryness.
“Have you forgotten our agreement to bury those absurd suspicions regarding the Grand Duchess?”
“The report filed by the Heresy Investigators was destroyed immediately after my meeting with the Grand Duke.”
The High Priest, who had been quietly sipping tea, exhaled a weary sigh and continued.
“I cannot say where you heard such things, but this Religious Order has never disclosed anything concerning the Grand Duchess to outsiders. If an investigator dispatched by the Central Church Authority has uncovered something, it is likely information obtained through their own independent inquiry.”
“Are you saying the High Priest is unconnected to them?”
“That is correct.”
The Elder Priest lifted his head with unwavering resolve.
“Had I intended to involve the Holy Temple Guardian Order, I would never have sought the Grand Duke’s assistance in the first place. What possible benefit could this situation bring me? Their visit is as bewildering to me as it is to you.”
I regarded him with a thoughtful gaze. Certainly, the Central Church Authority’s interference in Eastern affairs would be no welcome matter for this man either.
I asked in a considerably gentler tone.
“Are you certain of their identities?”
“Without question. All visitors carried identity tablets bearing the seal of the Grand Cathedral, and they presented dispatch documents issued by this Religious Order.”
The High Priest withdrew a parchment document from his robes and offered it to me.
“Examine it yourself.”
I accepted the document and scrutinized it carefully. The dispatch, written in ancient Osyrian, bore both the seal of the Central Church Authority and the unmistakable emblem of the Holy Temple Guardian Order.
“There is no room for doubt.”
“Was there some reason to question their credentials?”
I shook my head.
“No. It was merely that the man appeared unusually rough for a High Priest, so I thought it worth investigating.”
“The Holy Temple Guardian Order’s primary duty is to judge heretics, is it not? Engaging in such harsh work inevitably leaves its mark.”
The Elder Priest replied matter-of-factly, then rubbed his weary brow and changed the subject.
“More pressing is this: what do you intend to do now? The Holy Temple Guardian Order will surely attempt to investigate the true state of the Eastern heretic cults directly.”
“I have no intention of allowing them to ransack my lands as they please.”
Barcas tossed the parchment onto the desk and spoke with resolute certainty.
“We will launch the purge operation tomorrow. Once we apprehend all the heretics, the Holy Temple Guardian Order will have no justification to remain here. High Priest, please arrange for their departure as soon as the situation is resolved.”
“For that to happen, there can be no deviation from the plan.”
Concern flickered across the High Priest’s eyes.
“If the operation fails, they will exercise their investigative authority, and then we will no longer be able to conceal the suspicions surrounding the Grand Duchess.”
“That will not happen.”
Barcas rose from his seat and drove his point home with a cold stare down at the High Priest.
“I intend to eradicate every heretic in these lands so that such troublesome matters never arise again. Therefore, do not mention my wife again.”
He paused, then added with ominous finality.
“If you attempt to pressure me even once more by using her safety as leverage, the Grand Ducal House will no longer afford you the courtesy of addressing you as High Priest.”
“I shall take heed.”
Without waiting for further response, Barcas turned and departed without hesitation.
By the time he returned to the castle, the rain had begun to ease, though the sky remained shrouded in dark, brooding clouds.
Listening to the occasional rumble of distant thunder, Barcas entered the Main Castle. The fortress was quiet, as most of the Knights had remained at the Campsite.
“Welcome home, my lord.”
As he crossed the flickering-lit Hall, the Steward hurried forward from the entrance of the Dining Hall, where he had been directing the Servants.
Barcas removed his wet cloak and glanced into the brightly lit Dining Hall. His younger sister and several elderly retainers were taking their late evening meal.
“Where is the Grand Duchess?”
The Steward accepted the cloak from his hands, and at this habitual question, his expression grew awkward as his gaze fell.
“Her Highness said she would take her meal separately in her Chamber.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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