The Forgotten Field - Chapter 197

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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 197
As I stepped out of the corridor shrouded in murky shadows, the Training Grounds came into view—a bustling scene of Soldiers moving about with purpose.
Ever since the brigands had assaulted Laedgo Castle, security within the fortress had become incomparably stringent compared to before. The watchtowers along the Outer Castle Wall were fitted with defensive magical artifacts meticulously crafted by high-ranking Mages, and every entrance was equipped with double-layered iron gates.
Background checks on all who entered and exited the Castle had also become thorough beyond precedent. This was a precaution taken with the possibility in mind that a traitor who had leaked information to the enemy might still be lurking within the fortress.
Of course, I harbored no illusions that my Wife was the most likely suspect. I was fully aware that all circumstances pointed toward Talia.
She had openly expressed hostility toward the Eastern Sect. The discovery of ancient texts and paintings containing the legacy of Tilamar in her quarters, along with amulets and such, would hardly work in her favor. Most damning of all was the eyewitness testimony that she had attended a gathering of the Heretic Cult.
At the time, I had dismissed it as an absurd slander, but now I was calmly accepting the possibility that she had fallen under the sway of heretical ideology.
Perhaps, having lost a child and wandered in despair, she had been seduced by the Heretics’ honeyed words. Was she not a woman with an unexpectedly tender heart? She could not have stood idly by while they faced punishment. There was every possibility that the Zrami had cunningly exploited her pure-hearted intention to help the Heretics escape.
Likely, she never dreamed that the poison she had received was a deadly toxin. She probably believed it was merely a substance with toxicity similar to what had once been administered to Aila.
As I continued my disjointed musings, I let out a hollow laugh. I had become aware that I was losing objectivity, constructing pitiful speculations in her favor.
I washed my face with dry hands to gather my scattered thoughts. This was not the time to contemplate her circumstances or motivations. Even if she had been thoroughly exploited, if the fact remained that she had cooperated with the Heretics, it would be difficult for her to escape punishment. Therefore, I had to hastily destroy the evidence that incriminated her.
I resumed my steps, which I had paused briefly. As I crossed the Training Grounds and passed through the entrance to the Outer Fortress, a Garden lush with the verdant foliage of midsummer came into view. Just as I was stepping into it, a sharp cry brought me to an abrupt halt.
Turning my head, I saw a Handmaiden standing at odds with several Soldiers in front of the Annex Building. Recognizing her as the Handmaiden who attended to Talia, I immediately changed direction.
“What is the matter?”
As I approached from behind the woman and spoke, the Soldiers who had been roughly driving the Handmaiden back turned to face me in unison.
“Y-Your Grace! We are honored by your presence!”
The Soldiers hastily bowed. I ignored them and looked down at the young Handmaiden, whose face bore an expression of distress.
“I asked what the matter was.”
“Well, that is…”
The woman, who had been pale and stammering, soon seemed to steel herself and opened her mouth with a resolute expression.
“Your Grace has been asking for Khan, and we were trying to bring him out of the Isolation Chamber now, but these men keep preventing us from doing so…”
As the Handmaiden continued, her voice grew quieter. I could easily surmise the reason. Rumors had spread throughout the Castle that the Grand Duke had nearly died by his Wife’s hand. The Soldiers feared that an order of displeasure might be issued against a criminal who, far from showing remorse for attempting poisoning, was now seeking out a beast.
I twisted my lips in cold derision before turning my gaze toward the Soldiers.
“Why did you stop this Handmaiden?”
“Well, that is… Given that the creature has been confined for such a long time, it has become quite ferocious. We were uncertain whether it would be safe to release it. It has caused severe disturbances within the chamber during this time…”
“That’s because you haven’t been taking proper care of Khan! You’ve been preventing us from even bringing water and food…!”
The woman, speaking with indignation, suddenly caught sight of my expression and hastily lowered her eyes. Observing her quietly, I gestured toward the Soldiers with my chin.
“Open the Isolation Chamber door. I will assess the condition myself.”
The Soldier, momentarily taken aback, quickly produced a bundle of keys from his pocket. He then approached the arched iron door and, with trembling hands, undid the lock.
The heavy iron door swung open, revealing the devastated interior of the building. I crossed the threshold without hesitation. The sight that unfolded was even more vivid—a scene of destruction as if a battlefield had swept through it.
The claim of disturbances was no exaggeration. In the center of the chamber lay a large mass of cloth that had once served as a cushion and a heap of feathers scattered about. The carpet laid on the floor was shredded beyond recognition. That was not all. The sturdy stone walls bore countless deep claw marks, and the tiles on the floor were broken in places, scattered throughout the chamber.
As I surveyed the chaos methodically, I heard a rough, ragged breathing from nearby, as if molten metal were boiling.
Turning my head in the opposite direction, I spotted a pair of luminous blue-gray eyes and instinctively placed my hand on the hilt of my sword.
The silhouette of Khan rising from the deep shadow was noticeably gaunt. She had been confined for eight days, and it had taken three more days for me to recover, so the Wolf Beast had likely been left alone for nearly eleven days. It was no wonder she had become so emaciated.
I carefully observed the beast approaching me slowly. Despite her diminished frame, the Wolf Beast remained threatening. The robust skeletal structure characteristic of a predator maintained her massive body with unwavering solidity, and each step revealed the power of taut muscle.
I drew the sword hilt slightly upward. I knew well how foolish it would be to expect obedience from a beast starved for so long. I tensed every muscle in my body, prepared to subdue the Wolf Beast the moment she lunged at me.
Then, the Wolf Beast folded her ears and lowered her head.
I paused. In the eyes of the dire wolf looking up at me, there burned a fierce killing intent, yet in her posture—belly pressed to the ground, neck extended—I could discern no intention to attack.
I soon realized that this Wolf Beast was proposing a compromise. She clearly understood that without proving my harmlessness, she could not go to Talia’s side.
Though her sunken belly heaved as if she had not drunk even water for a long time, the beast remained docile, lying flat on the ground without the slightest movement. Observing her intently, I sheathed my sword and issued an order.
“Bring water and food for the Wolf Beast.”
The Soldiers, who had been watching their standoff with tense expressions, immediately turned and rushed toward the Food Storage.
Moments later, a large chunk of meat and a waterskin filled to the brim were placed on the ground. The beast, which had been anxiously scraping its claws against the floor, drank the water frantically. However, it paid no attention to the meat and instead moved toward the doorway. Its desire to return to its master clearly outweighed its hunger.
I pressed the Wolf Beast’s neck firmly toward the meat as it tried to leave. Though the creature clearly possessed exceptional intelligence, I could not send a starving beast to her side.
“You cannot leave here until you finish all of this.”
The beast, which had been glaring at me with murderous intent moments before, clamped the pig’s hind leg in its mouth. It had clearly understood my intention.
The Wolf Beast devoured the raw meat in an instant, crunching through bone and all, then licked its blood-stained lips and growled softly.
Sensing the beast’s patience had reached its limit, Barcas gestured to the Soldiers standing by at the entrance.
“Now take this Wolf Beast to the Grand Duchess.”
Before the words had even finished, the Wolf Beast bolted from the Isolation Chamber. The young Handmaiden and the Soldiers scrambled in panic, chasing after it.
Barcas stood quietly, observing the scene, then slipped out of the building and turned his steps toward the Castle Gate.

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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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