The Forgotten Field - Chapter 229

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

Chapter 229
“What are you trying to say?”
I questioned him with suspicion, and the man tilted his head, pointing with his thumb at the embroidery etched into the pouch’s surface.
“That’s something the Grand Duchess made, sir.”
Barcas blinked blankly, his gaze dropping back to his waist.
The leather pouch with reinforced edges was densely covered with delicate patterns created by interlacing small bead ornaments and colorful threads. It was far too intricate to be the handiwork of a woman who had only recently taken up embroidery as a hobby.
He regarded Edrick with suspicion.
“She made this?”
“Without question, sir. I’ve watched her working on it these past several months.”
Barcas’s expression grew confused at the man’s certainty.
“Why would something she made end up with me?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
Edrick Lubon furrowed his brow as if exasperated.
Barcas recalled how she had visited his chamber before his departure. Could she have slipped it into his belongings then?
But why?
I unfastened the pouch I had been carrying without much thought and examined it as though seeing it for the first time.
Vine patterns woven densely with gold thread encircled the black horse emblem in a distinctive design like a halo. As I traced the tightly stitched marks with my fingertips, my throat suddenly constricted, and I swallowed hard.
What was she thinking when she made this? And why did she give it to me?
“When someone gives a handmade gift to someone embarking on a long journey, it usually means wishing them a safe return, doesn’t it?”
Edrick Lubon spoke as if he could see directly into my thoughts.
I looked up at him again. The man scratched the back of his head and added with a sigh.
“When you return, ask her directly. Why she gave it to you….”
His meaningful tone made my stomach churn. I suppressed the feeling, took a deep breath, and fastened the pouch back to my belt, securing it tightly with the leather cord.
Abandon such foolish hopes. It was surely nothing more than a whim on her part.
How many times had I been swayed by that woman’s unpredictable behavior? I no longer wanted to be a fool, wavering with every action she took.
With a hardened expression, I rose and gestured toward the rocks.
“We’ve rested enough. Let’s move on. We don’t have time to dawdle.”
Edrick Lubon let out a groan.
I paid him no mind and resumed walking along the mountain path. Yet my mind remained entirely consumed by thoughts of her.
What does that woman want from me? She poured out resentment, swearing never to forgive me until death, and then suddenly bestows an unexpected gift.
I wanted to ask her.
What do you want to do with me?
What am I to you, truly?
“Sir, approaching any further appears dangerous.”
Rogen’s quiet voice snapped me from my reverie. I stopped and surveyed the area ahead.
We had drawn close enough to peer into the windows of the Main Castle.
I gathered my scattered thoughts and examined the massive fortress from behind a boulder. This was no time to be lost in idle speculation.
Concealed in the deepening shadows, I soon moved between the densely wooded areas and rocks toward the rear of the castle walls. Beyond the steep cliff face loomed a tall watchtower and the castle rampart with its broad sentry walk.
“Sir, isn’t this reconnaissance sufficient? Perhaps we should withdraw now….”
“From here on, we move separately.”
Ignoring his subordinate’s objections, Barcas withdrew two parchment documents from his coat and handed them to the fastest warriors positioned along the steep slope, continuing his instructions with unwavering composure.
“One goes to Darian, the other to the commander of the flanking unit waiting in the north. The rest of you divide into two squads and conceal yourselves near the back gate and main gate of the castle.”
“Sir, that would mean….”
“Rabomir, Trian, Edmon, and….”
Barcas continued calling out his subordinates’ names with perfect composure, undisturbed by their anxious reactions, and finally pointed to Edrick as he concluded.
“These four will follow me.”
“Surely you don’t intend to infiltrate the fortress itself?”
The man who had remained silent until now spoke with barely concealed tension.
Barcas gave a curt nod.
“I’ve gathered sufficient intelligence from the patrols. We’ll wait until darkness falls, slip inside, and open the castle gate. Once I send the signal, launch the assault immediately.”
“This is far too reckless! Please, let us handle such a task while you rejoin the main force!”
“Lower your voice.”
At Barcas’s rebuke, Rogen, whose face had flushed with agitation, abruptly fell silent.
Barcas continued coldly.
“That was an order, not a suggestion. I will entertain no further objections.”
“But sir, there’s no reason for you to take such a risk….”
“That is not for you to judge.”
Barcas cut off his subordinate’s protest with a sharp finality, his tone becoming even more austere.
“I’ve already issued instructions to the flanking unit. The operation will proceed without delay. Move now.”
The men, intimidated by his icy demeanor, exchanged glances among themselves before swiftly dispersing in disciplined silence.
After observing his soldiers move with precision according to his orders, Barcas led the infiltration team toward the ridge, now stained the color of blood by the setting sun.
Before long, thick darkness enveloped the mountainside. He moved with practiced agility along the route he had memorized, carefully observing the faint torchlight flickering atop the castle walls. Soldiers bearing torches moved slowly along the patrol route at regular intervals.
He pulled his hood down over his head and cautiously made his way toward the base of the outer wall. Soon the towering rampart completely blocked his view of the sky.
“I’ll climb up first and eliminate the sentries.”
“Wait! Let me go instead.”
Edrick Lubon, who had been following close at his heels, urgently grabbed his arm.
Barcas brushed off the hand with visible irritation and withdrew the crossbow slung across his back. He loaded an iron bolt with a rope attached to the firing mechanism.
He then wound the mechanism, drawing the bowstring to its maximum tension, and aligned his aim toward the highest point of the castle wall. Moments later, with a sound like a whip cracking through the air, the bolt shot upward into the darkness.
Barcas gripped the end of the rapidly ascending rope firmly. Soon it went taut. The hook at the arrow’s tip had caught securely on the castle rampart.
He tested the rope’s strength by pulling it several times, then used the serrated edge of his boot heel to strike the wall lightly. Grasping the rope tightly with both hands, he began scaling the wall at breathtaking speed.
The ascent of nearly eighty crevets took him mere minutes.
In an instant, Barcas crested the rampart and approached the sentry from behind. He clamped his hand over the soldier’s mouth and swiftly drew the dagger concealed within his wrist guard, driving it downward.
As the blade sank deep into the soldier’s neck, he twisted it sideways, tearing the wound wide open. Hot blood erupted in a fountain.
He wrenched the dying soldier’s head to the side, accelerating the hemorrhage. The sentry’s body convulsed with strangled gasps before going limp.
Once Barcas confirmed the man’s breathing had ceased entirely, he dragged the corpse to the base of the tower and shoved it into a corner, then walked back to the rampart. The hook remained firmly lodged in the brick crevice.
He kicked it to secure it even more firmly, then signaled downward. One by one, the soldiers began scaling the wall.
“Given the castle’s layout, the mechanisms controlling the drawbridge and portcullis are likely located inside the southern tower. Split into pairs, eliminate the surrounding sentries, and secure the entry points.”
“What will you do, sir?”
Edrick Lubon asked with a note of uncertainty in his voice.
Barcas retrieved the hook and rope, stowing them in his equipment pack, and answered matter-of-factly.
“I intend to find the Crown Prince.”
I turned toward the entrance connected to the castle rampart, but Edrick seized my wrist.
“You’ve abandoned him, haven’t you?”
“There is someone within the Imperial Elite Guard who aided in his abduction.”
Even in the dim darkness, I could see Edrick Lubon’s eyes widen in shock. I shook off his hand with irritation and continued in a low voice.
“I judged it more advantageous to his rescue if I appeared to have forsaken him.”
“Then allow me to lend my strength to rescuing the Crown Prince as well——!”
“I alone am sufficient.”
I dismissed him curtly.
“This is a solo operation born of my personal circumstances. You are to focus your efforts on breaching the castle gate as I have instructed.”
“Personal circumstances? How can rescuing the Crown Prince be——”
I left Edrick Lubon to his protests and moved toward the watchtower. He finally relented and did not pursue me further.
I passed through the door connected to the building and descended the staircase immediately. Partway down, I noticed light rising from below the railing and pressed myself against the wall. A soldier with sleep still clouding his features trudged up the stairs, having just left his quarters for his watch rotation.
I remained concealed in the deep shadows, waiting for the man to come within striking distance.
The soldier, muttering in a northern dialect, eventually reached the level connected to the rampart. I seized him instantly and drove a dagger into his mouth. A brief gasp escaped his throat.
I covered his face with the hem of my robe to muffle any sound, then drove the blade deeper.
The blade pierced through his throat, past the neck bones, and through his spine. He collapsed to his knees without so much as a scream, falling to the ground.
After a moment’s consideration, I shoved the corpse between the cargo boxes stacked beneath the stairs. It was crude concealment, but I could not afford to waste time hiding the body.
I pulled the mechanism on my wrist guard to retract the blade and slipped out of the castle tower.
High-ranking prisoners were typically confined at the apex of the main castle. From my external observations, the passage connecting to the main castle lay to the southeast. However, a direct assault carried too much risk.
There would be a servants’ entrance near the kitchen or loading area. It would be wise to find an infiltration route from behind the building.
Having made my decision in an instant, I began moving along the outer perimeter of the fortress walls.

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