The Forgotten Field Novel - Chapter 45, 46
## Chapter 45
Edrick moved quickly through the camp, making his way through the soldiers who were running from one side to another clumsily.
Less than an hour had passed since the battle ended; however, the camp, which was previously a chaos, was being restored at an astonishing pace.
While the soldiers recovered weapons from the corpses of the wyverns and removed the destroyed tents, the laborers loaded boxes and bundles into the wagons. The maids gathered the bodies in a single place, wrapping them carefully in silk.
Crossing the camp with long strides, Edrick calculated the number of bodies by sight.
Seventeen in total.
Including those who had been swallowed whole by the wyverns, the casualties probably hovered between twenty-five and thirty. Considering the wounded as well, the damage was far from small. He clenched his fists.
Wyverns appearing in the Fire Season…?
Normally, wyverns woke up from their hibernation at the end of the Rest Season and began to group together during the Water Season. After the mating season, they paired up and dispersed again; therefore, for more than a dozen wyverns to appear at once in the Fire Season was an extremely rare event. Furthermore, this region was hardly a suitable habitat for such large monsters.
There is something about this that doesn’t add up. It is too convenient to dismiss as bad luck.
Edrick’s eyes narrowed as he examined the hill, plagued with the corpses of wyverns. A vague suspicion arose in his mind, but he dismissed it. This was no time for idle thoughts. With long, determined steps, he made his way toward the group of knights.
—Commander!
Varkas turned his head upon hearing the call. He had been giving instructions to the other knights.
Edrick startled instinctively and stopped dead in his tracks. the wavering light of the fire revealed the face of his superior, stained and streaked with blood.
The appearance of Edrick himself was hardly better, but seeing that face cold as marble splashed with red, with eyes gleaming like steel, sent a supernatural chill down his spine.
—Have they found her?
Sir Sheorkan’s voice arrived, flat and firm as always.
Edrick stood at attention and gave his report.
—We discovered traces of a wyvern’s impact in the north. It seems to have fallen into the ravine.
Varkas turned to look toward the north.
The torches in the hands of the knights cast a dim light on the shadows of the forest; it was impossible to know what other beasts might be lurking in there.
Edrick spoke with urgency, his voice tense.
—We should organize a search party immediately. We cannot afford to…
—What search party?!
A harsh voice interrupted him. Edrick turned abruptly.
The Crown Prince, with his dark hair disheveled like a lion’s mane, was approaching with his attendants behind him.
Edrick bowed quickly with a deep reverence, but the prince ignored him and walked straight toward Varkas.
—It’s obvious she’s dead! Stop wasting time on useless nonsense and prepare to leave! If you linger, do you want another horde of monsters to ambush us?
Edrick’s face hardened at the prince’s ruthless words.
Startled and shaken by the previous attack, the Crown Prince’s face was paler than usual. It was no wonder; he had probably never faced even an ogre in his life, let alone a wyvern. But despite that, Edrick felt no sympathy for the prince, whose nerves were on edge.
Edrick shot the prince a look full of resentful content, then looked at Varkas.
Curiously, the commander remained in silence.
He isn’t really going to obey that order… is he?
Even if she were a bastard, Talia Roem Guirta was still the Emperor’s daughter. Furthermore, she was the Empress’s firstborn. Allowing an imperial princess to be abandoned as prey for a monster due to the Crown Prince’s personal spite was unthinkable. It would be a stain on their honor as knights.
Edrick spoke quickly.
—If Your Grace allows it, I myself will lead the search for the Second Princess. Please…
—Insolent wretch!
The Crown Prince grabbed him by the collar of his clothes, his temper flaring.
Edrick looked at him calmly. He was very used to that type of violence. Keeping his voice polite, he said:
—My apologies, Your Highness. But we cannot simply abandon the Princess…
—Princess?!
The prince let out a dry, hollow laugh, and spat each word at him.
—Listen to me carefully, boy. There is only one princess in this Empire: Ayla Roem Guirta. That bastard of Talia should never have been born in the first place. Becoming a monster’s food is exactly the end she deserves…
—Enough.
The low voice cut through the night, and Edrick looked at his superior in shock.
No matter how arrogantly the Crown Prince acted, Varkas had always treated him with formal respect. For him to interrupt the prince —and even address him without using his titles— left Edrick momentarily stunned.
The prince also turned toward him with eyes wide open, unable to believe it. But Varkas’s expression was serene, almost cold.
—Your Highness should return to your quarters and rest.
His voice was calm, almost distant.
Then he nodded toward the knights waiting behind the prince.
—Bring me a mage immediately. Choose ten with the fastest reflexes; we will form a search party.
The order was obeyed instantly by the knights, who dispersed to fulfill it.
The Crown Prince looked at him, dumbfounded, then pushed Edrick aside and took a step toward Varkas.
—So this is it… are you defying me for that woman?
—His Majesty the Emperor ordered me to protect three lives —Varkas replied in an even, emotionless tone—. The Crown Prince’s order cannot invalidate that of His Majesty.
—Don’t come to me with excuses!
The prince blocked his path.
—Do you think I haven’t noticed how you’ve always been strangely protective of that woman? Tell me the truth… you are in love with…
—Gareth!
A sharp, clear voice cut through the tense air.
Edrick turned his head toward it, alarmed.
The First Princess, accompanied by two aides, walked with elegance through the ranks of knights.
Since the end of the battle against the wyverns, she had taken charge of the maids and personally attended to the wounded. Now, still wrapped in the heavy fatigue of command, she approached her brother with firm and unwavering eyes.
—Sir Sheorkan is right —she said—. We cannot leave Talia behind. Whatever she is, she is still of our blood.
—Are you crazy?!
The prince glared furiously at his sister, his eyes burning with betrayal.
—After what that wretch did to our mother, how can you say that?
—Please, be rational.
The princess’s tone was firm and authoritative, interrupting her brother’s diatribe.
Although she had been born just a few minutes before him, she behaved with much greater maturity.
Holding his gaze firmly, she continued:
—If we abandon Talia and return to the palace, not only Sir Sheorkan, but you too will be dragged into an unnecessary scandal. There is no reason to run such a risk.
Edrick was momentarily left speechless.
The First Princess, famous for her gentleness, spoke with an unexpected coldness.
She added softly, as if appeasing her enraged brother:
—At least, we should recover her body and give her a proper burial.
—
## Chapter 46
The moment the princess finished speaking, the crown prince let out a short, deflated laugh, a sound like air escaping from a bellows.
—I see. Bringing that woman’s corpse before the Empress might not be such a bad idea.
The simple fact of imagining the scene seemed to amuse him; his laughter grew deeper, tinged with a cruel delight. He grabbed Sir Sheorcan’s shoulder with one hand and whispered grimly:
—Fine. If you are so determined, I won’t stop you. Go ahead, search the mountains all night if necessary, and see if you are able to find that woman.
After giving the knight a firm pat on the shoulder, the crown prince turned around and walked away with long strides toward the opposite end of the messy camp. While following her brother, the princess turned toward her fiancé and told him simply:
—Then, I entrust that girl to you.
Once the two members of royalty left, the men headed immediately toward the north.
Edric wielded a torch in one hand, advancing at a steady pace through the dark forest where the night had already settled. He was anxious, worried that, while they wasted time arguing, the traces left by the wyvern would have disappeared.
—Be careful —whispered Sir Theoric Hart, a high-ranking knight who was walking very close to him—. If you don’t pay attention, you will go straight into the ravine.
Edric nodded briefly in response, raising the torch to illuminate the irregular dirt path. Between the straight and bulky conifers, steep rocks and sharp slopes began to be sighted.
—This way —he said, pointing toward an abrupt drop.
His superior, who had been following him in silence, took a step forward like a shadow. Edric stepped aside so the man could look down.
After examining the lower ravine with the light of the torch for a few moments, Varkas took a chain with an iron hook out of his belt pouch.
He fixed it firmly between the crevices of a rock and then launched himself down the almost vertical slope without hesitation. Edric remained at the edge, shining down with his torch until he saw Varkas land safely on the ground. Only then did he follow him, descending cautiously down the cliff.
Fortunately, the ravine was not too deep.
Maintaining his balance on the sharp stones, Edric descended carefully and raised the torch high, making a signal to the knights above. Upon seeing his light, they began to come down after him one by one.
Observing them briefly, Edric turned to examine the surroundings.
It seemed that the impact of the wyvern had shaken the cliffs with violence; there were rocks and dirt scattered everywhere. Searching through all those debris would take a considerable time.
Scrutinizing the completely black environment with impatient eyes, Edric jumped over a large rock and continued along the irregular path. After a short time, next to a pile of fallen rocks, he spotted a dark mass that protruded upward.
He raised the torch to look closer.
…It seems we found it.
The corpse of the wyvern lay stretched out among the stones, with one of its wings blackened and wrinkled, as if it had been scorched by fire magic.
Fearing that the princess might be trapped somewhere under the creature, Edric examined the area thoroughly. Then, a short distance from there, he froze.
Near a huge rock, a shadowy silhouette remained standing. As he brought the torch closer, he recognized Varkas. Edric ran toward him.
—Captain! Did you find something…?
His voice faltered. Before Varkas lay a pale and limp figure.
The light of the torch shook in Edric’s hand, illuminating a bloodless face and tangled hair. Seeing the rocks piled up over the lower part of her body, Edric let out a heavy sigh.
He knew the chances of her being alive were slim. He had been prepared, or at least that’s what he had thought. But seeing her broken body with his own eyes chilled his blood.
He hesitated, and then took a few trembling steps forward.
The upper part of her body was relatively intact, but her legs were crushed.
Kneeling by her side, Edric carefully set aside a large rock that was pressing on her left leg, which was twisted in an unnatural angle. Upon doing so, the surrounding debris collapsed with a soft crash.
Making a grimace of dismay, Edrick raised his head to ask for help— and stood motionless.
Varkas remained motionless, expressionless, staring fixedly at the woman. There was not a shred of emotion in his eyes; cold and completely indecipherable. A chill ran down Edric’s spine.
He knew that Varkas and the Second Princess had been bitter enemies. But even so, they had known each other since childhood. How could he look at her that way, as if she were nothing?
—What are you doing?! —shouted Edric—. Help me move this!
Varkas did not move. Not even a blink.
Clenching his teeth, Edric turned, determined to do it alone. He braced himself and pushed the rocks that were crushing her legs— and then froze again upon hearing it.
A faint and superficial sound, like that of a small animal panting for air.
Edric crouched abruptly.
Under the light, her pale face twitched slightly. His knees almost gave way.
—She’s alive! —he exclaimed, his voice trembling—. She’s still breathing!
At his shout, her eyelids fluttered weakly. Unfocused eyes appeared underneath them; dazed and cloudy.
Edric stood up in a panic. He needed healing magic immediately.
He reached out toward his torch, intending to call the other knights. But before he could move, he saw her lips curve subtly, the trace of a smile.
He stood paralyzed. Her chapped lips moved, forming a whisper so faint it was almost inaudible.
—…Varkas…
Her voice, fragile and pleading, made Edric’s eyes open wide.
The man who had remained like a statue crouched down suddenly. Her eyes trembled slightly upon recognizing his face, like someone who glimpses salvation in the depths of despair.
—I… knew it —she managed to articulate—. I knew you would come to save me…
As she lowered her eyelashes, tears welled up and rolled down her pale cheeks.
The firelight flickered over Varkas’s cold and motionless face. Shadows danced in his eyes; empty, lifeless, lost somewhere too deep to reach.
For some reason, Edric found himself holding his breath. He grabbed Varkas’s shoulder without thinking.
—A-Are you alright?
Varkas turned toward him, his brow slightly furrowed, as if the question itself made no sense.
Edric did not know why he had asked it. He simply… had the feeling that the man was not alright at all.
He stood staring at that serene and inscrutable face, with his own eyes full of confusion— and then the sound of hurried footsteps was heard near there.
Startled, Edric raised the torch high. Recognizing his signal, several knights came running toward them.
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