Just as Varkas was about to leave, the man hurriedly called after him.
"Recently... Bjorn Blodar Heimdal has vanished."
Varkas frowned.
Bjorn was the central figure behind the rebellion and was believed to be holding out with his father inside Amasek.
If he had disappeared...
That meant the rebels had broken through the encirclement.
Varkas looked at him skeptically.
"Amasek is under complete blockade. Isn't it possible he's simply hiding inside the city?"
"He is absolutely not the sort of man who would quietly hole himself up inside a fortress. Remaining unseen for this long is completely unnatural."
The northerner wiped the cold sweat from his brow with a handkerchief before continuing in a trembling voice.
"It's possible... no, I'm certain... he escaped from Amasek long ago. By now he's undoubtedly gathering his scattered forces and preparing a counterattack."
"You're worrying too much."
Varkas answered with a faint sneer.
"The tide has already turned. A great number of the Northern Alliance nobles have abandoned the rebellion, and most of the hardliners have already been removed. Even if he really did escape, he can no longer pose any significant threat."
"Those are the words of someone who truly doesn't know him."
The man raised his voice in frustration.
"Bjorn isn't someone who will simply accept defeat. Somewhere out there, he's preparing something terrifying. You must track him down as quickly as possible."
The absolute certainty in his tone made Varkas's eyebrows twitch.
Everything he knew about Bjorn amounted to this:
He possessed extraordinary swordsmanship.
He enjoyed overwhelming support among the nobles of the Northern Alliance.
He was an exceptional military strategist.
Beyond that, Varkas knew almost nothing about the man himself.
Still...
Anyone capable of leading such a reckless war could hardly be considered sane.
In the end, he nodded.
"Very well. I'll take immediate action."
The man's shoulders sagged in obvious relief.
Leaving the reception room at once, Varkas headed for his study.
Before anything else, he needed to verify the authenticity of the information Lowell Draven had delivered.
He was not naive enough to blindly trust the words of a man who had served as a double agent.
Taking a sheet of parchment from his desk, Varkas immediately began drafting orders instructing an investigation into the lords governing the territories bordering Valto.
The letter was addressed to Daren.
If a small military detachment were dispatched under the pretext of purchasing military supplies, they could observe the local lords without arousing suspicion.
After adding several detailed instructions, Varkas sealed the letter with wax and handed it to a courier.
By then, night had completely fallen.
Quickly organizing the papers on his desk, Varkas left the study without delay.
Descending the stairs at a brisk pace, he found the guards still standing watch outside the bedroom.
After dismissing them, he knocked gently on the door.
No answer came.
After waiting for quite some time, he finally reached for the handle.
Stepping into the quiet bedroom illuminated by flickering lamplight, a heavy, stale scent greeted him.
He immediately realized its source.
A small brazier beside the window was releasing faint wisps of smoke.
Did she burn sleeping herb?
Had the pain in her leg grown worse?
He hurried to the bedside and pulled back the canopy.
Instead of his wife, what first filled his vision was a massive gray beast sprawled across most of the bed.
Silently glaring at the deeply sleeping wolf, he then shifted his gaze to his wife, who lay curled on her side beside it.
She appeared to be fast asleep as well.
Letting out a helpless sigh, Varkas sat down heavily on the edge of the bed.
Then he heard a sleepy murmur.
"...You're finally back?"
Still half-asleep, she stretched out one arm toward him.
"Take him out of here already. I only just managed to get him to fall asleep."
Varkas stared blankly at his drowsy wife for a moment before finally bending down.
Sliding an arm beneath her waist, he gently lifted her warm body.
The wolf, limp as though dead asleep, suddenly kicked its legs.
Varkas froze instantly.
Apparently it had merely been dreaming.
After letting out a low rumble, the wolf settled back into stillness.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Only then did he realize how utterly ridiculous this situation was, and a quiet laugh escaped him.
The moment of self-mockery didn't last long.
"Let's hurry before the sleeping herb wears off."
Prompted by his wife's whisper, he rose without hesitation.
Taking the cloak hanging on the wall, he carefully wrapped it around her, covering the woman clad only in a thin nightgown from head to toe.
Quietly leaving the room, he stepped into the softly lit corridor overlooking the broad staircase.
After a brief moment's thought, he turned and headed upstairs.
He could have taken her back to the room she had previously occupied, but the maids would almost certainly interrupt them.
Instead, he entered the bedroom adjoining his own study.