Chapter 22: Lothryn Forest (1)
Duchy of Vawns, Grandview City
Duke Jason Strall was busy working in his castle office when a knock interrupted him. Without looking up, he instructed, "Come in."
He already knew who it was. "Perry, what is it?" he asked his butler, who entered with a polite bow and a sealed letter in hand.
"It's an urgent letter from one of our baronies—Baron Ezekiel Zeke," Perry said, maintaining his calm demeanour as he handed over the letter.
With a sigh, the duke took the letter, broke the seal, and began reading. His expression turned grim as he read, prompting him to pass the letter back to Perry.
"Read this and tell me what you think," Jason said, leaning back in his chair, already bracing for trouble.
Perry scanned the letter, noting its alarming content. The baron had written about strange occurrences in his lands, involving sorcery or possibly demonic magic. The name Caleb stood out as the one responsible for inciting the chaos.
"This could be a serious issue if demons are involved," Perry said calmly. It wasn't unheard of for humans to ally with demons for power, but the implications were troubling, especially with the kingdom already on edge.
"We need to investigate this thoroughly," Perry continued. "I'll assign someone to look into the matter. If this man Caleb is behind it, we'll uncover his motives."
Jason nodded, his face serious. "Make sure they take one of our strongest knights. We can't afford risks."
"Understood, my lord," Perry replied with a bow before leaving to carry out the task.