Chapter 80: Thorne’s Disappearance
Novarian stood imposingly in the middle of the hall, his face wearing an indifferent expression. However, when he looked into Arthur’s sharp and unreadable eyes, he felt a wave of discomfort. Unconsciously, his posture became more humble as he thought:
’This person? I still can’t grasp his intentions or the nature of his personality. Or rather, I’ve started doubting his motives. Why do I feel like he knows me?’
He sighed deeply:
’That’s impossible. He’s the son of a powerful and wealthy duke, and I’m just a villager who recently left his home. How could he know me? Also, after asking the common folk about him, they reacted with disgust, calling him all kinds of vile names and describing the horrific acts he committed. But why do I see the opposite of what they say? He’s kind and cares about his people. All the soldiers deeply respect him and don’t dare speak ill of him.’
’Such a contradiction. I don’t know... Is he really a kind person? Or a cunning and evil man? I need to be cautious around him.’
Once he cleared his mind of questions, he asked calmly, "Why did you summon me? Do you need something from me?"
Unlike most, his words bore no excessive respect. Although this would bother some people, no one dared point it out, since he was very strong and because their lord said nothing.
Unusually, Arthur seemed confused and didn’t immediately respond. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Where is Thorne?"
The question was strange, prompting the soldiers to glance at each other in confusion. Novarian furrowed his brows and answered, "I don’t know. I haven’t seen him since noon yesterday."
Arthur’s concern grew, and he asked quickly, "Wasn’t he with you during the monster hunt? You didn’t return until near sunset."
One of the soldiers stepped forward humbly and said, "My lord, yes, he joined us the previous day during the hunt. But he suddenly said he needed to return due to something urgent."
’Was he trying to get back and prevent his sister from doing anything dangerous during her Frenzy? That means he didn’t return to the barony. Maybe something happened to him on the way. Though he’s strong, there are many dangerous beasts in the forest. If he were unlucky, he might have run into one.’