Chapter 91

The plague spread from the southern city of Sdelam and, in an instant, consumed more than half of the empire.

 

Inside the carriage headed toward Sdelam—the origin point of the plague—Enria pondered how she could purify such a vast area efficiently and prevent it from spreading any further.

 

“Did you say all the priestesses of the Grand Sanctuary are performing purification in the east?”

 

At her question, Caldeon—who was holding Hayden and repeatedly brushing back the child’s hair—nodded.

 

“The Grand Sanctuary is in the east, so of course they’d start by blocking the plague from there.”

 

“But since it started in the south, they should’ve sent at least half of them there.”

 

No one knew when the plague that began in the south would reach the north.

 

If they didn’t extinguish the flame at its origin, the untouched north would eventually fall victim.

 

But the people of the Grand Sanctuary naturally wished for purification to begin with the land they lived in.

 

Just as Enria wished the plague would never reach the north.

 

“They’re not like that. The Grand Sanctuary types only care that their own land stays safe.”

 

Caldeon’s expression hardened with displeasure as he continued, saying the high priests of the Grand Sanctuary were the most narrow-minded people who only cared about their institution’s benefit. Then, remembering Enria was also from the Sanctuary, he quickly corrected his expression.

 

“Of course, the priestesses just follow the priests’ orders. It isn’t their fault.”

 

Enria smiled faintly.

 

“The priestesses are just as uninterested in anything outside the Sanctuary. Their closed-off communal life shapes them that way whether they want it or not.”

 

She had never lived there herself, since her possession began while she was living in the ducal castle, but during her early research she had learned enough about the Grand Sanctuary.

 

They worshiped the god and delivered divine oracles, living in a society of their own. Led by the high priests, they acted solely for the protection of the Sanctuary and to emphasize the superiority of those with holy power.

 

Without holy power and oracles, they would fit right in with a cult.

 

Such people were never going to spread out across the empire to cleanse the entire plague.

 

All that mattered to them was keeping the Sanctuary safe.

 

“For now, we need to purify Sdelam as fast as possible and move north. I hope the plague hasn’t reached that far yet…”

 

“We don’t have time to waste,” Caldeon said. “I’ll drop you off in Sdelam, then head to the border between the north and south.”

 

“The border?”

 

“Yes. I can’t purify like you, but I can nullify black magic.”

 

The plague spreading now was driven by black magic; black mana could erase it.

 

He couldn’t heal the infected like holy power could, but he could certainly stop the spread.

 

Enria thought for a moment, then looked at Hayden in his arms.

 

“What if Hayden goes with you?”

 

Caldeon’s eyes widened.

 

“Hayden can purify with holy power too. You nullify the black magic, and Hayden can purify—then those suffering will find relief.”

 

“Baby can do it.”

 

Hayden nodded, clearly understanding.

 

Enria smiled at him.

 

“Really? Can I trust you with this?”

 

Hayden bobbed his head again, as if telling her not to worry.

 

“Then I’ll take Hayden,” Caldeon said. “You go with Lady Kaznaren, Rahar, and Tearen.”

 

“Alright. Ah—what about Belona…?”

 

Enria closed her mouth awkwardly.

 

Belona had once mistaken Caldeon for Groen, so pairing her with him felt uncomfortable.

 

Caldeon’s expression tensed the moment her name was mentioned.

 

“Leave her with Rahar.”

 

“Okay. I’ll take her with me.”

 

Enria nodded readily.

 

 

***

 

 

After dropping Enria’s group off in Sdelam, Caldeon headed toward the border with Hayden, his spirits, and Rahar’s spirits Silri and Lonn.

 

Enria entered Sdelam with Roseanne, Tearen, Rahar, Belona, and Undy.

 

To prevent infection, she quickly placed holy barriers over everyone.

 

Roseanne formed magic in her palm, ready for any surprise attack, keeping her guard high but not terrified—because with Tearen there, danger was unlikely.

 

Tearen’s illusions were exceptionally strong in crises.

 

“…My god.”

 

The moment they crossed into Sdelam, Roseanne let out something close to a groan.

 

Every person in the town was dead.

 

The livestock still breathing were rotting alive, writhing in agony.

 

The scene reminded Enria of the zombies from her original world; she frowned deeply.

 

She’d heard it was a plague, but she hadn’t expected something this horrific.

 

The black mage’s method for harvesting human and animal souls was despicable.

 

He could’ve killed them instantly with poison, but instead he forced them to die slowly, drowning in pain.

 

That meant souls suffering longer produced stronger black magic.

 

Enria thought again what a vile creature the black mage was.

 

“I want to tear him apart…”

 

Belona muttered under her breath, enraged.

 

“Does he have no conscience at all?”

 

Roseanne growled, looking at a bawling, half-rotten cow.

 

Enria strode toward the suffering animal and purified it with holy energy, biting down on her lip.

 

‘Everyone here is dead. Only a few livestock remain alive.’

 

She needed to save the living in the next towns, so she couldn’t waste time purifying every inch of this place.

 

“Please purify only the living ones. I’ll put a barrier over the village.”

 

Belona quickly covered the town with her own light barrier—less effective than Enria’s, but enough for now.

 

Rahar gathered the corpses at the entrance so the barrier could cover the whole area neatly.

 

Tearen and Roseanne guarded Enria as she purified everything still alive.

 

“Do you think the next town will also have no survivors?”

 

If so, they should skip ahead.

 

Purifying a dead town while living people elsewhere died would be a waste of precious time.

 

“I’ll go check.”

 

Undy stepped forward.

 

He could move faster than any human and wasn’t susceptible to the plague, so he offered to locate the nearest town with survivors.

 

“That would help. Please do.”

 

Before her sentence fully ended, Undy dissolved into water and vanished.

 

Rahar, who had been watching Belona, turned his head just in time to see his spirit disappear and blinked in confusion.

 

Tearen gestured to him to stay focused on Belona, so he turned back.

 

Enria watched the cow slowly recover as she purified it, wondering if there was a faster, more efficient way.

 

Doing this one by one consumed a tremendous amount of time and holy power.

 

But she couldn’t abandon suffering beings.

 

She pushed more holy power through and decided she would study purification techniques again once this crisis was over.

 

 

***

 

 

“Most of the southern region is wiped out,” Undy said bleakly when he returned.

 

“There are exactly three towns left. We should start with the one least damaged.”

 

Enria nodded, turning as Belona approached after finishing the barrier.

 

“It’s done,” Belona reported.

 

“Good work. Let’s move on.”

 

Following Undy’s suggestion, Enria told Belona and Rahar to head first to the town with the least damage.

 

Rahar nodded, asking Undy which town it was, then discussed with Tearen whether there was a faster route.

 

Roseanne massaged the back of his neck, asking Belona if she was alright.

 

“Just a little discomfort. Light attributes recover quickly, so don’t worry.”

 

“That’s good, but don’t overdo it. You’re still weakened…”

 

“Thank you for worrying, but I’ll be fine.”

 

Belona insisted on doing everything she could to sabotage the black mage’s plan.

 

Her resolve made Enria and Roseanne nod and reaffirm their own determination to destroy that plan.