The city gates remained wide open.
No one willingly entered a city haunted by the specter of plague. With the army surrounding the perimeter and monsters keeping their distance, there was no longer any practical reason to keep the gates barred. Or perhaps the Marquis believed it was better to let the desperate flee rather than let their frustration boil over into a riot within the walls—regardless of the grim fate that awaited them once they left.
Torches flickered atop the walls, their light casting the long shadows of several sentries who peered into the surrounding darkness. I dismounted and approached the gate, raising the flag of House Werl high. Even in the middle of the night, the torchlight should have been enough for them to recognize the colors.
As expected, when a voice drifted down from the ramparts, it lacked the sharp edge of suspicion.
"One from the County of Werl? We have been expecting you."
Recognizing the flag, the sentry must have immediately surmised my business.
"I am Anton, Battalion Commander of the Knight Order," I announced. "I lead the units currently stationed along the highway. I have come to verify the situation as requested by Marquis Ahrens in his message. May I pass?"
"Please, come through. I will send an escort to meet you immediately."
I sensed movement atop the wall. They were well-prepared; they had clearly been waiting for a messenger to arrive.
I stepped into the city and followed my guide. The streets, which usually would have been illuminated by the warm glow of taverns, were dark and deathly silent. A heavy odor drifted toward me on the wind. It was a scent I had encountered several times during bandit suppression missions, and I recognized it instantly.
The stench of death.
I hurried through the deserted streets, trying to shake the smell that hung over the city. When we reached the manor, the guard acting as my guide stopped at the entrance. In his place, an elderly maid holding a lantern greeted me and led me deep into the building.
The man who met me in the drawing room looked utterly spent. Though he wore finely tailored clothes, the sheer weight of his fatigue made them appear rumpled and worn. This was Marquis Ahrens himself.
"You have done well to come, Commander of Werl," he said.
The Marquis offered me a chair and calmly recounted the circumstances. He explained that the city was not suffering from a disease, but from mass poisoning. Low-quality rye had been contaminated with toxic kernels, and those who consumed it had collapsed one after another. He assured me that the tainted grain had been burned and the source of the tragedy had already been severed.
"My word alone will not be enough to convince those outside, even if you are inclined to believe me," the Marquis said. "Tomorrow, I would like you to observe the treatments at the clinic. Once you see it for yourself, I am certain you will be satisfied."
"Understood. I shall observe the clinic tomorrow. However, I have one more request. I wish to confirm the safety of Lord Rein."
The Marquis nodded.
"He is quite safe. I will see if a meeting is possible now. Please wait a moment."
The Marquis sent a servant to check, and I waited. Eventually, two maids entered the room.
"Our deepest apologies, but you cannot see Lord Rein tonight," said Mira, Lord Rein's personal attendant. Her voice was calm, but there was an immovable resolve in her eyes. Behind her, Lina gave a small, polite bow.
"Lord Rein is safe, but he has nearly exhausted his mana for the day and is currently sleeping. Could you please wait until tomorrow to meet with him?"
"I see. If his personal attendant says he is safe, then I will take your word for it. I shall meet with him tomorrow."
I could not bring myself to push Lord Rein further if he was truly that exhausted. Deciding that my report to the blockade units would have to wait until morning, I took my leave.
◇◇◇
The sun rose, and I was finally permitted a meeting.
When I was shown into the inner chambers, Lord Rein had already left his bed and was sitting in a chair. A trace of weariness lingered in his expression, but he did not look like a man afflicted by illness.
"Anton... you actually came," he said.
"I am relieved to see you are safe, my lord. I have come to take you home."
Lord Rein shook his head gently.
"I can't go back yet. There are still so many people I have to save. Besides, I haven't fulfilled the terms of the healing request yet."
He stood up, looking me in the eye.
"I'm heading to the clinic now. Anton... I want you to come and see. It would be a great help if you could assist me with a few things. Also—while we're here, I'm just a Sister. Please treat me accordingly."
"But, Lord Wilhelm's orders were..."
"The situation has changed since everyone believed this was a plague. I'll write a letter to Father myself. Could you find someone to deliver it for me?"
"That won't be a problem, but is your body truly holding up, Lord Rein?"
"I'm fine. It's just that my mana runs dry every day."
"...As a layman, I wouldn't know, but is that really 'fine'?"
"It's painful, but I don't believe it's life-threatening. Mira will stop me if it gets dangerous."
When I glanced at Mira, she gave an incredibly solemn, heavy nod.
"...Understood. However, depending on Lord Wilhelm's reply, I am prepared to take you back by force if necessary."
"I understand. You have your orders, after all. Now, shall we go to the clinic?"
With that, Lord Rein adjusted his veil low over his brow and stood. Even with his hair and eyes hidden, he possessed a grace and beauty that was impossible to ignore.
The clinic was a living hell, a sharp and horrifying contrast to the tranquility of the Marquis's manor.
The sick were lined up on cloths spread across the floor, leaving no space to walk. Some shivered violently. Others muttered deliriously. Some had extremities that were already turning black. Nurses hurried about with water while guards at the entrance struggled to hold back the crowds surging forward, all desperate to witness a miracle.
In the treatment room at the back, a man was laid upon a bed. He was convulsing, his eyes unfocused and his pupils dilated—his condition was clearly critical.
Lord Rein held his hands over the man's chest.
A soft, green light began to seep from his fingertips. It was a gentle yet unwavering radiance that enveloped the man's body. Slowly, the convulsions subsided. The man's ragged breathing became deep and rhythmic. His eyes, which had been staring at nothing, gradually regained their focus.
"...Ah."
The man's gaze fixed on Lord Rein.
"...Did you... heal me?"
"Yes. You'll be alright now," Lord Rein said, his voice incredibly tender.
At those words, the man's face crumpled with emotion.
"Thank you... thank you so much...!"
He pressed his thin hands together, bowing his head repeatedly as if in prayer. Lord Rein shook his head, looking slightly embarrassed. The man seemed as if he could never thank him enough, but since there was a line of patients waiting, he was quickly ushered out.
One man left, and the next was brought in. Then another, and another. Lord Rein's hands never stopped moving.
The fact that his Detoxification Magic was working provided absolute proof that this was poisoning. The problem now was what came next. Based on Lord Rein's determination, he intended to stay until the city recovered. However, I had heard that food supplies were almost non-existent. Even the fodder for the pack horses had run out, and the animals had long since been slaughtered for meat.
At this rate, Lord Rein would starve along with the city. The Werl Army would move on my command, so I could mobilize them to secure food. Given Lady Katia’s resolve, the Laufen Army would likely follow suit. But the other territories were a different matter.
They had only come to blockade the city to prevent a plague from reaching their own borders. If they learned it was "only" poison, they might withdraw immediately, considering the problem solved. They had no obligation to help rebuild the city. While they wouldn't continue to forcibly stop the flow of goods once the danger of infection was gone, they would likely just stand by and watch us until they were satisfied, then head home. How many people would starve to death before then...?
For now, the best I could do was notify those outside.
Near noon, I climbed to the top of the city gate. Leaning over the parapet, I waved the flag I had brought broadly from side to side—signaling to the Werl camp, and to the other house waiting right beside them.
It is safe. You may enter.
It was the same message Lord Rein had sent, but this time, it came with the verification that would make the two houses move.
In the distance, I saw our camp stir. And further back, the Laufen flag swayed in response.
◇◇◇
The night Rein sent the signal, I couldn't sleep. Rein would never give up on the treatment. Even if he saved the people, the city didn't have the food—or the manpower—to gather supplies from the surrounding areas. If that happened, Rein would be devastated. In the worst-case scenario, Rein might even go hungry himself.
I gritted my teeth in the darkness. If I just waited for morning, nothing would change from those days of despair. What could I do? As Katia Laufen, wasn't there something I could do for Rein?
As soon as dawn broke, I mounted my horse. I visited the neighboring units one by one. As I expected, there were no high-ranking nobles present. No one would risk sending an heir or a key official to a place suspected of harboring a plague. That made me the highest-ranking person on the field.
I met with the representative of each camp and made the same proposal over and over.
"We are currently confirming the safety of the city following that message. Once it is verified, I intend to enter the territorial capital myself. When I do, won't you join me in helping the city recover?"
I watched their faces closely.
"With a little cooperation, you could put Marquis Ahrens in your debt. For a noble, that is a significant political advantage. Surely it wouldn't look good for you to return home having done nothing after coming all this way?"
I pressed the point home.
"Regardless of your answer, House Werl and House Laufen intend to provide relief. How do you think Marquis Ahrens will view those who did nothing but besiege his city and watch his people die once this is over?"
The representatives turned pale, answering with hesitant voices.
"...We will take it into consideration."
As I rode away from the camps, I could hear the soldiers whispering behind me.
"Hey, what do you think?"
"If the highest-ranking noble here is going in herself, that signal must have been the truth."
"True. Besides, it's not just the Ahrens family. We could put the Laufen family in our debt, too."
"Actually, isn't this getting a bit dangerous? We've probably let a lot of people die already..."
◇◇◇
Near noon, a flag was waved from the top of the city wall.
I rode straight to the city gates. They were already open. I came to a halt, then focused mana into my throat, my lungs, and my chest. I used Physical Enhancement to bolster my voice until it was a roar.
"I am Katia Laufen, daughter of Margrave Laufen! I have come to provide relief!!"
My amplified voice slammed against the stone walls and echoed throughout the area. It was a thunderous shout. The soldiers of the blockade army and the citizens within the city all turned to look at me at once.
Behind me, the units from House Werl and House Laufen began their march toward the city.
And behind them, the other camps began to move as well.