Ever since the Cardinal’s letter arrived, Moritz’s behavior had been odd.
He still arrived punctually every morning to act as our guide, but the way he looked at me was profoundly pained, and his face was perpetually pale. I wasn't sure what had caused the change, but I figured I should be as considerate as possible if he was feeling unwell.
“Lord Moritz. If you’re experiencing symptoms of the poison, I can treat you.”
When I said that and reached out a hand to him in front of the clinic, his shoulders gave a violent start.
“I-I’m fine. Truly, it’s nothing at all.”
Taking a step back and bowing again, Moritz turned and began walking ahead of us.
I wondered for a moment if he had come to dislike me. But then, if he hated me, he didn't have to go out of his way to volunteer as our guide every morning; he could have simply left the task to a servant. I had no idea what to make of it.
Regardless, there was nothing I could do. Since he looked so poorly, and because there were few patients at the clinic today, I told him his help wasn't necessary and sent him home early.
In truth, there were hardly any people left in the clinic beds who required assistance. Since we had treated the most severe cases first, only those with the mildest symptoms remained. Compared to the crowded chaos we had first encountered, the clinic now felt hollow and empty.
“It should be entirely finished in another two days. We managed to keep the death toll much lower than we once feared. You have my deepest gratitude, Saint, and the Angel as well. This may well be the will of Lady Viviana.”
Bishop Jonas let out a long breath as he spoke. He looked as though he had finally been permitted to feel a sense of relief.
◇◇◇
The incident occurred on our way back after finishing the day’s rounds.
It was only a short walk from the clinic to the lord’s manor. While we had initially used the main street, crowds would gather and make progress impossible, so we had recently taken to using the back alleys to stay out of sight. As the sun dipped low, the narrow paths between the high walls were already shrouded in shadow.
We were escorted by four House Soest knights in the lead and four in the rear. Anton walked directly ahead of me, Mira was to my left, and Big Sister Therese was on my right. Lina followed a short distance behind, clutching a basket of the clothes we had changed out of at the clinic.
Just as we passed through a crossroads, five men emerged from the narrow alleys on either side.
One of them shoved Lina aside as he rushed past her.
“Out of the way!”
The basket went flying. Clothes scattered as Lina tumbled onto the hard ground.
“Ambush!”
At Mira’s shout, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
What happened next was over in a heartbeat.
Anton stepped forward and drew his sword. Mira’s arm blurred as she swung it, and with the whistle of wind, several thin objects went flying through the air.
The man in the lead was blocked by Anton just three steps away from me; he was quite literally sliced in two in an instant.
The second man collapsed, clutching his throat. Blood dripped from between his fingers where the wind-blown projectiles had struck.
The remaining three were cut down from behind by the House Soest knights and sprawled onto the stones.
It couldn't have taken more than ten seconds.
Throughout the entire encounter, Big Sister Therese stood firm, holding my arm. Her other hand rested on her mace, though she hadn't found it necessary to draw it.
“...Big Sister.”
“Don’t move. I will intervene if the situation turns dire, but we should leave this to the guards for now. We aren't entirely unobserved, after all.”
Her voice was lower, colder than usual.
Once the knights confirmed that the immediate threat was neutralized, I ran to Lina’s side.
Her shoulder, cheek, and palm—the places where she had struck the cobblestones—were swollen and red. I placed my hands on her and channeled recovery magic. The swelling faded instantly.
“...I... once again, I... did nothing!”
Lina spoke with tears welling in her eyes. It seemed she hadn't been able to manifest the fire magic she had been practicing so diligently in the heat of the moment.
“It’s okay to take things slow. We’re still young, after all.”
“But Lord Rein, you were in danger now!”
Sparks began to flicker and dance around her in her frustration, but I stroked her head regardless.
“It’s all right. There are others here to protect us. You’re going to be my maid, aren’t you, Lina?”
“...Yes.”
“Then you can just grow alongside me. I think that’s something only you can do.”
Lina rubbed her eyes and gave a small, firm nod. The sparks vanished as she calmed down.
The House Soest knights were inspecting the fallen men. It appeared they were interrogating the one who was still barely breathing.
“...The attackers were local thugs. It seems they were paid to strike, but they claim the client wore a hood pulled low over their face. They never saw a name or a face,” Anton muttered, looking down at the bodies.
“Did they really think they could accomplish anything with such a pathetic attempt?”
His voice sounded somewhere between anger and genuine confusion.
“We were more than capable of handling this ourselves, so I doubt they expected to succeed. Still, I never imagined anyone in this city would be foolish enough to hire a hit on the Angel... Do you have any idea who might be behind this?”
“No, none at all...”
As I listened to Anton’s response, Mira whispered softly in my ear.
“This may be a warning.”
“A warning?”
“From the Second Prince. He must have received our refusal by now. This is likely a warning for snubbing his proposal. And even if they had succeeded by some fluke, he probably would have found that outcome acceptable as well.”
Would he really... go that far?
A chill ran down my spine as I contemplated the Second Prince’s cold-blooded nature.
◇◇◇
When we returned to the manor, Count Soest apologized until he was red in the face.
“I am utterly ashamed that such insolent thugs would dare to attack the Angel within my own city. It is a disgrace to my house....I shall see to it that your routes are guarded with the utmost vigilance from this moment on.”
I don't mean to sound arrogant, but we were incredibly popular in this city. This truly must have been beyond his expectations.
“Also... there is one more matter I wish to inform you of. There is a city called Beckum to the west of here, and I have received word that a similar poisoning has broken out there, much like what happened in Marquis Ahrens’ territory and my own.”
“Again? Is it as bad as it was here?”
“It seems to be the same poison, but only about sixty people have fallen ill, with around a dozen deaths.”
“? If you’ll pardon me for saying so, that seems like a much smaller number.”
“Knowledge of the poison’s origin and the proper countermeasures has already been shared with the neighboring territories. For some reason, they still managed to introduce it into the market, but the local authorities were able to contain it early. Four detoxification specialists from the Royal Capital were already on their way here, but I’m told they’ve been redirected to Beckum instead.”
“...Is there any need for us to go there, then?”
“Likely not. But this situation is becoming dire. Not only must the suspect rye be burned, but all grain prices are being driven down by harmful rumors and fear. And yet, perhaps because the supply is being siphoned off to other territories, the market price refuses to drop. Despite the fact that we are producing grain, it is as if we are suffering through a famine. If this continues, the borderlands will...”
Count Soest trailed off, falling into a grim silence.
“My apologies, I’ve kept you too long with my rambling. You must be exhausted. Please, go and rest.”
I took my leave as he suggested.
At this rate, I feel like these cities will slowly wither away no matter how many people we heal. We have to find out exactly where this poison is coming from.