Ch. 123

I took a deep breath as I scrolled through the quest window.

'Well, four patients is still manageable.'

The population of Holden Estate was around 50,000, with about 10,000 children. The fact that only four people had contracted Goblin Disease meant it was still under control.

'It's still manageable.'

After reviewing the information, I immediately sent a message.

"Zain, Troy, something urgent has come up. Please come to the reception room immediately."

I called for the two and headed to the reception room. They arrived almost immediately.

"Master, is something wrong?"

"Church Leader, just say the word. I'll do whatever you ask."

Both of them were sweating from having been busy in such a short stretch of time, and I felt bad about giving them another task. But this time, there was no time to rest.

"Inspect Hervandes' house and the areas they visited over the past few days, and disinfect them all."

"Leave it to us."

"Don't worry, Leader."

The two of them readily accepted my instructions, and just as Zain was about to leave the reception room, I grabbed his shoulder.

"Zain, is it possible to get a horse right now?"

"Uh... I can arrange that, but it'll take some time. If it's really urgent, use this."

Zain handed me something from his bosom. It was a small badge with his signature engraved on it.

"If you take this to 'Kenneth's Stables', they'll give you a horse."

"Thank you, Zain."

I took a money pouch out of my pocket and handed it to Zain. He looked exhausted until then but he smiled brightly.

"Ayy, come on. You don't have to."

"Think of it as my request to handle this matter well. Anyway, please do your best."

"Yes, Master. Leave it to me!"

After quickly thanking Zain, I hurried out of the temple. It was late at night, but I couldn't afford to wait.

The plague was a race against time. I didn't know what price I would pay if I delayed, even for a moment. So, I headed straight to Kenneth's Stables.

Knock Knock.

When I knocked on the stable door, it opened right away.

"Who is it?"

The old man asked in a curt voice, his expression grim. Without even checking my face, I handed him the badge.

"I'm sorry to bother you so late, but could I borrow a horse right now?"

"Hey, do you see what time it is right now... ."

The old man took the badge, looked up at me, and then his eyes widened in surprise.

"Ch-Church Leader? And this is...Zain's badge?"

It seemed the old man was also a believer of the Kyros Church. His expression brightened immediately, and he told me to wait before hurrying off.

A few moments later, he returned, leading a horse.

"Church Leader! This horse is the fastest in our stable!"

"Thank you. How much is the rental fee..."

I started searching through my pockets for money.

The old man waved his hand dismissively.

"It's fine. You don't need to pay any rental fee! Just be careful with this one."

"Oh, thank you so much."

I shook the old man's hand and thanked him sincerely.

"Brother, may Kyros bless you."

Even the small act of fan service seemed to touch the old man deeply.

"Oh, Lord Kyros...!"

I left the old man behind, mounted the horse immediately. I had a single destination.

The Holden Mansion.

In the current situation, where the plague had entered Holden Estate, the highest priority was sealing off the territory.

This was a necessary step, even though the Goblin Disease might have already spread to other areas.

To seal off the territory, I needed permission from the lord of the estate or the lord's proxy. So, I headed straight to the Holden mansion.

'If I use Revelof Holden's identity, there's nothing I can't do.'

I rode hard, moving quickly.

-Child, can you cure that Goblin Disease?

As I sped along, Kyros asked cautiously.

'...Yes. Probably.'

-Ho, really?

'Yes. I've seen something about it in a book before.'

Of course, that was a lie. The only reason I knew how to cure Goblin Disease was because I remembered the method used in the original HSAW.

'The problem is...'

To obtain the ingredients for the cure, I had to enter a hidden dungeon.

'I really didn't want to go.'

It's because the hidden dungeon was the only place where I could find the ingredients, but the issue was that it was located near the Diego Church headquarters.

'Damn it...'

In the original story, Goblin Disease emerged around the time the main character, Terdius, became close to the Diego Church headquarters.

It was an event that should have happened according to the flow of the story, but it had occurred more than six months earlier than expected.

I bit my lip in frustration. After thinking for a moment, I began to run, and before I knew it, I was nearing Holden. I slowed down and quickly took off my glasses, then sped up again, heading straight for the mansion.

"Wh-who is it?"

A guard, startled by the sight of a late-night rider, shouted in surprise. I slowed down and showed my face.

"Y-Young Master?! Wh-wha-what brings you here at this late hour?"

The guards stared at me in surprise.

"It's urgent, so open the door."

"A-alright."

The guards quickly opened the main gate, though they were clearly confused. I didn't have time to explain the details, so I hurried through the gate.

I ran through the always well-maintained garden and stopped in front of the mansion. Even the guards by the building were startled and ran toward me.

After jumping down from my horse and showing my face, the guards asked urgently,

"Young Master Revelof? What brings you here at this hour...?"

"I have something urgent to tell Mother and Brother, so move aside."

As the guards stepped back, I pushed open the door to the mansion and entered. There, I saw the familiar butler.

"Young Master?"

It was Paul, who was likely on his way to bed, wandering through the dark mansion.

"Paul, where are Mother and Brother?"

Without exchanging pleasantries, I got straight to the point. Paul must have sensed my urgency, and he moved quickly.

"Lady Leira is out at the moment, but Master Sevenus is here. He's probably still awake and will be in the library."

"Thanks, Paul."

I hurried to the library. I felt bad for causing a commotion in the usually quiet mansion, but there was no time to waste.

I quickly climbed the stairs and flung open the door to the study.

"... How rude."

Sevenus, reading a book in comfortable clothes, spoke without even looking at me. I walked briskly toward him.

"Big Brother."

When I called his name, Sevenus looked up, clearly surprised. He probably didn't know I was the one who he had called rude.

"Levi? What are you doing here at this hour?"

For some reason, Sevenus seemed a bit pleased at first, but when he saw the seriousness in my expression, he quickly became serious himself.

"...Looks like something serious has happened."

Sevenus straightened his posture and gestured to the chair opposite him.

"Brother, this is a message from Leviathan, the Church Leader of the Kyros Church. He says a plague has spread within the Holden Estate, and we must completely blockade the territory and prohibit anyone from entering or leaving."

"... What? A plague?"

"Yes. There are currently infected people in the temple, and it has been confirmed that several more are infected within the territory."

"Wait, wait, Levi."

Sevenus paused, confused by the sudden news. After a moment, he spoke again.

"Alright, I understand what you want to say. But even if it is the leader's message, sealing off the territory without proper grounds or judgment could result in great losses. It's not just a loss for our family, but also a matter of the livelihood of the territory's residents."

Sevenus wasn't wrong either.

There were people within the territory who made their living through trade with other regions or villages.

But this wasn't just any ordinary plague. I looked him in the eye and spoke seriously.

"I know. But the disease discovered in the territory this time is not an ordinary infectious disease. It's the 'Goblin Disease.'"

"...Goblin Disease?"

"I'm sure you've heard of it, brother. Long ago, there was an epidemic that killed all the children in a country."

"Yes. I've heard of it. But...you're saying that disease, which disappeared a long time ago, has reappeared?"

"Yes, that's right. For some reason, Goblin Disease has resurfaced in the world, and there are infected people in our territory. If we don't act quickly, many children will lose their lives."

Sevenus, his mind clearly racing from my urgent words, rubbed his face. After a moment, his tired eyes hardened, and I added quickly,

"The Leader of the Church is well aware of the losses that would occur if the Holden territory were sealed off. That's why he said the Kyros Church will focus directly on relief and treatment after the territory is sealed."

The Kyros Church currently had considerable wealth. They would be able to support the people of the estate for several months.

'Plus, you can always earn back the money.'

Nothing is more important than human life---especially the lives of children.

"Levi, you don't have to worry about that. The territory will be locked down soon. As for the relief, Holden will handle it, so don't worry."

Sevenus spoke with a determined look in his eyes.

"Thank you, Brother."

"No, Levi. It's Holden's responsibility to take care of the people of the territory."

Looking into Sevenus' determined eyes, I saw a side of him I hadn't noticed before.

Honestly, I hadn't expected my sudden story to be accepted so quickly.

"And the Church Leader is looking for a solution. I don't know how long it will take...but he said he doesn't want any of the children of the estate to die."

"I see. If it's that Church Leader... It might even be possible. Of course, I will help too. I want to save the children of our territory as well."

After a brief exchange, I said goodbye to Sevenus and left the library.

Sevenus, fully aware of the urgency of the plague, didn't try to hold me back.

I hurried out of the Holden mansion, returned the horse I had rented, and headed to Rovel's temple.

'Now all I have to think about is creating a cure for Goblin Disease.'

To find the ingredients for the cure, I would need to enter a hidden dungeon near the Diego Church headquarters---right in the heart of the Empire.

'And that hidden dungeon is...'

Unfortunately, it was the type I didn't particularly like.

"Zain, Troy, Alphi, Chessy, Sasha."

When I arrived at the temple, I immediately sought out the senior members. After gathering everyone in the reception room, I spoke to Zain first.

"Zain, bring me as many gills from the flower croaker and whiskers from the poisonous catfish as you can."

"For those things...it might take a few hours."

"It's okay. Just do it as quickly as possible."

Zain quickly left the reception room. Then I turned to Alphius, Chester, and Sasha.

"The three of you, bring all the other Goblin Disease-infected people within Holden's estate to the temple. Don't forget to isolate them, like we did with Elenis."

"Yes, Church Leader!"

I then sent a message to Abel, Jacob, and Selena, informing them of the outbreak of Goblin Disease and asking them to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.

Now all that was left was to wait for the items Zain would bring.

***

Meanwhile...

At the same time, at the Diego Church Headquarters, North Castle.

Someone was heading toward the North Castle, where Diego's research lab was located.

The owner of those hurried steps was Terdius, whose eyes were more sunken than usual.

'Meos, that bastard...'

Terdius was on his way to find the culprit who had spread Goblin Disease across the world: Meos, the Sixth Apostle.

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