428 – I Will Save You. (2)
As Jisel’s words came to an end, the two people fell to the ground in fear and shouted,

“We, we are not guilty! We opposed it!”

“Everyone was following the orders of the lord!”

Unfortunately, Viscount Graffton was not a person worthy of loyalty. The governor and treasurer were prepared to confess before being tortured.
As Jisel approached, the two continued to shout while lying on the ground.

“We know where it is!”

“It’s not far from here!”

In response to the two’s words, Viscount Graffton’s face turned pale as he shouted,

“You fools! Shut up! I told you to shut your mouths!”

But it was already too late. The two revealed everything they knew to Jisel.
Viscount Graffton had secretly built an underground warehouse in a nearby village to store herbs. They had set up a production facility there to produce medicine.
After hearing the story, Jisel nodded.

“Gillian, lead the troops and go check that place immediately. Use these two as guides.”

“Understood.”

Gillian moved with the governor and treasurer. Meanwhile, Viscount Graffton continued to rant.

“What are you doing! Hurry up and attack them! Why are you hesitating! Isn’t the northern army outside the city! Hurry up and defeat them and prepare for war!”

If they were going to lose everything anyway, there was no reason to fight back.
Although the knights and soldiers were supposed to follow Viscount Graffton’s orders, they dared not. Even though the soldiers were gathering more and more, and the forces under Viscount Graffton were much larger, they did not dare to attack Jisel.

“Fight against the Penrith Viscount who has reached the rank of master?”

“Even though he is a prominent figure in the kingdom?”

“Can we really win if we all attack together?”

Perhaps, since the master is also human, they might win if they all attacked together. But who would be the first to attack? The one who attacks first will surely lose their life.
Furthermore, the northern army had gained a reputation for handling the rifts. No, the Penrith army was already famous for its elite soldiers.
Although only a few were present at the moment, there were about 80,000 soldiers outside. If they were to attack, those present here would be trampled in an instant.
There was no one willing to be loyal to Viscount Graffton, who had no reputation. The knight commander hesitated due to his dignity and finally spoke hesitantly.

“Well, it’s about enforcing the kingdom’s law, so let’s see the results first…”

“You fool! Are you saying that you are a knight who is loyal to me even after saying that! What results are you talking about!”

In a situation that seemed like a farce, Jisel chuckled and sat back down.
Crossing his arms and closing his eyes, he muttered,

“I really don’t like doing things by force.”

It was because people didn’t believe in him. Jisel, who was a mercenary, truly loved freedom.
He felt like the world, the era, and the environment were constantly pushing him in that direction. It was true.
While waiting for Gillian, Viscount Graffton continued to act out.

“Hurry up and kill them! What are you doing! Hurry up and attack! Where is this coercion! I am the master of this place! Even the king cannot do this to me!”

The attendants and escort knights simply watched without making a move.
Although Jisel’s actions seemed a bit extreme, the one who had violated the law first was their lord.
After all, wasn’t the authority of a lord given as a reward for fulfilling obligations to the royal family and the people of the territory? Viscount Graffton had abandoned that first.

“It’s a mess, but our lord is being too harsh.”

“People are dying from the disease. It seems like a burden to block the rifts.”

“In fact, isn’t it the northern army that is handling the rifts? We were lucky to be away from that place.”

They all rationalized their thoughts and closed their eyes. They didn’t want to be so loyal to Viscount Graffton that they would risk their lives for him.
Instead, they were all just anxious about getting involved.
Jisel pointed out a few of Viscount Graffton’s knights directly and said,

“Go to the surrounding territories and report this matter properly. Prepare while we distribute the medicine. Understood?”

“Yes, understood!”

Jisel had chosen territories that had escaped the effects of the rifts but were hoarding herbs or not cooperating properly.
Perhaps when they heard about this incident, they would prepare well on their own. Since they already had the information, there was no point in trying to deceive them.
With everything lost, there was no choice but to exercise force. There was no room for leniency at the moment.
Jisel looked at Viscount Graffton’s attendants and said,

“I will hold the lord accountable for this crime. If I take all of you as well, it will cause problems in the territory. Until a new lord is appointed, Penrith’s officials will come and take charge of this place. Everyone should cooperate well.”

“Oh, understood.”

No one would refuse an order from Jisel. Viscount Graffton’s attendants all bowed their heads.
Turning to Gillian, Jisel said,

“We need to quickly devise a way to deliver the medicines as we collect them from the surrounding areas. Let’s start by identifying the areas where the epidemic has spread the most.”

Having shown an example, it was time to act again.
* * *
The epidemic was spreading rapidly.
Many people had come into contact with the soldiers who fought against the rifts. The bigger problem was that there were people moving around everywhere. From merchants to messengers, adventurers, and mercenaries.
The spread of the disease was much faster than the distribution of medicine.
Although Jisel had set up production facilities and prepared medicine in advance, it was not very effective. The lords did not believe Jisel’s words and were passive in order to avoid losses.
Nevertheless, as the epidemic began to spread, they started producing medicine, but more and more cities were being abandoned due to the disease.
The people in these abandoned cities cried out in agony.

“Ugh… What is the lord doing…”

“We heard there was medicine… Why aren’t they giving us the medicine…”

“We have been abandoned… We have been abandoned…”

People who were once healthy were now suffering from high fevers and collapsing. Those around them avoided them, but the hidden disease eventually manifested in everyone over time.
The nobles and administrators who were in the city had fled long ago. And they had spread the disease to other territories.
The city was thus abandoned.
Economic activities came to a halt. Merchants did not come, and the city was paralyzed economically, causing everyone to starve.
Corpses began to pile up in houses and on the streets.
The city was engulfed in death.
Despair is what people do when they have strength. But these people had no energy even for despair.
All they could do was slowly die.

“Mom…”

The girl reached out to touch her mother’s nose as she lay on the bed. Her mother was still alive. Red spots covered her body, and she was suffering from a high fever, but a faint breath could still be felt.

“There’s nothing to eat…”

Food had run out a long time ago. They would starve to death faster than they would die from the disease if they stayed like this.
The girl struggled to get up from her bed.

“I have to find something to eat…”

No one was coming to help in a city abandoned by the upper class and the lord. They couldn’t find food in a place where even the basics were scarce.
So the girl went outside.
Despite not being cold, her body shivered uncontrollably. Even though she had a high fever, her body felt cold to the point of being unbearable.
Nevertheless, the girl moved forward.

“Someone, please…”

She hoped someone would help. But everyone was in a state where they couldn’t even take care of themselves.
The fruit vendor who always made noise, the general store sister who always greeted her with a smile, and even the thugs who occasionally caused trouble on the streets were nowhere to be seen.
Everyone had fallen ill and collapsed.
The streets were silent. Flies buzzed around piles of garbage. A decaying body could be seen in one corner.

“I have to go outside the city…”

There was nothing left to find in the city. Everyone had collapsed, and everything was decaying.
The girl had to go outside to hunt down even a small animal. It wasn’t something she could do, but she had to do something.
Despite her eyesight failing, the girl moved forward with that thought in mind.

“I hope someone…”

She hoped someone would help. But no one came to save them. They were abandoned.

“We are… abandoned. No one came to save us. Please, any news… medicine and food…”

The man remained silent.
The girl repeated her plea, her voice trembling.

“Please help us… My mother… people… are dying…”

Then the man nodded.

“Don’t worry.”

His voice exuded confidence that he could solve any problem. His voice also carried an arrogance that no problem was too big for him to handle.
But the girl couldn’t completely shake off her anxiety.
Everyone was dying. Could this nobleman in front of her really save them all?
The girl bit her lip and clung desperately to the man’s arm.

“We have been… abandoned. No one came to save us. Please, any news… medicine and food…”

The man shook his head.

“No, you have not been abandoned. Look behind me.”

The girl turned her head, her breath trembling, and saw the scene unfolding behind the man.
An army of soldiers with numerous flags fluttering filled the horizon as they approached.
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
Carts filled with food and medicine passed endlessly on both sides of the man.
Tears streamed down the girl’s face as she watched the scene.

“Ah…”

They were not abandoned.
Someone had come to save them.
The girl turned back to the man.
Her vision blurred with tears, making it hard to see his face clearly. But his voice came through clearly.

“I will save you.”