Chapter 257


    The children were startled when Lysia approached. Their haggard cheeks were thin.


    They held a muddy carrot in their hand. Perhaps, there were no sick people yet when nting, and green leaves were fluttering in the wide field.


    “Are all the adults sick?”


    “Yes.”


    The older child answered.


    “Since when have you been sick?”


    “Thest time we prayed at the temple, the priest couldn’te…….”


    The child pointed at it with her finger.


    “Before that, the priest prayed for the sick. But back then, there weren’t that many sick people. The doctor said it was a cold.”


    “You are smart.”


    Lysia said kindly.


    If so, it meant that it started about a fortnight ago. It almost matched the pace of progression that Lysia remembered.


    “Isn’t there anyone other than you who isn’t sick enough to walk around?”


    The child shook her head. Then, she took in a few deep breaths.


    Lysia ced her hand on the child’s head. A green light shed in her hand.


    Alphonse flinched. But he didn’t dare open his mouth and ask what it was.


    “Ah.”


    Suddenly, her breathing became easier, and the child was startled.


    Lysia also blessed the little one.


    And she said,


    “Sister is from a big temple in the city. Can’t you see the people over there? They are the ones who came with Sister.”


    “Yes.”


    “Go over there and wait.”


    The child hesitated. The small child tugged at his older sister’s hem.


    “Sister…… Mom told me not to go after someone we didn’t know…….”


    Lysia asked,


    “Where is your house? I’ll tell your mom and dad first.”


    “Really?”


    The child pointed to one side.


    “It’s the third from the far end over there, the house with the yellow flower.”


    “So don’t worry and go.”


    The children did not doubt for long.


    Lysia looked at the children’s back who held hands and walked towards the party.


    Alphonse asked,


    “Lysia , are you okay? A little while ago, it was…….”


    “Please don’t ask me anything now. I first……have to tell Her Grace.”


    Alphonse nodded his head.


    He was ordered by Artizea to go and protect Lysia.


    So he didn’t think twice. Lysia was wise. The one time he asked was just because he was personally concerned about Lysia.


    Lysia turned her steps towards the vige. Alphonse followed her behind half a step.


    The scenery in the vige was no different from the many painful things that remained in her memory.


    The floor and walls were soggy, and the town was as quiet as death. The smell of filth permeated the room.


    Perhaps, even without children realizing it, many people have died.


    As promised, she will first heal the children’s parents, and then she will go to the temple.


    Still, if the priest could still do his job until the disease progressed to a certain extent, he would have gathered the patients around the temple.


    She just hoped it wouldn’t spread to other ces.


    ‘I definitely wanted to go to the Crown Prince’s Coronation Ceremony.’


    She couldn’t go the day Leticia was born, and she didn’t even go to her naming ceremony.


    It would have been better if she had gone after that, but it was her fault for dying it as she had made up her mind.


    Now, she can’t afford to go. She should have gone and told many stories.


    It was then.


    <i>Bang</i>!


    A bang was heard from somewhere. Alphonse grabbed her in an instant and knocked her to the ground.


    Lysia opened her eyes wide in shock. Pieces of ck wood flew over her head.


    Alphonse got up. Lysia stood up to her feet.


    “Just now, was it gunpowder?”


    “Come this way!”


    Alphonse grabbed her elbow.


    Lysia hesitated for a moment. However, the next explosion urred.


    <i>Kuang</i>!


    This time, it was a sound from a distance.


    Lysia saw the high roof of the temple burst open. The aftermath of the explosion vibrated up to here.


    The fire spread. Because the parasitic monster was weak to fire, it not only swallowed the house and grass, but also spread to the tainted ground.


    “Lysia!”


    Alphonse shouted. Lysia knew that she had no room for hesitation.


    She was able to heal with her powers, but she could not put out the fire. It would be impossible to take even one person out.


    <i>Kuang</i>!


    Again there was an explosion.


    Lysia ran like crazy. There was the sound of something exploding again, and there was no time to check whether it was gunpowder or the sound of a house copsing.


    By the time they escaped from the vige to avoid the explosions, the whole vige was already engulfed in mes.


    “Go all the way out!”


    Lycia shouted at Alphonse. All the muddy floors will burn.


    “Morten Heir Apparent!”


    Herpanions screamed at her and ran to her. Lysia took her breath away and looked at them.


    The officials were holding the children, howling and moring.


    The vige was already engulfed in fire. It cannot be rescued. There were only about twenty people here.


    The rest were all scattered ording to Lysia’s orders.


    If it wasn’t for that, at best, this party couldn’t put out that fire.


    Lysia couldn’t order to rescue people from the vige that had exploded with gunpowder when she had nothing.


    “Ah! Look at that!”


    One of the officials waved his arm frantically.


    A new fire was starting in an entirely different ce. At first, she thought the sparks had sprung and spread into a wildfire, but the mes spread around the vige.


    It was a firewall.


    The knights are chasing the children. And before being trapped inside the fire line, the group ran like crazy and got out of there.


    “You have to go further away from it.”


    The official gasped and said. The heat of the fire seemed to burn even his breath.


    Then, suddenly, Alphonse drew his pistol. Following him, the knights raised their weapons in unison.


    The officials stepped back and surrounded the children and Lysia.


    But it was a rural man who came running. He was riding a horse with ked skin. He, of course, was not even armed.


    The man was astonished to see the fire and astonished to see the knights.


    “Oh, I’m, I’m sorry. That, there, is a, letter…….”


    “A letter?”


    Alphonse asked.


    “Yes, yes. Uh, a gentleman entrusted me with a letter and told me to deliver it to this town, that, to somedy.”


    The man stuttered in embarrassment and barely spoke.


    “If you see, you, you’ll know…… he say.”


    The man’s gaze turned towards the vige in confusion. Perhaps, there was more gunpowder buried on the side of the vige, and the explosion was still raging. ck smoke billowed out.


    Lysia said quickly.


    “Give the letter here, and you take them to your vige. It’s close, right?”


    “Oh, yes. In fact, it, it takes less than an hour.”


    “Go and call other people. Let your neighbors know about it, too. Somebody change his horse!”


    An official got off his horse. The man was stunned and climbed onto the horse.


    “Someone is setting the fire line, but there must be some ws. If you do it wrong, sparks will fly and spread into wildfire. Hurry!”


    Lysia has appointed a person to follow the man. The man was startled and spurred his horse. A designated official followed him.


    The knight pulled a re from his chest and fired it.


    It’s a peaceful time, a peaceful area. She didn’t know how well themunication would be.


    Administrative power in the West has not yet reached every corner.


    Lysia opened the envelope.


    [To Lysia.


    It feels strange to write a letter after a long time.


    Did you get my greetings? In order not to inflict any trouble on your work, I even finished cleaning up. It probably won’t turn into a gue.


    The firewall is my gift. I hope it doesn’t spread too much.


    I should go pick you up soon, but I’m not ready yet. You will also need some mental preparation.


    I’m looking forward to the day we meet.


    Loving you faithfully,


    from Lawrence.]


    Lysia crumpled the letter. Then She bowed her head and ced her forehead on the back of her hand.


    ＊＊＊


    Artizea got up and sat down two days after the day she copsed.


    It was the next day that she was able to face Natalia.


    Natalia kept her promise and she stayed in the Crown Prince’s Pce.


    Minor diplomatic issues were involved. But for now, it wasn’t a matter of the Crown Prince’s Pce.


    The Saintess bes the Crown Princess. It became a fuss as each of them contacted their respective countries on this bomb-like news.


    Gifts were piled up in front of the Crown Prince’s Pce.


    There were many people who left freshly picked flowers every morning in front of the huge main gate of the Crown Prince’s pce. This was done by believers who could not send gifts.


    The same thing happened when Lysia became the Crown Princess.


    Natalia left it to Bernat, so she could face Artizea with ease.


    “I was very worried.”


    Natalia said, looking at Artizea’s paleplexion. Still, she seemed to be fine now.


    “His Highness Bernat must have been relieved.”


    “Yes?”


    “Because you decided to ept my offer before I revealed that I had received the oracle.”


    Nataliaughed awkwardly. Because it was true.


    Artizea touched her forehead for a moment. She shouldn’t have been cynical this way.


    “I’m sorry. I am not ming His Highness Bernat or anything like that. You are doing what you ought to do for the Kingdom of Iantz, and I am grateful to you two.”


    Then, Hazel approached and handed her a letter.


    “Your Grace, this is the news you have been waiting for.”


    “Ah, thank you.”


    Artizea answered indifferently.


    And she looked at the envelope and held her breath.


    Lysia’s name was written on it. The seal had threeyers.


    One of them was engraved with the coat of arms of Grand Duchy Evron. Originally, it would have been a seal that only Cedric could use.


    Artizea didn’t even know that it was the engraving on the grip of his pistol.


    She hurriedly opened the envelope. And she continued to read it down.


    “Any bad news?”


    Natalia asked anxiously.


    “Nothing. No, yes. It’s important. A fire broke out in the West and burned down a vige.”


    “Is it okay?”


    “Fortunately…… It didn’t spread like a wildfire. After that it rained for two days.”


    Artizea said only what she could say.


    The problem was about the gue and Lawrence.


    But it’s not something she can deal with right now.


    The Crown Prince’s Coronation Ceremony was two days from now.


    <em>signs of our final boss? </em>