Stray

    Trent blight.

    Dara Lennion shared some information with other bodies in advance before he arrived at Wither Castle. Nemo sees Sonia Ramon's name in the Trent blight research project, but the file has a "investigation" magic marker on it.

    As for Trent blight itself, the Sage of the Abyss investigation probably knows better than anyone else—

    This plague appeared about 800 years ago. As soon as it emerged, it devoured nearly one-tenth of the human population. If no stage is taken, the patient will die in as short as four days or as long as eight days, depending on the individual's constitution.

    The healing magic system 800 years ago was not yet perfect, and the top healers of various kingdoms worked hard to find the source of this ferocious plague - the blood-red Croydon blood tree, a kind of A plant that originally grew in the depths of the abyss.

    Because of the mysterious and strong aroma of the trunk and leaves, it was brought to the surface by the expedition humans themselves. The expeditionary force at that time brought a few saplings and planted them carefully. The Croydon blood tree is also very good, as long as the light is not strong and the conditions are suitable, the roots and branches can barely support. Its aroma is non-toxic and harmless, and its taste is as wonderful as a dream.

    People grind the bark and trunk into powder, boil the leaves with oil, hold the wonderful aroma, and then sell the finished incense powder and balsam to various places.

    No one can resist such a wonderful aroma, and Croydon is in short supply. A living branch is almost worth more than an equal amount of gold, and the planting of Croydon blood trees has become a trend among small circles.

    until it results.

    More than two decades after the first Croydon blood trees were brought to the surface, they were bearing fruit without blooming. The bottom layer of the abyss is dark, dangerous and chaotic, and it is difficult to accurately observe the dark and motionless plants. Fragrance hunters failed to spot its flowers and never thought the tree would still bear fruit.

    Tragedy begins with the merchant family who originally planted the Croydon blood tree.

    The maid who tended the tree took off the strange fruit. The thing was the size of an egg, wriggled slightly, and had an unpleasant pink-brown soft skin. The surface of the fruit is covered with dark holes and does not emit any aroma.

    The Merchant-Mr. Trent picked up the slimy odd fruit, looked closely for a few minutes and lost interest. He greeted the maid to keep it safe, and drove to the city by himself to attend an important meeting of his chamber of commerce.

    Then his eyes began to ache, as if they had entered the sand. He closed his eyes tightly, cursing the servant ill-naturedly for not cleaning the carriage, and wiping away the constant stream of tears from the corners of his eyes with his handkerchief. Fortunately, after a long day, when Mr. Trent checked into a hotel in the city, his eye pain was cured. So he participated in the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce as arranged, and then went to the best tavern in the city to have fun.

    Then I can't get sick.

    First, the limbs were weak and unable to walk. A terrifyingly high fever followed, with confusion and gibberish. Within a day or two, Mr. Trent could not make a sound, but his eyes were wide open without blinking. The Trent family found the best doctor for him, but the doctor was equally helpless.

    In the last few days, his breathing was extremely difficult, and his whole body was described as haggard. Mr. Trent completely lost all responsiveness to the outside world, was completely incontinent, and soon died. The Trent family has the enlightenment of a businessman, and his family is willing to donate the body for the therapists to study, trying to understand the cause of this strange disease.

    But the therapists only found the cause of Mr. Trent's death - the patient's brain had rotted into a cloudy mucus.

    Mr. Trent was not the first victim, and soon, a large number of strange patients appeared in the city. People start with a sore eye that heals quickly, and they can continue to move around healthily for a day and a night—after that, death quickly slashes its scythe.

    The bizarre plague that quickly swept the surface was officially named Trent Blight. After numerous sacrifices, healers finally discovered the source of the plague.

    The fruit of the Croydon blood tree is a source of infection. If the creature stares at it for more than six seconds, there is a high probability of being infected by the curse, and the infected person will not become sick immediately. They tend to experience eye discomfort - the curse is remodeling their eyes.

    The day and night after the pain disappears is the infectious period. During the infectious period, anyone who looks directly at the patient for more than six seconds is at risk of being infected. As the day and night pass, the patient's brain begins to rot, and the patient quickly falls ill and dies. It is safe to look at each other during the attack. This strange infection method is only discovered by the plague mask. The masks of the plague healers have thick clean magic crystals, and almost no one of the healers who traveled wearing it fell ill. The infection rate of those who usually wear glasses is also very low.

    In addition to babies born to sick mothers, babies die quickly from the curse of Trent blight. There is no other mode of transmission for this vicious disease.

    Now that the infection route is known, there are many ways to fight the plague. Following the philosophy that what is rare is most valuable, the cultivation of the Croydon blood tree itself is not common. Although many businessmen tried to hide, they were caught by specially trained wolf hunters. All the Croydon blood trees on the surface were destroyed, leaving only some old and dry trunks and leaves circulating on the black market. The few fruits were taken away by sworn research structures for research purposes - which Alban Royal should not have had.

    However, hundreds of years have passed, and times have changed, and there are not so many "should be like this". Nemo sighed.

    "Oli, remember when I asked you about Trent blight...the time in Clementine's lock room."

    "Remember." Oliver was following behind Ann, and they walked in the direction of Princess Delia's lounge.

    "I probably know what's going on now." They nestled behind a thick carved stone pillar, watching patrolling soldiers pass by. Nemo whispered softly and glanced at Ann who was walking not far ahead. "Your mother died of an illness when she was five months pregnant with you. It was either a common disease or Trent blight."

    "But you just said that it can be transmitted through fertility..." Oliver was stunned for a few seconds, frowning.

    "Yes." Nemo sighed, "So Uncle Ramon, no, Flint didn't just keep you for five months. He also used some kind of Way to suppress Trent blight and keep you alive."

    “…how did you know?”

      Guessing...but it's different now, everything is connected now. According to the research data of Della Laeneen, there should be places where there are still pathogenic fruits on the surface - Clemen Academy, Mercenary Guild Headquarters and Gatekeepers Another research facility. All of these places have a sample for research, and there is no recent record of theft. And no matter which facility, there is no specific reason to use it against your mother."

    Oliver didn't stop on his feet, frowning more and more tightly: "You mean..."

    "Your mother was sick, but it didn't spread. It's the same as Delia's situation now." Nemo brushed away a strand of black hair that fell in front of him, "Remember your Did the father suddenly cut off contact with his younger brother? Our speculation at that time should be correct, and this matter is indeed related to the Alban royal family."

    "The royal family used the fruit to make the mother sick and die, and the father discovered this. So in order to cleanly pluck his brother Emmanuel from this matter, just cut off the connection and disappear? He did that How can you stop loving your mother - no, Nemo. If the royal family really had this idea, why did they use this... roundabout way?" Oliver tried his best to keep his voice calm.

    "In order to clear the suspicion, by the way, the murder is guaranteed to be successful."

    Nimo grabbed the lover soothingly: "After all, even the madly curious type of Della Lane has only recently realized that the Alban royal family may have disease-causing fruits. At that time, although Flint was powerful, he was only a mercenary from a civilian background and should not have access to such secrets."

    "Your father is very powerful and well-connected, and he must have had a lot of enemies. Your mother was pregnant with you at the time, and Flint would definitely do his best to take care of her, right? Ordinary poisoning And accident is very difficult to succeed. Even with other pathogens, your father can save her if he has time. But Trent blight is different, it disappears for too long, your father is finding out Sonia Before she got sick, she probably..."

    Oliver was silent for a long time, their forward speed slowed down, and they were about to be completely dropped by An who was walking in front.

    "Why?" After a long time, Oliver said blankly. "Flint Lopez should have done nothing to harm the interests of the royal family. Why did the Alban royal family want to do something to the mother?"

    And the father never mentioned the mother's affairs... Is it to let the son grow up carefree and not let his childhood cast the shadow of "revenge" and "hatred"?

    "That's what we're going to be sure of." Nemo sighed, "I can't figure it out. But I think we have an entry point."

    "What are you two muttering at the back?" Ann, who was focused on running at the front, turned her head and greeted both angrily and hilariously. "We're limited in time, boys."

    "Here!" Nemo raised his voice, then lowered it back down. "Ann must have a connection with the royal family... After she has finished talking with Her Royal Highness Delia, I think we can have a good talk with her."

    Delia Alastair is sitting in the spacious lounge. She still closed her eyes, and slowly touched the delicate brace against her legs.

    Her limbs were weak and unable to walk on her own strength. The young princess had a cold face and sat motionless. All kinds of easy-to-eat diced fruit and snacks were neatly placed on the table, all within her reach, but Delia ignored them indifferently.

    She knew that the room was full of guard soldiers, and countless eyes were locked on her, which made her nauseous.

    But she couldn't spread the deadly plague. Now, in order to suppress the disease entrenched in her heart, she needs to take a special medicine nine times a day. In the early morning, he had to be dragged up and fed with medicine, so that he could barely maintain his current state and not die immediately.

    Only when the sun is about to set and her garden is empty can she open her eyes and see the world again.

    But today was different, the door was gently opened, and the guards were talking to the people outside—and in an instant, more than a dozen guards fell to the ground together, and the sound of armor colliding resounded in the room.

    "Nice job, Nemo. Don't worry, heartbeat surveillance spells aren't that easy to cast, and it's suspicious to use on soldiers. One Rosa is enough for Eldric. I'm bothered."

    The door should be closed, and the door shaft rotates, making a creaking sound. Then the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees out of thin air.

    "You can open your eyes, Your Highness Delia. We know your physical condition, it doesn't matter."

    The young princess opened her eyes a small slit, and then narrowed because she was not used to the light. She saw a shimmering wall of ice in front of her. The ice wall was flat and transparent, and a figure stood behind it.

    She opened her mouth, but she couldn't make a sound, only a pale smile.

    "Silence spell, why am I not surprised at all?" An said angrily, and hit it with a single release.

    Delia turned her attention to Ann.

    She was stunned, but the shock quickly disappeared. Delia didn't call for help, she sat quietly in the armchair, the metal legs of her legs gleamed with the flickering candles.

    "Everyone, what are you doing?" She stared at Ann's face, and there was even a bit of vigilance in her voice.

    "I only have one question." Ann did not answer directly, but continued to ask questions in a disguised voice. "Do you want to get out of here?"

    "No." Delia replied firmly, revealing an increasingly cold smile. "Since you know my physical condition, why would you ask such a silly question?"

    Nimo looked at the petite girl sitting in the armchair in surprise, Delia's eyes were very similar to Ann's, they were clear amber.

    "What if there was no Trent blight?"

    "I don't want to make pointless assumptions, now I have to take nine pills a day to survive, and that's the only pill that's available here. Where are you from, Salter? By the way? Salter should be raising his troops now, does he want to get me away first... but it's too late."

    Delia's trembling slightly, her heart beating very fast, these details could not be concealed from Nemo's exploration. But her face was extremely calm, and she didn't speak like a sixteen-year-old child at all.

    "Honestly, it's none of my business whether Eldric can sit on the throne or not, you just need to give me a 'yes' or 'no', Delia." Ann clenched her fists tightly of.

    "It's a pity whether he can sit on the throne or not has something to do with me." Delia said unceremoniously, "Well, I don't think my dear uncle should play such boring tricks. Mercenary Wouldn't take this kind of work either... Black Seal, eh? Since you said 'Whether Eldric can sit on the throne', I'm assuming you already know the reality of the Emperor."

    The little girl is tying their words.

    "Only the Salt family know this. While I don't know why your focus is so strange, I'm going to answer you—don't worry, I have my own plans. Tell Gary Rah, now is not the time."

    "Delia, you..."

    "Why should Marshal Gallagher believe you?" Oliver stretched out an arm and placed it in front of Ann. The female warrior took a deep breath and nodded silently at him. "You are too young, and to be honest, your thinking is probably not mature enough."

    "Has there been any anomalies at Clemente College recently? I would say, now old Salter should block Clemen College and hold the heirs of the nobles hostage, and Marshal Gallagher should start Get ready to start an army. He will use the pretext of chasing down rogues to control a few towns first. With the time Old Salt bought, no other nobles will intervene in this matter for the time being."

    Delia's face was stern, and her slender fingers tapped on the wooden support: "Look at Eldric's hurried appearance, he must be running a race with him. Look, today's dance After that, he will soon let the 'Emperor' order to send more troops to Marshal Gallagher. I will convey these words and my physical condition to Marshal Gallagher as is, and ask him to respect my opinion."

    She guessed almost all of them.

    "...Who taught you this?" Ann couldn't help but said. The princess of Alban has no access to the strategy of the superior.

    "My mother." Delia whispered, "she's a genius, no, she was a genius. Aren't you wondering why I don't want to go? This disease is one thing, another Aspect... If my dear uncle does take that seat, I will do my best to make him uneasy."

    Ann looked at her unfamiliar niece silently, her eyes a little red.

    The princess' pale cheeks flushed with anger: "So please go back."

    "Balthaze Medes." Nemo said suddenly, "Trent blight is not incurable at the moment. This man has been studying it, he has A solution has been found before, and some cases have survived. He should have made more progress by now. If we can cure you, would you like to come with us?"

    This time Ann and Oliver looked at Nemo together.

    They never heard Nemo mention the name, but they all knew who it belonged to.

    Two members of the Tin Soldier Mercenary Corps did not participate in the expedition, one was Flint's mentor Talbot Vance, and the other was the Balthazar Medes. Nemo's expression was calm and his tone of voice was serious, and he didn't look like he was lying about a reason.

    "If you can come up with definite evidence, I will immediately turn to Salter." The princess straightened her back, "You should go, someone will come to deliver the medicine soon—before leaving , remember to clean up the mess."

    She pointed to the guards who collapsed on the ground, then closed her eyes.

    Ann did not leave immediately.

    "Although this question may be a bit rude, please tell me." She asked bitterly, "His Royal Highness Annabel, did she... end up in pain? Because you look very..." Very angry .

    "She drank poisoned tea. And according to Alban tradition, she had the right to have a wish before she died. She did have a wish."

    "She said 'call my daughter and let her witness my death.'"

    “‘Let her see with her own eyes the fate of those who have lost themselves.’”