Chapter 245: The Arrival in Raftan
Merely four days had passed since departing from the capital when the assembly that Logan had temporarily dubbed the 'Plague Relief Brigade' reached Raftan.
Typically, larger caravans move at a slower pace. However, this group of approximately a thousand individuals covered a distance in four days that an average person would take a week to traverse, indicating their urgent journey.
The scene that greeted the rushed group upon their arrival in Raftan was beyond belief.
"Mother..."
"Don't close your eyes, my son. Do you understand? Hold on a little longer."
"Just a moment, just a bit more..."
Faces marked with clear signs of weariness and exhaustion.
Families, seemingly villagers, with pale faces, were heading towards a brook carrying bundles of belongings.
But what awaited them at the outskirts of Raftan, by the long stream, was not freedom but the grim hand of Death.
"Commander! They're approaching again!"
"Curse it, why do these fools persist... Don't hesitate! Shoot! Eliminate them!"
Soldiers stationed along the brook, bows poised, were targeting the approaching people.
At the commander's command, the soldiers, though reluctant, drew their bows, and already lying ahead were about a dozen bodies, evidently struck down by arrows.
"Shoot!"
Thwack, thwack, thwack.
Arrows flew as commanded by the leader.
"Ah!"
"My beloved!!"
A man fell, and a woman carrying a child shrieked as she collapsed.
"Wait! Just a moment! Here, take this..."
Trembling hands.
Even when wounded by an arrow in the thigh, the man retrieved something from his clothing.
A merchant's identification emblem.
Despite not resembling a group of merchants, the badge was intricate.
"Curse it, you're all too soft-hearted... Can't you shoot straight? Dammit!"
The commander scolded his men with a glare, sighing before shouting at the man.
"What deceit is this with that forged pass? Stay back! You can't leave Raftan!"
At the commander's shout, the wounded man's expression turned deathly pale.
Overwhelmed by despair as even his elaborate merchant's emblem failed to help.
'I have nowhere else to go...'
Returning would brand him an escapee deserving punishment.
Yet, what terrified him more than any penalty was...
No, turning back was not an option.
Doing so would mean facing the same fate.
"Please, kind sir, help us! If we go back, we perish!"
With his last ounce of strength, his plea carried raw desperation.
However...
"Curse it. How did it come to this tragedy?"
The commander detested this situation.
But the strict orders from above, in a way, made sense.
For he too had a family to protect.
He dreaded the thought of the plague reaching his home.
"Father, at least let my son go. He's healthy! Our village hasn't been touched by the disease, and children are said to be immune!"
Unaware of his own circumstances, the man uttered baseless claims.
"Enough of your jests! This is your final warning. Turn back or face death."
With a stern warning, the man seemed to make a firm decision.
"Then end us! Let's see how you live after slaughtering innocents!"
Who would want this?
Couldn't they see the lifeless bodies before their eyes?
Through gritted teeth, the commander issued an order.
"Why wait! Shoot! Grant their wish!"
The soldiers, once more reluctantly, aimed their bows.
Another command followed.
"Fire!"
Thwack, thwack, thwack.
"My love!"
Black arrows rained down on the motionless man, his wife, and the unconscious child.
Just as the gruesome scene was about to unfold further...
A sudden burst of golden light flashed.
Among the puzzled villagers and soldiers stood a knight with crimson eyes emitting a menacing aura.
"There seems to be a situation here. Explain."
Before them stood a knight with red eyes, exuding a dangerous aura.
* * *
"No problems here. The entire family is unharmed."
Upon hearing the priest's report on treating the family, Logan glared at the commander.
"You were ordered to seal off the area, yet you shot the villagers? These fools...!"
As the dejected commander knelt before him, Logan's eyes burned with anger.
"We only targeted the deserters. We usually gave warnings first and..."
"Quiet! I saw clearly that you intended to kill. Do not lie to me."
"Your... Your lord commanded us! We deliberately missed as a warning..."
"That's enough. Which lord do you serve? We will hold them accountable."
"Kelromon. We are under His Majesty's command."
"Kelromon?"
"This is Kelromon's domain, Your Majesty. It lies west of Raftan."
Acknowledging the knight's explanation, Logan stated,
"My party and I are en route to Raftan to address this plague. Inform the Kelromon knight to meet me for assistance. Should he fail..."
Crack.
Beneath Logan, the ground split asunder.
Boom.
Gasps and fear filled the soldiers as the tree shattered.
Though it may have been a forceful display for someone of royal authority, Logan aimed to send a clear warning.
"The Kelromon family will face consequences."
"Yes? Understood, Your Majesty."
Though uneasy about the situation, Logan thought,
'There is a process to follow.'
If their resources were lacking, they might require aid from neighboring nobles until further supplies arrived. Witnessing it firsthand left no room for noncompliance.
However...
"It's not just us..."
Uttering quietly, a dangerous smile crept onto Logan's face.
"The Kelromon estate, the Genchis barony, the Perona barony; all three are adopting the same methods."
During a brief pause, the knights swiftly relayed information.
Logan could now grasp the stance of the three neighboring landowners regarding Raftan's plight.
"Blocking the borders, shooting any villagers attempting to cross?"
"Yes."
"Why not simply drive them away?"
"The soldiers fear that any contact could spread the disease."
Sighing,
'I understand, but...'
Logan recalled Bishop Illia's words.
- One common factor. Severe hunger and poor sanitation.
With this in mind...
"Food..."
"Yes?"
"Convey to all three domains to aid Raftan with food supplies. If their contribution falls short, I will hold them responsible for unjustly harming my people."
"A messenger will be dispatched."
Victor bowed, and promptly, three knights departed in different directions as the party entered Raftan with heavy hearts.
* * *
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for coming directly to us."
Baron Eric Raftan awaited outside the castle walls and rushed over upon seeing Logan's banner, prostrating himself.
Despite his plump cheeks, his sunken eyes and dark circles revealed the pressure he faced. However...
"That lord recently increased taxes to 80% within his territory."
The whispered information received before arrival did not elicit much sympathy from Logan.
'Blaming those merely following orders seems self-serving.'
Was it selfish to expect them to be accountable?
Logan dismissed his thoughts and inquired directly,
"What is the current status?"
The baron's response was a desperate plea in the face of Logan's calm query.
"We have outbreaks in twelve villages! Despite isolating the infected early on, the disease continues to spread. Just yesterday, even my own servant displayed symptoms...!"
The baron exclaimed, tears welling up.
The baron's wails did not evoke empathy from Logan.
Putting an end to the crisis took precedence.
Baron Eric Raftan, realizing he had escaped death momentarily, did not resist the knight escorting him away.
Addressing him could wait until after resolving the plague.
"You there, knight."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Guide us to the nearest afflicted village. We must see firsthand."
"But, that's..."
"Tell me...?!"
"The lord ordered the slaughter of all villagers from infected villages this morning."
Bishop Illia's alarmed cry was met with the knight's somber tone, enveloping the hall in chilling silence.