Chapter 251: The Monarch Develops a Fresh Remedy
The ruler invented a novel remedy.
He was charged with venerating evil spirits.
Initially, truths and nonsense circulated independently.
Utilizing a demon's power, the monarch crafted a cure.
However, shortly after, the two tales intertwined, spawning rumors that only brought hollow laughter from those involved.
"Your Highness. Currently, it's merely hearsay among a few patients in this region, but if you allow the clergy to persist as they are, it will soon spread as if it's verified."
Even without the concerned counsel of his subordinates, the issue with the priesthood needed resolution.
The priests' objections had persisted for three days, causing a slowdown in the treatment of the plague that had just found a glimmer of hope.
Eventually, Logan decided to converse with their representative.
"Bishop Ilia. Let's have a discussion."
However, the dialogue with Ilia proved challenging from the outset.
"I will listen here. Speak, Your Majesty."
"…Is that acceptable? It will involve the desecration of the holy, as you mentioned. A delicate matter…."
It was merely an excuse to prevent other priests from interrupting the conversation, but it couldn't be refused.
As anticipated, Ilia raised an eyebrow and then gravely nodded, permitting Logan to meet with her privately in his tent.
"Why do you serve God?"
Ilia's expression crumpled at that query.
"…Your Majesty. Are you openly engaging in blasphemy now?"
"Ah, no. I'm simply curious about why you chose to become a priest."
Confronted with that intricate question, Ilia silently shook her head.
"…It appears irrelevant to the discussion we were supposed to have, doesn't it?"
"Hmm, was that impolite of me? Well, very well. Let's get to the point. Actually, I am disappointed in you, Bishop."
Ilia's elegant brows furrowed once more.
"The Saint of the Slums. The sole bishop whose name is recognized by the people of the capital. A bishop who looks after and loves her people. I believed such a bishop would comprehend what I am attempting to achieve."
"There is no priest who would understand breaching the temple's taboo, Your Majesty."
"Bishop Ilia. Which do you consider more crucial: violating the temple's taboo or adhering to God's teachings?"
Were his words too transparent in meaning?
Ilia's countenance grew even more hardened.
"…There is a flaw in your words, Your Majesty. The taboos are established to uphold God's commands."
"But do you not think the temple is interpreting the scope of the taboo too broadly?"
"As I stated! The taboo is designed to fully adhere to the divine commands!"
"Even if it impedes the following of God's teachings to uphold an empty taboo?!"
"That's sophistry…!"
"It's not sophistry; it's reality! Bishop! Are you not currently doing just that!"
"Your Majesty. You are going too far!"
"Turning a blind eye to God's word to save the people, you are fixated on the taboo while people are perishing before our eyes!!"
Ilia flinched at the sudden outburst.
"Do you have the right to label it sophistry, Ilia? Are you genuinely a priest who abides by God's teachings?"
Logan observed Ilia's wavering expression, although she did not yield easily.
"If Your Majesty would lift the taboo, then I and the priesthood would dutifully resume our activities in accordance with God's teachings."
"And would that save the ailing individuals?"
"We will strive our utmost…!"
"Can you truly rescue them by giving your best? Bishop Ilia! If you and the temple can assure me of that, then I am prepared to relinquish it willingly!"
Logan's exclamation unsettled Ilia once more.
"So, please profess with your conscience and faith. Giving your best is inadequate. Can you eradicate the plague with that!? If you assert that you can stake everything on it, I will readily withdraw."
Bloodshot eyes bore into Ilia's blue irises like a drill.
'If anyone will diverge, it will be this woman. The Saint of the Slums. A bishop unlike any other.'
As anticipated by Logan, Ilia found it challenging to respond promptly, and her countenance grew cloudier.
After much contemplation, she eventually spoke.
"…I will stake my bishopric and request additional aid from the temple. If the assistance proves unsatisfactory, then... I will reassess."
The response was not entirely satisfying, but at least it indicated a step in the right direction.
"…Let us hope for the temple's backing."
With Logan's sardonic reply, the treatment utilizing deer blood was momentarily suspended.
"Bishop Ilia convinced His Majesty!"
"Indeed!"
"We must adhere to the Lord's word."
The jubilant priests resumed their healing endeavors.
After three days,
"How could this transpire...!"
Clutching the same temple message as before, Ilia's hands trembled.
'I conveyed my intentions so fervently.'
The temple declined to provide support, including the communication infrastructure due to budget constraints, leaving her without a means to petition the archbishop.
Sending another message would result in another week slipping by. Moreover, it was uncertain whether another plea for assistance would be heeded.
Above all, it was definite that the king would not wait.
However, if the priests' healing was once again halted, how would they address the suffering populace?
"O God... what should your humble servant do?"
Tears streamed from her tightly shut eyes as involuntary prayers spilled from the kneeling woman's lips.
"All-encompassing Lord..."
Under the unusually radiant moonlight, reciting the prayer that had anchored her soul for over two decades, Ilia wrestled with ceaseless uncertainties.
- People needing salvation are perishing before our eyes while you obsess over the taboo!!
- Are you genuinely a priest who follows the words of God?
The king's resounding shouts still echoed in her ears.
The countenances of individuals who perished during the protest against the king.
- We cannot stand by this! It's blasphemy, Bishop!
The expressions of priests discussing the taboo.
Continually tormenting her.
After an indeterminate period had elapsed,
The tears dried, and faint traces of blood streaked from the corners of her reddened eyes.
'[When our Lord descended to the world, the silent sea enveloped everything, birthing all life into the world, transforming it. All life must return to the sea, reverting to our Lord, for it is the natural order. Inclusion and transformation are one, and all are the will of our Lord.]'
The initial verse of the scripture of Amunda, the deity of the sea and transformation, abruptly enlightened her.
'The taboo, ultimately, needs alteration if necessary. All things prioritize the will of the deity who desires to cherish the people.'
The bishop she embodied, utilizing man-made taboos as a pretext to neglect the people.
"Truly, my transgression is weighty…"
Despite the tears of blood, Ilia's lips reflected a serene smile, and behind her radiated a halo as luminous as the moonlight above.
The subsequent day,
Ilia sought out Logan.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
While she greeted him, the tent where the king resided was already drenched in deer blood.
It seemed that upon receiving the temple's decision, the king promptly resumed deer blood treatment.
The desperate expressions of the individuals who had to ingest the putrid blood bore into her gaze.
'It's all my fault…'
Misinterpreting Ilia's resolute expression negatively, Logan spoke with an even sterner visage.
"I've been informed of the temple's decision. Regardless of what you say, I will resume the treatment with deer blood. In truth, I have already recommenced it. There are already over a hundred deer in the village; sustaining them is becoming an issue. I won't ask for your response. Just refrain from intervening with accusations of devil worship or the like."
"…To what extent?"
"Eh?"
"How efficacious is the deer blood? The blood of the deer?"
While infusing divine power into a young girl imbibing deer blood inside the tent, Ilia averted her gaze from Logan as she inquired.
Nonetheless, even that gesture sufficed to convey her intention.
Logan's severe countenance softened with a faint smile.
"One bowl yields a similar effect to a lower-ranking priest's sacred treatment. After several doses, it can be as efficacious as your treatment."
"…I will endorse it."
With a slight smile, Logan concluded his explanation and finally received the response he yearned for.
"I will persuade the priests myself."
"Very well. I entrust it to you, Bishop Ilia."
Naturally, the priests did not readily embrace the resumption of deer blood treatment.
"It cannot be sanctioned!"
"Blasphemy…!"
Predictable objections erupted sporadically, but this time the circumstances diverged.
"We have been interpreting the temple's taboo excessively. Animal blood, not human blood, does not transgress the taboo. I will vouch for this at the expense of my bishop status!"
Ilia, who had been at the forefront of opposing deer blood treatment, now persuaded the priests.
"What...?"
"Bishop…?"
"Do you not perceive the suffering people? Our foremost obligation should be tending to them in accordance with God's teachings!"
When she spoke, Ilia bore a bright smile, as though she had shed all her inner turmoil.
At that instant, a mystical halo began to radiate behind her.
It was such a sight that even the priests who had been clamoring about temple taboos widened their eyes in astonishment.
"Oh, Lord…!"
"We will heed the command."
The halo, an indication of heightened divine power in a high-ranking priest, naturally materialized, signifying that the priest's words were entirely in accord with God's will.
Nevertheless,
'I'm uncertain about what transpired, but the divine power she wields has markedly increased for a moment. It appears that the surplus is seeping out because it's not accustomed to the body.…'
With the cause of the halo being evident to someone like Logan, it was merely a matter for contemplation.
However, with the situation taking a favorable turn, Logan had no intention of dwelling on the cause.
Despite such miraculous occurrences, there was someone who opposed Ilia's resolve.
"…Bishop, you must uphold your promise and take responsibility."
Priest Fabian spoke out, notwithstanding his surprise at the halo, insisting on having the final say.
Additionally, Ilia's knight, Timo, with an apprehensive expression, murmured to her.
"Bishop. The temple might raise objections to this. Particularly now, when the kingdom is already under scrutiny by the main order over 'that matter,' a heresy trial could…."
"I will take responsibility, so do not fret."
"Bishop!"
Observing Ilia's resolute countenance, Timo bit his lip, but her decision remained unwavering.
"Clergymen, remain faithful to your original duty of saving the people!!"
With her indomitable stance, not only Timo but also Fabian eventually had to retreat.
However,
'That man…'
Logan regarded the avaricious, corpulent priest Fabian with narrowed eyes.
It was evident that the man would pose problems sooner or later.
'That is not my concern.'
Now was not the time to incite trouble due to such an individual.
"Continue with both the priests' healing and the deer blood treatment! Resume relief efforts for everyone!"
With Logan's proclamation, vitality began to return to the village.
"Is it truly safe to consume this?"
"Is the priest affirming its safety?"
"Greg from the neighboring house has already shown improvement."
"Indeed? Then..."
Even patients who preferred death and the hereafter to treatment began to ingest deer blood, one by one.
Of course, there were still some individuals who stubbornly resisted.
"I would rather perish and ascend to heaven..., argh!?"
"Do not thrash about. You might injure yourself. Here! For individuals like this, simply insert it into their mouths!"
When Logan led the way and poured deer blood into the mouth of a weeping patient, other knights began forcibly administering treatment to those who refused.
The spectacle of the village bustling with activity was surreal.
CRACK.
"There, the deer blood is spilling. Prevent it from overflowing; contain it carefully!"
Knights slitting the throats of dragged-in deer and soldiers collecting the dripping blood. And the individuals who imbibed that blood, stretching back in a chilling tableau.
"O God!"
Amidst the priests' fervent invocations of God and execution of sacred rites, one peculiar sight stood out.
A healing act genuinely at odds.
Yet, that contentious dual-treatment approach would soon commence yielding tangible results.
"New recoveries surpass new infections significantly!"
"Fallen soldiers and healers have all recuperated their strength!"
The increasingly positive ambiance and the dwindling number of sick individuals brought a smile to Logan's face.
Furthermore.
"If we discover a slightly more precise concoction, we can formulate a medication utilizing deer blood as the primary ingredient. If successful, even if a similar epidemic reemerges, early containment will be feasible!"
With Gilbert's optimistic report, Logan could breathe a sigh of relief.
- His Majesty the Monarch and the relief team are containing the epidemic.
As the treatment progressed successfully, the nobles and citizens who were previously apprehensive about the spreading plague began to set aside their concerns.
Furthermore.
"The king himself...?"
"I thought he was merely a despot..."
"Meh, it must be fabricated."
"But it is true he stayed in the village afflicted by the plague, is it not?"
The king's reputation began to subtly shift as rumors about him disseminated throughout the realm.
* * * In one corner of the royal domain, over 10,000 individuals gazed at the colossal stone gate with apprehensive eyes.
"Truly?"
"Can it genuinely be achieved?"
Resonating the instant years ago in the McLaine territory, laborers swallowed nervously as they observed the gate.
GRRRUMBLE.
As the massive stone door ascended with a deafening noise, water commenced flowing into the parched channels of the barren landscape.
"It's water!"
"Truly…!?"
"Is this really happening?!"
"Every individual has worked diligently. By order of His Majesty the Monarch, the families of those laborers participating in the cultivation work will be granted precedence in land tenancy rights!"
As everyone stared in disbelief, the declaration echoed thunderously through magical amplification.
"Long live His Majesty the Monarch!"
"Long live Logan McLaine!"
"Waaaah!"
A resounding cheer erupted shortly after.
Though it was solely a segment of the royal territories that exulted, the news brought Logan immense joy.
"We have surmounted the primary obstacles. Now..."
A clenched fist.
In Logan's crimson eyes that peered into the future, the flame of ambition burned fiercer.
With the relief operations effectively managing the plague, it was impractical to deploy the already troubled priests from other regions.