Knights, Let’s Smash Them

141 – Luvern Alroy and the Wonderful Village (4)

Since ancient times, livestock has been a breeding ground for all sorts of diseases. The same goes for bottles that used to be popular in modern times.

Avian flu, swine fever, etc.

Among them, there were definitely viruses that could infect people of different species, and people who live with such livestock are bound to be vulnerable.

I immediately ran out of the inn and headed for the barn.

As soon as I broke the bolted door, I covered my nose at the stench that wafted in.

“f*ck.”

All the livestock were slaughtered. It wasn’t just being killed. Flies flying wildly in the pus that grew like mushrooms on the body.

Anyone could see it as a medium that transmitted the plague to the villagers. It is clear that residents who ate the meat of livestock raised in the barn here became infected.

Liberio and Heinz also wrinkled their faces at the terrible sight.

“Heinz, what was Strarum famous for?”

“…… It is pork.”

“Go to the agricultural cooperative building and bring all the relevant materials. We need to find out which merchant these meats were sold to.”

Perhaps an outsider took care of the livestock not only in this inn, but also in other barns.

In general, outsiders who stay for a long time used to work in places like inns and barns to earn living expenses.

“Lubern Administrator. Look at this.”

At that time, Liberio, who was inspecting the barn, called me.

As much as I was checking the inside of the barn, which I didn’t even want to set foot in, it seemed that my stomach was very strong.

I covered my nose tightly to not smell the stench and approached Liberio. Then he lifted a small green nut from the floor.

It was probably like the fruit used as food for slaughtered pigs.

“What is that?”

“Olive.”

“Olive?”

I was taken aback for a moment. Olives were not the main fruit used for livestock feed in Rupel Manor.

No matter how mild the climate is compared to the Duchy of Hebron, the northern region was still northern. Olives grown in warmer climates are not a common crop in Rupell.

It is not difficult to find the oil that is extracted and sold, but it is rare to have the fruit itself unless it is an oil mill.

Because Rupel doesn’t produce seasonings such as salt and vinegar that can remove the bitter taste with olives, I didn’t enjoy eating dishes using only olives.

“Strange.”

“Besides, this color…… Isn’t it maroon? There is only one place where olives of this color are grown near Rufel.”

This is the Marquis of Karahan.

Liberio added in a firm tone without hesitation. He was known for his prudent personality, so he wouldn’t say things like that unless he was fairly certain.

Besides, Liberia is a person from that marquis territory. It was strange that he, a native who was born and raised in the Marquis Territory, did not recognize the olive production area.

A ‘plague incident’ suddenly occurred in the peaceful territory. The truth that had been hidden in the fog was finally revealed.

“f*ck…… These pups…….”

“It’s still too early to judge, but if it’s the Farneri Karajan I know.”

Liberio slurred his words. It was obvious that he didn’t even have to listen to the end.

“I know because I met you last time. He said he didn’t like the way he looked. I never thought you would do something like this behind your back.”

And now that I think about it, the place where the plague broke out was too exquisite.

Although Strarum was a small town, it was geographically close to the Iron Road.

Therefore, it has access to the capital Petalonto to the north, the developing town of Tiffen to the west, and the barony of Kirten to the south.

East of all.

The accessibility to the Duchy of Hebron wasn’t too bad either.

It may be a pure interpretation, but if the bastard really planned to unleash a plague on the village and kill innocent villagers, the target would never have been limited to Rupel Manor.

What if revenge on the Hebron estate, the merchant of Florence who helped me, was part of the plan?

I don’t know if he did anything to the olives to spread a plague that could not be cured even by the power of the priest.

As the vector of the plague was already spreading to the local community, it was absolutely not an easy task to solve.

The back of the head is tingling.

But there was no time to just sit still.

“Once…… We need to control the livestock that escaped from this village. The outsider in question must have left the territory long ago.”

“If I set off right now by myself, I should be able to get to Petalonto by nine.”

Heinz nodded and said.

“Tell Sheriff Baker to tighten the checks on merchants entering the city and declare a state of emergency throughout the county. Please deliver it to the side of the Lady of Hebron who is currently staying in Petalonto.”

If you don’t pay attention, even the Duchy of Hebron could be damaged.

If he had judged Rupel’s political isolation beyond simple retaliation, he would have 100% manipulated the Duchy of Hebron as well.

Because public sentiment is not easily rectified the moment it is originally twisted.

Once the source of the plague becomes the town of Rupell, if the plague spreads to the dukedom, the responsibility falls back to us.

In an instant, the perception is changed from a good victim to a perpetrator.

‘Such a bastard.’

I should have responded more thoroughly since I fought for something, but I was thinking too easily.

Who would have thought that they would retaliate politically by unleashing the plague?

This crosses the line properly.

I bit my lip and turned around. The disgusting smell of corpses swirled in my head.

***

The poppy definitely worked.

The potion produced by Compton was quickly distributed to the residents gathered at the town hall, and the condition of the residents who drank the potion soon improved significantly.

“It was a symptom of vicious poisoning. I don’t know what I did, but it’s absolutely not a common disease.”

The genius alchemist shook his head and added.

Originally, alchemy is the study of all kinds of poisons and medicines. Even to him, who had mastered such studies, the disease spreading in Strarum was too strange.

“In case of a common disease, there are many cases of infection through coughing or saliva, but as you know, coughing is not a symptom of this disease. Literally, rather than contagious, it causes people terrible pain…….”

“I can’t.”

“What on earth would you gain from doing that?”

Sianne, the commander of the Knights of the Snow Leopard, and Catherine Sisella, the Saint of Laterano, made faces that seemed incomprehensible.

Lubern Administrator Alroy was convinced that the Marquis of Karahan was behind what happened here in Strarum.

No matter how much Farneri Karahan, who is currently ruling the Marquis Territory, is a dog chaban, he wondered if he would plot something like this.

Isn’t this too obvious?

To kill the residents by releasing contaminated crops in the adjacent territory.

If it had been the same before, it would have been a reasonable cause for the territory war, and the territory might have been torn to pieces due to the strong resistance of the neighboring lords.

‘The lord must be extremely angry.’

Xianne recalled the angry face of Count Dionaos Rupel. He didn’t get angry when he got angry. He just kept his mouth shut and stared blankly at his opponent.

But the pressure you feel from that is no joke. It was not for nothing that he once stood shoulder to shoulder with the Duchy of Hebron.

He has become very docile now, but in his youth he was Count Dionaos Rupel, who had a considerable reputation as a war noble.

A count who has been struggling with the conflict with the Marquis of Karahan.

Lubern’s wise response last time went well, but if the innocent villagers were sacrificed in retaliation…….

It was clear that Count Rupel, whom Cianne knew, would never sit still.

“Still, my heartache is still stronger. He will have to extract the ingredients of the olives to know, but it may not be just the olives that have adversely affected the residents.”

Even if it’s lax, it’s too lax.

Although the Marquis of Karahan are the damn ones, there is a possibility that they are a third party trying to take advantage of the current strained relationship between Rupel and Karahan.

Especially the Blue Cross.

Those who were born as humans and willingly forsook humanity, they would do anything for their own gain.

“First of all, let us focus on treating the residents. That seems right.”

“I agree.”

At Compton and Katrin’s words, Sianne nodded her head. Soon, she will be contacted by Lou Verne and Liberia, who have hurried back to the capital.

The scale has already grown too large to finish at the Knights level, so we have no choice but to wait for Count Rupel’s orders.

Thanks to Lubern Aloi’s purchase of poppies in advance, it was fortunate that no further damage occurred.

‘But where the hell did you get such an expensive medicine? What else were you doing behind my back?’

A thought suddenly popped into Xi’an’s head, but she didn’t dig deeper.

Because right now, rather than arguing over trivial matters, it was first to deal with the horrors that unfolded in front of us.