Seeing Norway reappear in the Antler Forest so quickly, there was not much surprise on Orin's face.

"I think you already know why we're back. Norway said straight to the point.

Orin nodded in acknowledgement, "Some of our human friends have come here to seek refuge, and they say that the city of Damaran is now under the threat of the plague - of course we can't accept all those who ask for help, but you are still welcome here. ”

Along the way, Norway saw quite a few people coming towards the Antlers Forest, and except for a very few followers of Nesses, most of them were apparently not allowed to enter Sandwater's territory, but gathered uneasily on the outskirts of the forest, monitored by the elves...... and bows and arrows and beasts of prey.

As night had fallen, and when he looked back at the hesitation and fear on the faces of those who had been forced to leave their homes in the firelight, Novi had to remind: "They are very nervous at the moment...... If you behave rudely, be calm and don't use force lightly. ”

Elves and humans are, after all, different races. If people try to force their way into Sandwater, driven by fear or instigated by people with ulterior motives, the elves here will probably not hesitate to fire arrows to hurt people.

"Don't worry. Orin smiled slightly, seemingly disapproving of his concerns, "We won't ......"

Before he could speak, an exclamation suddenly sounded not far away.

Novi looked back uneasily, and beside the campfire, a group of people who had been gathered were scattering in panic, and soon, only a boy of about ten years old was left by the fire, looking around in panic. While pushing the woman curled up on the ground in front of him, he kept calling in a crying voice: "Mom...... Mom!"

A man in the crowd rushed out - presumably the boy's father, but he snatched the boy away from the woman. When retreating into the crowd, the people around him retreated one after another, avoiding it.

Even though it was likely that they did not know what was happening, more frightened people began to flee from their own fires, trying to rush deeper into the forest.

Orin's smile froze on his face, and he whistled clearly.

The leopard's low roar rang out, one after another in the night. One after the other went into the distance. The guardians of the forest loom in the shadows of the trees, their glowing eyes sending another fear into the hearts of the people.

"Don't be stupid! stay here and you'll be helped. Orin shouted. There was a hint of tension in his stern tone, "Break into the forest, arrows and claws will take your lives faster than disease!"

It was a naked, naked, naked threat -- but it was surprisingly effective at the moment.

Many hesitated to retreat to the fire, but no one dared to return to the woman who had fallen to the ground.

Novi hesitated for a moment. Use a gesture that won't be disobeyed to keep Tess where she is. I walked over slowly. When I saw the large red spots on the woman's face, the last trace of luck in my heart was also engulfed in shadows.

Strange red spots grew on people's bodies and gradually festered, memories and sanity quickly faded in a high fever, and they would die in less than three days—Fili's description was vivid, but the elves did not expect the onset to be so rapid...... Out of an abundance of caution, he left Gavin and Pansy in the city, where the situation would only get worse.

There was a slight sound of footsteps behind him. Olin cautiously approached. Looking down at the woman on the ground, her brow furrowed.

"Have you ever seen this disease?" he asked softly. "If I'm right, the ship only appeared in port this morning...... What disease can spread so quickly?"

"I've heard of it. Norway smiled wryly, "That's why I'm here - is there a priest here?"

Orin shook his head: "There are very few priests in Nesses...... There is a temple of the goddess of the earth outside the city of Damaran, and there is an old priest there, and it is not too far from here...... We can't take him here, but we can send this woman over. ”

Nori glanced at him. As he feared, the belief in Nesses seemed to have changed the Elves' tradition of revering all the gods...... But now he has no time to think about it.

"You can try...... But I'm afraid we still need the priests of Nesses, and you at least have some contact with them?" he asked.

"We can indeed call the priest when we need help and guidance......" Orin hesitated, as if unsure if it was really necessary.

"Trust me, we need help. Norway sighed, "The sooner the better!"

Orin looked at him for a long time, and finally nodded.

"I'll tell Panasses...... But it will take at least a day. ”

One day......

Norway looked at the woman who had begun to twitch with a high fever, and looked around at the crowd around her. He wasn't sure how bad it would be in a day...... But now at least not entirely hopeless.

"This disease...... It won't be contagious to the elves, will it?" Orin whispered with uneasiness, but Norway couldn't give him any definite answers.

"Hopefully not. He could only answer with a wry smile and look at Tes, who was standing quietly in place.

The red-haired girl looked at him with wide eyes and suddenly gave him a bright smile - bright and firm, as if some kind of eternal promise illuminated the dreary night.

When Scott appeared in front of the stele, he was greeted by a white bolt of lightning—a small white shadow as fast as lightning.

The shadow slammed into Scott's face. Scott didn't expect to be attacked, and he didn't have time to dodge, instinctively raising his arm to protect his eyes, and reaching for the hilt of his sword with his other hand.

Before the sword could be drawn, he realized that the thing was not hostile...... The shadows flickered, and something soft jumped over his head with a heavy step.

He looked back in surprise. In the firelight, on the top of the stone monument, a cat with white fur dotted with light black markings was turning lightly, with a pair of bright light blue eyes, squatting there upright, and giving him a majestic scream between "meow" and "ah".

That's not a cat - Scott reacted. Cats don't have that big claws, that big noses. And those round ears...... It was a small white leopard.

"I'm sorry...... Sage. Someone behind him nervously apologized, "Please forgive ......"

Scott turned around and smiled at the embarrassed Panasses in front of him, "It's okay...... What's it called?"

"It'...... No name, Sage. The elf replied respectfully.

Scott frowned: "...... Call me Scott. Or a priest. ”

Parnasas was one of the few believers who knew his identity...... But he hated the title "Sage."

"Yes, Lord Reverend. Panasses did not hesitate to change his tune, probably thinking that he just wanted to keep it a secret.

There seemed to be some warmth at his feet, and Scott lowered his head, and the nameless little white leopard jumped off the stone tablet at some point, circled around him twice, and rubbed his half-new boots. Then he lay on his stomach unguarded, looking up at him.

Scott looked at it too. He couldn't help but smile - he was in a very bad mood, but the little thing's blue eyes were exactly the same as when Iss was a child, and his heart involuntarily became soft and calm.

“...... Is something wrong?" he suddenly remembered what he was here for, "Copas said you need help. ”

"Yes. Panasses' smile was a little bitter. "At first I didn't believe it...... I never thought we'd need this kind of help...... It never occurred to me that the elves of Sandwater would be struck down by disease. ”

Scott was stunned. Then immediately realize what kind of "disease" it could be.

"How serious?" he asked, only to realize that Parnasas had bloodshot eyes as he tried to hide his exhaustion.

"Until now, no elves or humans have died of disease...... But almost half of it was lying down. Panasses told him worriedly, "Not even the animals are immune, whether they are deer or leopards...... What the hell is this?"

Scott shook his head: "I'm afraid it's not a disease...... Take me to see it. ”

Without thinking about it, he casually picked up the little one at his feet. The white leopard didn't struggle, but just twisted in the crook of his arm, found a comfortable position and stayed there quietly.

Panasses looked at it with some surprise. But he didn't say anything, just took Scott out of the settlement. Along the way, he whispered all the way: the ship of death in the port of Damaran, the people who came to ask for help, the warning of Norvi......

“...... Is Norway alright?" asked Scott, remembering the seemingly ulterior "mission" that Copas had given him, and a little distraughtly rubbing the soft short fur of the white leopard - this little thing didn't even seem to have lost all of its hair, but it was very agile.

"No...... He was one of the lucky ones, he was probably the first of all the elves to come into contact with the sick, but he was unharmed, even the human girls around him...... And the pet they had was fine. Panasses replied with some confusion, "Even our strongest warriors have fallen a lot, but many of the children of humanity have been spared...... We can't find a pattern, let alone stop it from spreading. As far as I know, the situation in the city of Damaran is even more serious, and neither Dico nor the priests of Teresia are helpless......"

Panasses had gathered all the sick and the spirits who had been relieved of the disease at the edge of the forest, around the Ganderson River at Sandwater, but that did not stop the rapid spread of the disease. Tents for the sick now surrounded Sandwater almost along the river, and in the light of the campfires, from a distance, they looked like huge, bleak, dying flowers.

The elves along the way saluted Scott silently - it was Scott's first time in the Antler Forest, but the fact that a strange human was accompanied by Panasses, who was respectfully one step behind, was enough to explain his identity.

Elves are not human, they don't rush to pray for blessings, they don't bow down in awe, and those silent trusts and respects are even heavier pressure on Scott.

He believes he can stop this catastrophe, but maybe one day...... He will bring them even greater disaster.

(To be continued......)