The door slammed shut behind Moira, and the sound made her dizzy, her body staggering, and she almost fell to the ground.

"Your Majesty?" Aaron still waited outside the door, his voice with a hint of creamy sweetness in his concerned voice, "Do you need to rest for a while?" ”

Moira stared at the smile on his face in a daze, and there was a hint of indifference and carelessness in that courteous smile that was not much hidden, and it was somewhat similar to Agnes's smile.

"You can't do much anyway. ”

Agnes's voice rang in her ears again, and it stung her more deeply than she was willing to admit.

She never knew what she had to do - someone had everything laid out for her. But now, she could really just sit in another room and let that beautiful city thousands of miles away, her second home, the place where her children were born and raised...... Dying in the shadow of death?

“...... I want to see Mistress Quirin Ayer. She spoke, remembering that Ayir had mentioned that the city of Visa was in the same danger.

In fact, before they appeared, Agil knew what was going on in Ston Buch and tried to inform the king, but Ante did not want to see him - Mancini claimed that the king did not see anyone at all.

Aaron was stunned for a moment.

"But Master Ayir has left...... he said.

"Then chase him back. Moira commanded herself to look directly at him, trying to suppress the weakness and fear that she wanted to back down again, and her tone was more firm than ever. "I want to see him...... And all the other lords who are still here—please arrange for me as soon as possible, Lord Mansini. ”

A strange light flashed in Aaron's eyes, but he just bowed his head respectfully: "Of course...... Her Majesty the Queen. But I insisted. You must take a break first. ”

Moira looked at him, wondering if he would really be "as soon as possible" - she instinctively couldn't believe the smiling Mistress Mancini who seemed to be going to get involved in everything.

The Carlos family was also represented, but before her father could speak out against the king's actions, her brother Gade Carlos had already left with all the knights......

She was alone, not even a guard of her own. Her sister doesn't care about anything, and her children still need her protection.

Moira Carlos clenched her hands into fists. He let go slightly, raised his head and followed Aaron through the unfamiliar corridor.

She'll figure it out—she told herself in her heart.

In any case, she is the queen of Lutger...... Even if you don't have a crown on your head at the moment.

When a familiar sight appears in front of you. Ed blinked unconsciously.

He stood in a hidden corner of a courtyard, unripe green fruit hanging above his head in the shadow of a few apple trees. On the other side, the pomegranate trees are blooming bright red flowers, and the flat grass has been trampled by anyone. It looks like a mess...... Look further afield. In the moonlight, you can see the windowsill that he climbed countless times when he was a child, and the roses under the windowsill bloomed too much, and the bleak color showed a bit of decay.

This is his home -- his home in Ton Butch. It's just that I haven't been back here for half a year, and it feels like a whole century has passed.

He couldn't help but want to step out of the shadows, but reason dragged him back.

A moment later, a soldier in full armor shook over and walked slowly around the garden. Dangling back listlessly.

- Of course, there are guards here. Thankfully. It was a soldier from Visa...... Quirin Ayer shouldn't hurt the servants who stayed here.

He didn't mean to come back here - he just needed a familiar, a place where he could pinpoint his location and not be easily discovered.

He stood silently in the shadows for a few moments before turning and creeping through the side hidden among the hedges. The lush plants of early summer stretch their foliage and provide some shelter for the nightcrawlers.

Ed thought maybe stealth would be better...... But he didn't want to use any spells at all right now. That's not his power, never has been.

He knew it was self-deception, after all, he wouldn't have been able to get here without teleportation. But at least for the next moment, he could rely on his own strength, on his familiarity with the place, on the tracking and concealment that the elves had taught him, on his unskilled swordsmanship...... Rely on his determination to die.

The city of Visa is extremely quiet at night, and the streets of Qiaodong District are silent. In normal times, even in the middle of the night, there would often be horse-drawn carriages speeding past with late returnees, but at this moment, as in the cold winter, except for the double guard patrolling back and forth nervously and tiredly, there was not a single figure in sight.

He already knew that Ante Beauford was now living in Aaron Mancini's house, which was not far from his house, just around the corner......

He imagined how he would appear like a ghost in the dark in the overly luxurious mansion, silently walking down the corridor, no one could see him, no one could hear his footsteps. He would appear before the king and listen to his confessions and begging, but he would not accept ......

In his imagination, he could have a heart as hard as iron - or as if he had no heart at all, calm, determined, without the slightest hesitation or fear. But now, the slightest sound in the darkness could make his heart beat wildly for a while.

Repugnant, shameful weakness.

When he saw Mansini's brightly lit mansion, he had to stop. He had thought it would be heavily guarded, but now ...... The scene in front of him was more like a grand ball in early summer that was common in the Mancini family.

That made him even more angry.

There were several carriages parked in front of the door—and the stables were probably crowded with the mounts of knights and nobles. The light and shadow flickered, the side doors kept opening and closing, and the servants were busy moving in and out. But there was no campfire in the courtyard, and no cheerful music or loud laughter broke the silence.

Ed watched quietly for a moment, frustrated as to whether it was time to find another opportune moment...... But he soon realized that it might be a better time.

Tess had told him that it was always easier to get in a crowded place.

He stooped down and pulled out the dagger in his boots, hoping that he wouldn't need it until he saw Ante—was that also a weakness?

Annoyed, he pushed aside a rose that had poked it next to his cheek and retreated back into the darkness.

In the hallway, one of the guards seemed to hear something and looked up warily at where Ed had just been.

But there was no one there.

Moira picked up her glass and poured half of it in one gulp.

She had to thank Mancini for her surprising thoughtfulness—the amber liquid poured into her cup was not wine, but water with the fragrance of honey, which she would have drunk by now.

But she still felt that her mouth was dry, as if no matter how much water she drank, it could not be relieved.

She had never gushed on and on for so long. She was not very good at words, and occasionally said something naïve and ridiculous, so Ante thoughtfully never forced her to address any occasion, which made her stumble and incoherent at first, not even knowing what she was talking about.

But she is the queen. Under the gods, in the absence of the king, she is the supreme being - so, thank goodness, at least no one will interrupt her.

And what made her persist was the surprise in Agnes's eyes.

The queen looked away from her sister's face and looked at the others. Judging from their expressions, many of them, like Ayir, had already learned the news.

But they didn't do anything—Moira thought desperately.

They didn't do anything.

Of course, Tonbuch is the royal city. Intervening without the king's permission is likely to be rewarded not with admiration and gratitude, but with suspicion, and this reason is enough for most people to choose to sit on the sidelines.

But now, the queen has spoken...... Or rather, they pleaded for help, but they remained silent.

Moira's heart was beating fast and heavy, exhausted by disappointment and exhaustion.

"Adults. "I am not asking you for money, or for land, or for your knights and warriors," she spoke again in a trembling voice...... I just hope that you will inform all the temples in your respective territories as soon as possible that Stonebugch needs more priests...... More medications, or any treatment...... And every moment you sit here, more people are dying!"

After a moment of dead silence, someone finally spoke.

"I don't want to disappoint you, Your Majesty. Quillin smiled wryly, "But I'm afraid that's not going to be of much use." In fact, the clergy are very well informed among themselves, and the crisis in Stonebuch has long since spread...... But that's not a crisis that ordinary pastors or medicine can solve. ”

"I've heard it's more of a curse. The Earl of Baudeley from Dandy City agreed, "Even the priesthood can't escape the curse......

“...... But wasn't the plague in Damaran eradicated?" asked Moira, puzzled.

"I heard that it was a god worshipped by the elves of the Antlers Forest...... A miracle performed by his holy one, a rain of fire from heaven. Ayir replied in a low voice, "Nasus...... It was a new god that Anktann had only begun to believe in in recent years, and was once declared a false god by Joaquin de Jury. ”

There was so much in it—too many questions and uneasiness, but Moira didn't bother to pay attention to it.

"And where is the Sage now?" she asked eagerly.

Ayir shook his head: "No one knows...... No one even knew what his name was. There are priests of Nesses in the city of Damaran, and from what I have heard, they have gone to Stonebutch, but they are few in number...... Your Majesty, what the City of Ten Thousand Springs needs now is not more priests, but order. Prevent more people from being infected, so that those who still have the opportunity can be treated as soon as possible, so that people do not panic and run to other cities to infect more people...... What Ston Butch needed was the king and his army. And there's nothing we can do about it. ”

Moira leaned back in despair - she couldn't do anything about it.

(To be continued......)