On top of the high-backed chair with gold trim on a black background, Maroline sat leaning over, her face sinking like water. The guards who came to report didn't even have to look up to feel the empress's suppressed unhappiness, and there was a bit of caution in their voices.

"Your Majesty, yesterday we found thirty-seven sick people, and ...... all took them to the North Tower. Parents with two children didn't want to let go, so we took them with us. The young man from the City Guard turned his shoulders and straightened up slightly, "The captain has already given them bedding and rations, and as for the rest, I'll leave it to Lord Lin and Lord Yufy." ”

Yuffie nodded inwardly.

The so-called north tower of Glow City is actually the prison where she was sent to prison with Lin after her first visit to the imperial capital and her defeat at the hands of Hughes. Now that the vast majority of the prisoners there have been released, there really is no better place to isolate the sick – except for some cold and damp.

"Winter is coming. I went to church to buy some solar stoves and sent them over, and I asked for them. The Empress said lightly, "The expenditure is counted in the treasury, is it all right, Fran?" ”

The finance minister on the right side of the girl bowed slightly, "Of course, the patients are also our people. But I think the church should do something about it. Even if you don't want them to give it away for free, it's not too much to give it away, right? ”

There was a faint chuckle at the bottom of the steps. Maroline shook her head helplessly.

"If you have that time, it's your business how you bargain with Kenworth." "But I don't want to see people forced to leave their dwellings and end up in cold towers—I remember, you were there to stay." ”

"yes, just last winter. Compared to that time, the current 'North Tower' is much better. Fran Martell shrugged, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will only reduce some expenses for the treasury on the basis of completing the task. As for Kenworth, I'm sure he'll be willing. ”

"That's fine." Maroline's expression softened a little, and she waved Fran to sit down, "How many people on the street know about this epidemic?" ”

"I ...... I'm not sure, but I've heard some rumors. And also...... There are also familiar neighbors who come to inquire about me. I didn't dare to say much, just let them go out less. The guard hesitated and replied, "Also, there are some rumors, it should be ...... Be...... People from the faith in Edda. ”

"That's probably not a good thing to say."

"Not badly, Your Majesty." Count Krent took over the conversation, and the guard gave him a grateful glance, "As far as I know, the believers are declaring this plague to be the punishment of the 'gods' because ......of Clovis And you, blasphemous. They also claim that if they follow God sincerely and repent of their mistakes, they can avoid this calamity. ”

"Oh?" Maroline frowned, "Is that last sentence serious?" ”

"I don't know." The Earl shook his head and said, "From what I have heard, those believers are not afraid of getting sick, and it is true that no one is sick. I don't think it can be ruled out...... What do they have to prevent, or cure, this strange disease? ”

"I don't know if they made this disease." Duke Moore snorted coldly, "And then bite us back." ”

"We have no evidence. In any case, the Eda followers are also subjects of the Empire, not enemies. The Empress raised her hands and pressed downward, "Let go of the rumors first." Yuffie, what is the progress of your research? ”

The girl got up slightly, faced the throne, and bowed slightly.

"Lynn has cultivated and isolated the source of the disease. We're working on potions that can eliminate them without causing harm to the human body. In addition, we are using animals to further clarify how it works. If all goes well, then at least we can better stop it from spreading. ”

Part of their skills and knowledge came from the teachings of the Academy, and some from the collections of the Federation. Six days earlier, after witnessing the family in the royal court, Yuffie had hurried to the towers on the Empire's borders and sought as much help as he could—books, records, recipes, equipment, and three mid-level wizards who were skilled in biology and potions, and willing to serve as assistants to them.

This is exactly the reward of their last 'adventure'.

Wizards are not always willing to offer their services for money, but not many can refuse to study as assistants to superior wizards. As a wizarding organization that has existed for hundreds of years, the unmathematical knowledge collected or sealed by the Federation has all been opened to them at this time.

She had no doubt that there was the answer they needed. The only question is how long it will take to find it-

And how long is left for them?

"Plagues don't wait for anyone." Maroline asked her concerns, "How much time will you have?" ”

Yuffie lowered her gaze in thought.

The development of potions has always been about chance. Good potions are often the perfect combination of knowledge, emotion, and spur of thought, and by chance the finished product can the wizard extract the esoteric concepts and transform them into recipes that can be remade. In fact, many Potions Masters have published only one or two new or improved drugs in their lifetimes that are practical, new or improved.

Lynn certainly has enough ability. In the assessment of the Federation, it only took her one hour to create the 'happiness-bringing' potion - which is almost a miracle. All that's left is constant effort and luck.

The golden dragon has always been seen as a symbol of luck, and if that legend is true, can it bring good luck to herself?

The mention of the golden dragon reminded Yuffie that today was the forty-seventh day of the Autumn Moon - according to the experience of the two of them, the graduation ceremony of Eagle College was just the last few days. By the time the students have returned home, and the academy tower has returned to tranquility, the powerful wizard who has been at the forefront of history may once again be able to help the two.

"Hughes." The girl turned her head, "Can you please go to Dean Collens and tell him what happened here?" ”

The black-haired, black-eyed Iter jumped out of his chair and spun around halfway on one leg, spreading his hands with a sad face.

"It's something like that again." He shook his head and sighed, "It's like this again!" Could it be that in your minds, my dignified "Phantom" is a poor man who is good at running errands? ”

"Then you can also stay and help us study together." Yuffie was-for-tat, during this time, she had already learned how to get along with this Iter, "We all recognize the secret skill of Lord 'Phantom'. ”

The Ites rolled their eyes.

"Forget it." He said, "It's better to spend my life in the lab all day!" He turned his head from side to side, and finally looked at the throne, "Your Majesty, don't you have anything you want me to do lately?" ”

"Listen to Yuffie." Maroline grimaced, but a slight smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "That's enough." ”

"Ahh Hughes looked up to the sky, looking helpless, "I really should have let Araksha stay, save myself every time I have to hurry!" Alright, little pink-haired girl, what else do you want me to say to that 'madman'? ”

"Nothing." The girl smiled, "He knows what we need." ”

The Ites shrugged, grimaced at Yuffie, and walked out through the side door of the main hall. Yuffie then looked back at the throne and said the answer she had in mind.

"Within a week, we should be able to find out where it came from and figure out how to stop it from spreading. As for the production of the medicine, I don't think it will take too long when the head of Collens arrives here. ”

"I believe you, so I'll leave this matter to me." Maroline bowed slightly, "As long as we have more clues, we can disclose its existence sooner before it gets out of control." ”

Rather, they will be able to mitigate the effects of the plague – leaving the royal family and Glowlight City with enough power to deal with the war and chaos that is coming.

The plague waits for no one, much less for the enemy.

Most of the topics that followed had nothing to do with girls. So she said goodbye to the Queen, left the splendid hall, and strolled along the gravel path at the edge of the Sycamore Garden towards their quarters.

Halfway through autumn, the poplars are beginning to shed their leaves, orange and yellow. The breeze blew lightly, rolling up a few yellow leaves and tumbling forward, startling the sparrows on the branches. The golden sunlight shines through the leaves, and the bunches shine on her body, bringing a comfortable and soft warmth.

This slightly dispelled the gloom that was coiling around her. Sunshine has such a magical power, just as believers hope for the "Lord of Light". But this time, Yuffie understands that they can only rely on themselves.

The church of St. Leonos is good at relieving pain, and there are many inexpensive and effective treatments for common ailments. However, when the illness was beyond their familiar territory, even a white-robed bishop like Kenworth could hardly do anything about it.

If the followers of the 'God Edda' splashed dirty water on the royal family, at least they could help stabilize people's hearts, Yuffie thought. It's just that the church has always claimed to uphold the public, and they must find out the truth and evidence before they can make the church stand on the side of the royal family.

The girl left the last few yellow leaves behind her, climbed the spiral staircase of the tower, and pushed open the door to the laboratory.

The house was busy. The pale green steam passes through the pipes of the still, and a drop falls into the collected flask; The centrifuge spun rapidly, making a soft, rhythmic sound. Incubators are lined up on the long table, and the magic crystals display temperature and humidity with numbers; The scanner scans the samples sequentially with a seven-colored light cone to confirm the properties of each of them, and then projects the results onto the instrument.

Three wizards from the Federation, dressed in white robes for experiments, were busy sorting out the utensils, flipping through the literature and the samples in the observation boxes, and quickly writing down the results on the spread out rolls of paper. Lynn immersed herself in a microscope – unlike a normal magnifying glass, it greatly enhances the user's perception of magic, allowing them to magically 'see' even the smallest details.

The only pity is that only wizards can use this device. Everyone has a small amount of magic in their body, but trying to get ordinary people to learn to use it instead of vision is almost as difficult as teaching them to become wizards.

Yuffie plucked a loose white robe from the shelf in the doorway and replaced it with a crimson velvet coat. Probably hearing footsteps, the blonde girl straightened up and removed the silver-white metal ring she wore on her head.

"Good work." Lin waved her hand at her, and looked at her with her other hand on her cheek, "How is it?" ”

She tried to make her voice as relaxed as possible. "It's still the same. I told Hughes to go to the head of the house, hoping that he would come over when he was available. ”

"Grandpa must be very reliable." Lynn's eyes lit up, and she immediately shook her head from side to side, "But I still want to do something before he comes." Otherwise, wouldn't we just talk in vain? ”

"That's right." Or rather, it's like the Lynn she knew. Yuffie couldn't help but chuckle, "So, what about you? ”

"Hmm...... How can we say that we are not very lucky? ”

Having said that, there was not the slightest hint of frustration on Lynn's face. With her understanding of her friend, Yuffie immediately understood the meaning of her words.

"A new thing?"

"Not bad at all." The blonde girl stood up, folded her hands and stretched, "I've flipped through several books on illness, and I can't even find similar examples in them. It doesn't matter if it's the symptoms, the process, or 'that thing' itself. ”

Lynn rummaged through a pile of papers on the table and found a pattern drawn with an ink pen. It was an uneven orb with long, narrow, sinuous tentacles piercing from its body. They divide and extend further from the ends, intertwined with each other, like the roots of a thousand-year-old tree.

"Well—that's what it looks like, but it's much uglier."

That's not a good review. It's hard for ordinary people to use 'them' in their aesthetic, but Lynn is a witch and well-versed in magical biology. She remembered Lynn once saying that the real appearance of mould was not offensive, and that the tiny creatures used to make wine and make bread were 'lovely enough to make her heart'.

So if her friends find 'it' unusually ugly, it may mean that it is destructive beyond the norm – and troublesome beyond imagination.

"It's a magical creature? Or is it a magical creation? ”

Wizards divide the external causes of illness into four categories: dead things, such as toxins such as arsenic or black lotus juice, which ordinary people call 'poisoning', living organisms, ranging from parasites to tiny beings than single cells, which are often the most common diseases, and magical creatures, which rely on magic to survive, tend to cause more severe symptoms, such as blindness, demonic fever, and devil's cold; and twisted mana that is closer to 'curse' than to a creature. Carrion is one of the most typical, the other is the magical scar caused by long-term unprotected exposure to potions, a terminal illness that Kratos Samhain, the guild receptionist in Winterfell, once suffered.

Comparatively speaking, illnesses caused by magical creatures are relatively easy to deal with, and at least most have potions for relief or healing. And those strange magical diseases, in the history recorded by the Federation, often need to be solved by the great wizard himself, and they may not succeed every time.

"I'm not sure. It looks like a creature, but I always don't think it's like a normal 'life'. I can't tell why......," Lynn pursed her lips, learning Yufpe's tone, "Anyway, my gut tells me that this thing is not easy to deal with." ”

The girl couldn't help but smile, and immediately straightened her face. "Maybe you're right. How long does it live? ”

"That's good news. After leaving the host, it will die within a few minutes if it is not immersed in the nutrient solution. It never seemed to have enough to eat—the patients were hungry all the time, and maybe they were killed by it. ”

The same as she felt. Too much vitality inevitably means a lot of consumption. "What about the way it spreads?"

Lynn turned and walked over to the row of cages on the other side of the room. Yuffie followed and saw various small animals inside. Wooden signs are hung on the outside of each cage with a detailed log: breed, source, date of exposure, mode of exposure, and observations over several days.

The three 'apprentices' stopped what they were doing one after another and gathered around the two of them. Lin took a slight step back, waiting for everyone to arrive before speaking again.

"Wounds, ingestion, and inhalation can all cause infection, but simply touching it is fine. The pathogen can be extracted again six hours after exposure, and symptoms appear about two or three days later. Plus, rabbits, marmots, and larks don't discriminate – I even doubt it's infectious. Lynn approached and crouched down to observe the creatures in the cage, "How do you feel about them, compared to the man you brought with you for the first time?" ”

It sounded a bit of a stretch, but she knew what Lynn wanted to ask. Yuffie crouched down and looked at a gray-haired rabbit lying at the bottom of its cage—its slewed coat, its ears drooping, and it was panting sickly. It had been infected six days earlier, the same day she brought the man back, and was arguably one of the first 'victims'.

So she closed her eyes and turned her magic into countless soft threads, slowly surrounding it from all sides.

The secret method gave her another look. In its eyes, the creature was like a flaming ball of dry wood, burning itself to ashes from head to toe. She rolled her gaze, 'looking' at the rest of the creatures, and then slowly stood up.

"Almost identical." Yuffie whispered, "Speaking of which, I'm going to visit him later, and I hope he's all right." ”

After completing enough tests and sampling, she used magic to resurrect the man and let him return to his home to recuperate. This is not only due to the idea of 'saving the person in front of you', but also to determine whether the disease will leave a long-term wound and whether the recovered person can be infected again.

Of course, emotionally, she doesn't want either of the two to happen.

"Simply perfect species adaptation...... But since it's a magical disease, it's also trivial. Lynn clapped her hands, as if she had expected this, "Then there's only one thing left for now." How the hell did it come about? ”

This is also a question that Yuffie has been pondering.

I met that family of three six days ago. The guard, who had been scratched by the man, had developed symptoms three days earlier, and Yuffie had cured him the same day; Yesterday, a teenager went berserk and stormed the Reynolds market, grabbing and biting a dozen pedestrians. The boy was quickly captured by the nearby patrolling guards, and all the wounded were taken to the North Tower.

But apart from that, they couldn't find any source of infection. The number of patients seeking medical care in the church is increasing, and the 'rooms' in the north tower are being filled one by one. According to the information obtained from the inquiry, the patients lived in different neighborhoods, visited different places, ate different foods, and had almost no contact with people. Only a handful of people have been injured recently – but Yuffie doesn't think a hammer to the foot or a head to the rafters is the cause of the illness.

Perhaps the only thing they have in common is that they have both been out. But who can not go out at all?

"Could it be that someone is deliberately spreading this disease?" The female apprentice named Sulla interjected. She's a little chubby, her eyes are big, and her round cheeks are quite cute, "So the sick are everywhere, and we can't find any connection at all?" ”

Similar guess to Duke Moore. The blonde girl pursed her lower lip, thought for a moment, and shook her head.

"It's hard to say. Under the noses of the Iron Guard of Thorns and the Griffin Knights, it's not so easy to do bad things. She shook her body slightly, "I've been suspicious of food—but you've seen all the samples collected by the guards, right?" ”

"It's all normal." Kashya replied with a glance that he was the eldest and tallest of the three, with neat short black hair and an angular and thin face, "just ordinary rice and beans, and there are no problems except that some of them are a little moldy." ”

"Water too. Whether it was river water, well water, or ale and wine, I could find no trace of contamination and could not make them sick. The curly-haired brown-haired Famir pointed to the cage on the other side and nudged his gold-rimmed glasses, "Speaking of which, I found a great tavern in Tustin yesterday, would you like to try it later?" ”

"I don't know what you're investigating." Lynn teased, then blinked, "Yuffie, what do you think of this disease...... Is there anything to do with Edda? ”

"I had such suspicions, but I lacked key evidence." Yuffie pondered for a moment and said calmly, "I don't think the Lord of Heaven will take the initiative to create this disease, as for other possibilities...... I don't want to be preconceived. ”

"But Mentor, I've heard......," Famil's eyes flickered with inquiry, "your intuition—can't you tell you the answer?" ”

Yuffie couldn't help but laugh.

In the last test a few days ago, she relied on her extremely fast spell casting speed and her intuition to be one step ahead, and countered every spell of Examiner Beryl in three minutes, until the other party angrily announced that she had passed the exam. Later, she heard from Kyle that in order to save face, Lady Beryl released footage of their battle, and praised her for her 'talent'.

"Even I was chased by them and asked endlessly. So is Vivien. Kyle shook his head and sighed, but with a smile on his face, "Seriously, how many secrets do you have?" ”

That's a lot more, of course, she replied half-jokingly. However, since returning from the 'future', she has a relatively clear understanding of her 'intuition', and has long discussed with Lynn what it does - and what it can do – and what its limitations are.

"It can tell me about impending danger and guide me to hidden secrets. It can sometimes give me a warning if my decisions will lead to disasters and accidents. "It can't predict the distant future, and it can't tell me the right answer before choosing." She was silent for a moment, "Besides, if it's something related to the gods, my intuition won't work. ”

"It's like a constant 'Moment of Foresight' spell." Lynn smiled and explained to her, "I think that Head of Colens House or Chief Hazel can do this kind of thing very easily, right?" ”

"That's pretty good." Sula ran her fingers around her shaggy hair, with a hint of envy and admiration on her face, "So, if it weren't for the Lord of Heaven himself, would his followers have a way to create such a ...... 'thing'?" ”

"Maybe that Cullen guy can." Lin puffed out her cheeks and snorted, "If he really did it, even if I ask the head of the house for help, I must give him a good look—it's too much!" ”

"But if he really did it...... Or rather, it's really artificial. Kasha held her chin and squinted her eyes seriously, her pupils seemed to be shining, "Don't you think the number of infected people is too small?" ”

"Huh? What do you mean—"

"If the guy named Cullen wants to be against us, he shouldn't have given us so much time." The black-haired apprentice said, word for word, "It's much easier to cause an outbreak in a group of people than to let it appear in pieces, and it's enough to cause a lot of trouble." He nodded, "I'm mean, in terms of value for money, it doesn't make sense." ”

"That's right." Lynn frowned, "Even if they can do it well." If it's artificial, there's no need to make such trouble; If not, it seems to come out of nowhere—" she let out a long voice through her nose, "Yufie, you say, are the guards missing something?" ”

"It's hard for patients to remember everything that happened in a few days." Yuffie nodded her lower lip and thought, "There are many possibilities for the source of infectious diseases, and the guards are not experts in this area, so it may be normal to miss the point." ”

"That'...... Why don't we find two patients and share their memories? Lynn looked rare serious, "If it were the two of us together, there shouldn't be any danger." ”

Yuffie pondered for a moment and nodded slightly.

"There's value in trying it out." Reading memories is a bit too much for the 'victim' - but at some point, she has to make the choice, "Kasha, Famir, Sula, we'll be back soon." ”

"Please rest assured." Famir pushed his glasses again, "If you find anything, how about we go have a drink and celebrate?" ”

"Even if I don't find anything, I won't stop you from going to the tavern." Lin turned around and waved her hand, then took the girl's hand, "Let's go." ”

So she and Lynn walked across the west wall of the fortress and down to the ground of the north tower, the entrance to the castle prison.

It's not the first time you've visited. Initially as a prisoner, then on patrols and examining the sick. The sergeants on duty on shift saluted them respectfully and reminded them to stay safe. Lin patted the guard on the shoulder to cheer up, and she whispered a thank you.

Compared to the once musty, wet straw, the cells are now covered with simple and thick bedding and more magic lamps. The aroma of rice porridge wafts into the air, and it should be the content of breakfast not long ago. It's just that it's underground, and it's separated by thick walls, so it's still much colder than in the sun.

In every 'room' within sight of the patient. Most of them are one person, and a few are slightly more - lovers, couples, or a family of several people. Yuffie told the guards in the cell that if a patient was unconscious, even if they were still breathing, they must immediately remove them from the cell for 'final treatment'.

That is, cremation.

This is the instruction she gave two days ago. The unconscious patient will soon 'wake up', but as if he has lost all his senses, he will begin to use his teeth, nails, and everything else at his disposal to attack all living creatures around him. On that occasion, she rushed to the scene, confirmed that the patient had lost his soul, and completely 'killed' him with the flames of magic.

She never resurrected anyone. As long as she was still in the imperial capital, she used divine magic to heal twenty sick people every day. However, the number of remaining patients is increasing every day, and the number of dead has reached seven.

If a cure is not developed, or the source of the disease is found, these numbers will only continue to rise. This is also the reason why she would rather break a few principles and find out the truth as soon as possible.

"Good morning." The blonde girl opened her mouth before her, "Listen to me, there's something I need you to do a little favor now?" ”

Lynn was simple and clear about what they wanted to do, and what they wanted to do. Yet no one responded. Most of the patients didn't get up at all, and the few who looked at the two of them were basically afraid and suspicious.

As expected, Yuffie thought to herself. She took a few steps forward, igniting a flame of Edda's magic from the palm of her hand, spreading its power throughout the corridor. Far from enough to cure the sick, it will relieve their suffering a little – and by the way, attract everyone's attention.

"The person who helps us, whether successful or not, I will prioritize treating him and his family." Softly but firmly, she said, "I am the daughter of Clovis Fran Olaire, and the Grand Wizard of the Arcane Academy. I assure you in the honor of royalty that we will not reveal any of your secrets and will not cause you the slightest harm to your body. ”

There was a faint commotion in the cell. After about half a minute, a middle-aged man was the first to say yes, on the condition that he promise to cure his child. However, Yuffie glanced at him and shook her head with regret to reject him.

"You're not sick. In your memory...... Maybe there isn't something we'd like to confirm. She was silent for a moment, then tried to propose, "If your child is willing to help, I can cure him as well." ”

The man and his wife looked at each other, as if they could not make up their minds for a moment. At this moment, the boy lying on the straw mattress suddenly opened his eyes and answered in a slightly weak but clear voice.

"I do. Mom and Dad...... I do. Let me do it. ”

The man let out a long sigh as his wife covered her mouth. Lynn glanced at her, stepped forward quickly, and unlocked the cell door.

"Leave it to us." She patted the father on the shoulder and solemnly promised, "I also promise you in the name of Lynn Campbell, the next viscount of Winterfell, that your child will be healthy." ”

The man's shoulders relaxed a little, and his mood calmed a little more—and not just because of their commitment. Lynn carried a volatile tranquilizer with her, the scent was soft and imperceptible, but the effect never disappointed her.

The blonde girl crouched down, gave the boy a princess hug, and led him up the stairs back to the guards' lounge on the first floor of the North Tower.

"Sister...... "I don't know if I left my family or what, but the boy seemed a little scared at this time, "I will...... Does it hurt? ”

"Of course not." Yuffie crouched down in front of the boy and stared into his eyes, "Why are you willing to help us?" ”

"Because...... Because mom and dad are sad. The boy wrinkled his face as if he was about to cry, and sniffed hard, "They're feeling sorry for me." I don't want to upset them. ”

Lin smiled, as bright and warm as the sun. She hugged the boy from behind, her golden wings spread slightly, and she held him in the middle, "Speaking of which, what's your name?" ”

"Hah...... Huck. ”

"Good-night, then, Huck."

The magic of the blonde girl turned into a soft blanket, and the boy slowly closed his eyelids, and his breathing became slow and long. Lynn looked up, exhaled, and threw a knowing smile at her.

"It's up to you now?"

"Don't worry."

Yuffie moved closer, pressing her forehead against the boy's forehead, allowing her to feel the other person's heartbeat and breath even if she didn't rely on magic. She wasn't prepared to use any spells to read memories - the content of superficial memories was not much different from direct questioning, and rummaging through memories buried deep in the soul would inevitably cause damage to the recipient's brain.

Unless you look back at your memory, your brain and body are no longer an obstacle. And the means to do this, she just learned a few days ago-

A secret technique to freeze the body, free the soul, and travel to the astral plane.

The full version of the Astral Projection could theoretically send them to any of the Outer Realms and reconstruct soul-based bodies—but even now, that spell was too difficult. Luckily, she found a simplified version from the Federation's collection: it only allowed her to travel to the astral plane and then return to the original world, but it was just what she needed.

The silver thread of magic tied her wrists with the boys, taking them out of the solid and heavy material world. For a moment, the two of them seemed to be suspended in the silver starry sky, and streams of light passed by, rushing to the other end of the distance, until they melted into the end of their sight. Somewhat hazy figures similar in appearance but different in size floated in the air, as if wandering aimlessly, as if they were in a psychedelic dream.

In addition, countless motes of dust that could not be seen by the naked eye, as if they did not belong to the astral boundary itself, floated around them. Yuffie tried to extend her senses into the distance, or to confirm the mapping of the location of her surroundings and the physical world, and they cast an indescribable wave of magic that made her attempts futile.

That is the power of the Lord of Judgment, the true face of the Astral Barrier, she thought.

It does not prohibit the souls of the dead from being drawn to the outer realms, but it prevents all living beings from traveling through the astral planes. In this way, no one will be able to summon an oracle from the abyss and destroy the Brigade that was at its peak at the time, as they did twenty years ago.

The Mirror Realm belongs to another story. Freggs had tried to pass through it to the world, and Lynn and she had used it to travel to the 'future'. After all, the Divine Network only belongs to the El Continent, and Yuffie guesses that perhaps even the divine envoy guarding the space will not be able to stop such a trip.

There was a slight tingling in his spirit, it was the boy who was afraid, "This...... Here it is...... Where? ”

"This is the astral plane. Where our souls are. She gently took the boy's soul and made him see the world before him, "I'll show you some stories of mine—stories about wizards, and stories of adventure." In return, can you show me your story from the week before you got sick to the present? ”

"Astral Boundary...... Soul ......," the boy muttered, "we...... Can I go back? ”

"Of course. I'm a witch, and this is my spell. Yuffie explained softly, "When we're done with the story, we'll go back together and heal you, okay?" ”

The boy seemed to think for a moment, then nodded vigorously, "Hmm! ”

What follows is much simpler. In fact, thanks to Gid Sheen, it wasn't the first time she had used her soul to communicate. But it's still a fun experience – she can look at all her experiences from a third-person perspective, filter out the fun and light-hearted, and 'share' them with the boy's soul.

This is a very effective move. The boy soon became so immersed in her memory that he no longer had any fear. She 'recounts' half of the lessons at Eagle Academy, the various yokai in the village of Lily of the Valley, and the views of the many towns she has visited. Then, as she did when she met Cathy in the spirit network, she guided the boy's soul and calmly and clearly recalled the memories of the past few days.

The life of a boy is relatively simple, and it is not without losing the joy of being a child. He woke up every morning with the sun, ate some bread and soup prepared by his parents, and walked alone for a quarter of an hour to go to the school established by the Church of San León, where he learned to write, read, and do simple calculations with children his age.

Lunch was provided free of charge by the church, and he spent the afternoon chasing from city to city with his acquaintances, or climbing a few crooked poplar trees and catching caterpillars to feed the nesting chicks. When the sun went down, he came home, helped his mother with some effortless chores, waited for his father to return from work at the Civil Affairs Department, had dinner together, and then went to bed—

In addition to these daily 'routine' tasks, the boy also encountered all kinds of people and things. He had led the way to an outsider five days earlier, chased two orange and white cats four days earlier, and helped a slippery old woman pick up a tumbling potato three days earlier. But in any case, Yuffie did not think that it was the cause of the boy's illness.

'Sister...... 'Sister',' the boy asked quietly, "is it okay...... Is it so? ”

She hasn't found the answer yet. Even if you look at it with the perception of a young girl, none of the people involved in the boy's memory are suspicious. This is certainly not the final conclusion. As a wizard, she was able to examine her memories again and again until she memorized every detail.

But that's something to think about later. They've been here for a long time—

"Of course, thank you." Yuffie grabbed the boy's soul and pressed it to his forehead again, "Let's go back, Huck?" ”

“…… Well! That one...... If...... Can I help you...... That's it? ”

There was a gentle tug of the silver thread on the wrist, and the starry sky quickly dispersed, and the perception of the body returned. Yuffie slowly stood up, looked at the boy sleeping in Lynn's arms, met his friend's gaze, nodded slightly, and shook his head again.

"That's right." The blonde girl looked expectant, "Do you want to continue?" ”

Yu Fei thought for a moment, then gently bowed his head again.

"Give it a try. If there is anything in common in their memories, maybe they can be used as clues...... But wait a minute, I promise that the things I promised people will be done, right? ”

She took the boy's young hand and connected to Ada's network of magic to remove the 'foreign substance' that was spreading through his body. She had already done this quite skillfully, but because of this, she felt more clearly that the power in the divine network was declining every day.

That shouldn't have happened—

A network of divine arts envelops the entire continent, wielding more magic than even the combined power of mortals. The last time Edda's magic disappeared, it was due to the fall of the divine envoy and the loss of its owner and the network fell into a deep sleep; But Edda is still 'alive' today, and even if someone, whoever it is, abuses the power of the Lord of Heaven, it will never dry up the network.

Maybe she should ask Edda. At the very least, make sure that something has happened to 'Him'.

That's also what Yuffie has always been reluctant to ...... Or something you don't dare to do. She had 'witnessed' the destruction of the El continent, and knew better that it had to do with the battle between the oracles. The Lord of Heaven has never revealed his true identity—he has never acted against her so far—but can she trust the other person completely?

“…… Yufie? ”

"Ah, sorry, I thought about something superfluous." The girl shook her head, retracted the magic of the magic, and sent them back to the net, "Let's go." ”

The two of them woke the boy up softly, watched him turn from sleepiness to surprise, jumped down the stairs, and watched his parents hug each other and weep, and thanked them sincerely and sincerely.

With such a precedent, the number of people willing to help them suddenly increased. They chose a middle-aged man from the southern side of the city, a couple from the eastern side, and a girl who lived near the couple and came to the 'cell' two days ago. Yuffie repeats what she's done not long ago, while Lynn acts as her guard as always, while using magic to put the patient's bodies to sleep.

The results were still unsatisfactory and did not exceed her expectations. Patients have experienced many trivial things and met many familiar and strange people. However, there is a lack of commonality in what they do, and the people they come into contact with rarely intersect. The couple and the girl had visited the same market and the same grocery stall in between. The stall owner was a middle-aged woman, slightly fat, ruddy-complexion, and a kind face—

She relayed this message to the guards, asking them to take the time to investigate. But her gut told her that the problem wasn't there.

The rest of the possibilities are no more and no less. Perhaps the initial infected person did not become ill; Perhaps the spreaders of the disease have the means to do so without contact, but they can't create mass infections; There may be more than one source of the disease, and it is hidden in a place that is difficult to find; Maybe...... Something went wrong in their understanding of this from the beginning.

Perhaps—in the world of arcane magic, there will always be things she hasn't learned yet.

After all, most ordinary plagues have a definite source and a direct transmission path; When magic comes in, it's often not that simple.

"I'm thinking." Yuffie looked at the back of the girl at the end, as if to say to herself, "Was it like this before we found out?" And at that time it ...... How is it different from now? ”

"Good idea." Lynn's eyes lit up and she tapped her right hand on the palm of her left hand, "You mean, it might be similar to nightmares, or rotting corpses?" ”

That's about it, Yuffie thought to herself.

People with nightmare disorder are constantly having incomprehensible nightmares and feel exhausted as a result. This is because the mirage, a spirit lifeform, follows him day and night, feeding on his mood swings. When he told it out loud, the listeners who believed the story the most would become 'sick' and the original patient would be cured of his illness without medicine.

Necrosis is a different story. The ancient Erna royal tomb guards themselves were not infected; Even if you eat their slices of meat, it will only stretch your stomach for a few days at most. Only when directly touched by the 'living' guards will this extremely deadly disease come out of nowhere. There is also no danger in coming into contact with someone who is unfortunate enough to contract the disease.

At one point, the sorcerers' academic community classified the disease as a curse. However, killing the guards does not heal it, which means that it is different from normal curses. It wasn't until nearly a hundred years ago that Potions Master Michelle ventured to contract rotting corpse disease herself, and finally confirmed the nature of the disease -

It was the divine power of Mar.

It is now assumed that the people of Elna, who were willing to serve as the guards of the mausoleum, prayed for the blessings of both Eda and Maar. The former grants them immortality, and the latter makes them enemies of the living. Every time they touch a living being, the magic of 'death' penetrates through the skin and melts into the body, slowly but surely leading the other person to destruction.

Though the magic could replicate itself like a living thing, spreading rapidly - it was neither life, nor source, nor place.

"That's going to be a tough one." The blonde girl sighed, "But even if you have nightmares, you have auditory 'contact', and those people don't have anything?" ”

"Maybe they didn't notice it." Yu Fei pondered and replied, "Next, you're going back to the lab, right?" ”

"Well, let's go see the results of the analyzer, and whether the Kasha experiment is done. I also had an idea just now, I can try to come up with something - what about you, Yuffie? ”

"I'm going to visit those retired soldiers and teach them some of Edda's magic." This is the mission that the audience brought to her, and it has been carried out twice so far, and the results are not ideal, "See you in the evening?" ”

"Okay. We'll probably go to the tavern we found in Leicester, and you can just come there. ”

This is the convenience brought to them by the Federation's emblem. As long as they are not too far apart – at least there is more than enough in the city – the 'family' of the Federation can sense the location and safety of each other. If needed, she can also convey simple verbal messages or emotions to anyone within the 'range of perception'.

She high-fived Lynn goodbye, and walked alone through the soldier's door in the northeast corner of the fort to the residence of the old man who had prayed to her, and his grandson, a retired soldier of the Empire.

The soldier's name is Evan, and he is twenty-seven years old.

His father, a former seafarer in the Fleld, was killed in a storm more than 20 years ago. Two years later, my mother remarried, leaving behind a sum of money and disappearing. He lived with his grandfather until last winter, when Rogman recruited more soldiers, and he signed up, and luckily ...... Or the unfortunate success of the selection.

Yuffie read the letters he wrote during his training. The old man carefully kept each piece of stationery, even though some of it had been dripped with some kind of water stain. It tells the story of young people's longing for their grandfather, their yearning for the future, and their trust in the "Lord of Heaven".

"—When I have done my deeds on the battlefield and received a bounty, I will buy a better house, find a gentle wife, and have a few lovely children. I'll take you to live with you, learn your shoemaking trade, and hire a few apprentices to help. You don't have to work as hard as you do now, you just need to guide us every day, and then drink tea and rest.

I have seen miracles from God Edda, powers I never imagined. Don't worry about me, grandpa. We're going to win."

The grandfather and grandson live in the northeast corner of the city, with the front half serving as a storefront and the rest as a studio and bedroom. Yuffie walked around the back, tapped on the dilapidated wooden door, gave his name, and walked into the slightly dim and cramped hut with an old atmosphere.

The room was littered with tanned leather, cut pieces of leather, shoe lasts and tools of all kinds, and shoes that had just been ready. A deerskin was fixed on the table, and an old man with a full head of white hair crouched over the desk, carefully drawing the outline with a pencil and a ruler—

Another elderly man wears a thimble and sews the leather surface wrapped in a wooden last with the sole of his shoe. Hearing the girl's voice, he hurriedly got up to give her a seat, and at the same time patted the back of the man at the desk in exchange for a dissatisfied complaint.

"Hey." The man turned around, his voice a little muffled, "I've made you crooked this time." Didn't you call me with your mouth, grandpa! ”

"Here I go again, Aven." Yuffie nodded to his grandfather, then sat down across from him, "You look good today. Are these days okay? ”

"I slept well and my appetite improved." The old man put down the pen in his hand and scratched his hair, "That's what you asked me to do...... Practice, I'm still ...... I don't understand. ”

"It's okay, take your time." She comforted the other party softly, "Give me your hand, the same as before." ”

The 'old man' carefully handed her hand, which she held with both hands. The knuckles of the fingers were protruding, full of wrinkles, and the skin was dull, as if he had experienced countless winds and frosts and worked hard all his life-

As with Aven himself, she thought.

Five successive deaths and resurrections drained the young man's physical potential, robbing him of nearly a hundred years. As his remaining functions could not meet his needs, all of his organs and tissues rapidly deteriorated until they became his 'inner age'.

Yuffie could have imagined the fear and despair that Evan had endured for most of the six months since the end of the war. Although he is no longer aging rapidly and has accepted the reality in front of him, in the eyes of the girl, this is not the ending that the other party deserves.

"You've experienced Edda's magic - it wasn't used correctly at the time, but you should be able to feel his breath." She pulled out a trace of magic from the network and passed it into Evan's palm, "Breathe flat, close your eyes, what can you feel?" ”

The gray-haired Ai Wen tried to close his eyes, and the hand she held trembled slightly, as if he shook it hard, and then relaxed. Then he sighed, shook his head, and looked at her with somewhat cloudy pupils.

"I don't feel it. I don't feel anything. Maybe Eda abandoned me, he didn't ...... at all Don't bother with me. ”

"He won't abandon you." Yuffie softly reassured, "It's better to say that he's just a caretaker of the magic network, and the network itself doesn't-"

"Perhaps." Evan interrupted her suddenly, pursed his lips tightly, and slowly shook his head from side to side, "Maybe he didn't." Maybe it's just that I'm stupid. Oh, yes...... I'm really stupid......"

"Stupid enough to believe that promise, to believe ...... The sky can really drop pies. ”

No, you're not stupid - many people believed Cullen, and it wasn't their fault. The girl withdrew the magic of guidance, and did not continue to speak, only gently held the hand of the 'old man'.

"So I deserve it." Evan muttered, "I shouldn't have fantasized, I shouldn't have believed in those sweet words, and that dreamy future. If nothing had happened, if it was all just a nightmare...... How nice it would be......"

The girl nodded, she understood why. Evan no longer wants to trust Eda in his heart, so naturally he can't learn the magic that belongs to the other party. But from the standpoint of the 'old man', she has almost no qualifications for persuasion.

"It's Cullen who took advantage of your trust." Yuffie gathered his thoughts and looked him in the eye again, "He lied to you with Edda's power, but you have to understand that power itself is not false-"

"Forget it." The 'old man' withdrew his hand vigorously and put it in front of his eyes, his fingertips trembling slightly, "Come on." He sighed slowly, his hand falling limply on his lap, "Even if what you say is true, even if what you say, I have learned...... Can I go back to when I was younger? Can you get married, have your own children, and live a good life again? ”

Yuffie shook her head slightly.

Resurrection techniques cannot prolong lifespan, and other simple divine techniques are naturally even more impossible. If the war had just ended, she might have had time to prevent the tragedy before her; But now that the aging of the body has been mapped to the soul, I'm afraid that the Perfect Resurrection Technique can't solve the problem—not to mention that she doesn't have the ability to use it.

"Sometimes I really envy you......" the old Evan bowed his head, "you still have so much time and so much to do. And I'm ...... And no matter how hard I try, I just try...... Just try to wait for death......"

An extremely slight, almost imperceptible chill swept across the girl's spine—it wasn't just Aven's words that touched her. At that moment, the magic in her body, as well as her body as an 'undead creature', felt the invasion of the outside world, instinctively giving her a warning-

And the source is the 'old man' in front of him.

"I understand, Aven. I can get it. The girl tried her best to suppress the turbulence in her heart, calm her mind and voice, and try to guide the other person's words, "When you see those young people, when you see their energetic appearance, you think of your former self, right?" ”

The old man nodded imperceptibly.

"I lost it...... The most precious thing, and only then remember it and regret it. But no...... There is no cure for regret in this world, and there is no cure for me. He closed his eyes, two lines of tears running across his mottled face, "Nothing...... Anything...... No. ”

It's the same feeling again. This time she suppressed her body's instinctive defenses and put that power into her body. It seemed to melt into her blood, and in an instant it dissipated, and no trace was noticed.

But there was no way to continue the lesson—she had to avoid using Edda's magic to avoid destroying her hard-earned 'samples'. Yuffie took a light breath, stood up, and gave Evan a soft hug.

"It's normal. It's not your fault, there's nothing wrong with you. She comforted softly, "We'll get here today." I'll think about it again in the next two days, and I hope that the next time I come, I can give you a better answer, okay? ”

The 'old man' covered the lower half of his face with one hand and nodded slowly, his words muffled in a nasal voice. "I'm sorry, Yufie...... My lord. It's not your fault either, I know. So...... I...... Thank you. ”

Yuffie nodded reassuringly again, said goodbye to the two in the room, and walked out of the cabin.

The afternoon sun is still shining, and the surrounding street markets are not lacking in crowds and noise. But the girl stood on the side of the street, staring at the crowd, as if she saw a shadow stretching from the house behind her, enveloping them all—

Of course, that's just an illusion. It's still too late, Yuffie thought, even if she finds the worst.

She then went to visit the original family. The woman enthusiastically poured water for her and informed her that her husband was in good condition. During the conversation, her child pushed the door in, his hands and face dusty, and his smile pure and bright.

"Mom, look!" He hopped to the table, unfolded his hands together, and inside was a golden beetle, "And sister!" How beautiful it is! ”

"Call your Excellency." The woman patted the boy on the head, "Why did you get so dirty, go to the door and wash it again!" ”

Yuffie complimented the boy on his gain, sat down and chatted for a while, and then went to the tavern where he had agreed with Lynn. The signature is home-brewed plum sake, which is refreshing and slightly sweet with a plum aroma. The food is mainly grilled vegetables and meat skewers, sprinkled with coarse-grained rock salt and ground pepper, and the oil is still sizzling when it is served.

Bell would have liked it if he was there. The news that Lilianor's "expedition" had successfully returned to the Volcano Fort had just arrived in the imperial capital from the north two days earlier. The rumors contained many untrue stories, but Yuffie wanted nothing more than to sit in the carriage again, listening to Lily and Bell's bickering, and Alphonse's emotionless but always reassuring voice.

She kept her findings until after the meal, and did not give details of her guesses, only that there were some things she wanted to confirm. The five returned to the buzzing lab once more, and Yuffie took out a few drops of his own blood, smeared it on a glass slide, and placed it in the scanner.

Earlier, Lynn had entered the characteristics of the source of the disease in the instrument to confirm whether the samples contained the same characteristics. It swept through Yufie's blood with cones of light, examining every detail. All eyes were on it until it stopped functioning, projecting the results report upwards and lighting up the green light directly ahead.

That means she guessed the answer.

"You found it!?" Lynn couldn't tell if she was surprised, or stared at her in disbelief, "Is it ...... Where? ”

"In someone I know." Yuffie whispered regretfully, "He was a victim of the last war." ”

The girl briefly recounted the afternoon's experience and the story of Soldier Aven. She then describes how she felt, how she responded, and what she drew from it.

"He had endured extremely high levels of divine power. Not only did that drain his body's potential, but it probably changed it permanently. Yuffie clasped her hands over her chest and felt her heartbeat, recalling the time when she had just 'woken up,' "in the form of the unexpected and full of flaws." ”

"So what." Kashya's face was a little pale, but his expression remained the same, "Can he ...... What do you think? ”

"He was able to use Ada's network to instinctively cast magic that wasn't a divine spell. Or rather, his body is doing that. Yuffie looked away at the empty white wall, "When he regrets or regrets his current situation, the 'network' responds to his will...... Or rather, in response to the will of his 'body'—"

"It wants to live...... blonde girl whispered.

Yuffie nodded.

"The instinct of life is to eat and reproduce, and the endless cycle that arises from it. If all this goes astray, it will become the 'source of the disease' that we see. She looked at her palm, then slowly lowered, "Expand endlessly, constantly looking for the next target, and then destroy with them." ”

That's Edda's power. She should have known, Yuffie thought to herself. Duke Moore had guessed half of it right—but unfortunately it was the rest that was difficult to deal with.

"In other words, the patients didn't notice anything unusual because they didn't feel what was happening at all." Sura frowned, "It doesn't actually need to sit face-to-face, and it doesn't need to talk to the 'victim', right?" ”

Yuffie nodded. There is no clear evidence for that, but as long as the 'source' remains the same, it is the most likely guess.

"But why...... Half a year after the end of the war, but it has only recently appeared? The female apprentice was puzzled, "Is it the same thing as Rogman who died a while ago?" ”

"Pretty much." Lynn replied vaguely, casting a passing glance at Yuffie, "Aging always requires a process, and so does the development of the disease. At best, if this had happened earlier, it might not have been able to end. ”

"As a result, Rogman died, leaving such a mess." Famir rolled his eyes. The Federation has always been extremely reluctant to see Edda, and naturally does not like the former emperor who admires the other party, "The black robe who pretends to be a ghost can't get rid of it." ”

"But the dead can't be held responsible. And the problem has to be solved. Kashya's eyes narrowed, "Think of a way to gather all the surviving soldiers and lock them all up?" Or...... How about just finding a way to kill them? ”

"Killing is absolutely not a no." Lin glared at the black-haired apprentice, "Even if you lock them up, it won't necessarily be of any use, and if you don't get it right, it will be counterproductive." ”

That's true. Yuffie didn't know if that 'magic' relied on sight or distance, but depriving those people of the right to a normal life would only further strengthen 'it'. As for killing them - morally she wouldn't allow herself to do that. Even if they did, they would only make their enemies happy.

Rogman's aggression may have been a mistake, but the royal family must not blame the soldiers who passed by, or no one would believe them again.

Yuffie stood quietly for a moment. Lin and the apprentices discussed in whispers, not paying attention to the specifics. Lynn's lack of asking for her opinion meant that she didn't need to care about that. And what her friend thinks, she doesn't need to listen to to understand.

At the court meeting early tomorrow morning, she must report her findings to the empress. Maroline is not an indecisive or empathetic person, and the only way to influence the other person's decision is to come up with a practical alternative—at least a prototype.

As for the key to solving the puzzle...... Since she 'accidentally' contracted the disease, let her make the best use of it.

The maiden walked to the door, put on her white robe again, and took a small cauldron, poured water and ground brown powder, and set it on the gently flickering magical flames beside her. Coffee beans are a common potion ingredient, but sometimes she likes its original taste, and even better with some milk.

The slightly bitter aroma wafted through the room, and Lynn cast a look at her, and Yuffie raised her hand and tapped her chest.

"We have one more problem. We've got to be busy for a while tonight. ”