Kai had been hearing about the plague here and there for a while now, but it was mostly exaggerated rumors, mixed up with fear and uncertainty. Sifting through the noise for real information had been frustrating at best.

A part of it was due to the plague originating in another kingdom, far beyond his reach—the western edge of Vanderfall, to be precise. Another factor was that his Watchers had been too preoccupied managing intelligence within the kingdom itself. But the reports of the plague had surged over the past two weeks, and for once, they weren’t just whispers in back alleys or the paranoia of traveling merchants. Even the ministers in the capital had begun to worry, fearing the plague would seep into Lancephil and drag it down with Vanderfall.

Plagues weren’t rare. Sickness thrived where hygiene didn’t, and most rulers treated them as minor inconveniences, trusting in their healers and magic to keep things under control.

There had never been a case, however, where a plague swallowed an entire kingdom whole, rotting it from the inside, making even nobles flee like common refugees. Kai didn’t need detailed reports to understand the severity of the situation.

The envoy’s face was enough.

Pale, gaunt, and hollow-cheeked, the man looked like he hadn’t eaten in days. His red-rimmed eyes, sunken deep into his skull, carried the weight of sleepless nights. His robes hung loose, dirtied with dried sweat and dust from the road. If he hadn’t known better, he would’ve assumed the envoy was just another merchant robbed of his wares, forced to wander for miles in search of civilization.

“Thank you for meeting with me, Lord Arzan. I’m Corwin Merrel,” the envoy gave a brief bow, greeting Kai again. His voice sounded like he hadn’t spoken in days, hoarse.

“Start from the beginning,” Kai said.

Corwin nodded. “Three weeks ago, the plague started appearing near the border. The soldiers at Fortress Aegis kept watch, monitored it, and did everything in their power to stop it from spreading. But…” He swallowed. “Unlike any normal plague, this one moves.”

“Moves?”

“It’s coming from the ground. It sickens everything it touches. We dug trenches to contain it, deep enough that nothing should have been able to pass. And yet… it kept going. Like it had a will of its own.”

Numerous thoughts came to Kai’s mind but he stayed silent, letting Corwin speak. The man exhaled shakily, his hands coming to the front to clutch together as if the memory was haunting him.

“A week ago, Viscount Redmont realized that no matter what he tried, the plague wouldn’t stop. It’s not just spreading—it’s advancing. He sent envoys across the kingdom, begging for aid.” Corwin sighed again. “The royal family was already aware of the situation and tasked Archine Tower with handling it. But…” His lips pressed into a thin line. “They haven’t found a solution yet. And without one, we can’t hold out much longer.

“We thought sending Mages would turn the tide. But even that hasn’t worked. Vanderfall’s royal family has its own Magus, and even he was unable to stop the plague. If their strongest couldn’t do it, what hope do we have? That’s why I was sent here—not for supplies, not for medicine—but to request aid in relocating our common people to your cities.

“Viscount Redmont believes that if we cannot stop the plague, we must at least save the people. So please, Count Arzan, we beseech you—help us in these dire times.”

Silence settled over the room as Corwin finished. Kai exhaled slowly and turned to Killian, his mind already piecing together the implications. This wasn’t just a matter of disease control. Redmont had already given up on fighting the plague. He was relying entirely on the royal family and Archine Tower—an institution Kai had little faith in.

If those so-called high Mages couldn’t solve it, how likely was it that he could?

That depended entirely on what he was dealing with. And from what Corwin had described… Kai’s stomach turned. He might know what they were dealing with.

A plague that moved through the ground. That wasn’t sickness.

That was something else.

Something much worse.

His face remained composed, but his thoughts were anything but calm. If it truly was a dead mana plague, then there was no simple cure—no potion, no spell, no divine blessing that could wipe it out easily. It was a corruption, a lingering rot that seeped into the land itself.

He leaned forward. “Bringing refugees here won’t be an issue. We’ve handled such matters before.”

Corwin’s face lit up with relief—only for it to flicker with hesitation when Kai continued.

“But before that, I need to know more about the plague. I have some questions.”

Corwin nodded hurriedly. “I will answer as best as I can.”

Kai’s eyes locked onto him. “You said it spreads through the ground. Does it consume trees, grass—even barren land? Does it turn the soil into a foul, murky black with a stench so strong it makes men gag?”

Corwin’s breath hitched. His eyes widened, his face drained of what little color remained. “Yes, Lord Arzan” he whispered. “That’s exactly what happened.”

“The land before the fortress… it has already started changing,” Corwin continued. “The stench is so unbearable that some soldiers can barely function.”

That confirmed it.

Dead mana.

This wasn’t just a plague.

This was a disaster waiting to swallow everything in its path.

“What about people? Have you seen them turning into weavers? If so, how strong are they?”

Corwin hesitated, then shook his head. “We have been extremely careful not to touch the plague, knowing what it does to the land. But from what we’ve gathered… entire villages and towns have turned into mana weavers deep in the heart of Vanderfall. The people there call it the ‘Cursed Plague’—an extermination by the gods themselves.”

Kai exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening slightly against the armrest.

“Entire churches have dedicated themselves to prayer, begging the gods to end their suffering,” he went on. “And there are… reports of other creatures. We haven’t been able to confirm them, but the rumors are spreading.”

A bitter taste filled Kai’s mouth. That settled it. If the corruption of the land hadn’t been enough to confirm his suspicions, this was.

This wasn’t some divine curse.

It was dead mana.

A slow, creeping force that would continue to spread its roots until it devoured everything. And it would not stop—not unless they reached the core of it and destroyed it. He didn’t know how it had started. That didn’t matter. The only thing that did was to put an end to it.

“How much time do you think Viscount Redmont’s territory has left before it falls completely?”

“A week. Maybe ten days. I can’t say for sure, but the Viscount told me to get here as soon as possible. I rode for twenty-seven hours straight without rest to deliver this message.” His voice was strained. “So… we don’t have much time.”

That explained the man’s haggard state. Kai turned his head slightly toward Killian, who stood beside him.

“If this continues,” Killian said at last, “Veralt will fall to the plague as well.”

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“We are hoping help arrives from the Tower before that happens,” he admitted. “We are all in a desperate situation… and other than you, Count Arzan, there is no one in Sylvan Enclave with the power or resources to help us.” His voice was heavy with unspoken meaning. “Many fiefs are still recovering from the war.”

Kai grimaced but nodded. There was no malice in Corwin’s words. Only the truth.

Even so, there was no time to dwell on politics.

The plague needed to be dealt with.

And if there was anyone in this world who had the knowledge—or even the slightest chance—of stopping it, it was him. No matter how difficult it would be. But before he made any decisions, he needed to see it for himself. He needed to assess how far the corruption had spread. And, most importantly—

He needed to know just how strong the fiends and weavers lurking within it had become. He could already imagine the scale of the disaster—a battlefield crawling with thousands of mana weavers, lurking amidst an even greater, unknown danger. And even if he somehow managed to fight through all of that, there remained the final problem, the core of the plague itself.

A fight of that scale would require enormous resources. Troops, enchanted weapons, golems, mana cannons… yet, despite the sheer difficulty of it, he knew one thing for certain.

If he didn’t start acting now, the plague would reach his territory next.

His fingers tapped against the armrest as his thoughts churned. How had the plague even started?

He had no doubt that Maleficia had a hand in it. Everything revolving around dead mana had them in the centre. But why would they encroach on Lancephil, knowing that Regina, one of their own, was its queen?

Unless…

It was a scheme.

Kai’s mind spun through the possibilities. Could it be that Regina wanted the plague to spread unchecked? If it reached a catastrophic level, the first prince could ride in like a savior, stopping it and securing his path to the throne. It would be the same thing that Lucian had tried with the beast wave after all.

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

He would need to discuss it with Francis soon. But for now, his focus returned to the envoy, who stood there expectantly, waiting for an answer.

Kai exhaled and leaned forward. “I will order temporary establishments to house the refugees. If they can’t all fit in Veralt, there is enough space in Verdis or Veyrin. The fief war left quite a few homes empty—we can place them there.”

Corwin’s face lit up with relief, and he bowed deeply. “Thank you for your grace, Count Arzan.”

“It is only natural to save as many lives as possible,” Kai replied. His voice was calm, but his next words made the envoy stiffen. “However, I will also be traveling with you when you return to Redmont City.”

Corwin’s head snapped up, his eyes widening. “Is there a reason for that, Count Arzan?”

“I need to see the plague with my own eyes,” Kai said. “And I need to consult Viscount Redmont directly. Don’t worry, my decision to shelter the refugees will not change. Time is of the essence. We leave tomorrow afternoon.”

Corwin swallowed but nodded quickly. “Understood. I will be ready by then.”

With that, he was done and a maid promptly stepped forward to escort Corwin away, leaving Kai and Killian alone.

Killian, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, finally spoke. His brows were furrowed, and his expression was tight with concern. “You are leaving… again.”

Kai turned to him, already expecting the question in his eyes.

“The plague will reach Veralt if we don’t act,” Kai stated. “I need to see it for myself and decide on a course of action.”

Killian exhaled sharply. “I was thinking the same thing, but is it necessary to leave tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Kai’s answer was immediate. “For all we know, the plague could accelerate at any moment. We are on a timer, Killian. Our first priority is stopping it from spreading further.” His gaze darkened. “After that, we go in, wipe it out, and kill the core.”

Killian frowned, arms crossed. “How exactly are we going to do it? You told me before—anything that touches dead mana gets corrupted.”

Kai nodded. “Yes. That’s why we’ll be wearing full-body armor designed to resist corruption. I had Balen start working on them a while back, knowing we’d eventually have to fight stronger fiends.”

Killian’s gaze was sharp as he processed that. “Will that be enough?”

“It won’t be.” Kai’s tone was flat. “We’ll need a lot more. That’s one of the things I plan to discuss with Viscount Redmont. But more importantly, I’ve seen plagues like this before. They were one of the major reasons the world fell into dead mana. And they always have a core.”

Killian exhaled slowly. “So we need to find it and destroy it.”

“Exactly. Until we do, the plague won’t stop spreading.”

“Then this is an expedition. Another war—but this time, against weavers and fiends.”

Kai nodded reluctantly. “Yes. But unlike last time, we’re not aiming for total eradication. Our goal is the core. Once we destroy it, Vanderfall and Viscount Redmont’s forces can handle the rest. We do this as fast as possible.” His gaze sharpened. “And this might be a good opportunity to test the Elder Tree stumps.”

Killian looked at him skeptically. “You plan to plant them there? Won’t they get corrupted?”

“They will,” Kai admitted. “Which is why I first plan to purge a small area of corruption—using Amyra.”

Killian blinked. “Amyra?”

“Her abilities are exceptional,” Kai explained. “If she can purify parts of the land, we can plant the stumps there and see if they revitalize the surface.” His fingers curled slightly as he thought back to his research. “During my experiments, I noticed something. Even when Amyra’s ability purges dead mana, the land is left barren. Completely devoid of mana.” His eyes narrowed. “But if we plant the Elder Tree stumps immediately after, maybe they’ll start restoring mana flow. If the two work together, it could achieve something unheard of.”

Killian hesitated before sighing. “Amyra is just a kid, Lord Arzan. Are you sure it’s right to put this burden on her?”

Kai’s jaw tightened. “Even I don’t want to force that responsibility on her.” He exhaled, rubbing his temples. “That’s why, before I even talk to her about it, I want to test something. If I tap into her astral realm, I might be able to see what allows her to have such ability and try to emulate it for myself.”

Killian’s brow furrowed. “You think that’s possible?”

“I’ve been preparing for it.” Kai met his gaze. “I’ve been waiting for her to be ready—to allow me in. If she’s ready now, I’ll ask her.”

***

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