Alexis had come to inspect Alfonso Village with the Iron Eagle Knights.
As they entered the village, silence greeted them.
All the windows were shut tight, and occasional sounds of coughing and groaning could be heard.
At that moment, the village chief approached cautiously, coughing quietly.
“Your Grace, welcome.”
“Chief, what’s going on here?”
“Well…”
“It’s alright, speak freely.”
When Alexis dismounted and gave him a gentle look, the chief led him to his home.
Once seated, the village chief explained what had happened.
“You mean an outsider suddenly died in the village, and the body decayed so quickly that it spread disease?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
A crease formed between Alexis’s brows.
There was a reason Elia had told him to come.
“A plague, huh…”
“If you stay here, Your Grace could be at risk too. It’d be best if you left quickly.”
As the chief spoke with concern, Alexis asked,
“Have there been any deaths?”
“Not yet. But there might be soon. Some villagers are like the living dead, barely breathing.”
Just then, a woman rushed into the chief’s house and threw herself before Alexis.
“Your Grace, please save my child. I beg you.”
Tears streaming down her face, she pleaded desperately with hands clasped together.
“Dmitri, contact Felix and have him bring Dmitri here right away.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Alexis comforted the sobbing mother.
“We’ll bring a doctor soon. For now, you should return and stay by your child’s side.”
“Th-Thank you, Your Grace.”
The woman hastily wiped her tears, bowed deeply, and left.
Three hours later, Felix and Elia arrived in the village.
When Alexis saw Elia entering the chief’s home with Felix, he was startled.
“Elly, what are you doing here…?”
“This is the place I said I’d come with you, remember?”
“What about Jasper?”
Felix smiled and replied,
“Thanks to the young lady’s treatment, Jasper is fine now.”
“Elly treated her?”
Elia tugged on the duke’s sleeve.
“Your Grace, Jasper wasn’t sick—she was cursed.”
“Cursed?”
“Yes, it was a curse. That’s why I came to check this village. Jasper said she got sick after visiting here.”
“Jasper went to Alfonso Village?”
Both Elia and Felix nodded at the same time.
Just then, Gaji grumbled in a pained voice.
[Elly, the stench here is awful.]
‘What?’
[It reeks. Absolutely foul.]
‘Really? Then go out and scout around the village.’
[You’re working me again…]
‘I’ll give you a whole jar of honey when we get back.’
[I’m not doing it for the honey. I’m doing it for justice.]
‘Yes, yes. Do it for justice, now go.’
When Elia humored him, Gaji immediately climbed down from her shoulder and went outside.
A short while later, Gaji returned.
[Elly, I found it.]
‘Are you sure?’
[Don’t you trust me? Of course I’m sure!]
‘Okay, I believe you.’
Elia looked at Alexis.
“Your Grace, let’s go outside.”
“Outside?”
“Yes, I think I found the cause.”
Nodding, Alexis lifted Elia into his arms and stepped outside. The village chief hurried after them.
“What’s going on, Your Grace?”
“I believe we’ve found the cause.”
“What…?”
The village chief looked unusually flustered.
“Your Grace, over there.”
“There?”
“Yes, that house. I can feel something from there.”
As they prepared to move, the village chief blocked their way.
“Your Grace, that house has been abandoned for three years.”
“Abandoned?”
“Yes. A young man named Jimmy used to live there, but he had a chronic illness and died. The house has been vacant since. Occasionally, outsiders have stayed there.”
Elia turned her gaze to the village chief.
[Ugh! That man stinks too!]
Gaji stomped on Elia’s shoulder.
Elia’s eyes sparkled as she tugged on Alexis’s collar.
“Your Grace, let’s go check it out first.”
Alexis nodded and headed toward the abandoned house.
When they opened the door, a cloud of dust greeted them.
There were signs someone had lived there, but it looked like it had been abandoned for quite some time—just as the village chief said.
[Elly, it’s over there.]
Gaji pointed toward the kitchen.
“Your Grace, to the kitchen.”
The moment Alexis entered the kitchen, Elia jumped from his arms.
“Elly!”
Startled, Alexis called after her, but she headed straight for the hearth.
Elia dug through the ashes with a fire poker and pulled something out. It was a pitch-black lump.
[Blegh.]
Gaji gagged.
Elia also covered her nose.
A terrifying aura was emanating from the lump.
“Your Grace, get everyone out of here immediately!”
“What?”
“Hurry!”
“Dmitri, take the chief and evacuate!”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
Dmitri and the Iron Eagle knights quickly led the chief outside.
Alexis shut the door and turned to Elia.
She was reaching her hand out toward the black lump.
“Elly!”
Alexis rushed over and grabbed her hand.
“What are you doing? It’s dangerous!”
Elia’s sapphire-blue eyes glowed intensely.
“I have to destroy this.”
“What?”
“This is the medium of the curse.”
“The curse’s medium?”
Alexis’s eyes shook.
“It holds a tremendous amount of resentment.”
Worry filled his eyes as he looked at her.
“Don’t worry. And you know what kind of power I have.”
“What if you collapse again?”
Alexis wanted to stop her, afraid she would collapse like before.
“Your Grace, we have to act quickly. If we don’t destroy it, the curse will continue to spread disease—not just in this village but across the entire duchy.”
Alexis gripped Elia’s small shoulders.
“I’m sorry, Elly.”
He felt terrible, constantly placing such heavy burdens on a child.
Elia shook her head.
“It’s okay.”
She patted his hand, then reached toward the lump.
‘Gaji, please.’
[You’re always asking me for things.]
‘Quit whining and help me.’
[Ugh… I must’ve been cursed myself, ending up with a master like this.]
When Elia grabbed the lump, Gaji channeled the power of the World Tree. Golden light radiated from Elia’s hand.
“Gyaaaaaah—!”
The black lump let out a hideous scream.
Gaji spoke with a shaken voice.
[Elly, this isn’t just one person. There are dozens of grudges bound up in here.]
‘Purify it.’
[You’ll pass out again. Are you really okay with that?]
‘As long as I don’t die. We have to do this. Now, hurry.’
[Elly…]
Gaji’s voice trembled.
It meant this was incredibly dangerous.
‘I’ll be fine. Just do it.’
[Alright…]
Gaji drew out the power of the World Tree and began purifying the black lump.
It writhed and screamed in agony.
‘Disappear.’
Elia focused all her will.
Fwoooosh!
The golden light crushed the black lump.
Gaji’s paw on the back of Elia’s hand was trembling.
“Screeeeech!”
The black lump shrieked, then turned to dust and vanished.
Her head spun. Her mind was hazy.
‘Damn it…’
With that final thought, Elia’s body collapsed.
“Elly!”
Alexis caught her just in time.
Seeing Elia’s pale face, his heart sank like a stone.
* * *
The village chief watched Dmitri with an anxious expression.
“What on earth is going on?”
“All you need to know is—it’s for saving this village.”
“Can our village truly be saved?”
“Yes.”
For a moment, the chief’s eyes darkened.
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, he clutched his chest and collapsed.
Dmitri and Felix looked at him in alarm.
“Hey, are you alright?!”
As Felix reached out to help, the chief’s expression twisted viciously—and he shoved Felix hard.
“Ugh!”
Felix flew backward and rolled across the ground.
“Sir Felix!”
Dmitri rushed to the fallen knight and helped him up.
“Hehehe…”
A grotesque laugh rang out, and everyone turned to the village chief.
“You destroyed my curse…!”
“What the…?”
Dmitri moved Felix behind him and drew his greatsword. The Iron Eagle knights drew their blades and aimed them at the village chief.
