Chapter 698 Refusal
After leaving the borders of Adus, Vania and her relief delegation officially entered their destination, Busairite, and began this relief pilgrimage. They traveled slowly across the vast desert with a caravan, as the large number of personnel and supplies caused the connected line of caravans to stretch for a long distance.
Along the way, Vania and her group encountered several villages and town settlements where the residents were nearly all suffering from a plague, with a significant portion of the population infected. Often, a whole village would see a quarter of its residents afflicted by the Plague of Exhaustion, as deepening pain, dizziness, and fatigue gradually robbed them of their mobility. A quarter of the people panicked and began to flee, and after being affected by the plague, an entire settlement would typically be left with only about half of its original population.
Those who were still in normal health would gather the uncurable plague victims together and initially provide them with some water and food. However, as the village’s food supplies dwindled, they began to neglect the ill, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Throughout their journey, Vania’s group witnessed many tragedies in the villages inflicted by the plague, such as weak patients being abandoned by family and friends, gathered together and left to d*e from hunger and weakness. Some extreme villages would even execute the sick outright to save on management costs. Villages that failed to control the plague effectively, resulting in widespread infection, had already disappeared, leaving only desolate villages and rotting corpses when the delegation arrived.
Concerned about the bandits that frequently roamed Busairite, the team had deployed a considerable amount of armed forces; however, due to the extent of the plague, the bandits in Busairite seemed to be similarly affected, resulting in a significant decrease in their activity. The delegation had not encountered a single respectable bandit group throughout their journey.
Busairite had once been hailed as Northern Ufeiga’s inferno due to tribal power struggles and rampant banditry, but now it had truly become the hell of Northern Ufeiga under the ravaging plague.
In the face of one plague-stricken tribal settlement after another along the way, Vania felt a deep sorrow and sympathy, but she did not linger too long to offer comprehensive help. Instead, she left behind some food and medicines to slightly alleviate their plight. She knew that if they recklessly attempted to treat the plague, their group could only save a few hundred people. To truly address this plague born of extraordinary power, they needed to strike at the root of the problem.
Thus, Vania’s relief team began to quicken their pace towards their final destination, Bastis.
—
The blazing sun scorched overhead, a solitary eagle soared freely in the cloudless sky, and yellow sand swirled. In this desolate environment, a massive procession continued onward, a caravan of countless camels transporting heavy supplies, extending over a kilometer in length, winding through the vast desert. The caravan left a trail of footprints in the sand, quickly scattered by the wind.
After trekking for over half a month, the relief team remained dusty and weary as they pressed onward, sweat and yellow sand soaking their robes. The daytime desert temperatures soared to extremes, with the air so dry it was hard to breathe. Everyone in the caravan was wrapped in headscarves, tightly bundling their bodies to prevent scratches from the sand. Those among them serving as church clerks and medical personnel were able to ride on camels to save energy, moving at the head of the caravan, while the church’s soldiers flanked the mid-section on both sides as guards. The hired local Northern Ufeiga residents primarily focused on the back of the caravan, transporting and tending to the vast supplies.
The day’s journey had stretched into the morning. Almost everyone in the caravan had cracked lips and dry tongues. Although supplies were ample, to be cautious, the team was relatively judicious with the distribution of important resources like water. No one received much within a single day, attempting to conserve as much as possible.
“Ugh… This d*mn weather is unbearable. How many more days must we go on like this…” Nephnis, swathed in her robe and headscarf, rode atop a tall camel, wiping the sweat from her brow while sighing. A look of discomfort was evident on her face, indicating she wasn’t feeling well.
Although Nephnis had been traveling long distances since last year, she had generally done so using relatively comfortable transport like ships or trains, with destinations generally being cities with decent living conditions. However, this trip to Busairite was different. Following the caravan meant abandoning the comfort of trains entirely. While she could dismount on a camel instead of exhausting herself like others on foot, daily exposure to the wind and sun made the ride uncomfortable, and prolonged sitting on the camel made her backside sore.
“Ugh… How much longer do we have to go… If this drags on a few more days, my sunscreen will run out. The heat and dust are so harsh on my skin…” Nephnis mumbled quietly while riding her camel, when a familiar voice sounded nearby.
“According to our itinerary, we should arrive at our destination today. Bastis is the prosperous city of Busairite, built upon the largest oasis here. The environment should be pleasant, and once we arrive, we can have a good rest.”
The speaker was Dorothea, riding a nearby camel, also dressed in desert robes and headscarf. While speaking with Nephnis, her gaze remained focused ahead, her expression betraying no sign of discomfort.
“Are we finally arriving? That’s truly wonderful…” Nephnis remarked, glancing sideways at Dorothea. Recalling the journey so far, she noticed that despite Dorothea also enduring this lengthy desert trip, she had not expressed much vexation. This made Nephnis silently admire her. To her, someone like Dorothea, who seemed like a typical wealthy young lady, should have found such an arduous desert travel even less bearable, but instead, she remained composed and had not uttered a single complaint.
“Truly, she must be a high-ranking official of the Rosy Cross… Her adaptability is impressive; one shouldn’t judge by appearances,” Nephnis thought to herself. She then took a water flask hanging from the camel’s saddle, took a sip, and tried to cool herself down before continuing her journey.
In truth, Dorothea’s ability to adapt to the long journey across the desert was not solely due to her resilience. The key factor was that she carried two divine blessing objects, the Deep Blue Heart and the Phantom Pulling Lamp, directly on her person. When infused with a little spirituality, the Phantom Pulling Lamp could emit a faint chill, while the Deep Blue Heart could slightly humidify the air. By using an upgraded Veil Ring to shield its spirituality, Dorothea could effectively use them as a small air conditioner and humidifier, greatly alleviating the hot and dry daytime conditions of the desert.
Many of Dorothea’s divine blessing objects did not possess the conveniently useful active functions that items like the Illusion Scale Incense Lantern had, as their primary value lay in serving as cores for important rituals. Thus, on this journey through Northern Ufeiga, Dorothea had found a practical channel for the two divine blessing objects.
“Although having a humidifier and air conditioning makes desert travel easier, it still gets a bit boring and uncomfortable after so long. I wish it would end soon…”
Sitting on her camel, Dorothea contemplated this, knowing that the long journey couldn’t last much longer.
“There’s an oasis ahead! We’ve arrived!”
In the dull progression of their journey, someone ahead suddenly shouted, causing the team, which had been trudging with heads down, to lift their gaze in anticipation, enthusiastically exchanging words, and the atmosphere in the caravan grew lively. Upon hearing this, Nephnis perked up immediately, shaking her head to look over at Dorothea.
“Miss Dorothea, it seems we’ve reached our destination!”
“Yes, let’s go… let’s see what’s up ahead,” Dorothea replied, gently tugging on the reins of her camel and urging it forward, while Nephnis quickly spurred her own mount to follow Dorothea as they moved away from the caravan towards the front.
As Dorothea and Nephnis rode their camels onward, they ascended a sand dune and soon saw a hint of green appearing on the horizon, the landscape slightly distorted by the heat.
They noticed that amid the barren desert, a gleam of light was shimmering as if it were a jewel; it was a wide expanse of lake water glimmering under the sunlight. Surrounding the lake were vast stretches of trees and grass, and at the edge of the greenery stood a somewhat grayish-yellow wall, beyond which rose various tall and sturdy buildings.
Looking at that scene in the distance, Vania let out a long breath.
“We’ve finally arrived… That must be the heart of Busairite, Bastis! Finally, finally, we can spend the night in the city tonight! There must be enough water there for bathing! I absolutely need a bath!”
Vania said excitedly, her face clearly shining with enthusiasm. However, at her side, Dorothea did not show much excitement; she furrowed her brow and looked into the distance, quietly murmuring in response to Vania.
“Well… that might not be the case…”
—
At the front of the delegation, from another dune away from the main body of the caravan, Vania stood in her church-style robe alongside her guards, gazing at the distant oasis city. After a long trek, they had finally reached their destination, yet the expressions of the few of them were far from joyful. Instead, their faces bore a deepening gravity.
Through the extraordinary vision granted by the Lamp, Vania’s group could see the city’s appearance clearly and accurately from afar, and this clarity brought about a visible difference in their expressions compared to the excitement of those in the caravan behind them.
Through the far-reaching sight of the Lamp, Vania could see the scene before the ancient city’s gate; it was not desolate and abandoned as they had anticipated due to the plague. Instead, they saw a large crowd of people gathering at the city gate.
Before the ancient city’s gate, there were innumerable individuals dressed in traditional Northern Ufeiga long robes and headscarves, seemingly the residents of the ancient city, amassing there in numbers exceeding a thousand. They were lined up in several rows, armed with various implements—farm tools, wooden sticks, and weapons—each person appeared to be a soldier ready for battle.
These residents, armed with various weapons, were gathered at the city gate for some unknown reason, staring warily towards the direction of the approaching caravan, their faces showing marked hostility as if viewing an enemy.
At that moment, upon the weatherworn city gate, another scene of brutality was unfolding. Numerous figures were hanging there, brutally nailed to the walls by large spikes.
Upon closer inspection, these figures were almost all dressed in robes of white and yellow, and although they now appeared bloodied and covered with various stains, the fine craftsmanship and luxurious materials indicated that they were not the garb of ordinary people. These robes shared many stylistic similarities with the official garments of church clergy, but there were numerous differences, with many modifications suitable for the desert environment.
Vania recognized these robes. She had seen them during her first trip to Adus when she witnessed them in Adis; they belonged to the Savior’s Incarnation Sect! Those hung on the city walls were members of the Savior’s Incarnation Sect!
“Vania, sister… it seems something is off over there. The people of Bastis appear to be hostile towards us; this doesn’t seem right. According to previous intelligence, Bastis should be a thriving trade city and shouldn’t be this closed off…” A nun beside Vania said uneasily, while on the other side, Gaspare, clad in armor over his robe, furrowed his brow as he also spoke up.
“Those nailed to the wall… are the heretics of the Incarnation Sect! I heard they have significant influence in Busairite, especially in Bastis; how could such a situation arise?”
Gaspare said solemnly, while Vania glanced into the distance again and spoke with a serious tone.
“It seems the situation is somewhat different from what we anticipated. Phil, please go back and have everyone rest and be on guard in place. Gaspare, gather some people and come with me; let’s go over there and find out what’s going on.”
“Understood.” Following Vania’s orders, Phil and Gaspare immediately returned to carry them out, while Vania remained in place, looking gravely towards the distant oasis ancient city, Bastis.
—
After arranging for the caravan to maintain their guard and standby, Vania left the group with a small elite escort and proceeded toward Bastis. To show sincerity, when they were still some distance from the city gates, Vania ordered her team to secure their weapons, dismount from their camels, and approach the city gate on foot.
As they got closer to Bastis’s city gate, the large crowd of civilians with makeshift weapons began to tense up, and the ranks became somewhat chaotic. One leader with a bushy beard brandishing a curved dagger shouted loudly at Vania’s approaching group.
“Stop! You bunch of outsiders! Right there, do not come any closer!”
Hearing the bearded man’s shout, Vania slowed her pace and replied in Northern Ufeiga.
“You are all residents of Bastis, right? Please do not panic; I am a healer from the north, here to help you after hearing of the serious plague. Please put down your weapons; we do not mean any harm.”
Vania extended her unarmed hands towards the residents gathered at the city gates, trying to soothe them. However, her words seemed to have little effect, as not many lowered their weapons.
“Don’t listen to that girl!”
Suddenly, another loud voice came from the crowd in front of the city gate, and at the sound of the voice, the crowd parted to create a path for a figure emerging.
The figure was a dark-skinned man with a bald head and an overweight build, adorned with mysterious painted designs on his face and wearing a robe embellished with numerous wooden pendants of vibrant colors. He held a wooden staff in his hand, the top of which bore leaves in bloom, hanging numerous fleshy-looking, round “fruits.” As this man appeared, everyone around him instinctively bowed, showing a posture full of respect.
“Don’t listen to that girl’s nonsense! She is not a healer. Like those nailed to the walls, she is just a pawn of the Evil God of Illumination! The Evil God is displeased that this city was saved from His clutches, so He has sent new pawns!
“Children of the Supreme Ancestor of Eternal Life, do not be deceived by her slander! She has come with the agenda of the Evil God of Illumination, aiming to drag you all back into endless torment and suffering! She wants to destroy the blessings granted by the Supreme Ancestor of Eternal Life and make all wills submit to the authority of the Evil God! We cannot let her succeed!”
Waving his wooden staff, the man shouted towards Vania in the distance. Watching this scene unfold, Vania’s expression darkened.
