Chapter 266

The advance of the alliance army halted due to a sudden outbreak of disease. The number of the ill, which started with about a hundred, swelled to hundreds in just two days.

“The disease is spreading.”

Most of the ones who fell ill were tribal warriors. It was hard to find civilized people who got sick.

Tssss.

Smoke rose high from the area where the sick men were gathered. Incense made from a secret recipe handed down through generations wafted among the patients.

“Bleeegh!”

The number of warriors vomiting increased everywhere. The stench of the sick filled the air all over the camp.

“This is...” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Urich traced his memory. He had also suffered a severe illness in the civilized world once.

Sometimes, barbarians would fall ill when they came to the civilized world. Even Urich had nearly died from such an illness.

“Great Chief, we must offer sacrifices to the heavens,” Six-Fingered said as he covered his mouth with a cloth.

“Do whatever you want,” Urich replied carelessly.

“We need the help of the heavens, Great Chief. Fix your attitude and behave accordingly,” Six-Fingered warned coldly. Urich stared blankly at him.

The disease did not subside. By the third day, the number of deaths started piling up. As people started dying, ominous rumors spread everywhere.

The time of the year being a humid summer, the corpses quickly decayed and emitted a foul stench.

“Urich, we need to burn the dead warriors and also prevent anyone from taking their belongings.”

Gottval came to Urich, shouting. He, too, had been busy caring for the patients.

“Burn them?”

“This is an infectious disease. We cannot leave the corpses as they are, and we also have to stop anyone from taking stuff from the dead warriors.”

Urich looked at Gottval with a troubled expression.

“Do we really have to burn them?”

“If we don’t do that, the disease will spread even more.”

Gottval was adamant. The priests of Solarism were highly skilled in medicine. They also knew how to deal with infectious diseases such as this one.

“Armies of this size are more vulnerable to infectious diseases like this one. In fact, it would be strange if they didn’t get sick, moving around in groups like this.”

“Our shamans will lose their minds if I say we need to burn the bodies. They’ll criticize me for following the funeral customs of your people.”

“Urich, it’s something that has to be done. You know I’m telling the truth.”

Urich scratched his cheek. He knew that Gottval wouldn’t lie. Even though he wanted to spread the faith of Solarism within the alliance, he wouldn’t lie to achieve that goal of his.

‘The problem is Six-Fingered.’

Urich could already see how Six-Fingered would react if he told him they had to burn the bodies. He turned and went to find the shaman.

“You must have gone mad, Great Chief! You mean to send our warriors away according to their customs?”

As expected, Six-Fingered jumped up with his eyes wide with anger.

“We have to burn the bodies if we want to prevent the disease from spreading anymore. These people know more about this disease.”

“Do you really believe that man’s words? Don’t you think I know what he’s trying to do here? He wants to burn the bodies to send the souls of our warriors to Lou! His intentions are extremely clear! You are being deceived, Great Chief!”

Six-Fingered pointed his staff at Gottval.

“So are you saying we should just watch the disease spread?”

Urich’s expression gradually hardened. Six-Fingered also did not back down from his stance, though he did visibly flinch for a moment.

“If you, the Great Chief, steady your heart, the disease will disappear. It would be even better if we offered that man as a sacrifice to the heavens.”

“Treating the sick is your job, Six-Fingered. If there’s someone to blame for all this, it’s you for your incompetence.”

Six-Fingered trembled with anger.

“I’m the one to blame? This is a disaster brought on by you, Great Chief! This was all brought because the one who should honor the will of the heavens has strayed!”

Six-Fingered publicly denounced Urich.

“Watch your mouth, Six-Fingered,” Urich warned the priest.

“Watch my mouth? You should know who your brothers are. Who has helped you and fought alongside you until now? That man gained your trust just by whispering sweet words in your ear.”

“Six-Fingered, are you saying I haven’t treated you fairly?”

“I’m telling you that the problem is you keep that man closer to you than me. The warriors talk among themselves. They say that the priest of the alliance does not have the Great Chief’s trust, but the priest of the Sun God has the Great Chief’s favor,” Six-Fingered spat as he spoke, overwhelmed with anger.

“...You have my apologies for that.”

Urich hadn’t considered things from Six-Fingered’s point of view.

‘I’m still not great at this.’

From Six-Fingered’s perspective, it was understandable to dislike Gottval.

“But we have to burn the bodies. We can’t just watch while the disease keeps spreading. Burn the belongings as well.”

“Our warriors’ souls must ascend to the heavens! Their bodies must fully merge with the earth...!”

“Before we crossed the mountains, you shamans told us that our souls would go beyond the mountains. But where is that place? Where is the place beyond the mountains where our souls were supposed to go?”

“If you desecrate the heavens, the disease won’t go away!”

“The Great Chief who honors the will of the heavens is me. Isn’t lying in the name of the heavens your specialty? Six-Fingered.”

Urich was firm. They couldn’t afford to be delayed anymore by the disease. What needed to be done, had to be done.

“Katagi!”

Urich called for Katagi and the warriors. The loyal Katagi paid no attention whatsoever to Six-Fingered’s words. He believed in Urich’s divinity over the priest’s.

“How dare you! How dare you!”

Six-Fingered, enraged, tried to stand in Katagi’s way. Katagi pushed him aside.

“It is the Great Chief who has been bringing victory to the alliance, not you, Priest Six-Fingered.”

Katagi walked past the fallen Six-Fingered. The warriors dug a pit and threw the bodies into it. The belongings of the sick also piled up in the pit.

“Burn them.”

Urich stared at the flames. Dozens of corpses were engulfed in the fire. The smell of burning bodies and smoke rose thickly into the air.

The alliance dealt with the disease according to Gottval’s instructions. They isolated the sick and burned the corpses and their belongings. There was never a day without smoke.

“It's a disaster.”

Katagi burned the corpses as per Urich’s orders.

“Cough.”

A warrior handling the corpses coughed. Katagi frowned.

“You stay inside the tent starting tomorrow, too.”

Katagi indiscriminately isolated any warriors showing signs of illness. This disease was a contagious one. The warriors handling the corpses were the most at risk.

Katagi took the lead in handling the corpses himself.

‘Even if I die, the Great Chief must not catch the disease.’

Katagi confirmed the corpses were burning and then turned away.

“You will be cursed, Katagi!”

Six-Fingered cursed at Katagi as he pointed his finger at him.

“I do not believe in you, priest. I simply believe in the Great Chief.”

“That Great Chief of yours is being deceived by the man named Gottval. If you truly care for the Great Chief, we must kill that man. The Great Chief is getting closer to the civilized people than to us, who are his kin. Does that not frighten you?”

Katagi burst into laughter. He laughed for a long time and then shook his head.

“You probably don’t know this since you always stay in the back on the battlefield, but there’s one thing that everyone who has fought alongside the Great Chief knows. The Great Chief is the true warrior blessed by the heavens. They have no choice but to accept this.”

“Y-you!”

Six-Fingered ground his teeth.

“Have you ever won a battle you thought was unwinnable, priest? Have you ever thought you were going to die but survived? I have, many times. The Great Chief has saved us by winning countless battles,” Katagi continued.

“The Great Chief may bear the will of the heavens, but he is human! What we should worship are the heavens and the great spirits!” Six-Fingered retorted.

“Go ahead and worship them all you want. I will worship the Great Chief who is very much alive.”

Katagi scoffed and passed by Six-Fingered. Other warriors also smirked and followed.

Six-Fingered’s pride was wounded. He glared at Katagi’s back and cursed him vehemently.

“You will only come to realize your mistake at the end, you insolent fool!”

Katagi ignored him and silently continued his work.

A week passed. Gottval’s solution seemed effective, as the spread of the disease significantly slowed. However, they couldn’t afford to stay in the same place for much longer just because of some disease.

“It’s time to move. We've delayed too long. I wouldn’t be surprised if the emperor’s already heard about our movements.”

Varca urged Urich to resume the march. Urich knew that was what they had to do, but he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

‘A lot of warriors are still sick. Am I supposed to leave them behind...?’

Even if they left the sick ones of the army behind, no one could guarantee they would safely return to the west.

“Urich, if you hesitate here, I can’t continue with you. I have people that I’m responsible for, just like you do. You know that nothing comes without sacrifice.”

Varca seemed to understand Urich’s hesitation.

“Look how the table has turned. I never thought I’d be getting advice from you.”

Urich smiled and nodded.

‘I know. Not wanting to leave my brothers behind is just my stubbornness.’

The world was harsh. There weren’t many things that could be acquired for free without any sacrifice and cost.

“Get ready. We’re leaving.”

Urich called Georg to announce the march. The army, which had stayed in one place for a long time, began to stir. The Porcana-Alliance army’s bustling preparations could be seen from the city walls.

“T-they're finally leaving! Those bastards are going to be gone! Urich and the barbarians are leaving!”

The soldiers on the wall cheered. They had been so anxious and nervous that they could neither eat nor drink properly. They didn’t know when the barbarians might change their mind and attack the city.

“The barbarians are leaving!”

“That terrifying Urich is leaving!”

Children ran through the streets, shouting. People who heard the news wept with relief.

“Those damned bastards are finally leaving. Oh, Lou, please punish them!”

“Haven’t they already been punished? I heard they’re having a rough time because of some disease.”

“It has to be Lou’s wrath. They won’t get far before they’re wiped out by the disease! Damn barbarians!”

“Lou will protect us! Long live the Sun!”

“May the heavens curse Urich the barbarian!”

Curses against Urich echoed throughout the city.

Although the city was left impoverished, it was in a much better shape than the devastated Marganu or Langkegart, where not even the basic means of livelihood remained.

“Wealth can always be rebuilt! What’s really important are the people and the city.”

The lord also felt relieved that the Porcana-Alliance army was leaving. He had earned the respect of his people for giving up the family’s treasures, which had been accumulated over generations, to save the city. Besides the empty granary, the city had suffered almost no damage.

Yet, the lord, being human, couldn’t help but think of the gold and jewels. He wondered if he should have resisted at least once, utilizing the walls of his city.

“Is this good enough?” The lord asked the man standing behind him.

The man, with his hood pulled down low, nodded and replied, “Excellent, my lord. Desire is meaningless. It is precisely that desire that makes this worldly life painful.”

“I await the day this suffering ends.”

“The plunderers from the west are a disaster that will flip this corrupt world upside down. The greater the calamity, the stronger the longing for salvation. The sun god lacks the power to change this painful world. The sun merely watches the suffering,” the hooded man spoke boldly. His words could easily be seen as heresy or a cult.

The lord merely nodded lightly. His face, worn by the pain of life, was densely wrinkled.