The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 37: A Tough Decision

Chapter 37: A Tough Decision

His eyes shook as he looked down at his trembling hands. The harrowing memories from twenty years ago flashed in his mind.

A puff of black smoke billowed from a charred village and rose to the sky. Nestled in a valley and once a serene and peaceful rural area occupied mainly by farmers, it was now engulfed in terrible destruction.

The houses, small shops and other buildings erected in the small village were now left only in skeletal black frames and ashes, ruined to the ground.

Not far from the village centre, a mass grave was dug, awaiting burial. The bodies of the villagers were scattered inside the big hole, most of which had terrifying death faces. Black spots blotched their pale skins as their lifeless, open eyes had turned opaque from the end.

They were not appropriately shrouded, as no one was allowed to touch them directly. The stench of the decaying bodies permeated the air and was very pungent.

The assisting soldiers and healers sent by the government had no option but to use lime to reduce putrefactive odours and deter animal scavenging of the corpses.

A melancholy atmosphere enveloped the entire area. Once full of lush greenery and fertile farms, the scenic village had been destroyed by a dreadful disease—the Laradie Plague.

It took less than a month to turn the beautiful village into a hazy, desolate place. Now, all that was left was the despair and sorrow of the survivors.

He was only seven years old and was among those spared from the plague.

Being the most brilliant child in the family, he was selected to study at a temple in the nearest city with a scholarship. He was the pride of his family and village, as only a few commoners would have such an opportunity.

When the outbreak happened, no students were allowed to leave their dormitory. The disease was said to be so terrible that people claimed it was like a devil swallowing up thousands of lives in days.

The news of his village being affected by the Laradie Plague reached his knowledge.

Worried about his family, he escaped and ran back home, only to see that the village had been engulfed in blazing flame. The authorities had no option but to burn down the severely affected area to prevent further infection.

The disease spread widely and was transmitted among humans by touch and droplets. The people of Cassian who were not aware of the mode of infection succumbed in large numbers in a short period. His family and village were no exception.

He remembered the cries and screams from his mouth when he knew his family was gone. He rushed to the massive grave, but a young soldier barely sixteen years old quickly caught his tiny body. That was when he met with Garin Skyler, who took him in and cared for him like a brother.

"Are you all right?" A voice broke his painful flashback.

He looked up and saw the familiar face.

Damon inclined silently. Even without a word coming out of his lips, Garin, who approached him, could understand his thoughts by just looking at his dim eyes.

"Hang in there, kid!" Garin patted Damon’s shoulder lightly.

It was the exact words the knight would tell him whenever he was down. The younger knight nodded, acknowledging the encouragement.

Garin was not a man skilled at persuasion. In fact, he was rough and straightforward when people talked to him.

However, he was kind and loyal to the grand duke and always faithful to his heart. As of now, he was already one of the high-ranking Knights of Gerhard and well-respected by the rest.

When Eli and Damon’s findings reached the camp, the high-ranking knights, the two escorts, and the assistant healer assembled in the main tent for an urgent meeting. The issue of the plague, which had swept the continent twenty years ago, was crucial and required urgent action.

No one had expected that the disease would strike back again. The first wave took about six years to cease from the land. The news that the same plague had occurred again made them anxious and uneasy. As the commander and most of the knights were not on-site, it brought even more fear and restlessness to them.

***

Anna paced back and forth in the commander’s tent anxiously. She tried to calm down by sitting and taking deep breaths, but the worry and anxiety that filled her heart were too great to be eased by the simple acts.

Just now, her escorts rushed her back to the camp after the knights realised the foragers were infected with a disease. She heard Damon yelling about the Laradie Plague and saw how his face contorted after he looked at the rashes on the peasants’ faces.

Anna was well aware of the disease that once spread throughout the continent. It happened before she was born. Everyone in the five kingdoms would surely know about the dark history of the plague.

The infections were so severe that thousands of the continent’s occupants perished due to the disease. Even the second king of Ardel succumbed to the plague and died.

King Adhemar II passed away within days of contracting Laradie. His successor, her grandfather, brother to the late king, and a professor at the Medical University of Engarth, ascended to the throne as King Adhemar III.

He was the one who managed to overcome the crisis by applying the isolation method and researching the cure. A unique serum had been developed, and all the Ardelians were required to take it, thus making the kingdom the first one on the continent freed from the plague. It was an outstanding achievement of Ardel, known by all.

After returning to the camp, the escorts requested Anna to stay in the tent for her safety. However, the princess could not just stand still, knowing the criticality of their situation.

More than anything, she wanted to help. If the disease spread further, it was likely that the same incident would happen again. That would be the greatest fear of all. Nevertheless, what could a frail princess like her, who knew nothing about healing, have to offer?

Anna bit her nails nervously, thinking of what to do. Then, suddenly, her eyes opened widely as a memory came to her mind.

Yes! There was something that she could do!

Without further delay, the commander’s wife ran out of the tent to where the knights were gathered.

***

"How’s the situation so far?" Luke asked the knights.

"Our scout has informed us that the foragers were still at the same place. It seemed that two of them had already collapsed. We don’t know whether they’re still alive," Eli reported.

Luke, the temporary commanding officer in charge of the camp in the commander’s absence, nodded. The scout was instructed to observe only from afar. As of now, the matter had yet to be revealed to the others to prevent them from overreacting.

"How’s your observation? Can you confirm it?" he then asked Ayden, who also went to see the foragers.

"I can’t be totally sure. However, the physical symptoms do match," said the assistant healer. He then continued, "It’s best to isolate them. If they move around, they could be infecting other people."

Luke sighed and knitted his brows.

"I know it’s Laradie. I’ve seen it with my own eyes," Damon insisted.

Ayden lifted his head and said, "It’s too risky to come near them to confirm the diagnosis. Laradie is highly contagious. When the red spots resurface, it will just be a matter of days for the victims to die."

The assistant healer knew that even if Rafe was around, they could not do anything in this situation.

They did not have sufficient remedies and appliances to make the cure, and they could not approach the patients to treat them. At the same time, they also lacked chemicals and facilities to protect themselves from the disease.

Furthermore, even with complete resources, developing the medicine would take months. By then, the Laradie plague would not have been contained to the entire continent.

"Then I guess we have to take extreme measures to prevent it from spreading," Luke decided.

It was not a decision he favoured, but he had to do it for the continent’s safety.

"What are you going to do, Sir Parker?" Damon asked Luke.

"The foragers need to be eliminated. Their corpses and everything they touched must also be burnt," said Luke sternly.

Damon’s shoulders drooped at the decision. What he feared would happen again, as his family and the village experienced. His mouth was stitched shut, and he was unable to express himself.

"They came from Mistdale and were forced out by the villagers. We don’t know whether they have any close contact with anyone from there or on the way," said Eli with a worried expression.

"Are you implying that we must kill and destroy the whole village, too?" Garin stood up and asked in rage.

"Request backup from the nearest patrol station and besiege the village. If anybody is showing a symptom, we must eliminate them all!" Luke ordered firmly.

"This is absurd! How could we kill them blindly?" Garin shouted.

The other knights were silent and hesitant with the decisive order. Nevertheless, they had no choice but to take immediate action.

"I said, if they showed the same symptoms. It’s better to sacrifice a village than the entire continent, Sir Skyler. I cannot risk the safety of the nation for the sake of a few!" Luke adamantly rebuked.

"We’re the Knights of Gerhards! If we do this, we will tarnish the honour of the knighthood! People would call us murderers!" Garin yelled back in disapproval.

Unlike the younger knights, he had experienced the incident before as one of the soldiers assigned to do the ’clean up’ during the first outbreak. It was a devastating occurrence that he did not wish to go through again.

"Either this or the entire continent’s lives! Do you think I want to kill anyone recklessly?" Luke shouted back at him.

Garin could not answer. His chest heaved from the anger and dissatisfaction.

The rustling sound from the tent flap being pushed was heard as they were engrossed in the discussion.

"Wait! There’s another way!"

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