Netheril’s Glory

On the forty-eighth day of the Evergreen season, just two days before the departure of Punk's group, in a secret room of the Koala family.

Zweig was sitting on a luxurious chair in the secret room while rubbing his temples with his fat fingers. This potbellied nobleman was no longer as calm as he used to be, because he got the news about Ti Xiaer Church's attempt to assassinate the city lord.

For nobleman Zweig, who had always been in the position of "the most loyal collaborator of the Ti Xiaer Church," this was undoubtedly a very bad thing.

As a matter of fact, just two months ago, he was still helping the Ti Xiaer Church sell those weird perfumes, and even just two days ago, he had sent a large number of slaves acquired from the persecuted refugees to Ti Xiaer Church in order to show his loyalty.

He was not the only one involved in these matters, even big shots like Minister Hutt cooperated with the Ti Xiaer Church, but now they all got out of this tricky situation, like minister Hutt, who took refuge under Punk promptly. Currently, only nobleman Zweig's Koala family was still hesitating.

Nobleman Zweig still had some unrealistic expectations about Ti Xiaer Church. After all, his Koala family just invested too much in Ti Xiaer Church. So now, if this ship really sank, he and his family would suffer a huge loss.

Wandering on the edge of greed and reason, Zweig thought for a whole night. Finally, in the end, reason overwhelmed desire, and he made up his mind to abandon the sinking ship, the Ti Xiaer Church.

Even if Ti Xiaer Church promised glory, wealth, status, and power, he still had to have the opportunity to enjoy it. Zweig was very much aware of such a simple truth.

"Master Zweig, have you really thought about it? In this way, we will thoroughly offend the Ti Xiaer Church."

Cora, Zweig's most trusted old butler, said politely.

"There is no other way. If we don't get out now, we will become scapegoats for all the other nobles."

A hint of resentment flashed in nobleman Zweig's eyes, and finally, he said in a helpless tone:

"We can't hide the fact that we have cooperated with Ti Xiaer Church. After all, it can easily be found by using a simple prophetic spell, so we will not try to hide it. You immediately publicize it by saying that we have been misled by the evil Ti Xiaer Church. And then we will donate a large amount of grain to express our goodwill; in this way, at least the good churches will not be able to bother us too much. As for the matter of refugees sold as slaves, push all that to minister Hutt; anyway, his participation in this matter was no less than mine."

Nobleman Zweig was more or less a top figure in charge of a big noble family, so he didn't have a problem making the most appropriate judgment in the time of crisis.

"In this way, although heavy punishment and suppression are inevitable, at least the existence of the Koala family can be safeguarded."

Nobleman Zweig let out a heavy sigh, then closed his eyes and leaned against the back of the chair powerlessly like a puddle of mud.

"What are you still doing in a daze? Hurry up and pass on the order."

Nobleman Zweig lying down on the gorgeous seat said weakly. Because of his helplessness in the current situation, his tone was not very good in the end.

"Mr. Zweig, are you sure you won't change your decision? You really want to betray the great Goddess Ti Xiaer?"

After waiting for more than ten seconds, what came out from the old butler Cora's mouth was not the polite and loyal response as always, but a gloomy and weird voice.

"What's going on, you...who are you?"

Opening his eyes abruptly, Zweig was greeted with a horror scene.

In front of him, Cora, the old butler who had followed him since his childhood, had a chilling smile on his face that he had never seen before, and at the same time, his skin began to peel off quickly, and then his flesh started to melt like a wax candle.

Soon, like a person shedding off a skin suit, the figure of butler Cora was replaced by a thin figure with pitch-black scales all over his body.

The most frightening thing was that, at some point, a silver knife appeared in the hand of this former butler. The cold light from the knife's edge even stung Zweig's eyes.

"In this case, you are useless. Goddess Ti Xiaer does not need a disobedient dog like you. Now, your death will be the last service of the Koala family to Goddess Ti Xiaer."

"No... how is this possible, come...somebody…come quickly...ahhhh..."

Unfortunately, this was the secret room of the koala family, and no one heard Zweig's cry for help.

———————

Outside the Dolez city, in the refugee camp, on the 49th day of the Evergreen season, the morning before the departure of Punk's group.

Dickie was in a rare happy mood. When he went out to fetch water, he even played with the mischievous children.

It was all because of Bilan, and only Bilan. Dickie's infatuation with Bilan was so high that she could influence his mood to this extent.

Currently, Bilan's condition did not continue to deteriorate as most people thought; instead, her health was getting better day by day, and the speed was also getting faster and faster. It seemed that her sleeping immune system was finally awakened, and in just a few days, Bilan, who could not even move her fingers, could now stand up carefully.

This situation was very common with many infected professionals. Most of the professionals who had been placed in the refugee camp because of the plague were now starting to get better. It seemed that the immune system containing special energy such as battle qi and mana had finally started to show their due power.

But this kind of fortune was only limited to professionals. For ordinary people, the "gray bone plague" was still an incurable disease. Even if this disease could be cured without medical treatment after a period of time, it was impossible for ordinary people to hold on for that long with their fragile bodies.

Although Dickie still felt sad for the death of the ordinary people, he was also glad about the fact that Bilan was getting better."

Dickie was very thankful from the bottom of his heart. He didn't even want to recall what it was like to see Bilan getting weakened bit by bit, and he could not do anything about it. Fortunately, everything was over.

Dickie walked through the somewhat dirty refugee camp. Although more than three days have passed, anyone from the refugee camp, including the sick professionals and even the nobles who fled their territory, were not allowed to enter the city. In this medieval world of Pheren, the degree of fear of the plague could be imagined by the fact that some people in Dolez city even suggested burning all the refugees outside.

But Dickie was not worried at all. He believed that with the existence of Bilan's teacher, Punk, the matter of this plague would definitely be resolved, and everyone could be saved, or at least Bilan would be saved.

"That's a cold-faced but good-hearted mage. He will definitely help everyone."

He believed so.

The innocent Dickie walked to the gathering place of refugees and began to give some food to the orphans who were separated from their parents. Usually, no one would do this kind of thing except for the very few pastors of the good Churches, but today, he discovered that there seemed to be someone doing the same thing as himself.

Those were three figures in brown linen robes. Their faces were all covered under their hoods. The leading figure was a petite girl who was distributing grain to the refugees from the grain-filled cart following behind her.