Chapter 74.1

The Northern Plague (3)

The last summer of Arcadia finally reached the North, later than anywhere else on the continent.

Once the weather warmed up completely, people began moving with more energy than ever. The streets bustled with activity.

But it wasn’t just people that started moving.

Something else had also appeared in the North.

“……”

A witch was wandering from place to place throughout the North.

Her ashen-gray skin, reminiscent of the depths of the Demonic Abyss, stood out.

Her body was so gaunt and skeletal that it was hard to tell whether she was human or some kind of monster.

Her appearance was the type that made people instinctively want to avoid her.

Ding… Ding… Ding…

The witch walked with a bell that emitted an unsettling chime.

“Ugh, that witch gives me the creeps.”

The Northerners frowned at the sight of her.

No one welcomed the witch, whose origins and purpose were unknown.

But the witch did not harm anyone. She simply wandered from one village to the next, from one town to another.

“Are the witches playing weird pranks again?”

“Just leave her be. Witches have been doing stuff like that for ages.”

The North was the only land where witches could act openly under the sun.

Because of that, the Northerners treated the witch like they would a cow or a chicken passing by—with complete indifference.

And so, ten days passed.

Cough, cough…

“C-cold? Me? A native-born Northerner catching a cold!? And in summer, no less!? Ugh…!”

People began collapsing one after another in the remote village where the witch had first appeared.

One village, then the next. The nearby towns soon saw a sharp increase in the number of people falling ill.

A plague had broken out in the North.

***

The Hall of Glory — Grand Conference Room

“Is it true that a plague is spreading?!”

Upon receiving the urgent report, Arina Rune Renslet dismissed herself from her previous engagement, reverted from her disguise as Mary, and immediately convened a meeting with her court.

Whispers of a plague had been circulating for several days now—possibly even longer.

But in a world with underdeveloped transportation and communications, it had taken time to confirm the truth.

“It’s true. We just received a report from the Frost Knights via a Winter Hawk confirming it. And… the speed of the outbreak is disturbingly fast.”

“Which areas have been affected?”

“It’s already spread past Haven, and we’re seeing outbreaks in Shuen and Remm as well!”

The chief administrator of the Northern Grand Duchy, Haita, reported with a pale face.

“!!”

Everyone present in the conference hall, including Arina, immediately thought of one thing — the Empire.

“Of course… It’s been too quiet lately.”

“So this is what they were preparing.”

The hall was filled with murmurs of discontent.

Some of the officials, however, responded with calm resignation as if they had been expecting it.

“Have we identified the nature of the plague?”

“It appears to be a black-magic-infused flu-like plague.”

“And the witch with the bell who suddenly appeared?”

“We are currently searching for her.”

Haita answered Arina’s questions one after another.

“……”

Isabelle, the Grand Witch of Spring, who specialized in curses, spells, and plagues, had been unusually silent since the beginning of the meeting.

“Black magic? Well, that’s at least a small relief. If it’s a plague caused by black magic, our witches should be able to handle it. Right, old lady?”

Arina turned to Isabelle but stopped mid-sentence.

“Old lady…? What’s wrong?”

For the first time in her life, she saw fear on Isabelle’s face.

The Grand Witch, who had always been relaxed and confident, now wore an expression of pure terror.

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

The uneasy whispers of the officials and knights in the hall grew louder.

After all, this was Isabelle, one of the most experienced witches in the North.

The sudden change in her expression spread a contagious sense of unease through the hall.

“This meeting is adjourned. Knights, prioritize tracking down the witch with the bell. Bureaucrats, do everything in your power to contain the plague’s spread!”

Arina swiftly ended the meeting.

Moments later.

The conference room was empty except for two people — Arina and Isabelle.

“Old lady, what’s going on?”

Arina asked seriously.

“……”

Isabelle still remained silent.

“Your Highness!”

Suddenly, Balzac entered the hall with urgency.

“Your Highness… The other witches…”

Balzac leaned in and whispered quietly into Arina’s ear.

It was a message saying that the other witches were also in a state of panic, just like Isabelle.

‘Was this their goal from the beginning?!’

If they couldn’t rely on the witches, then the North had no means of stopping this plague.

This wasn’t just any ordinary plague. It was a plague born from black magic.

‘If only the Renslet Church had grown a little more…’

Besides the witches, the North had no other means of magical resistance.

There were no priests who could wield divine power either.

The Renslet Church was still in its infancy, and none of its priests had yet awakened their divine power.

‘Arad!’

Only one person came to Arina’s mind.

The man who was currently holed up in his factory, claiming to be “preparing for a pandemic” and thus skipping the conference.

The man who sent Mary in his place as a stand-in while he focused on his work.

That man.

“Balzac!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“Bring him. I don’t care if you have to kidnap him.”

Balzac immediately understood her intent and left the hall without delay.

Once again, only Arina and Isabelle remained in the hall.

“Old lady… talk to me.”

Arina tried again to get through to her.

“…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, my lady…”

For the first time, Isabelle’s mouth opened.

Her voice, usually full of pride and vigor, was now hoarse, cracking, and trembling with exhaustion.

“Please tell me what’s going on. If I don’t know, I can’t do anything.”

“The… the restriction…”

“Restriction? You mean that thing that prevents witches from freely teaching or learning magic?”

“Yes… That curse… The source of it… it’s here.”

“Explain it to me, Isabelle. The more I know, the better I can respond.”

“The— the one responsible for our curse— the one who cursed all witches— that source has appeared.”

Gasp!

Even saying those words seemed to drain her of her remaining energy.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Isabelle’s breathing grew labored, and she staggered as if about to collapse.

“……”

Seeing this, Arina’s lips pressed tightly shut.

She didn’t say another word.