[BL] Accidentally Becoming the Healer of the Deranged Archduke novel Chapter 439

Chapter 439: Plague

Berry had killed the infected people, but the epidemic did not stop with those five people.

More and more people began to fall sick.

Berry and Oswin had to deal with the civilians without arousing panic while also dealing with the constant attacks, trying their best to keep the enemy out of the city gates.

In just two days, they lost hundreds of soldiers.

When Xion returned the next evening, he was welcomed by the sight of horror.

There were corpses of civilians being urgently torched inside the forest.

The stench of charred flesh seeped through the camp like an invisible fog. No matter how tightly the guards wrapped cloth around their faces, the smell clung to their throats, bitter and metallic.

To keep it secret and prevent panic, the guards carried out the burnings in the dead of night.

The fear of turning into a Death Walker hung over them as the feverish patients multiplied across all the camps.

Healers had been fussing around, trying to decrease the temperature, but the effects were negligible. Within a matter of a few hours, they would cough up blood and die.

"Your Grace," Oswin smiled, though coupled with his haggard face, it looked more like he was about to cry. "We are glad you have returned safely."

Xion nodded, his gaze lingering on the burning corpses.

"Thanks to Berry’s advice, we managed to get rid of animal remains in time. But it still affected a few people."

Xion realized Oswin’s relief was genuine.

Perhaps dealing with just a few dozen people felt far easier than facing hundreds or even thousands.

"You should rest now. Tomorrow won’t be easy."

Xion nodded again.

Silas Valaria... The name left a flicker of rage burning inside his chest.

The Devil’s Heart was no mere trinket. Silas had been twisted by it, and now he could hardly be called human.

To watch so many lives suffer just for the sake of his personal enmity with Darius...

It was so ridiculous that Xion couldn’t even bring himself to speak, to curse.

Xion had tried to use his healing on the few feverish people.

It worked, though it was hard to tell if it was the mere fever or the plague thrumming inside their veins.

The only good thing about this was that the corpse didn’t quickly turn into Death Walkers.

Whatever parasite was forcing the ignition of flesh-hunger needed at least a few hours to start working. It was enough for the guards to burn the flesh to ashes until nothing remained.

After returning to his room, Xion took a hasty bath and sat at the table. His gaze was fixed on the notes.

Each new discovery about those orcs was listed, and yet he couldn’t find the main issue.

The knock on the door forced Xion to lift his head.

"Your Grace, do you have some time to spare?" Berry asked, waiting for permission to enter the room.

"Come in."

Unlike Oswin, Berry didn’t beat around the bush. He was already stating the situation before even taking a seat.

"That bastard is a cunning brat. We have separated the guards who come in contact with the animal corpses to see if they will develop fever, and burned the infected, but..."

"But?" Xion looked at the old man. His bald head glittered under the light of the torch.

If it were another day, he might have wanted to touch it or smack it. Not that he would’ve acted on it.

But not everyone was good at holding back their impulses.

Silas Valaria, for one, was the prime example.

"But I don’t think you should face Silas. He is after you, Your Grace. And if I am not wrong, he wants to capture you alive."

With all the things happening, Xion had guessed that much. It must be Michael who wanted him, not Silas. Though it wasn’t relieving in the least.

"What else?" he motioned Berry to continue.

"I think he wants to marry you."

Xion blinked and then burst into laughter. "I assure you, Silas doesn’t."

"Why not?" Berry insisted. "You might not be aware, forgive my bluntness, of your beauty, but we all can see it. Soren, Caspian, Kelin... I doubt the list ends there."

Darius had taken care of more pests than Xion could ever imagine.

It was Berry who had handled it himself. Even when Xion was living at the southern border, it was Berry who had taken care of quite a few perverts, especially the ones who liked to send him letters.

The Archduke had never told Xion, and Berry had no desire to bear the wrath of His Grace. So, he remained silent about that matter.

"Trust me, Your Grace, there are more people who want to have you than you think.

Xion shook his head, eyes glittering with a smile. "There might be, but Silas isn’t one of them. The one who is pulling the strings does want me."

Even if Michael wasn’t that kind of pervert yet, Xion doubted it would remain that way.

What do these youngsters even do? The poor old man was hit by the generational difference.

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