156 A miraculous cure?

"Is there anything improving in their state?" Sarah Meridil was calmly cleaning the face of her old friend that was heavily sweating. With his old age, Arthar Rodil was already weaker than most magus. In the entire room, he was potentially the one in the worst state.Even after so many days, the only thing the rest of them could do was trying to take care of the sick magus. As for her, the dark pockets under her eyes and her disheveled hair only reduced a bit her appearance.

"No, we have already tried every cure we had and the priests are still resting for a few hours. Unless a miracle happens, I don't think they will survive more than a few days." Right next to her, a man with a limp leg was busying himself with counting the number of elixirs used. Even if the organization behind him had ample resources, he was beginning to wonder if the decision of the higher-ups was right. It was their own money that was spent without blinking.

The first day, the ones that tried to trap Leilade were still capable of being counscious and were mildly feverish. However, they already showed signs of being completely confused, not even remembering their own names sometimes. Besides that, they were capable of conversing, and she could even recall hearing Arthar asking about his two favorites children.

After that, it had only gone worse. If the few disciples of the Archmage and the man himself had instantly returned to their tower, the rest of the magus was not that lucky. They had tried everything, and in those very short days, they had gathered everything in all the human nations. Even now, a flow of hippogryphs was still actively landing nearby, to bring whatever they had in their hands.

"Did you really tried everything?" Starring at the outlaw with an injured limb, the head of the Academy of Magic of Massalia was only accusing. However, the accused did not feel it was illogical, as even he was really doubtful whether they had done everything. After all, he was just in charge of a city and its region previously and did not have access to the same amount of information that the Hand above him.

"Guess what you want. Just remember that without us, they wouldn't have survived this long." Hearing that, even if Sarah felt sorry, she did not show it. Hearing the cough of the old man near her, she fully focused on him, changing the now warm towel into a colder one. In the process, she gave him a small amount of mana, but that wasn't stabilizing his condition. Feeling tired, she still remained in the room, until she heard a familiar sound.

Glancing at the priests that were coming, she sighed in relief. Profiting of that occasion to rest, she was too far and too tired to hear the discussion between the newcomers and the man from the White Hand. "This will be the last time we come here to cure those unfortunate souls."

After those words were said, the atmosphere suddenly changed. Most of those present here were friends or even families of those infected by that evil. So, for them to hear that the ones that reduced the pain and suffering of those they loved would leave was not something they wished to ever listen. Even the outlaw in charge was a bit surprised but most of all very angry. They had already paid them a hefty sum, and to break a deal made with the Organization would not be left unpunished.

"May I know why you are breaking the very words you swore on the Gods you pray? Why, after receiving enough gold to live the rest of your lives like kings you are saying those words?" Signaling to the few hidden guars nearby, they finally showed why everyone was safe in this room. Even if all the human nations were represented by the patients, some would still have the idea to kill them as they were weak. So of course, it was necessary to deter those thoughts from even forming.

"As you said, we are the servants of the Gods. And they have spoken. They said those souls are condemned and will join the ranks of the blessed ones in the heavens. But we will still try to ease their pain one last time, before their final travel." If Leilade or anyone knowing how a god truly thinks was present, he would have begun to laugh after hearing the fervent declaration of that priest.

First of all, all those magus were filled with so much mana that their souls would be worth hundreds or even more normal souls. Something no one leeching energy from that source would neglect. Secondly, they had no idea what was happening in their bodies and what happened after Leilade escaped. And to know that, they need a soul. Therefore, they had to die just to feed and inform the gods they believed in.

Hearing the laments and the cries around him, the man with a limp leg had no words. If before, he would have slapped the moron who would try the excuse of a god speaking to him, now he couldn't do it anymore. The Heroes appeared once more, the influence of the gods were more and more present. What were only things a madman could hear and see now had become a common sight.

Waving his hand to let them do as they wished, he still was wondering if it was true. But since he couldn't even ask for a proof, however, he made sure to note their names for the future. They still dared to breach their words, and no one liked to deal with unreliable people. Remembering the beautiful woman that left a minute ago, he guessed she should probably know what just happened.

As he was leaving the house, he stumbled upon a sight far too common those days. A woman and her husband were trying to sell plants, maybe hoping that they will be paid for them. Fortunately, it was his men in charge of doing this, meaning that most scammers and fake herbalists did not even try their shenanigans. Seeing one of his alchemists that belonged to Ronta, he could hear their discussion.

"Who are you trying to fool with that? Do you think we are all idiots? You say this plant was gathered between Ronta and the Troll Gate? It's impossible! You probably just painted it red, I could see a vague similitude with the Semilis Pinota from the West of Genablum. Now, admit what this herb is truly!" Starring at the plant hold in the hand of the alchemist, he could see numerous little spikes on it.

However, he came from Avenio and had absolutely no idea what a Semilis Pinota was. At the same time, he could also see that the man behind the woman that was arguing seemed as puzzled as him at the mention of this name. Feeling that it was peculiar, he approached to learn more about it. If he couldn't tell the difference between two plants, he was no stranger to human reactions and that man truly never heard of that thing in his life.

"Did you listened to me? I was telling you, we had tried to sell this everywhere, but no one bought it more than a few silver coins. So, of course, we are trying with you, but because of the war the man that said he would take a look at the location where we found it never came back. Also, it is a completely new plant, I can assure you. And no, I don't know about a Semilis Pinota and never heard this name before!"

"You dare lie to me again?!! Very well, my patience was already thin but now, you will see what it meant to try those petty tricks with the White Hand, let em ... oh, sorry, I didn't see that you were here." As the two were nearly beginning to fight, the alchemist noticed the maimed man looking at him. However, it did not stop him from complaining immediately.

"Those two are trying to sell this known herb as something entirely new, only because it is red instead of green." Looking at the situation from the exterior, the outlaw could see the emotions displayed by everyone. The alchemist was rightfully angered but smiling because he was not lying, the woman was in the same state, also thinking she was completely in the right. As for her husband, he was cowering in fear, visibly not wanting to have anything in that.

"Not the behaviors of a couple of swindlers." Even as he was thinking this, it still did not reduce the fact that they were apparently as novice as him concerning herbs and plants. "Are you absolutely certain that it is the plant you know or is there a few differences?" Not smiling anymore, the herbalist still showed a hint of doubt. Raising his hand to signify he needed a few seconds, he truly examined what was in his hand.

What should have been seconds turned into nearly a minute, as the expert did not seem as confident as previously. "If someone was to say it is a Semilis Pinota, I would believe him. It is truly the same herb, at one exception. Well, not really. But the mana inside it is behaving in a manner I have ever seen. The only possibility I can think off is someone deliberately messing it up like sometimes we do during the brewing." As he was accusing the couple, the man from the White Hand shook his head.

"They are not even capable of any magic. It is impossible for them to do it. Also, if it was as you were saying, for how long someone could disrupt the mana inside a plant?" Realizing the issue, the alchemist shut up, convinced that it was not possible. If the story the two merchants told him was true, and even if it was wrong, the herb should have been stabilized by now. Grasping a thorny leaf, he still felt the same erratic flow of mana.

"Well, I guess it is your lucky day you two. We will bypass completely all the test and directly try this on a real patient. Prepare this for Arthar Rodil, just extract as much of the mana stored inside it as you can." Those words shocked completely the alchemist, that was horrified by such a procedure.

"But, sir, we can't do that. They are all a breath away from death, if we try to feed them unknown things, we can't even imagine the terrible reactions it could produce. They would all die for ..." "They are already dead, the gods have said it." This time, even the couple had their mouth wide open. Because it was recent, the news still wasn't known by everyone.

"However, their servants have broken the rules of the men, so why should we respect theirs? Prepare it now." Bowing for a moment, the herbalist immediately headed toward his peers, to have their opinion. Left alone with the man with a limp leg, the woman was a bit fearful. If even the alchemist that was behaving so arrogantly respected that man, it meant he was someone she shouldn't have ever met.

"Now, tell me precisely where did you find it?" Hearing the tale of the female merchant, he quickly figured out where it happened. Recalling the pillar of light that fell on this very place months ago, he linked the herb with the Dark Gods immediately. The only explanation for the appearance of a new plant was them, but using something they brought into this world to cure something they caused would be quite the sight. Signaling his men to escort those merchants to a safe house, he returned to see the dying magus.

By now, the priests were almost done, and Sarah had returned to her spot. "It would be trickier with her." Approaching the two, he murmured in her ears what he just did. "I would want to try one last thing, may I?" The dejected eyes of the magus lightened when she heard this. Previously, she was certain that her friend would die, but now she had hope. Nodding to the man from the White Hand, she saw all the alchemists approaching Arthar.

In the hand of one was just a simple bottle with a red liquid. It was oddly similar to blood, be in color or texture. Under the worried eyes of Sarah, the content of the bottle was poured in the mouth of Arthar. At first, nothing happened, but soon, a huge rale could be heard. "RAAAAAAHG" His old body began to contract all his muscles, and dark veins could be seen spreading on his face.

The veins in his eyes all exploded and soon, a dark liquid began to pierce his skin and flow outside. All could see the painful expression the old man had, but when a priest began to chant something, a shadow immediately knocked him out. The rest of the servants of the gods shared the same fate, as their bodies were laying on the ground.

All the bystanders looked at the criminals like they were evil, but soon, no one cared about what they did. A dark mass fell from the bed where Arthar was resting, as now his body was leaking a familiar red liquid. Raising his hand, the mages around the patient finally started healing him, stopping the bleeding. Everyone stepped out to let the dark mass go, as it was slowly leaving the room on its own. Barely quicker than a human walking normally, the thing seemed to head toward where the Dark Gods were trapped.

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"S . a . r . a . h." The frail voice resonated, as everyone looked at the magus that opened his eyes. His face was completely white and his eyes were almost destroyed. However, with the influx of mana from a few mages, they could see that he was fine. Even if he fainted right after calling the name of the woman near him, it seemed that his days were no longer in danger.

"Give that to the rest. Also, monitor those things, dark slime? Whatever, I want two teams on them at all time. And inform the Hand right now. No, inform all of them immediately."Only then did he glanced at the priests still on the ground. "As for them, show them why even kingdoms don't retract their words when dealing with the Organization. Maybe their gods will save them, who knows?"