rlin and Catrine walked toward the village. From afar, they could already see the wooden houses built neatly and in order.
Unfortunately, the atmosphere was gloomy, making both rlin and Catrine uncomfortable. The villagers wore sad, upset, and helpless expressions.
Even the children, who should have been cheerful, looked depressed and lifeless.
Soldiers were patrolling the area, keeping a close watch in case anyone showed signs of the mysterious disease spreading among the villagers.
However, when they saw rlin and Catrine approaching, their eyes widened in shock and surprise.
"Young Master rlin and Young Lady Catrine, what are you two doing here?" a young soldier asked in confusion.
He had an unremarkable face and was not very tall, yet the soldier's gear he wore sohow gave him an air of authority.
rlin smiled and replied, "My sister and I ca to check on the situation. Don't worry, Uncle Gover has given permission."
At the ntion of Gover's na, the soldier's worried expression softened and turned into relief.
"Since Captain Gover has already given you permission, I won't ask further. Would you like to accompany you?"
"Thank you for the offer, but it's not necessary. I'll just go with my sister," rlin replied politely.
The soldier said nothing more and allowed them to pass.
rlin and Catrine stepped deeper into the village and found the situation far worse than he had expected.
The villagers' activities had beco more limited, so many of them preferred to stay indoors. Fortunately, Clay's family had sent food and other necessities, allowing them to survive even without working.
"Brother," Catrine called in a sad tone. "They're all so pitiful."
This was the first ti she had ever left Droswen City and witnessed such a painful reality. Her heart ached at the sight before her.
rlin smiled gently as he rubbed the back of her hand that he was holding. "It's alright. We'll find the cause soon."
He couldn't bear to let Catrine see such a scene, but he was also helpless. She was so stubborn that he couldn't stop her.
Even so, this wasn't entirely a bad thing. At least she wasn't a flower in a glass house, ignorant of the world outside.
The two of them continued walking past each household, checking their condition. Suddenly, rlin spotted a young man from the village carrying firewood up ahead.
rlin quickly approached him and greeted him, "Excuse . Can you show us the way to the nearest river?"
The young man was startled and beca even more shocked when he realized the one speaking to him was a child not yet ten years old.
His brows furrowed as he warned, "Kid, what are you doing here? The situation in this village isn't good. Go ho imdiately. It's not safe."
His tone was cold and stern, but his intention was good—and rlin understood that.
"Thank you for your concern, but I ca to check on the plague that has infected this village. By the way, I'm a mage."
As he said that, rlin opened his palm, and a magic circle appeared, followed by bright sparks that flickered in the air.
The young man was stunned at the sight. Then, he quickly bowed his head and apologized, "I'm sorry! I didn't an it like that!"
He hadn't expected this little kid to be a mage, which made him feel embarrassed and foolish for his earlier words.
"It's okay," rlin said, waving his right hand. "Now, can you show the way? You don't have to co with —just point in the right direction."
The young man let out a sigh of relief, grateful that rlin didn't take offense. He then pointed toward the river, which turned out to be quite close to their position.
"Thank you," rlin said softly.
"You're welco. But be careful," the young man warned. "There are a lot of beasts around there. The children who used to bathe in the river once claid they saw a crocodile over ten ters long. I don't know if it's true or not, but you should stay alert."
Even though rlin was a mage, the young man didn't know how strong he really was. He didn't want the young mage to lose his life.
"I'll rember your warning. Once again, thank you."
Without wasting any ti, rlin walked off with Catrine toward the river.
Ten minutes later, the sound of rushing water reached their ears.
They exchanged a glance and quickened their pace. Sure enough, a wide river with a swift current ca into view before them.
"Wow! The river is so fast! The water's so clear. Is this drinkable, big brother?" Catrine asked excitedly.
All this ti, she had only seen rivers in storybooks. This was her first ti seeing one in person.
"Of course," rlin chuckled softly. "But let check the water first."
He crouched by the riverside and dipped his hand into the water.
The water felt cool and refreshing. rlin raised his hand and let a drop fall onto his tongue. It wasn't salty or bitter—the pH was stable and safe to drink.
'The soldiers were right. The river is safe,' he murmured. 'So what exactly caused this outbreak?'
He had already checked the forest, soil, and air around the village, and everything seed fine.
'Could it be the ga they eat? Or poisonous plants?' he thought.
But he quickly shook his head. Clay's family had already hired mages to study the disease that had infected the villagers, and the result was clear: the disease or poison couldn't be cured. In fact, its type had never been recorded in the mages' catalogs.
So, the source of the outbreak most likely ca from sothing they hadn't discovered yet.
"Big brother, is the water drinkable?" Catrine's curious voice ca from behind him.
rlin nodded slightly. "Yes, the water's drinkable. Try it—it tastes quite fresh."
Although he had only tasted a drop, the water was indeed fresh and cool.
Catrine eagerly crouched down beside him. Just as she was about to scoop up the water with both hands, Lyserra's loud voice suddenly echoed in rlin's mind.
"Don't touch the water, you fool!"
rlin gasped in shock. With lightning speed, he swung his right hand and swatted Catrine's hands away.
"Ahh!" Catrine cried out as she stumbled backward and fell. She stared at her brother in surprise and confusion, then asked frantically, "What happened, Brother? Why did you hit ?"
rlin didn't answer. He scooped her up and quickly dashed away from the river.
When he was finally far enough, rlin gently set her down and took a deep breath. He reached out and softly rubbed her head.
"I'm sorry, Catrine. But Lyserra said the water was dangerous. I reacted without thinking to stop you from drinking it."
"Dangerous?" Catrine was stunned. "Is it poisonous?"
rlin narrowed his eyes, watching the river warily. "Yes… it seems so."
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