IHDOE Ch 17

Katan immediately approached Satina, examining her complexion.

[Katan] "Your cheeks are red. Do you have a fever?"

[Satina] "It is nothing like that."

When she dodged his hand, Katan withdrew his hand obediently. However, his gaze remained fixed on her face.

[Katan] "Perhaps you overexerted yourself. You are delicate, Master."

[Satina] "I am not fragile enough to collapse from this much."

[Katan] "Yet you have a fever."

[Satina] "It is because I feel warm."

[Katan] "Understood. However, if your condition worsens, please tell me anytime."

[Satina] "What will you do if I tell you?"

[Katan] "I must escort you back to the mansion."

[Satina] "The mansion……"

Naturally, faces of her family, including her stepbrother, surfaced in her mind.

Staying at home while sick will only make the illness worse.

A dry chuckle escaped her lips.

[Katan] "By the way, everyone was looking for you, Master. Is it alright not to return?"

[Satina] "Never mind."

[Katan] "Are you unwell after all?"

[Satina] "It is not that. Just……"

"Useless fool."

Voices shouting at her blended together. Duke Bersabet, her father and mother from her past life as Yoo Suha…… The mixture of multiple voices sounded bizarre, like a broken instrument.

[Satina] "I am unaccustomed to this."

[Katan] "Is that so? I believe you deserve such praise, Master."

[Satina] "Because I cured the illness?"

[Katan] "That too…… but you were beautiful. So much so that I couldn't tear my eyes away."

[Satina] "……"

[Katan] "To the point where whatever happens to someone like me matters little, as long as I can hear your song."

Deep longing flickered in his eyes as he spoke. His face remained expressionless, making his words resonate with sheer sincerity.

Impressive. Had I not known his true nature, I would have been completely fooled.

However, Satina didn't believe his words. Every sweet word he uttered ultimately served his own freedom.

Still, thanks to that, her heart—which had inflated as if floating on clouds—settled down calmly.

[Satina] "I must find Hedzel. I remembered something I need to say to him separately."

She returned to the cavern and looked for Hedzel. He was absorbed in talking with his companions about the patients' condition and future plans.

[Satina] "Hedzel."

When she called him, he turned toward her, startled enough to make his tail stand straight up.

[Hedzel] "W-W-What is it! I mean, what do you want?!"

[Satina] "I have something to say, so step outside for a moment."

And before hearing his response, she exited the cavern.

[Hedzel] "W-What? Wait! Everyone, handle that matter as discussed earlier! Got it?"

Asking his companions to handle the remaining tasks, he followed frantically behind Satina.

Satina stepped forward without hesitation, looking at the translucent system window floating before her eyes.

[Liv] "Initiating search for contaminated zone. Guiding route to contaminated zone."

[Hedzel] "Hey, where are you going! At least tell me something!"

He asked, chasing behind her.

[Satina] "The number of sick people is increasing rapidly, right? You can't determine the cause either. You thought it was a contagious disease, but that is not the case."

As she brought up the disease, his expression turned serious.

[Hedzel] "Yeah, that's right."

[Satina] "The period between coughing and losing consciousness varies wildly. Someone lost consciousness a week after symptoms appeared, while another remained perfectly fine for several months."

[Hedzel] "Since you know so well, do you know the cause of the disease too? By the way, where on earth are you going? Going this way leads only to the well we use."

Watching Satina head deeper inside, Hedzel wore an uneasy expression.

Though she explicitly stated this was her first time here, she navigated the path naturally, as if she had visited dozens of times.

[Satina] "Yes. That well is the problem."

[Hedzel] "What?"

At last, she arrived near the well.

The well, created by digging a side path along the watercourse, was small, yet possessed its own water purification setup.

The moment she looked at the well, a loud alert popped up.

[Liv] "Arrived at 'Contaminated Zone'!

Caution: Prolonged stay in this area may cause contamination.

The 'Divine Power' residing within the player protects the player from 'Contamination'."

[Satina] "Dig here."

At her words, Katan and Hedzel rushed forward, digging near the well. Removing the hard stones revealed blackened, rotten soil.

[Hedzel] "W-What is this!"

Unlike startled Hedzel, Satina nodded calmly.

[Satina] "As expected. The land is contaminated."

Contamination was called proof of God abandoning humanity.

Magical beasts generally originated from the underworld, yet they existed under God's laws regardless. Though weak against holy power, a knight's sword or an archer's arrow could still deal with them.

But contamination was different. It rotted the land, rendering it incapable of supporting any life. Dying peacefully would be a mercy.

Powerful creatures occasionally survived on contaminated land, but they merely turned into mindless monsters craving blood and flesh. Only holy power could purify contaminated land.

Coughing blood and skin turning black while dying were symptoms appearing as living beings suffered contamination.

[Hedzel] "C-Contamination? Isn't that something that appears only in fairy tales?"

Hedzel turned to Satina with a flustered face.

[Satina] "Well, calling it something in fairy tales seems off, given it rests right before our eyes."

[Hedzel] "But they said nothing can live on contaminated land!"

[Satina] "A distance exists between here and where you stay, and the land is not completely contaminated yet. Judging by this, it seems a little mixed into the water you drink, affecting everyone."

Hedzel looked back and forth between the dark purple land and Satina with a disbelieving face.

[Satina] "Those who frequented the well likely suffered worse conditions."

[Hedzel] "C-Come to think of it! Lara and the others were the ones who frequented this well for cooking or laundry!"

[Satina] "See?"

[Hedzel] "Unbelievable. To think such contaminated land existed right near where we stay."

Katan, observing the situation, spoke in a calm voice.

[Katan] "Leaving this as it is will affect the entire capital. We must inform the temple immediately to request purification."

[Hedzel] "What? Are you crazy?"

He shouted fiercely.

[Hedzel] "If those temple bastards come, do you think they will leave after purifying only this contaminated land? They will comb through this underground aqueduct looking for other contaminated spots! Then what happens to us!"

Katan replied in a cold voice.

[Katan] "Then are you suggesting we don't inform the temple?"

[Hedzel] "That is far better!"

[Katan] "Don't speak nonsense. Master cured you this time, but she can't continue granting favors to you indefinitely. Do you plan to catch the illness again? Taking this opportunity to relocate your residence as soon as possible is recommended."

[Hedzel] "Do you think that is as easy as it sounds?!"

Unable to suppress surging rage, Hedzel stomped his foot.

[Hedzel] "Rat beastkin are unwelcome wherever we go! Do you think we live in this underground aqueduct because we like it? We live here because we have nowhere else to go!

Finding proper work is difficult enough that earning money for bread is a struggle, yet you tell us to earn money to get a house? Damn it! Do you know how hard establishing ourselves here was?

Furthermore, contaminated land? If people learn we stayed here, they will scream that we contaminated the land! Even now, they rush to drive us away whenever they see us, claiming we spread diseases.

Relocating our residence under these circumstances? Do you think that is possible?"

The words pouring out without rest revealed how cornered Hedzel was.

Watching him, Satina recalled the quest details.

No wonder the quest told me to cure Hedzel's companions and purify their sanctuary. Realistically, escaping this place is impossible for them.

[Katan] "However, staying here continuously will result in catching the illness again."

[Hedzel] "I know! I know that too!"

Hedzel sank to the ground, clutching his head.

[Hedzel] "Damn it! Damn it! What do I do? What should I……"

Then, catching sight of the hem of a dress fluttering before his eyes, he raised his head sharply to look at Satina.

[Hedzel] "Y-Yes!"

Crawling on all fours, he approached and grabbed the hem of her dress.

[Hedzel] "Y-You. You are a saintess. You cured my companions' illness, so you can purify that contaminated land too, right? Am I right?"

Hedzel clung desperately to her skirt as if Satina were his sole remaining hope.

Watching him, she shook her head slowly.

[Satina] "I am sorry. Right now, it is impossible."

Her current skill, 'Song of Healing,' could heal the body and mind of beings within a one-meter radius once per day using holy power, but it couldn't purify contaminated land.

[Hedzel] "Liar!"

He threw her skirt aside, leaping up.

[Hedzel] "Don't lie! Then what are we supposed to do? Tell us all to just die like this?"

[Satina] "I never told you to die."

At her words, he burst into a hollow laugh.

[Hedzel] "Ha, haha! Then what? Call priests after all? Is that the only answer?"

[Satina] "No, I told you. 'Right now' is impossible."

Satina spoke, looking at the quest window floating before her eyes.

[Satina] "So wait a little."

[Liv] "Quest: Help 'Lina' and acquire the gem infused with holy power.

Tip: The location of the gem infused with holy power can be checked on the map."

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