The Peerless Kobold - Chapter 160
“H-huh? I’m… getting… weak… ugh…”
“H-hey, what’s wrong!? Urgh, ah… huh…?”
The two soldiers who were standing on guard suddenly slumped on the ground and struggled to get up. However, not only have their limbs suddenly gotten weak, but they also developed a high fever.
“Wh-what is this… gahah, eh!? B-blood?”
In yet another place on the camp, a soldier who was preparing the plates for the meals suddenly coughed and fell in surprise as he spat out blood onto the dinnerware he was carrying. Similar cases also happened to the other soldiers throughout the camp, but among them, the half-elves were the only ones who could still move despite feeling some discomfort.
“Guh, hey, are you alright? Get the medics!”
“They can’t come, they’re also down!!”
A half-elf knight held up a soldier who collapsed and used Earth Heal on him, but the effect was only momentary and could not stop the soldier’s pained groans.
“What the, hey! Someone explain what’s going on!!”
“We don’t know what’s going on either, Commander! All the humans just…”
Ragiel, who emerged from one of the tents, grabbed the collar of one of the confused half-elf knights and demanded an explanation of what was going on, but Leiard, who also got out of the tent, stilled his hand.
“… Calm down, Ragiel.”
“I’m sorry, Master.”
Leiard looked around and observed the other half-elf’s condition.
“Nggh, I don’t feel good either, but… the humans have it worse.”
He walked over to a nearby medic who had collapsed and dropped to one knee, touching his forehead as he assessed the situation.
“The high-grade fevers, loss of strength in the extremities, and other symptoms seem to affect humans more than us. Moreover, this smell of blood mixed in the air…This might be the Bleeding Disease.”
Even though he thought it was impossible, Leinard quickly decided and instructed the half-elves in the vicinity.
“Everyone, bring the collapsed individuals into the tents, and don’t go out! Do not touch the blood they threw up either!!”
Although none of the half-elves have collapsed, they were still feeling unwell. After all, they also had human blood running in them, so they had to be knowledgeable and aware of epidemics that could cause enormous damage to humankind.
“M-Master, I’ll send out the scouts.”
“No, don’t do that… If the opponent is the masked entity Alvesta, then there will only be more casualties.”
Leiard responded to Merida without looking back and tried to recall the rumors he had heard in the capital before their expedition.
(I think there was some news from the Holy Church that it had been subdued or something… Rather, it’s impossible for that to appear here, so this must be the work of the elves.)
“Master, hurry up and get in!”
“Yes…”
Leiard was too absorbed in his thoughts to move, so Merida pushed him back into the tent.
The next day, the damage assessment revealed that 60 percent of the army, or about 1,200 people, including the quarter-elves, were infected with the Bleeding Disease. They also found out that the only ones left were the soldiers who were out of the wind path of the miasma that spread throughout the camp yesterday.
“The half-elves seem to be recovering, but… it seems treatment is impossible for the quarter-elves.”
“I agree, they are not responding to the healing magic either… There’s no proof yet, but it’s clear that this was an attack made by the elves. For them to do such a nasty thing… Damn them, were they just using the negotiations as a front to trick us?”
Just as Ragiel said, the timing was too perfect, so the perpetrators could only be the elves. Leiard felt his anger rise thinking about it, but he could not blame them either since they were being aggressive towards the elves from the start as well.
(It seems we’re already at a stalemate…)
The number of their available troops was still four times more than Elwind’s, but they were at a disadvantage due to the number of sick people they had.
(Should we just abandon the affected personnel and conquer the city? … No, that would be foolish. If we did that, then we’ll just repeat the series of events from the previous war, won’t we!?)
And even if they went on the offensive, they would just be crushed faster if they were to go by the events from the previous day.
“Master, it’s time to go…”
“Alright, let’s go.”
Even though they were in the midst of a crisis, Leiard took several of his troops and marched towards Elwind’s city hall to continue negotiations.
