The return trip to White Water Town went smoothly.
Captain Blake was waiting for them at the camp entrance. Only when he saw the sealed leather bag in their hands did the tension on his face ease slightly into a faint smile.
“No signs of large-scale insect swarm activity. The Infant Vine was collected, three plants in total.” Patton handed over the bag, giving a brief report on the situation at the Serpentine Stone Mine.
Blake took the bag, carefully inspecting the seal.
“You’ve done well. Here’s your payment.”
He pulled out a prepared money pouch, handed it to Patton, and then hurried away, seemingly eager to report to Master Viper.
Winter days were short, and the sky had already darkened again. Sparse lights flickered on the streets of White Water Town, but their glow was weak, unable to dispel the thick darkness hanging over the town.
The wind whistled through the narrow streets, emitting a hollow, mournful sound.
Inside the shed of the temporary camp, Villanelle simply washed her hands and face before collapsing onto her bed to sleep. Ignis curled up by her pillow, breathing steadily, but his molten-gold eyes remained open in the darkness.
Layla shared the same room, asleep on another bed.
But Ignis felt little drowsiness. The sense of unease in his heart grew stronger, just like before the Winter Veil celebration.
Time quickly passed, and the next morning arrived.
The atmosphere during breakfast was much more relaxed. With an extra five gold coins each in their pockets, even the usually calm Layla had a faint smile at the corner of her mouth.
Finn had already started planning which tavern in the Imperial City to visit for a “taste of the good life” upon their return.
Patton’s appetite seemed poor; he only hastily took a few bites of hard bread. The movement of his left shoulder was still somewhat stiff, and he’d only given his wound a cursory treatment when changing the dressing.
When Villanelle asked about the injury, Patton just waved his hand without saying much. “It’s fine, Miss Vila, it’s almost healed.”
After breakfast, Patton excused himself with “feeling a bit tired, want to rest some more” and returned alone to his slightly smaller shed.
Villanelle and the other two didn’t pay it much mind, each going about their own business. After the trip to the Serpentine Stone Mine, a bit of fatigue was perfectly normal.
Layla was in the shed maintaining her bow and arrows. Finn, meanwhile, had somehow produced a worn-out Imperial Chess set and was happily playing against himself.
Villanelle sat under a tree at the edge of the camp, holding Ignis and chatting idly.
It was a rare chance to relax like this since arriving in White Water Town, and for a while, they all put aside the previous tension and pressure.
However, just past noon, the relaxed atmosphere vanished completely.
First, Finn went to ask Patton what he wanted for lunch. He knocked on the door for a long time with no answer. When he pushed the door open and went in, he let out a short, sharp cry.
Hearing the sound, Villanelle and Layla rushed over immediately.
Inside, Patton was collapsed on the floor beside his bed, soaked in sweat, his face pale, lips cracked and dry.
The clothing over his left shoulder had been unconsciously torn open, revealing the bandage beneath. Now, the entire white bandage was soaked through with a dark red stain, emitting a mixed scent of sweet blood and decay.
Several spiderweb-like thin lines were spreading out from under the bandage, crawling toward his neck and chest. Something was visibly pulsating and burrowing beneath his skin…
“This… he was fine yesterday…” Finn’s lips trembled, at a loss.
“Don’t get close to him.” Ignis, sensing Villanelle’s thoughts, calmly warned. “The symptoms on him might be contagious.”
Layla made a swift decision. “We’ll go find Captain Blake, and that so-called Master Viper! Miss Vila, please watch him here!”
Layla ran ahead, with Finn scrambling to follow close behind.
Villanelle didn’t dare get close to the semi-conscious Patton. She just stood at the doorway, trying to use the most basic Water Sphere Technique to help cool him down.
But the moment the water sphere touched his forehead, it sizzled and half-evaporated. The remaining part quickly became scalding hot, obviously unusable.
This scene made Ignis’s eyelids twitch.
This could literally boil water!
“Ignis, can you sense what’s inside him?” Villanelle crouched down, rubbing his head, and asked in a low voice, her expression helpless.
Ignis stared intently at Patton, his body tense, back slightly arched.
“There’s something filthy inside him… feels a bit like the Infant Vine’s aura, but it seems suppressed by something… was it the potion Blake gave him?”
Villanelle recalled that small bottle of potion, bitter and hard to swallow, and felt a sliver of relief inside.
Not long after, Captain Blake arrived, his face ashen, followed by Master Viper who walked with hurried steps.
Though called “Master,” he only looked to be in his thirties or forties, his face slightly weathered, somewhat unkempt, his alchemist’s robe ornate but covered in burn marks.
Seeing Patton on the floor, especially the dark red lines spreading across his shoulder and neck, Master Viper’s face showed no expression, only a kind of almost cruel indifference.
Striding to Patton’s side, he bent down, directly using his grimy gloves to check Patton’s tongue and eyelids, finally pressing on the wound at the shoulder. His movements were rough and swift.
Master Viper withdrew his hand, pulled a small vial containing a transparent liquid from his leather bag, unscrewed it, and dripped a tiny drop onto the wound on Patton’s shoulder.
A thin white mist suddenly rose, accompanied by a pungent, acrid smell.
“Exposed to a high concentration of the infection source. Must be isolated immediately.” Master Viper stood up, his tone casual.
“Can it be treated?” Captain Blake hesitated for a moment before asking.
“My Suppression Potion can only control it, not cure it. If delayed too long, the virus will invade the internal organs. By then…”
Master Viper didn’t finish his sentence; his meaning was already clear. He turned to the two assistants who had followed him in, dressed in thick coats and wearing face masks.
“Carry him to the West Warehouse Isolation Zone, Observation Room Three. Don’t let his bodily fluids touch your skin.”
“What are you going to do?” Layla demanded in a deep voice.
Master Viper glanced at her dismissively. “Take him to the isolation zone for treatment. As for you, as close contacts, from now on you must stay in the camp. Don’t go anywhere. Someone will bring you food and water.”
“You’re going to lock us up too?” Finn confronted him without any courtesy.
“Listen to Master Viper. This is for everyone’s safety.” Captain Blake stepped between the two who were at odds, his expression earnest. “We will do our best to treat him. You don’t need to worry.”
“What exactly is this disease?” Villanelle furrowed her brow, unable to help but ask loudly.
At first, she thought it might be an infection accidentally picked up while harvesting the Infant Vine, but now it seemed not so simple.
The West Warehouse Isolation Zone, and Observation Room Three? It sounded like there must be quite a few infected people.
The horrific state of that woman from the other night resurfaced in her mind.
Was Patton suffering from the same disease?
“This disease is called Crystal Corrosion Disease.” Captain Blake sighed, seeming to feel there was no need to hide it any longer. “Actually, several months ago, people in the outlying posts were already infected…”
“Are you done?” Master Viper interrupted him impatiently. “Hurry up, I have things to do!”
Captain Blake had no choice but to fall silent and leave hurriedly with the Viper.
Patton’s hut was no longer habitable. The three of them moved to a more spacious hut, with two fully armed militiamen guarding the door.
“My goodness… what on earth is happening?” Finn covered his face, his expression pained.
He’d just come to earn some mercenary pay, but ended up getting dragged into a bigger mess.
Villanelle remained silent.
The change in circumstances exceeded expectations, but inside, she felt little panic. Instead… she felt a faint, small thrill of excitement.
This was the thrilling, grand adventure she had fantasized about.
Villanelle began to look forward to what would happen next.