It has is nearing the end of March. It has now been almost 3 months since Ez arrived in this world and found it he was left here to fend for himself. Once the merchants too came to know about his restaurant nearly everyone in the whole empire became aware of John's shop. Usually, after 'The Grand Chef' competition, people will talk about the chef who got first place, yet
So far no factions among the nobles and the emperor have been able to guess or make sense of his true agenda and how it fits into the grand scheme of things.
As everyone slowly ignored or started to forget about him, suddenly reports started arriving from all over the empire.
The first report came in during March 1st, it was just a report of a slight loss of productivity among the various kingdoms. At that time they thought of how people wanted to take more holiday or rest. Everyone ignored it at first seeing that it was spring time, and people wanted to enjoy the weather and florals.
Then after 3 days, another report came in about everyone in the various kingdoms under the empire feeling extremely lethargic, including the people in the capital. Not long after (4 days later) some kingdoms without any healing award user stopped sending reports in.
The emperor send some scouts to those kingdoms and found that everyone in the city was affected by some kind of disease, where they all feel too tired to even move. Soon the empire realised they were affected by a plague. So, the emperor ordered martial law for all the kingdoms and sent healers to each kingdoms.
However, they realised unless it was a Rank 5 magi spell or a healing award user of rank 5, their healing was ineffective. As there very few Rank 5 magi and award users, the emperor decided to approach it in another way.
So, the emperor decided to find the source of the plague or who was behind it, to find the cure. But all their launched investigation proved to be nought. As they couldn't find the link between how all the index patients received or got affected by the plague. All the index patients of the plague were all random people, from slaves, chefs, husbands, kids, nobles, police officer etc.
There was no discrimination among the plague. It affected the poor and rich equally. Soon it slowly started affecting everyone in the capital. But the emperor was prepared as he called back all the rank 5 magi and award user to keep the plague at bay in the empire. But this caused the situation for other kingdoms to worsen, as people started to starve as the production of food decreased.
If the people could, they would have rioted and started a rebellion or would have loved to move to the empire, but they didn't even have enough energy for that.
The emperor and the nobles realised this plague whether artificial or natural, would destroy them slowly, but make sure it destroys the empire cleanly, leaving no trace of its past glory. Without the kingdoms and its people, the empire won't be just an empire but a shell of what it used to be.
Therefore, to solve this crisis all nobles and commandments gathered inside the courtroom, setting aside their rivalry and differences, since the start of 10th of March morning. To help them they even invited the head of Merchant and Magi association, along with its elders, and their geniuses to find a way to stop or contain the plague.
They brainstormed day and night looking for ways to counter the plague. Such as devising new magi healing spells, that can affect a large area, or directing the power of healing awards users to a large area using magi spell. But all of them required a minimum of 50 different rank 6 magi and award user. Even the kingdom has less than 13 magi and award users that are rank 6 and none amongst them don't even have a healing award and only 2 of them was a healing rank 6 magi.
Even if they purified an area or person with the plague, using magi or award, they would still be affected by it after a while. The plague seemed to be some sort of unkillable being, that no matter what they do it seems to keep coming back. With no idea of what to do, they couldn't even wipe out the kingdoms affected, because it was too late as so far all the kingdoms, including the empire have been affected by the plague.
But there was one thing that everyone noticed. The plague only seemed to affect humans. No plants or animals were affected by the plague. It was as if the plague was repelled by plant and animals. Soon they started keeping animals and plants close in hope of driving out plagues. But the people who kept plant and animals were also affected without discrimination.
They soon realised that the other kingdoms will sooner or later have everyone dead of starvation if they don't solve this crisis.
Without any hope and not knowing what to do a report came in from outside, on 15th March, from a soldier that said someone was cured. As they brought in the soldier he explained that a person claiming to be healed of the plague, and not affected by the plague appeared to them.
Soon they brought in the person who claimed to be healed. It was a women in her late 20's. She walked in and bowed towards the royal court and knelt and paid respect towards the emperor.
One of the nobles asked, "Are you the one who claims to be cured and unaffected by the plague?"
The women nodded as she said "Honourable lords, I am."
Suddenly the whole court started murmuring but was quieted down by the cough of butler Smith. "Women please explain to us why you think that you are cured and unaffected by the plague?"
"It happened like this my lords and your highness. I realised 5 days ago that I was affected by the plague. But as I attempted to walk towards where the healers was I lost all the energy in my body and fell on the floor, in the street. My eyes kept growing heavier and heavier as a voice kept telling me to give up.
But suddenly I saw a vague vision of a young man, even though everything else around me was blurry I could see him clearly. While walking towards me he shone brightly before touching me. As he touched my head he said, 'Do not open your eyes women, otherwise you will die.'
So, I kept my eyes closed as I felt a warm energy going from my head to toes. After a while I felt him taking his hand of my head. As I opened my eyes I found no one there. But suddenly I felt energetic.
From that day onwards I realised I was cured, and then when I was helping my sick husband and kids I realised I am not affected by the recurring plague anymore. Thus the reason I thought I will inform here hoping that there is some way you can find that man to cure my husband and kids."
Hearing her report many turned towards Smith, only to see him nod.
"Can you describe that person to us please?" Smith spoke for the emperor
"Yes, my lord, he had white hair and ... that is strange I swear I saw him but I can't remember his face." The women said annoyingly as she put both her hands on her head to think.
"She is speaking the truth. She is thinking hard and seems confused. She can't remember his face." Smith whispered to Emperor
Suddenly the women said, "I am sorry my lord, I can't remember him." She said this, while a tear left her eyes.
"Strange, she doesn't seem to notice that she is crying." Smith said to the emperor in a quiet voice, the emperor frowned while Smith carried on
"Her mind is trying really hard to remember his face, while her body is crying for no reason. She doesn't seem to be aware of her crying as she is focused on remembering his face."
The emperor nodded, while the 10 commandments and the rest who could hear Smith whispering looked at the women.
"Thank you for your information. You may pick up 10 gold from the treasury on your way out for your troubles." The emperor finally spoke
"Thank you, your highness." She bowed happily.
After she left, many of the nobles started debating whether to find the young man with white hair, being able to actually heal someone with the plague, this meant that he is a rogue award users.
Any suspicious people right now might be the key to their salvation. Many felt that that person held the cure to the plague, while some other felt his award was the cure itself.
As they were arguing what to do about the white-haired man the emperor issued an order "Right now our priority is finding the cure. I will send the intelligence unit to comb through every inch of the empire to find him. But we should carry on discussing a plan, because if we rely on that person and he isn't able to provide a cure for the whole empire, or if we can't find him, then we will have wasted our time."
Accepting his decision everyone went back to brainstorming, while the intelligence unit spends days going through the sewages, underground networks, slums, the rich district, the merchant district etc to look for the said man with white hair.
As all hope was lost and it seemed the empire was going to collapse this day due to the massive plague and the inability of its population to move, suddenly one of the intelligence unit entered through the door on the night of 31st of March.
Seeing him barge in like that without even knocking everyone knew it was important.
"Have you found him?" The emperor asked with the renewed hope.
"No, my lord, but we may have found a key to resolve this issue." He said
Everyone turned death still as they waited for him to carry on. They could hear their heart beating in excitement.
"What is it?"
"John Field, he doesn't seem to be affected by the plague."
It was at this moment they all remembered the smiling face of John, especially all the commandments, Emperor and Smith. The found that his smile didn't contain the warmth from what they remembered, but it was cold like ice.
They took the necessary measure and send someone to invite him in.
As John walked through the palace gates in what seemed to be the first time in 3 months, he felt refreshed. He smiled while gazing ahead at the entrance to the palace.
He was put through a complete search and check up by the security of palace saying "We have to make sure you won't spread the plague inside the courtroom. Sorry."
But John just nodded as he smiled, without worrying about them.
'Time to nail the coffin' Ez thought.