After five minutes were up Xander felt around the pouch and found the notch that made it easier to open the meal.
"Tear along the notch to open your pouch and eat away."
Xander wasted no time and started eating, Yyanis, Saan and Gobi followed suit.
"What is this magic! This is truly magical!"
"A hot meal in less time it takes to shit!"
"Cough! Ahem! I'm just glad it doesn't taste like that, this heat and eat is really good. Captain try this one too, it's good,"
Xander told them the three types of meals, one was a chicken and rice meal, one was beef and the other was a sausage casserole.
The three men started swapping their meals with each other so that they all could savour the food.
Xander ate slowly and then he took the tablet that was on the side of the water bottle and dropped it into the water bottle.
After giving it a good shake he took some sips from his water bottle. Soon the men done the same,
"This is god's nectar! It's so chilled!"
"What is this! Captain! It's blue! The water is blue."
"Why are you asking me!? I'm in the same boat as you, you idiot!"
"Those are electrolytes, it's a supplementary addictive. It's to help the body keep hydrated and well balanced. The tablet on the side of the bottle contains sodium, calcium, and potassium, when combine with water it causes a reaction to take place that are vital to many key functions inside the body."
" . . . "
"Ah, okay . . "
"Sorry Xander we don't know what those words are or mean. But it seems to me that they are good for our bodies."
"Yes they are very good for your body,"
After the meal, Xander opened a bar of chocolate broke a piece off and started eating it slowly.
"I'd recommend eating one and saving the other for later, once we get busy at the village this along with the electrolyte drink will give you a much needed boost."
The three followed after Xander and started eating the chocolate.
"This! . . I've never had anything like this ever!"
"Captain, Gobi, If this sold in the capital you'd quickly become the richest man alive,"
"If you're not killed for it that is, greed and power tend to corrupt even the most upright and steadfast!"
"That's the truth, I can already see the greedy eyes of nobles and bandits eyeing this."
Both Yyanis and Gobi added. Saans nodded his head then sighed lightly,
"It's truly a pity, this is worth more than gold."
Saan says with a down casted look, he was excited at the fact that he could on sell the bar, if he had more of it then he'd be rolling in fortune.
Yyanis and Gobi looked over at the young Saan and Gobi added,
"Haha, well, when you have kids you can tell them how you ate a meal with the summoned hero and he fed you gold!"
"Haha, I'll think about kids when I'm in my 80s, or late 90s at the latest."
Xander had come to understand that the life expectancy of this world is different from his own, humans with abilities can live twice the age of humans from earth and the other races here on this world are in the thousands and tens of thousands.
"Right, let's get going then, we have a village to cure."
"Ready when you are."
Yyanis says, Xander packed his gear and they started towards the village inside the wagon.
Two hours later the wagon came to a halt.
"Xander we've reached the village but . . "
"But what?"
"The guards that were posted here are nowhere to be found, it's like they're missing, I can't find them anywhere."
"Could they be in the village?"
"I doubt it, this outpost is the safest distance to the curse. They would never venture into the village itself because of that."
"I see, well, anyway just like I said on the way don't consume anything, water food, and tell me if you spot water leaks, sprays, showers and the sort. If you're thirsty drink from the water bottles."
The four men and a dog entered the village, a stench encroached their nostrils that Xander recognised as body waste and bile.
"We May have to change tactics, gather at least twenty men first, let's cure them first then and deal with the corpses."
"Xander how did you know?"
"I can smell it, quickly find me a large clean room and gather those men."
Saan and Gobi set out to find 10 men each, Yyanis led Xander to the center of the village where people had gathered.
Yyanis describe the scene, to Xander in as much detail as he could. It seemed like some kind of trial was going on.
The guards that were supposed to be in the outpost where now bound sitting upon a stone platform. Yyanis was about to intervene but was stopped by Xander,
"We don't know the circumstances yet, let's see where this goes."
"As you say,"
Soon an angry voice sounded out from a row of panelist. Yyanis told Xander that this was most probably the village council.
"They like feasting on the young woman here like it's a banquet, most times it's forced. Now the bodies keep piling up as the young women take their lives because of the acts of these men."
"They've broken the promise between us and have now angered the goddess Ericales, this affliction on us all is her punishment upon us! because we helped them commit evil."
"That's right! We gave the Man king all of our resources yet his men do something like this, they are all liars!"
"Liars! Liars! Liars!"
Yyanis and Xander had a better picture of what was happening now,
"It seems your fellow guards thought that since the king had gotten his hands on their resources that he wouldn't need the villagers any longer so they've acted like common degenerates and bandits."
"It makes no sense, are they not frightened of the curse?"
"Not if you're the one doing it?"
"Huh!?"
"I suspect that these guys were the ones to tamper with the water supply causing the illness that's taking place in the village."
"Oh I see, damned scum!"
"Well in fairness they're probably like you lot and following someone's command,"
" . . . "
"But it doesn't mean they could do what they've been caught doing. That's far too unforgivable, even by the standards in my world."
Xander added. Suddenly, another commotion erupted as several people came out dragging some people behind them.
"What's going on!? Who's causing such a ruckus!?"
"We've caught two more, but it's not the women they want, it's men they're after!"
"What! Even our young men aren't safe! Damn these humes!"
The two captured men were Saan and Gobi. The pair had gone out at Xander's request to search for able men.
"Ah, looks like we have to make an entrance."
"Mhm, lead the way, don't attack back even if you're attacked first. Everyone is emotionally unstable and also suffering from both the guards doing and the illness."
"I understand,"
Yyanis led Xander and made way into the crowd.
"There's more of them!"
"Is he a noble!? His clothing is different from the others so he must be."
"Why is he using his dog as a packhorse?"
"I don't know I'm not a noble!"
All this and more fell to Xander's ears as he was led to where the council were.
"What do you two humes want!?"
"To speak!"
Xander says. The people around them all had looks of anger and dissatisfaction but none of that mattered to him as he couldn't see it.
"I am Xander Hunt, I've come to lift the curse that afflicts Tourrin Village."
"More lies! Let's deal with them like these humes from the man king!"
"Yeah!"
"Liars get fire!"
"Liars get fire!"
"Everyone quiet!"
A loud elderly voice sounded out, to which the area quickly got quieter.
"Xander Hunt, is what you speak of true."
"As true as I stand before all of you!"
"What do you want in return?"
"Mhm, nothing much, I just want to be able to pick your brain a bit that's all,"
Damage started growling and swords could be heard being unsheathed. As per Xander's instructions, Yyanis did nothing.
"Savage! You dare to pick our elders brain!?"
"Humes cannot be trusted! They even eat the brains of us elves!"
Xander dropped his shoulders and wore a wary smile,
"Sorry, poor choice of words, where I'm from, to pick someone's brain means to exchange thoughts and ideas through talks and discussions."
Xander raised his hands to say, he then continued,
"But I'll leave that till you've finished this here, please don't mind me, if they have wronged the village and it's people then please punish them according to your ways. You'll find no interference from me."
"Very well, is there anything else you need? may I offer you a seat,"
"Ah yes, two things, if you could let those two that were looking for men go and do their task of gathering 20 men that will be needed to aid in the lifting of the curse that would be great."
"And the other?"
"I'd like a meeting with the representatives of this village to discuss matters of importance."
"So be it,"
With all that said no one else said a word as Xander took a seat, Yyanis stood behind him Damage sat at his feet and Saan and Gobi were let go to find capable men from those that were gathered.
The proceedings followed and the guards that had abused their authority were all sentenced to death. It was a unanimous decision by the council.
"Wait! . . "
"Xander Hunt, please don't interfere as you had stated you wouldn't do,"
"It's not that, if I may,"
Xander explains the reason he asked them to wait by explaining that those men may have something to do with the villages current predicament.
"So it's an illness not a curse!?"
"Mhm this is what I believe, so you can still punish them just say that whoever speaks up first can leave on their "own two legs!" If they do,"
Xander says while making a chopping action with his hands on his legs, while accentuating the words.
"Humes truly are cunning,"
One of the elderly councilman understanding Xander's intentions says, albeit quietly.
Xander however heard it as clear as day but just smiled. He wanted to make sure that the villagers got the justice needed and the ones responsible got what they deserved for their actions.
After a short discussion four men including a councilman took the prisoners away while Xander was led to the main hall to talk.
Yyanis followed them as did Saan and Gobi with 20 men.
Once inside Xander reintroduced himself, Damage and Yyanis and told them his story from when he was pulled into this world by the summons till now.
"So the resources they collected from us was all to summon others to this world to aid them in taking other the lands which the demons occupy!?"
"That's all I could gather before they forsook me to Tourrin Village."
"If I cured the affected village of its curse it'll make the king benevolent in the eyes of you all and the villagers, if it failed you'd just blame me."
"Thank you for telling us this, whatever we can do to help would be much appreciated."
Xander detailed the plans he had come up with, then he included another after smelling the horrendous smell when entering the village.
"Do you have a ritual or custom when it comes to honouring and dealing with the departed?"
"We do, but since we've been cursed it's been hard to do so, hence why the bodies still lay there waiting,"
Xander could hear the sombreness in the elders voice, he could sympathise with them but in order to create a clean village again those bodies needed to be taken care of first and foremost in order to stop other diseases from spreading.
The Elder then explained that they do a water purification ritual with the bodies before they are committed to the earth, but when they did so, the water didn't purify the bodies as it had done many times before, and so believed it to part of the curse.
"Well since you are all the pillars of support for the village I'll start treatment with you lot first then the men outside. Afterwards we'll start mass treatment of the entire village and also find the source and cause of the illness."
"Once that's done you'll be able to follow through with your customs for the dead which will also stop the spread of other illnesses and diseases."
Xander asked for some privacy to prepare to which he was led to a side room. He had Yyanis empty all the items in the room and guard the door and started making duplicate antibiotics needed for the treatment of the entire village after getting a headcount of all the villagers.
He also made many duplicates of wet wipes and hand sanitisers, heat and eat rations, bottled water, water purification tablets and other antibiotics, the four fruits he had on him at the time which were an apple, banana, strawberries and an orange lastly chocolates, he kept at it till it filled the entire room.
Xander asked for another room and did the same there as well, so on and so on, soon five side rooms inside the hall were packed filled with these things all in the matter of minutes.
"After I've started treatment you'll have to tell the others to stop using the water for awhile till we've found the source of the infected water. That includes bathing, food preparation and cooking as well."
"But we would all starve to death!"
"Not to mention if we don't die of thirst first!"
"Elders! I'll be supplying rations and safe water in that time, till we find out what's happening with the villages water."
"You! How do you plan on doing that!?"
Xander tilted his head as he heard a different voice, he remembered it was that of the angry man that was shouting when he and the three guards entered the village.
"Elders you can't trust this man! If he can provide for the village I'll eat my own shit!"
Xander snickered as did Yyanis, Saan and Gobi, Xander sighed then added,
"I hope you don't regret saying those words, taking it back would make you very Hume like but I'll give you a chance to take them back."
"I'm an Elve of my words!"
"Well I hope you enjoy that meal, while the rest of the villagers dine on some exquisite dishes haha,"
Yyanis quipped, then with a knowing nod from Xander, Yyanis walked to the doors of the side rooms Xander had entered previously and open them in turn.
"Holy shit! Gobi look at all that chocolate! This is a vault filled with riches!"
"Five rooms filled! You filled those rooms with food!"
"Not just that but as you can see the villagers won't be going hungry or thirsty for some time and it would be enough till we sort out the problems of the village."
"Yyanis, after I've given treatment to everyone here we'll be rather busy in here, so I'll get you to help explain the items and their usage."
Yyanis followed Xander's instructions and grabbed one of everything from inside of the side room and laid them out.
Xander started giving an explanation on each item.
"These are called wet wipes, these will be used instead of bathing, I use four sheets to clean my entire body, and each pack has 400 sheets then after they can be buried for disposal as the earth will help break them down and is very safe for the environment."
"This is hand sanitiser, you can use this in conjunction with the wipes to clean your body, just keep it away from your eyes mouth and genitalia."
Xander handed the two items to Yyanis to give to the elders, they where all surprised at these things.
Suddenly Xander paused then tilted his head a little in a certain direction then added,
"Oh, but you may want to use it on your mouth after eating your own shit later,"
" . . . "