Tristan was so shocked that it took him a long time to respond to them. Why did they come to him and say that?
Tristan did not summon the priests, nuns, and people of the Goddess of Purity temple since the system had assigned him the responsibility of thwarting the sacred ritual that would take place in the Kavar Kingdom.
How idiotic of him if he calls them. He did not want to fail the emergency task.
"Damn it." Tristan hissed. His head was so dizzy thinking about how to make King Albert believe that the plague did not come from the gods, and now he had a new problem that he had to deal with immediately.
"I don't disagree with the sacred ritual." Tristan's heart was beating very fast. He had to say something reasonable that wouldn't make them think he didn't believe in the sacred ritual.
"You performed the sacred ritual because you believe that the gods send the plague on those who don't worship them or who are less devout in worshiping them," Tristan said.
"We need first to determine whether the three people affected by the disease are devotees of the gods. They will be upset with you if they truly believe in the gods they serve." Tristan said the same thing he had told King Albert.
The five priests, ten nuns, and ten worshipers of the Goddess of Purity agreed with their king.
The villagers infected with the disease of purulent lumps and red eyes in the Kavar Kingdom had been proven to believe in demons. There was a large temple with two giant statues of demons hidden in the forest.
Meanwhile, in the Madigan Kingdom, there had never been a demon temple or a temple built not to worship the gods, even though many did not believe in the gods.
"They are sleeping," said Tristan. He did not know whether the dozens of people who were very close to the gods would wait for the three people infected with the disease to wake up after the effects of the sleeping medicine had worn off in their bodies.
"I believe the medicine will cure them," Tristan said confidently. Then he turned to the health minister standing on his right. "Why don't you order the medicines right away? Doesn't the finance minister want to give the money?"
"I have told him, and he agreed, but I need to ask you how many medicines we will buy, or maybe you are interested in buying the plants too. A court physician can keep the plants," said the health minister.
"You can buy 20 tablets of each type of medicine," Tristan replied. Only three people were infected with the disease; he was sure it would not increase.
However, Tristan's guess was wrong. His heart almost dropped, and his eyes bulged as if they were going to pop out when the two soldiers announced that they had found five families with a total of 31 people infected with the disease.
"We have visited all the places in the region, Your Majesty."
Tristan patted his forehead. This disease outbreak would not have been such a headache if the system had not given him an emergency task.
"What should we do, Your Majesty?" The two soldiers waited for their king's orders.
"We must increase the medicine we will buy, Your Majesty." The Minister of Health also urged Tristan to make a decision immediately. "It will take 14 days for all the medicine to arrive in the kingdom, Your Majesty."
Tristan lowered his head slightly, closed his eyes, and massaged the tip of his nose. His brain throbbed, and his chest felt tight as if he were competing with everyone else for oxygen.
"We will ask them or their family or friends if they believe in the gods." The high priest's words felt like a heavy stone on Tristan's head.
Unbeknownst to Tristan, the Minister of Health glared at the high priest. If the king agreed with them and the sacred ritual was held, the king would revoke the order to purchase medicine in the Monette Kingdom.
"I have already asked the couple's permission to treat them in this house to monitor their conditions together," said physician Joseph. "We can set up a tent. The front yard of this house is spacious."
When physician Jennifer accidentally heard the bad news from the two soldiers, she immediately told her husband, who happened to be checking on the couple who owned this house.
Suddenly, the husband and wife told the two physicians that they had no problem with their house being used as a place to accommodate people infected with the disease.
Tristan looked at the Physician Joseph, with teary eyes. One problem was solved.
Tristan could now concentrate on the amount of medicine they would buy and how to drive away the priests, nuns, and others from the Goddess of Purity temple who were anxious to perform the sacred rite.
The two soldiers had already left on their horses after the two physicians instructed them on how to take the 31 people affected by the disease of purulent lumps and red eyes to the house.
When carrying the 31 patients on a stretcher, the dozens of soldiers had to do it properly to prevent the sickness from spreading and to ensure that no residents were nearby.
***
Birds chirped happily in the trees. Frogs and crickets had stopped their chorus.
The sun had risen, and the rays had warmed those who had started their morning routines.
King Albert was watching the priests, nuns, and people from the temple of the Goddess of Purity prepare to perform a sacred ritual.
They were standing in front of an inn near the border with another village, which was home to 50 people stricken with the awful and deadly disease.
They prayed, asked for forgiveness, and begged the gods to lift the disease from everyone's bodies. Infected people were also asked to pray sincerely and believe the gods would grant their requests.
Then, priests, nuns, and people from the Goddess of Purity temple would travel to each house, sprinkling water from the temple's well.
They believed that the water was a gift from the God of Purity because the water flowed from the hands of the statue of the God of Purity.
It was not only King Albert who would witness the sacred ritual.
However, King Albert felt joy and believed that the sacred ritual could eliminate the plague suffered by hundreds of his people, in contrast to the king of the Madigan Kingdom.
"Damn it." Tristan snorted. His mood had been horrible since yesterday afternoon, and this morning, it was even worse.
Tristan was ready to hear the announcement from the system that he had failed to carry out his task.
He had tried to prevent the sacred ritual from being carried out, but his efforts were in vain.
When the 31 people infected with the disease of purulent lumps and red eyes arrived at the couple's house, the priests, nuns, and people from the temple of the Goddess of Purity immediately asked all those infected with the disease if they agreed to hold a sacred ritual.
Those who did not believe in gods and those who rarely came to the temple nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, those who believed in gods and regularly visited the temple to pray and give offerings concurred. They stated that if their condition were cured, they would increase their worship.
Tristan couldn't do anything. More precisely, he didn't know how to stop them from holding the sacred ritual.
Everyone believed in the sacred ritual. Besides, the medicine that could most likely cure them would arrive in the kingdom in 13 days.
Even though the priests, nuns, and people from the temple of the Goddess of Purity would be performing the sacred ritual, Tristan still ordered the Minister of Health to purchase the medicine in the Monette Kingdom.
Just as the sacred ritual began, Tristan heard a voice echoing in his head, and the blue transparent screen floated in his view.
[You have failed to complete the emergency task.]
[You receive a penalty.]
[You will have nightmares for 3 days.]