Everyone else finally understood what was going on.
Their guess was correct. The women also had these parasites, and this must be the main body!
...
"It looks like this is the main body that forms the 'zombies'. As for why the survivors aren't like the men, it should be a matter of constitution and blood. Or perhaps this creature can't directly occupy and control women and children's bodies." Graham glanced at the charred body on the ground and felt disgusted.
If he was right, Priscilla must have intentionally kissed that woman to lure out the parasite inside her.
"Even if they can't directly occupy their bodies, they still need to come ashore in order parasitize. Truly unsettling!" Priscilla snorted coldly, glancing at the girl being cared for by Yae and currently vomiting. She gripped her Yang Sword and swung it at the other women and children as they trembled in fear.
"Ugh—!"
The women and children fell to the ground and continued to vomit.
Yae was stunned. She thought Priscilla wanted to kill these people out of frustration, but it seemed that was not the case.
"My Yang Sword can specifically cut down anything I want to cut and burn anything I want to burn!" Priscilla off handedly explained.
"So, Princess just used the Yang Sword to cut off and instantly burn the tentacles inside the women and children?"
"You understand quickly. You deserve praise." Priscilla smiled sweetly.
"However, speaking of praise, what was that enviable move earlier? Princess, I don't want to lick feet anymore, I want the same reward as that girl!" Graham shamelessly interjected.
"Fool! Didn't I already say that to get such a reward, you need to make an equivalent contribution, that is your life! That girl took a life-risking action this time, this led to me learning about this infestation!"
"Yes, yes... I understand. But Princess mentioned 'come ashore to parasitize.' Does that mean you think the source of the parasites is the river water?"
"Correct." Priscilla looked at him, nodding satisfied.
To guess her thoughts so quickly meant he was beginning to understand her.
"In my understanding, normally 'zombies' multiply by biting people, but these 'zombies' don't bite people. Instead, they try to integrate into human life..."
"Exactly." Priscilla smirked, "Don't rashly drink river water. Burn all the crops irrigated with that water as well! Clean up all nearby water sources thoroughly, that's the best coarse of action..."
"Anyway, the ones responsible for such a thing must pay with their life for such foolish actions!"
Graham nodded, "So, when Princess had the dragon carriage return earlier..."
"It was to notify the 'Crimson Battlefront' to investigate the other three villages along this river besides Coffleton." Priscilla said proudly.
"Impressive, Princess truly has excellent foresight. Now we know the source of the parasites is the infected water, so it's impossible for only Coffleton to be affected..." Graham concluded.
"Exactly. Graham, it seems you've finally caught up with me a little."
"So does this mean I can get an advance on the reward?" Graham stared at her mouth as he spoke, feeling envious that he hadn't succeeded yet, but she had rewarded the girl from Coffleton.
"Hmph! Shameless! Graham, you get complacent with even a bit of praise. Do you think my kindness has no limits?" Priscilla was furious, thinking how this guy could sometimes be so inappropriate.
"No, I just remembered what the Princess once told me... the conditions for becoming your husband..."
"Shut up! I already said not to bring that up again. This is the last time I'll forgive you. No mercy next time!" Priscilla shot him a sharp look and angrily walked to the dragon carriage.
Graham shrugged and followed her, sitting beside her.
As for Yae, Priscilla had made her drive the dragon carriage. Graham, being thick-skinned, sat close to her without hesitation.
Priscilla said it was the last time, but it was clear her words didn't match her feelings. It wasn't the first time she had excused him after all.
In the end, boldly expressing his thoughts and admiring her beauty wasn't wrong.
The problem was, she didn't need a husband.
If Graham were to be killed by the "Sun's" radiance, where would she find such an interesting knight again?
In the end, she couldn't bear to part with him.
But Graham didn't know what was in Priscilla's heart, thinking he had been rejected again.
'A woman's heart is like a needle in a haystack!' is what he thought.
However, if he really died once, would it fulfill his wish?
It seemed worth a try...
After all, the key to the 'Mystic Eyes of Death Perception' is 'death'...
How can one understand death without experiencing it?
After defeating Al, Graham had already plundered a powerful Authority.
Including a certain frequently appearing black shadow...
He had a hunch that only through experiencing death would his 'Mystic Eyes of Death Perception' become complete...
...
{T/N: It's been a while, and I may have forgotten how I translated certain terminology in the previous chapters... Yet I'm too lazy to go back and read through the chapters again... So point out any outstanding inconsistencies should you come across them...}