"Ah, so that''s how it is. Thank you for your generosity, Kane said, voice low but sincere. To be honest with you, without the medicinal herbs you delivered these past two days, we wouldn''t have stabilized Caslig County this quickly. Just in one day. the death count''s already dropped. We''re finally carrying our fewer bodies."


    Most of those who died had already been frail and elderly. If not for that, they might''ve lived


    Eliza replied calmly. "As long as it helped. But credit doesn''t belong to the herbs alone-your people already figured out the right treatment. Without that, no matter how good the herbs are, they wouldn''t be much use."


    Those who understood the truth-people like Kane-would naturally shift their attention to the source her medicine.


    Eliza nodded. "I love nting herbs. I''m good at it, too. I have several medicinal fields in Hasen City. Now that this batch has been harvested, I''ll be nting the next one as soon as I return."


    She kept it vague-but both men were far too shrewd to miss the implication.


    Tm reserving three batches, Nn said without hesitation.


    "Til take one, Kane chirned in, almost ovepping.


    The moment Kane heard Nn''s words, he turned to re at him. "You greedy little brat! We''re in the middle of a crisis and you''re still trying to fight me for it?"


    "The next batch won''t even be ready until all this is over," Nn replied coolly. "Unless you''re telling me you''ll screw things up so badly you''ll need more herbs again, the situation here should be resolved by then."


    "You could at least leave me some soup and bones, Kane grumbled. Three whole batches? You gonna eat them for breakfast?


    Tve got entire legions to support," Nn answered dryly. "I have more injured and disabled soldiers under my care than


    have guards in your entire province."


    He wasn''t exaggerating. Nn heldmand over hundreds of thousands of troops-and he never abandoned them, event when the fighting was over. Many of the wounded could still work if they had their limbs, but those who were crippled or bedridden for life: They couldn''t survive on their own. Sending them away was sentencing them to die.


    So when Nn heard that Eliza''s herbs had extraordinary healing potential, it was only natural he wanted more than his


    share.


    Eliza gave him a small, sly wink


    Nn paused, then relented. "Fine," he said to Kane, just as the man was running out of ttering words to toss around. "Given Noganlul''s current situation, I''ll let you have two batches first."


    Kane was halfway grateful, halfway offended. Now he shows mercy!


    Nn, ever sharp, caught his expression. "Oh, don''t look at me like that. Your


    soldiers have been stationed in gue zones for weeks. I imagine they''ve suffered more than a little. I''m just being generous. But if you''d rather not have the herbs, III take them back-


    "I never said that!" Kane snapped. "Who said I didn''t want them?"


    Later, when he finally received the two discounted batches, Kane would realize just how much of a bargain he got


    But today''s visit wasn''t about haggling for herbs.


    10:47 Sat, 19 Apr


    After the verbal agreements were made, Eliza arel Nn began inspecting Calig County in earnest. It was in far better condition than they had expected.


    Even the mass grave outside the gates-which had shocked them when they arrived-was considered light, ording to Kane


    “Hack at the peak of the outbreak, he exined grimly, "we were burning over a hundred corpses a day. The worst was the night the gue erupted-five or six hundred died in one go


    Caslig County only had a few thousand residents. Half of them were already dead.


    Eliza listened in silence. When she finally entered the infected zone, she took her flower crown and sprinkled it again with more spiritual water than usual.


    As she passed Nn, he suddenly reached out and caught her wrist. "Wait... are you wearing perfume?"


    Eliza paused. Then she pulled her hand back and smiled faintly. "Probably just the herbs."


    She walked past both men, sat down on her meditation mat, and began chanting for the people-just as she had done in every zone before,


    But this time, she repeated the verses again and again, tirelessly.


    Caslig County had lost more lives than anywhere else. She could hot, and would not, rush this one.


    The crowd went still. One by one, the dying closed their eyes and bowed their heads. They listened. Listened like salvation depended on it.


    But Eliza knew the truth. She was no god. She was only a woman-with herbs and water and determination.


    Meanwhile, back at the Stonor family estate....


    "I''m in pain, Matthew. It hurts so much, Sophie sobbed on her bed, freshly returned from the pce. "I don''t want to go back. I can''t. There were rules. So many rules.


    She trembled at the memory-waking up only to stand, memorize, and recite. Failing to do so earned beatings, and worse.


    They''d examined every inch of her body-humiliating her beyond repair. Just thinking of those old hags yanking her limbs apart made her want to die.


    Yes. Sophie had finally figured it out.


    And Eliza had yed her like a fiddle.


    “She''s a danin ghost, Sophie muttered, shaking with rage. "A ghost that won''t go away. Because of her, I was beaten humiliated, stripped of dignity-and now, now I''m supposed to be grateful I survived? No. I''ll kill her. I swear it"


    She knew her father would rescue her. And he had.


    The day she stepped back into the Stonor estate, she cried tears of joy.


    Tears she quickly turned into tears of pain.


    In front of Gabriel and his two sons, she wailed like a broken porcin doll.


    Thurt, Father... Matthew Anthony I think I''m dying... Everything aches..." she whispered, barely holding back sobs.


    10:47 Sat, 19 Apr A.


    She didn''t need to exin. Just letting them see her like this was enough to shatter their hearts-and ignite the fire for


    revenge.