Chapter 85

The young man's body was still weak, but he had regained consciousness, though he was in a state where he could not even stand. He had sweated a lot due to the desert's temperature and was at risk of dehydration, so they brought him into the vehicle to drink water.

The young man reluctantly accepted that it was something like a four-wheeled carriage, but the comfort inside made him dizzy in a different way. However, recalling that he had collapsed while on a mission, he realized this was not a time to relax and enjoy. He then gathered his strength and introduced himself to Aichi and the others.

"First, I am deeply grateful to all of you for saving me. Thank you very much. I thought I would die before saving Ankaji... My name is Biz Foward Zingen, son of the Duke of Ankaji, Landz Foward Zingen."

To everyone's surprise, the young man who introduced himself as Biz seemed to be a significant figure. Ankaji is a crucial transportation hub that preserves the freshness of seafood transported from Enison, which accounts for about 80% of the seafood production in the Northern Continent. In other words, Ankaji has a near-monopoly on the food supply industry in the Northern Continent. He is not just a nominal noble but one of the few major nobles who are highly trusted even in the Kingdom of Helix.

Biz was also shocked by Shizue's background (as a "Messenger of God" summoned from another world) and Aichi's party's adventurer ranks, his eyes nearly popping out. Then, he suddenly began to pray to the heavens, saying, "This is the will of God! Has a goddess been sent down for us!" In this context, the goddess, of course, referred to Shizue, but she herself was a bit confused. Aichi slightly exerted his authority, urging Biz to explain the situation, and Biz, sweating coldly, cleared his throat and began to speak.

What Biz said was this:

Four days ago, Ankaji began to see people suddenly falling ill with high fevers. It was truly sudden; in just one day, nearly 3,000 out of the 270,000 population fell into unconsciousness, and over 20,000 showed symptoms. Hospitals immediately became overwhelmed, and all public facilities were opened. Medical personnel were mobilized to treat and investigate the cause, but despite their efforts, they could only slow the progression of the illness, not cure it.

As the number of patients increased, medical personnel also began to fall ill. There were not enough mages who could use magic to alleviate symptoms, and in the chaos, people who did not receive medical treatment began to die. Facing the fact that patients would die within two days of falling ill, everyone fell into despair.

In the midst of this despair, a pharmacist used the spell "Liquid Identification" on the drinking water. The result revealed that the water contained a toxin that caused magic to go berserk. The state immediately formed an investigation team, which, while considering the worst-case scenario, investigated Ankaji's oasis. Indeed, the oasis itself was polluted.

Of course, for a desert nation like Ankaji, the oasis is a lifeline, and its security, maintenance, and management are extremely strict. It would be nearly impossible to poison the oasis by bypassing Ankaji's security.

However, the investigation team was left to wonder where the toxin came from, how it was done, and by whom. More importantly, except for the water stored two days ago, there was no usable water left. As a result, people had no choice but to drink the already polluted water, become infected, and turn into incurable patients.

However, there was not no hope. There was a method to save the patients, which required a mineral called "Silent Stone." The "Silent Stone" is a special mineral that has the effect of reducing the activity of magic. In the desert, there is a rocky area to the north, and from the "Great Volcano of Gurun" located there, this valuable mineral can be collected in small quantities. Those engaged in magic research often use it to adjust magic or prevent magic from going berserk. Grinding the "Silent Stone" into a powder and ingesting it seems to calm the magic within the body.

However, a round trip to the northern rocky area would take at least a month. Moreover, the adventurers of Ankaji, especially those with the strength to enter the "Great Volcano of Gurun" to collect "Silent Stones" and return, were already ill. Amateur adventurers could not even break through the sandstorms surrounding the "Great Volcano of Gurun." Even if there were such skilled individuals, the supply of safe water was severely insufficient, and it was necessary to request assistance from the kingdom.

Although it is a request for assistance, the content involves transporting water to temporarily sustain the 270,000 population of the Duchy of Ankaji or arranging for skilled individuals to venture into the "Great Volcano of Gurun" and return. These are not easy tasks. While the duchy's request cannot be ignored, it is standard procedure to investigate the current situation of the Duchy of Ankaji to verify the content. However, by the time such a lengthy process is completed, it would be too late.

Therefore, it was necessary for Biz, as the representative of Duke Zingen, who could wield strong authority, to directly request assistance.

"My father, mother, and sister have already been infected. They have improved by taking the 'Silent Stones' stored in Ankaji, but they are still very weak and cannot travel to the kingdom or nearby towns. So, I set out from Ankaji with a guard unit a day ago to call for assistance. Although no one was ill at that time, they must have been infected by now. The incubation period seems to vary from person to person. With my family fallen and the nation in chaos, the need for assistance is urgent... I was shaken. I should have taken the 'Silent Stones' to be safe... Even now, citizens of Ankaji are dying one after another... I am so useless!"

Despite his weakened state, Biz used all his strength to punch his knee. The next lord of the Duchy of Ankaji seemed to be a responsible and people-oriented person. The guard unit was also wiped out by sandworms, and this regret included that event.

Fortunately, the sandworms probably sensed the disease and hesitated to attack. Biz, having fallen ill and exhausted, was not attacked by the sandworms, and as a result, he met Aichi and the others. Life is full of unexpected events.

"... You, no, the acting lord of the Duchy of Ankaji, formally requests your assistance. Please, lend me your strength."

Saying this, Biz bowed deeply. The vehicle was temporarily enveloped in silence. The sound of sand hitting the windows was very loud. The acting lord could not easily bow, and Biz was well aware of this. At that moment, he must have been desperately trying not to let the unexpected fortune slip away.

Everyone's gaze turned to Aichi, meaning they were leaving the decision to him. Except for Tsuki and Tio, everyone's eyes clearly showed a desire to help. Especially Shizue, as a "Healer," could not ignore the situation and looked at Aichi with a pleading gaze. Miu was even more direct.

"Daddy, aren't you going to save him?"

She said this with a very innocent look, seemingly believing unconditionally that Aichi could do something. To Miu, Aichi was undoubtedly a hero. Seeing Miu and Shizue's expectant gazes, Aichi said, "There's no other way," with a wry smile and shrugged.

Sya and Tio chuckled, "Hee hee," at Aichi's response. Aichi suddenly looked at Tsuki beside him, who was... as usual. No matter what Aichi chose, she would be his strength. Even without words, Tsuki clearly conveyed her feelings. Aichi gently stroked Tsuki's cheek and conveyed his acceptance to Biz.

They originally had plans to go to the "Great Volcano of Gurun," and at that time, they considered leaving Miu in Ankaji. It was inappropriate to bring a four-year-old child into a major dungeon. Therefore, it was not a problem to secure "Silent Stones" while conquering the dungeon. Miu is a demi-human child, and the cause of the disease is magic going berserk, so it does not pose a threat to her. In any case, it was a problem Aichi could solve on the way.

"If Aichi-sama is of the 'Gold' rank, he should be able to directly collect 'Silent Stones' from the great volcano, but to secure water, we need to go to the capital. Can this mobile artifact be operated by anyone other than Aichi-sama?"

"Sure, anyone except Shizue and Miu can operate it... but there's no need to go to the capital. We can secure water somehow. How about going to Ankaji first?"

"Secure water somehow? What do you mean?"

Aichi's statement that he could secure water for hundreds of thousands of people surprised Biz. This was a reasonable question. However, there is a way to obtain water without transporting it. That is, using water magic to collect moisture from the atmosphere.

Of course, ordinary mages cannot do this, but there is a rare genius in magic here. Yes, Tsuki. Moreover, if it is her, she has multiple methods to immediately restore her magic power. She should be able to buy enough time for Biz to return to Ankaji, take the stored 'Silent Stones,' and adjust his condition before seeking assistance from the kingdom again.

After explaining this part, Biz initially seemed to disbelieve it, but he also realized that in his current state, reaching the capital was a slim hope. In the end, he was convinced by the "Messenger of God" Shizue and agreed to return to Ankaji.

Seeing the four-wheeled vehicle glide through the desert, Biz was once again amazed and wondered why the "Messenger of God" Shizue was alone with the adventurers, why the mermaid child called the human Aichi "Daddy" and was getting along with the white-haired rabbit girl, and why the black-haired young woman smiled in a disgusting way when scolded... Despite many questions, his chest warmed with hope.

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After passing through the dancing copper-colored sand, they arrived at Ankaji, a milky-white city surrounded by the outer walls of the neutral commercial city of Furen. The outer walls and buildings were uniformly milk-colored, forming a striking contrast