Chapter 22 Epidemic Prevention
When Zhu Yu and his group were about to arrive at the town of Arce, they were stopped.
The road ahead was blocked by a makeshift wooden roadblock. Several soldiers standing at the checkpoint had serious expressions and were vigilantly scanning the passing troops.
Zhu Yu was about to lean out of the window to check the situation, when Lin Ji rode closer, knocked on her window, and explained:
"The plague has spread recently, and the governor of the town has ordered that all people entering the town from outside must be inspected before they can be released."
Lin Ji's tone was somewhat helpless: "This order was implemented not long ago. The missions our mercenary group has recently received are almost all limited to the town. Otherwise, it would be too troublesome to go in and out."
After she finished speaking, she muttered:
"Now I can't even take jobs outside the city. What bad luck..."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yu glanced back through the gap in the car window and saw that the guards of Madam Janet's caravan were standing by, waiting patiently.
She raised her eyebrows slightly in thought, guessing that this order might also affect the trade circulation of the caravan, resulting in restricted freight channels for Mrs. Janet.
It was also because of this that the other party sent so many guards to support her without hesitation after receiving her request for help.
Up ahead, the inspecting soldiers walked toward each carriage in turn, conducting routine checks on those entering the town.
They carefully checked each person's health status and asked about the purpose of their trip.
Zhu Yu leaned out of the car window and found that the soldiers' inspections were mainly focused on the skin and body temperature of pedestrians, with particular emphasis on checking for symptoms such as dark spots and fever.
Anyone found to be abnormal will be taken away immediately and sent to an isolation area.
Her eyes followed the crowd and saw the caravan guards in front of her cooperate by taking off their gloves, exposing their wrists and necks for the soldiers to confirm one by one.
The mercenary group led by Lin Ji was obviously very familiar with this process. Not only were their movements quick and efficient, they also did not ask any extra questions throughout the entire process and completed the inspection very smoothly.
Soon, it was Zhu Yu's carriage's turn.
When the soldiers saw the Draka family emblem on the carriage, they looked at each other. Although they still checked according to the rules, their movements were obviously much more relaxed and their expressions were a little more polite.
The soldiers routinely checked the wrist, neck, and body temperature, and finally stepped back. The leading soldier nodded slightly and officially announced:
"Okay, welcome back to Arce Town."
After everyone had been checked, the soldier who looked like a captain in charge of registration put away the booklet, raised his hand and waved, signaling to let them pass.
The wooden roadblocks were quickly removed and the road leading to the town of Arce was once again unobstructed.
The carriage slowly drove into the town of Arce, and familiar streets came into view, but the scene on the street was completely different from when Zhu Yu left.
The once bustling neighborhood is now much quieter, with very few pedestrians.
Even the few people she saw walking outside were all wrapped up tightly, hiding themselves under heavy clothing.
Long sleeves, gloves, masks, some even wore hoods and goggles used by alchemists. Even the shoes were wrapped in cloth, leaving very little skin exposed.
Not only that, most of the shops on the street had their doors and windows closed. The occasional shops that were open had warning signs at the door. It was obvious that the prevention of plague had been taken to the extreme.
Zhu Yu gently lowered the car curtain, frowning.
The plague... has it spread to this extent?
This unusual silence and tense atmosphere made her feel a little uneasy, and her brows did not relax until the carriage drove smoothly into the mansion.
When she got out of the car, a familiar figure was already standing in the front yard waiting for her.
It's Mrs. Gwen.
But unlike before, the housekeeper of the mansion also changed her usual elegant attire and wore a gray robe, with even part of her face covered with gauze, revealing only a pair of calm eyes.
Behind her, there were several servants who were also fully armed. Each of them wore an ankle-length robe, gloves, and even had a thick layer of cloth wrapped around the soles of their shoes, as if they were afraid of bringing the filth of the outside world into the mansion.
"Welcome home, Miss."
Mrs. Gwen looked her over and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she was in good condition. She then raised her hand and said, "Please follow me."
Zhu Yu obediently followed her into the front yard, only to find that the place had been rearranged.
A temporary shed was built near the gate, with several wooden barrels filled with herbs and disinfectants placed underneath. The air was filled with a faint scent of disinfectant.
Mrs. Gwen explained as they walked: "In order to prevent the plague from invading, strict sanitary protection measures have been established in the mansion."
"Recently, all servants who go out must undergo full body disinfection and inspection here upon their return to ensure that no germs are brought into the mansion."
She pointed to a registration table next to the shed: "Everyone's travel time, contact with people, and whether they have abnormal symptoms will be recorded in detail here."
Zhu Yu secretly marveled at Mrs. Gwen's thoughtful arrangements.
She stood under the shed, her coat was taken off, sprayed with chemicals and placed aside. The servants gently sprayed her clothes with disinfectant spray, making sure every part was thoroughly treated. Her hands were also washed with a special chemical, and even her hair was lightly sprayed before it was finished.
Finally, she took off her shoes and put on the clean shoes Mrs. Gwen had prepared in advance.
After putting on the new shoes, she followed the instructions, slowly stepped into the wooden basin soaked with herbal solution, and stood still for a moment to allow the liquid to fully soak the soles of her shoes.
Afterwards, the servant handed her a clean cloth and she bent down to wipe the shoe surface clean. After making sure everything was ready, she walked out of the disinfection area.
When the disinfection procedure was completed, Mrs. Gwen nodded with satisfaction and took Zhu Yu into the mansion.
However, before Zhu Yu had time to sit down and rest in the hall, he was taken directly upstairs.
"Miss, according to the rules, you still need to take a shower and change into a new set of thoroughly disinfected clothes."
Zhu Yu: “…”
She looked at Mrs. Gwen's determined eyes, and finally could only sigh helplessly and walked towards the bathroom resignedly.
After washing away the tiredness from the journey, Zhu Yu changed into clean clothes, walked out of the bathroom impatiently, and asked Mrs. Gwen about the latest situation in the town.
Mrs. Gwen had obviously expected her to ask this question, and answered calmly:
"The plague has indeed appeared in the town, but the situation is still under control and there has not been a large-scale outbreak."
She paused and added: "Most of the infected people detected so far are from the West District."
The West District is where civilians live in the town of Arce.
Zhu Yu's heart sank, and the civilian neighborhoods he saw when he was conducting the comfort activities in Victoria City emerged in his mind.
The houses there are small and dilapidated, the alleys are crowded, and there is almost no good sanitary conditions.
She sighed silently.
Whenever faced with a disaster, the first to suffer are always the poorest and most helpless civilians.
However, the good news was that the plague situation in the town was not as serious as she had imagined.
There are no infected people in the neighborhood where her mansion is located, and many shops, including her Golden Cup Tavern, are still operating normally.
"What about the nearby towns?" she continued.
"No plague-infected people have been found in the villages and cities to the south," Mrs. Gwen answered truthfully.
After hearing the news, Zhu Yu's tension was slightly relieved.
But she is very clear that the current situation is still uncertain, and no one can guarantee that there will be no new variables as time goes by.
Just as she was thinking about the current situation, Mrs. Gwen suddenly spoke:
"Miss, regarding your knighthood...is it true?"
Although she tried her best to remain calm, her eyes still revealed surprise and shock that were difficult to conceal.
Zhu Yu smiled slightly: "This identity, whether true or false, is beneficial to us and harmless."
Mrs. Gwen's eyes moved slightly when she heard this, as if she understood something from Zhu Yu's attitude.
She didn't ask any more questions, but calmed down, then lowered her voice and whispered in her ear:
"Miss, there's news from Lady Janet - tonight, 'old time, old place.'"
Zhu Yu nodded: "I understand, you should prepare yourself when the time comes."
Such a big change has taken place in her, it would be strange if the people on Mrs. Janet's side were not curious.
It just so happened that she also had a lot to tell them.
*
"Hey, look, our Knight of Light is here."
Sera leaned against the wall with her arms across her chest, her tone was somewhat sarcastic and deliberately drawn out, and she looked up and down at Zhu Yu who walked in.
As soon as she finished speaking, the wizards in the room turned their eyes towards the door.
Some looked surprised, some were full of confusion, and some stepped back slightly with a hint of vigilance and fear in their eyes.
But Zhu Yu seemed to have not heard Sera's ridicule at all, and didn't even give her the slightest extra expression. He just walked straight to the front.
When she stood still, everyone noticed that there was a woman in a gray cloak following her.
Someone in the crowd was suddenly stunned, and then shouted in surprise:
"Lida? Aren't you infected with the plague? Are you okay?!"
Hearing the familiar name, more people showed surprised expressions, and their eyes were focused on the woman who was emaciated by the plague.
Lida didn't say much. She slowly raised her hand, lifted her sleeve, and revealed her arm covered with black spots.
For an instant, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
"plague?"
"She's not well yet! How can she come in?"
Panic sounds rang out one after another, and the wizards retreated reflexively, with some even ready to cast their spells.
However, Zhu Yu held Lida's hand and kept her there steadily. Then he raised his head, glanced at everyone calmly, and said in a leisurely voice:
"I invited her here."
"Because I just want to prove one thing."
As she finished speaking, she spread out her palms, and the light golden purifying power condensed at her fingertips, covering Lida's arms like a warm stream of light.
In an instant, the black spots seemed to be washed away by the evaporating water vapor, fading, peeling off, and finally disappearing.
After a moment, Lyda looked down at her arm, as if she couldn't believe what she saw, and touched her skin that had been devoured by the disease with trembling hands.
Smooth, warm, and nothing unusual.
"Is this...really okay?"
A brave wizard stepped forward cautiously and gently touched Lida's arm. After feeling her warm and smooth skin, he suddenly opened his eyes wide, and his tone was filled with surprise and disbelief:
"She's really better!"
The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.
The wizards who had been skeptical and resistant before suddenly gathered around.
"Can plague really be cured?"
"But... isn't this the holy art of the Knight of Light? Is she really a knight?"
Facing this series of questions, Zhu Yu walked down the stairs slowly, stopped in front of Sera, and raised his chin slightly:
"When I was treating her just now, you should have also felt the fluctuation of magic power, right?"
Her words were meaningful.
If she was really just a Knight of Light, the wizard's perception would not have any reaction.
But if the magic power she releases when casting spells can be sensed by wizards... then her true identity is self-evident.
Sera stared into her eyes, silent for a few seconds, then snorted and looked away.
At this moment, Mrs. Janet's voice interrupted, breaking the tense atmosphere in the room.
"Okay, calm down everyone."
She walked forward with a smile, stretched out her hand and gently patted Zhu Yu's shoulder.
Then she looked around and said gently:
"Since everyone has witnessed Miss Draka's identity as a wizard, then don't worry about other details. Her willingness to act as a 'Knight of Light' is undoubtedly a great help to the Conclave."
"Now, we should focus on more important things - let the meeting officially begin."
Her words calmed the restless atmosphere in the venue a little.
"Yes, she cured Lyda, anyway."
"Indeed... If she really has the power of purification, then perhaps we don't have to be afraid of the plague anymore..."
The whispers gradually died down, and the wizards gradually quieted down, preparing to get down to business at the meeting.
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