Chapter 107: The Last Morning

Accompanied by Eckdin and several other elderly clan chieftains, Evlinna appeared in the center of the camp. She wore a feathered headdress, and around her neck still hung the ornament made of strung beast fangs. In her hand she held a staff carved with colorful patterns and topped with a hollowed-out stone. She walked toward us with an imposing air.

She gestured for the people to release us. Several young men obeyed her instruction unwillingly. Of course, they were not gentle when they untied us. When untying Fred’s ropes, two of them deliberately tightened the ropes again. Fred did not mind their rudeness. In fact, standing in their shoes, we could understand why they acted the way they did. They had every reason to attack us. Even if they killed us right now, we would have nothing more to say in our defense. Our anger did not come from the attack against us, but from the heart-wrenching insult they had hurled at Millia.

“Outsiders, your healer has also been struck by divine punishment. Is this true?” Evlinna said sternly to us. At this moment, she was not the little girl who made people want to cherish and protect her. She was the only direct blood relative of the High Priest, the leader of all the indigenous people, and the most respected person among everyone present.

“She willingly infected herself with the plague. She is using her own body to test medicine for your people!” Fred said loudly. By now, his clothes were torn and ragged, and his face was black and blue. He was completely different from the always-handsome young General I knew.

“If you are friendly, then why did divine punishment fall upon her?” Evlinna pressed on. Her expression looked frighteningly serious, yet so dignified it was convincing.

“I will say it again…” Fred gradually regained his composure, and his voice slowly deepened. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, slowly straightened his back, and a pained expression crossed his face from his sore muscles. “Millia voluntarily accepted this punishment in order to understand the power of divine punishment. Only by doing so could she better understand this suffering, and thereby relieve your people of it. She is close to succeeding. I guarantee it!”

“How can you prove that?” Eckdin spoke up loudly from the side.

“The High Priest is still alive, and every time Millia treats him, he shows signs of improvement.” This was the hardest thing for us to prove, so Fred had no choice but to brace himself and answer. “If we truly intended to harm the High Priest, we would only need to linger here doing nothing, and he would already be dead. You are not lacking in wisdom, sir. You can tell right from wrong.”

The most prestigious among those indigenous people responded to us with a long silence. Then they whispered among themselves. Evlinna gestured for everyone to be quiet and then said loudly to us,

“I can trust you for now. But from this moment on, you are not allowed to walk freely in our camp. Wherever you go, one of my people must be present. If you cannot cure the High Priest within three days, you will become sacrifices to God Lumburi to calm his anger. Do you understand?”

“Isn’t that condition too lenient?”

“God Lumburi will not be satisfied with his sacrifices!”

…

Many noisy shouts rose from around us. Those rough men were yelling loudly, expressing their displeasure with Evlinna’s decision.

“This is the decision of the bearer of God Lumburi’s divine artifact. Any more questions?” Suddenly, Evlinna stamped her staff on the ground and shouted. Silence spread through the entire camp like a plague. All the discontented grumbling vanished into thin air in an instant. Even if a few still felt resentment in their hearts, they could only glare at Evlinna in frustration without daring to say a word.

“…Perhaps having only them as sacrifices is not enough. But I think God Lumburi would surely like someone who has worn a spirit artifact as a sacrifice. For example… me.” Evlinna’s following words startled me and Fred: She was actually willing to share life and death with us? Not just us – everyone present was astonished. A hubbub of noise began to pass through the crowd again, but this time the emotion people expressed was different. Everyone who looked at Evlinna now wore an expression of respect, and this respect was even stronger than what they showed toward the elders beside her.

“Outsiders, go back to the tent. I want to see your healer.” With that, Evlinna walked toward the tent. We followed close behind.

“Sister Millia…” The moment she stepped into the tent, Evlinna dropped her leader’s facade. Without hiding her feelings at all, she threw herself beside Millia’s sickbed and sobbed quietly.

By this time, Millia had already woken up. She gently stroked Evlinna’s tearful eyes, looking at her with a smile. “I’m sorry, sister lied to you. Your grandfather is very sick, very dangerous. But sister promises that she will cure him. Don’t worry, good girl, don’t worry…”

She struggled to get up again, and Fred stepped forward to support her. She frowned and shook her head, signaling that Fred wasn’t wearing gloves.

“We only have three days left, Millia. What’s there to be afraid of?” Fred forced himself to squeeze out a smile, but that was very difficult for his face, which had been beaten out of shape.

Hearing his words, Millia stopped insisting. She placed her hand in Fred’s palm, stood up from the bed, and slowly moved to the table piled with medicines.

“Just now, when I was half-conscious, I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest. I wanted to cough but couldn’t. That’s something I never noticed while I was fully awake. We may have neglected research on the respiratory system. Simply because the disease does not spread through the respiratory route, concluding that it causes no damage to the respiratory system – that lacks any basis. Fred, the lives of tens of thousands of patients depend on this!” As she spoke, Millia’s eyes shone brightly, and her hands never stopped working. The brief unconsciousness had given her some degree of rest, and she looked much more spirited now than before. Fred quietly stayed by her side, constantly fetching special medicine ingredients at her instruction, or mixing several drugs together and heating them as she directed. The brief calm relaxed his mood. He busied himself at his beloved’s behest, savoring this moment of happiness.

“Evlinna, if your grandfather runs a fever again, give him a bottle of this medicine. Of course, it won’t work as well as when I go treat him in person, but… I’m truly sorry. For now, this will have to do…” As she spoke apologetically, Millia had me take out several small bottles filled with yellow liquid and hand them to Evlinna.

“Sister Millia, don’t… Don’t say that. We should be the ones thanking you. You did this for us… for us…” Looking at the medicine bottles, Evlinna could not hold back her tears. At this moment, she looked so weak and helpless, no different from any ordinary girl in need of protection and care. Who could have imagined that just moments ago, this girl had saved my life and Fred’s in front of over a thousand wild grown men – and without any hesitation, trading her own life for ours.

“Is it worth it? Doing this?” On the way to the High Priest’s tent, I held the medicine bottles and asked Evlinna quietly, “You might die together with us.”

“I saw the entire course of events with my own eyes, Mr. Gid,” she answered in a low voice. “When I learned that Sister Millia had also… also fallen ill, I was angry too. I thought you had deceived me.” She deliberately used the word “ill” instead of calling it “divine wrath” as their tradition dictated. I didn’t know what that meant.

“But your behavior didn’t seem like you were deceiving us. Mr. Gid, I have a pair of eyes. I may be foolish and ignorant, but I think I can tell friends from enemies. Your feelings for Sister Millia – yours and Mr. Guderian’s – are sincere. I can see that. And… and…” She lowered her head, her face reddening.

“And… you are Mr. Roll’s… friends. Anyone Mr. Roll was willing to guard with his life, I thought… well… couldn’t be a bad person.”

“Sister Millia said I could become your friend. I think… I should do something for my friends, right? If we really have to die together this time, I won’t resent anyone. This was my own decision. I don’t regret it…”

“…And besides, I’m doing this mainly for my people. I don’t know why, but I always feel that placing my people’s lives in your hands, in Sister Millia’s hands, is safer than placing them in the hands of the gods. Oh dear, that’s blasphemy, isn’t it?” She playfully stuck out her tongue, looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then continued, “But really, I truly do feel that way. If Sister Millia can tie her own life to the lives of my people, then I should do the same. This is my responsibility. If – I mean if – my judgment is wrong, then I should take responsibility for my decision, use my life to beg God Lumburi’s forgiveness, and save my people. Isn’t this what I should do?”

“Isn’t this what I should do?” Perhaps so. But I had never seen many people in high positions with such awareness – tying their own lives so closely to those of their people, using their own blood to buy their people’s happiness and well-being, and then saying flatly, “Isn’t this what I should do?” treating such a great deed as a matter of course. I only knew Fred was this kind of leader. Perhaps Crown Prince Louis of the Winston Empire was also such a person. It was no exaggeration to say that with just this one sentence, the young girl beside me already had ample qualification to stand shoulder to shoulder with the greatest rulers of our time, in no way inferior. Perhaps she would live her whole life on this remote frontier land, never having seen even a single brick-and-stone building. But spiritually, she was far nobler than many great monarchs who held countless prosperous cities in their hands. Many tyrants who ran wild because of their noble blood were not even fit to carry this little girl’s shoes – of course, she didn’t wear shoes, which was a problem not easily solved.

“You’re really something, Evlinna. Having a friend like you, we all feel honored…” I said sincerely, then added mischievously, “Especially Roll.”

As I expected, the girl’s face flushed bright red, the color of dawn spreading from her forehead all the way to the back of her head. Her face was hotter than a patient running a high fever. It really made one wonder whether she had actually caught the terrible plague.

She had caught a different kind of plague – an incurable disease that no young man or woman in this world can escape, one that everyone must catch. Its name is probably “love.” I had once been puzzled by the mighty power of this feeling, but Poirot told me that sooner or later, I would meet a girl who would be the death of me. I hadn’t met mine yet. I wondered – this time, had my cold-faced friend Roll met his?

Evlinna snatched the medicine bottles from my hand and ran toward the High Priest’s tent with her head down, leaving me alone outside. Even though, when I was alone, the indigenous people’s hateful glares flew recklessly at my face, my mood was still very good. I temporarily pushed those worrying matters to the back of my mind. Even if we truly had little time left, being able to see something beautiful before dying could still leave us with a beautiful memory of this world, right?

I wanted to laugh, but only then did I feel my face twitch, and sharp pain followed, drilling from between my teeth straight into my skull.

Those indigenous people really hit hard! I rubbed my cheek, thinking. Somehow, the anger that had burned in me when they insulted Millia had vanished without a trace. I only felt that every face glaring at me in fury was so adorable that I couldn’t help wanting to wave and smile at them.

Many times, the mood of a special person can truly change your mood. When the person closest to you feels happiness, you catch it and become happy too, don’t you? Then, I hope you can carry this happiness forward and pass it to more people, kind and merciful little girl. Watching Evlinna’s figure disappear into the tent, I silently sent her my blessing.

…

During these two days, every moment had been torment for Fred.

Millia’s condition kept worsening. Every day, she fell into unconsciousness from fever more and more times. Many times, we were truly afraid she would just sleep like that forever and never wake again. When Millia realized that at this rate she couldn’t even stay clear-headed for a moment, she finally began taking fever-reducing medicine. She relied on the simple and powerful effect of those drugs to buy herself moments of lucidity. Those drugs had severe side effects, making Millia’s appetite – already weakened by the high fever – even worse. During those two full days, she lived only on hot water and a very small amount of fruit.

Although we could help her with some of the heavy work under her direction, many delicate tasks still had to be done by her own hands. Whenever we stood by helplessly, watching Millia drag her sick body through various experiments, a feeling of shame would always rise in our hearts.

This young woman was fighting the Grim Reaper with all her vitality and intellect, and we couldn’t help at all. At times like this, Fred always fell into deep conflict: he couldn’t bear to watch Millia destroy her body like this, but neither could he stand by and let the illness take his beloved’s life. His mood was like a shadow, wavering between two kinds of pain. The only thing he could do was berate his own incompetence, his powerlessness at the moment Millia needed help most.

Seeing Fred like this, Millia always comforted him, saying, “It’s all right. I’m very afraid of death too, after all. This is also saving my own life. You’ve been through countless battles, and I was never able to help you much. Now, this is my battle. As long as you’re here, watching me, that itself is a great help to me.”

Just as she said, we had been through many battles, but never once had we voluntarily placed ourselves in a position of certain death, risking our lives to save the lives of unrelated people. We were warriors who killed, not healers who saved. Compared to our battles, Millia’s battle was so kind and noble, and so breathtaking!

The only thing that brought Fred comfort was that he had also caught this terrible plague. On the morning of the second day, black spots appeared on his arm, accompanied by a low-grade fever. He got sick, yet he was glad, because it made him feel closer to Millia. Although due to differences in physical condition and transmission routes, the severity of his illness could not be compared to Millia’s, it still brought him an inexplicable comfort.

Strangely, I even took the opportunity when they weren’t looking to drink from their cups and eat from their plates, but I never developed the same symptoms. I suppose I was one of those rare people with “immunity,” as Millia would say. The existence of such a thing was utterly irrational – people as noble as them had no defense against this disease, while an ordinary nobody like me didn’t need to fear it. If the God of Fate truly existed, then he must be a mischievous fellow, which was why he arranged such unfathomable destinies for people.

Finally, our – mainly Millia’s – hard work bore fruit. Late in the night of the third day, a bottle of azure-blue liquid appeared before us, carrying our last hope. According to Millia, this medicine mainly targeted the respiratory system, unlike the previous medicines that targeted the digestive system and blood circulation. Although I didn’t fully understand what she said, my intuition told me this medicine would work. And that was enough.

Under our pleading and hopeful gazes, Millia drank the medicine, and then I helped her to bed to rest. Fred was not present through this whole process. He had been kneeling outside the door the entire time, praying unceasingly to the Supreme God Daremoth. He stubbornly believed that our being in danger was caused by his misjudgment, which meant his luck was bad. If he were present when Millia took the medicine, even a good medicine might lose its effect. Before this, my friend had never believed in such ridiculous things, but now he piously did as his thoughts dictated. Though I knew it was absurd, I didn’t find it funny.

As soon as Millia fell asleep, I walked out of the tent. Several indigenous warriors, afraid we might escape, would not let us go far. I leaned against one of the tent poles, watching the indigenous people busy in the distance. They were stacking dry firewood into a high platform, with four wooden posts driven into it. The indigenous warriors guarding the entrance told us that this was the sacrifice platform prepared for us and Evlinna. Why didn’t they pour oil on the firewood? That would make the fire burn faster and spare us some suffering from the smoke during our execution. Perhaps they didn’t know oil existed. Huh, why was I thinking about that? It didn’t seem like an appropriate thought.

I raised my head and looked at the sky. The weather was clear tonight. The moon was bright, but the stars were few. I didn’t know what kind of world was hidden up there beyond the heavens. Perhaps the well-known deities of our world lived up there – next to Daremoth lived Vesta the God of War, and Shilemduoa the God of Wealth passed by their doors every day in a gold-plated chariot, showing off his riches. Next to the God of Wealth’s resplendent and magnificent residence stood a shabby tent, where a fellow named Lumburi lived. He lived there in obscurity, so much so that most deities did not even know he existed.

For a moment, my own thought amused me, and I nearly laughed. But I soon calmed down. A heavier feeling weighed on my chest, and I could not laugh. For the first time in my life, I prayed devoutly to the God of Wealth. As one of his ordinary followers – not loyal, but not rebellious either – I sincerely begged him to find a way, to use his wealth to bribe the Supreme God Daremoth and the Death Goddess Tefreelimeilansi, to save Millia’s life. They had to understand – what they would be saving was not just one person’s life, but the lives of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands. This small bribe would be money well spent.

Time always passed quickly when waiting aimlessly. In the blink of an eye, dawn had arrived. Evlinna walked toward us, accompanied by many tribal chieftains. She had already removed the neck ornament symbolizing the High Priest’s authority and held it with both hands, ready to hand it over to someone else at any moment. She looked a little nervous, but she was still smiling at us. This was the last morning. Our fate, Evlinna’s fate, the fate of tens of thousands of patients and hundreds of thousands of indigenous people – all would be revealed in a moment.

Seeing them arrive, Fred ended his all-night prayer and walked into the tent with me. On the bed, Millia lay quietly, pale-faced, with no sign of rising and falling in her chest. It was impossible to tell whether she was alive or dead.

I didn’t know why I felt so calm in my heart at a time like this. I even thought that if Millia died, it might not be such a bad thing. At least she would be free from pain and spared from the torment of the flames. After so many things in just a few short days, I felt as if I no longer cared about life or death. Instead, I could more easily think about things more important than my own life.

For example, how much was that bribe of the God of Wealth worth, exactly?

Fred walked slowly toward Millia. He placed his hand on his beloved’s face, and suddenly his whole body jolted. Whether from grief or excitement, he began trembling all over. He gently stroked Millia’s pale face. Tears he could not hold back streamed down as he whispered her name by her ear, calling her with all his tenderness. After a while, Millia still showed no reaction.

The chieftains’ faces turned grim. Some of them, who had usually been friendlier to us, now wore looks of disappointment. Eckdin could not bear to look at Evlinna. His hands trembling, he reached to take the sacred ornament from her. The girl and I exchanged a glance. Her eyes looked a little dim, but there was not a trace of regret in them.

“Help me up, will you?” Just as I was about to walk out of the tent with the composure of a warrior, a familiar voice came from the bed. I turned back in delighted surprise and saw Millia blinking her tired eyes. She was so pale and thin, but her eyes were as clear and beautiful as glass, shining with the luster of life.

In that instant, a surge of ecstasy rushed through my heart, almost making me cry out loud. I didn’t know how to express my joy. I rushed to Millia’s bedside like an arrow and grabbed her right hand. Her right hand was soft and warm, and because she was so thin, I could easily feel the rhythm of her pulse through her skin. I threw my arms around Fred, hugging him tightly. From the trembling of his body, I could feel my dear friend’s joy and happiness. He had completely lost the power of speech, only pounding my shoulders and back with force, as if, had he not done so, his chest would have burst from sheer happiness.

The moment she woke, Millia immediately remembered her duty. Ignoring the undignified behavior of the two men before her, she gently raised her left hand and waved it in a friendly manner toward the girl standing at the entrance of the tent.

“Evlinna, your people are saved.”