Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 334 No Source of Infection
Coughing and fever are symptoms of a cold, while bloodshot eyes can be explained by a lack of rest over a long period.

But an abnormal feeling of hunger is not.

However, Ethan could understand the diagnosis given by the doctor in Darkforge City. After all, the transmission characteristics of the ghoul virus are extremely demanding. Either one must have consumed human flesh or been bitten or scratched by a ghoul. If it was the latter, going to the Church of Life to cleanse the wound as soon as possible could effectively prevent the spread of infection.

In the book, Augustus the Witcher mentions that the purification spells of the Church of Life can effectively dispel the infection of dark creatures, and have a very significant suppressive effect on ghoul virus, werewolf virus, and vampire plague.

However, this was their first night in Darkhearth, and they had not been attacked by ghouls.

“I asked a former clergyman at the hospital to perform a purification ritual on me, but… it didn’t help.”

Ivy's voice sounded weak and listless, but she did not panic. Instead, she made a rational decision: "Tie me up, according to the book."

Tonight they were discussing the methods the Witcher Augustus used to help villagers infected with the ghoul virus, which gave them a 20% chance of recovery.

Of course, the treatment process is extremely painful.

In his book, Augustus the Witcher emphasizes that if one decides to use such methods, one must be ruthless. To illustrate this, he cites a real-life case in which a father, while rescuing his son, gave in to his son's plea and loosened the rope, only to be attacked.

When the other witchers arrived, their colleague had been devoured, leaving only half his body, and his son had been completely transformed into a ghoul.

Human will cannot overcome the biological instincts brought about by the ghoul virus.

This phrase is mentioned repeatedly in the Ghoul chapter.

"I can get through this."

Ivy gritted her teeth and said.

Ethan almost immediately recalled the symptoms he had experienced when he left the library. He had a brief hallucination on the street and, upon returning to the manor, even believed that the flesh of Grand Duke Bellamor must be incredibly delicious. After witnessing Ivy's condition, he realized that it was also a symptom of infection with the ghoul virus.

However, his resistance seemed to be slightly stronger than that of ordinary people, and the virus did not stay in his body for too long.

The question is, how exactly did he and Ivy get infected with the virus?

Since arriving in Darkhearth, they haven't even seen a ghoul.

Could it be... a lavish banquet prepared by the Duke of Belamore to welcome them?

Grand Duke Bellamor himself showed no signs of infection, and he ate more than anyone else at the dinner party. However, considering that in Fisher's novel, Grand Duke Bellamor was the culprit he believed to be, Ethan settled Ivy in and then summoned Grand Duke Bellamor, the cook, and all the waiters for the evening to the drawing room.

Ethan felt a little nauseous.

If the virus on him and Ivy wasn't transmitted through wounds, then it's the most traditional infection route in "Take You to Understand 100 Dark Creatures"—cannibalism.

This route of transmission is much faster and more severe than transmission through wounds. Augustus believed that it was almost impossible and unnecessary to cure. For this type of person, the best approach was to give them a clean and swift release.

The method to kill ghouls is simple: cut off their heads with a weapon. There are no restrictions on the weapon itself; it doesn't need to be a longsword enchanted by the Church of Life, or other items that are difficult for ordinary people to obtain.

Sometimes all you need is an axe.

These people had better not have mixed human flesh into yesterday's dinner.

An uneasy atmosphere spread through the hall, and Grand Duke Bellamor and his servants all secretly glanced at Ethan.

The new prime minister fell ill on his first day in Darkhearth and at the manor. If this were to be taken seriously, it could very well escalate into a serious political incident, especially since Ethan had specifically requested that the chef be brought along as well. Everyone's spirits sank to rock bottom.

"You believe... that someone poisoned Ivy?"

Grand Duke Bellamor asked cautiously, and the cook immediately knelt down in fright, crying out, "Innocent! I did nothing!"

This seemed to stir up the chef's deepest fears, because a year ago in Darkhearth City, convicting someone never required solid evidence, especially in cases like this. A simple suspicion was enough to send ordinary people like them to the gallows. This was an "advanced" concept proposed by the former presiding judge. In the process of reviewing cases, they found that collecting evidence and investigating suspects one by one was very time-consuming and energy-intensive. However, as long as every suspect was convicted and sentenced to death, the real culprit hidden among them would inevitably be brought to justice.

Simple and efficient.

With strong support from the church, the bill passed the council of seven with a 4-3 majority vote.

Just when everyone thought the chef would be the first unlucky one, Ethan suddenly spoke up, "You can go back now."

The chef was stunned at first; he could hardly believe his ears. After a moment, he thanked him repeatedly and then scrambled out of the hall.

Unlike the inquisition, which values ​​simplicity and efficiency, Ethan is a traditionalist detective who therefore resorts to some clumsy methods.

For example, they asked the senior student in the Electric Element class to help them understand the chef's mind and find out if he had "accidentally" mixed human flesh into tonight's banquet. The results of the investigation relieved Ethan. It turned out that the chef had been in this position for many years and was very experienced. He had served many important figures from the capital and knew very well the weight of the name Ivy Margaret in the Empire today.

Therefore, he didn't sleep all night and personally inspected every ingredient used in the banquet, ensuring that everything from vegetables to meat was perfect. From the moment he received the news, he didn't leave the kitchen for even a moment, and every dish provided for the banquet underwent his strict review.

It was a bizarre interrogation; the servants in the manor had never seen anything like it. There were no questions or answers; Ethan simply glanced at each of them, and they vaguely heard crackling sounds. Then Ethan would say, "You can go back now."

Then the servants would leave the hall with a sigh of relief and lingering fear.

The "interrogation" lasted for nearly an hour, until only Ethan and Grand Duke Bellamor remained in the large hall. The gas lamp on the table flickered, and Grand Duke Bellamor's forehead was covered in sweat. Ethan's gaze finally fell on him.

Unlike the servants, he suspected that Ethan was using some kind of mind-reading ability.

He had heard that similar spells existed among magicians and followers of the God of Truth.

"Excuse my bluntness, Mr. Ethan, but perhaps Ms. Ivy simply has a common cold. I've invited the best doctors in Darkhearth, and I trust their judgment..."

"A cold does not bring about a strong appetite."

Upon hearing this, Grand Duke Bellamor was taken aback.

This became the final link in the interrogation. However, the Duke of Belamore did not include the "strange meat" in tonight's dinner. Surprisingly, this slightly overweight nobleman welcomed their arrival with genuine warmth. After receiving the letter from Ivy, he decided to treat these visitors who had come all the way from the capital to a good meal.

Bellamor was well aware that the recent turmoil in Darkforge City had damaged their reputation elsewhere, and this was a crucial opportunity to change how the capital viewed them.

Ivy's sudden illness was completely unexpected, and his anxiety at this moment was no less than that of the servants in the manor.

"So, you think these are symptoms of turning into a ghoul."

Bellamor's face turned somewhat pale.

"I think you already know that Sheriff Shuga was murdered in his own home, and the monsters he kept failed to protect his house."

Ethan said, "We're talking about some kind of unusual ghoul that can silently sneak into people's homes and even clean up the scene after attacking its victims."

Grand Duke Bellamor's expression grew increasingly grim, and his resolve began to waver.

“I don’t think this is a coincidence. Don’t you think this scene looks familiar? Everyone who tries to investigate missing persons cases gets murdered. You could be next… If you don’t say anything now, I can’t help you.”

In fact, Ethan didn't need Bellamor to answer his questions; he just needed to guide him to recall something through conversation.

And he has achieved his goal.

After a moment's hesitation, Grand Duke Bellamor shook his head. "I know about the case from a year ago. It was a tragedy, but Shuga couldn't find any clues. The police believe that Mr. Fisher left Darkforge while investigating the case and was accidentally killed outside the city."

"This is not a very good attitude towards cooperation."

Ethan shook his head. "Let's start with your son then."

"No, how... how did you...?"

Grand Duke Bellamor was so shocked that he stood up from his chair. Everyone who knew this secret either left Darkforge or took it to their grave, and he was the last person to know it.

"You know this isn't a simple cold."

Same location, same symptoms, and same diagnosis.

"Next, Ivy will become parched. She will drink several buckets of water, but this will not relieve her thirst. The day after the symptoms appear, she will begin to hate sunlight, and the veins on her body will be clearly visible. Then, very likely that night, when the maid changes her water basin, she will suddenly attack from behind, knock the maid to the ground, and bite her neck—drinking blood is the only way to quench her thirst."

Ethan paused for a moment, then said, "The point is, after all these years, you still don't know how that child got infected, do you?"

(End of this chapter)