I find it very sacred to pick someone up and make them a saint.

"I made a profit."

Mien thought to himself immediately.

It doesn't mean they found a saintess, but rather that the Academy of Scholars finally recruited a top-tier student.

In the Cahill Empire, gifted children either choose to serve the royal family or enter the Holy See for a life of boundless possibilities.

It is fiercely contested by both sides every year.

In the two-option choice, 0 people wanted to join the academy of scholars who would spend their lives reading.

Therefore, the professors of the Academy had no choice but to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk with a few promising students after completing the unified basic education.

He asked with a smile:

Have you ever considered becoming a teacher?

"I see. So, do you enjoy academic research?"

"How about staying at the Academy?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Forehead……"

"..."

The reasons given were always exceptionally upsetting.

As a result, many professors have declared that they will resolutely stop engaging in this kind of recruitment work!

The top scorer in the country has arrived.

Putting aside the question of whether she's a saint or not, Mien intends to keep her by his side for the rest of his life.

"What's your name?" Mien asked, looking down.

"Luya..." The girl's eyes trembled slightly.

Where are your parents?

"I have no parents," she answered instinctively.

Mien saw no sadness on her face, as if this question no longer bothered her.

"Then how will you make a living?"

"Working in a tailor shop, ah, but..."

Lucia lost her job five days ago.

Mien could roughly guess what she meant:

He then unleashed another beam of holy light towards Lucia, lifting up the tattered cloth that had slipped from her clothes.

The bewildered girl grabbed her hands, which wrapped around her body like a cloak, and sat on the ground with her legs together in front of her.

She timidly looked up at him.

Mien's tone softened as she said, "Can you tell me what happened here?"

Lucia was still in shock.

She wanted to ask the person in front of her who he was and why he had saved her.

His sacred attire and aura seemed like those of a divine messenger, momentarily obscuring the sun behind him, stirring her heart with awe and reverence, and generating an intangible trust.

His stern and unsmiling demeanor exuded authority, which instilled a sense of fear in her, not the kind of fear one feels when facing an evil person.

This made her afraid to ask questions and she could only obediently answer what the other person said.

Lucia swallowed hard, calmed herself down, and began to speak seriously:

From the first patient three months ago... Tin Can Street has transformed from a poor but bustling neighborhood into a desolate and deserted place... every detail.

"And what about you?" Mien asked.

Lucia thought she had said something wrong, and quickly explained herself.

From a life that was barely enough to survive, a sudden change occurred, and suddenly, death was imminent...

"You mean you're infected too?" Mien frowned slightly.

Mien did not sense any trace of magic from Lucia.

If she did indeed contract the plague, then it means this was not an extraordinary phenomenon.

"I started to get weaker and weaker more than ten days ago, just like those people."

Ah...and here too.

Lucia reached out and brushed aside the hair on the left side of her head, but then lowered her head and buried her face in it.

Mien noticed the scar on the left side of her youthful face, which stretched from her ear to her eye.

It scabbed over, but blood was still seeping out faintly, before it congealed again.

Like the surrounding mud, it covered her fair little face.

"I see."

Lucia lowered her hand and then raised her head.

Mien unleashed his light magic once more, filling Lucia's entire body with light and penetrating deep within, carefully probing her form.

No malignant diseases were found.

She was just too weak.

The scars also couldn't heal properly because of repeated infections in this environment.

Lucia felt the energy from the holy light, which restored her vitality. She felt slightly warm and bit her lip without speaking.

Withdraw the Holy Light.

It seems that further investigation into the plague is needed.

Mien sighed inwardly. A disaster is not just a disaster in itself; its aftershocks are enough to destroy everything in the vicinity.

The root cause of the "curse" in the neighborhood must be addressed.

"Could you take me back to Tin Can Street one more time?"

Lucia was surprised, not knowing Mien's purpose, but quickly agreed.

Subconsciously, just like when I used to hear various orders from shop owners.

She grabbed the cloth with one hand and used the other hand to support herself as she stood up.

Beneath the tattered cloth, her clothes were worn and oversized, making her appear thin and small, with her slender, fair arms and calves exposed.

"Oh, by the way, you can call me Mien."

Lucia quickly greeted, "Lord Mien."

…………

We entered Iron Can Street not far from there.

The plague affected not only one street, but also the houses and the entire community extending from both sides.

It has now become almost a "ghost town".

The grocery stores and taverns still lined both sides, with small orchids peeking out from between the stone slabs and wind chimes hanging from the eaves.

But no one could be seen.

The weather remained sunny and clear, as if it had been magically purified, with the afternoon sun shining obliquely all around.

It was just a little cooler.

"Take me to the home of the first infected person."

"Okay," Lucia replied earnestly.

As Mien walked, he quietly dispersed his magic, searching everything in the ordinary street.

They were searching for possible supernatural powers, or patients infected with the plague.

A moment later, he noticed someone hiding to the side, watching them from a distance with a terrified look in their eyes.

Perhaps a person dressed neatly and smartly walking here would be more surprising than the plague.

You know, even noblemen would hold their noses when they see slums like this.

Mien remained impassive, yet subtly released his magic, which surrounded him.

—He was still not infected with any disease, just thin.

"How do the people who stay here make a living?"

Lucia replied, "Basic food and clothing services are still operating here. Although the plague continues, there has been no concentrated outbreak, and most people are afraid to leave."

Mien nodded, but sighed inwardly.

Although their academy of scholars was equivalent to the imperial bureaucracy, they did not have any major decision-making power.

The infighting among the empire's top brass intensified, making its decline an inevitable and unstoppable trend.

In Mien's own words, he could only do his best to preserve it within the limits of his power.

He did his best to protect himself, the Academy of Scholars, and academia, while also doing his best to protect the ordinary people within the Empire.

Mien had been here a few years ago, but the bustling atmosphere of the past was nowhere to be seen.

Along the way, we saw many more people, watching them from a distance between the houses.

None of them were infected with any diseases.

According to Professor Phyllis's report and Lucia's account, the plague here was exhibiting extreme "restraint".

Almost only one or two people are infected per month, and this continues in a continuous stream.

"A sacrifice?"

This was the first thought that flashed through Mien's mind.

This is a vocabulary word that hasn't appeared in the empire for a very, very long time.

Mien pondered this carefully. If this were true, it wouldn't be a good sign; it might even be the beginning of something.

It will bring unprecedented disasters to people.

As the chief scholar of the academy, he must take strong measures and nip it in the bud.

After all, he had the responsibility of managing the capital and thirteen cities; he had to take care of them even if others didn't.

Suddenly, Mien paused for a moment.

He discovered a path not far away.

A person is "standing" in an extremely contorted posture.

Although he was standing, his waist was bent sharply to one side, his eyes were closed, and he maintained his balance in an extremely bizarre way.

The young man was wearing loose, dirty clothes, looking like he had a hangover.

His trousers hung down, revealing half of his white underwear.

ha?

Mien couldn't help but scratch his head.

Is this really the "plague"?

I feel like I've seen this somewhere before.