Chapter 455: The Black Dragon’s Protection?

"Kraw?"

The two Kobolds stared blankly, their mouths hanging open, before quickly growing tense.

"L-L-L-Lord! Are you saying we’re sick, too?!"

"How long do we have left?"

"I haven’t even laid any eggs yet, AHHHH—"

’So this one’s a female?’

Faced with the two Kobolds’ sudden emotional outburst, Ron tried to speak several times but couldn’t think of how to console them. He coughed twice, which made the two Kobolds instinctively fall silent. Only then did he sigh. "I never said that. I was just a little curious. You haven’t felt unwell at all?"

’A large lizard’s body temperature is usually a bit lower than a human’s. I’m not sure if it’s the same for Kobolds, but it shouldn’t be too different. After all, reptiles in general don’t have very high body temperatures.’

"Like a fever, for instance?"

Ron pointed to a patient on the floor. The two Kobolds copied what Ron had done earlier, raising their hands to touch their own foreheads.

"Nope." "Hiss... It’s not hot."

They were responsible for carrying the patients, so they knew firsthand what the sick were like. Yet their own scales were cool to the touch, with none of that burning heat. Thinking more carefully, they also weren’t thirsty like the patients, and their appetites were as hearty as ever.

"Could it be a matter of species?" Ron raised an eyebrow. He turned to observe the patients. They weren’t only human; an Elf, a Half-Elf, Dwarves, a goblin, and even a Dragon Descendant lay on the ground. If this sudden plague discriminated by species, the Dragon Descendant, at least, should have been in slightly better shape.

But the reality was that only the Kobolds were still active. The former tavern servers had become caretakers, bustling in and out as they looked after and moved the patients.

’Then again, the sample might be biased. This is a Kobold-run tavern, after all. Using it to house the sick makes this scene perfectly normal.’

"What about the Divine Hall? How are Priestess Buni and the others?" Ron asked.

"My Lord, there’s no need to ask them. These two little ones don’t know much."

Before the two Kobolds could answer, a somewhat aged voice drifted down from the stairwell.

Ron turned to see a Kobold, flanked by three or four others of its kind, slowly descending the steps that were rather tall for him. When he stood before Ron, he bowed with practiced ease, clearly having done so many times before.

Ron recognized him. He was Morlo, one of the two Kobold Flame Shamans, and Ron had dealt with him on many occasions. Since moving into the city, the Shaman had long since abandoned his simple wooden staff in favor of a pine walking cane. The tattered scraps of cloth tied around his head had also been replaced with a solid red strip.

He wore a small, custom-made linen outfit that looked rather proper. In the dim light, most people would probably mistake him for a young Dwarf.

"Morlo, you’re here too," Ron said with a nod. "Good. Tell me, what exactly has happened in the days we’ve been away?"

"I was sent by the great Aiksuuri to care for the patients here. As for..."

"As for the specifics, I’m afraid I do not know," the Flame Shaman sighed softly. "I only know that during a tremor three days ago, an ominous aura seemed to flow out from the distant mountains. We have no idea what that aura was, only that all drinking water and food became contaminated in a very short amount of time. Even the very air was not spared."

"Although Lord Ivendel and Lady Constance, who are managing the territory in your absence, immediately ordered the rationing of food and water, it still took time to implement the directive. In that brief window, some residents fell ill, and it quickly spun out of control."

"Under Priestess Buni’s command, the Priests immediately began using Divine Magic to create emergency food and water and brought out supplies from the storehouses. But strangely, these items would also become contaminated soon after being brought out into the open. With no other choice, everyone could only prepare and use them on the spot. But this slowed the treatment efforts, and what’s worse, many of the Priests themselves became infected..."

The Flame Shaman wasn’t a Caster who relied heavily on academic knowledge, and Morlo had focused most of his power into Fireball Magic. He knew very little about disease and plagues. After a moment’s hesitation, he decided to relay the others’ conclusions to Ron verbatim:

"According to the deductions of Priestess Buni and the Alchemist, Lavinia, this is likely no ordinary plague. They believe there is Magic at work behind it. As for what kind of Magic, what the vector is, or where the source lies... they have yet to figure that out."

Morlo looked at Ron, his eyes filled with hope. In his mind, the Lord was the most powerful and wisest being aside from the great Aiksuuri, surely capable of saving this disaster-ravaged land.

’Even though most of the Kobolds hadn’t shown any symptoms, their fate was inextricably bound to Aiksuuri and the entire territory. He and his people... they couldn’t just stand by and watch the residents perish like this.’

’For ages, the stories passed down by word of mouth and carved into murals had all told of the friction and conflict between Kobolds and other races. Now that they had finally achieved this Transformation, how could they give it up so easily?’

"As for us... ahem, it’s my personal speculation," Morlo said, straightening his back. "We believe we have been shielded by the great Aiksuuri. We have always lived under the protection of the great Black Dragon’s wings, and perhaps that is why we have received this blessing. Even the great Aiksuuri himself isn’t sure if that’s truly the case, but after much thought, it seems to be the only possible answer."

"After all, he is one of the few who have not been afflicted by the plague."

"He’s fine, too?" Ron’s eyes brightened for a moment, then quickly dimmed again.

’No need to get so excited about Aiksuuri being fine. As a true Giant Dragon, a powerful creature that could survive on dirt and wind, an ultimate being that can utilize power by swallowing Magic Items whole—it would be stranger if something *did* happen to him.’

’But to say he protected the Kobolds... Ron was hesitant. If Aiksuuri were an ancient or even just an adult Giant Dragon, he wouldn’t be so surprised. But the dragon is nine years old, at best! Does he really have that kind of power?’

"Then what methods are you using to treat the patients now?" Ron’s words came faster. He needed to go elsewhere, to find others and gather more clues. Only then could he make an accurate judgment.

"...My Lord," Morlo said with a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Th-There is no method. We’re just trying things at random."

"Here, you see, these are the herbs we’re using. We’ve basically used up all of our stock, gambling on which one might work best..."