Chapter 1026: Poisoning (2)

"They’ve been poisoned. And it’s a very potent poison."

Hearing that, everyone’s faces grew somber.

"Poison? Are you sure, Sister?" Elina asked seriously.

Freya didn’t answer right away. She walked over to one of the soldiers, crouched down, and checked his pulse.

Under everyone’s curious gaze, she nodded and said calmly, "It’s the same poison I found in my soldiers at the northern border last time."

She stood up and turned toward Elina, Evalyn, and the mages.

"The name of the poison is still unknown, but I call it Sarofang. It’s a dangerous poison that slowly erodes a person’s life while causing excruciating pain. If it isn’t treated within two hours, the person will die and... rot."

Her explanation shocked everyone.

"Within two hours, the person who was poisoned will die and... rot?" the mage repeated in horror, covering her mouth with her right hand.

Everyone was speechless, exchanging nervous glances.

"Wait, Your Highness," Evalyn suddenly broke the silence. "You said at the border? If I’m not mistaken, you were there to prevent a possible attack by the forces of the Holy Valtanir Empire, right? Is the poison afflicting these soldiers—"

"Yes, you’re right," Freya interrupted. "They’re most likely responsible. The rebel forces wreaking havoc in the southern region have also been infiltrated by them—or perhaps even orchestrated by them."

Tension instantly gripped everyone. They swallowed hard in unison. Some of them had already guessed who was behind the chaos in the southern region.

After all, the Great Velmora Empire had only one enemy—the Holy Valtanir Empire. Freya’s words, however, indirectly confirmed their suspicions.

"B-But how is that possible? I mean, we’re so far from the border right now. Did they send spies to poison us?" the mage asked hesitantly.

"I don’t know. The situation isn’t clear yet." Freya shook her head. "What I do know is that the poison does indeed come from the Holy Valtanir Empire, and it hasn’t been widely disseminated yet. So, only I and a few high-ranking military officials know about it. Thankfully, though, we already have an antidote."

She took a piece of paper from the pocket of her armor and asked the mage for a pen.

The mage immediately fetched one and handed it to her.

Freya wrote down the recipe and handed the paper back.

"Here’s the recipe. We keep it in the medical supply area. I’ve already prepared the antidote."

"Y-You’ve already prepared it?" Elina asked in surprise.

"In war, preparations must be flawless."

Freya shrugged.

"All right, let’s leave everything to the mages. Elina, Evalyn, come with me. We’ll check the source."

Freya’s gaze shifted toward the river where the three of them had been drinking earlier.

***

The sound of the rushing river drowned out the silence among the surrounding trees.

Elina, Evalyn, and Freya stopped at the riverbank.

Elina stared at the river and asked, "Is this river the cause?"

"Most likely. The fastest way to poison someone is through water," Freya replied indifferently.

She crouched down, picked up a stone, and threw it into the river.

The stone sank without a trace.

She picked up another stone and threw it in as well.

Elina and Evalyn didn’t understand what she was doing, but they chose to remain silent.

Freya stood up and walked downstream. After walking about twenty meters, she stopped. She picked up another stone and threw it into the river.

This time, something surprising happened.

The stone didn’t sink. Instead, it floated on the surface.

Freya repeated the test three times, and she was finally convinced that this was where the poison was located.

She picked up another stone and threw it a little farther, about five meters from where she stood. As the stone fell into the water and sank, she gave a slight nod.

"Did you find anything?"

Freya stood up and turned toward Elina and Evalyn.

"Sarofang poison has a unique characteristic. It’s very heavy. When it dissolves in water, it doesn’t simply disappear. The area affected by the poison remains in place, even when the river’s current is very strong."

She pointed toward the stone that had floated to the surface.

"That’s where the poison is. No wonder only a few dozen soldiers were affected while the others weren’t. They must have swallowed water from that area."

Elina and Evalyn were startled. They walked closer to the poisoned area and stared intently at the stone.

"It’s actually floating," Evalyn whispered in amazement.

This was the first time she had ever seen something that seemed to defy common sense.

"So now everything is clear. The poison is the culprit. The question now is..."

Elina’s face grew somber.

"Who’s responsible? Is there a spy among the soldiers?"

A tense silence fell over them.

Freya closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

"I have a hunch, but I don’t dare say it."

Elina turned toward her and nodded.

"Just say it, Sister. It’s just the three of us here."

Freya opened her eyes and glanced indifferently at the river.

"I suspect Duke Malvain is collaborating with the rebel forces."

As soon as those words were spoken, Elina and Evalyn’s expressions grew tense. But neither of them denied it.

It would be a lie to say they hadn’t had similar thoughts, especially after seeing Duke Malvain remain calm and completely unflustered at the time.

"Are you saying the person who poisoned us is an enemy working under Duke Malvain?" Elina guessed.

"Something like that," Freya admitted. "But I don’t dare say I’m a hundred percent sure. After all, it’s still just speculation."

Elina was silent for a few moments before nodding in agreement.

Unfortunately, they had no evidence, so they couldn’t pursue the matter any further.

She turned around and ordered, "Let’s go back. We’ll check on the soldiers’ condition."

***

When Elina, Freya, and Evalyn returned, the soldiers who had been sick earlier already looked much better. They had regained consciousness.

"How are they doing?" Elina asked.

The mage walked toward her with a relieved smile.

"They’re safe now, Your Highness. It’s all thanks to the medicine Princess Freya prescribed."

Elina smiled in relief.

After exchanging a few more words, Elina asked Freya and Evalyn to return to their tent.

But Freya refused. She wanted to see the soldiers’ progress with her own eyes. She was afraid there might be complications later. If she stayed there, she’d be ready to help them if anything happened.

Evalyn felt the same way. She wanted to keep an eye on the soldiers’ condition.

Elina didn’t press them and returned to her tent.

However, as she was about to enter, she didn’t go inside right away. Instead, she walked a little farther away and stopped beneath one of the trees.

"Cassiopeia," she called.

Whoosh!

Cassiopeia appeared before her, wearing a black fox mask.

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Elina leaned her back against the tree trunk. Her gaze turned cold as she stared into the distance.

"I want you to check something..."