Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 273 - 251: Guardian (5000 words, editor’s task 4/6, 5/6)

Nelson did not fear the new forms of Frey and the other twelve members of the legion, because the collective consciousness had told a story to these novice Paladins, a story about the Guardians.

When Lokarot was ravaged by the Black Death, fear and death flooded the city, and the corpses in the rivers could even block the water sources, with abandoned dead bodies strewn all over the streets. The ruling body of Lokarot had perished early on in the outbreak, and before the churches closed down, priests had sought assistance from the church.

The ones responsible for saving Lokarot were the newly established Guardians.

One of the four leaders of the Crusaders, Raphael Pembai was to come to rescue the city. Citizens who had long heard of his great name began to pray inwardly, some of them squatting at the city gates, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Paladins.

The Paladins indeed came, but among the arriving troops, there was no sight of Raphael. Moreover, these rough Paladins did not make much contact with them. They used Holy Light to scout each citizen of Lokarot, and those detected with the plague were escorted to a vast coliseum, a place where slaves once fought.

The people of Lokarot felt insulted, but worse, being together with other plague-infected individuals. Those who were healthy in body and believed themselves to be fine struggled desperately.

"You can’t lock me up with those doomed to die! You are committing murder! Cursed Paladins!"

The citizens began to panic, hiding from the Paladins, fearing that they would be diagnosed with the plague and be imprisoned together, dying from the disease.

The Guardians also used Holy Light to create a barrier outside the coliseum, preventing those inside from running out, while the Paladins and priests sat in a circle outside, ignoring the infected inside who were banging on the barrier and cursing them, devoutly chanting scriptures. Golden light particles fell upon the infected, but they were unaware.

In Raphael’s absence, an old priest named Vitim, a venerable elder and mentor to many Paladins, took charge of the situation. He had read medical books in his youth, and all these actions were his doing. The infected saw all this.

Vitim was the first to call upon the Guardians to chant scriptures outside the barrier, and even during his rest, he led the escorts to personally inspect the infected, carefully checking for abnormalities in their bodies.

At first, these measures were futile, and people still died in the quarantine zone, which led to the rebellion of other infected individuals. They screamed in terror, behaving like maniacs. Prostrate against the barrier, they looked at the devout old men chanting scriptures and spat out vicious and sinister curses, like demons from hell.

"Demons? You are the real devils! I spit on your Holy Light, your justice! Justice wouldn’t have us wailing miserably as we die, you hypocritical devils! You want to cleanse the city! You want to sacrifice us!"

The infected, believing they understood the truth, became hysterical. Their behavior raised doubts among the novice Guardians and spawned many unusual voices in Lokarot City. Among the infected were their family members, and now these Guardians had to watch them die. Doubt and controversy led to Lokarot’s further indifference towards the Guardians.

Under Vitim’s leadership, the Guardians hid their resentment from the citizens’ indifference within their hearts.

"Teacher, what are we really doing here? Chanting scriptures isn’t helping save them."

Looking at his impatient disciple, Vitim smiled. "The method is hidden within the scriptures, in our minds. The Bible carries everything in this world; we just need to find it, with your devotion and perception, Pierre."

At a certain moment, outside the walls of Lokarot, an angel descended.

The arrival of Raphael Pembai energized both the Guardians and the citizens. Vitim also smiled.

"Pierre, when Lord Raphael arrives, please tell him that the method to cure the plague is in the third volume of the Gospel Book, though its exact location still needs to be found." Vitim stood up and walked towards the barrier of light, behind which lay a crowd staring intently at him.

"Teacher! What are you doing!"

Vitim revealed a humble smile. "Pierre, I too am infected. That’s where I belong."

"No! Teacher, look at these people’s eyes; they’re ready to tear you apart! Don’t go in there, you will..."

"I should go in, child, for all of us, to end the plague. Please continue my work."

Outside the city, Raphael lay before a Paladin, a Guardian whose handsome appearance was no less striking than Raphael’s, his sharply defined features even more appealing because they were more masculine.

"You’re late, Your Grace Raphael, very late."

"I went to eradicate the source of the plague, Frey. With you and Mr. Vitim here, you should be able to handle everything."

Frey nodded. "The city’s citizens are under great stress; they need your reassurance. As for the epidemic, Tutor Vitim is handling it, and I believe there will be results soon."

While Raphael and Frey were chatting, Pierre had already run over and told the leader about Vitim’s infection and his own entry into the barrier.