After having made sure his condition was under control, Jack returned home. Sophie and Abraham had always been informed about the situation thanks to Dead, so they weren’t too concerned. That being said, the two still took Jack’s whole morning questioning and reprimanding him before they eventually allowed him to go to Sword in the Forge.

While checking the list of orders, he toyed with the badge the strange man had left for him as Bastian was busy completing a Crusader sword. The three-year term and the bad omen of something terrible coming for Oxdale burdened his mind, making him hasten his plan. He needed to leave for the centers of power, places like Mocester and Edover, as soon as possible to find the culprit of this poisoning, but he found it difficult to actually do it. If disasters were to strike, the safety of his parents and the town’s folks would all be in peril. He needed to be there to assist them.

Moreover, his business would have to be postponed, lengthening the term of the debt payment. According to his earlier calculation, the profit from the production of Mana Potion, Washing Water, and other activities of the Harper would take five to four years to reach the designated amount. Jack had planned to stay in Oxdale for a year or two to supervise the activities, as well as train for level experience, but the current situation was not at all convenient for that. So, he found himself stuck against the clock.

“What are you doing, dumbass?” Bastian approached him, wiping his hand with a handkerchief.

“Someone left this for me,” Jack said, showing the badge to the smith. “Do you know what it is?”

Bastian grabbed it under Jack’s hopeful eyes. The old man looked like he was about to figure out something but then suddenly frowned.

“This…” Bastian mumbled.

“What?” Jack asked.

Bastian took a deep breath, focusing on the item. A stream of mana was channeled through the head of the snake, unleashing a wave of aura that instantly choked Jack, and even the smith himself struggled to push it back. Fortunately, it was brief.

“A Legend Insignia,” Bastian exclaimed.

He was a Legend for real? Jack thought with a flash of fear.

Bastian paid Jack’s twisted face little attention, continuing to be in awe with the item the size of his thumb.

“This is a verification of you being under the protection of a Legend-ranking Maester,” Bastian said, then let his disgust be known, realizing which faction the object belonged to.

“Protection?” Jack frowned, recalling how opposite the event had been.

“Yes,” the smith said, “all you need to do is let this badge be visible, and everyone will have to treat you with respect.”

“But what if someone just accidentally found one? They will get the same respect?”

“I almost forget how much of a dumbass you are,” Bastian slapped his forehead.

He returned the badge to Jack.

“Channel your mana into the snake’s head as I did,” Bastian said.

Jack complied and let his mana flow into the head of the snake twisting around the rod. Jack didn’t feel anything afterward, but he noticed the growing wrinkle on Bastian’s face. He opened his eyes wide, realizing the effect of the badge.

“Stop… it… you…damn… brat…,” Bastian groaned.

Jack cut his mana.

The smith breathed heavily, staring at Jack.

“Now you understand? Only the ones designated by the Legend himself could use the badge safely. Anyone else who tries to activate it with their mana will suffer the pressure of the aura. Besides, only a fool would fake the status of a Legend’s subordinate. If you get caught, you’ll soon find your head hanging somewhere.”

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Jack ignored Bastian's words. The only thing he had in his mind right now was how to use this to further his endeavor.

This may not be all that bad, Jack thought.

A few days later, Julia met Jack at school.

“Feeling better?” The maester asked as Jack walked into the office.

“I think so,” Jack said, finding himself a seat in the middle of the disorganized room.

The stacks of documents on Julia’s table had been growing higher. She must have spent more time looking into this matter, distracting herself from the usual paperwork.

“Your illness seems no more different than the common cold. It doesn’t surprise me if you feel alright now,” Julia said.

“But, it would be a problem for ordinary people, right?” Jack asked.

Julia lifted her head above the stacks of paper to look Jack in the eyes. Her face seemed lifeless, her eyes full of red lines.

“True,” Julia said. “This disease would be a problem to the people of Oxdale. Are you sure you were healthy before going outside?”

“I’ve asked another doctor to check on me and confirm I’m sick-free already,” Jack lied.

Julia glanced at Jack as she crouched down and picked up a column of paper, then walked toward a blackboard at the corner. She pulled the board out, stuck the paper onto it, and crossed her arms, thinking.

“I’ve been quietly collecting some blood samples from the patients lately,” Julia said after a brief silence. “It would take a few more days to acquire the exact result.”

Jack turned, looking at the pieces of paper and quietly listening.

“But, I suspect,” Julia continued, “there will only be bad results.”

She pointed at the drawing Jack had given her.

“I’ve been looking into this thing,” she said. “And it’s not good at all.”

“What is it?” Jack asked.

“There are only two things with a similar appearance. Death Essence and Plague Essence.”

Jack frowned at the piece of information Julia had just shown him. The names themselves were full of bad omens.

Julia turned around, facing Jack as if they were in class.

“From what you had said, I’ve excluded Death Essence. So, I suppose the only thing on the list is Plague Essence.”

“Which one is worse?”

“Plague, no doubt. Death Essence, as deadly as its name might sound, probably didn’t have anything to do with a disaster like this one, not that I know of. As for Plague, well, let’s say this whole plague is just the beginning.”

Thinking about how a Legend was involved in all of this, Jack found the appearance of such a dreadful item explicable.

“Plague Essence is extremely hazardous without proper control methods,” Julia said. “Lands that were dominated by it required huge resources to be cleansed. Some written records even mention how Divines would have to take part in the effort. Its appearances throughout history were very limited since the condition for the birth of one is impossibly extreme. The materials I’ve looked into aren’t sure about its exact formation.”

Julia pointed at a piece of document referencing phenomena relating to Plague Essence.

“Natural disasters, sickness, mana flow disruption. And Moster Surge.”

Julia’s voice grew heavy with the last pair of words. She herself was unwilling to accept what she had mentioned.

“Moster Surge?” Jack asked in dismay.

“Yes,” the teacher sighed. “Plague Essence brings with it the imbalance of nature. This disease of yours is also one such sign. The rampage of the monster with the goo is also a sign. In a way, they’re just sick animals without proper treatment. And now, only God knows how far that has spread.”

“Does the disappearance of the monsters at Wildewatch have anything to do with this?” Jack couldn’t help but connect the dots.

“Can’t exclude that, too, can we?” Julia assessed. “Any Monster Surge requires a leading monster. They must have found one to be able to move and act with such coordination, so much so that we’re still clueless about where they are now.”

Jack rubbed his hands together, his feet shaken with a bit of fear.

“The problem is, when I mention the upcoming catastrophe should our theory be true,” Julia said with a discouraged voice, “no one would believe us. Even I can’t believe myself now.”

Jack knew what Julia meant. As sincere as his words might be, the voice of a kid had little weight in an adult’s eyes.

“You can leave now,” Julia said, returning to her work desk. “I only want to show you what I have been able to discover. So whatever is to happen, you know I will do my best to prevent it in my capability. Le’s hope things aren’t as bad as they might be.”

Jack stood up, thanked her, then left. If nobody were to help him, he himself would have to act for Oxdale. Because more than anyone else, he believed in the upcoming disasters Julia had mentioned.