To be on the safe side, Oswald only poured the holy water into one of the water bags and issued a national order.
The people of the Golden Lion Kingdom normally use the Sousse River as their main source of drinking water. This time, however, queues formed in various towns along the river as people clamored for a source of holy water.
After one night, some people with extremely mild sandstone symptoms began to slightly feel the effect of the holy water. The stiff parts of their bodies had a vague feeling, and they were not as stiff as before. However, because the effect was slow and subtle, some people even doubted whether it was the effect of psychological factors.
But in the afternoon, when some people with petrified fingers could bend their joints slightly, everyone was finally sure that the holy water really worked!
On that day, the entire Golden Lion Kingdom seemed to be revived from the decline. The villages, towns, large and small streets and markets began to have human voices again. The slightest movement could amuse them.
The commander of the Imperial City Patrolling Army rushed to the emperor again at noon that day, and the content of the emergency report he sent was ridiculous: "Your Majesty! The windows of the residents on the two main streets of Changteng Street and Freesia Street have been opened! I still heard laughter coming from several houses! Hahahaha!"
The commander of the Imperial City Patrolling Army burst into Oswald's chambers, laughing hysterically. Oswald threw the parchment in his hand at him and shouted, "Get out! Go to the Priest's Academy and take some medicine before you come back to me."
The commander quickly left, still laughing. Oswald sighed and looked at the parchment. It was an urgent military report from the west and north garrisons, stating that the soldiers who had been petrified were beginning to show signs of recovery.
Oswald was relieved. The pestilence had not been completely eradicated, but the people of the Golden Lion Kingdom were now filled with hope. That night, the people of the imperial city spontaneously held a prayer meeting in front of the altar in the central square.
Almost everyone who could walk came. They shouted three times in the direction of the Hanging Palace, repeating the etiquette when the new emperor ascended the throne, and then they surrounded the statue in the center of the altar.
In the middle of the altar pool stood a huge column relief, engraved with the three main gods, the queen god, and a mighty lion from the old era.
Although Oswald had not mentioned grave robbing in the national circular, he had mentioned the holy water of Phae, the god of light. The people who had been relieved of the danger to their lives fell to the ground devoutly towards the side of the statue of Phae on the giant pillar, thanking the God of Light for his holy vows and blessings spanning thousands of years.
Oswald stood on the high tower of the Hanging Palace wall, propped his hands on the pier, and looked down at the gathered people in the shadow.
When he first sat on the throne, he did not think there was anything worth fighting for or looking forward to. The environment in which he grew up had shaped his personality very much.
He liked to do everything by himself, hated placing his hopes on others, and hated being entrusted by others. He even once felt that the position of emperor meant taking care of the safety of other irrelevant people. And the future, it was too troublesome and boring.
But now, he felt different. He felt a sense of purpose, a sense of responsibility, and a sense of hope, felt that the weight on his shoulders didn't seem so bad.
He knew that he was not alone, that he had the support of his people. And he knew that they were all in this together, fighting for a better future.
Oswald smiled. He was ready to face whatever challenges the future might bring.
While everyone else was celebrating, Kevin Fassbinder, the former god of light and current commander of the Bronze Army, was feeling anything but happy.
He had been in a coma for longer than before, and he was still feeling the effects of the drugs that had been administered to him. He looked around the room, his vision still blurry, and tried to remember where he was.
As his vision cleared, he saw the thick and atmospheric dome of the palace. He remembered that he had been brought here after the expedition to the Tomb of the Gods. He had been gravely injured, and he had been given the drugs to keep him alive.
He tried to move, and he heard a creaking sound from every joint in his body. It sounded like a rusted wagon with four wheels.
"Fortunately, I woke up," he thought to himself. "If I sleep again, my whole body will be paralyzed."
He laughed at himself, squinted his sleepy eyes, and raised his hand to rub his sore neck.
He was still weak, but he was alive. And that was all that mattered.
He took a deep breath and looked around the room again. He was in a luxurious bedchamber, and the walls were decorated with tapestries depicting scenes from the old gods' era.
He wondered if he would ever be able to return to that time.
But for now, he was just glad to be alive.
Kevin laughed at himself, squinted his sleepy eyes, and raised his hand to rub his sore neck. As soon as he did, he heard a sharp "clink" sound, like metal colliding. His wrist felt soft from sleep, but it was also heavy and strained when he moved it.
"What the hell?" Kevin frowned, raising one eyelid to glance at his left hand. All the sleepiness disappeared in an instant, and he was wide awake.
"Which little bastard put handcuffs and shackles on me?!" Kevin felt like he must still be dreaming, maybe dreaming of the night in the dungeon of the North Emerald Country again!
But soon, all the fragmented memories in his brain came rushing back—before he fell asleep, he was still in the main hall of the Tomb of the God of Phae, and that bastard Oswald had drugged him.
Kevin: "..." Hehe.
Needless to say, who put these handcuffs and shackles on him.