25. Please, Don't
"Plague?" Tristan was shocked. "What disease attacks them?"
Tristan remembered several types of illness outbreaks that had occurred in different countries in his previous life. The most recent one was the coronavirus. The incident happened when he was in prison, and he learned about it from the guards.
"Their bodies are festering all over, and their eyes are bloodshot, Your Majesty. Someone who has the disease can easily spread it to other people. This makes the spread of this disease very fast and uncontrolled," said the general.
Tristan held his breath. If such a disease entered their kingdom, they would find many people dead.
"Close border access and strictly guard the location. Don't allow people from the Kavar Kingdom into our kingdom," Tristan gave him his orders firmly.
"We will carry out your orders, Your Majesty." The general and five palace soldiers excused themselves and immediately rushed to the border area with their horses galloping fast.
Tristan couldn't shake off his anxiety. The borders would be locked today, but the plague had spread yesterday. He suspected that many Kavar Kingdom residents had fled to his kingdom's area.
"I didn't expect I would be dealing with a case of a terrible disease outbreak like this." Tristan was anxious.
He was confused about what he should do if the plague attacked his people. He dug into Tristan Madigan's memory, and he found no such case. This kingdom has never before dealt with such a terrible disease.
"I hope that none of my people will contract this festering disease and reddened eyes," said Tristan.
He begged the god of judgment and the god of men to grant his prayer.
He also hoped that the system would help him if the plague had already spread in the territory of his kingdom, which was close to the border of the Kavar Kingdom.
Maybe the system would be generous to him.
***
Tristan watched his two knights fight. They were just practicing. He was too lazy to swing his sword.
His gaze was fixed on his two knights, but his brain was busy thinking about many things. The two skills he didn't know when he would use, the god of judgment, and the deadly plague, made his head dizzy.
"During my 10 years in prison, I never used my brain to think hard. Even though I am now in Tristan Madigan's body, I still rely on my brain for thinking."
Tristan didn't know when he would stop complaining that his head was dizzy.
"Ah." Tristan's eyes widened as a memory emerged in his thoughts. "I nearly forgot the second and third tasks. Carlos Madigan must never recover, and Witch Jane must remain in prison until the old man dies."
Tristan was confident that the wind would not carry his voice to the ears of his two knights, and that there was no one else in the wide and barren land behind his palace.
"I must not forget those two tasks." Tristan clenched his fists. He didn't want to die anymore.
"Your Majesty."
Tristan gasped in surprise. He stroked his chest, which almost fell to his stomach. A moment ago, he was talking about Carlos Madigan and Witch Jane!
The golden-haired young man glanced to his right. He found the twins standing not far from him, and they were holding swords. Laureen smiled broadly at him, and Leonardo just stared at him.
"I don't want to fight kids." Tristan shook his head.
"You are mean, Your Majesty." Lauren pursed her lips. "We've been actively learning to fight with swords. We will be excellent knights for you!"
"So true." Leonardo nodded.
"Yeah, I'm waiting for you two." Tristan wasn't too serious about what he said. Becoming a knight was not easy.
"Your Majesty, may we sit?" Laureen looked at Tristan with pleading eyes.
"What are you going to do after sitting next to me?" Tristan didn't like talkative people. If it was just Leonardo, of course he wouldn't ask.
"We want to have a talk with you because you don't want to fight with us or any of us," Laureen said.
Tristan looked at the twins deeply. Somehow, he became close to them, and they showed less fear of him.
Tristan wondered whether Laureen and Leonardo would stay by his side after they found out that Tristan would not let Carlos Madigan recover from the disease that made him immobile.
"Sit down." Tristan decided to invite them to sit on his right and left. They sat on the ground, which was dry and tended to be hot.
"Your Majesty, will the plague attack our kingdom?" Lauren asked.
"We have to pray for something like that to happen." Leonardo answered Lauren.
Tristan nodded, showing he agreed with the 11-year-old boy.
"What if something like that happens? What should we do? I'm scared." Laureen hugged herself, and panic was clear on her face.
"Don't say that. The king has ordered the soldiers to close border access and strictly guard the area." Leonardo was annoyed with his twin.
Tristan nodded. He thanked Leonardo for answering Laureen's question.
"What will the Kavar Kingdom do to prevent the spread of the terrible disease? King Aubrey must be very dizzy." Laureen felt sorry for King Aubrey, who had a son, but unfortunately, she was forbidden to like that crown prince.
"We must also pray to the Human God to remove that terrible and deadly disease from the Kavar Kingdom," said Leonardo. Then he and Laureen raised their hands and prayed to the Human God.
Tristan really wanted to get away from the twins. Hearing them talk made his head feel like it was going to explode.
He smiled broadly when he saw his two knights decide to finish their training. Finally, he had a reason to stay away from the twins.
***
Tristan closed his eyes to savor the chilly air and felt the wind slap his cheeks. Golden dashed after the horses ridden by his two knights.
The white horse with golden hair had never left the horse stall. He needed to memorize the routes in the kingdom because his master was reliant on him.
Actually, it didn't matter because the two knights would accompany their king wherever he traveled. Of course, they learned every road in the kingdom.
The two knights slowed their horses. Tristan pulled the reins, signaling his stallion to stop running.
"We have arrived, Your Majesty." The two knights turned towards their king after they stopped their horses.
Golden walked calmly past knight Aiden's horse and knight Ajax's horse. Tristan, who was riding him, felt nervous, and dozens of soldiers stopped people who wanted to see him up close.
Tristan patted Golden's shoulder, who looked panicked. The stallion was not used to meeting many people. Tristan's heartbeat increased sharply, he was afraid that Golden would go berserk like Max.
Tristan and his two knights, along with 10 palace soldiers, came to the eastern region of the kingdom. They left when the sun was shining brightly and arrived when the sun was about to set.
"Your Majesty." A general approached his king on his horse. He would show the way to the house of a husband and wife who had contracted the plague.
"How are they?" Tristan asked.
"Almost their entire upper body was festering, and their eyes were bloodshot. Two physicians who examined their condition immediately attempted to find medication for them," replied the general.
Tristan nodded. Yesterday, he learned about a disease plague in one of the Kavar Kingdom's provinces, and he prayed to two gods that none of his people would acquire it.
However, the two gods did not answer his prayers. A few hours after he had breakfast, he received news that two of his people had contracted the plague.
"Your Majesty."
"No approaching!" Two soldiers snapped at a woman, who was eager to see her king.
Tristan looked at the woman. He had déjà vu. He remembered the twenty farmers who had troubled him.
"Your Majesty, please help my daughter. My husband sold her to an brothel. She is only twelve years old and was not supposed to work there. I beg you, Your Majesty," the woman screamed loudly and cried. All eyes were on her.
Tristan didn't stop his horse as he passed by the woman who was being held back by five soldiers as a transparent blue screen floated in front of him.
[The fourth task has come.]
[Ignore the woman, if you don't want to get a penalty.]