Three days had passed since the Knights of the Holy Tree left the royal capital.

''It's all gone to shit, isn't it?
Yeah.

　I've just finished my battle class and changed out of my athletic uniform into a uniform, and I've just now joined Currier-san who has also changed out of her uniform.
　It's hard to really feel it when you're on the first year's floor, but when you go out to other floors and buildings, you can really feel the lack of humanity.
　This is because the second and third year students will be gone for three days from today.
　The sophomores are at the annual sea camp in the territory of the Duke of Kielcinha.
　The third year students are in a joint camp with students from our northern ally, Ruvelargan.
　Both grades left the royal capital this morning after the departure ceremony.

　The matter of the attack on the fort by the inhabitants of Doomsday Township did not seem to have any effect on this camp.
　This is because both camps are held at the exact opposite location from the attacked fort.
　Especially for the third year students, it would have been difficult to cancel the event unless there was a very difficult reason to do so.

　This is the reason why the school is quieter than usual except for the first-year floor.
　Even so, the number of students would increase as they came closer to the classrooms.
　Around here, there are always a lot of students enjoying chatting with other groups of students in the corridor.

''Hmm?''

　Huh?
　You know, that guy...

You're on to something, too.

　Currier-san said while leaving her gaze on the boys who were nearby without stopping.
　We stopped before the lion's classroom.
　And with a body that looks like it's going to start talking, we leaned against the wall of the corridor.

　The two beautiful male students in the corner of Currier's eye are enjoying their conversation with the girls.
　One of the boys noticed our gaze and bailed with an amiable smile.
　However, Currier-san only sniffed disinterestedly with a humph.

''Maybe they're one of Rokia's guys.
Is that from The Kingdom of the Fool?

　Once again, I observe the two beautiful men.
　From the way they acted and ministered to the other party casually, they looked like hosts.
　The female students were answering the questions in a melodic state.

''Lately, I've noticed a group of guys with a slightly different smell in the school...''
'Is it safe to say that Rokia's people are undercover and gathering information?

　I had a strange feeling when I passed those two.
　But it didn't feel like an enemy.
　Currier-san looks at the two boys who are smiling and continuing their conversation with the female students.

It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to expect from your own personal computer. Either way, it looks like Rokia is on the move. The fact that they've even sent in their own people may be evidence that the siege is narrowing.

　Gathering information by blending in with the students?
　Well, in the first month or so after entering the school, no student would be able to keep track of every pair of students.
　Maybe the feeling of discomfort isn't too strong even if people from outside the university are wearing uniforms and blending in.
　Since Makina-san, the headmaster of the school, is giving her a good look, the school may have dared to miss it.

''Does this mean that we've made the calculation to catch the noise to some extent?
'Maybe they saw it as an opportunity. We don't have a second and third year now. And if Noyes' goal is me and Rokia, there's no chance of following the camp. So now we can narrow it down from a third of our number.
Oh, I see.
Now, for my part, I think we should catch the noise as soon as possible.

　Currier-san clenched her fists as if thinking about it.

　The other day, Currier-san had asked Beosa-san, who had made a full recovery, about the female student who seemed to be the noise in the example.
　It seems that he had already contacted Rokia and told her about its contents.

　The girl who is believed to have been transformed by Noise is a nobleman's daughter and a third year student.
　She was originally a good student of magic, and Beosa-san, the strongest magician in the school, had always had a special interest in her.
　It seems that it was Bashkatha who invited her to join him.
　According to Beoza, the fact that she was Bashkata's type was probably the main reason for inviting her to join the attack team.
　However, after she joined the attack team, she didn't act or say anything remarkable, in fact, she was such a shadowy person that she sometimes forgot about her existence.
　However, it didn't mean that the pushy personality he possessed had been chipped away.
　There was nothing particularly odd about him, yet there was a sense of discomfort.
　It wasn't that she didn't have a presence, but she didn't have a presence.
　It was a strange impression of her, Beosa said.
　He was probably on his way to the northern joint training camp.

　This schoolgirl - she was found dead yesterday.
　It seems that she was held in the basement of an uninhabited building in a corner of the royal capital.
　The first person to discover her was a nearby resident who noticed a rotten smell.
　...........
　He had a terrible expression on his face and was said to be dead.

'The one with the noise, he must have threatened her or caused her pain and made her spit out all kinds of information............to replace him.
'I see. You can't copy their personalities, can you?
'Yeah. The only thing that can be changed by that change spell is appearance. This means that in order to achieve a near-perfect transformation, it would require careful preparation and information about the target's personality. Furthermore, to use that change spell, you have to touch the opponent directly, and the duration is three days.......surprisingly, there are many restrictions.

　Currier-san spills that with a sinking look on her face.
　It's her, she must be feeling responsible.
　I'm not sure if the schoolgirl was killed because of me.

　Noise, huh?
　She's locked up because she's going to 'touch' him again when her duration expires.
　Killed ... probably because he was no longer useful.
　To keep them from talking, to keep them from doing something poorly.

I'm sure that as soon as they showed themselves to me on that mission to defeat the Titans, they already had planned to move on to the next one. If that's the case.......then there's a good chance that he was killed within a few days of the end of the operation to defeat the Titans.

　Sure enough.
　The guilt lit in Currier-san's eyes.

'Mr. Currier,'
What?
It's the noise that's bad. It's not you.
"Humph, thank you for that. But--

　As if to blame herself, Currier grabbed her right arm with her left hand.
　Her left hand is filled with strength.

It's frustrating that I have such a poor outlook.
Mr. Currier...
It's not like I didn't have any idea how to find the noise, you know?
You had a plan, didn't you, Currier?
The way he looks at me is very, very different.
"Different?
'So if they gave me 'those eyes' while I was walking around campus, I'd immediately know it was noise... so easy, I was thinking.

　Oh.
　So Mr. Currier was hanging around the campus by himself when he first enrolled?

'And that guy who is intolerable. I'm sure he's going to get numb from somewhere and appear in front of me soon...or so I thought. But now that guy is more able to control 'that eye' than ever before, and he's also able to control himself.

　Miss Currier bites her lip.

'Tough, being tough.'

　She bites her teeth lightly.

'I have to admit, I was in limbo early on. So when Rokia came to me with a plan I was actually a little relieved inwardly.

　Currier looked at Rokia's companion, who continued to chatter away, in a hushed tone.

'It's frustrating, but Rokia has a good head on her shoulders, unlike me, whose only brain is to wield a sword. He also has the ability to use people well. That's why he's surprisingly well-liked, that guy.
'Um, I don't think you should worry too much about the noise. From what I've heard from Rokia, that's exactly the impression I got from Currier-san, and the more she worries about the noise, the more it seems to be at the mercy of the noise.

　As I said it, the sternness disappeared a bit from her face.

'Well, maybe you're right ... if you think about it too much, you might just make that guy happy. I get it. I'll try not to worry about it as much as I can.
'I suppose it's a sign that you're being kind to me, Currier-san, that you're troubled.
I guess I wouldn't have cared about it like this before but maybe I've changed, too.
Actually, it would be nice if I could suggest something to catch the noise from me as well...

　However, the forbidden spell I have on hand won't be able to do anything about this matter.
　That said, I don't know any more information about noise than Currier-san and Rokia.......
　.....................
　Hmm?
　Wait, what?

Look, Mr. Currier.
What... what?
''That change spell is also something that is effected by the holy element, just like a magic formula or something else, right?
'Yeah, the chanting spell is just a different process, but in the end, it's activated by taking the holy element into the body.

　Chanting spells exist as a separate lineage from the magic formula.
　I learned this in class as well.
　The chanting spell is literally the magic that is activated by chanting.
　However, unlike jutsu that can be used by anyone who can handle the holy element, there is an aptitude for chanting spells.
　In other words, the chanting spell will not activate even if the person without aptitude chants it.
　
　Hence, the users of chanting spells are considered to be very rare.

　Such a chanting spell also requires the holy element to use, just like the magic formula.
　So, as a lineage, the forbidden spell may be closer to a chanting spell than a jujitsu, but at the point when it doesn't require a holy element, the forbidden spell is still a spell of a different dimension.

''So, what's wrong with that?''
What if?　I have to have the elements.
Crohico, Currier!

　And the one who appeared from the corner of the corridor - was Cecily-san, who ran up to me with a wave of her hand.
　It seems that the A-ranked group has also finished their combat class.
　............
　Well, that was just an idea now, and the plan I was about to say was going to be laid to rest a bit more within myself.

　And then I saw one of Rokia's companions approach Cecily-san.

'Oh, my dear, if I may have a word with you--'

　The moment a hand was about to be placed on her shoulder, she spun around and Cecily half-turned around to distance herself from the man.
　He smiled at her.

'Sorry, I'm afraid it's not my favorite. I have a partner I'm already in love with.'
Oh, no...

　He stiffened in the pose the man had tried to put his hands on his shoulders and his face was red.
　It was clear that he was fawning over her.
　Cecily-san would even take the heart of a handsome man who seemed to be used to women like that as fast as he could.......
　He's a horrible person.

''Hey.''

　Another of Lokia's companions approached the crimson man until their shoulders were within touching distance of each other.
　Then he gave him an earful.

'That one's good. Here, that one.

　Their eyes turned to us.
　The man who approached Cecily's face changed to one of conviction.
　Then he gave an apologetic bail and then they left.
　The girls who had been talking to them chased after them, shouting yellow.

'What was that about, those people?'

　Cecily-san approached, looking off the men curiously.
　'Hmph,' sniffed Miss Currier.

'Cecily, I knew you were a horrible fellow.
'What?　What's that?　Did I do anything other than make that man smile and embarrass you?

　She tilts her head and Cecily smiles.

'You have a good personality, sweetie...'
Really?
Yeah, she's a witch.
But don't worry, you don't have to worry - I'm the only one who lives and breathes Kurohiko.

　Ms. Cecily came up to me and folded her arms around me.

'Wait, Miss Cecily!
Well, it makes you happy.　Hey, are you happy?

　And then.

What's going on?
What are you doing in front of the classroom?

　Zeke and Mr. Hyrgis came over.
　And when they looked at me and Cecily-san, they sighed.

'As expected, I don't think we should be flirting in front of the classroom, Cecily-sama.
Have some sense of timing and place, Lady Cecily.
What?

　It was Miss Cecily who made a startled sound.

'You've been latched onto by Miss Cecily anyway, haven't you?'
I'll be fair here, too. Lady Cecily is wrong.


　Rather, those two people just know Cecily-san's true nature........
　They just don't say it out loud.
　I'm not going to be able to say it out loud," Cecily said, her shoulders slumping.

''I understand, I apologize.

　Cecily became dejected.

'I just wanted to spoil you a little bit, since we can't see each other during combat classes... but...'
Ugh.

　If you look at me with the moist eyes of an abandoned puppy like that....
　I want to say something kind to her.
　You want to give her a hug.
　Even if it feels like a mockery, you can't help but be drawn to it...!

"Gosh, gosh, gosh, it's finally noon!　I'm hungry!

　The one who appeared from the corner of the corridor was a disgustingly good-tempered Ira-san.

'Oh, you're all here!　Today, I'm wondering, since the upperclassmen aren't at camp, if we can have lunch together.......how about that?
It's okay?

　It was Currier who was the first to express his approval.　

'I mean, I don't think any of these people would disagree with me.
Oh, thank God!　Then let's go, come on!

　Ira takes Cecily's hand.

'Wait, Ira!　I can't help it now........

　As if happy to be able to eat together, Ira-san pulls Cecily-san, who giggles gingerly with her bouncy gait, to her feet.

''Look, look, everyone hurry up!

　Zeke and Ms. Hyrgis lined up and followed them.
　Me and Currier-san looked at each other and then followed the girls, smiling at each other.

''Speaking of which, what is it?''

　Currier-san cut in gloomily.

''As you know, I'm supposed to go to the royal castle tomorrow but to be honest, I'm still not in the mood for it.
Who ended up following you around?

　Commander Sogut and Diares-san, who said they agreed to be escorted, have now left the royal capital to retake the fort as an example.
　Of course, Machina-san is also unable to do so.......so I was also curious about what happened to the person who would be accompanying Currier-san.

''I've decided to ask Isla to chaperone me.
Oh, is that for Ira?
''He's the daughter of the Marquess of Horne, so it doesn't seem to matter in terms of status. Headmaster, it looks like you didn't know that Ira and I are on close terms.
Oh, so Mr. Currier suggested it?
Yes. At that rate, the castle was going to send someone I didn't know to me from the castle. It would be a lot better if Ira was by my side....

　Currier-san drops her breath.

It's like being made to wear a formal and cumbersome dress again...I don't like that kind of outfit. Even when I was in the Cirrus Baths, my gaze was too tight. I don't even know what to say to the people of the Holy Royal Family...
Pfft.
Oh, now you're laughing at me, aren't you?　I'm a real pain in the ass, you know?
'I'm sorry. But Currier-san is usually a dignified and cool person, but sometimes she can be strangely vulnerable like that, and I think that's a cute gap.
I don't know what kind of a man you are.

　Her cheeks blushed even though she said it bluntly, and Currier-san's mouth twitched.
　It seems that there is still something petty and embarrassing about being pointed out a point like now.
　Because the reaction is fresh, I can't help but want to poke at it.......maybe I shouldn't go too far.

　And at the point where you almost reach the school cafeteria.

You know what, Blackie?

　Currier-san spoke to me again.
　He looks a little hard to cut out.

''What is it?''
About that Locian fellow.

　Gulp.

'....is there something that's bothering you?

　I didn't think there was some high level bargaining going on that I hadn't noticed.

'You didn't react like Cecily when you saw me, did you?
You didn't.

　Oh, man.
　So that's what it is........
　But you also care about such things, don't you?
　It's a bit unexpected.

I wonder if he's special after all.
Hmmm, isn't that it?　Or because Miss Cecily had a nice smile on her face.
Nice smile....
A man can't help but be excited when you have a nice smile.
Yeah, right.
'Yes!　You should try it, Currier.
"...smiling like that?　Me?

　Yeah, I nodded.
　Mmm~, and after being troubled to no end, Curie-san slapped herself on both cheeks as if she had made up her mind.
　As if to get fired up.

''Alright. Let's do it.''
Yes, sir.
Here we go.

　Smirk.

''--''
I knew it....weird?　I'm speechless ... did I feel bad?
Reverse....
Reverse?
I felt a thrill. The area around my chest - no, no, no, I'm not just saying that, I'm thrilled, I'm thrilled!　That's what I thought.
You mean ... that was good?
It was great.
Okay.

　Hmph, Currier-san put her fingertips to her mouth and smiled.
　And once again, in a slightly bouncy tone.

Okay.

　I muttered.

　　　　　　　　　　*.

　The next day.
　A day of rest.
　I had come to the headmaster's office to meet with someone named Shanatrice Twoelf as planned.
　The time is past ten in the morning.
　Makina-san is helping Currier-san prepare for her journey to the castle now.
　After waiting for a while, Makina-san arrived.

''I'm sorry for making you wait.''
Mr. Currier, are you okay?
It was a bit of a hassle, but thanks to Mia and Ira Horne for holding the reins so well, we managed to get there. We're off, safe and sound.

　Finally, as if she had finished her work, Makina-san sat down on the sofa next to me.
　The reason she sat next to me is probably because Shanatrice is scheduled to sit in front of me.

　We chatted lightly until Ms. Shanatrice arrived.
　What was interesting to me was the matter of the Holy Ruins Survey.
　It is true that the appearance hierarchy of different species is strange compared to the past, and the Holy Tree Knights who are investigating also seemed to feel it.
　What was even more worrisome was that something like a roar could be heard periodically from the lower levels of the Holy Ruins.
　Originally, Commander Sogut and other elite members of the knight's group were scheduled to investigate the cause of the roar from the other day, but apparently it was postponed due to the incident with the fort.

'Roar, huh?
''Yes. I think it must belong to a demon, but.......it's not something you hear about very often. Of course, it's not as if they don't have it, but even Seijushi, a former student of this school, has never heard such a loud roar--

　Then there was a knock at the door.

'Yes.'
I brought Lady Shanatrice back to you.

　It was Mia's voice.
　We stood up and turned toward the door.

'Come in, come in.'

　Makina urges.
　Gently, the door is opened.
　On the other side of the door that Mia-san opened, a girl was standing.

　Her long, faintly creamy, almost white hair is tied in two with a black ribbon.
　Healthy-looking brown skin.
　Purple eyes - an eye patch over the left eye.
　Her appearance is unmistakably a beautiful girl.
　I also felt as if I was wearing a peculiarly s*xy scent.
　The skirt was quite short, although it is wearing black clothes like a military uniform.
　He also wears black knee socks on his legs, also black.
　He also wore white boots.
　In his hand he was carrying a bag that looked like a trunk.

　As she set the bag down on the carpet, the girl cackled and put her hands on her twisted hips.

'It's been a long time, Makina Renausphere.
Yes it's been a long time, Shanatrice.

　Mia bowed and closed the door.
　The three of us in the room are me, Makina and Shanatrice.

Kukaka, she says it's okay to call me Shana, but she's still the same tightwad. You mean that, right?　You're not going to be popular with the guys at this rate, are you?
I don't think you have any right to be concerned about that.
But since you don't worry about that, you'll never grow up, will you?
Gosh that's exactly what I don't want you to say.

　Shannatrice-san was - what a surprise, almost as tall as Makina-san.
　It could be said that her body size was almost the same as Makina-san's.
　In other words, with that........childlike height and shape.
　It felt surprising to me.
　Is that person the vice-captain of the God's Punishment Corps and the one called 'The Witch of Ruvel Argan'.......
　It was quite different from what I had expected.

There are some hentai who like young girls. I guess that's just one advantage and one disadvantage.
I feel like there are only cons, but...
How dare you dress in such lustful clothing!

　A grin and Mr. Shanatrice look at Makina's clothes from top to bottom.

'Shh, excuse me!　I didn't mean to wear it like that!　This is my hobby!

　With an unexpected look on her face, Makina-san put her hand to her chest as if to show off her clothes.

'Kukaka, if that's the case, then maybe she's more of a sinful woman. Well, I have no taste for putting other people's tastes to shame. I apologize if I offended you. So...

　Purple eyes caught mine.

"So this is your d*mn curse-catcher.

　They turn to me.

'....Yes. Yes.

　Mr. Shanatrice walked over to me with a tsk tsk and looked up at me with a provocative smile.

'Huh?　You seem to have a pretty good look about you.
Hi.
But you don't seem to be immune to women, do you? What do you think?　Would you like me to show you how to do it?

　I looked at Makina-san for help.
　Makina-san shook her head as if to say, "Oh dear.

'For now, let's sit down. We don't want to stand around and talk.
Kaka, you are a very impatient woman.

　Me and Ms. Makina again, sitting side by side on the couch with me and Ms. Makina again.
　Ms. Shanatrice brought her bag and sat down on the couch in front of us.
　Then she fluffed up while folding her legs.
　...........
　Her skirt was short, so it was a bit difficult to look at her.

''Huhuh, you're an insufferable man. If you want to look into it, you can look into it.
...Blackberry?
Please, go ahead.

　I urged him to go ahead.

Hm, let me introduce myself first. I'm Shanatris Twelfth. I am the vice-captain of the Ruvel Argan Goddess of War's Punishment Corps and I am also involved in various research projects in the capital.
That's why she's called the Ruvel Argan Witch. It's not an exaggeration to say that Shanatrice is the brain and heart of the Divine Punishment Corps, even though she has the title of second-in-command. Even the captain, Rose Claywal, is the heart and soul of the God's Punishment Corps.

　Makina gave her a look, and Shanatrice took her words as they were.

'Well, Rose Claywoll is my 'masterpiece' at the moment.
"Monsters?
Well, I'm afraid that's beside the point.
Um ... what's your relationship like?

　We've been talking in a very friendly manner since a while ago........
　Then Makina-san explained.

''I met her originally as the head of the school and the headmaster.
'What?　So, Mr. Shanatrice is the head of Ruvel Argan's ... the Argan Institute, Dean?
You're not in that position anymore, though, are you?

　Renowthred and Revel Argan are allies.
　The relationship between the two countries naturally arose in the course of their exchange.

It's a good idea to think of me as someone who agrees with Makina's ideas. "Well, you can think of me as someone who agrees with Makina's ideas, and that's what I mean when I say that we are in a cooperative relationship.
A partnership, huh?
As for those four brothers, I, too, feel that they are in grave danger. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they are a potential threat to the country and, by extension, to all who live on this continent.

　Four brothers.
　You mean... the Four Deadly Wonders.

It's not like Rose was built to cope with the Four Deadly Disasters.

　I see.
　So Makina-san and Shanatrice are in agreement that the Four Deadly Disasters should be eradicated from this continent?
　But still--

I've been wondering for a while now... who the hell are the Four Deadly Disasters?
Hmm?
Well do you have some idea of what they're up to and how they got to be the way they are now?

　Mr. Shanatrice shrugged his shoulders.

'Unfortunately, I still don't understand it. 'Unfortunately, that is something I still don't understand,' he said, 'and I, too, am overwhelmed by the four brothers. I don't know how a person like that could exist or if they are even human. We have no idea where it came from or where it's going. Even when the carnage is done, it's not always a matter of killing everyone... they feel more like a natural threat. It's a disaster, indeed.
That said, I can't just sit around and do nothing.
Yes, that's right. But there are a surprisingly large number of fools who don't realize the danger those four brothers are in.

　Mr. Shanatrice gave him a condescendingly cold look and folded his arms in a flustered manner.

''You're so stupid, I can't even laugh at you. It's not an exaggeration to say that this is an issue that the three countries should be working on together, and the Empire should be involved. The fact is that the imperial branch of the imperial capital was attacked in the past.

　Miss Shanatrice huffed after an abhorrent mouthful.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but there's no point in complaining to you here. Let's see...
Kurohiko. Sagara Kurohiko.
"Hmm, by the name, you're from the east. Kurohiko, yeah ... okay, I get it. Well you'll forgive me for being even more rude than I am now. I'll spend the next few nights with you.
'You don't have to.......why would you.......'

　Makina-san gives Shanatrice a stern look.

'Kakkakkah, well, that's fine. If you want, you and Makina can take care of it yourself.
No. Not in forever.
She really is quite boring. So....

　Shanatrice's face turned serious.

So, then. If you need the forbidden spellbook to defeat the Four Deadly Sins, I'd be happy to give you the spellbook as well.
"The Conjuring Scrolls.

　She exchanged a glance with Makina.

'The forbidden spellbook in my possession has actually been in the possession of my Tuelf family for generations, hasn't it?　It's not the property of the state, so don't worry about that either. Oh, and don't worry about the God of War King either. He can't come out on top of me.
But you're not going to give it to me so easily, are you?
Oh, well. No, I've made all the proper conditions. The first thing you have to do is to introduce the forbidding user to me, which you have already done.
Now, shall we hear the following terms? I can't ask you endlessly, of course, but...
Don't worry. The next one is yours.
'What?　It's surprisingly easy. And what are the terms?
I'd like to keep the Conjurer under the care of Ruvel Argan-- me for a month or so.

　Makina-san's reaction is delayed.

''What ... what?''
Of course, I don't mean you any harm. It's... well, it's just my own intellectual curiosity, isn't it?　It's like a researcher's saga. After all, who could use that curse?　Isn't it natural that you would want to look into things?
But that's...
I won't hurt you. If you'll agree to these terms, I'll be able to give the curse-maker some good looks.

　Suddenly.
　Makina and I locked eyes with each other.

　It was obvious what they thought of each other.
　Makina-san, in particular, must be feeling strangely ticklish.
　Because.

　--I'll give you a good look, to some extent.

　Because the invitation that Shanatrice-san gave out was almost the same as the invitation that Makina-san gave out on the first day of my arrival in this world.
　Makina-san held her head in her hands, as if she had fallen into self-loathing.

''Ah........I was like that, wasn't I?''
There are some things that are hard to look at in the mirror...
What is it?　What is wrong with you people?

　Shanatrice's eyes widen.

"Well, anyway. As I said, if you'll let me keep the forbidden spellcaster with me for a while, I'd like to keep the forbidden spellbook...

　That's when it happened.
　With a bang, the door was flung open.

''But the headmaster!

　One of the instructors bursts into the headmaster's office with a change of blood.
　Makina-san stands up.

''What's going on?　I'm having a visitor right now but what in the world is going on?
As soon as the soldiers stopped me at the north gate they, you know, killed me, like, right in front of me, like a regular guy.

　Perhaps it's partly because of the upset, but the story is blurry.

'Calm down. Take your time........what the hell is going on?
It's the Four Deadly Sins!
What?

　What came out of Makina-san's mouth was a voice so unexpected that she forgot her emotions.
　Shanatrice raised her eyebrows tightly.

'What?'

　A pale faced instructor's voice, tinged with fear, echoed in the room.

''The Four Deadly Plagues have appeared in the royal capital!