Chapter 489: A Rumor Out of Nowhere
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After spending quite a few hours, Benjamin slowly came close to the region of Amber City.
Sturdy control outposts before his eyes had caused him to feel the pressure coming from the Church. From the information he had gotten from the passersby on the road, it had been said that this was a region where bandits frequented, so there were troops to seal up the borders, and everyone who came in or out needed to go through strict inspection.
Bandits... It was the same old excuse.
Benjamin shook his head.
The time right then was already nearing late night, but the soldiers did not seem like they were about to take a break at all; like a border they lined up, securely sealing off the entire district. Benjamin could not help but sigh. These people were really dedicated to their job.
As for the priests around him...
Using the name of ‘state religion’ to surface, the priests could now openly walk in the sight of everyone. However, under Benjamin’s sensing, most of the priests were still hiding their identities. Some of them even pretended to be merchants, putting on the face of an ignorant passerby, lining up at the control point. Benjamin had almost approached them while he was asking around for information; it was almost impossible to stay safe.
Need he even ask? The battalion of priests that had surrounded them before, had now all been moved here.
However, from the news Varys had relayed to him, the situation inside was much more disorganized. There were a lot of people stuck on the streets, and many passersby who were innocently caught in the siege were also making a lot of complaints. Mixed up in their midst, the mages were temporarily safe.
Because of that, Benjamin was not very anxious. He sat nearby the control outpost, patiently waiting for fake Benjamin to bring the king and the students to the eastern villages to stir up trouble. They would be able to break out easier once the Church had been messed up by the fake news.
"What on earth has been happening lately? A few days ago, there was a quarantine in the southeast area, and now we are also sealed off here. They say it’s to catch some bandits, but it has been going on for so long, why haven’t they caught them yet?"
"I don’t know, recently things have been mysterious at Gealorre Capital, I even heard many... rumors."
"Shh, lower your voice, if anyone hears us it’d be terrible..."
Sitting on the sidelines, resting, Benjamin had built a tent for himself. But next to his tent, a few hunters were gathered around a bonfire chatting, and their words naturally drifted into Benjamin’s ears.
Rumors...
For a moment, Benjamin’s heart moved.
He suddenly walked out from the tent, and struck up a conversation with those few hunters: "That... You have also heard about that rumor?"
The hunters turned around, looking warily at him.
Benjamin immediately waved his hands, saying: "Don’t worry, I am a carpenter, I won’t go around announcing what you’ve said. I was supposed to go back to the village and pay my parents a visit, but coming back now, while on the way, everything has become like this. I’m stuck here like you guys, don’t know when I’d be able to get through."
The hunters glanced at each other, and looked at Benjamin doubtfully: "You are a citizen of Amber City?"
Benjamin nodded: "Yes, thirty fifth, North Street, Darkley’s Carpenter Shop. You have heard of it, yes?"
The hunters considered Benjamin with a few looks, and in the end, nodded their heads.
—They seemed to believe Benjamin’s newly created identity.
Benjamin continued to ask: "Right... The rumor you’ve just mentioned, it is the one that has been spreading exceptionally fast in the villages, isn’t it? The one about His Majesty, and the state religion."
"Brother, please be quieter." The hunters looked around their surroundings, anxious and scared, and spoke in hushed tones.
Benjamin also lowered his voice, continuing: "I know, they all say that these news are let out on purpose by the bandits, including the blockade inspections this time. But... I heard that the quarantine this time actually has nothing to do with those bandits."
For a moment, those few hunters’ interest perked.
"Then why are they sealing off the city this time?"
Benjamin said slowly: "Because inside Amber City, a plague has suddenly started!"
Hearing that, the hunters were all shocked: Plague? How can it be? If there is really a plague, how can it be that we haven’t gotten the slightest hint about it?"
"That is because the army has sealed off the news." Benjamin said, vowing, "The plague has just started, in the city, and there are a few victims, but the army has already discovered it. Because they are scared that it will cause an uproar, so they used the excuse of bandits. Actually it’s because they don’t want the plague to spread out here."
"Re, really?"
"Of course it’s real, I have an uncle in the army who works as a quartermaster, it was him who told me. The plague has not broken out yet, and the people inside the city are not clear about it, but give it a week... Just you wait and see!"
Seeing Benjamin’s grave expression, the hunters could not help but look at each other, revealing very nervous expressions.
"This... If this is true, then won’t there be a huge disaster?"
"Yes." Benjamin responded to their words, rubbing his forehead with a troubled look on his face.
For a moment, the hunters fell into a silence, as though thinking, if there was really an outbreak of the plague, what would they do?
Seeing this, Benjamin kept quiet for a few seconds, before opening his mouth to ask: "Since this is the case, do you still intend to go into the city?"
"How can I not go back?" The hunter sighed, looking extremely troubled. "I still have a wife and children in the home. Before the plague breaks out, I must quickly get them out!"
Hearing that, Benjamin expressed his consensus: "Yes... My cousin is also in Amber City. My uncle can’t contact her, so he has begged me to quickly get her out!"
Hearing that, all of them patted Benjamin’s shoulder, saying nothing.
The news of this plague was like a bomb; at first, they were around the bonfire, chatting merrily away, but now everyone was in deep silence. Not long after, they each returned to their respective tents to rest, preparing to get up a little earlier tomorrow, line up to go through the control post, and quickly bring their people out from the city.
Benjamin also returned to his tent.
Casting aside the grimace he had put on in his act, he revealed a cunning smile.
"These people really believe what others say too easily." The System suddenly sounded out in his mind, saying in a distasteful tone. "You said there is a plague, and they really believed you?"
Benjamin shook his head, saying in his heart: "News like this, people would typically rather believe than to not believe. A little caution is never a big mistake."
The System, however, continued in its disdainful tone: "Now you’re happy, I suppose. A good place like that, and you suddenly blew up a plague. Now the Church will be unable to control the situation again."
Benjamin shrugged, saying helplessly: "Thanks for the compliment."
When he had heard the hunters’ conversation, an idea had sprouted up in his heart.
The Church transferring their people here and sealing off the city in such a short time, it was obvious that everything was done very abruptly. Many who wanted to come out, could not, and those who wanted to enter, could not enter. Because of that, there would be dissatisfaction in the people’s hearts.
Under such situation, typically, this dissatisfaction would not affect much, but... If Benjamin were to add a bit of spice, there was the possibility of it turning into a time bomb.
And a non-existent plague was just the right spice to add.
Actually, these days, the situation in Carretas was a little unstable. The Church, using the fake king, had creates many sudden government orders; furthermore, with the news Benjamin had been circulating, the public confidence in their governance had inconspicuously weakened a lot. Such a sudden quarantine would definitely create a lot of doubt in the people’s hearts.
People would think— Was it really only to capture the bandits? Was there really no other reason?
Benjamin was only catering to such thoughts.
As long as the people here believed in the existence of the plague, it would be impossible for the Church to continue sealing off this city. What kind of a joke was it, everyone wanted to live; no one wanted to be trapped inside and get infected with the plague. They would definitely insist in leaving. And the Church’s control posts, spending the entire day examining each person, would make the citizens anxious to death.
This would create a riot.
Of course, seriously speaking, up until then Benjamin had only spread this fake news to these few hunters. If they really wanted to blow up a plague out of nowhere, to the point where a riot would take place, they still had a lot to do.
Thinking thus, Benjamin hid himself faraway, and once again picked up the Transmission Woodpiece, activating it.
"Aren’t you stuck on the road with many people who want to get out?" There was a smile with a hint of mischief hanging on the corners of his lips. He spoke slowly, "Pay attention now. From tomorrow onwards, spread this news into the crowds..."