Chapter 221: Another Day in the Cinders of Dusk
Three days later, Gideon had already prepared another row of military tents for the Greenwarden researchers while the refugees finally began moving into the temporary residential area. Surprisingly, not a single one of them chose to leave.
Of course, with winter growing harsher every day, they didn’t have many options.
Still, Gideon wanted to know why they had abandoned the Burrow altogether instead of simply enduring it until spring.
"The taxes kept increasing every month," one of the refugees answered.
"Eventually, none of us could afford to pay anymore. If we failed..." The man lowered his head. "The leader would simply send his men to beat us."
His name was Rick. He worked as a hunter while his wife, Andrea, was a tailor. Together they made a decent living before everything fell apart.
Rick hunted aberrants for their meat and cores while Andrea processed their hides into winter coats, bags and other necessities.
To Gideon, they were exactly the kind of people Cinder of Dusk needed.
"I see." He made a small note beside Rick’s name before looking up again. "Are there more people with similar professions?"
Rick exchanged a glance with his wife before she answered.
"Yes, Chief." Andrea nodded. "There are five tailors, including me, and eight hunters like my husband."
Their young daughter quietly hid behind Andrea’s back, only daring to peek at Gideon every now and then before immediately hiding again. It wasn’t difficult to guess why.
Yesterday she had watched him execute three people without hesitation.
"Good." Gideon smiled slightly.
"You and the other hunters and tailors can move inside today. Find Daphne once you enter the settlement. She’ll arrange your accommodations and explain how everything works."
The family repeatedly thanked him before leaving the tent.
Only after they disappeared did Gideon place another checkmark beside several names on his list.
Across from him, Johan let out a long sigh.
The two of them were still sitting inside the same tent where Gideon had executed the Scions of the Lord. Although every trace of blood had been cleaned away, a faint metallic smell still lingered in the air.
"Well," Johan muttered while leaning back in his chair, "it seems my persuasion wasn’t completely wasted."
Gideon couldn’t help laughing.
"Oh, come on." He closed his notebook. "They survived the apocalypse. Watching their new chief kill three cultists shouldn’t traumatize them that much."
Johan slowly turned toward him. "You’re looking at it from the wrong perspective."
He folded his arms. "They didn’t watch a stranger kill three enemies. They watched the man who was supposed to protect them cut down people they had been living beside for months. I spent the entire night explaining why you did it."
Gideon simply shrugged. "And yet none of them left. When survival and peace are placed on one side of the scale, most people discover friendship isn’t nearly as heavy as they thought."
Johan clicked his tongue. "I really dislike the way your brain works. But... you’re not entirely wrong. The people you killed weren’t strangers to them. They hunted together, shared meals and helped one another whenever someone needed it."
Johan paused briefly before shaking his head. "Still, none of those relationships ran very deep."
"Surface-level trust," Gideon murmured.
Johan nodded. "They were good neighbors. Helpful people, good listeners, and pleasant company. But somehow there is still an unexplained distance between them, that’s what they told me."
"The shock didn’t even last long, they somehow looked like something ’clicked’ on their brain when I told them about the Scion of the Lord and how their operation worked."
Gideon quietly tapped the notebook with his finger. "So Henry still did it better."
"You’re comparing them to the Prophet?"
Gideon nodded. "Henry made people willingly die for him. These zealots only managed to become likable neighbors, they’re still amateurs."
Johan stood up while letting out another sigh. "Sometimes I wonder whether your standards are impossibly high or simply terrifying."
"Anyway, let’s see what Greenwarden has been doing with our refugees. They’ve been inside that examination tent for quite a while."
Gideon stood as well and slipped the notebook back into his coat. "Let’s go."
Gideon had asked the Greenwarden researchers to examine the two refugees suffering from hypothermia and determine whether it was simply caused by the harsh winter or by the Pyrovour Borealis.
The examination tent had been erected near the massive bonfire in the center of the temporary settlement. Snow drifted gently from the gray sky while refugees who had already been approved to enter Cinder of Dusk began dismantling their tents and packing their belongings.
Not far away, Daphne stood beside a wooden table with a thick register in her hands, patiently calling names and explaining the rules of the settlement with a warm smile that made her look more like a tour guide than an administrator.
"Here, Chief."
Johan lifted the flap of the examination tent.
Inside, Patrick and two of his researchers were surrounding the two unconscious refugees while Laura carefully checked one of their pupils.
Gideon had already supplied her with basic medical equipment from the clinic, allowing her to monitor their temperature, pulse and breathing more accurately.
Laura slowly lowered the thermometer before looking at Patrick. "It’s strange... their temperature keeps dropping."
Patrick didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he moved to the other patient and checked the pulse himself before placing a hand against the man’s forehead.
"They’re both receiving enough external heat," he murmured. "Their blankets are dry, the fire is close enough and their circulation should’ve started recovering by now."
One of the younger researchers looked up from his notebook.
"Professor, Patient A’s pulse has dropped again. Body temperature continues to decrease despite the treatment." The young man, whose name Gideon remembered as Ruben, tightened his grip around the patient’s wrist while counting the pulse once more. "Dr. Laura’s treatment was correct. Under normal hypothermia, they should’ve begun warming up by now."
"So they’re still losing heat..."
Only then did he notice Gideon standing at the entrance.
"Oh, Chief."
Gideon walked over. "So... it isn’t contagious?"
Patrick slowly shook his head.
"No. If Pyrovour Borealis is the cause, it isn’t an infectious disease." He stood up while removing his gloves. "The seeds remain dormant inside the host, absorbing body heat little by little until they accumulate enough energy. After that, they enter hibernation and bloom the following winter."
He looked back at the two patients. "Unfortunately... I believe we’ve already missed the point where treatment can reverse the damage."
Laura quietly lowered her head. "I’ve done everything I could."
"I know," Patrick answered gently. "This isn’t a matter of medical treatment anymore."
He gestured for Gideon and Johan to step outside before continuing.
"We should prepare to cremate both bodies once they pass away."
Gideon nodded. "I’ll arrange it immediately. Does it require a specific temperature?"
"Yes. If possible, above one thousand degrees Celsius. The seeds can survive ordinary fires for a short period before seeking another host. We can’t take that risk."
He paused before adding, "The pathology laboratory you prepared has also been completed. My team will begin a full examination of the parasite recovered from Jace’s body today."
"Good." Gideon glanced once toward the examination tent before turning away. "Send me the report once you have something concrete. I still have several matters to deal with today."
Patrick nodded while watching Gideon and Johan disappear into the falling snow, already thinking about the long hours of research waiting for him inside the new laboratory.
***
Gideon drove toward the agricultural zone with Johan sitting quietly beside him. According to the morning reports, everything was progressing as planned. The irrigation channels had been completed, the barn was still in steady progress, and the fields had already been divided according to the cultivation plan.
Even the first batch of seeds was waiting inside the storage building to be planted as soon as the specialists finished their final inspection.
Truthfully, none of those reports required his personal attention.The real reason he came here was because of the specialist ticket he had used yesterday.
He got another specialist called Ammy Hayes.
Compared to William, the woman was far more outgoing and ambitious. Even from her status window alone, Gideon could already tell she enjoyed receiving recognition from her superior. She wasn’t arrogant, but she clearly worked harder whenever someone acknowledged her efforts.
The only unexpected problem was Delilah.
She had been unusually quiet ever since yesterday’s conversation about Leon, and instead of improving after getting some rest, her mood somehow became even worse after Ammy arrived this morning.
It made Gideon wonder if the woman was jealous.
"What is it, Chief?" Johan’s sudden voice pulled him back to reality. "You’ve been smiling to yourself for the last five minutes. You’re thinking about women again, aren’t you?"
Gideon chuckled. "I don’t think we’re close enough for you to start reading my mind."
"I don’t need to." Johan shrugged casually. "Half the rumors inside Cinder of Dusk are about your women."
He pointed through the windshield. "And besides, we’re driving toward the only zone that doesn’t have a single problem."
Gideon couldn’t even argue with that.
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