"I apologize, Mr. Suke. I didn't expect things to turn out this way either."
In the center of the square, seeing Suke's arrival, Sanson—who had just finished isolating and settling the severely ill townspeople—revealed a trace of fatigue.
"I clearly checked the food and drink in most of the Salem residents' homes, yet I never expected something like this to still happen... The situation is terrible. If it were merely ergot contamination, theoretically, it wouldn't be this severe."
The implication behind Sanson's words was that this large-scale food poisoning was not just the ergot contamination from original history at work; there were definitely other factors involved.
"Give me the conclusion straight, Sanson. You are the expert."
As a Heroic Spirit who served as both an executioner and a coroner, Sanson possessed considerable insight into medicine.
"Tell me what resources are needed to control this disease, and in what quantity. Just name a number, and I will prepare it for you."
Suke's goal was to turn Salem into the back garden of his Stardew Valley.
Even without the factor of the Witch Trials, he certainly had to find a way to control the plague occurring here.
"The medical conditions are actually fine; the problem lies with the food stocks that have likely been contaminated on a large scale."
Sanson furrowed his brows. His face, already lifeless, looked even more melancholy.
"I just went to check the food stocks in many townspeople's homes again. Aside from the ergot fungus that suddenly appeared despite not being there during my checks a few days ago, there also seems to be an abnormal magical energy lingering around it."
"Under the suppression of this Singularity, I cannot trace the source of the magical energy. This is most likely the handiwork of the Demon God Pillar. I am worried..."
Sanson's words came to an abrupt halt. His gaze obscurely swept over the mansion where Randolph Carter resided—Suke had shared the intelligence that Randolph Carter was the incarnation of the Demon God Pillar with him several days ago.
Although, after learning this intelligence, he was puzzled as to why the Demon God Pillar would allow him to replace Hopkins as the judge and sit by while Suke and his group changed the town.
But knowing he did not have the power to defeat the Demon God Pillar in a direct confrontation, he could only do his best to maintain this unspoken and fragile balance.
Without a Master, Sanson could only place his hopes on this incredible Farmer.
The Demon God Pillar, huh? Suke was not surprised by this answer.
Come to think of it, although the Demon God Pillar had made no moves throughout, some key plot points that had already been written into the "Salem Witch Trials" were occurring without omission—
"Sanson, issue an order."
"Gather all the food stocks of the infected townspeople... no, of all the townspeople in Salem, and burn them for destruction. Leave the rest to me."
"!"
Faced with Suke's decision, which could be called shocking to the world, even Sanson couldn't help but be startled.
Suke did not speak softly, so his words also reached the ears of the village elders and others nearby, causing their expressions to change abruptly.
"Outsider, what kind of joke are you playing!"
The village elder from before stepped out almost immediately to refute him.
"You devil, could you finally not hold back from revealing your true nature?! You must want famine to shroud our homeland, leaving us to struggle as we welcome death..."
For the people of this era who were not wealthy, even if they knew the contaminated grain might be the source of the plague, asking them to burn all their food was no different from stopping eating altogether to avoid choking.
Even in the twenty-first century, there are people who cannot understand the importance of large-scale disinfection for disease control, so how could one expect better of Salem?
"B-Boss, you are joking, right?"
"Yeah, the season is about to turn to winter. If we don't have stored grain..."
At this moment, even some of the townspeople who originally supported Suke began to show panic.
"Since I told you to do this, naturally, I have prepared a way out for you."
Facing the people chattering endlessly about his decision and even beginning to waver, Suke turned around and scolded sternly:
"Do you all know the story of Abraham's sacrifice?"
"'Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.'"
"Are you intending to abandon your faith in the Lord?"
"Since the rice and millet have already become evil things soaked in the devil's power, sacrificing them to the Lord and then praying for the Lord's forgiveness is the best method!"
You could hear a pin drop.
Suke's voice spread throughout the town square, causing even the village elder who had been clamoring the loudest to fall into silence.
They could question any of Suke's words, but the one thing they could not question was the scripture of God.
This was the cornerstone of the town's existence, and the deepest brand in everyone's mind—
"Sacrifice is man's repayment to God. It is handing the right of 'letting go' over to God, letting God make the decision for man."
"Look at this innocent maid; does she fit the doctrine of 'letting go' in your hearts?"
"Do not do unto others what you would not have them do to you—how much more so when sacrificing to God!"
The townspeople of Salem instantly settled down, as if an old radio full of static had been pressed with the pause button.
Even those who were originally hallucinating due to the plague stopped their movements, staring blankly at the high platform in the center of the square.
Some devout believers had even knelt on the spot, murmuring the Bible, seemingly praying for God's forgiveness for everyone's ignorance and arrogance.
"Yes... The Boss is right..."
"We have been blinded by arrogance and ignorance; we have abandoned our piety to the Lord..."
"Gather the grain tainted by the devil and sacrifice it to the Lord! The Lord will not abandon His pious subjects!..."
In a flash, the two distinct groups of people in the town merged back into one.
No one raised doubts about Suke's words and actions anymore.
Even more, some regarded Suke as a prophet and saint sent by God to the human world to guide them, offering Suke their highest respect.
As for Abigail and the others watching this scene from not far away, their eyes were shining.
'Sister Elysia, Brother Suke is so amazing!'
'It looks like Sister Tituba will be okay... Phew...'
Given the prayer-like silence that had fallen over the square, Abigail kept her voice very low, but this did not hinder her from expressing her joy to those beside her.
Meanwhile, Elysia and Sakuraba Emma were both looking at Suke's figure thoughtfully.
'Is this really okay, Sir?'
Although stopping this Witch Trial eased Sanson's tense nerves slightly, he also couldn't quite grasp Suke's plan for a moment.
'Although the resistance to destroying the infection source is gone now, what will everyone eat after that?'
Indeed, what would they eat?
—Suke naturally wouldn't answer like that.
"Sanson, gather the townspeople here again on time tomorrow. Let me conduct the sacrificial ceremony."
Admittedly, Suke's farm did not lack food, but simple charity was insufficient to solve Salem's hidden dangers; it would even breed human greed.
Did he not know the principle that a small favor wins gratitude, but a large one breeds resentment?
Since he had already raised the banner of faith, he would utilize this banner to the extreme.
Faith itself is not good or bad; it only depends on benevolence and malevolence.
____
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