When a new Blood Moon Season began, the Royal Capital of Selan was much calmer than in previous years.
The Royal Capital lay far from the Eternal Night Wall and was almost entirely covered by Holy Light, so the Blood Moon Season had little effect on it. No Demonic Beasts had even appeared outside the city.
After the Blood Moon rose, the city gates closed early as usual, and a few more patrols than normal took to the streets. Apart from that, most people's lives were barely affected.
This year, people even had more breathing room than in the past few years.
Red Marrow Incendiary had saved the Kingdom a great deal in Holy Oil expenses. The Royal Capital's major hospitals had stocked up on medicine ahead of time, and local Holy Temples had more Holy Oil in reserve than in previous years.
As a result, grain prices had not risen noticeably, the markets remained open, and several relief Holy Temples had extended their hours.
By all accounts, it should have been a good year.
But disaster came too quickly.
Harold discovered his son was sick on the third day after the Blood Moon rose.
The boy had developed a fever that afternoon. At first, Harold thought it was an ordinary fever and bought some Purification Potions to treat it. But by evening, there was no improvement, and the boy was burning up and barely lucid.
Harold's wife wiped the boy's forehead with cold water several times, but although his whole body was burning hot, his hands and feet felt frighteningly cold.
By the early hours of the next morning, the boy had curled up under the covers, crying that his eyes hurt.
Harold had no choice but to draw the curtains again.
His wife sat beside the bed, about