"Put the city on lockdown?" Neville was momentarily stunned, then quickly nodded. "I understand, Your Highness. I'll handle it right away."

As a soldier, following orders was his sacred duty. Whatever command Matthias issued, he would carry it out without hesitation.

"Hold on."

Just as Neville prepared to leave, Matthias stopped him.

He said, "This outbreak is no ordinary crisis. All information must be completely contained, and we can't have any more leaks.

"If any officials in Thornwick refuse to cooperate or act like they're following orders while secretly disobeying them, they'll be removed from their positions immediately and investigated. Anyone who stirs up trouble will be thrown straight into prison."

"Yes, Your Highness," Neville responded, then hurried off.

With direct orders from Matthias, he could finally act without restraint. He'd long been fed up with Thornwick's officials—backstabbing their superiors, misleading their underlings, and playing everyone with phony p