Chapter 132
(Kyle
Calendar Year 509: Age 16)
Each Turning Points
Translator : PolterGlast
As the new year
dawned, the unsettling rumors concerning Baron Solis began to calm down. This
was because, concurrently with the announcement of the Royal Command Mage
system, the Solis Baron had publicly declared that all of his Mages, including
those applied for beforehand, were registered as Royal Command Mages. In fact,
the names and magical attributes of 26 Mages were publicly disclosed.
"What?! He
registered all the Mages he commands as Royal Command Mages?!"
"Even so, did he
really have 26 of them? I thought he was just a frontier Baron, but he's not to
be underestimated..."
"To expose his
hand like this, he must have steeled himself."
"He's a bold man,
nevertheless. Was he really plotting a rebellion?"
"That's unlikely;
for a Baron, his loyalty to the Kingdom is admirable, isn't it?"
As these rumors spread
among the nobility, some were left stomping their feet in frustration.
"Our carefully
orchestrated rumors are meaningless now!"
"That rascal!
From being a treacherous plotter with ill intentions, he's now even being
whispered about as a loyal subject. This leaves us with no just cause to seize
his Mages."
"Did our rumors
end up enhancing his reputation instead...?"
"This must be the
work of those Royalist Faction fellows. The Royal Command Mage system caught us
completely off guard. They've devised an unnecessary measure."
"Indeed, with the
King's direct involvement and the strengthening of the Kingdom's military put
forward, we too have no reason to object."
"It seems our
spies were outmaneuvered this time. Gouras dismissed them right after the
announcement."
The four Marquises
expressed their vexation with various words.
"Given this,
there's nothing we can do. Shall we shift our focus to the third phase of the
plan?"
"Ah, yes. A
report has come in from Count Model, stationed in the east. It seems that area
smells of trouble this year."
"Is that so? It's
a shame about those Mages, though..."
"You can't say
that, can you? Those Royalist Faction fellows are starting to move. It's best
to nip future troubles in the bud while we can."
They said that, and
regained their composure.
"That's right.
For now, he can heave a sigh of relief. But next time, that very number of
Mages will strangle him. He won't be permitted to remain complacent in the face
of the Kingdom's crisis."
"Indeed. And so,
we'll wear down his power? How pitiful. He'll realize later that he should have
simply offered them to us."
"Then, shall we
order the Viscount to instigate that matter?"
"Count Gouyoku,
tell the Viscount to immediately proceed with the next move. And ensure there
are no oversights."
"Yes, Your
Lordships! As you command."
Saying that, the Count
left the salon.
※
One day, while
fretting over the rumors in the Royal Capital, I received a report from Gold,
who had returned from training.
"Takuhir-sama,
during today's training, His Excellency Gouras spoke to me. He said that the
rumors have largely calmed down for now, so you should rest assured. However,
he also said that it's a fact that this incident has drawn even more attention
in the Royal Capital, so we must remain vigilant."
Gold, Danke, Walrus,
and Alar, the four who served as my attendants in Kylar, participated in the
Royal Capital Knights' training in shifts, at Knight Commander Gouras's kind
request. For them, constantly training and honing their skills to maintain
their proficiency was essential. Being able to regularly participate in combat
training alongside the elite Knights was a godsend. Incidentally, on days they
didn't participate in combat training, they received basic education at our
residence in Kylar. Being more inclined towards "muscle-brains,"
combat training was much easier for them mentally, and they eagerly
participated. I had also instructed them to interact with the Knights and each
develops their own sources of information.
Gold and Alar, in
particular, frequently visited the Royal Capital Knights' training ground as
instructors for the newly introduced crossbows. As a result, these two,
especially, had established connections with the relatively upper echelons of
the Knight Order.
"Thank you, then
things can finally settle down, right? By the way, how are the Knights'
skills?"
"Well, the Third
Army of the Knight Order introduced crossbows this time. They are meritocratic,
in a good way. At first, they boasted, 『We don't need lessons from you!』 but now they've become very cooperative."
"Hahaha! Did the 『Give them a good shot!』 strategy work?"
Yes, when this
training began, I had told them it was fine to not conceal their abilities, and
to even use Wind Magic if they could do so without being obvious. Unlike me in
the academy, if they were underestimated, it would be the end of them.
"Yes, their
crossbow proficiency is still inferior to the Solis Viscount Army's, but it has
improved considerably. As expected of an elite Knight Order, I realized that
again. Also, considering their use on the battlefield, we've also taught them
coordinated firing using flags and bells."
"I see. Well,
there's going to be a battle soon, so they should be able to perform reasonably
well on the battlefield, won't they—"
"Excuse me!
Urgent report!"
The door burst open,
and the voice of the person who rushed in was heard.
Rosa stood there, her
entire body soaked in sweat, breathing heavily, as if she had been running
continuously.
"Rosa, calm down.
Takuhir-sama isn't going anywhere! She came rushing in, knowing it was
impolite. Please, just let Rosa report."
Anne admonished her,
then offered support.
"What is it,
Rosa? I'm listening now. Gold, do you have any other urgent business?"
Seeing Gold shake his
head, Rosa, catching her breath, began to speak.
"Regarding the
epidemic you instructed me to investigate, I found no notable documents
matching it at the medical school. However, since my identity as a Holy Mage
became known due to the Royal Command Mage matter, everyone there suddenly
became very kind..."
Yes, in connection
with the Royal Command Mage incident, all of them staying in the Royal Capital
were included in the public information. Therefore, both the medical school and
the Church learned that Rosa was a Holy Mage. Until then, Rosa, being from a
commoner background in the frontier, had apparently been treated coldly, so to
speak, by both the Royal Capital's medical school and the Church that managed
it. However, once her identity as a Holy Mage was known, they did a complete
about-face, as if it were a joke, and began treating her with great care.
That's right. When I
first inquired about her admission, Father Grace had flatly stated that if she
were a Holy Mage, his recommendation alone would be sufficient. In the Church
and similar organizations, the status of a Holy Mage, who preserves the
original clan bloodline, is very high.
"I also gained
access to old documents in the Church that I wasn't allowed to read before. And
I found a tradition left by the People of the Demon Realm from long, long
ago!"
According to Rosa, it
was a record left by the clan that presided over Holy Magic, which became the
foundation of the Church at the time of the Kingdom's founding.
The tradition dated
back to when Kyle Kingdom was still part of the Demon Realm, and the various
clans lived alongside the monsters. At that time, a disease called 【Monster Disease】 frequently spread among the clans. It was reportedly a plague that
broke out with a high probability several years to ten years after a large
monster outbreak, with some variation in timing.
Once a large monster
outbreak occurred, the monsters would eventually lack food and begin
cannibalizing each other. This would lead to a rapid increase in small rodents,
like rats, known as "Demon Realm cleaners," who fed on the carcasses
of cannibalized monsters. Then, as the monster population decreased and
returned to normal, the increased rodent population would lack food. This would
cause the rodents to migrate into human-inhabited areas, carrying the source of
the plague with them. In this way, the plague would break out, and the Monster
Disease would spread rapidly among the People of the Demon Realm, causing widespread
suffering.
"The symptoms are
very similar to what Takuhir-sama described. Persistent high fever, the
afflicted feeling a thirst from within their bodies, and those with weaker
constitutions losing their lives first. The disease would spread to those
nearby, becoming even more terrifying, with many successively falling ill with
the same disease. But... the People of the Demon Realm were not
powerless!"
When this plague
spread, the People of the Demon Realm reportedly united to deal with it. The clan
presiding over Holy Magic would travel to the regions inhabited by other clans,
performing treatments against the plague, and in return, received vast gifts
from each clan.
"Even with the
treatments by the clan presiding over Holy Magic, they apparently couldn't
eradicate the disease itself. However, many even seriously ill individuals who
received treatment often survived, and most of those who contracted the plague
and received early treatment would only be bedridden for a few days, recovering
with mild symptoms. The records stated as much!"
"Rosa! What is
that treatment method?! Can it be revived in this age?!"
"Yes, upon
investigation, it seems the same treatment method is still passed down in the
Church. Um... there's a ritual where women working in brothels... um...
regularly purify themselves at the Church, right? That ritual seems to be a
remnant of ancient plague treatment methods, but its purpose has changed."
"!!!"
Indeed, I had thought
it was merely a comfort, but the "purification" rituals regularly
performed by courtesans at the Church did seem to suppress outbreaks of
infectious diseases originating from brothels. The more high-class the
establishment, the higher the frequency of these rituals, and the safer it was.
Such rumors were even whispered confidently. The treatment of infectious
diseases in civilized society generally involves antibiotics, but they don't
exist in this world. Although far less effective, there were natural
antibiotics from wild plants even in Japan. If that worked in conjunction with
Holy Magic or similar rituals, could this actually work...?
I suddenly recalled
that in the previous timeline, after the battle where I lost my brother, there
was a large monster outbreak, and we were busy dealing with it by dispatching
soldiers to various locations in the Estol territory.
"Rosa-san! That's
amazing! Takuhir-sama, don't you think we need to make arrangements
immediately?"
I was still tracing my
past memories in a daze until Anne spoke. Coming back to my senses, Rosa
continued her explanation.
"However, there's
also a problem. The method for making the holy water used in this ritual is
kept secret by the Church. The same goes for the content of the ritual. And the
medicinal herbs used for the holy water are now only cultivated by the
Church."
Could it be that
field? Hearing Rosa, I had an idea. It was about the cultivation of a certain
plant in the field that Father Grace had prioritized when building the church
in Teigun.
"So, securing the
medicinal herbs will be difficult?"
"Through the
Church, probably... the quantity is limited, and it seems to be forbidden from
leaving the premises. However, those medicinal herbs originally grew naturally
in the Demon Realm. I also remember seeing similar plants when I participated
in exercises and subjugation in the Demon Realm."
"That's enough!
Let's proceed with countermeasures immediately! Rosa! Continue to investigate
this research and the contents of the documents, and warn the Church about the
possibility of an epidemic! Anne! I'm sorry, but I need you to leave Kylar
immediately and ride to Teigun as a messenger for Father Grace. The large
monster outbreak mentioned in the documents is actually happening. With just
this fact, the profit-savvy Church should surely act!"
Thus, the epidemic
countermeasures reached a crucial, major turning point. Even if an outbreak
occurred, if it didn't become severe, many lives could be saved. And a ray of
hope appeared even for severely ill patients. If these countermeasures and the
preparations we had made so far worked together, we might just manage it.
Light had appeared!
Now, it was just a race against time.
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