Chapter 488 - Ninth Episode: To the Continent
In the end, for some reason, I ended up being the one to go for the copying.
To be precise, I should say "I too." Sianya is going too.
The reason is that we are priests.
Thinking about it, royalty is supposed to be absent, and since it's during a war, they can't go. At most, to the port. It would be a big deal if something happened. Even the Henry Party was cautious about that. The Class of 175 is the same. Going as peddlers on a ship and dealing with merchants in the port is fine, but they can't cross the port's checkpoint.
However, priests are different. Originally, they are a privileged class, and since Sianya and I are priests, we can enter places normally inaccessible and cross checkpoints. Of course, it's with the Church's permission. This time, since we are going to the sanatorium on the opposite shore under the guidance of Archbishop Lloyd, it would be strange to be stopped.
That's how Sianya explained it, and I ended up going.
But still, copying a literature grand enough to be called an Encyclopedia wouldn't be finished in a day or two. And it's during a war. Well, since the Sertogne Royal Capital is apparently closer to the border with West Liber, it's quite the hinterland.
"You know the bishop who came from Sertogne and participated in this meeting? That person had spoken to the Archbishop over there in advance."
The Archbishop over there must be Archbishop Lloyd. Archbishop Lloyd reportedly accepted Primordia's request readily.
Apparently, he had been in frequent contact with Cadogan-sama about plague countermeasures. However, the herbs that can be picked on the White Island were poor in both quality and quantity compared to those handled on the continent, so an Encyclopedia wasn't necessary. However, at the subsequent meeting, talk heated up about each country cooperating to make a list of effective herbs in preparation for the spread of plagues, and further, to manage herb gardens and strive to prepare the necessary amounts. So, they seem to have thought of obtaining a manuscript of the Encyclopedia and using it as a resource.
At first, Sianya was apparently scheduled to do the copying alone. From Primordia, if you use Teleport and transfer ships, you can go from the Primordia Royal Capital to the church in half a day.
"Isn't it hard to do it alone?"
"That's right. But you see, the only ones who can do the copying are priests who have received Archbishop Lloyd's permission. Cadogan-sama specially recommended me, and I finally got permission."
"Finally?"
"Yes, after the first meeting was held in Primordia, we had briefly introduced the magic water to Sertogne too. At that time, there were few scrolls, so we had our hands full with our own country and couldn't show the actual effect."
Apparently, they had them come to see the treatment of patients once the medical facilities were prepared to some extent. Archbishop Lloyd, who was deeply impressed, had reportedly been saying he wanted to meet me ever since then.
"In the continent... no, in various countries around the world, it was considered an incurable disease and called Just a Disease with prejudice, right? On the other hand, there were patients among some of the royalty and nobles too."
Sianya says that in a kingdom far, far away, the king who was enthroned at a young age was a patient of Just a Disease. He contracted it as a child, and by the time he became a king called a wise ruler, the disease had completely progressed and even his bones were affected. Until the day he died, he reportedly covered his whole body with cloth and always hid his face with a silver mask.
"Archbishop Lloyd apparently had a senior apprentice whom he had been very close to since he was an acolyte. That person was reportedly from a prominent noble family, and was an excellent and kind person loved by everyone."
Besides his origin, he was reportedly expected to have a bright future. He apparently became a bishop at a young age.
That bishop with a promising future reportedly volunteered to be involved in research on plague countermeasures. And he started research on treatment methods for Just a Disease, which had been half-abandoned. As a result of repeated frequent contact with patients, what happened to that person was easy to predict.
"One day, even though hot water was splashed on his hand, he reportedly didn't feel the heat much. Yes, Just a Disease. Day by day, the disease progressed, and his appearance also changed."
Just a Disease... the young bishop, certified as having the Just a Disease, was even abandoned by his family and moved to an isolation facility that could be called a cave. Archbishop Lloyd, before he even became an Archbishop, aspired to plague countermeasures with the sole intention of saving that bishop, and reportedly continued research on various herbs and treatment methods while traveling around various countries.
"He injured his bad leg during his travels for investigation and became unable to walk satisfactorily himself. Because of that, he had apparently half-given up on discovering a treatment method. Then came the talk of Jeanne's magic water. When Cadogan-sama sent the letter, he came on a ship immediately, even while being skeptical. And then... when he saw the patients getting better... he..."
Sianya, that's enough. I've started crying too.
When I asked about the copying in detail, in short, I'm going to do a reading using Thought Communication. Originally, copying is one person per book. Partly because the original is large, but also because there's no space. However, if I use Thought Communication, I can record what I've spoken directly into the heads of multiple people. Of course, not everyone will be able to record it beautifully. However, if the people who did it at the same time show each other's results, they can supplement it considerably. In short, it's the same as the reading of the secret book in the back of the altar. I, who am quasi-super-advanced, will be beginner-mid level in Sertogne. If things go well, four or five people might be able to do the copying at the same time.
"But you see, there's a condition."
"A condition?"
"Yeah. Though, rather than a condition, it might be a test."
"A test?"
I don't really understand.
Sianya says that the bishop who was the senior apprentice Archbishop Lloyd served is still alive. However, his eyes are ruined, and he has almost lost his hearing too. The research-minded bishop continued his research even after contracting the disease and kept in touch with Archbishop Lloyd. However, the symptoms worsened day by day, and just as he was on the verge of death, magic water made with an advanced Anti-Sepsis scroll finally made it in time. Now, he is regaining his health with the improvement of symptoms due to the effect of the magic water, but his eyes and ears remain impaired. And at present, Thought Communication has not seen mass production to the extent that it circulates on the continent.
"In other words, it's fine if I can have a conversation or do a reading with that person, right?"
"That's right. Mid-level or lower scrolls have almost no effect. That said, advanced ones aren't easily obtained, are they?"
Well, that's true. The cause is me.
Advanced ones have a great instantaneous effect, but because the required magic control ability is large, there's a limit to the number of scrolls that can be made. Since there are many places that need them, it's better to make many beginner or mid-level ones and use them continuously in as many facilities as possible.
Thanks to the cooperation of the Priestess of Finis, the ghosts, Aira, and Saxburg, scrolls of the first King series using jewels are being mass-produced in Finis and Northern Gram. However, they are still making many mid-level and beginner ones. In the case of jewels, even advanced ones can be fired in succession, but since the target is a large teleportation circle and the effect extends to an entire room, if the thoughts of everyone in the room leak out, it causes confusion. There are things it's better not to know.
"Then, I just need to cast beginner level on that senior apprentice bishop and talk or do a reading while touching his body, right?"
"Yeah. I think so."
When I actually confirmed with Archbishop Lloyd, it was just as Sianya imagined.
He seems to have heard the story from the bishop dispatched to Sertoria and seems to have quite high expectations for this as well.
When Sianya brought up Thought Communication, he looked at me with shining eyes and took my hand.
"Magic that was only a legend, Thought Communication. I have heard the story from Bishop Sianya. I hear you can talk even with those whose eyes or ears are impaired or those who cannot speak."
"Yes. Not just those who were born that way, but also those who became so due to injury or illness can be spoken with."
When I replied so, he gripped my hand even more strongly.
He must have prioritized Anti-Sepsis due to his duties. However, in truth, I understood well that he probably wants Thought Communication just as much.
"Archbishop Lloyd. Jeanne is already a possessor of magic control ability that can be called quasi-super-advanced. And there is no rank for the magic of Thought Communication."
"T-That means, in other words..."
He must have heard it in advance, but hearing the explanation from Sianya again, Archbishop Lloyd took half a step forward.
"Yes. I can use Thought Communication in Sertogne. If I am touching a part of the person's body who is the target of the casting, I should be able to talk with that person."
Saying so, Archbishop Lloyd tried to kneel slowly while protecting his injured leg.
The quick-eyed Sianya quickly moved her body to the side of the injured leg to support him. I also hurriedly supported the other side.
"Oh, Goddess, I thank you. For granting the magic of legend to Bishop Jeanne, and for her being sent to this land."
It's bewildering and a bit embarrassing to have my name come up in words of gratitude to the Goddess, but I joined in the words of prayer that followed.
After the natural preserve construction by the Henry Party was finished, it was finally time to land on the continent.
According to what I hear, the coastline on the opposite shore has many shoals and sandy beaches, so large ships cannot come alongside. To avoid waves, they apparently enter inside an inlet and anchor, and from there they go to the port by small boat. Perhaps because of that, the ships coming and going around the port look like many small, rather flat ships. It's probably because they can enter deep into the land even in shallow seas and anchor at a landing place up the river.
"As you can see, there are no such large ships around here, are there? If you go further west, or conversely east, there are ports where the water is deep and the beach is not exposed even at low tide. However, the large warships and transport ships owned by such ports have advanced near the front lines. In this area, there are only ships like those river boats that have grown larger."
Because of that, support for the island is also reportedly using only the larger river boats. It's close, but if the sea gets rough, even departure is endangered. I could understand why Archbishop Lloyd was worried about the replenishment of water and food.
While riding the hospital ship and looking at the larger river boats, we advanced toward the land and saw an inlet. Perhaps because of the low tide, the coast is surrounded by a sandy beach, or rather a dried-up sandy beach. No matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem like we can come alongside a quay. Looking around, no large ships like the hospital ship we rode are visible at all. In the end, we transferred to a small boat again. As the navy soldiers rowed toward the land with great effort, we finally arrived at a pier made of wood that looked like a bridge protruding from the sandy beach.
At the pier, not just officials, but a well-dressed elderly man and several men who looked like guards came to meet us.
"Archbishop Lloyd. Welcome back. How was your sea voyage after such a long time?"
Even though Edward-sama and Sianya were there, he took Archbishop Lloyd's hand and helped him disembark. He seems to be quite a devout believer. He has a mumbly feel more than Bishop Lloyd, but it's well within the range of being audible.
"Edward-dono. Sianya-dono, you've come well too."
Dono? Since he doesn't use -sama, is he royalty?
The noble introduced by Edward-sama was indeed a person connected to the royal family.
Since the Henry Party remained on the ship considering their status(?), I was the one who received the greeting after the three of them.
"Duke Harmonia, this is Bishop Jeanne."
Receiving Edward-sama's introduction, I hold out my hand with the ring representing a bishop. Duke Harmonia took that hand, and while lightly pulling his right leg, he leaned over and kissed the ring.
Duke Harmonia seemed to be the lord who ruled the port and was a person with a sturdy, sun-tanned physique. He wasn't wearing chain mail, and had no cloak. He was a person with features not much different from humans on the White Island, with wavy gray hair and dark brown eyes, and a somewhat dark skin tone, wearing a dark green jacket and dark brown trousers. He was wearing sturdy leather shoes. The sword hung at his waist was also a one-handed sword, not something so grand.
I heard that navy soldiers don't usually wear chain mail. It's probably because they'd sink if they fell into the sea. I wonder if Duke Harmonia is the same. He has it put together in an elegant way, but it's somewhat light attire.
"Nice to meet you. I am Harmonia, who is permitted by the King of Sertogne to possess this area."
"May the blessing of the Goddess be upon you."
I wondered what he meant by "this area," and it turned out to be quite a wide range. It was a region called the Duchy of Harmonia.
I have received an explanation about Duchies from Eleanor-sama before. I recall it was a name used when one country came under the control of an even larger country.
"Bishop Jeanne. The Duke is taking command of the navy in this war. It is also deeply related to the support operation our country is conducting."
"No, no, as for the navy, it's only a very small part. My main mission is transport to relatively nearby areas and patrolling the coastline. In this port, there isn't a single large ship used for combat."
Duke Harmonia is laughing, saying, "At most they are fishing boats."
"It's not about the size, is it? I have heard that many of the Duke's ships are fast and can go quite far up the river."
"We've just become fast at running away."
He is returning Edward-sama's words with a light smile and without any sarcasm.
He is certainly a person with a high level of likability.