Chapter 594 - Chapter Eleven: To the Duchy of Naonent ③
Thanks to the effect of Harris-sama, Sianya, and the priests who participated in support and can use Holy strengthening the magic water, all the patients showed improvement in their medical conditions.
On the other hand, the problems the three West Liber nobles are facing were left to Bishop Lloyd, Harris-sama, and Sianya after I talked to them during dinner. This is because I am not involved in the magic water transactions themselves.
The solution itself should be simple. We just need to make a lot at the places currently doing mass production and the places where it's expected in the future. The problem would be how to transport it within the effective period. It cannot be used in places where it cannot be transported. Indiscriminate use that ignores the poor physical condition after use is also scary. High-grade ones should not be used unless it's a life-threatening situation. Using such magic water will greatly change one's physical condition. Dune said that a sudden change in physical condition is, in itself, sometimes life-threatening. After that, there's the emergence of scoundrels who try to monopolize it for themselves or resell it at high prices to greedily seek excessive profits. Plagues mostly occur in places where poor people live. Because they are poor, they don't have the leeway to pay attention to their surroundings, so their daily hygiene is not good, and they can't buy herbs, so they endure while the symptoms are mild. Because their food is insufficient, they have no physical strength. By the time the rich are infected, deaths have already occurred.
"Jeanne, this talk involves politics. As you know, regarding the sale of magic water, it's decided by His Majesty's policy that Jeanne will not be involved at all. It's the handling of the Royal Family or Mary."
Harris-sama told me after dinner.
Bishop Lloyd and the Harmonia priest group stayed at the local church, and Sianya and the Sertoria group stayed at the prepared inn. It was when we gathered in Harris-sama and Hermit-sama's room before sleeping because they said they wanted to have a meeting about tomorrow.
Is that so? I didn't know.
When I looked at Will and Bonnie, they looked away. Was I the only one who didn't know?
"Haven't you heard from Mary?"
Harris-sama was surprised. Sianya is laughing.
"It's to protect Jeanne from politics. Think about it, magic water is now a strategic material on par with silver. Diplomatic policies change based on whether we sell it or not. It could even become a cause for war."
Come to think of it, the shop managers—Matilda, Beatrix, Mary, and Miana—had been told not to sell it without permission. I had been listening obediently, but I didn't know there was such a grand story in the background. Regarding where it's made... especially when using orbs... everyone had obtained my approval, but I haven't been asked for my opinion on where to sell it.
I hadn't thought about it very deeply.
"Well, fine. It's going smoothly for now, and there's no problem as long as you don't conclude transactions on your own."
The managers are reliable, so it should be fine. Besides, I mostly leave the transaction talks themselves to Eleanor-sama, Harris-sama, and Mary. In any case, exports require the King's approval. And transactions with West Liber would have to be coordinated with Northern Gram. It should be fine as long as that's understood.
On the second day, since there were no more patients who needed Eight-Volley, I cast basic-level with the intention of casting high-level. However, instead of the originally planned five people, I made it double, ten people. Five in the morning, and five after having lunch and taking a short nap. I also made the interval between casting for one person and the next person longer. The degree of fatigue after finishing was no different from the first day. The strengthened magic water was further strengthened on the second day. In that way, as a result of everyone working hard, the patients' conditions became quite good.
The nobles and the wealthy people didn't particularly complain and were listening to Bishop Lloyd's explanation of measures to take when infected people appear.
In Primordia, Anri-sama is taking the lead in rushing to identify infection routes. It seems it had been said since ancient times that bad water is the source of plague spread, and the primary source is highly likely to be water. It's natural to be careful about drinking water. The same goes for washing one's body in water. If one's fingers were dirty, the disease would enter the mouth when grabbing something to eat. When the Engrio army went on an expedition, when entering an area with infected people, they always washed their fingers with magic water, washed their faces, and gargled. They also soaked clothing and tableware used by infected people in magic water. They apparently enforced that thoroughly.
According to the spirits' talk, the medical condition worsens when the source of the disease enters the human body in some form and multiplies in large quantities there. And when that multiplied disease source leaves the human body and moves to another person and multiplies in large quantities in that person's body, a new infected person appears. It's not clear where the disease source jumps out from the infected person, but in short, it's something excreted from within the body. Starting from tears and sweat to excrement, humans excrete various things. If the disease source was mixed in there, one shouldn't be infected as long as they don't get close to it.
Next is the substitute for magic water when it's not available. For example, vinegar is effective for early symptoms of athlete's foot, and strong alcohol becomes a preventive for battlefield diseases. Although it's not clear for now, for those who look after patients, washing fingers with vinegar or strong alcohol instead of just water is also one of the ways to prevent spread. Considering the effect of wooden boxes for rot prevention using Anti-Sepsis, fruit preserved in salt, vinegar, or alcohol is common in that it doesn't spoil easily. Actually, when food spoils, black dots similar to the disease source increase. And it makes it rot. Between food rot and disease, the sources are strictly different, but just as there are differences in races like humans, spirits, and monsters among living things, they are likely similar. It's not only wild beasts and magic beasts that eat and kill humans.
The third day was the same as the second day. The amount of food for the severely ill patients from the first day also increased. For those whose symptoms lightened from the beginning, the condition of their excrement also improved. By the way, the excrement of infected people is kept in a separate place from healthy people, based on the judgment that it could become an infection source. We dug a hole and placed a board over it, and had them strain there. Since we also made a blindfold and a ceiling with five boards, privacy is also protected. The excrement was burned twice a day along with dirty underwear by pouring oil on it. After burning, cover it with soil. Once it's full, just bury it completely. This toilet also seemed to be a learning experience for the nobles and the wealthy people, as they were copying it onto parchment.
In the end, the nobles and the wealthy people didn't have anything that would lead to direct profit, but they seemed satisfied in their own way by being able to learn the latest plague countermeasures and effective herbs from Bishop Lloyd. Honestly, I think lords should put more effort into infection prevention.
And so it was the night of the last day. When I was about to sleep after finishing bathing in order, Harris-sama and Hermit-sama came to the room.
"Jeanne. You should leave here right now."
It's Hermit-sama. Something must have happened.
"What happened?"
"Something might happen from now on."
This is not a simple matter. Without making a sound, I only readied my appearance.
"It seems the inn is being watched by someone. One hour after everyone leaves, we'll turn off the lights in this room. Evacuate to a safe place by then. You just need to follow Hermit. Sianya-bishop, please accompany us as well."
Who is 'someone'? I don't know, but anyway, we decided to flee.
According to what Hermit-sama says, the watchers are apparently watching the inn's entrance and the back door. Since there are no other exits, it feels like there's no way to escape. Since I can't use Camouflage, I can't hide my appearance either. It was fine to leave the room, but where should we go? We just followed behind Hermit-sama.
The inn is three stories. Being close to the border checkpoint, it's quite large. After all, if something happens and they assemble soldiers at the border, it becomes the place where the commanding noble stays. It's said to have history and high prestige.
Since the inn is built on the north side of the highway running east-west, the entrance is on the south side. Entering the entrance, the reception and stairs are in front. On the right side... that is, the east side, are the dining room and kitchen, and on the left side are the office and warehouse. The driveway and stable are on the north side of the warehouse. The second and third floors are guest rooms. There are two types of rooms. Small rooms and large rooms. On both the second and third floors, there are corridors to the left and right of the landing after going up the spiral staircase in the middle. On both sides of the corridor, there are four small rooms each, and one large room at each end. Small rooms are basically for one to two people, and large rooms are apparently for families. By the way, since they use bunk beds, the capacity can be doubled if they feel like it. Our room is the large room on the east side of the third floor, and according to the innkeeper, it's the best room.
Where we were led by Hermit-sama was the large room on the west side of the third floor.
When we opened the door and went inside, four bunk beds were lined up. Since the curtains are drawn, I don't know even if someone was sleeping.
"Good of you to come."
A familiar voice was heard from beyond the curtain of one bed.
"Could it be Henry-sama?"
When I called out, the curtain was pulled back with a 'shwah' and there was a familiar face.
"Indeed. It is Henry, the representative of the Henry Party of traveling merchants."
Following that, four curtains opened all at once with a 'shwah-shwah,' and the smiling faces of Eleanor-sama and Harold-sama appeared. Do they intend for this to be an entrance scene in a play or something? They're quite old, yet they aren't ashamed. No, Wilson-san on the second bunk is looking down. As expected, monsters are different somewhere.
"Edward. You, what are you doing?"
"I-it's my uncle's order."
The fourth one is the loud prince, Edward-sama. Isn't his face bright red? Moreover, because the bed is small, he's uncomfortably bending his legs. It seems he'd sleep better on the floor.
So he's been added to the Henry Party.
Don't increase the number of victims any further!
"What on earth is the Henry Party doing coming all the way to a place like this?"
"It is decided. Traveling business."
I hope you guys crossed the border properly.
"What a greeting. We are here to help you since this inn is being watched by suspicious people."
"Harold, it hasn't been decided that they are suspicious yet."
Since Eleanor-sama is arguing back, is it unconfirmed?
"Watching a group of priests without identifying themselves and hiding their true identity is suspicious enough."
"Wasn't that one of your jobs before retirement? Ah, I see, I understand. That's why it's suspicious to you."
"Shut it! Look who's talking!"
They started an argument, leaving us aside.
Hey, Will, Bonnie, why are you guys crawling into empty beds on your own? Moreover, after drawing the curtains once, you're opening them with a 'shwah-shwah.' If you do that, those three rejoicing monsters will get carried away.
The Henry Party, having newly added Edward-sama to their gang, had achieved entry into Sertogne as traveling merchants. The one who prepared the documents was, of course, the Primordia King. This time, the Wetlands Knight Order is not moving. He must have relied on the Henry Party out of worry for Miana.
"Exactly who is watching us?"
I asked the expert, Harold-sama.
"Probably a beggar who is an acquaintance of a punk who is a henchman of a local boss connected to a low-level scout of someone who has a base in some country."
Isn't that just a beggar at the very end? Even if he is watching, he probably doesn't know for what purpose he's watching.
"That kind of person is the most troublesome. Because they'll do anything as long as they get money."
Conversely, they won't do anything if you don't give them money. In other words, there is someone who gave it this time.
"What is the purpose?"
Sianya asked Harold-sama.
"Well now. Wilhelmina. There is something I want to ask you."
For some reason, he turns to Will.
"For example, if Jeanne were killed in this land, and the culprit was someone from West Liber, what would happen?"
What is this old guy saying all of a sudden? Killing a priest is not something that should be allowed.
"The Northwest Coast Treaty will ally with East Liber and declare war on West Liber."
Huh?
"Wait a minute. Will, what are you saying?"
"Jeanne. You came to this land under His Majesty's orders. In the background, there is a request from the Medioland Royal Capital Great Church head. Wilhelmina's answer must naturally be assumed. Moreover, the deputy envoy is Princess Sianya, so it's even more so."
Eleanor-sama said in an unexpectedly harsh tone.
I unintentionally shut my mouth.
"Then, if the culprit was someone from East Liber?"
"The Northwest Coast Treaty will ally with West Liber."
Hmm, Harold-sama nods. Does it become such an exaggerated story?
"That's how it is, Jeanne. The exchange just now is only one example. If there are people who want to involve the countries of the White Island in their own country's war, it would be troublesome. Moreover, for punks, after killing, it's easy to change which country's request it was by making up an employer. War is something that happens because of such trivial pretexts."
It happens, or rather, haven't you guys caused it before?
Anyway, to prevent the White Island from being involved in war... probably to protect Miana... they seem to have secretly volunteered as guards. Well, it's helpful if I say so myself.
The people who want to kill me apparently also include heathen exclusionists. Especially in the Duchy of Naonent, people who converted are converting back. There are even people who spread rumors that while dying of plague is also God's will, a heresy is doing suspicious things against that will. Of course, as they participated in the treatment, the local heathen priests should not be involved. The same goes for the decent nobles. It's decided who would make such nonsensical interpretations on their own. Fanatics are everywhere. In fact, I was almost killed on the island where Wyverns live. It was fine because it was a ritual to feed me to the Wyverns while alive, but if it was a ritual to kill and feed me, I would have definitely died.
"Now then, it's about time. I'll have you all hide."
Harold-sama, who crawled out of the bed, knelt on one knee before Sianya.
"Sianya-sama, I am sorry, but I ask that you move your person to a safe place together with Jeanne and the others."
There's no saying no. It can't be helped.