Chapter 655 - Fourth Story: The Second Great Unity Conference ③
The next morning, I ate breakfast while glancing at the scholars who were still drinking as usual. The observers who stayed in town were appalled by the disastrous scene, but the Jeanne here told everyone what we talked about yesterday. Fortunately, or perhaps wisely, Theresia-sama isn't coming back to the venue until the afternoon of the third day. Everyone left the room, thinking they could just come back then. Business negotiations will probably start in various parts of the town. The Jeanne here and Mary joined in as well.
Sianya and I decided to go to the isolation ward in the afternoon. Harris-sama and Hermit-sama were with us too. Since they can't use magic, going there doesn't mean they can cure the patients. However, they wanted to hear about the reality of the spread from the patients' own mouths. Fortunately, within the Duchy of Germania, thanks to Theresia-sama's hard work, the spread itself has ended. Now, the focus was on the bathing of sailors who came from abroad. Thanks to that, we learned about the situation in West Liber, and it seems the view that it's almost over is spreading there. They said the Engrio army's expedition was proof of that. After all, King Seldic and Crown Prince Richard are being treated like saviors who drove out corrupt nobles and brought magic water to the people. Those saviors have all headed for East Liber. It's no wonder everyone thinks it's over. Moreover, their destination is said to be upstream of the river that has its mouth in the Duchy of Roland. The people of Roland, seeing the two of them standing at the bow of the warships advancing up the wide river, apparently saw them off with great cheers. Compared to their reputation on the White Island, I'm starting to lose track of which one is correct.
"The one we worship is the Goddess whose creed is coexistence and co-prosperity. On the other hand, the one that gentleman worships is a male god who is a god of war. The Duchy of Roland is also the birthplace of those who founded Engrio, and faith in the war god still remains strong in folklore. There must be a clear difference there."
Harris-sama's words seemed to say it all.
On the afternoon of the final day, the presentations for the Second Great Unity Conference began.
The first thing presented was research that could only be done in Primordia and Sertoria: the distinction between plagues that can be treated with magic water and those that cannot, and the confirmation of the source of the diseases. For those where magic water is ineffective, herbs are necessary.
Last winter, as a result of verifying over a hundred patients in each of the two countries, it was found that magic water had no effect on the plagues that affect the lungs and are prevalent in winter, and the black spots that are the source of the disease could not be confirmed either. Administration of herbs was recommended for those diseases.
On the other hand, magic water was said to be highly effective for the types that affect the stomach, including the plague whose spread is currently being guarded against. Of course, there are probably exceptions, but it was recommended to use magic water first, which is faster than herbs that take time to heal, and to administer herbs at the same time. Incidentally, for those kinds of diseases, the source of the disease has already mostly been confirmed from fluids that came out of the human body... mainly bowel-related, but also saliva and such. It was reconfirmed that the vicinity of toilets requires special caution. Also, as expected, it was announced that infants, small children under ten, the elderly, and those with poor dietary situations are prone to becoming severely ill, so if an infected person appears and such vulnerable people are nearby, it is preferable to isolate them just in case. Furthermore, it was announced that soil is truly dirty, and especially places where humans live can be called sources of infection; water is the same, and water in places where there is no flow, such as ponds and marshes, is particularly dirty; even so, rivers and wells shouldn't be trusted too much, and if possible, it is preferable to drink water that has been thoroughly boiled and then cooled.
The second thing presented was folklore from various regions, and there were truly many different things. What was noteworthy was the verification that strong alcohol is effective for preventing battlefield disease, and vinegar is effective for mild athlete's foot. It was found that the stronger the alcohol, the better, and it can be used not only for battlefield disease but also to prevent rot when injured. Originally, this was said as a matter of course among hunters and soldiers, but by being formally announced, it will come to be kept in stock at places like military infirmaries, for example. Above all, on the battlefield, a significant proportion of those who are injured fall ill and die. If that can be prevented, the rulers will likely take action. Also, as a result of the announcement that athlete's foot is transmitted if you borrow and wear the shoes of someone who has it, screams rose from several people. They must have borrowed them before. Furthermore, in countries even further east than East Liber, there is apparently a custom of washing dishes, hands, and in some cases tables, with strong alcohol. It was reconfirmed that keeping the living environment clean is important.
There was a very impressive statement. It was about the charm mothers use to take away the pain when a child falls, for example. Even on the White Island, when it's not necessary to use magic or herbs, mothers chant a charm. "Pain, pain, fly away!" There are various charm words depending on the region, and some are like parts of magic incantations. The speculation was presented that these are perhaps remnants from ancient times when magic could be used on the continent as well. It was suggested that such things gradually became shorter and eventually became the "pain" thing. To be honest, it's a child's trick, but it was surprisingly well-received by the scholars.
Magic to reduce pain doesn't exist on the White Island either. Of course, I can't use it. On the other hand, I have used a powerful sleeping drug when cutting off the limbs of a seriously injured patient. Similar methods exist on the continent, such as knocking them out by punching them, or a beautiful woman holding their hand, and so on. However, you can't do such things to a sick person, as opposed to an injured person. It was stated that encouraging, comforting, and continuing to support them is important. In other words, the opinion was raised that mental support is important. It was argued that as someone who examines patients, one should actively induce the idea that "illness comes from the mind." Of course, when present at the final moment, one must make an effort to use all the words of prayer so the patient can meet a peaceful death. In a sense, this leads to the effectiveness of the church's prayers for devout believers, and it was claimed that this is effective in its own way. In other words, it's the coexistence and co-prosperity of those who claim the effectiveness of prayer and those who claim the use of magic water and herbs.
Honestly, I felt like scales had fallen from my eyes. Of course, everyone is a priest. They must be offering prayers to patients as a matter of course. However, on the other hand, I thought that prayer couldn't cure the plague. But prayer is certainly effective for giving a patient the will to fight the plague.
The participants might have been the same as me. After a brief silence, scattered applause broke out. Eventually, all the participants stood up and gave the speaker a long round of applause.
As a final summary, it was confirmed that verification from various perspectives will be necessary in the future, and the view was shown that shared use with herbs must be sought. Also, regarding folklore, it was confirmed that verification will be carried out as much as possible, and it will be collected broadly. And, as church priests, the importance of prayer was reconfirmed, and it was decided that a treatment stance from the patient's perspective is necessary, and that they should actively and persistently work toward a cooperative system with the prayer-centered faction.
Finally, the meeting was closed with words from Theresia-sama. Theresia-sama appealed for the necessity of cooperating across borders, religions, cultures, and languages to fight the plague, and made her closing remarks. Theresia-sama came from abroad. Moreover, she came as part of an occupying army. It must have been a year of rushing about with the enormous responsibility of founding a new country. From the content and tone of her greeting, the hardships of the past year could be felt.
It became a conference that made me think about many things. I felt truly glad that I participated.
After the banquet, I returned to my room. From here, it's a girls' night out.
It's the final day. Until now, we had been talking seriously about herbs, but by the third night, it turned into girl talk about romance, as is typical for a girls' night. Since the Jeanne here isn't a priest, romance is possible. I'm very interested in what the reality of romance and marriage is like on the continent.
"I'm a bit of a special case. My father is a noble, but my mother is a commoner. I'm what you'd call an illegitimate child. I've been recognized, but in front of the legal wife, I can't openly use the family name. So, I can have romances, but I might not be able to marry as I please."
An answer contrary to my expectations came back.
"I guess now is the only time I can play around. Eventually, it would be nice if I could become the second wife of some old noble and live a life of leisure. Maybe with a young, handsome lover."
Would this be considered marrying into wealth?
"If Primordia is okay, I can introduce you to someone just right."
It was Sianya. As expected of a princess.
"Yeah, me too. I have an ultra-excellent property," Mary even started saying. By "ultra-excellent property," I hope she doesn't mean someone who's already on the verge of death.
"Ahaha, thanks. I want to play around a bit more, so maybe some other time."
Apparently, she does have a boyfriend. He's probably someone she can't marry. Nobility is such a hassle.
After that, the three of us pestered her with questions about the Jeanne here's boyfriend, and we got excited by her answers. She said she's always prepared to become her father's family's adopted daughter, but she usually lives with her mother. Her father occasionally comes to see her and leaves money. He apparently dotes on the Jeanne here too. Since they aren't together every day, it's lonely, but other than that, she apparently has no bad memories. She must be loved along with her mother. The fact that she's recognized is proof of that.
"What about Mary? Sianya and Jeanne aside, Mary at least has a marriage partner, right?"
She had been teased mercilessly, but she went on the counterattack. It's only natural, I suppose. For some reason, the members of the Class of 175 are still single. Mary, in particular, is ranked number one in the Class of 175 for who will marry first. Currently, it's surprising that Beowulf is in the lead, but it's most surprising that Mary has become a workaholic and hasn't married yet.
"Let's see. We'll be twenty-four next year, after all. Maybe I should start getting serious soon."
She was composed. She probably has the confidence that she can marry whenever she wants. I haven't been told the details, but acting on the wishes of Eleanor-sama and Magdalena-sama, she's getting along with nobles of all sizes from various countries. If it's a position as a second wife, she might have any number of partners.
"Hey, on the White Island, around what age does everyone get married?"
The Jeanne here asked. It seems the marriage age for women is high on the White Island. It's probably because they can use magic. As is the case with Paul-san and Angelica-san, high-grade mages earn well regardless of gender.
"Over here, most girls get married by the time they're twenty."
"That early?"
I was surprised. In Sertoria, fewer people get married in their teens. Some girls drag it out until their thirties.
"Primordia used to be like that too. Because women were treated as tools for bearing children. It was considered a good bride to have an engagement arranged by parents early on, marry at seventeen or eighteen, and give birth to the first child by twenty. The male partner would be around thirty, when he becomes economically stable."
The Jeanne here was nodding along. It must be the same. However, Sianya's words were in the past tense. In Primordia, since the current King's reforms, women's social advancement has been called for. Also, there are the words left on the scrolls by the Ancient Priestess. The five families of what was called the Society of Ancients have been forced to cooperate, and it seems the marriageable age for the daughters of their own families is becoming later.
"What about Sertoria?"
Sianya asked me. I am a bishop, after all. I also perform marriage ceremonies.
"Some girls are early, but I think most are in their late twenties or later."
There's no middle ground. They start thinking seriously about marriage after they reach their mid-twenties. Since the people they date are usually about two or three years older, I think they're gauging whether they can get married. In the meantime, their work becomes interesting and they drag it out until thirty. Incidentally, the very early ones get married shortly after becoming adults, but most of them are shotgun weddings. Since the man is still young, his earnings are also poor. If their families aren't that wealthy, they seem to struggle quite a bit. Compared to girls who married after careful consideration, the divorce rate is also high, but many girls find a remarriage partner with a spirit of trial and error. Also, there are many patterns where they overcome young and difficult times to become an ideal couple. Perhaps because of the circumstances of the country's founding, the citizens of Sertoria are all likely persistent.
"Speaking of work, people on the White Island can use magic, right? Does it really have something to do with age?"
This is likely an area that people on the continent wouldn't understand.
"It's said that the battle is until the early twenties when you learn magic. Once you're in your late twenties, your ability to learn becomes extremely poor. You also start to realize your own limits."
Except for Lyudmila, everyone in the Class of 175 will be twenty-four next year. The limit is finally approaching.
"Yeah, one more year. I have to give it one more push too."
It was Mary. Since this girl learns the magic she aims for once she gets serious, she'll probably learn one or two more if she's inspired.
"Sianya is one year younger, so two more years, right?"
"That's right."
"I heard everyone gets anxious once they turn twenty-four."
"I'm already anxious. I might not be able to become super-advanced at this rate."
"Confidence, confidence. If you create a solid image when you cast it and cast it with confidence, you'll be fine."
Instructor Mary from some time ago has returned. Come to think of it, I've never seen Mary cast magic looking anxious. She's always composed. There might be a trick to learning the magic you aim for in that level of composure.
But, one more year, huh. I have to learn Barrier too. I'm apparently a slow learner. In the end, do I have no choice but to fight that fake Demon Lord?
Before I knew it, I was lying in bed. It seems I fell asleep at some point. Even though I had been drinking, it's the first time I've fallen asleep in front of people. Was there a bit of a lapse in my vigilance? No, that's not it. It's surely the result of being dragged along by the selfishness of those delinquent old people. There's no doubt that a lot of invisible mental fatigue had accumulated.
When I sat up, the atmosphere of the room was different. It was supposed to be a stone room. Yet the walls are made of wood.
There was a knock on the door, so I answered. Saying "Excuse me," a man wearing a Germanian knight's uniform over chain mail entered. On the tray he held were bread, cheese, fruit, and a bowl. Breakfast?
"Good morning. Priest Jeanne. Did you sleep well?"
He calls my name, but it's not a familiar face.
"Where is this? Did the room change?"
Mary and Sianya aren't here either.
"Last night, there was an attack by bandits. It was aimed at Bishop Jeanne. Therefore, we evacuated here."
Eh? What on earth happened?