Chapter 788 - Chapter 7: Expedition to Southern Liber ③
The Duke of Naonent's participation was decided.
After moving deep into the mountains aboard the cylindrical bowls, the Vice-Chieftain was in high spirits after receiving various gifts like gold and jewels from the Duke. After witnessing the Vice-Chieftain's true form and being moved by it, the Duke saw Dragonewt magic... specifically, the high-level wind magic Tornado Wind, which couldn't be cast just anywhere, creating a whirlwind of incredible height as expected of a Dragonewt. Then, he saw the form of the Wetlands Priestess and witnessed spiritual arts... since we had come to a deserted place, she unleashed Heaven's Roar. In his excitement, the Duke declared he wanted to go to West Liber with us.
"If I am there, I can win over the three nobles across the river whom you all met before. Of course, I shall provide separate and appropriate compensation to the Dragonewt-dono."
He was saying that by taking this step, a foothold could be established in West Liber. Having a base across the border would be a blessing. The Vice-Chieftain didn't seem to mind the idea either. The choice of Dragonewt personnel for this trip had turned out to be a perfect fit.
"Will they not demand something in return?"
Eleanor-sama asked. Sertogne is a member of the Northwest Coast Treaty. Negotiations with West Liber nobles might affect the whole alliance.
"Likely so. However, since I have already settled matters with advance payments, it should not be a problem."
"Advance payments?"
"Yes."
The Duke of Naonent smiled gently.
According to the Duke, even now that the epidemic of the stomach-affecting disease treated previously has ended, the provision of magic water continues.
"It is for prevention. Those three families have been coordinating on disease countermeasures ever since that incident."
They apparently exchange information daily and provide magic water whenever a patient suspected of having the epidemic appears.
They intend to protect the area before the river to use that river as a defensive line.
"Those three families also participated in this year's Great Unity Conference. They traveled on our country's ships. I even went to see them off on the day of departure. They returned with ghastly complexions."
Indeed, I had met the people I previously worked with on the treatment at the conference venue. They seemed to lack sufficient knowledge regarding Black Rot Disease and were as horrified as the representatives from Finis and Northern Gram. After it ended, they asked again with a sense of urgency whether the magic water would be effective, but I could only answer that I didn't know. I can't forget the look of disappointment on their faces then.
"Black Rot Disease is apparently an unprecedentedly evil malady. However, no matter what kind of epidemic it is, if magic water is effective, the portion provided by our country should be able to prevent it to some extent. If their territories become a breakwater, our country, and Sertogne, will be secure. This proposal is something they would jump at, even if they were grasping at straws. We will surely obtain their cooperation."
He smiled with composure. In other words, even for Duke Harmonia, he only recently heard of the threat of Black Rot Disease. There might be parts he's skeptical about, but the Great Unity Conference had never been that tense before. The participants must have brought that tension back with them. He likely wants to jump at Yorg-sama's proposal, but he's hiding it and speaking in a calm tone. Protecting a nation's border must be quite a task.
Fortunately, he said he could contact the nobles across the way at any time, so a messenger was sent, and a meeting was set for the following day. The noble across the way was the one who had previously come to Sertoria to negotiate directly.
When I first met him, I had the impression that he was somehow playful. I thought he had come just to make money off the magic water, but that wasn't the case. The continent is vast for a reason. While people from East Liber like Theresia-sama are somewhat earnest, there are also people in the west who feel strangely lighthearted, like the three nobles across the river. But both sides take their actions seriously. They were originally one, but such differences might be due to the nature of the land.
The meeting place with that seemingly playful noble would be the isolation facility of the Duchy of Naonent. Since it's built on a sandbank in the river, ships can pull up alongside it. The Duke of Naonent apparently always uses this place when meeting nobles from across the river. Fundamentally, it is land managed by the Church, and at the same time, it's a facility where magic water arrives via teleportation circles. Utilizing the transport capacity of the river, it handles shipping, and the magic water provided to the nobles across the river is also loaded here. It apparently eliminates the need for various procedures.
This visit isn't related to the Church. If anything, it's close to a crime. However, since Beatrix's magic water transport experiment is involved, on the surface, it might be framed as diplomacy between Primordia and Sertogne. Honestly, I'm not quite sure, but since Sianya is here, it's likely along those lines. Therefore, the visit to the Naonent Great Church and the visit to the isolation facility were pushed back. They are separate. The visit to the Great Church would be just Sianya and me, while the interaction with the nobles across the river would be handled by the Henry Party and Ancelotti-sama, with the Duke of Naonent acting as a mediator.
Even the Church here didn't seem to know much about Black Rot Disease and was in a panic at the Great Unity Conference. After the conference, they apparently asked Cadogan-sama and Anri-sama various things, but of course, they shouldn't know any concrete countermeasures. Neither the Duke of Naonent nor the Henry Party would come to the Great Church. Just the two of us. We decided to leave the dealings across the river to them and settle matters on our end.
In that sense, the unexpected visit from Sianya—I'm having the Wetlands Priestess sleep inside the stone she possesses—and me seemed to be a shock, and we were quickly shown to the Grand Archbishop's office.
"Oh, Sianya-sama. And Bishop Jeanne as well. I am glad you have come this far."
After greetings, drinks were served. Then, at Sianya's request, the room was cleared, and the discussion began immediately.
"On this occasion, I suspect it might be regarding countermeasures for Black Rot Disease?"
He went straight to it. Usually, one is asked what their business is.
I can tell from this question that it's a topic of conversation even within the Church.
"Yes. It was reported at the recent Great Unity Conference, but it seems patients of an epidemic called Black Rot Disease have been confirmed in the neighboring country of South Liber."
"Yes. I have heard from the official in charge of epidemics who attended the conference. They said the situation is quite dire. To be honest, it is a story that is hard to believe suddenly."
It's the reaction I expected. The heat of the conference is something that can only be conveyed by the person who was there, and for those who hear about it later, there are times when they don't even know if they should believe it.
"It seems so. Honestly, I do not know the details either. Therefore, I wish to make the coordination and sharing of information with this Church even closer."
"That is, of course, a given."
"Today, with the approval of the Grand Archbishop, I have come as a representative of the Western Church leader, Archbishop Cadogan-sama."
"I see... thank you for your hard work."
The Archbishop straightened his posture. It's because he recognized her as an official messenger.
"Then, may I ask for a Vow of Silence?"
"Y-Yes. That is fine."
It's extraordinary for a single Bishop to ask an Archbishop for a Vow of Silence. He seemed to flinch for a moment, but he readily complied.
After the Vow of Silence, the talk turned to the curse... no, the prophecy of the demon race.
This is the reason Sianya came this time. In Naonent, we only tell the Grand Archbishop. And the means of transmission will only be the oral accounts of Sianya and me. That's how it was decided. Regardless, it's the result of confirming with the Grand Archbishop through Price-sama. After all, the demon prophecy itself is doubtful whether it's even true. Moreover, we don't know when it will happen. It might actually be over already. War, famine, epidemic... suppose the mass death of humans due to these three was foreseen five thousand years ago; most of the royal families of the White Island were established by those who came from the continent, and in that process, many of the island's original humans were killed. Famine is the same. Small ones occur almost every winter, and large ones have caused tragedies like the one Beatrix experienced. Epidemics aren't limited to this Black Rot Disease. The White Island is protected by the Goddess, so it's fine... or rather, it's much better than the disastrous state of the continent I've heard about, but many have still died. In the first place, even in the battles against the Demon Lord's army, units on the scale of tens of thousands clash, and considering that the main force of the Demon Lord's army are Orcs made from the souls of dead humans, it's like tens of thousands of humans are killing each other. Every time the Demon Lord is resurrected, many die, and many die in wars between humans as well. Then, they become Orcs and form the Demon Lord's army. Just by foreseeing that sight, the subjugated demon race would probably be delighted.
Therefore, we concluded that it's better not to tell many people.
"Is that... truly the truth?"
The Archbishop's complexion changed after hearing Sianya's story. It's because he realized that the curse of the demon race subjugated by the Ancient Priestess refers to the Black Rot Disease. In the prophecy, a great terror is supposed to come to the White Island from the eastern sea. In other words, it means that Black Rot Disease will spread on the continent. Of course, in Naonent as well.
"As you know, various races, including humans, inhabit the White Island. This is something that could be confirmed including information obtained from those races."
"W-What..."
"However, the true identity of the great terror is unknown. And we do not know when it will come."
After that, the reason Sianya came as a representative of the Western Church leader, rather than an official envoy from the Grand Archbishop, was discussed. At the same time, the reason I came was also explained.
"I-In other words, you intend to confirm whether Bishop Jeanne's magic water is effective against Black Rot Disease, and if there is an effect, you plan to make Naonent's isolation facility a base for Black Rot Disease countermeasures."
"Yes. Within the range where magic water can be sent by Teleport, this is the closest to southern West Liber."
"Indeed, as you say."
"This matter, in fact, is not something only we priests are moving on. Already, royalty from a certain country has secured the cooperation of the Duke of Naonent and is moving to verify the effects of the magic water."
"A certain country?"
"Yes. You will understand if I say it is an existence close to the Sertogne Royal Family."
"I see... so that is why Yorg-sama's ship came."
The Sertoria Royal Family and Yorg-sama's family have a special relationship. It's because both draw the blood of the current Sertogne Royal Family.
Once the general talk was over, we successfully secured the Archbishop's cooperation. In short, we want him to coordinate with the priests of West Liber along with the Duke of Naonent. With this, it should be a bit easier for Ancelotti-sama to persuade the lords.
And then, night came. Sianya stayed at the Church, and I was to go to West Liber with the Duke of Naonent and the Henry Party. It's because I was invited.
"You should be acquainted with the nobles across the river. It seems the three who brought the commoners the Bishop treated before are all gathered. They say they definitely want to invite Bishop Jeanne. We must cross the border, but fortunately, is it not said that Bishop Jeanne is a stray? The permission of a parent church should be unnecessary. Won't you please come with us? Come now, I am also incognito. We can just go secretly together and return secretly."
Behind the Duke of Naonent, Henry-sama, Eleanor-sama, Yorg-sama, and the Jeanne of Sertogne are smirking. Hmm. The place I was told not to go was South Liber. If I'm invited by acquaintances, I can't flatly refuse. Moreover, if the adjacent lords are all in agreement and don't consider my border crossing a problem, it's legal. Thinking so, I allowed myself to attend the unofficial dinner party.
At the dinner party, I received a grand welcome. The three nobles and representatives of the church priests within the territory... of course, they are heathens... and the nobles' hired doctors and herbalists were also there. Furthermore, since it was unofficial, several of those treated previously were specially called and were waiting in a separate room. After their treatment for the epidemic, they had been tasked with epidemic countermeasures for the commoners under the nobles' instructions, and they were even handling the loading of magic water and transport of medicinal herbs, receiving a fair allowance for it. The three nobles also seem to be sending people to South Liber to gather information about the Black Rot Disease that became a topic at this year's Great Unity Conference, and they are enthusiastically carrying out epidemic countermeasures hand-in-hand with the Duke of Naonent.
Becoming happy, I ended up drinking and making a fuss.
And then, the following morning.
I was placed in a cylindrical bowl that was heading to South Liber as a matter of course. I thought we were returning to Naonent, but we headed straight south. When we crossed the border by boat the previous day, the Wetlands Priestess had merged with me while Sianya wasn't there; I should have noticed then.
"Um, I have been told that since I am the only user of Anti-Sepsis, I cannot be exposed to the risk of infection."
In fact, Price-sama told me so.
"Nonsense. Jeanne is a stray. There is no reason for church priests to tell you what to do."
"That's right. The Duke of Naonent is here, and the lords here have also said they will guide us. What will we do if you do not go?"
In fact, the three nobles are on board. Along with Ancelotti-sama and the Duke of Naonent, the number has increased by five. Since Sianya isn't here, it's an increase of four. They are occupying the second and third rows, raising voices of admiration at the scenery viewed from above. However, the Vice-Chieftain is operating it without a care. After all, he was quite welcomed by the three nobles last night. He even received gifts and such. If it's found that magic water is effective against Black Rot Disease, he was promised further rewards. He's in high spirits.
"Besides, we have the new type of epidemic prevention suits that Alex made for us, so it will be fine."
New type of epidemic prevention suits? What's that?
They are apparently in the barrel at the very back.
"It's an improved version of the one made for toxic gas countermeasures at the volcano when we went to the Ice Island before. It's a masterpiece that uses plenty of bat wings."
Now that I think about it, there was something like that. If there are enough for everyone, it indeed seems like it'll be fine.
"Then, are we going to where the patients are?"
"No, it's the same as before in that we'll bring the patients, but I intend to bring several."
After confirming the effect using the magic water the Priestess brought, if it's judged to be effective, they apparently plan to snatch a few people.
Before I knew it, they had consulted with Ancelotti-sama. They intend to set up a base in a remote area and provide full-scale treatment. They will likely use that as a practical example to have the lords consider methods for transporting magic water.
Hmm. I wonder if it'll be okay?
"The safety of the White Island depends on whether our experiment succeeds. Jeanne, please do cooperate."
If told that, I can't refuse.