Chapter 792 - Chapter 7: Expedition to Southern Liber (7)
Life in recuperation with the patients was unexpectedly fun.
A few days later, as Wilson-san predicted, the blackness on the tips of their fingers and toes also healed with Heal. The spots on their bodies also successfully disappeared. The lumps in their inner thighs and armpits were gone too. The patients said their physical condition had clearly improved after the treatment, and they came to look forward to bathing twice a day and the eight-shot volley—the effect is high-level—per person once every two days. Conversation also increased, and I gradually learned words from around South Liber. There are many people who feel somehow lighthearted, and every time we meet, they praise me, saying my voice is cute or my gestures are cute. Since they are being cured, I think it's a compliment in lieu of thanks, but it's not as if I'm not happy to hear it. When Sianya came for a visit, I even thought it was good that we were both wearing visors so our faces couldn't be seen.
Daily, I purified the inside and surroundings of the hut with insect repellent water made by casting Repellent. Experimentally, the Wetlands Priestess cast Attract toward water to make insect-attracting water... I was prepared for failure, but it was made successfully!... and I put it in a simple water tank made of wooden boards to collect fleas and ticks... or rather, moths, spiders, centipedes, and all sorts of things gathered, so I remade it and placed it under the beds... I collected parasites like that.
The patients are all sailors. Hearing their stories, it's a daily occurrence for mice to come on board ships and scavenge for food, but it's rare for humans to be bitten. They even keep cats as a countermeasure against mice. On the other hand, they said being bitten by fleas and ticks in bed is a common thing. Of course, the possibility of it being transmitted from those already infected cannot be denied. However, three of the eight said they didn't remember having direct contact with patients because their stations were completely different. We all agreed that the parasite theory was very likely.
The patients, who thought they would only die, became more energetic day by day, making Ancelotti-sama call it a miracle. On the surface, it's a miracle of the dragon, and the patients also didn't fail to offer daily prayers to the dragon of the great mountain range.
As in Ancelotti-sama's stories, there are many legends related to dragons on the continent too. He says that around that great mountain range, several should still be living even now. The patients also, when their symptoms were severe, aside from that, after they recovered with the enhanced magic water, they saw the Vice-Chieftain's form and shouted, "Dragon!" From their voices and expressions, they were clearly afraid, but while they might not have had a sense of worship, there must have also been a feeling of awe and respect. Otherwise, they wouldn't believe a group of people wearing strange clothes claiming to be messengers of the dragon and receive treatment.
During the pre-meal prayer, they offer words of thanks to the god they believe in, but by the second day after treatment began, words of thanks to the dragon were added. When the Vice-Chieftain heard that, he was greatly pleased. The Vice-Chieftain, for his part, is fulfilling the role of a mediator between humans and dragons. Surely, the legend of a dragon saving Black Rot Disease patients on the brink of death will remain for posterity.
"This is the effect of magic water. If we have this..."
Ancelotti-sama is keeping proper records in between daily treatments and creating several letters. If he hands them to the Naonent scouts outside, they will reach the priest's hometown.
I want to say there's great hope, but reality doesn't go that way. There's no way to deliver magic water in large quantities to such a distant place.
"If there are mice that kill parasites, it'll be fine. Let's gather them on the White Island."
No, no, that's not it!
"It's a joke. We must be careful of fleas, ticks, and lice. I hear fellow priests will move on that."
Honestly, there are many continental people who are playful, but I didn't think even priests were like that.
The three nobles, along with the Duke of Naonent, are indulging in banquets twice a week, inviting the Vice-Chieftain, but they seem to be doing what they need to do. They are conveying Black Rot Disease countermeasures through isolation to the leading noble and are requesting that they be implemented at border checkpoints and when foreign ships enter. Not only that, they reportedly sent messengers as far as South Liber carrying Ancelotti-sama's letters, conveying that movement restrictions for humans alone are not enough. Ancelotti-sama, just as he participated in the Great Unity Conference as a representative of West Liber, has influence with those in charge of epidemic countermeasures in South Liber. There are differences in doctrine, but there are colleagues who respond flexibly as scholars. I feel like the magic water created by magic bestowed by the Goddess is turning into a secret medicine bestowed by a dragon, but it's something heathens are saying on their own. Besides, since it's ultimately treated the same as magic water, the number of people thanking the Goddess will also increase.
A few days later, Beatrix's experiment succeeded. The water tank at the Naonent isolation facility reportedly became full in one night. I hear the size of the water tank is about five large barrels. Until now, they had been transporting to various places while worrying about the remaining water volume. From now on, they can distribute without worrying too much. If that's with one magic circle, what would happen if multiple were activated simultaneously? If enhanced magic water can be used in large quantities, no matter how contagious an epidemic is, they will surely be able to prevent its spread. The three nobles are overjoyed.
"The rest is how to transport it by land."
"Indeed, that is the point. We can go partway."
"Indeed, indeed. The problem is that watershed."
The territory of the great noble of the southwest, the leader, is south of the Duchy of Naonent. A little south of the mouth of the river that becomes the border, there's another river mouth, and from there, one can apparently proceed quite far inland by riverboat. Using that river, it can be transported to a large city along the river. That town is ruled by the leader of the three nobles, and from there, it's not so far to the Inner Sea. However, because it's close to the mountain range that becomes the border with the western neighbor, the elevation is high from there to the south. Crossing that is reportedly difficult.
The leader of the three nobles has a favorable impression of magic water. He has reportedly already blocked not only the border highways but even the highways to southern West Liber ruled by other lords. However, since it can't be transported to the Inner Sea, they have to do their best with port entry restrictions. And other lords along the Inner Sea do not believe in magic water, and in the first place, it cannot be transported. The watershed of magic water will likely become the watershed of Black Rot Disease.
"At this rate, I suspect it will become a terrible state of affairs. At the very least, we must perform cleaning using strong alcohol, which our eastern peers are doing, and the parasite extermination you taught us this time. Since there are also mice on ships, if only we could prohibit port entry for a certain period and take measures against those and confirm the presence of infection..."
It seems that rulers basically do not move until sacrifices appear.
And then, leaving the treatment of the patients to the local group, it became the day to return to the White Island once. It's to perform the recovery of the Northeastern Forest. Before I knew it, it was mid-November.
Sianya and the Wetlands Priestess also returned to Primordia. Since they're returning on Yorg-sama's ship, the Jeanne of Sertogne is with them.
The Sertoria group, because time is precious, had him fly straight to the Northeastern Forest and moved directly to the recovery operation. The meeting between the Black Dragon Child and the Dragonewt had already been accomplished once before. After all, it's the strongest dragon. The Vice-Chieftain was happy to see the Black Dragon Child, who had learned a full set of middle-level attribute magic. After all, the teachers are good. Alex and the Elf Prince.
At the wrap-up banquet, I called the Four Great Spirits too, since it was a special occasion. I even had the two priestesses who illuminate the ceiling participate specially. The priestess from three thousand years ago was having a lively conversation about old stories related to the Vice-Chieftain's predecessor... in other words, the previous Chieftain.
I also went to the Dragonewt Village for an interim report.
The Chieftain's grandson apparently became able to call his grandmother and father too, and was enjoying family time. Then there's the Vice-Chieftain's activity. The farce... I mean, the plan to make humans fear and respect dragons was something the Chieftain also greatly liked. With the laughter of his grandson and part of the gifts the Vice-Chieftain received, his usual sour face was nowhere to be seen. With the birth of the second and third babies approaching, he welcomed us with a smile.
Around that time, I could also hear talk that the Duke of Roland had returned home. The war between East and West Liber, with Black Rot Disease nowhere in sight, shows no sign of ending. The Duke's return was said to be to avoid a winter expedition, after having sufficiently foreseen East Liber's superiority.
And then, I returned to Naonent again. It's already late autumn, a time when the footsteps of winter can be heard.
While leading such a busy life, I continued treatment in Naonent.
And then, around the time I returned after finishing the recovery of the Northeastern Forest in December, talk finally came out that they were completely cured. It's because there was no change even after spending a week without bathing.
Furthermore, since confirming the patients' improvement, samples like blood, saliva, and urine had been sent to Primordia almost every day, and finally, reports that the black dots causing the disease were no longer found were received for three consecutive days.
Note that regarding the black dots, it was found that there is a certain effect even when treated with strong alcohol. I don't think patients will be cured by drinking it, but as stated at the Great Unity Conference, it will be useful for preventing infection.
The Vice-Chieftain delivered Priest Ancelotti and the patients to the foot of the mountains continuing from the giant mountain range. It's apparently a port town where the church Priest Ancelotti belongs to is located if you head south. They will likely carry out publicity activities there.
The night before all of us were to withdraw, we had a grand banquet with the Duke of Naonent and the three nobles in the mountain hut where we had struggled with the treatment of Black Rot Disease.
As a token of thanks, the Vice-Chieftain received various gifts. One-third goes to the Chieftain, and one-third must apparently be divided among other chieftains as souvenirs, but even so, one-third becomes his own. If it goes well, he will also succeed in raising the name of the dragon. This operation will also be reported to the Grand Archbishop. At least in Sertoria and Sertogne, they will put more effort into valuing the forest and coexisting with various races, including monsters, than ever before. As a result, the friendship between Dragonewts and humans should also deepen. Having encountered good food and good wine, he is satisfied.
"Banquets with humans were something we did often a long time ago. However, there have never been days of such pleasant banquets. And thanks to everyone, I was able to do a good job in my own way. Jeanne, and my friends with whom I share a cup like this. I truly thank you."
Thinking back now, I think the Vice-Chieftain was positive toward the human side's proposal from the beginning. At one point, I thought he might rebel against the Chieftain, who was trying to quietly wait for the race's extinction at the mountain summit, but that was also because he felt the limit of remaining a solitary force. He called humans, including those from the continent, friends. Neutrality is fine as it is. I want them to continue to be good friends across races.
"Vice-Chieftain-dono, no, Philning-dono. This experience and your words now shall become a signpost for the path of coexistence and co-prosperity on the White Island hereafter. I suspect you look upon humans, who are always doing nothing but dangerous things, with impatience, but won't you please look upon us with a generous eye?"
Henry-sama's words seemed to move the Vice-Chieftain as well; he roared while laughing, and then we all toasted again.
The next day, seen off by everyone, we left Naonent. I had him drop me off at Primordia and parted with the Vice-Chieftain there. The humans went to the royal palace and gave a report in a room of the palace, just as when we set out. It's because the clients this time are the King of Primordia and the Western Church.
"Then, Black Rot Disease can be completely cured with magic water, can it not?"
"Yes. I saw it clearly with my own eyes. It was intense when I first saw them because they were severely ill patients."
The Wetlands Priestess explains in detail. Lumps form in the inner thighs, armpits, and neck. Then, high fever, coughing, and hemoptysis become severe, and finally, hemorrhagic spots appear all over the body, and the tips of the fingers and toes turn black. Once it reaches that point, it's apparently two or three days at most. Those eight people truly went to the brink of death. Ancelotti-sama says they were in a truly dangerous state.
"I died of an epidemic myself. So I can understand to some extent. Symptoms like those are not common."
The Priestess saw a Black Rot Disease patient for the first time. However, the moment she saw the actual patient, she apparently became certain that this was it.
"It's the fingertips, after all. Those that turned black-purple. They say when you're about to die, that black-purple spreads all over your body."
Please, I'd like you not to say black-purple. The sales of the night-use Green Marble might get worse.
"Ah, right, sorry. That was interference with business, wasn't it? Then, black."
I think the Priestess's expression is medically more appropriate, but black is black. I'd like to go with that.
"Then, Priest Ancelotti has returned to a land where transport of magic water cannot be expected?"
I was asked by Anri-sama. Priest Ancelotti should have been able to stay with the three nobles if he felt like it. In fact, he was being held back. However, he said he would stop the spread no matter what and left with the eight treated patients. The eight believe that as long as they are protected by the dragon, there won't be a second infection. They said they would cooperate with Priest Ancelotti as a token of thanks for saving their lives. The three nobles, when parting with Ancelotti's group, told them to crawl back if it came to it. It's because if they have magic water, they can be cured even if they catch it.
"Yes. Regardless, he will apparently work on the lord to prevent spread. And he will call for regulating traffic on highways and at ports, and implementing parasite extermination and infection prevention with strong alcohol."
He said he must go himself and convey the results of this treatment and the prevention methods.
"I see. That is, in its own way, the duty of those of us who have staked our lives on epidemic countermeasures."
Ancelotti-sama was saying the same thing. As someone at the forefront of epidemic countermeasures, his mind is already made up. He also said that since he is with God, he is not afraid of anything.
I honestly hadn't considered that those called priests bore such a heavy responsibility. Of course, I knew it as knowledge. I was able to realize it for the first time. I was still immature.
"Then we should do what we should do on our end."
"Yes, let us make known to the people of our country what the Henry Party has conveyed this time. And all sailors of ships from the continent must bathe. We must also take measures against insects."
"There is one more thing I would like to ask."
"Diplomacy, is it. Let us issue a statement of opinion to Medioland. Though it will be from far behind, let us support Priest Ancelotti. As the Northwest Coast Treaty, first is the cessation of the war between East and West Liber. We must make them turn their eyes to Black Rot Disease. Not just the East and West. We need to talk to the Duchy of Germania, Engrio, and the Duchy of Roland as well. That will, as a result, be the path to protect our country and citizens."
"Your wisdom is profound."
The King of Primordia answers Anri-sama's words. Sianya had returned home ahead of us. She is sitting in front of us along with Edward-sama. She must have already thought of most of it.
"As the Western Church leader, I shall submit a suggestion for the prompt implementation of Black Rot Disease countermeasures to the Grand Archbishop, who is the head of the Northern Church. Henry-dono, Eleanor-dono, may I forward the report you created to the Grand Archbishop?"
"We do not mind. Our country will, on its end, hand a copy to the current Majesty. It will also be promptly shared with the Medioland Royal Family."
With this, the rulers and the Church will be in step.
"Yorg-dono, please handle Sertogne."
"Yes. I have already talked with the Duke of Naonent about being in step. Tomorrow or the day after, the two of us will go to the royal palace and inform His Majesty."
Preparations are steadily being completed. The rest is just taking concrete coordination.