novelraw Chapter 112 : Chapter 112
Chapter 112 : Chapter 112
Chapter : 112
The place I entered was the territory of the Prince-Bishop of Cologne in the Holy Empire.
In [Pangea Universalise], a Prince-Bishop referred to a high-ranking cleric who held a hereditary secular fief.
As it was a place ruled by a cleric who preached love and mercy, the people within the fief were usually protected with utmost zeal...
“Why do they look like beggars?”
“Meeeeeh! What is the Prince-Bishop of Cologne doing? Mehr.”
“Eei! You lowly things. How dare you cling to His Excellency.”
“Back off! If you don't back off, I'll cut you down.”
The situation was not good at all.
It wasn't even a small village. It was a village close to being a city, surrounded by a very large wooden fence where nearly a thousand people could live.
This meant that no matter how difficult the famine or disease, they were at a level where they could stockpile enough food to aid each other.
Yet the situation was like this?
“Calm down! Shouldn't we hear their story first?”
I calmed down the rampaging elf knights and met the village representative who approached me.
“I-I greet the pious Excellency.”
The village representative was in somewhat better condition. However, that just meant his condition was better relative to others, not that he was fine.
-Cough, cough.
The village representative was also continuously coughing dryly with a gaunt appearance.
“I apologize.”
“No need. One can be sick. Tell me. What on earth has happened?”
“T-That is....”
At my words, the village representative carefully began to talk about what had happened recently.
A sudden famine and a large-scale outbreak of undead that recently covered the Prince-Bishopric of Cologne. And various epidemics that broke out along with it.
It was truly a series of tremendous misfortunes, as if the saying "misfortunes never come singly" was made for this moment. The Prince-Bishop of Cologne was unable to protect this frontier land in such a situation.
“Huh! An outbreak of undead? Some powerful curse must have fallen somewhere.”
Magician Agpiel, who was listening to the story, shouted in surprise.
Undead were things that were difficult to exist naturally. Holding the dead back on earth and coveting the living was hard to occur without a fairly powerful curse.
Of course, I, who was listening quietly, had a slightly different thought.
‘Hmm.... This looks like the [Cultist] event?’
It was an event one would definitely experience at least once while playing [Pangea Universalise].
Especially the sequence of events happening in the Prince-Bishopric of Cologne this time was very similar to the [Cultist] event I had experienced while playing as the Prince-Bishop of Cologne.
‘What should I do.’
Should I help or not. I pondered in my head. In fact, if it was indeed the [Cultist] event, the solution wasn't that difficult. Perhaps noticing my contemplation, Magician Agpiel spoke.
“Wouldn't it be good to help?”
“Pardon?”
“After all, you need to make at least one noble among the imperial nobles who is friendly with you. Isn't he even a Prince-Bishop?”
Within the empire, the power of the Prince-Bishop of Cologne was quite strong. As Magician Agpiel said, if I helped and made him owe me, it might be beneficial for a long time.
“True, considering the relationship with the Holy See, it would be worth helping.”
“Indeed. Besides, isn't the wedding of the Duke of Bourgogne's child still a long way off? We'll arrive with just a little more travel, so there's no harm in helping out here for a while.”
Saying that, Magician Agpiel looked around and whispered in a small voice.
“If undead are appearing at a level the Prince-Bishop of Cologne cannot control, it is clear that a tremendous mystery of a curse has awakened.”
“?”
“I mean there could be ruins of an ancient empire. Often, as hidden ruins of an ancient empire are revealed, they create such twisted storms. Isn't it interesting?”
“Hmmmm....”
As expected, Agpiel was a mage through and through. A mage is one who willingly jumps into danger for truth and mystery. He was twinkling his eyes like that even at a time like this.
“Understood. I will lend a hand.”
I smirked and nodded.
“I will help you as a brother of the same faith. So open the way and prepare to welcome me in your village.”
“Oh! Thank you. Your Excellency.”
As soon as I spoke, the village representative shed tears and poured out praises of gratitude. He had risked his life to come forward, but in truth, he had never imagined such a high-ranking noble would step into this dangerous scene.
“Set up camp near the village. I will save the sick villagers-! I will drive away the epidemic and punish the evil undead!”
“Ohhhhh!!”
* * *
Before Mother Nature, humans were infinitely powerless beings. They called themselves the lords of all creation, but that was a very arrogant statement.
A single flood or sudden cold damage would bring famine, causing the human civilization prepared until then to stagger.
In that sense, this frontier village belonging to the Prince-Bishopric of Cologne was also a place that had taken the wrath of Mother Nature directly.
Because of the sudden early rainy season, the nearby river overflowed and covered the village as it was, destroying everything.
“Ugh....”
“Save me....”
And even the epidemic that naturally follows when flood damage occurs!
The village was full of sick people, and houses were covered in mud, making it difficult to find one that functioned properly.
It was an atrocious environment where hygiene was hard to find.
‘Ugh! What is this.’
Azuela, who was following behind me, was startled.
As a mage who handled herbs and the mysteries of healing, she knew well how terrible the environment here was and how prone it was to catching an epidemic.
As Azuela, who had become accustomed to lavish court life, she hated staying here.
“Oh, hohoho. Your Excellency? Since there are so many sick people here, wouldn't we be vulnerable to the epidemic?”
“That is true. Why?”
“That.... It's too dangerous, so I....”
“Oh? You say you will naturally help too? Oh my, you don't have to do this. Look! This outstanding mage says she will treat you!”
However, knowing Azuela's hidden intention, I quickly snatched her words.
‘Fuck?!’
Azuela cursed inwardly. What kind of crazy noble was this? Deciding on his own whim.
“N-No, that's not it. Your Excellency....”
“Oh? That mage from last time? She didn't look like it, but she's surprisingly honorable!”
“Yes, there is nothing more wonderful than helping the weak and defeating the enemy.”
Regrettably, this time the elf knights stepped in and interrupted Azuela.
Before she could say anything, they hammered in the final nail as if confirming it completely.
‘These useless elf bastards-!’
Azuela grumbled inwardly once again. But she dared not speak further.
“Hmmmm.”
Because I was making a humming sound while stealthily fingering the hilt of my sword. Thanks to that, Azuela had no choice but to retreat with a tearful face.
‘I can't just let her go when there's an epidemic.’
Honestly, it was hard to trust that half-wit mage with anything else, but hadn't I seen her healing ability clearly with my own two eyes?
The more people to help me, the better. And even better if it was a mage.
“Good, then let's get to work quickly. It's not good for time to drag on. Move hurriedly-!”
“Understood.”
I began to move, skillfully handling people.
It was already the second time handling an epidemic. As they say, you get used to it as you do it; now it was as natural as breathing.
“You guys lead the soldiers and deal with the monsters and undead on the outskirts.”
“Yes, Your Excellency! We will be back.”
I immediately ordered the elf knights to subjugate the surroundings. There existed small-scale monsters or undead that had been swept in by the flood nearby.
Things like this had to be dealt with quickly before they increased.
“You.”
“Yes, yes. Your Excellency. Did you call?”
“Use those who are still healthy to clean the village first. Clear away all the contaminated places, and you must burn the clothes worn by patients and excrement with fire to destroy them.”
“Understood. Your Excellency.”
I earnestly requested and ordered the village representative. Then the village representative moved hurriedly, dragging the villagers and starting to diligently carry out my orders.
“Um, Your Excellency? What should I do? Ohohoho.”
At that moment, Azuela, who had been left alone like a sack of barley borrowed from next door, asked cautiously.
Seeing the subordinates doing everything like this, she seemed to think inwardly that she wouldn't have to do much.
“You ask what you should do?”
But I smirked and spoke.
“Shouldn't you naturally go see the patients?”
“What?!”
At that, Azuela asked back with a tearful face. Go see the patients? Wasn't that an incredibly dangerous task where she could really catch the epidemic?
“What do you mean 'what'. To treat an epidemic, you naturally have to check the symptoms. Magician Agpiel. Can you help?”
“That is only natural. Let's go quickly.”
“You heard him? Then let's go. Follow quickly.”
“.......”
Azuela really wanted to cry.
She was thinking that only bad things happened whenever she met that young Margrave.
* * *
Fortunately, the epidemic was, as expected, something common in [Pangea Universalise].
Cholera, which I had treated before.
Thanks to that, I was able to respond to this epidemic situation without much difficulty.
I moved all the patients to a building that had been cleaned, boiled all drinking water, and closed all contaminated wells. Was there really much to treating such waterborne epidemics?
Just keep feeding water to prevent dehydration, and make and feed oral rehydration solution.
In other words, something that could be easily solved by investing time and effort.
But this time was a little different.
“Oh, Saintess...!”
“Thank you so much!”
It was because that half-wit mage Azuela was here.
She stared at the oral rehydration solution I made for a moment, then picked a bunch of herbs from somewhere and infused the mystery of healing to make medicine.
Miraculously, unless it was a severe condition, most recovered completely and sprang to their feet with just a sip of that water. Thanks to that, the villagers were praising Azuela, calling her a Saintess.
“S-Saintess? Ohoho. I'm not something like that.”
“No. If this isn't a miracle, then what on earth is it? Thank you.”
“Oh my, I said no. It'll be big trouble if the Holy See hears.”
Though she tried to deny it, Azuela's cheeks were rising in a way she couldn't hide.
She seemed quite pleased.
Of course, she had her reasons.
Usually, using the mystery of healing in this way often led to being accused of being a witch.
That was why, instead of stepping in front of others to treat the unfortunate, she had chased power in the Emperor's court...
“No. If that happens, we will notarize it as witnesses. Magician Azuela.”
Like this, she was even receiving praise from priests with whom she had been on bad terms.
“Ohohoho, don't mention it.”
Thanks to this, Azuela was actively treating people while receiving this ecstatic treatment.
However, the thoughts of Magician Agpiel and me watching that were slightly different.
“Why is that friend acting like that?”
“I don't know. She suddenly went wild. Isn't it good to see her treating diligently? Agpiel.”
“It is, but.... Isn't this the territory of the Prince-Bishop of Cologne, who is politically opposite to the Emperor?”
In short, Azuela was absurdly treating with such enthusiasm in the enemy camp.
Without thinking about the consequences.
“Hmm.... That mage's insight is indeed a bit short. She doesn't seem to think about the aftermath. You will have to help her a lot.”
“.......”
She was truly a high-maintenance half-wit mage.