Chapter : 47

“Well, the situation has become strange, but for now, we must do what needs to be done.”

“That’s right, Magician Agpiel.”

Having come all this way, it was rather awkward to return with no results.

Had I not postponed my scheduled itinerary to come here?

Since it had come to this, if I helped Magician Agpiel purify the city of Canton, I would at least earn the people's trust.

‘Of course, the magician’s gift would be a bonus. Hehe.’

Once the situation was sorted out, people began to move quickly.

It was something I had done to a sickening degree in Captain Konrad's village.

We found a clean water source, isolated and burned the contaminated materials from the patients, and triaged the patients according to their condition.

After that, we brought out a giant pot as usual, added things like salt and sugar to make an oral rehydration solution, and distributed it to the sick.

Gradually, the epidemic that had spread widely throughout the city of Canton began to subside.

“Hmm, it has calmed down quite a bit.”

“It is all thanks to you, Lord Margrave. Thank you.”

“What do you mean, thanks to me. The Great Sage Agpiel is here, and I also have my vassals who serve under me and help with the work.

If not for them, how could this situation have been brought under control?”

“Ooh-! As expected….”

“My lord…. Meee~!”

At that, the city's dwarven administrators and Bishop Marco, who had followed alongside, uttered praises in voices filled with emotion.

Most lords would have claimed even a trivial matter as their own achievement. But to be so humble even after accomplishing such a great feat(!)?

This was truly the image of a true monarch, the kind that only appears in the heroic tales sung by minstrels.

Of course, looking at them, I thought they were quite easy to handle.

‘Since other nobles don’t do it, it’s a very cost-effective method.’

To think they would be so completely taken in by a little lip service like that.

I hadn't given them money, nor had I given them a position, so I could do this dozens of times.

“By the way, was there no opposition from the citizens?”

The city of Canton was so large that the soldiers I brought were not enough to control the whole area.

Moreover, the resources I had brought were woefully insufficient to heal this city.

Thanks to that, I procured what was lacking on-site in Canton.

I conscripted citizens who were still healthy, received support for necessary materials, and even led soldiers to extort voluntary donations(?) from the wealthy and influential.

Since such things had happened, I asked just in case, to check on the public sentiment.

After all, hadn't dissatisfaction built up in unexpected places eventually caused trouble?

Of course, this caution of mine seemed quite preposterous to the dwarven administrators.

“What? Who would dare…. Haha.”

They scratched their heads and waved their hands as if flustered.

“The citizens of Canton have no complaints about the Lord Margrave's actions.”

“That’s right. Who would dare to voice condemnation? No one can say anything about you taking the lead at your own risk, even though this is not your domain, Your Excellency-!”

“Ummm….”

Should I believe these guys?

Come to think of it, these guys also had the mindset of the ruling class in [Pangea Universalise]….

There was a very high chance they interpreted ‘complaints’ as ‘a matter of course.’

As I stared at the dwarven administrators with half-closed eyes, Magician Agpiel, who was passing by, must have found the sight pathetic, as he casually threw in a comment.

“You are so cautious for a noble. But sometimes, you need to act like a noble. Don’t worry about such trivial things.”

“Ahem…. It’s not that…. Aren’t you worried, Magician Agpiel?”

In truth, I had mobilized them a bit excessively.

Since it wasn't my domain anyway and it was an epidemic, my vassals and soldiers had let their reins go completely loose.

After all, with every meeting with the city's influential figures, the number of sparkling rings on the fingers of the goat beastman, Bishop Marco, had been increasing one by one-!

Of course, upon hearing my words, Magician Agpiel wore an indifferent expression.

“They were saved from the brink of death, so they should naturally tolerate that much.

Besides, as you said, that goat beastman friend of yours is quite the silver-tongued talker.”

“Uuuhng?”

“He’s a master at using your name to inspire the citizens, you know?

They all shed tears of repentance and made huge donations…. I’ve never seen those cheapskate dwarves do that before.”

Oh, dear.

A leopard can't change its spots, it seems Bishop Marco, that goat beastman, had been going around the city extorting money.

When I glared at him, Bishop Marco let out his characteristic laugh.

“Mehehehet. I worked hard to receive them, mer~! I will bring some to you as well, my lord. Meee~~.”

“……”

“Don’t be too hard on the bishop. In the end, it turned out well.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“Like it or not, won’t this faith become a strong backing for you?

The more piously people look upon you, the less the Holy See and other lords can ignore you.

A lofty reputation sometimes holds a power more potent than anything else.”

“Hmm….”

As expected, he wasn't called the Great Sage of the Forest for nothing.

Every word Magician Agpiel spoke held a wisdom that pierced through to the essence of things.

Of course, it seemed Agpiel didn't like the look of admiration in my eyes.

“So stop with the pointless worrying and come help me.”

“Has another problem arisen?”

“Would there not be problems in a city this complex? But this matter is different. The epidemic in the wealthy district keeps persisting, and is in fact spreading.”

“?????”

Regardless of the era, the wealthy district was bound to have a superior quality of life compared to others.

Clean roads, clean clothes, clean houses, clean water, fresh food, and so on.

Although the era in the world of [Pangea Universalise] was the twilight of the Middle Ages, and basic hygiene concepts were lacking, this still didn't make sense.

“It’s being contained everywhere else, so why the wealthy district? Isn't it even subsiding in the slums where hygiene is far worse?”

“Well, since I don’t know, I’m asking for your help, am I not?”

“Hah…. Honestly.”

“So, are you going to help or not? It’s more serious than I thought, so I plan to go right now.”

“Hmm, then let’s go at once. It’s a job that needs to be done anyway, isn't it?”

* * *

“L-Lord Margrave! It is an honor to meet you.”

No sooner had we entered the wealthy district than dwarves from the merchant guild federation came out and greeted me with voices full of emotion.

They all came up to me and took my hand. Seeing this, Magician Agpiel opened his mouth with a mischievous expression.

“It seems you’ve become a full-fledged saint now, haven't you? Hahaha. So popular. Excellent. O, holy Performer of Miracles-!”

“Ahem, stop teasing me, Magician Agpiel. You all, let go of my hands and step back.”

I grumbled and made the merchants who clung to me back away.

“Ah, ahem. I apologize, Lord Margrave. Hey, you, I told you it was rude.”

“The priests said that if you hold a holy hand, your family will be blessed for generations to come.”

“Can’t you be quiet? The Lord Margrave will hear you.”

“……”

Watching the dwarves chattering below my shoulders made my head throb.

Better to die than to suffer.

It reached a point where I thought I might as well make good use of this ‘Performer of Miracles’ title now that things had come to this.

“Enough with the chatter, and guide me to where the epidemic is spreading. Aren't people suffering even as we speak?”

“Ah, I apologize. We will escort you at once. Please follow us, Your Excellency.”

The dwarves then scurried off, beginning to guide me and Agpiel.

“It’s here. The epidemic keeps spreading in this area without disappearing. Even when we use the methods the Lord Margrave taught us, it just keeps….”

The place we arrived at was where the grand mansion of a member of the Canton Council, an influential figure in the city, was located.

I sent away the dwarf who was speaking as if making excuses, drenched in sweat, and surveyed the surroundings.

There were no particular signs of contamination.

As the dwarf had said, all contaminated items were being separately removed and incinerated, patients were isolated, and water was being boiled clean before use.

“Huuuuum. Strange. Could it really be a curse?”

“Gasp!? Is that true, Sage?”

“There’s no particular place of contamination, nor can I see any route for the epidemic to spread.”

Hearing that, the dwarves made a fuss.

“Hiiik! Your Excellency. Lord Margrave. May I hold your hand again!”

Seriously, the one person who should be calming them down was making the situation more difficult-! I sighed inwardly.

“Enough, enough! Isn’t that sufficient? Besides, I haven’t even been infected yet!”

In the end, it was only after being pestered by the dwarves for a good while that I could calm them down.

“Stop this foolishness and let’s meet the sick to check on them!”

I shouted sharply, giving orders to the dwarves. There had to be something contaminated.

This disease, in particular, was easily transmitted through water.

Since we were in the middle of the city, the most likely possibility was that a communal water source like a well had been contaminated.

And sure enough.

“Uh, there is a well that is used communally in this area, Your Excellency.”

A dwarven caretaker mentioned the local communal well. According to him, the entire area used this well.

“As I thought, then that well must be the problem.”

“Hmm? But don’t epidemics usually spread through the air? This epidemic seemed a bit unusual, but….”

“Not this one, Magician Agpiel. This epidemic is transmitted through contact with contaminated water. As long as you don't touch contaminated water, you won't be infected even if a patient is right next to you.”

“Is that true? Then why did you tell us to gather the excrement and clothing from patients separately and burn them?

I thought it was because it spread through the air, so we were purifying it with fire.”

This was the medical consensus of this era. No, this was a rather plausible and systematic medical knowledge.

It was, after all, a result derived as rationally as possible, considering the standards of the time.

“Those things also contain moisture, don’t they? Since it’s transmitted through contaminated water, a patient's body is literally a lump of contaminated moisture.”

“Oh? Indeed, that makes sense. It makes sense.”

Agpiel nodded his head. My answer seemed to have satisfied him.

“Then we should investigate the well first? No, wouldn't it be better to just shut it down immediately? Since you said it's the only water source, that must be the only problem.”

“It probably is, Agpiel.”

I said so and immediately had people shut down the well.

With the only communal well closed, they would have to go a long way to fetch water, but wouldn't that be better than dying from an epidemic?

Besides, if it was too hard, they would surely pay someone to do it.

This was the wealthy district.

They were people with more than enough wealth to do so.

And not long after, the epidemic that had spread through the wealthy district vanished as if it had never been there.

As expected, the problem had been the contaminated well.

* * *

After resolving the situation, I stayed at the mansion for a while at the invitation of the chamberlain who managed the grand residence.

It turned out that the chamberlain's child had been on the verge of death from the epidemic.

Thanks to that, Magician Agpiel and I received the chamberlain's lavish hospitality, enjoying delicious food and resting for the first time in a long while.

As the banquet's atmosphere ripened.

“Lord Margrave.”

The chamberlain of the grand mansion carefully opened his mouth.

“There is something I must tell you regarding the situation with the Canton Council.”

“Is that so? Go ahead and tell me.”

I was curious anyway. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why they hadn't shown their faces even as the epidemic was coming to an end.

In particular, the owner of this grand mansion was known to be a member of the Canton Council.

For him to remain so stubbornly seated while such a banquet was being held here, I thought there must be something else going on.

But the words that came from the chamberlain's mouth were an unexpected answer.

“The members of the Canton Council are not actually sick with the epidemic, but are under a real curse, Lord Margrave.”

“Pfft-!”

“What did you say?”

-Tiriring!

[You have learned the secret of the Canton Council. Choose whether to use this secret to intimidate them, or to show mercy and save them. Whatever you choose, the citizens of Canton will follow you.]

[Notification : Depending on the result, your Infamy stat may increase rapidly.]