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Subterfuge of Toxins and Remedies – Part 04

In the following days, the situation showed no signs of progress. Hikaru contemplated how to utilize the spell for crossing words, Lavia frequently visited the library, and Paula assisted at the church.

Hikaru occasionally visited the Adventurers Guild to gather information. He learned that Bios had launched a direct attack on Einbiest, but retreated after suffering defeat, not to return to Bios, but to regroup.

Einbiest is strong, as expected.

Hikaru already knew that Gerhardt, a lion Beastman and leader of Einbiest, was an incredibly powerful fighter. The other Beastmen possessed considerable strength as well. Many of them lived by the motto “might makes right,” so even if they were outnumbered, their physical prowess could tip the scales in their favor.

Maybe the war will end smoothly.

Hikaru felt optimistic, but it wasn’t going to be that simple.

In the evening, Hikaru returned to the upscale hotel room they had booked. With ample rooms available, the accommodation never felt crowded for the three of them, allowing them to enjoy a comfortable stay in the capital.

“Lord Hikaru!” Paula cried as she burst in from outside.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s an unknown disease spreading in town.”

“A disease?” Hikaru was taken aback by this unexpected news.

“Today, while I was helping at the clinic, we had a patient who mentioned that a lot of others are experiencing similar symptoms. What if it spreads?”

Paula explained the symptoms: black spots resembling mold appearing on the skin, throwing up what they ate, and bodies weakening rapidly.

Hikaru had never heard of such illness, and no one at the clinic was familiar with it either.

“When did this start?”

“I don’t know when exactly. It was my first time at that clinic today. But apparently people displaying these symptoms have been steadily coming in over the past few days.”

“Did you try using your healing magic?”

“I did, when no one was watching. Unfortunately, healing magic is still ineffective against diseases. Oh, there’s something that’s been bothering me, but it might just be my imagination.”

“Tell me. What’s bothering you?”

“When I cast the spell, I felt a resistance.”

“Resistance?”

“Yes. Although it could just be me. I only tried once.”

“No, that’s certainly curious. Let’s go take a look.”

Lavia had not returned to the hotel yet. Hikaru left a note on the table and left together with Paula.

The capital at evening bustled with people returning from work. There were both happy and exhausted faces among the pedestrians, just like any other day in the city.

If an epidemic broke out here… Hikaru recalled the epidemics that had ravaged Earth, such as the black plague, which claimed tens of millions of lives. The Spanish flu was another deadly example.

This world had smaller cities, so it wouldn’t reach the same scale, but even if the number of casualties was lower, one or two cities could very well fall into ruin.

Hikaru had told Paula that he came from another world, which might have led her to expect him to possess some specialized knowledge.

I only possess general knowledge, but it’s better than nothing… And I have to see it firsthand before I can judge whether evacuation is necessary.

If the epidemic was as bad as the plague or the Spanish flu, leaving the capital immediately would be their best course of action. While healing magic was effective for injuries and toxins, it had limited efficacy against bacteria and viruses. However, there might be healing magic designed for diseases that hadn’t been discovered yet.

“It’s this way.”

They arrived at their destination shortly, a sizable clinic with numerous people going in and out. The alarmed expressions of people in religious garbs as they scurried about indicated that something was amiss.

There was a waiting area inside the building. A cursory glance revealed several patients bearing black spots on their skin. These individuals appeared fatigued, and the people accompanying them seemed worried.

There’s no one coughing, so masks shouldn’t be needed right away.

“There are patients in critical condition deeper inside,” Paula whispered.

“Let’s head there, then.”

Following Paula’s lead, they proceeded inside. One of the friars noticed Paula but only offered a small nod and went on their way. They seemed to trust her here.

In a room they entered, there were four beds, each occupied by a patient.

“…This is terrible.”

Approximately half of their bodies were covered in black spots, and all of them were worn out. Those were the only symptoms, however; there were no indications of fever or diarrhea.

“Sister, please help my husband…”

A middle-aged man with half-opened eyes lay in one bed, his wife clinging to the bedside. As soon as they noticed Paula, the others ran up to her.

“Please, save my child.”

“Is there anything you can do? I’ll pay as much as you want.”

“Sister…”

“I will do my best,” Paula said firmly. “Please, hold the hands of the patients and offer them words of encouragement. If their spirits break, so too will their bodies.”

Hikaru couldn’t help but do a double take. Was this the Paula he knew? Wasn’t she supposed to be slow and absentminded?

“Lord Hikaru.”

“Ah, right.”

Paula approached the woman who had initially addressed her and commenced chanting a healing spell for her husband.

The evening sun shone through the wide-open window. If this were an infectious disease, common practice would dictate keeping the window closed, suggesting that it might not be transmitted through the air.

I’m not a doctor, so I have no clue… Hmm?

Hikaru activated both Life Detection and Mana Detection to assess the man’s condition. Life Detection showed a faint light, but Mana Detection picked up something peculiar.

Faint traces of mana emanated from the black spots.

The magic Paula had used was a basic healing spell, one that healed injuries and restored vitality. The mana within the black spots seemed to be absorbing the magical energy flowing into the man.

“How’d it go?” Hikaru asked.

“I did feel resistance.”

The moment the magic was cast, life returned to the man’s face, only to swiftly fade away. Several possibilities came to Hikaru’s mind.

“Are you his wife?” he asked the woman, who nodded in response. “I’d like to try a few things, but there’s a high chance of failure.”

“Please, go ahead. I have the money.” She retrieved a bag of coins from her bag.

Hikaru shook his head. “Just the standard clinic fee is enough. Paula.”

“Okay.” Paula nodded.

She was in great spirits, pleased that Hikaru wasn’t doing it for the money but for the well-being of these afflicted individuals.

“Tell me about the healing spells you can use. I want you to try them one by one.”

“Understood.”

From there, Hikaru and Paula tried different spells one by one, with Hikaru noting the reaction of the black spots each time.

“Hey, I’ve got great news!” Suddenly the door to the ward opened, admitting a friar. “The church has the cure for this disease! And they’re distributing it on a first-come-first-served basis.”

“…What?”

Numerous questions filled Hikaru’s mind. Why did the church, not the clinic, know about this illness? Why did they have the cure for it? Did they have enough to distribute to everyone?

Cheers erupted within the ward.

“Unfortunately,” the friar said apologetically, “we kindly request a donation of 500,000 gilans for each dose.”

“F-Five hundred thousand?!”

It was a substantial sum, equivalent to what a craftsman might earn in two or three years of labor.

“I can’t pay that upfront.”

“Me neither. But maybe we can borrow some… I’ll go ask.”

“Please wait here. I’ll be right back.”

The woman who had tried to give Hikaru money bowed her head awkwardly and hastily left the ward. There was chaos in the corridor. Hikaru couldn’t quite wrap his head around what was happening.

“Paula, the next spell.”

“Uh, um…”

“Even if there’s a cure, many people can’t afford to pay 500,000 gilans.”

Those who couldn’t afford it would remain sick. There hadn’t been any fatalities yet, but judging by the condition of the patients, some could lose their lives soon.

It was time for Silver Face and Flower Face to shine.

“Got it!” Reading Hikaru’s thoughts, Paula responded enthusiastically.

By the time they concluded their assessments, the sun had completely set. The clinic was deserted, and there were no patients in the waiting room.

Just to be sure, Hikaru checked the nearby church, but found no one there. There was only a notice saying, “Distribution of the cure will take place at the Central Cathedral.”

“Central Cathedral?”

“It’s the largest church in the city, located in the First Residential District,” Paula said. “Shall we go?”

“Hmm… I want to check it out, but Lavia would have to wait a little longer, then.”

It would take about another hour, but it seemed prudent to verify what this commotion was all about.

The First Residential District of the capital housed the wealthy. The royal castle was in the center of the capital, surrounded by the Noble District, and beyond that was the First Residential District.

The clinic Hikaru and Paula had been in was located in the Second Residential District, where ordinary citizens lived. The areas were separated by walls, and beyond the Second Residential District, which was essentially the outskirts, there were more inhabitants. Suburban residents were exempt from paying taxes, but lacked the protection of city walls and guards.

As they passed through the gate that connected the Second Residential District to the First Residential District, the Central Cathedral came into view. It was a magnificent stone structure that featured towering pillars supporting a massive roof. The double iron doors were closed, guarded by several sentries. A crowd had gathered in front of the cathedral.

“P-Please give me a cure!”

“No cutting in line! We’ve been waiting here for two hours.”

“Why are they distributing it to the First Residential District residents first?!”

The crowd numbered around a hundred people. A bit further away, a man grabbed a passing friar.

“Father, can’t you do something?! We don’t have 500,000 gilans!”

“I’m sorry, but this was decided by the priest. There’s nothing I can do.”

“Are you telling my daughter to die because we don’t have the money?!”

“…Excuse me.”

The monk hurriedly left, and the man fell to his knees, crying.

“Lord Hikaru,” Paula muttered anxiously.

Hikaru’s face was hard. A lot of people can’t fork out 500,000 gilans. It’s only been a few days since the disease started spreading, but there’s already this many people gathering… This chaos is bound to escalate.

Hikaru looked at the piece of paper in his hand. It contained notes of the various healing spells that Paula used earlier while he observed the reactions of the black spots.

This disease can be cured with magic. But the question remains: besides Paula, is there anyone else in this city who can use this magic?

Hikaru and Paula were already close to treating the disease with magic, but without determining its root cause, their efforts would be worthless. Hikaru thought seeing the actual cure might provide some kind of a clue. However, investigating the source in this chaos was out of the question.

“Paula, would you mind heading back first? I need to look into something.”

“In that case, I can—”

Hikaru raised a hand. “I want you to explain the situation to Lavia. And you need to rest. You’ll have a lot of people to treat starting tonight.” The determination on his face said he was committed to helping the unfortunate.

“Understood!” Paula said with a bright smile.