episode_0097

When I looked closely at the village, there was a sense of incongruity that made me feel a strange atmosphere.

The first thing I noticed was the tight security.

It’s natural to be wary of outsiders, but even taking that into account, it felt like the weather was getting stronger.

Next, there were few traces of people. This was the direct cause of the sense of discomfort I felt at first glance.

If it had been plundered at all, the serfs who had lost their livelihood would have been sitting in the fields devastated, and it would not have been so empty.

Heine must have felt this too, so he immediately gestured with his hand to call the guide and ask.

“Is this really the town?”

“According to what I remember from the last time I passed by, yes. There is no way to get confused considering the nearby mountains and rivers.”

“When did that happen?”

“Less than a year. I don’t think there have been any major changes in the meantime.”

Perhaps there was some misunderstanding on the other side.

Even though it was revealed that they were planning to visit, the fact that this number of people were flocking around could be interpreted broadly in the context of a civil war.

This is because this group, including the princess, did not move particularly secretly.

If you really wanted to move secretly, you would have to cover yourself in robes and move in small groups of three or four people.

However, once he meets the Pope and returns, his movements can only be roughly traced.

That is why, rather than half-heartedly keeping it a secret, they openly organized a baron military-level bodyguard. If you look at it that way, I think it would be more natural to be cautious.

You can’t just go around the village leaving behind the dangers that you don’t know where you might go.

Just in case, I gently placed my hand on the lightsaber mk.2.

“We will find out the situation and come back. It won’t be a big deal, so don’t worry too much.”

While we paused in front of the village, we sent three unarmed people, including a guide who was familiar with the situation here, into the village and waited.

And soon after, they returned and delivered the new news with a much more relieved expression than when they left.

“The conversation ended well. After I identified myself, they said it was okay to come in. However, there is one special thing that you would like to know.”

“What is that?”

“It is said that an epidemic has spread in the baronial castle further from this town, and traffic in and out of the town is somewhat restricted.”

“Then, is this village in good condition?”

“Currently, there are no patients. However, since I don’t know when the situation may change, I think I should rest a little and leave the next day.”

I took my hand off the sword with interest fading away. It was understandable if the keen wariness toward outsiders was due to the infectious disease.

If all went according to plan, we would have to go a little further on the route we were taking and spend the night in a larger city. However, since it was said that the place was currently in a state of an epidemic, there was no other option given.

As we entered the village following the princess’s instructions, an old man who appeared to be the representative came out and welcomed us with three people who appeared to be his attendants.

That’s not to say I expected it, but compared to villages of similar size before, it was rather modest.

“Welcome to visit, Your Highness. We apologize for not being able to provide you with the hospitality you deserve due to unfavorable circumstances.”

“I understand the situation roughly, so it’s okay. Then, is it okay if I take care of you in this village just for today?”

“Of course. If you are patient, we will prepare a place for you to stay.”

Soon, empty rooms in churches, inns, and some houses were cleaned up and received new owners.

Watching the smooth process, Heine asked the representative:

“They said the epidemic had spread to the city in front of here.”

“Yes. The security staff also became very ill, so people were taken out here and there to fill the void, so the village was on tight security. Sorry.”

“No, I completely understand. Would you mind hearing more about the situation around here, including the pandemic?”

“Well, first of all, I should tell you a story about the time I went to the city-”

I quietly listened to what he said as I left the horse with Licia in the stable.

Without any particularly dramatic twists, it was a type that spread on a small scale rather than being popular across the continent. There were surprisingly many cases where such incidents occurred due to contaminated water or poor handling of corpses.

“Hmm… … .”

What brought me out of the shackles of my thoughts was the humming sound made by the girl leaning against the wall next to me, contemplating something.

The story the princess shared was not secret and could be heard even from this distance. The representative’s voice was loud.

And assuming I heard everything, I could roughly guess what the girl was thinking.

“Licia?”

“Four?”

“Are you thinking similar things to me right now?”

“Probably so. I think we are a good fit!”

I raised my head and looked towards Heine. She was nodding her head now and then, sometimes giving melancholy exclamations and words of comfort.

Infectious diseases are a problem that cannot be ignored if you were not aware of them at all, but now that you are aware of them, it is a problem that cannot be ignored.

This is a problem related to Heine’s authority to some extent.

If I can’t even protect my own supporters, how will I look to those who were neutral? It may not be as bad as saying it twice, but it won’t be looked upon very favorably.

Of course, what could be done in the face of an epidemic was quite limited. It would be best to appeal for relief or provide manpower support.

That’s probably why the other person doesn’t speak up in the first place.

It was not difficult to predict that a fierce debate would be going on in Heine’s mind by now.

It seemed like I was going to spend a lot of time thinking unnecessarily, so I decided to solve that problem for him.

If I leave it like this, I think I’ll just punch the calculator, add some money, and then leave.

But I knew there was a better alternative.

Battles don’t happen every day on the front line, my destination. This is because hundreds, or at most thousands, of troops clash for a moment, so manpower itself is insufficient.

So, it won’t be too late to take care of urgent matters here.

I slowly turned my head again and looked at Lisia.

Nod. Deciding that it was worth a try thanks to the quiet positive response from the girl, I quietly approached them and opened my mouth at the right time.

“I know a little about this disease.”

“You mean Kyung?”

“Yes. It is also said that there is a shortage of combat personnel, so wouldn’t it be helpful in times of emergency?”

It is not necessarily wrong to say that I know medicine.

The church in Bolle where I grew up was a church specializing in healing. And since I have learned things by looking over my shoulder, listening, and doing chores, I can say that I am not an illiterate person at all.

Actually, I wasn’t planning on using that.

First of all, we decided to push ahead with this setting externally.

“If you leave first, we will follow you later, Your Highness.”

Lisia soon came over to me and provided support, but the situation did not get much better.

The role of assisting the saint in her relief efforts gives the impression of being noble and faithful. Of course, this is only from my perspective.

In the end, what appears to be a crazy knight crawling into a den of plague, taking even his protectors with him… Can not help it.

Heine’s eyes narrowed slightly. From here, I could hear the sound of my previously calm mind plummeting again.

But endure it. Because I decided to do that… … !

*****

I said I would stay and help those in trouble. It’s a great mindset.

Heine was honestly impressed.

Still, I thought that Lisia had grown up well considering she had been raised by a knight.

The reason for this may be the home education that Raven had to endure.

To be honest, the story about the article was more of a ghost story than a good story, so it was a natural thing for me to wear colored glasses.

When I first approached him at Alpen, it was about his skills, but I had already given up on his personality.

The story of chivalry that people recite in literature is turned inside out like a sock, which is exactly what reality looks like.

Therefore, it was a bitter reality, and it was also a feeling of unexpected joy and surprise when discovering such exceptions.

“If you leave first, we will follow you later, Your Highness.”

‘… Wait, we’re staying together?’

My heart, which was about to become crushed, hardened again at one sentence that Lisia added.

I don’t want to infringe too much on other people’s home environments, but…

I don’t know if it’s morality or faithfulness, but I thought there might be a bit of a problem in these areas.

Lisia opened her eyes and tilted her head slightly as if she wasn’t sure what the problem was, but then opened her mouth with a small exclamation as if she realized what the problem was.

“I also learned medicine and alchemy a long time ago.”

“I see… … .”

It wasn’t a defense that particularly eased concerns.

However, I knew well that staying was not a matter of coercion. Even if you put the risk aside, you have to think highly of it.

In this way, he wouldn’t lose face if he left first.

Considering the schedule, it would be better to leave Raven and Licia behind. Licia wasn’t the type to lie about things like this, so it could really be helpful.

However, just as I was about to say yes, a plan came into my head.

After quickly completing the calculations in his head, Heine discarded his original answer and spoke differently.

“No, let me join you for a moment.”