Chapter 78 : Pandemic (2)

“Hmm hmm♪, ahem♬”

A typical ordinary afternoon.

Kalia, hiding her horns under a thick robe, was humming a tune as she shopped at the market.

“The asparagus I bought last time wasn’t that great… Should I try grilled eel again this time? Liver dishes might be good too.”

The items she was looking for were always the same.

Food.

She needed it to boost Ishmael’s stamina, who was tested to his limits every day (naturally in a physical way).

Although Ishmael could eat meals prepared by the dedicated chef of the Allein branch, it still felt insufficient.

So she had to personally go out and hunt for good ingredients.

There was also the small desire to feed the person she loved only with dishes she made herself.

“Come quickly, everyone! Today’s pickled herring is very cheap!”

“Carrots and onions on sale! Stock up for your homes!”

“You won’t get this price again if you don’t buy now! It’ll be more expensive later!!”

The market was as noisy as usual.

Compared to before, the proportion of young people had considerably decreased, but otherwise, it looked the same as before the war.

Fresh vegetables and fruits filled the stalls, meat hung in the butcher shops.

The fishmongers laid out fish on ice, energetically calling out to attract customers.

‘Everyone seems to be doing well.’

Everywhere you looked, it was a scene far removed from wartime conditions.

A stranger would definitely think this was a peaceful time.

Honestly, that wouldn’t be a wrong judgment either.

At least this city still maintained peace.

‘Those privileged classes, seriously.’

This place was Allein , the capital of the Allein Kingdom.

It was where the king and main nobles resided, the city most highly valued by the kingdom.

Because the kingdom adopted a theory of military-first politics,the capital was given overwhelming preferential treatment in all respects compared to other regions to foster loyalty.

This included priority in supply and requisition orders, delayed conscription, partial exemption from war taxes, and so on.

They hadn’t made no sacrifices, but compared to others, it was ridiculously small.

Basically, they were the only ones enjoying the honey alone.

“Do you have garlic and parsley here? If you have olive oil and milk, I’ll take one bottle each.”

“Oh, of course! Please wait a moment!”

That was why they had this kind of leisure.

Although prices had risen a lot, maintaining a normal lifestyle, which others could only dream of, was everyday here.

Thanks to this, Kalia was able to indulge in the luxury of preparing high-quality meals for her husband every day.

“We have some good cheese in today, shall I include some? It’s made by master craftsmen, so the taste is guaranteed.”

“Please add a piece. And the garlic should be unpeeled.”

“Yes! All together, that’s 17 florins!”

Kalia paid what used to be four days’ living expenses and put the groceries into her basket.

Her wallet had gotten considerably thinner, but she wasn’t worried.

There were plenty of ways to raise quick cash.

‘Maybe I should rob some trade guild soon?’

Out of money?

Then just accept donations (or, in street slang, robbery).

If she slipped into the vaults of those who had been monopolizing distribution and fattening their pockets, it would cover months of food expenses in a snap.

She was confident because she had done this many times before.

Running an organization’s maintenance fund wasn’t easy with just legitimate business, so sometimes she used illegal means.

After becoming a manager, she ordered others to do it.

‘Those times were pretty fun.’

Dressed in dark clothes, raiding banks or guild masters as a group, threatening them, robbing corrupt people first, and playing the role of a righteous thief.

It was thrilling in many ways.

‘I wonder if the clothes I wore back then still exist.’

Ah, now that I think about it, I suddenly got turned on.

Tonight, I’ll wear that and do it with Ishmael.

While wandering down the street with these lewd thoughts, a scream came from nearby.

“Just need to buy a few more charcoal pieces for grilling—huh?”

“Ahhhh!!!”

“S-someone is coughing up blood!”

“Somebody call a doctor!! That person’s going to die like that!”

The herring fish vendor was writhing in pain, coughing up blood over fresh squid and cod.

His face had lost all color as he clutched his throat.

Kalia’s expression quickly hardened at the sight.

“Poison? No, that’s unlikely. What benefit would killing a merchant bring? Then maybe illness?”

Although she was often teased by her husband for being overly focused on sex, saying, “Is your brain only filled with perversion?”

Kalia’s actual job was an intelligence agent in a spy organization — a veteran with nearly ten years of experience.

In a situation where a person was dying right before her eyes, it wasn’t hard for her to immediately infer the cause.

“He didn’t look well earlier either. Maybe he pushed himself too hard while sick.”

“Tch.”

She covered her mouth and nose with a scarf.

If it was a disease that caused blood to spew from mouth and nose, it was likely respiratory or digestive related—and probably contagious.

She had to avoid inhaling any pathogens.

Judging from the symptoms, if infected, there was no way to die peacefully.

“When I get back, I need to hold an emergency meeting. This is not something to ignore.”

Turning her steps quickly, Kalia sensed it.

Her comfortable life was over, at least for the foreseeable future.

*****

“So, what exactly happened?”

The cause of the incident Kalia experienced was quickly identified.

Because other branches had already detected the problem.

After some investigation, a report was made immediately.

“…It’s an infectious disease.”

“An infectious disease? And winter is just around the corner?”

“We’ve seen signs of it spreading for several months now. And finally, it reached the capital.”

It was an epidemic.

A high-risk disease spreading not only in this country but across the entire continent.

It had recently been discovered in the New World, and its name, mode of transmission, and mechanism were still unknown.

The merchant who coughed up blood at the market was one of the unfortunate infected.

“So, what are the symptoms?”

“Similar to pneumonia or the common cold. It’s not very deadly, but highly contagious.”

“…The person I saw died while standing.”

The doctor from our Ilein branch sighed at Kalia’s question, as if expecting it.

“The disease itself isn’t very potent. However, it causes complications that can worsen the condition. What you witnessed was probably one of those cases.”

It was a disease that killed fewer people but spread more easily.

The worst kind for quarantine.

In an era with no cheap disinfectants, no protective suits, and no filtered masks, it was practically impossible to stop.

It would just spread everywhere, and we’d have to wait for it to die down on its own.

“But that’s not all.”

And that alone was already troublesome enough.

There wasn’t just one problem.

“There’s another epidemic disease going around. It’s called Cronol… it’s also from the New World. It’s less contagious but extremely dangerous.”

“That’s an unusual name.”

“It’s what the natives call it. The meaning… was something like ‘the flower of death’?”

Until now, it had only been known as an endemic disease by name, but recently it suddenly started spreading.

The disease, with such a grim name, had equally horrifying symptoms—so bad that dying might seem preferable.

“When infected, dark blue spots bloom across the body like flowers. Blood clots form there, causing the tissue to rot.”

“…Is there any chance of recovery?”

“Once symptoms appear, it’s almost impossible. You’d need dozens of top-tier healers and priests skilled in holy magic to even stand a chance.”

After hearing the grim report, Kalia closed her eyes for a moment and suddenly asked me:

“Ishmael, how should we handle a situation like this?”

The reply “That’s your authority, why ask me?” flashed in my mind, but I held back.

After all, since the person I love was my superior making a request, I had to do my duty as a subordinate.

So I asked the doctor first.

“Georg.”

“Yes?”

“If Cronol is hard to treat after onset, what about before? Can it be cured during the incubation period?”

“Ah, that’s probably possible. Even a single blessing from a saint like the lady over there would suffice.”

Treatment is difficult, but prevention is simple.

That’s good.

At least there’s some countermeasure.

“First, all members must make handwashing and wearing masks routine.

Clothes worn outside should be washed daily, and the buildings cleaned thoroughly.”

“Wait a minute, that will take too much—”

“No matter how much time and effort it takes, isn’t that better than everyone getting sick and dying?”

Suppressing a protest from an unknown member, I looked at Kalia and proposed:

“And for now, it’s safer to relocate the branch. Preferably somewhere quiet in the countryside.”

I’m not an expert on infectious diseases.

I’m a professor of political science.

I don’t know how to stop a horrible pandemic.

I could only suggest hygiene practices I knew.

Still, in this era when the concept of germ infection was just emerging, they might be somewhat useful.

“If any member is in poor health or showing abnormal symptoms, let the saint take care of them. For now, this is the best we can do.”

“…Understood. Let’s review it.”

“Please also inform other branches if possible. So everyone knows and can prepare.”

Though they said they would review it, I knew it would be approved the next day.

Since it was an urgent matter, there was no way any brilliant solution would come up by worrying more.

Kalia would trust me.

“This is worrying.”

Ugh, why do variables keep popping up while trying to plan the situation?

If this keeps going, multiple countries will stagger, rebellions will break out, and chaos will be inevitable.