Chapter 79 : Pandemic (3)

It was a sudden emergency, but fortunately, our organization’s quarantine procedures were carried out smoothly.

“Alright, everyone wash up here! We’ll wash the clothes all at once, so pile them over there!”

“Anyone feeling even slightly unwell must report immediately! This isn’t about punishment, so don’t hide it—just speak up!”

“If I catch anyone hiding an illness, I’ll seriously kill them!!”

Given the nature of our group, which strictly follows a top-down command structure, once an order was given, it was executed immediately.

That meant no time wasted fretting or informing people.

For disease prevention, where speed is of the essence, it was an ideal system.

“All suspected patients, please gather here! I’ll treat you all at once!”

“Wow, I never thought I’d live to see the day I receive a saintess’ blessing.”

“What’s more amazing is that she’s actually on our side.”

The presence of the saintess, who had temporarily assumed the role of medic despite being a prisoner, was also a tremendous help.

She was the most skilled healer on the continent, so any patient that arose was swiftly cured.

Even a light headache would get you sent to the infirmary, blessed, and cured—how could infections spread in that kind of environment?

With a system like this, even if anthrax had spread, we probably could’ve held out.

Not joking—seriously.

‘This cheat skill is way too OP.’

No medicine, no prescriptions—just an instant transformation from patient to healthy person.

What illness could stand up to that?

A single click of her blessing and it was a panacea.

“This really is amazing. I went because I had this nagging cough lately, and she even got rid of my muscle pain.”

“I had an old fracture that hadn’t healed properly, and she fixed that too.”

It wasn’t the original intent, but the overall health of our members began improving as well.

Even the guys who constantly got hurt from our rough lifestyle were healed by our saintess.

Decades-old joint pain, worn-out cartilage—she healed it all in one go.

While they were at it, Kalia also got the scar on her side treated.

That was from a mission in the past, right?

She used to be super self-conscious about how unsightly it was.

Good for her.

“Other branches seem to be experiencing some casualties.”

“Unavoidable. Still, it’s a blessing we knew in advance and were able to respond.”

Other branches in foreign countries without a saintess did suffer some casualties, but they managed to stop the plague with relatively little damage.

At least, none of the bases were paralyzed by mass infection.

“Anyway, what’s the status of the relocation plan?”

“Location selection and securing the building are complete. It’ll take a bit more time to transfer supplies and documents.”

“Do hurry it up if possible. Nobody wants to stay in a city that’s about to be wrecked by an epidemic.”

And so, while we were dealing with some inconveniences, our response remained fairly stable.

Unfortunately,The outside world wasn’t so lucky.

*****

Here’s a little-known fact:

The concept of hygiene is actually not that old.

It’s been less than 200 years since it was established.

Washing thoroughly, wearing clean clothes, regularly cleaning floors and windows, discarding dirty, blood-stained bandages.

These kinds of “common sense” practices were only solidified on Earth thanks to Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War.

That was in the 1850s.

“Lock down the city. Block all roads and sea routes—don’t let anyone in or out!”

“W-What?! But that’ll soon lead to a food shortage—”

“It’s a port city, isn’t it? I’ll allow them to fish in coastal waters. Tell them to survive on fish if they must! The plague must not spread any further!!”

So, then—how did people control disease back when they didn’t know that hygiene was the best form of prevention?

Simple.

They stopped people from moving around, burned belongings, and isolated the sick.

They physically blocked the paths through which the disease could spread.

It wasn’t an entirely irrational method.

After all, for germs to spread, there needs to be movement and contact between people.

By doing this, even if a few regions were sacrificed, the rest of the population could be saved.

“But, Your Excellency, that city holds the kingdom’s largest ironworks and weapons factories.If we seal it off, where will we get our arms and equipment?”

The problem was that they were currently at war.

And not just any war—an unprecedented total war.

A fight that demanded the mobilization and consumption of the entire nation’s resources and manpower, down to its very soul.

To that end, the warring nations had established systems to use their assets and workforce with maximum efficiency.

They developed mines across the land, built factories in strategically favorable locations, and set up supply networks.

In other words, the entire country had become intricately interconnected in service of the war effort.

“We’re already at war! If we lose access to that city, the entire army’s operations will be hindered!”

“Even so, we can’t just ignore a city crawling with plague victims!”

“Isn’t it better than sending soldiers to the frontlines without weapons?”

If they imposed forced quarantines or regional lockdowns now, the nation would literally grind to a halt.

It might have worked in the old days when each region had its own economy, but the current system couldn’t withstand such drastic policies.

Of course, in the long run, enforcing quarantine for the sake of the nation’s future would be the right move… But what if the enemy attacked in the meantime?

What if the enemy launched a major offensive while the nation was falling apart?

These “rational” concerns caused the ruling powers to hesitate in making decisions.

And while those decisions were delayed.

The plague spread as if it had wings on its feet.

“Reporting in! Infected cases of Cronol have already appeared in central Astrakhan—”

“The Nerdem Plains are experiencing an outbreak! Over thirty percent of the farmers are showing symptoms!”

“There are infected people even in the southern copper mines! The first cases were in the north, so essentially, the disease is nationwide…”

First it was Hispania.

Then Allein.

Followed by Helvetia, Kram, and Navre.

Even Artium, the nation farthest from the source in the New World, was no exception.

Starting from the northern metropolis of Kursk, the plague steadily spread southward.

“Why is the damage so severe? Even if Cronol is bad, wasn’t the other one supposed to be just flu-level? They said healthy people could endure it!”

“Medically, that’s true… But, Your Majesty, how many of our people these days are truly healthy and strong?”

“…Goddamn it.”

The people’s lives, already devastated by the war, contributed greatly to the escalating damage.

With scarce supplies, the population couldn’t eat well, clean themselves properly, or live healthily.

Food was confiscated for the war effort, and there was no soap to keep clean.

All the ingredients for soap, including oil, had been diverted to the military, leaving none for civilians.

In short, being filthy, dirty, and starving made people perfect hosts for carrying and spreading disease.

“…Do you think we can even last until next year?”

“Worry about this year’s harvest first. The farmers are all dying, and at this rate, we’ll be starving too.”

“To think the day would come when noble blue-bloods like us have to worry about survival.”

Two months.

In just two months, the entire continent was swept up in the epidemic.

Cities and countryside alike—any place where people gathered became a breeding ground for disaster.

And so began an era not of conquest by men, but by germs.

Splat!!

“Oh Goddess! I repent for my sins—please, grant us salvation! Deliver us from this plague!”

“Harder! The more we suffer in penance, the more the Goddess will show mercy!”

“Whip harder! Until blood pours down your back!”

The desperate acts of monks seeking miracles through self-flagellation.

“Please, do not lead us into temptation. Forgive us our sins, and deliver us from evil.”

“I will donate my entire fortune! I beg of you—please stop this disaster!”

And the desperate prayers of the devout faithful.

None of it meant anything.

It was merely the pitiful thrashing and self-harm of those unable to save themselves.

“What are they doing?”

“Looks like they’re destroying themselves on their own.”

The only exceptions were the internment camps and the Great Steppe.

The former had already been isolated, with minimal outside contact.

The latter had temporarily cut off foreign exchange ever since Mahdi repelled the invading army.

While not entirely unscathed, compared to the devastation outside, both infection and death rates were significantly lower.

“Why? Why does God not save us?”

“So many people prayed. Could He truly have no intention of saving us?”

“No, that can’t be. It can’t… be.”

The people screamed.

They sighed and denied reality.

They insisted a God who truly existed in the heavens would never abandon them like this.

That if He cherished His creations, He would grant them a small miracle even now.

They waited desperately for salvation that showed no signs of ever arriving.

*****

But regrettably.

God had no interest in saving humanity or delivering them from the plague.

He had never intended to in the first place.

Why was that?

Was it because He lacked power?

Or was He an evil god?

Those might sound like plausible theories—but unfortunately, they were wrong.

“This is annoying. Faith isn’t accumulating as much as I expected… Should I have spread a more effective disease? No, then they’d be wiped out before they even had the chance to pray.”

The plague sweeping across the continent—was spread by none other than the goddess herself, personally selecting her heralds of disease.