episode_0051

Episode 51. Happy Birthday, Princess (1)

****

A new morning sun rose above the horizon of Imentia. The curfew was lifted, and most of the quarantined patients had returned home.

The fake Black Death scare ended there.

“Uh… … . That’s it, Mayor.”

The mayor of Imentia nodded. Sure, he might be a little annoyed by the fuss, but it was better than having the Black Death run rampant in the city.

“What happened to the patients?”

“The critically ill patients are still in the temple. Most of them will be fine.”

“It’s vain.”

“That’s the nature of riddles. They tend to look easy when you look back.”

“Still, thanks to the professor, we were able to prevent a great deal of damage. It’s a bit bitter to think that the great damage may not have been caused by the plague, but by a wrong policy… … .”

Right, the mayor was talking about policy, so I remembered. I almost forgot the most important thing.

“Mayor, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the cause.”

“Please tell me.”

It’s the same story we were talking about last time. The British Navy always took dried fruits and such on long-distance voyages to prevent scurvy.

“Scurvy is a disease caused by nutritional imbalance. Vitamin C is a substance involved in collagen synthesis. If there is a lack of vitamin C, connective tissue damage can occur. That is why the gums bleed.”

“What does that mean?”

Anyway, I did explain it.

“The bottom line is this: When you go on a voyage, you should take fruits or preserved vegetables with you. This will prevent scurvy.”

The mayor seemed to be mulling over what I had said. It was a lot. After a brief silence, the Lord of Imentia spoke again.

“I think I’ve heard old sailors say that. Maybe it won’t be like that these days, since the price of fruit has gone up a bit.”

I nodded slowly.

I was curious.

Clearly, as a port city, they would have known about scurvy for a long time, so why did they react so violently this time?

I guess it was just like that, I just let it go. Looking back, it turns out there was a background to it.

The price of fruit in this area has risen in recent years, changing the composition of the food carried on ships when sailing far out to sea.

So scurvy became a new problem. This was the final piece of the puzzle.

“If vitamin C deficiency continues for several months, symptoms of scurvy begin to appear.”

“What methods are there?”

“I don’t know about that either. Can’t you just salt it or preserve it in some way?”

If you look for it, there’s probably someone who knows how. Come to think of it, I wonder if the mayor’s son is alive and well. I haven’t seen him since the last time I saw him.

“Is your son feeling better?”

“Looks okay. They said I don’t need to quarantine, so I’m back to my daily routine now.”

“Thank goodness.”

That young knight. Since he is eating, he can expect improvement in his symptoms with just lemon and candy.

“It won’t be a long-term illness, right?”

“If only I didn’t lose my teeth.”

It’ll be okay.

“I know it’s a bit late, but I can’t thank you enough for coming to see me this time, Professor. Once again, thank you very much.”

I left the conference room this time, because things seemed to be going smoothly.

I need to go back to the academy quickly.

****

Imentia Castle, guest room area.

I put my suitcase down in the hallway and started packing. Istina was doing the same thing next to me. I had come to Imentia Castle in such a hurry that I had barely been able to pack my luggage.

Thanks to that, my luggage when I left was also light.

What’s different since I came here is that I now have a few papers with patient records and information. And the case money that the mayor of Imentia gave me.

“But, Professor, I still don’t know what that is. What is a vitamin?”

“What is vitamin?”

“Yes.”

“What is that called? It’s a sour substance. It’s found in large quantities in lemons and oranges.”

One lemon contains as much vitamin C as three lemons. Just looking at this, you can see how many vitamins are in lemons.

“Is that experimentally verifiable?”

“Uh… … . Well.”

I don’t know. The chemical isolation and synthesis of vitamins probably began in the 20th century.

It seems impossible in the current situation.

“It’s a bit strange and scary. It’s just a misunderstanding that caused a city to close down and people to think that a plague was spreading.”

“There was nothing wrong with your response. Since we suspect a plague, we can take preventive measures until we confirm that it is not a plague.”

Istina tilted her head.

“But what if the plague that was circulating in this city was really the Black Death?”

The Black Death can be treated with antibiotics. The patients I saw directly would have survived, and those I didn’t see directly would likely have died.

Is the fatality rate half?

“If it was the Black Death, there would have been quite a few deaths. But scurvy doesn’t require any special medicine to treat it. It’s a blessing in disguise.”

“You’re lucky.”

More like luck.

That’s because diseases that can be mistaken for plagues or diseases that result from poor living environments are much more common than bacterial plagues.

“When do you leave?”

“Let’s go quickly, now.”

Miss Hedwig is not feeling well, and if she’s late, she might leave us behind. Then it might take a few days for her to return to the Academy.

I’m tired.

We arrived at the Academy just as the sun was starting to set. The wyvern we rode on also seemed a bit tired. Maybe it was my mood.

“Where is Hedwig going?”

“I will be at the academy for a few days due to an upcoming academic conference. Are you attending this conference as well, Professor?”

Academic conference? What academic conference?

The conference isn’t important right now. I was on duty yesterday. I need to hurry up and pack up, and see the outpatients that pile up tomorrow.

“Then…… Thank you all for your hard work. I will see Istina tomorrow at the lab, and Hedwig, if possible, at the conference.”

Istina bowed her head in greeting, and Hedwig nodded and disappeared somewhere. I should just drop my stuff off at the lab and go home, too.

****

The journey was long.

The academy hallways were quiet late at night.

This is usually a place filled with academy students or graduate students, but seeing it like this gave me a strong sense of incongruity.

A sense that something is missing, and that something important has been forgotten.

I wonder what I forgot. I’ve been feeling anxious for no reason since yesterday, but I can’t remember why.

The lab door was slightly open.

Why are you scared…?

Should I go back? No, there’s no reason to do that. I came all the way here to leave my lab stuff in the lab. I slowly opened the door.

It’s a surprise.

Inside the darkened laboratory, a pair of blue eyes were staring at me. With a pop, the laboratory brightened.

Princess Mint.

A single glowing sphere on the palm of one’s hand.

“Hello, Princess.”

“Now it’s here.”

I checked Mint’s expression.

No, why are you here at this late hour, and what do you want this time? His expression wasn’t dark, considering he was just trying to set the mood.

Why are you doing that, so scary?

“Uh… …. What’s going on?”

“Teacher. Have you forgotten anything?”

“There are a lot.”

Let’s just say that it exists, and think about what kind of answer the princess wants. What did I forget, telling the princess the schedule?

I did leave the schedule posted on the door.

“I’m sorry. I was dragged halfway here because I had some urgent matter that was pressing at the moment. I wanted to contact the princess-”

“Did you know it’s my birthday today?”

“I see… … . No! I knew it. I was going to contact you as soon as possible.”

This time, I had a bad feeling. I felt like I was really going to be upset, but this time, I felt like I had to be a little more careful.

“I didn’t know.”

“I forgot.”

The reason I’ve been strangely anxious these past few days is because it’s the princess’s birthday season. If I had been a few days, no, even a few hours late, I would’ve been in trouble.

It’s dizzying.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“Today or so.”

“There was no guarantee that he would come back today.”

“Are you lucky?”

“Oh my… … . I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry.”

I sighed.

Princess Mint.

It may be a status and ability that everyone envies, but waiting in an empty room late at night for someone who might come.

And on your birthday, too.

That’s so pitiful.

But I don’t know why I look so happy. Mint looks happier than usual. It’s an expression you don’t see often.

“I’m sorry.”

“Ugh. I told you, you have nothing to be sorry about?”

“I feel uneasy because you kept me waiting here all day. I feel like I made you suffer for nothing, Princess. I’m sorry.”

I reached out to Mint, who was sitting down. Mint took my hand and got up.

“Let’s go eat.”

“Is there a place open now?”

“Don’t you know? Maybe there is.”

Mint let go of my hand after a few words.

“Happy birthday, Princess. I hope this year will be a great one for you.”