Vol. 4 - Ch. 43 - Prince's visit and the epidemic
The Adventure of a Boy with the Mind of a Middle-Aged ManThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Being called by Emperor George, when I come to the imperial palace,
"The first prince of the Bitsley kingdom has come to visit, so I entrust the matter of entertaining him to you"
He pushed such an annoying and ridiculous matter to me.
"I should have told you before too, I've also been extremely busy recently. I rather hope you can stop involving me in the immature love affair between young people"
Olivia, standing next to the Emperor, reflected in my vision with her face full of smiles three tenths more than usual. I noticed it not long ago but this seems to be her condition just one step away from the momentary explosion.
It seems she has much prejudice against the Prince from her appearance. It's not a particularly rare sight considering her straightforward personality and stranger's anxiety.
Most likely, accompanied by me, she's going to take me as a shield and make a scene of indirect refusal I guess.
However, Relationships between men and women are something to be dealt with by the people at the time, and if the guardians get involved, it will only complicate things.
Above all, whether it's the emperor or that wild beast (Ex-Emperor), both of them are hopelessly sweet to her. If the person themselves rejected this marriage, I think they will take it as base and break off the engagement in the end. The reason for me to follow is strikingly chipping away.
Of course, speaking from the standpoint of someone managing political affairs, it's like throwing a card at the opponent. They may want to be done with it as soon as possible but for me, it's a situation that has nothing to do with me.
"Don't be so hasty, taking a breather once in a while is also necessary, Grey. And the Prince has already arrived at the neighboring town. I would like you to go and visit him"
"Like I aid, I'm busy so一一"
"Come on, let's go Grey!!"
Olivia grabbed my right hand just when I was about to refuse and dragged me with great vigor.
So, am I going to be involved too? It's annoying, it's really annoying.
A blacked-out car, used exclusively for the royal family, was parked in front of us as we exited the Imperial Palace.
This is the latest car provided by Sagami Company at Emperor's request. Cars are already running in the roadway in several territories of the Empire. Even in the imperial capital, you can sparsely see cars owned by the rich merchants of the commercial guild. But royal family is still using the old fashioned carriage. Apparently such voices come from the minister. I think that's why the Emperor, who hates extravagance, reluctantly comes to accept their feeling.
Well, it's easy for this kind of technology to spread when used by a distinguished person. It would also help me to spread the technology much easier to the world if I had royalty rides on them.
"Well, is Prince Franco such a detestable person?"
I asked Olivia who was currently sitting on the back seat of the royalty exclusive private car with a sullen look.
"Noble lineage aristocrats"
"Hmm?"
"He's like the combination of Duke Cyrus and Duke Geffert and divided by two"
"Well, this is hateful indeed"
I see. In short he's a noble supremacist. So I guess he's hateful even if it's not Olivia.
"Grey...... "
"Yeah?"
"Nothing"
After that, Olivia didn't speak further and I also crossed my arms and closed my eyes.
The place we arrived at was Urgus, a town southeast of the Imperial capital. We then headed to what seemed to be the most luxurious inn in the town.
When the door was opened, a blonde haired man with delicate features who was in the lobby came to us, grabbed the hands of Olivia and shook them excitedly. This man must be Prince Franco.
"Hi, Olivia! I really wanted to meet you!"
"Hmm"
Paying no heed to Olivia who replied indifferently without hiding her discomfort, he put his arm around her shoulder and led her to a table in the hotel lobby.
Just when Olivia looked at me with desperate expression,
"Come on, servant, don't just stand there like that!"
He cheerfully raised his right hand and took a seat. Hmm, he doesn't seem that much of a bad person at our short meeting.
"Here, let's have a toast!"
He poures fruit wine into a glass and began to drink from the daytime. It's a spectacle too common to see even in the imperial capital if they are purebred aristocrats. He's a Prince of a country, so it's nothing sort of strange.
"Oh? So you're a viscount. It's amazing, how you are still so young but already earned the court rank"
"Don't be so polite Prince, he comes from a local clan. Although he's a noble, he's just someone with lowly bloodline"
A tall man immediately negates the words Prince. The man with an extremely unpleasant expression and unshaven beard is Count Noval. He and I have had some kind of entanglement since the case of the ore mine in the Maguire territory.
"What did you sayyyy, I even thought I might make him my friend. Youuu, then you should just stand up"
I see... So it seems the Count Noval has already been wheedled.
Olivia tries to object with a angry look but I stop her with my right hand,
"Then excuse me"
And stood up from seat. Honestly, it doesn't really matter for me if I sit next to them or not.
"Hey you! This is not a place where a lowly bastard like you can sit! Quickly get off the seat!"
Count Noval shouted even more unpleasantly at me.
Hmm, that's right. This is the territory of noble lineage aristocrats Count Noval. I have never done the business on the territory of noble lineage aristocrats, and never set foot on it. I have always been interested in what kind of government they have. It would. Without such an opportunity, I won't be able to see it. At least, it would be worth wasting time there rather than discussing it with people like them.
"I will take my leave here"
Olivia was glaring at me with a revengeful gaze but I calmly ignored it, left the duty of guarding her to Spy and left the high class inn.
I took a look around and now, I'm in the slum southwest of the town.
"That's so awful"
Unconsciously, I blurted.
The area around the feudal lord's mansion or firms are lined up with dazzling buildings systematically and people in affluent getup come and go.
However, going a bit further away is hell.
"To think it's bad to this extent...... "
This is, in a sense, even more terrible than past Ruddle.
Old ones have their belly protruded out abnormally and the kids are awfully emaciated. A woman wearing a almost tattered cloth, seemingly a prostitute, was calling out to stop the men in the aisle.
And then 一一
"Don't touch me with your dirty hands!!"
A robust man with a split chin keeps kicking a young child. Good heavens, no matter where, scums like them appear anywhere.
I approached the man from behind and brushed aside his leg,
"Gahhh! you bastard 一一"
I stomped on his face, and the man's whole face was flushed red from the humiliation of being trampled on by a kid and he bellowed in rage.
But 一一
"Ohh, It seemed to be dirty? This is so awful, let me help you"
I injected even more power in the leg that was trampling on that face.
"Gugyaaaahhhhh!!"
"What's the matter? You hate getting dirtied, right? If so, try to escape with all your might. Otherwise, the ground will be dyed red like a tomato with your brain fluid"
"Zelph ne...... "
While shrinking his face from fear and pain, the man somehow managed to utter a plea. I took my leg off his face, crouched and made eye contact with the man.
"I saved you. But... There's no next. You understood the meaning, right?"
"....... "
The man nodded multiple times with a teary face,
"Very well, go now"
When I gave him the permission to escape, the man dashed out with a strange voice.
"Are you all right?"
When I came to help him, the kid jumped backward, picked up the stick from nearby and pointed it at me. Seems like I have completely scared him.
As to verify, I try to show a smiling face butー一
"Kihii!!"
He retreated back even more and began to cry out a large drop of tears.
[That's of course. Master's smile is basically looks like a brutal fiend face]
I approached the kid while gushing out curses at Mura's unnecessary commentary and hugged gently.
"It's safe now. You did very well"
The kid finally began to cry when I caressed the head kindly.
Once the kid stops crying, I listen to the situation..
The kid's name is Bazio. Bazio tried to get the money from the man earlier to save the ill mother but all Bazio received was violence instead it seems.
Under the guidance of Bazio, we arrive at a shanty where even rainwater is unlikely to survive.
Milky white stool like washed rice water. Most likely the mother of this little girl has Cholera. She's sure to die if left alone. What's more it will spread to all the residents around this unsanitary place.
Dammit! Unsanitary places like this are the nurturing spot of illnesses. The noble lineage aristocrats are really the creatures that can't be left to rule. While furiously cursing them, I used the recovery magic on the mother.
"T, thank you very much"
"Don't mind about that, just take rest"
I put Bazio's mother down on a tattered futon. Who forcibly tried to get up and crossed arms to assume a gratifying posture. It's bad but this is mere consolation only. Contagious disease can't be cured by magic. This is a fact that has already been proved. For now, I inject the penicillin developed by the company from her wrist.
Once there is an occurrence of Cholera, theoretically the place should be isolated originally and this is a situation where a full medical team of Sagami Company ought to tackle this. Unfortunately, this is the territory of those moron aristocrats. If the Sagami Company lends a helping hand, it will be a problem in the future. We can only try to help with just us alone.
Nevertheless though, this compelling power to follow through the ordeal by all means. This isn't a kind of unselfish charity work or out of a sense of justice. It's mostly likely because of my previous life experience I guess.
So, I went outside and 一一
"Cholera has occurred. Bring the sick to this place! Also, seeking the cooperation of healthy people!"
Cholera is an incurable disease in this world. I assumed they would run away for sure once I screamed but they gathered around me instead.
"You... are you a doctor?"
A crew cut young man asked me hesitatingly.
"Something like that. If you want to save, lend me a helping hand here"
"Dressed like this, you're a wealthy person, aren't you? Why help us?"
"I will ask in return, do you ask for a reason to help those who are afflicted with disease?"
"...... "
Maybe my words to the crew cut young man were so unexpected, his mouth was gaping open and shut in speechlessness.
"This whole area will be an isolated zone. No entry to any healthy person except those who are going to help. After that, boil the water and cook. Everyone will just die from malnutrition if left as it is. However, if the patient has not eaten much lately, then make it soft and gruel before feeding. Don't make haste"
I walked up to a distant place and took out mats, water and food from the item box.
As expected, the slum people turned stiff as they stared at the pile of food,
"Be quick!! You want to help, right!!?"
"Y, yes!!"
When I shouted standing upright, everyone started to move at once.
I fetched a mat and placed necessary medical items on it. After putting on the mask, I also began to move.
T/N : Hi there. Thanks for giving your attention and care to this novel until now, but unfortunately due to lack of patreon, we will be halting the translation for indefinite time. Arc 4 chapter 49 would be the last chapter of this series.