Chapter 436 - Episode 419: The Spread of Infection ①
The number of people infected with Herzgenheim disease, which had been around several dozen as of April, reached one hundred by the beginning of May and continued to increase thereafter.
The infection did not stop in the territorial capital, Noeina, but spread to the mining city of Kilde and the fortress city of Aspida. Furthermore, infections appeared not only among the commoners but also among the retainers.
"...I see, so Zadrek's symptoms are mild."
"That is only in comparison to other patients... but Zadrek-san has great physical strength, and there is a theory that beastmen are less likely to die from Herzgenheim disease compared to ordinary humans or demi-humans, so I believe he will likely continue toward recovery."
The person Noein is speaking with in the reception room of the Grand Duchy's mansion is Liris, a young doctor working at the Grand Ducal Noeina Clinic. She had come to perform an examination because Zadrek, the retainer in charge of overseeing the Grand Duchy's owned farmlands, had shown symptoms resembling Herzgenheim disease.
To prevent the infection of the sovereign, a large pane of glass had been placed between Noein and Liris, and the windows of the reception room were wide open to ensure ventilation.
"Ah, come to think of it, there were differences in mortality rates depending on the race."
"Yes. That is what is believed among doctors. Since it is a theory based on records from past outbreaks, it has a certain degree of credibility. Noein-sama, you are well-informed."
"I feel like I read something about that in a book when I was a child... If there is a high possibility that Zadrek will recover safely, then for now, that is a relief."
Noein let out a sigh of relief. To Noein, both subjects and citizens were equally lovable beings, but hearing that someone he was particularly well-acquainted with had been infected was, as expected, bad for the heart.
"Ah, also, I heard that another doctor went to examine His Excellency Nordheim—Radley-san—this morning... but it seems his symptoms are somewhat severe."
When Liris brought up Radley, the other infected person among the retainers, Noein's expression stiffened upon hearing the news.
"...Is it severe?"
"To be honest, yes. Personally, I believe that someone as strong as Radley-san will recover safely, but..."
Noein gave a faint, bitter smile and nodded at Liris, who muttered with a sorrowful look on her face.
"You're right. I can't imagine him losing to something like an epidemic. I want to believe that."
"...Also, it seems Radley-san asked that I convey a message to Noein-sama."
Since the fortress city of Aspida was the furthest from the Kingdom of Lordberg, he, his soldiers, and the residents had all thought that the risk of the infection spreading was the lowest. He wouldn't say they were careless, but perhaps he should have tightened discipline among the soldiers and residents more strictly. Not only had infected persons appeared, but he himself, who should have been leading in this situation, had become a pathetic sight. There was no way to apologize.
That is what Radley had apparently said, Liris told him.
"He said that he would accept any punishment."
"...He doesn't need to worry about such things."
Noein looked down, suppressing the tremble in his voice.
The guilt he must be harboring while suffering from high fever and coughing. The devotion of worrying about the current state of the fortress city of Aspida and apologizing to Noein even while his body was in pain. Thinking of Radley's state of mind made his chest tighten.
Even the fortress city of Aspida had taken the measures that needed to be taken. Radley, who was serious and strict with himself and others, and who had excellent subordinates like Rick and Jeremy, would not have been negligent in such matters. If the infection spread regardless, it was the fault of the epidemic itself. There was no way he would give a punishment.
As his sovereign, Noein could only pray for his recovery.
"...Liris, thank you for the report. The examination of Zadrek was also a great help. Thank you for your hard work."
"Not at all. If anyone else shows symptoms, please tell me and I will rush over at any time."
When Noein looked up and spoke with a forced smile, Liris bowed and left the room.
.....
"I-I'm bored."
In the living room of his home, Damian said breathlessly, slumped over the table.
"...It can't be helped. Given the current situation."
Christy, sitting next to him on the sofa, answered while bringing a cup of herbal tea to her lips.
In response to the further expansion of the infection, a stay-at-home order had been issued to all households in the Grand Duchy of Arqvist.
Shops, taverns, and public baths were all closed, and only for minimum necessary supplies were representatives from each household permitted to go out to buy things in rotation. Even then, under the management of the military, it took the form of receiving decided items from the Skinner Trading Company. There was no choice in what to buy.
Much of the work had also been suspended. Currently, since households were not increasing and no new shops or workshops were opening, no construction work was being carried out, and since there was no intended use or buyer for them even if they dug, the mining of mineral resources was also on hiatus. It goes without saying that merchants could not move since shops were closed and borders were sealed.
Even in the midst of a spreading epidemic, crops do not stop growing, so only the farmers were required to go out to work. Even then, under military management, a minimum number of people went out for farm work in a rotation system for each plot of farmland.
Farm work was never carried out in adjacent plots at the same time, and there were absolutely no people who slacked off to indulge in idle chatter. This was because if such a thing were seen, it would no longer end with a mere reprimand from Edgar or Kenooze.
This was the current state of the Grand Duchy of Arqvist. In such a situation, since there was no new demand for anything they made, and furthermore, since materials like iron ore were not coming in to begin with, the blacksmith workshop directly managed by the Grand Ducal family had also stopped operations. No matter how much Damian, who found his purpose in work, threw a tantrum, nothing could be done.
"It's already been ten days... I'm gonna die of boredom..."
"Stop it!"
Receiving Christy's loud voice, which carried a genuine anger different from usual, Damian looked up in surprise.
"There are people who are actually dying!? Despite that, please don't say you'll die so lightly!"
"...I-I see. My bad."
Since marrying Christy, Damian had been gradually acquiring the common sense of an adult year by year. Realizing his remark had been thoughtless, he apologized honestly.
"Besides, when I think about Damian-san going outside and perhaps catching Herzgenheim disease... when I think about you actually dying, I..."
Facing his wife, who had looked down with tears in her eyes, Damian became flustered and awkwardly held her shoulders.
"...Alright!"
Then, he spoke as if he had decided something. Christy looked up and looked at her husband.
"Let's make a baby!"
"Huh!?"
At the sudden and somewhat out-of-place proposal, Christy let out a bewildered cry.
"W-w-wh-what is this all of a sudden?"
"Look, until now, when Christy asked me, I'd say I was busy with work or tired and put baby-making on the back burner, right? But, with such a terrible epidemic happening, I've realized that I don't know when or how the world or I will change. I decided I want a child with Christy!"
"...Then, are you not using the contraceptive magic potion tonight?"
"Let's do that! Not just tonight, let's make one starting now!"
Saying so, Damian wrapped his arms around Christy's back and the back of her knees, lifting her up.
"W-wait, Damian-san..."
"Huh? Did you not want to?"
"...It's not that I don't want to."
Lifted up like a princess, Christy answered with an expression that suggested she didn't mind at all, and was carried quietly to the bedroom just like that.
.....
"...Looking at it like this, it's as if Kilde has become a ruin."
The northern part of the Grand Duchy of Arqvist, the mining city of Kilde. A soldier of the Grand Duchy Army, looking around the urban area of this small city which currently counted about six hundred people, said to the Grand Ducal retainer Dant, who was conducting the patrol with him.
"True. Though it can't be helped, it's a lonely sight."
Dant, who was now the person responsible for maintaining public order in the mining city of Kilde and guarding the northern border, responded to his subordinate's impression with a nod.
The situation was the same here in Kilde, where infected persons had appeared and going outside was forbidden except for the absolute minimum necessity. Patrolling and watching to see if anyone was wandering around on their own, or if those performing necessary outings were carelessly approaching and talking to one another, was an important mission of the current Grand Duchy Army.
As the commander of the army stationed in Kilde, Dant was in a position where he could normally leave the outdoor work to his subordinates and stay in the office of the barracks, but in order to correctly grasp the current state of this land he had been entrusted to protect, he performed the patrol mission himself like this.
Dant was impressed by his subordinate's metaphor, thinking that saying it had become a ruin was an apt description. The sight of Kilde reflected in his eyes was indeed a ruin.
Here, where the primary industry was the mining of mineral resources, if that primary industry was suspended, many people were forced to take time off work. Consequently, those walking outside were only patrolling soldiers like Dant, a small number of agricultural workers, and the representatives of each household who went out for shopping in rotation.
In this Kilde, where the urban area had expanded considerably now, there were probably fewer than twenty people outside at the same time.
In a city where six hundred people lived, there were at most a dozen or so people outdoors. Looking at the streets, there were more scenes where no one was walking, and he even felt the illusion that the entire city had died.
In reality, the residents were still inside their homes, waiting for the epidemic to pass.
"Oh, this is Retainer Dant-dono."
"...Victor-san. Hello."
While patrolling, he sometimes passed the few people who were outside. The person Dant passed this day was Victor, who operated the Mining Development Company and protected the society of the mining city of Kilde alongside Dant.
"Were you on patrol? Thank you for your hard work."
"Thank you. Victor-san, you are always working hard yourself."
"Not at all. It is such a situation. I feel sorry that I can only be of this much help to the Grand Duchy."
Maintaining sufficient distance and with their noses and mouths covered by cloth, Dant and Victor exchanged words.
Due to his position, Victor was one of the few people permitted to go outside based on his own judgment. Utilizing that position, he went around to each household, spoke with the residents through the front doors, and asked if there were any difficulties in their lives or if any new infected persons had appeared.
Thanks to these actions by him, a prominent figure of the city, the residents maintained relative peace even in this situation full of a sense of confinement.
"Will you be going around the houses again after this?"
"Yes, I intend to visit all the houses in the southwest district today."
Victor nodded at Dant's question. The number of households in Kilde, where there were many single manual laborers, was slightly under two hundred. Visiting a quarter of them in one day was quite a heavy labor.
"I see. Then, please be very careful."
"Thank you. I hope everyone in the army does not overdo it as well."
Victor bowed politely and walked away.
"...Victor-san is maintaining his cheerfulness like that. We soldiers mustn't have gloomy faces."
"Indeed."
Taking the young soldier who gave a faint, bitter smile with him, Dant continued his patrol.