The journey of Lishia and Pascoe continued.
The speed of the Golem horses they had borrowed from Jin defied description; they reached Toka Village in less than half a day.
Three villagers there complained of a profound lethargy, so Lishia used a magic tool to perform a Cure.
“We can still keep going, can’t we?”
“Yes.”
Lishia and Pascoe made stops at Rakuno and then Doppa. By evening, they had reached the Town of Charles. They had traversed roughly 150 kilometers in a single day.
During that journey, they treated four people in Rakuno and six in Doppa. As of yet, no one had exhibited symptoms more severe than lethargy.
In the Town of Charles, they used the medicine for the first time on two patients who had developed fevers. Pascoe had been skeptical, but Lishia, who trusted Jin implicitly, administered it without hesitation.
As a result, Pascoe watched as the patients recovered before his very eyes. He was both astonished and forced to fully acknowledge Jin’s incredible capability.
They spent that night scouring the town until the late hours, applying Cure magic to those who seemed suspicious and giving medicine to those already suffering from fevers.
“In the end, here in the Town of Charles, we treated sixty-two people and administered medicine to fifteen. As expected, the numbers seem to be increasing the closer we get to Rakham.”
“Indeed. There is no longer any room for doubt that the disease is showing signs of an epidemic. Lishia-san, I believe we should send an additional report to the kingdom.”
“Let’s do that... Since we’ll be waking up early to depart tomorrow as well, we should get some rest soon.”
It was already past 11:00 PM. Considering they had been awake since 4:00 AM, it had been a grueling forced march.
“Oh, that’s right. Let’s drink that Persica juice Jin-san gave us before we sleep.”
“I’m too exhausted; I’m going straight to bed.”
Lishia went out to the front of the inn, took a bottle of juice from her Golem horse, and took a sip. Immediately, she felt as if her body had grown lighter. As she drained the rest in one gulp, the fatigue that had settled deep in her bones seemed to evaporate.
“Jin-san, thank you...”
Sending her gratitude to Jin, who was likely back in Kaina Village, Lishia drifted into a peaceful sleep.
The following day, the 19th, they departed at 5:00 AM.
Since Pascoe’s face was still haggard with exhaustion, Lishia suggested he drink some Persica juice.
Pascoe drank it with a skeptical look, only to be struck with amazement as the fatigue vanished from his limbs—even if he remained a bit drowsy.
“...Just who in the world is this Jin-dono...?”
It seemed he was finally ready to truly acknowledge Jin.
＊ ＊ ＊
Earlier that day, on the 18th, in the Klein Kingdom.
“An emergency contact via pigeon from Fahlheit, who went to Kaina Village as a goodwill ambassador?”
Chancellor Powell’s face darkened as he scanned the letter Lishia had sent by pigeon.
“...‘Magical consumption fever’? And showing signs of an epidemic?”
If this was true, it was a catastrophe. The Chancellor cradled his head in his hands.
The Klein Kingdom was a nation suffering from a chronic shortage of talented individuals. The number of healers mentioned in the letter could be counted on one hand.
With so few, they could barely manage to station them in the capital, Alban; dispatching them to the surrounding cities was out of the question.
“...What am I to do...?”
The letter stated that with Jin’s cooperation, Lishia and Pascoe were carrying medicine and returning from Kaina Village to the capital while providing treatment along the way.
“But no matter how much they hurry, it will take five or six days...”
There was nothing that could be done for those who had already fallen ill.
“...Will there be hundreds, thousands of deaths once again...?”
Chancellor Powell muttered the words and slumped over his desk.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Alright, Presos is finished. Next is Gara.”
According to Capella 2, the Quinta unit in charge of Rakham, patients suspected of having magical consumption fever had made a full recovery following the irradiation.
Jin’s hypothesis—that if Medicare could neutralize the pathogen, then Genesung would be even more effective—had been proven correct.
The Pegasus 1, carrying Jin, Elsa, and Reiko, began with the Town of Rakham, where the pathogen was thought to have been first dispersed. They then visited the surrounding towns of Dachroz, So, and Zuku in sequence to apply the treatment.
According to reports from the Quinta units dispatched to the capital, no one had yet fallen ill in the capital of Alban or the adjacent Gara, but Jin processed those areas and their surroundings as well, just in case.
As an aside, there is an anecdote that the treatment provided by the Treatmenter at this time also cured ailments other than the magical consumption fever. Whether this would become a seed for future commotion, no one knew at the time.
“...This should do it. Now, I’ll just send a message saying that preventive measures were taken under the name ‘Deus Ex Machina’.”
“Not under your own name, Jin-nii?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to stand out any more than I already have.”
“...That’s just like you, Jin-nii.”
＊ ＊ ＊
Lishia and Pascoe arrived in Rakham.
In a small settlement along the way that didn't even appear on the map, five people had developed fevers. Every single one of them had recovered after taking the medicine.
However, they entered the Town of Rakham with heavy hearts, wondering how many hundreds must have fallen ill in the presumed epicenter... only to have their expectations subverted in the best possible way.
“So, you’re saying the illness was suddenly cured yesterday?”
“Yes, that is exactly what happened.”
Lishia had come to Earl Walter’s mansion. The Butler who had attended to her during her previous stay came out to receive them.
“Then, please tell me everything you know about the illness.”
When Lishia spoke with a firm edge to her voice, the Butler began to confess truthfully.
“...A guest of the Count was responsible. I do not know his name or identity.”
The Butler admitted that he himself had been suffering from a fever until yesterday, and he proactively cooperated with the inquiry.
Since Earl Walter, who had ordered the deed, was no longer of this world, the Butler likely felt his sense of loyalty had been severed.
“So that guest, under the Count’s instructions, used some method to infect the pigeons I was carrying with the disease?”
“Yes....Perhaps it was karma, or perhaps divine retribution was delivered to the Count.”
“Are you prepared to testify to this before a royal judge?”
“...I am.”
In this way, Earl Walter’s crimes were finally exposed.
At the same time, everything came to light, including his intentional release of the labor criminals from the Inado Mine and his attempts to sabotage the salt market through hoarding.
As more minor offenses were revealed, Lishia and Pascoe could only listen in exasperated silence.
“I-In that case, Pascoe-san, I must ask you to remain here and monitor the household. Is that alright?”
No soldiers or knights directly under the Klein Kingdom were stationed in Rakham. Therefore, Lishia had no choice but to ask Pascoe to watch over Earl Walter’s retainers.
Now that the Count was dead, it was unlikely the retainers would flee, but she could not simply leave them unsupervised.
They left the medicine and other supplies loaded on Pascoe’s Golem horse behind, just in case the disease recurred.
However, Lishia had an intuition that there would be no more patients from then on. She didn’t know the method, but she suspected that Jin had somehow intervened.
Before departing Rakham and parting ways with Pascoe, Lishia bowed her head to him.
“Pascoe-san, I am so sorry.”
“Lishia-san!?”
“...Even though you warned me—even if it was a gentle warning—that you could not recommend staying here, it was my fault for ignoring you. When I think that if we hadn’t stayed, such an insidious plot to infect the pigeons would never have happened, I...”
Pascoe spoke to Lishia with a sharp, decisive tone.
“Is that what was bothering you? But even if we hadn’t stayed there, I’m sure some other plot would have been carried out. There’s no need to worry! Rather, it’s because you were here that we were able to return while taking these countermeasures so quickly!”
Pascoe’s voice grew increasingly heated.
“B-Besides, I—rather, even I misunderstood Jin-dono. Even though you trusted him so much.”
Pascoe scratched his head sheepishly. Lishia stared at him for a moment, then let out a soft giggle.
“...Thank you, Pascoe-san. I feel a bit better now.”
With that, Lishia continued toward the capital alone.
＊ ＊ ＊
“A letter from Deus Ex Machina?”
In the capital, Alban.
On the morning of the 19th, a single letter arrived for Chancellor Powell, who had stayed up all night failing to find a solution to the magical consumption fever.
“Let’s see... W-W-What!?”
The Chancellor’s outburst was hardly surprising.
The letter informed him that the treatment and preventive measures for the magical consumption fever—the very thing he had been agonizing over all night—had already been completed.
“Unbelievable... Just who is this Deus Ex Machina...?”
He was genuinely relieved that the fever had been resolved. At the same time, however, Chancellor Powell felt a chill of apprehension toward this mysterious figure, Deus Ex Machina, who possessed the power to achieve such a feat.
The following day, the 20th, Lishia returned to Alban.
The Chancellor heard a detailed report regarding the situation in Kaina Village, the hospitality she received from Jin, and the outbreak of magical consumption fever that had originated from Earl Walter’s schemes.
According to that report, Jin seemed to have some sort of connection with Deus Ex Machina. To the Chancellor, who knew of Jin’s capabilities, this wasn't strange; in fact, it made perfect sense.
“...Jin, huh... For now, it would be best to ensure we stay on his good side. As for what he’s truly capable of, I’ll consider that in due time...”
The most pressing issue was the handling of Earl Walter’s estate. Although the man was dead, his actions had been heinous and reckless.
Since Pascoe was watching over the witnesses, the Chancellor immediately ordered the Fourth Ritter Order to arrest the remaining conspirators and bring them in.
“You’ve done well, Lishia Fahlheit. That will be all for today. Go home and get some well-deserved rest.”
“Yes, thank you very much. I shall take my leave now.”
By the time Lishia left the Royal Castle, the sun was already setting.
Looking up at the crimson-streaked sky, Lishia reflected on the frantic journey.
“Jin-san... thank you.”
The words escaped her lips naturally.
Lishia turned her thoughts toward the distant horizon where Jin likely resided.