Now to Lishia and Pascaud.
The golem horse that they had borrowed from Jin was beyond description, and they arrived in Toka village in less than half a day.
There were three people in the village who felt weak, so they used a magic tool to treat them.
“We can still go further.”
“Yes.”
Lishia and Pascaud went on to Rakuno, then stopped at Doppa, and then reached Sharuru by evening. This meant that they traveled 150 kilometers in one day.
During that time, they treated four people at Rakuno and six people at Doppa. Still, there was no one who had any symptoms that were more serious than tiredness.
And now they were in Sharuru. Here, they used medicine to treat feverish patients for the first time. Pascaud was skeptical, but Lishia had faith in Jin and used it without hesitation.
The result was that the patients quickly recovered, and Pascaud was both surprised and now aware of Jin’s abilities.
They went around the town until late in the night, treating people and giving medicine to those who were sick.
“We ended up treating sixty-two people and using medicine on fifteen people here. It does seem that it has been increasing the closer we get to Rakham.”
“Indeed. At least, there is no doubt that the illness seems to be spreading. Miss Lishia, I think that you should add this to your report to the Kingdom.”
“I will do that. …We will be leaving early tomorrow morning, so we should get some rest now.”
The time was already eleven o’clock at night, and considering that they had been up since four in the morning, this had been a tiring day.
“Oh, yes. The Pelshika juice that Jin gave us. Let’s drink it before going to bed.”
“I’m going to bed first. I’m too tired.”
Lishia went out to the front of the inn and retrieved the juice from the golem horse and took a sip. She felt as if her body felt lighter now. She drained the rest, and it was as if all of the fatigue that had been stored in her body was now gone.
“Jin, thank you…”
Lishia thanked Jin, who was surely in Kaina village right now and went to her bed, feeling very relaxed.
They set out the next day at five o’clock in the morning.
Pascaud looked like he was still tired, so Lishia suggested that he try the Pelshika juice.
Pascaud tried it skeptically and was surprised that not only his drowsiness but the tiredness of his body had also vanished.
“…Really, who is this Jin…”
And he finally started to feel more accepting of Jin.
＊ ＊ ＊
On the previous day, in the Cline Kingdom
“There’s an emergency message by pigeon from Farheight, who was sent as an ambassador to Kaina village?”
Prime Minister Powell looked through the message from Lishia that the pigeon had sent, and his face darkened.
“…Mana depletion fever? And it is starting to spread?”
If this was true, it was a disaster. The Prime Minister pulled his hair.
The Cline Kingdom was suffering from a chronic lack of personnel. He could count the people that could treat this illness on one hand.
With this, it would be all that he could do to have them stationed in the capital. The smaller locations would not be possible.
“…What am I supposed to do…”
In the letter, Lishia had written that Jin cooperated with her and gave her medicine. She and Pascaud were on their way back to the capital and treating people along the way.
“Still, it will take five to six days no matter how fast they ride…”
There was nothing to do for the people who had already gotten sick.
“…Hundreds, maybe thousands would die…”
Prime Minister Powell said and buried his face in his desk.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Alright, Presos is finished. Next is Gaara.”
According to Capela 2, who was the Quinta in charge of Rakham, there were reports that the patients that were suspected of having mana depletion illness were completely recovered after being irradiated.
Jin’s speculation that if medicare could nullify it, then Genesung would work, even more, was correct.
Jin, Elsa, and Reiko rode on Pegasus 1 and traveled to the towns, starting with Rakham, and continuing to Dagurozu, Thaw, and Zuku and treated the people there.
According to a report from a Quinta who was sent to the capital, Gaara, which was its neighbor, had not been affected yet, but that measures would be taken there and in the surrounding areas as a precaution.
Additionally, there were also stories that people who were ill with diseases other than mana depletion illness were cured by using the treatmentor. This would end up being the root of an incident later on, but no one could have known it now.
“…That should be good for now. Just contact them and say that the preventive treatment is complete. Use the ‘Deus Ex Machina’ the name.”
“You don’t want to use Jin?”
“Yes. I don’t want to stick out any more than I already do.
“…That’s so like you.”
＊ ＊ ＊
Lishia and Pascaud were in Rakham.
On the way, they stopped at a small settlement that wouldn’t even appear on a map. And five people had fallen ill there. But they all recovered after taking the medicine.
However, since Rakham was considered to be the point of origin for the illness, they expected to see many people that were sick…and they stepped foot into Rakham with heavy hearts. But they were pleasantly surprised.
“You are saying that people suddenly became well yesterday?”
“Yes, that is right.”
Lishia was inside of Earl Walter’s mansion. She was talking with the butler who had received her the last time that she had visited.
“Well then, please tell me what you know about the illness.”
Lishia said in a slightly harsh voice. And the butler confessed it willingly.
“…It was a guest of the Earl. I do not know anything else.”
The butler explained that he had been ill until yesterday, but was willing to help them ask around.
After all, Earl Walter, who had made the order, was no longer alive. And so there was no one left for him to be loyal to.
“This guest was following the Earl’s orders. And he used some kind of method to spread the disease with my pigeons?”
“Yes. …The Earl, I suppose you could say that he reaped what he sowed. He was punished.”
“You, will you be willing to testify at the royal court?”
“…Yes.”
And like that, Earl Walters crimes were exposed.
At the same time, the fact that he had purposely allowed the criminals of the Inado mines to escape, and that he had bought all the salt illegally tried to prevent its distribution, all of it was made public.
But it seemed that there were many other crimes as well, and Lishia and Pascaud were exasperated as they heard them.
“We-well then, Pascaud, you will have to keep watch over them now. Is that alright?”
This was because there were no soldiers or knights from the Cline Kingdom in Rakham. And so Lishia had no choice but to have Pascaud monitor Earl Walter’s men.
Now that Earl Walter was dead, there was little chance that they would try to escape, but still, they could not risk them getting out into the wild.
Pascaud left the medicine on the golem horse. This was done in case the illness started to spread again.
However, Lishia had a feeling that no one would get sick after this. She didn’t know how, but she was sure that Jin had cured them.
Before separating from Pascaud and leaving Rakham, Lishia bowed to him.
“Pascaud, I’m very sorry.”
“Lishia!?”
“…It is my fault for ignoring your advice when you said that you would not recommend it. If we hadn’t stopped that time, they wouldn’t have been able to spread the disease to the pigeons…I…”
Pascaud looked at Lishia and said flatly.
“Is that what you were worried about? But they would have carried out their plans whether we stayed there or not. There is no need for you to worry about that! If anything, it is because of you that we were able to return so quickly while dealing with the problem!”
His voice was becoming more passionate.
“Be-besides, I, no, I misunderstood Jin. In spite of the fact that you trusted him so much.”
Pascaud scratched his head with an apologetic expression. Lishia looked at Pascaud for some time, then chuckled.
“…Thank you, Pascaud. That made me feel a little better.”
And with that, Lishia left for the capital.
＊ ＊ ＊
“A letter from Deus Ex Machina?”
In the capital of Alban.
Morning of the 19th.
Prime Minister Powell had stayed up all night without being able to resolve the problem of the mana depletion disease, when one letter was delivered to him.
“What, what…wh-wh-what!?”
It was no surprise that he would raise his voice like this.
He had thought about it all night, and now he was reading that the treatment and preventive measures had been completed.
“How can this be…who is this Deus Ex Machina…”
He was honestly happy that it had been solved. However, at the same time, the Prime Minister felt something like fear, that this mysterious person had so much power.
On the 20th, the following day, Lishia arrived in the capital.
She made a detailed report to the Prime Minister about Kaina village, about Jin’s hospitality, about Earl Walter’s evil deeds and its connection to the disease.
According to the report, Jin was somehow connected to this Deus Ex Machina. This was no surprise to the Prime Minister, who knew how capable Jin was. If anything, it made perfect sense.
“…Jin, huh…It would be best not to anger him for now. I will have to consider what to do in the future…”
But the thing that needed to be dealt with now was Earl Walter. The Earl was already dead, but his deeds had been so monstrous and senseless.
Pascaud was currently watching the butler and other subordinates who would testify in court. And so he sent out the fourth knights division to round them up immediately.
“You worked hard, Lishia Farheight. That is enough for today. You can go home and rest up.”
“Yes, thank you. I will take my leave now.”
When Lishia left the castle, it was already evening.
She looked up at the rose-tinted sky and recalled just how eventful her journey had been.
“Jin…thank you.”
She said without thinking.
Lishia was thinking of Jin, who would be far away under the same sky.