Chapter 89

Chapter 88

It would have been difficult for him to judge what would happen if he had stepped into the forest where hundreds of lightning bolts were falling from the sky.

Given Baris's personality, it was quite a feat for him to endure for about three hours.

The ones who rushed out next were Yulisse and Winry.

"Big brother!!"

Winry, with a shocked face, ran over and, with a pale complexion, threw herself into my arms.

Given her petite build, even with my average physique, she clung to me tightly.

Of course, "average" is a relative term; I stand over 180 cm tall with a well-built physique.

"Big brother... Are you hurt anywhere?! Do you know how worried I was?!"

The problem is that the comparison points are all 190 cm or more, or even giants. Even the somewhat slender men are usually around 180 cm, so they can be considered average.

"Hey! I told you not to come out!"

"Don't be ridiculous! How could I rest easy when Big brother hasn't returned!"

In response to Baris's scolding, she let out a cry and, with a sob, brushed my cheek.

"Big brother! Are you hurt anywhere? Are you okay? Really?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine, kid."

With a chuckle, I ruffled her hair as I always do, and Winry's eyes welled up with tears.

"Did anything happen after you returned?"

"Ah... Yes, Sir Davey left in a huff."

Yulisse smiled bitterly, looking slightly disoriented.

"Actually, I should have said this from the beginning."

Seeing his expression, I shared my thoughts with him.

"Thank you for protecting my incompetent younger sister. I will never forget this favor."

Even if it didn't help much.

He was the one who didn't value his own life and searched for Winry, even going to the facility.

Despite only meeting a few days ago.

"I didn't do anything. I just know that without Sir Davey, things could have gone badly."

"..."

"Rather, I couldn't even protect Lady Winry. It's a disgrace to be a tower elder. Moreover... the healing spell... "

"Ah, that one?"

With a chuckle, I pulled out a bag from my pocket and shook it lightly.

"Mr. Linton, despite everything, kept most of it neatly stored."

Upon hearing my words, he finally seemed to feel relieved and nodded.

"Let Yulisse and Winry go inside and get treated first. I've already given them some basic treatment, but we should be cautious just in case."

I wanted to let them rest.

Without accepting any arguments, Baris pushed the two of them, and Winry, who had a discontented look, finally sighed and went inside.

"By the way, when did you meet that 5th-grade Yulisse? Big brother, could it be that he has ulterior motives for Winry?"

It seems the fool hasn't changed.

Seeing Yulisse's cautious stance as he left, I couldn't help but chuckle.

And I answered very seriously.

"It seems to be the opposite..."

"Huh? No way. Winry, that tomboy... "

"..."

"Really?"

He looked at me with disbelief.

"If you say so, Big brother, it might be true..."

Baris, thinking the current situation was absurd, let out a continuous sigh of frustration.

In this solemn atmosphere, Perseus, perhaps feeling playful, suddenly started pulling my cheeks.

'Ouch, why are you doing this again?'

-You are really a fool!

'What's the problem?'

-...How can someone who usually thinks so clearly not realize the situation is the opposite...

What is he trying to say?

She was letting out deep sighs.

'No, are you saying that it's not Winry but Yulisse who has a crush on Winry? That's ridiculous. Then what about Winry's attitude?'

When we first met Yulisse, her face turned red. The same thing happened when we arrived at the Ordem estate. When I entered the room where only the two of them were, she seemed to be hiding something, blushing and trying to suppress her emotions.

-This girl doesn't know! She'll live her whole life not knowing!

'Oh... '

Seeing her unusually irritable and turning away, I shrugged, finding it absurd.

* * *

After entering the lord's castle with Baris, I learned part of the details of the situation from him.

As expected, it was about Lord Linton using the bandits to intentionally spread the disease in the estate.

Although it's not surprising, the boy still can't let go of his anger, showing a pouting face.

It's like a burglar breaking into someone's house, acting as the owner, and then getting caught—how ridiculous.

The funny part is that the hint about the entire situation came from Lord Gorneo.

At first, Lord Gorneo strongly opposed my actions in this estate.

Perhaps, his silent plea was to avoid getting unnecessarily involved and to leave quickly to avoid bloodshed.

"You are really quick to notice things."

It seems my thoughts were correct.

-It's the truth.

Perseus, confirming the surface-level consciousness in his mind, whispered beside me.

"Actually, I knew that Linton was dangerous, but without evidence or any visible signs, there was nothing I could do. However, now that this has happened, I hope it won't cause any problems for Prince Davey."

Lord Gorneo explained while administering the medicine I provided to the patients.

"That would be absurd. If we protest, it would be an act of aggression by the empire."

Baris's words made him nod.

"Indeed, the world is a funny place. If someone finds a flaw, a small country can only remain silent. However..."

He trailed off and answered firmly.

"I will ensure that this incident does not cause any problems. The prince's achievements are not so trivial that they can be swept under the rug."

Although he was one of the weakest members of the council, his resolute determination was still striking.

* * *

As we started replicating and distributing the prepared treatment, the estate's condition began to improve noticeably.

Of course, this is not the end. Since once cured, there's no need to worry about being exposed to the disease again, I had Baris implement a vaccination system throughout the estate.

Newborns won't have antibodies, so regular vaccinations are necessary to eradicate the problem.

Not only that.

Since Ordem estate has many mercenaries coming and going, I had them vaccinated as well to eliminate the remaining fusion-accelerating virus.

We can't do anything about the bacteria still remaining in the estate.

"This incident has resulted in over 300 deaths among the people of Ordem estate."

"At least it's not many."

"Are you not affected at all?"

Now he's quite capable of coming to talk to me.

Sitting down, I asked, moving the mana inside my body around.

Since it's come to this, let's have a casual chat.

"Well, considering how severe this disease was, it's fortunate it only went this far. How many people do you think live in Ordem estate?"

"That is..."

"In medicine, the best strategy is prevention. What would be the second best?"

In response to my question, Jack, or Aina Helisha, provided an answer that came to mind.

"Quick... healing and post-treatment prevention, I suppose."

"What about the worst?"

"Isolation... containment..."

"This disease is a crazy invader that doesn't even consider negotiating with intelligent beings. Humans have been in a long war with such invaders and will continue to do so."

Jack remained silent in response to my words.

"Did the prince know about this disease?"

"Yes."

"How much did he know?"

"Hmm... Is this part of the calculation?"

"I'm just providing information. I'm keeping track of the points."

His unexpected answer made me laugh.

"Maybe you'll ask for a long-term favor when you have enough points."

"I value my life..."

"From the perspective of a healer, this invader is so dangerous that it's fortunate it only went this far."

Jack didn't say anything in response to my words.

A disease that killed hundreds of millions on another continent. As a doctor, he knows how dangerous it is, so it's fortunate it only resulted in a few hundred deaths.

It's a sorry state for those who have already died, but...

If I hadn't been there and if this disease had spread beyond the estate, it could have wiped out half of the eastern continent, starting with Ordem estate.

Or even spread to the central continent, turning the entire Tionis continent into chaos.

In that sense, Linton was a truly fearless person.

If things had gone wrong, this crazy virus could have spread across the entire continent.

"The prince is a unique person."

"So, what do you want? I think it's time for you to ask for something."

"I still need to accumulate more points. I will dedicate myself wholeheartedly."

"Why are you so dedicated? Just come work for me."

"Will you accept me?"

I chuckled at his question.

"Are you crazy? I won't accept you."

I don't care about your affiliation or past, but if you want to ask for something, at least take off that disguise.

I don't know what he felt from my gaze, but Jack, or Aina Helisha, remained silent.

* * *

Clank!!! Bang!!

The carriage, which had been moving at high speed, did not slow down even after leaving the forest.

"Sir Velos! The pursuers are no longer following us!"

"If we keep going at this speed, the horses won't hold out!"

"Huff... Slow down! Walter! Rock! Maintain the perimeter and be prepared for any ambush!"

The knights guarding the carriage numbered about seven. Originally, there were many more.

"Damn, those damn assassins!"

An enraged old knight gnashed his teeth in anger.

No matter how skilled a Swordmaster is, continuous attacks by assassins day and night will inevitably cause casualties.

There is one monster on this continent who can handle such a situation, but they don't know about it.

"Your Highness, Princess! Sir Velos! Are you hurt?"

With the old knight's urgent call, the carriage, which had come to a stop, emitted a coughing sound from inside.

"I'm... I'm fine..."

And soon, a soft girl's voice was heard.