63
Chapter 63
As I headed toward the dining hall, the sunlight felt somehow harsher than usual.
Come to think of it, is it June starting today?
Once this month is over, it's finally vacation.
Winter break at Belliard Academy isn't that short, lasting about a month and ten days, but summer break is even longer.
Since we get all of July and August off.
"Oh? Hello, Instructor."
I gave them a brief greeting in return.
It was Charlie and Alia, the official couple of Ranger Class B.
"Are you two sticking together this early in the morning?"
"What do you mean 'already'? We've been apart for ten hours since yesterday!"
"Exactly. I felt like I was going crazy not seeing Alia for over ten hours."
"Charlie!"
They clung to each other, making a complete spectacle of themselves.
Honestly, whether they're young or old, couples are all equally insufferable.
'They look cute.'
'Cute? I've lost my appetite for the day.'
'Why are you being so mean to the kids? Oh, is it because you're not in a couple? Just admit you're jealous.'
I'm not that jealous.
Really.
After finishing breakfast, I headed to the faculty office.
Next week marks the period for drafting the final evaluations.
Since the practical training was cancelled, the scope of the exam has expanded, so it looks like I'll have some work to do.
Still, once the finals are over, it's vacation.
During the break, I won't have to escort the Imperial Princess to Old Man Roy, so I plan to explore the ruins I discovered using the Elsarium.
In truth, I had intended to go find the ruins with Ark as soon as I got the coordinates, without waiting for the break.
Because the Vicious Exile lot had already found and were utilizing Alchemist Elia's ruins.
I wanted to hurry so that no other ruins would fall into their hands, but the circumstances didn't allow for it.
According to Ark, the main system's records stated that warp devices cannot be used when traveling to that specific location.
Apparently, attempting a forced entry would result in being split in half or becoming a dimensional stray.
In the end, I'd have to travel nearby and walk the rest of the way; although I'd visited many places near the ruins during my active days, I didn't have the coordinates since it was before I met Ark.
Even if I travel to the closest place I have coordinates for, it's still a journey of several days, so there's no other way.
After all, the newly discovered ruins are located in Stradium, the capital of Quasar on the Western Continent.
I also can't rule out the possibility of becoming isolated, just like when I first discovered Evankel's ruins.
While I was organizing the exam materials, Dalan, the Swordsmanship Class instructor, walked in with a grave expression.
He'd spent the last month rubbing his marital bliss in everyone's faces, but today he looked off.
Did he have a fight with his wife?
"Instructor Dalan, is something wrong?"
The Magic Class instructor opposite me asked, but Dalan only continued to sigh.
I tried to ignore it, but at this point, I became curious as well.
"What's the matter?"
"Did you guys... see today's newspaper?"
"I didn't buy a paper today. Did something happen?"
"The Adolph Merchant Group went under. Their corruption was exposed and their assets were seized by the state. One of the vice merchant leaders must have gotten a heads-up, because they ran off with all the money."
"What does the collapse of a merchant group have to do with you?"
"What do you mean, what does it have to do with me? I invested everything—what was left after buying my house, my wedding gifts, even my advanced severance pay..."
He really bet his whole life on it.
"So the 'incredible investment opportunity' you mentioned before was the Adolph Merchant Group?"
"Yeah... the merchant leader was the First Empress's nephew-in-law. But now that it's crashed, he's washing his hands of it, claiming he only lent his name... What am I going to do now?"
He looked like he had completely lost all hope in life.
In truth, I knew the Adolph Merchant Group was going to fail.
The results of the Intelligence Agency's covert investigation into the Adolph Merchant Group were disappointing.
Aside from power-based corruption carried out under the wing of the First Empress's nephew-in-law, they found nothing unusual.
If Elsarium hadn't been found in the forest mine on Creta Island, I would have let the suspicion go.
But since it was discovered, there's no way they aren't involved.
I gave Old Man Daph a tip to focus on those who tried to purchase mining rights within the group.
I discovered it was Wolf, one of the two vice merchant leaders who actually ran things and oversaw the South, but he must have caught wind of it; he sold off all the assets he managed for a pittance and vanished with the cash.
Old Man Daph mentioned a two-track strategy: deploying a Pursuit Squad to hunt Wolf while coordinating with the Justice Bureau to launch a formal investigation into any remnants in the group.
I heard the pursuit is proving quite difficult, but since the news reached the papers, the merchant group side seems mostly sorted out.
I should stop by later this evening.
"I'm going to get divorced now, aren't I?"
"You said your wife loves you very much. I'm sure she won't."
"Hang in there."
Everyone around him was offering sympathy, so I did the same before leaving the faculty office.
Instructor Dalan has been rubbing his happiness in our faces lately, but he's not a bad person...
Should I have told him sooner if I knew he'd invested that much?
Then again, it probably wouldn't have made much difference even if I had.
Feeling sorry for him, I arrived at the classroom, but it was unusually quiet.
When I opened the door and entered, everyone was focused on their self-study.
They're usually noisy, but I suppose it's because exams are coming up.
With the exams right after next week's drafting period, there are only two weeks left.
"Instructor, you're not going to make the exam too hard, right?"
"We're counting on you, Instructor."
Look at these guys.
"The difficulty will be similar to the last final evaluation."
"The scope for this exam is too broad."
"If you all paid attention in class, you'll pass with ease. I believe in my trainees."
I can't make the exam easy just because the scope is large.
In the Imperial Army, excluding the West, Rangers suffer the highest casualties.
Since search and reconnaissance are their primary roles, they must learn properly to increase their survival odds in the field; it's simply unavoidable.
I was about to start the lesson when I noticed two empty seats.
"Are Ellie and Matthew absent today?"
"They're both in the infirmary because they're feeling unwell."
That reminded me of the Chief Instructor mentioning earlier in the faculty office that a cold was going around.
I proceeded with the class, but at the end, I warned them to stay hygienic so they wouldn't ruin their exams by catching a cold.
Three more students were absent during the afternoon session.
Wondering if they were just slacking, I stopped by the infirmary and found it packed.
I heard there were many patients not just from the Ranger Class but from other classes as well; those in non-critical condition were given medicine and sent back to the dormitory.
I wondered if it was something more serious than a cold, but looking at those who had already recovered, they seemed to get better in two or three days.
'It must be influenza.'
'Influenza?'
'It means a severe cold. It's caused by a virus, but the academy trainees are generally healthy, so you shouldn't worry too much.'
I don't know what a virus is, but if Ark says it's fine, then it's fine.
I stopped by the dining hall for dinner, then returned to the dormitory and headed to the Imperial Princess's room.
"Oh? Instructor! You're here early."
Imperial Princess Helena greeted me with her usual beaming smile.
Is Shine out again today?
Ever since we met with the Duke last month, I feel like Shine has been avoiding me.
Even when I run into the Princess in the dining hall or on campus, Shine usually ignores me, and now she even avoids my gaze entirely.
I wondered if I'd done something wrong, but I couldn't think of anything.
If anything, I even found her necklace while getting a lecture from Old Man Daph...
I wonder if she trusts me too much now, but shouldn't she at least say hello?
Come to think of it, when I found her necklace, I just told her I happened to pick it up so I wouldn't seem like I was bragging, but she never thanked me afterward.
Thinking back, that's actually quite rude.
"Shall we go now?"
"Wait a moment."
The Princess walked toward the door and told Shine she was heading out before taking my hand.
Huh? Her hand feels exceptionally cold today.
Looking closer, she's always pale, but today she's unusually ghostly with a faint flush on her cheeks.
I wondered if she had caught the cold as well.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"No... I'm perfectly fine."
"I see."
I didn't think so, but if she says she's okay, then fine.
I used the warp device to arrive at the safehouse.
After helping the Princess put on her robe, I stepped outside first.
The safehouse is in a quiet neighborhood near the outskirts, though the population has grown recently due to redevelopment.
Not long ago, someone visited me with bread, saying they had just opened a bakery nearby, while I was heading back from dropping off the Princess.
Since vacation is coming up, I should settle things then and look for a new place.
With the ruins to visit too, this isn't even going to feel like a break.
I waited while thinking about my vacation plans, but Princess Helena was taking unusually long today.
Normally, she'd be out within five minutes at most.
On a hunch, I stepped back inside, and my heart sank.
The Princess had collapsed on the floor.
I rushed over to check her; fortunately, she was breathing and had a pulse, but her forehead was scorching.
This wasn't just a mild fever; it was far too hot for her not to have noticed.
'The Princess seems to have the flu too.'
Deciding we had to return to the academy, I scooped up the unconscious Princess and used the warp device.
Huh?
When I arrived at the Princess's room, I found Shine lying in bed as well.
Is she already asleep?
I laid the Princess on her bed and approached Shine, whose face was flushed and who was letting out soft moans.
'It looks like she caught it too.'
"Shine?"
"Bio?"
She started in surprise and pushed herself up when she saw me.
"Why are you here? Is it midnight already...?"
"It's not midnight, but the Princess is unwell, so we're back. Do you have a cold too?"
"The Princess is sick?"
She stood up immediately to go to the Princess, and I could see clear sweat stains on her back.
'She doesn't look so good either.'
"Princess! Princess!"
She shook the Princess with a look as if she were about to cry; anyone watching would think she had some terminal illness.
"It's just the cold going around the academy. She has a fever, but she's not in danger, so just lie back down."
"How can I lie down when the Princess is sick? I'll get some medicine right..."
She staggered and looked as if she were about to collapse, so I caught and supported her.
She asked me in a daze what I was doing.
"I caught you because you were about to fall. Stop struggling and lie down. I'll get the medicine."
As I spoke, I picked Shine up and laid her on the bed, just as I had done with the Princess.
I expected her to struggle, but surprisingly, she was docile.
I considered taking her temperature, but seeing her face as red as a ripe persimmon, I figured it was unnecessary.
I told her to stay put and that I would be back soon.
I had originally planned to explain the situation and have Shine fetch the medicine, but since she was sick too, there was no choice.
'Let's go to the lab.'
'What lab?'
'I saw an emergency kit in the warehouse. Antipyretics and medicine would be better than your primitive drugs.'
'If they're in the lab, they were made 5,200 years ago. Is that really okay?'
I have some knowledge of medicinal herbs, but no matter how well medicine is refined, its effectiveness decreases or disappears after a few months.
'It doesn't matter because preservation magic works until the kit is opened.'
I used the warp device to arrive at the warehouse I visited before.
Ark materialized as a large chunk of magic power was consumed.
"I'll be right back, so wait here."
After a moment, Ark returned with a small box, and I brought it back to the Princess's room.
Upon opening the box, I found it filled with more small boxes.
'The antipyretics are in the blue box, so give her those with some water first. Start with Shine.'
Opening the blue box, I saw a white solid about the size of a fingernail, wrapped in transparent plastic.
It looked like a short piece of the chalk I use in class; this is supposed to be medicine?
Usually, medicine is a powder or a liquid...
Though it felt strange, I followed instructions, filled a cup with water, and handed it to Shine along with the pill.
"Is this actually medicine?"
She looked skeptical.
It seemed odd to me too, but I've never lost out by following Ark's advice.
"Do you still not trust me?"
"No... it's not that."
After hesitating, Shine swallowed the medicine with the water.
Thump―
I was about to ask how she felt, but Shine lost consciousness and collapsed.
"Shine!"
'There's no need to overreact. Antipyretics often contain sedative properties.'
'Then you should have told me that from the start.'
I was so worried that something had gone wrong.
'She doesn't usually collapse like that.'
'Then maybe the medicine really is bad?'
'The preservation magic was working perfectly when I brought it. She's likely a primitive with no drug tolerance, so she passed out instantly.'
'Isn't it dangerous if she has no drug tolerance?'
'She's a Highest-grade Sword Expert, so she'll be fine. If anything, the medicine will work better and she'll recover faster.'
Ark said it was fine, but just in case, I placed my hand on Shine's forehead and felt almost no heat.
Seeing that her breathing had become much easier, it seemed the effect was genuine.
Next was the Princess's turn.
Since the medicine was solid, I worried she might choke, so I shook her, but she didn't wake up, so I had to splash a bit of water on her face.
Perhaps due to the fever, she was in a daze, but I managed to give her the medicine, and she collapsed just like Shine did.
I checked her forehead; the fever had dropped slightly, but she wasn't as stable as Shine.
'The Princess has it worse, so Shine must have passed it to her. She needs the medicine too.'
'Medicine? Do I have to wake her up again to give her more?'
'The medicine isn't ingested; it's administered via injection.'
'An injection?'
'Open that white envelope.'
Following Ark's instructions, I opened the white envelope and found a transparent cylindrical object containing clear liquid with a thin needle at the end.
'This is the injection?'
'More accurately, it's a syringe. You pierce the skin with the needle to inject the liquid.'
I understood immediately, as I had once used a poison-tipped needle for assassination.
I asked if I could just put it anywhere.
'Absolutely not. This is an intramuscular injection, so it goes in the arm or the butt... The Princess doesn't have much muscle in her arms, so the butt would be better.'
Uh... the butt?