The Plague-Born Flower
"My name is Belgian. I’ve come to make a truly intriguing proposal to you, someone who deals with death just as I do."
The fallen noble, Belgian, bowed elegantly. Only when he drew closer could I see his face. Under the red lantern light, the right side of his face was covered by a mask.
"Judging by that crow mask, you must be the one they call Teacher Schnabel. Or have I come to the wrong place?"
"No, you have the right place."
At my reply, the man named Belgian smiled thinly. My brow furrowed at the sight of that smile—though, of course, he couldn't see it behind my mask.
"Good. Then let us begin. I have heard much of the work you’ve done in this pit."
"I was just lucky."
"Haha! Have you wallowed in this sewer so long that you’ve forgotten what nobility is? Humility is a virtue claimed only by the lowly who have nothing to their names. Have you ever seen a magnificent peacock tuck its tail and hide? Even if we stand in this mud, those of us who are noble must spread our wings and show our power if we have the strength to boast."
Eri’s cheeks stiffened at the sight of the man preaching his long-winded philosophy.
"Ugh. He’s like a nouveau riche," she muttered, in a voice meant only for us. I agreed with her a hundred percent.
"Ah, I’ve rambled on too long. A bad habit of mine. My apologies."
"It is fine. Now, what about the ghoul you sent to me?"
"Hmm... where should I begin my grand blueprint so that you might find it easy to understand..."
Belgian smoothed his intact left jaw with a sleek motion and opened his mouth again.
"Yes, let’s start here. I intended to teach order to those ignorant beasts in H-Sector. I needed to unify that chaotic cesspool perfectly under my feet."
"A nouveau riche with dreams too big for his—mph!"
Wangcho’s rough hand clamped over Eri’s mouth. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered in a voice loud enough for me to hear.
"Watch your tongue, kid. That man is a 2nd-Class."
"Eek?! Why is a 2nd-Class here?"
"I don't know, kid. But even so, a guy like that could easily unify H-Sector."
Aha. So he was a 2nd-Class. I hadn't been able to sense anything beyond 1st-Class. Normally, a person can only perceive the realm one step above their own. A 0-Class can only sense up to 1st-Class, and a 1st-Class only up to 2nd-Class. This meant that if a 1st-Class met a 7th-Class, they might mistakenly perceive them as a 2nd-Class.
"So for now, just focus on humoring him, kid," Wangcho warned, and Eri swallowed hard. Fortunately, Belgian didn't seem to have heard her muttering. He was still standing under the red lantern, gesturing with the exaggerated flair of a stage actor.
"But to achieve my goal, I needed an army to work for this body. Fortunately, the time was ripe for a grand undertaking."
I didn't need him to say it; I already knew. For a dark mage to create a ghoul from scratch in a place with nothing requires a significant amount of mana. Since this isn't a world where everyone has an abundance of mana, creating a ghoul this way is limited to one per day. That is why dark mages frequent places where negative symbols and mana are heavily concentrated. If they find a good spot, they can save dozens of times the mana. It’s easy to understand if you think of it as finding a place with low humidity to light a fire. And, it goes without saying, it’s easier to start a fire where there are already embers. That dark mage seemed to be exploiting this.
"Were you waiting for the spontaneous generation of ghouls?"
"Ho. You’ve even studied magic? Impressive."
However, there were those here who couldn't follow our conversation.
"Conversations between mages are always difficult. Kid, you said you were studying magic lately. Did you understand?"
"I haven't even finished the basics yet! What about you, Wangcho?"
"Hmm. I became a 1st-Class through something other than magic."
Belgian’s brow furrowed at their whispering. But only for a moment. He smoothed the wrinkles from his forehead and spoke with an air of extreme arrogance.
"If it is the duty of those who rule above to enlighten the ignorant below, then so be it."
Tap, tap. Belgian struck the floor twice with his cane. His shadow at his feet stretched, seeping into the headless corpse of Narenkönig, which had been rolling in the mud.
Crack! Snap!
"Eek!" Eri shrieked and hid behind Wangcho’s back. The massive body, which had been limp just moments ago, made a grotesque sound of bones shifting as it staggered to its feet. Even as dark red blood dripped from the stump of its neck, the corpse stood tall beside Belgian. Belgian tapped the headless clown’s shoulder with his cane and spoke haughtily.
"Raising a beast from scratch is hard work, but putting a leash on one isn't so difficult. To explain it more simply, it’s a naturally occurring ghoul, so lead is all that’s required, you lowly wretches."
Lead carries the symbolism of iron that traps the soul. I don't know the principle behind it. That’s just the law of this world. For this reason, dark mages often insert lead into the heads or necks of corpses to use them like antennas when controlling them. As an aside, this is why the strategy of "smashing the skull first" when facing undead was born.
"Fate was helping me, too. I was able to find such a fine corpse this winter. Thanks to that, preparing for the grand event became much easier."
Belgian tapped the headless clown’s knee with his cane and said,
"But the problem was that 1st-Class corpses have too strong a sense of self. To think they would break control the moment they spotted the one who killed them. I had originally sent this one to escort you."
An escort made of a ghoul. I could tell right away that this man was not in his right mind.
"Normally, I would have to exact a price for you ruining my precious collection. But..."
Belgian looked up at the headless corpse. His gaze turned cold.
"But it seems I have committed a rudeness instead. To think it was someone with a grudge against you. Since I sent such a thing as an errand boy, I shall apologize."
Snap! As he flicked his fingers, the clown’s body swelled as if filled with gas. Pop! And with the sound of escaping air, the body vanished. Only a splashing liquid remained where the clown had stood, seeping into Belgian’s shadow.
"My apologies. I swear I never imagined this one was entangled in a grudge with you."
"It is fine. So, why did you seek me out?"
"Ah, about that."
Belgian clapped his hands and beamed a bright smile.
"I heard that you healed people using only thread and needle, without using holy magic."
"..."
"That technique of stitching missing skin with other skin! Surely, you must also be skilled in the art of creating chimeras. Am I wrong?"
"Hmm..."
I couldn't bring myself to deny it. When I was studying magic, I thought it might be possible if I were good at it. During my residency in the U.S. in my past life, I had learned limb transplantation, so I knew the rough method. Of course, I never even thought of attempting it. I didn't want to see something like, 'Julian-onii-chan... let's play...' But Belgian seemed to take my silence as affirmation.
"So, I would like to make you an offer. How about joining me? I am ashamed to admit it, but my knowledge of dark magic is self-taught. If my army and your chimera technology were to combine, conquering this sewer would be a trivial matter."
"I refuse."
It was an offer not even worth considering. Why on earth would I want to join hands with a guy like that? I have no hobby of boarding a sinking ship. I haven't read the original work, so I don't know for sure, but I knew without looking that this dark mage was destined for ruin. People who play such games with human lives never have a good end. Above all, I am the protagonist. There was zero reason to join hands with a villain.
"I will say it again. I am not interested, Mr. Belgian."
"Hmm. Was my offer insufficient? If so, I shall add to the conditions."
He held out the hand that wasn't holding the cane toward me.
"If I come to rule H-Sector, I will supply you with research materials on a regular basis. There were those in H-Sector who opposed my rule. I will hand their surviving families over to you."
"... Do you happen to have children as well?"
"Oh, do you need them? I can provide as many as you like. This place is overflowing with young ones who do nothing but waste food."
Eri’s shoulders flinched at his words. With Belgian’s answer, and seeing Eri’s reaction, I was able to make my decision. 'Belgian. You cannot be with me.' They say that in modern web novels, murder isn't a disqualifying factor for a companion, but that doesn't mean you touch the families. That is something even I cannot wash clean.
"I am sorry."
I said that, and secretly slipped a silver bullet into Otto’s hand. I could shoot him myself, but the opponent was a 2nd-Class superhuman. Otto would be much more likely to hit the mark than I would. I had no worries about whether it would work on a superhuman. This bullet was famous enough to have been used in an assassination of a count long ago. But Belgian, not dreaming that I had already made up my mind, clung to me persistently.
"Why are you doing this? Are you not someone whose goal is to take revenge on those above?"
"Why do you think that?"
"You don't have to hide it. We are in the same boat, after all."
Belgian took off his mask. The porcelain that had covered his right face and forehead disappeared, revealing a face distorted by burns underneath.
"I, too, was framed, just like you. There was a time when I thought if I did well, my father would acknowledge me as his son, and I worked until my bones were worn down. But this is the result."
He moved his right jawbone, which was clearly visible as the flesh had wasted away. Then he pointed to his forehead.
"Look! This glorious curse! The elders of my family called me a blemish and branded me with a filthy mark. You must have a scar like mine, don't you?"
"..."
Now I understood. He hadn't come to me simply because he coveted my skills. He must have heard the rumors about me spreading in Limbus Pit and come looking. Rumors about a healer who had been active in the upper districts, failed at a ducal house, and so on... rumors like that.
"Tell me which house you want revenge on. Once I finish my revenge, I will help you with yours next. Just say the word. The Rotmund house? The Eifenbein house? Or is it the Church?"
He held out his hand again. A sense of desperation seemed to seep from his hand.
"Please, do not push this hand away. I am by nature a man of much affection, and I could not bear to abandon someone like you."
"..."
I was starting to get tired of listening to him. Misunderstanding tropes are all well and good, but the problem was that even the villains were misunderstanding me. Since this wasn't a misunderstanding I wanted to exploit, I reached for my mask to clear up Belgian’s misconception.
I quietly raised my hand and unfastened the chin strap of my mask. Realizing I was about to take off my mask, Belgian was ecstatic, even showing a faint flush on his face.
"Yes! That's it!"
Wangcho’s gaze was also fixed on my face. He had always kept his distance, saying he wasn't curious about my identity, but it seemed he had been curious deep down.
I took off my mask in front of everyone’s eyes.
"I am sorry, but... I have never once admitted to such rumors."
Click. The plague doctor mask fell away from my face. Under the red lantern light, my bare face was revealed. Without the mark of a monster, without rotting skin, without hideous scars. A face that was perfectly normal, even clean to the point of being pale.
Belgian’s expression stiffened in an instant. Chirp, chirp. Only the sound of crickets in the sewer filled the alley. It was I who broke the awkward silence.
"*Cough!*..."
Damn it. I cough as soon as I take off my mask. The air in the lower districts is just too thick. Only after hearing that cough did Wangcho burst into a dry laugh.
"Ha... Teacher. You’ve been living with that face hidden?"
"What is wrong with my face?"
"With a face like that, you could enter any noble family as a son-in-law and live in luxury for the rest of your life. Why on earth did you come down to a sewer like this and insist on hiding it? No, wait. If you have a face like that in a brothel, maybe you should wear a mask."
Eri, who had been hiding behind Wangcho, poked her head out.
"That’s what I’m saying. I never understood why you wore a mask every time you went out."
"Kid, you must have known."
"That’s why I understood it even less."
Even Otto nodded in agreement.
"..."
What is this. Why is the atmosphere like this. Hmm. Is it that much? I pondered for a moment and shook my head. 'No matter how I think about it, it’s not that much.' Originally, appearance is half skin. And skin is half hygiene. In a world like this where people don't even wash properly with soap, my skin, well-managed with daily soaping, would inevitably be seen as fairy-like. On top of that, I’m always indoors, and the mask blocks out the harsh air. I could admit that my skin was fine. But that I was good-looking... well.
'What’s so good about a face that looks this gloomy.' I could agree that it was refined, but it was hard to agree with the rest. There were plenty of gentlemen in the upper districts who were better looking than me. Even Belgian, the illegitimate child, had a handsome half-face.
"Even if you praise me like that, there is nothing I can do for you."
"No, I’m serious. Don't you look in the mirror, Teacher?"
"Eri. That’s enough."
However, my clean appearance seemed to be a terrible insult to someone. Especially to a fallen illegitimate child who looked like he hadn't washed in years.
"Lies..."
Belgian’s lips trembled. His eyes, which had been filled with camaraderie, ecstasy, and anticipation, gradually wavered. Soon, those eyes began to distort with uncontrollable betrayal and inferiority.
"It’s a lie...! You... there’s no way you’re the same kind as me!"
Black energy began to rise from under his feet. "Did you... deceive me...?"
His trembling hands gripped his cane tightly. Mana began to swirl, shaking the surrounding air.
"How dare you!! Pretending to be noble, pretending to be wounded, to deceive me?! You were the same as those idiots after all! To mock me! To treat my pain as a spectacle!!"
He raised his cane and shrieked. Hmm. I tried to clear up the misunderstanding, but he misunderstood in the other direction. I guess that’s the nature of a misunderstanding story. Maybe it would be better to just act in a way that doesn't clear up the misunderstanding next time.
"Deceiver! I’ll tear that handsome face of yours to shreds and turn it into a real monstrosity!!"
Kwoooooong-! With Belgian’s shout, black mana erupted from the tip of his cane. He pulled something out from his robes. It was a small glass vial.
"Sanio et Putro! (Pus! Decay!)"
I immediately listened to the content of his incantation. An incantation is a bargain with the world. A bargain that says, "I understand the conditions this much, so allow me to cast the spell with less mana." In other words, if you grasp the incantation well, you can predict to some extent the magic the opponent is about to cast.
"Morde Cuten Eos (Eat away their skin!)"
He threw the glass vial to the floor. Clang! With the sound, a bright yellow liquid flowed from the vial. Looking at its pus-like appearance, I could vaguely guess the magic he was trying to cast. Since a normal incantation usually takes about a minute, there was still time to respond.
"It’s a plague curse!"
I flipped the bag I was holding and dumped out the items. It wasn't as good as my gas mask, but I remembered there was a mask inside. Of course, since it was a 2nd-Class curse, a mere mask wouldn't block it perfectly. But it would be possible to lower a lethal curse to a painful one. However, before I could even take out the mask, Belgian suddenly finished his incantation.
"Efflora, Morbiflos (Bloom, flower of the plague!)"
I was startled and met his eyes. He was looking at me with a sinister smile.
"Did you think I would give my business partner time to deal with me? My regrets. I do not underestimate you."
Belgian staggered. It must have been because he had lost a massive amount of mana in exchange for shortening an incantation that would normally take a minute. But in exchange, he was able to cast the magic without giving us any time to react.
Black mist covered us. A sweet yet disgusting smell of decay stung my nose. I put on my gas mask belatedly and shouted to the rest of the group.
"Just hold your breath!"
As soon as the black mist subsided and everyone’s appearance was revealed, I immediately checked the condition of my companions.
"Everyone, if you have a fever or feel sick, tell me immediately..."
"Eh? Nothing happened?"
Contrary to expectations, no one was sick. Eri sniffed the air and tilted her head, and Wangcho only fumbled with his body, complaining of no symptoms. Belgian, who had been staggering from sudden mana exhaustion, also had his face distorted.
"That’s impossible? Did it misfire?"
He took out another glass vial, threw it on the floor, and summoned black mist. This time, it was incantation-less.
"Ugh..."
Staggering from the extreme mana drain, he cast the magic without an incantation, perhaps out of pride. Once again, the mist rose and subsided.
"... Is that guy a fraud?"
Eri, who appeared perfectly fine, muttered. This time, it seemed to reach Belgian’s ears.
"This lowly wench... ugh...!"
But perhaps because he had exhausted all his mana, he looked like he was struggling even to lean on his cane.
"This makes no sense... why is there no effect? And why does it take so much mana...!"
Belgian’s staggering gaze scanned the floor. In the process, his gaze fixed on my items rolling on the floor. Specifically, on a glass vial that looked similar to the one Belgian had been holding.
"Could it be...!"
Belgian’s eyes widened. "You had a catalyst as well...!"
Seeing that, I asked him just in case.
"Did you happen to use smallpox pus as a catalyst?"
Belgian’s shoulders flinched. It was effectively an affirmation. Only then did I seem to understand what kind of plague he had intended to use for the curse. 'So it was a smallpox curse?' If it was that, it was bound not to work. Including the people here, I had already secretly vaccinated D-Sector. To use a metaphor of firewood, he was trying to light a fire on wet wood. Even if he poured oil on it, it wouldn't work well, and since he even used an incantation-less cast, he couldn't have had any mana left. On top of that, since immunity was a variable that wasn't accounted for in the incantation or spell, the mana consumption rate must have increased due to the failed bargain.
'My goodness. Of all the plagues to use for a curse, why smallpox...' I thought, watching Belgian check his mana in a panic. As expected. No matter how I think about it, the luck of a misunderstanding story is much more important than a hundred days of effort.