Chapter 38
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Origin of the Plague (2)
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“Young Master! Why, why did you bring Her Highness the Princess here? And the others…”
Mone grabbed my collar in surprise, her voice trembling as if she might burst into tears.
It pained me to see her like that, but there was no helping it.
“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
“W-what do you mean, saying something so unsettling?!”
I didn’t want to drag Mone into this if at all possible.
But this time, her help was absolutely essential.
==
<Mone>
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Role in the story: Servant of the Banheart Count Family (Main character)
Abilities: Miraculous Luck
Notes: Main heroine of the novel *The Sword’s Voice Echoes*. The woman Fabian trusts most, like siblings who’ve been together since childhood. Possesses exceptional dexterity and incredible luck.
Ingested the Crystal of Disease due to the Plague Disaster.
Three days after ingestion, the plague breaks out, and death follows within two days of onset.
Thanks to her Miraculous Luck, Mone produced antibodies during the incubation period and did not develop symptoms. Later, upon learning this, Fabian secures imperial aid to develop a cure.
==
‘Antibody carrier.’
From the very first day we arrived in the empire, Mone’s status had included the phrase ‘generating antibodies.’
But now it clearly stated that the antibodies were fully produced and she had recovered, and Fabian’s actions had been added as well.
‘Mone’s luck… Isn’t that way too overpowered?’
No matter how lucky she was, producing antibodies right away?
It defied common sense, but since the settings said so, I had no choice but to accept it.
“Is it true that this maid possesses antibodies?”
Riya glanced back and forth between Mone and me before flashing a bright smile.
It was a gentle smile, but her eyes weren’t smiling, giving off an eerie chill.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
I bowed politely and spoke as formally as possible. Casual conversation with her was reserved strictly for when we were alone.
“Y-Young Master, I feel like Her Highness the Princess is glaring at me… Did I do something rude?”
Mone tugged at my collar and whispered softly into my ear.
At that, Riya’s smile deepened.
“Princess, then as I mentioned before…”
“Clay.”
Clack, clack.
Riya strode right up to my face without hesitation.
‘Did she just call me by name?’
It was no small matter for a princess to address an unrelated man by his given name.
Sure enough, a faint stir rippled through those around us.
“Princess?”
“Didn’t we agree you’d use our name?”
“…That was only when no one else was around, wasn’t it?”
I spoke in a voice so low only Riya could hear.
She looked at me with a somewhat sulky expression.
“…Yes, you’re right. How sly of you.”
Riya glanced at Mone before letting out a soft sigh.
“In any case, as the Count said, we’ve gathered as much manpower as the empire can muster right now.”
Riya introduced the group behind her one by one.
Scholars researching various diseases and medicine, mages from the Magic Tower, and finally, priests.
‘More medical scholars than I expected.’
Riya seemed to read my thoughts and spoke calmly.
“It’s true that medicine as a field receives poor treatment due to the existence of priests and mages. But that doesn’t mean we should neglect it.”
She glanced at Mone before continuing.
“No matter how many mages and priests there are, they have limits to the number they can treat.”
“Yes, exactly. It’s just that no major epidemics have broken out in recent decades, so people seem to have forgotten that fact.”
“With the spread of magic and the presence of priests, it was inevitable that this problem would arise eventually.”
In the end, markets are driven by demand.
Even if you try to advance medicine and train doctors, if no one seeks them out, they naturally fade away.
These medical scholars before me were being directly supported and cultivated by the empire; otherwise, they wouldn’t have the conditions to continue their research.
“And the candies… no, the crystals you sent yesterday? They say the analysis of their components is complete.”
Riya nodded toward the medical scholars after saying that.
The eldest among them stepped forward with an excited expression.
“Oh! Count Banheart, I’ve heard the story from Her Highness! You’re the one who first uncovered this disease!”
His face full of emotion, he rushed toward me in an instant.
If not for Riya’s restraint, he might have hugged me outright.
‘Who knew he’d react so passionately.’
Yesterday, when I handed the crystals to Riya, I’d given a brief explanation of the disease. It seemed they thought I’d figured it all out alone.
[You’re such a con artist.]
‘It wasn’t intentional this time.’
It felt embarrassing to take the credit, but otherwise the explanation would get too complicated.
“Ahem, in any case, as the Count said, this disease proved untreatable by any magic.”
Realizing his own excitement, the scholar cleared his throat awkwardly and explained.
“You may know this, but holy magic and detoxification spells work by removing harmful elements. But this disease exploits that weakness.”
“What do you mean?”
“The human body has an immune system to fight illness. This disease overactivates that immune system, making it the problem itself. That’s why removal-based magic can’t cure it.”
Riya eyed the scholar disapprovingly before speaking.
“Summarize in one sentence.”
“It’s fine during incubation, but death upon onset.”
“Good job.”
The scholar shuddered at Riya’s smiling praise.
…Well, it matched exactly what I’d read in the synopsis.
“Then next, we confirm the antibodies in Miss Mone’s body.”
At the sound of her own name from the scholar’s mouth, Mone’s eyes widened in bewilderment.
“Y-yes? A-antibodies? Young Master, what’s that?”
Mone asked me in confusion, but to make the cure, her help was unavoidable.
“Just a blood draw, so don’t worry.”
“R-really…?”
“No lie this time. It’ll be fine. I’ll buy you that omelet rice as promised once it’s over.”
“Ugh, alright.”
After barely calming her down, I asked the scholar,
“Roughly when can we expect the cure to be ready?”
“Hmm, we still lack information on the disease…”
The scholar calculated carefully before speaking calmly.
“Even at best, it’ll take about two weeks. That’s with cooperation from the Magic Tower and temple, plus Her Highness’s aid.”
Two weeks. For developing a cure for one disease, that was fast.
It would require magic, divine miracles, and even the power of Dragon Words to achieve that speed.
‘No good. Too slow.’
But Edward surely had more Disease Crystals than the ones I found.
‘Things are still quiet, so he must have started distributing them recently.’
From what I heard from the slums’ residents, Edward had given out packages of candies to children just yesterday.
The kids shared them among themselves, then went out to sell the rest.
‘Using children!’
I ground my teeth and shook my head.
Retrieving the candies and tracking the children who ingested crystals was already entrusted to the Knight Commander.
‘Not many infected yet. But without a cure, it’ll spread eventually.’
That would take at most three or four days.
“…If we can get information on the disease, can we shorten the time?”
“Hmm, yes, but honestly, it’s hard to gauge.”
I fell into thought at the scholar’s words.
“…”
“Young Master?”
Fabian surely achieved victory at great cost. He’d have to fight the Plague Disaster for much longer.
“Princess.”
“Yes?”
“May I ask for a few more things?”
I stared at the text floating in the air.
Text only I could see.
* * *
Day 3 of the preliminaries.
As finalists emerged, talk began about the rising stars of this Imperial Martial Tournament.
“The representatives at this Founding Festival are all top-notch.”
“Darsha’s warriors go without saying.”
“Ribina’s young lion lived up to his fame too.”
“But the mages are a bit disappointing. I had high hopes for Senberton’s witch, but she fell short.”
“Speaking of mages, it’s a shame Her Highness the Princess withdrew.”
The two men chatted idly while looking down at the arena. A man who had just won his duel was descending.
“At least Sir Silverst remains. The empire’s prestige is secure.”
Ian Silverst, representative of the Asktalin Empire.
No one had lasted more than ten exchanges against him so far.
“Pride of the Silverst family!”
“Empire’s Silver Wolf!”
Cheers erupted with every step he took, filling the colosseum. Handsome and highly skilled, his popularity was unrivaled.
As Ian descended, a new figure entered—a black-haired man.
“That guy…”
“Knight from Talua Kingdom? Ended his last two matches in a single exchange…”
The men frowned mid-sentence.
The black-haired man, Clay, looked utterly off.
“Looks like he barely slept.”
“Yeah, seems haggard.”
Staggering.
Clay, stepping into the arena, resembled a sickly chicken.
“And his opponent is Darsha’s fighting dog, Sharshin. No way to expect a proper match like this.”
For those who’d anticipated Clay’s fight, disappointment was immense.
Meanwhile, Sharshin, facing Clay, felt like he’d struck gold.
‘If I beat this guy, I can erase the humiliation from the first day!’
Arsavin’s disgrace at the banquet had morale in Darsha at an all-time low.
But defeating Clay here would turn it around instantly.
Toppling a potential great warrior as a mid-tier one!
‘Maybe I’ll be the next tribal chief.’
Great feats at the Imperial Martial Tournament brought equal rewards.
Felling a great warrior rivaled winning the tournament, so Sharshin’s thoughts were natural.
‘I have to let him win this, honestly.’
Clay could hardly stand straight.
Sharshin brimmed with confidence.
Ding!
The bell signaling the match rang out.
“I’ll end it in one blow!”
Sharshin charged, swinging his curved sword.
Clay hadn’t even drawn his sword. He hadn’t touched the scabbard.
Even he couldn’t draw faster than this.
“One hit… Huh?”
Swish!
But Sharshin’s blade sliced empty air.
Clay’s body spun gracefully, deflecting the attack.
‘No mana felt?’
He did that without using mana?
In that instant, searing pain exploded in his jaw.
“Gah!”
Sharshin belatedly realized it was Clay’s knee.
His brain rattled from the shock, balance lost, then a fist flew.
“Y-you’re not a swordsman… Argh!”
He learned firsthand what it meant to be beaten like a dog.
If Clay had used mana, he might’ve passed out after a couple hits, but Clay didn’t.
‘Why!’
He couldn’t fathom beating him barehanded without mana.
Did he hate me that much? Not even allowing a knockout?
In truth, Clay was using mana—just a tiny amount, undetectable.
“I lose! I surrender!”
Face purple and swollen, Sharshin finally raised the white flag.
No part of him remained unscathed.
“Winner, Clay Banheart!”
The flustered referee shouted the unexpected result, but the colosseum stayed silent.
[You seem more talented with fists than swords. Why not switch?]
‘…Shut up.’
Amid the heavy silence, at Gransesia’s words, Clay pressed his temples with thumb and forefinger.
‘Ridiculous plausibility.’
He’d pulled an all-nighter cramming unfamiliar knowledge, feeling half-dead.