The outbreak occurred in the Kale River Basin, which extended from north to south across the kingdom. It caused high fever, nausea, chills, and even numbness throughout the body, mainly affecting children.
At first, it was thought to be a severe cold, but the symptoms were severe, and there were several cases where a child who managed to recover developed various symptoms days later.
Soon after, adults began to be affected, and people realized it was an outbreak. The government of Ishka made an announcement.
The Rotten Sea emerged in the Tittis Forest in the north of Ishka, causing a massive discharge of poison into the Kale River, a water source for Tittis.
The Rotten Sea refers to a phenomenon of soil corrosion under specific conditions. And this time, the “special condition” was the appearance of a powerful beast, the King of Snakes.
Fortunately, the Basilisk was quickly defeated by the adventurer who discovered it, but eradicating the Rotten Sea that occurred in the deep area is not easy, so it continues to be a source of disease by spilling poison.
The village of Melte, where Lars and Iria lived, is a rural village near the Kale River. There is no doubt that it was affected by this incident.
Iria angrily confronted Miroslav in front of her, with Lars standing behind.
“Even if an antidote is being produced, there won’t be enough to reach all the sick people throughout the country right now. Those without physical strength might not make it. Even if they do, their sick bodies will take time to recover. In the meantime, what will happen to the fieldwork? It’s not just that. If there are fewer people protecting the village, they will be more vulnerable to monster attacks or bandits!”
“Certainly, there is a lot to consider.”
“That’s right! So we have to go back home no matter what! Lars, aren’t you worried about your family?”
Being asked by Iria, Lars quickly responded.
“Of course, I’m worried!”
“Then—”
“But I can’t go back home now!”
This time, Iria looked surprised when Lars shouted.
Lars occasionally expressed his emotions and opinions, but he rarely yelled at others. There were many times when Iria yelled at Lars, even during their childhood.
As she looked at Lars’ exasperated face, wrinkles appeared between Iria’s eyebrows.
“Why can’t you go back home?”
“That’s obvious! I can’t leave Ishka and abandon Luna as a slave! Moreover, I made a foolish bet with the group members who badmouthed me behind my back! Besides, I can’t turn my back on Sora and flee the city!”
“Turning your back… S-Sora doesn’t matter right now. We’re going to help our home suffering from the poison. There’s no way someone knowing that would think about turning their back—”
Before Iria could finish speaking, Miroslav interrupted her with a soothing voice.
“I can’t be entirely certain about that. I don’t know what methods that man used to acquire a Wyvern, form a clan, and defeat a Griffin and a Scylla to gain fame. Guild rumors suggest that he’s also connected to the slave association and was credited with the defeat of the Basilisk and the production of the antidote. His presence is different now. If he sees Lars leaving Ishka and starts spreading malicious rumors…”
Miroslav’s words caused Lars to bite his lip. The red-haired mage continued speaking, unaware of the effect his words had.
“He might assume that we’re trying to retrieve Luna. I don’t think he’ll miss the opportunity to exploit that and attempt to eliminate us. As Lars said, we shouldn’t give that man a chance right now.”
“That’s how it is, Iria.”
Lars nodded as soon as he realized the implications of Miroslav’s words.
“It’s not safe to move now. Besides, Aunt Sarah is in the village. I think she’ll manage even if we don’t go.”
“What will she manage? Do you think my mother can handle the burden of taking care of all the sick people, possibly dozens of them? She could be affected by the poison too.”
Iria’s point was valid, but Lars remained oddly optimistic. Or rather, stubborn.
“Don’t worry. Aunt Sarah is more skilled than us. She can use healing and detoxification magic, so she won’t be easily affected by the poison! Putting that aside, I received a lucrative request from the guild a while ago. It’s a noble’s commission to defeat a Griffin, and Parfait-san gave it to me as something special. If we succeed, it will contribute to the revival of ‘Falcon Sword.’ We’ll establish a connection with the noble and prioritize obtaining the antidote—”
“Lars!”
Iria raised her eyebrows and shouted at Lars, who kept speaking in a strangely detached manner. Startled, Lars’s shoulders trembled.
“Are you suggesting that we leave my mother to shoulder all that burden alone while we go and try to defeat a Griffin without knowing if we’ll succeed or not? Our families and friends might be suffering right now. It’s not the time to rely on luck!”
“But if we succeed, the antidote—”
“That’s only if we succeed! First of all, do you truly believe we’re capable of taking down a Griffin without Luna by our side?”
“W-We can do it! Sora managed to do it alone! If the three of us work together, we’ll definitely win!”
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Confronted with Lars, who was fixated on subduing the Griffin, Iria scratched her proud black hair, unable to contain her frustration.
“No matter how quickly we move, it will take four days to reach Skim Mountain! And from there, it’s another two days to reach the Griffin! Even if we manage to defeat the Griffin successfully, considering it’s a noble’s request, they will likely want it for taxidermy. Do you know how long it will take to return, carrying the head of a magical beast?”
“Well… um…”
“Based on that, we’ll need to ask the noble for the antidote, and then a carriage will have to be arranged to transport it to the village—Tell me, Lars. Will the medicine reach the village in a month? Or maybe two months? In the meantime, can you guarantee that nothing will happen in the village?”
“Well, no… but, I can’t just—”
Lars didn’t waver in his decision. Iria wanted to shout even louder at his stubborn, child-like demeanor.
—Just before that, Miroslav gently grabbed Iria’s arm.
“Please calm down, Iria. I understand your concern for your mother, but shouting here won’t solve anything.”
“But!”
“I know. Depending on the severity of the poison, it could take a long time to recover. So, I have a suggestion.”
“…A suggestion?”
“Yes. A suggestion. First, Iria, you should hurry back home. Your mother will surely find comfort in seeing her daughter safe. Furthermore, as the number of healers increases, your mother’s burden will lessen. I will use Sauzar’s influence to obtain at least one dose of the antidote. Even if your mother is affected by the poison, it won’t worsen with that.”
“…Can you really do that? I’ve heard that it’s not easily obtainable, no matter how much money is offered.”
“I will succeed. That’s where daily investments come into play. And Lars…”
“W-What?”
“Regarding the request to subdue the Griffin, we will proceed with it in parallel.”
Lars and Iria were taken aback by Miroslav’s words. Lars spoke up in a panic.
“Eh? Just the two of us?”
“No, that would be extremely reckless. Unlike the poison, dealing with a Griffin is not something that can be done quickly. We’ll need to recruit temporary members for the group. There’s a plan for that… but I’ll explain it to Lars later. For now, our priority is to secure the antidote. Iria, it’s best if you go and prepare as soon as possible.”
Upon hearing that, Iria’s gaze turned to Lars. It seemed Lars noticed, but his gaze appeared somewhat clouded, and he didn’t attempt to meet Iria’s eyes.
Iria sighed and turned her attention back to Miroslav.
“Alright. I’ll leave it to you, Miro.”
“Leave it to me.”
Upon hearing Miroslav’s response, Iria immediately rose from her seat and left the room. She was convinced that if she stayed any longer, she would end up shouting once again.
—Therefore, Iria would remain unaware of the conversation between Lars and Miroslav that followed.
“…Hey, Miro. Maybe it would be better if I went back to the village… No, I should go back. Iria was angry, after all.”
“That might be true. Iria probably saw your attitude as cold. Of course, if you want to go back, I won’t stop you. But…”
“Hm? What’s the matter?”
“There’s the matter of Sora. When it comes to that man, it’s highly likely that he’ll spread rumors when he sees you leaving Ishka. Moreover, if you go back to the village while accepting the request to subdue the Griffin, in the worst case, you could face penalties from the noble.”
“So, should I decline the request immediately—”
“It’s a noble’s request, after all. Knowing Parfait-san, She most likely informed the client right away then ‘Bloody Sword’ will take care of it. If you reject a received request once, it will undoubtedly disappoint the other party. Therefore, instead of obtaining the antidote, it might hinder our progress.”
“Uh… Was accepting the request too hasty?”
“I understand how you feel. You heard about that man’s recent exploits, and it made you restless, right? He did things that were hard to believe, like obtaining an Indigo Wyvern, subduing a Griffin , Scylla, and Werewolf. Moreover, he named himself ‘Bloody Sword,’ which is remarkably similar to our ‘Falcon Sword’… he’s truly an infuriating man.”
“Tell me about it! And Luna is one of his members. That girl named Seal is probably still being mistreated!”
“You’re absolutely right. We need to free them both. Only you can do that, Lars. So, accepting the request to subdue the Griffin is not a mistake. Your determination to not return home is also not a mistake. Don’t worry, Iria will surely understand. Right now, she’s just extremely concerned about her mother.”
“…..Really? Do you think she’ll understand?”
“Of course, there is absolutely no doubt about that. So, there’s no need to fear any misunderstandings at the moment. Stay focused on your goals and trust that everything will turn out fine in the end…”
It seems that Lars and Iria have taken different courses of action, huh? Hm…”
Night descended upon the land.
I found myself alone in my room, reading a letter that had arrived some time ago.
The sender’s name was Alexandra. It was a name unfamiliar to me, but I received it without hesitation, knowing it was Miroslav’s other name.
This is one of the secrets I had overheard from Miroslav in the nest of the Lord of the Flies. Prior to Miroslav’s birth, her mother had intended to name the baby Miroslav if it was a boy and Alexandra if it was a girl.
However, her father, the chief of Sauzar, had scolded hiermother, deeming it impractical to think of a girl’s name.
To a certain extent, despite hes father having had many liaisons with women, for some reason, only girls were born. He had never been able to celebrate the birth of a boy who could become his heir. Thus, her father had placed high expectations on this particular birth.
But once again, a baby girl was born. Upon learning the news, hers ather had loudly chastised his mother and decided to give the baby a male name as a form of taunting.
This may also be one of the reasons why Miroslav harbored a deep-seated resentment towards men.
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