QualiA – Chapter 36: One problem over and… ①

Reigokai: Merry Christmas, everyone! :DD!

☆☆ ★★ ★★ ★★ ☆☆

The light of the moon draws a small streak into the otherwise dark room.

Aside from the slight noises of the people outside, this room was covered in silence, and in it, there’s the shadow of someone .

“…The hero summoning has been performed, huh.”

“Yes.”

Behind that someone, at a place where the moonlight doesn’t reach, a voice could be heard responding in a respectful voice, and from there, a brown skinned person appears from that darkness. The short horn on his forehead was being illuminated by the moonlight.

“According to the report of the ‘Shadow’, there’s apparently four heroes…and one person that was dragged in.”

“…A person that was dragged in?”

“Yes. He seems to have a bad mouth and his behaviour is something to be amazed about, but for some reason, the Queen has taken a liking to him, and his relationship with the Queen’s personal maids seem to be to favorable.”

“I have no interest in a regular human.”

The person that’s sitting answers with an annoyed tone at the man that continued his report. The man gives a hurried apology of ‘I am truly sorry’ and reports about the heroes’ recent happenings.

“The heroes have finished the Selection Ceremony, and are continuing their daily training… However, since they came from a world that’s detached from swords and magic, there would be no problems in eliminating them in their current state.”

“Don’t.”

“I am truly sorry, Demon Lord-sama.”

The person that was sitting glared sharply at the man, and with a slight trembling voice showing, the man lowers his head deeply. It is exactly because he knows that he will be killed if he were to go against the Demon Lord that his reaction was fast.

“The one to kill the heroes is me, the Demon Lord.”

The person that was deeply slumped onto their seat -the Demon Lord- deepened its smile silently, and while thinking of the opponents it has yet to meet…it licks its lips.

“…Don’t do anything yet.”

“Understood.”

“There’s no point in defeating the weak…”

Being illuminated by the moonlight that’s entering from the window, the Demon Lord laughs with a warped smile as its fangs show.

50 years.

After the previous Demon Lord died of illness, winning the battle to be the successor, a new Demon Lord now reigned the demon country, Noondrad. It has already been 50 years since then.

The Lord of the demons, who are a long living race that can live several hundreds of years comparable to that of elves, was hungering.

Hungering for a battle that makes its blood and body dance.

Even when this person has climbed to the top of demons, it still wishes for only one thing; defeat the strong and look down on their corpses.

That’s why, the Demon Lord will wait…for the time when the heroes become strong and stand before them.

“I will be waiting, heroes.”

It is their belief that defeating the heroes is their duty and dearest wish of each successive generation of Demon Lords.

The Demon Lord stands up with a smile and stretches both arms as if welcoming the heroes that are far away.

“Become strong and entertain me… Kuku…Fuhahahaha!”

Thoroughly bold, thoroughly prideful. The laugh of the Demon Lord cuts through the silence and echoed through the place for a while.

☆☆ ☆☆ ★ ☆☆ ☆☆

I am now here, at the Magic Division Head’s office.

The room is simple. Aside from an office desk, a table, and a sofa, there’s also a bookshelf with books related to magic and a few alchemy tools.

“…Hah…”

The owner of such a room was sighing with a languid mood with documents in hand at the office desk and signing the documents.

I don’t think she wore a hood aside from the times she went outside, but she is currently wearing one very low. That look of hers does feel strange, but I can’t see any strange points, and I can’t sense any disruption magic cast in the room.

…I don’t understand.

Then what in the world was that anomaly?

The Unknown Magic spells are not perfect, so there’s times when it shows malfunctioning.

I would like to aim for perfection if possible, but the teacher that taught me magic in the world where I was summoned as a Sage told me that ‘There’s no perfect magic. If there is, then it was created by a perfect existence’.

Mosre Katiura; an Onee-san type of woman that has nice skin.

Even when she was a proper adult, she was a troublesome person who said things like she can’t sleep alone and used people as hug-pillows. She was thicc with a nice body, so it was poison to the eyes for a budding young guy like me. When it was time to sleep, she would come at me in underwear with high exposure rate, there were times when she would attack me naked, and practically every morning I would have my face sandwiched in her breasts when I woke up. She was also a devilish person that would use her looks to trick people.

But it is true that she was a woman that looked well after others though.

While I was in despair, she made fun of me saying ‘You got some splendid goods there, right? Then, show some girth comparable to it, boy’. She is the first woman to give me her hand. Her mischievous attitude towards me was because she saw semblance in me to her gone little brother, so I couldn’t just brush her off.

“…I want to play more.”

What a thing to say while working.

“…Hah…”

No good. How incredibly pathetic.

I think she was normal before I went to Ushtolma, but when I returned, I feel like her demeanor has changed. There’s no rumours going around the castle of Makirus being different, so she is probably relaxed in a place where no one’s watching…or maybe she lost the energy to do things because she has lost what has been driving her forward.

I watched the state of Makirus for a while more, but the things that came out from her mouth were all negative things. I felt like that negativity was going to rub off on me if I continued listening to her and it doesn’t seem like there’s any change, so while still having doubts about it, I left the room.

☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆

Now then, where to go?

It sounds fun to go to Kirzam’s place to make fun of him, but let’s do that some other time. I think I’m gonna head out to heal my wasted heart.

Let’s check out the state of the Racoon O-san, also known as Lorongo.

“Let’s see…I.wonder.where’s.Erin.” (Makoto)

With the Invisible Window, I confirm the current location of Erin. The marker is telling me that she is at the stairs leading to my room and advancing at quite the speed. Did something happen?

“For now, let’s just go.” (Makoto)

Checking my surroundings, I confirm that there’s no people around while I walk, and after making a turn in the corridor, I teleport to my room.

The scenery suddenly changes, and after taking a glance at the room, I exit it.

“Ah, Makoto-sama!” (Erin)

“Hey there, Erin. Looks like you are in a hurry. What’s the matter?” (Makoto)

Erin had come here running and stops with slightly rough breath, her expression seemed somewhat grim.

“A-About that…there’s someone who suddenly fell ill, so I was thinking of getting some medicine, you see.” (Erin)

“Is that person okay?” (Makoto)

“I think it is a cold. They did say they were feeling kind of feverish.” (Erin)

“I see. So you were on your way to the medical room, huh.” (Makoto)

“Yes. Well then, I will be excusing myself.” (Erin)

“Ah—woah, she has some fast legs. Incredibly dog-like.” (Makoto)

I wanted to tell her that I will be going out for a while, but Erin was already far away.

Amazed by how hurried she is, I decide on going out without notification since it can’t be helped. I will properly be buying you something, okay?

☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆  

And so, I teleported to a back alley, and have arrived at the plaza of the main street.

It is already past noon, so many people were around. Now that I think about it, I forgot that I was going to eat together with Yuichi and his group.

Let’s just eat with them some other time. It would be a pain to return after I am here already.

“…Hmm, the old man Lorongo…is not here.” (Makoto)

I haven’t gone to visit him in the time he was injured either, and I heard that his food cart was broken, so I was worried about him.

Can’t be helped. Let’s ask the carts close by and see.

……

…

The results of my investigation, Lorongo-osan seems to have recovered to a certain extent, but because he doesn’t have the money to repair his cart, he is in a situation where he can’t work.

No less from a beastkin. His recovery speed is fast.

I gave my thanks to the man at the food cart, and after buying dango and tea from him, I leave.

“We are not so acquainted as to go to his house… Or more like, I don’t know where his house is. What to do…” (Makoto)

While thinking this, I eat the dango, but it is strangely hard and way too sweet. Thinking about how it is not a taste that can be replicated by a copy, I sit at a bench, and I heard the talk from the neighboring bench.

“—So, the neighbor housewife last night, and today the husband have apparently fallen ill and are staying in bed.”

“Uwa… Did they eat something weird?”

“Don’t know. However, their houses are close, so if it is some kind of weird disease, it would be scary, don’t you think?”

Is the conversation I picked up from the people at the neighboring bench.

“But you know, His Majesty recovered from his illness, so everything bad will definitely be blown away.”

“Right. With this, Ohi-sama will be relieved. The two really get along well after all… Two beauties together, how envying. I want to marry too.”

“With your face, that will be impossible.”

“What did you say?! You also have a similar face!”

“And that’s why I am alone too!”

“…Sorry.”

Oi, don’t make this a pity fest.

While thinking this, I direct my attention to the conversations in the surrounding.

Most were celebrating the recovery of the king, but there’s a number of conversations about people falling ill. Looks like, since yesterday, people in bad health have begun to increase, and the doctors in the city are racking their brains at how to deal with this.

What’s with this flag-like conversations?

“…What?” (Makoto)

I have a bad feeling about this.

Let’s try asking the guy at the food cart again.

“Nii-san, got time?” (Makoto)

“Yeah, welcome— Wait, aren’t you the customer from before?”

I tried asking about the topic I heard about just now to the Nii-san that is sweating as he cooks dango.

“Ah, about that. There’s no instances of that close to where I live, but it seems to have turned into quite the incident east of here.”

“East, meaning…the slums?” (Makoto)

“Probably around that area, yeah. There’s talk about people in other places having similar symptoms, but the number of affected people is apparently higher east.”

“Uwa… That’s scary. —And so, what are the symptoms?” (Makoto)

“Their joints hurt, their bodies feel sluggish, and they get feverish. —Ah, right. They apparently also get rashes around their whole body. I heard it is unbearably itchy.”

Ain’t that a cold?

“Sounds like a cold. Is it not?” (Makoto)

“The doctor that performed a medical examination -a friend of mine, by the way- said that it doesn’t seem to be a cold. Anyways, for a strange disease to be going around just when His Majesty has recovered.”

This is an event that throws cold water at this time when people are celebrating the recovery of the King.

Is what I was thinking when the food cart Nii-san gets his face closer and sighs.

“What is it?” (Makoto)

“Just between you and me, there’s people saying that this strange disease might be the curse of the King.”

“…Wa? That’s stupid.” (Makoto)

“Right? —But the recovery of His Majesty and the people getting sick was practically at the same time. People linking things together and making a ruckus of it are everywhere.”

“True. Now that you mention it…” (Makoto)

For now, let’s say there’s no curse. I can’t deny the possibility that an outbreak occurred due to a pathological change. Also, since there’s patients with the same symptoms, there’s the possibility that it is contagious.

…Wait.

What was Erin doing before coming here? She said there’s someone who fell ill, that it might be a cold.

“Sorry, I remembered something I had to do, so I will be going. —Right, one dango set please.” (Makoto)

“O-Okay… Wait a bit.”

He looked at me with a dubious expression at the me hurrying suddenly, and he quickly packs the dangos.

“Thanks for your patronage~.”

Being given a farewell by the confused voice of the food cart Nii-san, I head to the alley with hasty steps.

☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆ ☆☆  

Teleporting to my room at the castle, I search for the marker of Erin.

“Found her.” (Makoto)

The marker seems to be moving to the cafeteria at the first floor, so I run off my room and head there.

‘Don’t run in the corridors’ is a rule for schools, not one of the castle, so I run without minding it, and a familiar face was walking in front of me.

“Makoto-sama, toilet?” (Niva)

“Why did you arrive at that conclusion?” (Makoto)

“Well, with that face, I thought you were at your limit already.” (Niva)

That ain’t it.

“I have some business with Erin.” (Makoto)

“Is that so. However, today, a number of maids were not feeling well and are taking a break, so we are having Erin help out as well. If you need something, I can hear it out.” (Niva)

I don’t know the meaning of ‘personal maid’ anymore.

“That’s what I wanted to confirm with Erin. —When you mention not feeling well, does that mean symptoms similar to a cold and rashes appearing?” (Makoto)

“Yeah, I am impressed that you know.” (Niva)

There were affected people in the castle too.

I tell Niva-san what I heard in the area near the castle.

“…Something like that was happening.” (Niva)

“I was also surprised when I heard about it. It overlaps with the matter of the King, and because of the symptoms, they probably didn’t make a big deal out of it.” (Makoto)

“Even so, it is kind of strange.” (Niva)

“Right. There’s not many affected yet, but if in just a few days many people are suddenly saying they have those same symptoms, it feels as if it was planned… This might just be me overthinking though.” (Makoto)

Thinking about the total population of the royal capital, the numbers might be minuscule, however, if this is just the tip of the iceberg, there’s the possibility that the affected might increase explosively.

“For now, I will search for Erin.” (Makoto)

“Understood. I will go report this to Ohi-sama. —Well then, I will be taking my leave.” (Niva)

I love people that understand fast.

I take a glance at the back of Niva-san who hurriedly bowed and left, and I once again run to where Erin is.

Running down the stairs, at the place I arrived at, there’s Erin folding the laundry and carrying them.

“Ah, Makoto-sama.” (Erin)

“Hey there, Erin.” (Makoto)

“What brings you to a place like this?” (Erin)

When I answer her while raising my hand lightly, Erin tilted her head in wonder.

“I wanted to ask you something, you see.” (Makoto)

“Ask something?” (Erin)

“Yeah, about the maids that are not feeling well…” (Makoto)

I ask Erin about this, and it seems like the maids that are not feeling well and have taken a break are the ones that live outside the castle and have to commute here. It seems there’s the maids that live at the dormitories in the castle, and there’s the ones that commute from home. There were apparently opinions of having all maids living in dormitories for the sake of crime prevention, but this would just increase expenses unnecessarily, and so, for financial reasons, it was rejected.

“…The maids living in the dormitories of the castle are still doing well, right?” (Makoto)

“Y-Yes. There’s no people who are feeling especially bad.” (Erin)

“I see.” (Makoto)

In that case, the disease is only spreading in the land near the castle?

“Erin, come here for a bit.” (Makoto)

“Y-Yes!” (Erin)

I bring Erin to the corner of a room where the eyes of the people can’t reach, and activate [Analyze] to make a Vital Scan on her.

“U-Uhm…Makoto-sama?” (Erin)

“Hm? Ah, sorry. I was checking if you had caught the disease too, but…” (Makoto)

The Vital Scan is showing blue, so it is telling me that she is healthy.

“Okay, no problems.” (Makoto)

“I-Is that so…” (Erin)

Because of the suddenness, Erin had stiffened and was flustered, but when I told her she is healthy, she breathes a sigh of relief.

“U-Uhm…What happened?” (Erin)

“Hmm, I don’t know well either, but I heard that there’s an increase in people having the same symptoms outside the castle.” (Makoto)

“You went outside?” (Erin)

“I was worried about the old man Lorongo, you see.” (Makoto)

When I tell her the current situation of Lorongo, Erin lowers her brows in sadness.

“I am leaving the matter to Niva-san for now, but be plenty careful of your body too, Erin.” (Makoto)

“Yes!” (Erin)

I say be careful, but I myself don’t know what to do.

First there’s the need to locate the source of the outbreak. If we don’t find the cause, we might be labelled as the reason for it spreading.

…One problem over and another comes, huh.

I wanted to take it easy for today at least… I really am not lucky…tohoho…

☆☆ ★★★ ☆☆

Placing his elbows on the office desk, the man was thinking about the report he received just now.

“…The turn of affairs feels weird.”

If it were as first planned, the King recovering should be an impossibility.

With his elbows still on the desk, the man -Okiur- closed his eyes.

Has there been a time in the past where he has faced so much difficulty?

Thinking back on this, Okiur was considering if he should pull back from this.

But the dice has already been thrown.

Even if he were to pull back at this point in time, this time, he will lose his place in this country. That would be basically the same as throwing away everything he has build up until now, and most of all, it would mean smearing mud at his family name.

“What should I do…?” (Okiur)

Even if he has strong backing, he has to make preparations for the worse.

After pondering for a bit, Okiur stands up.

With the thought ‘failure is unacceptable’, Okiur leaves the room hurriedly to head to the place of his companion.

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