by Funa
Boom!
“A-Ahhh!”
As the noble rode his carriage through the rows of citizen toward the goddess statue, I gently gifted him the nitroglycerin-like thing.
The roof of his carriage was blown off, and his two horses sat down on the spot out of fear.
Horses are quite timid creatures. A single crow or a shadow flying by in front of them could cause them to stop or run away.
Maybe they opted to sit down because they couldn’t run away while drawing the carriage.
The noble in the carriage shrank down and covered his head with both hands, perhaps to protect his head from the falling shards of the roof or because he was cowering in fear.
“Fool! It seems you don’t value your life, to oppose the will of the Goddess like this... Then as you wish, I’ll grant you a swift death. That way, you won’t need to worry about the disease anymore.”
My voice, amplified by the shoulder megaphone, spread throughout the plaza.
The sound was high quality without any distortion... well, of course it would be.
It was a special order straight from the Goddess’s workshop.
All right, the nobles and army stopped in place.
At the front of the group was... the lieutenant colonel.
“Behold, the miracle of the Goddess!”
Then I created another mini goddess statue.
One, two, it didn’t make much difference now.
So I decided to prioritize making an impactful impression to the nobles and army.
“The soldiers are to line up at this second goddess statue and drink the medicine. Afterward, under your commander’s orders, you will cooperate with the sentries to maintain order in the royal capital, distribute medicine to the sick, and spread the word that the disease has been overcome. Anyone who drinks the medicine will be immune to this epidemic. As for the nobles... you will line up normally behind the rest of the citizens.”
The soldiers roared in jubilation, and their superior officers quickly began forming lines.
I had to give it to the military.
They moved in an orderly fashion, and formed rows quickly and efficiently.
Though I could hear grumblings from the nobles...
“There is no difference between nobles and commoners before the Goddess. That’s a distinction humans have made by themselves. If you don’t like it, feel free to leave without the medicine.”
They shut up and lined up pretty quickly after that.
Oh, it looked like some of the nobles had their servants bring containers instead of lining up themselves.
It seemed they had gotten my message.
I guess those two I sent off to spread the word did their job well.
But why did they go through the trouble of coming in person? Maybe they wanted to see the miracle for themselves, or they were plotting to take the goddess statue...
“Kaoru, I mean, Lady Angel...”
It was the lieutenant colonel.
He had ridden over on his horse.
“Kaoru is fine. It weirds me out when you address me that way...”
“I can’t... well, I suppose you’re right. That’s the kind of person you are...”
I was glad he seemed to agree.
There were several unfamiliar faces.
Judging by the way they were acting as equals to the lieutenant colonel, they must have been the leaders of the other nine battalions. Though it didn’t look like they were all there...
“So, Kaoru, what are you planning on doing after this?”
Yeaaah, that was the question.
There wasn’t much I could do now.
Then I’d have to take care of things properly.
“I’m going east.”
“East?”
“Yes, toward the village to the east, where this epidemic is believed to have started.
If I don’t contain it there, the disease could spread to places other than the royal capital, resulting in a disaster...”
The lieutenant colonel had a grave look on his face upon hearing this.
“That village has already been contained. People are prohibited from exit and entry, and they’ve been quarantined until the disease passes.”
...In other words, they’re waiting for the villagers to die as they’re trapped in the village? Or were they going to disinfect the entire village by setting fire to it?
Not on my watch!
I turned toward the people who had volunteered to organize the lines.
“I must go to a village to save those who are suffering from disease. So, please handle things here until the statues have fulfilled their duty.”
“““You can count on us, my lady!!!”””
They had been given a task by the Angel of the Goddess.
Such an honor was unheard of.
Five men raised their arms proudly, eyes glimmering with purpose.
“Once the soldiers are done, please form a second line and use that statue for the citizens as well. Now, I leave the rest to you.”
With that, I leapt down from the pedestal of the goddess statue.
The sea of people parted before me.
Who am I, Moses?!
Well, I doubted there was anyone who would try to stand in my way.
After all, I was the Angel of the Goddess, going out to save a dying village from an epidemic.
“...I’ll lead the way,” the lieutenant colonel offered suddenly.
Hmm, what to do...
There were going to be a lot of soldiers over there anyway, so there was no point in sending him away.
And I didn’t know where this village was.
At this point, it was meaningless to try and keep secrets.
The soldiers at the village may try to stop me, so it could be more convenient to have a high-ranking officer with me...
As I thought about it, the lieutenant colonel whispered in my ear.
“Please, if I’m granted the task of guiding the Angel of the Goddess, it would help my career in the future...”
Ahh, I got it.
That made sense.
Then I would let him play the part.
He had helped me with a bunch of things in the past, so I decided to repay him.
Let’s see, the lieutenant colonel’s name was... wait, I don’t remember! I always called him the lieutenant colonel or battalion commander instead of his name...
Oh well.
“Commander of the royal army second battalion. I entrust you to act as my guide to the village. Lead me there, so that we may save the villagers!”
“You honor me! I, Nevas von Vonsas, third son of the house of Count Vonsas and the second battalion leader of the royal army, will see this through even if it costs my life!”
He was really into it.
...Though I was one to talk.
No, I was just playing it up because the people would be more likely to listen to me if I acted all mighty.
Besides, having it known that the Angel has a grand attitude would distance that persona from the usual me, making it harder for people to figure out we’re one in the same.
I did put some thought into it.
But I had to say, the lieutenant colonel knew how to put himself out there, stating his full name and everything.
I was thoroughly impressed.
He talked loud and clear, so his voice carried pretty well.
For those who couldn’t hear him, my shoulder megaphone amplified my own voice, so the advertisement was effective enough.
Now, it was time to get out of there.
We made our way through the crowd of people that had parted to either side, the lieutenant colonel in the lead.
He was riding on horseback, while the rest of us walked.
Boo hoo.
He offered to bring a carriage, but I declined.
If I had agreed, Ed would have been furious, being out of the picture for so long.
So we went to the stable where Ed was to round up e
veryone else.
“Took you long enough! We’ve been waiting forever!”
All five horses, including Ed, complained at once.
Apparently, they were bored out of their minds.
Sorry about that...
I decided to keep them at a stable with a pasture next time.
I’d come visit once in a while, so forgive me.
I climbed on top of Ed with Layette in my arms, then we were off.
After distancing ourselves from the royal capital, where there was no one around to see...
“Come out, chariot!”
A miniature carriage appeared out of nowhere, and the lieutenant colonel stared with his mouth hanging open.
But he quickly regained his composure.
I mean, he’s already seen worse.
After tethering the carriage to Ed, I put Layette on board and climbed in after her.
“Let’s go!”
Good bye, royal capital! I probably wasn’t going to return after this this time.
Though I may quietly pass through again next time I return to Balmore.
Yes, quietly! No way was I going to come back as the Angel with a flourish of trumpets!
In any case, I had to get to the village to the east.
“There are a lot of lives on the line. I’m counting on you, Ed!”
“Leave it to me, missy!”
Excited for his time to shine, Ed took the lead pulling the carriage along with the four other horses.
The lieutenant colonel’s horse followed behind us.
Oh, I guess Ed really wasn’t just a normal horse...
There was an awkward smile on the lieutenant colonel’s face, and his horse watched us with disbelief.
...I think I’ll give him a potion later.
Not to the lieutenant colonel, of course, but to his horse.
＊ ＊
We arrived at the east village before dusk.
As soon I saw the village-like area up ahead, I put the carriage into the Item Box and got onto Ed with Layette in my arms.
We continued forward at a walking pace, and as we veered from the main road and toward a path leading to the village, we spotted several soldiers there.
“Stop!”
The soldiers ordered, and I complied.
They could surely see the lieutenant colonel in the back, but they couldn’t just let me go without stopping me.
Their eyes wandered toward the lieutenant colonel with a troubled look.
“Entry is prohibited beyond this point. Go back to the main road and toward the next village. You should get there before it gets dark.”
Yeah, he seemed like a good, diligent soldier.
But I refuse!
“I run a medicine shop. I’ve heard about the epidemic and prepared a specific medicine for it. I’ve already succeeded in stopping the spread of the disease in the royal capital. All that’s left is to cure the afflicted in this village.”
“I-Is that so?!”
The soldier surely didn’t want to close off the village and let its inhabitants die miserably.
Upon hearing my words, his face broke into a smile.
He glanced at the lieutenant colonel, who gave a deep nod, and his faint smile turned into a full grin.
“Go on through! And please, save the villagers!”
I wasn’t sure if they were familiar with the gesture, but I gave a thumbs up and made my way into the village.
Before we entered the village, I saw the soldier closing off the path again.
How prudent...
But I supposed it was proper procedure to double check for safety-related concerns.
As I approached, a soldier called out to me.
“How did you get in here?!”
Right, there was a soldier blocking the entrance, so I couldn’t blame him for being surprised to find someone there.
This guy was probably there to make sure people weren’t leaving the village instead.
Well, if he’s asking how we got there, I had to answer.
“We came by chariot!”
The soldier had a blank expression on his face.
“...Chariot?”
Don’t ask!
“She’s from a medicine shop. She brought medicine for the epidemic. Let us through!”
The lieutenant colonel’s exasperated voice called out from behind, and we were able to go through without incident.
He should have done that in the first place! And why was he in the back when he’s supposed to be leading us?
So useless...
Well, we were able to get in the village, so I guess it was fine.
There were no soldiers around once we were inside.
But I guess that made sense, considering they wouldn’t want to get sick.
In fact, there was no one around at all. It seemed everyone was cooped up in their homes.
So, it was time to do my thing.
I took the megaphone I had on my shoulder from back at the royal capital and...
“People of the village, I bring you medicine for your illness! One sip, and you’ll be cured! For those of you who aren’t able to move, please have your family members get it for you. For those without family members, please call out and I’ll come to you!”
With a small village like this, there was no need for me to go over the top like at the royal capital.
All I had to do was hand people a potion bottle normally.
Some time after I made my announcement, the doors of several houses rattled open, and people began coming outside.
Perhaps they were too sick to go outside, or hiding for fear of getting infected.
Probably both.
Oh, but maybe they were instructed to stay indoors.
They may not have fully trusted my words yet, but an infected person with worsening symptoms had nothing left to lose.
Besides, it was highly unlikely for someone to visit a place quarantined by soldiers just to trick people.
The villagers began approaching us, slowly and cautiously.
The doors of the other houses were also slightly ajar, with many eyes peeking from the openings.
Well, I figured.
I only needed a couple guinea pigs.
There was no need for everyone to try it at once.
My voice, amplified by the speaker, seemed to reach them well enough, and even the soldier by the main road had walked over where the soldier on the village side was to see what I was doing.
I figured they were ordered not to get any closer than where they were.
If they happened to get infected, they would be spreading the illness to everyone else at the royal capital.
Not to mention, the soldiers of the army would be the first ones to fall victim.
This meant they had to obey their orders no matter what, even if they wanted to help the villagers.
Ah!
I was forgetting something.
I pretended to grab a potion out of my bag and...
“Belle, give this to the soldiers for me. Tell them it’s medicine that’ll keep them from getting sick.”
“Okay!”
I’d feel pretty bad if the soldiers ended up being a source of infection after I’d cured all the villagers, resulting in all the cities and villages getting infected except at the royal capital, where I gave out a bunch of medicine.
...Huh, the soldiers took the medicine from Belle, but ended up putting it into their pockets after deliberating over what to do.
Though I suppose it wasn’t impossible for it to be poison, used to take out the soldiers so I could rile up the villagers to march into the royal capital.
Even with the lieutenant colonel there, some young newbie soldiers wouldn’t recognize superior officers from another unit, and anyone could get a hold of a military uniform.
It wasn’t unusual for soldiers to listen only to their direct superiors when carrying out important missions.
But I had no problem with them wait
ing to decide until they saw the results for themselves.
“...Is it true? Can this illness really be cured?”
A villager finally approached me, glaring at me suspiciously as he asked.
Well, I suppose I did look like a child to these people.
I reached into my bag and pulled out a potion, then presented it to him.
“Drink it.”
The man still had some strength left in him, but it was clear to see the sickness had weakened him significantly. He opened the bottle, then drained its contents with desperation.
“Ugh...”
“““Wh-What’s the matter?!”””
“It tastes good...”
The villagers slumped their shoulders.
Then the man who drank the potion said, “My body feels lighter... and I think my head feels clearer too...”
It was probably from his fever being reduced.
The medicine had the effect of exterminating pathogens and returning the body to its normal state, so his body temperature would be returned to normal, but his diminished energy wouldn’t recover, which explained why he was still feeling woozy.
I added the effect to cure abnormalities because I didn’t want them to die before making a recovery if I simply killed off the pathogen, but it would be far too unnatural and creepy if they immediately made a full recovery after taking the medicine.
They’d regain their appetite once they get their strength back, so this should be good enough.
The man’s cheeks still looked a bit sunken, but he was far less pale than before, and it was clear to see he felt better after drinking the potion.
After seeing this, the villagers all presented their hands to me at once.
“Give us some medicine too!”
“All right, all right. There’s plenty of potions to go around for everyone, so please stay calm and drink slowly!”
I said as I created more potions, pretending to pull them out of my bag, and handed them to the villagers, who opened them and immediately drained their contents.
“...I feel better.”
“My chest doesn’t feel tight anymore...”
“My stomach pain is gone...”
Stomach pain and chest tightness? The other medicine shop owners mentioned symptoms like those, but what kind of illness could it be?
Maybe the plague or typhus?
But it wasn’t necessarily going to be a type of disease that exists on Earth, and there was no way for me to tell them apart anyway, so there was no point in me trying to figure out what it was called anyway.