Chapter 118

Chapter 118. The Black Death (1)

****

Even before the corpses were laid out on the streets, was it the smell of death they sensed, or do crows have some supernatural ability?

Black birds had descended upon the city.

Not just a few—just at a glance, there were dozens. As if the animals were predicting the impending disaster for the city.

An unsettling sight.

The man gestured with a gloomy expression, and soldiers emerged carrying the coffin of the deceased patient. The coffin was temporarily placed in front of the house.

“Hmm. We’re about to disinfect. All discardable items must be burned, furniture needs polish, salt must be spread indoors, and the walls need repainting.”

“Why?”

The reason was simple: insects living in the house might be infected with the Black Death bacteria. Though the bacteria doesn’t survive long in fleas, precautions are necessary to minimize risks.

“The Black Death is transmitted by fleas or bedbugs. Some cases spread through coughing, but pest control should kill most fleas.”

“Yes… well, we don’t have much stuff anyway. Never seen bedbugs in our home.”

I thought it would take longer, but this household wasn’t as complicated as a modern apartment, nor filled with excessive furniture or items. Come to think of it, that’s obvious.

How big could a serf’s house be? How many possessions could they even own?

The work progressed faster than expected.

Clothes and belongings of the deceased were burned, old furniture went up in flames too. Furniture deemed salvageable was carried outside and polished.

Salt was scattered everywhere inside, cracks sealed with paint. Thankfully, no rats were spotted in the streets yet.

Given there were no further reports of patients, it seemed unlikely this household harbored any disease-carrying insects. Without fleas or bedbugs biting people directly, the risk diminishes.

Still, complacency wasn’t an option.

We needed to respond while social order and urban functionality held together.

If the outbreak spreads more, even this will become impossible.

****

Pest control operations were underway nearby.

Fleas are relatively easy to deal with, but bedbugs pose a problem—even modern tech struggles against them.

Rin crossed their arms.

“Professor, do you see any meaning behind all this? What are your thoughts?”

“I see it like this: if there are no more Black Death patients, the situation ends. Honestly, there aren’t too many left.”

Rin narrowed their eyes.

It depended on how many new patients arrived tomorrow. Most victims of septicemic plague wouldn’t last beyond a day or two.

“They’ll all die?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… sounds like you’re saying the fastest solution is to let all Black Death patients die.”

Hmm. I sighed.

“That’s one method. It’s not perfect, but easier and more certain than treatment. Though, infected bugs remain a separate issue.”

Rin sighed again.

“If what we’re doing now fails, then that becomes our next step, right?”

“It’s Lord’s decision, but probably so. That’s how I explained it.”

If today’s efforts fail, starting tomorrow, we’ll proceed with different quarantine measures. Rin wore a worried expression once more.

****

The first household’s pest control was complete.

We moved toward the next house, but before reaching it, screams and smoke greeted us.

“What is that…?”

Houses quarantined due to the Black Death had markers placed by soldiers—to deliver water and food—but…

“Someone set fire to it.”

It might be the most definitive method of pest control.

I sighed.

Every quarantined house has markers; setting them ablaze isn’t exactly rocket science…

Will any houses still be standing by tomorrow? This was no ordinary situation.

Rin summoned staff.

“We’ll worry about complexities later. First, prevent the fire from spreading. Confirm there are no survivors inside, and once confirmed, we’ll demolish the house.”

A couple of soldiers brought out a few survivors who had managed to grab some belongings before the fire started.

“Are these all the survivors?”

“Yes!”

Rin pointed their staff at the flames. Blue mana gathered at its tip.

“Move, O Earth!”

Rin’s incantation.

The ground beneath the house trembled, and moments later, the structure collapsed like a sandcastle. Dust billowed, but the flames were instantly extinguished.

Rin lowered their staff.

I tapped my foot impatiently.

“We need to hurry. If people keep torching homes with patients, there won’t be any left to quarantine…”

Rin slowly nodded.

“Professor, please return to the temple. We understand the quarantine methods, and it’s clear the streets aren’t safe anymore.”

“Understood.”

Burning houses might seem like the most effective quarantine measure…

And honestly, it kind of is.

But upon deeper reflection, it’s not ideal. Pests could scatter, newly infected individuals might hide out of fear, and societal order could collapse.

All around, a bad situation.

****

Back to one of the temple meeting rooms.

I returned to the temple. Due to unexpected events, the urban quarantine operation would likely end earlier than planned.

Though lives are at stake, sometimes maximum effort is all we can give.

I tapped the chalkboard in a classroom somewhere within the temple. A few healers, Hedwig, and Istina sat there.

Hedwig spoke.

“Seems the officials of Vinia Castle aren’t eager to meet us. They’re worried about catching the plague.”

Those who’ve been near patients are considered contacts—it makes sense they’d feel that way. I nodded.

“Lord saw me earlier. There’s no real need to summon officials here. Reducing contact isn’t a bad idea either.”

“Yeah, that does make sense.”

More importantly, I moved the chalk. Currently, we have double-digit patients. Including those already quarantined, the number might exceed a hundred, but…

“City residents are burning the homes of infected people. With panic rising, we need to announce effective measures quickly.”

Hedwig nodded.

“Let’s consider the origin of the disease. The first patient appeared a week ago, right?”

“Yes.”

“That patient collapsed with blackened limbs. News reached Vinia authorities, then the Empire government, and response teams were sent—all within a week.”

“Correct.”

That’s remarkably swift. Plague isn’t something anyone can handle lazily, whether it’s this city or the imperial bureaucrats.

“The initial infection happened a week ago. People living in the same house and neighbors caught the plague, right?”

“Yes.”

“Probably contracted from eating raw wild animals. Rodents usually spread it.”

“How does Professor know that?”

“Each disease tends to spread via specific animals or vectors. For plague, just think ‘rats’—it’s that straightforward.”

“Ah, rats.”

“Anyway, someone probably ate raw wild rodents, sparking this epidemic.”

Istina jotted something down.

“The cause of the Black Death: wild rodents.”

The most likely theory suggests the origin lies in Central Asia’s large rodents called marmots.

In my previous life, even today, hunters in Mongolia or China occasionally contract plague from wild marmots, which is why research continues into the modern era.

“In any case, we should enact laws banning hunting and consumption of wild rodents. Even without formal laws, informing citizens that it causes plague should deter them from getting close.”

Everyone present nodded.

“We should clearly communicate that the temple can admit and treat patients. That might reduce panic.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

I paused briefly.

“How’s the Black Death ward at the temple holding up?”

“Oh. We’ve started using opium on patients suffering extreme pain… but…”

“If unhealthy patients lose consciousness from opium, it essentially means giving up on treatment, right? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

The priest seated there nodded solemnly. In the grand scheme, both sides want the same outcome, so arriving at similar conclusions isn’t surprising.

Medieval minds were only a day late, after all.

“It’s unfortunate, but using opium is still better than nothing. It’s hard to see how it affects short-term prognosis.”

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