Chapter 120

Episode 120. The Black Death (3)

***

The people present shoved the rats they had beaten with brooms straight into the flames, and the situation ended quicker than expected.

At a glance, hundreds seem to have burned.

Istina elbowed me.

“Professor, is it over now?”

“Just one piece of the puzzle. We need to deal with the bugs, catch more rats, and treat the patients.”

It’s just part of the process. The remaining rats were thrown into the fire.

“This is terrible. Even if they’re just rats, burning them alive with magic like this…”

“How many have died because of these vermin?”

“It’s not so much pity… Their squealing and the smell of burning rat is just unpleasant.”

True that. I nodded.

“Weren’t you bitten by any rats or fleas?”

“Ah, no.”

“We’ll disinfect before heading back to Vinia Castle. Lord Wineya will be waiting for an update. I’ll report directly to him and request what we need.”

Istina moved forward.

***

This is the Audience Chamber of Vinia Castle.

I bowed before Lord Vinia, who had been staring at me like a corpse just hours ago.

Istina stood quietly behind me as the lord spoke first.

“Professor, you’ve arrived.”

“Your face is filled with worry. I heard you’ve been anxiously awaiting news.”

“I am somewhat concerned. While I understand your desire to report in person, should you even meet with the lord when there are patients involved? What if the Black Death spreads?”

“Are you worried about transmission?”

“Yes.”

I shook my head.

“The risk of human-to-human transmission is low. Most Black Death cases come from flea bites, and only patients showing pneumonia symptoms can spread the disease. Early treatment can cure them.”

The lord paused thoughtfully before continuing.

“If that’s the case, then that’s fortunate. First, please explain the current status of the disease management. Where have you been until now? I saw some mages leaving.”

“I used Commander Rin’s magic to burn most of the city’s rat population.”

“You killed the rats?”

The lord narrowed his eyes.

“I’m curious—what difference does killing rats make? How does it help?”

If you don’t fully understand the Black Death, it’s understandable to think that way. Lord Vinia scratched his head as I considered my response.

“Rats may act as carriers for the Black Death. Eliminating most of the city’s rat population will reduce its spread.”

This is the first step: dealing with rats before they spread the disease to humans.

“Do people alone get this illness?”

No.

“The Black Death primarily affects mammals. Though certain animals are more prone to contracting and spreading it.”

“The Black Death is mostly transmitted through flea bites. Bacteria can survive in rats, which carry fleas around.”

“Fleas struggle to move far or survive long without proper hosts. Rats are essential for maintaining the plague.”

“Complicated.”

“We must block every stage of transmission. We’ll kill the fleas, clean infected homes, and treat patients.”

Treating patients alone won’t solve the problem. We need to prevent further outbreaks on-site by reducing patient numbers. Lord Vinia looked at me.

The second step: cleaning infected homes and eliminating disease-carrying pests.

In fact, only one patient has returned home under quarantine. The others have died. If things continue this way, there will be no patients left within days.

“Our teams are conducting disinfection house-to-house, but many have already perished. Rioters are burning the homes of quarantined patients.”

“Did you personally go out?”

“Yes. Since it was my plan.”

Lord Vinia nodded.

“I’ve heard about it. Arson. There were those who set fire to the homes of quarantined patients yesterday.”

“Yes.”

“We must respond.”

Lord Vinia sighed again.

“What about euthanasia?”

“Hmm. The number of patients is already dropping rapidly. It’s not being performed currently.”

The third step.

Directly treating patients.

Though obvious, once someone contracts the Black Death, there’s no guarantee of recovery. In a way, it might be the least ideal approach.

“That’s good news, isn’t it?”

“Uh… Yes.”

“How many patients remain?”

There are 34 patients left in the temple.

“There are 34 patients remaining in the temple, and those under home quarantine have been moved there.”

One of Lord Vinia’s servants handed over some documents, causing him to frown.

“Professor, speak frankly. No need for formalities. How’s the situation outside?”

“Uh… It’s under control. It appears it will remain manageable going forward.”

“More positive than expected.”

That’s how it seemed to me too.

Patients are being treated with antibiotics, those unresponsive to medication have passed away, and other transmission routes are being controlled.

It’s natural for the patient count not to increase.

“I’m telling it as it is. The number of patients is decreasing, and there are almost no new cases. The situation is under control, and the crisis should soon be resolved.”

“Can you give us some numbers?”

“When I first arrived, there were 50 Black Death patients in the temple, now there are 34. There were 12 quarantined homes initially, now there are only 4.”

“Professor, aren’t those people who simply died? Homes burned by rioters, limbs rotting from the Black Death?”

“The number of patients is decreasing regardless. Soon, there will be none left.”

“Let’s assume that’s true. Can I tell the citizens that with calm handling, we can overcome this plague?”

“You may.”

“How long will it take?”

“In a week, there should be no patients left in the city. In just one day, the number dropped from 50 to 34…”

Thinking about it, at this rate, three days should suffice. The lord looked at me.

“Will three days be enough?”

“It seems so.”

“Three days… Faster than expected, but still feels long. Thanks to you coming here.”

“It’s also thanks to the lord requesting help appropriately. I’m merely a healer, not a politician or ruler.”

I bowed again.

Lord Vinia finally regained some color in his face, seemingly reassured by the “three-day resolution.”

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

The lord gestured for us to go, and I left the castle with Istina as his servants moved to disinfect our area.

The Black Death really is terrifying.

One of them carried a censer. Honestly, that’s ineffective.

***

Istina reflected. Since arriving here, everything has unfolded exactly as the professor predicted. It’s chilling.

Professor Asterix immediately advocated for euthanasia upon arrival, though it wasn’t implemented due to priest opposition.

Patients with blackened limbs, whom the professor called septicemic plague patients, received only a single day’s worth of medicine.

Those individuals died within a day, just as Professor Asterix had said. Only then did the priests start distributing painkillers.

How unsettling.

Is he some kind of prophet?

Actually, that’s what confused her the most.

How could Professor Asterix know so much about the Black Death?

Other officials or local healers might accept it as is, but Istina knew the truth after studying related texts due to past suspected Black Death cases.

Even after reading many documents on the Black Death, nothing Professor Asterix said since arriving in Vinia appeared in any of them.

To summarize…

The Black Death spreads via fleas carried by rats, and some patients develop pneumonic plague, which is the only form that can transmit directly between people.

But how did he figure this out?

It’s an incredibly complex concept. She wasn’t sure if there was any logical basis. If she asked the professor, he’d probably answer matter-of-factly as always.

As usual.

Istina couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer.

“How did you figure it out? The mechanism of how the Black Death spreads?”

“Think about structure and function.”

Typical. The professor answered as if it were obvious, implying she should have deduced it herself. Istina opened her notebook.

“The Black Death causes blackening and death. Why does it turn black? Because bacteria spreads in the blood, causing clotting.”

“Yes.”

“So how do bacteria enter the bloodstream?”

Istina thought about it but couldn’t think of any direct ways bacteria could enter a patient’s blood besides insect bites.

Once again, the professor was right.

It makes sense now that I know the answer.

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