Chapter 115

115. Euthanasia (1)

****

BANG BANG BANG!

Why’s there such a ruckus in the morning? I looked up at the loud knocking sound toward the door. Another emergency patient arrived at the ward, it seems.

“Come in.”

BANG!

I naturally thought it’d be Istina, but someone else entered the research lab. I stared at the healer wearing the white robe.

“Hedwig?”

This time, I had that ominous feeling again like last time. I looked at Hedwig.

She looked rather flustered. Is there an epidemic or something? Hopefully, it’s not dangerous.

“What’s wrong?”

“Black Death!”

“But we had that last time too.”

“This time it’s real. People’s limbs are turning black, skin lesions are appearing, and people are dying en masse.”

I nodded.

“That does sound like the Black Death indeed.”

“Will you come?”

Hedwig frowned.

“We must go. When will we depart?”

“Uh, we need to go now. If the Black Death spreads to the neighboring village, it’ll be disastrous.”

We need to verify if it’s really the Black Death first. Last time, they said it was the Black Death, but when we got there, it wasn’t.

I scratched my head.

Still, with people dying, we can’t just ignore it. Whether it’s the Black Death or not, we should do our best to resolve it.

“Let’s hurry over.”

Time is of the essence.

Pneumonic plague can kill someone within a day. If the cases have been reported recently…

There might still be a chance to stop the epidemic before it spreads further. So, Hedwig’s insistence on leaving immediately makes sense.

“I’ll pack my things. Let’s leave as soon as possible.”

While organizing my bag, I started thinking.

The Black Death is treatable, but we can’t be complacent just because there’s a treatment method. It’s not that simple.

Isn’t this the disease that wiped out half of Europe?

In the case of pneumonic plague, many die within just a day of infection. Other forms of plague usually result in death within a few days.

From the onset of symptoms to irreversible damage, it could be mere hours.

Given that it caught the government’s attention, it implies there are quite a number of patients. The situation might already be severe beyond recovery.

Hopefully, it’s not that bad.

****

Skipping the travel details, we arrived at Vinia riding wyverns. Vinia is reportedly a city with a population of around 4,000.

We landed in front of Vinia Citadel.

Looking around—me, Istina, and Hedwig—it seemed like a normal city from above. It wasn’t particularly dirty either.

Anyway.

Since it’s an inland city, the chances of outsiders or sailors bringing the disease seem low. If it’s truly the Black Death, where did it originate?

Anyways.

As soon as I dismounted the wyvern, I sanitized my hands, put on gloves and a plague doctor mask. Both Hedwig and Istina wore plague doctor outfits.

Hedwig rushed ahead. Two soldiers were sitting by the citadel gates and stood up as we approached.

“Is there any business—oh, you’re plague doctors.”

“We’re healers sent from the Imperial Palace. Time is critical, so we’d appreciate it if you could summon Lord Vinia immediately.”

The guards opened the gates for us.

As usual, we followed Hedwig into the citadel of the city. Compared to other cities’ citadels, this one was rather small.

Hedwig hurried deep into the fortress, and after some wandering, we soon met Vinia’s bureaucrats.

****

There isn’t even a minute to waste. As soon as I entered the conference room, I slammed the table.

“Where is the lord?”

“Oh, he’s working downtown.”

The bureaucrats who were murmuring until we came in stepped back slightly. That’s right, I’m currently dressed in a dark plague doctor gown with a mask. I might look a bit scary.

Hmm. To appear more human, I chose a chair to sit on. Since no patients were immediately visible, I took off my mask.

“I am Professor Asterix from the Academy and former chief healer of the Imperial Palace. I’ve rushed here upon hearing about the Black Death outbreak.”

The officials of Vinia Citadel exchanged uneasy glances. One person clapped alone for a moment then stopped. I continued speaking.

“First, let’s confirm. Is it true that people’s limbs are turning black, skin lesions resembling phlegm blisters are appearing, and they’re dying?”

The gathered individuals nodded.

“There’s chaos in the city. Many remember or have heard stories about how terrifying the Black Death can be.”

“Is it definitely the Black Death?”

“Yes. City healers have verified it.”

Let’s assume it’s the Black Death for now.

“The Black Death typically spreads through two routes: insect bites or contact with someone infected with pneumonic plague.”

Everyone seemed to be hearing this for the first time.

Even Istina and Hedwig looked at me confusedly, which makes sense since the exact transmission route of the Black Death was only discovered in modern times.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Infection occurs either from insects carrying the plague bacteria or through contact with someone with pneumonic plague. Had this fact been known earlier, half of Europe wouldn’t have perished.

Of course, this conclusion couldn’t have been reached by people unfamiliar with bacteria. Either bitten by insects or transmitted via respiratory means.

To medieval people who knew nothing about bacteria, the Black Death would have seemed like a disease that appeared out of nowhere. Fleas and bedbugs bite while you sleep, making them hard to identify as the cause.

Indeed, that was the reality. Medieval people couldn’t figure out the specific transmission process of the Black Death and blamed foul odors or divine curses instead.

“How do you know this, Professor?”

“I’ve done research.”

Ignoring their questions, I continued explaining.

“To prevent insect bites, avoid fleas and bedbugs as much as possible. For pneumonic plague, covering your mouth and nose with cloth can significantly reduce the risk.”

Structuring the problem is key to finding solutions. Once I started talking, the bureaucrats began seeing the plague not as an incomprehensible curse but as a solvable issue. Their expressions changed.

The solution is simple if it’s simple. Kill the bedbugs and fleas, cover your mouths and noses.

“The transmission routes of the Black Death are insects and coughing. The symptoms can be categorized into three types.”

The conference room fell deathly silent.

“The first type is bubonic plague caused by insect bites. This results in skin lesions and can kill within days.”

Bubonic plague is characterized by swollen lymph nodes, though I’m not entirely sure what ‘phlegm blister’ refers to.

“The second type is septicemic plague. This occurs when the plague bacteria enters the bloodstream and is more severe than bubonic plague.”

Istina scribbled something in her notebook.

“The third type is pneumonic plague. This happens through contact with someone infected with pneumonic plague or as a progression from septicemic plague.”

Pneumonic plague can be considered the final evolution of the Black Death, no longer requiring fleas.

After finishing my explanation, several gazes turned toward me.

“Is that all?”

“We need to quarantine and treat those infected. Is any form of quarantine currently in place?”

A man in the corner glanced at me then nodded.

“I’m Chief Clerk Ben.”

“Yes, please explain.”

“Quarantine measures are in place. Most patients are quarantined at home, while some are being treated at temples.”

Treatment at temples…

It might actually be better if they weren’t doing that. It could become a hotspot for spreading the epidemic. Let’s aim to move everyone being treated at the temple back to their homes after explaining the strategy.

“By the way, how many households are under quarantine?”

“Ten.”

Oh dear, that’s quite a lot.

I sighed. We might soon face the decision of who lives and who dies. There’s a high possibility we’ll lack both medicine and time.

“And those being treated at the temple?”

“I don’t know.”

How could you not know? I sighed internally. This information should have been clear.

“Everyone, please prepare cloth to cover your mouths and find ways to exterminate bedbugs. I’ll treat the patients at the temple.”

The officials nodded and shuffled through documents. I looked at Istina.

“Istina, follow me to the temple.”

****

Honestly, I’ve never personally seen a Black Death patient either. It’s only natural.

What Black Death patient would I see in Korea? Though I once met a doctor who treated a Black Death patient in Mongolia.

For me, it’s a textbook-only disease.

Regardless, there’s one crucial point: Even with something as serious as the Black Death, it can be treated with antibiotics as long as the timing isn’t missed.

“Well, at least there’s a separate ward for Black Death patients… mixing them with others could have been catastrophic. Everyone might have died.”

Istina nodded.

I opened the door to the Black Death ward.

The Black Death ward in the temple was filled with strange flowers and strong incense scents, noticeable even through the mask.

“Why…”

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