Chapter 39

Many people often misunderstand medieval hygiene, believing that people in the Middle Ages did not care about sanitation.

However, in reality, the people of that era did pay some attention to hygiene.

The issue was simply that the administrative capabilities of each city were lacking, and they did not place as much emphasis on hygiene as we do today.

Because of this, the nobility did not reside in these areas much, and unless it was a place where “excrement absolutely had to be cleaned up,” it was often too bothersome to take care of it.

As a result, people became accustomed to streets piled with feces and urine, leading to the dirty medieval cities we know.

Reflecting on the history of hygiene in past Europe, I was suddenly joined by soldiers who brought the heads of the city administrators into my room.

The heads of the officials, that is to say, the inspectors, entered my room, their faces serious as they waited for my mouth to open.

In order to respond to their expectations, I began speaking without any flowery language.

“I have received reports that human and animal waste is piling up in the slums, causing an odor. I take this matter very seriously. Therefore, aside from a few who have urgent business, I request that you immediately investigate the city’s sanitary conditions.”

Upon hearing my words, the officials looked at me with bewildered expressions, unable to comprehend.

“Your Excellency, it is only natural for the poor to live in smelly conditions. They simply lack the ability to clean up dirt. Of course, it is not pleasant that the odor reaches the castle… but what can we do about it?”

“Are you saying that it is not that the slums themselves are smelly, but rather that the stench from the slums is reaching into this castle?”

“Yes, that is correct. If you check once…”

Hearing that, I quickly double-checked the report that I had stored in my desk.

The confirmed content was as follows:

“The residents living inside the fortress walls are suffering from the stench of excrement coming from the slums.”

The slums were already likely overflowing with trash and waste, so it would not be surprising if an epidemic were occurring there.

Now we were fortunate that a plague had not broken out, but the situation was like a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment.

Thus, before this time bomb goes off, I must go directly to the slums to check the situation and respond quickly.

If I enter after an outbreak, a minimum of several hundred people would already be dead.

And since my officials do not understand the seriousness of the sanitation issue in the slums, they might not conduct a necessary investigation…

Ultimately, it seems I have no choice but to go myself.

“I will personally inspect the site, so all officials without urgent business should follow me with writing implements for their reports. The situation is urgent, so hurry.”

Hearing my words, the officials grimaced at the thought of having to go directly to the smelly slums, but they followed me with grim expressions when I mentioned that I would be going.

Under normal circumstances, I would have yelled, “Are you still my retainers after all this?” but the slums of this era are dangerous, smelly, and filthy places for nobles like inspectors to enter…

So I pretended not to notice and quickened my steps.

**

Since embodying SIEL von Croilet, I had never once been to the slums, but I never imagined it would be this dirty and chaotic.

The dirt roads were littered with the feces of both dogs and humans, and the impoverished residents walked over such paths with complete nonchalance.

The walls of the closely packed houses were also smeared with such waste, attracting various flies and insects that buzzed around in search of food.

The filthy scene was so overwhelming that I felt like vomiting, and I signaled to the official beside me to step back.

Before long, I could no longer withstand the nauseating smell emanating from the entire slum area and vomited.

“Ugh…”

Seeing me in such a state, one official clicked his tongue and said,

“Your Excellency, why did you come here yourself instead of sending the lower classes?”

You all failed to realize the seriousness of this situation, and yet this fool does not grasp the gravity of it even now?

I was already irritated because of Count Schwabin, so I suppressed the urge to strike out and instead raised my voice.

“What nonsense is this? Have you all lived longer than I have, and yet you have not seen the records indicating that epidemics begin in filthy slums? Didn’t you write in a record from just 20 years ago that they started in the slums, gradually spreading to even the upper-class areas where knights live? Where is your common sense?”

The official knelt on the filthy ground before me and spoke.

“I apologize, Your Excellency… but…”

“That’s enough, I have no intention of reproaching you further. Instead, make sure to work properly if you wish to live.”

“Yes, thank you…”

Then I looked at the assembled officials behind me and shouted a command.

“Form everyone into two groups. One group will investigate the living conditions and hygiene of the poor, while the other will assess the cleanliness of the streets and buildings! I will disguise myself to talk directly with them! You are to go back immediately, organize your subordinates, and begin the investigation starting tomorrow!”

The officials, hearing my words, squeezed out their voices in resignation.

“Understood! Your Excellency.”

“Dismissed!”

**

The next day, I disguised myself as I had instructed the officials and made my way to the slums.

Wearing a shabby cloak with holes, a torn shirt with one sleeve ripped, and pants that were practically rags, I even dusted my hair to deliberately appear filthy…

This outfit, inspected by Sergeant Mark, looked perfectly like that of a beggar.

So much so that a knight who did not recognize me on the way actually gave me two coins, believing he was performing a “good deed”…

Lost in thought about the subtle emotions from receiving money, an old man with missing teeth approached me.

“Hey there, a newcomer, huh?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Upon hearing my words, the old man looked at me with a hint of disbelief, questioning me with a puzzled gaze.

“Your manner of speaking is refined for someone from around here. But using such a tone here can be dangerous… You seem to be a noble bastard who got kicked out, but if you don’t tread carefully, you never know what might happen to you from behind. There are more than a few beasts here starved for carnal desires…”

Just hearing that sent chills down my spine.

What he meant by “from behind” was quite literally about men raping other men…

No matter how medieval this era is or how impoverished the slums are, why would muscular men entertain such thoughts among themselves?

… Thankfully, I had disguised some “guards” nearby in case of such situations…

“Is that so? Elder, heh…”

“Of course. A few months ago, another pretty boy like you got taken advantage of. So, if you’re new here, you should greet the chief first. Come on, follow me.”

And the old man led me deeper into the more concealed parts of the slum.

As we entered the back, the stench of various animal and human waste mingled with rot from various food items intensified.

I felt the urge to vomit rise momentarily due to the disgusting smells, but I managed to hold it back.

After about 30 minutes of venturing further into the depths, the smell began to lessen.

Eventually, we arrived at a place that looked like the chief’s house located at the very corner of the slums.

The old man smiled and whispered something to the two men standing in front of the house, and soon the two opened the door for us.

Once inside, the scene before me was surprisingly luxurious for a slum.

Even though “luxurious” only meant a few better-quality pork hind legs and loins hanging on the walls, along with barrels of cheap alcohol scattered around.

As I looked around in astonishment, the old man, seeing my surprise, patted me on the shoulder and said,

“See? Surprised, right? You probably never imagined there would be such a space in the slums.”

To be frank, only a relatively powerful knightly household would be able to accumulate this level of food and resources.

Thus, just by observing the items and food here, I could surmise the extent of the chief’s power.

If I were to exaggerate, this chief might have more influence than most knights…

“Yes, I am surprised.”

Recognizing my admission, the old man nodded in agreement and pointed at a man dozing at a desk.

“That person is the chief. Well, he’s just asleep today. Let’s just go in.”

**

The old man then took me to where he resided.

The elder’s home appeared to be just about 3 pyeong, a small house that contained another man.

Instantly, the man and I engaged in a tense stare before I approached and smiled, saying,

“I am SIEL. This is my first time here. It seems livable enough. I heard this place is better than other slums; what do you think?”

Hearing my words, one of the men responded with a smile.

“Compared to other slums, it is liveable here. At least we get barley and wheat porridge from the church once a week.”

“That’s an improvement.”

“Improvement? That’s a joke. Here is akin to paradise compared to other slums. In other places, the church provides nothing—not even porridge. Here, at least there’s some work to do, so if you show up, you won’t starve to death.”

… This is something to remember. The increased food supply is reducing the cases of the poor starving to death.

“Because of that, the place is overcrowded, which is a problem. But that also means there’s no space to dispose of waste properly, leading to people just discarding it. But what can you do? It’s better than starving to death. Right?”

As he said, people can tolerate living in filthy conditions, but they cannot endure starvation.

It’s no wonder that from the early Industrial Revolution to the 20th century, people knew they had to live in dirty and cramped quarters when moving from the countryside to the cities, yet they still did it.

They had to migrate to avoid starving to death.

I smiled at the man in front of me and said,

“Really? Then how much do you earn from that job? You said you don’t starve, right?”

“Why, are you thinking of doing that kind of work too? Well… If you work all day, you get just enough to eat three bowls of barley and wheat porridge. They give a bit more if you work for a month to support your family…”

“I see… So let’s say, what if someone offered you a wage and porridge made from wheat in exchange for cleaning up the waste in the streets?”

The man’s expression brightened as he looked at me, seemingly wishing for such a scenario.

“If that were the case, it would be wonderful. Reducing the stench from this damned street and getting food in return…”

“Is that right? I understand… Then, I think I’ll go get some fresh air.”

“Be careful while you’re out.”

After exchanging those words, I pondered my solution and left with a smile.

Right, thinking back, I did have that method!