Contrary to her concerns, it was easier to quarantine the remaining patients at the temple. This was due to the thorough supervision of the knights of House Chantra and House Jehardt.
“There are still some patients who are seriously ill, but overall, they are improving.”
“Yes. And just as Your Eminence has said, it seems like they’re getting better because they’ve been quarantined in a room with much better ventilation.”
After Reina had been recognized as a saintess, the people of the temple started listening to what she had to say.
And fortunately, Reina’s advice was proving to be effective. The patients were improving more than what was initially expected. Thanks to that, her sermons on the importance of hygiene were also gaining considerable credibility.
“That’s a relief. Then…”
Reina, who was examining one of the sleeping patients, stood up from her perch and looked at all the rest who were lying down around her.
There weren’t enough cots to accommodate such a large number of people, so most of them were lying down on temporary beds made of straw and cloth.
But the groaning people who were, in fact, laying on the available cots could not readily say that they were ‘fortunate’.
‘Haa… There’s still a long way to go.’
Still, it was a feat in itself that most of the people here have recovered enough that they could go to the comfort room and take care of themselves on their own or with minimal help.
“Hello. How are you feeling?”
Stepping closer to the person on the next temporary bed over from the patient she had just examined, Reina crouched down to sit on her knees and made eye contact with the patient.
“It hurts… I can’t wait to go home…”
The patient couldn’t open his eyes properly and instead weakly floundered one hand in the air. Then, the priest standing next to him quickly brought over a full wooden ladle to the patient’s lips.
As he gulped down the liquid, a pungent scent brushed over the tip of Reina’s nose.
“Why is the water like that?”
“Ah, it has enca tea leaves, Your Eminence.”
“Enca tea leaves?”
It’s what she heard about at the village during her rounds the other day.
“Yes. The water from the eastern part of the village is said to have a bit of a fishy taste, so the villagers have made it a habit to infuse it with enca tea leaves.”
The priest explained thoroughly. He continued.
“Even though they’re feeling sick now, they still keep looking for the taste, so the villagers from the eastern end send their water to the temple for this reason.”
After hearing this, Reina recalled what she heard from the young wife.
“All the villagers in Launcer draw water from the well. The water tastes a little fishy, so we make do by drinking it with enca tea. But… It’s the same for all the other families, too. Right, Honey?”
“I wasn’t aware that these circumstances were limited to the eastern side…”
Moreover, she knew that there were many people afflicted by the illness from the eastern part of the village, but she didn’t think that the water was connected to that.
This fact was revealed to her almost nonchalantly, as if it was nothing new. Reina felt like her nerves were buzzing.
“Enca tea…”
To say it was ‘tea’, did this mean that they steeped the tea leaves in hot water? The explanation left her with many questions.
“Can you elaborate on how this tea is made?”
Reina’s question was answered by another priest.
He was from this village, not one that’s been dispatched from the main Utta temple after it’s been revealed that Reina had manifested divine power and became a daughter of their god.
“It’s different from one household to the next, but usually, the tea leaves are boiled in water in bulk, and people finish drinking it in the next few days. There are other households who are diligent enough to gather firewood to boil water for the tea each day.”
Ordinary families used low-cost mana stones for their braziers, but even if you say that they didn’t cost all that much, an expense was still an expense. So, they use it only when absolutely necessary. Even when it’s winter, they’d much rather cut down a tree for firewood.
Still, even though it’s become habitual and even though they’re used to it, it wasn’t an easy task to make a fire using that method.
In other words, this meant that there were only a few houses who did it the old-fashioned way, by chopping down trees for firewood and boiling water for tea.
“Then, there must not be many households that make tea by boiling the water first.”
Reina quickly recounted the houses that she had visited during her rounds the other day.
And right then, she gasped. She had an epiphany.
Reina hastily turned towards Reverend Lyton.
“Are there any of the critically ill patients from the eastern end who have made no improvements?”
“I will need to confirm.”
Upon hearing Lyton’s answer, she nodded towards Captain Karbon as a signal, and he immediately ordered a knight to send a message to the village chief.
“Everyone. Listen to what I have to say.”
Reina instructed the people who were left here on what they needed to do next.
“Starting today, check the current addresses of the patients quarantined here in the temple. Also check whether they regularly drink enca tea, and the method in which they make it.”
“Yes! Understood!”
“In addition, ascertain the status of each patient’s recovery as well. Then, let’s get to work!”
* * *
Two weeks after Reina had visited the temple—
Finally, long-awaited good news arrived.
“Saintess! The medicine you’ve administered is working!”
After examining and conducting many experiments with the enca tea leaves, Reina finally found a clue to solving this plague.
“Finally…!”
And as soon as this good news spread throughout the village, a welcome presence appeared before her.
[ Reina Chantra : the first to develop medicine to treat the bubonic plague. ]
It disappeared when Lehman had left the stage, but this thing that’s been constantly on the back of her mind had finally reappeared!
Ah, of course, it didn’t forget to make a comeback with a rather grand and burdensome message.
[ Congratulations, Chantra.
Throughout the course of history, human beings have made countless attempts, but in a world where magic exists, this endeavor finally bore fruit.
Truly, it is an accomplishment possible due to the power of humanity’s perseverance.
Many shall be impressed by your work, and future generations shall remember your name.
Alter ego of the great Bharan, will of Utta, breath of Shan, wind of Megaro, and tide of Ryama. You, Chantra, are the hope of mankind. ]
“……”
Wow…. Way to lay on the pressure, buddy.
What do you mean, Bharan’s alter ego? And who the heck is Ryama?
And what’s with that. ‘Hope of mankind’?
That should be reserved for the shounen genre!
‘The genre of my second life… Isn’t it supposed to be romance…?’
Why’re things getting bigger and bigger like a mountain.