130

The Crown Prince’s hastily assembled Eastern Plague Relief Team departed at a slow pace.

They’d tried to staff it with low-ranking soldiers and junior priests, citing a lack of resources, but with Prince Raven’s volunteers and other royal family members joining, it at least looked presentable.

‘He’s got that image of a brother who loves his sibling, so he couldn’t just stand by.’

Who knows how long that mask will hold.

After reshuffling his close aides, Prince Raven had been improving; he’d even resumed sword training. Keeping busy cleared stray thoughts. His expression had stiffened slightly when he greeted Lorence before departure, but I believed he’d continue to get better.

“Coco, you heard me, right? Don’t wander off carelessly.”

They’d still assigned a carriage for the Chancellor, so I planned to catch some sleep—until an uninvited guest showed up.

“Why ride in a carriage if you’re not going to ride a horse?”

Aidan lounged in the carriage, crossing his long legs and leaning back with a sly air.

“I’m not a battlemage-knight; I need to conserve my stamina. Since we’re going to a dangerous place, Coco, you need to stick right by my side.”

He might be the most trustworthy person on this relief team.

“Thank you, Magic Tower Master.”

“I told you to call me Aidan. If you keep acting like I’m the Magic Tower Master and get all formal, I’ll be disappointed, Coco.”

“Ah, yes. Yes! Aidan.”

Nicola, who surely hadn’t learned to ride, was granted the courtesy of sharing my carriage thanks to the prince. I was surprised Aidan had tagged along on this bothersome journey.

“You must be really close to the prince. Helping out like this will really help Prince Raven’s return.”

Aidan blinked. “I didn’t come because of him.”

“Aren’t you here to escort the prince?”

“There are plenty of royal retainers; he’s a fine swordsman. He doesn’t need my guard. I’m here to protect Coco! Prince Raven was just a convenient excuse.”

Aidan scratched his chin innocently and flashed a bright smile—the sort of bloom that would charm a few women.

“Because of me? I’m grateful, but how am I supposed to repay this debt…”

This wasn’t like getting picked up for overtime; this was a debt of life.

When my face showed the weight of it, Aidan suddenly sobered; the carriage fell sharply cold.

“Coco.”

“Yes?”

Startled, I swallowed.

“You can’t say it like that. Lives are precious. If a stronger person vows to protect you, trust them and go along.”

I felt I’d done something terribly wrong; his voice had a sternness I’d never heard before.

“I didn’t come for thanks. Don’t call it a debt.”

He had truly come to protect me without expecting anything. Whether he had feelings for me or not, he wanted me to see the situation clearly. Maybe he was angry I’d tried to calculate his feelings.

‘Aidan is right.’

Aidan was right. I felt reassured; if I’d sounded like I was dismissing his goodwill, that was my fault.

“…Thank you, Aidan.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Embarrassed by his seriousness, Aidan turned toward the window, though his eyes were unfocused and his ears surely still listening.

“Then I’ll take advantage of Magic Tower Master Aidan without guilt! Are you prepared?”

I teased, and he immediately reverted to his usual self, as if he’d been waiting.

“Of course! Coco, take this chance to really notice me. I’m good at this.”

A different, sharper smile lingered at his lips.

After three days of travel, we arrived at the eastern plague zone.

I had secretly expected some semblance of modern organization. This place betrayed every such expectation.

…

Everyone could only stand there in shocked silence, staring at a scene no different from a battlefield.

“P-please save me! Hrk!”

“Gasp, gasp. H-help!”

“Please wait a moment!”

“Aaaaaaaah!”

“Ah, damn it, it hurts so much, do something!”

“Waa… Mom, mom…!”

“Just kill me… please…”

“I’m hu-hungry… thirsty… I’m dying of thirst… cough!”

It was nothing short of horrific.

Who would ask to rest here? Any complaint would sound like the petulant words of someone unaffected.

“This way, please.”

Fortunately, one of Raven’s alert subordinates found the administrator and led us to the barracks.

As soon as I set my things down in my tent, I collapsed. Three days of travel with no proper sleep and a carriage jolting over rough ground had drained me; I couldn’t even manage a moan.

‘What now.’

Reality was worse than I’d imagined; the difference between seeing it in a movie and seeing it for real was stark. Passing a corpse festering with a skin disease, the stench nearly made me vomit. I barely held it back.

“Coco, are you okay?”

Nicola came in, worried, offering a canteen of water. One sip eased my churned stomach and steadied me.

“Thanks. What are you doing here? You should be by the prince’s side.”

“The prince told me to come. Maybe he sensed you were worried.”

“Tch.”

I pushed myself up.

“We’re here to assist the prince. From now on, Prince Raven is your top priority. Even if something happens to me, protect him first—that’s how you’ll survive.”

“Coco…”

“Promise me.”

Nicola’s eyes wavered briefly, but under my insistent gaze he nodded.

“…Okay.”

“Good.”

I patted his shoulder a few times and stepped outside. Commanders clustered near Raven’s tent; they gasped at my appearance, then fell silent.

‘They must’ve been talking about me.’

After joining the central department, I’d grown used to being gossip fodder, but it never got pleasant.

“Your Highness, it’s the Chancellor. May I come in?”

“Enter.”

The tent was, predictably, large and luxurious—hardly appropriate for this situation.

‘They’re wasting people on unnecessary things!’

I was furious, but I suggested calmly, keeping a perfect poker face.

“Prince, let’s tour the clinic first. The plague supervisor will guide us.”

No sooner had I finished than a priest, his robes soaked with sweat, appeared.

“I’m Nora, the mid-level priest in charge. I’ll explain as you see for yourself. This way.”

They looked at us with distrust—understandably; the royal household had sent only attendants under the guise of support.

‘From his tone, it sounded like he’d been dragged here to be mocked.’

Nora dragged his feet as he led us, explaining things in a rushed jumble from the entrance.

“As you can see, this is the clinic treating plague patients. Patients flood in like a tide; space and medicines are all in short supply.”

“Has the cause of the plague been identified?”

He answered brusquely. “If we knew, we’d have treated it. We’re drawing on holy power in an emergency, but there’s a limit.”

“Still, we can’t keep repeating this. If you have any ideas, tell us. We’ll help actively.”

Mid-level priest Nora scoffed. “You say you’ll help? I hope you don’t just get in the way. Hah.”

“What?”

“The cause of the plague is being investigated by two healers and a priest holed up in a room.”

So they had no real contingency yet.

“As you said you’re a relief team, I hope you’ve brought at least supplies.”

…

We had brought supplies, but the Crown Prince had kept cutting the allotment, so the amount was far too small to handle the current patients.

‘Damn the Crown Prince.’

I almost spat the thought aloud. The grumbling priest wasn’t worth much—but at least he was out here acting as a human shield.

I recalled a few hygiene rules from my past life and examined the clinic in detail.

‘Poor triage, no separate tents, corpses and patients mixed together.’

It was an environment where recovery was impossible. The closer I got, the more nauseous I felt, but I didn’t want to show weakness before those who’d lost family.

Raven, Aidan, Nicola, and I observed the patients together. After about two hours we all returned to Raven’s tent.

…

No one spoke first; only silence filled the air. Then one of the junior priests who’d toured with us timidly raised his hand. Prince Raven nodded for him to speak.

“Th-the… there doesn’t seem to be a way. When it’s this severe, usually… you burn them to get rid of it…”

“What!”

Mid-level priest Nora grabbed the junior priest by the collar. A commotion erupted as others tried to pull them apart.

‘After all this suffering, it’s infuriating to suddenly hear someone say burn them.’

There are things you can say and things you shouldn’t. I decided to assign that man the hardest menial tasks and motioned him out.

“Do you, Prince, think we should burn them all away?!” an enraged Nora sputtered at the prince.

“How dare you speak to Prince Raven!” a stunned aide barked.

“What insolence!”

“Beg for your life at once!”

“Enough. Calm down.”

When Prince Raven spoke, everyone fell as silent as mice. He turned and asked me, “What does the Chancellor think?”

My answer had been decided even before coming here. Burning the plague area like the Crown Prince wanted? Not a chance.

“The easiest solution often creates the worst crisis later. Who’s to say burning will solve anything?”

“…Then?”

Nora, full of rage, seemed deflated by my calm voice and faltered.

“Do you know what I’m best at in the Chancellery? It’s ‘systematization.’”

Murmurs of confusion rippled through the tent.

Clap!

I drew their attention with a clap.

Yes, if this is what the Crown Prince wanted, just watch.

“Now it’s your turn to step up. Shall we put our bodies to work together?”

I smiled broadly at the gathered relief team.

‘I won’t even let the “b” of “burn them” be spoken.’