Chapter 130

The Crown Prince’s hastily assembled Eastern Plague Relief Team slowly departed.

They’d tried to staff it with only low-ranking soldiers and junior priests under the excuse of lack of resources, but with Prince Raven’s volunteers and 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.

Prince Raven, after reshuffling his close aides, was getting even better. He’d even resumed sword training recently. Moving the body tends to clear stray thoughts. His expression had stiffened slightly when he greeted Lorence before departure, but I believed he’d continue to improve.

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

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

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

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

“I’m not a battlemage-knight, so 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 in this relief team.

“Thank you, Magic Tower Master.”

“I told you to call me Aidan. If you start treating me like I’m the Magic Tower Master and being overly formal, I’ll be disappointed, Coco.”

“Ah, yes. Yes! Aidan.”

Of course, Nicola, who surely hadn’t learned to ride, was given the courtesy to share my carriage thanks to the prince. I was surprised that 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.”

“What are you talking about?”

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 good at swordsmanship. There’s no real need for me to guard him. I’m here to protect Coco! Well, Prince Raven was a convenient excuse, though.”

Aidan scratched his chin innocently and flashed a bright smile. It was the kind of flower-like smile that would charm a few women.

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

This wasn’t the same as someone picking you up for overtime; this was a debt of life.

When I looked burdened, Aidan suddenly sobered. The carriage’s atmosphere turned sharply cold.

“Coco.”

“Yes?”

Startled by the abrupt change in tone, I swallowed.

“You can’t say it like that. Lives are precious. If a stronger person says they’ll protect you, you should just trust them and go along.”

I felt like I’d done something terribly wrong. His voice was stern, unlike usual.

“I didn’t come to be thanked. So don’t think of this as some debt.”

He had truly come to protect me without expecting anything. Whether he had feelings for me or not, he seemed to want me to look at the situation objectively. Maybe he was angry that I tried to calculate his feelings.

‘Aidan is right.’

It was true I felt reassured. If I sounded like I dismissed his goodwill, that was clearly my fault.

“…Thank you, Aidan.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Embarrassed by his seriousness, Aidan suddenly turned his head toward the window. But his eyes were unfocused, and I was sure his ears were still listening.

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

When I teasingly provoked his pride, he immediately reverted to his usual self as if he’d been waiting for that.

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

A smile with a noticeably different atmosphere lingered at his lips.

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

I had secretly expected a somewhat modern system. This place completely betrayed any such expectations.

“…”

Everyone could only stand there in shocked silence, looking 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 could say they wanted to rest in a place like this? Any complaint would sound like the words of someone full and 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 personal tent, I plopped down. I was exhausted—three days without proper sleep, riding in a carriage that shook with the rough ground—and I couldn’t even moan.

‘What now.’

Reality was worse than I’d imagined. The difference between seeing it in a movie and seeing it for real was so stark. Passing by 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 with a worried expression, offering a canteen of water. One sip eased the chill in my stomach and calmed me somewhat.

“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 slowly rose from my seat.

“We’re officially here to assist the prince, so from now on Prince Raven is your top priority. Remember that. Even if something happens to me, protect the prince 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 were gathered in small groups at Raven’s tent. They gasped at the sight of me and then fell silent.

‘They must’ve talked about me.’

After joining the central department, I’d grown accustomed to being gossip fodder, but it was still unpleasant.

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

“Enter.”

The tent we entered was, predictably for royalty, large and luxurious. To worry about that in a situation like this…

‘They’re wasting people on unnecessary things!’

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

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

Their looks at us were full of distrust. Understandably—they couldn’t be pleased that the royal household had sent only attendants under the guise of support.

‘From the way his name sounded, it felt like he was dragged here to be mocked.’

Nora, dragging his feet, guided us and explained things in order—or in no particular order—right 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 my question 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 kept cutting the allotment, so the amount was far too little to handle the current patients.

‘Damn the Crown Prince.’

I almost spat it out aloud. The grumbling priest wasn’t even worth considering—at least he was out here acting as a human shield.

I slowly recalled a few hygiene rules I’d learned in 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 appear weak in front of those who’d lost family. It wouldn’t be proper.

Raven, Aidan, Nicola, and I observed the patients together. It was only after about two hours that we all returned to Raven’s tent.

“…”

No one could speak first; only silence filled the air. Then one of the junior priests who had 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 one can say and things one shouldn’t. I decided to give that man the hardest menial tasks and gestured him out.

“Do you, too, Prince, think we should burn them all away?!”

An enraged Nora suddenly retorted to the prince. A stunned aide angrily rebuked him.

“How dare you to Prince Raven!”

“What insolence is this!”

“Beg for forgiveness with your life at once!”

“Enough. Calm down.”

When Prince Raven spoke, everyone fell as silent as a mouse. He turned and asked me.

“What does the Chancellor think?”

My answer had been decided even before coming here. Burning the plague area like Crown Prince Lorence wanted? It wasn’t even on my list.

“The easiest solution often becomes the most terrible crisis later. Who says burning it 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 not understanding the meaning floated here and there.

Clap!

I drew 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” come out.’