Doctor Player

Chapter 47

“Hasn’t that already been done? There was nothing particularly strange.”

But Raymond shook his head.

“No, I’m sure there’s a clue. There must be some pattern we are overlooking.”

Raymond mentioned the basics of mechanics.

It was necessary to find a common ground among the patients.

They visited the places where the patients lived one by one.

“Many of the patients have poor homes.”

“Isn’t that obvious because it’s a slum?”

“No, especially shabby. Among the slum houses.”

Even within the slums, there was a gap between the rich and the poor.

Some people live in their own houses, and others live in places where it is embarrassing to call them houses because they seem like they’re going to collapse any second by now.

Raymond guessed one thing.

“Could rats be the pathogens?”

There was a possibility.

The more shabby the house, the more rats there will be.

However, there was something that could not be explained.

“Isn’t Lao living in a decent place?”

The very existence of Lao who had an infectious disease.

He was living in a place where he had no connection with rats.

“Lao, where did you go before you got sick?”

“Since it was my first appointment as a manager, I went from place to place. I suffered from the muddy ground after a lot of rain…….”

The kingdom of Houston has recently been in the fall season, so it has rained a lot. In particular, the Bay Area has not been maintained, so when it rains, there are many puddles of water here and there.

“I’m sick and tired of the rain. If you walk a little recklessly, your shoes will get wet.”

It was after Raymond heard that.

“Wait, rain?”

An epiphany flashed through Raymond’s mind.

‘Rats and puddles. Rats and puddles. Is there a connection?’

At that moment, the answer flashed into Raymond’s head.

“Leptospirosis!”

It was an infectious disease of the modern Earth that caught contact with water contaminated with rat feces.

The current epidemic had a similar pattern of spreading like leptospirosis.

‘No, the clinical features are completely different. It’s a different disease. Let us think. What else is this epidemic?’ Raymond tried to think of a list of infectious diseases that were prevalent on the continent.

An infectious disease that is transmitted by water contaminated with rat feces and causes fatal bleeding.

Fortunately, one epidemic came to his mind.

‘It’s Fastin Hemorrhagic Disease!’

Principality of Michelan, a city at the southern end of the Free City Union. It has the disease periodically prevalent there during the rainy season!

‘It is the same as having point bleeding and suddenly dying from that fatal bleeding.’

The method of propagation was also as Raymond estimated.

When a mouse infected with the virus comes into contact with water contaminated with urine, it becomes infected.

‘But why is the epidemic from the Principality of Michelan in the Kingdom of Houston?’

Raymond made a face that he couldn’t accept the idea even if it was just a guess.

Fastin hemorrhagic disease is a disease transmitted only through a special species, the Fastin rat that lives only in the Principality of Michelan.

‘There’s never been a story about this plague circulating outside the Principality of Michelan, right?’

‘I need to check. 

‘Is this really a Fastin hemorrhagic disease?’

The method was simple.

Fastin hemorrhagic disease is transmitted only through Fastin rats, so Raymond can check if a Fastin rat has appeared in the Bay Area.

Fastin rat had a white body with three black stripes.

“Come to think of it, I think I’ve seen it, prince!”

“Me too!”

“I tried to catch it because it looked ominous, but I couldn’t catch it because it ran away quickly!”

There were people here and there who saw Fastin rats.

Raymond’s guess was right!

‘It’s really a Fastin hemorrhagic disease.’

Raymond had goosebumps all over his spine.

‘It’s strange. Why did the Fastin mouse appear in our kingdom? There’s also the fact that it is in the Bay Area where there are no people coming and going?’

‘I don’t think it came from a nearby kingdom.’

‘The kingdom of Houston and the Principality of Michelan were a long way off too.’

‘It had to go through several kingdoms within the Crusades Empire, and it had to go very deeply into the Free City Union.’

‘Plus it will go to the Bay Area where merchants don’t even come and go?’

‘This epidemic. Did someone spread it on purpose? Has anyone brought Fastin mice and released them into the Bay Area?’

A cold sweat trickled down Raymond’s spine.

There was a hint of an ominous conspiracy.

“If this conspiracy is true, then it’s not something I can solve on my own.” 

What a conspiracy!

A timid instinct sprang up and Raymond’s heart thumped.

He was just an ordinary healer.

All he had to do was deal with the disease. He had to leave the conspiracies to the higher-ups.

‘……to be honest, I was afraid to get involved in a conspiracy.’

‘Let me stand down here. If we’ve found out this much, the castle will be able to solve the rest on its own.’

“Lao, you better report this to the castle in your name.”

“Huh? But why?”

Lao made an expression of incomprehension.

“Weren’t you the one who figured it out? Why would you want me to report what you’ve done? Not to mention, take the credit?…”

It was a considerable achievement to find out the identity of the epidemic that occurred in the capital.

But he won’t give himself the credit?

However, Raymond said with a somewhat cool face.

“Lao, do you know what my creed is? It means that the left-hand does not have to know what the right hand did.”

“.…!”

“What I want is to be able to treat my patients, not to be credited. So I’m satisfied that I found a clue to solve the epidemic. It is up to you to step forward.”

Of course, it’s all lies.

‘I just don’t want to get involved in an unidentified conspiracy.’

To be honest, I wanted to go and report after saying, ‘I found it all out!’

‘I was sure to get a reward by solving this problem. Crying. My money. I can’t help it if it’s a waste. I have no choice but to give up.’

Without knowing Raymond’s inner thoughts, Lao clenched his fist.

He clenched them hard.

Hard enough to make it white.

As such, Lao’s shock now is a gusset.

‘……I can’t believe I misunderstood someone like this. I’m ashamed. I’m so ashamed.’ 

He was the son of the fallen Count.

He made a bloody effort solely to raise his family.

‘Even now, my eyes are wide open to make a contribution somehow…… I was ashamed to see Raymond not coveting merit but as he only cared for others.’

Lao’s misunderstanding of Raymond was completely resolved in his mind.

Instead, another sense of jealousy raged.

‘Damn it, why am I so greedy? Why can’t I be as straight as you?’

He had a dream when his family was still well off.

Patriotism!

Noblesse Oblige!

‘I will be an aristocrat solely for the sake of the nation and its people!’

‘But now I’ve become a little man who only wants to succeed.’

Lao grew unbearably jealous of Raymond, who had the brilliance he did not have. 

“If that’s what you mean, then I understand. I’ll report it to the administration.” 

“Yes, I’ll trust you with the rest.” 

Raymond cheered for  Lao inwardly. ‘I’m going to step back, so you should solve everything!’

But there was one thing Raymond didn’t notice.

The kind of eyes Lao has right now.

His eyes were burning with an unknown sense of justice.

***

“There’s an epidemic going around the Bay Area? And it is also a hemorrhagic disease that’s prevalent in the Principality of Michelan?”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Lao bowed his head with a very nervous face.

King Oden was in front of him.

“I can’t believe I’m seeing the king in person.’

It wasn’t just the king.

IChancellor Galman and several others, even the princes were present.

Originally, it was reported to the minister of the administration, but after hearing the matter, the story went up to Chancellor Galman, and this large-scale meeting was held.

This is because a new infectious disease was created in the capital, so it was usually an urgent issue.

“That’s a big deal. How did such a terrible disease come in?”

“We need to close the Bay Area right now!”

“All the commoners living nearby must be wiped out, too!”

The conference hall became noisy.

King Oden raised his hand to quell the disturbance.

“Stop. It’s an epidemic carried through rats, what’s the point of shutting down the Bay Area? What if a mouse moves to the next lime area? Will you shut down the capital then?”

“It’s….”

“Don’t be scared of the epidemic and tell it as it is. However, tell them realistic measures. Proud ministers of this kingdom of Houston. Do you understand?”

King Oden then asked Lao. “How many people have died so far?”

“Two people Your Highness.”

“Two people? Didn’t you say it’s a dangerous infectious disease that causes serious bleeding?”

“That is entirely due to BaronPenin.”

Lao thought to himself. ‘I can’t intercept my older brother’s achievements.’

Contrary to Raymond’s intention, Lao had no intention of stealing credit from Raymond.

‘No matter how blinded you are by merit, how can you wear a human mask?’

Rather, it was the opposite.

‘I was going to let Raymond know what he had done.’

‘So I’ll let everyone know how great Raymond is!’

“He treated patients with the foot-and-mouth disease through ancient secret techniques. I have an infectious disease, too, but thanks to Baron Penin, I was able to overcome the crisis.”

“Is it Baron Penin who discovered the identity of this epidemic?”

“Yes, he said that in order to prevent the further spread of the epidemic, we must exterminate the Fastin mice.”

The conference room was in a state of commotion for a moment.

It hasn’t been long since he made a contribution, but the name of Baron Penin was mentioned again.

It was still an ongoing case, but it stopped the victim and revealed the identity of the epidemic.

In addition, it can be said that he has already made great contributions by providing clues to the solution. ‘As expected of Raymond. I can’t believe you’re making this again. When did the ugly child become so good?’ Chancellor Galman looked pleased.

“Then we must exterminate the rats. What should we do?”

Everyone looked at each other and couldn’t open their mouths easily.

It was simple, but not as easy as they thought.”If you set fire to the Bay Area…….”

“Fire? Who lives there? And what if they set it on fire and the Fastin rats run away to other commoners’ quarters? Are you going to start a fire then too?”

Then, a confident voice rang through the conference room.

“Give me your soldiers! I’ll take the soldiers and beat up all the Fastin rats!”

It was the one who had tormented Raymond hard in the past.

It was the 4th prince, Prince Seytil called the Sword Genius!

“You’re going to catch a mouse with the soldiers?”

King Oden asked in a skeptical voice.

This is because it was unlikely that even if soldiers were mobilized, they could wipe out the rats.

However, Seytil cried out with a brave look.

“If the brave kingdom soldiers join forces, how would it be difficult to catch a rat?”