April 2340.

Shuki Tsetsi arrived in the Kingdom of Leonard with five disciples.

The road to the Kingdom of Leonard was not smooth and full of hardships.

The wagon was broken and the journey over the mountains on foot was difficult and painful.

They arrived at Habione, a small city far west of the capital Carnagh.

The people of the Kingdom of Leonard are receptive and sympathetic to the philosophy of .

Three new mages are apprenticed here.

April 5.

"Where are you going today, Master Magus?

LOTRAO, one of the apprentices, asked after breakfast.

"Well, I heard that there was an illness in a village in the north, so I think I'll go there to see what's going on.

"Okay, I will go with you."

Shuki Tszettsi was a former medical student and could not leave him alone when he heard that someone was sick.

Fortunately, some of his students were skilled in healing magic, and he was able to cure most of them.

Of the eight disciples, Shuki set out for the north with two new disciples and three old ones.

On April 7, they arrived at the northern village of ...... Shire.

"......This is a terrible ......"

The village of Shire was a small village with about 20 houses and a population of 80, but the majority of the inhabitants were sick.

"It was definitely dysentery.

Shuki diagnosed dysentery after seeing a high fever of nearly 40 degrees Celsius, abdominal pain, and bloody stools.

We must quarantine this village immediately.

Dysentery is an infectious disease caused by the dysentery bacillus, mostly transmitted through food and water from feces and urine.

There are two types of dysentery, bacterial and amoebic, and Shuki diagnosed this one as bacterial.

"Listen, this disease is transmitted orally. Don't forget to disinfect your hands."

The engineering magic <<> had already been completed, and all the old apprentices were ready to use it.

Of the three apprentices we took this time, two showed aptitude in this area, and one of them learned << sterilization>> immediately after becoming an apprentice.

Shuki himself could not use magic, but his body was somehow resistant to all illnesses.

However, Shuki took great care to treat his patients so that they would not infect others through his hands.

His treatment consisted first of drinking plenty of water to alleviate the dehydration caused by diarrhea.

Next was healing magic for the abdominal digestive organs <.

The advanced level of healing magic <> for the internal organs had not yet been completed.

"Hang in there, you'll be all right now."

"Oh, thank you very much ......."

Almost everyone who had been treated in time survived. However, three villagers who were in serious condition when Shuki and his team arrived were unable to get the desperate treatment they needed. .......

"If only we had ...... arrived a day earlier. ......"

"Master, don't be so hard on yourself."

"Yes, I am. The people in the village were very grateful to you.

The disciples looked at the sad Shuki and tried to cheer him up.

Then an old disciple, Liebeslau, came and gave them some new information.

"There is a small village further north called Barbora, which is also in bad shape.

"I see. I will go there tomorrow. I'll ask Lotlao and Fesmeefe to stay in this village.

Lotlao is an old apprentice who can use healing magic, and Fesmeefe is a new apprentice who has learned <> since he came to this village and has a promising future.

Tempes and Hakeri follow me."

Tempes is an old apprentice and Hakeri is a new apprentice.

Both are trustworthy. Tempes was the best healer among the apprentices, and Hakeri was a promising newcomer who had learned sterilization right out of his apprenticeship.

Leaving the Shire village early in the morning, the three of them walked at a brisk pace and managed to reach the village of Barbora before nightfall. But it was too late.

"...... too late. ......"

Not a single person in the village was moving.

It was already too late for the village of 15 houses and 50 people.

"If only we had ...... arrived two more days, or even a day earlier. ......"

That's what I think anytime, anytime, when I am forced to feel my own helplessness.

At such a time.

"Master, do you hear something?"

Harkerly muttered as he listened.

"Yes?"

Shuki and Tempest listened carefully. Something was coming on the wind.

"...... crying?"

"Let's go."

The three of them walked toward the voice.

"There it is."

It was coming from inside a small hut on the outskirts of the village.

"Who's there?

When they opened the door of the hut, they found a dehydrated young woman and a baby in her arms.

It was the baby who was crying.

Shuki rushes to pick up the baby. At the same time, he examines the condition of the young woman who seems to be the mother.

"...... na ......."

Her lips were cracked, her eyes were sunken, and it was clearly too late for her. But Shuki does not give up.

"Healing magic!"

"Yes, yes!　<

Tempest hastily casts a healing spell.

But <> is not powerful enough, and the woman's condition shows no signs of recovery.

"I'm ...... dehydrated. Hurry up and drink the white water...... no, I can't make it in time. Just give her water to drink."

"Yes!"

Hakeri gives him a drink of water from the water bottle he has prepared for such an occasion.

It has a spout like a sucking cup so that the patient can drink water without spilling it.

"......"

After giving the patient a drink of water, the healing spell is applied once more.

"<>!"

Thanks to this, the words come out of the woman's mouth.

"What about ......?"

Shuki calls out, assuming it's about the baby.

"The baby is here. She's safe!　Stay with me!

The baby was able to drink a little water. After examining the baby, it seems that fortunately he is not infected with dysentery.

It was probably fortunate that the infant was exclusively breast-fed.

"I'd like to ...... take a look at that ...... child .......... ...and ......."

The woman finally spun out those words.

"<>!"

However, the <> must not have been effective enough.

The woman's eyes, which had seemed to recover for a while, rapidly lost their light.

"O-nega ...... is ...... is ...... is ...... is ...... is ...... is ...... is ...... is ...... is ...... is ...... is ...... is ......."

"Get a grip!"

It was too late, and all Shuki could do was call out to him.

He brought the baby close to him, hoping that he could regain some of his zest for life.

The woman's eyes widened a little and she looked at the baby,

She looked at the baby and said, "A......dori......a......a......na......... ...a ...... baby is ...... a ...... baby is ...... a ...... baby is ...... a ...... baby is ...... a ...... baby is ...... a ...... baby is ...... a ...... baby..."

And then he broke off.