Portents of a Triumvirate 1

That day, Liliana had been invited to Crown Prince Riley’s office. Now that she was officially his fiancée, she was not only receiving the remainder of her Crown Princess training but was also assisting with some of his official duties. Of course, as she was still only his fiancée, there was a limit to the duties she could undertake, but her high capabilities were evident in her work nonetheless.

“A report from Clyde has come in. Would you like to read it as well, Sasha?”

“The matter of the Black Death, I presume.”

Liliana accepted the report from Riley. The logically structured text was concise, yet remarkably easy to grasp, much like Clyde’s own personality. Riley glanced sideways at Liliana reading with a serious expression and let a small smile escape his lips.

“He’s taking a rather unusual approach to dealing with the Black Death. I heard you were the one who suggested it.”

“I simply conveyed what little I knew. It was my brother who considered the details and put them into practice.”

Riley gave a wry smile at Liliana's tone, which seemed to imply that the credit was not hers.

“That’s not true at all. Without your advice, the Black Death would have spread in the blink of an eye, and the surrounding villages, fearing a monster attack, would have set fire to that village.”

Riley's point was valid. The Black Death had long been believed to be caused by the miasma that precedes a monster attack. While fewer people near the royal capital subscribed to this theory, in the countryside, many still held it as gospel. As a result, there had been numerous tragic incidents in the past where villages afflicted by the Black Death were set ablaze, and all the villagers burned to death. Yet, there were few accounts of such actions actually halting the spread of the plague.

But that didn't mean Liliana was prepared to claim this as her achievement. Her smile turned into a troubled one as she handed the report back to Riley.

“It would be good if this brings it to an end, but looking back at history, stopping the Black Death is no easy feat. Can you think of any good methods?”

“…Indeed.”

Liliana furrowed her brow in deep thought. Even with the memories of her past life, the Black Death had not been eradicated. The number of deaths had plummeted only because an effective cure was developed; a vaccine had ultimately failed. The only thing that could be done at present was what Liliana had previously told Clyde.

(Perhaps with magic, it might be possible to create an effect similar to an antibiotic.)

But to do that, she would have to either recognize the existence of the plague bacteria she needed to remove from the body, or construct a formula to 'define' and remove a substance similar to it. For the people of this world, who didn't even know of the existence of germs, let alone plague bacteria, it would be impossible to accurately understand the definition of the substance to be removed, and the formula would not activate effectively.

“When the Black Death spreads, public order deteriorates, and riots can break out. In fact, sixteen years ago, a village where the Black Death broke out was set on fire, and many orphans died.”

Liliana had read about that incident. It had happened before she was born, but even then, the plague had, uncharacteristically, not spread beyond the afflicted village. Liliana suspected it was because peasants from a neighboring village, driven by fear, had set the fire as soon as the outbreak occurred.

Many of the villagers had burned to death, but a few sympathetic souls had searched for the bodies and buried them in a common grave. However, the records briefly noted that the majority of the orphans, who had been huddling together in a monastery, were never found.

“The number of ruined nobles will also increase. At this stage, with the Empire’s movements becoming unsettling, having seeds of discord within our own country is not desirable.”

“I agree.”

Riley nodded in agreement with Liliana’s opinion.

Even looking back at the history of her previous life, the social and political impact of the Black Death had been immense. The loss of life had led to a labor shortage, which in turn improved the standing of peasants in various regions. Peasant revolts were common, and many lords fell into ruin. While royal authority was strengthened in some areas as a result, it was highly likely that the situation would devolve into something far from peaceful, regardless.

If the Black Death were to spread to the Yunatian Empire, they probably wouldn't launch a war. But if, by some chance, it remained contained within the Kingdom of Slibegrad, the Empire would surely seize the opportunity and work to bring the kingdom under its control.

As she considered this, a question suddenly arose in Liliana’s mind, and she voiced it.

“At present, are reports of the Black Death only coming from the Clark Duchy?”

“Hm? Ah, yes, that’s right. And it seems to be confined to that one village. The Black Death recorded in history books often spread over a wide area, but perhaps the countermeasures were effective this time.”

Riley looked momentarily puzzled but then nodded. He added that Clyde’s measures must have been successful, but Liliana merely gave a small nod in response. Something else was bothering her more.

Liliana had assumed that the plague bacteria, the cause of the Black Death, had been brought in from outside, perhaps through imported furs. A drought in another country could have caused a mass migration of rats seeking food, bringing the bacteria into the kingdom. But so far, there had been no such reports. The region where the outbreak occurred was inland, and any imported goods would have had to pass through other areas. If the plague broke out in that region while no patients were found elsewhere, it couldn't be concluded that the bacteria had come from another area.

In other words, the origin was within the Clark Duchy. This struck Liliana as deeply strange.

In the game, there had been no mention of the Black Death. This meant that even if an outbreak had occurred before the game began, it was likely suppressed quickly. Otherwise, the death toll would have skyrocketed and surely impacted the main story. Or perhaps the Black Death, which had not occurred in the world depicted in the game, had broken out for some reason—that was the part she couldn't figure out. Above all, magic existed in this world. If there were no such things as magic or curses, it wouldn’t be a problem to declare it the Black Death, but fortunately or unfortunately, both existed in this world. She would have to consider the possibility that it wasn't the Black Death at all.

Riley was watching Liliana’s face, trying to gauge what his fiancée was thinking. Liliana collected herself and smiled.

“As Will says, the Black Death is a transmissible disease, so it would be best to keep a close watch to ensure it does not spread to other regions.”

“You’re right. I think so too. I’ll have a civil servant issue a notice to all regions. As for countermeasures, we can use Clyde’s report as a reference and have them create a procedural manual.”

Liliana nodded at Riley’s proposal. It was unlikely that the Black Death was a precursor to a monster attack, but there was a possibility it was caused by magic or a curse rather than bacteria. Since she couldn’t prove that now, it was undoubtedly better to assume it was caused by the plague bacteria and take measures accordingly.

“Will, I have a proposal, if I may?”

“What is it?”

A thought suddenly struck Liliana, and she called out to Riley. Since the day he had asked her to call him Will, she had made an effort to use his nickname when they were alone. At first, she had been unaccustomed to saying it and had occasionally called him “Riley-sama,” only to be corrected. But after two years, it had become second nature. And every time Liliana said his nickname, a soft, happy smile would spread across Riley’s face. It was a bewildering experience for Liliana, who couldn’t feel the same way when he called her Sasha, but again, habit is a powerful thing, and she now continued speaking without giving it a second thought.

“Should the Black Death break out in other regions, I believe it would be best to gather specific information to accurately grasp the situation.”

“Specific information?”

Riley blinked. Liliana nodded. Thanks to her knowledge from her past life, she had a nearly accurate understanding of the Black Death. But the people of this world did not. The fact that many believed it to be a precursor to a monster attack was proof of that. But at this point, no matter how much Liliana insisted that 'the cause is a creature so small it’s invisible', people wouldn’t readily believe her. Even in her past life, it had taken time and several steps for the correct knowledge to spread.

“First, we need to form a hypothesis. I hypothesize that the Black Death is not a precursor to a monster attack brought on by miasma, but rather a disease caused by tiny, invisible insects entering the body via rodents like rats. As the number of patients increases and more of them become seriously ill, coughing up bloody phlegm, I believe these tiny insects then spread from person to person.”

Riley’s eyes widened at Liliana’s explanation. Clyde’s report only mentioned that 'there is literature in other countries pointing to the possibility that it is caused by a creature so small as to be invisible'. But the idea that rats were the vectors for these tiny creatures, and that it could spread from person to person as the number of patients grew, was something Liliana had just voiced for the first time.

“That is… how did you come up with that?”

Riley stumbled over his words, a rare occurrence for him, likely due to his surprise. Liliana smiled faintly. Of course, she knew this because of her memories from her past life, but she couldn’t tell him that.

Rather, to prove it, Liliana was suggesting to Riley that they should collect and analyze information such as the symptoms of those afflicted and the contact between rats and villagers.

Seeing Liliana's expression, Riley gave a wry smile. He realized she had no intention of explaining how she had come up with such an idea, but he didn’t seem inclined to dismiss it out of hand.

“It’s true that if we could draw some kind of conclusion from that, it would be easier to devise countermeasures. I’ll consider it. If you wouldn’t mind, could you put together a proposal on what kind of information to collect?”

“Yes, of course.”

It was Liliana who had suggested a detailed investigation. Of course, it wasn't just a simple survey; it was what would have been called “epidemiological research” in her past life. It was an essential investigative study to clarify the factors behind diseases and other health-related issues, a medical investigation that had begun at the end of the Industrial Revolution in her previous life. It might be a bit too early to introduce it to the world she was in now, but it had the potential to at least raise awareness of the importance of hygiene. Believing there was no one better suited for the task, Liliana smiled brightly and readily agreed.

＊＊＊＊＊

That night, after finishing her discussion with Riley about the Black Death, Liliana sat with a frown, two letters before her.

The first letter bore no sender’s name, but she knew who it was from. Obsidian. He had accepted her request to keep an eye on Clyde’s movements. The letter stated that Clyde had gone to the forge in the Clark duchy and, like Liliana, had felt something was amiss—namely, that the number of finished products in storage was too small for the facility. However, he had not discovered the secret storehouse hidden in the forest.

The sender of the other letter was Petra Muirulainen. Liliana hadn't seen Petra since the largest monster attack in history three years ago. If she met with Petra, who was being watched by the Ministry of Magic, there was a chance Liliana would also be placed under surveillance. Deciding that was undesirable, she had avoided all contact, including letters, as much as possible.

Despite that, starting with a letter that had arrived just the other day, Petra had begun sending letters to Liliana. The content was a simple update on her recent situation, information Liliana was already aware of.

(Returning to the Ministry of Magic as a regular mage… The idea of Ben Draco-sama as a regular mage just feels wrong.)

She made it a rule to burn Petra’s letters on the spot, so Liliana disposed of the second letter in the same manner. But her expression remained clouded.

Petra was likely sending these letters because she wanted to know, if Liliana knew, why the Ministry of Magic had contacted them about reinstatement now of all times. But unfortunately, Liliana also had no idea what the Ministry was thinking by contacting Ben and Petra about returning to work. Her curse magic rats hadn't picked up any relevant information, and Obsidian hadn't uncovered anything either.

In any case, it was certain that the Director of the Ministry of Magic, Nicholas Bergson, was involved.

(If Director Bergson is involved, then it’s possible Earl Mellars is plotting something at the moment.)

After his honeymoon period with Liliana’s father, Abram, had ended, Bergson had reportedly made contact with Earl Mellars. The Earl shouldn’t find Ben Draco or Petra Muirulainen particularly bothersome. It would be more accurate to say that it was Bergson who shunned the two of them. Thinking that far, Liliana suddenly recalled a certain fact.

“Thorn Greed—”

Petra had once told her that he was hostile toward Ben. He was the man who had taken Ben’s place when he was demoted from Deputy Director. It was possible that Thorn Greed’s ambitions were at play.

“Come to think of it, Earl Greed and Earl Mellars were often seen engrossed in conversation at social gatherings.”

Of course, Liliana, not yet of age, could not attend these gatherings. But she always kept herself informed. The social world was an invaluable source of information, revealing who was close to whom, or who was at odds.

“Nicholas Bergson, Thorn Greed… and Earl Mellars.”

A strange connection had formed without her noticing. Liliana furrowed her elegant brows slightly and sank deep into thought.

＊＊＊＊＊

Thorn Greed, the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Magic, was furious about the personnel change announced by Director Nicholas Bergson.

“Are you serious, Director?”

“The orders have already been issued. Your opposition is meaningless.”

Grrr, he ground his teeth. The taste of blood filled his mouth, but he was far beyond caring about that.

“Ben Draco is a traitor! To reinstate him to the Ministry of Magic is sheer madness.”

“The instructions came from a person of high station. There is nothing we can do.”

Director Bergson frowned in annoyance. If he pressed any further, the director might cut him loose—the thought made Thorn Greed barely swallow his angry retort. His clenched fists trembled.

He was a man of great ambition. It had always infuriated him that someone as brilliant as himself was relegated to being a regular mage in the Ministry, and that Ben Draco had been appointed Deputy Director simply because he was from the renowned Draco family of mages. His father was a Earl, but he only cared for his heir, the eldest son. The second son received a modicum of attention, but Thorn, being only the third son, had always been an afterthought to his father. His mother, of course, paid him no mind either. Her only interest was in society gossip.

But then, Thorn Greed had been blessed with good fortune.

During the monster attack three years ago, Ben Draco had been stripped of his position as Deputy Director for tampering with a teleportation circle and placed on indefinite suspension. And Thorn had taken his place.

Ben Draco had always been a thorn in his side. He must have become Deputy Director through some dishonest means. But the man was cunning and would never have left any evidence. And even if there had been proof that he tampered with the teleportation circle, Ben Draco would have surely erased it.

That was why Thorn Greed, at the behest of Director Nicholas Bergson, had testified that evidence had been found at Ben Draco’s mansion. However, that evidence had somehow turned into meaningless scraps of paper. He had been reprimanded by Director Bergson for it, but the director had kept his promise and promoted him to Deputy Director.

But now, after three years, Ben Draco was said to be returning to the Ministry of Magic. And it was said to be 'at the instruction of a person of high station'. Director Bergson's words deeply wounded Thorn Greed’s pride.

“Don’t concern yourself with such a trivial person. In any case, the work assigned to him will be nothing of importance. Ah, but perhaps we will give priority to him for jobs in the borderlands.”

“—Jobs in the borderlands, you say?”

“Yes. Work from which one never knows when they might return—or rather, work where one never knows how long their life will last.”

Director Bergson let out a smirk. Seeing this, Thorn Greed finally felt a sense of satisfaction.

Even if Ben Draco returned, he would never regain his former glory. He would be assigned nothing but menial tasks and pushed into jobs with a high probability of death. If that was the case, perhaps it was a small price to pay. Still, a murky feeling remained in his heart.

“It will be a spectacle to see how long he pathetically clings to life,” Thorn Greed spat coldly. To him, Ben Draco was nothing more than a disgraceful man who clung to a wretched life while plotting treason.

Director Bergson glanced at his subordinate but did not reply.

“That is all. Do not forget about the matter of the magic stones.”

“Understood.”

Reminded by the director, Thorn Greed nodded. The reason he had been summoned to the director’s office was not to be informed of Ben Draco’s return. A nobleman had offered to buy magic stones at a high price, and he was to make the arrangements. It seemed the nobleman wanted to collect the stones in secret, so the number of people who knew of the request had to be limited.

He grumbled inwardly that such trivial work could be left to others, but the fact that the request was to be kept secret meant the client was surely a high-ranking noble. He consoled himself with the hope that if he did well, he might be able to make a name for himself, and left the director’s office.

Returning to the Deputy Director’s office, Thorn Greed noticed an unfamiliar letter on his desk. He picked it up and examined it, but there was no sender’s name. The content was extremely brief.

“—Come to the location below, tonight—?”

Below the single sentence were a time and place, and it was even politely added that he should burn the letter after reading.

Thorn Greed furrowed his brow. It was a highly suspicious summons. But he was confident in his magic. He could protect himself even if he went alone—so he thought, as he silently burned the letter in a candle flame. He then sat down at his desk, determined to finish his work early to make it to the appointed time.

—-

ToC

Chapter 162