Leave a Comment / Reincarnation into a barrier master / By IX
“Everyone here has been chosen, outstanding individuals in the Holy Land,” Vielle exclaimed, flipping over something like a barrel and standing on top of it to deliver her speech. A crowd of believers had gathered around her, and the security soldiers appeared bewildered. When they noticed me, all of them turned their gaze in my direction. I signaled with my eyes for them not to interfere and focused on listening to Vielle’s words.
“All of you have taken pride in the skills, knowledge, and experiences you’ve acquired until now. I felt the same way. However, when we were infected by Luorans, we couldn’t do anything. We were merely waiting for the uncertain arrival of death.”
The murmurs among the gathered believers subsided, and the square fell into a profound silence.
“I was afraid of dying. I desperately didn’t want to die. I prayed fervently, but the Lord did not answer us. It was King Agarta who saved us from such a plight.”
Vielle noticed me but quickly averted her gaze and continued speaking.
“I am not telling all of you to pledge loyalty to King Agarta. Furthermore, I have no intention of asking you to pledge loyalty to the Crimeana Faith in the future.”
The followers began to get noisy, but Vielle continued without paying attention.
“I interpret this ordeal as a test given by the Lord to make us feel powerless. We couldn’t do anything this time. Yes, we have proudly considered ourselves the greatest nation in the world, but in reality, we were powerless. Despite our powerlessness, we have extended a helping hand to those who believe in the Crimeana Faith and turned a blind eye to those who do not. …We were arrogant. If King Agarta had done the same thing as us, what would have happened? Everyone here would have perished.”
With that, Vielle closed her eyes, raised her face, and then opened her eyes again, surveying the believers.
“However, King Agarta came to our aid. Now we are alive. I believe this is the guidance of the Lord, who wants us to save not only believers but also non-believers.”
The square fell into silence once again.
“Coming to Agarta, contracting Luorans, none of these were mistakes. They had a purpose. We are alive now, permitted to live. There must be things we still need to do. We were allowed to live to save as many people as possible. We may be powerless, but precisely because of that, there must be things we can do. Let’s gather our wisdom and save people. Isn’t that what the Lord wanted to convey to us?”
With that, Vielle took a breath, and then, with a radiant smile, she continued speaking.
“So, everyone, let’s return to the Holy Land, to Aphrodite. And let’s build the true Crimeana Faith together.”
She called out to each believer, urging them to return and build it together. The gathered believers were in tears. Rather than being called traitors, they seemed to deeply resonate with Vielle’s words, feeling relief that they were recognized by the Lord they believed in.
She jumped down from the barrel and headed straight towards me.
“King Agarta, we will return to Aphrodite. However, if it’s not too much to ask, may we stay here a little longer until the Ilbeji River’s water level stabilizes?”
I looked at Vielle’s face intently and then sighed in resignation.
“Do as you please. Well, we still don’t know if Luorans has been completely cured. Until the river’s water level settles, I’ll let you stay in this place.”
“Thank you. We won’t forget this kindness.”
“For now, make sure to do something about the believers hiding in the depths of the forest.”
“I understand. I will take responsibility for that,” Vielle replied.
I turned to the old general sitting next to me and muttered, “General, for a while…”
“Leave it to me. It’s hit or miss. There are even flowers that won’t wither.”
“Flowers that won’t wither…? Were there any flowers blooming in this village?”
Upon hearing the old general’s words, Vielle interjected, “Silence is golden.”
———-
A few weeks later, I was in my office, visited by Mei, Roni, and Chiwan, with developments regarding the analysis of Luorans.
“The cause is mold…”
I had expected it to be some kind of pathogen, so I was taken aback by the unexpected result. Chiwan calmly began to explain to me while I was still in shock.
“Yes. The people of Crimeana burned the forest and cultivated fields for food production. They used the ashes of Ahilne, a weed that grows on the southern island, as fertilizer.”
“Ahilne ashes?”
“Yes. Normally, mold doesn’t grow on Ahilne ashes. However, this mold can be cultured in abnormal humidity and low-temperature environments. The winter in Agarta and the increase in humidity in the forest were the perfect conditions for this disease to develop.”
“I see… So why does this mold lead to death in humans?”
“When the mold is inhaled into the human body, it causes inflammation in the blood vessels. The infected patients had purple spots, and that’s exactly what happened. The inflammation progresses gradually while spreading toward the center of the body, ultimately causing inflammation in the lungs. That’s why they suddenly experience difficulty breathing, and it appears as sudden death, which is Luroans.”
“I see… Normally, the purple spots first appear around the neck due to changes in temperature and humidity. But in Agarta, the stable low temperature and high humidity led to an accelerated progression of the disease. However, Vielle is unique. Having spots all over her face is still under investigation. But leaving it untreated, her brain would likely have been affected, so the timing of her recovery was extremely close.”
“Quite… Luroans has another troublesome aspect. It contaminates the soil in the forest.”
It was Mei who spoke next.
“The mold that has proliferated on the soil releases small amounts of toxic substances, gradually contaminating the soil. If we don’t stop it, we won’t be able to grow crops in that forest.”
“How can we stop it?”
“If we raise the temperature and reduce the humidity, the mold will die. I think that should work.”
“We don’t have to worry about humidity anymore since the forest spirits’ harassment should have stopped… Nevertheless, as a precaution, let’s raise the temperature inside the barrier. How about setting it to around 30 degrees Celsius?”
Mei and the others exchanged glances and smiled wryly. Addressing them again, I asked, “So, have you finished making the cure?”
“Yes, it’s ready.”
“Great job, as expected of you, Mei and the others. So, does this mean that Clarina’s theory was completely off the mark?”
“Not exactly,” Chiwan replied with a wry smile. “Clarina’s concoction of acid and bile from the sheepfolk indeed does kill the mold causing Luroans in the body.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“When she mixed the bile from the sheepfolk with acid… that was her theory. However, in practice, we found that while adding sheepfolk bile does accelerate the mold’s death somewhat, it’s not necessary. Acid alone is sufficient.”
“Didn’t she say it spreads through infection by the catfolk?”
“Yes, we tested that too. Catfolk actually have a resistance to Luroans. They can harbor the mold for years. Probably, the fluid Clarina used from the catfolk she infected contained the mold.”
“What a… woman.”
“Yes. She’s completely unaware of it herself, but she probably has the talent to find the shortest path to the correct solution, to some extent. In a way, she seems to be favored by the gods.”
“I don’t accept that at all.”
Roni made it clear that she wouldn’t accept Clarina’s miraculous outcome. Indeed, from her perspective, Clarina’s theory being just a product of chance wouldn’t be easy to accept.
“So, she has exceptional control, huh? Oh, by the way, I feel like there was another person who had exceptional control… Can’t quite remember.”
“Ultimately, I believe that Linos’s Level 5 healing magic revived the necrotic blood vessels, causing the patients to recover.”
“I see. So, Chiwan, what exactly is this cure?”
“It’s simple. We inject Clarina’s acid directly, and then we administer medicine to suppress inflammation in the blood vessels. If it’s in the early stages of infection, it can be cured. Even if it hasn’t manifested yet, injecting the acid will prevent infection. If the disease has progressed, it’s quite troublesome…”
“I see. So those who were infected with Luroans have been passing it down through generations because they lived in the same place, huh? That finally makes sense.”
I breathed out slowly, gazing into the distance.
“My strategy to get the Crimeana folks to leave peacefully by bothering them turned into a grand experiment on the human body known as Luroans… Well, thanks to that, Mei and others were fully committed to researching the extermination of the disease. In a way, we owe it to Crimeana for that…”
“Well, considering the actions of the religious authorities so far, this kind of retaliation was inevitable…”
“Chiwan, do you think the same?”
“Master, we’ll immediately distribute the acid to the villagers in the barrier village. We’ll also provide it to those who are still infected. Shall we inform Vielle about the cause of Luroans?”
I smiled and shook my head slowly, looking at Mei.
“Mei, sometimes it’s better not to know.”
Leave a Comment / Reincarnation into a barrier master / By IX
“Everyone here has been chosen, outstanding individuals in the Holy Land,” Vielle exclaimed, flipping over something like a barrel and standing on top of it to deliver her speech. A crowd of believers had gathered around her, and the security soldiers appeared bewildered. When they noticed me, all of them turned their gaze in my direction. I signaled with my eyes for them not to interfere and focused on listening to Vielle’s words.
“All of you have taken pride in the skills, knowledge, and experiences you’ve acquired until now. I felt the same way. However, when we were infected by Luorans, we couldn’t do anything. We were merely waiting for the uncertain arrival of death.”
The murmurs among the gathered believers subsided, and the square fell into a profound silence.
“I was afraid of dying. I desperately didn’t want to die. I prayed fervently, but the Lord did not answer us. It was King Agarta who saved us from such a plight.”
Vielle noticed me but quickly averted her gaze and continued speaking.
“I am not telling all of you to pledge loyalty to King Agarta. Furthermore, I have no intention of asking you to pledge loyalty to the Crimeana Faith in the future.”
The followers began to get noisy, but Vielle continued without paying attention.
“I interpret this ordeal as a test given by the Lord to make us feel powerless. We couldn’t do anything this time. Yes, we have proudly considered ourselves the greatest nation in the world, but in reality, we were powerless. Despite our powerlessness, we have extended a helping hand to those who believe in the Crimeana Faith and turned a blind eye to those who do not. …We were arrogant. If King Agarta had done the same thing as us, what would have happened? Everyone here would have perished.”
With that, Vielle closed her eyes, raised her face, and then opened her eyes again, surveying the believers.
“However, King Agarta came to our aid. Now we are alive. I believe this is the guidance of the Lord, who wants us to save not only believers but also non-believers.”
The square fell into silence once again.
“Coming to Agarta, contracting Luorans, none of these were mistakes. They had a purpose. We are alive now, permitted to live. There must be things we still need to do. We were allowed to live to save as many people as possible. We may be powerless, but precisely because of that, there must be things we can do. Let’s gather our wisdom and save people. Isn’t that what the Lord wanted to convey to us?”
With that, Vielle took a breath, and then, with a radiant smile, she continued speaking.
“So, everyone, let’s return to the Holy Land, to Aphrodite. And let’s build the true Crimeana Faith together.”
She called out to each believer, urging them to return and build it together. The gathered believers were in tears. Rather than being called traitors, they seemed to deeply resonate with Vielle’s words, feeling relief that they were recognized by the Lord they believed in.
She jumped down from the barrel and headed straight towards me.
“King Agarta, we will return to Aphrodite. However, if it’s not too much to ask, may we stay here a little longer until the Ilbeji River’s water level stabilizes?”
I looked at Vielle’s face intently and then sighed in resignation.
“Do as you please. Well, we still don’t know if Luorans has been completely cured. Until the river’s water level settles, I’ll let you stay in this place.”
“Thank you. We won’t forget this kindness.”
“For now, make sure to do something about the believers hiding in the depths of the forest.”
“I understand. I will take responsibility for that,” Vielle replied.
I turned to the old general sitting next to me and muttered, “General, for a while…”
“Leave it to me. It’s hit or miss. There are even flowers that won’t wither.”
“Flowers that won’t wither…? Were there any flowers blooming in this village?”
Upon hearing the old general’s words, Vielle interjected, “Silence is golden.”
———-
A few weeks later, I was in my office, visited by Mei, Roni, and Chiwan, with developments regarding the analysis of Luorans.
“The cause is mold…”
I had expected it to be some kind of pathogen, so I was taken aback by the unexpected result. Chiwan calmly began to explain to me while I was still in shock.
“Yes. The people of Crimeana burned the forest and cultivated fields for food production. They used the ashes of Ahilne, a weed that grows on the southern island, as fertilizer.”
“Ahilne ashes?”
“Yes. Normally, mold doesn’t grow on Ahilne ashes. However, this mold can be cultured in abnormal humidity and low-temperature environments. The winter in Agarta and the increase in humidity in the forest were the perfect conditions for this disease to develop.”
“I see… So why does this mold lead to death in humans?”
“When the mold is inhaled into the human body, it causes inflammation in the blood vessels. The infected patients had purple spots, and that’s exactly what happened. The inflammation progresses gradually while spreading toward the center of the body, ultimately causing inflammation in the lungs. That’s why they suddenly experience difficulty breathing, and it appears as sudden death, which is Luroans.”
“I see… Normally, the purple spots first appear around the neck due to changes in temperature and humidity. But in Agarta, the stable low temperature and high humidity led to an accelerated progression of the disease. However, Vielle is unique. Having spots all over her face is still under investigation. But leaving it untreated, her brain would likely have been affected, so the timing of her recovery was extremely close.”
“Quite… Luroans has another troublesome aspect. It contaminates the soil in the forest.”
It was Mei who spoke next.
“The mold that has proliferated on the soil releases small amounts of toxic substances, gradually contaminating the soil. If we don’t stop it, we won’t be able to grow crops in that forest.”
“How can we stop it?”
“If we raise the temperature and reduce the humidity, the mold will die. I think that should work.”
“We don’t have to worry about humidity anymore since the forest spirits’ harassment should have stopped… Nevertheless, as a precaution, let’s raise the temperature inside the barrier. How about setting it to around 30 degrees Celsius?”
Mei and the others exchanged glances and smiled wryly. Addressing them again, I asked, “So, have you finished making the cure?”
“Yes, it’s ready.”
“Great job, as expected of you, Mei and the others. So, does this mean that Clarina’s theory was completely off the mark?”
“Not exactly,” Chiwan replied with a wry smile. “Clarina’s concoction of acid and bile from the sheepfolk indeed does kill the mold causing Luroans in the body.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“When she mixed the bile from the sheepfolk with acid… that was her theory. However, in practice, we found that while adding sheepfolk bile does accelerate the mold’s death somewhat, it’s not necessary. Acid alone is sufficient.”
“Didn’t she say it spreads through infection by the catfolk?”
“Yes, we tested that too. Catfolk actually have a resistance to Luroans. They can harbor the mold for years. Probably, the fluid Clarina used from the catfolk she infected contained the mold.”
“What a… woman.”
“Yes. She’s completely unaware of it herself, but she probably has the talent to find the shortest path to the correct solution, to some extent. In a way, she seems to be favored by the gods.”
“I don’t accept that at all.”
Roni made it clear that she wouldn’t accept Clarina’s miraculous outcome. Indeed, from her perspective, Clarina’s theory being just a product of chance wouldn’t be easy to accept.
“So, she has exceptional control, huh? Oh, by the way, I feel like there was another person who had exceptional control… Can’t quite remember.”
“Ultimately, I believe that Linos’s Level 5 healing magic revived the necrotic blood vessels, causing the patients to recover.”
“I see. So, Chiwan, what exactly is this cure?”
“It’s simple. We inject Clarina’s acid directly, and then we administer medicine to suppress inflammation in the blood vessels. If it’s in the early stages of infection, it can be cured. Even if it hasn’t manifested yet, injecting the acid will prevent infection. If the disease has progressed, it’s quite troublesome…”
“I see. So those who were infected with Luroans have been passing it down through generations because they lived in the same place, huh? That finally makes sense.”
I breathed out slowly, gazing into the distance.
“My strategy to get the Crimeana folks to leave peacefully by bothering them turned into a grand experiment on the human body known as Luroans… Well, thanks to that, Mei and others were fully committed to researching the extermination of the disease. In a way, we owe it to Crimeana for that…”
“Well, considering the actions of the religious authorities so far, this kind of retaliation was inevitable…”
“Chiwan, do you think the same?”
“Master, we’ll immediately distribute the acid to the villagers in the barrier village. We’ll also provide it to those who are still infected. Shall we inform Vielle about the cause of Luroans?”
I smiled and shook my head slowly, looking at Mei.
“Mei, sometimes it’s better not to know.”
