第１５４３堀：それでも零れ落ち、進んでいく (Part1)
**Chapter 1543: Even So, They Slip Through, and We Move Forward**
**Side: Senaru**
Before I knew it, the sun had begun its descent, painting the world in the hues of twilight.
The medical treatments, which I had begun to think would last forever, were finally called to a halt an hour ago. We would resume tomorrow.
“Even in a small nation, the stream of people never seems to end...”
I sighed. We had arrived around noon and began our work shortly after; in the end, we had spent nearly five hours in a continuous, grueling marathon of healing.
If we truly exerted ourselves, we could have blanketed half the royal capital in a single restorative spell. However, there was no reason to go to such extremes, so we gathered in the designated church courtyard to treat the people one by one.
There was a limit to how many we could heal at once, so Heiren and I took charge of the most critically injured. While Mikos and Agil were capable of recovery magic, it wasn't their specialty. Instead, they acted as support, moving through the crowds of waiting patients and the wounded to provide preliminary aid and stabilize those they could.
But, lamentably, we could not mend the dead.
It was a bitter, agonizing task to tell those who brought their lifeless children or parents to us that there was nothing more to be done.
“No matter how many times I do this, I never get used to it.”
Truly. No matter how often it happens, delivering the words that extinguish the last flicker of hope in those who arrived clutching their loved ones, desperate and believing a miracle was still possible... it never gets easier. Nor does witnessing the tears of absolute despair that follow.
In Weed, people are usually brought to us long before they reach such a state. I had begun to feel that such tragedies were a distant memory, but here, I was reminded that this brand of sorrow still saturates the world.
And yet...
“What’s the matter? Did you hurt yourself?”
Agil spoke up, perhaps noticing me staring intently at my own palms.
“No. If it were a mere scratch, I would have healed it myself instantly. I was just... realizing once again how many people in this world remain beyond our reach.”
“I see...”
Agil didn’t press for details; she simply offered a quiet nod of acknowledgment. Perhaps she felt that no matter what she said, it wouldn't change the reality.
But I wasn't finished.
“...Even so, I can feel that things are becoming slightly better.”
“Oh? In what way?”
“The sisters here, and even the people who came for treatment. They told me that by diligently washing their hands, fewer people are falling ill.”
“Ah, you mean the hygiene management protocols being promoted by Weed?”
“Exactly. I knew about it in a vague sense—or rather, I knew the statistics—but I hadn't truly felt the impact until now. To see that the hygiene concepts we’ve advocated through the Litea Church have permeated this far and are actually producing results...”
Indeed, here on the continent of Logari, the hygiene standards and concepts from Weed—or rather, from Earth—were being spread through the Litea Church and were bearing fruit. The same seemed to be happening on the continent of If.
Progress on the continent of Haiden was still slow, but as long as the results were visible like this, the knowledge would surely spread in time. And that included the Zuraburu region. Emperor Yupia was actively incorporating medical knowledge through Shoyu, and it was reportedly yielding great success.
Experiencing it firsthand like this made me realize that the world was, indeed, improving.
“Well then, I suppose you’ll have even more motivation from here on out.”
“I suppose so. If I could, I’d love to go directly to the Seraphina Church to provide treatment and teach them about hygiene myself.”
“As a Goddess?”
“Yes. I think the message would carry more weight that way. However, I’ve been consulting with Yupia and Shoyu, and they’re worried that if we’re not careful, Zuraburu might end up fractured.”
“Fractured? Isn't Zuraburu moving in the same direction as us?”
“The fracture would be within the Church itself. There are more than a few who insist that recovery magic is strictly a 'divine miracle,' and there are plenty of fools who gorge themselves on the vested interests that come with that monopoly.”
“Ah, I see. Well, that’s much the same in Enaria.”
“I wonder how they handled it there?”
I was curious. I wanted to know how they suppressed those who clung to their privileges in order to spread methods that would actually save people.
“Fortunately—or perhaps I should say, by design—the foundation was already in place to accept information from Weed as it was.”
“How so?”
“Haven't you heard? Back when Yuki and the others visited Enaria, a certain minister—or rather, a Holy Sword user—staged a rebellion.”
“Oh, Nailua’s father?”
Nailua was the top student at the Lancer Magic Academy. Even Narjia had taken note of her talent for creating magic tools. Her father, however, was the problem. She used to laugh and say he was lucky he wasn't executed.
“That’s the one. Nailua’s father. He used summoning stones powered by dungeon cores and caused a massive upheaval in the royal capital. Yuki and Rurua were incredibly active during that crisis. At the time, people didn't know they were from Weed. Rurua, in particular, healed so many of the severely wounded at the Enaria Church that she was hailed as a Saint—the second coming of Sia.”
“I see. Thanks to that fame, the Enaria Church was able to accept the hygiene concepts Rurua proposed.”
“Exactly. It was a major event. They were able to reach an accord with the Holy Kingdom of Enaria without the Church losing its prestige.”
“That is a significant advantage. In this case, the problem is that the message comes from a Goddess whose existence is uncertain, delivered through a mere revelation...”
“Well, they say it’ll work out eventually as it spreads from Zuraburu, but we’ll likely clash with those protecting the Church’s interests at some point.”
“True. And it’s not like there was a specific incident that brought our views into alignment. That Church originally grew powerful under the influence of Haiden, so many of them don't look kindly upon Zuraburu to begin with.”
“That sounds like a real headache.”
“...I suppose I have no right to complain, seeing as I’m the one who set this flow in motion. I’ll just have to keep at it, step by step.”
“While you’re doing that, an opportunity might present itself. It’s best to keep everyone in the loop and consult with them regularly.”
“You’re right.”
He was. As Agil said, there was no need for me to shoulder everything alone. In fact, since this was a matter of national scale, it was only natural to borrow the strength of those around me—or rather, the strength of the people of the nation.
...I see. I had been thinking too much about how to *utilize* them. Perhaps I was suffering from a bit of tunnel vision myself.
I decided to save that reflection for later. For now...
“Setting my issues aside, what’s the word? What about the information from the Church and the surrounding situation?”
It was obvious that those matters were far more pressing than my personal impressions or the events of the past.
“Right. I can’t speak for the Church’s internal affairs, but as for the surrounding area, no suspicious groups have entered.”
“Is it possible the Dark Guild hasn't arrived yet?”
Even if this was the capital of Hinsua, it wasn't exactly a stone's throw from old Vinosia. Would the enemy really fail to scout a country they had already infiltrated?
“The Dark Guild members are likely acting as 'unconscious collaborators.' Besides, we’ve been so flashy with our work here. Rumors are bound to spread on their own.”
“Ah, I see. That makes sense. There’s no need for them to take unnecessary risks.”
Even if our presence was technically a secret, the word had been sent to the local church in Hinsua through the Litea Church. Information was undoubtedly leaking from there.