A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

23 – There Was an Epidemic, But Now There Isn’t

“hehehe!! Kekekeke!!!”

Lately, Karl Hanson’s hobby was bringing the morning newspapers from the capital and showing them to me.

“hehehe!! Kekekeke!!!”

And when I saw them, I would burst into laughter just like him.

There was no choice but to laugh.

On the front page of today’s paper, fat pig Ronald II was being dragged to the Rabbit Prison, the largest and most notorious criminal detention facility in the southern empire, while shedding tears like a little boy.

“Those damn Healing Sect bastards were beyond imagination. Huhuhuhu!!! They took people’s lives hostage and shamelessly stripped them naked. hahahahaha!!!”

“No wonder. These bastards. Where were they planning to feast on people?”

“They say the corrupt priests who accepted money are not just a couple; as many as 2,000 high-ranking priests were captured. You could say the entire Sect has fallen apart.”

“How pathetic.”

There was no question if the prison could accommodate 2,000 new inmates without any expansion.

Rabbit Prison.

A giant, deep vertical pit located in the middle of the jungle, known as the green hell of the southern empire.

This pit, believed to have been built in the early days of the empire’s first emperor, could hold over 100,000 people. Countless small cells were tightly packed and connected along an endless spiral staircase.

It is said that the prison even left the corpses that had died decades ago untouched.

Furthermore, it was impossible to escape using sacred magic, as it had a characteristic that rendered all magic, blessings, and miracles useless.

When I recalled the extremely terrible prison life described in the novel, I burst into laughter again.

“It would have been better if they had made families collapse with the exorbitant medical fees, knowing that they were the only ones capable of healing.”

“They believed they were the only ones capable of treating people, which made them arrogant. It’s refreshing. Just simply refreshing. The remaining priests of the Healing Sect have been caught red-handed by Prince Adran and have to provide free healing for the same duration they consumed. The public healthcare system is going to be simply fantastic! hahahahaha!”

“Send the incurable patients who couldn’t be treated at the hospital to the capital en masse. Let them vomit out what they devoured. If they don’t want to go to the Rabbit Prison, they should roll until their bones break! Kekekeke!!”

“hehehe!!!”

After Karl and I burst into laughter, we resumed our work.

“Pay attention to public hygiene as much as possible, Karl Hanson. And seek advice from the doctors regarding possible large-scale outbreaks of epidemics.”

“An epidemic? Are you kidding me?”

Yes. We don’t have much time left. Until a large-scale epidemic breaks out.

“It is urgent to block initial infections as much as possible. Build a few more shelters and produce masks to stockpile.”

“Masks…?”

“Provide as many tightly-woven fabrics as possible. Understand? Remember it as much as possible!! This is a place where people are crowded, so once the epidemic spreads, it will spread uncontrollably. We must prepare as much as possible.”

“I understand.”

In this way, I had to make various preparations to prevent the spread of the epidemic and live anxious day after day.

An epidemic.

Truly a f*cking event.

If this spreads and the western part of the empire collapses, it will be another inevitable development of forced occupation.

In that case…

“I have already turned many hearts towards me, but it is still possible that I will face the end as a torn piece in the square.”

That was absolutely unacceptable.

I wanted to end it by happily living with Karia.

Inwardly, I prayed and prepared for the large-scale outbreak of the epidemic in the original novel, which was almost over.

And.

A month passed.

Two months passed.

And three months passed.

“…Why hasn’t the epidemic outbreak happened?”

I begged the scholars of the Maldi Faction and asked them to bring doctors to the capital, build hospitals, and promote the healing sect. I went through all kinds of hardships and finally raised the level of public healthcare, but the epidemic outbreak that we had been waiting for did not happen.

No matter how long I waited, I couldn’t understand.

It was clearly the date described in the original novel.

On this date, the epidemic outbreak occurred and the protagonist Adran worked hard, persuading various sects to prevent the epidemic. I still vividly remember those episodes.

“I can’t understand the reason?”

Curious about the cause, I decided to disguise myself and go out into the streets to see for myself.

“A new movie will be released in two weeks!! Oh my god!! I wonder what kind of movie it is!!!”

“I’m so excited!! What will the story be this time!! Let’s go watch it again!!”

Two lovers, their arms linked, walked out of the theater, the scent of buttered popcorn and fried corn wafting in the air. I passed by the theater.

“Oh my god!! Thank you!! Thank you!!!!!”

“Please interpret it as ‘I just did my duty as a doctor.'”

In the hospital, a middle-aged farmer, who had been receiving treatment for a long chronic illness, was kneeling and bowing in gratitude to the famous doctor. Their family members were also moved to tears.

I continued to walk through the city in disguise, so that people wouldn’t recognize me.

“I must not forget what I learned today!! I have an exam tomorrow morning!”

“Ah! An exam!!!”

Children from the elementary school and their teacher came bursting out. It seems that nobody likes exams, whether here or there. When the children showed signs of disgust, the teacher narrowed their eyes and took something out.

“For those who score 90 points or higher on the exam, I will give them…real chocolate brought directly from the capital! Let’s work hard, shall we?”

“Ch, Chocolate?! Wowww!!!”

“Thanks to Lord Lendor, everyone. Let’s all thank Lord Lendor and go back.”

“Thank you!! Lord Lendor!!!”

My portrait was hung on the wall of the elementary school, and the children were bowing to it.

…I didn’t order that.

I didn’t order it.

Even after the children disappeared, the teacher did not leave and continued to wait for someone. After a while, as it became evening, the farmers who had apparently finished their work began to approach the elementary school one by one.

“Uh…could we have night classes now?”

“Of course! Please come in!”

“hahahaha. Thank you!”

Surprisingly, the elementary school was conducting night classes for the farmers. The farmers seemed a little embarrassed to learn to read and write at their age, but they entered the school with determined expressions.

Considering that they had been scammed and taken advantage of due to their lack of education, it seemed that their enthusiasm for education was high.

I watched that scene from a distance and continued walking down the street.

Before long, I entered an area full of restaurants.

As a restaurant district where people from various regions gather, there were all kinds of cuisines.

Cuisine from the southern region.

Cuisine from the northern region.

Popular cuisine from the capital.

There were even dishes from the western continent prepared for the merchants.

“Come on! Let’s eat! Let’s eat!!!!”

The Golden Prairie had recently had its first harvest.

Only about 30% of the land had been cultivated so far, but the power of fertilizer was truly great. Thanks to that, the farmers in the vacant yard party’s territory had decreased, and a large amount of grain was harvested, enough to cover the dramatic decrease in production.

Moreover, it was said that the climate in the region was mild year-round, making it possible to have two harvests a year. It was obvious that a huge amount of grain would soon be distributed in the market.

Anyway.

Thanks to that, even though it was a very simple dish, the common people were able to eat and live without starving.

“Dad, I’m full. I can’t eat anymore.”

As I absentmindedly watched the restaurant alley, a peasant family passed by me.

It seems like the hardworking farmer, with an exhausted look, paused when he heard his young son’s words.

“Dad?…?”

“Our son is full?”

“Yes, I’m full.”

“Alright…alright. Our son is full, that’s enough.”

After wiping away his tears, the father started to walk home with his children, with a bright smile on his face.

Finally, I understood why the epidemic did not spread.

“You will eat well.”

Eating well, sleeping well, and thanks to my obsessive attention to hygiene and cleanliness, the city is very neat.

I recruited many cleaners, created jobs, and cleaned the city every day, leaving no speck of dust.

That’s not all. The water supply system was also fully equipped, and as a result, clean water was always available, while wastewater was dealt with in a place far from the city.

The city was astonishingly clean, and doctors were always available for immediate treatment in case of illness. There was an abundance of food to eat. Furthermore, people were not excessively tired or exhausted because they were given a sufficient amount of time to rest and have fun.

“Cough!! Damn it. Am I catching a cold lately?”

“I heard that there is a cold going around these days. Honey, let’s go to the hospital and get some medicine.”

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

Ah.

Some people were indeed catching colds. Of course, they were just at the level of a typical cold, since they ate and rested well, their bodies could withstand it. And if they fell ill, they immediately went to the hospital for treatment.

But the number was not large.

“Is that the epidemic? Could it be?”

That possibility was high.

The only difference was that in the original novel, the epidemic was so severe that it killed over half of the exhausted farmers in the western continent, while now it was being treated as just a passing cold.

Farmers coughing up blood and collapsing were abundant, and the decaying bodies of the deceased farmers created even more illnesses. However, even if I washed my eyes and looked for the scene, it seemed unlikely to become a reality.

“Was it just a matter of feeding them well, letting them rest, and making them happy?”

It was a simple treatment for the epidemic.

However, considering the desperate situation of the Ayram Empire in the original novel, it was also the most difficult treatment.

It was truly a disappointing ending, but in a way, it was good.

“I’m glad. Thankfully, nothing major happened.”

I felt good. It was because I felt like I had taken another step back from a disastrous ending. The city I had created was fortunately functioning perfectly and improving the quality of life for its citizens. It was a relief that the epidemic event had passed without any complications. I felt as though a burden had been lifted off my shoulders.

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t had dinner yet.”

As I felt more at ease, I suddenly felt the hunger in my physical body. I still hadn’t had a meal. I decided to go back to the restaurant with the intention of having a meal before going in, as a way to commemorate the food that had saved our citizens and prevented the epidemic.

“Please give me roasted meat and bread.”

Simple commoner’s food. I eagerly anticipated the meal with a sense of joy, wondering what kind of food the poor commoners would eat.

Many people were ordering and eating at the restaurants, and most of them…

“Dad, this meat isn’t cooked enough.”

“Cough!! Dad, it’s too spicy! Dad!!!”

“Just eat it. It’s better than starving. Swallow it.”

“…Okay.”

“Wait a minute. Why are their reactions like that?”

Perhaps because they had lived in poverty for so long and finally had food, they couldn’t afford to waste it. The atmosphere was such that they reluctantly endured the unpleasant taste. Then, my meal arrived. I hastily ate the bread and meat dish, and almost vomited in front of the owner.

“What is this taste…”

They had indiscriminately put all sorts of spices into it, so the mixed dish had a strange taste that couldn’t possibly be called a mixed dish. The meat was undercooked and the bread was roughly ground, resulting in a very dry taste.

It seemed like everyone else had the same thought, but they were so desperate just a few months ago, facing a crisis of starvation, that they were forcing themselves to eat the food.

“I’m, I’m sorry. The taste is not that great, right? We haven’t had much experience with spices and meat, so it’s a bit clumsily done.”

The owner was apologizing. I quickly looked around at other stores.

Other places seemed to have similar circumstances.

If they were opening a store, they must have been people well-known for their cooking skills in the neighborhood, yet the quality was like this.

In that moment, another idea flashed into my head.

I quickly ran to the Merchant’s Guild.

“Carl Hanson!!!”

“Wow, startled me!! What is it?”

“Let’s start a new business!! Let’s start a food industry! Food!!”

It was the moment when I decided on my next business.