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Chapter 7
“It’s not this one, and not this either… ah, where is it?”
After grabbing what I needed from the storage room, I arrived at the infirmary. Fortunately, Ethan wasn’t there.
Ethan must be the busiest one right now.
It had been confirmed that the existing medicine didn’t work at all. So he was probably pouring all his energy into making new reagents or tending to the infected patients.
Or maybe he went to try giving them another medicine.
Whatever the reason, the fact that Ethan wasn’t here was sweet as honey to me. Thanks to that, I could rummage through the medicine cabinet without worry.
“…Found it!”
West Mountain cold medicine.
There were two physicians’ associations on the Western Continent. West was considered inferior compared to the Witar Physicians’ Association, which was run by the Sixth Family.
So much so that doctors were ranked from Grade 1 to Grade 10, and there was even a prejudice that a Grade‑1 doctor from West wouldn’t even measure up to a Grade‑10 doctor from the Witar Association.
Even so, they were still officially recognized physicians, and they sold medicines under their association’s name. No one could possibly stock every medicine in existence, but if there was one thing all doctors had in common, it was that they tried to keep a wide variety of cold medicine on hand.
Of course Ethan would do that too. Mm‑hm, a true doctor. Even if he’s a bit scatterbrained and hasn’t renewed his medical license.
This first aid required West’s cold medicine. Strangely, it worked better than anything else.
Next is this.
I looked at what I was holding in my other hand.
“It’s a good thing this stuff is rotting away all over our ship.”
“Gaaah?! What the hell is this? It tastes like absolute crap! Damn it! Who bought this junk?!”
“Hang the bastard who bought it!”
“I think the first mate stocked it.”
“…Should I hang myself?”
That horribly bad alcohol my family had been drinking back then.
To be precise, it was liquor sold under the name Blessing of Fruits by Owen, one of the noble families of the Western Continent. It was made by concentrating and aging numerous fruits—yet somehow tasted unbelievably awful.
It was almost fascinating how something made with so many fruits could taste this bad.
Despite that, it continued to sell well up until I was twenty‑six, and its price even rose. The reason was that it turned out to be the key treatment for this very illness.
“The price of West’s cold medicine didn’t go up, but luxury goods that leave behind an achievement really are something else.”
The more famous the name, the more expensive it gets. Even if it tastes awful, if it’s considered expensive and valuable, people who fancy themselves connoisseurs will praise it as having a “unique flavor.”
Thinking about human hypocrisy and double standards, I let out a deep sigh.
Why bother thinking about it.
Other people’s circumstances weren’t my concern. I mixed the two in perfect proportions in an empty bottle on Ethan’s desk and headed down toward the lower decks.
Still, something feels strange.
Not running into anyone was convenient, but not seeing anyone at all made it feel suspicious.
Is everyone outside praying to Cormare or something?
Given how desperate the situation was, it wouldn’t be strange for them all to cling to the sea god. I didn’t really believe in or follow gods, but sailors, especially, revered Cormare.
As if praying all day would make Cormare answer.
If that were the case, the tragedy of my past life wouldn’t have happened. Clicking my tongue, I headed toward the underground isolation ward.
“Polaris, what are you doing down here?”
“…!”
Because I hadn’t run into anyone until now, I’d let my guard down. The moment I heard Ethan’s voice, I froze.
“E‑E‑Ethan? Wh‑what are you… oh, you were here?”
“Well, I am the only physician on this ship.”
Ethan looked puzzled that I, who was supposed to be resting in my room, was wandering around.
Of course it looks strange!
In a situation like this, you’d expect someone to stop a child wandering around alone. Wouldn’t anyone think it odd to see a six‑year‑old calmly walking about?
Ugh, if I stall any longer, Nereus might show up.
I pressed my lips together, then thought of Dexter, who should have been locked in his room.
“D‑Dexter!”
“Hm?”
“I—I came to bring him food, but he suddenly collapsed…! I wanted to ask everyone for help, but there was no one around, so…!”
“So you came to find me?”
“Yeah…!”
Of course, that wasn’t true. But Ethan stared at me in silence for a moment, then nodded.
“Then we should hurry. If it’s Dexter, he might have caught the infection.”
“Y‑Yeah!”
“Shall we go together?”
“No! I—I’ll wait here. I’m kind of scared.”
Does this look suspicious?
Clutching the large glass bottle, I prayed desperately that Ethan wouldn’t press me for details.
Deiera and Cormare, if you never granted a single wish in my whole life, surely you can grant me this much.
“Then you can stay right here, can’t you?”
“…! Yeah. Ethan, you trust me, right?”
“Maybe not a captain, but you, Polaris, are a sensible child.”
Ethan lightly patted my head a couple of times and pointed to a chair in the corner.
“Sit there and wait quietly.”
I nodded several times and obediently sat down, seeing him off. But the moment even his shadow disappeared, I jumped up and ran straight for the isolation ward door.
It’s not locked!
Everything was going too smoothly, which made me uneasy—but I didn’t have the luxury to dwell on it. When I opened the door, I saw many people collapsed inside, and the stuffy smell of an unventilated room hit me.
“Ugh.”
On top of that, there was the distinct odor of a place filled with patients. My stomach turned, and I grimaced reflexively.
“…Lara?”
“Gerard?”
My eyes widened when I saw Gerard lying closest to the door.
“Why are you here?”
“As for you, Lara…”
Gerard started coughing, unable to finish his sentence, then closed his eyes.
He’s in bad shape.
I was caught off guard; I’d never imagined Gerard would be here.
At the time, only female sailors met the conditions to catch this illness.
But Gerard was a man. Then I realized why Gerard had been absent from my memories after a certain point.
So Gerard originally died here. But then how did…?
There were nine patients lying in the isolation ward, and Gerard was the only man among them. There was a superstition that having women and children aboard a ship was bad luck, and until the cause of the illness was discovered, the sailors had fought viciously among themselves over it.
In this incident, only Nancy—the first to fall ill—survived. All the other female sailors died.
After that, only two female sailors remained on the ship besides me: Nancy and Clara. Clara hadn’t fallen ill in the first place, so she was an exception.
Burdened by guilt at being the sole survivor, Nancy became noticeably withdrawn and quiet afterward.
So this is why Clara didn’t get sick? If Gerard got it and Clara didn’t, that would explain things.
Knowing the cause of everything, I quickly assessed the situation. What mattered now wasn’t analyzing the past, but getting this medicine to the patients.
It won’t cure them instantly with just one dose, but the effect will show.
As an emergency treatment, its effects appeared quickly—fortunately for me. Once the results showed, relief would outweigh questions about how I knew any of this, and no one would press me too hard.
“Cough.”
Maybe because I’d been running nonstop, my throat was painfully dry, and I broke into coughing. I felt the gazes of a few patients—those who hadn’t completely lost consciousness—turn toward me.
They were in no state to speak or even fully think, but they clearly wondered why a child was here.
I held up the bottle I’d been hugging.
“I got permission from Ethan. This is medicine, so you have to take it.”
Strictly speaking, he’d only allowed me to stand outside—but if they misunderstood, what could I do? I stood confidently.
Ethan didn’t make this medicine, but it’s still medicine, so it’s fine.
As long as I reached my goal, nothing else mattered. My intentions weren’t impure, so I had nothing to feel guilty about.
I boldly began dividing the medicine into portions for each patient.
Gerard asked in a doubtful voice,
“Doctor Ethan asked you to run an errand?”
No one in their right mind would send a child into the isolation zone.
“This medicine works really well, so take it. It’s amazing. You’ll probably be better in like three days.”
“….”
Since I’d come of my own accord, I didn’t confirm that Ethan had sent me.
If rumors spread, Ethan would look like the bad guy.
Knowing his personality, if such a rumor spread, Ethan wouldn’t even correct it and would just protect me. He was one of the few people with a conscience on this ship, so I chose to give a vague answer.
Gerard alternated suspicious glances between me and the bottle, then finally swallowed the contents. After Gerard, the other patients slowly forced their heavy bodies to move and took the medicine one by one. Those too weak to do so, I helped.
After confirming everyone had taken it, I hurriedly confessed the truth to Gerard, who was still relatively conscious.
“Actually, Ethan didn’t do this. I did. Ethan doesn’t know anything.”
“…What?”
“Got it? I prepared it, Gerard. If it works, you have to tell everyone later. That Lara made it.”
Gerard’s hollow face turned a bit stupid. But his feelings weren’t my concern. This was a highly effective emergency treatment, and I was confident I could save everyone.
“Gerard, you have to tell everyone. I knew this was medicine and brought it. If I hadn’t, no one would’ve taken it.”
“L‑Lara… wait a moment.”
Then I felt something was wrong.
Something was happening to my body.
What’s wrong with me?
Suddenly, my whole body felt heavy, and chills ran through me. My head was foggy, and my eyes burned.
“L‑Lara? Lara!”
Cough, cough.
A metallic taste rose in my throat, and the dry coughing wouldn’t stop.
“Ah…”
Gerard’s voice calling my name echoed in my ears. Through the open doorway, I heard hurried footsteps pounding closer.
My vision blurred rapidly, and I could barely keep myself upright.
Before collapsing, I muttered,
“…Damn it, this body is useless…”
Just because I ran around a bit in thin clothes, it does this? Completely useless.
If I fell like this, I’d hit the hard floor and it would hurt, so I figured it’d be better to lose consciousness quickly. But before I could even decide that, something warm and solid caught me.
In the darkness closing over my mind, I heard someone’s voice.
“Where did you even learn to talk like that?”
It sounded slightly incredulous—and somehow, it was trembling.
What was this again?
I thought for a moment, then realized.
Ah. Fear.
That’s right. Since it didn’t suit the owner of that voice at all, I weakly curled my lips into a smile.
“What’s so funny?”
And then I lost consciousness.
