TTPB 26

Chapter 26

Quite a Novel Idea

The rain had stopped. The clear sky signaled the end of the plague. The long struggle of the relief shelter was finally drawing to a close.

“By today or tomorrow, you should have no trouble continuing activities.”
“Thank you, Sir Savas.”

Savas counted the remaining herbs and gave one last check of the patients’ conditions.

“Thank you for providing homes for those who lost theirs. Thanks to that, the shelter’s situation has greatly improved.”
“That wasn’t my doing.”

After completing the landslide restoration, the Imperial Knights had provided shelter for the refugees, at a site a little distance away from the Cataros River. It was only a temporary solution, but even if the river flooded again, the damage wouldn’t be as severe.

When those who had recovered at the shelter returned there, sickbeds began to empty one by one. Soon, the few remaining injured would also return to their daily lives. Once preparations to leave were complete, Rose and Savas went around thanking the physicians who had worked so hard.

“Thank you so much.”
“We will remember the grace of the Saintess.”

Rose found their praises embarrassing, yet this moment made her even closer to being regarded as a “Saintess.”

“Please accept this flower!”

Taiga, his cheeks flushed red, held out a bouquet of small yellow wildflowers.

“Oh my, thank you.”

Rose accepted the little gentleman’s gift. Though it was only a flower found by the roadside, the boy’s earnest attempt to show gratitude touched her.

“I’ll definitely become a knight one day!”
“What? A knight?”
“Yes! I’ll eat well, grow strong, and repay Her Highness in a splendid way.”
“That’s a very kind thing to say.”

She buried her nose in the bouquet, and the fresh fragrance calmed her heart. Arsen looked at the little flowers in her hands.

“Do you like it?”
“Yes, it’s lovely. I can’t remember the last time I smelled something so fragrant.”

Rose wanted nothing more than to return to the palace, bathe, and change into clean clothes that smelled of soap. At last, she would be free from this filth.

“You seem in good spirits.”
“Of course.”
“Your Highness could have any number of rare blossoms.”
“It’s special because the little gentleman gave them to me.”

She smiled brightly, and the boy’s face blushed even deeper. Finding it adorable, Rose ruffled his hair. Watching them silently, Arsen suddenly turned on his heel. Rose tilted her head in confusion at his retreating back. Taiga whispered on tiptoe.

“I think the knight is jealous.”
“What?”

What on earth was there to be jealous about?

Rose couldn’t fathom it, so she just gave an awkward laugh as Taiga giggled.

Soon, the order to return came.

“Time to depart!”

The Remigis knights mounted their horses.

Rose hurried into the carriage and waved through the window at the people fading into the distance. Parting from those who had endured hardship together left a pang of sadness.

“Long live the Saintess!”
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
“May the blessing of the fairies be with you!”

When the people finally disappeared from view, Rose was still smiling faintly—until Savas spoke sourly.

“You’re awfully cheerful.”
“Oh, what now. Don’t start picking fights again.”

In truth, he too had grown fond of her. Despite his gruff exterior, he had tended to patients with great care. He was a wise philosopher as well as a physician. In just a few weeks, he had passed on a wealth of medical and herbal knowledge to her.

“I told you time and again not to use your blessing without permission.”
“Tch, that was beyond my control.”

Since returning from the Petros Temple, Rose had devoted herself to the shelter. Emergencies had often arisen, sometimes without Savas present, and in those moments she had no choice but to use Regeneration. With practice, she gained finer control and had even secretly trained herself. Of course, it was only a matter of time before she was caught.

“But I didn’t collapse like at the start, did I? I only use it when necessary. And you don’t avoid using it completely either, Grandpa.”

As expected, Savas smacked her on the forehead.

“Ow, really!”
“You brat. You use it far too often. You need to cultivate your abilities more—learn to treat the injured without relying on your power.”
“Okay, fine.”

She pretended not to be bothered, almost enjoying his scolding now.

“Well, it wasn’t a complete disaster. You managed better than I thought you would.”
“See? I told you—I pick things up quickly once I learn.”
“Tch. What’s so pretty about such a cheeky brat.”
“What do you mean! I’m practically prettier than a fairy.”

Chin raised proudly, Rose struck a confident pose. Savas clicked his tongue but soon burst into laughter, and she laughed back just as brightly. After their laughter subsided, his tone grew calm.

“Anyway… you did well, Rose.”
“…What’s with that, all of a sudden.”

The sincerity of his praise made her scratch the back of her head awkwardly. Yet Savas had a way of rewarding her at just the right moments. The first had been when they returned from quelling the plague at the temple—when he had clasped her hand and said, You came back safely. That feeling had been indescribable.

Now again, her chest swelled with pride at being acknowledged by him.

I really can do it if I try.

Encouraged, she asked for more.

“Don’t forget—you promised I could tour the herb garden once we’re back at the palace.”
“If you don’t get in the way, I’ll assign one of my apprentices to you.”

He replied indifferently, then added:

“But why the herb garden? You wouldn’t gain much from it now. Studying the texts I’ll give you should come first.”

At his question, Rose revealed what she had been considering for some time.

“Actually, I’m looking for a plant that can purify water.”
“Water quality?”

He narrowed his eyes, seeming to guess her intent.

“Is this related to the Cataros River flooding?”
“Yes. I want to improve the waterworks system.”
“The drains aren’t the issue. The Imperial engineers already inspected them—there were no blockages.”
“No, the problem isn’t the sewers. It’s the water supply.”

Every summer, the river’s flooding brought plague, and it all came down to one issue:

The outdated water system.

The older it was, the more likely it relied on a single pipe, unable to handle large amounts of rainwater, inevitably causing overflow. Having experience designing ship piping systems in her past life, Rose understood this well. Separating rainwater from wastewater was the most basic principle.

But in this era, they hadn’t developed that far yet.

Even designing only for ships had been difficult—let alone reworking the entire kingdom’s plumbing.

“So you say the flooding isn’t from blocked drains?”
“Right. The problem is that stormwater backs up into the water supply, not clogged sewers.”
“And how are you so sure?”

His eyes gleamed with scholarly curiosity.

“You already know this plague was waterborne.”
“Yes, from drinking contaminated water.”
“More precisely, because the water pumped into the supply was contaminated. Naturally, people fell ill.”

Rose raised her finger and declared:

“If we separate the storm drains from the sewage drains, both the flooding and plague will be solved.”

This was, in fact, the very method that had drastically reduced cholera outbreaks in the Middle Ages.

“And the water-purifying plants? What would you use them for?”
“Once we have separate pipes for sewage and stormwater, we’ll plant them along the sewage system, to filter it before it reaches the river.”
“Plants to purify sewage… Why did I never think of that.”

A problem that had plagued them every year now seemed so simple. Savas looked stunned, as though struck by revelation—and slightly frustrated that he hadn’t thought of it sooner.

“You’ve come up with quite a novel idea.”

He laughed heartily, tapping his staff against the floor. This little girl’s quick mind was truly delightful.

“Since I’ve pulled out your aching tooth, you’ll reward me, right?”
“Not so fast. I’ll need to confirm if what you say is true.”

Rose’s face fell. Her bad feeling was right. The old man yanked open the carriage curtain and called to one of the knights. Gawain, riding nearby, approached.

“What is it, sir?”
“Go call your captain. We’ve somewhere urgent to be.”
“Sir? I thought we were returning to the palace?”
“Yes, but there’s a place we must visit first.”
“Where to—?”

Rose shut her eyes tightly at his next words.

“Where else? To the Cataros River!”

It seemed clean clothes and a soft bed would have to wait.

* * *

Emperor Euclid opened a birdcage and stroked a canary. The yellow bird, pleased, chirped softly. On his desk lay a papal decree from Tebere—Pope Urbano’s list of requests for the upcoming Founding Festival.

“So, they want ‘Saintess Rose’ to deliver the opening address at the festival?”

The bird flapped happily at his touch, then, when released, fluttered out the window.

“Yes, Your Majesty. The Holy Father has kept it in mind ever since the Third Princess’s coming-of-age ceremony.”
“Her coming-of-age… Ah. He must have taken note of Rose’s Regeneration.”

Traditionally, the opening address of the Founding Festival had always been given by a bishop from the Papacy.

For Tebere, this was a matter of great significance—having the Holy Empire give the address at the founding day of the Fairy Kingdom. With many foreign guests attending the festival, it was the perfect chance to emphasize Tebere’s influence over the empire.

Euclid reread the last line. As always, it was about expanding church authority. On the surface, nothing had changed—but something about it felt different this time.

“I’ll prepare my reply soon enough.”
“Take your time, Your Majesty. I’ll be here until the festival concludes.”

The envoy’s indifferent tone caught the Emperor’s attention. Euclid gave him a suspicious look. The envoy merely smiled loosely, seeming more like a foreign guest come to enjoy the festivities than a papal representative. His light demeanor contrasted sharply with the solemnity expected of a holy knight.

“Enjoy yourself, then.”
“Of course. That’s exactly why I came.”

It was practically an open admission.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

His curt farewell drew a faint laugh from Euclid. For someone sent as his nation’s emissary, the man was remarkably brazen—borderline rude.

“…”

At that moment, a strange premonition flickered in Euclid’s mind. His blue eyes glinted as they followed the envoy’s ash-brown hair.