Episode 61

 

“It was supposed to take a month, but we found him much faster than expected.”

As expected from Queensbury. The rumors that there are no secrets they can’t uncover seem to be true.

“Our agents are keeping a close watch on Robert’s residence, so whenever you wish to meet him, my lady, it will be possible.”

A blonde woman standing behind Raven smiled as she spoke.

She then approached me and introduced herself.

“My name is Eveline.”

“Nice to meet you, Eveline.”

I shook her outstretched hand.

For some reason, Eveline looked at me with curious eyes.

Considering that she had been assigned to investigate me before handling Robert’s case, that was probably the reason.

‘I’ll have to subtly ask her about it later when Ludwig isn’t around.’

Neither Raven nor Eveline seemed like the type to speak openly in front of Ludwig.

“More importantly, where exactly is he located?”

“As you mentioned, my lady, he’s in the south. He’s residing in the city of Neyvon.”

“Neyvon City…”

It was even larger than the capital. They really found a needle in a haystack.

“When would you like to leave?”

Ludwig approached me as he spoke.

Perhaps it was because of the promise he made to me, but he seemed just as invested in this matter as I was.

He didn’t know why I was trying to meet Robert.

I hadn’t yet told anyone about my plans to develop a cure for Lisbeth’s disease.

I wasn’t intentionally hiding it, but Ludwig wasn’t prying and was considerate of my circumstances.

“I’m ready. We can leave as early as tomorrow.”

“Then we’ll depart tomorrow. I’ll come to pick you up at Drenihan Manor.”

“Thank you. But… Ludwig, are you coming as well?”

“Of course.”

“……?”

I hadn’t expected him to come along.

Ludwig was incredibly busy at the moment.

When I gave him a look that asked if he’d be alright, he reassured me with a glance that I didn’t need to worry.

“I happen to have important business in Neyvon as well. I was going to head there soon anyway.”

“Oh, if that’s the case…”

At that moment, the door opened, and Ludwig’s lieutenant, who I’d been running into quite frequently lately, walked in.

“Your Grace, why did you suddenly arrange a meeting with the mayor of Neyvon…?”

He couldn’t finish his sentence.

That’s because he had met Ludwig’s golden eyes glaring at him.

The lieutenant froze in place, then turned to meet my eyes.

“Ah, ahaha. I didn’t realize Lady Drenihan was also here. My apologies.”

He quickly backtracked, closing the door as if nothing had happened.

“…….”

“You suddenly arranged a meeting? Was that because of me…?”

At my question, Ludwig flinched slightly, and Raven chuckled awkwardly as he responded.

“No, it’s just that my friend here is very forgetful. He must have forgotten that it was already scheduled.”

Eveline chimed in as well.

“Neyvon is within the influence of Karsian. The Grand Duke’s visit carries great significance. It’s a very important meeting.”

“I see.”

When I accepted their explanation, for some reason, the two of them seemed visibly relieved.

“For now, before tomorrow’s departure, please take this, my lady.”

Eveline handed me a small pill.

I took it and asked.

“What is this?”

At a glance, it looked like candy that children would eat.

“It’s a preventive medicine. Neyvon City, where Robert resides, is currently experiencing an epidemic. If you take this, you won’t get infected.”

“There’s an epidemic in Neyvon City? I had no idea.”

It was strange that an epidemic in such a large city hadn’t even made it into the newspapers.

“As you know, Neyvon City is starkly divided between the wealthy and the poor. The areas where they live are separated as well. The epidemic seems to be spreading in the slums, so it hasn’t been widely reported.”

It was well-known that the nobles of Neyvon had built tall walls to separate the slums from their own neighborhoods.

The people in those areas, effectively cut off from medical facilities, were completely exposed to the epidemic.

“Robert must be doing volunteer medical work there.”

I swallowed the pill with some water and spoke.

“That’s correct. He’s being called the Saint in the White Coat there. The problem is… he really dislikes nobles.”

“…I know.”

When Jenna had visited him, he had turned her away at the door.

He only changed his attitude after realizing that she was the girl from the orphanage he had cared for years ago.

“Even if he refuses to speak to me, I have a plan.”

I smiled as I said this.

* * *

The next day, I prepared early in the morning and set out on my journey.

Nella and Desar offered to come along, but I didn’t want to increase the number of people when Ludwig and the Queensbury agents were already accompanying me.

Besides, it wouldn’t take that long.

Grandfather easily gave his approval when he heard Ludwig would be coming along.

The carriage was enchanted with a high-speed travel spell.

Thanks to that, a journey that would have taken a whole day to Neyvon only took half a day.

We left at dawn, and by the time we arrived, the sun was already setting.

The carriage traveled through narrow alleyways.

The view outside the window was utterly desolate.

Homeless people sitting on the streets were coughing miserably, as if they had severe colds.

The tall walls in the distance looked unyielding, as if to declare that no one from here would be allowed inside.

“I didn’t realize it was this bad…”

Ludwig also looked outside and spoke in a somber tone.

“The root of Neyvon’s polarization lies with the Karsian Council of Elders. One of the reasons I’m here is to correct that mistake.”

Neyvon was divided into two districts: the West, which was a coastal area, and the East, which was barren.

We were in the East District, also known as the slums, while the wealthy district beyond the tall walls was the West District.

Ten years ago, the Karsian Council of Elders gained the rights to develop Neyvon City, and they drove the original inhabitants of the coastal city into the East District.

The West District, which had once belonged to the indigenous people, grew into the empire’s largest shipping hub due to its coastal access to the eastern continent, becoming one of the wealthiest neighborhoods.

The people of the East District were still protesting against the city council that had made the deal with Karsian, but no solutions had been found.

“Robert has been living in the East District for about a year now.”

Robert had once been a highly esteemed doctor in the capital, supported by noble families.

But after his wife passed away, he became a wanderer and witnessed the darker side of nobility. Eventually, he settled in Neyvon, the city that represented the peak of that corruption.

‘No wonder he’s wary of nobles.’

I thought to myself as I looked at the miserable state of the streets outside the window.

The carriage gradually came to a stop in front of a narrow alley.

The shabby houses clustered in the alley were unremarkable, and Raven pointed to one of them.

“That’s the house. It looks like he’s not home right now, judging by the lack of light.”

We got off the carriage in front of Robert’s house.

The people in the streets glanced at us suspiciously.

Perhaps they thought we were from the Western District, given the hostility in their eyes.

At that moment, a man wearing a worn-out white coat approached from the distance.

“It’s the Saint!”

A child called out to him.

The man was walking with a young girl, heading in the direction of the house Raven had pointed to.

As we watched him approach, a voice unfamiliar to me spoke from behind.

“You’ve arrived.”

“Ah, Philip.”

The man Raven addressed as Philip seemed to be one of Queensbury’s agents.

It appeared he had been keeping an eye on Robert during his absence.

“Is that him?”

“Yes, it’s him.”

Philip responded with certainty in his voice.

* * *

Robert spent another day wandering through the alleys, treating people afflicted by the disease. As the sun began to set, he finally returned home.

“Hmm? Father, there’s someone we don’t know over there!”

The little girl holding his hand, Sharon, pointed at a woman.

Robert found himself face-to-face with a woman who seemed completely out of place in the grim, gray streets.

She smiled warmly and approached him as he stopped in his tracks.

“Nice to meet you, Robert.”

Robert was surprised that she knew his name.

He had never revealed his real name while working here. People simply called him “the Saint.”

“Who are you…?”

From her appearance and attire, she was clearly someone who didn’t belong in the East District.

A noblewoman from the West District, perhaps. Or maybe she was someone of even higher status.

“My name is Sierra. I’ve heard that you’ve been treating the epidemic spreading through the East District…”

“That’s correct. But I doubt a noble lady like yourself would need my help.”

“No, I’m not here to ask for help. I’m here to offer it.”

She smiled as she spoke.