Published at 17th of August 2019 8:05 am

Volume 7.5, Chapter 6: Reios Fatra Bertorion

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Several days after Koutarou and the others had repelled Dextro and his men. The villagers were about to restart the harvest festival. Because of the disease and soldiers, it was about to be cancelled, but because of the wishes of the villagers, it was continued.

“Hey, Blue Knight!”

“Yes, your highness?”

“It's nothing. Just be there.”

“Okay...”

“Don't go ahead with just sister and you again.”

“I won't, really...”

Koutarou and Charl had promised to walk around the harvest festival together. Charl was holding a grudge because Koutarou and Alaia had gone out with just the two of them before.

“Charl-sama, if you don't hurry up and change you can't go outside.”

“I know, I know.”

Charl was in the middle of changing her clothes behind a screen. The maid, Mary, had been helping her, and the two of them had been making a commotion for a while now. Meanwhile, Koutarou was sitting in a chair, waiting for her to finish changing.

“I'm glad you're energetic again, Charl.”

“That's true... for a moment, I wasn't sure what would happen...”

Alaia was sitting on the opposite side of Koutarou. Next to her were Flair and Fauna as well. The four of them were sitting around a table.

“Everyone feeling better is all thanks to Clan-chan working all night. You have a great servant, Reios-sama.”

“Hahaha, I'll let her know that Fauna-san praised her later.”

Fauna called Clan, 'Clan-chan'. Clan didn't seem to like it and would frequently complain to Koutarou.

“Reios-sama.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“After these events, there's something that I have decided on.”

Showing a faint smile, Alaia's eyes were serious.

“I will continue travelling to Pardomshiha territory and fight against Maxfern.”

“So you've made your decision.”

I see, so that's why her eyes are so serious...

Hearing Alaia's words, Koutarou realized the meaning behind her expression.

“Yes. In order to capture me, Maxfern indiscriminately poisoned an entire village. I can't let someone like that lead people.”

Alaia stared right into Koutarou's eyes and clearly stated her decision.

“So I will defeat Maxfern, and carry out my duty as royalty of this country.”

“That's a marvelous resolution.”

A few days ago, Alaia was fine with leaving to country to Maxfern as long as he could lead the people. What should be protected first and foremost was not the law nor pride, but the citizens.

However, Maxfern had ordered an indiscriminate attack on the citizens, and that helped Alaia to make up her mind. Because the people that should be protected had been harmed.

“Please allow me to lend you my strength.”

“Thank you, Reios-sama. I feel like I've gained the support of a million men.”

“What are you doing chatting with just sister, Blue Knight!? Let me in on it too!”

“Ah, you can't go out looking like that, Charl-sama!”

That was when Charl jumped out from behind the screen, wearing only her underwear.

“Reios-sama, excuse me!!”

“W-What!?”

“Sister, let’s appoint Blue Knight to be our personal bodyguard!”

However, before Koutarou could see Charl, Mary covered his eyes with her hands.

Hearing a loud cheer coming from the outside, Clan stopped operating her device.

“What could that be?”

“Just hold on a minute...”

Noticing the same thing, Lidith who had been acting as Clan's assistant these past few days opened the window and took a look on the outside situation.

“Ah, it looks like Alaia-sama and the others went out.”

“I see.”

Having stopped on what she was working on, Clan walked up to the window and began looking outside alongside Lidith. Since their room was on the third floor, they could tell what was happening on the street below. Outside the inn was a large crowd, surrounding Alaia, Koutarou and the others who had gone out to enjoy the festival.

“Alaia-sama!”

“Blue Knight-sama! Thank you for saving my daughter!!”

“Please retake the country from Maxfern!!”

The crowd was shouting words of gratitude and encouragement. The villagers were all healthy looking, with no signs of being sick.

“Geez... unaware of my hard work...”

While looking at Koutarou responding to the crowds cheers while carrying Charl on his shoulders, Clan smiled. That gentle smile held friendly emotions towards Koutarou.

Clan had rewritten the villagers’ genes to treat the disease.

Koutarou had not developed any symptoms after coming into contact with the virus, and Clan had only come down with a mild fever. So by comparing the genetic differences between the patients, Koutarou, and Clan, she was able to identify a gene that was resistant to the sickness.

Clan injected that gene with the virus in question, and created a reconstructed virus. By injecting that into a patient showing symptoms, their genes were rapidly rewritten into the virus tolerant gene. By doing that, a part of the patient’s genes were replaced with Koutarou's, and they were given a tolerance.

All that was left after that was to remove the reconstructed virus from the patient and inject it into someone else.

And since the virus and the reconstructed virus counteracted each other, there were no signs of the virus left in the patient. Because of that, almost all the patients had recovered by today.

But at the same time, this was a gamble that had a large risk.

The first problem was the time. Treating all the villagers in the village would take some amount of time. If Maxfern's soldiers attacked during that time, everything would be over.

And there was no guarantee that the restructured virus would have the desired effect. The effect might also differ from person to person. So there was no way of knowing the rate of success until actually trying it.

Moreover, it was common for a virus to suddenly mutate. Several generations were created as the virus spread, meaning that there was a chance for the virus to mutate. In the worst case scenario, a new disease could be created. That would be the start of another nightmare.

That was why Clan was reluctant at using this last resort until the very end. Stealing the antidote from Dextro would have been much safer.

In the end, they had been fortunate, and what Clan had feared didn't occur.

Maxfern's soldiers hadn't attacked the village. They were waiting for the poison they had spread to dissipate and for Alaia and the others to die. Because of that, they were able to get enough time to treat the virus, but they couldn't really celebrate. The army was most likely using the time to prepare and waiting for them up ahead.

The reconstructed virus was compatible with all the patients, and had successfully rewritten their genes. There were still a few, highly exhausted people who died, but overall it was a great success.

And a sudden mutation of the virus hadn't occurred. That was the biggest danger that Clan was worried about. So much so that once the treatment safely ended, Clan lost all power to stand.

Clan never wanted to make such a dangerous gamble again. Having balanced on a thin line, Clan was completely mentally exhausted.

Since explaining this treatment method to the villagers would be hard, Koutarou said that he had gotten the medicine from Dextro and the others. It was far easier to claim that a medicine that didn't exist actually existed, than explaining that it had been created using strange technology.

“Just how much did I struggle during these past few days...”

Clan put her elbows on the window frame and stared out over the village. Still smiling, she didn't actually think her struggles were that bad. She knew that Maxfern's men were waiting up ahead, but today she was rejoiced at their victory.

“Isn't it fine, Clan-san? If Lord Bertorion becomes famous, you'll benefit as his servant as well.”

“Servant... Servant, right...”

Clan disliked being called a servant more than the existence of their enemies.

“If it wasn't for me, this would have been a disaster, I can't accept being considered the support role.”

“Now, now, Clan-san.”

Lidith understood Clan's feelings, so she smiled gently just like Clan. Having helped Clan as an assistant these past few days, she had gotten to know her better.

“Let's toast together later. To me, Clan-san is today's star.”

Lidith followed Clan up. However at this point, Clan couldn't hear her. Her complexion was pale and her mouth was wide open.

Wait!? If it wasn't for me...!?'

Clan was aghast at her own words. They were certainly true.

That was a virus that magic or medicine of this age couldn't cure. If the real Blue Knight had been here, could he have treated it?

What's more, Clan had some tolerance towards the disease. Couldn't she have gotten that resistance after rewriting the genes of the people of this age?

And if assuming that the Blue Knight’s famous words 'From an endless time and a countless distance' came from someone else, it all made sense.

“I see, so that's what it was!! No wonder I couldn't find him no matter how hard I looked!!”

Clan slammed her hands into the window frame and pushed herself up. All the questions she had been carrying around suddenly all fit together as pieces of a puzzle and pointed to a single answer.

If I hadn't been here, the disease couldn't have been cured! There's only one explanation for why I had a tolerance towards the disease and why I had to be here! In the legend of the Blue Knight I had to be in this place! And that man certainly did come from 'an endless time and a countless distance'. Which means...

“That man, Bertorion is the actual Blue Knight!!”

The true identity of Forthorthe's legendary hero, Reios Fatra Bertorion was a slightly dim looking youth from Earth.

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