I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 70
CHAPTER 70
Curse.
It was extremely rare for gods to directly punish humans.
When there was a need to punish humans, the gods did not dirty their own hands but instead cast curses.
From prophesying death to transforming into monsters or animals, and even curses of love and parting.
Although the types of curses were diverse, they had one thing in common.
Namely, they were not contagious.
Because no other being besides the one punished by the god should be harmed or killed.
‘Well, many people may be swept away in the process of the curse being executed, but those gods wouldn’t care about that.’
Even if it was indirect, it meant there would be no direct harm.
But curses spreading?
Ugh, I groaned in frustration.
‘There might be a god specialized in curses.’
There were numerous gods in the divine realm, and only a few stepped forward or were known.
Moreover, due to several historical changes in the divine realm, the number of forgotten gods was also considerable.
So, among them, there might be a god powerful enough to infect with curses.
‘At least it’s not that Kyres.’
That guy was, to put it nicely… no, there was nothing nice to say about him.
He was just ignorant.
If he didn’t like something, he’d chop it off, of course.
For him, the conversation was fists, and forgiveness was stabbing.
What exactly was he trying to achieve by doing that?
It was basic to receive punishment from the one who caused trouble to those who often caused trouble.
‘He even committed adultery and received a lot of criticism in the divine realm.’
It was surprising that such a guy would cast a curse.
And even an infectious curse?
I’d rather believe our Arkin going back to nature, joining an orc tribe, and getting drunk.
“…I know what you’re thinking.”
Stella touched her forehead as if she had a headache.
“I’ve never heard of a curse being contagious either. Just in case, I checked at the temple too.”
I nodded as if it was obvious.
“Of course, they would’ve said it’s ridiculous at the temple.”
“Right.”
She also nodded quietly.
“But it’s true.”
Sighing, Stella continued.
“Among the people injured in this war, my people stayed at my estate in the west of the capital.”
Usually, if injured in a war, one could receive compensation in the form of money.
The Pandelion Empire also provided physicians and medicines separately.
It seemed that Stella had converted one of her estates into a clinic.
“But?”
“Besides the people with ordinary wounds, my subordinates affected by the curse of the God Kyres are also there.”
Stella pushed her golden hair back.
Her frustration with the unresolved issues was palpable in her touch.
“Until now, it’s been fine.”
Certainly, there were no problems until they came to the capital after the war.
The cursed person was a resilient warrior, and it was judged that they could hold out until a solution was found.
Even the high priest of the Temple of Detmé had made a similar judgment.
But.
“In just a few days, the curse worsened rapidly.”
A few days ago, until the morning, he was able to walk, but when he went back in the afternoon, he couldn’t even move, let alone talk.
He lost consciousness and collapsed several times a day.
“Even now, other people in the villa are showing the same symptoms, one by one.”
Hmm, I nodded.
“Is it a worsening of the injury?”
Stella shook her head heavily.
“No, it’s not. It wasn’t the same symptoms before. Symptoms can’t be the same for people with different injuries.”
That’s true.
I nodded.
Stella let out a deep sigh again and brushed her hair back.
“And now, even the physicians and herbalists who were taking care of the injured, they all show the same symptoms. Even the soldiers guarding the door collapsed.”
Stella added.
“We urgently hired a new physician. Guess what happened a few days later?”
I shook my head.
“He couldn’t determine the cause, to his knowledge. And he started showing the same symptoms a few days later.”
Stella grumbled.
Stella clenched her fist, trembling.
“A warrior who survived the war died from an unknown curse.”
Stella’s face contorted.
“I’m ashamed. I promised to protect them, but I couldn’t…!!”
Would she have cried if I hadn’t been here?
Stella had a face that seemed to be thinking about that.
Hmm.
Listening to Stella’s story, I got lost in thought.
‘It’s not a curse infection.’
Then again, I’d rather believe that Kyres had placed such a high-level curse than that Arkin was an orc…….
‘What the hell is it then?’
If it was a problem with the water supply or an epidemic, the physicians would have figured it out.
But even dozens of physicians and herbalists couldn’t find the cause.
I bit my finger, bowed my head, and then raised it.
“…Could you tell me how the symptoms manifested?”
Stella, who took a deep breath at my words, answered in a softer voice than before.
“At first, it was lethargy. They kept trying to sleep.”
Even when they were awakened, they were constantly falling asleep, and some even refused to eat.
“At first, we didn’t suspect anything.”
Among the injured, some tried to escape into sleep.
“Then came the headaches.”
Some people said their heads felt like they were splitting.
But since it was a common symptom, the physicians didn’t pay much attention to it.
“Then came the abdominal pain and diarrhea. So we changed the suppliers and got water from a farther and cleaner place.”
They even called upon the water elemental to ensure the safety of the water, but there was no change.
‘In the end, a death occurred.’
I pondered over the symptoms carefully.
Initially, there was fatigue, followed by incessant sleepiness, splitting headaches, and then abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Individually, none of these symptoms seemed remarkable; after all, even a common cold could cause abdominal pain and headaches.
But having all these symptoms together was uncommon.
‘Wait a moment.’
There seemed to be a similar incident in the past.
When was it?
I rolled my eyes quickly, trying to recall.
When was it?
I saw it and experienced it.
The memory of trying to figure it out gnawed at me.
It hit me.
‘When I was in the Ashart Kingdom!’
I opened my eyes wide.
Once I found one thin fragment of memory, finding the rest was easy.
Memories flooded in succession, leaving me astonished.
“Your Highness Stella!”
I exclaimed.
In my haste, the teapot tumbled as I rose from my seat.
Despite the tea spilling on my dress, I paid it no mind.
“Have you recently brought in any merchants?”
I asked urgently.
“Merchants?”
Stella looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Yes, you mentioned converting the mansion into a hospital. Have you brought in any new goods or merchants recently?”
“Goods… yes.”
Stella nodded.
“Since it was a mansion, I bought many things to accommodate the patients.”
I bit my lip.
“Was there anything green among them?”
“Green?”
Stella looked increasingly confused.
“Well…”
She tried to remember, wanting to answer my question accurately.
“The mansion’s butler filled in for me, so I’m not sure, but there were a few carpets and pieces of furniture that were green.”
“.….”
“Why?”
I scrunched up my face, one corner of my mouth lifting.
“I’ve found the cause.”
* * *
“Remove everything!”
People with cloth covering their noses and mouths were bustling around.
“Find all the green items!”
“Remember to wear gloves and cover your face with cloth!”
“The used gloves and cloth go over here! We’ll burn them all!”
The mansion was constantly producing distinctively green items.
Carpets, sofas, cushions, curtains, and even candles were piled up in the garden.
“Is this the cause?”
Stella asked, standing beside me.
“They look ordinary to me.”
She said.
No, I liked it.
Such a beautiful and luxurious shade of green wasn’t common.
If I had known about this color earlier, I would have somehow procured green fabric for a dress.
If I had worn it at the ball, I would surely have been popular in high society.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
I crossed my arms and watched as the items piled up.
Stella nodded enthusiastically.
“As beautiful as it is, it’s a dangerous color.”
“Why?”
I frowned.
“It’s poisonous, that color.”