Chapter 28: Water Poisoning Incident 1
"So, it's been ten days. What happened?"
After the lovemaking with Shiro-san ended.
I was questioned by the female adventurers and the receptionists.
"Every day since then..."
"Didn't it hurt the next day?"
"Ah!, I couldn't do it. The day after the first time, it was so painful that I couldn't even walk."
"No one is asking you. I'm asking Wince."
There was no end to the conversations.
It's noisy but usual days.
"Wince. I've received the reward."
I was so absorbed in the conversation that I realize I'd let Shiro-san take care of the formalities.
"Ah, I'm sorry!"
"No problem, it didn't take long. Let's go eat."
"Yes! I'm sorry everyone. I'm going now."
"""See you later"""
And so Shiro-san and I head out to eat.
What shall we eat today?
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"That's nice~ I want a boyfriend like Shiro-kun too."
"I don't think it's that easy to get a good one like that."
“Wince-chan looks like she’s having fun, too. She looks happy. I can't make fun of her, can I?"
"""Hey..."""
"Ah, did you hear?"
"Hear what?"
"That Shiro-kun was a virgin."
"Well, well."
"I'm sure it must have been a mixture of freshness and youthfulness."
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I found a street vendor roasting a chicken.
"Would you like to eat that today?"
Wince seems fine with it.
To be honest, the food in this world is not very tasty.
Spices and seasonings are expensive.
So it's basically salt only.
Bread, meat, salad, everything tastes salty.
It's very hard not to have the pleasure of a good meal.
But this stall was different.
"What's that smell?"
"It's a strange smell."
No, I remember this smell.
Almost like fish sauce.
"Hey, you want some?"
I was lured by the smell and when I approached, I was called out.
"Is that fish sauce?"
“Yeah, fish sauce is rare around here, but do you know about it?”
“Shiro-san, what is fish sauce?”
"Ah... a condiment made by marinating fish in salt and fermenting it."
"Yes, that's pretty much it. If you don't mind, would you like to taste it?"
Saying that, he put fish sauce on a small plate and handed it to me.
Wince and I put it on our fingers and lick it off.
"It's so thick... I don't know what it tastes like."
It seems that Wince's sense of taste has been numbed by the intensity of the flavor.
My impression is that it's a little sweet. It's a unique sweetness like sugar soy sauce mixed with a little bit of strong spicy soy sauce.
"Apply the fish sauce on the chicken... and grill it!"
Fire rises vigorously from the coals.
The oil in the meat seems to have caught fire
"It smells really strong. But I really want to eat it."
Sweet and spicy sauce, chicken meat, and charcoal grill
This is yakitori!
No, it's a big piece of meat with bones attached, without skewers.
"Shiro-dono!"
I'm engrossed in the aroma when someone calls out to me.
A soldier in shining silver iron armor.
“The lord wants you to come as soon as possible! Right now.”
"Eh?"
He's going to take me away.
"Wait! At least, a bite! My yakitori!"
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"So? What did he want?"
"Shiro-san, the lord has no bad intentions..."
My stomach is growling.
Wince's stomach is also growling, but he didn't care
"Sorry, it's an emergency."
"What do you need?"
"I told you about the blacksmiths, right?"
“Was it those blacksmith nobles monopolizing the rights to the water purifier?”
"Yeah, 70% of the blacksmiths on the nobles' side were executed for attempted assassination."
"What?"
Seventy percent? That's almost all of them.
"What could have caused such a disaster?"
“It's recent, but people related to the nobility. Especially children, are falling ill of unknown causes.”
"Is that the reason?"
"Yes. Yesterday, at last, a death occurred."
"Is it the work of the blacksmiths who were executed?"
"All those executed were water purifier makers."
Did they tamper with the water purifiers?
No. Did they think they did it?
"I don't see why the blacksmiths would do such a thing."
"Was there a conflict of interest?"
All that comes out is speculation.
Too little information.
“I had a doctor's medical records intercepted. Whatever it is, have you noticed anything, Shiro-dono?"
What the hell does this guy think I am?
Medicine is not my area of expertise.
I'm just a high school student. Ex.
"Wince, read it."
"Yes, [At first, he complained of dizziness and headache, his urine output extremely decreased, he had severe diarrhea and vomiting, and he had no appetite.]"
I don't get it.
Food poisoning? Was it really poisoned?
"[He complained of severe thirst and drank water, but it didn't improve, and immediately after that he started screaming and fainted. Convulsions were so severe that it was difficult for an adult to control, and he stopped breathing that night. Death was confirmed.] What is this? Is it a curse or something?"
"Whatever it is, it's not a proper way to die, and the symptoms aren't just one or two."
"How does executing the blacksmiths solve the problem?"
"There's no other way they could think of."
The lord looks exhausted and shakes his head.
"If you don't know anything, I don't blame you. Since you're not from here."
"Yes. I have no idea."
"Perhaps she drank raw water?"
Wince interjects.
"The nobility know how troublesome the water in this area is. They will never drink it."
"Only water from the water purifiers... or is there poison in the water bottle?"
“It should be difficult, too, because, in the first place, the nobility is constantly fighting the fear of assassination. Even if it was a blacksmith in their employ, they would forbid them to enter the mansion without permission."
"Maybe the water purifier is broken?"
"That's not likely either. If it was broken, they would have noticed it immediately, since it is an essential part of daily life."
If there is an actual water purifier... ah.
"Is there a water purifier in this mansion?"
"Yes. Would you like to see it?"
"Please."
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And there it was... a giant iron water container.
"Here it is."
"How do you use it?"
"Fill the bottom of the container with water and wait a while, or heat the bottom with a fire. After a while, you can get water out of the iron pipe in the upper part."
They call it a water purifier, but this one simply evaporates the water. It would be better to call it a distiller.
And that's how I figured it out.
“I see, I sympathize with the nobles’s personal blacksmiths.”
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