Yellow Mark Disease (2)

Over the past 300 years, many people have contracted Yellow Mark Disease. But every one of them has been cured with the special remedy.

Saliera bit her lip and continued, looking pained.

“...But for some reason, the special remedy isn’t working this time. So perhaps this isn’t Yellow Mark Disease. Or... perhaps I made a mistake with the ingredients or the method of preparation.”

At that, Saliera’s voice caught.

She looked so distressed that I couldn’t help opening my mouth to reassure her.

“No, Saliera. There’s nothing wrong with your medicine. ...It seems the disease has mutated over the long years.”

When she heard my words, Saliera looked up in surprise and clasped both my hands.

“I-Is that true? It wasn’t my mistake that made everyone suffer? ...Oh, Great Saint-sama, thank you for telling me!”

As she spoke, Saliera looked toward the passage on the opposite side from the entrance we had come through.

“This is a graveyard for the sick. This disease is incurable. Hundreds of our people have died, and the dead are taken through that passage... It leads to the sea, so we return them to the sea from there. We can’t bring them home, in case the disease spreads from their corpses to others.”...