Chapter 20 – Isolation Zone (1)

19 – Isolation Zone (1)

About thirty years ago.
The city alliance of the Iruph Lowlands succeeded in gaining autonomy amidst the powerful forces surrounding them. It was truly a miraculous feat achieved through exceptional diplomacy and abundant wealth.

That the nobles, who called themselves rulers of this wealthy region, would give up their power. Although it wasn’t complete independence or autonomy, but rather a condition of paying a considerable amount of wealth each year, it was still an achievement worthy of praise as a miracle.

Free City.
The cities of the Iruph Lowlands, having gained autonomy, called themselves Free Cities from that time on, and their fame spread rapidly throughout the empire.

After that, countless serfs flocked to the prosperous Iruph Lowlands in search of freedom. The air of freedom was sweet, but only for a moment. The serfs soon realized that the ‘freedom’ of the Free Cities was not for them. The freedom of the city was only allowed to the new ruling class living inside the solid walls, those who called themselves ‘bourgeoisie’ (people inside the walls).

As the serfs who had flocked there formed slums along the outskirts of the city walls, the influential figures of the city, who had risen to the new ruling class, did not sit idly by. Their arrogance led them to gather the slums in one place and surround them with walls in order to isolate themselves from these insignificant people.

Of course, the creation of a kind of ‘isolation space’ surrounded by walls was soon abandoned due to the continuous influx of serfs, but the traces of it still remain, extending to this place, Grampo, and being used for similar purposes.

Grampo, one of the most bustling and largest cities in the Iruph Lowlands since ancient times, still bore the traces of a massive ‘isolation space’.

Walls built to confine the poor.
This place, once created to drive out the vagrants who flocked to the city, had now become a place to drive in those who had become monsters or were about to become monsters due to the ‘Demon Sickness’.

Isolation Zone.
Before they knew it, people called this place that.

The pitiful screams and resentments that had flowed from within the solid, towering walls had long since ceased. The eyes of the citizens looking at the towering gate were filled with fear.

“It’s an unpleasant place.”

As Irian muttered, it was a place that gave off a strange sense of unease. The party’s divine power was reacting to something in front of the gate of the ‘Isolation Zone’.

“Inside… no. Here, even outside? Why?”

A bitter smile escaped me.
Well, it was inevitable. The inside was teeming with those consumed by the ‘Demon Sickness’, so it was natural for them to react to divine power, and this outside was also filled with countless grudges, hatred, and sorrow, so those who were sensitive, like the elites of the Order, might feel something.

“Could it be that the ‘Demon Sickness’ has spread to the outside?”

The word ‘Demon Sickness’ in someone’s mutterings. The name ‘Demon Sickness’, which would have spread naturally without anyone knowing where it started, spread quickly through someone who heard my mutterings.

Well, the reason was that no one but a demon could spread something so vicious and terrifying? Everyone seemed to think so, and they quickly started calling it ‘Demon Sickness’. Since it was a name that would have spread soon anyway, I didn’t think the game story would change much just because it was named a little faster, so I openly called it ‘Demon Sickness’, and the people of the Order quickly followed suit.

“If it has broken through the blockade and spread to the outside, what should we do?”

A quiet ripple spread among the party at Sir Jacob’s sigh.
As the party were all elites of the Order belonging to the Holy Kingdom of Hespolte, the holy land and center of faith, they were well aware of the horrors of epidemics, and the meaning of Sir Jacob’s words seemed to weigh heavily on them.

They thought they had barely contained the Demon Sickness, which was suspected to be an epidemic, but if it had spread to the outside, the situation would be out of control. Even a normal epidemic was hard to handle, but an epidemic that turned people into monsters?

I had been trying not to step forward, fearing that I might inadvertently reveal important settings or knowledge from the game if I talked too much, but this time I had no choice but to step forward. If I didn’t give them good news here, the party’s morale would drop too low.

“That’s not likely. The unease felt outside… is probably the resentment of the dead.”
“Resentment is something that builds up and disappears quickly. Unless it’s a battlefield, how could resentment build up this much?”
“Do you think the countless people… or things that used to be people inside the isolation zone walked in there on their own? They were probably forcibly confined. That’s why so much resentment has built up.”
“Hmm.”

Sighs erupted from here and there. They were imagining it, but I had seen the vivid descriptions myself. The game portrayed the weakness and ugliness of humans in fear, laid bare during several days of madness.

The influential figures of the city who had achieved a great victory against the existing system.
Those who called themselves the bourgeoisie, meaning ‘people inside the walls’.
Their opposition to the existing system was not because they had some noble sense of mission or belief. They were simply yearning for what they lacked.

That was power.
See how those who gained power have changed.

The city council, which claimed to be wise and fair, was in chaos and drove not only those who were turning into monsters and those with clear symptoms, but also their families, the sick who had completely unrelated diseases, and even those who were simply suspected, into the isolation zone.

All this while shouting that it was for the safety and order of the city and its citizens.
The funny thing was that the ‘bourgeoisie’, except for those who had clearly become monsters or were turning into monsters, were not included.

The screams, cries, and lamentations of countless people filled the city, but no one stepped forward for them. In the fear that someone around them might become a monster due to the ‘disease’, people regained stability through the sacrifice of ‘some’.

As the game’s text described, the city was able to calm down only after several days of madness, in which the weakness and ugliness of humans in fear were laid bare. At least on the surface.

“How could they do such a thing… This is… this is nothing short of a massacre!”
“Enough. A massacre? You’re going too far. They were simply trying to protect themselves from the ‘epidemic’.”

It was Sir Jacob who restrained Irian’s shrill cry.
The white-haired old knight gestured to the city people guiding the party and then shook his head slightly at Irian.

I could leave the management of the party to Sir Jacob. I looked at something more important.
As I had worried, her face was pale and her hands were trembling. I lightly held Diana’s trembling hand once. Then, she leaned towards me, and when our shoulders touched, she seemed relieved and let out a faint sigh.

“It’s really cruel.”

I nodded at her soft whisper.
It is cruel. But I don’t want to blame them. I know that I am not a very moral person either.

Perhaps if I had been a person of power in the city, wouldn’t I have taken a similar path? What is important to me is not humanity, compassion, or the lives of complete strangers.
To be honest, what do I care about other people’s lives? I’m too busy taking care of my own life and the lives of those I cherish. Conscience? That’s something I look for when I have the time.

“That’s right. It’s cruel. And this is reality, Diana.”

Even though I had been coddling and raising her, now that the story had officially begun, I had to let Diana know the reality.

This shitty game is surprisingly a dark fantasy world, and there are so many unpleasant things that you can’t feel at all when the protagonist and heroine are being lovey-dovey.
It’s as if the production team is maliciously trying to make you despair at the story after watching the protagonist and heroine’s sweet moments with a smile. I shouldn’t have kept playing just because of the illustrations. I should have quit after playing a bit.

They say that suffering when you’re young is something you should seek out, but that’s bullshit.
Whether you’re young or old, why would you seek out suffering? It’s not my taste to crawl into hardship. A comfortable life is my taste.

“Yurian?”

When I suddenly came to my senses, blue eyes were filled with worry.
…Let’s get a grip.
It’s not like I didn’t know, and if I’m like this even though I knew beforehand, how will I handle the quests in the future?

“I’m okay. Were you worried?”
“Yes. You suddenly made a scary face…”

Even this fragile young lady is holding on and worrying about me, what kind of disgrace is this?
From Sir Jacob to Irian and the elite holy knights of the Order. And with the saint Diana and her attending priests, there’s no way we’re in danger.

‘Damn it. Don’t be so pathetic, really. If you’re the protagonist, act like one… let’s do well.’

With my heart pounding wildly, I gritted my teeth and slowly walked towards the gate.
Beyond this, hell awaits.

It’s a damn game world where ‘hell’ really exists, but it’s not really hell… it’s just that a hellish scene will unfold.
…But, am I really the protagonist? I suddenly had a question, but I decided not to think about it deeply. At least not now.

“Everyone, remember. The initial symptoms of the ‘Demon Sickness’ are coughing and fever. A few days after the symptoms appear, you will suffer from a high fever and lose consciousness. Then, as if the moisture in the body is drying up, it rapidly withers and turns into a mummy, the pupils turn purple, and the tongue becomes thin.”

I slowly passed the front of the party and headed towards the gate. I had been holding back, but this much information should be okay. I also have an alibi that I learned it through investigations yesterday and today.

Let’s act like a protagonist. Don’t just wait passively for things to happen.
I.
Must control the situation.

My greatest weapon is not the S-rank, top-tier priest characteristic ‘Saint’ or other characteristics.
It’s information.

Knowing what will happen in the future, the causes and results of all sorts of incidents, all the settings and secrets of this world, is my greatest weapon. I must actively use it. To survive the Demon King. There’s no way I can die in this shitty game.

…If I die here, will I really die? I’m curious, but I don’t want to test it. My life is precious.

“The person who has changed like that soon dies. They start moving with purple eyes, but at first, they are slow and not very aggressive. This is a good opportunity to deal with them. It’s just a dead body moving slowly in a strange form. It’s just grotesque.”

I stood in front of the solid gate and looked back at the party.
It’s reassuring that they don’t show even a hint of fear, as befits the elites of the Order. If things go wrong, I can ask them to cover my back and run away, right? …Of course, I shouldn’t create such a situation.

“After another day or two, like a pupa shedding its skin, the withered body tears apart and a monster is born. It has a very dirty and ugly appearance… That’s right. It looks like a ‘demon’. ‘Demon Sickness’. It’s a very fitting name.”

I slowly turned my body and placed my hand on the gate. The cold metallic feeling was transmitted through the steel reinforcement on the solid oak.

“I’ll open it.”

Feeling the presence of the party close behind me, I pushed the door with all my might.
If I said something like ‘Welcome to hell’ or ‘Welcome to hell’ here, it would be awkward, right? Suppressing the dad jokes that were instinctively rising, I pushed with all my might… with all my might…?

“Why, why won’t it open?”
“…Move aside.”

I awkwardly stepped aside, and Irian put both hands on the gate and started pushing with all her might.
With a creaking sound of rusty metal, the gate slowly opened.

“You. When we get back, it’s special training.”
“…Again?”
“Are you saying ‘again’? You can’t even open a gate by yourself.”

Even if you treat me like such a weakling… gates aren’t meant to be opened alone in the first place. It’s normal not to be able to open it alone.

“That child opens it by herself, just like that. Special training. We have to do it, right?”
“…Of course. We have to. Haha.”

Irian’s physical abilities are at a monster level, you old geezer!