Ever since civilization dawned, one disease has tormented humanity without end.
The contagious fever that had broken out in Hecate Village was none other than the common cold.
Guard Captain Hyal murmured with a serious expression,
“A cold……?”
She tilted her head, looking as if she had never heard the word before.
Sure enough.
“So you already knew about this disease, Benefactor.”
She clearly had no idea.
I asked the guard captain,
“Has this kind of illness never existed in Ravianglily before?”
“No. Until a few years ago, we had never seen patients with these symptoms. Even the High Priestess, who preserves the old knowledge, has never heard of it. It is an unprecedented disease.”
“That means……”
The Lokpia Continent had no cold virus.
Well, that made sense.
When the Lokpia Continent and Earth first synchronized, scholars had worried that pathogens or viruses unknown to Earth would cause a catastrophe.
Thankfully that hasn’t happened yet.
I roughly understood the situation.
To outsiders it might seem like overreacting to “just a cold.”
But only a hundred years ago, the common cold had been a seriously dangerous illness.
The modern world with antibiotics, vaccines, advanced medicine, and hygiene makes it hard to imagine.
The biggest problem was that the cold virus simply did not exist on the Lokpia Continent.
In other words, the people of Ravianglily had zero immunity to it.
A similar case existed in Earth’s history.
After Columbus landed in the Americas in the 15th century, roughly ninety percent of the indigenous population died within a hundred years.
Pathogens and viruses unknown to the Americas had been carried by the explorers, wiping out natives with no resistance.
Inside the magic spear were countless objects from who-knows-where.
Just like how foreign species sometimes hitch rides in ship or airplane cargo today, the cold virus must have slipped in during the storage process.
At that moment, Hyal spoke with an impressed face.
“You are well-versed in medicine as well, Benefactor. I am astonished that you could diagnose the disease so accurately at a glance.”
“Mm.”
Well-versed in medicine?
Not at all.
I had zero medical knowledge that would let me look at a patient’s face and instantly name the illness.
……However.
[Warehouse Keeper, so this time you just need to take care of patients with the common cold? Perfect timing. If I counted only the cold patients I’ve treated, I could line them up from Hanyang all the way to Kaesong.]
I was freely listening to the advice of Shadow Knight Heo Jun.
His voice kept flowing into my head.
[The common cold is the most frequent illness, affecting men, women, young and old alike. Boil angelica root, cnidium, white peony, rehmannia, astragalus, cinnamon, licorice, jujube, and ginger into Ssanghwa-tang to tonify yin energy. Then make Galgeun-tang with pueraria root, ginger, jujube, ephedra, cinnamon twig, peony, and licorice to warm the body……]
‘Thank you for the valuable advice. You may clock out now.’
I dismissed Shadow Knight Heo Jun’s summoning.
I let the herbal prescription go in one ear and out the other.
I had no intention of buying herbs and brewing medicine.
I checked my inventory.
The elixir made by alchemist Paracelsus had already been used up treating the soldiers.
But I have this instead.
I took out a small box from my inventory.
A white box with a red cross on it.
Inside were disinfectants, gauze, and all kinds of common medicines.
Good thing I kept the habit of carrying a first-aid kit just in case.
It was a habit from my warehouse part-time days.
If your body broke down, you missed days of work, so the moment I felt sick I would pop medicine.
I took out white pills and a brown medicine bottle from the kit.
Tylenol for excellent fever reduction, and Ibuprofen for outstanding pain relief and anti-inflammatory effects.
Famous over-the-counter fever reducers.
To make it easier for the patients to swallow, I’ll crush the Tylenol into powder and mix it with Ibuprofen syrup.
I poured the medicine into the High Priestess’s granddaughter’s mouth.
“Mmm……”
The girl swallowed with difficulty.
Of course, mixing them like this was only a temporary measure.
If overused carelessly, trying to cure a cold could destroy the liver.
I gave medicine to the other patients as well.
By the time I had finished the last patient,
“What in the world are you doing here right now!”
The High Priestess came running into the sickroom in a hurry.
Her kind face was twisted with fury.
“I clearly ordered you to send the outsiders out of the village! Yet not only did you ignore me, you even brought an outsider into the patients’ room!”
The High Priestess was so shocked and angry she could barely speak.
But Guard Captain Hyal answered calmly.
“‘From the sky shall descend a black-haired man and woman. They shall be the Messiah who will save us, the abandoned and wandering ones.’”
“What……”
“It is the prophecy left by the first High Priestess. You must know it, High Priestess. These two are undoubtedly the ‘Messiah of Ravianglily’ we have waited for so long.”
The High Priestess let out a soft sigh.
Guard Captain Hyal continued,
“If anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility. If you wish, I will resign as guard captain and leave. So please, just this once, allow my stubbornness.”
“Hyal…… You are like a granddaughter to me. How could I ever cast you out……”
A heavy silence filled the sickroom.
Just as the High Priestess was about to speak again,
“G-Grandmother……?”
A voice as faint as a dying candle sounded.
The High Priestess’s granddaughter lying on the bed had opened her eyes.
“T-This…… this can’t be……”
The High Priestess rushed to her granddaughter.
She gently touched the girl’s forehead, cheeks, and the back of her hand.
“The fever has gone down. That burning fever…… it has completely subsided. How is this a miracle……”
The High Priestess hugged her granddaughter and sobbed.
“G-Grandmother…… I can’t breathe……”
“Yes, I’m sorry. My child…… Thank goodness, thank goodness……”
Soon the other patients on the beds began sitting up one by one.
The Hecate residents, who had no immunity to the cold, had suffered terribly.
And because they also had no resistance to medicine, the effects showed even more clearly.
Then Guard Captain Hyal spoke.
“The Benefactor, the Messiah, has cured the curse-like fever with mysterious medicine……”
“No.”
I cut Hyal off firmly.
“It’s not cured yet. The most important part is still left.”
Thanks to the fever reducer and painkiller, the patients had regained consciousness.
But to completely cure the cold, the real key started now.
The one phrase every Korean has heard at least once when sick.
***
“You have to eat to get better.”
Hecate Village square.
The Eternal Soup Cauldron was bubbling away.
Bubble bubble bubble bubble bubble bubble—
The appetite-stimulating aroma of chicken broth spread thickly.
Every time it did, the sound of swallowing echoed from all directions.
I walked up to the Eternal Soup Cauldron.
“Keeping the fire nice and steady?”
Jeanne, who had been adding firewood, stood up.
“You’ve returned, Master.”
The Eternal Soup Cauldron always stayed full while the fire was lit.
That was why I had left the fire to Jeanne while I was gone.
The children sitting around the cauldron waved at me.
“Magic Button Mister is here!”
“We waited nicely like we promised!”
“I brought firewood for the pretty sister!”
The kids chattered, clearly fishing for praise.
Waiting in front of the chicken-stock soup must have been hard; their mouths were smeared with drool.
I checked the broth inside the cauldron.
A rich golden broth.
Okay. Perfect.
I began ladling the broth into the disposable bowls I had brought.
“Alright everyone, line up! Serving starts now!”
The villagers formed an orderly line in front of the cauldron.
No matter how much broth I scooped out, the cauldron kept refilling.
Soon every person had a bowl.
Then.
“Thank you for the meal—!”
With the children’s energetic shout, the sound of people drinking broth rose everywhere.
Slurp— sluuuurp— sluuuurp—
People drank silently.
Only when the bottoms of their bowls appeared did they finally lift their heads one by one.
“T-This is……”
“It’s warm and delicious……”
“Best soup I’ve ever had in my life.”
The adults murmured with moved expressions.
Meanwhile the children shouted with sparkling eyes.
“Wow! It’s really good!”
“Mister, you really are a wizard, right?”
“It really is the magic button!”
“So amazing…… I want one too……”
Meanwhile, Guard Captain Hyal was staring blankly at her empty bowl.
“So…… delicious……”
Her eyes were wide, cheeks flushed red.
She looked deeply moved.
Of course she would.
Chicken stock was a highly concentrated seasoning made from chicken broth.
Even top chefs used this cheat item; there was no way it wouldn’t taste amazing.
Then Hyal’s eyes sparkled as she said,
“It’s incredible! As expected, Benefactor! Just as you said, this is ‘an amazing soup that everyone can enjoy deliciously’! May I share this food with the villagers and soldiers?”
“Not yet.”
“……Pardon?”
Again, not yet.
The soup that everyone could enjoy deliciously was complete.
But food that was only tasty was third-rate.
Food that was only healthy was second-rate.
Food that was both healthy and delicious was first-rate.
“Shall we start the real cooking now?”
I took ingredients out of the icebox.
Onions, carrots, chives, garlic, green onions, chicken, and eggs.
I had originally planned to make samgyetang for the soldiers with these……
But the situation had changed, so the menu changed too.
The people of Hecate Village had survived for a long time on thin gruel.
Their digestive systems would be extremely weak.
Therefore I decided on chicken porridge—something even the patients could eat easily.
I began finely chopping the vegetables.
Chop! Chop! Chop! Chop! Chop! Chop! Chop! Chop! Chop! Chop!
Especially the chives—I sliced a huge amount and threw them into the cauldron.
Chives were rich in vitamins, calcium, iron, and other nutrients, helped blood circulation to warm the body, and were excellent for digestion.
They were also perfect for restoring the liver that had taken damage from the cold medicine.
The Hecate people had been surviving on mushrooms and moss until now.
They had suffered not only from nutritional imbalance but also from severe vitamin deficiency.
Sure enough, the children’s skin had white patches and looked sallow.
I dumped the finely chopped vegetables into the cauldron in large quantities.
Meanwhile.
“Wow…… Vegetables really exist.”
“It wasn’t just a storybook thing!”
“I wonder what vegetables taste like?”
The children and villagers who were seeing vegetables for the first time watched with wide eyes.
Soon.
Bubble bubble bubble bubble bubble—
The contents of the cauldron boiled vigorously.
A fragrant vegetable aroma and savory meat scent filled the air.
I distributed the finished chicken porridge to the villagers.
“Eat as much as you want. As long as the fire doesn’t go out, it will keep generating endlessly.”
Then I handed a bowl to Guard Captain Hyal as well.
Nutritious chicken porridge.
Now topped with sesame seeds and seaweed flakes.
Steam rose gently from the bowl.
Hyal took one spoonful.
At that moment.
“……!”
Her eyes changed completely.
“Hoo…… wow…… haa…… ha……!”
She began scarfing down the hot porridge.
Jeanne, watching her, handed over water.
“If you eat that fast you’ll burn your mouth.”
“Th-Thank you……”
Hyal finished an entire bowl in the blink of an eye.
“This is the first warm food I’ve ever had. It reminds me of my late mother……”
Tears began to well up in her previously dazed eyes.
Then.
“Oh my god……”
“What is this……”
“It smells delicious.”
The High Priestess entered the village square leading the patients.
I handed a bowl of chicken porridge to her granddaughter as well.
The girl carefully accepted the bowl.
She slowly took one mouthful.
And.
“It’s really delicious……”
She smiled with pure happiness.
Soon the granddaughter held out her bowl to the High Priestess.
“Grandmother, you eat too.”
“This old woman is full just watching you eat so well.”
The High Priestess wiped away her tears.
Then she firmly took both of my hands.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you……”
Tears dripped down onto her wrinkled hands.
“You truly are the Messiah of Ravianglily.”
The High Priestess thanked me again and again.
Soon the guard captain and caregivers began distributing medicine and chicken porridge to the patients.
The labored breathing, coughing, and groaning gradually quieted.
The village square was soon filled with laughter.
Jeanne, who had been watching the scene, turned to me and said,
“Thank you, Master.”
“It was nothing.”
“From the bottom of my heart…… thank you.”
Jeanne smiled brightly.
It was the most dazzlingly beautiful smile I had ever seen.