Volume 4 Chapter 63 Syphilis Alert
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
When I brought my mind back from Larry’s body in my previous life, dawn had already come in this world too.
”Get up, we’re goin’ to eat. Put yer clothes on.”
Urged on by Pamela, I managed to stand, but sleepy is sleepy.
After all, I’d stayed up all night with Larry while he kept kowtowing and telling his story.
Poor Larry—his wife told him to get out, chased him to the front door, while he kowtowed and begged for forgiveness.
He’d follow his wife back to the living room, only to be chased back to the front door and kowtow again.
In the end, she’d barricaded herself in the living room with a doorstop.
I started to feel sorry for him, so I listened to his story—starting with why he’d made a move on another man’s wife, then endless complaints about his wife and work, and then how cute his daughter Kokoa was, and how he really did love his wife after all. It started to feel pretty stupid.
When morning came and his wife told him to eat breakfast, he was overjoyed with tears in his eyes.
Is this how weak you become after two years in this world?
You’re being tamed, Larry.
This other world has its own hardships, sure.
But I’ve been in this world so long, I’m completely changed—I’m about to have ten children. I don’t think I could survive in my original world anymore.
”What in the world is this?”
What Pamela picked up at the doorway was a crude sheet of paper—plant fibers stiffened with glue—with reddish-brown letters written on it.
”What’s up?”
When I asked, it seemed it had been stuck in the door, but neither I nor Pamela could read what was written on it.
We agreed we’d have to ask Ms. Rao, and headed to the inn’s dining hall.
That Ms. Rao had returned to her colony last night, and we’d arranged to meet here at the dining hall.
”Good morning. You look tired.”
Ms. Rao, who’d arrived first, stopped eating and looked at me with concern.
Well, I was basically up all night.
I left out the details and told her I’d spent the whole night connected to my past-life body double.
”So that means you’re connected to the world before your reincarnation even here. That means half of Professor Rasia’s hypothesis was right.”
That hypothesis was that Larry’s consciousness could only connect within a limited range.
But they hadn’t proven it couldn’t connect beyond that range.
It wasn’t so much that half the proof was there, as it hadn’t been disproven.
”So, what’s this?”
I asked about the paper that had been stuck in the door this morning.
”Oh, that. It’s a syphilis alert.”
Syphilis alert?
”Right. They found someone infected with syphilis, so it’s a warning not to have s*x with anyone other than your partner.”
Infected?
”Early symptoms—when a lump appears on the genitals, that person’s a suspected case. Of course, that person is forbidden from s*x with anyone other than their partner. If the lump turns into an ulcer and starts discharging pus, they’re confirmed infected.”
Either way, there’s a reporting obligation, apparently.
Of course, sometimes these symptoms don’t show up or go unnoticed, so if second-stage symptoms like roseola appear, a syphilis alert goes out then too.
”Well, it happens about once every two years.”
So it’s that frequent?
It’s not strict, but until they finish investigating infection routes and whether there’s been any spread, businesses related to s*x work—like what’s on the other side of the open-air bath curtain—are supposedly prohibited.
Also, regarding syphilis, education about symptoms and what to do when they appear seems thorough.
When I asked about other contagious diseases, she said they were almost nonexistent.
”The Androgynos Group apparently has antibodies to most infectious diseases, but not to syphilis.”
Influenza, smallpox, polio, plague, cholera—even when other species living on this island catch them, the records show that the Androgynos Group only experiences temporary fever or diarrhea, and then everything’s fine afterward.
”The problem is, syphilis infects the mother mushrooms too.”
The mother mushrooms—the giant white mushrooms in the colony that the Androgynos Group lay their eggs in.
One hundred percent of the eggs laid by an infected Androgynos Group member carry syphilis, and the mother mushroom they’re laid in becomes infected too, turning into a permanent carrier that can no longer be used.
”Basically, if anyone in a colony catches syphilis, they have to shut it down. Otherwise, the children raised from it will develop mental abnormalities around age ten and die within a few years.”
It seems a bit different from syphilis on Earth, but shutting down a colony sounds like a pretty serious deal, so it makes sense they’d issue an alert.
What about treatment?
”They’re requesting Medical Mages. But there are only a few here.”
Ms. Rao said that, looking at Pamela, but Pamela shook her head when looked at.
”I’m a Simple-type Magic Mage originally. I can heal simple injuries and wounds, but complex internal diseases, broken bones, infections—I can’t handle those.”
That’s why my broken bone was healed by the hikikomori Elf Mage who used to be section chief of the Engine Department.
”It’s fine. I don’t think we’ll need to ask—don’t worry. Two years ago, it was a false positive too.”
Well, that’s fine then.
The morning meeting that day was lively because I’d been able to connect with Larry through consciousness the night before.
But after lunch, I got too sleepy to stay awake, so when I asked to go back to the inn, they told me to sleep in the institute’s infirmary.
I entered a small room near the building entrance where a female human of Chinese appearance was present. When Ms. Rao, who’d accompanied me, explained that I was sleep-deprived and needed to lie down for a bit, she kindly let me rest on the bed.
How did I know she was human? She wore long pants, and her build wasn’t Amazoness or Dwarf.
”She’s Medical Magic Mage Ms. Miao.”
After hearing that from Ms. Rao, I fell asleep as if my consciousness had just vanished.
Something’s noisy.
When I raised myself up, there were several people in the narrow infirmary, talking about something.
”You’re awake.”
One of them, Ms. Rao, called out to me.
When I asked what had happened, she said several syphilis infections had been confirmed and there was a big commotion.
”And—that Amazoness you slept with, Ms. Kamea, she’s a suspected case too.”
Huh?
”And who are these people?”
”Ah, don’t worry—they’re elders. They came to consult with the Medical Mage here about countermeasures.”
No, no, no—even if you tell me not to worry, I can’t not worry.
What happens to me—or rather, what happens to me and Pamela?
”I’m sorry, but you’ll have to vacate our land promptly.”
See? They’re kicking us out without treatment. No way I can relax.
Then what about the coal loading for the Izumo? What about resupplying food?
At that moment, an Amazoness-looking person entered, relayed something to the three who appeared to be elders, and left.
Suddenly, everyone fell silent.
”Something serious, huh?”
The atmosphere had suddenly become heavy, so I asked Ms. Rao.
”They identified people who’d had contact with the confirmed cases. Six families, twenty-five people—plus you three.”
The three being me, Pamela, and Ms. Kamea, I think.
And including the confirmed cases, that makes eight families, twenty-nine people, plus the three of us.
So that means twenty-five suspected cases, and if the total is twenty-nine, then there are four confirmed cases.
The infection can’t have been going on for long, and yet seven times as many suspected cases? Sexually transmitted diseases are something else.
”Listen, treating people with early-stage syphilis symptoms is tough. It takes one Medical Mage for every two patients. There are only three Medical Mages in the Land of the Fire Ring. And the treatment takes seven days, apparently.”
Still, not all twenty-five suspected cases are necessarily infected, and looking at this infirmary, the Medical Mage here seems free enough—surely they can manage.
Thinking that, a new question came to mind.
”But how did it come to this? You were taking precautions, weren’t you?”
Ms. Rao glanced at the elders and brushed it off with a vague “there are various circumstances.”
Then one of the elders, a granny-faced one, looked at me.
”You came from the Kingdom of Schweilitz, didn’t you?”
From the way she spoke, I think this person was male before reincarnation.
”That’s right. And you?”
Since he seemed to know about me, I asked.
”I am one of the elders. Rokani No no Murasaki the 16th. Larry, was it? I have something I’d like to ask you.”
”Before that, can I ask something?”
These are people who want to kick me out immediately just for catching syphilis.
A little rudeness should be permissible, so I asked first.
”Very well—if it’s something I can answer.”
”Syphilis can be cured with penicillin, right? Since there are plenty of Reincarnated People here, couldn’t you culture and extract it?”
”Ah, that.”
The Androgynos Group who called himself Rokani sighed.
”That penicillin is a substance that blue mold produces for self-defense—any interested middle schooler knows that, and by high school or college some can even write the structural formula. However…”
He didn’t need to finish; I could guess the rest.
They don’t have the technology to purify it. To begin with, they don’t have the organic solvents needed for purification.
Even if you know the structural formula and can isolate it, you don’t have the analytical equipment to determine its structure.
When I said it in Rokani’s place, he made a sour face.
”We have managed to isolate the antigen for the Wassermann reaction to some extent.”
The Wassermann reaction is a test that reacts serum from the subject with antigen extracted from cow heart to diagnose syphilis infection, but it has many false positives, and I recall it was used alongside other tests.
Still, it’s somewhat useful for confirming that treatment has been completed.
”But without chloroform, which is useful for extraction, we can’t produce much.”
I see. I understand the effort they’re putting in.
”You might think technological development is slow, but we have so few people.”
By ‘people,’ she must mean Androgynos Group who were summoned as humans.
I suppose it’s too much to expect from Androgynos Group summoned as dogs.
”Before the syphilis disaster a hundred and ten years ago, there were over five hundred colonies. Now there are two hundred and forty-six. Even so, this is a recovery. Each colony has roughly only four people-summoned members.”
In other words, in the Androgynos Group, those who can be called ‘people’ total just over a thousand.
Not all of them would help with science and technology, so there weren’t enough people to recreate the technology from their previous lives. But.
That’s not all, is it?
”How does the Androgynos Group make money?”
If you’re an Amazoness, trade’s your thing. A Mercenary? That’s your deal. Dwarf? Metalwork and metallurgy. Human? Basic agriculture and processed goods.
But for the Androgynos Group, I couldn’t find any industry to speak of.
And yet—they were importing rice from overseas. Hiring Amazoness for security. And the metalwork and sheet glass used in their buildings—was that produced here?
”Before the syphilis calamity, we made our money trading through teleportation gates.”
The speaker was an Androgynos Group elder who looked like an old woman but spoke like a man—and her words came out halting, evasive.
”And after that?”
”We were worried about syphilis spreading through the gates, sure—but the real issue was maintenance. We lost too many personnel. Most of the gates couldn’t be sustained, so we shut them down. These days, we sell mining rights to the Dwarves, and we earn foreign currency through sheet glass sales—the one industry we’ve still got going.”
His eyes were shifty.
He clearly had things he didn’t want to say—but I decided to poke a little.
”Are you aware that Schweilitz has also started producing sheet glass in the newly annexed South Bohemia Province?”
South Bohemia had long been famous for its colored glass tableware. I figured the Ferere Papal Territory probably had a similarly famous glass-making town.
”We sell to the countries east of the Lemurian Sea. No competition.”
Made sense.
I was curious, sure. But I let it drop.
Something was off about this senator—my questions had clearly put him in a bad mood.
Just then, the other two senators approached, and one of them asked:
”Larry—do you have a Medical Mage you can trust?”
Strangely, the first person who came to mind was Granny Ferris back in my hometown of Strock Village. She knew I was a Reincarnated Person, too.
”I might know someone.”
The faces of the two senators lit up.
”The truth is, this syphilis outbreak is spreading as badly as the calamity a hundred years ago. We’re already making arrangements to reach out to Oceanus and our overseas bases—but we simply don’t have enough Medical Mages.”
Could it be…?
”We’d like you to go through the teleportation gate to the Kingdom of Schweilitz and bring back a Medical Mage for us.”
Yes!
This was exactly what I’d wanted—but hold on. If I was still carrying syphilis, I wouldn’t be able to go back to the village. And if I couldn’t go… what would Monica say?
Besides, Granny Ferris was a Golems User. Complex-types weren’t her specialty. She wasn’t suited for treating syphilis.
So that left Professor Karl at the Magic Academy.
He ran the Third Medical Magic Laboratory—specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, urology, and dermatology. Sexually transmitted infections were supposed to be his area of expertise.
This was the perfect clinical opportunity: a global syphilis outbreak, and a patient population—the Androgynos Group—that no Academy physician had ever examined. I had a feeling he’d drop everything to come. Maybe he’d even bring some research students along.
When I explained all of this, the two cheerful senators practically jumped for joy.
But the one who’d darkened earlier—he wasn’t so thrilled.
”This Magic Academy… it’s a national institution of the Kingdom of Schweilitz, isn’t it? It produces the finest Mages in the land.”
Well, yeah. Though some of its graduates included that weirdo Katarina, and the perpetually unmotivated Janet and Claudia from the Engineering Department. They might not be “the finest” by any stretch.
”Then—even if we don’t go as high as His Majesty the King—shouldn’t we at least get the Academy’s top officials on board?”
That was… undeniably a fair point.
”Then could you have the Senate of the Land of the Fire Ring write an official letter?”
”Is that all, though? Won’t they want some kind of gift? Something valuable?”
What did this place have to offer, anyway? Big birds? Spirits? The birds might appeal to commoners, but spirits… I wasn’t so sure.
As I mulled it over, I caught the two senators murmuring something about “servant girls”—but the grumpy elder cut them off, suggesting: “How about moa meat?”4
When I asked if we could take them alive, they said it was impossible—the birds were too aggressive.
”The teleportation gate to the American continent is still connected, right?”
”Yeah… more or less.”
His answer wasn’t exactly enthusiastic, but I pressed on.
”Could you get me chili peppers, corn, and rubber trees from there?”
This was what the Fourth Sage had told me to do. If I could secure them here, he probably wouldn’t make me travel to the New Continent.
The elders exchanged looks—faces that said “we messed up.”
”Is something wrong?”
When I asked, they turned the question back on me: “Are you planning to cultivate them?”
”Probably. That’s what the Fourth Sage told me to do—go to the New Continent and bring them back. He’s explored the American continent before, you know. The potatoes he brought back are already being cultivated in various regions. Sweet potatoes haven’t caught on as well, though.”
”So… this Fourth Sage is also a Reincarnated Person, then?”
I thought I’d already mentioned that to the professor here.
I added that if I brought these gifts to him, he’d definitely be able to sway His Majesty the King.
At that, this senator thought for a moment, then said he’d consider the gifts favorably—but to give him time.
When I asked when I could leave, he said he’d be meeting with their agent on the other side in three days, and wanted to gather information first. Even so, it looked like I’d be able to head for Schweilitz within a week.
Sorry to the Izumo crew—but I was going to feel home soil under my feet again.
What should I bring as gifts? Fifty servings of beer was out of the question. Sauerkraut, maybe? Or—wait—sausages. I could probably bring sausages back.
I was so happy—so ridiculously happy—that my cheeks locked in place.
—
Summary:
After returning consciousness from his previous life, Larry learns of a syphilis outbreak in the colony. He discovers that a woman he slept with is a suspected case, and the elders are preparing to expel him and his party. During the confrontation, Rokani reveals the technological limitations preventing penicillin production, and Larry questions the Androgynos Group’s economic system.
Larry arrives in the Land of the Fire Ring and observes the Androgynos Group’s lack of industry despite their imports and security arrangements. Through negotiation with the Senate, he secures a mission to return to Schweilitz and recruit Professor Karl to treat the escalating syphilis outbreak, while also leveraging the Fourth Sage’s request for New World crops. The elders’ evasiveness and the unresolved matter of what they’re hiding about their teleportation gates leaves Larry with unanswered questions as he prepares for his journey home.
—
Trivia:
Larry spent the entire night listening to his previous-life self’s pathetic story about his marital problems.
The Androgynos Group colony system relies on mother mushrooms for reproduction.
Syphilis infection in a colony leads to permanent contamination of the mother mushroom.
Only three Medical Mages exist in the entire Land of the Fire Ring.
Penicillin can’t be produced due to lack of purification technology and organic solvents.
There are only 246 colonies remaining, down from over 500 before the syphilis disaster.
Each colony averages only four human-summoned Androgynos Group members.
A false positive occurred two years ago without serious consequences.
The Androgynos Group has no visible industry of their own but maintains economic activity through trade, mining rights sales, and sheet glass production.
The syphilis calamity a hundred years ago and the current outbreak are both referred to as significant historical events.
The teleportation gates were largely shut down due to maintenance staffing shortages, not just fear of disease.
South Bohemia Province was recently annexed by Schweilitz and has a colored glass tradition.
Larry is worried about returning to the village while still possibly carrying syphilis, as it would prevent him from going home.
Professor Karl’s specialties are obstetrics, urology, and dermatology, making him the ideal candidate for treating STIs.
The Fourth Sage previously brought potatoes from the American continent, and they are now being cultivated in various regions.
The elders initially considered offering servant girls as gifts before settling on moa meat.
The moa birds are too aggressive to transport alive.
Larry’s hometown is Strock Village, where Granny Ferris knows his secret as a Reincarnated Person.
The acting captain is mentioned in the author’s note as someone who might not approve of Larry’s solo mission.
The Land of the Fire Ring is the location of the Androgynos Group Senate and has teleportation gate connections to the American continent.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Pamela – An elderly yet youthful-looking elf mage leading the Engine Department, she balances blunt authority with old-fashioned warmth. A skilled telepath and healer with large mana reserves, she uses archaic speech and moves with scholarly curiosity. Formerly Henrietta-san’s servant, she is now a devoted companion to Earnest, acting as a doting, drowsy mentor who assists with complex colony summoning rituals.
• Rao – The leader of Red of Mount Yue, Fifth Generation. An elegant, confident, and direct Androgynos colony leader. A spirit magic programmer who writes grimoires under deadlines, she manages operations, resources, and her two reincarnated successors. Though casual and sometimes crude, she maintains a refined air. She is a dining companion of Rocani-san and is known to the protagonist for her technical expertise.
• Amazoness – Job: Warrior tribe; Note: Mentioned in context of Lamu tribe; possible connection to Garda’s grandchild.
• Ferris – An ageless elf mage who runs the village inn and pharmacy where Emma works. A former Golem Battalion Commander from a lineage of healers and old-model golems, she is a blunt flute player known for her provocative black dresses. Mentioned by Camillo and a close associate of the Second Sage, she is the elderly woman Martin hopes to marry.
• Monica – A dark-skinned, sun-tanned, and slender 15-year-old, she is Earnest’s free-born tomboyish wife and sister-in-law. Once a countryside lady-in-waiting, she became a wife at 13, bore twins, and wet-nursed niece Maria. Though also noted as Bours’ second wife and a threatening acquaintance from Strock Village, her untimely death at Vod Fortress remains a source of lingering concern and anticipation for Earnest.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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