The eccentric doctor never makes a misdiagnosis!

Haida could maintain an almost resolute ruthlessness towards the evil creatures she hunted. But when faced with a dying person suffering from a terrible illness, she couldn't suppress the faint sorrow that welled up from her heart.

Even if the other party is just a phantom from the past.

Haida drew her sidearm and aimed at the person on the ground from a safe distance.

Just as she was about to pull the trigger, a person in a heavy hazmat suit ran over and grabbed her hand.

“Sister, what are you doing! Accelerating the death of terminally ill patients will only promote the spread of 'bacteriolysis' and increase the spore concentration in the area. Also, why are you and that child only wearing standard faceplates…”

The person's face was hidden behind the black mask on the head of the hazmat suit, making it difficult to see clearly. But the urgent tone and voice were very familiar to Haida… Three

She pulled Heida and Flamel along, leading them to the isolation area of ​​a large medical station. It was very close to the Hunter's headquarters, separated only by a wall.

“Sister, please wait here a moment. We will use the [Mouth of Proverbs] to test your and the child's infection status.”

“Hmm.” This was the hunters’ routine quarantine procedure, and Haida did not object.

Seeing her colleague's cooperative attitude, the woman in the hazmat suit bowed to her before proceeding with the ceremony.

The "Mouth of Proverbs" is a first-class ritual imbued with forbidden divinity, though it is primarily auxiliary in nature. Although extremely difficult to set up, it can exist for a long time once the ritual is completed, and relatively simple questions can be asked by paying some price.

However, the mouth of prophecy does not answer questions about the future or the past. Therefore, this ritual is often used in medical courts for the physical examination of individuals at risk.

"Offering the ashes and spirits of those as insignificant as dust, please grant me the secret of the void."

"...Have the two people waiting outside the resettlement area already contracted the divine plague?"

As the various ritual materials were placed in their respective positions within the ritual array, a platinum-molded lip sculpture at the center of the ceremony slowly opened its mouth.

"Hunter of Secrets, uninfected, with strong resistance."

"Girl, not infected, strong immunity."

None of them were infected, and they all had strong resistance? Hearing the answer from the lip print, the woman, who was already used to the worst news, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

At the same time, she felt something was strange.

It's reasonable that the tall funeral maid had strong resistance to lysomnia, but why was the little girl also immune? Hmm... that makes sense. If they weren't immune, they would have been infected long ago with their shoddy protective gear.

Is this what academics often refer to as "survivorship bias"?

Since Haida and Flamel were not infected with the divine plague, they entered the "Land of Immaculateness" within the medical station after undergoing a disinfection process.

The woman removed the black mask from her hazmat suit and took off her gloves. Then, she brushed aside her sweat-drenched hair and extended her hand to her.

Haida's eyes widened slightly, then subtly returned to normal. The nun now understood why she felt such a strong sense of familiarity with the person before her…

Her decisive and uncompromising actions, and the beauty mark near her eye… she was a young Marian.

"Good day, Sister, I am Marian. May I ask your name?"

"My name is Haida."

The nun took Marianne's outstretched hand. The latter's gaze suddenly turned strange.

In her haste, Marianne noticed that the funeral maid, who looked much younger than herself, was wearing a brass signet ring on her index finger, a symbol of authority. She was momentarily surprised and didn't know how to respond.

Marian had originally intended to reprimand the young nun, but now she could only offer her a gentler warning… Part Three

"Hmm... Supervisor Haida. If you're going out again, remember to prepare the necessary protective equipment. Areas outside the [Pure Land] are dangerous zones."

"I understand, thank you for reminding me." Wu

Haida nodded obediently. Then she began to inquire about the situation during the Great Plague.

Although they are remnants of the past, the people here possess independent consciousness and are capable of answering questions. At this moment, every word spoken by the person before you may contain secrets that are not to be revealed.

“Miss Marian, I am a hunter who has been stationed abroad for a long time and has only recently returned to Norrington. May I ask what exactly is going on with this plague?”

After a moment's thought, Marian enthusiastically began to explain things to the newly arrived hunter supervisor.

"Its type is 'divine plague,' meaning... it comes from a plague deity. The scientific name we agreed upon with the White Cup Order is 'bacteriolysis.'"

"The symptoms of an infected person are that their internal organs are emptied out by the bacteria, turning them into spores and becoming a living carrier. The person you wanted to send off earlier was a terminal patient. As you can see, there was only liquid left inside his skin."

Bacteriolysis… Haida was somewhat puzzled.

Later, the Order of the Hunters only used the term "divine plague" to refer to the illness, and did not widely use the term "bacteriolysis." Given that the General Affairs Committee never took meaningless actions, there may be a reason for this.

In addition, she wanted to know another question.

“Miss Marian, please forgive my bluntness. But… why not render harmless the terminally ill patients who have become sources of infection?”

Executing and burning patients infected with bacteriolysis may be cruel, but its effectiveness cannot be denied.

As if she had anticipated this question, Marianne only spoke briefly.

"Most common sense about infectious diseases cannot be applied to bacteriolysis. Reckless burning and burying will only increase the concentration of bacterial spores in the air in the area. Rather than spores, they are more like some kind of 'spirit' particles."

"At low concentrations, it can only spread through contact with matter."

For a fleeting moment, a hint of lingering fear flashed across Marian's face.

"If the 'spirit' of lysozyme in the environment becomes concentrated to a certain degree, it can penetrate the mind through thought..."

Haida nodded slightly with a solemn expression and asked her last question.

"Where is Dr. Viola?"

"Hmm?" Marian raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised that Haida knew Viola.

After a moment's hesitation, she finally gave her answer.

“Viola has just participated in the emergency treatment of nine patients in the early stages of bacteriolysis and has not rested for more than 20 hours. She should be regaining her consciousness near the flowerbed now... It’s best not to disturb her.”

After she finished speaking, Marian couldn't resist her curiosity and wanted to know why the nun knew Viola.

"...Manager Haida, how did you meet her?"

"I met her once five or six years ago. It was at a small clinic in the northern district. It was snowing heavily then, and there were many children around a wood-burning stove warming themselves."

Strictly speaking, what Haida said cannot be considered the truth.

The "memories" manifested in each building are independent miniature gardens. Even if Viola healed Heida in the previous memory, the two still do not recognize each other when they switch to other memory scenes.

Because in "reality," the two had no connection.

But Haida wasn't lying. After all, she was simply recounting her experience in the second building.

"That time..."

Marian habitually touched her beauty mark under her eye, revealing a hint of nostalgia, and her gaze softened slightly.

"I'll take you to see Viola, but if you want to say hello to her, please wait until she's finished resting. She's too tired..."

“There’s one more thing, Manager Haida. I’m sure you won’t believe it.”

She slightly pursed her lips, a subtle meaning appearing in her eyes.

"In just five or six years, she has become the youngest chief physician in the Medical Court, and is also the current... 'Medical Secretary'."

　8、)Qi Liu●→Si Si [*YUE Fei Qun¨‰: "I see...I understand."

Haida lowered her eyebrows slightly, understanding dawning on her.

Although her speculations on this matter were already quite mature, it wasn't until Marianne confirmed them that she truly felt a sense of reality. It was probably because of her encounter with Fran that Viola was able to become the Minister of Medicine within five years.

"Why don't you seem surprised at all? Previous medical secretaries were at least in their fifties or sixties."

Seeing Haida's calm demeanor, Marian raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Haida did not answer, so she stopped dwelling on the question.

The area of ​​the Immaculate Land is not large, and almost all the places in the building that can accommodate patients are already full.

A flowerbed surrounds one side of the headquarters building, and a bench sits amidst the vibrant flowers. Viola is leaning against the bench, resting with her eyes closed. Her breathing is quiet and even, as if she has been exhausted for a long time and has fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep once she relaxes.

You can see that under almost every bouquet of flowers beside her stands a small grave.

The small wooden monument bears their names, and beside it are their personal belongings: a deflated ball, or a paper windmill.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

-

Transition in progress. (Remember to burn my recommendation votes for me after I die suddenly.)

Chapter Ninety-Six: The Plague's Endure [The Hill of Silence]

Viola slumbers among the flowers and graves, surrounded by a tranquil, almost serene atmosphere, with only a gentle breeze blowing silently through her.

She was so exhausted that her body and mind had reached their limits... that she didn't even notice someone approaching her.

However, the person entering the flower garden at this moment was neither Heda nor Marian, but someone else entirely...

The hunter, wearing a leather tricorn hat, stood beside the camphor wood bench, silently gazing at Viola with eyes as calm as still water.

Yaheng slowly sat down on one side of the bench, her movements delicate and slow, revealing a hint of caution, as if afraid of disturbing her rare moment of rest.

The hunter remained seated upright, like a stone statue that had stood there for ages. Viola tilted her head slightly and quietly rested her head on his shoulder.

Marian, who had been silently watching from the sidelines, turned around and exchanged a glance with Heida.

No one spoke, yet an inexplicable understanding arose spontaneously...

The two paused briefly, pretending to be passing by by chance, and then left the flower garden together.

Since there's nothing important, let's not disturb their time together.

Although Viola certainly wouldn't care, and Yaheng might not care either, it's best to avoid doing things that are unappealing yet "shine brightly"...

To ease the slight awkwardness, Marianne quickly brought up the main topic.

“Ahem, Sister Heda. You’ve just returned to Norrington and should need to prepare and resupply. Why don’t you head back to Funeral Court first?”

"And this girl...would you like to keep her with you temporarily, or have the medical department take care of her?"

She glanced at Flamel, who was following closely behind Heida, but did not ask about the girl's parents or background.

So many people have perished in the great plague that asking such a question would almost only add to the sorrow.

"I want to keep her with me."

"Is this so..."

This was an unexpected answer, and Marianne tilted her head slightly, looking somewhat puzzled.

Based on her understanding of the funeral director, Heda should have simply handed the little girl over to the cult after rescuing her.

After all, during such times, the tasks that supervisors need to perform are generally highly dangerous.

If one were to bring such a little girl along when carrying out a purge order, besides the possibility of causing her to die needlessly, there is a high probability that it would also bring trouble upon oneself.

What exactly is the reason that Supervisor Haida insists on this?

Marian naturally noticed that the black chain of "Reaching for the Moon" connected the two of their wrists, but when it was not moving on its own, it was no different from a rubbery braided rope, and she could not see anything unusual about it at the moment.

Before she could come up with anything, Haida changed the subject. △「√叁←~》∮·∧

"Ms. Marian, how long has this plague lasted?"

"How long has it been? Let me think... Hmm... almost two years. If you need the exact date, you'll have to check the timeline at the Medical Court. Sorry, my workload has increased dramatically lately, and my memory isn't what it used to be."

Marian recalled the moment the epidemic first appeared, did a quick calculation of the time, and then gave her answer.

Haida's gaze turned serious as she pondered.

According to the Order's documents, the Great Plague lasted a total of two years. Does this mean the "bacteriolysis" will soon disappear? But the flora outside the [Unblemished Land] is thriving, showing no signs of receding...

Besides that, she had another question.

"Ms. Marian, with a mortality rate and rate of transmission of bacteriosis, how have your medical and logistical support lasted for two years?"

"Well... because in the very beginning, the symptoms of the disease were completely different from what they are now."

Marian rubbed her temples, feeling a little sleepy, and then began to explain the details to Haida.

"When the plague first began to spread, it was almost completely harmless. But its lethality only slowly became apparent after a number of people were infected and the concentration of 'spirit' in the area reached a certain level."

"After two years, 'bacteriolysis' has grown to its current state by feeding on the lives of all those infected in Norrington..."

"Although we have mastered certain coping methods and are currently able to cure those infected in the early stages and control the progression of the disease from the middle stage to the late stage... we are still powerless for patients in the late and terminal stages."

Capable of almost directed self-evolution and possessing mystical properties, this is the 'divine plague'... Even from the fragments of words obscuring the phantom of memories, Haida still felt a bit troubled.

Marian glanced at her watch, then sighed helplessly.

“Sister Haida, I still have to inspect the infected area and participate in drug development work... so I'll take my leave now. You shouldn't have forgotten the way to the Funeral Home, have you?”