Reincarnation into the Barrier Master

May gently puts her hand on my shoulder. I ask May to change Rico\'s clothes and leave the room.

Everyone remains silent. A heavy atmosphere envelops the dining room.

"Rico, you\'ve had a long day. Mei-dono is an excellent pharmacist, so you can leave everything to her, I\'m sure.

Gong\'s words seemed to have saved my life a little. Indeed, May is a top-notch apothecary. She must be able to cure Riko. I told everyone to relax and sent Peris to the university and Ferris and Ruara to Agartha. Gon went to Krumphal. Today was Rico\'s once-a-week day to go to Krumphal.

I accompanied Ferris to the room where Rico was sleeping. When we entered the room, Rico had already been dressed by May and was sleeping.

"May, I\'m sorry."

"No. No, it\'s okay. You\'ve been very busy recently. You\'re tired. It\'s a good rest.

"It\'s a relief to hear you say so, Mei. But you\'ve been just as busy as she has, haven\'t you? I brought Feri with me because I can\'t have her collapse, too. If you need anything else, have Feri help you. Feri, will you help me?

"I\'ll take care of it!"

The faerie flaps her wings and puffed her chest. May urged me to go to work, and I headed for Agartha.

To be honest, I didn\'t get any work done. Ferris and Ruara seemed to be making up for Rico\'s absence. They are rather absorbed in their work as if they forget Rico\'s absence. It was painful for me to see them like that. I had no choice but to go out to the city.

"Oh, Mr. Linos, this is..."

"Mr. Linos..."

People on the street look at me and bow their heads. I always tell them it\'s not necessary, but for some reason they all bow to me. At first I thought it was because of my title as king, but Lafayence says that\'s not true.

"Authority is how much you can get people to bow down to you. No matter how stupid he is, if he makes many people bow down to him, people will naturally think he is a great person. That is authority.

Indeed, in a previous life, the son of the president of the company was an idiot, but he was strangely powerful. Come to think of it, the employees bowed down to him every morning at the morning meeting.... I walk down the street, remembering such trivial things.

I wonder how long I have walked. I found myself walking to the north gate. I climb up to the top of the gate and look around the city.

Scaffolding is set up here and there, and buildings are being constructed. I see buildings covered with tarps that May and Gon have jointly made to prevent dust and noise from leaking outside. I suddenly saw that the sheets of the buildings looked like human scabs. Yes, this is how the damaged city is going to be rebuilt. Rico must heal, too. If I feel pain, it means that my body is telling me that the affected area is there. If we can heal that area, Liko will surely get well. I feel a little better now that I know that.

I returned to the house early that day. When I entered the room to check on Liko, I saw an unexpected sight.

"It hurts... it hurts..."

Rico holds his stomach and struggles to endure the pain. Mei is rubbing his back as hard as she can. A faerie flutters above her, dropping some scales. After a while, the pain seems to subside and Liko lies down on the bed again without any strength.

"Rico..."

Without thinking, I took Rico\'s hand and squeezed it. Rico opened his eyes, smiled a little, and muttered in a weak voice.

"I\'m fine... I\'m fine..."

"I wake up every few minutes with a pain in my stomach. Once in the morning he woke up with pain, so I made him a painkiller and gave it to him, and he rested slowly for a while, but.... When the medicine wears off, he wakes up again..."

May says apologetically.

"Don\'t worry, I can make a powder to relieve the pain.

Faeri sends me a reminder. I sit down next to May.

"How long has Rico had this pain?"

"...I\'ve been complaining of a pain in my abdomen since about the day before yesterday."

"I see."

"I thought it was just food poisoning. I didn\'t expect her to be in this much pain..."

"My restorative magic hasn\'t cured you, I see. May, do you know of any illnesses with these symptoms?"

"..."

"What\'s wrong?"

"There is one thing. It\'s called Geisha.

What\'s that?

It is a disease in which the muscles of the body harden. First, the abdominal muscles become tightened, causing severe abdominal pain at first. After that, the muscles of the body gradually become rigid, and you feel severe pain all over your body. Finally, the heart stiffens and death occurs.

"...and how can it be cured?"

"...unfortunately."

I couldn\'t stand still and walked out of the room. There was no way Rico could be that sick. Rico couldn\'t die. I told myself desperately. A future without Rico... I couldn\'t imagine such a future. Thinking of this, I went out into the backyard and saw the shrine of the goddess of the sun. I climbed on to the shifting wards, wanting to cling to something.

"Oh, I haven\'t seen you for a long time, how are you?

I tell the old man about Rico without even saying hello.

"Hmm. "Hmmm. That\'s a hard thing to do. I, too, have heard of the disease Geisha, but I have never been cured. Perhaps Sandille knows of it."

Sandille arrives, summoned by the goddess.

"...Mmm. From what I have heard, the symptoms are similar to the disease called Geisha. I do not know of any cure..."

"Oh, Mr. Rinos, what a good-looking man you are!"

The maidens Chie and Sae are weeping weeping weeping weeping weeping. Both Ohisama and Sandille were told that they might be able to find some clues if they consulted old documents, so they were asked to investigate for the time being.

When I returned to the house, Gon was there. I told him about what Mei had told me earlier and about my visit to the grandmother\'s house. Gon also suspected the possibility of the disease. While they were talking, May came into the dining room carrying Fairy in her arms.

"Master.... Master Liko is calling for you.

"Yeah, okay. I\'ll be right there."

I leave the dining room and head for the room away from the house.

When I entered the room, I found Riko lying on the bed with a calm face.

"...I\'m sorry to see you like this..."

I went to Rico and squeezed his hand.

"You must be tired, Rico. Take some time to rest."

Rico gives a small laugh and shakes his head slowly.

"It\'s not exhaustion, it\'s that my life is about to run out."

"Don\'t be ridiculous!"

He was shouting so loudly that even he was surprised. Rico, however, did not lose any of his expression.

"...I thought my stomach was going to tear itself apart. I have never felt such severe pain before. I\'ve never had such severe pain before, and it never went away, it just got worse. It\'s not normal by any stretch of the imagination.

"..."

I look down, unable to find the words to reply.

"... Rinos."

"Yes, Rico?"

I have a favor to ask. Will you do it?

"Yeah, sure."

This is my last will and testament. Please make sure you listen to it.

"You idiot, a will... Don\'t talk nonsense!

I was in tears as I held Rico\'s hand. Rico gives me a gentle smile.

"Linos, all I ask is for you to take a new wife for me."

"Why are you telling me this at a time like this?

"No. It is precisely at a time like this. Listen to me, Linos. If I die, May will be the only wife Linos will ever have. Then May will not be able to do the work she\'s been doing. It would be too pitiful to tie May to the customs of the nobility. That is why I ask you to take a new wife.

"... Rico, you don\'t have to think like that. Marry who?

"First of all, I\'d like to introduce you to the Duchy of Niza, Your Highness Considine."

"Mr. Considine?"

"When Linos became king, he was recommended to me by his brother, Your Majesty."

That time!

"If you take Lady Considine, Niza, Heedata, and Agartha will be more firmly united. The Dwarf king would like that. Besides, Lady Considine is a good match for May. I am sure he will support May in the shade and in the sun.

I was speechless. I didn\'t know there was such a story. I was stunned, and Rico continued to speak.

And this is Mr. Soleil of the Silures.

"Soleil?"

"Yes. She is a person who is skilled in the use of spirits. May is using spirits, but she may not be able to continue to use them as before. Soleil-sama, who is skilled in the use of spirits, will be a good adviser for Mei.

After saying this, Rico turns to the ceiling, takes a deep breath in, and exhales slowly. Then she looks at me again.

"And last but not least, Matocalu.

"Matocal?"

"She is the Princess of Lamaron. Bringing in that bloodline would be a great check against Lamaron. Besides, if you have a child with her...

"If a child is born, then what?"

"When the princess is born, please make her the wife of your brother\'s child, Arrows."

"What?"

"Originally, my brother wanted to take me and Linos\' child as his wife. But I\'m in this body. And if I die, there will be nothing to connect Linos and Heedata. So please take Matkal as your wife. And bear me a child. If it is a child with Matkal, then there will be no problem with its bloodline and it will be accepted into the empire.

Rico, that\'s enough!

That\'s how a country works. Linos... I was married to you for only a few years, but we were very happy. I would have been killed as a traitor. But I am very happy that we have been able to live such happy days... I am very satisfied."

I could do nothing but cry as I held Rico\'s hand.

"I\'m sorry, Linos. I have been a poor wife. But when you are born again, please make me your wife once more, once more. I will be born a prettier woman this time.

"No, Ricco, don\'t say that!"

"I have to tell you when I can talk to you...I can\'t talk to you soon...ugh...ouch...ouch..."

Rico! Rico!"

In my haste, I cast a healing spell. Rico lies on the bed again, limp. Just then there is a knock at the door and I hear May\'s voice.

"Master, Master Roni of Posehay is here to see you."

I head for the dining room, taking whatever I can get my hands on. Posehay, who calls herself Loni, is still a young, but excellent-looking female black rabbit.

"I\'m Roni, here on orders from Mr. Zhuang. I have heard that Master Ricoulette is ill..."

"Zhuang? I see, Gon told you. You\'re very quick. Roni, you say? That\'s right. I\'ve been having a lot of pain in my abdomen. Please, help him. At least take away the pain!"

I plead desperately with the black rabbit. She went to Rico\'s room anyway, guided by Mei. After a while, Mei came back to the dining room.

"...Master. I have received three letters from Master Rico. They are addressed to the Dwarf King of Niza, the Vyval Chief of Cyrus, and Mr. Matkal. Master Rico asked me to deliver them immediately.

"...Yes, please do that."

May silently headed toward the backyard, where the transition boundary was located.

After that, it seemed a very long time before Roni came back. In fact, it took about an hour. Finally, she returned to the dining room.

"How are you, Rico?"

Roni straightened her back and bowed.

"This is not a cure. We can\'t cure it... we can\'t cure it.