A Flat-Chest Believer Reincarnated in a World Where Women with Small Breasts Aren't Treated as Women ~ I Ended Up with a Flat-Chested Harem. - Chapter 32

I left the town chief’s house and headed toward the square. There, a large number of people were lying on stone-paved ground, as instructed. Many of them were pale, and quite a few were unconscious. It seemed they had gathered the most severe cases as requested.

“I will begin treatment.”

I started at one end of the square, casting purification and healing magic on each patient in turn. This time, I was using healing magic alongside the purification, so the process took a bit longer.

Many of the critical patients were children, though they were too weak to cry, remaining quiet. Their accompanying family members sat silently, bowing their heads. It was likely that the town chief had instructed them not to speak unnecessarily.

I continued the treatment in a calm, methodical manner. Many of the patients, once cured, relaxed and fell asleep. For example, a boy who appeared to be around three years old had been whimpering softly, but after the treatment, his whimpers turned into peaceful breathing as he drifted into sleep.

Just then, a voice rang out, “My lord!”

It was a woman’s voice.

I looked up and saw a woman in her thirties, her hands trembling.

“My lord, please forgive my rudeness, but I beg of you! Last night, my daughter was taken by bandits. Other young women were also abducted. Please, help us!”

As she said this, she fell to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground.

So, the bandits who had attacked last night had kidnapped people as well.

The town chief rushed over, clearly trying to make her stop, holding her back.

“I deeply apologize. I will make sure she understands, so I kindly ask for your forgiveness.”

The town chief was right to handle it this way. It was highly inappropriate for a commoner to directly petition a noble from another territory who was here on official business at the request of their lord. Any grievances should be passed through the town chief to the retainers of Count Rendolf’s house.

I could feel the judging gazes of the other women in the square. I was in the middle of treating the critically ill patients, and if I suddenly decided to rush off after the bandits, people would die while waiting for treatment.

“I will not hold this against her. However, I am here to contain the plague. I cannot abandon that duty for anything else.”

“Thank you for your mercy. Take her away!”

At the town chief’s command, the woman was escorted away, tears streaming down her face.

It’s clear what kind of fate awaited the young women who had been taken by the bandits. I could only imagine the heartache of their families.

But if the plague was not contained, the death toll would grow exponentially. Prioritizing the containment of the plague was the only logical choice.

I resumed treatment, continuing the process of purification and healing. By the time the sky began to turn shades of red and orange, I had finally finished treating all fifty patients.

“This will be it for today. Town chief, I’ll use that same room again tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll continue treating the next fifty patients. Make sure they are gathered.”

“Understood, my lord. I’ll also have food brought to you shortly.”

I headed back to the town chief’s house, where I returned to the guest room and sat down on the chair.

“Phew… Treating fifty critical patients is pretty exhausting.”

“Please, rest early tonight, Lord Folca.”

“Thank you, Rita. As for tomorrow, I plan to finish treating the patients and purifying the buildings, but…”

“I know. You want me to gather information about the bandits, correct? I’ll conduct the investigation while you’re busy with the treatments.”

“I appreciate it. Given my mana reserves, we should be able to wrap up the plague response by tomorrow. After that, if we can, I’d like to help those women.”

I couldn’t imagine the horror those kidnapped girls were experiencing at this very moment. As a man, it was difficult for me to fully grasp the depth of their suffering, but just thinking about it made my chest ache.

“Yes, as you know, the earliest we can act will be the day after tomorrow. Please don’t let it weigh too heavily on you.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door. The town chief’s wife entered, pushing a cart ahead of her. “I’ve brought your dinner,” she announced as she made her way inside.

On the cart, steam rose from a hearty meal: bean soup, boiled sausages, pickled vegetables, and bread. She carefully arranged everything on the table. Considering it had been prepared on short notice, the meal was more than sufficient. The generous portions were especially welcome.

When I offered a simple “Thank you,” she gave a small bow and quietly left the room.

“Well then, let’s eat. Rita, join me.”

◇◇ ◆ ◇◇

The next morning, I headed to the square to continue the treatments.

While it was cold in the morning, I wanted to start treating the patients as soon as possible rather than wait for the day to warm up.

As instructed, the patients had already been gathered in the square. Forcing myself to push thoughts of the bandits out of my mind, I focused on the task at hand and quickly began administering treatment.

After the first group of fifty patients, I took a short break. During that time, the “young men of the town” brought in the next group, allowing me to rotate between patients seamlessly.

By noon, I had treated the second group, and after lunch, I treated the third group. Once all the patients had been taken care of, I also cast purification magic on the “young men of the town” who had been assisting with the patients.

Next, I began purifying the buildings one by one. By the time I finished, the sun was already setting.

I informed the town chief that I would be staying one more night, then returned to the guest room. I sat down, finally able to take a well-earned rest, when Rita returned.

“Lord Folca, I’m back.”

“Welcome back, Rita. I’ve finished things on my end. How about you? Did you get anything useful?”

“Yes, I did manage to gather some information. First, three women were abducted, all of them in their mid-teens. The bandits broke into homes, killed anyone who resisted, stole valuables, and kidnapped the young women before fleeing. The woman from yesterday was staying at a relative’s house at the time and was spared by chance.”

“That’s… horrible.”

“The bandits appeared only recently and seem to be using the mountains to the east as their hideout. The exact location is unclear, but I spoke with a local hunter familiar with the area, and he was able to narrow down the places where the bandits might be hiding. He’s agreed to gather some of his fellow hunters to assist us.”

“That’s good news. With their help, we’ll have a chance.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll inform the town chief. Rita, sorry to trouble you, but could you call him for me?”