Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 85 – A Strange Disease
Despite all the wishes made during the festival, a strange illness has been spreading throughout the town lately.
Calling it a “strange illness” might sound dramatic, but if you only look at the symptoms individually, they’re the kind of things you might just shrug off and say, “Yeah, that happens sometimes.”
The first symptom I often heard about was trouble sleeping—people couldn’t fall asleep, or even when they did, the sleep was shallow, and they’d wake up suffering from symptoms similar to those of anemia.
Then came dry mucous membranes—people had red, dry eyes, and were coughing, maybe from irritated throats. I’ve been seeing them around town a lot lately. The bloodshot eyes could also be from lack of sleep.
There are also many complaints of creaking joints—knees, elbows, fingers—feeling stiff and painful. Back pain, too, It seems like more and more people are suffering from it.
Many people have become more irritable and on-edge, losing their tempers more easily.
There are constant small arguments breaking out all over town—people can’t even tolerate minor delays or misunderstandings anymore, something that would have been no problem before.
Some people say that their body temperature regulation is a bit off. They suddenly feel a rush of heat inside their bodies, sweat profusely, and then become chilled to the bone and shiver afterward. Maybe because of all the outfit changes people are doing, second-hand clothes are selling well.
Some people complain that even in a cool, shady place, their faces would get unbearably hot.
I once saw someone collapse in the street, saying they had heart palpitations and shortness of breath—their chest was pounding.
In these situations, it seems like asking “Are you OK?” is the worst thing to say. Because no, they are obviously not okay…
Others say they’ve become tired more easily and are haunted by anxious, intrusive thoughts, getting overwhelmed over nothing.
In short, more and more people are suffering from various small but disruptive ailments. Some have just one symptom; others experience several all at once. It’s confusing and overwhelming.
None of the symptoms are especially unusual on their own. And there are existing remedies to treat them.
In particular, the Yogimogi-Sashimo herb is very effective for anemia and improving blood flow.
Although it was merely symptomatic treatment, it seemed that the potions and pills made from Yogimogi-Sashimo, produced by the Alchemy Guild, have helped a lot of people.
Because the symptoms were so varied, it apparently took a long time before anyone even deduce that the illnesses were all the same. Even after further investigation, no clear cause could be found. It wasn’t that People were catching colds, nor was they suffering from any heart problems.
Hmmm, I’m very familiar with these symptoms.
You know the kind—those weird, body-wide discomforts that appear out of nowhere and vary from person to person?
Yeah. I know exactly what that is.
When I brought it up at the women’s clinic I used to go to, they kept brushing it off with, “It’s still too early for that.”
But still…
Isn’t this just menopause?
That’s what I thought. Except—it seems this illness is affecting people regardless of gender or age.
So… maybe not.
Well, technically, men can experience menopause-like symptoms, and I’ve heard of even younger people dealing with it recently.
However, this cannot explain the fact that symptoms are also occurring in men who are clearly too young.
Apparently, the illness first started spreading in the Royal Capital.
At first, people thought it was just limited to that area, but it gradually spread to other regions.
And now? It’s become widespread in our town, too.
“no matter how much we have, it’s not enough. Please—help us.”
Hakase-san says at the Alchemy Guild, asking me for more Yogimogi-Sashimo. He takes the trouble to lead me to a separate room and sends everyone away before talking to me.
…Yep, it’s obvious he’s already figured out exactly where the previous supply came from.
“I understand. I’ll do what I can… but, um…”
My voice trailed off awkwardly. Come to think of it, I haven’t really changed my clothes much since the festival. Pants are just easier to move in than skirts. The only real change is that I’ve been using a slightly higher-pitched voice—somewhere between a deep woman’s voice and a light male voice.
“I understand. Then the delivery will be under Kaerin, no—Kaen-sama. Also, I hear the vegetables that Kaen-sama sells are incredibly nutritious and good for one’s health.”
Hakase-san smiled brightly. So he knows. And apparently, some people have been recovering simply by eating those special vegetables. In other words, it might be a good idea to ramp up veggie production as well.
As it turns out, it was Hakase-san who determined that all these different symptoms were probably the same illness. You’d think that would be a doctor’s job, but he explained that since people often come to the Alchemy Guild for minor ailments and over-the-counter remedies, all sorts of symptom reports end up there first.
Potions are very effective but also expensive and harder to manage. While pills made from the remains of the herbs used to make the potions are less effective, they are much more affordable. So for the average person, pills are the go-to remedy. I see.
“Also… just possibly…”
I went on to say that the current widespread illness shares a lot of overlap with the symptoms experienced most specifically by women in their 40s and 50s.
“That’s right,”
Hakase-san nodded. Apparently, several older women have noted that the symptoms are very similar to what they once experienced.
Which makes me wonder…If someone is going through menopause, would they even be able to tell if they also caught this illness?
I’ll just ask it as is. I’m sure the translator will pass along my exact words.
“Have you found any definitive differences between this and to people going through actual menopause?”
“There doesn’t seem to be any clear difference. However, there are people who have suddenly experienced worsening symptoms, or an increase in the number of people…”
Ugh. That sounds awful. The symptoms are already rough enough—and now they’re getting worse? I can’t help but feel sorry for them. I know how painful it is…
“Hakase-san. I have a favor to ask of you.”
I think you know quite a bit about this, Hakase-san.
Even if all we can do is manage the symptoms, there were things that worked well for me in dealing with menopausal symptoms. Maybe it’s worth trying some of those here, too.