Bear School Astartes

Chapter 841: Chapter 824: Politics and Plague

Rong Buqiu and Phoebe, both are now showing high spirits.

Phoebe is pleased because she could finally converse with the legendary ’Divine Cat’.

And Rong Buqiu is excited because of Lann’s remark, ’Phoebe’s progress is higher than yours’.

The diligent and self-disciplined little cat, who seeks to become an excellent Warrior, will certainly not give up this opportunity.

”All right, everyone, the reemergence of myths can’t save Athens out of thin air. The will of the gods must be fulfilled through the hands of mortals, isn’t it?”

Socrates drew everyone’s thoughts back.

This short and stout man with a big beard always managed to bring clear logic and dialectical thoughts to those conversing with him.

”Lann’s arrival is good news. He holds great prestige in this city and has an unbeatable appearance. These are significant aids. Not to mention, behind that handsome face lies meticulous and prudent wisdom.”

”It sounds like you want me to step onto the speaker’s platform and become a politician, Socrates?”

Lann walked to the side of the large wooden table, frowning as he asked.

”Your sharpness is as ever, seeing this wisdom as before is indeed comforting.”

Socrates had no qualms, rather he praised generously.

Yet the Demon Hunter frowned.

”But I thought the most urgent issue for Athens now is to face the plague.”

”Exactly the plague!” Hippocrates suddenly interjected nearby, his tone agitated.

”I’ve had enough, Socrates! Though we’ve known each other for a long time, you’re now in the midst of a plague! The whole of Athens is amidst the plague! Yet you still care about... politics amidst this natural disaster and divine wrath?!”

He was the person whose expression changed the least during Rong Buqiu’s earlier speech.

Lann thought he might be so focused on fighting the plague that he didn’t even have the emotional leeway to be shocked.

Inferring from the Hippocratic Oath, he surely should be such a person.

”Politics, do you look down on politics, Hippocrates, my friend?”

Socrates seemed unaffected by his friend’s rebuke, continuing to speak in a calm tone.

”Every method you use to combat the plague ultimately needs to be carried out by people, and politics is about figuring out how to find and use these people.”

”Otherwise, even if you immediately received the great oracle of Asclepius, the God of Medicine, and understood all the knowledge to combat the plague, what could you do? Use your two hands to treat patients one by one? Use your two legs to run around the vast city of Athens?”

”Those not killed by the plague have already been driven mad and insane by Kleon’s words. Can you imagine what it would be like outside Pericles’ residence without soldiers guarding it?”

”If Pericles now issued orders and gathered manpower, how many would be willing to leave their homes in fear of the plague and anger to run for others’ lives?”

”What’s truly harming Athens in this plague is not the disease, but the frenzied people... Kleon is dismantling Athens’ most vital basis on the world stage: freedom, rationality, and honor.”

”In a certain sense, indeed.” Aspasia said in a low, sinking voice.

”In the densely populated areas of Athens... people there can no longer live as human beings. This is more terrifying than death and does more harm to Athens.”

Deaths, for a powerful political entity, are nothing. As long as Athens needs it, there are plenty of citizens in the city-state, and even slaves willing to die for it of their own accord.

Even if some die, a new group will be born.

Even citizens of other city-states outside Athens would have people willing to die for Athens.

What truly matters to a political entity is always more fundamental.

For Athens, it’s its peak civilization and inclusiveness in the Mediterranean region.

And the frenzied crowds are undoubtedly destroying this foundation.

”Bang, bang!”

On the other side, Hippocrates fiercely patted the large wooden table before him.

”I keep stressing! Wise men and citizens present! The issue Athens is facing now is the plague! The plague!”

”Athens is dying, and whether you admit it or not, the truth is: her immediate cause of death is the plague!”

”People are dying, without exception, there are no special cases! Poor, rich, philosophers, or farmers! All are dying!”

”Politics, do you really think I don’t understand, Socrates?”

”Maybe my mind will never match the great Socrates, but I do know: political activities require gathering people! Politicians always strive to have their voices heard by as many people as possible.”

”But isn’t it a coincidence — the plague also likes crowds! Although I don’t know why yet, facts are facts!”

Hippocrates spoke with a tone of anger and irony.

”We’ve tallied it, those who have had group gatherings die more!”

”You say you want to lead citizens to rationality, to save Athens. But what if these citizens led by you all catch the plague? Do they have any value then? What can they do?”

”Covered entirely with pus-filled rashes, feverish, frenzied, even unable to control excretion... are you prepared to rely on such people?”

Undoubtedly, Socrates’ wisdom foresaw further. But Hippocrates’ questions were more realistic and urgent.

They both love Athens, but differences won’t disappear because of one commonality. Especially when both sides possess extraordinary wisdom and conviction.

And these differences... persisted until Lann spoke.

”Wait.”

The tall and handsome man gently raised his hand, and with this gesture, the debate among the people present, which was about to escalate, instantly calmed down in a marvelous wave of emotion.

Lann was managing the collective emotion on the scene.

His hair, like melting silver, fell over his forehead but still couldn’t hide the brilliance in those cat eyes.

Lann placed his hand on the wooden table, looking up at Hippocrates across from him.

Those eyes almost made Hippocrates’ breath pause for a moment.

”Characteristics of the patients.”

”Wha-what?”

Hippocrates blinked, a bit unresponsive.

”I want the patient characteristics, describe them in detail, doctor.”

”It’s known there are pus-filled rashes, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, frenzy.” Lann counted on his fingers as he continued.

”Is it that in the late stage of the disease, patients start to erupt with extraordinary strength in their frenzy, losing their sense of pain?”

Although he asked Hippocrates to describe the patient characteristics, Lann himself mentioned quite a few while counting on his fingers.

These symptoms combined are indeed enough to make one think some evil entity has tainted the human body.

But after Hippocrates nodded continuously, Lann thoughtfully nodded.

”As expected... typhus.”

Typhus, when Lann first arrived on Kefalonia Island, he answered Phoebe’s plea to find her friend.

And the village where her friend was, due to this acute infectious disease, was entirely massacred by the local temple to prevent a larger scale spread.

In the end, Lann could only rely on the medicines he brought to save a family in the village.

But as it stands, the acute infectious disease on Kefalonia Island has already spread over time and through trade across the Aegean Sea.