1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 356: Ascle Pharmaceutical Factory
On the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Eastern Roman Empire, the capital of the province of Africa, the city of Carthage.

It is dawn, the bustling city wakes up from the night, the lighthouse of the U-shaped harbor is still lit, the dock workers hum melodious songs and go to work in teams, the port staff yawn and come to their work stations to register the passing ships and arrange their berthing.

A road paved with natural asphalt and broken fine stones connected the dock area and the market area. New horse-drawn carriages engraved with the emblems of major chambers of commerce were parked safely in the dock area. The drivers chatted while boxes of goods were loaded into the carriages.

As the sun rose higher, the noise of the city grew louder. Milk wagons galloped on the wide roads, small vendors set up their stalls in the market, the sound of clinking could be heard again in the workshop area, and the hooves of the Royal Mounted Police tapped gently on the stone slabs.

It is early summer and the temperature in Africa is gradually rising. Residents put on hooded robes and eat watermelons produced in the plantations. The winter wheat in the farmlands has begun to be harvested and the date palm trees in the date orchards are swaying in the sunlight.

The city of Carthage is located in the northernmost part of Africa. It is the closest North African city to the Apennine Peninsula and an important port for the Eastern Roman Empire to control the Mediterranean and connect to the Atlantic Ocean. It has a special status in the empire's development plan. The prosperity of trade has brought about the gathering of population, and the improvement of agricultural technology has resulted in a huge surplus of grain output. The population of Carthage is increasing. After annexing several neighboring small towns, the population is about to exceed 180,000, making it a first-class metropolis in the entire Mediterranean world.

Of course, maintaining a large city of 100,000 people is a very complicated matter, involving all aspects of urban life. It is not the case that just moving people in will solve all the problems. If the city is not well planned, unrest, plague, famine, drought... these things will soon tear the temporary prosperity to pieces.

After the civil service reform, the central government of the Eastern Roman Empire began to equip each regional administrator with a secretary who was proficient in human geography, and organized urban inspections to improve or demolish existing structures that did not conform to the laws of urban development. At the same time, it strengthened infrastructure construction and included urban construction projects such as water use, sanitation, sewage disposal, and transportation on the planning list.

When it comes to urban planning, Europe today is still relatively backward. There are still very few large cities with a population of over 100,000, and the vast majority of the population is still scattered in the vast countryside. Western Europe was a wasteland after the collapse of ancient Rome, and the extremely backward infrastructure construction made it impossible for them to maintain large cities with hundreds of thousands of people. To this day, Paris, the largest city in Western Europe, is full of sewage and feces.

The Eastern Roman Empire was much stronger than Western Europe in urban construction. The population of Constantinople once reached 500,000. However, the situation in Constantinople was too special and its innate conditions were too excellent. The infrastructure left by its ancestors was basically intact. The empire had a vast territory, spanning from east to west and from north to south, and the geographical conditions were different. The success of Constantinople obviously could not be copied mechanically.

In recent years, under the instructions of the central government of the empire, universities in the Eastern Roman Empire have added urban construction majors, and the Institute of Humanities has also begun to organize the compilation of urban construction textbooks, attempting to develop urban construction, which has never been taken seriously, into a discipline.

In addition, the Eastern Roman Empire also made use of its extensive maritime transportation to absorb urban construction experience from various Eastern civilizations, combined it with the geographical characteristics of Eastern Rome, and jointly promoted urban development.

Once a city's population grows to a certain number, the difficulty of continued growth will increase exponentially. In this respect, Eastern civilization is much stronger than Western civilization. Both Arab civilization and Chinese civilization have precedents of cities with a population of one million.

In several provinces of Africa, the Eastern Roman Empire's urban construction mainly adopted the Arab model, with brick, stone and concrete structures as the main components and almost no wooden structures. At the same time, it paid attention to water conservancy projects, standardized houses and streets, and used the kuriye model of "religious buildings plus service facilities" to allow one urban area after another to expand outward.

In order to solve the water problem in North Africa, the two provinces of Africa and Cyrenaica began to build a large-scale water conservancy project called "Qanats". This water conservancy facility originated in the semi-arid regions of Asia and can make full use of snowmelt water, seasonal precipitation and groundwater, storing water in the rainy season and using it in the dry season.

The construction method of qanat was introduced to the Mediterranean world very early with the Arab conquest. There were already precedents of using qanat in North Africa, and the Eastern Roman government tried to expand and widen the original project to form a system and scale it up.

At present, the initial projects of the Qanats project have been basically completed. The meltwater from the Majerda River and the Atlas Mountains will reach the vicinity of Carthage through underground channels to meet agricultural and domestic water needs.

In order to avoid disturbing the people and to promote the local economy, the army of the Eastern Roman Empire rarely used methods such as "requisition" or "collection" to prepare food, fodder and ammunition. Almost all of them were purchased at prices agreed in advance. The military and the government would place orders with private chambers of commerce, which would be responsible for production and preparation, and then inspected by official departments, so that the money in the hands of the emperor and the government could flow in society, realizing a round of wealth circulation.

Within two years, the conflict in Iberia spread to the entire western Mediterranean. Carthage, with its unique geographical advantages, naturally became the most important front-line logistics base. It received the navy that attacked Venice, the army that conquered Granada, the mercenaries that went to Florence, the capitalists and businessmen who divided up Italy's commerce... Military and civilian orders came in like snowflakes, and a large amount of supplies and money poured into the city. The citizen class of Carthage ushered in its own spring. At this time, as long as you dare to think and act, it is not impossible to become rich overnight.

Under the guidance of this policy, soldiers do not disturb the people and the people are not afraid of the army. For the people in the logistics center, the arrival of the army is no longer a heavy burden, but an opportunity to cross classes. Stimulated by wealth, their desire for a better life often brings about some deep-seated changes and innovations, more convenient manufacturing models, more standardized production processes, more skilled workers, and even more advanced technologies.

For the Eastern Roman Empire, the most important thing is of course more advanced technology, which is something that can truly greatly improve productivity. Once new technology is born among the people and successfully proves its value, the resources of the government and the military will be tilted towards the inventors of the technology to encourage them to keep up the good work.

A sailing ship coming from the north slowly approached the shore, with the official flag of the Eastern Roman Empire flying on it. The port officials briefly checked the formalities and arranged the ship to a berth with a wide view.

On the deck of the sailboat, two middle-aged men stood side by side. The older one was wearing a navy uniform, smoking a pipe, and looking at the busy city.

“I didn’t see any fighting or brawl.”

The older one raised an eyebrow.

"It's been a while since I last came here. These Punicus people have actually learned to be polite."

"Oh, if you're brave enough, you might as well say these words in the downtown area. Even if you are an officer, they will probably beat you up."

The younger one curled his lips.

"You are just a fisherman born at the foot of Constantinople. Why are you so proud? Mozarabic is not enough, why do you have to call them Punicus?"

"So what? Didn't they call us Byzantines?"

The older one was unhappy.

"If you ask me -"

Seeing that his companion was about to start his long speech again, the younger man shook his head and walked down the deck.

In recent years, the national economy of the Eastern Roman Empire has continued to grow, and major cities have developed steadily. The population of Constantinople is about to exceed 350,000, and Carthage has also reached the edge of 180,000. Although Thessalonica, which ranks third, has also achieved progress in population and industry, it has been unable to reach the level of Carthage due to Constantinople's bloodsucking, and its population has remained at around 100,000.

As the first and second largest cities in the Eastern Roman Empire, the people of Constantinople and Carthage were often dissatisfied with each other and gave each other some joking names, adopting the ancient names of each other's cities, calling each other "Punics" and "Byzantines".

Of course, at this time, "Punicus" and "Byzantium" had no derogatory meaning. The Eastern Roman Empire strictly prohibited its citizens from making trouble on ethnic issues. If they dared to call the other party "Greeks" and "Arabs", they would be punished by the government.

"What are you going to do?"

The younger one looked back.

"Let's go to the warehouse first? Or the workshop first?"

"You are a professional, so you must go to the workshop to inspect the goods first. I will go to the warehouse."

The older man said, pointing to the fork in the road.

"Go quickly, the Sicilian army is waiting for you. When the war is over, I will treat you to a drink."

The young man nodded, borrowed a few horses from the official stables near the dock, and galloped towards the workshop area of ​​Carthage City with a few servants.

His name is Carolus, his ancestral home is in Nicaea, and he officially returned to the embrace of his motherland during the Great Turkish War a few years ago.

However, Karolos is of mixed descent, his father is a pure Turkic Muslim and his mother is a Greek Orthodox Christian.

After the liberation of Nicaea, Carolus quickly converted to Orthodoxy under the leadership of his mother and registered as a Roman citizen. His father, two half-brothers and the two brothers' entire families were also spared from persecution because of him, and chose to convert to Orthodoxy in subsequent persuasion and were officially recognized.

This was an assimilation policy implemented by the Eastern Roman Empire in the cities in the occupied areas of Anatolia. For a Muslim, as long as he could find a blood relative with citizenship and show a willingness to convert, he would not be treated as a slave under the guarantee of his blood relative and would become a "future Roman" in the legal sense. The government would protect their property, allow them to participate in labor production, and give them one year to consider.

In order to prevent these people from fleeing with the money, the local government adopted a collective responsibility system, requiring them to report the situation to the parish priest every day in groups of ten. If one person escaped, the whole street would be enslaved.

Since Muslim men can marry Christian women and can have up to four wives, this policy has a lot of room for implementation in cities and involves many people. The project is led by priests, who are often not strict about "blood relatives". Even if they use coaxing and deception, or even if they are relatives, as long as they express their intention to convert, the priests will be very happy to approve it.

In previous wars and rebellions, those who compromised had been richly rewarded, while those who were diehard had met with a miserable end. The remaining people were only hesitant because of the teachings. The imperial government believed that giving them some time might lead to better results.

Of course, for those Muslims who have multiple wives, due to the restrictions of Christian doctrine, they cannot continue to maintain a polygamous family life. The male head will be required to choose one as his wife, and the other female relatives will become "mistresses" in the actual sense. Their children will also become "illegitimate children" and automatically lose the right of inheritance.

However, this set of policies is obviously impossible to implement in rural areas. The government's control is too weak and the value of farmers is not as high as that of citizens. Under the wave of enclosure movement, the land here will be occupied by Eastern Roman citizens to form large farms and pastures, and the Muslims here will become excellent laborers.

In this way, Carolus survived the Great Turkish War, not only saving the lives of his entire family, but also rising from the lowest-ranking child to become the heir to the family.

Since his two half-brothers had been very good to him in the past, Carolus did not be overly demanding about the inheritance of the property. The four of them negotiated the property issues clearly. His father and two brothers stayed in Nicaea and jointly opened a ceramic workshop. They soon utilized the ceramic technology from the East, and the family wealth continued to rise. Carolus' father also received political treatment because of his special status as a "convert" and was elected as a member of the Nicaea senator.

Karolos left his hometown and went to Constantinople for further studies. He was successfully admitted to the University of Constantinople, majoring in medicine and taking chemistry as an elective.

After the conflict in the Western Mediterranean began, the Eastern Roman Empire began to accelerate the process of army reform in preparation for war. Auxiliary forces such as the engineering corps, military bands, and medical corps were in urgent need of talents. Carolus saw the opportunity and volunteered to join the army. He was assigned to the Seventh Legion of the Guards as a military doctor.

In Carolus's view, the Eastern Roman Empire placed the most importance on military merit. As long as he could leave a brilliant record on the battlefield, his career would be much smoother.

They are both doctors, but one is a traveling doctor and the other is a professor or dean of a medical school. How can they be the same?

Moreover, as far as Carolus knew, in order to improve medical standards, the Eastern Roman government was planning to establish more medical universities and affiliated hospitals after the war. For him, this was a rare opportunity.

Since there was a real shortage of professional talent, and Carolus's technical skills were good and his theoretical knowledge was excellent, he soon gained the respect of the chief surgeon and was sent to Carthage to inspect new medicines and prepare large-scale orders.

Carolus ran all the way, taking a quick look at the city, and couldn't help but marvel at the prosperity of Carthage. This is the city with the most successful language assimilation in the whole of North Africa. Most of the citizens speak Greek with a slight local accent, which makes Carolus feel particularly cordial.

"Sir Carolus, the Carthaginian workshop area is ahead, and our target is at the foot of the mountain."

A servant of Carthaginian origin reminded.

"Okay, let's go."

Carolus nodded and slowed down his horse.

"By the way, is there a hospital in Carthage?"

"Yes, but they are all church hospitals. The charity medical care they can provide is relatively simple. If you have a serious illness, you still have to find a private doctor."

replied the attendant.

"The largest hospital is the Carthage University Hospital. Its organizational structure is basically modeled after the Siena University Hospital, which existed hundreds of years ago. The dean is a kind priest who graduated from the medical department of a seminary."

"Yes, it is the second largest city in the empire after all."

Carolus nodded slightly, thinking.

"When I was studying in Constantinople, my professor said that some wealthy nobles, under the guidance of the emperor, were preparing to set up private medical insurance and build the first professional private hospital in the empire. Is there such a trend in Carthage?"

"I never heard."

The attendant shook his head.

"However, even if there are so-called private medical insurance and private hospitals, ordinary people can't afford them, right? The citizens of Constantinople are the richest, so they should be able to afford it, but Carthage is a little worse off."

"I heard that it was not enough for Constantinople to pave the roads with asphalt. They also planned to imitate the English city of London and install pine wood street lamps in some blocks to provide lighting."

At this point, the servant curled his lips.

"It has been like this since ancient times. Constantinople and outside of Constantinople are two completely different worlds."

"If you ask me, Your Majesty should not have developed Constantinople so well. Those citizens are lazy, treacherous, cunning, arrogant, and always talk about the ancient freedoms and privileges. They will take to the streets to protest if they disagree with something. We Carthaginians are not like us, who are brave and tenacious, simple and hardworking, and are the best fighters for Your Majesty the Emperor."

"Maybe. They generate nearly a quarter of the imperial government's tax revenue with the power of one city. Naturally, they are a bit arrogant."

Carolos said noncommittally.

"As for the rosin wood street lamps, they are not rare. Even small villages like London have been using them for decades. It will be a matter of time before the big cities of the empire adopt them."

"Okay, enough chit-chat, we have to go in."

There are many workshops on the gentle hillside, and at the foot of the hill is a crop park where a variety of exotic plants are planted. The roads outside the park are lined with the common Atlas Mountains' mugwort.

Next to the willow trees, technicians in simple burqas collected willow leaves, twigs and seeds and put them into storage bags.

"Willow, poppy, artemisia annua, African basil..."

Carolos looked at the plants in the park. Some of them he had studied in medical classes, while others he had never seen or heard of before.

Carolus continued to ride his horse. On the wooden sign at the entrance of the workshop, a line of Greek words was clearly visible.

"Ascle Pharmaceuticals."

Carolus whispered.

The Asclepius Pharmaceutical Factory, the first established pharmaceutical factory in the Eastern Roman Empire, was formerly the "nautical medicine" factory founded by Isaac in North Africa decades ago. It subsequently produced several commonly used medicines. At the end of last year, it was officially reorganized into the Asclepius Pharmaceutical Factory, named after Asclepius, the ancient Greek god in charge of medicine.

As early as in the previous liberalization reforms, the organizational structure of the Askler Pharmaceutical Factory had undergone a round of reorganization. The royal family and the government no longer had direct management rights, but only retained the right to dividends and monitoring. The pharmaceutical factory operated, produced and sold independently.

Decades passed, and Isaac's "little tricks" could no longer be hidden. Many people discovered the secret of "nautical medicine". Ship doctors began to carry cheap citrus fruits directly. The pharmaceutical factories that were given autonomy decided not to produce the maritime medicine that had brought them huge profits and began to seek new ways out.

Eight years ago, the expedition fleet of the Eastern Roman Empire discovered the New World of America. With the intervention of Isaac, a great exchange of species began rapidly. Based on Isaac's description, the explorers found a medicinal plant in South America that was revered as the "Tree of Life" by the locals. They also sneaked into the indigenous communities and stole many tree species and seedlings that they swore to defend to the death, and named them cinchona trees.

Under Isaac's guidance, Eastern Roman doctors soon discovered the remarkable effectiveness of cinchona bark in treating malaria, and began to plant it on a large scale in Brazil and tropical Africa, and research surrounding cinchona bark also began.

Near the workshop, Carolus saw a number of patrolling soldiers. These soldiers were tall and burly, armed with plank axes and matchlocks, with royal patterns painted on their uniforms.

"Varangian Guard, the royal private army."

Carolus muttered.

"It seems that they may really have some important discoveries." Carolos waved his hand, and a servant handed the identity document of the Imperial Army to Captain Varangi.

"Carolus Gonsis, a Nicean, deputy surgeon of the Seventh Legion of the Guards."

The Varangian captain looked at Carolus.

"We have received a notice, please follow me."

Carolus nodded, ordered his servants to wait outside the door, and followed Captain Varangi into the heavily guarded pharmaceutical factory.

"Strong liquor, wash your hands, wipe your face, and smear the soles of your shoes."

Captain Varangian said simply.

Carolus did so. As a medical student, he knew it was the right thing to do.

The two men entered the corridor, and Carolos could vaguely hear the workers talking and working, but to his regret, even though he was "one of them", the conscientious Captain Varangi still did not take him to visit the production workshop, and he didn't know what secret he was keeping.

After a few minutes of detours, a wooden door appeared in front of Carolos. The captain pushed the door open and pushed him in.

"It's right here. Go in and check it out. I'll pick you up in half an hour."

Karolos was somewhat helpless about Captain Varangi's rigidity. He shook his head and looked at the bald man in the room.

The man had a yellowish-black complexion, wore a simple white robe, and had a big beard around his lips.

"Indian?"

Carolus raised an eyebrow.

"According to your geographical division, my hometown belongs to Southeast Asia."

The Southeast Asian man shrugged and fiddled with the bottles and jars on the table.

"I am a Malacca native. Three years ago, a group of Arab merchants from the city-state of Malindi came to Malacca to recruit doctors, and I followed them. I didn't expect to be deceived and come here to serve as a drug researcher for your emperor."

"Humph, just your ridiculously complicated Greek language took me a whole year to learn! If your emperor hadn't paid me so much money, I would have quit long ago!"

The Southeast Asians stared.

"Well, then you—"

Carolus didn't know what to say and looked around the room.

"I don't have any drinks here, and I don't have time to entertain you. Just tell me, what do you want to check?"

The Southeast Asian man said rudely, following Carolos's gaze to the messy books on the bookshelf.

"Why, are you interested in these books?"

Seeing that Carolos seemed to have some interest in the books, the Southeast Asian's eyes softened and he picked up a book.

"Treatise on Febrile Diseases, from the Jin Dynasty."

"And this one, the Medical Canon, is from the Arabs. It's one of your official textbooks. You should be familiar with it."

Carolus nodded.

"Shennong's Herbal Classic is also a medical book from the Eastern Dynasty."

The Southeast Asian went on to explain.

"Your emperor is quite powerful. The so-called East India Company hired Southeast Asian pirates to buy all these books."

"Forget it. You probably aren't interested anyway."

The Southeast Asian man shook his head and put the book on the shelf.

"No, no, no, I'm very interested. When I was studying medicine, my professor said that medicine is a major issue for all mankind. No civilization can achieve perfection in medical research on its own. We must learn from the strengths of many others."

Carolos said.

"Can you lend me these books?"

"No need. Your Institute of Humanities has basically completed the translation. Since you are a doctor, you will have a chance to see it in the future."

The Southeast Asians refused outright, but their attitude toward Carolos became better.

"You are different. I have seen many doctors in the Eastern Empire. They have been bewitched by the Arabs. They like to do dissections and don't pay much attention to internal diseases."

"If you are interested in Eastern medicine, we can exchange ideas later."

"You know, I learned my medical skills directly from the Ming people. When I was a child, Malacca was still part of the Ming Dynasty."

The Southeast Asian sighed.

"Okay, enough of the small talk, let's take a look at the medicine we are producing."

The Southeast Asian man opened a glass bottle and poured out several pills.

"This is what the emperor cares about most, and I'm afraid it's what you care about most too, Cinchona Pills."

“Grind the cinchona bark into powder, filter it briefly, add some additives, and mix it with starch and sugar to make pills.”

"This pill has been sold for some time. Your explorers all say it's good. It's said that some people even used it to reach the middle of the Congo River."

Southeast Asians seemed uninterested.

"I didn't develop this thing, and there is no record of cinchona in oriental medicine. If you have any questions about the details, please ask your emperor. He seems to know everything."

"And this is the medicine bag I prepared according to your majesty's request. It contains Artemisia annua, Changshan and Lacquer."

The Southeast Asian man picked up a small cloth bag containing several dried herbs.

"The dosage has been prepared. This is the amount for a team of ten. It can be drunk directly with water and can also treat malaria. But I have tried it and the effect is not as significant as the Cinchona Pills."

The Southeast Asian curled his lips.

"But I tell you, this medicine has other effects, such as clearing away heat and detoxifying, and conditioning the body."

"Finally, this is also a medicine bag. The main medicine inside is processed willow leaves. Drinking it in water can relieve pain and swelling. It can also treat common diseases such as fever."

The Southeast Asian man held up another small cloth bag.

"Your emperor always talks about workshop production and mass production, which is actually wrong. It is irresponsible to the patients. I have to see it myself to know how to prescribe medicine..."

Carolos ignored the Southeast Asian man's complaints and leaned over the table, carefully examining several medicines.

“Have they all been tested?”

"We've already passed through. Let that fierce captain accompany you to the Carthage University Hospital. There are patients who have just been cured of malaria and those who have not yet been cured of malaria."

The Southeast Asian said.

"It's strange to say, most of those malaria patients are northerners like Russians, Bulgarians, and Pontic people, but there are not so many Mediterranean people. Do you have any special resistance?"

"Yes, Mediterranean people do have some resistance. Although we don't know the specific reason, it is certain that patients with ischemia are less likely to get malaria."

Carolus smiled.

"To be honest, malaria broke out in Sicily in the summer. Your Majesty is leading his troops to Syracuse. There are more and more malaria patients in the army. Even the Archbishop of Syracuse has contracted malaria for some reason."

"With these new medicines of yours, your majesty's march will be much smoother, and perhaps you can even win the hearts of the people of Sicily."

"Is that so? I thought malaria was only found in the South."

The Southeast Asians murmured.

"Haha, Italy is a high-incidence area for malaria, especially Sardinia and Sicily. From ancient times to the present, countless kings, princes, generals and ministers have died from malaria. We are really bad at this. For so many years, we have never found a way to treat malaria."

Carolos said.

"In ancient times, malaria-stricken areas such as Sardinia and Sicily even became ideal places for Roman nobles to exile their political enemies. Can you guess why?"

The Southeast Asians were somewhat disgusted by these intrigues and frowned.

"Since it's summer malaria, you might as well bring some insect repellent incense."

"Insect repellent incense?"

Carolus was a little confused.

The Southeast Asian man muttered, took out a small gray-black piece from a bottle, broke off a corner, and lit it on the candle.

Suddenly, a small puff of smoke came out, and a strange fragrance came into Carolos's nose along with the smoke.

"Pyrethrum powder is made into incense blocks. Light one when you stop marching to repel insects."

The Southeast Asian explained.

"Your Majesty said that malaria is related to mosquito bites. I think it should be true, because there are indeed many diseases that come from mosquitoes."

"This is also something we are producing vigorously. The raw materials are easy to find and are available in the Balkan Peninsula."

"In addition to repelling mosquitoes, pyrethrum has many other uses. Planting some next to food crops can effectively reduce crop diseases. When used together with Adrian liquid, the effect is very significant."

"I heard that your Majesty asked other drug researchers to find a way to use strong liquor to extract pyrethrum juice, saying that it was to make some kind of pesticide. I don't understand this."

The Southeast Asian waved his hand.

"Everything is ready. You can go to the hospital to check the situation first, and then you can go to the warehouse to get the goods."

"If you meet the emperor, don't forget to say something good for me. My son is still studying at the University of Constantinople. He wants to open a clinic in Constantinople in the future. The emperor must agree to it."

"No problem. Although I probably won't be able to meet the emperor, he has always been open-minded. As long as it is beneficial to the people, he will do anything, even if it means committing a serious crime of blasphemy, let alone a good thing like opening a clinic."

Carolos agreed readily and thought about it.

"However, it is time for you to keep up with the times. The emperor's method is correct. Only when mass production is achieved can the price of medicines be reduced, and the people at the bottom of society can afford medicines and cure their diseases."

"Haha, don't think I don't know the main purpose of your research and development of Cinchona Pills. I traveled all the way from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, and I saw your colonies."

"But I have nothing to blame. Having such an emperor is your luck and others' misfortune. Cherish it well."

The Southeast Asian opened the door and glared at Carolos.

"Hurry up and leave!"

Carolus sighed helplessly, bowed slightly, and walked away.

(End of this chapter)