Swiss Arms

Swiss Arms

Chapter 154

-VB-

Hans von Fluelaberg

In my effort to bolster the economy first and health of my people second, I left room for invasion of diseases.

… If I had to be honest with myself, then I had already done a lot of stuff for the people's standard of living. I made people aware of handwashing and its importance, made soap cheaper for the masses, and even improved sewage… for Fluelaberg and Davos.

Hell, I ingrained handwashing into my rangers!

Alas, my health reforms hadn't been accepted - or practiced - so wholly and widely within the Compact outside of Fluelaberg-Davos.

Maienfeld felt more like the aftermath of a battlefield than a peaceful village that it was. People here were scared. They dodged each other. Moved out of the way. Kept an eye out for anyone who looked like they were getting even a little sick. "How many are dead?" I asked as I walked besides Prince-Bishop Gion. Both of us wore cloth masks, and walked at a distance from everything here in Maienfeld. It was for keeping this distance that we only had two guards each instead of the usual four. Not that I needed guards but the prince-bishop did.

"Nine," he sighed as he looked around the quieter village. "There's another thirty people who are infected in those isolated tents you provided."

"Good. Make sure everyone who enters and exits those tents wash any exposed skin thoroughly with soap and burn any clothes that get bodily fluids on them."

"I will," he replied. "Are any of the other villages infected?" he asked.

"None on my side as far as I am aware," I replied. "Yours?"

"We've already had a few people show up with the pox in Chur itself," he sounded tired and also looked tired. "And six in Disentis Abbey."

"... So are you thinking that it spread through the western mountain passes?"

"Has to be," the bishop huffed. "Nowhere else is infected."

"Have you checked the south?"

"I did. Nothing. Did you get any message from your new vassal?"

"I sent them a message. They - and the rangers there - report no pox."

"... Now what, then?"

I turned to look at him, making him stop.

"We have to contain it here in Maienfeld, Chur, and Disentis. Redirect any and all travelers without goods to turn back while merchants should be allowed to offload their goods at the edges of your fief."

"You want to isolate and starve my people?"

I shook my head. "No. I will provide any material help you need," I replied. Right now, my cauldron terrace prototypes were producing a lot more food than I expected, at least from fermented foods from spring harvest crops like lettuces, second generation wild strawberries, cabbages, carrots, and turnips. While none of them were grain, I was certain that the vitamins packed in those foods would be more helpful right now than just pure carbs. It was just unfortunate that while I did remember a lot about biology, specifics of what vitamins in what food was needed for what disease was lost to me. What I did remember was that fermented vegetables helped. How much? I didn't know, but it was good enough of a reason to try it out. "I also heard that fermented vegetables helps, so I'll send over two dozen barrels of it."

His eyebrows rose up. "Fermented vegetables?" he asked.

I nodded but didn't say anything else.

"It'll be appreciated. And can you also send a lot of herbs, if you can spare them?"

I also nodded. Herbal remedies were the go-to solutions for diseases for this era.

-VB-

Fluelaberg Central Library

Compact Records - Volume 1

Page 18

Pox of 1308

Pox infections first appeared in Maienfeld before other infections showed up. By the end of the fall harvest, there were 208 infected and 39 deaths across Disentis Abbey, Barony of Felsberg, Chur, and Maienfeld. There were 18 infections and 2 deaths across Fluelaberg-Davos, Klosters, and Schiers. There were 19 infections and 5 deaths across Albula, Churwalden, and Lenz. There were 31 infections and 11 deaths across Thusis, Barony of Anders, and Splugen.

The pox spread out of the mountain valleys to the northern provinces of the Compact by spring of 1309. By the end of spring of 1309, it would strike Toggenburg, St. Gallen, Constance, and Lindau. Toggenburg lost 40 people, St. Gallen 110, Constance 455 and Lindau 190.

Health Improvement Act of 1309

Count Hans von Fluelaberg pushed for a greater improvement in the commoner's standard of living. During the annual Compact membership meeting held in Chur, he pushed for the Health Improvement Act of 1309, which set aside tax from each member state to fund doctors, caretakers, their equipment, and even transportation fees. It passed overwhelmingly after the rest of the Compact saw what happened to the other fiefs and states who were struck by the Pox.

-VB-

???

"What do you mean the pox didn't even kill a hundred people?" someone in the room hissed.

It was a dimly lit cobblestone room somewhere deep underground, and the five figures all wore high quality if simple dresses. Nothing else would be sufficient for people of their ranks, after all.

"I already said it," the first speaker grunted out, stroking his beard. "It's done more damage to the realms surrounding Lake Constance and is now traveling even further north and east."

"East?!"

"It seems to be traveling along the trade routes faster than we anticipated."

"... That means it will reach my home in Vienna…!" a third person hissed.

"Indeed. We all knew that there was a small chance that this would have happened," a drawling fourth voice said with a feminine chuckle. "Why are you so shocked that it happened?"

"Shut up, bitch! We must find out why our plan didn't work in the first place!"

"Well, they sell soap on the cheap," a quieter fifth voice reasoned. "Maybe … they are just cleaner?"

"That can't possibly be it," the first voice grunted out. "The pox cares not who you are. It's why even kings, and especially queens, fear it."

"... What if it is sorcery?"

"Don't even bother. The church is more likely to make Fluelaberg a saint for somehow reducing the impact of the pox instead of accusing him of heresy. Aside from the fact that he has too many allies among the clergy, he's also a very devout man."

"Then what? We just give up and move on?"

"What else? Do you propose that we attack the Count Killer in his home territory? You're welcome to try, but I will be shaking my head after your army enters the forest and doesn't come back out."

"Why are you so casually dismissive about him? The Count Killer is encroaching on your northern borders!"

"Not yet but close, yes," the Lombard man shrugged. "However, we have a good chance at making money off of his trade routes while you don't care about that."

"... Fucking Lombards. All you lot care about is money."

"Hey, don't say that. We're not Venetians."

"But the point is valid," the third voice hummed. "What are we to do now? We need to weaken his realm, but there is a chance that our allies might get weakened instead."

"... Then there's no choice but to keep building up our forces. If we can't weaken him before the war, then we'll just have to overwhelm him."

"Speaking of which, how were those rangers you managed to hire?"

"Professional. Expert. Dangerous."

"Details?"

"Avoid the forests at all cost."

"... Say…"

"What?"

"Why don't we just set his realm on fire? They can't ambush us if there are no forests to ambush us from, right?"

The others looked at each other.

… Yes.

Why not set the Compact on fire, literally?