Volume 4: The Undead Chapter 207: Calabash House (Part 1)
"Although there are so many questions, let's ask them one by one." Ogata said softly, "Mamiya, tell me first - why are you here? Did you get here by accident?"
"That's not the case." Mamiya raised his hand and patted the shoulder of the "savage" beside him, "He brought me here. He is one of the doctors sent to this island by the shogunate to study cannibals."
"My name is Matsumoto Kiyohto." After Mamiya finished speaking, the "savage" began to introduce himself, "Three months ago, I was in this camp with other companions, following the order of the shogunate, to conduct research on cannibal ghosts."
As soon as Matsumoto Kiyohto finished speaking, Ogata and Atachi immediately cast curious glances at him.
"You are one of the researchers of the shogunate?" Ogata raised an eyebrow. "Didn't all of you researchers leave this island?"
"We should have all left," Matsumoto said, closing his eyes in pain. "But... when we left the camp and headed for the coast, we were attacked by cannibals..."
"The cannibal's attack came too suddenly, and our team was directly dispersed..."
“Some people managed to get on the boat and leave the island.”
"There are also people... like me, who were separated from the team and ended up on this island..."
"I have been wandering on this island until now... until... I ran into Lord Mamiya and Lord Makimura last night."
As soon as Matsumoto finished speaking, Mamiya continued:
"After learning that Matsumoto was a researcher for the shogunate, I asked him to bring us here to see if there is anything valuable in this abandoned residence of the shogunate researchers."
Having said that, Mamiya looked around and added:
"But now it seems... this station is really deserted... there is nothing but garbage."
"Lord Mamiya..." Matsumoto smiled bitterly, "I've already said it before... We evacuated very cleanly, there's nothing here except garbage..."
"That's not the case." Ogata, who had been silent since the beginning, interrupted, "There is still something valuable here."
After saying that, Ogata threw the diary that he had just stuffed into his arms to Mamiya and the others.
"This is the diary I found just now in this tent behind me."
"It seems to be written by a researcher. It roughly describes some of the things that happened from landing on the island to leaving the island."
After taking the diary thrown by Ogata, Mamiya and Makimura immediately began to read it at a glance.
Makimura was much taller than Mamiya, so he only needed to turn his head to see the diary in Mamiya's hand.
After briefly reading the diary, Mamiya handed it to Matsumoto.
Matsumoto looked through the book more cursorily than Mamiya did. After taking it, he flipped through it quickly and looked through it hastily.
After closing the diary, Matsumoto sighed softly:
"It's a diary written by that guy Yamamoto... He likes to write diaries and keep records."
"What happened to us since we landed on the island is clearly written in Yamamoto's diary."
"Could it be that the reason why the people on this island turned into cannibals is because of a special plague?" A-Ming couldn't help but put forward his own ideas to Matsumoto, "This plague can be transmitted through the mouth and nose of the human body, and your soldier was unfortunately infected with this plague..."
"Not sure." Matsumoto said softly, "Although the shogunate has temporarily classified the incident on Choudao as an 'epidemic outbreak', it is still unknown whether the people on this island are suffering from a special plague."
"But - girl, I can tell you, if the reason why the people on this island turned into cannibals was because of a plague that could be transmitted through people's mouths and noses - then we are doomed."
Matsumoto said in a serious yet joking tone.
"A plague that can be transmitted into the human body through the mouth and nose - this kind of plague is the most difficult to prevent and treat."
"Until now, we have no means of protecting ourselves from this plague."
"Eh? No ?" Mucun asked doubtfully, "Can't covering the mouth and nose with a piece of cloth protect against this plague?"
Matsumoto sighed:
"Master Mucun, let me tell you a cruel truth..."
"Covering your face with a cloth is no protection against a plague that can infect the human body through the mouth and nose."
"It doesn't make much difference ."
"The reason why we doctors cover our faces with a cloth when we enter a plague-ridden area is purely to bring ourselves some spiritual comfort and to prevent our saliva from spraying on the patients, and to prevent the patients from spraying on themselves."
"Well... I don't understand medical stuff, and I don't have any interest in understanding it." Makimura said while scratching the stubble on his chin, "I only care about - Mamiya, this camp is full of garbage, there's nothing good to stay, where are we going next?"
"Anyway, let's search this camp thoroughly first." Mamiya said, "After searching this camp, we'll look for caves or something like that where we can spend the night."
After saying that, Mamiya turned his head and looked at Ogata.
"Ogata, and this beautiful lady, please come with us."
"Once we find a place to stay for the night, we 'll have a good chat."
"Mamiya." Ogata pulled the corner of his mouth and revealed a faint smile, "You said it the wrong way. You should follow me."
"We don't need to look for a cave to spend the night. Ating and I already have a temporary base."
"There is food, water, and warm bedding there."
"Although I'm not sure if they are willing to take in three more people."
"But - just follow us for now."
"Please take us there!!"
As soon as Ogata finished speaking, Makimura... to be more precise, Makimura, who heard the words "warm bedding", shouted in a rather inappropriate manner.
"As long as you are willing to go." Having said this, Ogata suddenly paused for a moment.
Then, he asked Mamiya and Makimura without thinking:
"Mamiya, Makimura, you two... you haven't drunk the water from that river since you landed on the island, right?"
As Ogata spoke, he nodded his chin towards the Linong River that flowed beside the camp.
"That river?" Mamiya glanced at the Linong River. "No. Since landing on the island, Makimura and I have basically had no water to drink. We drank some rainwater on the first day and some water from a small pond on the second day. What's wrong? Why are you asking us this question all of a sudden?"
"Nothing... just... just a casual question."
…
…
At dusk——
Choudao, Tenmanji Temple——
"Two donors..."
Standing at the gate of Tenmanji Temple, Sokai spoke with a helpless tone to Ogata and Atachi who were walking slowly towards Tenmanji Temple:
"How come you brought back three new guests for me?"
Mamiya, Makimura and Matsumoto followed behind Ogata and his companion.
After Tenmanji, a small temple located in a remote mountain area, appeared in their field of vision, Mamiya and Makimura looked at Tenmanji and Sokai who was standing at the gate of the temple with curious eyes.
