Chapter 6: A Mysterious Illness and Cobb Salad

“…It’s scurvy.”

“!!!!”

At the doctor’s words, Matheson and the others—who had just finished their first overseas trade—were left speechless.

The four of them had only returned to Briticia from Romaria the day before.

The next morning, all of them experienced some form of physical discomfort, so they visited the lodging of an experienced ship doctor they knew.

This was the diagnosis.

“Considering your symptoms and the conditions of your voyage, there’s no doubt.”

The four stood stunned at the unexpected situation as the ship doctor continued.

“You’ve heard of it, haven’t you? It’s a disease unique to sailors. It’s not contagious, but the cause isn’t very clear.”

Scurvy was a disease that had plagued sailors for a long time, and that hadn’t changed even during the Industrial Revolution.

“More importantly, there’s still no known cure. For now, all you can do is eat properly, rest, and pray.”

“We’ll be able to go back to sea, right!?”

Matheson asked desperately.

“That depends on how things progress. If it worsens… there’s a worst-case scenario.”

“!!”

They had no idea what would happen next.

Struck by this sudden hardship, the four left the doctor’s lodging with heavy steps.

“Let’s do what the doctor said and eat properly, then rest.”

For now, they had to do everything they could.

The four, still shaken, made their way toward Kitchen Mikeneko.

“Welcome!”

“Welcome.”

“Matheson…?”

Emma, who had run over as usual, tilted her head upon noticing their gloomy expressions.

Even Tatsuya was drawn to their heavy atmosphere.

“…Sorry. It seems we’re sick. It’s not contagious, but… if it concerns you, we’ll leave.”

There was clearly no energy in his voice.

“This is a joke…”

One of his companions spoke bitterly.

“We just finished our first trade journey, and now this…!”

“We were called failures in our merchant families, and we finally found hope…! Our capable brothers took over the family business, and we had no place until now…!”

“We worked under Matheson, studied, gathered money… we finally made it this far…!”

“Don’t mess with me…! I’m not giving up! What’s a little illness? Matheson’s symptoms are mild! We can do this! This is just the beginning for us!”

Their voices trembled with frustration.

“For now, let’s suspend business and rest. If we rest, things will surely… surely get better.”

Matheson quietly clenched his fists, filled with helpless anger.

“…You four just returned from a voyage, right?”

Tatsuya asked.

“Yeah.”

“How long were you on the ship?”

“About three months. We’re still inexperienced, so we chose the Inland Sea where conditions are calmer.”

“Did you eat vegetables or fruit during that time?”

“No. Just salted meat and fish, bread, cheese, and oatmeal.”

“What about your symptoms?”

“Like mild anemia. I ate properly yesterday, but the symptoms keep coming back.”

Tatsuya turned his gaze to the others.

“I feel constant fatigue… it comes and goes.”

“The bruises on my legs won’t heal. My joints still hurt too…”

“My gums keep bleeding. It feels like my wounds take forever to heal.”

“…I see. Scurvy, right?”

At Tatsuya’s sharp observation, Matheson nodded.

“In that case, let me handle today’s meal.”

“Is that alright?”

Matheson looked surprised.

“Sit down and wait.”

“…Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”

Seeing Tatsuya’s serious expression, Matheson nodded.

The food was ready quickly.

Tatsuya personally brought the dishes to them.

“What is this?”

The four stared at the wooden bowl placed before them.

Fresh lettuce lined the outer edge, topped with diced ingredients.

Bright red tomatoes, avocado, potatoes, boiled eggs with vibrant yolks, and chicken breast.

Everything was cut into cubes, except for the baby greens on top.

And at the very top was a white dressing.

“It’s a salad. More precisely, a Cobb salad.”

“A salad? What’s that? You mean eating vegetables raw…?”

In Londor, raw vegetables were considered unsanitary and hard to digest.

People usually boiled root vegetables or beans.

Boiling was the norm.

Moreover, fresh vegetables weren’t widely distributed in the city, so eating them raw was uncommon.

The concept of “salad” was unfamiliar.

Naturally, the four hesitated.

But—

“…Gulp.”

It was too beautiful for words.

The colorful, fresh vegetables were vibrant and captivating.

Their eyes were drawn to it.

“This should help with your illness.”

“Alright…!”

At Tatsuya’s words, Matheson took the first bite.

“!!”

His eyes widened.

The tomato burst with a refreshing acidity.

Its freshness was unmistakable.

The avocado melted smoothly, the potato was fluffy.

The herb chicken added umami and a savory saltiness, its texture distinct from the vegetables.

The boiled egg provided a unique flavor, acting as a perfect accent.

The ingredients were harmonized by the Caesar dressing.

Its creamy egg yolk base, combined with the richness of cheese and the saltiness of anchovies, was balanced by the tang of lemon.

Finally, a hint of garlic followed.

The seasoning was light yet impactful, perfectly suited for the salad.

“I can’t believe it… vegetables can taste this good.”

Matheson murmured, and the others followed.

“It’s true! I’ve never seen vegetables this fresh!”

“Raw vegetables can taste good…? That’s impossible!”

“This is my first time experiencing this…”

Their fear of raw vegetables vanished, and they eagerly began eating.

The lightness of the salad combined with the heartiness of the chicken and eggs drew them in.

In the end, they devoured the entire bowl.

The bowl was empty.

As they rested—

“…I feel a bit better.”

Matheson, who had the mildest symptoms, already felt relief from his dizziness.

“But why…?”

Confused, he looked at Tatsuya.

“Scurvy is caused by a lack of vegetables and fruits.”

It was a disease caused by a prolonged deficiency of vitamin C.

It commonly affected sailors on long voyages.

During the Industrial Revolution, as ships traveled farther, the disease spread.

Its cause was still unclear, and only a few in the navy had vague ideas about prevention.

But in Tatsuya’s knowledge, it was well understood.

“If you go too long without vegetables or fruit, you develop it. Drink lemon or lime juice every day. Unless it’s severe, you should recover within two weeks.”

“It can be cured!?”

Matheson stood up.

Tatsuya nodded, and relief filled him.

“I’m glad…”

They had already consumed some vitamin C from the pasta they ate the day before.

Recovery had already begun.

“As long as it’s not severe… Hey, Matheson. If I don’t get better… just leave me behind.”

One of the sailors spoke weakly.

Hearing this, Emma gripped her tray tightly, her face full of concern.

“Don’t say that. We’re building this company together. None of us is getting left behind.”

Matheson immediately responded firmly.

The others nodded strongly, and Emma nodded along enthusiastically.

“Make sure you bring lemon or lime juice on your next voyage. It’ll make a big difference.”

At those words, Matheson realized something.

“Come to think of it… I heard something like that from a navy sailor once. I should’ve paid more attention… I’m sorry.”

His face showed regret and guilt.

“Don’t worry about it. We’re just getting started.”

Another sailor, still fatigued, smiled and patted his shoulder.

“We’ll set sail again once we recover, right?”

“Right?”

Their voices carried expectation.

Matheson raised his head, determination in his eyes.

“Of course! We’ll go back to sea! The four of us!”

“Yeah!”

“Thank you, owner. Thanks to you, we can return to the sea. You saved us. If we had just rested without eating vegetables or fruit, some of us might have gotten worse. It may sound simple, but… you’re our lifesaver.”

“You saved us!”

“Thanks to you!”

“Thank you…”

“Don’t overdo it. Get proper rest first. And if you can, see a doctor again.”

“Got it!”

Tatsuya smiled, and Emma looked relieved.

Matheson answered energetically.

“As soon as we recover, we’ll set sail again! To lands we’ve never seen!”

“Yeah!!”

The men who had once been considered useless in their families.

Now driven by their dream of exploring new lands, they would recover and return.

And their small trading company would grow into something much greater.