Chapter 10: Limbus Pit Ecological Report (2) |
*
Cough—
On the way to the Clinic, I let out a Dry Cough from inside my Mask.
Since being born as Yulian, I've never had the impression that I was particularly Frail.
But the air and smell of Limbus Pit were a bit much for the Lungs of a delicate Young Master from Sanctum Hill.
'I wonder when I'll ever be able to take off this Mask here.'
While coughing repeatedly from the stench I hadn't smelled in a while, I was on my way to the Clinic.
I made eye contact with a man smoking a Cigarette across the street.
His half-closed Golden Eyes lazily scanned me.
Those eyes, which had been half-open as they examined me, went wide as full moons.
"Oh! You're here, Teacher Schnabel!"
The Hyena Beastkin threw his lit Cigarette on the street and swaggered over.
As he got closer, I could see the Scar across his eyebrow and his half-severed ear.
The man wore a burgundy mandarin collar shirt and a black Silk Vest embroidered with a gold arabesque pattern.
Like the buildings of the Red-Light District, his attire spoke of his origins.
"It's Mr. Wangcho."
Wangcho.
The Boss of the Criminal Organization that has this Red-Light District in its grasp.
For reference, Wangcho is a Nickname, and his Real Name is Tao Chen.
But I just call him Wangcho.
He asked me to call him that himself.
"It's been a while, Wangcho. Have you been well?"
"Haha. I'm always healthy, of course. Teacher, did anything happen to you during the Heavy Snow?"
"I came back from resting well in a warm place."
"That's a relief. When you're here, Teacher, it's nothing but grueling work, let alone warmth. Shouldn't you get to rest comfortably for at least a month out of the year?"
He rubbed his hands together with an affable smile.
'A friendly demeanor, as if he were about to ask, 'So, what price were you thinking?'
But one shouldn't be fooled by appearances.
Because this man, despite appearances, is the undisputed king of the Brothel District who conquered this Gutter.
...Come to think of it, his Nickname doesn't have much of an Aura.
"By the way, I was honestly surprised when the letter came saying you wouldn't be able to come for six weeks, Teacher."
"I recall writing that I probably couldn't come because of the Heavy Snow. Did I perhaps forget to write that?"
"Ah, of course I saw that. But that's not what I was trying to say."
Wangcho glanced around, then brought his mouth to my ear.
And whispered,
"I thought you'd been taken by... a Ducal Family, Teacher."
"...All of a sudden?"
"Aw, you don't have to pretend you don't know in front of me. I know too. Teacher... from... Sanctum Hill..."
Wangcho gestured with his eyes.
As if to say, shouldn't you get what I mean by now?
Only then could I understand what Wangcho was trying to say.
"I understand what you're trying to say, but those are all just rumors."
A certain rumor about the Crow Doctor Schnabel is spreading in the Red-Light District.
That he was a Slave Healer for some Ducal Family but his face was burned after a treatment failed,
that he started wearing a Mask to hide the Scar,
and that he's an Eccentric Gnome over 150 years old, who was chased out to the Red-Light District and is now living a Life of Service.
The reason such a rumor spread is all because of this Mask.
I wear the Mask because the air of the Slums is harsh for my body, which has grown accustomed to Sanctum Hill, and also to prevent Secondary Infection.
But to people who don't know the concept of Infection, they speculate there must be some Backstory behind why I don't take off the Crow Mask.
People's imaginations were layered onto that speculation several times, and the aforementioned rumor was the result.
Seeing how they can write such a novel based on just a single Mask, people's imaginations are really something else.
"I have no connection to any Ducal Family."
"What? But didn't you just get out of a car, Teacher? Didn't you come from Sanctum Hill?"
A car is the exclusive property of the nobility.
From the Magic Stone Kerosene that moves the car, to the Parking Lot to store it, and its maintenance.
In this city, the very fact of being able to operate a Machine properly is power itself.
'Because Machines are always breaking down due to the Smog saturated with Magical Power.'
The more delicate the Machine, the more astronomically the cost to run and maintain it skyrockets.
Naturally, the ultimate examples were vehicles like cars or Airships.
Therefore, it wasn't unreasonable for Wangcho to see me coming to work in one and be reminded of the rumors connecting me to the nobility.
I waved my hand to correct his Misunderstanding.
"There was a patient over there who needed me."
"Don't tell me the Ducal Family called for you again!?"
"...Not all nobles are dukes."
"Then even if it's not a duke, you're connected to some noble...?"
"..."
"Perhaps... the car is a token of gratitude from that noble...?"
I'm speechless.
It wasn't even wrong, so I was at a loss as to where to begin correcting the misconception.
Then, a certain fact suddenly flashed through my mind.
I've seen this kind of flow somewhere before.
That's right.
No matter how I look at it, this is the flow of a Misunderstanding Genre story.
It doesn't seem like my words will clear up the misunderstanding, no matter what I say.
Realizing this too late, I chose silence.
"..."
Come to think of it, it's not a lie.
I might be from a Baronial Family, but I am of noble birth.
I'm roughly 0.01 of a duke.
That's a higher content than the strawberries in strawberry milk, so I'm definitely not committing fraud.
"T-Teacher?"
"..."
"...I won't pry any further."
Wangcho, interpreting my silence on his own.
As if he didn't want to get involved in the affairs of nobles, he blatantly changed the subject.
"Oh, right. As you asked, I've been looking after the Clinic while you were away."
Wangcho handed me the Key.
The reason I entrusted the Clinic to Wangcho.
Is because in this Red-Light District, the Lock on an ownerless building is synonymous with a Prostitute's Virginity.
No matter how expensive a Lock you put on it, it'll eventually be broken.
It's much safer to ask someone to look after the building instead.
"Are you going to start consultations right away?"
"Is there any other reason for a Doctor to come to work?"
"Haha. That's true. It was a stupid question."
Clink.
I stood in front of the Clinic, holding the Bunch of Keys.
A roof with slightly upturned eaves, faded red pillars, and a worn Lantern hanging above the door.
It was originally a Boarding House run by a Shaman Grandma, who was the sole Healer for the Beastkin.
I took over the vacant house after the grandma passed away from Pneumonia, eight years before I came to the Red-Light District.
The Lantern engraved with a Panda that used to guard the entrance has now been replaced by a Crow Mask Signboard.
Click.
I opened the door and went inside.
"It's been a while."
First, the narrow Waiting Room came into view.
There was a partition inside the Waiting Room, and beyond it was the Consultation Room.
An Examination Table barely big enough for one person to lie on. A creaky wooden chair. A cabinet full of medicine.
And beyond the closed door inside the Consultation Room, there is a Delivery Room for Mothers in Childbirth, and on the 2nd Floor, a room for Newborns.
This is my Clinic.
Since it's a Clinic renovated from a Boarding House, it's hard to expect an interior like a 21st Century Hospital.
But for what it was, it was quite an excellent Clinic.
"You've cleaned, I see."
It had the unique smell of the Red-Light District, but seeing as there was no musty smell of dust, it seemed Wangcho had cleaned it periodically.
First, I placed a container of Herbs near the entrance to mask the smell.
Next, the inside of the shelf. I checked the medicines.
Just then, Wangcho came over and rubbed under his nose.
"I checked the medicines every day. They may be my Subordinates, but they're light-fingered, so I can't trust them."
"I wouldn't have minded if they took one or two."
"How could I let that happen? Even beasts know to repay the Grace they've been shown. I may not be an upstanding man, but I'm not a beast."
"Thank you, Wangcho."
All the medicines were there.
Although a few had passed their Expiration Date and had to be thrown out.
Finally, I picked up the Magic Stone Lamp from the shelf next to the Examination Table.
A palm-sized brass case; when I wound the small spring at its base, a warm orange glow filled the room.
For reference, this Magic Stone Lamp is the third most expensive item in the Clinic.
That's because a Light Source that doesn't emit Grease or soot is incredibly rare in this world.
It is also an indispensable item in my Consultation Room, where Hygiene is essential.
"By the way, Teacher Schnabel. My medicine is about to run out..."
"Didn't I give you a generous supply? Did you really have ten Gout Flare-ups in six weeks?"
"Haha..."
"Come on inside. I'll take a look and give you a Prescription."
The first day opening the Clinic in a long time.
The first patient was Wangcho.
*
*
*
The first patient at the Clinic after six weeks was Wangcho.
Wangcho sat on the small bed and took off his socks.
"Oof... Please bear with it, even if it smells a bit."
The area around his big toe Joint was reddish and swollen.
The skin was stretched taut, glistening as if it were about to burst.
Gout.
The Noble's Disease, the King's Disease, said to be so painful that even a passing breeze hurts.
It's known, even to the people of this world, as a disease caused by Uric Acid Crystals building up in the Joints when one excessively consumes protein, especially meat or alcohol rich in purine.
They know it by Rule of Thumb.
'Though in the 21st Century, there were many studies suggesting genes and Kidney function were more important.'
By the 21st Century, the consensus on Gout had shifted slightly, leaning more towards metabolic issues rather than Eating Habits.
Still, the influence of Eating Habits on Gout cannot be dismissed.
Besides, the patient before me, befitting his Sobriquet as the master of the Red-Light District, was one to enjoy meat and alcohol heartily.
At least for this man, it was definitely due to his Eating Habits.
The way he chugged Beer, even a healthy Kidney wouldn't stand a chance and he'd get Gout.
"You haven't cut back on meat and alcohol at all, have you."
"Hahaha... You can tell just by looking?"
"The nodules have gotten bigger, of course I can tell."
I sighed and gently pressed the affected area.
"Ugh! Aghhh...!"
Wangcho screamed and recoiled his foot.
To think the master of the Red-Light District would break out in a cold sweat from a single press on his toe.
Before Gout, not even a Rank 1 Superhuman was a match.
"Look at this. Both the size of the nodules and the pain have worsened. At this rate, your Kidneys will be ruined too."
"Well, life is tough. If I don't even have alcohol, what pleasure is there to live for? Haha..."
"If you keep looking for pleasure like that, you'll find the Path to the Underworld first."
I chided him, but turned towards the shelf.
Rattle, clatter.
I unlocked the Lock and skillfully took out a Medicine Bottle.
A brown bottle with [Colchicum autumnale] written in Latin.
It is Colchicine, extracted from the bulb of the Autumn Crocus.
"Ah, by the way, Teacher, it's gotten really hard to get crocus from Outside the Wall these days. The Potion Mongers have swept them all up."
"It's likely because of the Hibernation Season. It's the time when demand for Potions is highest."
The period right after the Heavy Snow ends is called the Hibernation Season.
Another name for it is the Subjugation Season.
This is the season when you can relatively easily subjugate the Demonic Beasts that are still groggy from waking up.
It's also a time when people push themselves to reduce their numbers as much as possible, because if they don't, it will be difficult later in the autumn.
"But why do those damn Potion Mongers put this in Potions? Because of this, whenever I drink a Potion, I have the runs the next day. I hesitate to drink it to save my life because it's so embarrassing."
"It can't be helped. You'd suffer even more from other things otherwise."
Potions don't just have a healing effect.
They contain trace amounts of Toxins that risk accumulating if they stay in the internal organs for too long.
The Autumn Crocus is used to induce Diarrhea to quickly expel those Toxins.
In other words, that wasn't a Side Effect of the Potion, but an intended effect.
When I explained this fact, Wangcho clapped his hands.
"No wonder. So the fact that my sphincter loosened up last time after taking this medicine was also an intended effect."
"That was because you didn't follow the Dosage, Wangcho."
Wangcho's words reminded me of my first meeting with him.
My Connection with Wangcho began when I diagnosed his limping condition and treated his Gout.
The problem was that at the time, I was underestimating the Common sense of this world's people.
The people of this world seemed to think that the more medicine you take, the better.
So on the day I first prescribed the medicine, this guy took four pills at once and had explosive Diarrhea, as if he were trying to empty his guts.
It was an unprecedented Incident where the master of the Red-Light District and a Rank 1 Superhuman almost crossed the River Styx from Dehydration.
I had him drink water, Potions, porridge...
Anyway, it was total chaos.
Moving on.
Wangcho received the Medicine Pouch with a grin.
"Hehe. Well, what's a little Diarrhea? This medicine is a real marvel. I used to wonder if I should just cut off my toe, but if I take this, the pain is gone as if washed away the next day."
"What's the use of taking medicine if your habits stay the same? Have you no intention of cutting down on meat and alcohol?"
"Hahaha..."
Wangcho let out a dry laugh as he received the pouch containing five pills.
For the record, the reason I give him so little medicine at a time is because I don't trust the man.
This person possessed a miraculous way of calculating things where the more medicine he had left, the more relieved he felt and the more alcohol he drank.
Wangcho fumbled with the Medicine Pouch I gave him, tucking it into his inner pocket.
I spoke to him as he got up from the bed.
"I'll see you again next month. If the Flare-ups are severe, come sooner."
"Thank you, Teacher."
Wangcho put on his socks and stood up.
Then, as if remembering something, he snapped his fingers and paused at the door.
"Oh, right, Teacher."
"Yes?"
"There are some backlogged patients from the last six weeks. You have the Midwives you trained, but they can't replace you, can they? I've organized them in order of urgency, shall I send them over?"
This was the secret to how he became Wangcho.
Limbus Pit was nothing more than a Meat Shield to the Nation, not even worth protecting.
It was Wangcho who took care of The Poor, who received no protection from such administrative power, in place of the Nation.
That was why the majority of the patients and Mothers in Childbirth at this Clinic were people sent by Wangcho.
"Please do."
"Understood. Well then."
After Wangcho left, I looked around the empty Consultation Room for a moment.
It's quiet now, but I wonder.
It was clear as day that in just half a day, it would be filled with the screams of Midwives and the cries of Babies.
Considering the six-week backlog of patients, I'd have to expect a Chaotic Market for the time being.
There's a reason for the saying 'the Calm Before the Storm'.
'Haa... Maybe I should rest up a bit beforehand.'
I leaned back in the hard chair, enjoying a brief moment of peace.
