Chapter 480
Chapter 480
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 480
Chapter Title: Doctor Gam Deok-bae (16)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
What the hell? Did I just get hit?
When I came to my senses, I was lying flat on the ground. My stomach ached. It was pain on an entirely different level from the time Sirius punched me. If that had been DoT damage, this was a straight-up nuke. Each blow packed a completely different punch. I couldn't catch my breath properly. Tears welled up in my eyes without me even realizing it.
I'd acted just like a proper doctor, so why the hell did she do that...
Indignation sent chills crawling over my skin.
"Hey! You okay?!"
Not even giving me medicine after poisoning me first... Serphin rushed over and apologized. But I had no intention of forgiving her just like that. This time, I was definitely going to demand compensation for damages. Amid the excruciating agony, I swore revenge. I couldn't just keep taking hits like this.
"I kinda have a short fuse... Haha, you're fine, right?"
"Ugh..."
"Haa, I messed up again. Is this where it hurts?"
"Se... Serphin? Mmgh?!"
But hey, everyone makes mistakes sometimes.
Serphin wrapped her arms around me and reached out, gently stroking my stomach. Seeing her quietly chant a spell and cast a heal, I decided to forgive her. Even if it was her fault, pride was a thing—but for her to humble herself like this... She deserved forgiveness. Absolutely not because I was buried in her chest.
"There, all better now?"
"Haa... haa... Thank you."
"No need to thank me. It was my fault."
"Still... thank you so much."
"Mm? Haha, you're a weird one, huh?"
Truly, no woman with big breasts was ever a bad person. Serphin was several times more forgiving than Sirius. I savored her soft kindness for a moment before regaining my composure and sharing my diagnosis. What I'd sensed in her womb just moments ago was unmistakable life force. No matter how I thought about it, Serphin was... pregnant.
"Pfft... Ahaha, hahaha! What, so that's why you asked if I was pregnant?"
"...Yes."
"I thought you were just messing with me."
"M-Messing with you? No."
"But I haven't even gotten married yet."
"Ah... Aah, I'm sorry!"
"No, no, it's fine. You had no reason to mess with me, so I was the idiot for snapping."
What was this? A normal person?
Her fists moved faster than her words, sure... but this woman was a rare noble who actually made sense. She helped me to my feet, then perched on the edge of the desk and shared her not-so-secret secret. A unique setup possible only in this fantasy world. To cut to the chase... my pregnancy diagnosis had been a mistake. What was in Serphin's womb was a 'Lainrich Circle.'
"It's called the Lainrich Circle, one of the mana cultivation methods passed down in our family. Instead of gathering mana in your heart, you collect it in your womb... I know it sounds weird, but it's actually a pretty powerful technique. The tradeoff is you have to give up on having kids... but personally, I'm satisfied. Thanks to it, I made it to my current position."
"Ahh... I see."
"So, the pregnancy..."
"I'm sorry!"
"No, I'm not blaming you... I was trying to say it's impressive. A commoner who can't even use mana noticed the Lainrich Circle. Sure, you mistook it for pregnancy... but if you think about it, it's kinda similar, so close enough. You're more capable than you look."
"Th-Thank you."
"Pulse reading? You said you learned medicine in the East, and it turns out you really did?"
"...Yes."
"But... is that all? You didn't find any other pain?"
"No, I didn't."
"Hoo... Really?"
"Yes, because there's nothing else hurting."
"Kuhuhu... Spot on! This guy's the real deal!"
"Ha, haha..."
Serphin was... well, cooler than she appeared—or maybe exactly as cool as she looked? She brushed off what could have been a heavy topic without much fuss. She had a bit of that 'cool big sis' vibe—the type popular with women in romance fantasies.
And those kinds of women were usually popular with men too.
With a "you're hired," she extended her hand to me. I hesitated for a second before shaking it, and Serphin made her request. Up until now, it had been a test of my skills. Having passed, I could now converse with her on more equal footing as a doctor.
"One of our knights has fallen ill."
"That's serious."
"Yeah, big problem. The kid's sick, but no one knows why."
"Hmm, but the Royal Knights Order should have plenty of medics."
"Hah? How can I trust those old geezers? They lose their minds at the sight of a woman."
"I... see."
"But you're supposed to be a trustworthy doctor. That's why I came to you."
Sirius, you jerk! So it was thanks to you!
There was some payoff to playing nice in front of that rude guy. Thanks to him vouching for me as trustworthy, I accepted Serphin's request. No reason to turn down a patient from the Royal Knights Order. If I built more fame this way... I'd get to meet Lucius too, right? With that in mind, I headed to the Knights Order with Serphin.
"Marsha Rune. The baby of our Third Squadron."
She's a beauty.
A silver-haired girl with pale skin. The one called Marsha Rune lay on the bed. That tiny, skinny beauty was the future of the Third Squadron? According to Serphin, she was a knight she cherished... Hmm, she looked like she'd snap if you so much as squeezed her a little. Hard to imagine her as a knight. Of course, in a romance fantasy world, that wasn't a big issue...
But it still made me worry just looking at her.
Being such a beauty, she was 100% going to get tangled up with the female lead... Was she going to get caught in some accident while trying to protect the heroine? That thought crossed my mind as I saw Marsha wincing in pain.
"Marsha, you awake?"
"Serphin... Who's this?"
"A doctor."
"Doctor... Someone who heals illnesses as their job..."
"Yeah, I brought him because I was worried. How's your body feeling?"
"I'm fine. No need... for a doctor."
-Boom!
"Kyaaang!"
"How can you say you're fine when you can't even dodge that!"
"...I let my guard down, kyaaang!"
"You failed again!"
"...That's cheating."
What was with this woman... She even lashed out at her subordinate first. So she wasn't fully sensible after all? I'd thought she was reasonable, but watching this made me a little scared. Like a bomb that couldn't control itself... Yeah, Serphin was someone to watch out for until the very end.
"Anyway, introduce yourself. This is Dirk Rune, the doctor Sirius recommended. I hear he's a genius... and after checking him out, he really is one. He'll cure your illness in no time."
"...Pleased to meet you."
"Pleased to meet you. Haha... Dirk Rune, receiving far too generous praise."
"...Humble."
"...Pardon?"
"People who lack confidence in themselves... Can't be trusted, kyaaang!"
"That was just politeness!"
"...It hurts."
"I hit you to make it hurt!"
Aaah, her distinct personality marks her as a main character. Marsha Rune was more fun than she looked. Her face was that of a pristine beauty, but... she had her own unique charm. And that back-and-forth banter... They must be a common comedy duo. Deciding it was best to get on good terms with her, I unpacked my bag and prepared for the examination.
"...My hand?"
"Don't worry. It's not sexual harassment—it's that 'pulse reading' thing from the East."
"...East? The mysterious land?"
"Yeah, pretty cool, right? I checked it out, and it really works!"
"...Can't trust it, daat!"
"Oh... you dodged?"
"Hehe... Even I can't dodge four in a row, kyaaang!"
"Quit yapping and take your medicine!"
She seemed to hit pretty hard... Was Marsha okay? Ignoring her cries of pain, I took her hand and began the examination. Soft yet firm—a cute hand with a different appeal from Iris's. If I got a handjob with this...
...What am I thinking? Am I that pent up?
I shook my head to clear it and put on a somewhat serious expression. To leave a strong impression, I needed a bit of showmanship right now.
"Figured it out? What's wrong with her?"
"...Not sure if I should say this."
"What is it?! Something serious?!"
"You've contracted a terrifying illness... with a mortality rate of a whopping 100%."
"Wh-What?! No way!"
"...L-Liar! It can't be!"
"No. Regrettably... it's true."
"Aaah... Marsha..."
"Liar! It's a lie!"
"If you keep starving yourself like this, you'll die from malnutrition."
"...Hah?"
"...What?"
"Severe malnutrition. You need to eat right now."
"...Hah?"
"...Ah."
"Marsha, you said you ate! That you were full!"
"...I'm tired. I want to sleep, so both of you leave, kyaaang!"
"I swear! Do I have to watch you eat too?!"
She'd skipped meals due to severe training addiction, leading to malnutrition and loss of strength. That was why Marsha Rune had collapsed. Looked like she'd overworked her body relying on mana... Hmm, muscle-head despite her looks? Good thing it wasn't serious. Absurd, but... case closed. One problem solved.