Chapter 75
Chapter 75
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Chapter 26 - God Hand
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Nanite injection commencing.]
[Outputting body scan results.]
[...]
[...]
[.]
[Minor blood circulation impairment due to vascular waste buildup, shoulder stiffness from joint misalignment, and gallstones in the gallbladder have been detected.]
Integra didn't stop at just reporting; she visualized Aru's various bodily data through augmented reality.
'I can see it.'
Separate from the data floating in the air, markings appeared directly on Aru's body, making it intuitively clear where and how it hurt.
"For now... you have some shoulder stiffness. There's also some numbness in your hands and feet due to the blood circulation issues."
At Luther's words, Aru, who had been looking at him with a mix of suspicion and amusement, blinked in surprise.
But it was too early to be surprised.
"The biggest issue, though, is the gallstones in your gallbladder."
"Gallstones in my gallbladder?"
"Yes. The gallbladder is what people usually call the gall bladder. It's where bile produced by the liver is stored, and stones have formed there."
With that, Luther glanced at Aru's abdomen—specifically, the spot where Integra had marked the gallbladder in red—and continued.
"Aru, do you ever get intense abdominal pain out of nowhere? Not from anything you ate wrong, nothing obviously wrong with your stomach, but it hits hard and can last for hours?"
At Luther's words, Aru nodded without thinking.
It was exactly as he described.
"Y-Yeah. That happens sometimes."
"It's because of the gallstones, like I mentioned. They get pushed down by the bile and sometimes block the duct where it exits, causing excruciating pain. Once time passes and the stone moves, unblocking the duct... that's when the pain goes away."
In truth, Luther himself didn't fully understand what he was saying, but he didn't dwell on it.
'Anyway, Integra says so, so it must be true.'
Integra was usually full of mischief, but she wouldn't joke in a serious situation like this.
It was all factual.
"Th-Then what do we do? Do I need surgery or something?"
Aru had started out with an excited, curious expression about what Luther was going to do, but now her face was desperate.
'Must hurt a lot normally.'
[The pain from gallstones blocking the bile duct is said to rival childbirth.]
'Childbirth?'
[Giving birth.]
At Integra's explanation, Luther nodded in understanding without realizing it.
He'd never given birth, so he hadn't experienced it, but if the pain from gallstones was that bad, it made sense why Aru looked so pleading.
"Normally, we'd have to cut open the abdomen and remove the gallbladder... but it's fine. I'll treat you without surgery."
Aru's face had gone pale at the mention of cutting open her belly, but now it lit up with desperate hope as she looked at Luther, even grabbing his hand tightly.
"R-Really?"
"Yes, Aru. So don't worry."
Luther smiled gently, and Aru blushed slightly, nodding.
[Something about this development has been rubbing me the wrong way since earlier.]
'Integra?'
[Anyway, we need to treat her, so have her lie down.]
'R-Right.'
Luther glanced at Integra, who seemed unusually low-energy, and told Aru to lie down right there.
Aru nodded immediately and started undressing on the spot.
"Uh, Aru?"
"It's fine. I'm just taking off my outer clothes. And don't act surprised while staring."
She tossed aside her sheer, semi-transparent garment with a mischievous grin.
She wasn't fully naked—her chest was covered by blue fabric reminiscent of a bikini swimsuit.
But if anything, that made it more embarrassing.
In any case, Aru lay down fully on the long stone bench and looked up at Luther with sparkling eyes.
Wondering what he'd do next.
'Integra?'
[Place your palm directly on the location of Princess Aru's gallbladder for skin-to-skin contact.]
Following Integra's curt instructions, Luther cautiously extended his hand.
The gallbladder was located between the liver and stomach—rather high up to call it the abdomen.
Somewhere between chest and belly?
'Heart's pounding for no reason.'
Aru gazing at him with that playful smile, Integra wearing a cold expression since earlier.
And the reality that he had to place his hand on her bare skin, right below her chest, no matter what.
"H-Here goes."
"Come anytime."
As Aru spoke in a teasing, nasal tone, Luther swallowed dryly without realizing it and placed his palm on her skin.
"Ah!"
The moment his hand touched her, Aru tensed slightly and let out a moan.
Integra immediately glared and said,
[She's overacting to tease Master.]
[Master, close your eyes. Commencing treatment procedure.]
Integra was on her best behavior right now.
So Luther obediently closed his eyes and, since they were closed anyway, pretended to concentrate.
"Ah...?"
Aru, who had been thinking of more pranks as Luther closed his eyes tensely, let out a genuine sound this time.
'Warm...?'
Luther's hand was warm.
And she felt something happening beneath her skin.
[Removing gallstones via nanites.]
[Circulating vascular cleaning nanites through the bloodstream.]
[Removing vascular waste.]
[Once complete, correcting shoulder bone misalignment.]
[Gallstone removal in progress.]
[...55%]
[...73%]
[100%]
[Gallstone removal complete.]
[Removing vascular waste.]
[For shoulder bone correction, have her turn over.]
As the treatment continued, Aru twitched occasionally, but soon wore a languid expression.
Luther, eyes open, was a bit surprised by her look but slowly lifted his hand and said,
"Aru, turn over please."
"Y-Yes... Okay...."
Aru replied in a drowsy voice and rolled over.
Surprisingly obedient.
'Integra, you didn't slip her some kind of drug, did you?'
[Her body is just relaxed from the treatment, tension released.]
[Commencing shoulder bone treatment.]
[Installing Bone Alignment Lv1.]
[Installing Massage Lv1.]
These were new programs Integra had created based on Luther's combat experience so far.
'Oh, nice.'
Just like when combat techniques were installed, he naturally knew what to do.
As Luther gripped her shoulder and applied pressure, Aru let out a pained moan momentarily.
But only briefly.
Her face relaxed even more, and she let out an ecstatic sound.
"Hahng...."
This might actually be dangerous.
But the results seemed solid regardless.
"It's... really amazing. My body feels so much lighter and better now, you know?"
Aru, who had been sprawled out for nearly 20 minutes, smiled with lingering bliss.
She seemed truly pleased with Luther's treatment.
[Gallstone removal doesn't show immediate changes, so I combined it with vascular cleaning and massage on purpose.]
[It worked as intended.]
Then why was her expression still icy?
Luther had a rough guess but stayed quiet for now and said to Aru, who was still grinning happily,
"The gallstones have been perfectly removed too. No more stomach pains from now on."
"Haa... Thank you so much. Really, thank you. Luther, you've saved me again. How can I repay this grace? Should I really marry you?"
Luther coughed awkwardly at Aru's playful coquetry, glanced at Integra without thinking, then took a step back.
"Anyway, Aru, does this prove I'm a doctor?"
"Huh? Oh, yes. Of course. So... can you see a few more people?"
"A few more?"
"Yes, a few more. Good things should be shared, right?"
With that, Aru wildly shook the bell on the table.
[Master, multiple life signs approaching.]
'No way—'
'No, it seems that's exactly it.'
Aru's door.
As Luther turned, it opened, revealing Aru's maids in light, southern-style attire.
"Luther, would you mind? They're all like sisters to me, raised together."
Aru's maids.
Aru even let her maids use her bath, so this was perhaps natural.
'Integra, can we handle it?'
[Tch, no choice.]
[Treating them all will raise Aru's trust in Master even more.]
Right, but her expression was still sour.
Can't she soften that glare?
[Master.]
'Hm?'
[After the treatments are done.]
'Done?'
[Hmph, never mind. Let's focus on treating them first.]
[Have them line up.]
What was she about to say?
Luther glanced at Integra's slightly flushed ears, then turned back to the maids.
For now, as Integra said, time to focus on treatment.
* * *
"Hahng...."
"Haang...."
"Hahu...."
"Ah! ...Nng...."
"Huee...."
Amid the maids still lost in the afterglow of the massage, Sandalphon let out an ecstatic sound with a blissful face.
Luther felt a bit awkward from it and glanced half-heartedly at the hand that had just been massaging Sandalphon's waist, then turned to Aru.
Aru, who had eagerly lined up the maids the moment they entered, beamed with a full smile.
"Luther, you're amazing. How can you tell where it hurts just by looking at palms?"
"That's the art of medicine. The whole body is connected."
He felt like a quack salesman, but it wasn't entirely wrong.
At Luther's brazen words, Aru touched his hand again in wonder and said,
"Healing with a touch—it's like the hand of God. No, since it's yours, the hand of an archangel?"
"Ahem."
Luther coughed in a mix of embarrassment and shyness, and Aru grinned wider, not letting go but gripping tighter.
"You're so versatile, Luther. Strong, skilled in medicine, and handsome too."
"Huh?"
"Hm? What did I say at the end?"
Her cute act of playing innocent was incredibly mischievous.
[Well... shall we wrap it up here? We don't want to anger the jealous fairy too much.]
Aru sent Luther a message spell while chuckling, then naturally put distance between them.
The princess was no slouch.
[Master, be careful.]
[She's a total vixen.]
'Y-Yeah.'
Truth be told, Luther had wondered if Aru had a fox tail attached to her rear.
"But Luther, does treating people tire you out a lot?"
Unlike before, it was a serious question, so Luther lightly clenched his fist and answered.
"Not like when I removed the princess's gallstones... Simple massages or alignments don't tire me much. But replacing actual surgery with my treatment does take quite a bit of energy."
In truth, it wasn't physical fatigue but nanite consumption—either way, repeated treatments burdened him.
Aru pondered seriously at his words, then looked up and asked,
"Luther, do you still have time today?"
"Want to see more patients?"
"Yeah, and I want to show off a bit."
"Show off...?"
Come to think of it, Aru had been thrilled bragging about Luther to the maids and Sandalphon.
Did she have more to brag to?
At Luther's question, Aru widened her eyes, then burst into laughter.
"Luther, forgot what I said earlier? Where we have to go this afternoon?"
"Oh."
As Aru said, focused on treatments, he'd overlooked one thing.
Originally, he was visiting the palace as a guest of Malkuth Kingdom using the token from Second Princess Peliaru.
Meaning there were others besides Aru to meet.
"Time to see Mother and my sisters."
Aru's ideal patients to show off—and brag about Luther to.
"They'll all love you. They'll be shocked."
Aru stomped her feet in place, eager to show him off.
Luther briefly glanced at Integra, meeting her eyes.
The "Mother" Aru mentioned.
Queen Reina de Arets of Malkuth Kingdom.
And beside her, the kingdom's key figures and other princesses.
Aru alone wasn't enough.
To meet and treat King Malkuth, long recuperating in the underwater sanctuary, he needed more recognition.
"I hope time passes quickly."
Aru smiled brightly again, and Luther nodded.
And about three hours later.
The audience time arrived.