Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Yuria and the Strange Doctor (3)
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Fixers, especially the unknown ones, often have deep ties to the underworld.
The reason was simple. Nowhere was the demand for Fixers greater than in the underworld.
Think about it. A Fixer is essentially a globally recognized, high-performance errand service.
But ordinary people rarely had a great need for a Fixer’s help.
After all, how often does an office worker, living the same day over and over like a hamster on a wheel, find themselves in a situation dire enough to require outside help?
And even if a problem did arise, the police could usually handle it.
Hiring a Fixer for a hefty sum was a once-in-a-lifetime event for most.
But for those living in the underworld, things were different.
This was a harsh, wild world where blades and fists were closer than the law.
Fixers, who would take on any job for the right price, were reliable mercenaries.
Besides, they couldn't expect any help from the police in the first place.
To them, a Fixer was a literal problem-solver who could turn a desperate situation around.
And since Fixers couldn't land lucrative jobs without making a name for themselves,
the underworld was an attractive blue ocean for the unknown ones.
“Your name was Yuria, was it? Don't you like candy, dear? Then how about some chocolate? This one's quite pricey. What do you say?”
*And this man is also a Fixer who primarily takes jobs from residents of the underworld. A medical Fixer who treats anyone for a price.*
I watched the man carefully as he cautiously offered me candy and chocolate, as if trying to lower my guard.
A rough-looking man covered in scars, his hair dyed blue on one side and white on the other.
If my memory served me right, this man's name was probably Crowde.
In the original story, he was a skilled, eccentric doctor whom sick clients often sought out first.
An open-minded drag artist who didn't care if you were a man or a woman, so to speak.
I knew him as something of a celebrity in this line of work.
Hospitals in Nighthaven always left a trace, one way or another.
And you couldn't trust the skills of an unlicensed private doctor.
As a certified Fixer with outstanding medical skills, Crowde naturally had a unique presence.
Huh? What if he wasn't Crowde, but someone else who just looked similar?
...A rough-looking male doctor with such distinctive hair and a feminine way of speaking.
There shouldn't be two people like that in this world. That would just be fundamentally wrong.
“...Mr. Crowde. That's enough. Could you please check her condition now?”
“Oh my, so cold. I want to get to know this cute little thing, too...”
From the way Alice, who was holding my shoulder, spoke, it seemed he was indeed Crowde.
Thank goodness. The world wasn't wrong after all.
Pushing aside a thought that would have hurt his feelings if he'd heard it, I meekly accepted his candy.
Despite his appearance, his skills were rated as first-class or better. There was no harm in getting on his good side.
I looked at the wrapper of the candy he gave me. It was mint-flavored.
Giving me something like this to eat. I suppose I should be glad it wasn't red ginseng candy.
*Anyway. A check-up? But I don't feel sick at all.*
It was strange, now that I thought about it. Weren't hospitals for when you were sick?
The sudden question made me turn my head to look at Alice, who was still holding my shoulder.
She flinched at my gaze and hunched her shoulders as if she felt guilty.
Seeing her reaction, she must have thought I was angry about being tricked into coming to the hospital.
No, I was a little shocked, but not angry...
What does she take me for? Does she think I'm a real child?
“Wh-what is it?”
“...?”
“Hm? Why are we at the hospital? W-well... you're supposed to go to the hospital even when you're not sick! For regular health check-ups and things!”
“...”
Is that so? Thinking about it, she wasn't wrong.
Many illnesses and diseases progress without any symptoms, only to be discovered later.
Something that could have been fixed with medicine might require major surgery if left too long.
Getting a check-up in advance wasn't illogical.
Besides, I hadn't been to a hospital once since becoming Yuria.
*But thanks to the Tesseract, my body should be fine... Isn't this all a waste of time?*
A few months ago, when I was badly injured by Drakel, the Tesseract had healed all my wounds.
I probably hadn't been hurt since then, so I doubted the check-up would reveal anything meaningful.
Still, seeing Alice like this, it was probably something Raven or Greg had asked for.
What the heck, I'll just get the check-up. If it comes back saying I'm healthy, that's a good thing, right?
I set down the luggage I was hugging.
Then I gently tapped Alice's arm, as if to say I'd stay still, so she could let go.
Fortunately, my meaning seemed to get across.
She carefully removed her hand from my shoulder and took a small step back.
Free again, I raised my arms energetically and looked at Crowde, as if to say I was ready.
“...!”
“Oh my, what an energetic child. Hehe. Well then, shall we take off the mask first? I'd love to protect a young lady's secrets, but... it gets in the way of the examination. I'm so sorry, dear.”
“...”
Oh, right. A mask would definitely get in the way of a health check-up.
This is a private clinic with no other patients anyway. There's no reason to hide.
After a brief thought, I nodded in agreement and took off the fox mask.
A warm breeze brushed against my bare face, and Crowde's eyes widened in surprise.
He looked as if he'd been struck by a completely unexpected blow.
“Oh, my, my, my? How... how could anyone be this cute?”
“M-Mr. Crowde?! If you stare like that, you could be seen as a threat!”
“Ah, I'm sorry. How foolish of me... I just can't help myself when it comes to cute things.”
*Whoosh!*
Alice, who had suddenly appeared beside me, pulled me into an embrace and turned her body to the side.
As if to protect me, she glared daggers at Crowde, menacingly.
It wasn't strange for Alice to react that way.
Crowde's eyes were wide enough for veins to pop, which looked quite threatening.
If I'd seen that face in a dark alley at night, I would have definitely thought he was threatening me.
Could he be a severe cute-things enthusiast like Alice?
I peeked out from Alice's embrace to gauge Crowde's expression.
Our eyes met, and he winked at me with a look so sweet it was like honey was dripping from his eyes. It was overwhelming.
“Hehehe, I'm truly surprised. Ah, how wonderful it would be to have a child like that! I completely understand why she wears a mask! Yes, yes, treasures must be hidden away from prying eyes!”
“...Can we really entrust Yuria to this person?”
“...”
Well, he might look like that, but he doesn't seem like a bad person at heart, so it should be fine, right?
As if to say I really didn't mind, I looked up at Alice and gave her a small smile.
“Gasp...! Th-that face is cheating!”
“...?”
Alice squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head far away.
She really does love my face. Isn't it about time she got tired of it?
Seeing her sweating, her ears bright red, was actually quite cute.
Before long, I was released from Alice's embrace.
He must have a schedule to keep. We should probably stop fooling around.
With a gooey, melted expression on his face, Crowde gestured for me to follow, and I trotted after him.
“Alright then... Since I was asked to check on you, I'm going to do a full-body examination to see if there's anything wrong. Do you have any allergies or medications you need to avoid?”
“...”
“None, I see. Alright. Have a seat here. Let's check your eyes first.”
Still, I suppose his reputation as the underworld's master physician wasn't for nothing.
After seating me in the chair, Crowde began the examination with a very serious expression.
He carefully shone a light into my eyes, inserted a stick into my ears and nose.
He had me open my mouth and carefully examined the inside of my throat and my teeth.
He also placed a cold stethoscope against my body to check the condition of my heart and lungs.
He measured my weight and height and took pictures in various poses with a CT-like machine.
He measured my blood pressure and finally drew blood with a terrifying syringe.
Then, as if the comprehensive results were in, he spoke in a very grave tone.
“...There's nothing wrong at all. You're healthy... no, you're beyond healthy. Your body is in such an ideal state it's almost unnatural.”
What the. Then why are you frowning so scarily?
As I shifted my eyes to glance at him, Alice, who was sitting beside me, tilted her head and asked.
“Ideal? Isn't that a good thing?”
“...Haaah, a person's body is naturally bound to become unbalanced, you see? Miss Alice, when you eat, do you think, 'I chewed five times on the right, so I must chew five times on the left'? Do you act like that in everything you do?”
“Um, well... no? How could I?”
Alice narrowed her eyes, looking tired just from imagining it.
You just do whatever is comfortable. Why bother with something so tedious?
Crowde nodded as if he expected that answer and continued.
“Right? Since the human body is divided into a right and a left side, one side is inevitably used more than the other. That naturally causes the body to lose its balance. It's not a bad thing, nor is it strange. It's just... a matter of course. But Miss Yuria is different.”
“Different?”
“Yes. Her body is in a truly ideal state, with no imbalances whatsoever. Perhaps... no, never mind. I almost asked something unnecessary. Right. Should I compile the results and send them to you? Or would you like a printout?”
“...A printout, please. And can I get the file separately?”
“Of course. What's so hard about that? I'll send the test results to Raven later.”
Crowde stood up without hesitation, as if to say he wouldn't involve himself any further.
Were my test results really that shocking?
I couldn't easily guess what he had been about to say.
Still, looking on the bright side, this is much better than being sick, isn't it?
Hehe, being in peak physical condition without a single ailment. In a way, that might be the best compliment ever.
As I was thinking this, nodding to myself in satisfaction with the not-so-bad results,
Crowde, holding a thick stack of paper from the back room, called Alice over.
“M-me?”
“Yes. Could you come over for a moment? There's something I need to discuss... Yuria, why don't you sit tight and have some snacks? The adults need a moment.”
“...”
Hmm, a conversation just for the adults?
It bothered me a little. Judging by the way they were glancing at me, it was probably about me.
Well, normally I wouldn't pay it much mind and would just sit quietly...
But I was feeling a bit resentful toward Alice for secretly bringing me to the hospital, so I wanted to be a little mischievous.
*Echo. Do you think you could listen in on their conversation through Alice's terminal?*
[ Yes! I'll try! ]
My excellent assistant, Echo, seemed to act on my request immediately, playing some music on the screen without a progress bar.
Their conversation would probably be audible through the sound now playing.
I adjusted the volume so it wouldn't leak and carefully brought Echo to my ear.
Immediately, the voices of the two, who were some distance away, reached my ear.
[ “As you asked, I took a close look at Miss Yuria's throat. But it's perfectly healthy, with no issues that would affect her vocalization. So, her inability to speak probably isn't a physical problem with her throat. It's likely psychological, or...” ]
[ “A curse, then?” ]
[ “...It's embarrassing for me to say this as a doctor, but... yes. It's highly likely she's under some kind of curse.” ]
...Really? I'm cursed?
I could only blink in bewilderment at Crowde and Alice's conversation.