Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 52
>Chapter Title: Foundation (2)
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After hearing a rough account of the situation regarding Il-mok's protection from the First Squad Leader of the Hidden Guard Pavilion.
"Hmm."
The Heavenly Demon, lost in thought, stroked his beard and asked,
"Then, do you know why Jin Ha-yeon's achievements have improved?"
At his question, the First Squad Leader, dressed in form-fitting black night clothes, recounted the scene she had witnessed that night.
Having heard the full explanation from the First Squad Leader, the Heavenly Demon smiled warmly and said,
"Heh heh heh. So youthful."
It must have been a truly horrific incident for Gu Yang-mun or Jin Ha-yeon, but to the Heavenly Demon, who was over a hundred years old, it was nothing but an endearing tale. Like watching the antics of young grandchildren.
"With Ha-yeon's achievements rising so quickly, your expectations must be high."
At the Heavenly Demon's words, the First Squad Leader, unlike her usual dignified demeanor, smiled softly and replied,
"She seems like a child who could one day serve at our lord's side."
Hidden Guard Pavilion.
An institution for training the Heavenly Demon's personal guards. The Pavilion Master of the Hidden Guard was always required to attend the Heavenly Demon at his side.
To train these personal guards, new recruits typically learned menial tasks done by maids or servants first, then gained experience by being assigned as maids or servants to the Heavenly Demon's disciples or key figures in the cult.
Jin Ha-yeon had become Il-mok's maidservant through this very process, and as a graduate of the Demonic Path Academy, she was considered a promising talent even in the Hidden Guard Pavilion.
This was due in part to the nature of the Hidden Guard Pavilion.
Serving the Heavenly Demon up close was a great honor, but the problem was having to handle even the menial chores assigned to maids and servants.
Talented individuals from the Demonic Path Academy, where the cult's finest gathered, preferred positions in the combat brigades, guard yards, or protector yards over such drudgery.
Each year, one or two from the Demonic Path Academy were assigned to the Hidden Guard Pavilion, but they were invariably the lower performers among the twenty graduates.
In other words, a child who was already highly anticipated had seen her achievements rise steeply thanks to Il-mok's help. Though it hadn't been intentional guidance on his part.
However, at the First Squad Leader's words, the Heavenly Demon shook his head for some reason.
"Heh heh heh. I've long passed the age of a hundred. By the time that child reaches your level, she'll likely be serving the next Heavenly Demon, not me."
"Such words are utterly undeserved, my lord. We shall serve you with utmost sincerity."
"Heh heh heh. No matter how humans strive, how can they defy the will of heaven?"
"Punish our shortcomings, my lord."
Seeing the First Squad Leader prostrating herself and begging forgiveness, the Heavenly Demon spoke with a look of regret.
"Enough. Return to Il-mok now. Who knows what might happen while you're away."
At the Heavenly Demon's solemn command, she hesitated for a moment, then paid her deepest respects and vanished into the darkness.
"Long life. Long life. Eternal long life."
Gazing at the spot where the First Squad Leader had vanished while wishing him longevity, the Heavenly Demon soon turned his gaze, opened the window, and looked at the brightly shining moon.
"Even so, thanks to that child, my final years have become ones where I look forward to the next day."
The Heavenly Demon had experienced most things a person could go through. His days were nothing but a monotonous repetition.
But Il-mok's appearance had brought a slight change to those boring days.
Thinking of the child's rapid growth and how the cult was gradually changing because of him made him start anticipating the next day.
"It's been so long since I felt this emotion."
It was regrettable that the day of his departure was slowly approaching.
* * *
The next day.
After finishing breakfast, Il-mok prepared himself and headed somewhere with Jin Ha-yeon and Gu Yang-mun.
It was a familiar path for Il-mok. The road from Wind Rock Hall to the infirmary.
But they weren't heading to the infirmary.
A manor near the infirmary.
The entrance to the manor, originally used for other purposes, now bore a brand-new plaque.
[Pure Heart Pavilion]
A hospital for purifying the mind.
Il-mok called this place the psychiatric ward, but they couldn't exactly hang that name officially.
The one who greeted Il-mok upon arriving at the Pure Heart Pavilion was an elderly man he had met a few times before.
"I greet the Demonic Physician, sir."
He was the head of the infirmary at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's main headquarters, the old man who had examined and treated Il-mok several times when he was brought to the infirmary.
The Demonic Physician responded to Il-mok's greeting with a playful smile and an overly elaborate bow.
"I, in turn, greet the Pavilion Master of the Pure Heart Pavilion."
At the Demonic Physician's greeting, Il-mok smiled awkwardly.
"Pavilion Master? That's too much. Won't I have to enter the Demonic Path Academy in a few months anyway?"
"Heh heh heh. Then we can call you the interim Pavilion Master."
Il-mok gave a wry smile at the Demonic Physician's successive jokes.
Thinking that this old man, unbefitting a physician, was full of mischief.
Figuring he'd only get tired playing along with the old man's teasing, Il-mok changed the subject.
"But has the Demonic Physician moved here to the Pure Heart Pavilion as well?"
"Heh heh heh. How could a physician not be interested in researching new treatments? So, call me Deputy Pavilion Master from now on, interim Pavilion Master."
"Sigh. I'll be leaving in a few months anyway, so why don't you take the Pavilion Master position, sir? I'll be content as interim Deputy Pavilion Master."
"Hahaha. Will you now?"
The Demonic Physician burst into playful laughter and pointed to one of the annexes.
"Oh dear, look at me. I've kept you standing here chatting—my apologies. Old age makes me forgetful, so forgive me, young man."
Right after entering the room, he took out the booklet he had prepared in advance and placed it on the table.
"These are the thoughts I organized last night regarding the operation of the Pure Heart Pavilion."
Right after being saddled with this new task by the Heavenly Demon.
Il-mok had returned to Wind Rock Hall but couldn't sleep. Thanks to the damn side effects of the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword.
He had stayed up all night—not writing a diary, but drafting the [Psychiatric Ward Proposal]—before finally getting some rest.
Fortunately, he had already outlined the big picture through two conversations with the Heavenly Demon.
If he'd had to build it from scratch, he probably wouldn't have finished even pulling an all-nighter, or so Il-mok thought.
"Heh heh heh. As expected, you're quite meticulous, interim Deputy Pavilion Master. You kept getting carried in here, so I was actually a bit worried."
"Well, it wasn't like I was carried in due to my own mistakes, was it?"
"That's true. Heh heh heh."
After exchanging light banter, the Demonic Physician read the booklet Il-mok had handed over for a moment.
Before long, the playfulness vanished from the Demonic Physician's eyes.
'...Even more impressive than I'd heard.'
It wasn't just a string of random plans; it was systematically organized.
Plans for acquiring medical texts from the Central Plains and beyond, methods for studying them, and ways for patients and physicians to experiment.
A system for training new physicians to work in the Pure Heart Pavilion.
Above all, the sections on conducting consultations and recording them afterward were detailed to the finest points.
It was hard to believe this systematic level had come from a fifteen-year-old novice.
It could be attributed to the damn side effects of the demonic art.
Once he finished reading the booklet in silence and closed it, Il-mok spoke up.
"Acquiring medical texts or training physicians will require help from elsewhere and take a long time. So, it seems best to start by organizing the consultation side of things first."
"The other two matters are already being prepared by orders from the Heavenly Demon to the other pavilions and yards, so you're right—we should proceed with consultations first."
Agreeing with Il-mok, the Demonic Physician asked,
"Then, as the Deputy Pavilion Master suggests, shall we start by collecting cases?"
"To treat new patients, we need to develop methods first, so yes, we should begin by gathering and classifying cases."
"Sound reasoning."
From a physician's perspective, it was utterly logical.
'Dividing by side effects of each demonic art, consulting with those who've cultivated them, and recording...'
Recalling the contents of the booklet Il-mok had given him, the Demonic Physician pondered.
In truth, there were already many records on the side effects of demonic arts.
Without those records, no one would even know what side effects each demonic art had.
The problem was that the records on demonic art side effects were scattered and disorganized.
Moreover, only the 'side effects' themselves were known. There were scarcely any records on how warriors coped with them, overcame them, or when they failed and fell into Demonic Deviation.
This was because warriors who cultivated demonic arts mostly passed their experiences orally to disciples or family cultivating the same art, rather than leaving records.
The reason was simple.
Content about suffering from demonic art side effects was an 'embarrassing experience,' not easily shared with others.
"We can gather and organize the scattered records as much as we want, but I'm not sure if the cult's warriors will actively participate in consultations."
It required dredging up shameful memories. And if they distorted or hid them out of shame, it could lead to bigger problems later.
To the Demonic Physician's concern, Il-mok replied nonchalantly.
"We can borrow the Master's prestige. Who would defy the Heavenly Demon's solemn command? Plus, if the Master and his disciples lead by example, refusing consultations altogether would be difficult."
He was casually invoking the great cult leader's name.
Since the man had dumped this work on him, it was only fair to borrow his name, Il-mok figured.
"And the more warriors who participate in consultations, the larger the control group, making it easier to filter out those lying."
"Hmm. Meaning we shouldn't blindly trust what they say."
"Most are suffering from demonic art side effects. Beyond shame, some might sincerely believe their lies are truth."
"That's valid too."
"Finally, the most important thing is the physicians' attitudes."
"......?"
The Demonic Physician wore an expression of not quite understanding.
"It's about exposing one's shame. We must never create an atmosphere of 'interrogation' or pity them pathetically. Nor should we overdo sympathy, agreement, or empathy. The best is simply to listen gently, drawing out their true feelings."
"...Seems easy but isn't."
"Exactly. And above all, secrecy is crucial. If word of their exposed shame spreads, who would come here for consultations?"
'The Heavenly Demon's solemn command is in place, so no idiot physician would do something that stupid.'
The Demonic Physician wanted to say that, but Il-mok's gaze was unusually serious.
"...I'll make sure to emphasize it strictly."
"I trust only you, Pavilion Master."
Swept up for a moment in the young heir's atmosphere, the Demonic Physician soon collected himself and said,
"Then, I should hear the Deputy Pavilion Master's story first. I heard from the Heavenly Demon that you helped the eldest young master and third young master raise their achievements, and recently, even the maidservant Ha-yeon."
At the Demonic Physician's question, Il-mok recalled as much as he could and explained in detail the conversations he'd had with the three.
The Demonic Physician listened intently with a serious demeanor, diligently taking notes.
"Then, what about you, Deputy Pavilion Master? I heard your achievements have risen steeply lately—no issues?"
"......"
After a moment's hesitation, Il-mok composed himself and candidly shared the side effects he'd been suffering recently.
'Who would've thought I'd end up doing psychiatric counseling here, something I never even did in the modern world.'
Of course, he couldn't voice all his emotions truthfully.
It would be laced with curses at the Heavenly Demon who made him learn the Soul-Stealing Heartless Sword and fury at the cult fanatic followers.
No matter that this was a psychiatric ward, it was one under the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
The moment he badmouthed the Heavenly Demon or the cult, his head would roll for sure.