Chapter 22: A True Doctor!
My pupils dilated at the chilling scream—one you wouldn't easily hear even in the emergency room. I immediately shifted my gaze to Elvin.
“Elvin? What was that sound?”
“What sound?”
Elvin acted as if he hadn't heard a thing.
“Kwaaaagh! Save meee—”
Another agonized wail echoed as we ascended from the 20s to the 30s floors. Even though the words cut off midway, it was clearly a desperate plea for help.
I stared silently toward the door where the scream had come from, and only then did Elvin flash a knowing smile, as if he'd finally grasped my meaning.
“Ahahaha! Our severe patients sometimes scream during treatment. It's so routine that we've grown numb to it. Think of it as the sound of hope, of recovery—nothing for the Tower Master of the Beauty Tower to worry about.”
He called me Tower Master, but that wasn't the point right now.
“Pardon me, but what kind of treatment makes patients scream like that…?”
“Hmm… Each patient's symptoms vary, so it's hard to say precisely. You're from the East, aren't you, Gold Tower Master? Your features suggest the Far East.”
I had no idea what Far Easterners looked like in this world. Well, since I looked like this, that's probably why he said it. My answer was obvious.
“Yes, that's right.”
“There's a saying in the Far East, isn't there? Bitter medicine does the body good. Even if patients curse or thrash in pain during treatment, our tower's mages think only of the patients.”
…Bitter medicine is good for illness exists even in this world's Far East.
I wasn't entirely sure if Elvin was right, but as a doctor myself, I could guess his intent. I was a world-class doctor. It didn't apply to me directly, but my med school seniors with their own clinics often complained about getting abuse despite treating patients for their sake.
“Here we are. This is the 56th floor, where our Tower Master resides.”
“The 56th floor… That's pretty high. Is this the top?”
Elvin burst into hearty laughter as we stepped out of the magical elevator and walked down the long corridor.
“Hahaha, no. Magic towers are generally 100 floors. Mages live higher up as their circles—the source of magical power, also called mana circles—advance. I thought all continental towers worked the same. Is it different where you're from, Tower Master?”
“Ah… Yes, something like that. So the Wind Tower Master is at the 56th Circle?”
“Hahahahaha! If such a circle existed, it'd be a god!”
Elvin clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he wiped tears from his eyes.
“Floors 1 to 10 for 1st Circle mages. 11 to 20 for 2nd Circle, and so on. Our Tower Master is 5th Circle but lives on 56, so 6th Circle is just around the corner.”
As we chatted, we reached the end of the long hallway.
“And this is the Tower Master's chamber.”
Tower Master's chamber. The door screamed exclusivity even without explanation. The gold-like door, in stark contrast to the tower's gray exterior, was encrusted with luxurious jewels.
Knock knock. Not an auto-door powered by mana stones, apparently—Elvin stepped up and rapped twice with his knuckles.
“Tower Master, I brought the guest.”
Creeeak. The door swung open as if pulled from inside right after his words.
“Come in. I'm Servius, Tower Master here.”
A kindly smiling old man with a long beard, like Gandalf, greeted us. The tower's greatest 5th Circle mage, Servius.
“I'm Minor Gold, director of the Beauty Tower hospital. This is my guard… knight, Walter.”
“Walter.”
Walter's tone was awfully curt, but the mages didn't seem to mind.
I need to remind Walter about proper titles.
Servius, lord of the Wind Tower, stroked his neatly trimmed white beard with a warm smile.
“Calling yourself director instead of Tower Master—quite the unique mage, heh heh. Sit, don't stand on ceremony.”
Whoosh. With a wave of his hand, a table and chairs from the corner of his vast room floated over and arranged themselves before me.
…Like Grandpa I-eun-gyeol?
Watching a human wield magic, unlike Res the winged furry reptile, felt refreshingly novel.
“I heard you invited me, Tower Master. Thank you for having me.”
“No need for thanks. I'm the grateful one for you making time amid your busy schedule.”
Servius swept his hand through the air again, and teacups, saucers, and a steaming pot floated gracefully from the inner room to rest before us.
Damn, I should make Res do this stuff.
When Res first joined the hospital, I'd heard about its miscellaneous magic talents. But I'd only used it a handful of times, strictly for treatment efficiency.
“Eastern tea leaves. Hope you like it.”
“Smells wonderful.”
I could feel the old mage's warmth in his consideration. But ever since that gut-wrenching scream earlier, my blood pressure wouldn't settle.
Time to cut to the chase.
“Did you call me here for a specific reason, Tower Master? The first floor seemed awfully busy for your mages.”
The white-haired old shepherd figure smiled soothingly at my question, instantly putting one at ease.
“Right to the point. Minor Gold, Tower Master of Beauty Tower—would you consider working with us here?”
“You mean… hire me as a doctor for the Wind Tower right now?”
Servius nodded with a gentle smile at my question.
“Medicine is just a subset of magic, so 'mage' fits better than 'doctor.' Lately, rumors about your tower are everywhere. Even the Young Ladies and Lords of the Alliance complained why we can't do things like Beauty Tower.”
“Ah, sorry. They must have been regulars here.”
“Heh heh, no need to apologize. I brought it up to praise your skills.”
Servius just smiled like a kindly neighborhood grandpa as I awkwardly apologized.
As expected, masters recognize masters.
The tower's top mage and doctor, Servius, seemed to grasp my value. Time to test the waters.
“Grateful for the offer, but transferring to your tower would be tough.”
“Ho? Didn't expect flat refusal. Mind sharing why?”
I nodded lightly at Servius's question.
“First, I'm not a mage.”
“Not a mage? No mana in your body?”
Mana was like the stamina humans needed for magic. Recalling Cache's explanation—like invisible HP—I nodded.
“Where I'm from, there was no mana or mages. So I don't think I'd qualify as a mage hire for a tower.”
“Ho… A mage—or rather, not a mage—who practices medicine without mana. Fascinating.”
Servius looked intrigued, pondered briefly, then rummaged in his desk drawer and pulled something out.
“Mana measurement crystal orb. Surprising that your region had no mages, but no one lacks mana entirely. Place your hand here.”
Oh? Mana check? Could I awaken as a mage now?
My hand trembled toward the orb like an adventurer's first step into the unknown. After isekai-ing, I'd tried every status screen gimmick alone, disappointed by zero superpowers. Was true isekai life starting? These are the events that make it fun.
Hummm. As my hand touched it, an indescribable energy surged from my palm into the orb. It scanned my body like an MRI, making me shiver.
“Hoo…”
“Th-this?”
“Hmm…”
Not just old mage Servius and Elvin—even silent, watchful Walter since entering the tower let out a soft gasp.
“Incredible. A true doctor indeed.”
“Really a true doctor.”
And they praised me as a true doctor!
Forget that mystery dragon dude! End of struggles, magic life begins!
I could demote Res back to pet slave.
“Not even a faint trace of mana.”
“…Pardon?”
“Anyone has at least a trace, but yours is utterly transparent.”
“…?”
“Look at the orb.”
Dejected, I lifted my hand, and Servius placed his on it. It hummed again, the orb shifting through yellow, green, blue, orange, purple, and a reddish-purple.
“This measures internal mana. 1st Circle shows bright yellow; even traces give faint yellow.”
“Meaning…”
“Pure white like blank paper? Theory books say only possible with zero mana—like a pea-sized speck absent. Never dreamed I'd see it. A true doctor!”
“A true doctor!”
…Enough, you bastards. Never felt “true doctor” so insulting.
“Ahem, zero mana is rare, but… my intent to hire you as a mage—no, doctor—stands. Even without magic, if your rumored medical and barber skills hold, no reason not to.”
Wait. Medical skills fine, but barber skills? His tone belittled doctors below mages, but I held my tongue.
“What about pay and benefits?”
“Haha, naturally curious.”
Servius wiggled his fingers; a thick tome floated from his study shelf to me.
“Details there. You're meticulous—read yourself. Check the experienced hire section.”
I scanned the bound volume's pay and perks.
200 gold end-of-month, meals separate… Vacation decent…
Future 30 years: 149 gold 8 silver 1 copper monthly to the territory office like tribute. As pay doctor here? Barely 50 gold net monthly. About 5 million won in my pocket.
Ha… Kim Minho, you dead? Just 200 gold for a pay doc?
Specialist newbie pay docs start at 1,000. Rural hardship: near 2,000. But isekai frontier? 200 gold?
Offer undervalued me brutally. Wanted to spit in their kind faces and storm out.
Whew… Relax, Minho. Calm down.
Pro doctor here. Negotiations off-table, so pivot: hide intent, dissect competitor intel.
“Generous offer, but need to mull it. Can I check work environment first?”
“Of course. Shall we? Elvin, show treatments by your disciples' floor?”
“Haha, honor to show Tower Master. Let's go.”
Following cheerful Elvin and Servius, we reboarded the magical elevator. Destination: 30th floor.
“2nd Circle treatment rooms busiest, but they're still green. So 3rd Circle floor. Busy, but less than 20s.”
I nodded; doors opened at destination.
“Everyone out. 3rd Circle treatment floor.”
Unlike sunny 56th, 30th oozed gloom.
Not just gloomy… This a prison?
Worlds from 1st floor's ambiance. What treatments justified this decor? I pondered as we walked.
Medieval dungeon vibes. Iron doors evoked Iron Maiden torture.
“Evening, so fewer patients, but some… Ah! Lucky—surgery prep room still open.”
Elvin nodded toward a crystal orb at corridor-end iron door: green light.
As we neared, it turned red.
“Gwaaaaaagh!”
A horrific scream leaked from within.