Let's Wash Him First and See
“I've heard your business is booming more every day. Not just with those unique treatments, but now you're selling potions too.”
The man who stopped me was a familiar face. Elvin, a 4th Circle mage from the Magic Tower.
“Long time no see, Elvin. You're in luck.”
Elvin, whom I hadn't seen in ages, had a group of other Magic Tower mages trailing behind him. They were all as burly as he was, their robes doing little to hide their sturdy builds.
“What brings you to a place like this, Doctor? I didn't peg you for someone interested in the slave trade.”
“I didn't peg you mages for slave traders either. Planning to test new treatments on them?”
Elvin paused at my response, then let out a hearty laugh that ignored the stares around us.
“As if. Slaves don't come cheap—we're not buying them just to treat them.”
He smirked at my words and shot his hand up high.
“750 gold! We'll take all five of those male slaves for the Magic Tower right now!”
The slave trader scurried over to Elvin at his declaration.
“Sigh... Elvin, you always kill the buzz like this. It's disappointing.”
“Haha, sorry about that. The tower's swamped with patients these days.”
“Hahaha, no problem at all. We'll check the collars on the male slaves and deliver them straight to the tower. Oh, and last but not least, we've got a rare item for entertainment—take a look before you go.”
“A rarity, huh? Color me intrigued.”
The casual banter, like haggling over mackerel at a fish market, sent chills down my spine even more.
As the slave trader approached a cage still covered in cloth, Elvin turned to me.
“Our Magic Tower recruits talent regardless of background. Just like how we tried to bring you, a doctor with zero mana, into the fold.”
Res trembled like he wanted to bolt right then, but I had to ask. There was still something I needed to confirm.
“You're... going to train those slaves as doctors?”
“Of course. Most humans have at least a trickle of mana—unlike some people.”
His tone was mild, but the jab was deliberate, meant to irk me.
“And if one of them has no mana in their body?”
“Haha, that's not for you to worry about, Doctor. It's Magic Tower business.”
I couldn't shake the worry that if one of Elvin's purchases turned out mana-less like me, they might end up as guinea pigs for experiments.
That's when screams and shouts erupted in a frenzy.
“Heh heh heh, what do you think? A half-human half-beast born from sucking werewolf blood in beastkin lands! Vassals of noble houses, contact your lords via crystal orb right away. There's no such thing as a bad wolf in this world! Wolves over dogs! A wolf boy who listens well to young lords and ladies...”
This is insane! That's going too far!
The scrawny kid in the iron cage looked no older than a middle schooler at first glance—maybe upper elementary if I was generous.
“I'll take that monster for 15 gold!”
“Nonsense! 16 gold!”
“Hahaha, 17 gold!”
The boy driving the crowd into madness was covered head to toe in wolf-like fur. Not just his head—his entire body was thick with dark hair.
Fur... even on his face?
To my eyes, he was a boy suffering from his differences. But to others, he was a monster, a werewolf, a collectible pet.
And the crowd's frenzy spread like a contagion.
“50 gold!”
“78 gold!”
People lost all reason, their voices rising in desperate bids.
Amid the clamor, a low mutter reached my ears.
“Intriguing. With new mages joining, an extra test subject wouldn't hurt.”
I never act at a loss. Yet against my better judgment, my hand went up.
“300 gold.”
The price of a damn domestic midsize car tumbled out.
“Whoa, that eastern guy's got the looks but he's a freak.”
“Poor slave kid too. Wonder what he'll do to him, tsk tsk.”
I can hear you, you bastards.
And no one here was less likely than me to do anything weird to that slave kid.
“Hmm? Didn't peg you for that taste, Doctor...”
“It's not!”
“Haha, well, he's yours now—do what you want. We're out.”
Watching Elvin slink away with that mocking smile only fueled my irritation.
“What? Director, you into that kinda thing?”
“Fluffy fur?”
Oh, damn it all.
Stella and Hazel, nowhere to be seen until now, sauntered over.
“Where've you two been? Dressing up that ugly bird or something.”
“T-Take it back! Our Panggyu isn't ugly!”
“The squinty's outfit isn't weird either! And who're you calling bird? Panggyu or the squinty one?”
“The squinty one, obviously.”
“What? Panggyu's way uglier!”
I ignored the witches bickering out of nowhere and approached the slave trader.
“Impressive eye—and that buying spirit! Of course, I respect all customers' tastes. Folks like you, full of vigor and suspiciously loaded, go nuts for furry things.”
“......Just hand him over.”
Pulling the midsize car equivalent from my Subspace Pouch and handing it over felt like someone yanking out my ribs.
The trader meticulously checked the gold before handing me a paper.
“Slave certificate. We'll bring the merchandise right away—please wait a moment.”
The certificate in my hand blurred before my eyes.
Was it pity? I couldn't believe I'd done something so soft and stupid.
Yeah, that makes sense. He needed treatment.
Now it clicked. I'd shelled out car money for a total stranger's lump of flesh because he needed healing.
Once he's treated, I can work him like a dog... No, hypertrichosis patient—'dog' might be off.
“Thank you for waiting. Your purchase has arrived. It's not mithril, but the northern iron chain won't break easily—”
“No collar.”
“Pardon? But he hasn't been tamed yet, so the collar—”
“I said no. Everyone, let's go—lunch break's almost over.”
My veins boiled like steam from a kettle. I couldn't stand this filthy, inexpressible feeling eating at me any longer, so I left.
The boy I faced for the first time was covered in fur from head to toe. But imagining the expression hidden beneath wasn't hard.
Good, he's following well enough.
Regret hit me the whole way back to the Beauty Tower. Why blow 300 gold? What to do with him there? Where to house him? And so on.
Res was a hatchling, so no clothes needed. But this was human society. Even a slave couldn't go naked.
On the way, people shunned the wolf boy, pointing and giving him space. My head was a mess too, so I just walked silently toward the hospital.
“Hey, kiddo! You talk?”
“......”
“Can't?”
“......Y-Yes, I can.”
Res, perched on my shoulder, started chatting with the trailing kid.
“I'm Res. One year old. You?”
“My name's Ravi...... Thirteen years old.”
“Thirteen? Why so tiny?”
“S-Sorry.”
“Did you really drink werewolf blood?”
“N-No! Never!”
“Hmm...... Then why so much fur?”
“Th-That's...... Since birth.”
This dragon's personality. Starts sweet, then digs right into the wounds.
“Res, don't pry like that. Let's go quietly.”
I took the wolf boy straight to sublevel 1, the staff lounge, skipping the first floor of the Beauty Tower. Clinic time was soon, but I needed to talk to him first.
“We're here~”
Hazel opened the lounge door. Cache, finishing lunch, spotted us.
“Hope the market was fun...... Wh-What's that?”
Like everyone else on the way, Cache recoiled.
“That? He's staying with us at the Beauty Tower...... Didn't check the crystal orb?”
“Sorry, was eating.”
I'd sent a message via orb on the way, but she hadn't heard about the wolf boy yet.
“Lunch means break time. Sorry, bad vibes today. Cache, make sure all staff see the orb message—notifications and precautions.”
“Yes, Director.”
“And everyone except Res, clear out? Need to talk one-on-one.”
They all stepped away at my request.
Now it was just me and the wolf boy at the lounge table. I was flustered too, but it was time to talk. To my 300-gold purchase.
“Uh...... Anyway. I'm Miner, director and owner of this hospital. Didn't plan it, but since I bought Ravi, I'm technically your owner too.”
“Pl-Please don't speak casually, Master.”
He wasn't shaky with Res, but hypertrichosis aside, those mental scars ran deep.
“This is how I talk—don't mind it. Call me Director. Or Doc.”
“......Yes, Director.”
“And Ravi, first thing you need to do is......”
His tension was so thick I could hear his dry swallow clearly.
“Res, teach Ravi how to wash up.”
“Okay! I'll even dry him off!”
“Send him to the Jo family on floor 2 after.”
“Floor 2? Why there?”
“Why? They're the experts at trimming. I'll tell them—wash, dry thoroughly, then dress in clean T-shirt and pants, and send him up.”
“Got it!”
I had no clue what to do with the wolf boy long-term, but first things first: wash him and see. Anyone coming to my hospital had to be clean.