Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Guardian of the Sprout of Hope

After accepting, I spent time with a slightly excited heart.

Pondering where to keep this treatment prayer fee, how to use it safely.

“······.”

“···Why are you suddenly smiling alone?”

Today’s last lecture.

Park Jae-yoon looked at me strangely.

“Wearing a mask, is that visible?”

“Because when you smile your eyes become like this.”

“······.”

I pretended not to know and pretended to yawn.

“Earlier the kids said let’s go drink together. You’ll go, right?”

Before the lecture started. Of all things a few juniors proposed to us first.

Not showing face at the opening general meeting or freshman welcome party, it was a relationship of only awkwardly greeting.

“Not going. I have an important appointment.”

“Walking the dog?”

“After walking the dog.”

I Kang Bong-sik.

A university student who can earn 20 million won a day.

Although because of various risks I can’t deposit in the bank.

As soon as the lecture ended I stood up abruptly.

“I’m going first.”

“Huh?”

The guilt that it might be betraying the baseball team Black Wolves cheered with Father since young disappeared long ago.

Ding.

When excitedly coming out of the lecture room and heading to the lobby.

A DM came from Lee Mun-yeong.

-[Plague Doctor-nim. This request, it seems you have to cancel.]

“······?!”

I stopped right there.

My 20 million won···?!

-[The requester changed his words. Not himself, he wants his pregnant wife to receive the treatment prayer.]

Murmur murmur.

People also came out from other lecture rooms, so for now I put the phone in the pocket.

Only after coming outside the building did I confirm the continued DM.

Not long after the requester returned from overseas training camp. He first showed flu symptoms, and subsequently his wife also caught the flu.

-[Unlike Grandmother Park Bok-seon, this requester’s wife··· honestly I don’t have faith. It is judged that there is a risk of the story about the Plague Doctor leaking.]

-[From now on so this kind of matter doesn’t occur, I’ll verify and review a bit more thoroughly and receive requests. Sorry.]

I could also treat the requester as originally, but Lee Mun-yeong seems to have judged that the trust with him is already broken.

I slowly sighed.

“······.”

20 million won is regrettable, but there are also matters like this.

Hiding the identity and doing suspicious treatment prayers, the fact that there have been no problems in request progress until now is an amazing thing.

Moreover a pregnant woman.

All the people and animals treated with my ‘Plague Treatment’ so far showed no peculiarities, but anyway the fetus··· honestly scary.

Whether it’s really okay, it seems I’ll worry throughout until safely born.

So let’s leave this matter to modern medicine.

That’s right.

[Yes, I’m fine. I sincerely hope the requester’s wife recovers quickly and the child is also safe.]

I moved my steps powerlessly trudging.

The juniors who said let’s drink together came to mind, but the mood of wanting to do that didn’t particularly arise.

Today I’ll play with Arong until late.

“···Ah.”

At that moment this thought arose.

The people I treated in passing so far. Among them there might have already been a pregnant person.

“Hmm···.”

I tightly clasped both hands and prayed.

God, Buddha, system.

Please say there’s no problem.

Please.

***

Lee Mun-yeong let out a deep sigh.

Last month, the ‘Plague Doctor’s’ treatment prayer failed for the first time.

His appearance standing sullenly was on her mind throughout, so she wanted to quickly bring a good request.

Was that heart too ahead.

‘Whether the request fee is high or not, I should have confirmed well.’

This requester baseball player Jang Deok-il.

A person known when Kanggeon Pharmaceutical concluded an official sponsor agreement with Red Phantom.

Upright in character and heavy-mouthed, of all things hearing the news that he caught a vicious flu ahead of the professional baseball opening she carefully proposed.

「If there’s no prayer effect you don’t have to pay the fee. Excluding the fare.」

Jang Deok-il also showed a suspicious reaction at first like other requesters, but soon nodded and requested.

But not even a few hours, he changed his words saying he wants his wife to receive rather than himself.

‘Jang Deok-il player really thought it was just a prayer in words so. But···.’

The ‘Plague Doctor’s’ treatment prayer is real.

A mysterious power cleanly cures colds or the flu etc.

That was the problem.

‘I don’t want to suspect, but can’t guarantee if that mysterious power is also okay for the fetus. Examining is also hard.’

The fetus is affected by even one trivial thing like the medicine the mother eats, food, lifestyle habits.

The most important, but the hardest subject to research.

‘Sorry to Jang Deok-il player, but avoiding risk as much as possible is good.’

As said to the ‘Plague Doctor’, there’s also the risk of the secret about him leaking.

Lee Mun-yeong sighed again, and called Jang Deok-il.

Jang Deok-il answered calmly that he understood at the words that the request was canceled. He firmly promised that what he heard about the treatment prayer, he would forget everything.

That night.

The time just about to go to bed.

Lee Mun-yeong’s phone rang.

[Red Phantom Jang Deok-il player]

Lee Mun-yeong received the call puzzled.

“Yes, this is Lee Mun-yeong.”

-[Sorry for the late time, Secretary Lee. To the person doing the treatment prayer··· can I request again?]

“Jang player. As I said earlier···.”

-[If I can only save my wife and child, I can give all my property···.]

“Jang player, is there some matter?”

Jang Deok-il’s voice was unusual.

-[My wife’s condition is not good so I came to the hospital emergency room···. The condition got worse. Saying hypersensitivity reaction or something, blood pressure also dropping and the child’s heart rate also abnormal···.]

Jang Deok-il was sobbing.

-[I want to do anything, somehow but···. What Secretary Lee said came to mind···. Sorry···.]

The explanation is insufficient, but it could be known how urgent the situation of both the wife and fetus is.

Also that he contacted with the feeling of grasping even a straw.

Lee Mun-yeong hesitated for a moment then answered.

“···I’ll ask.”

And explained the situation by DM to the ‘Plague Doctor’.

Immediately the mark that it was read appeared.

-[Where should I go?]

The answer came back.

***

In front of a large hospital.

I hastily got off the taxi.

Holding the bird-beak mask in one hand.

Covering the face with a mask and sunglasses.

“Thank you for coming at the urgent contact, ‘Plague Doctor’-nim. The patient is currently in the ICU but···.”

Following Lee Mun-yeong who came to meet I entered the hospital.

“If only the distance is close, it’s okay, right?”

I nodded.

Last month, at the barn I also proceeded with the treatment prayer with a wall in between.

Got on the elevator.

Beep.

The elevator only operated when Lee Mun-yeong stamped the pass.

Ding dong.

Arrived at the floor where the requester and his wife are.

The requester who was waiting bowed his head to me and Lee Mun-yeong. Above his head a green [Contagious Disease Patient] was floating.

“Really thank you for coming.”

[This is a Contagious Disease Patient. Do you wish to treat?]

[(Estimated MP cost 100)]

This person also said it’s the flu.

Nurses sent puzzled gazes to us.

“Um, now except guardians···.”

The requester stepped forward and requested understanding.

“If just a very short moment. Sorry.”

“We won’t enter inside. Sorry.”

“······.”

I also bowed my head repeatedly toward the nurses, and quietly moved following the requester.

The requester’s wife was lying in the ICU multi-person room, but the place we were going was not the entrance.

Turning the left corner a passage came out.

The direction where the head parts of the beds were arranged side by side.

With one wall in between, familiar texts greeted me.

[Contagious Disease Patient]

[Contagious Disease Patient]

Which side?

“My wife is lying on this side.”

Green [Contagious Disease Patient].

I raised my hand and put it on the wall.

[This is a Contagious Disease Patient. Do you wish to treat?]

[(Estimated MP cost 180)]

Now ‘Plague Treatment’ skill is level 3 so green, if before it would be a bad state close to red.

But if I wear the bird-beak mask treatment all at once is possible.

I tried to take off the sunglasses, then turned to Lee Mun-yeong.

Lee Mun-yeong nodded, then tapped the requester’s arm.

Soon the two people standing with backs turned side by side away from me.

From afar a nurse warned with a suspicious face.

“You can’t do things like religious acts here.”

“Yes, sorry.”

The two people bowed their heads repeatedly.

I also gently turned my back, and wore the bird-beak mask instead of the sunglasses.

[System]

-‘Plague Doctor Mask’ wearing effect: Skill MP cost reduced by 20%

I put my hand on the wall again.

God, Buddha, system-nim.

Please treat so no bad influence goes to the fetus.

Amen, Namo Amitabha Guanyin Bodhisattva.

“Treat, yes.”

[System]

-Used ‘Plague Treatment’.

-‘Plague Treatment’ proficiency +2

-Experience +7.78%

[MP 1/145]

“Phew···.”

The [Contagious Disease Patient] text disappeared.

Now tell the requester to confirm the wife’s condition···.

Suddenly a system window appeared.

[Achieved achievement ‘Guardian of the Sprout of Hope’!]

[System]

-Protected the sprout of hope for the first time.

-Achieved achievement ‘Guardian of the Sprout of Hope’.

-Achievement ‘Guardian of the Sprout of Hope’ achievement effect: Immunity +1

-Achievement ‘Guardian of the Sprout of Hope’ achievement effect: Beneficiary target immunity +3

“······?”

Achievement ‘Guardian of the Sprout of Hope’?

Was it achieved by treating a pregnant [Contagious Disease Patient] for the first time?

But beneficiary target immunity···?

What does this mean?

No, now is not the time for this.

Since I cleanly cured the contagious disease, I have to make them confirm the condition quickly.

Might have to change the drugs currently entering the patient immediately.

I tapped the requester’s shoulder.

Wasteful of time to write letters one by one.

“It’s over. Please request confirmation from the medical staff immediately so unnecessary treatment doesn’t proceed more.”

“···Yes?”

He blinked his bloodshot eyes.

“Quickly. No time.”

“Yes, yes···!”

The requester hastily approached the nurse and requested confirmation. In the meantime I turned my body, took off the bird-beak mask and wore the sunglasses.

Looking again, Lee Mun-yeong was smiling toward me.

“Before catching more people’s eyes, shall we go now?”

I nodded.

The call from the requester came, when we just came outside.

-[Wife’s blood pressure and child’s heart rate··· all returned to normal···!]

Beyond Lee Mun-yeong’s phone, a sobbing voice flowed.

-[Other numbers too, sob, all, stabilized···! Thank you···! Really thank you···!!]

Hearing that voice, I also welled up for nothing.

Feeling proud that I really was a big help.

-[Thank you···!]

Lee Mun-yeong also sniffled small with reddened eyes, then composed her voice.

“Please contact when calmed later, Jang player.”

Click.

“Phew. Then.”

Then calmly deep breath.

“I’ll talk about this request fee.”

Tap tap.

Instead of the sketchbook not brought because hastily coming to the hospital, I wrote on the phone memo app.

[Emotion destruction]

Lee Mun-yeong burst into laughter.

“You spoke well until earlier? Often heard when praying too, but your voice is good?”

“······.”

“Jang Deok-il player said if he can only safely save his wife and child he’ll give all his property. But···.”

I shook my head.

In reality hard to give.

If giving all what money to raise the child with.

I also hard to receive on conscience.

“Right? Still I’ll try to extract as much as possible.”

“······.”

“Anyway, while at it there’s something I want to ask the ‘Plague Doctor’-nim.”

Lee Mun-yeong’s expression became serious.

“The cash you receive as request fee, isn’t it inconvenient to use? Since it’s a large sum with unclear source, it seems difficult to deposit in the bank too.”

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