God of Assassination, Become the Strongest Healer - chapter 7

Gulp. As I lifted my acupuncture needles with a soft sound, Dan’s father looked nervous. He had probably visited a clinic before, but this was likely the first time he had seen someone use needles for treatment. 

“You know that the head of the household and some family members use acupuncture for health issues, right?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“From your expression, I can tell this is your first time seeing it up close. Don’t worry. If a Cladius doctor uses acupuncture, it means they are very skilled.”

Oh, really?  

Yes, I think there are less than ten people on this island who can use these needles.  

Wow, how did our young master—I mean, the young lord—learn something so hard?  

It shows how talented our young lord is. Didn’t I say? Just watch how he handles this little troublemaker.

Was he trying to calm down Dan’s parents? Almon was talking more than usual, and it helped them feel a little better. But they still looked surprised

. I guess they think my young face doesn’t look like a “highly skilled healer.” I ignored their looks and made the needles float in the air Dan’s chubby little arm. “Hmmm…”

Almon’s eyes gleamed sharply. Out of everyone in the treatment room, only Almon and I could see the aura of Angelus connecting my fingers to the needles.

Even though Dan’s injury wasn’t that serious, you can’t afford to be careless when treating a patient. If Almon spotted even the smallest mistake in my movements, he’d stop the treatment immediately as the one in charge here.

‘And if that happened, it’d probably be at least another year of training before I’d get another chance to treat an outside patient.’

Maybe he was worried I’d feel pressured? Dad might act like he’s indifferent to my accomplishments, but I’d figured out long ago that he’s watching my every move. Letting me treat an outside patient with acupuncture at just twelve years old—that was a pretty big leap of faith on his part.

‘Dad’s giving his not-so-perfect son a chance because he believes in me, so I’ve got to live up to it.’

Buzz.

I flicked my finger again, and the needles lined up on Dan’s arm shifted into a ready position.

“Ugh…”

“Can we get a screen over here? Since the patient is so young, it’d be best if he doesn’t see the needles going in.”

“Yes, here you go.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the nurse stepped in between Dan and me, setting up a screen to block his view of his arm.

“Are you scared it’ll hurt?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Aw, didn’t I tell you? I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt one bit. Don’t you believe me?”

“I-I trust you, but… it’s still a sharp needle going in, so there’s no way it won’t hurt…”

In the end, Dan’s eyes started welling up, so I reached out and patted his small, round head.

“What am I gonna do? Your little sister’s waiting with her eyes wide open for her brave brother to come back, but if her big brother’s here about to cry, she’ll be so disappointed.”

“N-no… Not in front of my sister…”

“If your sister hears that Dan got treated like a champ without crying at all, she’ll admire you even more.”

“I won’t cry! I’m not gonna cry!”

Thinking of his chubby-cheeked little sister waiting at home, Dan shook his head, steeling himself. I gently put a bit more pressure on the hand resting on his head.

“Really? You won’t cry?”

“Yeah. I won’t cry!”

“For real?”

“For real!”

At Dan’s second exclamation, Almond’s eyes sharpened just a little.

“Sir…”

But I avoided Dan’s gaze and gave Almond a look.

“Haha,” Almond replied with a soft chuckle.

“Good job.”

“Huh?”When you take Dan home, please tell his little sister that he didn’t cry at all during his treatment and was  brave. 

Dan and his parents looked at me confused. They probably didn’t understand why I was acting like the treatment was over when we had just started setting up. 

I said, “I told you, right? There’s no need to worry—Dan is  good at this.”

Realizing what was going on, Almond gave a faint smile and removed the screen. When Dan and his parents saw what was inside, they gasped.

“Wow! Whoa! The needles are in! Mom, Dad, when did these go in? I didn’t even feel it!”

“Oh my… Young master!”

“It’s so seamless…”

Eight needles, each with different lengths and thicknesses, were carefully placed in just the right spots under Dan’s skin, and only then did he realize it. He let out a gasp of amazement.

“When the young master placed his hand on Dan’s head earlier, he infused him with aura. That aura guided the needles exactly where they needed to go.”

“Then all that small talk with our child was…?”

“Simply a way to keep this little rascal distracted. Kids this age are often more scared of the idea of needles than the actual pain.”

“Oh, for you to be so considerate of people like us… How could we ever repay this kindness?

Just a healer also cares for their patient’s heart . There’s nothing to repay.”

As I moved my fingers over the needles from one to eight, a golden glow appeared  Dan’s mother gasped in surprise at the beautiful light created by the glow.

 The needles in Dan’s forearm moved up and down with my fingers, like piano keys, working through his damaged muscles. The glowing light then flowed down the needles and into his muscle tissue.

“Wow! The needles came out by themselves! And you didn’t even touch them, sir!” I spun my finger in a small circle, and the needles flew back to their case after finishing their job. Dan’s father was amazed and turned to ask Elman, looking confused.

 “Uh… doctor, do other doctors have skills like what we just saw from you?” “No, not that I’m aware of. At least, no one I know can do something so careful, especially not from a distance like this young master.”

People were amazed at how someone so young could have such great skills. Elman pointed out that they were lucky to have a son who could show them something so special. After hearing him, the three people looked even more impressed. It made sense that they were surprised because using needles like this wasn’t something you’d find in any acupuncture book in this area. It wasn’t just a random trick; it was a special mix of sword skills and a type of acupuncture called Claudius Vision that I had learned in my previous life.

In the past, I was  good at throwing daggers and poisoned needles with great precision. With that almost magical ability, I had confronted many corrupt nobles.

If I could use the skills I learned from dealing with bad pests to help people instead, that would be valuable, right? On the first day I looked at Claudius’ acupuncture book, I felt sure I could use the sword techniques I learned in my past life for acupuncture. That night, I started practicing hard. Before long, my hard work paid off, and my special way of using aura to control needles became well-known throughout the manor.

If I can use the skills I learnt from punishing bad people to help save lives, then that would be a good path too. On the first day I read Claudius’s Acupuncture Manual, I realized I could use my sword-fighting training from my past life for acupuncture.

 That very night, I started practicing hard. Soon, my hard work paid off. I created my special acupuncture technique, using aura to move the needles. This skill became famous among everyone in the house.

“Try bending and straightening your arm.”

“Yes! Oh! Mom, it works! I can bend my arm! Just a little while ago, even trying to use it made my elbow ache, but now it moves smoothly!”

“Just because it’s working well now doesn’t mean you can push it too much right away. Make sure to take the medicine I give you, and for the next week, don’t put any strain on that arm. And remember, no more climbing trees. Promise your brother, okay?”

“Yes! I promise, Young Master! Hehe!”

“To the guardians, I’ll give you the prescription and medicine; please give it to the child twice a day, morning and evening. Since the patient is still young, I minimized magic and treated him in a way that boosts natural healing, so he’ll need to take the medicine for a few days.”

“Yes, yes! We’ll follow your instructions to the letter.”

“Young Master, we can’t thank you enough for understanding and treating our child, despite his misbehavior.”

The parents were bending over, bowing deeply, showing their gratitude.

I quickly looked away to avoid their gazes.

As always, this part was the hardest. Treating patients was enjoyable, but the flood of praise that came afterward always felt overwhelming.

“Even if I’ve been reborn, I don’t know if a guy like me—who spent his whole life swinging a sword deserves all this admiration.”

Whether he knew my thoughts or not, Dan and his parents thanked me several more times before leaving the clinic. The nurses also headed to the dispensary to prepare the medicine as per the prescription.

“You did well, Young Master. Taking on your first external patient must not have been easy, but you handled it far better than I expected.”

Now it was just the two of us in the clinic, and Almon, with his usually stern face, was saying things that felt so out of character for him.

“I was especially surprised when you inserted the needles with such precision, even with the screen blocking your view. To be honest, when the Master first ordered me to arrange an external patient for you, I wondered if it might be too soon.”

“I also thought it might be a little early, so there’s no need for you to apologize.”

“But I see now that I was mistaken. Young Master, would you punish me for failing to recognize the Master’s insight and your abilities?”

I don’t want to punish you, but I’m curious what the people in the clinic would think if they saw this side of you.

 They’d probably laugh if they found out that strict Almon said something like this. I brushed off Almon’s guilt and got ready to leave my seat. 

By now, Lana and the nanny must be excitedly waiting for my first patient results. I couldn’t help but think about how they’d react if I told them the treatment worked. Lana would probably shout “Hooray for Pagan Oppa!” and jump around, while the nanny would likely be trying not to cry.

Young Master, your skill is impressive, but what moved me was how you thought about the child’s condition and the worries of the young couple.

 Your kindness touched me. Just as I was about to open the door, I heard Almon speaking behind me.

 He said he believes you will do well when you meet with Lord Yeongsoo and the others soon. He thinks you will become a great healer, a symbol of both Espectara and Claudius. He hopes you will “Of course I will.”

Almon’s voice had become thick with emotion, and I could hear the moisture in it. He had been one of my teachers, the one who taught me the fundamentals of healing when I was young. It seemed even someone as strict as Almon couldn’t avoid being moved by the growth of his student.

I kept my gaze fixed on the redness around Almon’s eyes and said, “That’s because this is Claudius.”

see the kind heart you showed today for many years to come.

Click.
Why are you so late?!
As soon as I opened the door to my bedroom that night, the usual noisy voice greeted me.
The clock showed 10:10 PM.
After finishing dinner, I went back to the study to read a bit more of the medical book, which made me come home later than usual.
―Oh! What’s that smell? You had snacks, didn’t you?
“You can even tell the smell of snacks I ate hours ago? What a talent. Are you sure you’re not a puppy?”

The smell filled the air and reached my nose. I ignored the constant complaints and took off my coat, sitting down in the chair. You keep saying you’re busy, but you’ve been eating snacks all day, and I wasn’t with you! I said, Who said I was just having fun?

 I’ve been studying all day and my head hurts from it. Is that what you call fun? But you had snacks, right? And they were fancy snacks you can’t even find on the island!

Studying was the main focus. Snacks were just a little treat in between. Don’t act like I’ve been out having fun all day. And… never mind.”

I was pretty tired, and I didn’t feel like dealing with any more of the chatter, so I threw the package I’d been holding in my pants pocket.

Rustle.

The small creature sniffed as the package landed on the bed with a rustling noise. Its nose twitched. It exclaimed, “Wow! What’s this? 

You got one for me too? You should have told me sooner!” I replied, “You could have asked, you know?”

 Even though I had sealed the package well to keep the cookies fresh, the creature managed to open it using its big head and short front legs.

I’m eating something that tastes buttery, and it’s different. Are these raisins meant to be like that?

 They smell fancy like they were treated with something special before being dried. This afternoon, Lana said she wished I would meet either Proteus or Agla in the Eternal Forest. But to be honest, I kind of hope I don’t meet either of them. It’s not that I don’t like their powers; it’s just that something feels off.

Munch munch. Hey buddy! This is from Masher, right? Can you tell that old man to bring back more of these next time he goes on a trip? Like, a lot more?
“…You’re only a friend when it suits you.”
After seeing a tiger—no, a ‘miniature winged tiger’—for four years, I started to get a little tired of tigers and eagles.
―Munch munch.

The little creature was enjoying the snack, sticking its big head—too big for its small body—into the package. Each time its thick tail moved, the two pairs of wings on its waist flapped cutely. I realized it has been 6 years since I first met it.