Epilogue: Lindworm’s Major Operation

Monster Girl Doctor Volume ZERO — LNCrawler · All chapters

EPILOGUE:
Lindworm’s Major Operation

An audience had gathered at the Waterways. The scene closely resembled the recent commemoration ceremony—a large crowd gathered around the bridge over the largest canal, and a platform had been set up on top of the main bridge.

Also just like the previous ceremony, Skadi stood atop the platform.

Standing at her side was Kunai Zenow. Unlike before, however, she was standing a step back from her master, and only watching over her. Her position signaled she had no intentions of speaking for her master.

“…Forgive me for worrying you all.”

A hushed sound of awe reverberated through the audience. Skadi had spoken straight from her own mouth.

“Because of my condition, I have long been unable to directly reach you with my voice, and for that I ask that you forgive me.”

Her voice wasn’t loud at all. Nevertheless, with her clear way of speaking, she was able to sufficiently carry her words to the people in the audience.

Skadi had taken off her veil and her face was exposed. No matter how one looked at her, she had the appearance of a little girl, but no one in attendance found it comical. Even if she were a child, everyone knew just how great her achievements were in contributing to the development of the city.

“Thanks to the outstanding doctors from the Central Hospital and the Litbeit Clinic, my tumor has been safely removed. I still require regular treatment, but I will shortly be returning to my council duties. I’d like to thank all of the people who were involved in my operation.”

Her voice came through. Skadi found it comforting that she could reach everyone with her own words again.

“From here on out, I’d like to devote myself to the official business of this city, without any fear or anxiety for my own health. I’d like to ask you all—and thank you all—for your support.”

Applause and whistling echoed across the area. The citizens of Lindworm were fond of festivals in the first place. They raised both hands in delight at things worth rejoicing over. This seemed to be the influence of the city’s relatively recent construction and their status as a tourist and merchant destination.

It occurred to Skadi that she had probably been viewing the world through a veil without even knowing it—despite the fact that when she had her dragon form, she had been able to freely lord over the continent from the heavens above. Looking through a veil, one can’t truly see what one wants to see. She wondered if she had even been aware of what kind of city Lindworm was becoming as she built it.

If everyone was so happy just because her surgery had been completed successfully and without incident, then maybe—she thought—it might be all right for her to try a little bit harder to enjoy the city for what it was.

“Since I ruined the original ceremony, we will be holding it again today. I ask you to eat and drink to your hearts’ contents, and enjoy your time with each other here in the Merrow Waterways,” Skadi declared.

Underneath the bridge, Lulala had already finished her preparations. She had been singing throughout the entire night of the surgery. Skadi hoped that Lulala wouldn’t harm her throat or her gills again, but she had heard that Lulala would only be singing one song today, so she gathered that it would be fine.

As Skadi came down from the top of the platform, Kunai bowed her head.

“Your address was magnificent, my Lady Draconess.”

“Please—it was just a simple speech.”

“Just hearing you speak with your own words was more than enough. Although I must admit it’s a little sad to think that I will no longer be able to act as your interpreter.”

“I’m feeling well—thanks to Cthulhy and the others.”

The truth was that, during her address at the previous ceremony, Skadi had planned to announce her retirement. She was going to hand over her position as council representative and retire from public life. As for who would replace her—she still considered Aluloona to be the best fit.

Then with everything taken care of, she would wait for her death. The fake heart would slowly kill her.

But there was no need for that anymore.

Skadi had decided that she would watch over the city a little bit longer from her position as the council representative. After all, she thought, she had been looking at it through a veil until now—there might still be a lot that she had yet to see.

She considered that it might be a good idea to lighten her load with the city council a little and stroll through the city. She also thought it would be nice to make plenty of time to speak with her old friends, Cthulhy, Aluloona, and Dionne.

“…Did Dr. Glenn and the others receive their invitations?” Skadi asked.

“Yes, of course, I sent it to them all. However, it seems they aren’t able to come today after all.”

“So they’re at the Central Hospital?”

“Yes.”

“I see…”

Skadi didn’t see the forms of the doctors that had performed the surgery in the crowd. She had known that they wouldn’t be able to come today, but the fact still made her feel lonely.

Skadi was a pacifist dragon. After all this time, she suddenly asked herself what made her love peace so much. Was it just because she hated war? Then, it finally hit her. Considering the close to one-thousand-year-long life she had led, the realization might have been far too slow in coming. Well, she thought, no matter how long one’s life was, there were always blind spots that one would fail to notice.

In the end, she loved life. She loved all living things. Discriminating between neither human nor monster, she loved connecting with other people. In simpler terms—she just didn’t like to be alone.

Now that she realized it, it was quite a mundane conclusion for her to come to.

“All right then, let’s go,” said Skadi.

“To the Central Hospital…? Is it okay for you to leave the ceremony?”

“I’m not going to hold back anymore. I’m going to do what I want to do. I’m not going to care about my position or anything else… That’s okay, right?”

Skadi was sure Kunai would tell her to properly carry out her responsibilities. She waited for Kunai to become angry with her, but a gentle smile came to Kunai’s face. Skadi had always watched over the city of Lindworm, but this stubbornly serious bodyguard of hers had, in turn, always watched over Skadi. That was, in its own way, a difficult task.

“If the Lady Draconess wishes so, then I see it to be correct,” answered Kunai.

“Thank you.”

Skadi had decided to continue living. However, her life was a little too long, and she was sure it would be a long, long time before it came to an end. As such, she needed to enjoy her spare time as much as she possible could.

She had done what she had needed to do. Now it came time for her to do what she wanted to do.

“You can feel free to do what you want, too, Kunai.”

“Understood,” Kunai responded, giving a respectful nod of her head. Yet, she didn’t stray a single step from her position behind Skadi.

Skadi figured that no matter what she told her bodyguard, Kunai didn’t have any intentions of separating herself from Skadi’s side. Skadi thought that in a certain way, Kunai was more stubborn than she was.

It seemed like Kunai would stiffen up if she kept standing at attention, so Skadi quickly urged her forward.

What Skadi wanted to do, for now, was see Glenn and Cthulhy as soon as possible. She had to let them know what would happen if this lonely dragon was forced to get serious.

***

“You’re quite the crybaby, aren’t you, Glenn?” Cthulhy said, sounding almost like a mother. “There isn’t anything worth crying about, you know.”

They were in the director’s office at the Lindworm Central Hospital. Glenn’s eyes glistened with tears, and Sapphee had drawn herself close to him. Staring at the two of them with a rather gentle expression was Cthulhy.

Inside the office there was a massive octopus pot.

It was a completely ordinary octopus pot, save for its size, which appeared able to fit two adult humans within. It was half-submerged in water that had been drawn up to the office all the way from the canals, and was constructed so there was water in the pot itself as well. Peeking out of the pot were Cthulhy’s head and tentacles.

Cthulhy’s glasses were off, and her high ponytail had been undone. The boneless lower half of Cthulhy’s body was tightly, neatly stuffed inside the pot. Extending a tentacle, she wiped away Glenn’s tears.

“But… Dr. Cthulhy,” began Glenn.

“Why are you crying? The surgery was a huge success. As doctors, we were able to save Skadi’s life. It’s fine, isn’t it?” replied Cthulhy.

“It’s not fine. You’ve been seriously injured.”

It happened during the surgery.

Cthulhy used her own tentacles to brace the fake heart. It was a job that had to be done, but the metallic surgical tools had conducted the dragon’s body heat and had inflicted severe burns on Cthulhy’s tentacles. Even while she suffered these burns, Cthulhy continued her work and got through Skadi’s surgery, but the festering wounds on her tentacles were too horrible a sight to bear.

After Skadi’s surgery, Glenn cut off all of Cthulhy’s tentacles. In some cases, burn wounds carried with them a risk of infection. At the time, removing the festering areas of her tentacles had been the best course of action.

“They’ll all grow back, so it doesn’t really matter, right?” said Cthulhy.

“It will take three weeks for them to fully grow back. Until then, please make sure to stay in bed and get lots of rest. Doctor’s orders,” Glenn replied.

“Blub, blub, blub!” Soaking in her octopus pot, Cthulhy made light of Glenn’s concerns.

“Are you listening to me, Dr. Cthulhy?”

“More importantly, Glenn, did you end up eating my tentacles after you cut them off?”

“I did not.”

“How mean…”

Glenn truly wished his mentor would give him a break from her insistence that he taste her arm meat—especially considering her current situation.

“See, get a good look here. They’re already growing back.” Saying this, Cthulhy’s tentacles extended and coiled themselves around Glenn’s arms and torso. The ends of them had been cleanly severed, but just as Cthulhy had said, small tentacles had begun to grow out from the surface of the cut section, like the sprouts of a plant.

Cthulhy’s tentacles extended toward Sapphee without hesitation. Sapphee seemed calm even as the tentacle coiled around her chest. On a closer look, however, Glenn noticed a small twitch in her temple and realized she was irritated.

“If you two get burned, it can take a long time to heal. A scylla’s regenerative ability can heal these wounds much, much faster than you both can. Someone had to do it, you know,” Cthulhy continued.

“I know…”

Cthulhy had inflicted the burns on herself in order to successfully see the surgery through. Sapphee and Glenn both understood her sacrifice and silently put up with affectionate physical contact from her tentacles.

“If you’re so worried about me, Glenn, why don’t you come into my pot here and act as my body pillow?” asked Cthulhy.

“There’s no way I’d allow you to do that, Dr. Cthulhy,” replied Sapphee.

“I’m sure if he did I’d heal much faster.”

“That has nothing to do with it!”

“Glenn, since you’ll be coming into the water, let’s make sure to take those clothes off. It’s fine, I don’t have any on either. I think I’ll be able to calm down and go to sleep if I have something to hug with my tentacles. Now then, Glenn, come on over.”

Sapphee clenched her fists tightly at her mentor’s endless teasing banter.

“Dr. Cthulhy, cut it out already!”

“Sapphee, calm down, okay? Dr. Cthulhy is just bored because she can’t do anything but sleep.” Glenn said.

He imagined what it would be like to be stuck fast to Cthulhy inside the octopus pot, with her eight tentacles wrapped around him. Inside the water, he’d be entwined with the secretions and suckers of her tentacles. With the suction power of her tentacle suckers, their bodies would be locked together in ways that no other experience could compare to. Adding to the excitement and arousal was the fact that Cthulhy was always completely naked while inside her octopus pot.

Glenn wondered what it would feel like to be caught and held by her, feeling her hair, tentacles, mucous, and other parts of her body. It had a charm to it that was slightly different in nature from the feeling of being squeezed by Sapphee.

However, there was a possibility that in her half-sleeping state, she would strangle Glenn or shove him under the water. Glenn wanted to politely decline her offer and avoid putting his life in any danger. The inside of the pot would be too cramped for someone with a bone-filled body like Glenn in the first place.

“Excuse me, Dr. Cthulhy,” Sapphee said, speaking up.

“What is it, Sapphee?”

“By any chance, do you still have feelings for Dr. Glenn…?”

“That’s a good question, isn’t it?” Cthulhy replied. Her tentacles stopped fawning over Glenn and slithered back into the octopus pot. Instead, she lifted her upper body a little out of the pot. The way her bare breasts flickered in and out of sight was tempting for Glenn to look at. Her unbound hair formed a delicate barrier that protected them from view.

“To me, both you and Glenn are like my children. No matter how much time may pass,” Cthulhy continued.

“And what about your preference for young boys?” Sapphee shot back.

“That’s different from what I’m talking about. You’re like my own children, so I can’t help myself from wanting to fawn over you and pamper you. And it makes me want to be strict with you, too. But I wonder if that’s what love is… There are times where even I don’t know myself. I suppose it’s because I’ve lived so long,” Cthulhy said, giggling. “I’ve lost the ability to differentiate between what’s love and what’s just my affection.”

“…Wait just a moment. So basically, you’re saying you haven’t given up?!” Sapphee cried.

“That’s what I mean—I just don’t know.”

Glenn rubbed the marks that Cthulhy’s suckers had left and gave a wry grin.

Cthulhy would be recuperating for a while. To make sure her tentacles grew back, she needed to get a lot of bed rest and not overexert herself. This meant that the business in the Central Hospital would fall behind.

Of course, since it was a major hospital, Glenn imagined it wouldn’t cease all its functions just because of Cthulhy taking a break, but he thought that maybe this meant a certain percentage of the patients in the Central Hospital would be transferred over to him. He imagined it would make it hard for the three of them to talk to each other like this if that happened.

“Do the absolute best work you can, Glenn. This time I may have actually gone past the limits of my own endurance.” Cthulhy said, with a big yawn, looking sleepy as she lay in her octopus pot. “You too, Sapphee.”

“Right now I’m doing my best to protect Dr. Glenn from your dirty tricks!” Sapphee replied.

“Oh, yes, that’s right, I also went ahead and wrote a thank you letter to Miss Arahnia. I made sure to tell her she could feel free to use Glenn whenever she wanted. She told me her silk-flow wasn’t good, so she might be stopping by the clinic soon for an exam.”

“Stop! Adding! To our work! And my anxiety!” Sapphee cried. Her tail rattled back and forth. Whenever she talked with Cthulhy, Sapphee always got worked up by her mentor’s provocation. Conversely, when Cthulhy spoke with Sapphee, she would often chuckle to herself, as if she were playing with her own daughter.

“How noisy. Cthulhy, may I come in?” a voice echoed in a bell-like tone. Glenn thought it was clearer than it had been when he last heard it.

“Skadi? What’s brought you all the way here?” Cthulhy asked.

“I came to check up on you,” replied Skadi.

“Shouldn’t you be the one being checked up on?”

“Of course. Still, my primary doctor had her tentacles cut off in her efforts to save me, so I don’t think it’s that strange of me to come and visit. Here, I brought dragon dumplings.”

“Put them on the desk.”

Dragon dumplings were the first thing that came to mind when one thought about souvenirs from Lindworm. Glenn was sure Cthulhy enjoyed them as well.

Skadi still hadn’t completely recovered, but she looked to be in good health. Despite the fact that she had had a whole fake heart removed from her, she was making a speedy recovery due to her unique draconic vitality. Glenn imagined it wouldn’t be long before she stopped needing follow-up care.

Kunai waited in the doorway to the director’s office. She stood at attention without saying a word. It appeared to Glenn that she intended to focus silently on her bodyguard role.

“Thank you, too, Dr. Glenn, for your hard work,” Skadi continued.

“Huh? Oh, yes, thank you,” Glenn replied.

“Now then, Cthulhy, I’ll be borrowing your pupil,” explained Skadi, with a blank expression on her face.

“…Huh?” Cthulhy and Sapphee’s reply came at the same time. Before Glenn had any time to ask her to repeat herself, Skadi gently wrapped herself around Glenn’s leg.

“I want to see the street stalls at the ceremony. Come with me,” demanded Skadi.

“H-hold on just a second, Miss Skadi. I was planning on heading over to the Waterways later, but you want me to accompany you?” Glenn asked.

“I guess it’s what one would call a date?” Skadi gave an adorable tilt of her head, but Glenn was at a loss at her question. Still hugging his leg, she glanced upwards at him. Glenn didn’t know why, but her eyes were wet. He wondered, did dragons even have tear glands?

“Can’t you come with me…big brother?”

“B-big brother?!” Glenn never could have imagined there would be a day when a transcendental being like a dragon would refer to him as “big brother.”

He glanced over to Kunai, a pleading look for help. Glenn was sure the capable bodyguard would come flying in between the two of them and denounce him for his insolence in trying to seduce the Lady Draconess.

Yet, Kunai’s eyes also widened as though what was unfolding in front of her was beyond her comprehension. Her face looked as if she hadn’t a clue what was going on.

“So anyway, I’m going to be borrowing big brother, here. It’s okay, right, Miss Sapphee?” Skadi continued.

“Y-you can’t have him!” Sapphee replied.

“Only for a little while.”

“Absolutely not! Dr. Glenn promised me that we’d go around the stalls together, so I’m very sorry, but he has no time to spend with you, Miss Skadi!”

“Well, this is awkward…” Skadi said, not looking the slightest bit troubled by the situation.

Skadi clung to Glenn’s leg without letting go, repeatedly tugging and pleading with him to go with her. When Glenn considered their difference in size, he thought that it was probably inevitable that they’d get mistaken for brother and sister. The more he thought about it, he realized it would be a major scandal if the city representative was caught calling him her “big brother.” There was no doubt in his mind that it would end up in the papers for starters—and in the worst way possible.

“M-my Lady Draconess, please wait just one minute! Why have you become so attached to him ?! If you need a hug, you have me right here!” Kunai had finally come out of her daze—but Glenn couldn’t help thinking that Kunai was a little strange herself.

“After all, he cured me didn’t he?” Skadi replied.

“Th-that is indeed true, but still!”

“Look,” Skadi said, unfastening the button to her robe. Without any hesitation, Skadi bared her chest in front of everyone. Glenn had thought that Skadi didn’t wear anything under her robes, yet—

Before he could finish his thought, the naked white body of a young girl stood in front of him.

On her chest was a clear scar left over from opening her up for the surgery. The straight-lined scar from where she had been cut open was forcibly stitched together with wire. If her wound closed, then it would become necessary to remove the wire, but Glenn was sure that there would still be an obvious scar. Glenn and Cthulhy would need for Skadi to come in for several regular check-ups.

Glenn didn’t have any problems with all of that. He wondered whether she had actually needed to expose herself. Her robe had covered her entire body, and when she opened it up, everything from her shoulders to her stomach was revealed with it.

“Lady Draconess! How improper!” Kunai cried.

“Did it excite you, Dr. Glenn?” Skadi asked.

“Does looking at a young child’s body like this make you happy, Dr. Glenn? Is that it?!” said Kunai.

“Not in the slightest!” Glenn replied. He didn’t know why, but for some reason Kunai was lashing out at him. Despite how calm and composed Kunai always was, she truly acted strange whenever Skadi was involved.

“Anyway, please put your clothes on,” said Glenn.

“Dr. Glenn. You do it,” Skadi replied.

“Why me?!”

It seemed like she would draw closer to him if he made any more complaints, so Glenn gulped back his objections and fixed Skadi’s clothes. She didn’t resist him at all.

Glenn wondered where exactly her dignity as the city council representative had gone.

“Glenn,” Cthulhy said, exasperated. “What sort of persuasion did you use to convince her?”

“E-everything I said was totally normal!” Glenn cried.

“What do you mean by ‘normal?’” asked Cthulhy.

“Well I mean, you know… I just told her to try living more freely. I just told her that if her responsibilities and sense of duty were putting such heavy pressure on her… that maybe she should try using her free time to do what she wanted. That’s all.”

“Aaaaahhh… I figured it was something like that,” Cthulhy replied, a long drawn out sigh echoing from the octopus pot. “Listen, Glenn, let me tell you something.”

“W-what?”

“Even under normal circumstances, dragons all live self-indulgent lives. Skadi is no exception. She got into her pain-in-the-ass position as the city representative just because she wanted to. Anyway, I’m sure you told her something unnecessary, probably something about how since her life is so long she should try her hand at love in her spare time, right?”

Cthulhy’s guess was right on the mark. Of course, Glenn’s choice of words had been different, but he couldn’t deny that that was the general substance of what he’d said.

“If that’s true, then that’s how it’s going to be. Dragons are a greedy bunch. If they get you in their sights… it’s no laughing matter, you know,” Cthulhy continued.

Glenn thought that he was in deep trouble.

He wondered if he had indeed done something serious, and if he had gone too far, saying something unnecessary. However, he hadn’t had any other words he could have used to persuade Skadi at the time. He had intended to do everything in his power as a doctor to save her. As such, Glenn hadn’t a single regret about the words he had ended up using to persuade her.

Nevertheless, his lack of regret had absolutely nothing to do with how to get him out of his current situation.

“Big brother,” said Skadi.

“Miss Skadi, for now at least quit it with the big brother stuff… I beg you,” Glenn replied.

“Dr. Glenn! What about our promise?!” cried Sapphee.

“We’ll go, don’t worry. F-for now, how about the three of us—”

“No!”

Glenn fell silent at the strong rebuttal that came from both sides of him. He had no idea what he should do, but when he saw the fierce look in Sapphee’s eyes, he wasn’t confident any of his words would reach her.

“U-um, Lady Draconess, while I did tell you to do what you wanted… This is far too, well—how should I put it—bold… and I’m not exactly sure what I should do…” Kunai said, looking unusually flustered. She had a pale complexion to begin with, but now her face appeared downright ashen. Unfortunately, Glenn was just as much at a loss as she was.

“You sure are being pulled in every direction. Nothing’s better than being popular, is it?” Cthulhy said, stifling a yawn as if to say it was someone else’s problem—although Glenn had to admit it really didn’t concern her. He thought it was big talk coming from Cthulhy, considering she had more than enough tentacles to be pulled in any direction she wanted.

“Dr. Cthulhy, please give me your advice,” Glenn said.

“I see. Well, in that case I’ll give you a good idea,” Cthulhy replied, lifting a tentacle from her octopus pot and beckoning Glenn over. “Stand both of them up and come sleep with me. That would earn you full marks.”

“Ab-so-lute-ly not!” Sapphee cried. Her tail started to go berserk. Making her escape, Cthulhy squeezed her whole body down into the octopus pot.

Glenn glanced over to Skadi. Skadi was smiling happily, as though she was simply enjoying some mischief. He had heard her say she hated war, but it seemed she had absolutely no qualms about attempting to lure Glenn into breaking his previous promise to Sapphee. Glenn desperately racked his brain for a way to pacify Skadi and go shopping together with Sapphee.

Both Skadi and Sapphee had scales.

The problem Glenn now faced was how he could get through the situation without ruffling either of their scales. It was a problem far greater than any test he had taken in his years at the Academy.

But the one who would grade him, Cthulhy, was happily asleep inside her octopus pot.

***

No one knew.

The heart that had been excised from Skadi was soaked in liquid medicine and preserved in the Central Hospital. This mysterious tumor was an important specimen. Cthulhy planned to use the tumor to identify its cause and do research on ways to, if possible, prevent a similar disease from occurring in the future.

But something happened one night.

The tumor began to tremble and quiver.

It changed into a mollusk-like shape and skillfully opened the lid of the jar it was stored in. Using the small opening that it had created, it slipped out of the jar.

With a splat, the thing fell to the floor.

There was no longer any trace left of the heart that had haunted Skadi—the transparent blue object jiggled its body back and forth and made its way toward the city of Lindworm.

No one knew.

No one knew that the thing had escaped. Or where the thing would go.

No one knew anything about it. Yet.