08 — Master of the Doctor’s Guild

08 — Master of the Doctor’s Guild

When we returned to the Healer’s Guild, a message from Goldhus was waiting for us with one of Nalia’s maids-in-training.

“Your presence at the Doctor’s Guild is humbly requested by noon tomorrow, sir.”

I didn’t know how much of her etiquette was attributed to Nalia’s teaching and how much to the girl’s natural comeliness, but she got a passing grade from me. You couldn’t ask for anything more from a guild receptionist.

“Thanks. Keep up the good work with Nalia,” I said back.

She bowed and replied with a warm smile. I proceeded to the basement, where I found Dhoran on the third floor, arms crossed, gazing proudly out at his work.

“All finished expanding?” I asked.

“Still a ways to go, but it’s goin’.”

“You’ve been doing good work. Sorry there’s so much of it.”

Honestly, it was impressive that he and Pola had done so much on their own. Downright awe-inspiring.

“Don’t make me gag, lad. You had an idea, I made it reality. Nothin’ to it.”

Nothing shook that dwarf.

“If you say so. How’s progress on the school and houses?”

“Houses’re simple enough, since they’re from the same parts ’n all. Just gotta make one to copy. Still need lumber and stones like I asked in the report.”

“Guess we’ll have to delay that project a bit.”

Dhoran shook his head and sighed. “Damn shame. Been lookin’ forward to that one the most.”

“Luc... Mister Luciel.” Pola came up. “I’m done analyzing.”

“You’re done? I will thank you not to make it sound like you did everything,” Lycian fumed. “Mister Luciel, the items you procured in the labyrinth have been thoroughly appraised. Largely by yours truly, of course.”

Pola didn’t miss a beat. “Here’s the bangle first.”

She handed me the bracelet we’d found on the forty-seventh floor of the labyrinth.

“Imbuing it with magic and speaking the magic words will create a barrier of wind around the wearer,” Lycian expounded proudly. “It renders one invulnerable to fire and ice magic as well as breath attacks.”

A barrier? Not the same as Area Barrier, I assumed.

“Then if I’d worn this against the red dragon...”

“It probably would’ve nullified its fire breath,” Pola answered, averting her eyes.

Well, it was neat that wind was enough to do that, but I doubted it could have done much about the tail. So whatever.

“Red dragon? Mister Luciel, what—”

“This is a hermit key,” Pola interrupted. “From the fiftieth floor. It’s a good find.” She handed it to me.

“How do I use it?” I asked. “Better question: what does it do?”

“It creates an extradimensional space,” she explained. “You go in by focusing magic into it, envisioning a door, then turning the key. You can build things inside too.”

I’d been expecting something more along the lines of being able to open any lock, but that was just as OP in its own right.

“You’re saying we’ve got a safe haven wherever we go?”

Pola went quiet.

“That particular hermit key is one of the lower varieties,” Lycian answered instead. “It’s meant for familiars. Humans can’t enter.”

These two made a strangely good team. But that aside, man, it was a bummer that people couldn’t make use of something so convenient. Unless Forêt Noire and the other horses could?

“What about horses? Would they be all right?”

“Yes, but keep in mind it could also be sold for a high price. Many auctions have such items on the market for a small fortune,” the elf tried to persuade me. She probably wanted the funds for more magic stones.

I’d actually learned a bit about what had landed Lycian in slavery, and it was easy to say it was out of pure single-mindedness—an irresponsible lack of regard for funds, which she primarily used to satisfy her curiosity until they ran dry. And make no mistake, that was part of it, but the real problem was that she was stubborn. An acquaintance who sympathized with her had commissioned an item, even providing the materials, but she wound up indulging her imagination once again. And when she couldn’t compensate her client for the loss, that was it.

I was sure she could have made plenty of sellable tools if she’d wanted to, but she simply had no interest in profit. She was in it for the process, the creation. Her concern for money now proved that she’d learned her lesson, though. At least, that was how I chose to interpret it.

“I don’t think I’ll be selling this. It could be useful,” I said. “Don’t expect to sell anything you guys make for the time being.”

Lycian didn’t reply.

“I couldn’t decipher the book, though,” Pola said, handing me the old volume. Apparently, we’d need a decoder or some such device to read the ancient script. Pola had been particularly interested in taking on the task, but after meeting Lycian, her attention had been more on artificing than anything else. So into the magic bag it went, its mysteries unsolved for the moment.

I told the two of them about a magic item I wanted made for providing water to the fields, asked them to let me know about any potential ideas, and told them we would be going to the forest the morning after next.

“So no all-nighters, got it? I need you guys awake.”

After relaying the same information to Honeur, I spent the rest of the day doing my usual training.

＊

The next day, Lionel and Ketty accompanied Goldhus and me to the Doctor’s Guild.

“I probably should have asked this earlier, but how did they react?” I asked.

“The guild agreed to meet you as soon as I told them who you were, sir,” Goldhus replied. “Not without a bit of uncertainty, given what happened with Grohala, of course, but the guildmaster has been wanting to see you.”

“How long are you going to call me ‘sir’? You can relax. I’m not going to make you drink any more Substance X.”

“Oh, no, it’s your aura that makes me show respect. You understand.”

“My blessing, right. But I would like you to dial it back in public, if possible.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

Goldhus guided me into the guildhall but not to any office. Instead, he led me down to an underground workshop. For a moment, I braced myself for a sight similar to the Healer’s Guild, but the pungent fragrance stinging my nostrils assuaged my concerns. I passed a few nose plugs to Lionel and Ketty, then proceeded. Goldhus wasn’t immune to the smell either, but he laughed it off when I asked about it. It seemed to be nothing compared to Substance X.

“Ah, you’re here.”

The man in the workshop noticed our arrival and looked up from his work to greet us. There was no mistaking it. He was a tanukin.

“Smick, would it have killed you to do something about the smell?” Goldhus frowned.

“Sorry about that. Was in the middle of some compounding.”

“I told you we were coming today. Mis— Luciel, this is Guildmaster Smick. Smick, this is Guildmaster Luciel.”

I totally noticed him about to call me “mister” there. Oh well.

“Nice to meet you, Guildmaster. I’m Luciel, S-rank healer,” I greeted him. “I really appreciate you taking the time to meet me.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Call me Smick. I run things here.”

“I’m hoping for good things to come from our relationship. We can heal all sorts of things, but not disease, so I’m looking forward to your involvement in the medical district.”

“Likewise. But what’s that about a medical district?” The tanukin tilted his head, looking like a tacky ornament. It almost fazed me, but I maintained my composure.

“It was decided at last month’s council meeting. We’re creating a facility to house both the Healer’s and Doctor’s Guilds at the same time. Did you not hear?”

“Can’t say I have. I spend most of my time down here formulating. The vice guildmaster handled most of that. But I’m sure whoever’s in charge of it now’s heard all about it, so don’t worry.”

Was this guy for real? He was definitely one of those types to never communicate during a group project, then all of a sudden the entire thing’s done. And that would’ve been just fine if he were a simple doctor, but he was supposed to be the guildmaster. How did this place get by? Not that I was one to talk, I guess.

“Well, to summarize, the goal is to create somewhere that everyone suffering from colds to cuts and everything in between can receive care in the same place.”

“Sounds like a good plan. Say, I heard from my nephew Walabis that you’re friends with Galba and Gulgar?”

He was that guy’s uncle? Strange that he didn’t have that same drawling way of speaking. So I guess it was safe to say that wasn’t something all tanukins did.

“Yeah. Back when I stayed in Merratoni, up in Shurule. I owe those two a lot.”

“So you’re familiar with Substance X, then, huh?”

“Intimately. It was made by a sage in the form of a pill, who first called it God’s Lament, but it was liquified when put through a magic device meant to make it infinite. That Substance X, right?”

“You know your stuff. Correct. That’s what I’m currently trying to replicate.”

You had to be some kind of mad scientist to want to make that crap. Or in this case, I guess that made him a mad doctor.

I decided to be polite. “I hope it works out.”

“When I’ve got my own lament, I’ll finally be able to get those wolf brothers back for the pain they put me through in my youth!” Smick turned to the dragonewt. “I need a mandrake, Goldhus. Fresh. Within five hours of screaming, not a minute more. I’ll pay a platinum for any adventurer who wants the job.”

“I told you the guild won’t allow requests like that. You know how dangerous it is. What if it causes another stampede?” Goldhus rebuked.

“Wait, why do you have a grudge against Gulgar and Galba?” I asked.

“You see,” Smick explained, “Crya the Divine made me a doctor at my coming-of-age ceremony, but I wasn’t always the recluse I am today. One day, my nephew made the wolf brothers angry, and just as Gulgar was about to force-feed Walabis a special recipe made out of Substance X, I stepped in.”

He had guts to try and stand in the way of those two, especially when they were angry. I pretty much knew where this was going.

Smick went on. “When I asked why they were bullying the poor guy, they told me Walabis had been selling things to children who looked up to the pair, things my nephew had been claiming belonged to them. And some of them actually were their personal belongings.”

“Uh, yeah, I think I’d be mad too,” I said.

“I agree. We tanukins are a little mischievous sometimes, but he definitely crossed a line. Ultimately, Walabis ate the food and passed out.”

An eye for an eye, eh? It sounded like Gulgar and Galba were a little mischievous themselves, pulling out Substance X over a prank. Yenice’s local hatred of the substance could likely be traced all the way back to Gulgar himself.

“Gulgar had made enough servings to cover everyone hurt by Walabis’s tricks,” Smick continued. “He said he would forgive my nephew if every plate were licked clean, so I picked up a fork.”

“Awfully nice of you.”

“Oh no, I just couldn’t back out after I went and butted in, you know? We never managed to finish it all, but the brothers let us off easy on condition Walabis never pull that stunt again.”

“I still don’t get where your grudge comes from.”

“We’re getting there. So after all that, my girlfriend dumped me because I smelled so bad! And then the guild locked me down here for the same reason! And now I still stink because I’m around reeking herbs all day!”

You’ve got to be kidding me.

“I’m struggling to see how that was anyone’s fault but your own. I mean, Walabis was the one who ticked off Gulgar and Galba in the first place. And no one told you to eat the Substance X.”

“Wait a minute.” Smick looked greatly distressed. “You’ve got a point. They might’ve even tried to stop me, now that I think about it. But then what the hell have I been doing with my life?”

Clearly not running a guild...

“Purification,” I said, casting my go-to spell. The pungent odors stuck to Smick’s person vanished.

“What was that?” he asked.

“Sorry, you just looked like you were about to lose it. I really think you need to add some ventilation down here. Is there anything here that’s sensitive to magic?”

“Uh, no?”

I cast another Purification, and the various smells in the air dissipated.

“That’s incredible, Mis— Luciel! It’s completely odorless now,” Goldhus said admiringly, then went pale when he noticed the glance I shot him for continuing to screw up my name. I could see the Substance X-colored fear in his eyes.

I looked back at Smick. “Whatever your motive was, you’ve still been concocting medicine for years, and that’s a whole lot harder than casting spells. It takes dedication and patience; qualities you clearly have.”

“You... You think so?”

“Plus, think about it. How do you plan on making those two eat or drink anything they don’t want? It’s impossible. I’m absolutely positive they’d wind up making you take it.” The guildmaster started to hyperventilate. “But it’s okay now. You’ve realized your mistake. And that time you’ve spent down here won’t go to waste. This time, we’ll use it for good. For other people.”

He muttered a quiet “Yeah.” Just barely audible to me alone.

I thought about sending Gulgar and Galba a letter about all this, but it was ancient history now. It wouldn’t have surprised me if they’d forgotten all about it.

Later, a calm and motivated Smick once again pleaded with Goldhus.

“I just need a mandrake. I could make a potion that could recover both injuries and magic if I had one!”

I looked at Lionel and Ketty. They nodded.

“All right. Here.” I pulled out a mandrake from my bag—the one Kefin had pulled out by accident.

“Th-That can’t be... Can it?”

“A fresh mandrake. Not even an hour post-scream. Consider it a symbol of our new friendship.”

“I can’t believe it!”

“I expect you to be well-informed about what’s going on in the medical district from now on.”

“Right, but first I need to get to work. Let’s meet again soon!”

The tanukin happily trotted away, deep into the back of the workshop. The rest of us smiled at each other. Our work here was evidently done.

On our way out, I wondered how many people at the guild hated my guts, but based on Ketty’s smirk, I could guess it had been quite a few. That would solve itself as we started working in the same building, I was sure. We weren’t stealing anyone’s jobs or anything, so they had no valid reason to dislike us. With things with Smick going so well, I considered having a professional dinner with the Healer’s, Doctor’s, and Adventurer’s Guilds together. To deepen relations and all that.

After making it back to the Healer’s Guild, I reported to Jord and prepared to head back to the forest the next day.