Black Sail
Chapter 518 - 147. Seeing ghosts

Chapter 518: 147. Seeing ghosts

Seeing a doctor is an art. If it costs less than a silver coin, don’t even bother considering it. It’ll absolutely be some old-school orthodox doctor who’ll just bleed you for treatment, soak some bread in Holy Spirit Church pool water for you to eat. You might come across someone who understands things and gives you some herbs. That’s kind of hit or miss, though. A really skilled old-school doctor actually knows their stuff. Herbs can be more reliable than new pharmacology. The shoddy ones will just ruin your digestive system.

Mika studied the most advanced medicine on the Western Continent, but unfortunately, his mother passed away. Rein had no other option and didn’t want to owe Celeste a favor, so he didn’t bother with the military doctor she brought.

He wandered around Drifting City on his own. Because it was too hot, he trimmed his hair unevenly, looking every bit like a vagrant.

He wasn’t satisfied with the several clinics he visited; they didn’t even have the proper professional tools.

It was night by now.

He finally found a clinic with new pharmacology diagnostic tools. At least it looked more professional. The doctor’s age and demeanor reminded him of an old scholar, wearing glasses with a decorative chain. Except for being a bit hunched, he seemed quite reliable.

"Doctors with some competence in this city have all been conscripted by Uborio. Why haven’t they taken you? Is it because you lack skill, old buddy?"

Rein sat in a chair. At least the stone room’s decorations were decent, complete with a human skeleton, many insect specimens, infusion bags made from magic beast stomachs, professional syringes, heart-sound instruments, and various forceps and chisels.

Given his age, calling the elderly man "old buddy" was somewhat bold.

The elderly man did not respond, simply listening to Rein’s heart sounds. He discovered this Highland Wolfman was a Mirror Person with reversed organs, an intriguing phenomenon. According to the Northern Prison’s espionage investigation reports, the cause of this rare mutation, with an occurrence rate of about one in a million, was still undetermined, particularly rare among Highland Wolfmen.

"The leap forward in new pharmacology seemed to have happened after the Northern Prison was established, roughly twenty years ago. It’s really rare to see someone your age keeping up with new things. Your fee is lower than I expected. Considering your age, you should have children taking care of you."

Rein said, coughing violently with an itchy throat.

The old man felt somewhat embarrassed. You’re running a 42-degree fever, and you still have the energy to chat?

"You’re quite talkative."

He said flatly. This wolfman didn’t have any severe problems, but he wanted to examine further. This rare sample, with reversed organs, was the first Highland Wolfman he’d encountered.

"Seriously, do you not have kids or something? I genuinely have a sharp question. Some people just can’t manage anymore at forty, but some can still be strong at fifty or sixty. Do you get what I mean? I just want to know if it’s common to be strong at that age, or uncommon. You’re a doctor, you must understand, like you—are you still kicking? You don’t have kids, no wife. Do you still enjoy some fun occasionally?"

Rein was genuinely curious about this. In Heaven Port, there was no issue with aging due to violent deaths or simply getting too old. But some old folks were still quite capable. Is it true?

The old man was stunned.

"Holy crap, thinking about it, if you’re really skilled and haven’t been conscripted by Uborio, maybe you’re a spy from Aran. Are you a spy?"

"No, just... can you be quiet?"

"You’re right. You look more like a Pedan, more refined compared to Aran folks. Pedan, yeah? Is it true there are a lot of homosexuals over there? The cold climate makes people depressed, leading them to those preferences."

Rein speculated this way about Fen.

"Please, thank you."

The old man continued listening to Rein’s heart sounds.

Rein made a zipper gesture across his mouth.

After a while.

The old man put down the heart sound instrument.

"Your immune system is overreacting, nothing major. Your smoking and drinking have exacerbated this issue. I’ll get some azathioprine. It’s rare, and I need to get it from the warehouse. The climate is dry here, don’t drink alcohol, not even a single cup. Drink plenty of water, remember. Stay here, don’t touch anything. I’ll be right back. The fee is two silver coins and forty-two copper coins. Prepare the money."

The elderly man wasn’t suspicious. For someone like Rein, an alien presumably here on rumors, better not provoke him.

He just wanted to give him the medicine and let this chatterbox go.

"Yes, sir!"

Rein exaggeratedly saluted. New pharmacology usually treated the wealthy and the nobles, so this high price was reasonable. Those alchemy tablets were also costly. Every time Black Sail procured supplies, Mika’s stuff was the most expensive.

The deceased deserved respect. Rein did miss Mika. There were few people like him, comparable to a star chain.

Still, it was impossible for Rein to stay put. The medicine cabinet seemed to be in the outside back warehouse, quite far. With nothing to do for a few minutes, he’d get sick from the boredom.

He started wandering around, curious about the human skeleton. Touching it, he was shocked to find it wasn’t plaster, but indeed real human bones, quite impressive.

He examined the skull structure, noting the differences from the usual ones he twisted off. This must be a Yisu’s skull.

Seeing the old man’s desk made him recall his past. Even if he wasn’t a thief, he had some experience from previous burglaries.

The layout of the desk’s drawers didn’t match the actual dimensions. Each compartment was too high, quite unreasonable. Could there be a hidden compartment? Let’s see what this old man is hiding.

After some fiddling, he indeed found a hidden compartment beneath the drawer’s wooden board. With ease, he pried it open with his nail, revealing a button.

A security alarm?

A magic-guided communication device to contact the Judicial Hall in case of a robbery?

Rein pressed it without hesitation, not thinking much about it.

Behind the human skeleton, a stone wall revealed an arcane mimetic barrier, appearing as stone under light. A dark passage emerged.

All buildings in Drifting City were carved out of rock.

This surprised Rein. This old man had secrets.

He had no intention of entering. It was likely just a valuable storage area. He wasn’t in need of money.

Uborio needed a lot of support.

Dealing with a tiger was extremely dangerous, but there were no other options.

The Seventh Amendment, Lostra, Black Sail.

Uborio was desperate for victory. He had potential allies on a grand strategy.

The Gion Government was fickle and unreliable. Gureg was weakened with internal political turmoil, seeking self-preservation, avoiding conflicts.

The Pedan Government provided weapon and financial support to Uborio but would not send troops.

Lostra’s attitude differed, as their ecological niche on the Western Continent compelled them to support Emperor strongly, even financially if necessary.

Like a three-player landlord game, the first player aggressively forced their way forward, even breaking a straight set for leverage.

Lostra was that aggressive player, always pushing against Aran.

Pedan wasn’t the same, refusing to bleed themselves dry. They had to make a deal, doing business.

Using captured or killed Aran soldiers for human experiments, maintaining high secrecy, not leaking any information.

The Pedan Magic Energy Industrial Committee, led by Commissioner Huitt, was disguising as a doctor in Drifting City. He used this identity to purchase daily items or commission the adventurer’s guild for research materials.

Uborio’s men regularly transported captives or corpses to Huitt and his team for experiments.

At this moment, Commissioner Huitt returned from the warehouse with azathioprine, never expecting the situation to escalate absurdly with this chatterbox discovering the lab entrance.

"Did you go inside?"

Huitt’s demeanor changed from a kind elder to someone with a dark, somber expression.

The Aran Army’s Life Alchemy posed a severe military threat to other nations, with life-refining officers above lieutenant rank achieving significant physical enhancements and improved magic rune armor capacity.

Huitt was one of Pedan’s leading researchers countering this technology.

"Not yet. Did you hide something like a Star Crossbow there?"

Rein didn’t take it seriously.

But Huitt knew better, this being beyond Black Sail. He couldn’t let Rein leave. Pedan Government didn’t need to explain to Uborio.

"Your severed hand, it can actually regrow. I have a way."

Huitt coldly stated.

"Let’s hear it."

Rein casually picked his ear.

"But it comes at a price."

In an instant, Huitt gathered a head-sized gray ether energy ball in his right hand. This level of an arcane missile was nearly as potent as a cannonball.

"Oh shit!"

Rein’s eyes widened.

Meredith’s arcane missile was only fist-sized. This instantly cast missile, without need for guidance, and of this magnitude, meant someone as strong as Fen, a master in the arcane realm.

The former deputy leader of the Starving Wolf Adventure Group and a founding shareholder of Black Sail, he had been maimed due to his recklessness.

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