Doctor Player

Chapter 44

[A quest has occurred!]

[Solve the unidentified epidemic spreading in the slums!]

(Medical Quest)

Difficulty level: Medium

Quest Description: An unidentified epidemic is undergoing in the Bay Area. Minimize the number of victims and prevent infectious diseases as a healer!

Clear conditions: Resolve the plague with minimal casualties.

Reward: Bonus level up x2, 20 skill points

Raymond shook his head at the message.

He decided to think about what he should do.

‘Maybe I can get another medal or a reward again after I solve the epidemic.’

It wasn’t just a thought.

Because Chancellor Galman and King Oden had clear sentiments about rewards and punishments.

It was clear that he would not let go of the credit for the one who solved the epidemic in the middle of the capital.

‘Then I’ll get money and fame as well! I could use that as a base to advance into the commoner’s area.’

That was the moment Raymond burned his will.

As if on cue, Lao approached Raymond.

“You cannot deceive me..”

“What?”

What kind of steak gravy is this?

Lao glared sharply at Raymond with his one-eyed glasses.

“I don’t know what you did to captivate the hearts of the innocent ghetto, but everyone must be deceived by you. I presume that your glistening appearance is hypocrisy.”

‘How did he know? Is he a genius?’

Raymond had surprised eyes.

As expected to a  top graduate of the Royal Academy.

What an amazing eye!

“So I will not leave this epidemic to you. I am the one who’s going to solve this problem, so don’t bother me!”

Lao, who spoke as if declaring war, disappeared with a stroke.

Raymond looked at the back in a bewildered way.

***

‘Then can I just stay still?’

Raymond thought blankly when he heard Lao’s declaration of war.

‘I’d be nice if he could solve it on his own.’

‘The quest reward is good, the money and honor to receive as compensation are magnificent as well, but the best thing is for someone else to solve this on their own.’

‘The epidemic is scary, and it’s not like I can wear shield magic all day long.” Raymond thought to himself that he hoped the new manager would solve it well.

Lao, fighting!

‘But there’s no way he can do it well. He seemed motivated, but he didn’t even know the basics of mechanics.’

Epidemiology.

It is a medicine that identifies the causes of epidemics through the distribution patterns and symptoms of the disease.

Without this epidemiological knowledge, he will have no choice but to approach it in a fist-like manner as if he is touching a blind elephant.

‘The same goes for the other healers. In the end, I have to do it. The problem is that I’m not familiar with epidemiological knowledge yet.’

Epidemiology is the knowledge contained in ‘basic medicine’.

For information, Raymond’s basic medical grade is C.

It wasn’t enough.

‘It may be terrible compared to the epidemiologists of modern Earth, but I still have to do something about it.’

Raymond first confirmed the most important thing.

“Please check around the patient who was taken to the treatment center a few days ago and died. There may have been additional cases.”

“Yes, prince!”

Since Raymond has an infinite authority in the Bay Area, the people carried out instructions in an instant.

“There are no new patients based around the deceased.”

Raymond breathed a sigh of relief at the words.

‘Fortunately, it is not an infectious disease that spreads from person to person.’

Infectious diseases vary depending on the route of transmission.

The worst thing is the transmission between people. It spreads in an instant.

Fortunately, it seemed to spread through other mediums, not in that way.

“But I still can’t be relieved, so please let those who have been in contact with the patient stay at home for the time being.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Tell people to come to the treatment center immediately if they’ve gotten blue dots on their bodies. It’s not contagious between people, so please spread the rumor that they don’t have to worry too much.”

Taking such necessary steps, Raymond agonized over the identity of the epidemic.

‘Let’s think, Raymond. What is the nature of this epidemic? Having similar symptoms…’

 But the answer did not come easily.

Epidemiology is a very broad and deep study.

The level of knowledge was insufficient to come up with the answer at once.

‘And there are many infectious diseases in Laipentaina that are completely different from the Earth.’

In particular, there were beings in here who made the epidemic more complicated.

It’s Ahinjong and monsters.

Pathogens derived from them often cause infectious diseases, so a much more diverse epidemic was prevalent than Earth.

‘I don’t know the exact name of the disease, but it’s likely a kind of hemorrhagic fever anyway.’

Hemorrhagic fever!

A type of infectious disease that causes fever and platelet reduction. They usually die of cerebral hemorrhage or pulmonary hemorrhage.

‘What infectious diseases are there around here that could cause hemorrhagic fever? As far as I know, there is no such epidemic in the kingdom of Houston.’

Raymond was troubled for several days.

No matter how much he thinks about it, there was no epidemic in the kingdom of Houston showing these symptoms.

“Did it come from somewhere else?”

It was a time when he had that thought.

The door of the treatment center opened and a figure with an urgent face rushed in.

“Are you Baroness Penin?”

“Yes, what’s the matter?”

Raymond looked puzzled.

The other person was wearing a neat suit as if he were not a regular poor person.

“My name is Han, and I work for Count Kaplan. I’m with Master Lao.”

“I see, but for what?”

At that moment.

The person before him did something surprising.

He knelt on one knee in front of Raymond!

“I came to see you for a favor. Please save our Master Lao!”

“………what?”

“Master Lao suddenly collapsed while investigating the epidemic! Please spare my master!”

Raymond’s face hardened.

***

Raymond ran to the official residence with Han.

Lao laid in bed with a high fever and was clearly suffering.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. He was looking around every corner of the slum until yesterday, and suddenly he got hot, and this is what happened.” 

Raymond carefully examined Lao’s condition.

‘It’s not a cerebral hemorrhage. His temperature was boiling, so he temporarily lost consciousness.’ 

But it was not a situation to be relieved.

The same pattern of asymptotic bleeding as the two patients who died recently was observed.

It must have been contagious!

“Then why did you come to see me? Why didn’t you go to the other healers outside the ghetto?”

In response to Raymond’s question, Han looked ashamed.

“I actually went to Maple Therapy Center, one of the top three treatment centers in the capital…… The cost of treatment is too high…….”

“What?”

“As a count, they called more than 2,000 pence for treatment. These damn bastards.”

Raymond opened his mouth in bewilderment.

Two thousand pennies for treatment. It was an unimaginable sum.

“The count’s situation is worse than expected. He couldn’t possibly get two thousand pence. Actually, Master Lao’s salary has been seized because of his family’s debt.” Attendant Han said in a voice that seemed to be crawling.

‘Still, his life is on the line, and he can’t afford 2,000 pence? Writer Baek’s situation seems to be much worse than I thought.’

Two thousand pennies.

It’s a lot of money for the common people, not a lot of money for the nobles.

It’s only the cost of living for a commoner’s family for two years.

Even if the family’s wealth is tilted, it would not be money that a noble person can’t pay, but his situation seems to be very poor.

“……The Kaplan family is almost bankrupt because he owes a large amount of money.” Han always spoke bitterly.

“Master Lao studied desperately from an early age to save such a family and became an official…… I can’t believe this is happening all of a sudden…… “ He said and started coughing.

Raymond felt sorry for him when he heard.It turned out that this arrogant young man was also a poor man like himself!

For some reason, Ihe felt the same way.

Then Lao opened his eyes with difficulty and said.

“Uh… I don’t need treatment.”

“Master?”

“I’ll sleep and wake up and then I’ll be alright. Treatments….”

Han was furious all the time.

“What nonsense is that? At this rate, the young master could die like someone with any other infectious disease!” 

Lao bit his lips because it was a highly probable story.

 “…Do I have to get the treatment of Baron Penin? What about the other healers?”

“All the other healers called at least 1,000 pence…… Even the Maple guys called 2,000 pence.”

“Damn it. I can’t do that. I can’t pay for that.” 

Damn, healers.

Lao uttered abusive language.

“Then I’ll hold out like this. I won’t just fall down and perish because of this epidemic.”

“Master! Stop talking nonsense! You could die!”

“But I can’t get treatment from someone I can’t trust…”

Raymond, listening to the conversation, sighed.

“Are you really going to stay still and die?”

“……!”

“You have severe petechiae. At this rate, there is a high possibility of serious bleeding sooner or later, so will you stay still?” 

‘I don’t like you very much, but I can’t watch you die.’ Raymond thought to himself.

Honestly Raymond didn’t like Lao very much.

As soon as they met, they both expected that they’re only to quarrel with each other.

‘But I couldn’t pretend not to see him dying in front of my eyes.’

However, Raymond would not treat him without him paying for anything.

Especially when he treated him badly, he had to get paid.

Raymond decided to extort something other than money.

‘I’ll make you pay a lot more than money. To the point where I think it’s better to pay cash.‘ Raymond had such an evil thought.

[You made a resolution for the patient! “Heart of Steel” will be activated!]

[Skill: [Speech] will be activated!]

That was not the end.

[The patient’s true counter!]

[“True Countermeasure” is activated!]

A three-stage combination was fitted to steeling his heart, to improving his speech, and to dealing with the truth.

“Monsieur,”

A subdued, heavy voice rang in the room.

“Look into my eyes.”

“.……!”

Raymond deliberately tried to make a conscious eye for his patient.

‘Fortunately, the heart of steel was working, so I could do it without difficulty.’

Now that he has more experience, he could do better than a great actor in a theater company to show his sincere care for patients.

“Do you think I’m doing this with a bad heart now? I’ll be honest with you. You and I have nothing to do with each other. I don’t care what happens to you.”

“..!!”

Raymond continued in a heavy voice.

“Nevertheless, I am only doing this for you.”