Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 274

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 274
Eun Wang-ya smiled warmly as she watched me work.
“So you’ll eat now and observe the patient’s condition throughout the night?”
I nodded in response to her words.
“Yes, that’s right. Since it’s a triple yin pulse condition, I can’t predict how the illness might fluctuate, so I plan to observe directly myself. That’s why I’ve prepared a late-night meal as well. Haha.”
I had shaped stir-fried pork rice into rice balls.
At first glance, they resembled convenience store triangular kimbap… but the ingredients inside and the wok flavor were nothing short of luxurious.
Truly, Central Plains-style rice balls!
A secret technique that only someone who’d transmigrated from the modern era could create!
And it possessed the meticulous details that only someone in an extreme profession—one who had to survive on rice balls at least once a day—could achieve.
‘Tuna mayo is the hardest to make.’
Mayo I could manage somehow. The problem was the tuna.
In this era without deep-sea fishing vessels, catching tuna was like plucking stars from the sky.
And processing that tuna into factory-style instant canned tuna was equally impossible.
That was the taste of capitalism.
‘Come to think of it, I don’t really miss home-cooked meals.’
They say the food people eat in childhood becomes memories that stay with them for life.
The orphanage meals weren’t bad, but they weren’t the kind that would embed themselves in my heart as cherished memories.
The only thing I occasionally remembered was Vienna sausage stir-fry… maybe?
Rather, I found myself missing dakgalbi, budae jjigae, jokbal, fried chicken, hamburgers—those kinds of things more often.
‘When I list them all out like this, they’re all… eating out food? What’s this?’
Professor Jin became aware of my true tastes.
Since my life had been defined by eating out, my palate had become fixed in that direction.
In any case, the pork stir-fried rice balls were neatly packed in a bamboo lunch container, waiting for the day they would be eaten as a late-night snack.
“Would you like to try one as well, Your Majesty?”
“How could I possibly refuse a late-night meal prepared by you?”
“Krkrkrk. I still have flour and sugar left, so if I have time later, I’ll fry some pastries for you.”
“That still seems incomplete, doesn’t it?”
“I haven’t found the golden ratio yet. Just try some when you get the chance.”
“Very well.”
This mad modern person was even researching how to fry donuts these days.
‘Ah, I wish I’d brought kimchi with me.’
* * *
After finishing the meal, I returned to the Third Prince’s side.
The senior physician who had been monitoring his condition in my absence rose to his feet.
“The Prince keeps alternating between sleep and wakefulness. Once he falls asleep, he enters such a deep state that he wouldn’t wake even if loud noises occurred.”
Though I had removed it quickly, the accumulated fatigue in his body must be severe.
I placed my hand on the patient’s neck and concentrated on my inner perception.
“The recovery is progressing as expected. Since sleep is necessary for recovery, it seems his sleeping hours will exceed his waking hours for several days.”
“It’s fascinating to observe. I’m also worried whether I could manage such a thing myself.”
The senior physician opened up about his inner thoughts.
In ordinary Medical Guilds, speaking such candid concerns to a superior would be considered a grave discourtesy.
However, from my perspective, such an atmosphere provided no benefit whatsoever to patient treatment.
And so naturally, we had moved away from maintaining that kind of formality.
“It’s what everyone thinks, after all. I wasn’t skilled from the beginning either.”
I answered without hesitation.
“When I look at the Patriarch, I feel both admiration and despair….”
“…But you’ll keep going anyway. You can’t let people die.”
“That’s right.”
The feelings I once held toward my senior in the past—now the next seedling in this martial world was beginning to nurture those same emotions.
‘Medicine is something that continues on.’
The work of saving lives differs fundamentally from taking them, and it can never be accomplished alone.
Someday, the senior physician before my eyes would become a towering tree, and a new sprout would take root, feeling that same sense of awe while gazing upon that great tree.
Despair, and admiration.
Even those contradictory emotions that gnawed at one’s heart would become excellent nourishment for a surgeon.
“Isn’t it about time for several more trainees to arrive at the main branch?”
“Yes, that time is approaching.”
“When they arrive, I’ll teach them.”
At those words, Bunta Senior Physician’s eyes widened.
“You yourself, Patriarch?”
“Whether it’s me or the senior physicians I’ve trained, it will be helpful. The doctors at the main branch are quite skilled.”
“They’re famous. I know of them.”
The level of skill among the Pusul Hall senior physicians personally trained by Seo Baek-ryong was extremely renowned in the medical world.
He never stopped pushing them, never gave them special consideration.
But conversely, everything outside of work was free.
There was no need to concern oneself with relationships or power dynamics, and even if one made a foolish statement during medical conferences, there was no ridicule or exclusion.
The senior physicians who grew under such an eccentric doctor had now developed surgical skills that surpassed most branch directors.
And in the Pusul conferences I led, they had begun to offer reasonably sound opinions.
Bunta Senior Physician’s eyes gleamed with light.
“I’ll definitely come. I absolutely will!”
‘If they grow well, they could become a fine team.’
When I first came to the martial world, there was only one pair of hands capable of performing Pusul treatment.
Now that number had multiplied into several pairs.
Despair and admiration.
Could this senior physician truly step beyond that threshold?
I quietly hoped that he could.
* * *
I organized the details of today’s surgical progress while sitting beside the sleeping Third Prince.
‘It’s about time I modified this pencil differently.’
What I had now was a primitive form of pencil—charcoal wrapped in cloth.
Improvements to goods can only be made when there’s sufficient profit to be had.
What had once been used exclusively by Baek Rin’s Medical Guild and Bunta was now beginning to spread quietly to other places.
So it was time to replace the cloth wrapping with wood or paper, and to diversify the cutting implements as well.
Whether modern doctors or martial artists’ physicians, they often needed to write quickly—brushes simply wouldn’t suffice.
‘I should prepare for mass production now. Not just doctors, but merchants and lower-ranking officials also frequently need to write in haste.’
In the past, Baek Rin’s Medical Guild had no merchant company, so even such valuable ideas had to share profits with other trading houses.
But now that we had backing.
There was naturally no need to contact other merchant companies.
‘It would be nice to manufacture pen nibs that use ink, but honestly, from a physician’s perspective, pencils are more convenient than pen nibs.’
Perhaps because this wasn’t official business.
Doctors passed notes among themselves, and prescriptions were delivered to pharmacies anyway—the pharmacists only needed to recognize the medicinal ingredients.
In fact, writing with ink-dipped pen nibs required careful storage to prevent the ink from drying, and managing various aspects like the nib’s condition could become tedious.
‘But for sending letters or keeping records, it’s definitely advantageous. Since these need to be preserved long-term, they won’t fade like graphite would.’
When I wrote that thesis last time, gripping a fine brush and writing desperately for an hour until my shoulders stiffened—I couldn’t express how much I missed a computer.
I didn’t expect a keyboard, but even just a pen nib would be so much better.
‘Considering current metalworking techniques… I should first ask the Dang family for sample prototypes. Then assess whether mass production is feasible.’
I couldn’t expect the quality of modern pen nibs, but it would certainly be better than brushes.
Ssswick—
One part of my mind worked on business plans while the other organized simple notes on today’s surgery.
It was foundational work for drafting the next thesis.
That’s when Hwang-gu, who had been lying down, lifted his head.
Woof.
Almost simultaneously, my rapidly moving pencil froze for an instant.
Thunk—
My hand moved in a different direction.
At the same moment, the premium glass window shattered with a deafening crash.
Crash!
Flying through the broken window was a circular blade.
‘That’s a chakram!?’
The sharp blade collided with the pencil I had just thrown.
Clang!
Despite being merely a primitive pencil striking a blade, the sound rang out as if steel had struck steel.
I quickly rose to my feet and stroked Hwang-gu’s head.
‘Good boy.’
Woof!
An assassin capable of deceiving my senses and approaching this far was undoubtedly a master of considerable skill.
However, it seemed they couldn’t fool Hwang-gu’s nose.
‘Judging by the force behind that chakram, they’re at the peak level? With this much power, they shouldn’t be able to evade my senses. That’s strange.’
A masked woman in black rushed in almost simultaneously.
Just as I was preparing my next counterattack.
Her body became translucent, and she passed through my form to rush at the Third Prince!
‘Wow, this is an interesting martial technique. Or is it more like sorcery?’
Whatever movement technique she employed, she deceived my spiritual perception like a ghost and clouded my awareness completely.
I immediately swung the three-legged stool I’d been sitting on moments before.
Oddly enough, not where her blade was traveling, but above it.
Clang!
The sound of blades colliding rang out through empty air.
A direct hit.
“Tch… How did you see through it?”
When her second strike failed, the assassin immediately retreated backward.
I simply watched her flee in a panic.
Because the patient was still sleeping deeply.
Someone had to guard the patient.
However, I never said I wouldn’t pursue.
“Noeji, Hwang-gu.”
At my words, the two furred beasts stirred and rose.
“Track her as discreetly as possible. Just confirm where she hides and return.”
At that command, both spirit beasts bolted out simultaneously.
Noeji climbed high into the sky, while Hwang-gu hugged the shadows as he departed.
The four-legged beast’s movements, resembling a shaman’s tai chi steps, made me chuckle.
‘Master Mudang Gwon-je taught his two disciples well.’
He always said if you have no fists, you have teeth—and ultimately, a good beating solves everything.
If anyone else had said such things, they’d be branded mad, but the Patriarch made it work.
‘I didn’t expect that one to be active already. This is troublesome.’
I realized who she was in an instant.
The ability to transform momentarily into something spiritual and pass through objects. Combined with a killing technique that clouds human perception.
There were only a handful of people capable of clouding my spiritual awareness.
‘The princess of Selim Kingdom, described as “the black blade that dreams of vengeance.”‘
And a former colleague of Yeo Ha-ryun who was killed by Hyeolseonggyo.
Princess Ilkana of Selim Kingdom.
‘Now that she refers to herself as an empire, should I call her empress instead?’
Whether princess or empress, it doesn’t matter.
She is neither anymore.
In any case, the Sultan only began calling himself “Emperor” relatively recently.
And no neighboring nation recognizes the Sultan as emperor.
‘For convenience, I’ll think of her as a princess. Acknowledging Selim Kingdom as an empire would be the most infuriating thing for her.’
In any case, for a kingdom’s princess to join an assassin’s guild and work as an assassin, her life must have been extraordinarily tragic.
She was born as the only daughter of the Sultan’s sixth wife.
But this era’s Sultan showed little interest in protecting his wives.
Unlike the Hua Empire, where all royalty are descendants of Taihe and Fuxi and fight with spears regardless of gender.
The power struggle was conducted not through ability, but through pure influence of maternal relatives.
All the queens desired their own children to become the next Sultan, and thus they had no choice but to engage in endless machinations.
Ilkana’s (female) mother died during one of these power struggles.
Surprisingly, it was one of the common occurrences in the royal family.
Now that she had lost her mother, Ilkana (female) had three paths remaining before her.
She could assume a minor administrative position, or disappear somewhere through a political marriage.
Or she could seek revenge.
However, for her with no considerable power to speak of, the third option would be quite difficult.
If even the slightest hint of desire for revenge appeared, her life would be forfeit.
What Ilkana (female) chose was to cut her hair and scar her own face with deliberate marks.
Then she washed away her identity and devoted herself to the assassination cult of the Gyeoguk.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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