The Genius Doctor Who Lives Twice - Chapter 35

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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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Episode 35
Five days later.
Allen boarded a carriage bound for Habeln.
Today was the day of the Preliminary Hearing.
William and Edward saw him off, their eyes heavy with worry.
“If the Judge so much as shows the slightest impropriety, you tell me! I’ll have him in someone’s pocket before sundown.”
Allen let out a soft laugh at Edward’s words.
“And how much could you manage?”
“I’d sell the foundation stones if I had to.”
“As if that would amount to much.”
“Then the bedrock itself!”
Edward declared with grim resolve.
William gazed at him and let his lips curve upward.
“If you were locked away, sir, I’d follow you straight in. I could hold lectures from there.”
“At the rate you’re going, you’ll end up there on your own soon enough.”
“Ha, ha…….”
William scratched his head, embarrassed.
Truth be told, he was in no position to receive such jokes as mere pleasantry.
The carriage carrying Allen pulled away, leaving the two behind.
Inside the jolting carriage, Allen withdrew papers and read through them in snatches.
His own Defense Statement.
And Gabriel’s Petition for Leniency.
The memory of Gabriel’s stern face brought a smile to Allen’s lips.
Before, he had seen him merely as an unbendingly stubborn former Orphanage director—a wall standing against the Vaccination Technique.
But reality, it seemed, was rather more complex.
‘That priest… he was my benefactor.’
Until now, Allen had believed he was simply fortunate enough to catch the Chief Priest’s eye and had therefore received noble patronage.
But without Gabriel’s recommendation, the Chief Priest would never have given him a second glance.
Gabriel was his true benefactor after all.
‘I nearly went through my whole life without ever knowing.’
Though his recognition came late, Allen harbored genuine gratitude toward him.
For Gabriel had been the one most deeply woven into that singular moment when Allen’s entire life had shifted course.
Yet Gabriel left behind one riddle.
What had been his true motive in making such a confession before Allen that day?
‘Did he recognize me? Or did he simply pour out his regrets, unaware? If he knew, when did he first discern it?’
Had Gabriel written the Petition for Leniency knowing the ‘boy’ was Allen, or had he truly composed it without that knowledge, judging solely from their meeting?
‘There’s no way to know. And there’s no reason to dwell on it now. I must focus on the trial.’
Allen turned his attention back to the papers.
Gabriel’s petition alone would severely weaken the opposing side’s argument.
The District Priest’s denunciation had been their primary weapon in the first place.
Everything else lacked evidence.
Even his identity was a case in point.
He was no wandering healer—he was an Internal Medicine physician.
‘The best outcome would be for this matter to be resolved using only that petition, without revealing my identity at all.’
That was a hope.
But he had to prepare for the possibility that things might not unfold so neatly.
‘I cannot lie before a Judge. Eventually, I must reveal who I am.’
If he disclosed only that he was an Imperial Medical Academy graduate, it was possible the matter could be resolved cleanly without the news reaching Archibold’s ears.
True, he would need to explain what an elite Internal Medicine physician was doing in Dunford, but that much could be adequately sidestepped.
The real problem lay in a deep background investigation.
If such an inquiry were launched, the fact that he was a former professor at the Imperial Medical Academy would surface, and worse—his whereabouts might be exposed to Archibold Halloway.
The worst case would be if the Judge were connected to Halloway, directly or indirectly.
It might seem like baseless worry, but Archibold stood at the very pinnacle of the medical world through sheer force of connection alone.
His web of influence stretched across both government and commerce like a spider’s silk.
Should that be the case, Archibold would drag out the trial endlessly, inflicting maximum damage on Allen.
He would ultimately walk free on grounds of Insufficient Evidence, but Allen would be forced to abandon the foundation he had so carefully built in Dunford and take to the road once more.
‘However it unfolds, I accept it.’
Allen resolved this within himself.
For now, he would consider every possibility without being enslaved by any of them.
* * *
Habeln Regional Court.
In the Judge’s Office, Robinson sat rigidly in his chair, tense as a coiled spring.
Today was the day of the Preliminary Hearing.
The day the Judge would meet the Defendant face to face.
In some ways, it was more crucial than the Formal Trial itself.
The Judge would form his impression of the Defendant here, and that impression would shape the verdict.
Yet the Judge had summoned Robinson out of nowhere.
‘My knowledge of medicine is wanting, and I find myself in need of a physician’s counsel. Could you be of assistance?’
Bearing such a Summons, Robinson had been forced to make the long journey from Dunford back to Habeln.
And now he found himself sitting in this chair, waiting for the Defendant to arrive.
He glanced sideways at the Judge, who was buried in papers.
Suddenly, the man’s presence loomed larger than life.
‘Not someone to be underestimated.’
The Judge clearly intended to bring the Defendant and the Prosecutor face to face before the formal hearing.
He wanted to determine whether they harbored any old grudges, and if they did, what history lay behind them.
Understanding such matters was necessary before rendering judgment, yet he could not sully the sanctity of the courtroom with such petty personal affairs during the Formal Trial.
So using ‘medical consultation’ as a pretext for this preliminary meeting was plainly his strategy.
‘It’s fine. I’m hardly the sort to be outmatched by some quack physician in matters of medical knowledge.’
Robinson adjusted his appearance.
There was a touch of worry, though.
What if this Allen fellow really was a vicious charlatan?
The moment he realized Robinson was the complainant, he might stab him in some back alley.
‘I should have learned swordplay. Or at least staff techniques. I’ll need to be careful for a while.’
Robinson clenched and unclenched his fists, his nervousness getting the better of him.
Then the Judge suddenly called to him.
“Robinson.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Would you not take tea?”
“Ah… no, I’m quite well, thank you.”
“I felt guilty for taking you away from a full day’s business.”
“No, no. I’m delighted to be of service.”
Robinson mustered an obsequious smile, trying his best to make a good impression.
“Judge, the Defendant has arrived.”
The Court Officer conveyed the message.
The Judge nodded and straightened in his seat.
“Show him in.”
Click—
The door opened.
A man in a Brown Coat walked slowly into the room.
His gaze met Robinson’s for a moment, but he didn’t seem to recognize him, and his eyes passed over.
“Your Honor, I am Allen. I received your Summons and have come as instructed.”
The man bowed to the Judge with impeccable courtesy.
The Judge let out a low hum and adjusted his spectacles.
In that instant, upon seeing the young man’s face, the Judge’s eyes narrowed.
Then he tilted his head with a puzzled expression.
“Could it be…?”
The Judge, seeming to search his memory for a moment, suddenly opened his eyes wide.
“No!”
The Judge let out an exclamation, startled as if struck by lightning.
Robinson, watching from the side, felt a thrill of triumph surge through him.
‘The man must have encountered the Judge before! Without doubt, he’s a serious criminal. Perfect!’
As Robinson peered at Allen eagerly, Allen himself had widened his eyes, as if seeing an unexpected face.
But what was even more surprising was the Judge’s reaction.
The Judge, who had maintained a cool demeanor, suddenly rose from his chair, all dignity forgotten.
“Professor Alexander Rosenbaum?”
“Judge Edwin Bennings.”
The two exchanged a greeting that was barely a greeting at all.
Robinson, watching the scene unfold before him, felt as though his mind had gone numb.
‘What? What on earth is happening?’
The Judge, meanwhile, continued to exclaim, and stepped out from behind his desk in a fluster, positioning himself before Allen.
“What is the meaning of this, Professor? Has something brought you here?”
“I am Allen Wright, Your Honor.”
“What? Is he not the vagrant healer being prosecuted in Dunford?”
“That is my true name. I am currently residing in Dunford.”
“How is it that a former royal physician has gone to that place? Surely you did not receive an imperial order?”
Robinson’s jaw fell open as if his joints had shattered.
‘What? Royal physician?’
Robinson was experiencing firsthand how completely a person’s thoughts could grind to a halt upon hearing something so utterly unexpected.
“An unfortunate matter occurred in the Capital. Since then, I have retired to my hometown and have been studying Surgery. I have taken it as an opportunity for learning.”
“Remarkable… an Internal Medicine physician studying under a surgeon—truly astonishing. Yet it also speaks volumes of your passion for scholarship.”
Edwin Bennings then immediately summoned a court officer.
“You there! Prepare tea and refreshments at once. This man is my benefactor. Spare no expense!”
He then turned to Allen.
“This place is hardly suitable for receiving a distinguished guest. Shall we move to the Reception Room, Professor?”
The two disappeared down the corridor together.
Robinson, now utterly forgotten, remained seated in his chair.
Stone-still.
* * *
Judge Edwin Bennings and Professor Alexander Rosenbaum had first met three years prior.
Edwin Bennings had once been a judge at the Kalden High Court.
When his wife fell ill, Professor Rosenbaum had made a house call and personally overseen her treatment.
From that moment on, Edwin regarded Alexander as his benefactor.
In the Reception Room, the two sat side by side over tea and refreshments, conversation flowing easily between them.
“How is your wife faring?”
“Quite well. In fact, she is thriving here more than she ever did in Kalden. These days she has thrown herself entirely into learning new dances.”
Edwin said this with a smile.
As they talked, a deep kinship grew between them.
Edwin Bennings, once a capable judge at the Kalden High Court, had been entangled in some affair, falsely accused, and demoted.
Now he held only the position of judge at this regional court.
Of course, being “entangled in an affair” was only half true.
In reality, it had amounted to a factional purge driven by the struggle for power.
Edwin, bearing the scars of those bitter memories, deeply empathized with Alexander’s downfall.
Or rather, he burned with indignation on his behalf.
“Archibold—that man I despised even when I was in Kalden.”
He shook his head firmly.
“A physician who cares nothing for practicing medicine and instead schemes endlessly, consumed by central politics—it is absolutely reprehensible. I have never attended a social gathering where he was not present, insinuating himself into every conversation.”
“Perhaps having occasion to reflect has taught me I am not so different myself.”
“You are indeed different, Professor. Above all, you are the direct student of Professor Frederick Morgath. I have never witnessed him acknowledge anyone but you.”
Alexander smiled bitterly.
He had been a genius, yet ultimately only a figure drawn in the vast shadow of his master.
“In any case, these minor matters do not normally fall under our jurisdiction, but everyone has been on edge lately because of the Belmar Incident. I apologize for putting you through this inconvenience.”
“I am no longer a professor. And thanks to this, I have had the fortune of seeing you again, Your Honor.”
“Ha! That is so. But when a man of your caliber practices medicine, extraordinary results are only natural, are they not? Yet someone had the audacity to report him for Illegal Medical Practice out of mere envy—it defies belief.”
Judge Edwin cast a sharp glance toward Robinson beyond the door.
“Good heavens, Illegal Medical Practice against an Internal Medicine physician! Heaven help us.”
“I merely wished to live quietly, but the world rarely obliges one’s wishes.”
“Indeed. The world is always populated with wretched souls consumed by envy and jealousy.”
“I had hoped, after my retirement to my hometown, to live out my days in peace here. Would it be possible for you to leave this matter unspoken of and let it rest, Your Honor?”
“Of course. When I first came to this backwater, I thought, ‘How shall I survive in such a place?’ But living here has proven most agreeable. My wife is content as well.”
Edwin chuckled warmly.
They conversed a while longer before rising from their seats.
The door to the Reception Room clicked open.
“When you visit next, do bring by my wife as well, Professor. I should like to extend my hospitality.”
“I shall. It will be a good opportunity to check on her condition as well.”
“She is no longer a patient, I assure you—healthier than I am, in fact!”
Warm laughter echoed through the hall.
But Robinson, huddled in the corner, looked absolutely wretched.
“The case is closed.”
Judge Edwin regarded Robinson with undisguised contempt and spoke.
“Take yourself away. And let it be known that you may face prosecution for False Accusation. Should the Professor choose to press charges against you, I will make it my personal endeavor to see your complete ruin.”
Robinson wanted to cry.
His mustache trembled.
Allen studied him for a moment.
There was something pitiful about the way he stood there, shoulders bowed, shaking.
“You’re Robinson, then? A surgeon in the Green Hills District, I understand.”
“…Yes.”
Robinson’s voice emerged thin as a mosquito’s whine.
Allen fixed his gaze on the man’s face.
For a moment, something complicated flickered there—then vanished.
He placed a hand on Robinson’s shoulder.
“Since you’ve come all this way to Habeln, why not see the city? Come along.”

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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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