The Quack Lady - Chapter 46

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 46

 

* * *

 

Gold.

 

It’s a representative mineral that’s used for food consumption thanks to being the most harmless to the human body.

 

If it were really gold being consumed, I would have said it was gold, but.

 

‘The child said it was medicine.’

 

What the child was consuming was water mixed with gold powder.

 

And it was water where impurities hadn’t been properly filtered out.

 

Naturally, this was extremely dangerous for the child.

 

Why?

 

Because the impurities contained heavy metals like sulfur and mercury that cause fatal problems to the human body.

 

Above all, this place was near a mine.

 

There was nothing more to say.

 

“Where is he. Your sibling.”

 

“You, what are you to suddenly ask about my sibling…”

 

Perhaps because of my attitude, the child began to read the situation warily.

 

I didn’t have time to argue with the child here.

 

“The water you’re feeding your sibling contains many impurities, so consuming it causes symptoms like abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools, and so on.”

 

“What…?”

 

“Naturally, it’s more fatal for growing children.”

 

“…What are you saying right now.”

 

“I don’t know what illness is causing the pain, but if left as is, it could progress to intestinal obstruction* along with heavy metal poisoning.”

 

A symptom where the intestines become necrotic.

 

Sand and heavy metals not only continuously damage the body’s organs but also accumulate in the body without being expelled.

 

‘Eventually, intestinal resection would be necessary.’

 

As I finished that thought, I felt my hands trembling finely.

 

“Wh, what are you talking about…? Surely, Se… a doctor named Sebek said that eating this, this would cure everything…”

 

“So. Are your sibling’s symptoms recovering?”

 

“…”

 

“Haven’t symptoms been added one by one?”

 

“…Bu, but surely these are symptoms that appear while recovering…”

 

“Are you certain?”

 

It was a matter of life and death. The child who should have answered more certainly than anyone couldn’t say anything.

 

No, to be precise, only eyes stained with fear were trembling, having lost their way.

 

I could tell without hearing an answer.

 

“Guide me immediately.”

 

At my words, the child immediately turned around and began running somewhere in a hurry.

 

“Mia.”

 

Eruten immediately grabbed my arm worriedly.

 

“It’s an urgent situation right now. I’ll be back.”

 

There was no time to hesitate. Perhaps because of my firm answer, he responded with a short breath.

 

“I’ll go with you. I’ll help.”

 

At those words, I immediately spoke to Rudel.

 

“There might be things that are hard to see. Please take care of the Young Baron.”

 

“Will you be alright?”

 

“Yes. I’ll be fine.”

 

“Rtemeia!”

 

I deliberately ignored Demian’s shout from behind and turned my steps.

 

The child was in critical condition.

 

* * *

 

On the way back after meeting Clint and Ditten, priest Joseph let out a hollow laugh from sheer disbelief.

 

“The child has left the Count’s Manor for treatment.”

 

“No, wasn’t the treatment already completed?”

 

“Yes. That’s correct. When the child returns, we’ll let you know, so please visit again then.”

 

Recalling the situation from earlier, he ground his teeth.

 

Thanks to this, all his efforts to determine that it wasn’t a complete cure had become futile.

 

That cunning Count had spirited his son away.

 

‘How am I supposed to face the Cardinal!’

 

Though he didn’t show it particularly, for some reason Cardinal Zenhauer was skeptical about the Young Baron’s treatment.

 

“He has been punished. Even I cannot do anything about God’s will.”

 

“Time will resolve it.”

 

He didn’t want to go against the Cardinal’s mood.

 

What he thought would be a very simple matter had become a trap.

 

Moreover, the place the child had gone to was Hartwin Baronial Residence.

 

Unlike other high-ranking nobles who usually made massive donations, it was a family that pursued practicality and justification, so they always had friction with the Temple.

 

‘This won’t do.’

 

Having reached the Cardinal’s office before he knew it, he bit his lips and opened the door.

 

The Cardinal tilted his head briefly upon seeing him return faster than expected.

 

Then, after dismissing all the priests around, he faced Joseph.

 

“Priest. Your complexion is dark. Shall I ease your worries with my holy power?”

 

“What? Oh no, no! How could I dare receive the Cardinal’s holy power…”

 

The priest immediately waved both arms.

 

Cold sweat ran down his back at the Cardinal’s words.

 

The Cardinal before him was one who possessed the most powerful authority in history.

 

With one touch of his hand, everyone seemed to resonate with him and follow him.

 

With that thought, his mouth closed even more like he had eaten honey.

 

However, he had to speak.

 

“Car… Cardinal, that is, well…”

 

He carefully began to speak, reporting everything that happened at the Count’s Manor in detail.

 

About how they used their wits to spirit away the Young Baron and how he had to return empty-handed in the process.

 

“That’s how it happened…”

 

There was no change in the Cardinal’s complexion. He was always just smiling with a beautiful face.

 

‘Not knowing his intentions makes it even more maddening.’

 

Joseph’s eyes, who had been trying to maintain composure, widened greatly.

 

Under the desk, Zenhauer’s hand lightly placed on the chair was trembling slightly.

 

But because of the contrasting peaceful face, it was a very discordant sight.

 

“The Marquis’s mansion…”

 

Zenhauer’s gaze, who had muttered lowly, turned to the small goddess statue placed before him.

 

“I’m worried.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“The Young Baron’s treatment hasn’t been confirmed to be going well, but if he wanders around here and there like that…”

 

His gaze turned toward the floor.

 

‘Come to think of it…’

 

Nobles who fell ill usually asked priests whether their illness had been cured or had worsened further.

 

They receive evaluation before the noble God.

 

Therefore, for a noble who hadn’t received the Temple’s complete recovery judgment to go outside…

 

“…Evil energy could spread.”

 

Joseph’s complexion also began to darken rapidly.

 

“Cardinal, then shouldn’t we immediately send the Young Baron back to the Count’s Manor?”

 

“For now, it would be better to observe the situation. The Count wouldn’t have the Young Baron go out without any basis either.”

 

Zenhauer’s gaze turned toward the small goddess statue inside the office.

 

“However….”

 

“…?”

 

He slowly lifted his eyelids.

 

His sacred, glowing gray-white eyes slowly reached Sernando.

 

“We must not let our guard down. If by any chance evil energy spreads throughout the Marquis’s Mansion because of the Young Count….”

 

“….”

 

“There would be problems for the Duchess who is about to give birth as well.”

 

Soon he smiled elegantly and extended one hand.

 

Joseph slowly approached him and carefully took his hand.

 

Then he brought it to his forehead and pledged his loyalty.

 

“I shall obey your command, Cardinal.”

 

At Joseph’s immediate response, a faint smile appeared on Zenhauer’s lips.

 

“Secretly deploy Holy Knights to the Order near the Marquis’s Mansion, then investigate what’s happening inside.”

 

“Yes!”

 

“And prepare to strike at any moment without warning. We must protect the Empire’s Marquis’s family.”

 

At his words, Joseph immediately bowed at the waist.

 

* * *

 

The place the boy guided me to was a cottage located in the forest that appeared beyond the mine.

 

A house so old and shabby in every corner that it looked like it would collapse at any moment.

 

The child immediately threw the door wide open.

 

“Beria!”

 

It was a vigorous call, but no sound whatsoever came from inside.

 

However, the child familiarly approached the bed placed inside the house and said.

 

“Beria. Are you okay?”

 

The child opened her eyes thinly at her brother’s words.

 

The brown eyes revealed between her thinly opened lids were growing dim.

 

“I’ll examine her right away.”

 

I immediately checked the child’s pulse and measured her breathing.

 

The child’s irregular breathing and the crackling sound coming from her lungs.

 

‘I’m certain. It’s heavy metal poisoning.’

 

Above all, the moment I saw her slightly swollen belly, indescribable devastation washed over me.

 

It was evidence that intestinal obstruction was already progressing.

 

“H-how is it? My sister is okay, right? Right?”

 

The child anxiously grabbed and shook my shoulders.

 

When I turned my gaze, a bowl containing gold dust was placed nearby, as if she had just eaten from it.

 

‘This is driving me crazy.’

 

I wanted to immediately classify this as an emergency, take a CT scan, start an IV, and prepare for gastric lavage, but….

 

‘There’s nothing here….’

 

It was then, as I slowly lowered my gaze filled with despair.

 

“If you don’t give up, the patient’s survival rate is 100 percent, but the moment the doctor gives up, the patient’s survival rate becomes 0 percent. So never give up on the patient.”

 

The words my emergency medicine professor had said flashed through my mind.

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