Magic Maker - How to make magic in another world - - Chapter 82

Magic Maker – How to make magic in another world –

Chapter 82   Between miracle and despair

The room the physicians led us to was at the very end of the facility. Along the way, we passed through several rooms. I somehow understood the reason— the treatment order. It was the same in Istria, the order in which the patients were treated. I still didn’t know the criteria for determining it, but the sequence for treating lazy syndrome patients seemed already decided. Otherwise, it would be unfair. Well, having an order was unfair in itself. In that case, it was crucial to adhere to the publicly established sequence. Otherwise, everyone would undoubtedly clamor to be treated first. Following the elderly physician, or rather, he introduced himself as Dr. Low, Winona and I arrived at a room in the facility.

“Here it is.”

Dr. Low turned back to us with a tense expression. Several other physicians and nurses followed from behind. Although this place was exclusively for lazy syndrome patients, it also handled treatment methods, so it wasn’t feasible to bring all the physicians.

When I nodded, Dr. Low knocked on the door and opened it. The interior wasn’t spacious. It would become cramped with just a few people. There were only a bed, some furniture, and chairs. A vase with a beautiful flower was placed on the shelf. Sitting in a chair was a man in his thirties—thin, with a pale and exhausted face. On the bed lay a boy around my age, clearly suffering from lazy syndrome. He lay motionless, gazing at the ceiling. There was no visible sign of magical power.

“Dr. Low, could it be that a physician has come from Istria!?”

“…Yes.”

Dr. Low had a complex expression. Although he had earnestly pleaded with me, it didn’t mean he completely trusted me. There must have been a lot of anxiety in his heart.

“W-Which one? Where is that doctor!?”

The man checked each of us. However, among us, the only ones he wouldn’t recognize were me and Winona. Moreover, Winona clearly looked like a maid. That left only me. His expectant expression turned into obvious disappointment.

“N-No way… Th-that kid?”

“Yes. He is Dr. Shion Ornstein, the physician who treated lazy syndrome patients in Istria.”

As Dr. Low spoke, the man sat in the chair with a smile. What he harbored was disappointment.

“Haha… Haha… So, those rumors were lies after all…

Deceived again. We were.”

“N-No, he is… he is…”

It probably wasn’t genuine. Dr. Low seemed bewildered, hesitating, unsure of what to do himself. I felt like I caught a glimpse of the past that the physicians and families of patients had gone through. This wasn’t the time for questioning here. There was no way for me to convince them with words. If that’s the case, then what I needed to do was clear.

“I am just a child. However, it’s a fact that I have treated lazy syndrome.

It may be hard to believe, but can you allow me to perform the treatment?

I won’t do anything to harm him. Just granting permission to touch will be enough.”

The man directed his eyes, now void of hope, towards me. What a despairing look he had. What kind of days had he been living through?

“Just touch…? Haha, I see.

Sure, go ahead. After you touch him, you’ll probably ask for money, right?

I don’t care anymore. Do as you please…”

Covering his face with his hands, the man seemed to give in to despair. This must be what Dr. Low was talking about. The despair of someone who had lost a great hope. However, it was premature. There was still hope. To convey that, I had to treat him.

I stood beside the man and placed my hand on the chest of the boy lying on the bed.

Cold.

No warmth.

There was no magic in him at all.

“I’ll heal you right away.”

As I said that, I immediately began supplying magic. Having provided magic to over three thousand patients, I had acquired an efficient method of magic supply. Treatment that once took up to five minutes was now possible in as little as two minutes.

My hands emitted light, but in this room, only I could perceive that light. So, to everyone else, it looked like I was just touching the patient.

100, 105, 110.

I gradually increased the amount of magic supplied. Even though I was accustomed to supplying magic, I didn’t know the adverse effects of providing it all at once. I had to supply it steadily and swiftly, being cautious and careful.

Once it exceeded 200, changes began to occur in the patient, the boy. His eyelids moved, and his fingers started to tremble.

“…He moved just now.”

“Huh?”

At Dr. Low’s murmur, the father lifted his gaze weakly. They should be able to see it—the changes in the patient.

“He moved?”

Yes, he moved. He was undeniably getting closer to a full recovery. I continued supplying magic. Eventually, his blinking became rapid, and his fingers, hands, and arms started to move.

Exceeding 300, the boy’s gaze turned towards us. Simultaneously, my hands shone brightly, and the boy’s entire body was imbued with magic.

Magic had returned.

“Father…?”

“Oh, oh, oh… su-such a, mi-miracle… Ahhhh! Tom! Tom!!!”

The father embraced his son, who had uttered a sound. I stepped back a little, sighing quietly to myself.

To say there was no tension would be a lie. There was anxiety. If I couldn’t treat him, such thoughts wouldn’t have been absent. But I was able to treat him. The father, crying out, hugged his son. The son seemed confused, not understanding the situation.

Amidst the doctors and nurses, led by Dr. Low, there were cheers, screams, or a mix of both, it was hard to distinguish.

“Y-You really treated him! Y-You cured the lazy syndrome!?”

“Is-such, such a thing, re-really…?”

“It’s a miracle… I can only describe it as a miracle.”

“What on earth did he do?”

The room became instantly noisy. I had seen this scene many times, yet it never became routine. I felt joy seeing people happy, but I couldn’t afford to immerse myself in those emotions. There were still more patients to attend to.

“You’ll be fine now. You won’t be able to return to your daily life immediately, but with rehabilitation, you should be back to normal. Initially, your voice may be weak, and you may not be able to move your body much, so please don’t push yourself too hard. Dr. Low, I’ll leave the rest to you?”

“Y-Yes. I’ll hand it over to the nurses here.”

I nodded gracefully and spoke to the father, who was crying.

“Take care.”

To head to the next patient, I tried to leave the room.

“T-Thank you so much! Thank you! Dr. Shion, thank you so much!”

The father repeatedly bowed his head in gratitude. It was a scene I had witnessed many times, yet it never became routine. Seeing their faces directly made my heart tighten, and I felt like crying. But if I did that every time, my body wouldn’t hold up. So, as always, I maintained a nonchalant attitude.

“No, it’s not a big de—”

I couldn’t say it wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t something I should say. I remembered that I had sealed those words. Because it was a big deal. Their past few years hadn’t been so light. To downplay it would be to belittle their struggles. So, I said this instead.

“Please take a good rest today. Well then, take care.”

When a family member falls ill, there’s no escape from the demands of daily life, and there’s no day of rest without constant worry. That phase finally ends, and one can genuinely take a break. I know this because I’ve been through it myself.

“Now, Dr. Low, let’s head to the next patient.”

“Yes, Dr. Shion!”

Dr. Low, unlike before, was now smiling. Despite shedding tears, he tightened his expression and left the room. This wasn’t just true for Dr. Low but for other doctors and nurses as well. Everyone was pleased with the success of the treatments. This fact warmed my heart, and immediately, a sense of duty set in. I needed to treat as many patients as possible. Time was of the essence. Once word spread that treatments were successful, the process would likely go more smoothly. Now, I had to treat as many patients as time allowed.

“Really… to be able to treat them…”

I couldn’t catch Winona’s soft murmurs beside me. She seemed lost in thought, wearing a troubled expression. With Dr. Low and the others, I left the room and headed to the next patient. By the time we finished treating patients within the facility, it was already evening. The number of people treated was around 200.

There were still approximately 9,800 patients left.