Magic Maker - How to make magic in another world - - Chapter 83

Magic Maker – How to make magic in another world –

Chapter 83   Race against time

Entrance hall.

A space illuminated by reddish-orange light.

Winona and I were facing away from the entrance.

In front of us were doctors and nurses.

It resembled the scene when we first entered the facility, but there were differences.

The expressions on the doctors’ faces.

And the atmosphere within the facility.

The oppressive air and the negative emotions that once lingered were no more.

The families of the patients were not here.

They were all by the patients who had completed their treatments.

We had already received numerous expressions of gratitude.

So, I told the families to stay by the patients.

They had thanked us enough.

They were free from the suffering inflicted by the lazy sysndrome.

“We will take our leave here.”

“Dr. Shion, thank you very much. With this, the patients in this facility… can move forward.”

Their expressions were brightened.

But it wasn’t entirely clear.

There seemed to be something lingering, and some of them had cloudy expressions.

Dr. Low appeared to want to say something with a furrowed brow…

And hesitantly, he began to speak.

“Not everyone among the doctors and nurses in this facility, but there are many whose family, friends, or lovers are affected by lazy syndrome. They are in a different facility, not within this one. Those involved in medical care are prohibited from directly dealing with their own families to avoid prioritizing them. I am… one of them.”

“I see…”

So, that’s why they were so deeply involved. Even for a doctor, it’s not common to empathize so much with patients. Some are afflicted with terminal illnesses, while others suffer from entirely different diseases. Amidst all that, their fixation on lazy syndrome, a rare ailment, stemmed from having their own family members or close ones affected by it. However, their sincere dedication to their work remained unchanged because the patients here weren’t their family or close ones.

“If we can get even a slight lead in treating lazy syndrome, if we can be involved in its treatment. That’s what I think as I work at this facility. Of course, there are also those genuinely involved in treating patients, even without a personal connection. We… had lost hope. But you saved us. I apologize for our rude behavior, skepticism; it was truly disrespectful.”

As Dr. Low lowered his head, the other doctors and nurses did the same. I hastily waved my hands.

“Ah, please raise your heads. It would trouble us if you continue like this.”

“No, let us do this. Otherwise, our feelings won’t be resolved! Dr. Shion! Thank you so much. Truly… thank you!”

“Thank you!”

Everyone expressed their gratitude so earnestly that I felt bewildered. I had received thanks many times before. Every time, I either left with just a few words or was left bewildered. It was unfamiliar. Being thanked by someone. I couldn’t help but feel awkward. I could only stand there, clueless about what to do. So, I had no choice but to act as usual.

“W-well then! We will excuse ourselves here! Th-the next patient is waiting, and we need to treat your family and loved ones too! S-so, see you!”

“W-wait! Dr. Shion! Can’t we offer you something as a token of our gratitude?”

“N-no, it’s not necessary! Take care!”

I hurriedly left through the entrance as if escaping. Thankfully, it seemed they didn’t follow me outside. While I could understand their feelings to some extent, I felt like I would panic if they thanked me any more. I tried to calm my accelerated heartbeat and took a deep breath. Phew, I managed to settle down somehow. I looked up at the sky dyed in red. Anyway, for now, I could treat only a part of the patients. The rest was to cure patients as much as time allowed. I hurriedly moved along the street. I felt someone’s gaze, and when I instinctively turned around, Winona was observing me.

“W-what’s wrong?”

“Huh? N-nothing! I-it’s, um, nothing at all!”

Both of us inexplicably became flustered. For some reason, it felt awkward, and I unintentionally continued the conversation.

“S-so, where should we go next?”

“W-well, we’re supposed to visit the facilities in order from the ‘First lazy syndrome Containment Facility’ we just left. I think they’ve already been informed, so we should be able to move on to the next facility and start treatment right away. The ‘Second Containment Facility’ is the largest, containing around 300 people.”

There are reportedly 45 containment facilities in total. Each one houses around 200 to 300 people, and similar to Istria, the treatment order is predetermined. In Istria, regardless of social status, treatment followed the conditions set by Duke Balkh. The duration of the lazy syndrome, the severity of symptoms, the family’s financial capacity, and various other conditions were considered to determine the order. I realized I had treated in the order I was brought in without questioning it.

Yes, it’s the same here in the royal capital of Sanostria. Although the conditions set by Duke Balkh might be different, the treatment order has already been established. It’s not easy to change that order. Breaking the order and cutting in line among people waiting will inevitably cause friction. Even if I were to receive treatment, it might lead to resentment from other patients. It’s not just about me; rather, that hatred might be directed at patients and their families. These are rules, norms to protect everyone. If I were to arbitrarily break those norms, people would suffer. In a sense, because the treatment order is already decided, it makes certain aspects easier. By completely accepting it, we can save unnecessary time and focus on treatment. However, the challenge lies within that treatment.

The number of patients is around ten thousand. At least by around twenty days later, we could treat that number of people. However, the time remaining for us is only about two weeks, and the remaining patients are around 9800. We need to treat over 700 people each day.

There is enough magical power, but it takes several minutes to treat one person. If we hurriedly assume it takes two minutes per person and aim to treat 700 people, it would take 1400 minutes. In a day, there are 1440 minutes. We have only a 40-minute margin. Moreover, it’s already evening today, and we’ve only treated 200 people.

Considering treating an additional 500 people, it’s undoubtedly impossible to accomplish within the remaining time today. In other words, time is overwhelmingly insufficient. Treating patients up to the 45th facility is impossible. We do plan to continue treatment as long as time allows, but we can’t do anything about the time itself.

If we can’t treat them within the designated period, the treatment of lazy syndrome patients will be postponed. The fact that lazy syndrome is not a disease that results in death is the reason for this. If it were a disease that led to death, things might have been different. But at the moment, the priority is the preparation period for dealing with the “Chosen Individuals from Other Countries” after treatment.

The gathering of Chosen Individuals from various countries is scheduled for one month after receiving the queen’s letter. That’s approximately twenty days from today. In other words, even after the designated two-week treatment period, there is still about a week for preparation. I might consider this preparation period to be long, but I can only say this because I don’t know the details. In other words, I have to accomplish everything within the given two-week period. I don’t know the exact duration of the lazy syndrome treatment training, and I don’t know if I can immediately start treating lazy syndrome patients afterward.

“…I want to ask the queen to extend the treatment period, but do you think that’s difficult?”

“Well, I think it’s challenging. We’ve received an announcement in advance that ‘plans will not be changed unless there are very exceptional circumstances.'”

“I see… it’s tough.”

As expected, the period is two weeks, and it seems impossible to extend it. If that’s the case, what I need to do is already clear. Instead of stopping, I need to keep moving forward and think while in motion.

“All right! Let’s go. To the next facility.”

“Huh? Aren’t you going back to your home? You haven’t even taken a proper break.”

“It’s okay; I’m used to it. We can’t waste time like this. Let’s hurry. All I can do now is treat as many patients as possible.”

I headed to the next facility at a brisk pace. If the time is fixed, I need to think about it. About a “more efficient treatment method.” And it needs to be done without fail and with certainty. I have experience with thousands of treatments. Now, I just need to trust my own inspiration and intuition. I must think efficiently but not rush to the point of failure. Above all, I shouldn’t harm the patients. I need to think of a method that is certain, solid, bold, and efficient. That’s the only way to treat all the patients within the given period.

“Wait, please, Lord Shion! D-don’t just suddenly run like that!”

I heard Winona’s scream from behind. I’m sorry, but I can’t slow down. From now on, it’s a race against time, against myself, and against lazy syndrome. So, I move forward with all my might. I will definitely cure everyone. That’s my pledge.