The list of items I needed was endless, but the one thing I needed most was an operating theater.
「Let’s start with making the bathing room. The magic tools required are quite common, so as long as we have the money and materials, we can get them right away.」
「Y-you’re right.」
Reina was unsure if it was fine to begin by making the bathing room first, but I believed it was all right. I had a reason to start there.
「The building next to the Adventurer’s Guild is vacant, so we can use it as a temporary clinic. Let’s make an operating theater there. This is what your practice is for.」
The building was already a splendid building. With a little renovation, it could be used as a clinic, and there was even a large room inside that could be turned into an operating theater. All that needed to be done was to adjust the atmospheric pressure and waterproof it.
Buildings created with Reina’s earth magic were flawed due to the fact that once the magic supply wore off, the structure would weaken and water could seep in, so a two-storey building couldn’t be safely built using that method. The roof will also have to be made with different materials. At the end of the day, it didn’t seem possible to use it as an operating theater. On the other hand, the building next to the Adventurer’s Guild was an existing two-storey building constructed without magic.
「I’ve asked the carpenter to do something about the roof, but I have to get some water-resistant materials」
「What do you need?」
「I can’t disinfect it if it’s not resistant to heat, so maybe a Magma Slime’s jelly?」
This world had the technology to process slime jelly. Slime jelly, which could be a great substitute for vinyl, seemed to change shape by a special alchemy spell, but the regular kinds were sensitive to heat. Only a Magma Slime’s jelly could withstand disinfection using hot water, but it was pretty rare.
「Looks like it’s going to be another expensive purchase.」
「Actually, I wonder if there is anyone who even stocks it here in Yggdrasil.」
Magma Slimes didn’t inhabit any nearby regions. We were unlikely to encounter them unless we climbed to the higher elevations of a volcano. On top of that, Magma Slimes were B rank monsters, but if the Adventurer’s Guild issued a request for it, it would be listed as an A rank request. On top of that, I needed a large quantity of it.
「It’s going to be used not only to coat the bath and operating theater, but we also need it to make IV drips.」
Unlike other equipment, I couldn’t substitute the IV lines with glass or metal. If possible, I also wanted to make the needle catheter for the drip out of slime jelly as well. Metal needles kept in blood vessels for a long time could damage the vessels.
「What’s an IV drip?」
「An IV drip, or an intravenous drip, is a device used to inject medications directly into the blood vessels.」
「Where did you get all this knowledge, seriously.」
「It’s a secret, but I’ll tell you. I’m a doctor from another world.」
「Meh, I knew you weren’t going to tell me anyway.」
Reina seemed to have taken my story as a joke. Actually, I purposefully made it sound that way from the way I spoke.
「We need to gather other essential materials and tools too. I have to go to the Adventurer’s Guild and make a request after consulting with Ron.」
It would take too long if I were to gather all the materials on my own. We started heading to the Adventurer’s Guild to make a plan to get Magma Slime jelly, ask for a referral to a tool shop, and get another referral to a blacksmith who could make surgical instruments and other necessary tools.
「Yo, I’m really indebted to you because of what you did for me that day.」
「Thank you again for your help.」
When Reina and I entered the Adventurer’s Guild, we were surprised to find Neumann and Miria waiting for us. I noticed that Neumann appeared to have completely recovered, given his good complexion.
「Does your body feel okay?」
「Yeah, I feel great!」
Neuman exclaimed while vigorously swinging his arm around. Judging by his movements, there seemed to have been no problems.
「So, we were wondering if there is anything we could do for you.」
「Yes, I believe it’s only appropriate for us to show our gratitude.」
「Didn’t I already give you the bill for the treatment?」
They had already received the medical bill from Hugh. I wanted only half of it because I had done the operation in Hugh’s clinic, but he insisted on giving me the full amount. He was a surprisingly honest man.
「We… separated from our party.」
Miria blurted that out suddenly.
「Eh? Why?」
「Yeah, why? After putting in all that effort to save you.」
They looked a little embarrassed when I asked that.
「Well, fraternisation was forbidden in that party… 」
It turned out that Neumann and Miria got together due to the suspension bridge effect. Fortunately, they were both B rank adventurers, so they managed to continue adventuring even after getting kicked out of their party. I kind of regretted my role in their relationship as Neumann exposed me, even though I didn’t say anything aloud.
「Hold up, what’s with that awful face?!」
「What are you talking about? I didn’t say anything… Yet.」
「Yet?! So you plan to say something after all?!」
After some idle banter, Neumann and Miria shifted gears again.
「Hey, I hear you’re trying to save Granny Amanda.」
「If you don’t mind… please allow us to help.」
It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. Neumann and his party were indebted to both Reina and I, as well as Amanda and Ron, so he said he would help if there were any materials to gather using his abilities as an adventurer.
「You came just at the right time. Let’s go collect the materials together.」
「I agree… it’ll be easier if Neumann becomes the deco-, vanguard instead.」
Reina, were you going to say “decoy” just now? Thankfully, Miria and Neumann didn’t seem to notice.
「I’ll ask Ron to introduce me to a tool shop and blacksmith first, then we’ll go out to collect the materials. Is that alright with everyone?」
「Yeah, we’re fine with it.」
「Of course it’s fine.」
It seemed both of them had already made preparations for this task. I went to the guild master’s room with Reina, saying that camping overnight might be needed.
＊＊＊
「Telepooooort!!」
「Eh?! Wait a min-!」
「Kyaaaa!!」
Neumann and Miria screamed because we forgot to tell them that we were moving to the volcanic zone using Teleport. Reina and I forgot that a person’s first Teleport was really scary and nauseating because we were already accustomed to teleporting. It would’ve taken a week to get there otherwise, and it was possible for Amanda to die by the time we finished gathering materials and returned.
「Um, I’m sorry.」
After teleporting us to the entrance of the volcanic zone, Reina apologized to the two lying on the ground. Apparently, it was a mentally draining traveling method if one wasn’t prepared for it. Despite my long experience with teleportation, I would still get nauseated on occasion.
「Shit, it’s coming out.」
「I can’t hold it in either!」
Our work couldn’t start yet because of their condition. I decided to start setting up camp by pulling out a tent from the cart we teleported with us. Even though it was still only morning…
「Even if Magma Slimes are impossible for us to hunt right now, there are still quite a few medicinal herbs that only grow in volcanic areas.」
「Is that so? I used to come here only occasionally because of the distance from Levantein. However, Yggdrasil is a lot closer so I still have a considerable amount of mana this time.」
It was really hot due to the magma river nearby. I quickly assembled the tent so I could set up the magic tools that blew cold air. I brought them to prevent heat stroke, but they were no use if I didn’t have the tent to contain the cold air. This was why I brought the cart without a horse. I’d rather not sleep in a tent with a horse.
「Uuu~」
「Blarghhhh」
Neumann finally vomited. It was really bad. Actually, they were both beginning to make me nauseated as well.
「Well, we’ll start gathering tomorrow. I’ll do what I can today.」
「And me?」
「For now, please tend to these two.」
Reina waved in understanding and unleashed ice magic around the tent to lower the surrounding temperature. The two people in the tent were unlikely to get up any time soon. It looked like Reina would keep watch while reading a book outside.
「Now then, I’ll start exploring.」
I equipped my personal ice magic tool and entered the volcanic zone. My equipment wasn’t heavy and I had a knapsack that could be used for gathering purposes.
This region was called the Ttigonia Volcano. It was located in the northern area of the continent, with no major cities nearby. There was a town of dwarves a short distance away which produced excellent weapons and armor made from their abundance of ore and high temperature furnaces. Oddly enough, there were a lot of plants. It wasn’t exactly a verdant forest, but I could see plants growing here and there. Most of them were heat-resistant, and could be used as raw materials for medications and armor. In addition to Magma Slimes, monsters in the area included Fire Drakes and Rock Armadillos, which looked like big lizards covered in flames and large masses of rock, respectively. There were also villages of demons called Ogres, and occasional sightings of Fire Dragons have been reported, although no subjugations have been performed for the past decade. Due to the danger in this area, gathering requests here were ranked A.
「Oh, come to think of it, they were B ranks…」
I just remembered, I had brought B ranked Neumann and Miria along. If I had placed a request at the Adventurer’s Guild, B ranks wouldn’t have been allowed to take the request. But since the Magma Slime materials were expensive, we decided to go and gather them ourselves.
「Oh well, on average, we’re an A rank party, I guess.」
No one would get angry, so let’s do it. Eh? Neumann and Miria’s opinions? What are those? Are they tasty?
I cleared my mind and went back to exploring the surrounding area. First, I made a map and looked for things I could gather. If possible, I wanted to mark where the monsters had been seen, but some monsters tended to roam, so I couldn’t let my guard down.
The one thing I definitely wanted to gather while I was here was this “gunpowder grass”. It could be compounded into gunpowder, but the amount extracted from it was miniscule, and wasn’t enough to be used in weaponry. However, it was medicinal. This was needed in some of the medications prescribed for Amanda. The main ingredient was nitroglycerin, which was also one of the components of dynamite, and it traveled to the coronary arteries to help nourish the heart, relieving it of symptoms of angina. I believed Amanda’s chest pain would improve a bit if she took this medication. However, surgery was still necessary because medications alone wouldn’t completely cure her.
「There it is.」
Gunpowder grass grew almost exclusively on the Ttigonia Volcano. Sometimes, magma fell on the grass and caused a small explosion. This was why occasional explosions could be heard from this area, and made this place dangerous to the unwary. It was fine because the gunpowder grass wasn’t potent enough to change the terrain, but if they were to be concentrated, the end product would make a great weapon. Fortunately, no one has ever tried performing the arduous task of collecting a large quantity of this herb to weaponize it.
「If I use my pharmaceutical magic here, there is a chance an explosion will occur…」
I brought the gunpowder grass back without processing it. Nitroglycerin could explode if handled roughly, so I had to deal with it properly to avoid accidents. I had everything I needed for that, but it wasn’t something I could do out here. Even though it was bulky, I decided to bring the gunpowder grass unprocessed. Since the parts near the roots didn’t contain any nitroglycerin, I cut them off close to the ground. Then, I bundled them up and stuffed them into my knapsack. It was necessary to be careful, because a small explosion could occur if the knapsack were to be struck.
At that time, a nearby rock moved and suddenly sprang up at me. Upon closer examination, it turned out to be a Rock Armadillo instead of a rock.
「That looks good for today’s main dish.」
After dodging it, I swung my mace into the Rock Armadillo. They had a rock-like surface, but it was only hard skin and not actual rock. Swords couldn’t pierce it, but impacts from blunt objects were easily transmitted, so I gave the Rock Armadillo a bad concussion by striking its head. Even though I was a healer, I could do at least this much as an S rank adventurer. Incidentally, the Rock Armadillo was classified as a B rank monster.
「Oof, sorry about this.」
I turned over the Rock Armadillo and exposed its weakness: the underside area stretching from the neck to the abdomen. I pulled out a dagger and swung down on its neck.
The list of items I needed was endless, but the one thing I needed most was an operating theater.
「Let’s start with making the bathing room. The magic tools required are quite common, so as long as we have the money and materials, we can get them right away.」
「Y-you’re right.」
Reina was unsure if it was fine to begin by making the bathing room first, but I believed it was all right. I had a reason to start there.
「The building next to the Adventurer’s Guild is vacant, so we can use it as a temporary clinic. Let’s make an operating theater there. This is what your practice is for.」
The building was already a splendid building. With a little renovation, it could be used as a clinic, and there was even a large room inside that could be turned into an operating theater. All that needed to be done was to adjust the atmospheric pressure and waterproof it.
Buildings created with Reina’s earth magic were flawed due to the fact that once the magic supply wore off, the structure would weaken and water could seep in, so a two-storey building couldn’t be safely built using that method. The roof will also have to be made with different materials. At the end of the day, it didn’t seem possible to use it as an operating theater. On the other hand, the building next to the Adventurer’s Guild was an existing two-storey building constructed without magic.
「I’ve asked the carpenter to do something about the roof, but I have to get some water-resistant materials」
「What do you need?」
「I can’t disinfect it if it’s not resistant to heat, so maybe a Magma Slime’s jelly?」
This world had the technology to process slime jelly. Slime jelly, which could be a great substitute for vinyl, seemed to change shape by a special alchemy spell, but the regular kinds were sensitive to heat. Only a Magma Slime’s jelly could withstand disinfection using hot water, but it was pretty rare.
「Looks like it’s going to be another expensive purchase.」
「Actually, I wonder if there is anyone who even stocks it here in Yggdrasil.」
Magma Slimes didn’t inhabit any nearby regions. We were unlikely to encounter them unless we climbed to the higher elevations of a volcano. On top of that, Magma Slimes were B rank monsters, but if the Adventurer’s Guild issued a request for it, it would be listed as an A rank request. On top of that, I needed a large quantity of it.
「It’s going to be used not only to coat the bath and operating theater, but we also need it to make IV drips.」
Unlike other equipment, I couldn’t substitute the IV lines with glass or metal. If possible, I also wanted to make the needle catheter for the drip out of slime jelly as well. Metal needles kept in blood vessels for a long time could damage the vessels.
「What’s an IV drip?」
「An IV drip, or an intravenous drip, is a device used to inject medications directly into the blood vessels.」
「Where did you get all this knowledge, seriously.」
「It’s a secret, but I’ll tell you. I’m a doctor from another world.」
「Meh, I knew you weren’t going to tell me anyway.」
Reina seemed to have taken my story as a joke. Actually, I purposefully made it sound that way from the way I spoke.
「We need to gather other essential materials and tools too. I have to go to the Adventurer’s Guild and make a request after consulting with Ron.」
It would take too long if I were to gather all the materials on my own. We started heading to the Adventurer’s Guild to make a plan to get Magma Slime jelly, ask for a referral to a tool shop, and get another referral to a blacksmith who could make surgical instruments and other necessary tools.
「Yo, I’m really indebted to you because of what you did for me that day.」
「Thank you again for your help.」
When Reina and I entered the Adventurer’s Guild, we were surprised to find Neumann and Miria waiting for us. I noticed that Neumann appeared to have completely recovered, given his good complexion.
「Does your body feel okay?」
「Yeah, I feel great!」
Neuman exclaimed while vigorously swinging his arm around. Judging by his movements, there seemed to have been no problems.
「So, we were wondering if there is anything we could do for you.」
「Yes, I believe it’s only appropriate for us to show our gratitude.」
「Didn’t I already give you the bill for the treatment?」
They had already received the medical bill from Hugh. I wanted only half of it because I had done the operation in Hugh’s clinic, but he insisted on giving me the full amount. He was a surprisingly honest man.
「We… separated from our party.」
Miria blurted that out suddenly.
「Eh? Why?」
「Yeah, why? After putting in all that effort to save you.」
They looked a little embarrassed when I asked that.
「Well, fraternisation was forbidden in that party… 」
It turned out that Neumann and Miria got together due to the suspension bridge effect. Fortunately, they were both B rank adventurers, so they managed to continue adventuring even after getting kicked out of their party. I kind of regretted my role in their relationship as Neumann exposed me, even though I didn’t say anything aloud.
「Hold up, what’s with that awful face?!」
「What are you talking about? I didn’t say anything… Yet.」
「Yet?! So you plan to say something after all?!」
After some idle banter, Neumann and Miria shifted gears again.
「Hey, I hear you’re trying to save Granny Amanda.」
「If you don’t mind… please allow us to help.」
It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. Neumann and his party were indebted to both Reina and I, as well as Amanda and Ron, so he said he would help if there were any materials to gather using his abilities as an adventurer.
「You came just at the right time. Let’s go collect the materials together.」
「I agree… it’ll be easier if Neumann becomes the deco-, vanguard instead.」
Reina, were you going to say “decoy” just now? Thankfully, Miria and Neumann didn’t seem to notice.
「I’ll ask Ron to introduce me to a tool shop and blacksmith first, then we’ll go out to collect the materials. Is that alright with everyone?」
「Yeah, we’re fine with it.」
「Of course it’s fine.」
It seemed both of them had already made preparations for this task. I went to the guild master’s room with Reina, saying that camping overnight might be needed.
＊＊＊
「Telepooooort!!」
「Eh?! Wait a min-!」
「Kyaaaa!!」
Neumann and Miria screamed because we forgot to tell them that we were moving to the volcanic zone using Teleport. Reina and I forgot that a person’s first Teleport was really scary and nauseating because we were already accustomed to teleporting. It would’ve taken a week to get there otherwise, and it was possible for Amanda to die by the time we finished gathering materials and returned.
「Um, I’m sorry.」
After teleporting us to the entrance of the volcanic zone, Reina apologized to the two lying on the ground. Apparently, it was a mentally draining traveling method if one wasn’t prepared for it. Despite my long experience with teleportation, I would still get nauseated on occasion.
「Shit, it’s coming out.」
「I can’t hold it in either!」
Our work couldn’t start yet because of their condition. I decided to start setting up camp by pulling out a tent from the cart we teleported with us. Even though it was still only morning…
「Even if Magma Slimes are impossible for us to hunt right now, there are still quite a few medicinal herbs that only grow in volcanic areas.」
「Is that so? I used to come here only occasionally because of the distance from Levantein. However, Yggdrasil is a lot closer so I still have a considerable amount of mana this time.」
It was really hot due to the magma river nearby. I quickly assembled the tent so I could set up the magic tools that blew cold air. I brought them to prevent heat stroke, but they were no use if I didn’t have the tent to contain the cold air. This was why I brought the cart without a horse. I’d rather not sleep in a tent with a horse.
「Uuu~」
「Blarghhhh」
Neumann finally vomited. It was really bad. Actually, they were both beginning to make me nauseated as well.
「Well, we’ll start gathering tomorrow. I’ll do what I can today.」
「And me?」
「For now, please tend to these two.」
Reina waved in understanding and unleashed ice magic around the tent to lower the surrounding temperature. The two people in the tent were unlikely to get up any time soon. It looked like Reina would keep watch while reading a book outside.
「Now then, I’ll start exploring.」
I equipped my personal ice magic tool and entered the volcanic zone. My equipment wasn’t heavy and I had a knapsack that could be used for gathering purposes.
This region was called the Ttigonia Volcano. It was located in the northern area of the continent, with no major cities nearby. There was a town of dwarves a short distance away which produced excellent weapons and armor made from their abundance of ore and high temperature furnaces. Oddly enough, there were a lot of plants. It wasn’t exactly a verdant forest, but I could see plants growing here and there. Most of them were heat-resistant, and could be used as raw materials for medications and armor. In addition to Magma Slimes, monsters in the area included Fire Drakes and Rock Armadillos, which looked like big lizards covered in flames and large masses of rock, respectively. There were also villages of demons called Ogres, and occasional sightings of Fire Dragons have been reported, although no subjugations have been performed for the past decade. Due to the danger in this area, gathering requests here were ranked A.
「Oh, come to think of it, they were B ranks…」
I just remembered, I had brought B ranked Neumann and Miria along. If I had placed a request at the Adventurer’s Guild, B ranks wouldn’t have been allowed to take the request. But since the Magma Slime materials were expensive, we decided to go and gather them ourselves.
「Oh well, on average, we’re an A rank party, I guess.」
No one would get angry, so let’s do it. Eh? Neumann and Miria’s opinions? What are those? Are they tasty?
I cleared my mind and went back to exploring the surrounding area. First, I made a map and looked for things I could gather. If possible, I wanted to mark where the monsters had been seen, but some monsters tended to roam, so I couldn’t let my guard down.
The one thing I definitely wanted to gather while I was here was this “gunpowder grass”. It could be compounded into gunpowder, but the amount extracted from it was miniscule, and wasn’t enough to be used in weaponry. However, it was medicinal. This was needed in some of the medications prescribed for Amanda. The main ingredient was nitroglycerin, which was also one of the components of dynamite, and it traveled to the coronary arteries to help nourish the heart, relieving it of symptoms of angina. I believed Amanda’s chest pain would improve a bit if she took this medication. However, surgery was still necessary because medications alone wouldn’t completely cure her.
「There it is.」
Gunpowder grass grew almost exclusively on the Ttigonia Volcano. Sometimes, magma fell on the grass and caused a small explosion. This was why occasional explosions could be heard from this area, and made this place dangerous to the unwary. It was fine because the gunpowder grass wasn’t potent enough to change the terrain, but if they were to be concentrated, the end product would make a great weapon. Fortunately, no one has ever tried performing the arduous task of collecting a large quantity of this herb to weaponize it.
「If I use my pharmaceutical magic here, there is a chance an explosion will occur…」
I brought the gunpowder grass back without processing it. Nitroglycerin could explode if handled roughly, so I had to deal with it properly to avoid accidents. I had everything I needed for that, but it wasn’t something I could do out here. Even though it was bulky, I decided to bring the gunpowder grass unprocessed. Since the parts near the roots didn’t contain any nitroglycerin, I cut them off close to the ground. Then, I bundled them up and stuffed them into my knapsack. It was necessary to be careful, because a small explosion could occur if the knapsack were to be struck.
At that time, a nearby rock moved and suddenly sprang up at me. Upon closer examination, it turned out to be a Rock Armadillo instead of a rock.
「That looks good for today’s main dish.」
After dodging it, I swung my mace into the Rock Armadillo. They had a rock-like surface, but it was only hard skin and not actual rock. Swords couldn’t pierce it, but impacts from blunt objects were easily transmitted, so I gave the Rock Armadillo a bad concussion by striking its head. Even though I was a healer, I could do at least this much as an S rank adventurer. Incidentally, the Rock Armadillo was classified as a B rank monster.
「Oof, sorry about this.」
I turned over the Rock Armadillo and exposed its weakness: the underside area stretching from the neck to the abdomen. I pulled out a dagger and swung down on its neck.
