Chapter 259

#### Chapter 259: Hassan Goes to the Auction House – Part 6

“Aaaargh, I’m dying, d*mn it! I’m dying! You barbarian sc*m!”

As I firmly pressed down on his lower back, an elderly man who had been bent over groaning suddenly screamed.

“You, you son of a b*tch! Folks! Help! This guy is trying to k*ll me! This is a henchman of Pluto! He’s trying to send me to the underworld! Did Pluto tell you to do this?”

Though all I did was rest my palm lightly on his waist, his reaction was excessively dramatic.

“Know who I am, boy? Even though I’m in this state today, back in my prime, I used to hold barbarians like you with one hand each!”

“Ah, sir. Perhaps you should persevere and try enduring this.”

I could tell his sensitivity had heightened with age; his condition of compressed disks was worsening, and his overall aura seemed somewhat twisted.

I focused all my energy into my two thumbs. As I concentrated, a tingling sensation rose from my lower abdomen, flowed through my chest and shoulders, and finally reached my thumbs.

“Whoa! Whoaaaa!”

It appeared that the peculiar sensation I was experiencing wasn’t just mine. Just moments ago, the old man was ready to attack me with his staff, but now, he let out an odd exclamation.

“Whooaaa! Whooooa!”

Though I thought it strange myself, I couldn’t dwell on it now. My strength felt like it was being drained, and sweat poured from my forehead, stinging my eyes.

Yet the more my consciousness grew hazy, the more intent I became on focusing on my thumb tips. Life is surprisingly resilient — it has the ability to self-diagnose and repair its own issues. Chiropractics simply aids the body in finding its proper place.

All I was doing was facilitating the flow of life force.

Pushing down with the intensity of such thought—

“Hyyyyaaa!”

Finally, the old man screamed in a tone that resembled a strange howl as he collapsed onto the bed.

ding

”Pons Dode’s Severe Back Pain” and the “Curse of Old Age” have been cured.

”Mission Points +50″

”Current Mission Points +210″

And once again, those familiar words appeared before me, signifying a gain in mission points.

“Phew.”

Only then could I finally let out a sigh of relief. Though pressing on the elder’s back may have lasted only about five minutes, it felt like it had drained all my focus. My head felt empty, as if it had undergone a burnout.

The feeling reminded me of when I used to revive skeletons as part of my necromancy experiments, testing my limits.

Tingling, tingling.

I now had a certain level of confidence that the energy circulating in my palms was what Hipolyte or other warriors referred to as aura or mana. And I also realized that the quantity of the aura I could emit was somewhat limited.

Even emitting it through just the tip of my thumb was already this exhausting, so how much training and discipline must it take to channel it into a sword and expel it as sword energy?

I could now clearly understand the immense effort it took for someone like Hipolyte, who now seemed more and more like an older sister, to attain such strength despite the stages and difficulties.

breathing

As I adjusted my breath along with my energy, the old man who had been sprawled on the floor moments ago slowly sat up.

“Ughhh, you brat! Trying to k*ll me, are you?!”

Once standing up, the old man, holding his cane, swung it at my head. As I ducked to avoid the blow, I felt a tingling sensation on my crown.

“You, you sc*m! Are you mocking me, thinking I’m some cripple who can’t stand straight?”

The old man was irate. To a layperson, techniques like chiropractic or joint manipulation can appear to be a form of torture, even if they’re actually beneficial.

There’s still much debate about the efficacy of such treatments, and they only began to be covered by health insurance around 2020, if I’m not mistaken.

Swoosh, Swoosh.

As I dodged his attacks, his wrinkled face turned red with anger.

“You cheeky b*stard! Stop dodging, you! Just let me hit you, just once. Just once…”

It was then interrupted by the gentle laughter of a short-haired healer named Maana.

“Grandpa, look at yourself! You’re standing upright now!”

“Huh?”

At that moment, the old man seemed to realize that he was standing tall.

“I’m up… I’m standing!”

The old man glanced down at his lower body. It appeared quite healthy.

“Ah, friend, it’s been a while. It’s good to see you again.”

Indeed, it was a manly reunion. I couldn’t possibly imagine what it feels like to see oneself standing sturdy again in old age.

Would the same happen to me when I grow older, to the point where nothing stands upright anymore? As I was pondering this, the old man spoke.

“Hey, boy. I don’t believe in barbarians. These days, the city policy is to let immigrants in and claim it’s the kingdom’s strategy, but I don’t like it when these ‘barbarians’ come to Gaia Continent.”

Regardless of the fact that my treatment had helped him improve, the old man didn’t seem to regard me favorably. I understood. Elderly people tend to have negative feelings toward immigrants and foreigners, and this was true across worlds, and it was something I had already gotten used to.

On the other hand, the healer Maana seemed quite restless watching this scene from the side.

“Sir, you shouldn’t speak that way to the person who treated your back!”

“Miss Maana! I don’t have much time left to live. I’ll say what I want! And what I want to say is, I dislike Samaritans. I lost my comrades because of your kind a long time ago.”

“Is that so.”

So this old man had experience fighting Samaritans. Indeed, as I observed his face and arms now, there were many scars covering them.

Though he may be frail now, with his muscles wasted and bones rattling, he was probably quite skilled in his younger days. To begin with, I wasn’t a Samaritan, so his disdainful remarks about so-called barbarians didn’t really affect me.

“Boy, what is your name?”

“Hassan.”

“Sounds like a savage, barbaric name. I’ll remember that, Hassan. You’d better not stir up trouble in the city that I helped protect.”

ping, ping.

The old man flicked a silver coin from his hand, stood up, and disappeared from the room. Maana, who then promptly began tidying up the bed he had vacated, spoke.

“That old man is pretty picky. But he doesn’t usually ask people their names, so in a way, it was a sign of gratitude.”

“Old people are often like that.”

In comparison, he was actually pretty respectful. Back when I was a slave in Kolkata, I encountered plenty of even more obnoxious old men.

“Well, let’s go on to the next.”

“Heh-heh. My shoulder is pretty sore. My arm can’t even go over my head. The healers said it was tough. Is it really possible to make this better?”

“I’ll only do a simple massage.”

It had been a few days since the fire.

I helped the affected areas after the disaster, and on my way back, I would stop at the clinic to assist with chores and provide simple treatments.

People who were scared of an unfamiliar barbarian touching their bodies had now begun to allow me to touch their shoulders, backs, and palms without hesitation.

Even Maana the healer harbored doubts about whether I actually knew what I was doing.

However, when people who had been unable to stand up were suddenly able to, and those with severe knee or shoulder joint pain saw their expressions light up as they left the clinic, Maana’s face was filled with shock.

“What exactly did you do? Do you know how to use mana or aura? Otherwise, it would be impossible to see such improvement in deeply entrenched karmic ailments!”

This reaction was something I had previously heard from healer Finley. I gave the same concise answer.

“It’s a special technique from Samaria land. Would you like to learn it?”

“Are you serious? Yes! Can I really learn this?”

It was just two days since I began volunteering, but I had noticed that during my massages, this young lady constantly kept her eyes and ears open, always trying to learn something.

Girls like Luna, Antiope, and Hipolyte had been more focused on the massage itself, but healers like Finley and Maana were always curious about my methods.

At that point, I could have earned freedom by gaining 30 silvers.

“Human bodies have channels of energy flowing through them called meridians. Pressing different points has specific effects. Especially, hands and feet can be considered miniature versions of the entire body…”

Maana listened attentively to my explanation.

After hearing it for some time, she seemed to have realized something and clapped her hands.

“Ah! Now I remember where I’ve heard this before. It’s from the healing school in Kolkata!”

“What theory?”

“The Kolkata Healing School theory! I heard that in Kolkata recently, there’s a trendy method of promoting healing by pressing the channels where the body energy flows!”

“Is that so?”

The Kolkata I knew didn’t have such practices, but as I wondered about this, Maana added more:

“An healer named Finley apparently founded some new healing school! It’s similar to this. I read about it in a medical journal. So it was related to Samaria’s secret techniques. How fascinating!”

I was surprised too, as I hadn’t expected Finley’s name to come up. From what I’d heard, she was clearly putting the massage techniques she learned from me to good use.

Maana said:

“Regardless, it’s a good thing that new treatment methods are emerging in this world, and maybe this could help the condition of the young lady!”

“That could be.”

When she said “young lady,” she was undoubtedly referring to Enya Sardich, the count’s daughter. It was said that she had lost mobility in her lower body after falling from a horse in a war.

Even for someone of the status of Count Sardich, who could hire skilled healers, it seemed that her condition was proving harder to treat than expected.

The count’s worries deepened daily, and it was announced that whoever could cure his daughter would be greatly rewarded.

Thinking back now, I had read similar stories in the newspapers but dismissed them as something unrelated to me, much like reading a news article about the critically ill daughter of a CEO.

I said:

“But aren’t only people baptized as healers allowed to even approach her?”

According to Maana, the count had called in numerous people to examine his daughter, but only healers officially certified by a baptism were permitted to come near her.

This might be to prevent charlatans and scam artists from taking advantage of the situation or simply to maintain the dignity and privacy of a noble daughter who would need to expose parts of her lower body for treatment.

Considering the paralysis in her lower body, the rule seemed somewhat understandable.

Would it be possible to heal the count’s daughter and receive a significant reward?

Regrettably, it was an impossible tale.

Had I only achieved Silver Tier certification and opened a treatment clinic sooner, I wouldn’t have these regrets now.

I may have tried hard enough but reflecting on it now, it’s a little disappointing that I didn’t push myself further to enhance my level and skill.

Is there any legal way to acquire a large sum of money?

Thinking about it, the only thing that came to mind was the skeleton key obtained from the thief guild. However, I had no idea where or how to use it, and it was quite disappointing.

Anyway, there were only about three days until the next court date.

“Hey, buddy, when will you press my back again?”

Creak.

“Ugh!”

——

“Thank you, sir! You’re a real lifesaver! It’s starting to feel sturdy again.”

After leaving the clinic, I made one final visit to repair the fence for an elderly man whose home was damaged.

With this, I had now inspected all the homes of the victims affected by the fire.

As the owner of the laundry shop, Galade, had mentioned the first time I visited, the laundry shop and the clinic sustained the most damage, while others had only minor burns. Despite all this, the damages were assessed at 200 gold because of where Elpride had set the fire — among wealthy neighborhoods near the eastern gate — and because arson was particularly forbidden in this world filled with wooden buildings.

“Anyway, Madam, please convey what I’ve told you at the next trial.”

“Of course, don’t worry about that. But hey, you seem desperate for money. Any plans on how you’re gonna get it?”

“Well, I’ll just try to figure something out. Anyway, remember not to touch the plaster until it’s fully dried.”

“Ah, understood. You may look rough, but you’re surprisingly cautious!”

Having delivered my final reminders, I turned to head back to Luna’s cottage.

Looking at how the sun was setting in the sky, I could clearly feel the sense of accomplishment for the day.

Jangling.

I had set out that morning determined to help others and volunteer. My purse, however, was still quite full.

I think I earned more than 50 silvers today. And the mission points had reached 250, making it a truly fulfilling day.

Helping others was more rewarding than anticipated. When I lacked the means, I was too busy trying to survive to even dream of assisting anyone.

Though I still cannot claim to be completely comfortable, this effort has brought a certain level of satisfaction.

“Luna, I’m back. If you’re home, let’s have dinner together.”

Upon returning to the cottage,

Usually, Luna would sit on the second floor, shelling peas or sewing straw dolls for relaxation by the evening, but today she was moving around busily.

“Luna, what are you doing?”

“Oh, Hassan! You came just in time! I need your help! The Alchemist Guild just sent an important commission! If we handle it well, we might make a really big sum!”

Alchemist Guild?

Now that I think about it, Luna mentioned that she was an honorary member of the Alchemist Guild.

Apparently, her older sister acquaintance, Bynas the pharmacist, had stepped away for some reason, and Luna had taken her place. I thought the whole matter had been smoothed over, but it seems the guild had given her a commission.

What could it be? When Luna showed me the paper, there was a rather surprising story written on it.

The Alchemist Guild’s front, Count Hawkins Sardich—

[Author’s Notes] PotatoServer, Gweik Eck, elnido, Neolim Time, Asstilbe, Bizemipnetochoo, Ku&KIceCream, Osusut, BANG, Samanikey, Kadeom, Seqculongim, LeeJW, Pen36 and especially Harque who sent the King Voucher, and KingKingKingKing Voucher donor Danggy! Thanks so much for the sponsorship coupons…

I was really shocked! Thanks to all the sponsors, many nymphs carrying bricks without proper equipment were given red-coated gloves, safety shoes, and helmets! Work efficiency skyrocketed!

If you listen carefully, you might hear the little Nymphs of Ditch Water singing their thanks!

Go on, sing it, nymphs!

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