READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 19 - A Check-Up
A Check-Up
Now then, after waking up, I’d been through a lot of hustle and bustle, but now Schlie-san was taking me to the infirmary… while carrying me.
“It wouldn’t do for you to fall again.”
Schlie-san, aren’t you being a bit overprotective? Well, it was comfortable being carried by Schlie-san, and, being the lazy person that I am, I readily accepted being carried.
He, like Gil-san, had excellent carrying skills. Gil-san gave off a sense of security, like being wrapped in a protective embrace, but Schlie-san handled me delicately, as if I were being swaddled in silk. At this rate, I’d probably earn the title of “Carry Master” if I stayed in this guild.
Thanks to Schlie-san’s carrying skills, we quickly arrived at our destination. He really had long legs. I looked down at my short, stubby form and sighed. Oh well, I had plenty of room to grow. Don’t give up, me.
While I was pondering my future growth, Schlie-san knocked on the door of the infirmary. A man’s voice called out from inside, “Come in.” His gentle voice put me at ease. I mean, a doctor with a grumpy face would be scary, wouldn’t it?
“Hello, Ludo. We’re coming in.”
“H-Hello.”
I chimed in with Schlie-san’s greeting. A kind-looking man with short, neatly styled dark brown hair looked at us. His deep blue eyes first landed on Schlie-san, then immediately on me. His eyes widened a bit when he saw me, but only for a moment. He quickly smiled and said, “Welcome.” Ah, he’s definitely a kind person!
“Saura will explain the details later. For now, as a doctor, I’d like you to examine this child first.”
“Hmm, I see. Well then, young lady, would you please sit on this chair?”
“Yes.”
The man seemed to switch gears without touching upon the questions he must have had. Oh, a true professional.
After watching me sit down on the chair, he spoke to me gently. He was the kind of person who put you at ease. How should I put it, He exuded a calming aura.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ludovic, the doctor in charge of medical care here at Ortus. Could you tell me your name?”
“Yes! Um, my name is Meg! Nice to meet you, Ludo-beek-shan…”
“Ah, it’s hard to say, isn’t it? You can call me Ludo.”
“Ludo-sensei!”
If he’s a doctor, then he’s a “sensei!” Overjoyed, I called him that. Both Dr. Ludo and Schlie-san smiled warmly. If you have something to say, just spit it out.
“Well said. Then, could you tell me your age?”
“Ah, um, I’m sorry. I don’t know…”
“…You don’t know?”
Dr. Ludo looked at Schlie-san questioningly. Schlie-san briefly explained the circumstances of how I was found. He explained that I was discovered collapsed in a dungeon in a neighboring country by Gil-san, that no guardian could be found. They couldn’t leave a child alone, and Gil-san decided it was safer to take me here than to leave me in the care of someone in the neighboring country.
I see, Gil-san. So he’d been thinking about all that. He’d prioritized my safety above all else. I couldn’t thank him enough. He must be traveling for work right now. I was already starting to miss him. Uuu, Gil-san!
“Anything else we can gather…”
“Ah, I understand. …I see. She seems quite thin. Let’s do a full check-up.”
“Yes, that’s what I was thinking when we came here.”
“Leave it to me.”
It seemed like they finished their conversation while I was lost in thought about Gil-san, and the examination began. Starting with measuring my height and weight, the check-up proceeded smoothly. When they quickly undressed me, I was more impressed by their swift and skillful movements than concerned about modesty. I-I wasn’t bothered or anything! It’s a child’s body, so it’s not embarrassing! …Sniff.
Though when they tried to help me with the urine test, I refused with all my might! It was rude to a lady! They chuckled at my desperate attempt at a cool line, but being laughed at was far better than having them help me pee!
Then, they did a bunch of other tests. As expected of an isekai, they even used magic for the examination. My eyes teared up when they drew blood for the final blood test, but it seemed the check-up was finally over. I was mentally exhausted…
“Speaking of which, our usual friend isn’t here today.”
“Ah, Reki? He took the day off.”
“I see…”
“I’m thinking of having him take his first exam soon. Should I make it written…”
As I was slumped over in exhaustion after the examination, Schlie-san asked Dr. Ludo this question as if he’d just remembered. I noticed a sense of relief upon hearing that this “usual friend” was absent. Why? I tilted my head. Dr. Ludo explained,
“Ah, Reki. He’s a newly adult apprentice nurse who recently joined the medical team. He’s a bit… rebellious. He might be a bit harsh towards Meg-chan, a bit troublesome. Not a bad person, though.”
I see. If he’s newly an adult, then he must still be young-looking. I didn’t know what the age of adulthood was in this world, and with everyone being so long-lived, I had no frame of reference. But I imagined “adult” in an isekai to be about fifteen years old, like in my world. Just a guess, though.
So, there was a chance he was at that difficult age? Puberty! Everyone goes through it, so as a big sister, I’ll keep a watchful eye. I was jumping to conclusions, so for now, I’d just make a mental note that there was such a person. Making assumptions is bad.
“Well, I’ve finished the examination. At first glance, there are no problems. Eating well and getting plenty of rest is the best treatment right now. Your body is tired, so try to take it easy for a while. I’ll let you know the results of the blood test tomorrow.”
My job was to eat well and rest well, huh. Schlie-san had said the same thing earlier. I wanted to do something, anything! But if I got sick and became a burden, it would defeat the purpose. I’ll take it one step at a time!
“I see, that’s a relief. I have some things to do at the training grounds after this… Would that be alright?”
“The training grounds? I don’t know what you’re planning to do, but you should avoid strenuous exercise or using magic.”
“That’s no problem. I’ll be the only one using magic. I simply want to teach Meg some important things, as an elf.”
“Hmm. That should be fine. But finish early, alright? This child has been through a lot today. It’s best to keep the burden light. Ideally, it would be better to go to the training grounds tomorrow… but I suppose that’s not possible?”
“Yes. We’re already behind schedule. Meg hasn’t done something crucial for an elf yet. It’s important for her protection.”
“I see, there’s no helping it then. I think it’s okay to leave it to you, but please be careful.”
“Understood.”
It was fine as long as I didn’t overdo it. Thank goodness. I was worried that I’d get excited about learning nature magic, only to be told I couldn’t.
Now that it was settled, I was getting excited! It was my first step towards being able to do something. And Schlie-san said it was something necessary for an elf. I’ll have to be on my toes and look forward to it.
“Well then, Ludo, thank you very much.”
“Thank you vewwy much!”
“Take care, and tell me right away if anything happens.”
After exchanging proper greetings, Schlie-san and I left the infirmary. Finally, time to learn some magic!