Chapter 142
Chapter 142
A Short Trip (1)
On the way to Tanya’s ER, Nora fell into thought.
‘I’ll need to report to the Rose Garden.’
Having the tattoo on her neck explode wasn’t something to look forward to. On top of that, she planned to share everything she’d learned so far about Kairus with Lunaseeker as well.
At her core, she was a spy. It wasn’t just Nora who knew that—Kairus did too. That was why he had hesitated for a moment before using Cloud Seizing Art.
“That was Cloud Seizing Art, wasn’t it?”
“Thanks to a bunch of strange coincidences, I managed to attempt something similar.”
At Kairus’s reply, Nora didn’t say anything more.
“Why? Is there a problem with me using Cloud Seizing Art?”
Kairus asked, and Nora answered with a laugh.
“You already know, oppa.”
Nora Galatea was an agent of Lunaseeker.
She likely had a direct line to the Lunaseeker Agency without needing to go through intermediaries.
“For now, I’m just chatting and smiling, planning to stop by the ER, then head back to the office and eat the lokum unni bought me.”
Still smiling, Nora gently stroked the yataghan hanging from her waist.
“If what you used really was Cloud Seizing Art, then maybe we don’t have much time like this left.”
“Come on. I told you it wasn’t Cloud Seizing Art.”
Kairus responded dully to Nora’s words.
A veteran agent treated at the deputy director level had probably experienced Cloud Seizing Art before. If Nora submitted her report to Lunaseeker, they’d examine it and likely conclude it wasn’t truly Cloud Seizing Art.
‘And well, if they find out later, the response is already predetermined.’
The Featherwing and Lunaseeker had been bitter rivals for an unbearably long time.
But strictly speaking, Featherwing was destroyed, and only Kairus remained.
‘Why exactly can’t I partner with Lunaseeker?’
Everything had already gone to ruin. Kairus had set his top priority to revenge. And the relationship between Valorn and Aylan was even worse than that between Featherwing and Lunaseeker.
Lunaseeker was a company established for the republic’s national interest.
Kairus wanted the emperor dead, and the republic wanted Valorn’s downfall.
Their final goals may have differed, but they were like two travelers sharing a path to the same transfer point. There was no reason not to travel together until they parted ways.
Later, if Kairus learned to properly use Cloud Seizing Art, Lunaseeker would also seriously consider his proposal.
“Ah, we’re here.”
They arrived at Tanya’s ER. Kairus, Irena, and Nora entered the ER with their injured bodies.
“…”
Tanya, who had been drying her hands, looked at us and gave an awkward smile.
“I just finished treating the last patient. I suppose this was Father’s intention all along.”
The treatment proceeded swiftly.
“Alright, hold still.”
“Ughhh…”
Nora grimaced as she watched the needle for bone marrow extraction approach her backside. Kairus and Irena’s marrow had been stored beforehand just in case, but Nora’s had never been collected.
Tanya swiftly extracted her marrow, then used the marrow from all three along with vür solution to produce blood and carried out the remaining procedures.
“Were you hit by a car?”
After examining the three of them, Tanya asked the question, and Kairus let out a dry laugh.
“We went through something like that.”
At his response, Tanya nodded and checked all three of their blood pressures.
“I’ll contact a hospital that accepts inpatients, so please stay hospitalized for a few days.”
“Huh? I don’t think it’s that serious.”
“That’s something for a doctor to decide, not the patient.”
Tanya was firm. Since Kairus wasn’t a doctor, he decided to follow the professional’s judgment.
But shortly after, Tanya returned with a troubled expression.
“They say there aren’t any rooms available…”
Kairus let out a soft “Ah.”
“How many patients do you think this city has.”
It was a city where people got stabbed and punched in the face at the drop of a hat. On top of that, lately, some lunatics had broken out of the correctional facility, leaving the city in chaos.
“Really? None?”
“The hospitals that are equipped for proper inpatient care can’t take any more patients.”
She seemed to be excluding shady clinics without licenses or those where proper treatment couldn’t be expected.
“I’m sure there’s a reason behind all this. Just stay here for a few days.”
“But there isn’t a separate inpatient room here.”
Tanya nodded.
“Still, this would be better.”
It seemed she’d decided that rather than being hospitalized in a subpar facility, it was better for her to personally oversee their care in the ER.
Though there was something slightly concerning.
‘That woman’s luck is something else.’
Tanya was lucky. So lucky it was hard to believe. Kairus was fully aware of that, both from her own testimony and everything that had happened so far.
He began to think that maybe the three of them staying in Tanya’s ER might end up being something that worked in her favor.
“Well, I’ll owe you then.”
Still, that couldn’t be a reason for Kairus not to stay.
There was a saying: “Your body is your wealth.” In this city, those words carried immense weight.
If it wasn’t a hospital that Tanya approved of, Kairus didn’t want to go either.
If he had to worry about how many times they reused a syringe or whether they were secretly mixing drugs into the IV fluids, he’d probably end up developing new illnesses during treatment.
“If you’re unlucky, the hospital might just give you a disease.”
“Yes. Like a drug addiction, for example.”
While Tanya and Kairus were talking, Nora suddenly cut in.
“I’ve read the report, so I know about the red unni.”
“Is that so?”
Since she called Irena unni, Tanya seemed to have decided to refer to her as “red unni.” The reason was obvious—Tanya herself was wearing red.
“I like doctors.”
“Do you?”
“You never know, right? You might end up saving my life someday. So I’d like us to get along.”
Nora and Tanya started chatting. Kairus, watching the two, closed his eyes and dozed off for a moment.
When he opened them again, the first thing he saw was Irena, arms crossed, staring at him.
“What’s with the look?”
“Hm? Ah.”
Irena seemed lost in thought, but snapped out of it at Kairus’s words and handed him something.
“A telegram?”
“It’s from Father. He asked you to get in touch.”
Irena’s father.
Simid Kellogg. The Treasury Chief, sharpening a blade meant to stab the emperor. There was no need to wonder why he’d suddenly made contact.
He probably had a request.
“If your father’s asking for something, I can’t let it pass.”
“Oh my, what a charming man. I think I might fall for you.”
Irena let out a small laugh and replied in a teasing tone.
But Kairus was serious. If Simid Kellogg had something to request, Kairus would take the job—even at a slightly lower fee.
It was always easier when two people took on one. That principle held true even now. If they were going to bring down the powerful emperor of the empire, it made sense to help each other out along the way.
“I’d better get in touch quickly.”
The only issue was whether it was safe to do so from within this city. There were too many eyes and ears around, and worse, people here had loose lips.
‘The contents of the telegram probably already leaked anyway.’
Thankfully, it only contained a message asking for contact.
If he reached out from outside the city, it’d be harder to uncover the specifics.
‘The republic would be best, if possible.’
The empire was vast, and the amount of daily communication was immense. Not even the emperor could eavesdrop on it all.
But if you got unlucky and got caught, things would turn into a total mess.
“The closest republican city to here is Sevastopol.”
It was just about a two-hour train ride away. Of course, he’d need the doctor’s permission.
“Sevastopol?”
When he told Tanya he planned to head out, her eyes lit up slightly.
“What’s with that look?”
“There’s a piece of equipment I’ve been wanting to get. I think I might be able to find it in Sevastopol.”
Apparently, it was a device that inserted a tube into the thoracic membrane to drain built-up fluid or reinflate collapsed lungs.
‘I might need help from that myself someday.’
When blood or something similar pooled inside the lungs, it had to be drained. And if you got beaten badly enough to punch a hole in your lungs, a perfectly healthy lung might collapse—this equipment would come in handy in that case, too.
“Alright. I’ll go with you.”
“I won’t charge for the treatment. Just help me out if something happens.”
Kairus had no objections. He needed to go there anyway, and since it wasn’t something that required a long wait, guarding her during the trip wasn’t a big deal.
“Still, heading out right away might be dangerous. We should check your levels at dawn tomorrow first.”
Which meant, for now, they needed to rest today.
“Good. I needed some rest anyway.”
Thanks to that insane bull running amok and beating people, fatigue and pain had piled up. Rest was exactly what he needed.
Kairus finished talking with Tanya and lay down again on the folding bed, closing his eyes.
When you’re sick, the best thing you can do is eat well and sleep well.
And injuries that made either of those two things impossible—that was what Kairus considered a serious condition.
“I think all three of you are doing fine.”
After checking their blood pressure and pulse, Tanya nodded.
“Honestly, I’d prefer to monitor the situation a bit longer.”
“But I’m in a hurry.”
Kairus had no intention of staying any longer. There was too much to do and not enough time—and he felt too lively to be lying around just because he was injured.
“Well, if that’s how you feel, there’s no helping it.”
Since this wasn’t some grand mission, Nora and Irena decided to stay behind in Bennett City. At most, it was just a matter of making a call and guarding Tanya while she did some shopping. It’d be overkill for three people to tag along.
Instead, Nora and Irena would be better off focusing on rounding up a few more of the lunatics still tearing through the city and dragging them back to the correctional facility.
“If anything feels off physically, go to the hospital right away.”
Tanya gave one last reminder to Nora and Irena, then boarded the train with Kairus.
“Still, will just me be enough?”
Kairus asked Tanya quietly as they sat down.
“Yes, it’s fine.”
“But what if I’m secretly super weak?”
Tanya chuckled at his words.
“If more people were needed, my father would’ve arranged it.”
It was such a confident answer that Kairus was left with nothing to say.
“You really should wear your seatbelt.”
Seeing him seated, Tanya reached over and fastened the belt herself. She, however, sat down without buckling hers.
“What about you?”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
After saying that, Tanya stared blankly out the window at the passing scenery. He had no idea what she might be thinking.
“I feel like eating canned soup. Preferably chicken noodle soup. It’s tasty.”
So clearly, she wasn’t thinking about anything profound. And after a little while, a vendor came through the train car, pushing a cart of snacks.
“Of course.”
Naturally, one corner of the cart had warm canned soup and a ladle. It was chicken noodle soup, with pieces of chicken and finely chopped noodles.
“Looks like your father even takes care of little things like this.”
“It’s not impossible.”
Canned chicken noodle soup was made by countless companies. It wasn’t such a big deal for a vendor on the train to be selling it.
Today’s breakfast was decided. And really, a hot bowl of soup wasn’t a bad breakfast at all.