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Chapter 37
I looked around and waved my hand through the air.
‘Fractures, bruises, minor organ ruptures, internal bleeding…’
As expected from a shop owned by an eccentric herbalist, all sorts of ingredients were here.
‘Just as I thought—this place is overflowing with materials.’
Since the shop was more of a hobby, there were things here that wouldn’t normally be found elsewhere.
But I had experience treating all sorts of injuries and illnesses before—so I could completely heal them using medicine.
The water moved on its own, swirling. Technically, I was the one controlling it, separating and fetching things.
It moved like multiple limbs, then absorbed the ingredients.
I calmly watched as blue and golden light bloomed in the water.
Though it didn’t seem quite so calm to others.
“Take this.”
“Huh?”
“Hurry.”
The completed pills, tablets, and potions were laid out on the floor.
“You know medicine well.”
I looked at him with clear, innocent eyes.
“You’re… a mountain herb digger, after all.”
The middle-aged man’s eyes widened.
“How did you…?”
“Anyway, drink and take it. You’re hurt.”
The man hesitated in shock at my calm words.
“Should I help him drink it?”
As my dad quietly moved forward, the man quickly gulped down the medicine in a fluster.
Why does Dad act like a gangster sometimes? Well… it was helpful.
“Here’s water.”
I held out my water bottle. The pills were a bit bitter, so he’d need it.
The man finally swallowed everything. The taste couldn’t have been pleasant, but he took it all without complaint.
Well, he’d lived his whole life around bitter roots, after all.
Soon, the scratches and scabs on his cheeks disappeared smoothly.
That’s the difference between regular pharmacists and doctors versus us of the Black Family with special powers.
There’s a reason people seek us out.
“I didn’t fix the fracture all at once on purpose.”
My medicine isn’t always about fast healing.
Injuries like fractures that require natural recovery are better healed gradually for long-term health.
“Th… Thank you…!!”
The middle-aged man knelt down and bowed deeply.
“I’m sorry I doubted you. It was just so unbelievable… You must be a noble being. Thank you, truly.”
His name was Tak Undeok.
He had immigrated here with his family from the Eastern Continent to earn money. A second-generation immigrant, and a decent herbalist.
And in the future… he would become the most famous mountain herb digger in the Empire.
‘People tend to look down on herb diggers.’
But for doctors and pharmacists like me, they were incredibly important, right alongside herbal suppliers.
Especially this man—though his powers were weak—he had a natural ability to control plants.
At a certain point, that ability skyrocketed, and he became known for his incredible skills in finding rare herbs.
‘And he didn’t trade with just anyone… One major merchant guild had exclusive rights to his goods.’
I looked at the man—no, Uncle Undeok’s—beard with complicated emotions.
When I was struggling in this marketplace, or staying here, he always treated me warmly.
But in the end, we could never grow close.
At the time, he was obsessed with mountains, forests, and herbs. I knew why.
“Thank you so much. And this is shameless of me, I know…”
“…?”
Uncle Undeok lowered his head all the way to the ground.
He must’ve misjudged his strength, because it looked painful, yet he continued to bow deeply.
“If you’re really a doctor… could you help me? Please, save my son…!”
That son was the reason Uncle became the greatest herbalist.
Around the time his abilities surged, he lost his beloved only son.
He had scraped together money for treatment and went to the Black Family, but they turned him away.
‘And then the boy died.’
After that, Uncle began to hate the Black Family.
‘…Child, I don’t hate you, but I can’t bring myself to like you either.’
Afterward, the Black Family could no longer obtain the top-quality herbs Uncle brought…
Even the high-grade herbs collected by the herbalist guilds under him were out of reach.
That hit the family hard—it was already struggling.
You might think one herbalist wouldn’t make a difference, but…
Uncle Undeok had that much influence. Behind him was a powerful merchant guild—the only one he traded with—one of the top three in the Empire.
‘This time, I came to help you.’
If the son didn’t die, Uncle could live more happily.
And I could forge ties with the future top herbalist and the future guild master.
“If you save him, I’ll do anything. I don’t have much money now, but…”
“Okay.”
“Still, anything! Alright?”
“I said okay. Is your son not here?”
Uncle Undeok was too flustered to even notice my change in tone.
I hummed, thinking it over.
“I need to treat him somewhere with lots of ingredients. This place seems ideal…”
My treatment involved making medicine, which required herbs.
“Oh! If that’s the case…!”
Uncle Undeok reached toward me—but before his hand could touch me, my body floated up.
“This doesn’t seem like the right place.”
It was the wind. I looked up at my dad approaching through the air. Now it was my turn to be surprised.
“We don’t know when those thugs might come back. And it looks like people are gathering outside. Are you sure it’s safe?”
“Of course not…!”
Uncle Undeok looked at me with teary eyes.
Come on, I’m not saying I won’t help you…
‘If we move from here, where could we go…’
“What the, who’s acting like they own the place?”
Just then, an unfamiliar voice interrupted.
A woman’s voice—one I recognized.
“What’s going on here?”
When I turned, I saw a woman with red hair. The same one who had collapsed outside the shop earlier.
I suppressed my delight.
We knew each other.
‘Though, this is our first meeting in this life?’
Her hairstyle cleverly covered one eye. She smiled fiercely at us.
Her breathing was heavy, like she’d run here.
“I’m Jeok Yunha, the owner of this shop. Who the hell are you?”
She rushed forward and stood protectively in front of Uncle Undeok.
“How dare you make my Uncle Undeok cry?”
“Y-Yunha-nim!”
“If you dragged him to the floor like that, you should’ve followed quietly. Why are you taking a defenseless person hostage and causing trouble? Damn it, I said I’m not a thief!”
“N-No, Yunha-nim, wait, please!”
“It’s okay, Uncle. Stay somewhere safe.”
Wow, she still doesn’t listen when she’s angry.
Jeok Yunha.
I met her in my third life. She was the owner of the merchant guild I did business with.
Her personality matched her fiery red hair—bold and hot-tempered.
Seems like Dad’s wind worked out well. She looks relatively okay.
‘More importantly… did she not notice Uncle Undeok’s injuries are completely healed?’
Just then, our eyes met.
Yunha finally seemed to register my presence, and her eyes widened.
Her expression twisted coldly.
“…Tch. Using a child as a hostage?”
“Yunha-nim!!”
“Looks like your pretty face hides a rotten soul!”
When we first met, I was about twelve.
She already had a fiery temper back then, but said herself she’d been worse when younger.
‘Haha, when I was young, I was so hotheaded! If I snapped, I saw nothing! Aha!’
‘She really can’t see anything when she’s mad, huh.’
I think she told me most of her early ventures failed because of it.
“Bring it on, you trash! Using a child like this!”
…Yeah. I can see why she failed.
