WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: LilGuyBlastoise
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Plague Doctor in a Peaceful World ◈
Chapter 30: Wandering Around
──────
While walking Arong, I spotted a [Contagious Disease Patient] coughing painfully at a bus stop, so I discreetly treated them from behind.
[System]
- Used ‘Plague Treatment.’
- ‘Plague Treatment’ Proficiency +1
- The skill ‘Plague Treatment’ leveled up!
- Experience +2.21%
- Skill level-up bonus Experience +35%
[MP 140/140]
I had not noticed last time because I had leveled up at the same time, but leveling up a skill filled my MP completely too.
Anyway, Plague Treatment had reached Level 3. The MP cost would probably decrease even more with its improved effects, right?
I was in a good mood.
“Aroooong, want to go buy snacks with your big brother?”
We happened to be near the pet supply store. It was a shop we often visited together to buy snacks and toys.
When I pointed at it, Arong spun around in place.
Woof! Woof!
He barked happily.
It was a good thing I had brought money, just in case.
Jingle.
“Welcome.”
“Hello.”
I entered the store with Arong in my arms.
Dogs were allowed inside, but I did not want to put him down and have him scratch up perfectly good merchandise.
“It’s Lunar New Year. Thank you for opening your store. Happy New Year.”
“Thank you. Happy New Year to you too. Happy New Year to our little doggy too.”
Woof!
After our cheerful greetings, I looked around the store.
Come to think of it, it had been a while since I visited the animal shelter. Should I buy snacks and bring them tomorrow?
Ever since some celebrity had paid off all the outstanding veterinary bills and arranged checkups and vaccinations, the number of sick dogs and cats had dropped sharply.
Before moving on to a different place to farm experience, I wanted to take one last look around.
Holding Arong in one arm, I picked up a shopping basket.
After our walk and shopping trip, I returned to the apartment and loaded everything except Arong’s things into my car trunk.
“Bongsik, go pick up your sister.”
As soon as I came inside, Mom told me to do so.
“Okay.”
After wiping Arong’s paws, I headed back out alone.
A little later.
The café where my sister worked.
“Give me the most difficult drink to make, with the most dishes to wash afterward.”
“I’ll make you a cup of espresso prepared with all my devotion.”
“Just give me an iced Americano.”
“Oh.”
Closing time was near, but customers remained in the café.
I watched my sister politely chase them out, exchanged brief greetings with her fellow part-timers, and stood up.
On our way home, I asked her, “What are you going to do? Should we tell Mom and Dad tomorrow?”
The stalker we had caught yesterday had not only been carrying a weapon but had even swung it at me. That was clearly aggravated assault. They were still in a holding cell, but there was a good chance an arrest warrant would be issued.
“We should. The detective said they’d tell us right away if that guy gets released, right?”
“Yeah.”
Phew.
My sister let out a long sigh.
I warned her, “Even if that guy gets locked up, don’t get so happy that you start wandering around alone at night.”
“Like I’d do that. But are you going to be okay? If they hear what happened yesterday, I think they’ll scold you for chasing that guy so recklessly. You almost died after getting struck by lightning last time.”
“I wouldn’t have chased them if I knew they had a knife. And I didn’t get struck by lightning. Lightning hit nearby, and the current from it...”
“Okay, okay. Anyway, is there anything you want?”
I made a horrified face.
“I don’t want charity from an unemployed person.”
Thwack.
“Ow.”
The next day.
Before going to the animal shelter, I headed to the amusement park where Kongkong was. Perhaps because it was the Lunar New Year holiday, the place was packed.
The atmosphere was completely different from when I had entered through the staff-only back door in the middle of the night. It was incredibly bright, noisy, and lively.
“Good thing I didn’t bring my car.”
I bought a zoo ticket and walked diligently toward the tigers.
“Wow, a tiger!”
“Tigerrr...!”
It was the indoor enclosure I had visited last time.
There were especially many children on the viewing path where the tigers could be seen.
Keeping some distance, I looked around for Kongkong.
Honestly, they all looked alike to me, so I could not tell them apart. They were all far away too.
“Come a little closer.”
“Tiger, tigerrr.”
Other visitors grumbled in front of me.
After leisurely looking around, I went outside. The sky was clear, but it was still winter, so the temperature was low.
Maybe that was why.
The tigers outside were sprawled wherever the sunlight reached, blankly staring into space or sleeping.
With my back to the wind, I watched them.
Maybe the glass wall of the indoor enclosure had been so thick that they could not smell me back then?
I wondered what it would feel like to be friends with a tiger.
It was a little disappointing.
“Waaah! Waaaah!”
Nearby, a child with the [Contagious Disease Patient] label was crying.
“Why are you acting like this today? Stop it. Don’t cry. There are so many people here.”
“You begged to come here, so we brought you. If you keep crying, the tiger will come roaring over because you’re too noisy and catch you.”
The child’s parents were even scolding their child without realizing they were sick.
“Come on, come on.”
“Waaah!”
“You’re not leaving?!”
Even while sick, the child seemed to want to keep watching the tigers and held on to the railing.
“Waaaah...!”
[This is a Contagious Disease Patient. Would you like to treat them?]
[(Expected MP Cost: 20)]
Murmur murmur, bustle bustle.
I sighed internally and put on my mask as I muttered, “Treatment, yes.”
[System]
- Used ‘Plague Treatment.’
- ‘Plague Treatment’ Proficiency +1
- Experience +1.08%
[MP 120/140]
“If you keep crying, I’m leaving you here.”
“Look. The tigers are coming over to go, ‘Hey, you!’”
Hm?
I turned my head.
A huge tiger and a smaller tiger were wandering toward us.
The child sniffled, then smiled brightly.
“Tiger...”
“...”
I looked at the tigers too.
The outdoor enclosure sat far lower than the viewing path. Several safety structures had also been installed, so they could never get closer than a certain distance.
The two tigers came as close as they could and sat side by side.
“Oh my, look at that!”
People who saw them gathered around.
“...”
I pressed my lips together.
I was a little touched.
Kongkong and the unknown tiger.
Had they sensed the energy of Plague Treatment, recognized me, and come over? They even blinked lazily, and they looked incredibly cute.
I could not let this moment pass by.
I immediately took out my phone and photographed them.
Click, click.
As more and more curious people gathered, I waved to them.
Take care.
I’ll come see you again.
Then, after asking the people to excuse me, I moved away.
“Huh? The tigers are leaving.”
“Hey?”
The two of them moved in roughly the same direction as me.
“...?”
I stopped for a moment.
The two of them stopped too and sat back down.
They watched me as I stood among the crowd.
“...”
When I started moving again, they followed me again.
You two, this is making things weird.
I slowly backed away until I was completely out of their sight.
“They’re leaving.”
“They left.”
Sounds of disappointment soon rose from the crowd.
It was late afternoon by the time I arrived at the animal shelter.
Volunteer work was usually done in the morning, so only the dogs’ barking echoed loudly through the shelter.
“Welcome, Mr. Bongsik. It’s been so long!”
A staff member and the shelter director welcomed me with bright smiles.
“Hello. I brought some snacks for the dogs and cats. And these are Lunar New Year gifts for the director and the staff. I bought them while visiting Japan.”
I handed them the dog and cat snacks, along with gift sets of wagashi I had bought in bulk as souvenirs in Japan.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Bongsik. How can we keep accepting things from you?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Come in and have some coffee. We finished cleaning a little while ago.”
“Okay.”
After chatting for a while in the office, I headed alone to the container building where the cats were kept.
There were no [Contagious Disease Patients] in sight.
There were three [Contagious Disease Patients] in the dog kennels, but they were all mild cases.
In an empty straight corridor, I made sure no one was around and treated them.
“Thanks to you guys, I gained experience easily. Thank you. Stay well. I’ll come visit sometimes.”
Woof woof! Bark bark!
The dogs barked as if answering me.
I petted them as they practically stuck themselves to the bars.
“Don’t get sick.”
I had grown so attached to them that I remembered every face and name.
“I hope you all find good owners and have your dog lives turn around.”
I slowly walked away.
That evening, I told my parents the truth about what had happened on Lunar New Year’s Eve.
Just as my sister predicted, I got thoroughly scolded.
They asked how I could have chased such a suspicious person alone without any fear.
“What would you have done if Arong hadn’t found you? Something terrible could have happened!”
Thwack thwack.
Mom smacked me on the back several times.
Yes. It was fortunate that Arong found me.
He had stopped me from beating that stalker half to death.
“...”
Dad listened silently, then later stuck just his hand into my room.
A thumbs-up.
“Heh.”
I smiled and gave him a thumbs-up too.
* * *
A weekday morning.
With a tense expression, I entered a currency exchange.
“...”
I came back out less than a minute later.
Of course.
To exchange more than a certain amount, I had to show identification.
The one million yen I had received in Japan as payment for the treatment prayer. I had spent freely on travel and bought plenty of gifts, but a considerable amount still remained.
At this rate, how long would it take to exchange it in tiny amounts?
I should have asked for Korean won from the start.
Idiot.
Ding.
-[Hello, Plague Doctor! Did you have a good Lunar New Year?]
It was Lee Mun-yeong.
[Hello.]
-[Are you busy?]
[I’m free.]
-[That’s a relief^^ Actually... I have a favor to ask.]
Was this not an ordinary treatment-prayer request?
Another DM followed.
-[I would like to investigate in detail how far the Plague Doctor’s treatment prayer affects animals. Things like antibodies, virus mutations, or whether viruses are eliminated.]
Honestly, I was curious about that too.
I had treated countless animals so far, but I could not know for certain whether they had simply recovered from being sick or had developed antibodies as well.
People were animals too.
I thought the patterns might be similar.
-[I’m also curious about its limits.]
I nodded.
I had also wondered whether my skill would work on contagious diseases for which neither vaccines nor treatments had been developed.
[Okay. But I have a favor to ask too.]
-[What is it? Just tell me, and I’ll do anything!]
[Do you know somewhere I can safely exchange one million yen?]
She would probably laugh as soon as she saw this request, but tuition payments were coming up soon.
The money I had received for Kongkong’s treatment prayer was still intact, but was tuition all I needed to pay for?
I needed new clothes and a tablet PC too.
-[Yes, bring it with you, and I’ll prepare it right away. We will also pay you separately for this request!]
Oh.
Just as expected from the secretary to the head of a large pharmaceutical company.
[When and where should I go?]
That night.
I followed Lee Mun-yeong down a dark road.
I was thoroughly covered from head to toe in a white protective suit, boots, a mask, and more.
We stopped in front of a small livestock shed.
Beyond the wall, I saw one [Contagious Disease Patient].
Lee Mun-yeong said it was a pig infected with a highly fatal contagious disease for which there was currently no treatment.
But it was yellow?
[This is a Contagious Disease Patient. Would you like to treat them?]
[(Expected MP Cost: 170)]
The system was asking whether I wanted to treat it?
I gently placed my hand on the wall.
My ears were covered too, so if I muttered quietly, Lee Mun-yeong would not hear me.
“Treatment, yes.”
[System]
- Used ‘Plague Treatment.’
- ‘Plague Treatment’ Proficiency +2
- Experience +7.84%
[MP 5/140]
The yellow [Contagious Disease Patient] disappeared.
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