Black Market is indeed an illegal empire trading whatever you can buy but, it's also much more for the people that want to stay off the books.
If you know where to look, you can buy several services outlawed by the Guild- 'No questions asked.'
One such example would be- Medical Services, for the injuries a person cannot account for, at least not without getting arrested.
Brave's Rest, a cheap-deprecated inn, among the cluster of businesses surrounding the grand road of The Adventurer's Way.
At first glance, it appears to be just a small inn with a termite-infested piece of plywood nailed above its doors, 'Brave's Rest' was engraved on it.
A motel for the poor, owned by Granny Ren and her grandson.
But, if peered deeper, it's a branch of Black Market's Hospital Services.
Rooms that were supposed to house people looking for a night's rest are instead rented by bandaged patients.
A go-to place for Assassins, Mercs, and the like.
-Creak-Creak-Creak…
Lili's boots rapidly creak the old corridor as she paces back and forth in front of Room no. 03 with arms tightly clenched on her chest, eyebrows scrunched.
The doctor has assured- the boy will live but not how.
Lili's body would shudder between tears and deep breaths, every time her mind plays the disturbing scene.
All she remembers is that Argus suddenly Blinked-Out behind the Kobold she was fighting before crashing it on top of her with a single punch and the next second, thunderous explosions drowned everything.
When the shrapnel killed that kobold into ashes freeing her, and all she saw was- smoke, clouds of dust, debris, crushed cores, and his blood and wounds riddled yet still conscious body twitching between huffs and gasps through his blood clotted nose and mouth.
"Just why are you so stupid…" her lips quivered as her limp-tired back pressed against the wall.
No matter how hard she tried, Lili just couldn't figure out why he'd do that.
Argus had every reason to Blink away- every chance to Blink away.
Lili was a level one. She knew her things better than he did, and she is much more capable of taking care of herself than he is. But deep down she knew if Argus didn't do what he did, then it'd be Lili in the operation room instead.
But for Argus, it was the most obvious thing to do. It was just as simple as that.
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.
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*Argus's Narration*
[Yeah, you might as well jab in dildo in what's left of my dignity!] I wept in my heart.
My underwear was down as I laid on the bed with my bottom out in full display while the Granny, or say the doctor here, pulled out the shrapnel stuck in there. Her face was so painfully close that I could even feel her breath tickling.
But I must admit, I got lucky- Like protagonist level lucky.
And absolutely not because of the granny!
Absolutely not!
Here's why- So, on top of the gut-stabs, I now have a constellation of 8 shrapnel drawn on my body, a dislocated shoulder, 3 broken fingers, and yes, my perfect face ruined now.
I got two shrapnel plunged in my left calf, one on my right thigh, another one in my lower back, 2 in my upper back.
And this is where I got lucky- a shrapnel grazed past the left side of my windpipe and the cervical spine, barely missing them. Although it did cut a pretty deep wound. While the last one did the same, but with my face this time.
The last one tore through my right ear and cheek, missing my eyes, brain, and eardrums by mere centimeters.
I'd be dead if my body wasn't exactly where it was. That's how I got lucky.
And yes, people can pull out all sorts of miracles under pressure- I used my symbiotic clothes to shape black bandages, and it worked, otherwise I would've long bled out.
All that's left now is a scarred face, a half split ear, and a long horizontal scar on my neck.
The scar on my face ran from the corner of my right eye and went all the way from there to my now mutilated ear.
Granny also completely healed my broken bones by using Healing-Potions after arranging them the way they should be.
And what she did for the shrapnel was the most curious- she first removed the shrapnel and then applied what she called Healing-Jelly before dressing the wound.
When I asked, she told me, the golden Healing-Jelly is like an inedible Healing-Potion used for treating wounds that demand concentrated healing.
They are cheaper than our standard Healing-Potions, yet are much more effective if we treat a single wound the old fashioned way.
Not to mention, I was still 'high' on pain-killer overdose, so I felt nothing when she snapped my bones straight or when she unceremoniously pulled out shrapnel riddled all across my body.
After all, this wasn't a proper hospital. They don't give two shits about the patient's comfort.
As for why we didn't go to a proper hospital in the first place? It simple, a proper hospital will need a detailed report of how I got the wounds and they will get curious about, how the hell I'm still alive. And let's not forget, Soma Familia will probably be notified that a member of theirs took a non-leveler into the second floor and almost got him killed.
How would they figure that out? The wounds on my stomach are not scratches cheap Goblins can inflict, and the stuff of the next are Kobolds, which are only found on floor 2.
Black Market ran on the policy- No questions asked. So, I suggested we hit the Black Market. And how did I figure out that Black Market has such services? Well, on top of being a big and successful business family, The Great Hale Family is also a Mafia Family, and we also ran a mercenary group. Although my sister owned it, while my brother took care of the mafia empire- drugs, weapons, and stuff, and I was meant to learn our legal business after the diploma in my chosen subject and eventually succeed Father. It really is a pity that I turned out to be… well, me. But, I guess it's alright; I did send someone to take my place, someone a lot better than me.
Father too was indeed a little too open-minded about the things my siblings did. His plan, or say his endgame was settling the little ones before retiring and living the life he always wanted alongside Mother while advising us whenever we needed help.
It's a pity indeed. For me, at least.
"That's the squishiest bum I've pinched in while, Luv…" came a granny voice to my ears, snapping me out of my thoughts as I turned around only to see the grinning old pervert pulling out the last shrapnel from my…
"I can pull up my underwear now, right?… Please?"
"Now-Now, don't be hasty… you don't want a bleeding bum-bum, do you?"
[Ahh! Someone, just kill me already!]
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.
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After the patches that left me no dignity to speak of, I laid sulking on the bed of Room no. 03, FULLY DRESSED with Lili standing beside me, along with the Granny smiling ever so innocently.
Lili's scared eyes blatantly betraying the placid expression on her face as she asked, almost murmuring, "How is he?"
"Oh, he'll be fine~ His body accepts positive agents like an Elf!" Granny replied with her smile broadening.
Nodding softly, Lili then asked that had been in my mind as well, "Will there be any-"
But the Granny cut her sentence off alongside our concerns, "None… other than the scars on the beautiful moon, nothing will remain but, tonight will be a painful nightmare…"
"My every night is a painful nightmare… I want the details." I said, with a face scrunched in annoyance. As kind the Granny is, she pushes the buttons I never even knew existed.
Chuckling she replied, "Well, too bad I'm no physiatrist… Well, you see, your body breaks down and consumes intakes at an Elfish rate so, according to me, the pain-killer charm will only last till the end of the day, and you cannot take another one… not without risking addiction. But, lucky for you, I have a solution."
Granny Ren was right, the only reason I was still sane, is the pain-killer overdose. I'm pretty sure I would've died from the pain and the trauma.
"And the solution is…?" I asked.
"You can either go celebrate life and get drunk… drunk enough to knock yourself senseless, or you buy sedatives from my boy downstairs."
Nodding, I thought of the third option, "Lili, can we rent this room for tonight?"
But before Lili could even open her mouth, Granny spoke in her stead, "Na-Na-Na-Na-Na, Luv… We don't that here… You get in, pay, get fixed, and then you walk out… Just like in a parlor. We only have so many rooms in here… Ah! And yes, before I forget, do purchase a cane or something, the shrapnel in your left leg was stuck in your Tibia, or simply your calf bone."
[A cane, huh?] I thought, as my eyes turned to Lili, she was the one with the cash.
Lili on the other hand instantly replied, "We'll take the best cane you have, and is there anything else I need to know, Doctor?"
"Oh! Please, call me Granny Ren or just Granny is enough..." She said, but the seemingly everlasting smile on her face receded as her eyes to me.
[No-No-No! Don't! We agreed on this!] I thought while my eyes signaled the same thing, as I frantically shook my head. Frantically enough to draw fresh blood from my neck.
She stared into my now increasingly getting desperate eyes for a second more and mouthed 'It's for your own good' before turning to Lili, "Just know this, girl, you must get him something to tide through the night or he won't survive it."
[This old hag!] I screamed, I knew the how why's and everything about this one but Lili didn't and her entire body shook in terror the moment Granny finished.
I didn't want Lili to find out about this, she's had enough. And the solution to it all was simple sedatives!
Lili's little frame shook so badly that Granny had to rush to support her. She then slowly guided her to bed while all I could do was watch in agony as Lili craned neck up and whispered, "Why?."
No way in hell, I could've let that happen, "No you don't Lili! Be good and go get the sedatives and the cane… and I want a black one, be sure it's simple yet stylish!"
"Argus, she has the right to know… she is the one who paid for all this and this is no joke." The Granny said as she pressed her fingers on Lili's back, calming her in mere seconds.
"Why don't you go lick yourself in a corner for 5 minutes? We're having a moment here…" I snapped.
[Why the hell can't these senile old fogies mind their own business?]
Turning her tearing eyes to me, Lili plead so broken, "Please, Master Argus…"
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse.
��You don't need his permission, Little One. I'll tell you… You see, contrary to popular belief, Falna actually facilitates healing by distributing only what's needed for the fastest recovery rate possible, while the rest goes to the hidden internal injuries.
And since, Argus does not have a Falna, his body is currently riddled with such injuries which will scream out the moment the pain-killer charm ends… and I'm talking about his stomach. The pain will either rob him of his sanity or kill him, or worst and the most possible outcome will be his body failing, even though I have done what I could.
I do not know why you did what you did. I believe the circumstances must've been desperate… but I must say, it was stupid! You stuffed the most back in while you cut off the rest, and then used a Healing-Potion?! Girl, they are no miracles in a bottle! Those potions only accelerate the body's natural regeneration and provide the body with the resource it needs to do that, and that's it! This man shouldn't even be alive right now!"
Both our breaths ragged by the end of her 'Noble Display of Truth'.
Just because she has the right, or want to know, doesn't mean that its knowledge is something she needs or should have. Lili did what she thought was best, she did what she could, and-
/-FUEE-FEEU~ /
[What are you whistling for?]
"And I'm alive because of it! And what the fuck happened to your 'no questions asked, just business' policy! Huh!" I yelled with eyes wide open in frustrated-rage.
Granny's smiling eyes too slowly receded as she said, "I only spoke the truth. You both are fools… because of how she treated it. The injury is much more serious than it was supposed to be. Even I cannot help you with it now."
"Then that makes you one terrible doctor, doesn't it?" I snapped back, fists tightly clenched.
But it was only after saying it, did I realize, I just insulted a doctor's skills. And Granny for one was a master of her trade, I had seen it firsthand.
"You have 10 minutes…" She said between gritted teeth, her now freezing eyes glaring into mine before storming out of the room.
/ That was stupid, even for you Argus… /
[Yeah, I know… I shouldn't have…] I conveyed, sighing as my tensed body slowly relaxed.
Turning around, my eyes rolled in Lili's direction only to see her tear-stained face looking up in a stupor.
It was like a knife twisting in my heart- Lili did nothing wrong. If someone is to be condemned then, without a shadow of a doubt- it's me.
Moving my body to her side of the bed, I gently pulled her into a hug from behind.
Her tiny frame trembled even more as Lili snapped out of her state, the tears and the chaos she held back so bravely gushed out the very next moment, "M-Master Argus… I-"
Using my sleeve to wipe the tears off, I said in the gentlest, most cheerful voice, "It's okay! What are you crying about, dummy? Trust me, that senile old hag is just jealous… I'm alive because of you! And besides, it's only a matter of sedatives, maybe some drinks?… and a good night's rest! And even if it isn't, I can just take another pain-killer! If not, then we can just barge into Loki Familia right now!
Let's Blink around in that ugly-towery castle and show'em our stuff, I bet they'd beg us to join them the very next moment! You know what I'm gonna do then? I gonna be like, 'Now, rollover, Loki!', and she'll jump on all fours and… will roll over for us, and will even add a complimentary, 'Woof!' coz we just that good!"
The crying little one in my arms burst out giggling between tears as she whispered, "Nehe- just why you are like this…"
"Well, that's just me~" I replied, giggling as I wiped the last of her tears.
"Oh, yes! Lili, can you tell me what this is…" I asked while taking out the Egg I found back in the dungeon.
This Egg could be nothing but an egg but, I had a feeling that it wasn't.
Lili's bell-like giggles froze the moment her gaze landed on the golden egg, "That's Jack Bird's Golden Egg!"