"Um... I don't know what to say about that." Luman replied in a soft voice.
"We can trade knowledge! I become your disciple, you become mine? Like that!" I quickly replied. The act of having a disciple clearly shows that the teacher is more knowledgeable. For a high-standing person like Luman, this was not usual. I did not want to make it seem as if I was disregarding his knowledge, and I blurted everything out.
"If you accept my offer, I can help you! I doubt you can give me your magic, but from my world, there are items like the ones I gave you and more that can help save people!"
I waited for a reply. Both men had seen me conjure these items out of thin air. Materials they had never seen in their life. They had not questioned me since they thought it was an inappropriate moment to do so.
"Ah, so these items... It's your magic?" Thalen questioned, he placed his chin between his fingers, deep in thought, "I have never seen magic like this before, but the merbeasts and avian beasts do have magic different from us. This is quite interesting. Human beasts, right?"
"Yes! That's it!" I instantly replied. While not entirely true, it was now my magic. "So... what do you think, Luman?"
"Well... that could be helpful. With the shortage of healers, your items saved these people's lives. So this means that we are offering each other our knowledge, huh?" Luman's eyes creased as he grinned, showing off his canines.
I could feel the redness growing on my face as I nodded. The men in this world were very captivating, each one in their own way.
"Well then, I am happy to be working with you in the future... Ivy." Luman grabbed my hand as I noticed his eyes waver on Thalen for a few seconds before placing his soft lips on the back of my hand.
There was a warm smile on his face and a mischievous glint in his eyes, but it was not entirely welcoming. Although I did notice it, I chose to ignore it. As long as we got along and did our jobs, who cared if these people liked me or not?
"You are mine, Ivy, so why don't I get a say in this?" Thalen asked grumbling behind me. He did not use a tone of command, but rather one of envy or jealousy. Either way, he was not restricting me.
A ping appeared in front of me.
----
Quest: Find a Disciple
Status: Complete
Reward: Disciple Kit
Claim
----
"It's because you don't own me." I grinned back excitedly at the notification. Pressing the claim, I pulled a box out of thin air. Luman and Thalen, seeing it firsthand, were shocked. Even a few of the patrons who were looking at me were surprised to see this.
"Why are you guys staring like that? Thalen creating fire out of thin air with a click of his fingers is fine, but me pulling an item out of thin air isn't?" I question them with a raised brow.
"Well... Thalen is a special case... It's rare to find someone with strong magic like him, but I guess I get your point. There can be more than one magic genius in the world, we just did not expect you to be one since there was no notice." Luman let out an awkward laugh, his eyes not leaving the box I had just procured.
"Well then, what is that? What's in the box?" Thalen said, reaching out to grab it. I swatted his hand away, tutting at his curiosity.
"It's not for you. It's for Luman because he will be helping me as I will be helping him to heal people." I opened the box, curious about the items inside.
Disciple box :
Surgical gloves [100]
Stethoscope [1]
Antiseptic [1]
Bandage [20]
Alcohol wipes [100]
Sutre kit [1]
Scapel [1]
The box contained items similar to what I had before, which was, happy to know, I did not have to buy them again, as Luman would need them too. Having seen the prices, I noticed that the sutre kit itself costs 1000 points. It was a bargain, but with the little points, I would have been broke instantly.
"Oh, you have given me similar items before, but what is this one?" Luman used his two fingers to pick up the Stethoscope. He brought it close to his face and looked at it, trying to figure out what it was.
"Ah, that! It's called a Stethoscope, and it's used to listen to the body. It amplifies sounds, such as the heart, lungs, and blood flow. You get the gist? Right?" I took out the other Stethoscope I had received as a reward beforehand and placed the ear tips at either side of my ear, "Be careful what you listen to since it can hurt your ears if you shout at this end or make you deaf." I hold on to the end of the chest piece. I casually explained as if it were the norm.
"Uh... are you sure it's safe then?" Luman paused, who was about to place the earpieces onto his ears and copy me.
"Of course, don't worry." I waved my hand, finding it amusing despite my worry. "Then you place this chest piece and look at the beat."
I beckoned Thalen to come closer with my finger. He silently obeyed, kneeling close to me. Our faces were just inches apart, too close for what I was trying to do. I blush as I push him away slightly.
"Excuse me." I clear my throat and slightly pull apart his clothes, revealing the top part of his chest. I had seen it before, but seeing it again, I could not help but admire it. Tahlen's tanned skin made his physique even more defined. My hand still held onto the clothes, gripping them as I tried to calm myself.
Seeing my hands shake from restraint, he leaned in, "Do you want to keep going? I don't mind onlookers." He teased as he whispered into my ears.
"Stop it!" I push him away again in embarrassment, collecting myself. Luman just stands there as if he hadn't witnessed the intimate moments between us. "Anyway... you just place this wherever you want to listen to and until you find the place to listen to the heart of lungs for breathing and so on."
"Oh, I see, let me try." Luman joined in placing the chest piece onto Thalen's chest and found the heartbeat, "Oh, this is quite useful! It's better than me just pressing my ears on their chest, especially if they are covered in blood!" Luman looked at the Stethoscope as if it were a national treasure and gleamed with sheer happiness on his face.
It was good to see that he liked it and thought about the many times he had pressed his face onto the sweaty and dirty chests. Patients usually are not clean due to the reason they are even in the hospital. If I did not have my Stethoscope, I would be reluctant to touch some patients without thoroughly cleaning up. That could lead to a lot of lost time, which is crucial in some parts.
Going through the items in the box, I explained how to use each of them properly. Luman was very passionate about learning new things. He scribbled the info down diligently. Thalen sat in the corner of the board and yawned through the whole lecture. Anyone without an interest would. Thankfully, there were only a few interruptions with the patients, as the helpers were able to address more problems.
"One last thing." I looked out some boxes of paracetamol and handed them to him.
"Really, it still amazes me every time you do that." Luman said, taking the boxes I handed to him, "So what are they?"
He could not hold back his curiosity as he rattled them, hearing sounds from inside the packets.
"Ah! These are called paracetamol. They are painkillers. Not that strong, just enough for things like headaches. It does not remove the problem, of course, but just dulls the pain for a while." I show him the inside and how to remove them. "The patients should only be allowed 2 every 4 hours, maximum 4 times a day, with water. It's not food to take normally, really should be in moderation."
"Oh." Thalen walked up to look at the bright, white, odd-shaped pills. He took the pill I had used to demonstrate from my band and chewed on it. "That's interesting."
"Ahh! You are not supposed to chew them! Well... it just increases the chance of side effects... but it's bitter." I look at him with a scrunched-up look on my face. I knew the taste of paracetamol after you chewed on it. It was not pleasant, but Thalen just shrugged as if it was normal.
"It's very similar to the pills we use. Though ours look more like this and are quite specific and expensive." He pulled out his pouch and proceeded to remove a bottle with pills inside. The sweet scent of peonies and a subtle hint of ginger filled the room. A light pink pill was the cause of it, and it was round and very beautiful.