Defected Dark Healer’s Rise to Wealth :
The clinic hours at Alaya General Hospital are from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and then again from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
So, what happens during the three-hour gap from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.?
Rest, or perhaps administrative tasks. That wouldn’t be wrong.
But it’s also a time reserved for special consultations.
“Doctor, do you have a moment?”
At 1:00 p.m., there’s a knock on the door of the examination room.
“VIP guests have arrived.”
“Ah, that’s fine. Show them in.”
Shortly after, the sliding door opens.
Accompanied by Usaly, the rabbit-eared receptionist who had recently started working here after leaving the military, enters a strikingly beautiful woman with hair the color of a clear ocean—Emeralda, an executive from the Demon Kingdom. And then, another person.
A little girl, barely reaching Emeralda’s waist, energetically walks in, beaming a bright smile at me as she waves enthusiastically.
“Dr. Kiwi! I’m here!”
The girl with pink skin and violet hair is Amilta Ougron, the doted-on daughter of Demon King Lumak Ougron.
As always, she’s holding her pet, Mjör, in her arms.
“Hey, Amilta. What brings you here today?”
“I’ve got a cough and a fever!”
As she spoke, she coughed slightly, looking a bit strained.
Gently rubbing her back, I ask, “When did the symptoms start?”
“Since yesterday evening, apparently. His Majesty noticed Amilta’s face looking a little flushed,” Emeralda replied to my question.
She had come today as Amilta’s escort in place of the Demon King, who had an unmissable meeting.
While one might think this task could have been entrusted to a maid or a royal guard, Emeralda had reportedly volunteered herself, saying, “I will personally escort her to Alaya General Hospital.”
“This morning, she seemed to be feeling a little better, but last night, her fever was high, and she seemed very fatigued,” Emeralda added.
“Do you know how high her temperature was?”
“Twenty-point-five degrees.”
“Hmm… That’s 1.5 degrees above the ambient temperature. No wonder she felt weak.”
“How long will it take to treat her?”
“Let’s examine her first.”
I gently touched Amilta’s neck and began to channel magic.
Now, let’s see… Her nasal and throat condition—ah, I see.
“Next, I’ll check your lungs.”
Placing a finger on the center of her chest, I examined her lungs. No unusual activity or shadows were detected.
The cause was now clear.
“There’s inflammation in the upper respiratory tract. She has acute upper respiratory tract inflammation.”
“Acute upper respiratory tract inflammation? What is that…?”
“It’s a common cold.”
A very typical viral one at that. It’s not bacterial, so it likely won’t last long and should resolve on its own.
“Oh… It’s just a cold. That’s a relief,” Emeralda said, exhaling in relief.
“His Majesty, I heard, was so worried about Amilta’s condition last night that he didn’t sleep a wink.”
“That’s a bit of an overreaction.”
“Can’t you just use your Dark Heal to cure her?”
“No, that’s not how it works.”
“Eh? Why not?”
It’s a common misconception.
Many think that Dark Heal can heal anything from injuries to colds, but that’s not entirely correct.
This is because Dark Heal is magic meant specifically for “recovery.”
“The effect of Dark Heal provides healing benefits to all living organisms it’s cast upon—including viruses and bacteria.”
“Viruses?”
Emeralda tilted her head in confusion.
Right, the study of such things hasn’t advanced in the Demon Kingdom yet. They don’t even have microscopes.
“A virus, in this case, is the cause of the cold.”
“I see. So, using Dark Heal would actually help the virus recover and worsen the symptoms?”
“Exactly.”
The troublesome thing is, as far as current research goes, all known viruses and bacteria exist in a “neutral” phase. Whether it’s Heal or Dark Heal, neither can eliminate them.
“Then all we can do is wait for it to heal naturally, right…?”
“No, that’s not the case.”
I lightly placed both hands around Amilta’s neck and cast Dark Heal.
“!? Kiwi! Why would you use Dark Heal…!? The virus will recover as well!”
“No, no. We don’t need to deal with the virus directly. The means to fight the virus already exist within Amilta. All I need to do is support that.”
“Amilta-sama has the means to fight within her…?”
“Her immune system.”
For example, in humans, the hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. By healing this, the body can circulate more active cells, evolving into larger numbers of neutrophils and macrophages—key immune cells.
Though not identical to humans, Amilta’s body possesses a similar immune system.
“For Amilta, a half-slime species, it seems the lymph-node-like areas that fluidly move within her body are at the core of her immune system. By applying Dark Heal to all of these…”
“Her immunity will be strengthened, and she’ll recover from the cold faster, correct?”
“Exactly.”
I touched Amilta’s head, neck, and stomach in sequence, channeling magic into her.
“Heehee, that tickles…!”
“Bear with it, Amilta.”
“Eh~? Then, if I manage to bear it, will you pet me?”
“Of course. I’ll do that for you.”
“Okay, deal!”
I carefully channeled magic throughout her body, completing the application of Dark Heal to her lymph-node-like areas.
“There, this should prevent the immune cells in Amilta’s body from dying off significantly. Over the next few days, her resistance to the virus should improve.”
“Hmm, I don’t really get it.”
“It means it’ll be easier for you to recover from your cold.”
“Got it!”
Amilta, clearly pleased, puffed out her nose in satisfaction and then—
“Mm!!!”
She closed her eyes and leaned her head forward.
Was this a headbutt?
Oh no, wait—it was something else.
“You’re reminding me of our promise.”
I placed my hand on Amilta’s outstretched head and stroked it.
Her soft, silky violet hair had a smooth texture that felt delightful to the touch.
I wondered what it was made of…
…Would it be possible to ask for a strand?
“—Oops.”
Emeralda was staring intently at my hand as I petted Amilta, as if she had caught wind of my improper thoughts.
That was close. If she reported this to Demon King Lumak, I’d be in serious trouble.
“Um, Kiwi? Can I talk to you for a moment?”
Oh no, was I already in trouble? Emeralda asked me with a serious expression.
“What is it? I assure you, I haven’t done anything…”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, I thought it was about her hair.”
“Her hair? What about it?”
“Nothing, forget I said anything.”
It seemed my concerns were unfounded.
Phew, that was a relief.
Emeralda tilted her head, genuinely puzzled, but quickly composed herself.
“Actually, I wanted you to examine me as well, not just Amilta-sama.”
“Of course, I’d be happy to. What symptoms are you experiencing?”
Emeralda hesitated for a moment, as if grappling with how to phrase it, but then seemed to make up her mind.
“Recently, I’ve been so busy that… well, I’ve been feeling a bit depressed.”
She revealed a rather serious concern.
