Chapter 90. We can do it if we join forces
“Sirius, what are you talking about?”
Riald said, frowning.
“You can cure my illness?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“…….”
Riald’s face contorted slightly.
Then he let out a sigh.
“Sirius… Don’t talk so easily.”
His voice was tinged with irritation.
“Do you know how much money I’ve spent trying to cure this disease? I’ve taken all kinds of medicine and met all the famous doctors. But I haven’t gotten any better.”
Riald snapped in a harsh tone.
“But you can cure it? Are you a doctor? I’m sorry, but if you’re trying some kind of folk remedy you learned somewhere, I’ll have to decline.”
“Ri, Riald, calm down.”
Titania, who was next to him, hurriedly soothed Riald.
“Sirius isn’t saying that out of malice. He’s just worried about you…”
“Hmph……”
Riald bit his lip and looked away.
Instead of Riald, who kept his mouth shut, Titania looked at Sirius and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry. My husband has been suffering from this illness for so long that he tends to react a little nervously. Please understand, Sirius.”
“I don’t really mind, Lady Titania.”
Sirius said in a calm voice.
“That must be part of the symptoms.”
“Yes?”
Titania’s eyes widened.
“Lord Riald, may I ask you one thing?”
“Sirius, if you keep this up…”
“Do your symptoms worsen whenever you’re troubled by something?”
Riald’s body flinched at Sirius’ question.
“I think so…”
“As I thought.”
Sirius nodded.
“I’ve heard that the pain comes and goes, and the affected area changes each time. Is that correct?”
“That’s right…”
“Then the cause is clear.”
Looking straight at Riald, Sirius spoke in a clear voice.
“Lord Riald, there is an invisible energy flowing through everyone’s body.”
“Invisible energy…?”
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“Mana is one of them.”
“Ah…”
“This invisible energy must circulate properly within the body. When the circulation is obstructed for some reason, it causes illness.”
Riald looked bewildered by Sirius’ explanation.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of it…”
“I understand. I only learned about it myself while studying very old books.”
“Ah…!”
Titania, who was next to Riald, nodded her head anxiously.
“Now that you mention it, the Canisルート House was a family of scholars. Was there a description of such an illness in an old document?”
“Yes, Lady Titania.”
Of course, that was a lie.
Sirius was simply talking about the knowledge he had acquired in Murim.
Baek Moo-rang had studied the human body in depth in order to handle the internal energy of extreme yin and extreme yang simultaneously.
Naturally, he also became skilled in medicine.
In particular, he prided himself on being better than most doctors when it came to illnesses related to qi (energy).
“The pain comes and goes, the affected area changes each time, and the pain worsens when you’re troubled by something… It’s all written in the old document.”
“It, It matches Riald’s symptoms!”
This is a condition called Qi Stagnation Syndrome.
When qi does not flow smoothly through the body, pain occurs according to the principle of “no pain, then pain.”
However, since the problem is not in a specific area but rather the invisible qi circulating throughout the body and causing pain, the pain manifests in a pattern like Riald’s.
“Th, Then, Sirius.”
Riald swallowed.
“Can you… cure this illness?”
“Of course.”
In this world, there is no concept of controlling the flow of qi, so this illness cannot be treated properly.
However, in the world of Murim, manipulating qi is basic common sense.
Therefore, a cure has already been established.
“Among my subordinates, there is a child who is well-versed in pharmacology. I will have that child make the medicine.”
This is Berdian speaking.
During this time, Sirius has been researching the medicinal herbs of this world with Berdian.
In the process, they also found medicinal herbs that have the property of allowing qi to flow well.
Such medicinal herbs are also necessary to manufacture safe elixirs.
So if I give instructions to Berdian, he will be able to make a cure for Riald as well.
“Before that… I will personally treat Riald-nim’s body once.”
“Yes?”
“I will touch Riald-nim’s body and artificially communicate my energy. Then he will get better soon.”
“I-is there such a treatment method?”
Riald made a face as if he found it absurd.
But then Yustitia opened her mouth.
“Riald-nim, I think it would be good to try it once.”
“Yes?”
“Last time, when my little sister was suffering from morning sickness, Sirius treated her once and she got better right away.”
“……!”
Riald’s eyes opened wide, and Titania also showed a surprised reaction.
“Y, Yustitia, is that true? Did Leticia also receive Sirius’s treatment?”
“Yes, at first I thought it was just simple seasickness… but just like before, Sirius checked her pulse and found out that she was pregnant.”
“Oh my…”
Titania looked at Riald urgently.
“Riald, then try getting treated once.”
“Hmm…”
“You have never received this kind of treatment before. So just once…”
At his wife’s urging, Riald sighed once more.
“Alright. Then I will ask you once, Sirius.”
In the end, Riald also nodded.
“Then first, you must take off your shirt.”
“I understand.”
Riald took off his shirt with Titania’s help.
Sirius checked Riald’s spine and then slowly blew his internal energy into the acupuncture points that promote the circulation of qi.
“Ugh…!”
A groan escaped Riald’s mouth.
The internal energy that Sirius is currently injecting is very small.
However, Riald must be feeling a sensation that he has never experienced before.
“Titania-nim.”
Sirius said, continuing to stimulate the acupuncture points.
“There is a basin over there, bring it to me.”
“Ba, basin?”
A basin for wiping Ryald’s body was in the room.
As Titania hurriedly brought it over, Sirius said,
“Place the basin under Lord Ryald’s face.”
“Like this?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Immediately after that.
“Uwek…!”
Black water poured out of Ryald’s mouth.
However, since Titania was holding the basin, it did not splatter around.
“W, what happened?”
“The濁氣 (濁氣) is being expelled. It is a good reaction, so do not worry.”
Ryald vomited several more times after that.
Titania received all of Ryald’s vomit while holding back tears.
“Hmm… I think this is enough.”
Sirius checked Ryald’s pulse again.
Earlier, he had felt a pulse that was as tight as a bowstring, but now that feeling was gone.
It was proof that his energy was flowing well.
“Lord Ryald, how do you feel?”
“Ugh… huh?”
Ryald blinked.
“My body… it doesn’t hurt at all?”
“Ah…!”
Titania exclaimed from beside him.
“R, Ryald, is that true?”
“Yes, it doesn’t hurt at all. Nowhere…”
As he said that, Ryald put his hand on his chest.
“Even my chest feels refreshed. How did this…”
“I am glad that it was effective.”
Sirius said in a calm voice.
“Lord Ryald, I believe this treatment will be sufficient for now. My subordinate will prepare some medicine for you, so please continue to manage your condition by taking that medicine.”
“S, Sirius…!”
Ryald looked at Sirius with a moved expression.
Titania was also holding back tears.
“Thank you, thank you! How can I ever repay this favor…!”
“Thank you, Sirius…!”
Ryald and Titania held Sirius’s hands and burst into tears.
It was the moment when the couple, who had been suffering for several years, were freed from their pain thanks to Sirius’s treatment.
* * *
“You really are quite versatile.”
While Riald had gone to wash up, Sirius and Justitia conversed on the balcony while enjoying the evening breeze.
“How about switching careers to become a doctor? You seem like you could become a renowned physician who would leave a mark on the history of medicine.”
“Don’t misunderstand. There are limits to the illnesses I can cure.”
Since his studies were solely part of his martial arts training, he could not treat common illnesses.
“But you’ve been surprisingly gentle with my sisters and brothers-in-law.”
“Should I have been cold to them?”
“You haven’t been particularly gentle with me, though.”
“Do you want me to be gentle with you?”
“……”
“……”
Sirius and Justitia stared at each other for a moment before they both awkwardly coughed.
“We seem to have gotten a bit sidetracked.”
“Yes, the atmosphere has become rather strange.”
As they were having this conversation, Titania appeared on the balcony.
“Justitia, could you come over here for a moment? I have something I’d like to show you.”
“Yes, Sister.”
As Justitia followed Titania away from the balcony, Riald emerged.
Unlike when he had been lying in bed, his face now had a healthy glow.
“Sirius, I really do feel better. Thank you.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“I’m amazed by how you acquired such skill…”
Riald said as he coughed awkwardly.
“It seems I may have misunderstood you.”
“Misunderstood me?”
“To be honest… your conduct has been rather debauched as of late, hasn’t it?”
Riald’s voice was cautious.
“There were rumors of you being a cruel man who takes lives without hesitation… and when I heard that you were coming to the Granz household, I was quite nervous, to be honest.”
“……”
“But after meeting you in person, you seem completely different. You’re well-mannered… and you even treated my injuries with such care.”
As he spoke, Riald scratched his head.
“I apologize. It seems I have greatly misunderstood you.”
“It’s not entirely untrue, Lord Riald.”
“What?”
“It’s true that my conduct has been debauched as of late. And it’s true that I’m someone who can take a life without hesitation.”
“……”
Riald’s expression hardened at Sirius’s honest statement.
“But please don’t be so nervous, Lord Riald.”
“What?”
“If you’re nervous, your symptoms will worsen again.”
“……!”
Riald flinched.
“Is the reason my symptoms suddenly appeared today because I was so nervous about meeting you?”
“To be honest…… Yes. I was quite stressed.”
“I thought so.”
Sirius nodded.
“As I mentioned earlier, the symptoms tend to worsen when you’re anxious. After all…… It’s a disease that mainly affects those who are usually very worried.”
“Usually very worried……?”
“Have you been very worried lately?”
“Well…….”
Riald trailed off.
Watching him, Sirius asked again.
“What has worried you the most lately, Riald?”
“That is…….”
“Is it making Titania the next head of the Rigel family?”
“……!”
Riald looked flustered at Sirius’s question.
“S, Sirius, that’s…….”
“You don’t have to deny it. The Letiude family has also been talking about it.”
“The Letiude family too……?”
The Letiude family had also been eyeing the Rigel family.
But Sirius had convinced Andres to give up.
“If that happens, you could merge the Granz and Rigel families. You could combine the Granz family’s wealth with the Rigel family’s prestige.”
“…….”
“But, Riald.”
Sirius looked straight at Riald and spoke.
“Does the Granz family need the Rigel family’s prestige right now?”
“……!”
“Riald, think about it carefully.”
Sirius spoke calmly.
“The Granz family has a lot of wealth, but it lacks power. That’s why it’s always being threatened by the dark forces around it.”
“…….”
“You must have worked hard to get out of this situation. But things didn’t go as you hoped. You must have gotten more and more worried.”
In the bedroom, Riald kept sighing.
It was clear that he was very worried, even apart from his symptoms.
“A few years ago, the powerful organization called the Black Iron Order appeared, and the situation got even worse.”
“…….”
“Your symptoms must have gotten worse since then.”
Riald bit his lip.
Sirius’s observation was spot on.
“Lord Riald, what should we do to solve this issue?”
Sirius asked Riald.
“Should we hire a powerful mercenary group to protect the Grantz family from any dark guilds, like we’re currently doing with the mercenaries we’ve hired for a large sum of money?”
“…….”
“Nothing will change that way. It won’t solve Lord Riald’s concerns.”
Riald bit his lip.
After contemplating Sirius’s words, Riald opened his mouth after a while and asked,
“Sirius, then what should we do?”
Riald asked in a desperate voice.
“As you have said, the Grantz family is lacking in power. We can’t just forcefully crush the hostile forces like you do.”
Riald put his hand on his chest.
“How can I get rid of my worries?”
“Join forces.”
Sirius said in a cold voice.
“Join forces with other families and factions. And together, create a new order throughout the West.”
“A new order throughout the West……?”
“To prevent the dark guilds from gaining power like they are now and threatening the weak… Let’s change the entire Western region together.”
The Grantz family is weak on its own.
However, if they join forces with other families and factions, they can change the entire West, not just protect their family.
Sirius had already prepared a system to do just that.
“Lord Riald, please join the alliance we are creating, led by the Grantz family.”
“……!”
Sirius didn’t just kindly and diligently treat Riald out of goodwill.
It was because Riald was the perfect person for the new Murim Alliance.
There was an organization called the Chamber of Gold (萬金堂) in the Murim Alliance that was in charge of finances.
Sirius wanted to put Riald, who had a lot of wealth and was good at handling money, in charge of the Chamber of Gold.
If Justitia became the Grandmaster and Riald became the head of the Chamber of Gold… The new Murim Alliance wouldn’t have to worry about finances.
“Many families from the East and South have already joined. I hope the Grantz family will be the first to join in the West.”
The Grantz family is in charge of the area around Palamia, which can be considered the entrance to the West.
If they could get the full cooperation of the Grantz family, their activities in the West would become much easier.
And… This was also an attractive offer for Riald.
“As the family that took the lead in correcting the order of the West… The Grantz family’s status will soar.”
“……!”
The ambition that he had forgotten while lying in his sickbed.
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It began to burn brightly in Riald’s eyes once more.