The Crown Prince That Sells Medicine - Chapter 29

The Crown Prince That Sells Medicine Chapter 29

Episode 29. Moxibustion Clinic (2)

“Are you mentally prepared?”

“Yeah yep.”

“Relax. “I won’t die.”

“yep.”

“I’m going to sleep.”

“Hmph!”

Cheeeeeeeek-!

The moxa was burning fiercely. The smell of mugwort spread quickly. The very nervous gladiator wriggled his back. Rachiel patted the gladiator’s shoulder.

“It’ll be a little hot.”

“…ugh.”

“Still, this is better than suffering from the pain that comes every day, so just hold on for a little while. “Pain is short and joy is long.”

“Oh, I understand… I understand.”

A gladiator lying face down on his bed, trembling and exerting all his endurance. Rachiel looked at the gladiator with satisfaction. And then I looked around the hall.

It was originally a spacious space used for events such as banquets. But now, it had been transformed into a temporary medical room with thirteen white beds neatly arranged. This place was filled with the scent of burning mugwort.

‘Ah, it reminds me of the old days.’

Thirteen gladiators or patients receiving moxibustion while lying face down. Seeing that image suddenly reminded me of my days in Korea.

‘Bukyeong Oriental Medical Clinic’ was opened with great difficulty, taking on debt. My own space, also known as a booking oriental medicine clinic in the local community. It was a well-run oriental medicine clinic. There were quite a few regular patients who visited consistently.

It was definitely like that before the damn coronavirus outbreak broke out, before a confirmed patient visited, until the fact spread through word of mouth in the local community.

“….”

If you think about it, I fell off Yanghwa Bridge. I probably fell into the Han River. Was I listed as missing there? So what happened to the remaining oriental medicine clinics? We also need to provide severance pay to our nurses, Teacher Kim and Teacher Lee.

‘Tsk, let’s not think about it.’

Rakiel, who almost became depressed for no reason, shook her head to shake off the sticky thoughts. Now I don’t know how to go back there. Honestly, I don’t really want to go back. Even if I go back, I don’t think things will get any better.

So let’s not think about it.

Never mind.

Let’s stick to the current reality we face here.

‘Then… you will be able to enjoy a sweet life for the rest of your life.’

Imperial life is waiting for you. All you have to do is solve the health and longevity issues. Then, wouldn’t he be able to enjoy the status of a member of the royal family and enjoy the life of a Mansour-level unemployed person without any regrets?

So let’s focus.

Rachiel made a promise and looked at the moxa sticks placed on the gladiators’ backs. I removed the burnt moxa stick and shook off the ashes. I applied ointment to the burn blisters created by the moxa stick. It was an ointment specifically for burns made from Sir Gardin’s recipe.

He looked at the reactions of the gladiators who had completed their first moxibustion.

“Well, how are you feeling?”

“….”

“Where does it hurt?”

“Umm, my back hurts.”

“It’s because you got burned. “Anything else?”

“Your head… huh?”

He was a gladiator who trembled at the hotness of moxibustion. When he first woke up, he vaguely showed no signs of wondering why he had to undergo such torture.

However, while answering this question, I paused at some point. He must have finally realized the change that had come to him.

A smile came out of nowhere.

“how is it?”

“…Is your head that cool?”

“yes?”

“uh? uh! It really is! What is this? haha? ha ha ha!”

The gladiator jumped up.

I moved my neck around as if it was strange to feel on my own. I kept caressing my chin, cheeks, and the area around my eyes with both hands. The terrible occipital neuralgia that always came if I didn’t take narcotic painkillers. The same neuralgia that had been sneaking up on me until I lay down to receive moxibustion.

However, after receiving the moxibustion, it should have completely disappeared. That fact is both surprising and extremely welcome.

“It doesn’t hurt. It’s been a long time since I felt this refreshed…”

The gladiator was so overcome with emotion that he was speechless. When I saw that, a happy smile came out. Honestly, I feel good when people who receive treatment here are freed from the pain of illness.

Besides….

‘It has to get better that way, and it has to get better more clearly. That will give me bonus life!’

Rachiel looked forward with a sad mood.

I waited with excitement.

I wonder if a message might appear in front of me. The life expectancy of the gladiator will increase and blah blah, won’t they give this side a huge bonus life? But even after waiting, that message did not appear.

‘…Tsk. ‘Is the first moxibustion not enough?’

Damian was like that too.

The same was true for other gladiators.

Even though I completed the first round of moxibustion on the first day of treatment, there was no message that I was completely cured.

It was the same when I took the moxibustion the next day.

Although the gladiators were happy that their neuralgia had disappeared, there was no message of a cure.

‘also. There is a mountain to climb. Only if we get through that safely will we be able to say we have completely cured them.’

A mountain that must be overcome to achieve complete recovery. He already had an idea what it would be.

It was a withdrawal phenomenon.

‘Damian and the rest of the gladiators were relying on narcotic painkillers to forget the pain caused by the curse of the stigma.’

There are a total of 14 gladiators currently receiving treatment, including Damien. Most of them had been taking narcotic painkillers for more than a year. Some people took it for a long time, almost 7 years.

‘He must be so severely addicted. ‘Withdrawal symptoms will be severe.’

Rachiel internally strengthened her resolve.

The gladiators are happy because the pain is now gone. But things will change over time. Everyone will suffer from withdrawal symptoms.

Several days have passed.

6th day of moxibustion treatment.

Rachiel’s prediction became a reality.

“…Uuuuuk!”

The gladiators began vomiting in the morning.

That wasn’t all.

Everyone’s complexion was not funny. Some are pure white and others are bluish. It was normal for my whole body to break out in a cold sweat. Even his walking gait had no pulse. A full-blown withdrawal phenomenon had arrived.

‘also.’

It’s as expected.

It is the same as what appears in the novel.

‘Because Damien also went through that process.’

Was it after Damian in the novel escaped the gladiatorial arena through a great fire? The joy of gaining freedom was momentarily overcome by tremendous pain. It was a withdrawal phenomenon that came with quitting narcotic painkillers.

‘I suffered for a few days. Even as a fugitive, I couldn’t receive proper treatment or rest. I literally got through withdrawal alone in the worst situation. how? ‘With one superhuman will power.’

The more I thought about it, the less I could pray.

Superhuman willpower. What could it be but Bojeong, the protagonist of a novel? However, Rachiel could not tackle such a setting in the novel.

This was because Damian, right next to him, was actually showing off a much more normal appearance than the other gladiators.

“Hey Damian?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Aren’t you dizzy there?”

“I feel dizzy.”

“Don’t you feel nauseous like other gladiators?”

“I feel nauseous.”

“But you’re not vomiting?”

“I’m keeping it in mind.”

“….”

Rakiel was at a loss for words.

Damian said he was dizzy and nauseous and was holding back vomiting. But when I looked at him from the side, his complexion was very normal. If I didn’t say anything, I just looked like a normal person.

“how?”

Rachiel couldn’t help but ask. But Damian’s answer, as expected, is…

“I’m just patiently enduring it.”

“….”

It’s a fraud. After all, novel protagonists are always like this. Rachiel smiled bitterly. Just in case, I thought that Damien’s case could not be used as a good reference for overcoming withdrawal symptoms.

‘Then I guess I’ll have no choice but to use the treatment I was thinking of.’

The withdrawal phenomenon was already expected. I was also considering a treatment to relieve withdrawal symptoms.

“Damian?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Bring Sergio to me. As for the rest of the gladiators… there will be no moxibustion treatment today, so tell them to rest in their quarters. “Don’t forget to ask us to drink a lot of water.”

“All right.”

After a while, Damien brought a man named Sergio. Among the group of gladiators, he was the oldest, most experienced, and somewhat of a spiritual leader.

But his condition was not very good.

“…Did you call Boo?”

My whole body was shaking.

Early spring has arrived and the weather has become quite warm. But it’s not like I’m wearing thin clothes. That tough, muscular, scar-covered man was looking so pitiful as if he had been shipwrecked in a frigid snowy mountain wearing only a pair of underpants. It looked like it was difficult even to stand.

Rachiel quickly laid him down on the medical bed.

“Yes, I called you. “Withdrawal symptoms are very difficult, right?”

“Oh no… I’m fine….”

“You don’t look fine at all. “But I’ll make it okay.”

“Are you… going to treat me…?”

“Yes. “With this.”

Rachiel took out a needle.

This was the needle I always used when performing self-acupuncture. Sergio narrowed his eyes when he saw the needle.

“How can I use that….”

“I’m going to stab your foot with this. “Relax and lie down comfortably.”

Sergio looked nervous.

Rachiel was also nervous.

‘Will it work out?’

I don’t know.

But this is the best you know. Therefore, I called Sergius to see if the best solution would work.

‘Because Sergius took narcotic painkillers the longest among the gladiators. Because the withdrawal symptoms are that severe. This is the perfect subject to see if this method will work.’

What if acupuncture works for Lee? So what if you could alleviate withdrawal symptoms? It may also be effective for other gladiators.

Rakiel took a deep breath.

I swept Sergio’s right foot.

‘Let’s go to the foot and yang meridian scriptures.’

The gladiators are experiencing withdrawal symptoms that make them nervous. As a result, symptoms include cold sweat and stomach cramps. It seemed appropriate to control the acupuncture points of the foot and yang meridian in relieving the stomach, especially stomach neurosis.

‘The first acupuncture point is Yeo-tae.’

Tot!

Outside of the distal phalanx of the second toe. I pierced the root of my toenail. There was still blood there. It was an acupuncture point that was particularly effective in treating nervous gastrointestinal diseases and nausea.

I tapped the needle inserted into the fetal blood.

Provided appropriate stimulation.

But that was then.

“…Koooooooooooo!”

Suddenly, Sergio screamed and raised his upper body. His clumsy grip stretched out. I grabbed his neck.

“Keuup?”

There was no way to stop it.

Kwadangtang!

I fell backwards. A distant shock came to the back of my head. Even then, Sergius’s hand was still gripping this side of the neck. No, I begged you. After getting on top. With twinkling eyes. Even drooling.

“Wow! “Wow!”

“…!”

I couldn’t breathe. I tried to struggle, but the difference in strength was too great. I couldn’t shake it off.

‘Me crazy!’

It became urgent.

It was that moment.

Wow!

Sergio’s face turned around with a dull sound. His grip on this side of the neck loosened.

He just fell down.

dump!

“…omg! “Huh!”

As I was breathing heavily, someone held out a hand.

“Are you okay?”

It was Damian.

Was it Damian who had just knocked Sergio out with one blow? I stood up holding the hand that Damien gave me. My sleepy neck felt extremely numb. It felt like there was a bruise. When I looked, I saw that Sergio had completely fainted.

‘Is it because of the withdrawal phenomenon… that I started having seizures at even the slightest stimulus?’

Perhaps the blood vessels have been damaged by excessive stimulation. I guess it was like that. I suddenly frowned. A seizure of this magnitude can only be caused by a slight prick by a needle.

‘No, in this case, it wouldn’t be the only thing. Because of the withdrawal phenomenon, the nervous system becomes more sensitive. Even if it was normally a small stimulus, now it feels as big as being stabbed by a knife.’

So what should I do?

‘I think a round needle would be fine.’

Suddenly, I remembered the acupuncture needles used in oriental medicine clinics. It was a needle called a round needle. It was much thinner than the needle I am currently using. The tip was also round.

So there was much less pain.

‘I need a round needle.’

No matter how much I thought about it, that seemed like the answer. A prick with a round needle will cause much less pain. There will probably be less fuss.

More safely.

It hurts less.

It will not cause excessive stimulation or damage to the blood vessels.

‘Then should I request it from a blacksmith? No, I wonder if we can make that here.’

Rachiel was worried.

I called the blacksmith. He was the blacksmith who was entrusted with making the shield last time. However, even the blacksmith, who was confident at the time, showed signs of embarrassment this time.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but it is possible to make a needle as thin as a thread…”

“It is possible, but?”

“I am not confident that I will be able to pull out the thickness of the various needles with a perfectly consistent thickness, as Your Highness requested.”

The blacksmith said in a perplexed voice.

“The thickness will vary slightly. There may even be a difference in thickness between the tip and the back of the needle, and there may be slight bumps in the middle.”

“Can’t it be completely smooth?”

“I apologize, Your Majesty. That… I think it will be difficult until I become a dwarven artisan.”

The blacksmith bowed his head.

Rakiel had a bitter taste in his mouth. No matter how skilled a blacksmith is, it seems he cannot match the quality of the round needles produced by machines in the factory.

‘It’s difficult if the thickness isn’t consistent.’

Then, the stimulation applied to the patient also becomes inconsistent. What if some needles hurt less, but others really sting?

‘It’s perfect for causing a seizure like before. That’s not allowed.’

Then, should I ask around and find the dwarven craftsman that the blacksmith mentioned? But how much time will it take to do that?

‘driving me crazy.’

There was no time.

Withdrawal symptoms will become more severe. Eventually, the nervousness may worsen and the gladiators may die.

‘Then what should I do…’

Rakiel was engulfed in worry.

But that was then.

Ding dong.

[The five internal organs have detected your stress.]

[Stress is the root of all diseases and the enemy of health.]

[The five internal organs are sending advice to resolve stress.]

‘Hmm?’

A message that appeared out of nowhere.

Rachiel frowned and looked at the message. After all, advice from the five organs and six organs at a time like this.

‘Are you trying to nag me pointlessly?’

He opened the message without any expectations. But the content was a little strange.

[Heart: Do you need a round needle? Are you embarrassed? Then you should ask us. The saved HP is meant to be used for times like this.]

[Lungpa: Finally… hu… I’m excited… hur…paha….]

[Captain: Anyway, we have a good way, but before we loose the sphincter. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear it?]

‘…What?’

It was the moment when an unexpected breakthrough occurred.