"Dr. Fran!"
Vivian felt a surge of initial delight, as it had indeed been a little while since she last saw her. But simultaneously... a rather ominous premonition began to rise.
"Wrong guess gets a penalty, you know?"
Fran was just smiling as usual.
"...What penalty?" Vivian asked, steeling herself, then immediately realized the unfairness and was about to protest. "Wait, no one said anything about a penalty for a wrong guess before we started. That's an unreasonable additional clause..."
Before Vivian could finish, she saw a pair of pale, suture-lined hands already closing around her neck.
Click.
Disregarding Vivian's protest entirely, with a precise and deft twist from Fran, her consciousness sank into darkness. It was the "physical hypnosis" therapy previously used on Black Banyan.
"Bone alignment isn't quite right. This child probably has a habit of sitting for long periods, but with poor posture."
Fran pressed her fingertips against the skin of Vivian's neck, checking the state of each vertebra from top to bottom, then began manually adjusting the anomalies.
Roughly an hour later, Vivian finally woke up completely from her deep slumber.
As if rousing from a long dream, all the fatigue and drowsiness seemed to have melted away. Her whole body was filled with an indescribable sense of comfort.
"Dr. Fran, I..."
She took half a step back nervously. Worried that the reason she felt so physically and mentally pleasant was because she had gained or lost some organ... Like Sister Haida, who, while gaining superhuman physical strength and stamina, was also a bit... not quite normal...
"A simple bone-setting and physical therapy. Normally, I'd charge for this, you know."
Seeing Vivian on the sofa, hugging a cushion and continuously scooting backward, Fran crossed her arms in front of her chest, explaining with a hint of exasperation.
"Really?"
"Of course," she answered without a trace of guilt.
Hearing this, Vivian glanced over herself. Indeed, there were no signs of any incisions. She let out a small sigh of relief.
"If you're worried I might be lying, there are other people here, you know?"
Fran pointed to the other side of the sofa, where Haida was sitting upright, holding the book Aphoristic Silence. Upon hearing Fran's words, she nodded, confirming that the doctor really hadn't done anything else.
"Vivian, your condition just now was poor, clearly indicating a lack of rest. It wouldn't be good to investigate a case in a state where you might fall asleep at any moment, right?"
As she spoke, Fran casually picked up a vanilla cookie from the wicker basket and placed it in her mouth.
Vivian nodded. She hadn't been very clear-headed before. Otherwise, she should have been able to smell the difference between Fran and the Silver Wing Locust supervisor from the scent... That supervisor's cuffs should have carried the smell of mint cigarettes.
"But... Dr. Fran, what brings you here?"
"I received an invitation from Sister Haida. She thought I'd be interested in this commission letter, and as for the truth... well, she was right."
Fran plucked a mission order form from the General Affairs Division out of her white coat pocket, which detailed the commission.
"The Mirror of Enlightenment Club."
"The club has suffered an attack of unknown origin, resulting in 1 death and 3 serious injuries. Suspected external interference from other factors, requiring in-depth investigation."
"After all, I'm still moonlighting as a Mirror-Wiper there. What if something happened to Dorothy and no one paid me?" Fran said with a shrug.
——
Dawn's consciousness was in a state of hazy disorientation.
Her memory stopped at yesterday.
It was an ordinary early January day, not one of any particular significance. There were even fewer fortune-telling clients than usual.
Then, in the evening, a strange guest arrived at the club...
What was I doing at the time? Hmm... I was responsible for receiving guests and tallying the income and expenses for the month. After that, what happened?
She felt her memory was fragmented, requiring great effort to recall scattered fragments.
The human brain has the ability to filter information. Normally, when recalling short-term memories, the state is one of "retrieval": first confirming the specific event, then the relevant information surfaces.
But Dawn's current state of recollection was closer to "playback." Yesterday's events unfolded slowly and linearly in her mind. Although she was the protagonist, it felt as unfamiliar as watching someone else's experience, with no sense of immersion.
Never mind, that's not important... Why am I still standing at the entrance? She passed through the grey gauze curtain beside the entrance of the Mirror of Enlightenment Club and walked step by step into the deep, dim corridor permeated with the scent of Dreamslumber flowers.
After a few steps, she encountered several young people dressed in black hunting attire. They looked serious and profound, and most were unfamiliar faces... Dawn noticed they seemed to see her, but their gazes were somewhat evasive.
Step by step, as she entered the club's main hall, the receptionist lady saw several familiar figures.
Mr. Child, Ms. Fran, the Priestess, and a few people she didn't know... Who were they gathered around?
Dawn stepped forward wanting to ask, but a sudden, intense palpitation made her stop in her tracks. It felt as if taking one more step would reveal some terrifying scene she couldn't accept.
S-so... Driven by a certain foreboding, she finally mustered the courage to look at the temporary grey velvet cot used to place the injured.
When she leaned in for a closer look, she indeed saw a familiar face.
The person's eyes were slightly closed, carrying a trace of serene peacefulness as if asleep. Moreover, she saw this face every day when washing up in front of the dressing mirror.
Yes, the person lying on the cot was Dawn.
Stunned for a moment, she only felt more memories flooding into her mind. Yesterday's strangely dressed guest, the pain of collapsing in panic, the pungent smell of blood, and the hollow feeling of something missing...
Am I dead?
Who will take care of Priestess Dorothy then? She almost never checks the club's accounts herself; might she be cheated out of assets by a later accountant?
And my parents, and that little sister who hasn't grown up yet... Will they grieve for me?
I've only just become the Priestess's apprentice; there are still so many things I wanted to try...
"Wah..."
Dawn only felt overwhelming sorrow accompanied by an indescribable, sour bitterness surging up fiercely. She seemed to lose the strength to stand, kneeling on the ground and beginning to sob.
She didn't deliberately suppress her sniffling sounds, because as the receptionist lady realized she was dead, some previously vague details became clearer.
When she walked into the club, she had intended to reach out and push aside the grey gauze at the entrance, but her body passed right through it... The sounds she made, probably others couldn't hear them either.
Just as Dawn's tears were flowing uncontrollably, she felt a soft touch on the top of her head.
Who is it?
She looked up through tear-blurred eyes to find Fran squatting beside her, gently stroking her head. Fran's gaze held a reassuring smile, as if looking at a lost kitten.
"Dawn, why are you secretly dropping little pearls in the corner all by yourself?"
Fran leaned down, greeting her, seemingly quite amused.
Forgetting the tear stains still on her face, Dawn immediately poured out all her confusion to her.
"Dr. Fran, you can see me? And you can even touch me... Aren't I dead?"
"Hmm~ You could indeed be considered dead. But you're still quite a distance from the narrow definition of 'complete death.'"
Fran pursed her lips, explaining in a measured, storytelling manner, her demeanor like a teacher explaining a yet-unclear principle to students.
"Death is far more complex than you imagine, Miss Dawn. It's the complete annihilation of spirit and flesh, the cessation of consciousness, utterly dissolving into a cold, silent, and futureless void..."
The current occasion clearly wasn't suitable for delving deeper into this topic, so she then responded to Dawn's other question.
"As for why I can see you... That actually doesn't require much explanation, because everyone present here can see you."
"The Secrets-Hunter Cult studies the domain of 'spirit,' and basic spirit sight is a required course."
Fran raised a hand, letting Dawn follow her pointing direction. Indeed, that tall Burial Attendant and the agent beside her were both looking at her. Even Mr. Child was the same...
"Perfect timing. I've just completed basic treatment of the injuries. You can go back in now."
Saying this, the doctor helped Dawn's spirit up and, in a manner almost like handling clay, gave her a little rub and then "stuffed" her back into her body.
"Cough!"
Almost at the same moment, Dawn opened her eyes.
The solid feeling of her body, the warmth of her blood, and that sensation of being accepted by the whole world again... So this is what it feels like to be reborn?
Her strongest immediate emotion was bashfulness. She could only cover her face with her hands, hiding her slightly reddened eyes.
The thought that her fragile, sobbing appearance from her spirit state had been witnessed by everyone made Dawn's cheeks uncontrollably flush with deep red...
Just as the receptionist lady wanted to say something to ease the mood, a warm embrace already enveloped her.
Dorothy seemed to want to hug her tightly but was afraid her actions might aggravate her injuries.
"Dawn, I almost thought I was going to lose you."
"Priestess... See, I'm fine, aren't I?"
Seeing Dorothy's serious, concerned expression, Dawn's earlier bashfulness had, at some point, completely dissipated. She even had the spare capacity to comfort her Priestess mentor, who was no longer much concerned with decorum.
Sometimes, the way to quickly stabilize someone's emotions is to feel how much others "care" about them.
Fran stood quietly to the side, watching the two of them silently and with a faint smile. Like an artist admiring a piece of their own work.
Dawn's spirit condition was quite good.
It was neither damaged nor had it weakened from being out of the body for too long. Therefore, saving her was easy—no need for extra patching up with [Soul Sculpting], just stuffing her back in was enough.
However, a spirit rashly leaving or entering its shell could cause certain abnormal reactions. Out of cautious consideration, she chose to first alleviate Dawn's injuries, then guide her spirit and flesh to reunite.
After Dorothy realized she might have been a bit lacking in composure and released Dawn, Fran stepped forward and spoke unhurriedly.
"Miss Dawn, allow me to conduct a simple follow-up. Hmm... Are you currently experiencing nausea, dizziness, or any pain inside your head?"
"No."
Dawn shook her head slightly, not feeling any of the mentioned symptoms.
"It's just that my memory is still a bit unclear. I can't quite remember what happened yesterday."
Fran nodded slightly, not surprised by this.
Then, she picked up a small notebook and began manually recording the patient's physical condition information.
"Treatment plan effective, no discomfort post spirit-flesh separation. Expected, as it's the original equipment. Some memory loss, likely due to protective self-sealing of the spirit under intense stimulation."
"Can consolidate the spirit with the 'conventional medication' used previously for Madam Solani."
Fran rummaged through her medical kit, only to find that the stock of that type of capsule was completely depleted.
For a moment, she narrowed her eyes slightly, with a trace of inexplicable awkwardness.
Come to think of it, that stuff isn't actually cheap to produce. But since I mastered the manufacturing technique, I used it quite freely, almost wastefully.
Solani, Sigrid, and back in the Lands Between, used it frequently too... like helping the half-wolf Blaidd stabilize his spirit.
From Fran's slightly hesitant musing, Haida could roughly guess the situation.
"Dr. Fran, would this work?"
She took out the "Flask of Wondrous Physick" that Yvonne had gifted her earlier and showed it briefly to Fran.
"Oh, that's perfectly timely... Absolutely. It can't even be considered a generic substitute; it's a superior replacement."
Fran's amber eyes glimmered slightly. She then took out a plastic container, drew about 20ml of the azure-hued tear-drop liquid from the bottle, and handed it to Dawn.
"Thank you so much, Ms. Fran..."
Dawn took the container holding the tear-drop and offered a rather sincere thanks to Fran.
"I never expected that besides being skilled in divination secrets, your medical skills are so impressive too... No wonder you serve as a physician in the Secrets-Hunter Cult."
"I merely performed the duties within my job. It's not worth mentioning."
Fran humbly accepted the praise.
Vivian subtly glanced at this doctor with her composed expression.
She still remembered that Dr. Fran's title in the Confidential Division files was "Medical Examiner/Coroner." And the first thing this coroner did upon arriving at the crime scene was to pull back a patient who had been preliminarily declared dead...
At that moment, Dawn suddenly noticed that Dorothy had been presenting her profile to her the entire time, seemingly intentionally hiding something.
"Priestess, why have you been refusing to let me see your right side?"
"You noticed so quickly..."
Dorothy let out a soft sigh, then, with a touch of helplessness, lifted the grey gauze veil that half-covered her face.
+++
T/N: Hey readers~! New Translator here! Before I say anything, I'd first like to thank the original author for creating this wonderful story. Without them, I wouldn't have the chance to share this adventure with you. I hope my translation does justice to their work, and that together, we can enjoy this story.
With that said, I'm happy to let you know I'll be uploading daily chapters. And for those who wish to support my work and gain early access, I've set up a Patreon where advanced chapters will be available.
[email protected]/PeakTL