Chapter 1783: Accountability
With three days passing in a flash, Vahn, Phae, Khun, and Gandr were inspecting the surprisingly spacious interior of their new workplace/residence. Buildings within the Tower had a penchant for being a lot bigger on the inside; so, while it looked rather small and homely from the exterior, there was more than enough space to conduct their business inside.
Since there were three floors, excluding the basement and storage area, Vahn decided it would be most efficient to set up his 'clinic' on the ground level. It wouldn't be their primary business, but, as was often the case when something was 'free', there were bound to be a lot of Regulars coming by for treatment.
In actuality, Vahn intended to charge fees based on a Regular's means, so, while it would be free for most, others would be charged exorbitant fees. He was effectively reversing the social dynamic that existed on the 5th Floor, providing aid to those near the bottom while, quite literally, handicapping those at the top.
Vahn had given Khun and Gandr permission to maim or even cripple anyone who tried to pressure them using nefarious means. This would leave them with little choice but to come to his atelier for treatment, as, even in the Tower, it was exceptionally difficult to have missing limbs replaced. There were plenty of methods, sure, but, much like everything else within the Tower, there was an extreme bias that made it impractical for most people to afford such services.
According to the Rules of the Inner Tower, Regulars were responsible for their own injuries and treatment during Tests. As a result, there were no facilities to treat missing limbs or other severe injuries. You couldn't even exit into the Middle Tower to find treatment, as, prior to the 20th Floor, Regulars were restricted to the Inner Tower. This meant, if the injury was severe enough, the only option was to either give up your status as a Regular or trudge forward, gritting your teeth as you became a target for other Regulars who would see your disability as their opportunity.
Though their 'scheme' might seem a little malicious and mean-spirited, the fact of the matter was that those with B-Class Citizenship, or higher, grossly mistreated those beneath them. There were a number of exceptions to this, but, unless you were willing to ingratiate yourself or become servile to one of the Ten Great Families, it was 'extremely' difficult to pass through the 5th Floor.
The clinic was designed to shift this dynamic, effectively giving those at the top a taste of their own medicine. Though it would only affect the truly malicious and exploitative among the so-called Elite, it was meant to give them a taste of the helplessness they forced upon others. It would also teach them that, while their families were certainly great, that didn't mean each individual of said families were able to act with impunity. They would quickly learn that the authority of the Ten Great Families had no place within the Inner Tower, a place that was supposed to test everyone 'fairly'...
---
After cleaning the interior, arranging Phae's workplace in the basement, and setting up numerous display cases on the second floor, Vahn had everyone gather within the clinic area, explaining, "We will open for business immediately. I'll leave the delegation of specific tasks to you, Khun. This is still a Test, so make sure everyone is involved in some form or fashion."
Understanding that Vahn wouldn't just allow them to stay in the Little Garden the entire time, Khun offered a curt nod in response before asking, "What is our training and rest schedule going to look like? I'll need to plan our hours of operation around the use of the Little Garden."
Having anticipated Khun's question, Vahn looked towards Phae, eliciting an amused smile from the woman as she manifested her Lighthouse. This prompted Khun to do the same, his brows furrowing slightly as he saw the data being transmitted.
Chuckling in response to the young man's concerns, Vahn attempted to allay them by saying, "You need not worry. Though the clinic is going to remain open throughout the day, you don't need to schedule anyone to assist me during rest and training hours. I can easily stay awake for months at a time so you can rest assured that this place will be protected for the duration of our stay."
Though he was a little surprised by Vahn's claim, Khun felt considerably relieved knowing that the man would personally protect their business. This meant he could basically do whatever he wanted without having to worry about other factions. After all, even if every Regular on the Floor grouped up to fight against Vahn, the only thing Khun could imagine them accomplishing was increasing the body count.
Noticing Khun's Loyalty increase by three points, an amused chuckle escaped Vahn's throat as he manifested the Little Garden and produced the rest of Team Wolf Pack from the interior. Then, with Nare acting as his first assistant, he took a seat near his desk, organizing materials as he waited for his first group of patients to arrive...
---
Though the first couple of days were a little slow, news of a 'miracle doctor' capable of treating all wounds, seemingly for free, quickly circulated through Paradise Bay. This was met with considerable skepticism by most, but, with more and more people attesting to his existence every day, including several with previously missing limbs, it wasn't long before even the most cynical among them were fully convinced.
Having anticipated their rapid surge in popularity, Khun spent most of his time negotiating with the businesses in their immediate surroundings. Most business owners were extremely opportunistic so it was common for them to rapidly increase their prices whenever there was a surge of traffic. They wanted to benefit as much as possible before the craze gradually died down, but, as this was a very harmful practice, Khun 'convinced' them to lower their prices.
While it might hurt their bottom line in the short term, the reduced prices, combined with the draw of Vahn's fame, were bound to increase the profitability of the entire region in the long term. After all, people would naturally gravitate toward areas with more affordable goods, so, with the majority of their clientele being people who wanted to save Points, rather than spend them, it didn't make a lot of sense to inflate prices arbitrarily.
A lot of businesses hadn't been willing to compromise in the beginning, but, as the profits of their competitors rapidly increased, they quickly jumped on the bandwagon. Only the businesses owned and operated by the Ten Great Families and their affiliates refused to play ball. Instead, they tried to take advantage of the increased flow of Regulars to force Lower Class Citizens to abide by their will. After all, many of the Regulars visiting the district were F and E-Class Citizens, so, even if they were maimed or murdered, there were no penalties for C-Class Citizens and above.
Unfortunately for these unscrupulous individuals, they quickly learned that there 'were' penalties for their iniquities. This included a rather harsh lesson in accountability, as not only were the assailants held liable, so too were the factions backing them. This affected everyone within a specific chain of command, and, in the most extreme cases, more than a dozen people ended up suffering the same fate as the original victim.
As was often the case when those in power were held privately responsible for their misgovernance, it took less than a month for a tentative peace to be established within Paradise Bay. After all, they didn't actually have the backing of their families within the Inner Tower; so, regardless of how much they touted their supremacy, their only options were to either advance to the next Floor, effectively running away, or bow their heads in acquiescence to a power far greater than their own.
Though the natural deterrent of Vahn and the countless Regulars supporting him helped to keep most people at bay, the true MVPs behind the tentative peace agreement were Khun and Gandr. The former had been able to convince most of the businesses operated by the Khun Family to ally with the 'Black Wolf Faction' pretty early on. Soon after that, the Eurasia, Yeon, Ha, and Arie families quickly joined in, the latter two joining specifically because Gandr had beaten their representatives in single combat.
As the two strongest families within the Tower, the Ha and Arie Families produced the most prideful yet honorable descendants among the Ten Great Families. They genuinely respected the strong, so, after two 'very' one-sided fights, they quickly agreed to the alliance. In exchange, they were allowed to challenge Gandr whenever they pleased, an 'unfortunate' arrangement for the young Vanagandr considering both Representatives ended up being rather feisty and battle-hungry females.
Fortunately, while the Representatives of the Eurasia and Yeon Families were also young ladies, the former, a rather petite girl with pink hair and matching pink eyes, was more interested in sleeping than anything else. As for the latter, she had been toyed with by Khun in a contest of intelligence, so, rather than Gandr, she began lingering around the Black Wolf Atelier in order to 'get even' with the young scion of the Khun Family. This caused the latter a number of headaches, not because he couldn't handle the troublesome woman, but because it earned both him and Baam a considerable amount of teasing from the rest of Team Wolf Pack...
---
With a forced smile on his face, Gandr held his Abby-tan in a loose stance as a young woman with exceptionally pale skin, pure white hair fastened into a short ponytail, and silver eyes glared back at him with an ornate rapier in hand. The red markings beneath her eyes were the only contrast to her pale features, and, though she was admittedly a very beautiful girl, she gave off the impression of an unsheathed sword rather than a living human.
To further complicate his current situation, a girl with surprisingly similar features to Yuri could be found skulking around in his blind spot. She was a fiery little brat with dark hair fastened into two pigtails with vibrant ribbons that matched the color of her eyes. Yuri was apparently her idol, like most young girls in the Ha Family, so she had copied the style used by the former during her climb up the Tower. She also had a rather extreme and battle-hungry personality, so, no matter how many times he had defeated her, she would invariably track him down the moment her injuries had been treated.
Sensing a surge of Shinsu from the twin-tailed girl, Ha Sung, Gandr produced an afterimage as he took a step back, deftly evading the girl's flying kick. In the same motion, he brandished Abby-tan in a perfect crescent, shattering several 'blades' formed from Shinsu and compressed Space. This caused the white-haired girl, Arie Serra, to adopt a determined glower as she began to swing her rapier in swift, graceful, arcs.
Arie-Style Swordsmanship, unlike normal swordsmanship, revolved around creating a 'domain of spatial control' rather than simply attacking with a sword. This was what allowed them to use their weapons freely within regions of high-density Shinsu, as, rather than forcibly carving a path, they actually manipulated the Space within their surroundings to control the direction of their blade. It was a rather ingenious technique that allowed them to spontaneously attack from anywhere within their domain of control, but, against someone like Gandr, it was completely ineffective. Rather, if he still had [Will of the Emperor], he was pretty sure he could just 'disable' their ability to control and manipulate the surrounding Space entirely...
After gracefully weaving through a seemingly inescapable net of attacks, coming at him from all directions, Gandr used [Shundo] to instantaneously close the distance between himself and Serra. This caused the girl's eyes to widen, her rapier sweeping unhesitantly toward his shoulder by pure instinct. Before it could connect, however, Gandr lightly tapped her on the forehead with the butt of his katana before sinking into her shadow in an instant.
Feeling her body turn statuesque, Serra could only grit her teeth as Gandr reappeared behind Sung, startling the girl quite a bit before chopping the back of her neck. This caused the latter to collapse forward, nearly landing face-first against the reinforced stone arena until a bubble of peculiar black Shinsu appeared to cushion her blow. Then, with Abby-tan resting on his shoulder, Gandr adopted a somewhat fatigued smile as he tiredly mused, "That makes one-hundred consecutive victories..."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn protect, Gandr attac','A taste of their own medicine','Gandr seriously can't catch a break xD...')
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Chapter 1784: Treatment
Despite agreeing that they would leave him alone if he defeated them one-hundred times in a row, Gandr moved through the crowd surrounding the 'House of Miracles' with Jung and Serra following close behind. This made Gandr feel a little exasperated, but, rather than fret over their obstinacy, he maintained a casual smile, returning the greetings of various Regulars and laughing off their teasing remarks.
Though his fame couldn't compare to Vahn and Phae, Gandr was easily the most popular member of Team Wolf Pack. Their faction was literally known as the Black Wolf Faction due to his efforts, and, though Jung and Serra were the most tenacious, he actually had a considerable number of female fans. The only reason he wasn't pestered by even more women was due to the presence of the two girls behind him, so, even if they were a little troublesome, Gandr tolerated them for his own sake...
---
Hearing the unexpected chiming of the door, Nare, wearing a rather adorable Nurse outfit, looked over with the intention of chiding whoever had entered without permission. When she noticed the familiar trio, however, her frown immediately turned into a smile as she chimed, "The prince and his two handmaidens have returned~."
Restraining his urge to sigh, Gandr smiled back at Nare as Serra coldly remarked, "I am nobodyies handmaiden..." in an aloof tone. As for Jung, she just replied with a toothy smile before waving her hand spiritedly and saying, "Good morning, Nare-chan. You're looking super cute today~!" in a very friendly manner.
Even if the compliment was coming from a girl that appeared even younger than her, Nare couldn't resist smiling in response to Jung's remark. The girl might be a bit of a battle maniac, but she was generally very friendly to everyone she met. This earned her the acceptance of several members of Team Wolf Pack, the only real exceptions being Endorsi, and, to a lesser extent, Anak...
Before Nare could engage the young twin-tailed girl in a friendly conversation, Vahn emerged from behind one of the curtains that afforded his patients a bit of privacy, smiling as he asked, "How did your 'final' battle go? Any injuries that require my attention...?"
Hearing Vahn's 'reminder', Serra crossed her arms indignantly while Jung, despite the context of her exclamation, happily replied, "I feel a prickly pain in my lower back and I think I broke a few ribs~?"
Following these words, Jung scampered over to Vahn's side, stopping right in front of him with a big smile on her face as he habitually stroked her head. This helped him ascertain the true extent of a person's injuries, but, most importantly, Jung simply liked having her head pat. She wasn't exactly a pampered young lady, as most descendants of the Ha Family started learning how to fight before they could even speak properly, but she still enjoyed being spoiled quite a bit.
Noticing that most of Jung's ribs along the left side of her body were fractured, combined with a slight lumbar displacement, Vahn couldn't help but shake his head as he gently chided, "You need to stop overdoing it with your Shinsu Enhancement. Though it might strengthen your body in the long term, you run the risk of becoming a cripple if you're not careful..."
Despite the seriousness of Vahn's words, Jung puffed her non-existent chest out proudly, raising her chin as she said, "The Ha Family is known for their Shinsu Enhancement! If I end up breaking, it just means I wasn't strong enough! Pain is just another obstacle to be overcome~!"
Shaking his head, Vahn guided Jung behind one of the privacy curtains while Gandr and Serra both went upstairs. There, the girl fearlessly peeled away her clothes until she was wearing nothing but a pleated red skirt, black stockings, and a pair of black shorts that served as common undergarments within the Tower. This revealed one of two bruises, a purple one running that ran from beneath her left breast all the way to around her kidney while another, situated near the small of her back, had a dangerous black coloration with a pale white outline.
Though her injuries were serious enough to cause a normal person to cry out in pain or be stuck in a wheelchair for months, Jung showed no discernible signs of discomfort as she bounced onto the table, beaming as she dangled her legs. This made Vahn feel a little resentful towards the Ha Family, but, understanding it was a part of their culture, much like actual Amazons, he decided to withhold judgment until he met the Leader of the Ha Family. For now, the best he could do was prevent Jung from destroying her own body as she desperately trained to overcome Gandr...
After telling the girl to raise her left arm up high, Vahn placed his palm against the massive bruise on Jung's side. In response, the girl giggled like someone who was being tickled. Despite this, she managed to keep her arm raised, even as a few tears escaped the corners of her eyes. The healing energy flowing from his palm forced back the Shinsu she instinctually used to protect her organs and numb her pain receptors; so, despite her laughter, the truth of the matter was that Jung felt a considerable amount of pain as the bruise on her body quickly receded.
Using a fresh towel, Vahn wiped away the sweat from his palm before handing it over to Jung and allowing her to quickly wipe down her body. After that, he handed her a small band of leather to bite on before having her lay on her stomach. The bruising around her lumbar was a lot worse than the massive bruise on her side. There was also a saucer-sized bump on the small of her back, and, if it wasn't treated quickly, there was a very real chance the tissue would become gangrenous, killing her, or, at the very least, leaving her crippled for life.
Restraining yet another sigh, Vahn placed his index and middle finger near the center of the bruise, lightly massaging the region as Jung's body tensed up and began to tremble. A fresh layer of sweat quickly covered her body, and, though she did her best to stifle the sounds, several pained moans escaped her throat. Fortunately, despite appearing as thin as normal curtains, no sound was able to travel beyond the boundary of the curtain's railing. His treatments regularly elicited a rather 'vocal' response from his patients, so, as an extra privacy feature, he added soundproofing and anti-spying barriers around each of the gurney-like beds.
With the initial pain gradually fading away, Jung's body slowly became limp, sniffling as she did her best not to cry. Fortunately, whenever she peeked back at Vahn, he was always very focused, never once looking at her with a contemptuous or disdaining gaze. This made her feel like she could trust him, and, though it always made her feel very ashamed, he was the only person she allowed herself to cry around...
Finished with the relatively short procedure, Vahn pulled out a second towel, gently dabbing Jung's back as she slowly regulated her breathing. He could always use 'cleaning magic' on her, but, as this had an inherent stimulating effect, he did his best to avoid arbitrarily using it on girls younger than a certain age. He knew Jung had a considerable amount of trust in him so the last thing he wanted was to give the girl a reason to doubt or misunderstand his intentions.
Despite her age, making her appear around 12~13-years-old, Jung was actually pretty close to her 108th birthday. Her bloodline allowed her to use Shinsu from a very early age, so, even though she had only recently started her ascent, her physical development, similar to Anak's, had stopped due to a trauma she had received in the past. This left her with a very child-like personality, and, though she regularly pushed herself to the point of severe injury, she always had a smile on her face as she bottled up and compartmentalized all her pain and suffering.
It was largely due to the two girls' tragic pasts that Vahn had Gandr entertain the duo of Jung and Serra. They, like many descendants of the Ten Great Families, carried considerable burdens from a very young age. For Jung, this was the expectation of her mother who had been killed during one of the family's internal disputes. As for Serra, she had basically spent her entire childhood fighting against her own siblings. These battles were fought using real swords, and, if you weren't strong enough, you were quickly abandoned, exiled, or even crippled for your weakness.
Vahn wasn't too enthused about either of the girls' past, so, while he had yet to decide whether or not they would accompany Team Wolf Pack further up the Tower, he asked that his Children treated them well. This allowed Jung to quickly become friends with most of the members, and, though she was still very cold, even Serra had slowly been opening up to others. It was just very difficult for her, as, from a very young age, even her own siblings were considered 'enemies'...
Having relaxed her breathing, Jung quickly wiped away the final traces of her tears before shifting to a seated position and pumping her fists rather adorably as she chimed, "Easy peasy! Now, where is my treat? Gimme, gimme~!"
Though it pained him a little to see her pushing herself, Vahn offered an amused smile in response to Jung's antics, ruffling her hair as he pulled out a panda-themed lollipop and said, "Make sure you fix your clothing before opening it. I don't want you walking out of the curtains without your top on like the first time I treated you."
Being reminded of her previous gaff, a red hue spread through Jung's cheeks as she snatched the lollipop and shouted, "You don't need to keep reminding me! I only did it like once or twice~!!!"
Without saying the number out loud, Vahn held up nine fingers, intensifying the blush on Jung's face before promptly departing beyond the curtains. It was normal for people, especially females, to want to wipe themselves down completely so he always made sure to leave a bucket of warm water and a towel whenever he finished treatment. This included Jung, and, though she didn't seem even remotely bothered by his presence, he had better things to do than stand around watching a 'Loli' bathe herself...
---
Though their primary residence was located within the Little Garden, the top floor of the House of Miracles served as a residential lounge for the members of Team Wolf Pack. It was a place where they could relax in between their shifts, and, most importantly, it served as the hub where everyone accepted Quests and received orders from Khun.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Khun placed down his cup of coffee, heavy bags under his eyes as he offered a smile towards the duo who had just entered. He only got around three hours of sleep per day in the last month, and, if not for the benefits provided by the Little Garden, combined with his heritage as a descendant of the Khun Family, he might have broken down weeks ago.
Returning Khun's smile, Gandr gestured for Serra to take a seat on the nearby sofa as he asked, "Am I the first one back? Did something happen...?"
Amused by Gandr's concern, Khun issued a light chuckle, shaking his head as he said, "Don't worry. I expected you to return around this time so I had Endorsi accompany Aleksai and Shibisu to the Lo Po Bia District. The latter Faction has been growing restless ever since we usurped their alliance with the Eurasia Faction. I don't expect anything to happen, but make sure you're ready to mobilize once Shibisu contacts me..."
Nodding his head in understanding, Gandr lightly sniffed the air, determining that it had only been around twenty minutes since everyone left. This meant they had a few hours before anything major happened, so, before Khun could overwork himself, he said, "Ask Yun-Yun to use her technique on you. I'll watch over the Lighthouse and inform you the moment something changes."
Though his instinct was to refuse, Khun had been doing his best to become a little more trusting as of late. Gandr had also saved him a number of times at this point, so, while they weren't as close as he and Baam were, Khun trusted his judgment. He also felt drained the moment Gandr mentioned Yun-Yun, so, rather than be obstinate, he dragged his feet towards the adjacent room while issuing a long yawn. There, a young girl wearing fluffy animal pajamas could be seen drooling while using Laure's body as a pillow. She had short pink hair, and, though they were rarely ever visible, she also had hazy pink eyes. Her most notable trait, however, was the fact that she appeared closer to eight than her actual age of eighty-three...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Everyone wants a piece of the goodest boi','Jung is doing her best...',The Eurasia Family makes FBI-san's job very difficult...')
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