Chapitre 22: Doctor Amanda (NEW RELEASE)

Lucien observed the thin man, noticing his heavy panting and profuse sweating. It was evident he was experiencing a heat stroke.

The weather had indeed been hotter than usual, with summer in full swing. Despite Lucien's preparations with resting tents and free water, it seemed they were insufficient.

"Take this man to the resting tent!" Lucien commanded, and the workers promptly carried the unconscious man to the designated area.

The tent was simple yet functional, a large white hall with clay pots stationed in every corner, providing cold water for the workers. They could sit and recuperate in the shade.

However, there were few villagers with medical knowledge or healing abilities, making it challenging to provide proper treatment.

Resting the body until it cooled down was the best they could do for now. Reflecting on the situation, Lucien realized that despite his efforts to educate the workers about the dangers of heat stroke and provide basic equipment, it was still not enough to prevent such incidents.

"Oh, it seems this man has heat stroke," Seren remarked unexpectedly, appearing with a clay glass in hand, likely seeking respite from the weather.

"You need to take him to the bath full of cold water or just spray his body to cool it down," she continued, offering advice.

The workers quickly grasped Seren's instructions and headed to the nearby river with buckets in hand to gather water for cooling the man's body.

Observing the workers following Seren's guidance, Lucien commented, "They're quite obedient to you. Thanks for the advice, sister."

"Ah... Lady Seren assists with supervision here as the overseer and provides valuable advice to prevent accidents during construction."

Gibson tried to explain to Lucien because he forgot to tell His Lord about it and he hoped he wouldn't get reprimanded because of this.

"Hmmm... I see..." Lucien nodded, feeling amazed that his sister could also be useful, and looked at her full of amazement.

"Stop looking at me like that! I just don't have much else to do, and streaming becomes tiresome when there's nothing special happening in this village!" Seren retorted, turning her face away and crossing her arms.

"But you know, Lucien, you really need a doctor here. If there's an accident, it could be troublesome," she added, offering another piece of advice.

She had a point. Although accidents had been minimal during the construction, having a doctor on hand would be essential in case of a major incident.

"We... Actually has a healer in this village..." Gibson said hesitantly. "But... She is something else."

Lucien studied Gibson's expression, "What do you mean? This is urgent, Gibson. If she's a villager, it's her obligation to follow my orders," he said, seeking to assert his authority.

"It's hard to explain. It's better if you, My Lord, meet her first, and then you'll understand," Gibson replied with a sigh, it seemed like the healer was indeed a pain in the ass.

"Alright, let's go," Lucien said, he also asked his sister to join, but Seren didn't want to go because she was too lazy to move in such hot weather, and she was also run out of social battery.

The two of them then made their way to the doctor's house. Situated far from the village, it was surrounded by fields of corn and wheat, giving the place an isolated yet peaceful atmosphere.

It was Lucien's first time visiting this part of the village. Although Gibson had provided detailed reports and descriptions about the fields and corps, seeing it in person felt different.

Upon reaching the porch, Gibson knocked on the door, and an elderly woman's voice answered.

She opened the door and greeted them with a gruff tone, "What do you want, old man?"

Gibson shrugged and replied, "Amanda, the new village chief is here."

Amanda rolled her eyes and motioned for them to come inside, where they seated themselves in her living room.

She busied herself with lighting her tobacco pipe as she asked, "What do you want?"

"Don't be rude! This is the new Lord!" Gibson chided her.

With a bitter expression, Amanda sighed and addressed Lucien, "Fine... What does this Young Lord want from me?"

The woman before Lucien was small and hunched, walking with the aid of a cane. Her gray hair was tied back, and she didn't give off the appearance of a typical doctor.

It was his first time meeting her, likely because she preferred to live alone and seldom ventured into the village.

Lucien widened his eyes as he accessed Amanda's information using his All-Seeing-Eyes skill:

[Name: Amanda]

[Age: 65 years old]

[Race: Human]

[Class: Healer (Blessed by Salacia)]

[Experience: Medicine Maker, Detecting and Healing Curse, Generalized Healing, Purifying, Bedroom technique, Client Management, Dancing, Entertainment, business, Negotiation.]

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[Satisfaction rate: 10/100]

[Loyalty rate: 10/100]

'What the hell is bedroom technique?' Lucien thought, puzzled by the unusual skill listed among Amanda's experiences.

However, he acknowledged that her healing experience was sufficient to qualify her as a proper healer or doctor.

"Hm... You have a beautiful face, Young Lord. In the past, I had clients like you, with blonde hair and blue eyes, resembling a prince. I wonder how he is now since I passed syphilis to him," Amanda exhaled cigarette smoke, reminiscing about her past encounters.

"What the..." Lucien was speechless, unable to comprehend what he just heard.

"Ah, sorry for Amanda's impoliteness. In the past, she was an experienced prostitute," Gibson explained, messaging his temple in frustration.

"Experienced? I am more than that. I was once invited to the King's chamber and almost became his concubine. I rejected it because I enjoy being a prostitute," Amanda continued, unapologetic.

She paused and locked eyes with Lucien and licked her lips in lust in her eyes. "You are still young, so I guess you will understand the joy of having lovemaking."

Lucien shivered as Amanda's gaze bore into him, unable to find words to respond.

"That's never happened," Gibson interjected firmly.

"Of course, it happened! I still remember how fat that King was! Well, someone faithful like you won't understand the thrill of it." Amanda just nodded and smoked her pipe.

As the conversation veered off course, Lucien cleared his throat and got to the point. "Let's continue our business. I'm Lucien, the new village chief."

"I'm here to ask you to join our construction project. With your experience, I believe you'd be a great asset to the team as a healer and a doctor."

In this world, healers had magical abilities blessed by the Goddess Salacia, allowing them to heal wounds, and curses through magic. But they couldn't heal illness or poison but could detect it.

Doctors, on the other hand, focused on diagnosing diseases and making medicine, using their knowledge of the body and herbs.

"Hm... No problem," Amanda replied nonchalantly, leaning back in her chair, much to Gibson's surprise at how easily she agreed. However, her next demand caught them off guard.

"But I want you to pick me up from my house and take me to the construction site every day," she insisted.

"No, you can't do that, My Lord. Don't be unreasonable, Amanda. You're perfectly capable of walking," Gibson intervened.

"Are you kidding? Do you see how I walk with this cane?" Amanda retorted, tapping her old cane for emphasis.

"If walking is an issue, I can arrange for a place closer to the workshop," Lucien suggested. "I can't come to your house every day as I have numerous other responsibilities."

Amanda looked disappointed. "Then you're not a good and caring leader."

"Amanda!" Gibson scolded her.

"I'm old, Young Lord. I need my daily dose of seeing handsome men. The workers are old and thin like branches. Every time I see them, it makes me feel like my life is being sucked out," Amanda persisted, crossing her arms defiantly.

Lucien pondered for a moment. He recalled the villagers' faces with his photographic memory and realized Amanda had a point. The village lacked young, energetic men.

"What about Auden? He's young, energetic, and muscular. You could even ask him to assist you daily," Lucien proposed, trying to sway Amanda's decision.

Amanda seemed to consider the idea carefully, while Gibson looked troubled. "My Lord, my son won't agree to that. He's one of our overseers," Gibson whispered to Lucien.

"It's fine. I'll increase his income by 50%," Lucien declared.

Amanda was truly needed, and he was determined to do whatever it took to have her on board.

Gibson scratched his beard, realizing that his son was ready to marry but lacked the funds. This could be the solution.

"Hm... I've seen that man a couple of times, and he's certainly attractive," Amanda nodded. "Fine, I'll work for you! But remember, my salary won't come cheap."

"No problem. The workers' well-being is my top priority," Lucien assured her, extending his hand. Amanda shook it, sealing the deal.

With another problem solved in his quest to develop the village, Lucien prepared to face the next challenge head-on, confident that he could handle whatever came his way.