A Doctor's Principles  

The six who landed on Drum Kingdom first set out to find a place to stay in a nearby town. While a rented house would be ideal, depending on the duration of their stay, an inn might be more affordable. They needed to explore their options.

"...So, which way to the town?"

"I have a rough idea of the direction based on the town we saw when we arrived, but if we take the mountain path, we might lose our way."

"The mountains on winter islands are covered in snow and easy to get lost in. What should we do..."

However, standing around wouldn't get them anywhere. They marked the location of the simple port with a large X on a nearby cliff using a spear so they could find their way back, and then set off in the direction they believed the town to be. Fortunately, the snowfall was light, leaving footprints, which helped them ensure they were walking straight.

As they carefully navigated the snow-covered path, they eventually came upon a town.

"Looks like there's a town relatively close by. That's a relief."

"There's no guarantee that I can study medicine here. I'd love to start learning right away, but things don't always go so smoothly."

Sukura's words brought George, who seemed relieved, back to reality. Indeed, the town didn't appear to be that large. It was unlikely there would be facilities for studying medicine.

If there was a renowned doctor, Sukura could become their apprentice and learn their techniques, but...

"Well, what should we do..."

"First, let's get a room at an inn. Securing a base is important."

"Yes, and hopefully we can gather some information about this country while we're at it."

George and his subordinates went to find an inn, while Zen, Sukura, and Samuel stopped by a nearby shop to inquire about the town.

"Excuse me, may I ask you something?"

"Hm? Oh, sure, what's up?"

"We're travelers, and we heard that Drum Kingdom is the most advanced country in medicine. Is there a place where we can study medicine?"

"A place to study medicine, huh... I'm not a doctor, so I don't know the details, but I do know the best doctor in this town."

"Oh? What kind of person are they?"

"They're called the 'Master of Doctors,' a nearly hundred-year-old hag. They charge an outrageous fee, but their skills are top-notch."

So, years of experience weren't for nothing, it seemed. Eager to meet someone with such knowledge, Sukura leaned forward and asked where they lived.

The shopkeeper, slightly taken aback by his enthusiasm, told him that they lived in a large tree on the outskirts of town.

"Could you tell me where that is?"

"Yeah, in that direction--"

"It's Hiluluk! Catch him! He stole money!"

The sound of shattering glass came from behind where Sukura and the others were talking. They turned to see a man in a black coat running away with a bag in his hand. Stealing in broad daylight – quite a bold criminal.

Zen and Samuel prepared to intervene if he came their way, but he ran off in another direction, so they relaxed for the moment.

However, the fact that they were calling out his name suggested they knew him.

"Ah, sorry about that, travelers. You had to see something unpleasant."

"It's fine, but... does that happen often?"

"That guy's name is Hiluluk. He claims to be a doctor, but he's a terrible quack. No one has ever been cured by his treatments. And to top it off, he steals money if he thinks people have it."

"That's... doesn't the national army do anything about it?"

"The kingdom's guards have been chasing him for years, but they haven't caught him yet."

Either he was skilled at stealing, or the guards weren't interested in catching him. Either way, it was a nuisance for the citizens. No matter how noble a doctor's intentions, without skill, they were worthless.

The shopkeeper sighed and muttered, "He's a nuisance... but it seems he genuinely cares about the sick."

"... I see. Thank you for the information. Here's a little something."

Sukura handed him some money, and the three of them headed towards the inn where George had secured a room.

They had gathered information about a doctor nearby. Now they just needed to see if Sukura could become their apprentice, but that would depend on how things went once they met them.

Sukura made a note to visit them later.

"Oh, you're back. Did you hear anything?" George inquired.

"We heard about the best doctor in this area. And also about a quack who's a thief," said Sukura.

"What's with that? Anyway, we'll be staying at this inn for three days, so leave any unnecessary luggage here."

George handed them keys, and they went to their respective rooms to leave their belongings. They needed to keep important items with them at all times, but bulky clothes were too much to carry around.

With lighter loads, the six of them chatted as they made their way towards the large tree on the outskirts of town. It was quite stylish to have a residence built within a tree, Sukura thought as they walked, careful not to slip on the snowy path.

"They said it was a nearly hundred-year-old hag, but I'm more worried about whether you'll be alright," George remarked.

"Wahahaha! It's hard to tell who needs a doctor more!" Samuel laughed.

"From what I heard, they're still practicing medicine and seem to be quite a lively old lady. In any case, I really want their knowledge."

"Since they say this country has the best medical care in the world, I wonder if there's a school or something run by the government."

"That's a possibility too. But that would take time, wouldn't it?"

"Learning anything takes time. I'd like to have a few months."

Learning required time, effort, and money. Even so, Kanata and the others had allowed Sukura to join the crew as their doctor, so they had no complaints.

They would prefer it if he could learn quickly, but that was just their honest opinion.

As they talked, they reached their destination.

"Excuse me! Is Kureha here?" Sukura knocked and called out. After a short while, the door opened.

A woman emerged from inside. She had white hair and wrinkles, but her back wasn't hunched, and she seemed to be a healthy elderly person.

She looked at Sukura and the others with a curious gaze from behind her sunglasses and asked, "What do you want? The secret to youth?"

"No, that can wait. We came here because we heard about your skills as a doctor. We would like to learn medicine from you."

"... I don't take apprentices. If you want to study medicine, go somewhere else."

"I'm a traveler and not familiar with this country. Is there a school or something?"

"No. If you want to study medicine, you have to learn directly from a doctor affiliated with the country. Otherwise, you're on your own or have to find someone independent to teach you."

There was no school run by the government where they could study medicine.

This was partly due to the specialized nature of the field, but in many cases, becoming a doctor meant inheriting the knowledge from one's parents. Even in a medical powerhouse like this country, basic knowledge was only accessible to the children of doctors. That's why there were occasional quacks like Hiluluk.

Sukura pressed, "Then, I'd like to become your apprentice. I hear you have exceptional skills."

"I told you, I don't take apprentices. If you're not patients, go home."

"Come on, old lady, at least hear us out."

Ignoring Samuel, who had been knocked down by Kureha, George stepped forward. "We'll pay. It's just this one guy who wants to study medicine. Can't you work something out?"

"You guys are persistent. Besides, you can learn medicine from someone else, can't you? Why are you so fixated on me?"

"Because everyone in town said you're the best doctor here. I'm a ship's doctor on a certain ship, and I came here to learn better medical techniques so I can save everyone. It's only natural that I'd want to learn from the best doctor."

Kureha narrowed her eyes at Sukura's words and seemed to be thinking about something before chuckling softly.

"... Hehehe. If you give me all your money and cargo, I'll consider it."

"Come on, that's too much... I'm not the captain. But I can give you whatever I have within my authority. It's nothing compared to the skills to save lives."

"Sukura!?" George was surprised.

"Hehehe. Looks like we have a deal. I'll talk to your captain later. And do you have a place to stay? Come to my place tomorrow, and I'll start from scratch."

"Thank you. I'll be in your care, Dr. Kureha."

"Call me Doctorine, young man."

Sukura bowed and expressed his gratitude. The negotiations were settled for now. They decided to return to the inn for the day.

Sukura didn't know how much time it would take, but he was determined to learn as much as he could.

***

"... I see. So that's why you contacted me so urgently."

"Well, yeah. I figured I should at least let you know before she took all our cargo."

"Give her whatever money she needs. As for the cargo... our entire ship's cargo is a bit too much. It would be troublesome for us, and I'm sure it would be for her too to receive it all at once."

Kanata spoke through the Den Den Mushi while lying on a beach chair on the deck. The sun felt good, and she was getting sleepy, but she was still fully conscious.

They had planned to use the Den Den Mushi only for emergencies, but they decided it was safe as long as they didn't mention names, so she was receiving a report from George.

Although, the information he conveyed seemed like it could be considered an emergency.

"She's currently studying medicine with an escort, so we should probably earn some money here."

"True. If she asked for all our money, it would be a significant amount. We'd be in trouble if we couldn't even afford our next meal."

"Yeah... By the way, is it just me, or do I hear cannon fire?"

"It's not just you. We're currently under attack by pirates."

"Is it okay to be talking so casually, Kanata?"

"They're small fry. It's not worth me getting involved."

The pirates probably thought it was a regular ship since there was no pirate flag, but they were out of luck. David and Junshi seemed to be boarding the enemy ship and fighting, so Kanata decided she didn't need to intervene.

Since Kanata's face was becoming more well-known, they would likely attract more pirates seeking to make a name for themselves by attacking her – or rather, by attacking her as a source of money.

They had some experience with naval battles from their merchant days, but David and Feiyun were unfamiliar with it, so she was giving them turns to gain experience.

Feiyun was a bit difficult to handle, so they only did this when Kanata was present.

"Well, as long as there's no problem..."

"More importantly, how long do you think it will take? There's a limit to how long we can use this area as a base."

"That's the thing. It's only the first day, and he said he would get a rough idea of how much he needs to learn, so he'll let us know when he comes back next time."

"I understand. We might need to change bases temporarily depending on the situation."

"Yeah... If we have an Eternal Pose, coming back here wouldn't be difficult."

George said he would contact her again and ended the call. Kanata put down the receiver and instructed the two who had returned after defeating the enemy ship to take the cargo and money.

There seemed to be survivors, but they were so beaten up that they were unlikely to resist.

"Scotch. If we use Drum as a base, how long do you think we can stay hidden?"

"That's difficult... Drum Kingdom is a World Government affiliated nation, so if they see our faces, we'll be reported immediately."

"Probably. But Drum doesn't have a Marine base. Even if we're reported, we'll have a day or two."

"It would be great if we could recruit a doctor from Drum Kingdom. I'd prefer a girl, and preferably a cute one."

"No one asked for your preferences."

They couldn't continue their voyage without Sukura, and they had no choice but to use this area as a base for a while.

However, there was a limit to how long they could do that.

"... It all depends on Sukura."

They couldn't plan their next move without knowing how long he needed.