Chapter 71: Thank You

The mermaid witch’s surgery began without any preparation or planning, progressing haphazardly. Even so, I worked desperately. A person’s life was on the line. I didn’t want to touch it, but I couldn’t let her die either.

Suddenly, a life was in my hands, and though there was pressure, my skilled hands, no matter how nervous I was, moved precisely.

The surgery, which began with alcohol disinfection and a carving knife, was interrupted when I couldn’t see the surgical field due to heavy bleeding, so I had to pause to get a clean cloth.

After wiping away the blood, I noticed the torn blood vessels and was about to stitch them up when I realized there were no suturing needles, so I had to quickly turn the sewing box upside down and pause again.

It was all a chaotic mess, with no efficiency or proper planning.

“Alright… I’ve connected the big blood vessels. But the bleeding won’t stop… The artery is here, right? Something’s wrong… Ah!? Wait, I got it, the open vascular system and closed vascular system are mixed! I shouldn’t connect this blood vessel here! This is bad!”

At times, I had to deal with the bizarre anatomy based on vague knowledge.

“What!? Blood pressure is dropping! Is this shock!? This is bad, her heart’s going to stop! No way to transfuse blood, it’s over!”

“Dairi, Dairi, I’ve collected the blood that was bleeding into a plastic bag. I’m worried about hygiene and don’t know if I should do this…”

“Are you a genius!? Let’s do an auto-blood transfusion! She’ll die if we don’t!”

At times, I was saved by the Spider Witch’s divine cover.

“Whoa! What’s this giant deformity, a gremlin? It’s fused with the organs… Wait, wasn’t it fused with an electric eel? Is this from that? I need to excise it… No, wait, it might be better not to touch it. But it’s compressing the heart, so I’ll just reposition it…”

I tried to reorganize the twisted organs so that they could recover healthily.

“No way, there’s a hole in the skull! Wait, the shape of the skull bones is weird. The pressure’s concentrated at a point, weakening it. What is this bone protrusion!? It’s digging into the brain and ripping the wound open! This has to be a condition! Should I excise it…? It’s okay, right? I’ll shave the bone taken from here and fit it into the skull hole… Ugh! Gross!”

I managed to treat the serious head injury I didn’t want to touch but couldn’t avoid.

If a professional doctor had seen it, they would have been furious at my impromptu surgery, but my suturing speed could rival any professional. Thanks to that, the blood loss was minimized. Even though the wound was badly torn, I was able to stitch it up precisely so that no scar would remain.

I finished the entire surgery in 30 minutes, sat down on the chair next to the makeshift operating table I set up in the living room, and completely exhausted, I collapsed.

“I can’t do it anymore. I can’t do any more. If this doesn’t work, it’s over.”

“Good job, Dairi…”

From outside the window, the Spider Witch extended her legs and placed a towel on my forehead to comfort me.

The Spider Witch had also worked hard. She made the perfect fine and strong suturing thread, assisted with the transfusion, and if either of us was missing, the surgery wouldn’t have been possible.

The mermaid witch, with her pale face, was still breathing weakly, her chest rising and falling. At one point, she had convulsed violently and her heart had nearly stopped, but I had managed to stabilize the situation… I think. Probably.

I have no idea what will happen from here on out.

There’s a possibility I cut something I wasn’t supposed to.

There’s also a chance I connected something I shouldn’t have.

Complications, secondary infections, stitching failure, and worsening internal injuries are all possible.

Anything could happen. Especially since I performed the surgery with insufficient disinfection and sterilization, bacterial infection is the biggest concern.

However, the witch’s body is tough.

The Northern Witch, who once was nearly killed by Hiyori’s stab to the stomach, had recovered and is now actively fighting monsters.

I did everything I could. Now, I can only bet on the witch’s vitality.

After resting for a while post-surgery, I carried the mermaid witch to the bathroom. Since she seemed to feel better underwater, I thought submerging her in water would help her recover faster.

But as soon as I put the mermaid witch in the bathtub filled with water, her body, which had been cold, warmed up rapidly, and her heart rate increased. The mermaid witch groaned in pain.

I quickly pulled her out of the water, and her body temperature and pulse returned to normal, and upon examination, there was no rupture of blood vessels.

“That was close. I almost killed her thinking I was helping.”

For the badly injured mermaid witch, the water buff seemed to be more of a burden than a help. The boost in her body’s vitality was actually putting more strain on her.

Since moving her too much could cause the wounds to reopen, I laid the mermaid witch on the living room sofa as a makeshift bed, covered her with a wet blanket, and made her rest.

“Mii-mii-mii-mii… Mi!? Mii-mii!”

Sekitan, who had been humming while taking a walk around the room, was surprised when she saw the mermaid witch and blew fire at her in defense. I quickly separated them and told hm not to attack, and thus the mermaid witch’s hospitalization began.

The mermaid witch was unconscious for a full two days.

But on the third day, she opened her eyes and began responding when I spoke to her or moved things in front of her.

On the fourth day, she had a violent coughing fit, but after coughing up a large blood clot, her coughs stopped, and she was able to drink water.

By the fifth day, she was able to eat (fish).

I avoided looking her in the eye as I served the fish, and the mermaid witch silently accepted the food and ate quietly. I felt like she was about to say something, but before any words came out, she fled, so I never knew what she was going to say.

Ideally, the Spider Witch would have been the one to care for her, and that would have been the most reassuring and easiest solution. However, it seems the mermaid witch is afraid of spiders. The Spider Witch, being feared herself, couldn’t care for her either, as it would affect her rationality, so she apologized for not being able to look after her properly.

It’s fine. Really.

After all, this isn’t a hospital. I didn’t get paid for the surgery or the medical fees. In fact, if I kicked her out right now, I wouldn’t owe anyone any explanation.

It’s ridiculous to think that a staff maker is performing surgery on a witch and taking care of her during her hospitalization. I just want her to get better and disappear from my sight as soon as possible.

The mermaid witch’s condition improved day by day.

Her complexion became better, her appetite increased, and she began to hum strange melodies in the middle of the night.

There were no signs of worsening symptoms or aftereffects, and on the sixth day, the stitches were removed.

She would likely make a full recovery soon.

But on the other hand, my own condition was deteriorating day by day.

Every morning, when I looked in the mirror, my complexion was worse, I lost my appetite, and I began waking up in the middle of the night, showing symptoms of insomnia. When I ate solid food, my stomach felt heavy, and I could only eat pickled plum porridge.

Just having strangers in the house was stressing me out immensely.

On the sixth night of her hospitalization, when I took a bath, I was horrified to see clumps of my hair falling out.

This much stress is worse than when I was forced into a two-night, three-day school trip. It’s a nightmare come back to life.

I decided to send the mermaid witch back to the sea first thing tomorrow morning.

She is still recovering from her illness, but if this continues, I’ll get sick. In fact, I think I’m already sick.

After a bath, I was relaxing on the porch when I heard a beautiful singing voice coming from the living room.

Listening to it, she really sounds like a wonderful singer.

I couldn’t tell whether it was an unknown language or just a cry, and I didn’t understand the meaning of the song. But as I listened, I was reminded of the vast and majestic ocean, shining stars, and the mysterious moon—sad yet beautiful.

It’s really a shame. If this song were on an album, I’d buy two copies—one for listening and one for preservation. Why did it have to be a live performance?

As I sat on the porch, lost in the music, roots started growing from the ground and began beckoning me. Once again, it seemed like Fuyou had something to say.

Unfortunately, the spider witch wasn’t nearby, so I reluctantly headed towards the back mountain. What was it this time? Please don’t tell me another witch is washed up by the river.

When I reached the place where the Fuyou grew, feeling weak, Fuyou grabbed my waist with its vine and pulled me toward it without a word.

“Hey!? What are you doing!?”

“Open your mouth, uncle.”

Not knowing what would happen, I tightly closed my mouth. The somewhat angry Fuyou tilted my head back and pried my mouth open, dripping two drops of golden liquid from the end of a bundle of petals.

She inserted a thin vine into my throat and forced me to swallow, bringing back terrifying memories from years ago.

Here we go again!

What the heck! I was forced to drink this by the Flower Witch too. What is this liquid? What am I being made to drink? It’s creepy!

It seemed that the golden liquid forced into me by Fuyou was the same as the one from the Flower Witch. It had a sweet fragrance, and I felt a sense of nature’s power filling my body.

The exhaustion I’d been feeling faded, and my once-heavy stomach became lighter.

It didn’t feel like something bad, but the Flower Witch had mentioned that people might die because of this liquid, and the whole thing still felt too mysterious.

After being released from the vine, I protested to Fuyou. Both you and your daughter are terrible.

“What the heck did you just make me drink? You could at least explain it!”

“I gave it to you because you looked unwell. It’s that woman’s fault, right? She’s staying at your place, making you suffer, right?”

Fuyou puffed out her cheeks, clearly upset. She swung her vine around and struck a nearby giant tree.

The tree’s trunk was deeply gouged, and as it slowly fell, it made a loud crashing sound.

“F-Fuyou-san? You’ve gotten quite strong, haven’t you?”

She was much stronger now than when she first came to Okutama. She had changed drastically.

“Yeah, that’s true. It’s all the mermaid witch’s fault, but I didn’t invite her into my home. I just helped her because she was dying, and I plan to send her away tomorrow.”

“Mm-hm? Really? You let that mermaid stay, but you didn’t let me in. You’re gonna put up with all this just to let her stay?”

“What? Jealous, huh? Geez, that’s annoying.”

Once I realized why Fuyou was upset, I too became annoyed. I felt like my health, which had been improving thanks to what I drank, had gotten worse again.

I moved to the countryside to avoid all these complicated human relationships, but now I’m stuck dealing with this. It’s so frustrating. Please stop it. If you’re going to have relationship problems, do it somewhere I don’t have to be involved.

Just as I was feeling drained, Fuyou whispered with an eerie gleam in her eyes.

“Hey, if I kill that woman and drink her up, I’d get really good nutrients. I’d become even stronger and prettier. The spider lady said, ‘Witches shouldn’t kill,’ but I don’t see the point in keeping alive the woman who’s making you suffer. If you’re okay with it, I’ll get rid of her for you.”

Fuyou seemed to think she was being seductive with her sweet whisper.

Ha! A kid like you. What do you mean “I’ll get rid of her”?

I worked so hard to heal the mermaid witch. It doesn’t make sense to just kill her.

I’d prefer the mermaid witch to disappear quickly from my sight and live healthily somewhere I don’t know.

“Because of your dumb ideas, you’ve become the number one woman who’s causing me trouble.”

“!? S-Sorry…! Don’t hate me!”

When I said that, Fuyou immediately became meek and clung to me, almost in tears.

“Then stop saying things like killing customers.”

“Yes…”

“Why did you report to me if you wanted to kill the mermaid witch and drink her blood?”

“Well, at first, I thought if she died, I could use her as nourishment. But my mom always told me to use witches and wizards properly, so I thought I’d try that. But I didn’t know how to use her, so I thought I’d ask you. But then, you helped her, and she’s been bullying you, so…!”

“Ah, I get the gist of it.”

Fuyou’s thoughts seemed to reflect a monster-like sensibility.

Despite her calculating approach, she did try to help the mermaid witch at first, and maybe I should have praised her for that. After all, she’s still a kid.

I patted the soft, rich leaf mold beneath Fuyou, carefully tended to her branches, and left her, leaving the blissed-out flower girl behind as I returned home.

For now, I’d settled Fuyou down, but if left alone, she’d likely get upset again and make a move on the mermaid witch. Even ignoring my own stress limits, I’d need to send the patient on her way soon.

The next morning, the mermaid witch had somehow wandered out into the backyard and was half-submerged in the fish tank, seemingly enjoying a half-body bath.

Her skin was smooth and radiant, her scales full of vitality, and her long golden hair, illuminated by the morning sun, looked majestic like a bundle of gold.

The mermaid witch, having fully recovered, smiled and waved at me when she saw me.

“Good morning!”

“Eh… goo… good morning… um, good… morning?”

“Good morning!”

It’s morning, though.

Is she someone who uses “good morning” regardless of the time of day?

Now that I think about it, I’ve never heard her say anything other than “good morning.” She’s surprisingly good at greetings. Could it be that she can only say this?

That’s not good. It seems like she might have suffered a brain injury and is a bit off.

This is why amateur surgeries are so dangerous. I feel bad for causing such severe side effects. But I saved her life, so I hope she can forgive me.

“U-uh… sorry, but it seems like there might be some kind of damage to your language center or something, and I really apologize, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Good morning?”

“Uh… well, I don’t want to just abandon you while you’re still recovering, but it feels irresponsible, so… maybe you should see a proper doctor? Uhm… um… are you okay with being discharged? You’re okay, right?”

“Good morning, good morning.”

“Does that mean you’re okay?”

“Good morning.”

“Which one…?”

She only knows one word, so I can’t tell if she’s confirming or denying anything.

But, she nodded enthusiastically, and when I pointed toward the riverbank and said, “Let’s go home,” she happily hopped after me.

Well… I guess it’s fine. She’s clearly suffering from severe side effects, but there’s nothing more I can do. It’s painful, but I’ll leave the rest to a real doctor.

When we reached the riverbank, the swelling of the Tama River had completely subsided. The water was still murky, with driftwood and rocks scattered along the shore, but the water level had returned, and the current was slower.

I told Fuyou to make sure the mermaid witch wasn’t affected by the mist of confusion, so now she should be able to follow the river downstream without getting lost.

When I pointed at the river and said, “Take care,” the mermaid witch looked from the water to my face, deep in thought for a moment.

Then, she calmly peeled off a scale from her body, cut a lock of her long golden hair with the edge of the scale, and began to craft something.

I was taken aback by her sudden self-harm.

This is bad… Maybe she really still needs to be hospitalized, I thought, but when I saw what the mermaid witch had made, I understood.

The mermaid witch had made a necklace out of her hair and scales. It was a magnificent necklace, with beautiful ultramarine scales adorning a refined golden string.

The mermaid witch handed me the necklace, her mouth moving as she tried to speak.

“Co… co… a… u…”

“?”

“…Th-thank you!”

With a bright smile, the mermaid witch said this, then waved at me before leaping into the water.

She splashed high as she dove into the Tama River, resurfacing to wave at me once more, before cutting through the waves and swimming swiftly downstream.

Holding the mermaid’s necklace in my hand, I sighed with relief.

Well, she can speak after all. It seems like the language center issue was temporary.

I’m not entirely sure, but if she can say “good morning” and “thank you,” she’ll probably start being able to speak other words too, eventually. Probably. I don’t know.

Ah, what an unexpected visitor.

This past week has really taken a toll on my stomach.

So, I guess the payment for the amateur emergency surgery and hospitalization is this necklace…

Well, it’s pretty, and just receiving a witch’s gift is exciting in itself.

I’ll consider it a fortunate accident.

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