Seeing Dr. Fran had no intention of intervening either, Sigrid put the Dreamweaver back in its place herself.
Fran passed through the long corridor, stepped lightly into the kitchen, then raised her hand to tie on her classic little bear apron.
She was about to start preparing today's lunch.
Having handled Schmidt's brain earlier gave her a sudden craving for roasted brains these past few days. So, early this morning, she had gone to the North District market to buy fresh ox brains, coriander, and garlic... Ingredients were complete, equipment ready, just awaiting preparation.
Fran called out to Sigrid, but the maid who usually responded promptly didn't appear this time for some reason.
Got held up in the collection room? But that place has the highest security level; there shouldn't be any accident.
Fran walked curiously into the main hall, still not seeing her.
Just as she was considering whether to go down the corridor to the collection room, a small, fluffy deer nudged her waist from behind.
"Nah."
Luyala carefully minded her branch-like, crystalline long antlers, ensuring they wouldn't scratch the doctor before her.
"Luyala, was this your prank?"
Seeing Luyala appear, Fran immediately knew she was in a dream. Naturally, in such a situation, Sigrid wouldn't hear her call...
She let out a sighing laugh, leaned down, and pinched the soft fur on Luyala's cheek.
The little fawn pouted as if pretending to be angry, but then her slender hooves began to tremble slightly. She weakly half-closed her eyes, leaning against Fran's embrace.
As a fawn in her youth, Luyala was very light. Through her warm, soft fur, one could feel her erratic heartbeat. Even her breathing rhythm carried a trace of not-yet-faded alarm, only gradually calming under Fran's soothing.
"You child, you've gone and hurt yourself again. Didn't I tell you to go find Sister Haida when going out to forage?"
Fran helped Luyala up and found bite marks on one side of her neck. Her originally frost-colored beautiful fur was now stained with mottled, dripping blood.
The state of this wound was rather strange, not like a beast's bite, but more similar to a wound left by some kind of insect's mandible.
"Lighter than the last two times. The contamination hasn't penetrated deep into the body... Should be able to simplify the treatment plan."
As Fran's hand passed over the wound, the clear, faint light of Drive Away Dust and Filth lit up.
The ant-like contamination writhing entangled within the wound then began to convulse frantically but still couldn't prevent being extinguished and dissipating in the next moment.
After last year's house call to the Nameless Silent Hill, Fran's Drive Away Dust and Filth had progressed from "Proficient Level" to "Dominant Level." Not only did it support more subtle separation of foreign matter, but its corresponding intensity also increased, sufficient to quickly and effectively remove the ant-like contamination.
Luyala opened her glistening eyes, somewhat surprised to see the pollution lingering in the wound on her neck completely vanish.
In her impression, the doctor of this clinic hidden in the grey mist, though possessing superb medical skill, often accompanied her treatment processes with intense pain.
Whether it was the first time cutting away contaminated flesh and tissue, or the second time dispersing the pollution with maddening, scorching fire...
But today her treatment method was unexpectedly so gentle; she didn't even feel any pain.
"Nah..."
Luyala leaned her head against Fran, her expression carrying a hint of soft weariness. If she weren't already in a dream and unable to fall asleep again, she'd probably be asleep by now.
"According to your species characteristics, additional suturing shouldn't be needed. After cleansing the contamination, it can heal on its own within a short time."
The reason Fran completed the treatment so effortlessly and pleasantly, besides the advancement of Drive Away Dust and Filth, was also because she had already mastered a large number of Luyala's bodily parameters.
Now she had a thorough understanding of this mythical creature's entire structure, from every bone to every organ... Naturally, she wouldn't be as hesitant and cautious as during their first meeting, worrying that a bad incision might blow her clinic sky-high.
Although Luyala didn't seem like the type with a fire bladder, it's better to be safe than sorry; caution is never wrong.
Without contamination interference, the wound on Luyala's body soon began to close. Beneath her crystalline-colored fur, one could see thin scabs forming.
Once the treatment was completed, a new question immediately followed...
"Oh, dear Luyala, this time's consultation fee... how will you deliver it?"
"Nah?"
Human and deer looked at each other, their gazes meeting.
Fran, of course, knew expecting a mythical creature to pay her was unrealistic... So asking this meant she had already thought of what to accept as payment.
"Luyala, how about joining the Fog Street Clinic?"
"I'll provide five social insurances and two housing funds, free medical care, stable salary, holiday benefits... and the highest-specification employee meals. As for working hours, I'll call you when needed; all other times are vacation."
"As for the position, let's make it 'Messenger.'"
She maintained a persuasive tone, her amber eyes as bright as lamplight.
"Nah!"
After brief consideration, Luyala gave a slight nod, lightly and with a hint of joy accepting the olive branch Fran extended.
If not for this clinic hidden in the grey mist, she likely would have already been captured during her first injury, with life or death uncertain then. Rather than troubling the doctor again with future injuries, better to simply join to seek protection.
In fact, Luyala had already had similar thoughts before.
The reason she hadn't mentioned it was, firstly, she hadn't yet mastered human language and didn't know how to express it to Fran. Secondly, she was afraid Fran would refuse and consequently dislike her...
Fran then took out a parchment contract from her sleeve, as if she had planned this in advance.
Since Luyala had already agreed, signing the contract naturally proceeded smoothly... As their respective signatures—Fran's name and Luyala's small hoofprint—were imprinted on the contract document, an intangible connection was also established.
"Seems like since last year, I've said I wanted a messenger. Didn't expect to fulfill this wish only this year."
Fran put away the contract document and breathed a rather satisfied sigh of relief.
After nine months of persistent feeding, Luyala finally willingly became the Fog Street Messenger, allowing herself to be freely handled by Fran in the future...
"Welcome aboard, Luyala. I'll prepare your onboarding gift within this quarter. You can look forward to it appropriately, okay?"
She quite addictively stroked the soft fur around the fawn's neck, just about to bury her face in it for a good sniff when an ethereal, familiar call sounded from afar.
"Dr. Fran?"
The falling sensation of waking from a dream then came. Everything in the dream turned into brilliant, fleeting bubbles.
When Fran reopened her eyes, she found Sigrid holding her waist to prevent her from falling. Clearly, it was Sigrid who had called her just now.
"Did you not rest well again? How could you fall asleep in the kitchen?"
Sigrid asked somewhat strangely.
There hadn't been any high-pressure research projects lately, and Dr. Fran's schedule was also healthy. Why would she suddenly fall asleep in the kitchen? She hadn't even taken off her classic little bear apron...
"I was just processing the onboarding of a new member for the Fog Street Clinic. You might have a chance to work together later."
Fran raised a hand to cover her mouth, slightly dispelling the weariness brought by entering the dream.
Hearing this, Sigrid first looked blank, then seemed to gain understanding and focused her gaze.
"Is it... that patient existing in the dream dimension?"
"Correct." Fran confirmed Sigrid's guess.
"She will be a competent messenger."
After briefly explaining to the maid, she turned her attention again to the fresh pink brain matter before her.
This kind of roasted dish doesn't require much culinary skill in terms of knife work or heat control. As long as the seasoning is good and the ingredients are fresh...
—
That night, dusk had deepened, the bright moon like a mirror.
Sigrid lay on her soft bed, wrapping herself in the quilt.
She absently savored the memory of the noon's dish.
Clearly so spicy, with such strange ingredients, yet it possessed an irresistible magic... After this, her taste buds seemed branded with some strange mark.
"Huu..."
Sigrid breathed evenly and slowly, even though she didn't need to supply oxygen to organs. But maintaining this breathing rhythm had become her means of regulating her spirit.
Since Fran lived alone at the Fog Street Clinic most of the time, she hadn't prepared clothes for others. Meaning... the pajamas Sigrid was wearing were picked by Fran from her own bedroom wardrobe.
These few sets of pajamas and casual clothes gifted to Sigrid were all hand-made by Fran, carrying the faint scent of myrrh and osmanthus from her.
It was a calming scent, seeming capable of smoothing out chaotic, mixed-up feelings...
Sigrid was a "perfect" alchemical life; eating and sleeping weren't necessary. But under Fran's teaching, she still maintained the senses and schedule a normal human should have... Sleep naturally was also an indispensable part.
As weariness at the spiritual level slowly rose, she soon fell into deep sleep.
Consciousness continuously floated upward, as if breaking free from gravity's restraint, directly bathing in gently rolling clouds.
"Sigrid, sleeping well?"
A familiar voice sounded. Fran was seen propping her cheek with one hand, looking at her with great interest. An elegantly shaped white fawn stood beside her, occasionally sticking out a pink tongue to lick its lips.
"Let me introduce you, this is Luyala."
"Nah!"
The fawn friendly came forward and nuzzled Sigrid, then felt she was being too enthusiastic and shyly turned her head away.
"Oh... hello?"
Sigrid looked at Luyala, her molten-gold eyes flashing with a hint of surprise.
Though she had heard Fran say this was a "cute" patient, worried about this doctor's peculiar aesthetic sense... she wasn't too comfortable guessing its specific appearance.
Only upon seeing it with her own eyes did she know Dr. Fran indeed spoke truthfully. This little creature was unlawfully cute.
"Good evening, Miss Sigrid."
Haida beside them adjusted the collar of her nun's robe, then nodded in greeting.
"You as well, Sister Haida."
Sigrid half-squinted those molten-gold-colored eyes, feeling a bit puzzled.
Why was Sister Haida also in her dream? Besides introducing a new colleague... was Dr. Fran planning to do something else?
"Sigrid, there's a special activity tonight. We're going to sneak into someone's dream."
Mentioning this, Fran quite mysteriously pursed her lips into a smile.
"Heh... consider it the Fog Street Clinic's annual team-building event?"
---
Sigrid walked with a sense of novelty through the bizarre and colorful dreamscape, her molten-gold eyes occasionally flickering.
One moment she was distinctly walking through a dark, deep forest; with a shift of her gaze, she was already on Norlington's bustling main street.
Carriages, horses, and pedestrians flowed past like a ceaseless stream, noisy and unending.
Such illogical scene shifts had occurred no fewer than several times along the way, making her feel somewhat dazed.
Unclaimed dreams are composed of vast amounts of past memories, with chaotic, mixed-up fantasies overflowing within them... This made the surrounding scene's form extremely unstable, illusory, and dizzying.
But the path Luyala trod upon was as if frost fell and snow settled, spotless light gradually dyeing everything pure white.
Sigrid very much wanted to know where they were going this time.
But seeing Fran's delicate brows slightly furrowed, as if pondering some serious question, she felt it wouldn't be appropriate to interrupt her. So she restrained her curiosity, patiently following behind Luyala.
It was rare to see this doctor's serious expression; she must be thinking about something very important.
Fran lightly pinched her lower lip, her amber gaze slightly focused, making it difficult to discern what she was thinking.
Hmm...
A somewhat physically weak leader, a very capable number one, an interesting number two, and a white hoofed mammal... Now just need a diligent and hardworking number three to complete the Journey to the West-style master-disciple quartet with one mount.
But the order is a bit off. Sigrid already meets the diligent and hardworking standard; placing her in the number two spot might not be suitable? But putting her later would mess up the order...
As the pure white path reached its end, Fran set aside this clearly not-very-serious question, stepping into the dream at the path's end.
Silver birch and sweet flag, a tree-lined long avenue.
Many students and professors in casual clothes walked among them. Some, with no more classes, were leisurely and relaxed; others, about to be late, were in a hurried rush.
Without a doubt, this was Norlington Central Academy.
Sigrid examined the towering courtyard wall covered with star jasmine on one side of the road, quickly determining its location within the academy.
+++
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